Boats and Birthdays

Oh, how Pegasus longs to be back in the water. Our trip up to the boatyard in the middle of the state proved to be a long, tiresome day. But a good day. There is something about working hard and smiling the whole way though. I love the boat yard. A huge open space filled with sea craft, constrained to land. Their owners toiling with sweat, dirt, occasional frustration and pride. Friendly people, walking over to get a closer look at your tireless work, mulling it over with you. You take a break and discuss where you have been, the work you are doing, what your future plans are for her. Some are getting ready to go cruising, others just returning from their voyages. Everyone has that glint in their eye. That lost look of remembrance of being on the water. The peaceful anchorages, exhilarating sails, terrifying storms. It is all there, contained in a small boatyard in the farmlands of Florida, unsuspecting.

We went yesterday with the intent of removing the paint on the boot stripe; the stripe at the waterline, and the one just under the toe rail, and then repainting. We did not imagine it would take us all day to just remove the paint. Since we are hoping to get her back in the water by this weekend, we are looking at another 4 hours in the car to get there and back and a full day of work to get the stripe painted. Pegasus has seen better, glorious days. Her hull and cockpit are filthy, the interior is mildewy and a complete disaster with gear strewn about. The screws holding in the portlights have deteriorated and water leakage is an issue, staining our beautiful mahogany interior. All of the work I did on the exterior teak needs to be addressed. The varnish is peeling and gray wood shows through. Our cockpit table that Jake Miller made us back in Charleston broke, either by careless workers or a harsh windstorm. It saddens us to see her in such disrepair. Not even a year ago, she was beautifully kept, lived in and loved. Just 8 months in storage and she is a fright. It is a wonderful feeling, however to restore a boat. I just can't describe it. When someone comes aboard for the first time and like a proud parent, you show them the this and that of your hard work.

Today is Grandma Norma's birthday. I truly feel as though I am in Southwest Florida when the parties I attend to involve Norma, Janet & Carl, Neighbor Bob and Gram's friends Fred and Ethel (no joke, their names really are Fred and Ethel!). We really need to find friends our age, or at least within 15 years of our age. Southwest Florida is known for the snowbird population, just to fill you in. The average age in Naples is 65, and that's average, that means on the high end is 80 and the low end is 50. That also means we are a minority by 20 years! No disrespect to Gram, I enjoy her company immensely, we just feel very young.

Anyways, we are looking forward to celebrating Gram's 85th birthday this evening. She has chosen to go out to dinner and then back to her place for cake and ice cream. I made her a French Chocolate Cake, as per her request for a chocolate cake. If you don't have superfine sugar, you can use regular sugar, just make sure it dissolves completely, otherwise it will have a crunchy texture. I got this recipe out of a wonderful French cookbook that I got at the flea market for $5. It's called "French, Delicious Classic Cuisine Made Easy."

French Chocolate Cake

Serves 10-12

1/4 cup superfine sugar, plus some for sprinkling

10 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped - I used Ghiradelli semi sweet baking chocolate

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 eggs, separated

1/4 cup flour, sifted

pinch of salt

confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 F. Generously butter a 9 1/2 inch springform pan, then sprinkle the pan with a little sugar and tap out the excess.

Set aside 3 tbsp of the 3/2 cup of sugar. Place the chocolate, butter and remaining sugar in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and let the mixture cool.

Bet the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, beating each in well, then stir in the flour.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, bet the egg whites until they are frothy. Increase the speed, add the salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle over the reserved sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and glossy. Beat one-third of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.

Carefully our the mixture into the pan and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.

Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip. You can also test with a toothpick, making sure the toothpick comes out of the center clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack, remove the side of the pan and let cool completely. Remove the pan base. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and transfer to a serving plate.