The boat show, the boat show, the big Seattle boat show. It's happening in our city now, so I went out to see. I went with my friend Mike and we crawled around in some really big yachts and scoped out the makes and models of some amazing sailboats. This picture is of the interior of a 36' Hunter, made for living in while you cruise the world. It was my favorite boat.
Remember when I wanted to take sailing lessons last spring? Well, I still want to. That whole breaking my face thing really got in the way last season, but it's a new year and a new opportunity to make a lifelong dream come true. Mike is also simultaneously finding himself obsessed with the idea of setting sail and cruising to foreign waters, come seasickness or high water. I can't believe this website about a girl sailing around the world and surfing, by herself. I almost cried out of joy for her and jealously for me.
Mike signed himself up on a crew website for the Corinthian Yacht Club website and he got a bite! A lady named Lisa needs crew for her racing boat this year. Friday we went to meet this person and talk about the possibilities of a captain like her taking on some completely inexperienced people like us. We met at the Sloop Tavern and had a lively conversation about what the deal was. Lisa and some of her other crew were a salty bunch indeed. I was expecting foul language and tall tales, these being sailors and all, but the cursing and stories were well beyond anything I had hoped for. The more she talked about the cold, wet, windy adventures of her 24 foot, 4 man sailboat, the more I wanted to be a part of her rotating crew.
I have borrowed my dad's Helly Hanson rain bib and plan to buy some sailing gloves and boots. I guess sometime in February we are going to take some practice runs to test our non-existent skills. Mike lent me a learning to sail DVD and I plan to watch it carefully. Who knows how I will like it, but it seems like a great, free way to learn how to sail and hang with some crazy folks that I wouldn't get to know otherwise. Tres exciting.
It's back on again at work. The deadlines, the working twice as fast as is comfortable, the headaches, the bad news that we keep winning new contracts. This time around, I am not as stressed. I am somehow able to limit the feelings to the work itself, and keep it all in perspective - this is only a parking lot, no one is going to die if I don't finish. In contrast to whats happening in Kenya or the Middle East what I do is like a day at the spa. They say that being busy at work helps the day go by faster. But when the day is done, then the next one goes fast, and then the next one. Well, then we're just doing nothing but getting older.
While I try my best to not let my blood pressure rise unless I'm exercising, I still feel some of the stress and how it collects in my shoulders and neck. Instead of exercising, which would be the all-around best solution, I have chosen other coping mechanisms more suited for winter. Mostly, I feel like eating or spending money. When I have to work overtime, I get time off for later. When I can't use my time off because there is too much work, the next best option is to spend the money that I made during regular hours. Clothing, furniture, DVDs, shoes or cocktails all seem to be a fair trade for being couped up in front of the computer. However, these pleasures are short lived and leave me riddled with guilt. To me, spending money is like spending your self respect. Every time I purchase something that isn't directly related to my survival, I see images of children living in poverty alongside the railroad tracks in India. I can't help it.
The other alternative is eating. Last night I stopped at Whole Foods and bought steak to make for dinner. I ate a half pound of steak, a small salad and then made a batch of cookie dough to follow. I probably ate 8 cookies worth of dough and then baked the rest. Today I feel sick.
I arrive back at exercise as the only good option for stress relief. Exercise will actually make me feel good instead of guilty or sick. Now if I only liked gyms or didn't mind running in the rain. Maybe I'll go take a quick walk right now for starters.
This morning I went outside to catch my bus and stopped short a second on the porch. I thought to myself, "Whoa, something weird is happening in the sky." I quickly realized that it was twilight. You know, the phenomenon related to the sun coming up or going down, remember? I was so pleased. There comes a day every year when you say, "Look how light it is by 7!" instead of saying, "Look how dark it is by 7!" Until that happens, I would like to take a vacation. Somewhere not too far, preferably a small city, that is guaranteed sunshine, has someplace to swim and is not Las Vegas. Any ideas?
The boat show, the boat show, the big Seattle boat show. It's happening in our city now, so I went out to see. I went with my friend Mike and we crawled around in some really big yachts and scoped out the makes and models of some amazing sailboats. This picture is of the interior of a 36' Hunter, made for living in while you cruise the world. It was my favorite boat.
