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		<title>WheresCherie.COM</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com/</link>
		<description>: WheresCherie.COM News :</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:20:33 UTC</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Sailing the BVI</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=1279</link>
		<description><![CDATA[This spring Jean, Michael, Cherie, and Greg chartered Shiraz, a 40-foot Beneteau sailboat for two weeks in the British Virgin Islands. The BVI is the ideal sailing destination, with a steady 10-15kt breeze, dozens of unique and idyllic anchorages, each only a couple hours sail from each-other, and the warm crystal-clear water of the Caribbean. We can't wait to do it again!
]]></description>
		<category>Where`s Cherie?</category>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Sep 2012 11:31:20 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>Banderas Bay Regatta 2012</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=1277</link>
		<description><![CDATA[After a multi-year absence, Cherie and I returned to Puerto Vallarta to meet old friends and compete in one of our favorite sailing events, the Banderas Bay Regatta. When we arrived we really felt our favorite place to sail had 'grown up'..

Banderas Bay & the Puerto Vallarta Yacht Club have become a world-class sailing venue – hosting several international regattas this year, including MEXORC, WesMex (dingys), J24 worlds, the Pan-American games, and our favorite, the Banderas Bay Regatta. Banderas Bay has ideal sailing conditions in the winter; warm water, a reliable and steady sea-breeze that provides 12-17 knots of wind each afternoon, flat water due to the shape of the bay and islands that block large ocean swells, and lots of good on-shore facilities including three large marinas, and a great yacht club. 

WESMEX RACE COMITTEE

Before the Regatta we volunteered to help with the WesMex regatta, a dingy sailing event that's used to select the Mexican Olympic sailing team.  We learned a tremendous amount about what how much work goes on behind the scenes to put on a successful regatta. I worked on the 'pin boat', and our responsibilities were to adjust the alignment of the start & finish lines, and move the downwind marks to ensure the marks were aligned perpendicular to the wind. This is so that no one side of the line is too heavily favored. Cherie also helped on the Race Committee boat, which is responsible for managing the races, providing all the starting signals, and recording each competitor’s finishing order.

During the event we got to spend a lot of time with Paul Ulibarri, an International Race Officer for the last four Olympics, and it was great to learn about race management and swap stories with a guy who'd been involved with running regattas for the last forty years.

BANDERAS BAY REGATTA

For the Banderas Bay Regatta we raced with old friends Jim & Jamie Casey aboard Cupatillo... The name Cupatillo has a brief but distinguished history. We were racing on the boat Jim & Jamie used to own – Tomatillo. But recently sold it and the new owner changed the name to Cupcake. We combined the old and new names of the boat to create Cupatillo, which we hoped would strike more fear into our competitor's hearts than Cupcake. Ivan, a J24 sailor from Idaho also joined us. Jim's friend Bartz, a very experienced San Francisco Bay racer, raced with us and brought friends to round out the rest of the crew.

Cherie and I were responsible for foredeck, under the guidance of Ivan. We had 10 successful spinnaker sets and douses, in light and heavy air, and used multiple spinnakers two of the three days. There were times I wondered if the chute would come out straight after re-rigging it in the V-berth. But the golden rule of spinnakers held true – as long as you keep all the lines attached, or (very carefully) attach the lines to the exact same locations on the new spinnaker while keeping the corners isolated, the chute will set without being twisted.

The first day we had an excellent start, hitting the start line within seconds of the gun, and with clear air and on a port tack. It was a heavy-air day and we managed to stay ahead of the rest of the pack by sailing well in heavy air and performing all of our maneuvers without serious snafu's. Many of the boats in our fleet ran into problems with their gear or spinnakers in the heavy wind.

The second day served to pop our deflated egos, as we got a bad start when a few boats didn't yield right-of-way properly the line. We felt like we were playing catch-up throughout the race, and on a reaching leg we experimented with flying a chute which didn't pay off for us. We ended the race in fifth place (out of nine boats).

The final day half of our crew was feeling badly from something they ate (or drank?) the night before, and after our previous day's performance the pressure was on for us to do well. We felt like Rocky Balboa, on the verge of the final showdown, we needed to perform at our best to take the trophy.

The competition in our division was extremely tight. We figured that we needed to place highest out of the rest of our competition, and one boat, Talion, would need to place two places behind us if we were to take first place. Everything had to go right for our final race – and with the pressure on the crew worked together as a finely-tuned machine, everybody gave their all, and we managed to place second, ahead of all the boats we needed to beat. Our division was so close that we actually tied in points with two other boats for first, the tie-breaker was that we finished the last race ahead of the other two boats. It was great feeling to overcome the adversity of our second race, and taking home the gold.

CHARLIE & CATHY'S END OF SEASON PARTY

We spent the last part of our trip to Puerto Vallarta catching up with our friends Charlie and Cathy. We sailed with them around Banderas Bay in 2008 on their Beneteau 461 Chére. They continued through the Panama Canal and cruised all over the Caribbean before selling their boat in Annapolis. They own a condo in Puerto Vallarta and put us up for our visit to Vallarta.

 Banderas Bay Regatta is the grand finale to the sailing season and to celebrate the new friends and adventures of the season Cathy put on an end-of-season cocktail party. Titled the “seven C's” party it was a great way for everyone to swap their favorite stories of the season and of the regatta. The party was a smashing success, with everyone having a great time and a perfect way to finish the sailing season.

We were sad to get back on the plane to fly away from Puerto Vallarta, a place where we'd spent so many winters and one of the places around the world we consider 'Home'.]]></description>
		<category>Where`s Cherie?</category>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:23:51 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>443: Cal--Tacky Engagement Party (Part 2)</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=566</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Now how can we be sure that we were at a trailer-trash party?  

You might be at Cherie & Greg’s Engagement Party if: the kiddie pool is filled with beer, the coolers are Styrofoam, the furniture is inflatable (or held together with duct tape), the cuisine is hot-links, the teeth are bad, the hair is big, the tattoos are removable, the fashion is animal-print, the eyelashes are fake and the art is compliments of NASCAR.  Don’t forget Jerry Springer on the big screen!

Call them folks what you like: white trash, trailer trash or red neck…I call them friends and family. Here’s another batch of trashy photos. <a href=http://www.wherescherie.com/newsread.php?newsid=565>First Batch of Pics</a>
Enjoy!
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 12:07:29 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>442: Cal: Cherie  Greg's Tacky Engagement Party (Part 1)</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=565</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you love NASCAR, pink flamingos and fuzzy dice? Do you secretly dream of cheese-wiz and spam?  Do you think doughnuts are an "anytime" food?  Do you drive a purple Camaro? (Seriously, that was Greg’s car until he upgraded to the ’92 300ZX) 

Do your muscle shirts and fringe jackets not get the appreciation that they deserve? Then you shouldn’t miss these photos of Cherie and Greg’s Tacky Engagement Party. After eight years, Cherie and Greg are finally makin' it legal. Don't miss the <a href=http://www.wherescherie.com/newsread.php?newsid=566>Second Batch of Pics</a>
]]></description>
		<category>Where`s Cherie?</category>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 14:14:03 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>441--California: Hot Nights  Cuban Food</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=564</link>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:47:36 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>440--California: Italian Mafia Party</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=563</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Brooke & Kevin hosted an Italian Mafia Party, where we dressed up, made homemade pasta, ate Italian food, wrapped the couch in plastic, posed on Brooke’s scooter, drank wine, puffed on cigars and tried to “act Italian” (whatever that means!)
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:22:10 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>439--Nevada: It's the People (Burning Man Evolution 2009)</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=562</link>
		<description><![CDATA[What is "playa-wear"? As far as fashion is concerned, anything, everything and nothing are all good choices in the Black Rock Desert. People never cease to surprise me at Burning Man.  It's not what they wear that is shocking--it's how much they give.

You never know what the day will bring when you're in Black Rock City. Whether it is dancing at the Pink Mammoth, watching a trapeze show, enjoying the Pop Corn Palace, watching dogs play poker, or playing mini-golf with Tom Cruise...anything can happen.

Sometimes the day is just plain silly, like when you find yourself on a balance beam whacking your friend with a giant drum stick.  Other times the day is serious, like when you stumble through the desert and find thousands of combat boots that represent soldiers that were recently killed. 

One thing is certain—Black Rock City is full of life, love, acceptance, and wonder.  And in the end, Burning Man is all about the people. (Greg says it is also about the laser beams.)
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:03:16 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>438--California: Mom's Pink Party for Breast Cancer Awareness</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=561</link>
		<description><![CDATA[A month ago my mom felt like she was healthier than ever.  At 62 years old, she was walking 5-7 miles a day.  After losing fifty pounds and keeping it off, my mom was enjoying her retirement in the desert with her husband (32 years) Eddy.

Last month my mom got her annual check up and the annual mammogram showed something suspicious.  After countless tests, my mom has been diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer with spine and liver metastasis.  More about <a href=http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/beverlymyint>Beverly Myint</a>.

My sisters and I hosted a “Pink Party” for my mom this weekend, where we gathered friends and family to show our love and support.  We wore pink, ate pink and dyed pink stripes in our hair.  Even though my sister Michelle was sick—she spent 8 hours dying people’s hair.  We were so grateful for all the love, hope and support we have received.  My mom starts weekly chemo treatments next week.  Our family and friends will support and love her every step of this battle against breast cancer.  
]]></description>
		<category>Site News</category>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:15:10 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>437: Nevada: Playa Art at Burning Man 2009</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=560</link>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s time to evolve again and prepare for the type of conversations and stories that only happen in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.  

A typical afternoon desert bike ride goes something like this: I was riding my bike next to a giant birthday cake when a guy driving a shark asked me if I wanted a margarita. (Of course the shark-car was equipped with a blender…aren’t they all?)  I declined the alcohol because I was about to climb a metal butterfly and then slide down a massive grass-slide.  

“Did you see the dinosaur made of buckets?” the shark-car-operator asked before he drove into the dust.  “Not yet, I think I’m going to stay here for a while and see if the rocket blasts off.”  Only at Burning Man do rockets mix with butterflies while sharks and birthday cakes drive by dinosaurs.
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:16:45 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>436: Nevada: Burning Man 2009 Evolution</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=559</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Burning Man exists for one week in the vast white nothing-everything of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.  Participants (we call ourselves “Burners”) drag their mutant vehicles, crazy costumes and art projects from all over the globe so we can enjoy the beauty of a gift economy—the one place on earth where you can’t buy, sell or advertise anything (except ice & coffee.)  

Burning Man annually renews my faith in humanity.  For most of us, Burning Man is not just a “party in the desert”—it’s a place of radical self expression and extreme acceptance.  It’s a dusty world where those of us who don’t fit in to normal “society” can find a home in a community that understands and celebrates the beauty of being different.  Enjoy my photos of 2009 Burning Man “Evolution”.
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:59:12 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>435--Key West: Shipwreckers greet The Vandenberg</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=558</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg is a ship with an interesting past and a unique future.  At 522-ft long, The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg is about to become the world’s second longest artificial reef. (Note: the longest artificial reef is the 888-ft former USS Oriskany, a decommissioned aircraft carrier that now rests at the bottom of the sea near Pensacola, Fl.)

 On April 22, the massive Vandenberg was tugged into Key West Harbor and greeted by hundreds of fans waving Conch Republic flags.  Supporters of The Vandenberg (who call themselves “shipwreckers”) have endured ten long years of hassles, meetings and permits.  But the shipwreckers dedication is about to pay off.  In May 2009, The Vandenberg will be sunk in the waters off of Key West.  While explosives will be involved, the sinking won’t be dramatic.  Engineers hope she will slowly sink into her new home on the ocean floor in 140-ft of water. 
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:46:22 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>434--Key West: A Pub Stroll (or the Duval Crawl)</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=557</link>
		<description><![CDATA[Visiting twelve bars in twelve tours takes dedication (and a strong liver.)  But Karem and I were determined to see all the best bars in Key West in one day.  Of course, we missed a few, as there are more than a dozen great spots on this 2x4 island…but here’s a list of the bars I chose for our Key West Pub Crawl: Hogfish, Schooner Wharf, Alonzo’s, Captain Tony’s, Sloppy Joe’s, Kelly’s, La Concha Hotel, the Bull, the Whistle, the Garden of Eden, Cowboy Bills, and Virgilio’s.

During our day of debauchery, we listened to live music, got behind more than one bar, met a few funky locals, watched the sunset, saw a comedy show, and Karem finished the night off by riding a mechanical bull.  We averaged one drink an hour, drank lots of water, and didn’t have a hangover the next day. 
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:05:22 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>433--Key West: Burlesque High Noon Pirate Booty Sail</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=556</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The High Noon Pirate Booty Sail was a celebration of a quest accomplished.  Two years ago, Theo Glorie, owner of the <a href=http://www.coffeeplantationkeywest.com/>Coffee Plantation</a> started with a red paperclip and traded up to an afternoon sail aboard the <a href=http://www.schoonerjollyrover.com/>Jolly II Rover</a> for forty friends.  Then Theo traded his afternoon sail for his dream motorcycle.  Theo’s wife Diane and his closest friends were aboard the 80-ft tallship to celebrate his achievement with plastic swords and fake eye-patches.

Starlets Tatah Dujour, Lola Lafleur and Cheeky Derriere from <a href=http://keywestburlesque.com/>Key West Burlesque</a> and the Bone Island Buccaneers came aboard for High Noon entertainment singing and swinging around Key West’s famous schooner the Jolly II Rover.  

The scantily clad ladies poured rum punch in their revolvers and “shot” every guest (with phenomenal accuracy).  No one wanted this sail to end!
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:33:19 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>432--Key West: Conch Honk 2009</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=555</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The sign said: “No Experience Necessary” for the 2009 Annual Key West Conch Honk.  I’m fairly loud and I have decent lungs, so I thought I might be a natural at blowing a conch.  I had never blown a giant sea mollusk before and I began to worry when I saw that each of the other contestants had their own personal conch.  “Do I need my own shell for this contest?”  I asked one of the organizers.  “No, we have courtesy conchs for people like you,” he responded.  (Conchless people like me?)

Sue (a contestant from Ohio with her own conch) gave me some pointers.  “Blow it like a trumpet,” she said, which might have helped if I had ever played anything other than a radio as a child.  When the sound came out of the shell that I blew, I wanted to say “excuse me.”  Far from a melody, it sounded like a fart.

I was glad that I wasn’t the only first timer when I heard a male contestant say on stage: “Today was the first time I blew a conch.”  The emcee responded: “What was his name?”  (Local islanders call themselves conchs.)  

While I didn’t win the contest, I came home with a red ribbon and a new appreciation for art of conch blowing.
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:12:47 UTC</pubDate>
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		<title>431--Key West: St. Patrick's Day Bar Stroll</title>
		<link>http://www.wherescherie.com//newsread.php?newsid=554</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The 31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Bar Stroll happened in Key West on March 14th.  Leave it to Conchs (the name locals call themselves) to stretch out an Irish holiday for three days.

The <a href=http://www.stpatricksdaybarstroll.com/index.html>St. Patrick’s Day Bar Stroll</a> was organized by founder Rick Dostal.  Every year 800 people in green, put on a t-shirt and enjoy a beer at nine Key West bars.  This year the t-shirts were designed by Kevin Quon and they came in one size—extra large.  So the ladies got creative and cut up their shirts into sexy tanks and dresses.  I made my t-shirt a skirt.

During the stroll down Duval Street, some pole danced at Zu while others (like me) rode the mechanical bull at Cowboy Bills.
]]></description>
		<category>CherieSpotting</category>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:06:18 UTC</pubDate>
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