May 20 2009
Just another day in Paradise
The TRENDnet USB wifi adapter I ordered from TigerDirect arrived yesterday, a full day ahead of schedule. Now when was the last time that happened to you? I was shocked and amazed. We’ve grown accustomed to delays and backlogs and things going wrong, that having something go right the first time around is truly astounding. I’ve dealt with TigerDirect before and I was impressed anew with their service.
So, with a nice stable ‘Net connection, I’m a happy woman. It takes so little some days. Having the adapter working well sure beats the heck out of sitting in the bath house laundry room at 6 a.m. to get my newsletter posted under deadline. There’s better wifi signal strength there. Hanging out in laundry rooms is a tad too eccentric even for me.
I’d just finished up this morning when Merlin the Whistling Dog showed up with his sub-canine pal in tow. “Merlin wanted to come and leer at you,” grinned John. Like the well-trained sucker-for-furry-beasts that I am, I leaned over and reached down to the special spot devoted to Merlin snacks. That dog positively foams at the mouth as he munches treats. When he was done with mine, Groovy Guy in the slip next to mine produced a dog biscuit.
Oh, yes. I was going to tell you how Merlin the Whistling Dog got his name. I just Know you’ve been losing sleep over that. The suspense has been killing you, hasn’t it? Early one morning, I heard a low whistle from the pier beside Milenka. Peering out the sideport, I saw four furry paws. Muttering to myself, I slid the hatch open, only to see Ray standing there waiting for me to come out, accompanied by Merlin. I just cracked up and said, “You really had me worried. I thought I was losing it. I could have sworn Merlin had learned to whistle.” So, yes, Ray was the one who bestowed the unusual nickname. Now you can get some sleep tonight.
The man who is enriching my life is bringing cabin lights and other goodies to install aboard the day after Memorial Day. It will be good to have working lights in the vee berth for reading or whatever. Right now, I just crawl in with a MagLight and try not to lose it during the course of the night. It’s black as an Egyptian tomb in there when the sun sets. Twinkling stars seen through the forward hatch are romantic and enchanting but they don’t give off a lot of light, ya know. I think Drum is also bringing a bottom finder, very useful for knowing where the bottom is when you’re out sailing.
There are So many things to spend my money on. The side ports in the salon need replacing. At some point in her 30-odd years of life, Milenka’s original ports were replaced with acrylic. Those craze and crack over time, sort of what happens to human faces when their host bodies reach middle age. And–here’s my favorite part–the ports leak, right over my usual berth in the salon. Of course, Ray told me I could just stuff the 100%-cotton curtains in the leak to keep the water out. Spoken like a true bachelor. I sure hope his fiancee brings the Light of Civilization as part of her dowery.
That’s another thing. Royal-blue curtains kind of clash with the dark-rust plaid upholstery. Strange. I always admired the Dutch aesthete in art. *shrug* Well, Milenka was built in the ’70s. Maybe the whole country was color-blind for a decade or so. A trip to Wal Mart is in order here. If I can’t find what I want in their drapery department, I can re-engineer curtains with fabric.
At some point this weekend, I need to rearrange my lockers so that there’s room for my last load of stuff. It’s just sitting in a heap on the quarter berth and it’s making me crazy. *Paw, paw, shuffle, grumble* That’s me looking for my clothes in the morning. My final flight from the Monkey House had me doing the “dump and sift” method of packing. There’s always a price to be paid for that.
Then there’s the issue with my printer and flat-bed scanner. These are computer peripherals that I won’t need often so finding a convenient, safe, and out-of-sight place for them has me scratching my head.
I love little Milenka like a daughter but I have to face facts. If I like the liveaboard lifestyle well enough, I’ll have to consider a bigger boat in a couple of years. I’m low-maintenance as women go but a girl has to have priorities. I sure hope I can get a relatively steady gig with my one publisher. That would take care of a lot of worries right there.
Well, enough nattering for today. I’m really glad I got a chance to soothe your sleep, both through solving the mystery of Merlin’s nickname and through my ever-scintillating prose.
73 de Voyageuse.
