Wednesday 28 February 2018

There is in all of Australia one place (around 4000 km away in Sydney) that manufactures curved safety glass to your specifications (to replace broken one in saloon) for which they demand your first born male child. Not having one of those would be a disadvantage except they also accept what would have been be his entire inheritance. This is problematic as we are committed to pissing it all away on more frivolous things. Alternative stratagems are being contemplated. These include acrylic, polycarbonate and a shiny new window from the boat builder in Taiwan. That last assumes the overhead saloon window is the same on current design, they have an extra they're willing to part with and they ever get back to me.

Friday

Thompson's Water Seal is a popular wooden deck sealer. Rumor has it that this stuff, which costs about as much for four liters (from building supply) as just one of the required one hundred and twenty five, four gram bottles (only available in a chandlery) of the silicone stuff that canvas maker recommends (foregoing includes slight hyperbole), works well for waterproofing old Sunbrella. Internet sources are ambivalent. Bimini, which hasn't been touched for the five years we've owned the boat, had begun to leak so... Yesterday subsequent to disconnecting and removing four flexible solar panels, emptying the cockpit, removing all side panels and top, washing the thing three times on both sides, brushed on enough sealer to totally soak the whole covering. It stinks - rumor also has it that this will dissipate. Morning rain had given way to uncharacteristic sun for rest of day allowing completion. After five years of shrinkage, snap and fastener corrosion and broken plastic zippers, reinstallation was less than a joy, but all back now waiting for next rain. Due some freak of nature it's sunny again today. This is bad news for three reasons: 1) Can't check bimini, 2) Way hotter without clouds and 3) Can actually see your skin sizzle as solar rays strike it.

Speaking of which we made our regular pilgrimage to a dermatologist the other day to have various barnacles cryo'd and top of suspected BCC (that's doctor talk for basal cell carcinoma, an oxymoronically benign malignancy) whacked off for biopsy. Results Monday when worst case scenario is a character-generating scar below left eye. Expect to explain as wound received while saving a lunchroom full of orphans from a starving maniac attacking everyone with a plastic spork when he could neither pick up his spaghetti nor eat his soup. (This works somewhat better if you know what a spork is)

Saturday

Sound of thunder was sufficient to induce continued sleep in lieu of dragging torpid carcasses from bed at 0600 to go biking. Although riddled with guilt we will accept the associated angst for the balance of today by screwing off. Plan is to assuage all remorse tomorrow by swimming laps in the Parap pool with self-esteem again rocketing far above any rational explanation.

"Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself." - Jane Wagner

Jack