I love our family. We can never, ever make life simple. There is nothing out there that I can recall that we were able to perform a simple transaction or function in our daily activities.
But we try.
I'll give you an example: Memorial Day Week-end, May 2009
Goal: To take the boat to the water and go boating.....a simple transaction...
It started well. Thursday, Ruedi and I removed our crusty, algae ridden boat out of storage to the car wash. After three hours of labor,we restored our 1996 Chris Craft back to her old glory days. In other words, we got the algae off. With permission from Ed and Joan, we parked Dad Doo II on the vacant lot next to our neighbors' home. We removed the plug for all the water to drain from the car wash.
Friday, Ruedi drove on a one day bus trip, and Diana, my sister, drove up from Memphis. Robin was at a state Special Olympics event in Searcy, AR. So far, simple transactions... then...
Saturday was delivery day, the day we headed out to the lake with our sparkling boat. The sun was out; the day was good. We drove down to George's Cove to launch the boat, a very short distance from our home. Ruedi backed the boat trailer into the water. I, the first mate, was already on board, and our second mate, Diana, climbed into the boat from the water while Ruedi parked Daisy Mae and the trailer.
A somewhat submerged dock was at George's Cove. Ruedi, not wanting to go into the cold water with tennis shoes and keys, managed to get on this dock for his pick up.
But we try.
I'll give you an example: Memorial Day Week-end, May 2009
Goal: To take the boat to the water and go boating.....a simple transaction...
It started well. Thursday, Ruedi and I removed our crusty, algae ridden boat out of storage to the car wash. After three hours of labor,we restored our 1996 Chris Craft back to her old glory days. In other words, we got the algae off. With permission from Ed and Joan, we parked Dad Doo II on the vacant lot next to our neighbors' home. We removed the plug for all the water to drain from the car wash.
Friday, Ruedi drove on a one day bus trip, and Diana, my sister, drove up from Memphis. Robin was at a state Special Olympics event in Searcy, AR. So far, simple transactions... then...
Saturday was delivery day, the day we headed out to the lake with our sparkling boat. The sun was out; the day was good. We drove down to George's Cove to launch the boat, a very short distance from our home. Ruedi backed the boat trailer into the water. I, the first mate, was already on board, and our second mate, Diana, climbed into the boat from the water while Ruedi parked Daisy Mae and the trailer.
A somewhat submerged dock was at George's Cove. Ruedi, not wanting to go into the cold water with tennis shoes and keys, managed to get on this dock for his pick up.
He forgot. First mate has never driven a boat to park at a dock. Second mate knows less than the first mate. I was ready to give it a try. I was anxious anyway. Dad Doo was acting sluggish and was sitting down into the water. We needed our captain.
I putt putt over to the semi submerged dock and right pass the Captain. He told me to go around and try again, and being a good first mate, I said, "YES, SIR", and gunned the boat for a second try. I killed the boat. It's beginning to sit even lower in the water, and the engine wouldn't turned over. I yelled to the Captain to swim over, but I was a fairly good distance away, and he said no. The second mate was waving to another boat in the lake for 911 assistance. Meanwhile I'm pushing buttons and inadvertently turned on the bilger pump that drains the water out of the engine compartment. Just as the good Samaritan rescue boat came closer, I was able to restart Dad Doo, and we waved to them good-bye. (This was after they got off their tubes where they were sunbathing, climbed into their boat, hauled up their tubes, secured their tubes, to start their boat, to come rescue us.)
I putt putt over to the semi submerged dock and right pass the Captain. He told me to go around and try again, and being a good first mate, I said, "YES, SIR", and gunned the boat for a second try. I killed the boat. It's beginning to sit even lower in the water, and the engine wouldn't turned over. I yelled to the Captain to swim over, but I was a fairly good distance away, and he said no. The second mate was waving to another boat in the lake for 911 assistance. Meanwhile I'm pushing buttons and inadvertently turned on the bilger pump that drains the water out of the engine compartment. Just as the good Samaritan rescue boat came closer, I was able to restart Dad Doo, and we waved to them good-bye. (This was after they got off their tubes where they were sunbathing, climbed into their boat, hauled up their tubes, secured their tubes, to start their boat, to come rescue us.)
Back to the Captain at a putt putt best speed, close enough that Ruedi could perform a Navy Seal maneuver to land inside the boat. (Don't let a real Navy Seal read this.) We had our captain!
Ah, the captain is remembering Dad Doo unexpectedly acting strangely the previous summer when he, Andrew, his son-in-law, and Bret, his future son-in-law, had gone evening fishing. It had taken them hours to return to the dock. Yep, Ruedi's memory flooded back.
Ah, the captain is remembering Dad Doo unexpectedly acting strangely the previous summer when he, Andrew, his son-in-law, and Bret, his future son-in-law, had gone evening fishing. It had taken them hours to return to the dock. Yep, Ruedi's memory flooded back.
Putting close to shore so that the captain with the tennis shoes could vacate his ship, the first mate and second mate, both in water, helped reload Dad Doo onto the trailer. The day and the evening passed on Memorial Day Saturday without our boating. Ah, But, Hey, there was SUNDAY!
Ruedi repaired the problem. An unattached hose to the engine was reattached. Tomorrow, Sunday, would be smooth sailing. We're ready to go! Because there was so much water in the engine compartment, Ruedi removed the plug placing it on the trailer. We waited for Sunday.
Sunday arrived and with its arrival came the rain. It rained and rained and rained. 4:00 PM the rain stopped and out the door we ran. Dad Doo, Dad Doo we're coming! Robin had returned from the state special Olympics, and she was with us to celebrate the first boating of the season.
Looking at the weather it showed signs the rain would be returning; we determined to make use of its temporary halt. Robin, Diana and I in the boat and Ruedi pushing Daisy Mae down to George's Cove fast and furiously. What could go wrong with this simple transaction?
THE PLUG sitting on the trailer bouncing where ever AND no where to be found....The day and evening passed on Memorial Day Sunday without our boating. Monday arrived. Ruedi left for his 6 day trip; Diana returned to Memphis. Robin is at her apartment, and I'm sitting at the computer pondering about that plug. It's a simple piece of equipment that keeps the boat afloat, but, you see, it belongs to a boat owned by the Imholzes. Enough said.
Ruedi repaired the problem. An unattached hose to the engine was reattached. Tomorrow, Sunday, would be smooth sailing. We're ready to go! Because there was so much water in the engine compartment, Ruedi removed the plug placing it on the trailer. We waited for Sunday.
Sunday arrived and with its arrival came the rain. It rained and rained and rained. 4:00 PM the rain stopped and out the door we ran. Dad Doo, Dad Doo we're coming! Robin had returned from the state special Olympics, and she was with us to celebrate the first boating of the season.
Looking at the weather it showed signs the rain would be returning; we determined to make use of its temporary halt. Robin, Diana and I in the boat and Ruedi pushing Daisy Mae down to George's Cove fast and furiously. What could go wrong with this simple transaction?
THE PLUG sitting on the trailer bouncing where ever AND no where to be found....The day and evening passed on Memorial Day Sunday without our boating. Monday arrived. Ruedi left for his 6 day trip; Diana returned to Memphis. Robin is at her apartment, and I'm sitting at the computer pondering about that plug. It's a simple piece of equipment that keeps the boat afloat, but, you see, it belongs to a boat owned by the Imholzes. Enough said.
Next year on Memorial Day Week-end....BOATING for sure........or is that a maybe? :-)
It's God's rain; today is the day to remember the bravery and the sacrifice of our soldiers and the first mate's courage on Dad Doo II.
2 comments:
On land or sea .... I always have fun when I spend time with you!!!! It was a GREAT Memorial Day Weekend!
LOVE YOU!
Di
So, in a way, we didn't miss much by not being there.....except the normal trials of the Imholzes. Actually, sometimes I miss those trials. :)
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