More on the Sinking Kayak

In the ongoing kayak saga, I decided to place a craigslist ad for my sinking kayak. Here is the ad below.... I'll resume my commentary at the end.

For sale – One kayak that sinks. Why would you want a kayak that sinks? Hmmmm…

· You can use it as a lawn ornament or the ultimate bird/squirrel feeder.
· Maybe cut it in half, and plant flowers in it and have the most unusual planter in the neighborhood.
· Fill it with ice and use at as a really cool drink cooler at your next party.
· Put it on your car and drive around and look cool.
· Stick it in the corner of your living room, and impress your date when you bring them home.
· Invite your arch enemy kayaking with you (hey, it sinks).
· Kayak at the beach in front of that really hot lifeguard and hope they notice you sinking and come out and rescue you.
· Use it as a chew toy for your Pitbul.
· Use it as a scratching post for your cat.
· Use it as a massive condo for your hamster/guinea pig/other rodents.
· Already own a kayak? Get this one, invite a friend as a practical joke, and then practice assisted rescues.
· Brush up on your own swimming skills by swimming back to shore when it sinks.
· Get a full workout when you lift it after it fills up with water (it weighs 38lbs dry, or 400+lbs full of water!).
· Use it in your backyard pool this summer, and make a game out of who can stay afloat the longest.
· Use it as a sled when we got as much snow as we’ve recently gotten. Call it “ka-boggining”

The story of this kayak… I bought it brand new, because it was light weight. I used it about a season and a half, and then went on an organized paddle with several hundred people. It sank with me in it and I had to be rescued from the water. It was EMBARRASING to say the least. After figuring out what happened (that water got inside the sealed hollow middle), I contacted the manufacturer. They sent a tube of epoxy and vague instructions how to fix it. The epoxy held for a few more short paddles, and then it sank again.

I contacted the manufacturer again, and this time spoke to a VP. They were very apologetic, knew there was an issue with this model, and offered to replace it for free.

GREAT, right?

WRONG! They sent a follow up email a couple of days later saying that they wouldn’t honor their offer…

So, now I’m without a working kayak, and no money to replace it. I thought one of you fine folks out in craigslist land might be able to find a good use for it.

$200 or highest offer. You pick it up, and take it away (looking cool the whole time with it on your car!)

P.S. The picture is from the manufacturer and is not the actual boat. The actual boat is the same color, looks virtually the same, but sinks.

Would you believe that I've had some offers??? I've had at least a dozen emails and some with legitimate offers. Who knew?

You'll notice that I declined to mention the manufacturers name. I didn't do it in the ad (not sure why), but most of the emails have asked for the name, and I've given it. One person actually emailed me and told me they have the same exact boat. AND made me an offer...

Perhaps they can fix it and enjoy it...

Either way, I hope to be rid of it soon!

AMW

No More SNOW!

Ok - I'm officially over the snow.

It was really fun the first time in February. See my post here.

The second weekend in a row with snow, was still kinda neat, but the novelty was wearing off.

The third weekend in a row, I could have really cared less.

BUT, on March 3rd???? REALLY???

I'm done. And I really want spring to come NOW!

As in, GIVE.ME.A.65.DEGREE.DAY! (And preferable on a weekend....)

It has to be right around the corner, right??????

AMW

Quilt Show

This weekend is the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Hampton. It's a VERY large show that brings people from all over the country for the classes, the vendors, and the quilts.

I signed up for a class on Saturday afternoon, so that let me into the preview night, last night.

SENSORY OVERLOAD!

I certainly wish I was independently wealthy, with nothing but time on my hands. There are so many fabrics that I want. So many neat gadgets. So many cool machines. WHEW!

I picked up a couple of things last night (can't show pictures, because I never know who's reading this, and if it may spoil a surprise at some point). I drooled over many more things, and marveled at the talent.

It just makes me wish that I could quilt all day....

I'll be going back tomorrow, and spending much more time, and narrowing down what I can actually afford to purchase, and on Saturday, I'll take the stained glass class I signed up for.

A few years ago, I bought a stained glass pattern because it looked easy... Similar to the one below. But then couldn't figure out the particulars.... This class promises to make it simple.

So, we'll see... Either way, stay tuned for some finished projects soon!

AMW

40th Birthday

Saturday, I turned 40. I guess I was a little nervous about. But not too bad... When I turned 30, I nearly thought it was the end of the world. And then my life got turned upside down, and at 35, I finally realized what it was to live my own life!

In these last 5 years, I've met some amazing people that have all touched my lives in different ways. I was fortunate enough to have a lot of them come out and celebrate with me as well as a few friends that I've known longer.

Here are some pictures from the day....

I had flowers delivered in the afternoon from my aunt and 3 cousins. They were beautiful, and filled with daisies, which happen to be one of my favorite flowers! What a cheery way to start the day!

Paul's Restaurant, which I featured here, opened just for us to have our little get-together.

There was PLENTY of Corona Light on ice, just waiting to be consumed. I did MY part!!!

It was decorated with all of the obligatory black balloons, and the place look great!

More decorations...

The best part, however, was EVERYONE! So much fun to have so many important people there to help me bring this decade in with style!

Of course, the CAPTAIN and his PRIVATE STOCK showed up, too. He's the BEST!

And the cards! I've never laughed so hard... Who knew that a bunch of over-the-hill cards could be so funny. Especially after the first few.... But they were all GREAT!

Definitely a night I will remember forever...

Thanks everybody! My bucket overflows!

AMW

Winter Olympics

Man - I have really gotten into the winter olympics this year.

I've always enjoyed the olympics, and I'll freely admit that the summer games are more to my liking, since I'm a much bigger fan of the warm weather than the cold.

But this year, I've really been bitten by the games.

Unfortunately, I still have to get up for work in the mornings, so I end up falling asleep while watching something I really wanted to watch!

Are you watching? What's your favorite thing to watch? Snowboarding? Ice Skating? Curling?

AMW

2010 SnowPocolypse

Earlier here I reminisced about a snow storm that happened when I was young. Now, through pictures, I'll tell you all about the big storm of 2010. A much different scene for me. I really enjoyed this storm, and had a lot of fun...

This was about 10:30 in the morning on Saturday. It was still snowing, but this was the earliest measurement. About 5 inches and steadily falling.

This was the back patio, around the same time-frame. See those two bowls on the table?

These two bowls? They are the collection bins for SNOW CREAM!

I remember having snow cream growing up. My grandmother would make it. But I had never tried it... It was REALLY yummy!!

We also picked that day to try to make sushi for the first time. It was really easy with the SUSHEZI! And good. This was avacodo, cream cheese and crab.

Of course, we HAD to go out and play. Casey just watched for bit. She's seen snow before, but not nearly this much...

I almost lost her in it at one point. It was up to her underbelly. Good thing she's so dark!

And I finally got her to sit still enough to take a good picture. She wasn't happy about sitting in it though. What a trooper!

Now some shots from around the yard...

The two suns and crab didn't seem too bothered by it all.

By Sunday morning, the icicles were growing bigger and bigger.

Guess we won't be grilling on these this weekend.

Sunday, we also decided to take a drive by the water. It's only a couple of blocks and I wanted to get some pictures. Of course.

This was one of the first things I saw. Beautiful, huh?

We also saw this guy. Wasn't 100% sure what I was seeing at first, but you'll see below and hopefully you'll be as amused as I was...

Yep. Cross-country skiing in SE VA by the bay.

And a great sport he was. I opened the window, held out the camera, and he just grinned.

And I almost missed this guy, cause I was facing the water. See him? On a snowboard?

That's him again being pulled behind that pick-up truck!

LOVE IT!

Lots of folks were out walking dogs. These two where just enjoying the day and each other!

I loved how the sun was shining so bright, and the snow was overlooking the water.

It was the most snow our area had seen in a long, long time. Nearly shut the entire metro area down. Took a long time to clear it all up, and kids were out of school until Wednesday or Thursday for a storm that happened on Saturday.

But it will be a storm that people will remember for years to come.

I know I will! How about you? What did you do that was memorable?

AMW

Little Things

You know, sometimes it's the little things that just make my day...

I've been having car trouble.

I basically had no power steering. Spoiled? YES!

I thought that my power steering pump was bad, and that it would cost an arm and a leg. And since I like both of my arms and legs, I had been putting off getting it fixed.

But after last weeks snow storm, I realized it HAD to fixed. So I took it to the dealer.

When they called to tell me it was ready, they said it was the power steering belt. And that my old belt had chunks missing out of it. UGH.

And when I went to pick it up and pay, the total cost was $53.00.

$53.00!!!

AWESOME!

To get out of the dealership for $53.00 MADE.MY.DAY! Hell, it MADE.MY.WEEK!

WOOHOO!

Drove it, loved it.

I think I can parallel park again!

YEAH!!!!

AMW

Blizzard history time

Here in Southeast VA we don't get many major snow storms. We're getting one right now....

The media is touting it as the biggest snow storm since the "blizzard" of 1980. That storm stranded many people inside the Scope arena that had gone to the circus, and the storm hit while they were inside. When the show was over, the roads were impassable, and most had to spend the night inside...

I was 10. And no, I wasn't inside.

I was at school when it hit. No big deal, right? Let me tell you what happened to me that year......

I guess forecasting wasn't what it was nowadays. They didn't close school for the impending storm.

Also, Norfolk was still practicing their "bussing" policy, where they were trying to integrate the schools better, so while I lived about a mile from an elementary school, I was "bussed" to a school in another part of town. Across the Elizabeth River actually, to South Norfolk.

And, let me add that my bus stop was more than two blocks away from my house. Long blocks.

So we went to school as normal in the morning. Then they decided that they needed to close schools early and get us home. That was about noon.

Most of the kids loaded onto their busses and went about their way. Two busses didn't make it. Mine was one of them.

So along with friends and others from our neighborhood, we waited and waited.

We called home. We begged parents to come get us. But they couldn't make it with the roads in the condition that they were.

We were given crackers.

We waited some more.

Finally about 7:30pm, we were told there was a bus available, but it was at the middle school a few blocks away. We all walked (even though we weren't dressed for snow), and got to the bus.

Do you remember the busses from the 70's and 80's? The didn't have heat......

At about 9:30pm, we were dropped off at our bus stop. Again, it was a couple of long blocks away.

I stopped about 4 houses from the bus stop, and knocked on the door of people I knew. I was exhausted, frozen and wet.

My bestest friend at the time, walked on toward her house.

The kind people in the house called my parents, and told them I was there. They wrapped me in blankets and set me in front of a fireplace. Now I just had to wait for my daddy to come get me.

While walking the block to come get me, he came across my friend who had collapsed in exhaustion on her way to her house. She was face down in the snow when my dad got to her. He didn't even know who it was, but quickly realized it, and scooped her up and ran her home.

Then he had to trek again to come get me.....

He got me home about 10:30 that night. I was hungry and exhausted. I remember eating spaghetti, and my mom has told me many times that I sat there and said that I didn't know if I was more hungry or tired....

I ended up getting real sick from being out in it too long... I had pneumonia and was out of school for a good bit.

You'd think after that fiasco that I'd really hate the snow. But I don't!! I love it! (It's the cold I don't like....).

I'll post about this year's blizzard when it's all done...........

AMW

Let it Snow!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

I'm read for another really good snow storm... Fire up the wood stove and keep it going all day. Grab the sled and slide down the front hill. And hop in the Hot Tub, just for good measure....

So bring on the 4-8 inches!!!

AMW