Crowded House April 7, 2008

Monday here and I am recuperating from the weekend – no, not from alcohol but from mild emotional trauma. Let me jump into my time machine and take you back….back…. to Saturday evening

I had the day off and spent it online, running errands and not going to my friend Virve’s house for a cocktail party – which now I am regretting for more than one reason. I don’t even have a good reason for not going – and now I am thinking of a peace offering because I didn’t even call to say I wasn’t coming (I feel horrible about that – so rude). Dan had to work and so that left me alone on the boat. I went into town and got all the essentials – water, bottle of wine, Jackpot Noodles and settled in for a nice night alone with a book – I have to admit I was kind of excited about it, actually. So – here I am, I have wolfed down the takeaway – drank one glass of wine and am having a nice little lie-down when I hear someone yelling from the Botanic Gardens right across from WD… It sounds like “Dan” or “Ken” or something – and I get a bit spooked until I remember its Saturday night and people are walking drunk through those stupid gardens all the time making a ruckus (I should’ve known better…) The yelling stops and I dismiss it until about 10 minutes later I hear a boat being rowed up to ours. Then I hear Ken yelling “Anyone home?! I’m coming aboard!” Four letter words are racing through my head. I’m trapped. I peek my head out and yelp “Ken!” He conned some poor soul into giving him a ride over to the boat from the pontoon I guess. He gets on board and then informs me that he needs a place to stay the night and WD is it. I guess he’s never heard of a hostel or calling anyone to tell them in advance. He asks me if I heard him yelling (I deny hearing a peep) and then tells me he’s been calling Dan “all night long”. I say “Dan is at work, and won’t be back until Midnight” This doesn’t phase him at all. He jumps on in, makes himself at home and has me clear out the v-bunk so he can sleep up there (I honestly don’t know where else he would fit). We then sit and have a chat for about an hour (longest hour of my life) where he tells me the flight to Columbia will take three months and shows me pictures of him and his girlfriend. (Think Glamourshots – when they opened) FINALLY he tells me he needs to go in and take a shower – so he leaves and I frantically text Dan to keep him abreast of the situation. When he came back I made an excuse about going into town to see some friends and hightail it to Dan’s work where I sit with him while he finishes up. (FYI Ken never called Dan “all night long”. meh) So yeah… I know – I sound whiney but seriously, when you rent a place from someone you don’t expect them to show up and ask to sleep there – I mean, that is why you are paying them, right?!? Am I wrong in thinking this? Additionally, we had to get up at 6:00 am to take him back to the pontoon so he could catch his flight. Well, Dan had to get up and take him in I can’t lie about that. Don’t judge me – driving the dinghy makes me nervous.

Well, alls well that ends well – Ken got a good nights sleep and we awoke to the sounds of his gassy morning routine which included a few heart-shaking coughs and a little wee in the bathroom with no door inches from my head. Love ya Ken – have a great time in Columbia.

Second traumatic event happened Sunday night after I worked a double. Dan picked me up – we were back at the boat and wham, bam thank you – I fell in the dirty, dirty Brisbane River. I didn’t really know how I managed to do it, but don’t worry – as soon as Dan pulled me back into the dinghy by my backpack and was headed back to shore so I could take a shower he went at length rubbing it in that I didn’t do it right – didn’t tie the rope right, didn’t step right and didn’t hold on right. Thanks for the criticism honey, LOVE YOU. Color me bitter. Now my cheap phone is ruined – so don’t call me. 

My “blond” moment of the week: Tilly and I are sitting on the back of WD chatting and talking about the other boats in the marina – The Jewel is my favorite – and I make this comment regarding this huge white rusted boat named “Lupus” -”Gee, I don’t understand why you would name a boat after a disease” and Tilly replies (very matter-of-factly BTW) “Well, Lupus is “Wolf” in Latin”. Like, oh, you poor little ignorant American…. Don’t they teach you anything in school?    ugh……

LOVE