Coxsackie, New York - 10 kilometres walked
I've learned that the opening of the Erie Canal, scheduled for this coming Friday, has been delayed due to the heavy rains which has slowed preparatory work on the canal. This is a special season for the Erie Canal as it celebrates its 200th birthday so I am sure they did not take this decision lightly as they had many public events planned for the opening day. And I can only assume it will be more than a few days of delays. This means, for now, I either wait patiently or dock the boat in a marina and go home then return when the canal opens. For now, I will wait and see if any new information becomes available between now and Friday.
I began the day with a call to Ana to wish her a happy Mother's Day then a call to my own mom to wish her the same. Thank god for the moms....otherwise none of us would be here! I was happy to hear that my mom was going over to my brother's place for brunch and that Stella and Ana were going to a brunch at our yacht club. I was just sad I couldn't join them.
My first full day on my own was rather dull. I spent several hours cleaning the boat - unloading and reloading the composting toilet, scrubbing the bathrooms, cleaning the floors and surfaces, stripping the beds, and gathering laundry. I did not get to cleaning the cockpit or exterior of the boat, but I have plenty of time for that in the coming days.
In the afternoon I walked to the far west side of Coxsackie and Google sent me in the wrong direction on the busy highway as the location it had for the laundromat was completely wrong. Once again, I heard the AI snickering in the background. I am going to need to solicit second opinions from humans from now on.
I packed my laundry load back to the boat, dodging cars and people along the way as the town was alive with Mother's Day gatherings in homes, cafes, parks, and restaurants.
During my peaceful evening on the boat I made a grand discovery. Ana's USB to USB-C converter we use for the Mac laptop she took home with her was still attached to the external hard drive, and when I plugged it into our Samsung tablet it was able to read all the fine media content I have saved on the drive. This opens up a opportunity for evening entertainment beyond reading and writing.
After speaking with my mom today and spending time on the boat with my dad, I've been thinking a lot about my parents. I am very fortunate to still have both of them as many people my age do not. Yes, they did start young, as I was born when my mom was in her teens (it's a prairie thing...) and somehow they managed to raise three boys when they were barely adults themselves, with no money, still going to school, working at low paying jobs, with little family support (as they had moved away), but this is exactly the same as what most of their friends were doing at the time so maybe it didn't seem as bad - I've heard misery loves company.
Their decision to have kids at that age has paid great dividends though, for all of us. They are young enough to fully enjoy and relate to their grandchildren, and probably their great-grandchildren some day (but not too soon...). And their grandchildren have all gotten to know them well - both Magnus and Stella call them once in a while just to catch up. They are able to travel to see all of us and have joined us on vacations many times. They have few, if any, health issues so are sure to have many more years ahead.
My parents aren't just young in age, they are young in spirit and always have been. They are two of the most optimistic people I know. They are joyful and full of life and fun to be around. I can't even think of a time when either of them was in a bad mood. When I imagine their faces in my mind's eye, they are always either smiling or laughing. And they always seem to be able to bring out the best in people. When either of them does have something negative to say about somebody or something, they say it reluctantly, begrudgingly, and I can tell you it doesn't happen very often. They are both optimists. Neither of them complains about anything. My mom finds joy in simple things - gardening, decorating, cooking - and she is constantly learning new things and picking up new interests. My dad likes to be on the move and is always up for anything, especially if there are elements of risk or danger or surprise, or if he has the feeling he'll be missing out on the fun. He is always the last one to leave the party. They are both incredibly hard workers and continue to work in various jobs and projects into their 70's and I don't see that stopping anytime soon.
I consider myself lucky beyond comprehension having the parents I do. I want to grow up to be like both of them...and I'm still working on it. I call both of them frequently for advice on things I'm trying to do - usually Mom for cooking or baking and Dad for electrical issues, that tend to follow me and my assets, but other things too. Whenever I do find myself in a pissy mood or turning into Mr. Complainypants, I just think about my folks and how they would handle the situation. That always helps to get me back on track.
So, thanks Mom and Dad. You are the greatest.
No comments:
Post a Comment