“What do you do all day?” is a common question for Cruisers. (People loving on boats for travel).
A friend commented that she was glad that I was “having all kinds of fun.” If she meant ‘all kinds’ as variety, that is somewhat correct. But if “having all kinds of fun.” meant party hardy or mostly fun or lots of fun, I would certainly not say that, most of my hours are not fun at all right now. Inventorying, doing laundry, fixing computer troubles, getting rid of things, organizing, repairing, etc. , but I do try to add in some fun and also to keep working at getting into better shape. For example, yesterday I did my laundry in a bucket (not a laugh a minute). I solved some thorny computer and GPS problems. Long and not many giggles there either. But, then I had a very nice dinner and long talk with two fellow boaters last night and this morning I climbed one of Janet’s favorite walks, “the Killer Hill” behind the marina. I was scouting to find a trail up the hill that I dimly recall from 3 years ago rather that climbing the same old road.
I correctly decided that it would be easier to find it at the top of the trail, than searching where the trail begins, among a group of crowded buildings, and alleys. I found it. However, I decided that this trail was too dangerous. Climbing a long way on large, loose, broken rocks, is not a good way to keep all of my parts in good working order. One of the friends last night twisted his ankle on a similar and very safe ‘climbing broken rock trail’ Feb 13 of this year and he is only just now getting to be really able to walk almost normally. Being able to walk well is absolutely essential to my way of life. I would be out of business if I got injured. I have became lame a few times in the past. But, luckily at times that I could afford that problem. This is NOT one of those times. Not, with a 10 ft ladder to get on and off the boat or a 2 mile walk for food.
If Janet were here, we always looked after each other. But, now that I am single handing, I cannot afford much risk. I think that I need to always doing risk assessment with a goal of keeping all my parts in good working order.
But, they don’t stay in good working order with life as a couch potato, afraid to leave the boat, either. I have been good at doing my stretching exercises each morning, many trips to town, which is on the level, carrying back pack full of stuff. And several times a week, I do the “the Killer Hill”. I think that Janet would be pleased. Hopefully she IS pleased, but who knows about that.
If that is too woo woo for some, I am NOT a slave to ‘orthodox Science’, but I try hard to be devout to ‘the Scientific Method’. IMHO, a very different thing. If you have data from ‘the Scientific Method’ that you cannot see how to explain with ‘orthodox Science’, I believe that you MUST keep an open mind and look for ways that WILL explain that data. IMHO, many who claim devotion to ‘orthodox Science’ say that we should just sweep that weird data under the carpet. Ignore it, make fun of it, explain it as errors or trivial bad data. I feel that is dishonest and stupid.
It is very logical that the Earth is flat, but if you do not sweep under the rug the odd data that can only be explained by a round Earth, and if you accept the idea of a round earth, you learn so much more and so much ‘odd data’ now makes perfect sense and leads you to new discoveries. Powerful, life changing, economically important discoveries.
IMHO the sword cuts both ways. Some of the woo woo stuff that would be nice if true, does not seem to do well in the face of ‘the Scientific Method’. But, we can all see that many people claiming ‘the Scientific Method’, have innocently or intentionally designed their experiments and/or their data collection in a way that I think is misleading and NOT ‘the Scientific Method’. I believe that I am for finding the Truth about whatever. Honest answers to, what are often, very complex questions. Like diet or the after life. There are two VERY thorny issues that are hot button topics and I think are usually victims of skewed experiments giving misleading results. Probably both are too complex to be really resolved in the next 20 years, but honest work need to be done or we will never get there. Not the typical ax grinding that I believe see so often. In both directions. In the case of diet in 20 directions or some such. Probably more. How many diets, how many food theories are there?
Well, I need to get back to inventorying and prepping the seacock bases. Some of the ‘stuff that sucks’. Not much fun, but needs doing so that I can have the fun stuff later. Delayed gratification, There is a lot of that in the Cruising Life.
Dave
Alegria1976's Blog 