The Anecdotal Life Part.51

Well, "squeeze me". I got to go to the United States Naval Academy Officer's and Faculty Club for dinner with the officers and members of the Annapolis Sail and Power Squadron. Just being on base is fun and it's a great place to take a walk now that I think about it... bout as safe as things get and everybody knocks themselves out giving directions. I , particularly, do appreciate that. Melrose Plant is a character in superb mystery novels by Martha Grimes. He retires to his London club now and then with a delightful set of curmudgeons and geezers. The Annapolis Squadron has thirty four members left and when I asked the soldier at the gate where to find them, he said, "never heard of them". They are in danger of becoming like the members of Melrose's club. They don't deserve it since they run some truly wonderful educational programs for boaters and for those that wish to go farther into nautical subjects to become experts. I paid for four of these courses and was only charged for books. I learned so much; I had to take a break and promised to be back at it again after boating season in the fall.
Wednesday I was up on and about my boat(which is still "up on the hard") surveying the shore for good painting subjects, checking the barnacles under my boat, looking to see if there were any snakes under there since in two weeks I will be scraping and sanding the bottom. I got some excellent advice at the dinner as to how to. I listen well these days to as many "mentors" as I can collar for suggestions and then proceed... but it's going to take a lot of pain meds. I was able to give some advice to a beginner next to me on how to begin to choose and find a boat. Imagine that. The Blonde Boater signing off....
P.S. I was so wrong! I went to the wrong meeting and made the wrong judgements and conclusions! They have over 200 members and it just must have been the curmudgeons night out. As to the soldier tending the gate. Well, it turned out I was at the wrong gate. Why doesn't that surprise you?
Copyright: March 2, 2007