While trying to decide what to write about this week, I asked for Michael's opinion. As usual, he replied with a few good ideas. Today's post will be '5 things I will miss' once we cast off the dock lines. With that said, next week I will write about some things I will not miss.
If you have been reading our blog you can probably take an educated guess regarding what one of my missed item will be. No doubt about it. High on the list of things I will miss is (drum roll): my cowboy boots. It's true. I have a profound affection for western boots. I have always had a love for the western lifestyle and even have a vision of myself as a cowgirl, like Annie Oakley (Michael thinks I'm more like Calamity Jane). My boots are an extension of my love for the western lifestyle and attitude. Let's face it, cowboy boots have attitude and are extremely versatile in their use. They can be worn while mucking out stalls at the ranch, twirling around a hardwood floor, or kicking the crap pulverising an ex boyfriend's wounded heart. Of course I wouldn't know anything about the latter. I'm just saying cowboy boots got could get the job done. They can be worn with jeans, a casual maxi dress, daisy dukes, or under a formal, with or without spurs. They exude strength, determination, and confidence. I will certainly miss wearing my cowboy boots out boot-scootin on a Saturday night after eating raw fish at our favorite restaurant, Masa Sushi. ( that's still only counts as one thing, right?)
The second item on my list of things I will miss, in no particular order is: friends. I have been very fortunate to form mutual relationships, and lucky to share affection, sympathy, understandings, and compassion with a cast of characters I feel blessed to call my friends.
My friendships cross many different boundaries. Some friendships are work related, some are dance related, some friends are rodeo committee members, some we ride motorcycles with, party with, sail with, and some we make fun of tell jokes about to. My point is simply that there are a lot of people in our current orbit with whom we get to express our feelings without fear of judgment. Take for example the little, lime green lizards roaming our yard and flower beds. They are my little friends and I will miss them. I talk to these diminutive tiny guys and it's so much fun to watch them look at me, turn their heads inquisitively, and bob up and down while thrusting out their throat. When I talk to these critters they accept me for who and what I am; a giant psycho woman that can crush them in an instant. No, I am not a nut case. I just think they are so cute with their little, lime green bodies and bugged-out eyes. I feel sorry for them when I see one with it's tail missing, and if I see one in our home, I capture it and release it back into his world. I feel the same way about our cow surfing friend. He has truly opened our eyes and given new meaning to our understanding of cow a bunga. Several times we have captured him only to release him back into his cow surfing world so he could thrust out his throat in harmony with the universe.
Just look how this little guy is looking at me.... can you feel the love???
Cow a bunga dude.
The convenience of having a washer and dryer will certainly be high on the list of things I will miss. I can't imaging going to a laundromat with a fist full of coins to wash clothes. I have not even been in a laundry facility since my college days. Ugh! I'm sure if you know who has his way; clothing will become an option. In his mind naked less clothes, equal less laundry. I have heard many cruisers adopt the rock and a bucket method of washing clothes. Oh boy! I can't wait. I wonder how Michael's bikini briefs will look flying in the breeze from the mast spreaders on a sunny day?
I try not to think about it, but I will miss my family. They are spread out all over the nation, except for my youngest daughter Courtney, and even she is over an hour away. Erica, my pro stock driving daughter is in NOLA, my mother is in Da Burg, and my brother is in Arizona. Michael is in the dog house, the only one close. He is not really family, just some cute, good looking stud I keep around because of certain benefits. Like raising the main sail, grinding winches and cooking fantastic meals. Hey, wait a minute. I wonder if I can train him to do laundry? Note to self. Get Michael a personalized laundry rock and bucket. Anyway, even though my family is not close enough to visit often, I still get to talk with them almost daily and see them several times a year. While on Adventure Us 2 in international water, I'm not so sure.
Erica and Courtney at the Houston Rodeo 2013
There you have it. My first list of things I will miss. Obviously there are many more things I will miss, but that will just have to wait and become fodder for other posts.
