August 19
I like my birthday month. I like my sun sign, Leo. People say I’m an odd Leo. Maybe that’s because of a Gemini rising. Dunno. But I had a nice birthday. Henrik lavished me with things this girlie adores — aromatherapy soap, bath salts, and a jar of Royal Jelly Body Butter smooth enough to endure purgatory for. We shared coffees with friends and a very large slice of rhubarb strawberry pie at a Caffe Ladro and then enjoyed dinner at our favorite restaurant, Waterfront Seafood Grill, on Pier 70. Most exciting were two surprises — one thing Henrik created … a blog for things real estate … Seattle-Avenue.com … and one thing Henrik arranged … a couple days on Orcas Island based at Rosario Resort and taking a keel boat sailing course by Orcas Island Sailing!
The sailing company sent us a study book and materials to read before we arrived. The class was held entirely on a 26′ sailboat. There were four students (Henrik and me, a brother and sister) and our instructor, Philo. Everything was hands on, from the time we arrived at the dock on the first morning to the time we finished the intensive class and took the exam the next afternoon. I saw my first herring ball and seagulls, mud sharks, seals, and an eagle feeding on it. We had wind appear and disappear, a little weather perk up, and fog. Mostly it was shorts and t-shirt weather. I was happy with a few deer sightings, one very close up.
The sailing class was total review for Henrik, his goal was to learn the English sailing terms because he knows them in Swedish and Dutch. The sailing was 95% new learning for me. My brain was overwhelmed the first day and my hands hurt. The second day my brain felt mushy and I wanted to turn off my thinker and float through a day mindlessly.
I wonder if our room at Rosario is haunted. I swear I saw dark, black, shadow male figures harmlessly creeping around our room in the middle of the night having come from outside through the glass slider.