Expert Needed.

Write about what you know the blog gurus say. Be an "expert" on something. Well, easier said than done. I've lived fifty six years on this planet and cannot profess to be an expert on anything. I used to know a lot about graphic design - in the eighties and nineties. However, times they have a-changed and I now know diddly squat, nada, zilch!

What I do know, like most people I suspect, is a little about quite a few things. So in keeping with my self-inflicted goal of writing a post for every letter of the alphabet (this one's E in case you missed that), this week's topic is 10 (alphabetized) things I know something about and maybe you don't.

Adobe Creative Suite. 

Adobe have put CS2 online as a FREE download. Yup! No more online pseudo-photoshop image editing sites. Now you impoverished people can own the real -albeit older versions, of Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop for Windows or Mac.

Baclofen.

A drug which is widely used as a muscle relaxer and not so widely used as a cure for alcoholism. In 2008 Dr. Olivier Ameisen (a recovered alcoholic) published his medical findings in his book The End Of My Addiction. Jean Dausset, Nobel Prize winner in Medicine in 1980, pronounced that Ameisen had discovered "the treatment of addiction." The Guardian has a wonderful article on the subject.

Cozumel... 

is a little jewel of an island 18 miles off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. For most tourists it's a stop on their Caribbean cruise or a place to dive and snorkel for a week. But hidden in the centre of the island is a little known gem. The Cozumel Horse Sanctuary (Rancho Universo Cozumel) is owned and operated by Liliana Velasco-Ariza plus a handful of volunteers. Lili rescues abused horses. She nurses them back to health and subsequently trains them to work with children with disabilities. I had the pleasure of meeting Liliana last year and the woman is a veritable saint The ranch is well worth a visit when you go to Coz.

Folkboats...
...are magnificent, seaworthy little sailboats. I had the privilege of owning a 25' 1947 wooden Danish Folkboat named Touchwood. I fell in love the moment I met her. I sailed her in 1999 from Toronto to the Florida Keys and lived on her in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, FL for 3 years. "TW" is a special boat. She is a survivor of neglect, hurricanes, even an earthquake. Touchwood was brought to North America in 1958 by Canadian/Danish yacht builder Kurt Hansen and since then she has had several owners that I know of (and a couple I don't) - a former drummer of Downchild Blues band, historian Gord Laco, myself, and Pat Witt, a Wiccan who tried to save her through the ravages of Hurricane Wilma. 

 

Her original Danish name was Zanne before becoming Touchwood and then WittsCraft. Happily "TW" is now back in Ontario being completely restored (again) by Gord Laco. There are many things to like about the Folkboat and sailing one in a brisk wind tops my list - you almost feel as though you're flying.

Living aboard is a whole different story. Dodging the ever-present deck leaks was a nightmare, but lets face it, the Folkboat is meant to be sailed not lived on. If you love old wooden boats check out this article Historian Keeping His Dream Afloat.

Going through a lock...
...single handed is not a recommended practise but one I surely know how to do. The Erie Canal is an artificial waterway that connects the Hudson River to Lake Erie. To navigate through the Erie Canal from Oswego, NY to Albany, NY you must go through 30 or so locks that lift your vessel a total of 565 feet above sea level. It took me  over a week to complete the trip.

Usually you'd have a person on the bow and another at the stern each holding a line wrapped around the guide wires that line the walls of the lock. I had to stand in the centre of the boat and play with both lines. Also I pulled up my inflated fenders and used wooden planks tied from the winches to keep me away from the wall. At first it was a hairy ordeal but I soon got used to the locks and became quite comfortable with the juggling experience.

Neet, Nair, 

- whatever the depilatory cream you choose, I guarantee it's better than shaving your nether regions and forget about waxing; I don't do torture well. I suffered bumps and cuts and redness and unbearable itching for years until a friend turned me onto the creams. Nowadays they don't smell as if you've just had a perm but come in sweet floral scents.

Paper Earrings.
I started making paper earrings a few months ago because I wanted to fill up my Etsy shop with things that didn't take me three days to complete, like my bowls and wall hangings. It turns out that it's rather easy if you have a little imagination. I took off to the local crafts store and picked up some wires and rings and a couple of pairs of pliers. I make all my paper mache out of recycled paperbacks, so I tore 10 pages of a book into chunks the size of an earring. 5 layers to one earring all exactly the same shape. Then I gooped the paper (flour, water and a bit of Elmers glue mixture), layered them, and let them dry. Once dry I painted them and added varnish to protect them. Then, just poke a hole through the top and add the rings and wires. Voila! DIY one-of-a-kind earrings.

Rodriguez.
Ever heard of him? Sixto Rodriguez is an American singer/songwriter who came out of Detroit in the early seventies. He was touted to be as good, if not better than Bob Dylan but his career went nowhere and his two albums bombed. He faded into obscurity. What he didn't know, is that he became a legend in South Africa during Apartheid where even young children knew the lyrics to his songs. Everyone in South Africa knew his name. In Malik Bendjelloul's BAAFTA award-winning documentary Searching For Sugarman tells of the tragedy and triumph of this intriguing and mysterious man.

Sailing,
so say the folks at Cooper Boating, takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. I concur. Before I went on my epic sailing voyage, I figured a sailing course was prudent. I chose to combine a one week vacation of intense learning and the pleasure of sailing the San Juan Islands off the coast of Vancouver, BC. Seven strangers aboard a 36' boat might seem risky for introverted types like me, but it turned into one of the best times ever and the scenery was spectacular. If you seriously want to learn how to sail I heartily recommend Cooper's. The days are chocked full hands-on learning experiences. You cook for yourselves, sleep on the boat and anchor out most nights. It was an accredited CSA course with a test at the end. Well worth the money.

Zees,
that's what I know I need to do right now. I also know that if I don't get enough sleep life is not bearable around here for my partner. OK I copped out but it's midnight and I need to catch some beauty sleep. Good night all! Next post will be on July 7th.