Sailing on Lake Michigan

Mark at the helm

I left work early today to meet up with my family in Green Bay to go sailing. Mark and Kelly are sharing a 30 foot Catalina with some friends of theirs for the summer. The boat is in a slip in Oconto, WI - about 40 miles north of GB.

Mark & Mom hanging out in the cockpit

So, we packed up the car with steaks for the grill and hit the road about noon. The wind was steady at about 20 mph. This made for a beautiful day of sailing. After we left the break water we sailed on a nice reach with no particular destination in mind. We didn't have enough time to go to Peshtigo or all the way to Sturgeon Bay as Mom & Dad had to return home tonight.

Mark sailed with a main and a Genoa. Occasionally I trimmed some lines for him but nothing major. Good times.

I cherish any time we can have together as a family.

Thanks Mark & Kelly for a great day!

Update

Below is a link to my brother blog recounting his Milwaukee experience I mentioned in my last post.

Mark Hawkins Photography

Below is a link to the couple's slide show in Milwaukee.

Laura & Dirk

Wait a second! Mark Randall are you wearing Keens in that picture???

The New iPhone 3G, Alterra Coffee & the MAM

My phone rings this morning at 6:30.

I was up sipping coffee and getting ready for the day. Who else could it be but my brother . . right? I love to hear his crazy stories and no doubt what I was about to hear was going to be good. Mark had an engagement shoot last night and shot a bunch of images in the Milwaukee Art Museum. He told me they kicked him out 4 times (for those of you familiar with BJU Societies . . . this would be his Basillian persistence). He assured the managers he would not use the images for advertising. So they let him continue shooting. Finally the head honcho said he could shoot if he paid $700 cash now. The co-worker beside the head dude asked if he had $700 cash on him. Even if he did I am sure he did not cough it up. The best part of the Art Museum situation was on his way out the door the big gun opened up the "wings" for him to take more pictures. (The wings are an architectural feature on the outside of the building.) HUH?!?! Confused! I thought you wanted us to leave. So he wrapped up the shoot and the couple went on their way.

End of story. Right?!?! Umm . . . . not so much. Mark stayed the night in Milwaukee in order to make an important purchase this morning.

He called me on his soon to be "old" cell phone this morning standing in a line of about one hundred people waiting to buy . . . . yep you guessed it - the new iPhone that comes out today.

I take a step back from this situation and smile because that's my persistent brother.

Good times!!!

Gotta go. My phone is ringing again - Who could it be?

Now That's A Lot of Algae!!

Click on the link below.

Algae blights Olympic sail venue