How the story ends:

"And then, he jumped out of the boat."

So.

I left work for about an hour today to get my window replaced. I still need a screen - and a security system - but it's a start. I no longer have plywood hammered over one window of my home. (Darn, and between that and the washing machine on my porch, I was just starting to feel like I lived in Mississippi, too!)

When I got back, CL and I drove out to Lake Sardis to put the boat in the water for a while. Not only has it not been run in a year, but I don't know how to trailer or drive - two things I will need to be able to do. Oh, woe, woe is me. I must learn how to handle the boat. On work time.

Somehow, I think I might be really slow to get the hang of this one...

Anyway, my hauling of the trailer amounted to driving it, empty, up into a parking place, after CL put the boat in the water. I was damned proud of myself for getting it in the parking space straight, too! CL picked me up and I puttered around the lake a while. (Reiteration: I have an awesome job. I have an awesome job. I have an awesome job.) Then, it was time to pull it back out of the water. Problem.

CL: "So, do you want to back the trailer down the boat ramp, or drive the boat onto the trailer?"

Me: "Uh.... .... .... Perhaps we should have had lessons in one of these two things BEFORE we both got in the boat."

CL: "Ah, don't worry about it, it's fine. You can just drop me off, and I'll get the trailer. Then you can pick me up, and I'll drive the boat up into place."

Me: "I'm really not feeling too confident in my ability to do this. Sure, fine."

CL: *pulls up to the ramp*

AND THEN HE JUMPED OUT OF THE BOAT.

There's nothing quite like learning to drive by being left in a high-traffic area and told to please not hit too many other boats while waiting for your turn to steer up to the ramp where only one of the three trailers belongs to YOUR organization. Aaaaaaaaugh!

I am pleased to say that I did not hit any other boaters, and almost got the thing up on the trailer, too. The current was the kicker. But next time.. next time, the trailer's ass is mine.

Now I am at my stepfather's birthday party... which I suppose I should get back to.

1) My .... stepniece, I think, is how it works out. She eats dog biscuits. She made me promise not to tell her mom. benma insists she must have really clean teeth. He's probably right.

2) My stepnephew's name is Tyson. Poor kid. Hope he likes chickens. Or boxing.