Boatin' & Floatin'

I rolled over and glanced at the clock as it approached 5:30am. I cracked a bit of a smile and went back to sleep. This was my day off and I was figuring to sleep until 7:30am or so.

The extra sleep was a blessing. I woke feeling refreshed. I took a couple of Advil after brushing my teeth to help ward off any stiffness still lingering in my arse. Downstairs I prepped a pot of coffee then casually went about my exercise routine. As expected, the sky was again crystal clear. This pleased me much. And by the way, it was only 7:15am

After completing my exercises, Ykraps and I set out on our walk towards the west. We enjoyed our bonding time. Back at home, I poured some coffee then sat down in front of the PC. I spent quite a while updating my Tuesday Blog entry. I had a lot to recount and say. I was outside taking pictures of the Asian lilies when Mindy got up. She startled me when I reentered the house a few minutes later. We enjoyed some coffee outside on the deck and even walked around the yard together.

I left for my run around 9:20am. I ran just three miles. And truth be told, I was a little stiff. I am rethinking my blind push back towards four miles. Instead of blindly doing it each day, I’m thinking I will ease back into it. I’ve got to be a little wiser how I treat my body as I mature.

Meanwhile, back at home, Mindy had already begun packing our boating supplies, and continued after my return. It didn’t take too long. It’s a lot easier when it’s just the two of us. We left for the lake at 10:35am. We stopped to pick-up the boat, then for gas in Mill run. We arrived at Alum Creek Marina near 11:30am. Thankfully, and as we expected, there wasn’t any traffic on the launch ramp. It’s usually like that during on a weekday. Weekends, of course, are a far different matter. I took my time prepping the boat for its 2008 maiden voyage. Mindy had time to run to the restroom. I was ready by the time she returned.

Launching the boat requires an attentive disposition. There are so many things that could possibly go wrong. Most are preventable. I constantly check and double check to make sure the plug is in, the trailer straps are off, and that the bumpers and hold ropes are in place. Mindy is fairly adept at helping get the boat off the trailer. Today’s launch went smoothly. After parking the trailer we were set to go.

The boat started easily. A minute later we shoved away from the dock. At Mindy’s request, we took a cruise around the entire southern end of the lake before moving towards or favorite destination. We cruised by the marina, beach, and damn before heading further north and under the Cheshire Rd bridge. We cruised to the boat swim area just south of Rt. 36. The boat ran really well. I was most pleased.

There were only two other boats back in the cove. Sometimes on a Saturday or Sunday you might encounter as many as 50 boats. Not only is it difficult to find a semi-private spot, but also hard to navigate around the hodge-podge of anchored boats. We found a spot towards the back completely out of view from the main lake. We love it that way. Soon we were anchored and relaxing under the beautiful blue sky. The sun was really hot, too. As a matter of fact, it was expected to approach 90 again this afternoon. While sunning, we listened to NPR’s Global Village. They typically play some wonderful international music during a 2 or 3 hour window. Today was no exception.
We casually dangled our feet from the swim platform all the while soaking up some sun. Later, while I napped, Mindy floated around on the tube turned upside down. We spent a very relaxing afternoon in the cove doing little more than floating around. During our float, daughter Courtney phoned asking if we’d come visit on Saturday. Of course we agreed to. Around 2:15pm we pulled anchor and headed back out to the main lake. We eventually made our way south towards the beach. We ended up pulling into the sailboat cove just south of the marina. We spent another hour anchored back there.

We decided to pull anchor and head for the dock just before 4pm. There were just two other boats exiting at the same time. Mindy dumped me at the dock and then took the boat back out while I fetched the trailer. I chatted with another gentleman pulling his boat out. He said it was insane last Sunday afternoon. He was amazed at the difference being up here on a weekday makes. Oh yeah! He also shared his favorite boating whole. Lake Norris in Tennessee. He’s not the first person to mention that. Note to self.

Uh-oh! I noticed one of our trailer boards floating loose just as I backed it into the water. I had to pull it back out and tie it down to prevent the boat from getting punctured by the trailer frame. Yikes! My plan was to get the boat buttoned up and then drive to the nearest hardware store to buy some new lag bolts to hold the trailer board in place. That’s what we did. Out of nowhere, the sky began to darken. It began to sprinkle too. And by the time we hit Home Depot on Rt. 23 it began to pour buckets of rain. There were lots of lightning bolts flying around, too. It was a doozey! Because of the rain, Mindy and I took our time in Home Depot. We must’ve hung in there for an hour or so.

I found out quickly that the lag bolts I bought were a smidge too small to hold permanently. No doubt they were the right size at one time but the holes have expanded over the years. I should really replace all four of the carpeted boards. As we made on our way home the storms continued to pummel our fine city, although intermittently. We heard via radio that several areas around town were flash flooded due to the sudden heavy rains. When we got home the pond was higher than I’ve seen it in over 14 years. By then it was after 6:30pm. We walked Ykraps almost immediately.

We both took showers before heading back out to drop the boat in storage. We also planned to stop at Garden Ridge and eventually for dinner. Mindy wanted me to see these micro fabric kitchen chairs at Garden Ridge. Dropping the boat took 10 minutes. It’s right around the corner from Garden Ridge. I didn’t like the chairs. They looked cool enough, but on closer inspection they were about as cheaply made as humanly possible. I showed Mindy why they wouldn’t last. And, yes, they were made in China.

After we left G.R. we were supposed to head for dinner. The only problem was we had no specific venue in mind. It was one of those nights when you can identify what you don’t want easier than what you do want. The kids phoned from the beach while we were driving. While Mindy chatted with them, I took it upon myself to guide us to a sure bet- the Big Fat Greek Cuisina. Mindy was very pleased as we pulled into the lot. Jacob finally agreed to talk with me while on vacation with his father. Up to this point, he had abstained. But I understood. I was faced with a similar experience as a young boy. Our chat was brief and upbeat. Sounds like the kids are having tons of fun. That’s great. But so were we!

Inside The Big Fat, we were seated quickly just as we always are. They have exceptional service. We chatted it up a bit with the owner’s daughter, Maria just as we often do. She’s very cute and friendly. She knows our friend Rene very well. The local Greek community sticks together.

Mindy ordered broiled salmon. I ordered my old standby, a gyro platter. We snacked on some pita bread and an olive based dip while waiting on our entrees. I sipped on an Elevator Pale Ale as well. Our salads arrived 5-10 minutes later. After another ten minutes, our entrees appeared. Mindy’s looked exceptional. She allowed me to sample it. It tasted as good as it looked. I may order that the next time in. My gyro, well, it was good too.

Dinner was good, and that’s what we expected. We were out of there by 9:30pm and headed for home. Mindy talked with brother Tommy on our way. Most of the conversation centered around Sunday’s Father’s Day breakfast plans. Both Mindy & I were tired. We headed up to bed soon after we arrived home.