I'm so Vain

Among the many exciting things I've been doing since arriving in Richmond, I've been working on turning the blog into a book.

You can read the book pdf here. It includes most of the blog posts, but none of the blog comments. Even so, it weighs in at over 200 pages. Eventually, I want to figure out how to include some or all of the comments into a version of the book, without turning it into a 1000 page epic tome.

When I'm finished editing the book, I'm going to publish it via Lulu.com. Lulu is an online, on-demand, vanity publisher. According to their website, the cost to publish a single copy of the "Captain's Blog" will be under $10, and there is no minimum order. I'm excited to order a copy and see how the quality of the printing is. It'll be pretty cool if it looks like a real book.

But one of the last things I want to do to complete the book, is to solicit recommendations to put on the back cover. You know, the blurbs that say something like, "Engrossing. Cap'n Scott is at the top of his writing game here. Distills an enormous amount of information into descriptions both portable and intriguing." (This is an actual blurb from the back cover of a book I'm holding in my hand.)

I'm sure that a ringing endorsement by a well respected celebrity like Admiral Amy, Grampa or Old Salty, is just what I need in order to turn the book into a best seller!

Hurricane Amy

I came up north to celebrate Grampa's 70th birthday earlier this week. (Happy B-day Grampa!) I combined it with a visit to the boat. It's been a beautiful week. I was planning on returning to Richmond today at the latest. But looking at the weather this morning I changed my mind.

Hanna isn't supposed to be a full blown hurricane when she reaches Baltimore, but they are predicting several inches of rain, 40mph winds and a significant storm surge. I've added some docklines, removed my bimini, topped off my batteries and water.

I also put my car in a parking garage. When Hurricane Isabel passed through a few years ago, there was some flooding. I was surprised how many very nice late model cars were flooded. What kind of dumbass leaves his car in a flood plane when a hurricane is coming? I can understand houses getting flooded, but a car? Especially when higher elevation in Fells Point is only a few blocks from the water.

I wasn't sure how Amy would react to my staying in Baltimore to watch over the boat for a few more days. We had been planning on going to First Friday in Richmond, playing tennis and shopping for a new bike Saturday, and then a "date night". When I called her this morning I wasn't sure which I should fear more, Hurricane Hanna on Saturday or Hurricane Amy when I returned to Richmond on Sunday.

Amy assured me that nothing more than a weak tropical depression would be passing through Richmond in my absence, and that it should clear up before my return.