Aa
another diversion
After whining about my inability to write, I find myself sitting here with the urge to write a sailing story, so here goes:
In 2006 we sailed to Antigua and spent three weeks there – longer than we usually spend in one island. Antigua is large and varied with everything from harbors with great historical significance to pristine harbors with little or no civilization visible (my favorite places). I should not leave out Falmouth harbor with its mega yachts. These yachts are so large that they need red lights on the top of their masts to warn off planes!
We sailed to Antigua from St Kitts and it was the longest 40 miles I have ever sailed. It was upwind into 30 knots with 6 – 8 foot waves crashing into us. We sailed with another boat, a friend, and at times, I could see the keel of the other boat when a wave tossed it completely out of the water – and this is a 44 foot substantial boat – scary to see it airborne! After 8 hours of this crashing around, we arrived in Jolly Harbor, Antigua, an aptly named place with plenty of bars and restaurants.
The next day we sailed to English harbor, the naval base of Lord Nelson: the great English Admiral who defeated the French. This harbor still has the original buildings used by Nelson. It has huge hurricane chains strung across the harbor bottom; when the frigates would enter this long narrow harbor, they did it before the wind (down wind). They had no brakes or engines, so they dropped their anchor and snagged the chains. The boat would come up hard on the anchor and the stern would swing towards the shore where they would hand off a line to a capstan winch that had twenty people or so on the spokes to wind it up and pull the stern in close to shore.
The best harbor is Nonesuch Bay. Another place with no buoys to guide you past the reef, so you enter with someone on the bow to direct you past the problem areas. Once inside, you are protected by a reef that you anchor behind. There is no land between you and Africa, only the reef to subdue the waves. In the morning you have red dust on the boat that has crossed the Atlantic from the Sahara desert.
When you sail into a foreign country, you have to clear customs on the way in and on the way out. We sailed to English Harbor to clear out for our trip to St Martin and we anchored in the outer harbor. We had a clear view of Montserrat and the volcano about 15 miles away.
The volcano has been active for the past few years and has added about 1 square mile to the island. It was spewing a giant ash cloud when we arrived, so when we returned to the boat for the evening, I took out the binoculars to have a look. I could see red lava running down the side of the mountain emitting smoke as it touched vegetation. When it hit the water, giant clouds of steam formed and rushed up into the air.
I have never been active in any formal religion, but this experience made me realize I was watching one of the great forces of nature at work, and it was making new land. I was in awe of this and it made me recall the great physicist Steven Hawking’s definition of God as the embodiment of the physical laws of the universe.
In 2006 we sailed to Antigua and spent three weeks there – longer than we usually spend in one island. Antigua is large and varied with everything from harbors with great historical significance to pristine harbors with little or no civilization visible (my favorite places). I should not leave out Falmouth harbor with its mega yachts. These yachts are so large that they need red lights on the top of their masts to warn off planes!
We sailed to Antigua from St Kitts and it was the longest 40 miles I have ever sailed. It was upwind into 30 knots with 6 – 8 foot waves crashing into us. We sailed with another boat, a friend, and at times, I could see the keel of the other boat when a wave tossed it completely out of the water – and this is a 44 foot substantial boat – scary to see it airborne! After 8 hours of this crashing around, we arrived in Jolly Harbor, Antigua, an aptly named place with plenty of bars and restaurants.
The next day we sailed to English harbor, the naval base of Lord Nelson: the great English Admiral who defeated the French. This harbor still has the original buildings used by Nelson. It has huge hurricane chains strung across the harbor bottom; when the frigates would enter this long narrow harbor, they did it before the wind (down wind). They had no brakes or engines, so they dropped their anchor and snagged the chains. The boat would come up hard on the anchor and the stern would swing towards the shore where they would hand off a line to a capstan winch that had twenty people or so on the spokes to wind it up and pull the stern in close to shore.
The best harbor is Nonesuch Bay. Another place with no buoys to guide you past the reef, so you enter with someone on the bow to direct you past the problem areas. Once inside, you are protected by a reef that you anchor behind. There is no land between you and Africa, only the reef to subdue the waves. In the morning you have red dust on the boat that has crossed the Atlantic from the Sahara desert.
When you sail into a foreign country, you have to clear customs on the way in and on the way out. We sailed to English Harbor to clear out for our trip to St Martin and we anchored in the outer harbor. We had a clear view of Montserrat and the volcano about 15 miles away.
The volcano has been active for the past few years and has added about 1 square mile to the island. It was spewing a giant ash cloud when we arrived, so when we returned to the boat for the evening, I took out the binoculars to have a look. I could see red lava running down the side of the mountain emitting smoke as it touched vegetation. When it hit the water, giant clouds of steam formed and rushed up into the air.
I have never been active in any formal religion, but this experience made me realize I was watching one of the great forces of nature at work, and it was making new land. I was in awe of this and it made me recall the great physicist Steven Hawking’s definition of God as the embodiment of the physical laws of the universe.
*&^*&*^)(*&)(*&Waltzing Matilda&^(*&^&(*&(*&
&^*(&^*(&^*&^*&^)*HHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUGGG**&^*^)*&*&^*(^&(*^
Two step two step... bounce bounce... slide slide...
&^*(&^*(&^*&^*&^)*HHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUGGG**&^*^)*&*&^*(^&(*^
Two step two step... bounce bounce... slide slide...
Eric - you write so beautifully - and your experiences show through all of the words that you carefully choose.
I love it!
It made me want to get on a boat and go sailing - and I'm terrified of the deep ocean water. But just the crisp morning sun --- on a boat... sitting there listening to the waves lap up against the boat... that just sounds so beautiful in my own thoughts.
I just wanted to waltz in here and give you a great big hug!
LOL!
Meki
I love it!
It made me want to get on a boat and go sailing - and I'm terrified of the deep ocean water. But just the crisp morning sun --- on a boat... sitting there listening to the waves lap up against the boat... that just sounds so beautiful in my own thoughts.
I just wanted to waltz in here and give you a great big hug!
LOL!
Meki
That is not the protocol as described in the disclosure statement they gave us at the start of the trial. Arm B is 24 weeks of Telepravir with no placebo.
I will keep you posted on my labs. I hope you are feeling well.
I will keep you posted on my labs. I hope you are feeling well.
Eric, Yes, I am in the Vertex Prove 3 Phase II Trials. At the 12 week point there is a criteria for continuing (i.e. must be clear). At that point I believe that they put me on a placebo for the Telaprevir and then upon allowing me to continue (at week 14 officially) they put me back on the real Telaprevir making me think that I am in ARM B where as before I thought I was in ARM D. Wishing I guess...
I hope that makes sense... :>)
Glad to hear that you're at 24 now! You will know all your labs and which ARM you are in as everything is unblinded. Good luck!
I hope that makes sense... :>)
Glad to hear that you're at 24 now! You will know all your labs and which ARM you are in as everything is unblinded. Good luck!
Thanks for your kind words. Have a great weekend yourself. It is a spectacular day here in CT.
Now I am confused. I thought you were in the Vertex trial. I am unaware of any arm that switches to a placebo and then back to the real thing.
I am now starting my 24th week. I look forward to going to bed at night without setting a midnight alarm to get up for my midnight dose and my 300 calories. I sure won't miss that - LOL.
I am now starting my 24th week. I look forward to going to bed at night without setting a midnight alarm to get up for my midnight dose and my 300 calories. I sure won't miss that - LOL.
Eric, (Sorry to confuse... I've been on tx consistently but on Placebo for 2 weeks then back off placebo on 'real thing' since. I can tell when I'm on real drug vs. placebo (I think) and was commenting from that perspective.) But they are good at fooling us too so I never say never... :) You should be about 21 weeks or so now? Good luck on upcoming decisions to continue, I think that those of us at stage 3 or 4 get the B arm as time goes on. Seems there is more than putting our names in a hat but again who knows for sure. I just know that it works and I went UND at about 4 weeks or less and before it was 28 weeks and then the devastating relapse we know so well.
Continue on brother!
Continue on brother!
Eric -
That is a wonderful writing.!! Thank you so much. You have such a natural talent of taking the reader with you into your adventure, and we all need that "escape".
Our God of the Universe works in many ways that we don't understand. -:) How much writing would you be doing if you didn't have some "time on your hands" and had not met people that encourage you? You are a wonderfully graphic writer and we look forward to more of it. -:)
Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend.
tmblwd
That is a wonderful writing.!! Thank you so much. You have such a natural talent of taking the reader with you into your adventure, and we all need that "escape".
Our God of the Universe works in many ways that we don't understand. -:) How much writing would you be doing if you didn't have some "time on your hands" and had not met people that encourage you? You are a wonderfully graphic writer and we look forward to more of it. -:)
Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend.
tmblwd
FullOfHope77: I am feeling better since my Riba dose was reduced to 800mg per day. I must have missed a post of yours; you said you have been off for two weeks. What happened?
All: Thank you all for your kind comments. They give me the energy to write more!
One of the more subtle points of all this is to convince everyone to live their dream. Whether it be running a marathon, learning another language or musical instrument or just walking in the woods. As one of my good friends always says "Life is not a rehearsal."
I was devastated when I relapsed after my eighth treatment in 2004. It felt like something took a piece out of me; as if an arm or leg had been removed. I became detached from everyone even my wife. I am a fighter, and after a few months of this, I decided it was time to change things.
I took 6 months off work and convinced my wife to sail the boat to St Martin. The ten days we were at sea required total concentration and I forgot all about TX. When I saw the lights of St Martin after ten days, the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment renewed my love of life and particularly of other people.
Now I am of an age where some of my friends, particularly the smokers are starting to get serious health problems and even die. So don't wait! Live your dream -- no matter what it is.
All: Thank you all for your kind comments. They give me the energy to write more!
One of the more subtle points of all this is to convince everyone to live their dream. Whether it be running a marathon, learning another language or musical instrument or just walking in the woods. As one of my good friends always says "Life is not a rehearsal."
I was devastated when I relapsed after my eighth treatment in 2004. It felt like something took a piece out of me; as if an arm or leg had been removed. I became detached from everyone even my wife. I am a fighter, and after a few months of this, I decided it was time to change things.
I took 6 months off work and convinced my wife to sail the boat to St Martin. The ten days we were at sea required total concentration and I forgot all about TX. When I saw the lights of St Martin after ten days, the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment renewed my love of life and particularly of other people.
Now I am of an age where some of my friends, particularly the smokers are starting to get serious health problems and even die. So don't wait! Live your dream -- no matter what it is.
Eric,
I needed that escape this weekend especially! That is an awesome scene as I think about the pictures that form as I read; thanks again for a nice diversion.
I guess I'm likely in Arm B since I had a 2 week reprive and back on the real stuff... do you notice a little blue sticker vs. a pink one? Just curious as I seem to feel that's an indicator of the real vs. placebo. Anyway, I should be grateful as I know I can handle 48 weeks but was getting used to the idea of a 24 week finish line. I shouldn't do that to myself I guess.
I noticed a bit of a rash this time as I'm 2 weeks back in to taking the 'real stuff' again. I think I would have been better if I hadn't stopped for 2 weeks. I think they do that to see if you 'pass' being able to continue and then start back up once you're 'qualified' to do so. That's my theory anyway...
How are you feeling these days? Are you in a pretty good pace overall? (knowing nothing is good about the experience of course). Also, we're getting close to selling our little company and as CTO I have a bit of an incentive and thinking about life as you describe in your stories and would love to take a few years and just do that and enjoy this planet while we still can... I agree with Hawking too as we watch the 'Hand of God' at work in the Universe! Good stuff...
Take care!
I needed that escape this weekend especially! That is an awesome scene as I think about the pictures that form as I read; thanks again for a nice diversion.
I guess I'm likely in Arm B since I had a 2 week reprive and back on the real stuff... do you notice a little blue sticker vs. a pink one? Just curious as I seem to feel that's an indicator of the real vs. placebo. Anyway, I should be grateful as I know I can handle 48 weeks but was getting used to the idea of a 24 week finish line. I shouldn't do that to myself I guess.
I noticed a bit of a rash this time as I'm 2 weeks back in to taking the 'real stuff' again. I think I would have been better if I hadn't stopped for 2 weeks. I think they do that to see if you 'pass' being able to continue and then start back up once you're 'qualified' to do so. That's my theory anyway...
How are you feeling these days? Are you in a pretty good pace overall? (knowing nothing is good about the experience of course). Also, we're getting close to selling our little company and as CTO I have a bit of an incentive and thinking about life as you describe in your stories and would love to take a few years and just do that and enjoy this planet while we still can... I agree with Hawking too as we watch the 'Hand of God' at work in the Universe! Good stuff...
Take care!
I second what GrandmaA said. I do enjoy these vicarious journey's! Thanks. Brain fog must be lifting...no matter, you're an excellent story teller!
Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. It sounds very exciting and beautiful, all those ports.
You are an excellent writer. You take the reader with you in the boat.
You are an excellent writer. You take the reader with you in the boat.
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