Day 4 - Birthday Requiem
23 November 2010 | Off the African Coast
Peter
Yesterday I posted a blog about the early birthday presents the good Lord had given me -- a beautiful moonrise off the Saharan desert and a full moon, in particular. I was a bit premature. He out did Himself after I posted that blog! Here is how most of the day went. Bear with me through the details -- they require telling!
After the 1300 ARC radio net, I went up on the foredeck with the iPod and started dancing by myself on the foredeck to the Talking Heads. It was a ton of fun. I am sure I looked pretty kooky to the crew. (In fact, they started giving me strange looks after that! They are probably thinking "And we got 2.5 more weeks with this dude?!!")
I am in the middle of the Stop Making Sense album when yet another pod of dolphins comes up to the boat. After Will and Elise checked them out and went back to the cockpit, I climbed onto the bow pulpit and sat there for about half an hour just watching them and communing with them. I was thinking about God, these beautiful creatures, and how they are like me...always looking to play! When I wasn't laughing at/with them, I was crying over the beauty of the moment (and releasing some pent up tension from the build up to the rally).
After that we went into 'party mode'. Elise opened a bottle of champagne and my birthday party was in full swing. With the bottle still open, she brought out my birthday dinner and it was incredible! We had a full kilo of the large 64-count shrimp! None of that 'count-how-many- you-got' crap you get at the restaurant. This was an all-you-can-east shrimp feast! She added some wonderful potato salad, a cucumber salad, the bread and, of course, the champagne. We dined to the sunset -- all of in awe of the surrealistic setting we were corporately experiencing.
After dinner they surprised me with a chocolate cake. When Elise and I had done the shopping we had gotten a chocolate cake. But the one they produced was one they had snuck aboard from Las Palmas. When they also produced a can of whipping cream, I was really tempted to start a food fight! But the prospect of cleaning us and the boat up after the fight was a bit daunting, so I resisted the temptation! The cake went "down the hatch" no problema and then they produced gifts!! I was so shocked! I love gifts, but certainly did not expect any. It was such a pleasant surprise! Ruth gave me a set of Mexican Dominoes and the crew got together to present me a cruising guide to the San Blas Islands and Panama Canal! It was simply over the top! I was getting all choked up. (More emotional release!!)
Then the party kicked into high gear.
More dolphins appeared. Only these ones were jumping clear of the water and copping 2-3 feet of air! We were joking about this being the "dinner show" when Andy looked over at me with a dead pan look and added "We're bringing the whales in for the fireworks show!" We all just roared on that one. As it was, the whales never appeared. (They probably had another engagement!)
But a fish did! About 2100 we hooked our first tuna of the trip -- a 10 kg, striped guy that will provide sushi and filets for tonight's follow-up party. I mean, how do you top a day like that!!
Happy Birthday to me! And thank you, God (and crew)!!!!