She's Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No pictures yet, but soon.

So despite my vigil at the laptop glued to the screen and toggling back and forth between the vessel finder and port everglades webcam links, I did not see my girl enter the waterway.  I had to give up at midnight, when I noticed that Eris J was anchored off Fort Lauderdale and no amount of silent urging was going to move her.  I thought I heard a webcam voice mention Eris J's name and I swore I also heard 0400 hours.

I set my alarm and was up at 4:10 am.  The cat and I dashed out of the bedroom to the waiting laptop.  When I clicked on vessel finder, I saw Eris J still off the coast, but now moving at 10 knots. Since I have an extremely busy day today, I headed back to bed and re-set the alarm for 5 am.  Sometime between the first watch and this one, Eris J sneaked into the port and docked!  Though I was disappointed to miss her arrival, the port is less well lit than the Panama Canal, so seeing her would have been difficult at best.  It seems this girl prefers night time activities from her recent behavior.

Now begins the waiting - and considerable emails to the patient KKY folks.  Last report is that KKY should plan to be at the port around 3 pm this afternoon.  Tom B. feels this might be aggressive, since there are other boats that have to come off before my precious little girl is set free.  When I asked if I could get a video of the offload, it was (patiently) explained to me that it is quite hectic once the offload begins.  KKY needs to board the freighter, then prepare to jump onto Olympia as she dangles from a crane alongside the ship.  Together, they are (gently) "splashed" for the first time and have to quickly move away from the ship
I'm glad I decided against witnessing that scenario.  It would be like your child going down the slide for the first time and realizing that they are high enough up on the slide to elude help if quickly needed.  Gulp.

Luckily for me (and everyone around me), I'm heading to the Krogen Rendezvous in Solomons, MD this afternoon.  The ability to concentrate at work can't even be feigned at this point.  Don't worry, I brought my iPad so I can send any pictures I get.  After all this waiting, do you think I'd just go off and leave you hanging around, waiting???

In between having loads of fun, I plan to sit in on every class offered this week and set my brain to "sponge" mode.  Oh this poor little brain has no idea what's about to be dumped into it!

So wonderful readers, thanks for your company to this point.  The fun and real pictures are just beginning!

Stay tuned.