Time Flies...

...When you aren't blogging.
Well, we're going to try to get a few posts up here to update friends and family.

So remember how excited I was that Jessi was going to be around this summer and it was going to be a huge boating summer... I was going to do SO much to the boat and we were going to cruise all around. Well, instead I got a new job and Jessi has become a triathlete. I'm in the training phase of the job, so I'm putting a lot of my free hours into studying. And when I say Jessi has become a triathlete... I don't mean she is training to try to finish a triathlon sometime next year... I mean she has already trained so hard that after her second triathlon ever, she qualified for Nationals! (Go Jessi Go!)

So what that means is that we've only taken the boat out a few times. (Actually we have a post written and sitting in the queue about the last time we took her out.)

And, all that work I wanted to do? I put it off.

But finally, after getting frustrated at the condition of the boat I called around to some places to see about paying someone else to do some of the work. I wanted the work done, but didn't have the time to dedicate.

HA!

I had obviously forgotten about the boat unit. And the days of pain and anguish having the heater fixed and the fridge replaced have all faded to happy memories. 1000 bucks to have the bilge cleaned, 75 dollars an hour for touch up paint (probably 1000-2000 total), and 100 bucks to have the boat washed... not detailed, washed. Um, did I mention I'm in the training phase of my job? - I'm not even earning my full salary yet. Perhaps I thought I had become rich in the last few months, and just had so much cash lying around I could pay someone to do my work while I sit around and drink margaritas. So much for the dream.

What actually brought me down to earth was talking to Seattle Yacht Service. They were nice enough to come out the the boat for free and take a look at what touch up had to be done. After talking with Jeff from SYS for half an hour, he convinced me that it would be a waste of money to have SYS come down and do the work, and that I should just get off my butt and do it. And I thank him for that, he could have easily just taken the work and the money and been on his way. But instead he took the time to explain some things to me, talk to me about how to get it done, and just shook my hand and left. So thanks to Jeff and Seattle Yacht Service.

And because of him, I got off my butt and started filling in cracks in the paint. I remembered that I actually enjoy boat projects. It's really nice to have some mindless labor to clear the head. One of my wood boat neighbors actually came over and we had a nice conversation (another benefit to working outside). We talked about all the work we had to do on our boats, and how there were much worse things in life than putting a few hours into the boat out in the sun. It made me realize how lucky I am to have the boat and the lifestyle. So, no more getting frustrated at the boat (yeah right). It is time to do some work!

Hooray boating!

-Tom