Author: Denice

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Kiss My Sail

This thought just popped into my very warped mind about how I could tell somebody off with a dash of sarcasm and humor all at the same time. “Kiss my sail.” Oh, I kill me!

I can hardly stand myself I’m so excited about our newest addition to the family, a 25′ Catalina sailboat. It’s 29 years old and hasn’t been loved like it should but it’s cleaning up really nicely with a lot of elbow grease and bit of wallet grease.

Last weekend we got the interior front half scrubbed down and wood oiled, that took over five hours. I was worried about the toilet. It didn’t look like a modern marine toilet. It’s the kind that you have to lug in its entirety to the waste station to empty and clean. As we were cleaning it, I saw the 1978 date stamp on the bottom. It’s the original toilet for that boat! Wow! Well it seems to work just fine and is in excellent condition as far as we can tell. I’m thinking it’s now a cool, retro sort of toilet and we should keep it as long as it works. I’m not really hip on hauling a toilet around, it’s not a very girlie activity, but maybe if I get a pair of pink latex rubber gloves and matching apron it won’t be so bad.

While I was doing squaw work, Henrik was taking inventory, inspecting things, fixing things, and pumping existing standing water. It was a full weekend for both of us but I’m thinking this boat will be a labor of love. It’ll look at least 50% better just with a good cleaning.

Hopefully end of February or early March we’ll get to take it out for the first time. I would attach a photo but I don’t know how to do that yet. I’ll have to consult the Webmaster (Master) about that.

Denice

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Denice’s version

Henrik’s proposal was poetically innocently perfect for me.

I was working at my laptop on the dining room table one day when Henrik came home. As I was working, I had an awareness that he disappeared into the spare bedroom for quite some time which was odd, but I thought maybe he went in there to work or make a quiet phone call.

When he came out, he nonchalantly laid something next to my computer. It was a handmade card folded out of typing paper on top of a gift wrapped box. Being the wordsmith that he is, in the card he asked “would you like to tie the knot with me?” and said “I’ll ‘ring’ you later.” I opened the package and was holding a Boaters’ Knot Tying Kit. That was my exciting and unexpected marriage proposal.

Shortly after that we had a nice dinner and I went for a shower and as I was getting out of the shower he came in with my favorite cocktail in hand, a cantaloupe martini, and said he loved me and looked forward to taking care of me for the rest of his life.

I’m thinking I’m probably the luckiest girl in the world.

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Denice

I was born in Seattle and have lived in Seattle or one of its suburbs all my life. So far. But I’m open for that to change one day. Henrik and I live in the Beach Drive neighborhood of West Seattle which is about 10 minutes southwest of Downtown Seattle. We’re fortunate to enjoy a beautiful view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains where we watch boat traffic, smell saltwater, and hear the surf. We have roommates: 2 dogs and 1 cat. Some squirrels have adopted us for our peanuts and we’ve attracted a variety of birds with our feeders.

Right now I work as a Realtor and Freelance Legal Secretary. I also sell Cookie Lee Jewelry and Mary Kay Cosmetics because it does something for my girlie-girl side. Hopefully I’ll finish my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business/E-Business this year. My dream: To sell enough photographs this year to be able to quit freelancing.

I’m a Leo and was born in the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese calendar. My interests are too many to list but I have a weakness for traveling, writing, music, dancing, facilitating connections, art, photography, animals, waterskiing, and boating. Friends have described me as an enigma however I prefer to think of myself as unconstrained. The picture below is of me and my brothers making up gang signs at our aunt’s funeral.

Mike, Denice and Aaron at Flo’s funeral

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Jim & Mary

Jim and Mary are best described as god-parents to Aaron, best friends to Pat, and all around generous caretakers for Denice’s family – especially now that Pat has some medical challenges. Aaron is like a brother to all three of Jim and Mary’s sons. Jim taught Aaron to hunt with bow and rifle, fish, and shoot, and was Aaron’s role model for how to be a good person and devoted family man. Mary kept Aaron on the straight and narrow, encouraged him during tough times, and fed him well through the years. Jim and Mary are risque and hilarious and you just gotta love ’em.

Mary and Jim

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Mike

Mike is two years younger than Denice but a good 7″ inches taller. He’s been married to Aileen for 14 years and they have three boys and one girl. They live in Southeast Tacoma and both work in the mortgage industry. My Aunt Gloria who, along with my Aunt Francis (now deceased), opened Seattle’s first Creole restaurant in downtown Seattle (on 5th and Jackson) called FranGlor’s Creole Café, is currently living with Mike and his family. In the picture below they are laughing and Mike is fanning himself with a paper plate after Aileen tried to get him to smile by whispering something of a sexual nature in his ear. Mike refuses to smile for pictures and I usually have to go to extreme lenghts of stupidity to photograph his smile. I don’t know why. He has a nice smile and big teeth, just like me.

Mike and Aileen
Gloria
Anton and Lauren

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Aaron

Aaron is four years younger than Denice but a good 7″ taller. He’s been married to Elette for two years and they have one girl who is just about a year and a half. They live in an Eastside suburb called Sammamish. Aaron likes to fish, hunt, and ride his quad and works at a large lighting fixture company. Elette works as a cardiac nurse and likes to shop for their daughter. Aaron refuses to smile for pictures so I have to go to extreme measures to get a photograph showing his teeth. I don’t know why. He has a nice smile and big teeth, just like me.

Elette, Aaron and Kiana