Three weeks until we set sail! =]

Wow! It has been one heck of a crazy month! Michael and I have been a tad bit busy preparing for the trip(you know...just a tad! ;). We made our final boat payment last month and now have the title for Minor Key; a very important step! Michael went out with our neighbor on the docks, Jack, for his first REAL offshore sailing adventure. They planned on sailing to Seattle, but with 20-25 knot winds from the north, lots of chop and small craft advisory...the trip would have taken over 40 hours of straight motoring under horrid conditions. So they turned back and Michael got to practice crossing the bar again, this time on an ebb tide! Not so much fun, but an excellent learning experience! We decided to make one last trip up to Government Island last week to have a smidgen of rest before these three weeks insanity, and it was wonderful. We were able to bring friends with us(Cloressa, Justin, Matthew, and Jake), and we gave thanks to the beautiful full moon in Aquarius and this awesome universe in general! It was just the perfect recharge and reminder, at this time when our time here in Portland is slipping away so fast and it seems like there is still so much to do, and still so many people to see and connect with before we are seperated for so many years! Speaking of seeing people, we have also been crazy busy working on organizing our benefit party, which is tomorrow! We've been calling and talking to everyone we know here in town, and we are super excited to see everyone, possibly for the last time for many years. Eric and Shelly own Rumpspankers on 7th and Dekum and they have graciously allowed us to host our benefit at their charming restaurant/bar from 5pm to 2am. We have some friends that are playing(Adam and Kris and Oxygen Elmo), and our friend MC might spin for part of the night. Some possible open jam action might occur as well. It should be an entertaining and touching night. It's really starting to hit me that we are going away for a number of years, and that there are so many really amazing and beautiful people in this town that I will miss dearly. I'm excited to experience other societies and meet people from other cultures and other cruisers, but I can't help but think of how much I am going to miss all the people here that are so dear to my heart. That is the beautiful thing about love: it doesn't disappear, it just gets put on pause. Perfect example was that my Uncle Rob was driving through Portland last Saturday and dropped by my work to see me. We realized that we hadn't actually manage to connect since I graduated high school in 1996! But seeing him, all my love for him welled up and I remembered how much I care; the pause button was taken off for a few minutes. Somehow, it makes it easier to leave all these wonderful people that I have cared about for all these years...I will still love you when I come back! And Michael and I will have so much to share over the years, and also when we get back into town. It isn't easy to go, but it will be worth it, and it will be better for everyone in the long run...you'll see, Mom...
Cathy, over and out
P.S. our kitten, Myrtle Marie is still adorable! And she has gotten much faster, with sharp teeth and claws, and an eye for anything that moves...but she DOES come and snuggle with us every night...