Thursday, May 10, 2007

The Rest of Thursday

by Melinda

I wouldn't want to leave anyone in suspense now....

Now that I think about it, I haven't done any productive stuff today except maybe cook dinner and do the dishes. Dinner was tuna
salad on crackers and a baked potato. Plus tea (which dad "cooked").

I got keelhauled today. After we struck the mains'l, I asked dad if I could jump overboard. He hastily said YES! And slowed the boat
down to a single knot. Mind you, until you've actually tried swimming to a boat going 1 knot, you really have no idea how fast that
1 knot really is. Luckily and surprisingly, dad let out a line behind the boat so I could reel myself in. I didn't expect that much
force and I nearly lost my swimsuit. So, I naturally and ungracefully flung myself back into the boat in a single, bruising motion.
I had been officially keelhauled... right?

All things that I've noticed today are sure signs of approaching land:

(1) We have a roosting chicken right outside the back door. Or maybe it's some sort of sparrow. It didn't want any bread, crackers,
or tuna; we tried.

(2) I saw a freak insect buzzing around the steaming light, which led me to wonder about this scenario. How exactly does an insect
have the capability of keeping up 5-6ish knots just to fly in loops around a light? Yes, I am CERTAIN it was a bug. It even went
away. I know our speed has been a little slow today but really... I can't even swim a knot, how the heck can a bug go faster than
me?

(3) We're out of avocados, bell peppers, hot mustard, and tomatos. But I discovered the last package of turkey.

(4) More things are breaking. Watermaker, air conditioner, and dad nearly let out the spinnaker today... Good grief.

(5) Culumus Mushroomus - Those always seem to pop up when we near land.

In sevenish hours, we'll supposedly be anchored. My final request to my dear father tonight is please, pretty, pretty please, I do
NOT want to spend my birthday in a Colombian jail. Please not this weekend. Monday yes, the weekend NO. I'll even go to McDonald's
with you once (not that I'll eat anything).

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