Our first week on the boat was marvelous. Our pace has slowed from crazy go like a mad thing to slow but sure. We hoped to do a little sailing but the weather this week was yucky. But hey, we have plenty of time for sailing down the road. We spent most of our time this week organizing. Cindy is very good at organizing. Me? Not so much. I tend to set stuff down where I used it last and hope I can remember where I left it next time it is needed. This drives Cindy crazy. I need to change my ways. If we are to sail, things not put away properly tend to go flying. And, if we should require something urgently, the ocean is unforgiving to people while they hunt around the boat for things like a life raft. So, everything must have a home. Putting possessions in their designated homes made me realize I forgot to pack a couple of important things. I’ll come back to this, let’s stay on organization for the time being.
Cindy sketched and mapped out the entire boat and drew a diagram detailing what was located in which cabinet. Ingenious! She organized things to make sense. If you look in the TV area, you would expect to find stuff related to entertainment. And, you will. On her map she has the contents of each cabinet or locker listed. This is an example of Cindy’s organization…
Cindy’s Notebook
This is only for the stuff we recently added. We have an excel spreadsheet for inventory and spare parts. The sheet contains the location of the spare part on the boat and number on hand. No doubt Cindy’s map will make it into some more formal format.
This is my attempt at organization…
Mark’s Organization
During our haste to exit the house and get to the boat, I forgot to pack a couple of items. Normally I have boat clothes and home clothes. Boat clothes stay at the boat. When we leave the boat, we pack them in a duffle bag to bring to the house to launder. Once washed, they go straight back into the bag and are carted to the boat with us on the next trip. I am not sure where the system went wrong.
We have experienced a lot of discombobulation in our lives lately with the big move. On the boat, I unpacked the boat clothes. Key garments were missing: Underwear! What the heck did I do with all my underwear? Has it gone to the storage unit for 10 years? Did we misplace a box somewhere? Oh God forbid, did it go in the dumpster? Who knows? What I do know is we arrived on the boat late Sunday night, I had exactly four pairs of boxers.
Monday, we did nothing all day. It was great. Tuesday, it rained most of the day and we got side tracked fixing a few things on the boat. Wednesday, the situation turns mildly important. Thursday, it’s critical. Off to Wal-Mart we go! It is there I discover there is a shortage of underwear in St. Petersburg. I swear, I’m not making this up. Every single brand, style color and type of underwear with the exception of XXXXXXL or Small was completely sold out. Three stores later the crisis is averted and my angst meter drops like a military general’s giving the order to go from DEFCON 1 to DEFCON 5.
Being the curious short of person I am, I asked why there was no underwear on the shelves. A lesson was learned here. Never ask questions if you think there is any possible chance the answer will give you the heebeegeebees. I was told there was a run on underwear (both men’s and women’s) because the weather had turned cold. Winter has hit Florida hard this week. Temperatures dropped to the mid 60’s. Apparently when the temperature plummets like this, people here feel the need to wrap themselves with underwear. I did not ask what people wear in warm Florida weather.
Now, if only I could find my new underwear. Where the heck are they? I wish I could find Cindy’s chart. I wonder where I left it.
