Again, making this a quick blog. Conditions remain windy and rough for a couple more days. After that hopefully I can be a bit more chatty.
All well here. Good miles today, but wind still around 30 knots and conditions correspondingly rough. Had to pump out all lockers today. Sure I’d be going a lot faster without all this extra weight!
Just wanted to quickly respond to a few recent questions and comments:
Thanks for the encouraging words on my more philosophical postings from the Purple Palace. More coming up tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!
Thanks to my dear old Mum for sending me this little excerpt from the British comedy classic “Last of the Summer Wine”: One of the characters announces that he is going to row the Atlantic.
Another old chap: “When?”
“On Tuesday.”
“The forecast says it will rain on Tuesday.”
“OK, Wednesday then.”
Mum is doing okay-ish, after breaking her leg in the last minute of the women’s soccer World Cup Final (or getting on a bus, take your pick). She went to Leeds General Infirmary for a consultation on Monday, and they have given her a lightweight cast. She has avoid putting weight on the leg for another 8 weeks. A long time. It will be touch-and-go who reaches the end of their confinement to quarters first – her or me.
RGJ: you ARE joking, right? An Oxford education, and that is the best question you can come up with: What do I eat? I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you are just winding me up. I suppose, having known me for 25 years (argh!) you’re entitled. It worked. But if you’re not, see FAQ #1, under “About” on my website.
Gregory: I loved Tiny Little’s film. Seemed he was always finding an excuse for a cold Guinness! He’s a really good bloke. Sold me my first sea anchor, and gave me the “beginner’s guide” on how to use it, in La Gomera, too. In answer to your questions, I did have a solar shower when I did the Atlantic, but only used it once because:
a) difficult to find somewhere to hang it high enough so you can get under it
b) a solar shower gives you hot water during the day, but when you REALLY want the hot shower is at the end of the day’s rowing, to get the salt and sweat off before you go to bed, and by then the water has cooled
c) and bucket and sponge seem just fine to me!
Re the fridge, obviously he didn’t keep it plugged in all the time, as it uses a lot of power. So he only plugged it in to chill his alcoholic beverages. And I don’t bring alcohol with me. So although I tremendously admire Tiny’s style, I’ll stick with what I’ve got, thanks! 🙂
Rodney – great quotes. Thank you.
Joan: Loved the “Sex Lives of Cannibals” – although I don’t think it did many favours for the Kiribati tourism trade! Read it, loved it, met the author. Re your unwanted hitchhikers after visiting farms, am listening to another Diana Gabaldon book at the moment (subject to problems listed below) and it mentions a novel way to get rid of full-to-bursting ticks, involving chewing on some seeds with water and then spitting the mixture at the tick. Hmmmm….!
iPod update: I think it may be in its death throes. Today the buttons stopped working, and the only way I could get it to play was to unplug the earbuds and then plug them in again. Then it developed a high pitched background noise. Then both problems fixed themselves. But I feel its days are numbered. Lucky I have another six!
Quote: From “Drums of Autumn” by Diana Gabaldon, on the difference between a Brit and an American: “A Brit thinks 100 miles is a long way. An American thinks 100 years is a long time.” !! 🙂
Photo: Mum and me after my arrival in Antigua in 2006
Sponsored Miles: Roz is making steady progress westwards, being carried a bit south, and the next 320 miles have no sponsors. Many more after that are sponsored.
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Roz, you are funny, 100 years for the US I think IS a long time! 🙂 Love it! Glad you are doing better.
Aww Roz!
None of us equate your good days with your successful ones…
One time I had someone approach me, and proceed to tell me what an expert he was and listed his pages long of trophy stories… I quite smugly asked him in quick measure, “How many failures have you had?” That took him a second to calculate 🙂 …
We aren’t counting those days of rowing 40+ miles. We do relish your joy in them but that’s not the heart of it. It’s that moment right after pulling in your sea anchor, right before getting back on your seat, that we count. It’s that horrible day with a soaking as you enter your bunk; and the moment when, still shivering, having to open the hatch the next day to see what the ocean will bring this time.. Those are the days we call your successful ones!
This is your 430th day at sea, I bet you lost count…
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=433
Catching up on your blog, and exploring the rest of your web site Roz; looking forward to reading some of the books from your list, and, of course, I can’t wait for Philosophy Friday! Here’s hoping you continue to make good progress. It’s a lovely day tomorrow 😉
I’ve been trying to fund 5 miles for the last 30 mins – 3 different cards, Paypal – no luck. Any other way to send money?
Alan, I can’t understand why you are having problems – others have succeeded. Please try again from the Nomaddica site, register and follow directions. Or else try the Paypal “P” at the top left of the website page. Grateful to you for thinking of donating. Rita
It seems to be working now, and it only costs $10 to find out. All geeks and auditors here will now have to confirm this for themselves. :-).
Glad you found a way….next time you are having problems try cash – in a waterproof biodegradable non plastic multi-use bag preferably :)…or a glass bottle with a message addressed to “Roz Savage, The Purple Palace, c/o Indian Ocean, (the remotest bit)
Roz, a friend in Canada posted a beautiful video on her blog http://bit.ly/350orBustLetter Sunday (July 3rd) and I wish there were a way to get the file to you. The video title is “An Open Letter to All Humankind.” In addition to many spectacular images of earth and animation of the sun’s surface undulating like I imaging the Indian Ocean is behaving from your descriptions, there are several poignant ideas that have set me to thinking. For now, I will post the link to video for Rozlings to see, and figure a way to get the very long text to you.
Rozlings, enjoy … http://bit.ly/tommoletter
Row on for humankind, Roz!
Hi Roz, of course it was a joke. I will add to my CV that I am capable of annoying the remotest person on Earth. Looking forward to seeing you again. RGJxxx
PS. Have you caught a seagull and trained it to be your pet?
Roz has some funny (read strange) – friends. 😉