Busy weekend

I met up with my friend Bob, Saturday afternoon. We had a great couple of hours catching up after losing touch for the past four years. Seems that Bob wants to sell his Hunter 42 (1999 with low hours on the engine), and it has been hardly used in the past 12 years. Just one trip to the Bahamas is about the furthest it has traveled, and the good deal for me is that he offered to let me run the boat just to keep it exercised while he is off tending to other business. (Bob was selected to be inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame next month.) There are other missions for Bob later on, so I am glad to be of small service.

So now I will be able to get some sailing in, as if I really have the time! Good deals must be accepted with grace and gratitude, and it is a real pleasure to help a friend when they really need you.

Last night was the Trader Vic's party at the Yacht Club, our buddy Mark Zeigler and his band "Freudian Slip" did a great job with the entertainment. Mark is a Yacht Broker during the day, so I passed Bob's information concerning the Hunter 42 sailboat. I'm just a wheelin' and dealin' kind o' cat! 


While enjoying the party, I got a call from my father and he passed along some very tough news about his brother. It was the kind of call that nobody likes to receive but the message gets passed anyway, like it or not. Good thing I was only on my second Mai Tai, so I sat on a bench about twelve feet from the placid water and was able to see downtown in the distance, rising above the smooth river lighting up a darkening sky as we chatted. Or should I say that I was mainly in "Receive Mode".

My Uncle always called me "Admiral!!!" on the phone. I'll miss that, always. Gerry was the most generous man I've ever known, and I hope I can live up to his past kindness for me and my sister. I even told him so on our last phone call, three weeks ago. I mentioned how (among other things...) he had helped us acquire our first sailboat, 21 years back, not to mention all the great Christmas presents and birthdays. He just laughed it all off but did say that he was touched that I had remembered. Just like him to say that.

It's been a reserved and quiet weekend otherwise, full of reflection and a bit of sadness. I hate it we humans are only issued with a finite number of heartbeats.

But the good thing happening is that the Spousal Unit is moving better and taking advantage of her mobility with her new walker. Good times are ahead, I promise!

 Jersey brothers and my sister, "Cookie". Hayward Calif. 1972

Sister, Uncle and me in blue, 1972

My Uncle, his Aunt in 1980. He always dressed stylishly, check out the disco shirt! 

Keep in touch with your loved ones, if you can. They won't always be there to stay in touch with You.