So little time
A week and a half ago, we went out on our new boat.
That’s right, a week and a half ago. Oh, yes, and the part about our new boat. We’ve had that for two and a half weeks now.
So I’ll back up a little. We had been talking about buying a boat forever, and we finally went and did it. It’s a nice modest little jon boat, mostly set up for fishing, but soon to be modified with a fancy awning and cushier seats — as wise fishermen know, the longer the wife stays comfortable on the boat, the longer the husband can fish.
If you’re like me, you would assume that you go buy a boat and then go ride around in it. It’s like a car on water, right? Well, it’s not that simple with boats, at least not the affordable small ones. First, we had to spend three and a half hours at Academy while they assembled everything. (For a one-piece boat, a motor, and a skeletal trailer, there seemed to be a lot of assembly required.) Fortunately, it was a lovely evening, and they had some comfortable patio furniture, so we waited patiently outside.
Then after we got it home, we had to put our own seats and lights on. And the customization will continue for some time; there are things like cupholders and the awning to attend to. There is still paperwork to be mailed — oh, yeah, and you have to register the trailer separately from the motor, which is separate from the boat itself. They sure do like to collect taxes separately around here. I guess it makes each payment seem cheaper, but they all add up.
In any event, the boat was seaworthy a week after it was purchased, and after a long expectant wait I got to ride along on the Mullet’s first voyage.
I’m not much on fishing, but I felt right at home cruising down the river. As soon as we cast off, it was like the rest of the world just disappeared. I felt more content and at ease with myself than I have in months. Just watching the cypresses and palm trees and rustic riverfront cabins breeze gently by… I felt no need for thought, no need for conversation, no need for anything but to continue the blissful journey to nowhere.
An hour was over before I could blink.
And just as suddenly as that hour of relaxation came, it went. We had to put everything back in the truck so it wouldn’t fly out of the boat, take it all home, store it, do some laundry, and face the real world again the next day. Monday.
Looking back on it now, I can’t recapture quite the feeling of weightlessness I felt — not as if I were light, but as if I had no burdens or concerns. I think it’s been a little too long since I just went out and looked at nature.
But now we have a boat! We can go float down the river any time we want! Well, if we ever get a spare moment together again.
What I wouldn’t give to be retired.
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