I'm trying to get calibrated... were you at Waterfront Park between about 3:30 and 5? Based on the wind gauge at the event site, a 7.0 would have been about right for me, although my 2 sec peak would very likely have been lower . So far, windfoiling just doesn't have the same appeal to me as actually being on the water, absorbing the bumps, getting an adrenaline rush.

Forecast for Lac Bay Bonaire starting this Friday, 18-25 knot winds for a week! Now I have to bust butt to get in shape... Oh, therapeutic levels of prednisone (50-60 mg/day) are reducing the proptosis and double vision in the right eye. By Friday I'm optimistic that I might be able to see to sail (although Friday will be a push to get on the water after being gone for 7 months, and I suspect Claudia will be spending part of the day at a doctor's office...)

On the water just after 3:30, off just after 4:30. Pretty light but enough to get the 7.0 going on the Naish SP95 replica. Last outing for the old 2011 sail, new one, EVO9 7.0, turned up so just need to fit the rdm cams and test it out. Forecast looks good for Bonaire, watch out for the bikini babes...don't want to run into one because you cant see!

Our seasons start to cross over. Just starting to get warmer here. Hope you get some winter gales. It would be good to see the Chinook speed course on the radar again.

We're into the easterly wind pattern now, this is when you get the Nukin' days where the water turns to vapour. Touch cold but water still warm. ARooBar should turn on again in about 10 days, looks like some good storms on the horizon. Probably billy no mates there as no one is interested in speedsailing here anymore.

Did you have a relapse, Barton?

Anita, no relapse, just a fumbling around trying to find the appropriate treatment protocol. My idiopathic orbital inflammation (autoimmune run amuck) responds well to Prednisone but, as you know, Prednisone is not a medication that one wants to use at high dosage levels for extended periods of time. Therefore, the Doctors at OHSU are attempting to do 'steroid sparing' by phasing me over to some other medication that will perform similarly to Prednisone without the side effects. For the last three months we tried Methotrexate but as I phased down on Prednisone, the Methotrexate did not work for me and the inflammation mass increased causing proptosis and double vision. I'm now back on therapeutic levels to Prednisone to again reduce the polymorphous mass behind the eye and will soon try the phasing down of Prednisone with a different medication (mycophenolate).

As an aside: you might be aware of the screwed up USA healthcare system... The insurance company rejected the first request for the mycophenolate medication because the doctor didn't provide full documentation on why they were prescribing it. My out-of-pocket at the pharmacy would be around $1,000 USD/month EXCEPT, at the suggestion of the clerk at the pharmacy, I learned that I can go online, get a free coupon for the medication, valid at the same pharmacy and pay $60 USD/month, OR I can wait for round two of the request to be processed and possibly have the medication approved and completely covered... Yeah, pretty messed up...

My experience with health insurance companies is a letter from the health professional usually gets them to come to the party and pay up.

That is crazy about the free coupon.

Better luck with the new treatment.

I have heard of mycophenolate for immune mediated disease but I have no experience with it