Backsliding

Zebulon, NC

In the previous post, I talked about day people versus date people.   Actually, the piece was too short.  I should have mentioned the date problems we have ourselves.   In particular, we have a whole slew of date problems related to our departure from North Caronlina next week.  In my defense, I'll say that go/no-go decisions are still based on weather.   However, that does not make us immune to anxiety regarding when we will be ready to go.

My original thought was to leave this coming weekend.  To prepare for that, we had to accomplish four things.

1. Check the weather.
2. Finish boat projects.  I need to put some hardware back, including the dodger.  (p.s. the primer coat of white paint on the top decks is done.  Tarwathie's top decks look lovely at least from a distance.  I'll post a picture.)  I also need to go aloft for a full rigging inspection.
3. Provision the boat.
4. Sell the car.

The first threat to this plan came last weekend:

Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion October 6, 2013

An area of disturbed weather now located well to the north-northeast of Puerto Rico is forecast to track west to west-northwestward this week and be located pretty close to the coast of North Carolina late this week where the majority of the guidance are now pointing to a scenario that this storm which will stall near the coast of North Carolina during the upcoming Columbus Day weekend and combine with strong high pressure over New England and produce gale to possibly storm-force easterly onshore winds along the coast from New Jersey to North Carolina throughout the Columbus Day weekend.

Fortunately, when I rechecked the weather just now, that threat is gone.

Next, selling the car.   Libby was anxious that I not sell the car too early because we needed it this past month.   So I waited until the last minute.  However, I forgot one detail, to pay off the loan so that I had the title in hand to be prepared to sell.  I called the bank last Thursday.   They said the only way to do that in a hurry was to send a cashiers check for the total balance.  I did that.  I spent $20 for a cashiers check and $20 for express mail.  The post office guaranteed delivery by Friday noon.  Fine.

I called the bank Friday afternoon.  "Nope, nothing in the mail from me.  Try again after the 3PM mail pickup."  I called that evening; nothing.  I called their 24/7 number on Saturday, still nothing.  I checked USPS.com with the tracking number.  It said "Available for pickup 10:59 AM Friday."  Then I realized my mistake.  It was sent to the only address I had for the bank; a p.o. box number.  But the post office won't put express mail in the box, it needs a signature.  They put a notice in the box to come to the counter.  But the bank person who gathers mail from the box, doesn't read the mail, he just takes it back to the bank.   So by sending the check via expresss mail to a p.o. box, I did not speed things up, I inserted delay one or more business days into the cycle.  

I became frantic.  I called a half dozen bank phone numbers and Portsmouth, NH post office numbers on Sunday and Monday.  But it eventually worked out, and by 1 PM on Tuesday, I had the title in my hand.  This illustrates, a big weakness of mine -- I am very poor at dealing with bureaucracy.  I imagine the worst, and my blood pressure soars just in anticipation.  By the time I speak with a real person, I'm already an emotional wreck.

But now I have a buyer for the car, and we will close the transaction on Friday morning.  Whew.

So what's the point of this long story?   Our adaptation to the cruising life has made us even less competent to deal with the date-centric realities of being a citizen in the modern world.  It has become worse in the past year since staying the winter in New Bern, and buying a car.   We desperately need to get back on the boat, and to resume our cruising life.  It may take a year or so to erase the effects of this hiatus.

Once you have achieved the tranquility of retirement and cruising, guard it carefully.  It may be fragile.