Not me living on borrowed time (don’t panic) but my GPS chartplotter. Today has been a bad day for electronics.
This afternoon the GPS kept beeping to say it had lost its external power supply. When I removed the power cable to investigate, one of the five pins parted company with the GPS, stuck in the hole of the power cable’s plug. So I won’t be able to charge the battery any more.
It’s not the end of the world – I have various other GPS-enabled units on board, and in 2008 managed to navigate from San Francisco to Hawaii using the TomTom out of my car after my chartplotter failed on Day 2 – but I will miss my little Garmin. Its large, friendly numbers have kept me company through many a rowing shift. When motivation is flagging, I could tell myself “just another mile” or “just another 0.01 of a degree”. Now I’ll have to go back to counting oarstrokes, as my other GPS units had best stay inside the cabin for their own good.
My satphone is also playing up. Today I was trying to discuss the future of EcoHeroes with Steve Nelson in California when we lost the signal and I couldn’t reconnect with the Iridium network. A couple of hours later I managed to get a signal and speak to Mum, and she started to tell me that communications have been affected by solar activity.
But I didn’t get the full story because just then, ironically, we lost communications.
Other Stuff
I finally managed to receive some emails last night, which means I now have a huge backlog of comments to respond to. I’ll do my best!
Spirituality – thank you so much for all the very thought-provoking comments about spirituality. I’ve started to appreciate what a very enormous topic it is, but also which aspects of it particularly interest me. I realize this isn’t a very democratic way to organize a discussion – picking the bits “I” want – but it’s my blog, so that’s the way it goes. 🙂
I would say that I am most fascinated by the philosophical end of the spirituality discussion, rather than the religious end. So I’m pondering questions like: Why am I here? Why are any of us humans here? What is our relationship to each other? To other living things? To the planet? To the future? What is the relative importance of nature, nurture, and free will? How is everything connected? Or, isn’t it?
More on these and other easy (?!) questions over the coming weeks…
Following rower Keith Whelan’s rescue from the Indian Ocean earlier this week, a press conference was held in Australia today, Thursday. There is an update with pictures on his website, showing the rescue, and his boat on board the rescue vessel.
To Anna in Delaware – Hope you had a happy 12th birthday and enjoyed your birthday cake. Wish I could have been there to share it!
Marty Hawke – thanks for the invite to speak. I’ve made a note of it, and will get back to you once I know my schedule for the remainder of this year. CA wines in San Luis Obispo sound good to me!
Anne and Pete – I would LOVE to come and stay at your beach house in Jersey. Invitation noted! Funny to hear from you – just that day I had been thinking about the two of you, and Mike and Pippa Brooke, and our boat-cleaning in Antigua. And, of course, dinner on board the Muskrat!
Shelley Blum Ziegler – thanks for the offer of help in NJ next year. I’ll keep you posted, and look forward to meeting you!
Connie – I’ll be dropping in to get my hair done just as soon as I can once this row is over!
HeyMissK – loved the Emile Zola quote: “If you asked me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.”
Charity – you ask if I believe in the creator. Good question, and more on that in due course…
Bonnie Monteleone – I’d say I’ve seen about a dozen objects floating in the ocean since I left from North Island. I haven’t been close enough to identify them, and since a close shave last year have sworn not to go swimming after things in the ocean. Very sad to see such things so far from land. Keep up the great work with 5Gyres!
Kevthebrit – hahahaha! Enjoyed your description of my feathered friends. Very entertaining!
Guin Batten – your version of maritime rowing sounds a lot more civilized than mine. “Home for tea” sounds good to me. Will def come play when I’m back in blighty! I’ve been invited to Istanbul for an event (non-rowing) in September. Not sure I’ll make it off this ocean in time though!
Sindy – lovely to hear from you. Hope to be in SoCal later this year. See you then!
PeacefulJeff – no, I’m not familiar with the “three mental poisons” but am intrigued. What are they?
Sarah Watson – good for you! Keep living life with purpose, and the rest will follow.
Sally in DC and Anna in Yorkshire – thank you both for your beautiful messages of encouragement. I have to confess that I am finding this row a tough one, and your words moved me, and will help me keep on going. Thank you.
Thanks to Steve Ray for passing along details of Oceana and the donations page they have set up in honour of his brother, Tim (as mentioned in my World Oceans Day blog).
Oh boy. This has been a long bloggage session. Time to get off my backside and into my bunk!
Just before I go, a final quote for you: “The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” (Ben Stein)
Photo: if all else fails, at least I have my compass!
Sponsored Miles: Today our thanks go to Jo Fothergill, Catherine Good, Donna Perry. (If a name is shown on more than one day, it is because they sponsored several miles)
Salt water will do it every time won’t it! Trust the rest of your technology stays salt and water free. Do you use any de-watering sprays? If the connection is already wet with de-watering solution perhaps the salt water will be held back a bit 🙂 Off to Thailand on Monday … hope to still be able to follow the blog and continue to send comments of support. Cheers… Jim Bell (NSW Australia)
Salt water will do it every time won’t it! Trust the rest of your technology stays salt and water free. Do you use any de-watering sprays? If the connection is already wet with de-watering solution perhaps the salt water will be held back a bit 🙂 Off to Thailand on Monday … hope to still be able to follow the blog and continue to send comments of support. Cheers… Jim Bell (NSW Australia)
Roz, you always hit the nail on the head: “The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” (Ben Stein)
Life is full of compromises and priority setting, and meeting expectations. At this point in my life, I am finally seeing the forest for the trees and making a transition.
It would occupy too much space to explain in detail now, but since I procrastinated posting this on a previous blog, I would like to simply respond to Charity’s question with: I believe in creation, but not a creator, per se. It’s a miracle! I will try to explain briefly when Roz brings up the subject next time around. Well, gotta get to work, so on that note:
Row creatively, Roz!
Hey Roz, Totally agree with your premise that the philosophical end of spirituality is much more interesting than the (organized) religious end of spirituality… But, WE ALL do seem to want answers to things that there are no answers to – or at least no answers needed to Move On with other things that do have answers, and need to be answered and done… Your Obit process brings one to mind… Growing up in DC I was always amazed at the Washington Post Obit Requirements… According to The Post, You cannot die of “Natural Causes”, “After a long/short illness” or, “Suddenly” You HAD to die “Of Something” – there HAS to be an answer as to why you died… So there is “John Smith, 107, died Wednesday of Kidney Failure…” No! John was 107, He was OLD, He wore out, His Kidneys and everything else “Failed” him on Wednesday… Such Nonsensical Stuff To Require One To Ponder About, Question, Worry About and Answer… Moving On!
Asking the question “Why am I here” begs the question “Where else should I be”.
And (Morning Chuckle), “Why Shouldn’t I Be Here – I chose to be here?”, Or, “Why are YOU here asking me, Why am I here?”, Or, “Why Not Here?”, Or, “What Got Me Here?”, Or, “Where the Hell am I?”, Or, “Here? At least I am somewhere!”, Or, “Why am I here? No worries, Today’s “Here” will be “Over There” tomorrow!”, Or…
BTW, The Solar Flare’s effect on communications should pass by tomorrow – Friday 6/10…
That plaque on the boat which has intrigued some of you: Roz says: “Haha! Can you let them know that it says: When I grow up, I wanna be like me.”
@d9af093cfe929083ea9270ba4c02b5e6:disqus : That is great! I wish more of us would feel this way! We usually say, “I want to be like…” because that person has Done so much in more in their life than we think we have… Roz sure has Done amazing things in her life… Lets follow her lead and Do so much that we want to be like ourselves by Doing even more…
That’s wonderful. Thanks.
Thanks Rita – I’m going to use that one!
MAHALO ROZ! we are with you in our hearts… HELLO RITA!
hang in there, you have an amazing daughter! Congratulations!
Hugs, love, peace, smiles from Oregon…
Someone asked yesterday about the Cyclone in the Arabian Sea, and I just got an update… It is still well North (Over 1000 Miles North) of anywhere near where Roz could be… AND it is moving in a “General Northwest, North or Northeast Direction: (The do tend to bounce around a bit) – BUT, no matter what, it is moving even farther from Roz’ location… Rozlings, This one should not be any problem for Roz…
Roz, I concur with your basic concept of “spirituality.” I have always seen the term developed by those uncomfortable with formal religion as a descriptor for that part of humanness that compliments our physical and intellectual natures. UncaDoug: you expressed a view of creator / creation that i think will set well with many of us when you elaborate on it.
Roz, your blogs of the last couple of days are sending me vibrations of power, determination and satisfaction. I feel your confidence in completing the task we all have confidence that you will complete grow by the day.
Keep rowing, Roz!
Roz we are with you.not speak english well .WE ARE WITH YOY SASKA I ZORAN SERBIA !!
Hi Roz,
Thank God for back ups. I have an odd belief system concerning them. If I invest the time, money and effort to procure them I’ll never use them. It’s almost always proved true and on the rare occasion it hasn’t I’ve been ready. It has, however, made a lot of car rental agents happy. I hope the current are moving you’d way.
Cheers!
-Eric
If there is at least a minimal rest of broken metal in the GPS socket = Fill the one hole in the plug (with still the broken pin in it!) with a small piece of aluminum foil or other soft metal (make a tiny aluminum ball or wurst). Then re-attach the plug to the socket. The aluminum should bridge the connection. A tiny piece of copper wire might work also. If there is no metal rest in the socket (means you must have ripped out the hole pin): open, socket or cut out the socket and access the few cables. Cut the socket and plug (write down cable colors!) and twist the cable ends directly together that were connected by plug. It’s already damaged, so there is nothing you can make worse, right 🙂 Seal with PU or whatever you have.
Hi Roz,
Glad you are well, despite the electronic glitches. And just a thought on something you said the other day about having trouble with the religious male authority figure… As a woman I certainly understand what you are saying, because we humans hurt, disappoint and fail each other whether we intent to or not (men and women alike). I am not speaking “religiously”, but “relationally” when I say to consider the Creator. I believe that we all have a purpose and need to find out what our mark on the world will be and pursue it. But to leave God out of the equation is to cheat yourself out of the joy and satisfaction of knowing the One to whom it all matters in the first place. If WE care so much about taking care of the planet and are so passionate to see others preserve it, how much more does the One who made it all?
Hi Roz – Following your daily blog and telling others about it. Mentioned you on my show yesterday for World Oceans Day, while interviewing Monterey Bay Aquarium folks. Also talked about my she-ro (you:) last month when interviewing Wendy Benchley about Ocean Awards. Wish I could sponsor miles but my green work has taken every last dollar – so in kind mentions will have to do:) You continue to be an inspiration while I ‘steep’ on the idea of a Green Tea Party!
Hello Roz.
Still with you kiddo. A microcosm of the macrocosm of one.
Way back, during the early stages of the Atlantic row, I began stroking you on the essence of spirituality, faith and essence. Now you (inner) eye is open to the essence of life.
Going beyond the substance of current dimensional physical / tangible realm of existence, you the permanent everlasting you is communicating VERY effectively with that computer called your brain. Dissociating with common everyday physical distractions and commercial teasers, of possessions and status, you really begin to shine.
Each and every one of us is a unique individual – spirit / soul. Even in this physical state we share the essence of being, and that is why the more we shine, the easier it is to communicate with each other, the world, and everything in, upon and around it.
In some respects you are at the “Gates of Heaven” – your Heaven. Shine on Roz, and fulfill your mission.
With Total respect,
Ron in Vancouver
PS – Poverty is a profound teacher / classroom, and I purposefully live there.
Here are my feelings
towards folk that drop litter!
They make me so angry
and really so bitter!
Oil and gas extraction!
All that pumping and dumping,
and drilling and spilling.
Just to make some guy rich(er)
with that damned extra shilling!
Making a mess
and NOT caring less!
Now they are the ones
that I really detest!
Our great nuclear power
maybe fine in it’s ‘cast’
until it goes wrong
in one almighty blast.
And what have left?
Nothing but death
from our great nuclear shower!
We have winds; We have Sun
and rivers that run.
We have oceans and sea!
All this is energy that’s
really quite free!
But we go stripping and ripping.
Fracking and cracking.
Burning and churning to
make ENERGY!
At what cost for you
and what cost for me?
So pick up thy litter and clean up thy space.
Treat it as URGENT and become a great Ace.
For ’tis the ONLY way forward for our sad human race!
Let’s ALL do our bit and not NOT get buried in Ssssssh…
OH! I’ll let YOU finish it!
Watch out for any visits to Shelley Blum ziegler. she is big on the swingers scene. You just might get something you didn’t expect!