Stupid Times Four

Burlington, Vermont
NoLL

Yesterday was chore day. I changed the engine oil. I repacked the stuffing box (for landlubbers, that is the part that prevents water from leaking in where the propeller shaft penetrates the hull). Then I started working on interior painting. That's where the stupid part comes in.

It is really hard painting the interior of a boat while you're living in the boat. It's harder still with multiple people on board. Therefore, I (politely) asked Libby to get lost for a day. She didn't mind, she went off with Jenny to do gardening. They both love gardening so I'm sure they had a good time.

Meanwhile, back in the boat I was painting away. After a while I noticed spots of paint all over the floor leading up to the v-berth. What the heck? I wasn't painting anywhere near there.

I investigated where the spots might be coming from. When I turned around, there were more fresh spots. Aha! I had paint on the bottom of my shoes. Grumbling, I cleaned my shoes, then cleaned the floor.

10 minutes later, the same thing happened again. I had gotten paint on the bottom of my shoes. I cleaned my shoes and the floor.


15 minutes later, the same thing happened a third time. I had gotten paint on the bottom of my shoes. I cleaned my shoes and the floor.

30 minutes later, I was done with painting. I cleaned up, put the paint away, and disposed of the brush. Now I was ready for a cup of coffee and some time to relax in the cockpit with my book. I put the coffee and book in the cockpit, then turned around. A fourth time, there were paint tracks all over the floor and now up the stairs to the cockpit. Oh no, how stupid can I be!!!

Actually, I plead innocent to utter stupidity. Living in such a small space as the cabin of a boat makes one very much a creature of habit. One of the most fundamental and completely unconscious habits is where one puts one's feet when standing in a particular spot. That habit was just too powerful to break. I had painted one of those habitual spots.

Perhaps a better title for this post would be live and not learn.