Good news, bad news

[MoodyBlues]

Yesterday was another glorious day here in Southern California, and my family and I made good use of it by going on a whale watching excursion. We hit the road at 6:30--yes, IN THE MORNING! --and were out on the water by 9:00 for a 2-1/2 to 3 hour tour. For some odd reason, I couldn't get the Gilligan's Island theme music out of my head. :laugh:

We saw some amazing scenery, such as:

and birds, including some ducks:

seagulls:

and hundreds of pelicans:

plus various sea creatures, including sea lions:

and dolphins:

It was a fantastic, wonderful experience that mesmerized my grandsons--and all of us adults, too.

That's the good news.

The bad news starts with not seeing a SINGLE whale. I'd been hearing for weeks that this had been one of the best Decembers EVER in terms of the number of whales in the area. I knew there was no guarantee that we'd see any, but I honestly wasn't expecting NONE. I waited 50+ years to finally go on a whale watching trip...and then saw no whales.

Then it got worse!

We arrived back at the marina and were starting to leave the boat. I fell coming down a big step. Hard. :bawling: Landed, SPLAT, on the deck. I'm very banged up, including what I hope is just a badly sprained left wrist, a bruised/cut nose, and really sore right knee, but I'm pretty sure nothing's broken. Ice and hydrocodone have helped.

 

[argedion]

Hoping you get better soon

 

[Rukbat]

Sorry about the injuries. You're lucky you're not one of us who gets nothing from codeine drugs. Get the wrist looked at, though. I had an uncle who "just hurt" his wrist - and ended up not being able to use the hand for much for the rest of his life because a few broken bones in the wrist fused.

As far as the whales go, I've been on a few (well, about a dozen) trips on the East coast. I've seen one fluke disappearing beneath the surface so far. But if the boat isn't crowded, and the crew is nice, it's a pleasant day on the water, and guess who doesn't get to haul the boat out, clean it up, hose it down, pay for the gas, etc. I went that route for many years too. Love the water, hate the hole in it they call a boat - the one you pour money down.

And now I live too far from the ocean to make it a nice, easy day. First time since I was born that I couldn't smell the salt in the air, living inland like this. But if I try to move again it'll be in a pine box, so SWMBO tells me. And the house is nice. At the moment I'm in my computer room, and I think she's in her computer room (and they're not bedrooms being used as computer rooms), although she may be out on the sun porch, braving 49 degrees for the sake of a tobacco fix.

Take it easy, let it heal and let's hope that was the last of the bad going out with the old year.

BTW, the pictures were great, but seagulls? Near an ocean? I think you may have discovered something. (Love the shot of the sea lions on the buoy - and they say we're doing bad things to animals. Such a bad thing - a haul-out in the middle of the bay.)

 

[MoodyBlues]

Get the wrist looked at, though. I had an uncle who "just hurt" his wrist - and ended up not being able to use the hand for much for the rest of his life because a few broken bones in the wrist fused.

Unfortunately, I'm an old pro at broken bones. Based on the mobility (full, although quite painful when actually doing it) and pain level (less than half of what I had when I broke my right wrist), I'm about 95% sure nothing broke. Ice and pain meds are helping a lot, whereas they barely took the edge off the broken right wrist. But I'm not ruling out having it checked, just waiting to see how it goes.

As far as the whales go, I've been on a few (well, about a dozen) trips on the East coast. I've seen one fluke disappearing beneath the surface so far. But if the boat isn't crowded, and the crew is nice, it's a pleasant day on the water, and guess who doesn't get to haul the boat out, clean it up, hose it down, pay for the gas, etc. I went that route for many years too. Love the water, hate the hole in it they call a boat - the one you pour money down.

I've never owned a boat, but I love being on the water. Letting someone else do all the hard and dirty work is a great solution! And you're absolutely right about it being a nice day out on the water--our crew was great, the water and weather conditions could NOT have been more perfect, and the other 35 or so passengers were friendly and nice. It really was perfect, even sans whales.

And now I live too far from the ocean to make it a nice, easy day. First time since I was born that I couldn't smell the salt in the air, living inland like this. But if I try to move again it'll be in a pine box, so SWMBO tells me. And the house is nice. At the moment I'm in my computer room, and I think she's in her computer room (and they're not bedrooms being used as computer rooms), although she may be out on the sun porch, braving 49 degrees for the sake of a tobacco fix.

:laugh:

Take it easy, let it heal and let's hope that was the last of the bad going out with the old year.

Thanks. I figured I might as well send 2013 out with a bang!

BTW, the pictures were great, but seagulls? Near an ocean? I think you may have discovered something. (Love the shot of the sea lions on the buoy - and they say we're doing bad things to animals. Such a bad thing - a haul-out in the middle of the bay.)

 

[MoodyBlues]

Hoping you get better soon

Thanks.

 

[Gmash]

Sorry to hear about your fall, but I'm glad you weren't more seriously injured and that you had a great time with your family. Those family times are precious. Hope you get back to 100% ASAP!

 

[dan330]

wow.. awesome pictures..

sorry about the bad parts.. and that fall!!
take care!

 

[ocnbrze]

NICE PHOTOS!!!!!!!

sorry about the fall and not seeing any whales.

i used to be a whale docent for Davy Jones Locker out of Newport Beach. yeah it is a great time to see gray whales as they are now starting to head back north from there breading grounds to their feeding grounds.

i went whale watching last year in july. i saw 7 blue whales that day.....pretty historic to see the largest living mammal in so many numbers. they were all feeding on krill.

i hope maybe this might help you........here is my photos from that day:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qzu0mdakypntf75/PbwMz-xvIv

ps:
if you see two photos of red stuff floating in the water......that is whale poop!!!!!!

and it stank really bad

pps:
the last few photos are from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach

ppps:
photos #160-175 shows a blue whale feeding.

 

[MoodyBlues]

NICE PHOTOS!!!!!!!

Thanks. I was snapping away like crazy--kind of like I do on my patio when taking hummingbird pictures--and hoped for the best.

sorry about the fall and not seeing any whales.

Yeah, the fall sucks, but not seeing any whales was a possibility I knew might happen. It's all good, though! Shhhhh...don't tell my grandsons, but the injuries provided me with a great excuse to SIT DOWN and not be involved in everything.

i used to be a whale docent for Davy Jones Locker out of Newport Beach.

Very cool.

yeah it is a great time to see gray whales as they are now starting to head back north from there breading grounds to their feeding grounds.

I saw a whale watching segment on KTLA's morning news a couple weeks ago, and there were zillions of whales all around the boat. That's the picture I had in my head of what we'd see yesterday!

i went whale watching last year in july. i saw 7 blue whales that day.....pretty historic to see the largest living mammal in so many numbers. they were all feeding on krill.

Awesome. I had already told the kids they'd have to come back in the summer so we can do it again, only with blue whales this time.

i hope maybe this might help you........here is my photos from that day:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qzu0mdakypntf75/PbwMz-xvIv

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to spend some time later perusing all of them, but the pics I've already looked at were amazing.

ps:
if you see two photos of red stuff floating in the water......that is whale poop!!!!!!

and it stank really bad

I can only imagine. You know what our captain called the pelicans [as we passed by the jetty that bazillions of pelicans were on]? SMELLicans. :laugh:

pps:
the last few photos are from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach

I recognized it from having driven by it a few times. And the old Spruce Goose building, too. Did you see the ads for the Queen Mary's "Chill" thing this holiday season? It was in the Spruce Goose building, which was turned into a giant igloo. It looked like a huge, frozen fantasy world that would be fun *IF* you don't mind being in single digit temperatures. Having lived through some truly miserable, cold, frozen...awful winters in Dallas, nine degrees just doesn't do anything for me! But it still looked good.

 

[saptech]

Glad it wasnt worser then what it was, which was bad. Get well soon Moody!

Very nice pictures also.

 

[olbriar]

I'm sorry to hear of your fall Moody. I hope you recover quickly. A day out with the grand kids.. whales or no whales has to be fun. Enjoyed your pics as well as ocn's. They all look fantastic to a Kansas boy.

 

[mikedt]

Great pics Moody, I've never actually seen a dolphin except on TV.
BTW I've never owned a boat or yacht myself, but then I don't think that many people do in Inner Mongolia.

 

[MoodyBlues]

This is me right now: :bawling: :bawling:

(My daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons just left.)

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Good News: Cancers gone.
Bad News: I'm over double thirty.

 

[Clementine_3]

Good news: I'm all caught up
Bad news: I missed this thread all those years ago

 

[MoodyBlues]

Good news: it's yet another glorious day in SoCal, just like when this thread started.

Bad news: there are no whale-watching excursions in Arcadia.

PS Was I ever surprised to see this thread resurrected!

 

[MoodyBlues]

Good News: Cancers gone.

Excellent!

Bad News: I'm over double thirty.

Now, now, just think of the alternative.

 

[lunatic59]

The good news: I'm done with my taxes.
The bad news: Taxes.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

^^^ROTFLMAO^^^

Good news: i got a refund!
Bad news : Smallest one ever

 

[Unforgiven]

Good News: New Tax Laws
Bad News: New Tax Laws

 

[MoodyBlues]

Good News: New Tax Laws
Bad News: New Tax Laws

You poor suckers who still pay income tax!

 

[Unforgiven]

You poor suckers who still pay income tax!

Well, I guess the alternatives are to be disabled or have no income. Long term it's OK, actually good. My taxes went down, just not as much as my with holdings. Now that I see how my situation comes out the other end of the sausage factory I can make a little adjustment and be fine going forward. It's just a little pain going from the old laws to the new laws.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Well, I guess the alternatives are to be disabled or have no income.

Yep, disabled here. Since SSDI is nontaxable, my other income (such as interest) doesn't come near the minimum for being required to file taxes.

Long term it's OK, actually good. My taxes went down, just not as much as my with holdings. Now that I see how my situation comes out the other end of the sausage factory I can make a little adjustment and be fine going forward. It's just a little pain going from the old laws to the new laws.

I'm completely out of the loop and know nothing about any tax law changes. It sounds like you have a good handle on everything, so that's good.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Good news: Joy Noelle, AKA the little princess of the house, STAYS GLUED to Mommy at all times, 24/7. I love her warm, soft little body and hearing her purr.

Bad news: Joy Noelle plops herself down on my chest, making it impossible to see or type on my phone.

 

[lunatic59]

Good news: Angelina Jolie, AKA Lara Croft, STAYs GLUED to me at all times, 24/7. I love her warm, soft little body and ...
Bad news: My wife just saw me type that .... OOOWWWWW!