I still haven't moved

Thanks for your comments Brian, but I am a little alarmed to hear there are blogs out there even more boring than mine. I need to step my game up a bit, so here goes.

The boat remains static. I still haven’t moved an inch in the thing, if you exclude from side to side. My course was postponed due to high winds and the River Severn being too high, meaning pleasure boats were banned from using it.

It has been windy mind! The first night of heavy wind had the boat swaying from side to side, rather therapeutic, until the satellite dish came crashing down. Metal on metal right above your head makes an alarming noise.

So in an attempt to show you how boring I can be, I shall launch into the highlight of this blog entry. I have heard it said you know you are a real boater when you visit people and take a pile of washing with you. That’s exactly what I did. I was alarmed at the size of a normal washing machine having become accustomed to my own small machine, the cavernous whole at the front gobbling up

all the sheets, pillow cases and duvet cover in one mouthful. I gave it all a 60 degrees wash, then took the lot out. Oh dear! The nice new red duvet cover released an awful lot of colour turning the white sheet an alarming shade of pink. To make it worse it’s a beautifully even colour, so disguising the truth behind the reason for the colour. I can assure you it’s definitely not my shade of pink. My honest reaction was “Bollocks!” but I couldn’t write that in a blog.

I took a few things from my house over to Paul’s house to put in storage (for few read a car full). Whilst

I was there Rose arrived home and having missed the start of their conversation it became apparent Rose had bought something for Paul but had left it in a coffee shop. I knew it was important and of considerable value by Paul’s reaction and from the concern shown by Rose who rang the coffee shop straight away, only to find it shut. I couldn’t think what it might be but suspected something like a wallet, phone, computer, vital drugs or some other such important item, but as Paul kept on about it I could contain my curiosity no longer and finally asked, “What has Rose left behind?”

“Two pen refills,” he replied. I burst out laughing causing Rose to go into fits of laughter, Paul sat st

raight faced, not amused. Pens are important to Paul, the refills must have cost a fortune and the real reason for his stress.

“How much were they worth then?” I asked having finally stopped laughing.

“£5.”

Is that all! It set me off laughing again.

“In the big scheme of things it’s hardly important is it?” I added.

“It is, my pen is not working properly.”

Bless him. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time.

The folk of Queensland have been in my thoughts recently. I think the pictures coming out of Brisbane shocked us all, some having flood water reaching the roof of their homes. Then if that wasn’t bad enough it was followed up by Cyclone Yasi wreaking havoc across the same area, destroying houses and livelihoods. Such scenes made me realise the recent flooding in my house was a minor problem by comparison. There is always somebody worse off than yourself. The people of Queensland can sleep peacefully in the knowledge that at least their pen hasn’t run out.

I am going to have to be a bit careful here. If I starting writing about my family every time they make me laugh they will stop talking to me. Hmm, there’s a thought, it might be worth pursuing. Anyway, to report in an unbiased and balanced way I should tell you the good things about Paul, like how he kindly gave me a Roberts DAB Radio for the boat. Actually, I think he was looking for a small donation, but being a tight git I haggled hard.

“If you insist I give you a small donation then I wont allow you to store all my valuable possessions in your attic.”

He knew it was a lost cause!