1318 = 73

Happy Birthday to Grandpa Tom who celebrates his 73rd today. Even though it's a Sunday, no doubt he's working same as he does most every day -- especially this time of the year with the start of the Portage Yacht Club sailing season just around the corner.

Not having a good recent photo, we checked Google image which revealed the snap below of Tom Sr racing at the Clark Lake Fall Regatta last September.

Nice caption they had with the photo, too: "Tom Ehman (l) did a super job of running this summer's Rebel Nationals at the Portage Lake [sic] YC." This because Dad had served as the principal race officer for the 2005 Rebel Nationals, which were held at PYC even though the Rebel Class is no longer active at our lake.

Coincidentally, Tom Sr won the Rebel Nationals held in 1964 (yikes!) at Clark Lake. I remember it well -- mostly because we kids were playing doctor in the tents while our parents were out racing.



Grandpa Tom: the skipper of Interlake 1318 turns 73 today.

Office Couch

Am looking to buy a couch for my office at the base, and saw this ad for a store in the UK that sounds like it has good prices. Alas, they have no outlet here in Spain....



LOL -- the UK's Advertising Standards Authority has banned this ad.

Ideal Car for Valencia

Parking is often a nightmare in Valencia, and this car would be just the ticket -- except it's not a BMW....



Video courtesy of Fredelle "Flamenco" Menin (ISV).

Important Product Liability Warning

With summer weather already having arrived here in Spain, and nice Spring weather this week in Michigan and California (hardly worth mentioning Hawaii where it is always summer), it seems appropriate to post this recently received product liability warning -- for hammocks.

We checked with Grandma Jan before posting the admittedly PG-rated image, and she said, "Fine, as long as you don't tell anyone it is a picture of me."

To view the image, mature readers may click here. (Photo courtesy of America's Cup Principal Race Officer Peter "Luigi" Reggio, the noted numismatist and admirer of the female form.)



A G-rated photo of Grandma Jan in modest Michigan winter attire, and looking good on the occasion of her 72nd birthday party at Weber's Restaurant in Ann Arbor a couple months back. Now it's almost time to hang the summer hammock.



Admiring the female form: Luigi and Megan
Hutchinson before giving birth last year.

Everybody in the Pool

Well, maybe not everybody, but this afternoon at least Meg and her friend Christine Connelly, the daughter of an American couple who live down the street (he is with NATO), bravely took the year's first dip.

It was another mostly sunny, warm day with air temps approaching 80F. After working up a bit of a sweat playing basketball, Meg and Christine took the plunge -- actually Christine dove in first then climbed out, grabbed a somewhat reluctant Meg, and pushed her in with giggles galore. After swimming a lap or two they beat cheeks to the house for a warm bath.



April 2nd and the unheated pool water is already pushing 20C (68F). Our "pool season" started today and runs through October.



With 300 days a year like today, it's no wonder people love living in Spain. As the "snow birds" from Canada and northeastern USA flock to Florida when the going gets cold, so too do many living in northern Europe head for España-- especially the Brits and Germans. Meanwhile, in Hamburg this week's forecast is rain every day and daytime temps around 7C (45F). ¡Vamos a la playa!