Editor's Note: I'm too lazy to upload more photos at the moment, but there are goodly number posted to Instagram and Facebook if you want to check them out. Enjoy.

I won’t bore anyone with the details of our engine saga, but suffice it to say, I can now change a starter motor in eight minutes flat, and I’m getting the swing of lots of other stuff. Our starboard engine runs like a champ. After many swapped parts and mechanic hours, our port engine is adequate enough that we’re heading out for the weekend to test the waters. We’re off to Anguilla with two other kid-boats Day Dreamer and Discovery. It’s a short sail across the channel, but we think it will be good for all of us.

Slowly but surely, the pieces are coming together in this Fezywig life. Our generator arrived and is up and purring nicely. Our watermaker has arrived in FL and is now on it’s way here via cargo ship. That will make 30 gallons an hour once installed. I think that will be life changing. And our replacement wifi router has arrived. I’ll get that installed once we’re in Anguilla.

It’s been a while since I’ve used my tools in any meaningful way, but I have to say, there’s something pretty dang satisfying about tightening a bolt with a socket wrench, especially when the engine starts after that. So there's that. But one piece that has been woefully deficient in the Fezywig life has been music. So a quick run-down on a rebalancing moment for us:

We got word from our friends on Discovery that Monday night is open mic night at Lagoonies, one of the prime local cruiser watering holes. We’re always game for something like that, so John and I went to scout it out with our older girls. It looked good, so we called the rest of the troops and before you knew it, we had nine kids, two dogs and four adults sitting around a couple of tables eating fries and nachos, waiting for a turn to play.

Kate (13) went first. She wrote her first song ever (“Paradise”) and performed it that same week. Brave and impressive! It’s a great song. Watch for the single coming soon : )

Art, the guy hosting the evening, dropped by our table to get acquainted. When he found out we had a family ‘band’ he thought that was so great he gave us cart blanche to play as many tunes as we wanted. A dangerous proposition with us. We got up and played half a dozen of some of our favorites, covers and originals. We all had a great time and people seemed to enjoy the music. After that we decided to sit down. Nobody likes a stage hog. We took a little break and then came back to play a few more. After three songs, we figured it was time to get the kids to bed, so went to settle up our bill. I was handing the bar tender some cash when I heard our name called. Apparently there was some kind of prize for the evening and we won it. An unexpected bonus. We’re now the proud new owners of a vintage orange life ring that says “Aquila” on the side. My best guess is it means “water eagle” (aqua + aguila), but I’m just making that up.

It was a fun night. We sang our guts out, we stomped the wooden boards, people clapped and cheered. Maybe they’ll have something like that in Anguilla.

Tunes played at Lagoonies:

Hotel Yorba – by the White Stripes

Stickshifts and Safetybelts – by CAKE

From the Things You’ve Made – by Erik Orton

You and I – by Ingrid Michaelson

[a couple others I don't recall]

Castles in the Sky - by Karina Orton

Hold Onto Your Hat – by Alison Orton

Harvest Time – by Erik Orton