Friday Firm Up

"You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ."
-Hebrews 3:13-15 (NLT)

"So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?""
- Acts 11:17 (NIV)

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 (NIV)

"Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
- John 14:24 (NIV)

Gotta do this more often

When's the last time we took Calypso out for a sunrise cruise?

I couldn't remember either ... so this morning I grabbed the video camera, just in case. Now, let's Trance.

what're the odds?

I'm not a big fan of seeking answers to difficult questions by flipping open the Bible, stabbing a finger on a random verse and hoping for inspired wisdom or revelations from God. Just doesn't work that way. Though sometimes the book seems to open at just the right place, at just the right time ...

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."
-Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

A good and thorough ice-kicking

Doesn't matter that today's temperatures topped 100 degrees F; this afternoon I got a solid & complete ice-kicking ... promptly delivered On-Time courteous (though not coincidentally, I'm sure) of this morning's Dos post.

A few minutes before 5 PM I got an unexpected phone call from an unfamiliar number that meant facing up to and living with my own words ... and having the choice of simply hanging up ... or following Christ through frighteningly unfamiliar and scary territory. Yes it was hard, Yes I was way in over my head, No there's no point detailing the particulars because it's not Christ in me that hurts; it's the Me and the I that wants to crawl up under the lake and hide till the rapture.

What's That Guy Doing?! wasn't about driving boats at all: the subject had to do with representing Christ at all times ... even when we don't want to & especially in the most unbearably difficult situations (and today would go down near the very, very top if Bleak Me Moments counted or was worth remembering).

Folks, he is there and he's real. Always ... and we are never forgotten. Even when the broken pieces of us feel kicked around and scattered on the floor.

Reflecting Badly - Part Dos

What's That Guy Doing?!

Knowing and working with Mike "The Asphalt Mariner" certainly eased my transition into Marina-Life. When your boat's broke and won't go then Mike is the man to know: he's been around the marina long enough to become a fixture, and folks trust his advice (or ignore it at their own risk) .

Because he fixes and works on boats, Mike's livelihood either thrives or dies by his reputation: a marine technician who ruins engines, mis-wires circuit panels and burns up boats, steals, overcharges or crashes customers' yachts into pilings can't expect much in the way of repeat business. So there's not much point in Mike cutting corners, looking for shortcuts, making excuses or doing things half-way.

Being known as "the guy who works for Mike" is lots better than being called "that guy who kills time wandering around the marina." Being known as "the guy who works for Mike" almost automatically tells folks I must be OK, and surely saves me lots n' lots of grief all the way 'round.

---
But while working for Mike might let me enjoy short rides on the coattails of his reputation, being associated also comes with the responsibility of measuring-up on my end of the skill stick.

If Mike can do impossible things like dock a 100-ft houseboat in a 15 knot crosswind all by himself, then by association folks at least expect me to be capable of maneuvering Calypso back and forth across the marina without blitzing through the No Wake Zone, running aground, crashing into piers or gouging holes in the hull trying to dock my own boat.

Week-enders and pleasure-boaters lacking full-time commitment may have book-fulls of excuses for their mistakes and poor judgement, but Mike knows there's no excuse that'll cover pride, laziness, getting distracted, losing focus & control, compromising or simply not caring and giving up.

Doesn't matter if a beer-guzzling pontoon pilot suddenly cuts me off, or if an unexpected wind gust tries blowing Calypso sideways into another boat ... or even if I'm trying to dock moving backwards at night on just one engine: It's always got to be done to the best of my ability ... because I'm associated with Mike and represent him in my actions.

Otherwise my ineptitude (or carelessness) makes Mike look bad ... and might cause folks to start wondering "Why did Mike hire that guy?" ... and whether Mike's really the best after all.

---

I'm not perfect, not ever. Mike doesn't expect me to be and knows I have my share of bad days like everybody else.

But I don't start thinking "At least I'm better than so-and-so" or become complacent with "Heck, that's good enough" or ever forget for a moment who's the boss and why he's charge ... much less start criticizing or debating Mike for wanting to teach me and correct my mistakes.

And Woe be upon me if I ever tried the silliness of slipping an excuse past the boss.

Because my actions, my behavior and my commitment reflect and represent someone who's better, knows infinitely more and whose been around a whole lot longer than I have ... someone who by reputation is known all around as being The Best.

Reflecting Badly - Part Uno

No kidding, what's the worst part of living on a boat?

-A few quick jabs around Calypso's "salon" with a tape measure reveals my total interior living space (including the "bathroom") is less than 70 square feet. A bit more spacious than say, living in the back of a cargo van ... but then I can run the air-conditioner 24x7 at Warp Factor 4 and still keep the electric bill under $80 bucks a month. I like staying cool, so small is good.

Plus there's practically no space left over for clutter, which means there's even less mess to hide or clean up.

-Laundry's still a headache, but I'm gonna invest $43 in a Mini-Wonder Washing Machine ... and let the sun, some clothespins and a nylon line do all the rest.

-The Groceries & Cooking situation is a non-issue since I heeded ORP's advices and replaced Calypso's tired 1984-issue microwave with a Sharp Carousel Grill 2 Convection/Microwave oven. Now I can do popcorn, toast bagels and cook full-sized frozen pizzas ... about all that really counts.

-Repairs, Maintenance & Upkeep? The old adage "Something's always breaking on a boat" simply is a myth. The truth is that Everything's always breaking on a boat, just like something's always breaking with a house or a car. Or with a computer ... or anything else that's manufactured by human beings and sees regular use by fallible people.

Besides doing 95% of the work myself, the key to living with repair issues is understanding that Maintenance and Repair isn't actually a goal ... it's an on-going & perpetual spiritual process intended to develop patience, perseverance and boundless optimism in the face of overwhelming odds.

So those things merely amount to minor aggravations and annoyances.

What keeps pushing my buttons and testing my witness are the inconsiderate boaters who blow past the NO WAKE buoys; the week-enders and Gotta-Get-There! amateurs who ignore the NO WAKE ZONE signs and roar through the marina at speeds fast enough to haul tandems of water-skiers.

Speeding through a NO WAKE ZONE creates surprisingly powerful waves that spread across the water behind the offending vessel ... waves which then plow into nearby boats tied to the dock, which results in any occupants on-board (meaning, me) getting literally & violently tossed around inside like a cat inside a clothes dryer [sorry] as they're trying to cook in the proximity of hot surfaces, or exit the shower on a slippery floor.

And every weekend it's getting to be the same thing.

---

Ignoring NO WAKE signs and buoys is more than being inconsiderate or stupid, it's also against the law:

• In South Carolina, "Idle Speed" or "No Wake Speed" is defined as a speed not greater than that which is necessary to maintain steerage.
• If operating your boat or PWC in a No-Wake Zone and you cause damage to another person's boat or property, you are responsible.
  
• Boats and PWCs may not be operated in excess of idle speed within 50 feet of a moored or anchored boat, a wharf, pier or dock, or a person in the water.

Part Dos - Look What That Guy's Doing?!

Coup de grâce

In 1956 Floyd Patterson became the youngest man in boxing history (to that point) to win the World Heavyweight Championship title.

Patterson was on the smallish side for a heavyweight, and as if his size and punching power weren't already limiting enough ("How can this guy be World Champion?"), Patterson had an even worse flaw ... at least so far as fighting for the World Championship is concerned.

Patterson lacked the Killer's Instinct- the willingness to charge forward with urgency and finish off a stunned, back-peddling opponent.

In other words, once Patterson had thrown his hardest punches and had the opponent reeling on the ropes, he couldn't administer the final, fight-finishing coup de grace.

To be sure, Patterson was a good person and the quintessential Nice Guy in real life outside the ring. Trouble was, he was Mr. Nice Guy inside the ring as well, and sometimes it seems like he was reluctant to roll up his sleeves and finish the fight.

Which gave his enemy time to rest, recuperate, regroup and recover ... and come back swinging. And because of his size, Patterson was already fighting at a disadvantage.

Fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship is serious business indeed. Because there can only be one winner in the end.

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Not to pick nits, but Coup de grace is pronounced ku də gras. Not ku de'gra ... which means "to blow fat."

the weak, the uninformed and the vulnerable

This morning I added "Maxed Out" (2006) to my NetFlix queue:

"Investigating both the personal and the national debt owed by Americans, this thought-provoking documentary explores the staggering financial burden we live with every day and exposes how the contemporary financial industry is set up in ways that can harm unwitting customers. With both sobering facts and black humor, Maxed Out unveils the consequences of our debt addiction, including its contribution to the vanishing of the American middle class."

Also, "The Secret History of the Credit Card" is available for online viewing over at PBS.

Taking the scissors to your charge cards gets ***** stars and two big Thumbs-Up.

Heck yeah, I know all about Jesus!

So did Judas.

Give Sunday's message a listen, soon as it's posted. Especially if you're sure you've been saved your whole life, think being religious counts for anything, brag about your deeds & righteousness, or look down on sinners.

Knowing Jesus ain't enough ... and Judas Iscariot would be among the first to tell ya.

‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'" Mark 7:7

Glad that's over!

The Weather Channel's forecasting today's high will top out at 96 degrees by 5 PM, with a Heat Index of only 99.

Whew! Glad we're finally done with hundred-degree days.

The Black and Blue Book - with followup

I try not to sugar coat or polish-over my adventures here at The Blue Book. This morning's episode is already feeling like it's gonna come back to haunt me, but we're too far in already to even think about backing down now ....

After weeks of planning, this morning seemed like the right time to finally add a municipal water inlet and re-plumb Calypso's cold water pressure system. And with months and months of practical experience under my belt, I felt confident that the entire operation would go smoothly ... at least, as smoothly as anything can go when it comes to boats. Indeed.

Yep, except. Except ... there's always that one big EXCEPT.

Except that when I screwed in the new faucet and turned on the water, I was horrified to discover I'd totally forgotten to attach the new fitting to the aft sink ... and water was flooding into my sleeping quarters at exactly the rate you'd expect from your garden hose. Because my hose was attached to the marina's water faucet. You see.

A good friend recently (and humorously?) referred to my present circumstances as Living the Life. Only trouble is, sometimes I get to live it by the bucketfuls.

Literally.

And It Only Gets Worse ...
-from the "I Sure Miss My Noodles" Department:

After posting the previous entry, I picked up some Quick & Easy Chow Mein dinners and a family-pack of Ramen noodles at The Dollar Store ... and didn't realize the cashier had put my noodles in a second bag till after I got back to the marina.

What's the right age to get married?

I usually hate silly quizzes, but a friend over in Westminster posted this one last night at MySpace ... it seemed fun enough to pass along and naturally I couldn't resist tacking on a few Bonus Questions at the end :-)

How Old Are You Gonna Be When You Get Married?

Put an X in every box that applies to you. Add up all the x's and type in the sum after "My marriage age is..”

[x] You know how to make a pot of coffee
[x ] You keep track of dates using a calendar
[ ]You own more than one credit card
[x] You know how to change the oil in a car
[x] You've done your own laundry
[ ] You vote in every election
[x] You can cook for yourself
[x] You think politics are exciting

TOTAL: 6


[ x] You show up for school/college/work every day early
[x ] you carry a pen in ur bag/purse
[x ]You've never gotten a detention
[] You have forgotten your own birthday at least once
[x] You like to take walks by yourself
[x] you've watched talk shows
[x] You know what 'credibility' means without looking it up
[x] You drink coffee at least once a week


TOTAL :13

[x] You know how to do the dishes
[x] You can count to 10 in another language
[x] When you say you're going to do something you do it
[x] Your parents trust you
[x] You can mow the lawn
[x] You can make adults laugh without being stupid
[ ] You remember to water the plants
[x] You study when you have to
[x[You pay attention at school/college/work
[x] You remember to feed your pets

TOTAL: 22

[X] You can spell 'experience' without looking it up
[] You work out on a regular basis
[X] you clean up your own mess
[ ] the people at Starbucks know you by name
[ ] your favorite kind of food is take out
[X] You have gained weight since elementary school
[ x] The first thing you do when you wake up is get caffeine
[x] You can go to the store without getting something you don't need
[x] You understand political jokes the first time they are said
[x] You can type quickly


TOTAL: 29

[x] You have realized that the weather forecast changes every hour
[ ] Your only friends are from your place of employment/school
[ ] You have been to a tupperware party
[x] You have realized that no one will take you seriously unless
you are over the age of 25 and have a job
[ ] You have more bills than you can pay
[ ] Most or all of your friends are older than you are
[x] You can say no to staying out all night
[x] you use the internet every day
[x] Your wardrobe hasn't changed in a while
[x] You can read a book and actually finish it

Total = 35

Papa's Bonus Round- Two Points Each

[x] Friends know to call & remind you of upcoming appointments

[x] You've driven past your old high school without recognizing the building

[x] You own at least one car that's more than 10 years old

[x] You don't own an Ipod

[x] You had to google "Blackberry" to find out what it means

[x] You've completely forgotten the names of more than two Ex's

[x] You have trouble remembering your own email address

[x] You look forward to blogging more than you do going out on a date

[x] You've owned a computer that became obsolete before you learned how to use it

[x] You enjoy getting up early more than you do staying up late

[x] You made at least one mistake trying to add up your score on this quiz

My marriage age is 57.

Man.