This is the end of the season. Surface water and air are in cool down mode. We did have a narrow – good – weather window today and decided that this was THE opportunity for a final run. Our friend, Giovanni, was in town and it was my chance to show him a nice time. So we slid the boat off the trailer anticipating a grand finale ski ride and in MY moment of pride and glory I twisted the ignition key and — nothing. It was ironic justice that this same scenario played out for Giovanni just days ago (reference blog 10/20/02!). No showing off for me. The engine cranked 3 or 4 revs diminishing to the pathetic staccato click click click click of the weakening starter solenoid. The battery was flat. We all sat there in sullen disbelief that our grand plans were looking dashed. Hope was that an obliging fisherman would come along and offer a cable jump start. Immediately appearing in the middle of our plight comes an older backwoods couple in a clapped out mini van. They are situated at the top of the boat ramp and close enough for us to hear them yelling “HEY!” in our general direction. Don’t know if they blundered in and sensed our trouble or dreamed of a chance that they might get an impromptu invite to go out on the lake. The woman was insistent and likely skunked. The situation became a bit surreal as Giovanni started giggling, reporting that she just flashed us and did a little jiggle dance for his benefit as well. B.O.U.R.Girl was not amused feeling a little uneasy and reached for the cell. I mean, we were in double jeopardy. With creepy deliverance types atop and the wide open lake (and no paddle oar) beyond. I suppose we could have repelled boarders with a water ski and then cast off to drift… A couple of calls to the Park Service produced a sympathetic receptionist who promised to dispatch Ranger Cox to see to the ‘flasher’ and rescue us with a booster battery. The day was saved! What happened to the odd couple? Last we saw their vehicle was parked on the road shoulder, its occupants in the woods somewhere. What were they were up to there? Don’t know. Don’t want to know.
All posts by cs
hostility
Hound dawg and I are jogging the greenway past the house where lives ZAK. Rude and obnoxious , he charges the backyard fence growling and barking like he would like to duke-it-out. Why should today be unlike any other day and we ignore the beast except there is a twist! My ear tells me that the barking is getting louder and louder and surprise — he’s on the wrong side of the wall! Here he comes with barred teeth. We slow to a walk (to continue running away would telegraph weakness and only encourage) in fact we nearly stop and a few harsh commands (like BACKOFF and GIT!) flatten his resolve. G O H O M E!
useful tip No. 38
Seldom recognized, but much appreciated, is the back-up filtration in your vacumn. This is actually a last line of defense — a screen — which protects the motor and fan from debris ingestion. It loads up with lint just like the trap in your clothes dryer. It pops out and needs to be cleaned occasionally. Doing so will extend the life of the motor and restore the your machine to peak efficiency!
proud bird
My co-pilot is Giovanni — from eet-ta-lee. With the gesticulation and dialect I sometimes have to glance over and make sure I’m not sitting next to Father Vesputechi. He just returned from Turin where he visited the folks. Momma works in a FIAT engine plant. Mamma would like to live in America. Giovanni is torn between old family and new American lifestyle. His American wife has been tagging along with us this weekend and last night after the passengers had been discharged we invited her to observe as we remote parked the aircraft for the night. This was Giovanni’s moment of fame and glory he proudly reached up to depress the START switch and whereas the mighty jet engines normally roar to life, ours just whirred, spewed smoke, and then konked out. So much for trying to make an impression on the lady! Giovannni looked at me imploringly as if he was not doing something right (or wrong). He figured that his distraction had caused him to ‘screw the pooch’ and that I would be blurting out a reason(his) for the failure. Luckily it had been, and we correctly deduced, one of those rare system failures. An embarrassing moment. Don’t tell Momma.
wake up call
Flower Child got up at O’dark hundred to get me to the airport. Turns out that I goofed and that showtime wasn’t as early as I had thought. She could have slept in for an extra 45 and if she finds this out —- she ain’t-a-gonna-be-at-all-happy.
curious
I haven’t figured her game yet but the FA is a nightingale and, feeling sorry for some of the other FAs trying to eek out a substandard living, she has been leaving them lunchmoney in their mailboxes. She’s confessed that she hasn’t cashed any of her paychecks (pocket change?) yet. Her husband owns a very large business. She picked up the job out of curiosity (whim?). I wonder if she’s gathering material for a story that she will author or could it be that she is exploring a fantasy. Funny how some people spill so much info within the first 20 minutes of acquaintance. I ask,”Have you ever adopted a pilot?” She invites us out on the town for Lobster dinners tonight and it might have been interesting conversation but I don’t want to know too much. I better not.
stir crazy
The rambunctious rascals are burning energy in the halls. They are here for a soccer tournament and since they are probably cold, but unwilling to cover-up the light weight uniforms that they proudly wear, they must run up and down to make heat. Much of this exercise is wasted as noise. Here they go again…
clip joint
Ben ordered the tacos especial along with a glass of lemonade, and I the tres enchiladas. We munched away the chips and salsa at the Cantine Flas and soon our waiter reappeared and gestured at Ben’s empty glass to offer another. There wasn’t much English spoken but Ben accepted and the waiter (curiously) asked a second time (for verification and understanding, I suppose). The check came and turns out that the refill was processed as a second order and the grand total for lemonade — six (6) bucks(!). Maybe should have said something.
it’s a guy thing…
Capture the flag. S’man and his armed buddies entered the wooded area. The object is to shoot and not get shot. His team has 15 minutes to waste the enemy with their Markers. Not a sissy laser tag game, these rapid fire weapons use CO2 or Nitrogen to zing a paintball at XX fps and a strike will sting like a hornet. The boys may not be as cunning or experienced as the older guys on the field but they make much smaller targets as they slink through the trees hunched over, locked and loaded. They scan and seek watching and listening. Some opponents are wearing camouflage. They all have helmets and face shields. I would require a full body padded suit myself but a little fear and pain goes nicely with the hunter-killer instinct. Go get ’em men!
the kitchen sink
All cleared the security line, except for the FA, who’s getting a mindful look over including the inspection of his overnight bag. The gloved TSA is peering inside piece by piece. Our FA wears a suitably disgusted look on his face and at the end of the ordeal is muttering to us incredulously about ‘why do they always want to look in my bag — every time‘. He can’t understand it, and explains that he has tried re-arranging his stuff, leaving things behind, and so on. We nod and grunt listening sympathetically. Later on we arrive at our destination hub and enjoy a productivity break where we have the opportunity to snack or read a paper. I perk up to the sound of a juice blender (not something furnished in our minimalist facility). It’s our FA and evidently he’s been hauling this device contraption around in his bag! Feeling somewhat deceived (betrayed) I had to ask sarcastically ‘you wondered what it was that set off the security alarm?’ Duuuh! He offered me a conciliatory sample taste of his ( 40-30-30 Faust diet ) — pureed peaches, fructose substitute, power-bar powder, almond slivers and ice. No thankyou. Pass…
The Jumers aka Peoria Castle Lodge is a mighty unusual place… It is dark and haunting replete with flickering gas lamps and early Californian Spanish dark wood furnishings. The architecture theme is 1960’s medieval Bavarian. The carpets and wall coverings are deep reds and browns the windows have stained glass panes. The strangest feature, however, is an oil painting portrait of someone real or factious in every room. The eyes of the likeness gaze out into the room in a fixating stare. The guest must occasionally check to be sure that these eyes are not following you about the place. Creepy.