Monday
22nd April
Happy birthday Barbara Lobban! I am just a bit random about these birthday messages…some
people get one, others don’t. It is
really just a reflection of my efficiency in actually LOOKING at my calendar… Barbara has now caught up to me, in
years. She is a much-loved
teacher/librarian, mother of three, grandmother of five-soon-to-be-six, friend
of many, and I wish her many MANY happy returns.
Next - a photo of scenery – extreme
beauty, Magnetic Island. I think we are
anchored in Young Bay (alarmingly shallow).
And yes the anchor does work.
What no longer works, and in fact has been chewed up, due to – ahem –
the certain crapness of a certain crew member, is the remote control for the
anchor. This is actually a bit sad. I had quite a lot of fondness for this remote
device. I thought I had it down pat, and I was, in a very modest and small way,
quite proud of my prowess with the anchor chain, the boat hook, and the remote
thingy. As we know… pride goes before a
fall… And now the remote control thingy
has a chewed power cord and no longer functions as anything but a bitter
reminder in the middle of our dining table.
Dinner last night at the Yacht Club was
great. Pete, Michael and I walked here
and back, along the river, over the bridge, past the petty little park where
one of Michael’s friends was almost fatally stabbed a year or so ago. (The perp is in prison, you will be pleased
to know. He did get put on bail but he
did something heinous to an old lady in her very own home and the magistrate
said ENOUGH and banged him up for about seven years.) On the way back I spied, in the river, not
one, but two supermarket trolleys. I
have a lot of fondness, strangely, for supermarket trolleys, and I hate to see
them abandoned and abused. Pete and
Michael – equally strangely – did not let me climb down the bank to rescue
either of the trolleys. Michael said,
witheringly, that the next drunk person who wandered down the path would sure
as night follows day just kick it straight back into the water. But they did let me take a quick iPhone
picture, for posterity, and for this blog.
He stayed with us another night, on the
boat, and this morning took me on a very successful shopping trip.
I bought new sailing shorts, from Lorna
Jane – I am hoping these improve my sailing fashion style immensely. But maybe not… find any sort of shorts or
trousers to be far too hot, in the tropics, and I have no idea how men cope,
unable, as they are to wear airy sundresses and sarongs.
Michael bought new thongs, for his hot
tropical feet.
I bought groceries, and beer.
And a dinky hard drive, onto which Michael
patiently downloaded a whole lot of his personal DVD collection.
And a totally beautiful tiny little videocamera
for Pete, to make amends. He is, as we
speak, lying on the couch making appreciative sounds as he absorbs its many features.
Just in case you think I am OTT (Over
The Top…) I am actually responsible for the demise of at least one of Pete’s
beloved videocameras…it went swimming in my backpack, somewhere in the Pacific Islands…
And maybe –not so sure about this – it was my fault that yet another camera got
wet in India…)
And – best of all – I bought totally
fabulous new hi-tech Oakley sunglasses, identical to Michael’s. He had pointed out to me the crapness of my
favorite sunglasses. They are USELESS, Ma! he said. Try
these! No going back – life in High
Definition is just wonderful. As he
drove back along the Strand, I notice for the first time how very VERY beautiful
it is. The colours- glorious shades of
pink, green, blue. Everything
sparkling! It took my far longer than it
should have to realize…life in HD!!!
What has not been so fabulous about today
has been…saying goodbye to my darling Michael.
Here…I draw a veil.
Hmm, so glad you heeded my advice.... Great glasses!
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