It's been awhile.

Wow Time flies when your having fun!
We have done so much since the last time that we wrote that I don't think that I can get everything in, but here goes....
We (I mean Ryan) spent a full week in the engine room working on the fuel system and fixing problems. Then we decided to take the boat on a trip for a better test run. After talking it over on the dock we came up with a destination and a plan.
So we packed supplies and threw off our lines. We begin the trip with autopilot calibrations (since the last trip was unsuccessful) and after a few circles and about an hour of s turns we got the job done. (Finally!) So we set our heading toward Galveston. We pull into Offats Bayou about sunset and anchor for the night. The next morning we get up early and begin the trip to Freeport (Texas not Bahamas). We make it about a mile when again we have engine problems. So we end up dropping anchor right in the middle of the channel while Ryan tries again to figure out the problem. After about an hour he gets one engine running reliablly and the other intermittently. So we continue the trek to Freeport via the Intercoastal Waterway. We ran aground twice and couldn't get the wind in our favor to sail so we had to motor the whole way. Did I mention that we also ran out of fuel in the day tank? Well apparently had we been in the engine room while transfering fuel we would have realized that the main line to the day tank had split and was dumping fuel into the bilge instead of the tank. Soo we had to clean fuel out of the bilge and try to 'patch' the fuel line until we could get to shore. Finally after a long and stressful day we are close to Freeport when we get a call "The dock is going to be tight but you can make it. My boat does." Well Robert tight is a bit of an understatement it was down right snug. We were about to turn around when Travis hollers "You can make it! Just back right in here." Well believe it or not. That is exactly what Ryan did. He parallel parked the boat into a space that had it been that close in a car I would have drove around the block. He literally had 6 inches in the back and 2 foot in the front. It was impressive. So after we were safely docked we broke out the booze and Ryan gave tours of the boat to everyone within a five mile range. Travis was extremely nice and offered to take Ryan to town the next day in order to get another line for the fuel tank and gave him some pads to help get the fuel out of the bilge. The next day we got up late and puttered around the boat for awhile, picking up things that had fallen or that had been put away during the trip. Ryan invited Travis for dinner and we met Joyce, Tim, and Linda. We had a nice evening. Unfortantely the next morning we received bad news and had to head back to Oklahoma. So we quickly got the boat ready for sail and headed out to the ocean. (No more intercoastal for us) After a solid 17 hours of motoring and a 2 hour bout of rough seas we made it back to our dock with the sunrise. We slept until noon and then went and saw my grandparents before heading out to Oklahoma. We spent the night at Hotel Grenzebach and caught up with Tyson and Connie. It was nice, we have really missed them. Then we headed to Perkins and Stillwater. We spent monday night at Hotel Clinesmith and caught up with Trent and Rachel. It has been forever since we have seen them and it was really great visiting. Tuesday was the funeral and we spent the day with friends and family. The occasion was not the best but seeing everyone was really nice. Ryan really enjoyed talking to people that he hadn't seen in years, and I finally got to put some faces to a bunch of the names that I have been hearing about. Another night at Hotel Grenezbach and then back to Houston. We got home just in time to spend a nice weekend with Janice and Ray all to ourselves, and then fix a waterleak in the front head and then back to Oklahoma. Tuesday Papa was finished with all his radiation treatments and free to go home. So we packed up their stuff and drove them back to Oklahoma City. Since Oklahoma was cold and it was still early we decided to drive back home and sleep in our own beds.

And somewhere in the mix of all that.
* My computer developed a serious problem and is in the shop. So I am sorry for the slow responses to emails and the long gap in between blogs, but Ryan and I have to share a computer. I know it's torture!
* I have been trying to make wedding plans. (January 10, 2010 on the boat)
* Ryan has been working on the boat.
* We got the stencil for changing the boat name. (Another chore to be done.)
* Went to the Turtle Club and made a new friend.
* And drove over 2,000 miles on land and 150 miles on water.
Whew, I think I need a nap!
Well I think that about catches you up on the happenings here.
Hope all is well with you.
Jen, Ryan, and the brats