Hint for a Happy Life: When Microsoft Word asks, “Do you want to
save this?” and you want to save it but in a different format, do not select
“No”. This is a lesson I learned 30
years ago and relearned just this morning.
So the following is a rewrite of the magnificent prose that flowed, and
was throwed, away.
I spent Sunday afternoon in sick bay. Actually it was the Jefferson Healthcare
Emergency Center as a result of an attack of acute diverticulitis. The facility looked to be brand new, the
staff incredibly efficient, Dr. Smith and RN Trisha magnificent in their
efficiency and techniques. I got probed,
pressed, tested, and CAT scanned in about an hour and a half. Diagnosis was as stated above and I was sent
home (RV’d) with a script for ten days of antibiotics. I already feel about 90% better and expect to
be fully myself at the end of seven or so more days.
As impressive as my visit to JHEC was, my Sunday morning was
a lot more fun as our daughter Kimberly took us sailing! Do you remember the snarky comments I made in
my first PT blog entry about people who challenge Mother Nature by going out in
small sailboats and thinking its fun?
Well, belay (nautical term) those comments because Sunday I became one.
When we arrived at the PT Harbor Dock daughter Kimberly and
her 16 year old son Rowan had a 30? foot sailboat all prepped and ready to go
out. We climbed in, crewman Rowan pushed
the pointy end out, Kimmie fired up the little pusher engine, and we motored
out of the windbreak. Once clear of the
rocks and shoals Kimmie hoisted the mainsail (nautical term) and Rowan jabbed
the jib (not a nautical term) and all heck broke loose!
The wind grabbed the sails and that little boat took off
like a shot! It heeled over (nautical
term) and started flying over the waves.
Grams Cheryl had spent summers with her grandparents sailing the lakes
of Indiana so she was relaxed and having a ball. Me, not so much. Yet.
We shot across the bay, playing “Dodgem” with the Washington State Ferry
Boats. In spite of the maritime
tradition that sailing vessels have the right of way, the ferries do not give
way. You dodgem or become flotsam
(nautical term).
Then Kimmie yelled, “Prepare to come about (nautical term),
and all heck broke loose again only in reverse.
The boat healed over the other way, we all jumped to the other side, the
sails luffed (nautical term), and then caught the wind again. Once again the boat heaved and leaned (same
thing?) and tried to shoot right out from under us. Only this time it was sailing against the
wind. I have never been able to figure
out how a boat can sail into the wind
and Kimmie tried to explain about “tacking” (nautical term) and some other nautical
terms, but I prefer to just think it is, a) magic, and b) having a genius for a
daughter.
We stayed out for about an hour and a half and I had a
ball! It was a totally new experience
for me, and I almost forgot about all the creatures in the water that would be
willing to eat me if we went over. All
in all I’m not ready to give up biking, and truth be told I prefer my boats to
have great big engines in them, but I gotta admit, I HAD A GREAT TIME!
And I promise to never again make snarky comments about
sailboat people.
End First Officer’s Log Entry
Addendum:
Rowan is taking Driver’s Ed classes now. As part of the class he was required to
change a tire on an automobile and have the experience documented by an
adult. His dad is off on a business trip,
so I was delegated to be an adult for the morning.
When I arrived at his house I suggested we take a photo of
him using a cell phone to call roadside assistance as, a) most cars don’t have
spare tires anymore (his mom’s car doesn’t, and my car doesn’t), and, b) his
parents pay for roadside assistance so why not use it? He agreed that his instructor would probably
laugh if we did that but would also probably fail him on that requirement.
We started to do the exercise on Maxwell the Smart but found
out that Smart cars don’t have a spare tire or a jack. Instead they come with a can of fix-a-flat,
an air pump, and a phone number for roadside assistance. His mom was off gallivanting with her car so
that left us no choice but to go for ice cream.
An hour or so later we received a frantic text from Kimmie asking “what
have you done with my son?” So we had to
go home.
With his mom’s car available, we (he) put the car into Park,
set the brake, and chocked the wheels.
Then we (he) broke the lug nuts free, pulled the wheel off, and then we
(he) put it back on. It took us (him)
about 20 minutes and he did me the service of genuinely pretending to pay
attention to this old man’s sage advice on a subject that became moot with the
advent of run-flat tires.
I photo-documented the whole procedure and will toss in a
couple of shots below.
End First Officer’s Addendum
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