Kaimusailing

The opening night at the Red Shell Shanty was almost a disaster. My old Bad Crowd was there, but not all at once. They came in in dribs and drabs. The first faction was all into city government, economic advancement programs, and the second faction was my friend Cuddily and her daughter, Cornelia Marie. In the end my kryptonite came in, Eve, the artist. I was buying, but I didn't realize the whole town was going to join me, welcome me, it was not expensive, I was happy to see all of them, mostly, glad to pay the tab and give Jen and the crew a generous tip.
.
The next day I found out Eve's vehicle had conked out and I offered to take a look at it. I was not hung over, but I was sore and it will take a few days to get over the aches and pains of moving, driving 9 hours, dealing with a new venue. I transplanted the basil plant, which was by now root bound in its little store plastic planter, into a larger pot with potting soil, watered sufficiently, hope it lives. I mounted a couple of power strips in the cabin, one on the port side, and the other to starboard, and tied them to the pin rails with cable ties. Now I could plug everything in and not search around for power cords.
.
I drove up to Eve's house and parked, looked at her vehicle with the hood up, as I recommended. She had a fuel problem, and gasoline needs to be dispersed before it explodes. I could smell no fumes. I went inside and she showed me her litter of Labrador puppies, all black, but one was yellow. They were young and not yet getting around. Mostly they slept, ate, and pooped. Just like human babies.
.
We went to get gas after her low tank got me thinking she might be out, but she knows her vehicle, the low fuel light hadn't come on, but we tried anyway. After putting in a gallon and a half the vehicle showed no sign of firing up. She signed up to AAA Plus, which would give her 5 miles of free towing, and her repair shop was about 5 miles away. We went out, checking the mileage, drove to the shop, 4.2 miles, yes, success, then to the grocers, I needed water, she needed some ingredients for another of her gourmet inventions. She texted Cuddily, do you want some grilled chicken, yes, of course. At the checkout I wanted to use my Food Lion rewards program. The cashier gave me incorrect information and I became angry, but we went on to Eve's house.
.
I found out that I had achieved a 5 dollar reward, yay. I started a glass of pinot noir and Cuddily drove up in her neat white car. We were outside. Eve had a chicken grilling along with seasoned potatoes. She was also making a salad. I played ball with Kahlo, the lab mother. She was thin and obviously nursing her babies, but she wanted to play. We played for a while and then I said, "Last one", at which point she should relent, but no, she was eager for more. Eve said, watch this, and said last one, and threw the ball, Kahlo got it. Eve said put it away and Kahlo mounted the steps into the house with the ball and dropped it inside. Impressive.
.
I received more counseling. They said they were delighted that I had found someone and now were sad that I was alone. I was not sad. I'm glad to have friends who are comfortable with me, like sisters, motherly advisors, and mostly great cooks, what's not to like. We ate well and drank well. Then we had strawberry shortcake. We all had seconds of that. The sun was setting and we disbanded.
.
I drove to the marina which is less than a mile. The gate was open because the bistro was open. I was ready to rest up and heal my body with sleep. I awoke to a light rain which had a calming effect. It was Sunday, so I had 3 crossword puzzles to solve, Wordle, but I used the pattern of raindrops to drop off to sleep some more. I eventually made coffee with the alcohol stove without blowing anything up and had my usual ham and cheese omelet on sourdough bread, this time. There was a lull in the rain and I used that opportunity to visit the men's room on land and it began raining before I got back, but then it really poured. There was thunder, lightning, strong winds, like a gale in the marina.
.
Eve texted me am I OK. I outlined my situation. I'm glad to rest my back and do puzzles. I had to unpack more stuff from the rental car, but not in a thunderstorm. Later it cleared up, but I was slow to do anything. I was lazy. I brought a cart from the car with tools. I wanted to separate my expensive potable water hose from the old marina water spigot that it was corroded to. No success. I received a text from Pamela in Canada. She was still in turmoil over her husband's death. She sent some garbled text and photos of her cottage, full of her art. It was shocking to see so much art crammed on the walls and surfaces. She carved wood, painted, made objects out of driftwood and doo-dads. I said an artist is identified as someone who creates and has to get rid of it to make room for more. She sent me more. I said Webb said an artist has to go out to the edges and report back. She sent me more. Let it out lady, get it off your chest. It would be a good opportunity to use her angst to make more art.
.
Unexpectedly Eloisa texted when I tried to send her a video of Kahlo's puppies. She is home where she lived for a long time in South Florida, with friends she has known for a long time. Then Eve wanted to know if I wanted to go to the Legion, which I haven't been back to yet. I begged off, I was recuperating, maybe I would go out there later. I was in sufficient physical pain to take it easy. Cuddily texted she was joining Eve and Teri at the Legion. Was I making a mistake to pass this up. I don't want them to try to sooth me, well yes, go ahead, it's going to be a long summer with a lot of work to do, but let's not burn the candle at four ends just yet.
.
The weather here is wonderful in great contrast to the humidity down in St. Marys. It will get bad here too, eventually. My schedule is, Dr. visit tomorrow, Tuesday last day of unpacking the car, then Wednesday return the car. Then it's bicycle or buy gas for my vehicle benefactors.
.
I liked and sent to Webb a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH0-WXUFY2k
He really liked it, but maybe he was just being polite, what do you think?
.
I had hooked up two multiple outlet plugs and cable tied them to the pin rails that surround the shelves on the Catalina 30. I plugged in the SONY boom box radio and set it to WBYC, the local low powered radio station that also streams on line. I recommend it, unless they are playing something you don't like, but bear up, they will play something you do like shortly. It's a crazy playlist. I can't always take it, but I have it on now and I'm happy.
.
I left in the morning with sufficient time to make my Dr.'s appointment with an hour to spare. It's Monday and the morning rush hour can be jammed with weekenders returning from Ocean City over the bridge, backing up traffic with long delays. Today, however, traffic was very sparse and moving fast. When we got North of Easton things started to jam up a bit, but we kept moving at a good pace. I crossed the bridge to Annapolis with an hour to spare. I knew these roads and used a short cut to get on 10N, take the Rt2N exit, do a U'ey and visit Harbor Freight for a couple of tools to work on the seized hose back at the marina. I stopped for fuel at $4.98.9 and bought 20 bucks worth. I continued on to my Dr. and they took me in right away, I had dawdled enough to be just 5 minutes early. My numbers were good except for a little anemia, which happens from time to time.
.
When I came across the bridge into Annapolis the traffic in the other direction was jammed well back, more than 2 miles. Now I was headed in that direction less than two hours later. No jam up, we are in heavy traffic, but it is moving well. I had already replied to Eve that I would be interested in her ravioli in pumpkin sauce. I had said I would be there 6ish. That was me adding a half hour to the normal driving time. I thought I should send her another text that 5ish would be more like it, but I won't use the cell phone while driving, not even hands free.
.
There was a sign that said all lanes were blocked South of some cross route. A truck immediately bore off down a side road. I wondered if I should have done the same. At some point traffic slowed and then crawled single file to another side road. The state patrol was very efficient in herding us down a narrow country lane, cars, trucks, big trucks, one with "Wide Load", I pity anyone coming from the other direction. Now it looks like I will be closer to 6 in Crisfield.
.
I stopped at my favorite wine store where 5 liter boxes of Almaden Cabernet are around 18 dollars, but I chose Woodbridge Pinot Noir in 3 liter boxes for the same price. The rest of the ride down was punctuated by emergency vehicles and police vehicles with lights flashing at intersections with crowds of people and lots of flags. This was happening at multiple locations all the way down Rt50 and 13. Some had fire truck ladders extended up forming an arch over the road with a huge American flag suspended between them. I found out later that tomorrow will be Flag Day. Why all the fuss today?
.
I arrived at Eve's house. She had invited Cuddily again. We ate in the dining room. It was Florentine Ravioli with a pumpkin sauce and a salad. There were toasted sourdough baguette slices that sopped up the pumpkin sauce. Mmm, good. Cornelia Marie arrived and afterwards I visited her and wonder dog Nori at her house. How come you haven't put up the dining room moldings yet, I joked. She gave me a bunch of mail that I will need to change the address on my license. I had more wine. Later I found I had parked the rental at the dock with the doors locked and the front windows down. Apparently I walked the dock to SUNSPLASH because the bike was still at the dock.
.
The next day I shopped for pizza ingredients and a hose repair kit. Eve needed gas for her lawn mower, so I brought that. I found nice shrimp on sale for $6.99/lb, I bought 3. My Food Lion MVP card got me $5 off today's purchase and the total savings on shrimp was $9. I put the shrimp in Eve's freezer and the pizza perishables in her fridge. I returned to unload the car at the dock and bring cart loads of stuff to SUNSPLASH.
.
I had to take a break, not from the heat, but it was so humid, I could only work in spurts. Still I got all of the stuff out of the car, up the dock, and stowed out of the potential rain. I ended up pulling into Eve's yard quite a bit later than I intended. I started the dough as quick as I could, then set up the oven and propane tank, neither light weights. I sat with her and drank more pinot noir. She had had a rough day too, I had got her gas to continue mowing her lawn, and not a self propelled lawn mower. So we were both really wore out. We had about 45 minutes until I had to start prepping toppings and then lighting the oven.
.
Guests arrive, old friends, and the chemistry is no mystery. Wonderful to be with these people. I was baking the pies, I only made two, and the ladies made a couple more. Some came out to find out if I was coming in, but I had a job to do with the grill and I don't mind thinking by myself with my thoughts sometimes. I finally went in with the last pie and they seemed to be waiting for it, it was consumed. I thought Cornelia Marie made it, but it was the other ladies, working together, and it was a very very good pie.
.
I know I will be in trouble tomorrow, lugging the pizza oven around, the full propane tank, the doctor said to not take so much ibuprofen, well, I will cut it down to 2 tablets and see how that works
.
I did awake in pain and with a lack of desire or energy to somehow get up and make coffee. But I did. Just make coffee, cold pizza for breakfast, do the crossword puzzle, uh oh, got to go to the mens room over on the dock. No rain, beautiful day. Bike's in high gear, have to fix that. I move a few things around.
.
I end up ordering my annual regimen of prescriptions, mostly for blood pressure and cholesterol. I order from an online pharmacy, saves money, but you have to wait. Sometimes pharmaceuticals can come from Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. That would take about 7 weeks. But the prices are good.
.
I'm supposed to have 5 prescriptions, and I do, but two are identical. I figure out that they double printed one and left out another. I called them and the doctor is out on vacation for 3 weeks. I decided to order the 4 and sent copies of the prescriptions as email attachments. This has always worked before.
.
I got a very nice lady on the phone from the pharmacy and I had an inkling suspicion that she might not have it all completely together. We had to run through the order and because I have ordered the same stuff over and over again, I knew something was wrong. But, we got to he end of the ordering process and I gave her a check number from my bank.
.
When I had backed out of that order I noticed an email from my Dr.'s office. It was the missing prescription. I forwarded that to the pharmacy and called them.
.
I ended up on the line with a very competent person. They redid my order after a long delay on hold. I had been on the phone a total of 2 hours including calling back.
.
In the course of the afternoon I had had a small steak and tomato sandwich on sourdough with black pepper and mayo. I also had just a tomato sandwich on a slice folded in half.
.
I know I did a couple of chores. One was putting oil on the front derailleur and then trying to get it to get out of top gear and into the middle chain ring. It seemed to work and I went around to the city dock, my usual route, but I'm not myself these days, sore hip, sore butt, my pedaling style was very asymmetrical. Back on board I was resting my soreness when Cuddily texted, at the Legion are you coming over? Yeah, get my ass back on the bleeping bike.
.
The ride to the legion was good for me, I could feel my tight muscles finally let up a bit, usually that means tremendous pain tomorrow, but for now I could ride the bike in style, strong, over the grass by the legion, who is that old dude struggling along on a bike?
.
They were gathered at one table and not everyone greeted me like I should be greeted, their token male. I had to go inside to get a drink of merlot. They really fill the wine glasses here. Outside I was involved with 2 or 3 conversations while Cuddily was talking to me in her low voice, but I could see her lips moving. We ended up having to get close to hear each other. She always wants to right the wrongs that afflict any one else, and she is good at bolstering spirits, or giving a quick joke with that glint in her eye. Her friend Teri is very quick and the two of them are a gas. We ended up with two identical cheese burgers, apportioned appropriately, but only one order of onion rings came along. Eve stormed into the Legion and soon we had another batch of onion rings out on the table. I put my tab on Cuddily's and then paid for the both. $34 dollars, geesh. I don't think they know how to add. What a nice evening, I was on my way to go just as the sun set, but, Cornelia Marie arrived just as I was getting on my bike to pedal off into the twilight. She didn't have Nori, the wonder dog, with her, and she was wearing a beautiful dress with white and blue patterns.
.
We ordered a couple drinks. It was the late dusk light of the day. I wanted to take a photo of the sunset, it was iconic, a red almost setting sun to the left and a rectangle of cirrus patterns, all gold, to the right. I must have left my phone on the boat. Dang.
.
We had to leave after only one drink together, but it was getting dark, time for me to bike back to the marina and CM to tend to Nori at home.
.
You have to measure your friends, tick off any of these: came to help in the middle of the night; came to help in a police jurisdiction, came to help and had to leave dinner, didn't come to help cause they knew I could handle it, wrong. It's that there's some wry humor somewhere behind all the years and circumstances, you almost don't have to talk to understand each other, but you often get it wrong and learn. And grow. I like to think I am happy to be able to feel emotions, but that opens up a lot of doors to the soul. We fight to remain whole and in control of ourselves. You can choose to do that or let your heart free, let the heart heart.
.
That doesn't proofread well, but please go on bro':
.
It's like I'm building on last year, like the interceding 6 months didn't exist, but for me they did, and I'm not the same as last year. I know I have to get more of the boat project done, if only to prove to the naysayers I can still sail.
.
The image is of the last pizza pie made by the ladies of the Arts Council.