Feb 1-10 WSA convention and Santa Anita

WSA and Race Track
Feb 1-10


Arrived in Burbank On Wednesday afternoon.   The kids have done a great job with the house.  It is open, airy, with all of our junk cleaned out.  The living room is freshly painted in blue and white.  Molly’s antique furniture  looks wonderful.  The cats come to meet me, not sure if they remember who I am.  It is so nice when one of them comes to sleep with me at night.  It is just impossible to have a cat on Rhapsody, but I miss it.  Chris old room has been turned into a charming guest room and it does not take me long to have stuff strewn all over, presents, stuff I need to get rid of, clothes, electronics, boxes of stuff that we ordered for the boat with all of the accompanying packaging.  Need to get out the clothes I left here so I have something warmer to wear.  It is not really cold but definitely not Fiji warm. 

And there is my little red car, ready for me to drive.  Friday morning I take off for the beach.  The woman’s sailing convention is on Saturday and I have been invited to spend the night with Holly Scott and KC on Mahalo.  I am so excited.  Last time i came to this convention was almost a year before we left and I had hardly ever sailed anywhere.  Now I am a certified blue water sailor, all the way to Fiji.  All of the members of the Facebook page “women who sail” are to meet at the yacht club bar Friday evening.  Meanwhile I have some shopping to do.  First stop in Minney’s, beloved nautical resale shop in Newport.  I have a list of what we need but mostly it is a matter of wandering and digging through bins to find some important and valuable thing that I did not know we needed but is obviously important.  After an hour or so of happy digging I have assembled a pile of possibles.  Alan (still in Fiji) had been warned to be on standby for a call.  iPad in hand I placed the FaceTime call and there he was, in Fiji.  One by one I moved the camera over my assemblage of treasures and he said yes or no.   From there is was off to West Marine except that, surprisingly, they do not have wifi so I could not call and consult.  Treasures stowed in the car, I headed down the road to the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, hosts of the WSA Convention

So much fun.   Old friends, new friends, facebook friend who I now get to meet in person.  Beginner saiilors and master captains.  All there to support and empower women sailors  They could easily support 3 days of classes but it is only one day, Saturday, a day packed full of classes and sailing and meals and drinks and fun and meetings and conversations.

After a full and exhausting day, I headed to Audrey’s.  Even though it was late, the boys came staggering out in their pjs to give me hugs.  I haven't seen them for a year and they have grown so much.  Before dawn the next morning we bundle into cars and head for Santa Anita Race Track.  Breakfast and morning workouts has been an Audrey birthday tradition for about 30 years.  The horses pass, walking, racing, in ones or groups, prancing, skittish, several red lights and horns for loose horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, bettors all mingling as the sun rises over the San Gabriel mountains, the air warms and the day begins.