First Post

Hi Everyone,
I'll start with the name.  I've always thought that someday I might write a book, and in thinking about writing a book I figured I had to come up with a name.  Many writers might start with the story first, then the name.  Not me.  Like with band names, I like to come up with a name first and let the book, band, blog, etc., take shape afterward.

"I lived on a boat" signifies that I lived on a boat, albeit for only 3 months.  It's my best friend Mystyn's boat (actually her dad, Randy's boat).  They were gracious enough to let me live on their 55 foot (approx.) Sparkman & Stephens sailboat built in the '50s.  It's a beautiful old wooden boat with lots of character, and from the stories I've heard it sounds like it was a great home to grow up in.  Yes, it needs a little work now, but it's still floating out in the Port of Long Beach in Wilmington, CA.  I'll talk about my three months on the boat more in future blogs.  Anyway, there's the explanation on the name.

I just moved to Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii.  I plan to, finally after over 20 years, finish my degree at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  Yes, there will be a big party when I graduate.  I will be throwing it in my honor and everything on that day will be about me, so don't show up unless you plan on showering me with praise and even money if you have any to spare as I will most likely be completely broke and in much debt by that time.  It should only take three semesters to graduate so that puts me at 40 years old when I'm done.

An appropriate movie quote insert:
(Tommy Boy) -A lot of people take 7 years to graduate, Richard.
(Richard) - Yeah, they're called doctors...
 From the movie Tommy Boy played by Chris Farley.  Richard is...uh....I can't remember his name right now!  Oh well, you guys know it... David Spade, that's it.

Moving on, and speaking of moving on.  I've moved several times during my life (post-childhood) and I hope to write about some of the different places I've lived throughout the course of posting to this blog.

I've moved to and lived in the following places, in chronological order.  I can't stay put:
Warren, MI
Boulder, CO
Silverthorne, CO (Keystone Ski Resort and A-basin)
Detroit, MI
Washington D.C. (near Georgetown)
Ferndale, MI
Salt Lake City, UT
Several cities in Southern California, including as the title explains, a boat
Hilo, HI

More to come.  I just wanted to get this thing started and now I've done that.  Woo hoo!
Thanks to my buddies Chris Carr and Lee McPherson for being the inspiration to create this.