Leap Year Friday

First thing this morning was to get our Insurance Company to pull their finger out and get our quote and cover happening. Which we hope will be active by Monday?? Also got the final official US documents from the Coast Guard, de-registering 'Sea Otter' as a US vessel, so we can now apply for Australian Registration. The 13 page fax to Australia with all the Registration papers required cost $40 US!!!

By then it was lunch time, which saw us eating at the Cafe at 'Safeway' Supermarket again. Geoff then took off to check if the rigging had turned up (which it hasn't) and left me to fill some more trolleys with food and supplies.

This time I grabbed a BIGGER trolley and as the supermarket and products are so unfamiliar it took awhile to walk each aisle. Just so much variety and so many brands I don't know. Surprisingly the cost of groceries over here is NOT cheap, not as cheap as I remember it from last time. Compared to Australia it is pretty dear on basic items. Geoff met me in aisle 20 and we topped the trolley to the brim and went to the checkout. The guy there was horrified I didn't have a Safeway Club card when he saw the total reaching $540. I just assumed a Club Card was a rewards card, but apparently if you have a Club Card you get the deals marked on the shelves. For example 5 for $5 or buy one and get one free. I just assumed everyone got that deal and I think this is why Americans love their coupons. So the guy ran over to the Service counter grabbed me a card and swiped it..... I watched with awe as the total dropped and dropped and dropped and ended up at $460!!!!!!! Now that's what I call a Rewards Card! I thanked the guy profusely and Geoff even tried to give him a tip, which we then found out is one of the only places in America where they don't accept or expect tips. So lucky day, I am now the proud owner of a Citibank account and ATM card and now a Safeway Club Card, woo hoo!

So far the total of groceries, toiletries and First Aid items has hit around $800 and I still haven't stocked Pasta, pasta sauces, more bread mixes and more BEER! The photo above shows the stores rearranged to go into lockers this afternoon. The other photo is taken from the deck of Sea Otter this afternoon at Sunset looking out over the Marina. And another one of Alameda's beautiful old homes.

Our lovely rental car will go back after 3 weeks tomorrow and we will try and manage without one. However there is a cheap Company just 4 blocks away that rents a Economy for around $200 a week, so we may stockpile chores and rent one in a weeks time. The Lucky Supermarket is so close that I can walk to it in 5 minutes and top up with small loads of stores if I wanted to.

Had a hot shower on Sea Otter for the second time again tonight, it is pure luxury to have a hot water heater on a boat and to be able to skip the cold walk up to the Marina facilities. It's a luxury that will have to be rationed out once we are on passage, as we couldn't carry enough water to do it nightly or keep the power up to the heater. So maybe just after a tough day??? I will have to be very nice to the Captain to get extra favours!