Past posts:

Previous blog posts from last year can be found.... HERE.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Thankful on Thanksgiving



FULL SPEED AHEAD, DAMN THE PARKINSON'S AND PASS THE STUFFING,

Got Parkinson's Disease (PD)?  I do! I am a 55 year old male that received that difficult diagnosis at age 49 after displaying symptoms for many many months. Yes, it is a tough diagnosis to receive.  But you know what, especially to all the newly diagnosed, I WOULD NOT CHANGE PLACES WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD. NOBODY. PERIOD! How can I say that with such conviction and certainty? Because I mean it! First and foremost is family, then friends. They have not changed, their support continues to grow.  That is what I am thankful for.  Everything else in life is just details.

Let's face it, PD is an insidious disease, it stinks, but I refuse to let it get the better of me. In fact, I fight back. 6 1/2 years into this disease I am not just surviving, I am thriving, living with the belief that I DON'T HAVE PD, IT HAS ME, AND IT SHOULD BE VERY AFRAID.  Why? Because we are AT SEA again, and this voyage is a big one - From RI to Canada and down the Eastern seaboard to the Florida Keys. Then we cross the Bermuda Triangle to the Bahamas, Abacos, Exumas, all the way down to the Turks and Caicos. Where's that exactly?  On a map just to the right of Cuba and 11 months and 9000 nautical miles by the time we return to RI next June.

And you are doing this despite having PD?  NO, I'm doing this because it is fun and to SPITE PD!  I am the captain and I fondly call my wife Becky, "The Admiral", We have no crew.  I call this "walking the walk".  I am not simply talking a good story about my fight against PD, but displaying it, all the while promoting awareness of PD.

This is the link to a very short video of me sponsored by the APDA.  This 4 minute film further explains my mission to spread awareness of the disease and the power of OPTIMISM in fighting this insidious disease affecting 1.6 million Americans.

https://vimeo.com/user4066563/review/67474915/2563535280  

Yes, a long link, but you can also get to the video from my blog: Optimismtour.blogspot.com

To close, 6 1/2 years after Dr. F gave me the diagnosis I remain convinced that part of my well!-being is embracing my current thought of the day:

NOBODY EVER WENT BLIND LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE!





Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Here's reminder of what we are doing and why... THANK YOU!


     A big thank you to all that have helped us cross the $250,000 raised to date for Parkinson's disease research and patient support.  100% of all donations go directly Patient Services, as we pay 100% of our campaign expenses out of our own pocket.




Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Featured Article with Sabre Yachts - Wasabi Green with Envy






     Recreational boating has evolved in last few generations.  In my parents era it was the “men against the sea” generation.  My mother pretended to enjoy boating but we all knew she was more comfortable with both feet firmly planted on shore. On the surface she put on her game face and somehow managed to survive our annual summer cruises along the foggy coast of Maine in our early 1960’s 29′ wooden Pacemaker.  She was a saint to put up with all of us, my father, two sisters, a brother, and Crystal our Dalmatian.
  
     Times and attitudes have changed for the better.  Couples’ who are deciding if boating is a lifestyle they are committed to, are now doing so as partners.  Are they looking for a canoe to quietly paddle around small pond and enjoy the sun sets in the western sky?  Are they competitive sailors immersed into the sport of one design racing?  Maybe they enjoy picnics with the children and grandchildren on a Saturday afternoon in a power boat which is comfortable enough to be cruised after the grand kids are safely buckled into their car seats and heading back home. 

     Whatever the decision,  today more couples are making them together, as a team.  Sabre and Back Cove have been lucky to have found such a team in Becky and Bob Preston. We were introduced to them when they fell in love with the Back Cove 33 and Petzold’s Yacht Sales in Portland, CT.  Shortly thereafter, they teamed up once again with Back Cove and commissioned a Back Cove 37.  Both boats are very distinctive.  If by chance you find a Wasabi Green Back Cove 33 or a 37 running along the east coast you have found one of the Preston’s formerly loved boats.  Becky and Bob commissioned their first Sabre late this summer.  FAMILY TIES III, is a Sabre 48 (hull #038) and she is ….Wasabi Green.  This fall they are heading to the Sunshine state for the winter and plan to spend most of their time on board.



     Bob and Sabre are very fortunate to have Becky Preston in our lives. For Bob, she is relatively new to boating compared to him and she is passionate about it. She plays an active role in all aspects of the boat and their cruising.  Her belief is that “it is important for the mate to know how to handle the boat”.  I didn’t dare ask who the captain is and who the mate is, but I believe it is safe to assume they share those roles.  For Sabre, we are fortunate to have Becky as part of the family.  She commented, “All along the Sabre 48 was my favorite boat and I helped push Bob along to reach that same conclusion”.  Now that is a solid partnership that works for the Prestons’ and Sabre!

     Most of the time while running Becky and Bob support one another to ensure safe passage and enjoying their time on board.  You will find them sitting next to each other with one of them at the helm while the other is navigating.  In bad weather Becky typically finds herself as the helms person and Bob is the navigator.
Whenever possible the Prestons’ will anchor while cruising.  Becky is as comfortable at anchor as she is in a slip.  She loves ducking into Seal Bay on Vinalhaven Island, in Maine, for its unique peaceful nights where the stars are bright in the sky above to anchoring in the Bahamas where the water is so clear that you can spend hours looking over the rail at the star fish below.

     The Sabre 48, her “favorite boat”, has creature comforts that help her therapeutically in a sense. She has her sanctuary, in of all places, the crew quarters. As Becky says, “that’s my part of the boat”.  Other Sabre 48 owners have made similar comments about the crew quarters. It is a unique space that is fun to show off at boat shows.  For Becky she has customized the space for her sewing machine and equipment.  They also have the washer and drier and a television in there as well. 

     The Prestons’ have two grown children, no grandchildren yet, but their daughter and her husband have a foster child.  Her name is Hannah.  While on a weekend cruise to Nantucket earlier this fall, Hannah proudly proclaimed the crew quarters as “her room”. 

     Recreational boating has changed in so many ways in such a short period of time.  The days with the attitude of “men against the sea” are giving way to couples, families, and friends actually getting pleasure from pleasure boating.  Advances in on board systems have made boating safer.  Couples such as Becky and Bob Preston work together to learn these systems that are changing the way we boat.  Thank you Becky for having faith in the Sabre family and being passionate about a lifestyle you and Bob share.

You can follow Becky and Bob’s adventures by visiting http://optimismtour.blogspot.com/

"No Wake Zone"

I ignore one lousy "5mph No Wake" speed zone and they send out the 7th fleet????

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Got Milk?

 
 
Wanna know what's the most dangerous portion of our trip?
Would it be crossing the Bermuda Triangle? Nope;
Ferocious storms, hurricanes or striking something in the water? Not even close, last guess.....Pirates and other nit-wits? Nah, Mr's Smith and Wesson are aboard.

The answer, hopping on your bike and going out for milk! Yup, the grocery store is usually couple of miles down the road, no bike lane, unfamiliar roads, cars wizzing by 2-3' away. Plus they sense I'm a Yankee, and the locals think Savannah is still burning. Think of it as driving down Rt 2, near the malls, it's dusk and you have a Red Sox Stink sticker on you bike. Get the idea?