Yes, I am Still Alive . . . . .Really!

       Yes, I know that it has almost been a year, but things have been a little busy. Let me enumerate some for you:

     1.) Once I got down to TYC, I actually did as much sailing as time allowed. Unfortunately, there wasn't all that much time in July or August. Of the six Launch Drivers, only I was available all the time. Some went on the Club Cruises and some took vacations (non-sailing) and in one case, one driver decided not to work at all during the month of August. One driver was holding down two other part-time jobs that paid a bit better and  ran schedules that were often in conflict with the Launch schedule. Basically, it guaranteed that I would be driving most of the weekend schedule. Well, I got a good tan. 
         I was sort of limited as well by bad knees. Doing the walk from the Club House to the Launch dock was a bit draining. The pain was constant in both knees, not overwhelming, just a nagging. I got the right knee shot with cortisone and lydocaine which helped for several weeks but you can't do this treatment all that often. It masks the pain but allows the damage happening to continue, making the situation worse and not better. Getting the right knee treated just made the pain in the left seem worse. I was able to make it through the season, but it was clear that the worst of the two knees had to be replaced. That was the right knee and that was done in November.
       The sailing season ended for me on Columbus Day weekend when Friend Fred and I joined the last Club Cruise. It went to Essex where we over-nighted and had a meal at the Griswold Inn. The next day, about half of the cruisers continued up river to have their boats hauled for the winter. I made a change this year and didn't go all the way up to Portland for the task but stopped at Midway Marina in Haddam. A number of club members use this marina if for no other reason than doing so cuts 2 1/2 to 3 hours off the total trip. It was also closer by car, making the trips up to winterize and getting her ready for launch significantly shorter. It was a little more expensive but not significantly so and it actually turned out to be a good deal. The only downside was that because of ABISHAG's displacement, 22,000lbs, the antiquated travel lift they had, and the hill to the storage yard, so I got stored near the river's edge along with a couple of other  "big" boats. Normally, it wouldm't be a big deal, but this past winter produced a lot of ice in the river and it piled up against the piers of the Haddam Swing Bridge a little over a mile down river. This ice dam backed the river up and it spilled into the marina right where ABISHAG was wintering. Luckily, though the water reached her keel, that was as far as it went. No damage was done and she remained up right in place until we launched her in the late spring.

     2.) THE KNEE - I was a little conserned about having the work done due to all the horror stories people told about the operation itself and the physical therapy that would follow. But it was at the point that it was not going to get bteree by itslef so it had to be done. Initially, the most difficult thing was getting up at 4am to ride to the hospital to check in by 5 so that they could do all the pre-op stuff for the 7am operation. I got a spinal which stung for the first time. Once that was done they put me out. I think they got it backward but what the heck, it worked. I woke up about 11am back in my room  and was ive a light lunch . . . . and the message that the occupational therapist would be in at 1pm. That caught me by surprise as I figured I have a couple days of vacation, lounging around in bed. Not quite. The occupational therapist showed up at 1pm and when I shared my surprise, she simply said, "You want to be able to get to get and used the toilet, don't you?" A very persuasive argument. I learned how to get out of bed, get in a chair, use a walker, go to the bathroom and use the toilet. I was absolutely forbidden to "wipe" and had to call a nurse for that task. They didn't want me to twist the knee and damage their good work.
     After about 45 minutes, she left with the cheery new that the "PHYSICAL THERAPISTS" would be by in an hour. Say what? And in an hour, there their were, a young man and woman who were unhealthily "perky."  Think of the most perky, upbeat person you know, double them, and these two would make them seem like Ebenezer Scrooge. and they wouldn't take "no" for an answer. They had me show how to get myself out of bed and, with a walker, start off down the hall. "Go as far as you can," they urge but left out one important detail, once you got "as far as you can down the hall," I had to turn around and walk all the way back. Sneaky.
        Once I got back to my room, I showed they how I was supposed to get into bed. Then they left with a cheery, "The occupational therapist will see you after dinner." Say what? And she was, only to be replaced immediately by the physical therapy team before I could go to sleep. They we back again following breakfast and my morning "ablutions." And after lunch. And after dinner.
     Sunday morning, it was breakfast, ablutions, Occupational therapy, physical therapy, lunch and "Go home now." Say what? I was home before 2pm and in my own bed. AH! The the phone rang and the visiting nurse call to say she and the "Home physical therapist" would be by the next morning at 10am. Say what?
     Well, I finish that up the next time. 

      3.)Things are not well in the recreational boating industry. Marinas are maybe half filled, and lots of boats are still on the hard in their winter clothes. The sail loft was initially not busy at all. ABISHAG needs a a new bimini, a "roof" over the cockpit to keep the sun off and the rain out. The old one is pretty much rotted by the sun and is splitting. The loft was down to one(1) stitcher and he came in only twice a week. There was also little in the way of repair work to be done and no new sail work. I was able to work out a barter deal with the owner, work for a bimini.  The work picked up a bit as we approached spring,  but not enough for full time work for anyone but the owner. Once I was able to make it up the stairs to the loft, I was able to work a couple of days a week, cutting and assembly patches for sails. So far, I don't have enough hours in for the trade to be complete and now we are running into conflicts with Launch Drivers' Schedule. ABISHAG is in the water and at TYC but without her "new hat." Hopefully, we'll get that corrected before too long.

I am tapped out for now. More coming later.