Another Day in Paradise

For a while there was fog and sunshine.
"Michigan thinks it's Maine," said Eve.

I'm not sure I've had a day like this in transit since my first transit on the Neverland. The skies have been blue, the air warm with a light chilly breeze. We're sailing; I'm not sure how fast. Not that fast. But we have three of our sails up. It's still except for the sound of the water gushing as we pass through.

There have been times when we've seen land, but for the most part, nothing but Lake Huron in all directions. Sometime in the afternoon we went out of cell phone range.

Seth #2 says it's going to drop to 40 degrees tonight. Good thing I washed my sleeping bag when I was at home.

Pancakes with wheat germ.

Food Politics
Seth #2 is a bonafide foodie. He always says something like, "I don't know why you keep feeding us this awful stuff." This is how I will know when I've botched something - he'll probably phrase it positively, and say it was great. This is actually a funny thing I've noticed about the tall ship world. Direct compliments are a rarity. People are much more comfortable saying, "That didn't suck," or "You can make that again," than saying, "That was delicious." On the other hand, I also rarely get a real critique unless I really probe for it. Otherwise, they are likely not to say anything at all. This morning I noticed Smith's pancake going into the trash, a half-bitten octagon. "You didn't like it?" I asked. She said it was weird. This time, though, I didn't need her opinion. I thought they were the best pancakes I'd ever made. I used a recipe from More with Less that included a whole jar of wheat germ, which made the cakes sweet in a nutty, wheaty way. They were hearty but not without flavor. I ate mine with butter and real maple syrup, which really soaked in, and felt sorry for Smith. I would make a mental note of this and maybe not make them again, except that she's leaving soon - and by the time I get around to making them again, she'll be gone.

Neb's shrimp taco at lunch.

It's going to be very strange when she leaves. Her role, both professionally on the crew and personally, in my life, is intricately woven with my picture of the Marlin. My image of who we are, and what we are made of. Like Rigby, she's burnt out. She's ready to be away. But that won't make it any easier to say good-bye.

Friday's Menu
Breakfast
Wheat germ griddle cakes
Lunch
Shrimp tacos and tostadas with a kind of ceviche-fied salsa (onions, slivered finely; chopped green bell pepper; sliced tomato; a quarter of a jalapeno, finely chopped; half a can tomato juice concentrate; lime juice; salt and pepper. (The shrimp were leftover from a buffet on the boat one night. I immediately froze them and then heated them in the skillet in olive oil, white pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper.
Pinto beans and cheddar cheese and pork and salsa
Dinner
Calzones with marinara sauce and spinach salad
Dessert
I have been trying to get Abby's Ritz Carlton recipe to work, but this is the second time that I have not had any luck getting it to set. Help!?!?!?

Filling ingredients, in individual stacks.

Folding the calzone.

Pinching the calzone shut.

Onions for Eve's veggie calzone.

Caramelized onion & blue cheese.