I am deeply concerned about an obvious failure in this great nation’s Food and Drug Administration regulations. As a bachelor, it is clear the government has failed me. I found myself reading the expiration date on a bottle of salad dressing. “Best before AUG2008”?What the heck is that? What does “best” mean? And more importantly, where is the label that reads, “TOXIC AFTER: XX/XXXX”?
In case you were wondering, it didn’t taste very good.
Saturday was Felix Appreciation Day! I want to make good on one of my New Year's Resolutions, which was to make better use of Felix.
Felix is a 34' Gemini catamaran, affectionately known as the Catalinamobile.
Last weekend, I did some serious scrubbing on Felix's deck. The non-skid surfaces again got this stubborn black algae, or something like that, so I took some harsh chemicals and a scrub brush to them. Thankfully, it was far easier defeating the menace this year--last year was ghastly.
Spud the Wonder Chili looking Bristol off Santa Barbara Island
Felix has a dinghy, named Spud the Wonder Chili. (It's probably best if you don't ask). I got to Felix on Saturday, late morning, and immediately splashed the dink. With the outboard still in the shop, now was the time to give old Spud some cleaning. I pulled the inflatable up onto the dock and broke out the air pump, (foot model). Soon, Spud was back in the correct shape, then I broke out the Comet and a nylon scouring pad. Eek! Old Spud was a lot dirtier than I thought. I joked with myself about owning my own new island formed by the ridiculous amount of dirt running off with each rinse. It was some serious work and I was soon filthy and winded. After the dink, I scrubbed the oars, the gas tank and quite a few other things lurking in the hold. Finally, thanks to a well-timed text from the Virgin Islands, I found the bolt-thingy that attaches the BBQ to the rail! Felix is far more prepared for Catalina! Yippeeee!
I woke up early on Sunday morning, saw the sunrise, then decided to hibernate a little longer. I took a refreshing shower. As usual, my body came clean, my mind, less so. The weather was fair, so I dressed for weekend work at the office: shorts and a tshirt.
Breakfast was a bachelory affair, pepperoni and ham omelet, with lots of cheese…mmm. While fixing breakfast, I noticed it was an exceptionally nice day out. I opened the sliding door…this proved to be my undoing. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, the birds were singing. It was a remarkable day, and this in Southern California, that’s saying something! I decided to postpone my ride into work to read a little in the backyard. Armed with my Kindle, I settled into the steamer chair and read a few chapters.
Why, oh why am I clothed for this? I wondered to myself. Moments later, my clothes formed a disorderly pile in the yard. My day was looking up. I read some more and felt my pale skin pinking up a little, so I moved to the shade.
Hmmm, time for some lunch, methinks—work can wait. And wait, and wait, as I found excuse after excuse to forego dressing and ride into the office. I puttered, instead. I watered plants, I washed towels, I reveled in the silence, which is unusual for me. Generally, I have music playing throughout the house, but not today. Just the birds. It has been quite a while since the house felt like it was only mine, and throughout the day I smiled.
Eventually, I mixed myself an adult beverage and fixed dinner: spicy taco salad. I watched most of the movie, “Tangled” (again), played some online scrabble, and returned to my book before crashing early.
I feel much better for having recharged my batteries.
Today is my wedding anniversary. It’s kinda funny to note that today is the day, many years ago, I got married, but I no longer increment the years, even in my head. Yup, I was married for 25 years, and today is the anniversary, but I don’t even know how many years ago that was.
Damnit, now I want to do the math… Ha!
It is an auspicious day in my life. Although it’s over, my marriage was central in making me into myself. Honestly, I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t gotten married. Today, I looked through some old pictures of travels with Teri, some pictures of the boys, and some family adventures. Teri and I traveled a lot together—nearly all of the adventurous things in my life I owe to her. Shark diving! Sailing in the South Pacific and the Caribbean! Eating satay and peanut sauce in a market in Singapore! Cuba Libres with sweet Belizean rum on Water Cay.
New Caledonia 2001
Fiji 2007
Key West 2006
We are no longer married, each with lives of our own. But there is no denying we have a past together. I will be toasting Teri and my family today!
When I was a lad, my grandpa asked us kids to collect up these little lead weights they use to balance car tires. They come off frequently and you can find them in the street gutters, (a place I spent a lot of time as a kid). So, we collected up these little things for a while, then my grandpa showed me what he was going to do with them. He had a small crucible, (I didn’t even know that word back then, and neither did he), and used a propane torch to melt the metal. He poured the molten lead into a mold he had, added a couple of wires and let it cool. An hour or so later, he popped the molds open and voila! Fishing sinkers!
Lately, I’ve been riding my bicycle to and from work each day, and, of course, as I’m riding along, I notice a lot of these tire weights. Many of them. This gets me thinking—well, of course, by the time I collected up the weights, found a crucible, found a propane torch and bought propane, well, the whole thing would be rather silly unless it turned out to be a lot of fun, too. I’m a little busy in my life for this sort of fun, but I bet I could do it. It’s not a question of would I do it or should I do it, (not economically feasible/busy guy), but could I do it?
In our modern life, I find it remarkable that so many incredible things have become disposable. Take cell phones, for instance. They are amazing gizmos, full to the brim with modern technology. When one goes bad, it is cheaper to buy a new one than to fix the old one. Cell phones, like fishing weights, are readily and cheaply available. When you think about it, there are a lot of things like that these days.
But what do we lose when we do not apply our problem solving skills to things like making fishing weights? Just today, I made the decision to replace a car battery, rather than figure out how to charge the old one. (It was probably dead. I jumped the car, let it run for 30 minutes, stopped the engine, but it wouldn’t turn over again). I could have taken the battery to an auto parts store, had it tested, bought a charger, charged it at home, etc. I didn’t even want to invest the time to learn about that process; brand new Costco battery, $79 and 15 minutes of my time. I stand by my decision, but I wonder if that battery had life in it? Would I have learned something today? I have never been very handy when it comes to cars, but I am Mr. Goodwrench compared to my sons. Will they be hostages to the car dealership? You can guess how I feel about them…
I often tell my sons that the two most valuable attributes I look for in employees: problem solving skills, and the ability to retain things learned. But what happens when I opt out of problem solving infavor of cheap and easy? Do I become a dull knife?
I often joke about retiring and opening a beach bar in the Caribbean, Dongo’s by the Sea. (Check out dongosbythesea.com). In fact one of my best ideas is to open a floating bar in the middle of the Grand Bahama Bank. Talk about remote! I can’t figure out how to make that one possible, but what fun it would be!
I really like my job, but sometimes the idea of just chucking it all and embracing each day having fun really appeals. Hey, I liked the movie, “Running Scared,” and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” plays on many of my playlists. Could I do it? Probably not…yet.
I was chatting with my neighbor just this morning. We joked about how happy the bums are, standing in the sunshine on beautiful Southern California days, while the schmucks are toiling away in offices staring at computer screens and getting stomach cancer. Yes, I am one of the schmucks.
Back in the day, I would have pointed to my possessions; my many toys and cool electronic gizmos, and said: the bums don’t have all these nifty things! Nowadays, however, two things have changed. First, I don’t seem to care about possessions as much, and second, the bums are doing a good job of keeping up with the gizmos.
Where will I be in 10 years? Under an overpass in LA? Asleep in the sun on St. Lucia? In the ground, feeding the worms? Or still chained to this desk…?
I am such a simple creature. I take delight in many simple pleasures. Just this morning, I was warm and toasty under the covers, but my bedroom was a little chilly. I slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom, where the new stone floor was quite cold beneath my feet. This floor used to be carpet, but now a lovely travertine and occasionally as cold as a well digger’s lunch bucket. Hmm, I thought to myself, perhaps I should have kept the carpet? I went through my usual morning ablutions as the water in the shower warmed and my feet cooled even further. I opened the steamy shower door and stepped into the hot water. What a delicious sensation! My feet warmed, the water splashed most satisfactorily, and I inhaled the heavy steam. I wonder, would I have even noticed the joys of hot water this morning, if the stone hadn’t chilled my feet?
I do a lot of thinking about contrasts and about simple pleasures. Nothing makes me appreciate summer more than these long nights of winter. Getting up before the sun and leaving work after full dark is depressing business for me. It makes me wistful for those halcyon days of summer, when the sun woke me in the morning and I could garden for hours after work. I wonder, how much of the hectic nature of the holidays is owed to the shortened days, leaving us so little time? In the summer, I miss the need for a fire in the fireplace. A full moon party in the summer always runs later, as we wait for dark and the beautiful light of the moon. I was in the backyard last night and the plumeria have dropped their leaves. It is well and truly winter in Southern California, despite the temperature in the mid 70s. Although far from desolate, winters here are just enough to make me fully appreciate the daffodils, which herald spring for me. They make me laugh—they pop up, glorious, then often get scorched by a sudden nice day, here. How frustrated they must be.
They say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” It’s the contrast of being apart and being together that makes this so.
Simple pleasures…has it always been so for me? It is hard to recall. I think I have always taken delight in the small things, but I would certainly sacrifice my simple pleasures for something I considered more important. Maybe that’s the change? Maybe what I consider important has changed, and these simple pleasures have risen accordingly?
Perhaps I am simply justifying my burgeoning alcoholism? You see, as a young man, I would never embrace the demon rum when working the next day. Now that just makes me laugh.
