Keeping Going - Just

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 5 Mar 2014 23:57
March Is Here and We Keep Going – Just
 
 
 
 
 
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I know, I know, I’m late with a blog. I have been suitably nagged, emailed and messaged. My only excuse is that the long days of work have now blurred, as have the dates and now it’s the 5th of March already. Some days have been so long we haven’t played backgammon, that is long. Not long in fact until we begin packing. So where are we. Last week began well enough with Bear producing a stunning new look to the sail-drive, now a Beez colour, it’s made by Petit and called Vivid, quite a fitting name methinks.
 
 
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I was presented with this little problem. Can you separate these two, do you think. I’ll give it a try, always happy to rise to a challenge. I began with a saucepan of boiling water with a bit of oil. No. I held it in a pair of pliers in one of my two flames on the cooker. No. I heated, we both played tug of war. No. Now this should have been an indicator as to how my week was going to play out. Mmmm.....
 
 
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Just look at the difference between how the propeller looked when Beez was hauled and now, just beautiful. Soon it will be painted like the lady opposite us. This yellow paint, called Propspeed, is special, barnacles skid off as their little feet can’t get a firm grip, (designed for propellers as ordinary anti-fouling falls off.) We are not allowed to put it on, so more men to tend to the girls needs, how she always looks forward to that. Apparently there are some countries we could buy it and put it on ourselves, but not here in New Zealand. Beez can’t wait for the yard boys to be at her beck and call.......
Ron finished taking the windows out, then had to have a couple of sick days with a twingey back, so Warren put them back in, after they had been disassembled, cleaned of the old sealant, new applied and put back in. Yet another one of those jobs that looks as if nothing has been done. Rather like my list.
Don’t get me wrong, Bear is and has been working really hard each and every day. He constantly refers to his five notebooks (for different areas of the girlan organisation thing you know). Anyway on I went with the varnishing. I dealt with the paint spatters behind the sink – sorry. Stripped back the main and obvious wall in the kitchen where himself had brushed by and left two dollops of shiny stuff – sorry, but I have no idea what the shiny stuff could be. THEN, just as my mood was levelling through gritted teeth........OOPS. It began with the hoover not working, the girl is 220v and the hoover is 110v, so it has to go through a heavy little box (transformer). Bear stopped what he was doing to bend the two pins a little but as he did so – poof. Just a little bit of a shocking experience. I heard a big clatter from the office and went to investigate. I’m alright and I think the hoover is too. On I go with my jobs only to find later as I was hoovering just what the clatter had been. A chunk out of the office doorstep, newly finished with its sixth coat of varnish......... THAT’s IT........ Down went my tools and strike action began. At that moment, just as I was about to have a conniption - Rod and Mary rang to see if we would like to spend the day with them on Monday on a trip to Whangarei, yes please, never thought I would look forward to anything as much. Just the weekend to get through. Cross as a wasp doesn’t come near. So cross I didn’t drink for three days. I think it best at this juncture to remain very silent, there are far too many heavy tools out and about to risk it. Baby Beez is still on holiday, I feel like joining her. But she might be in a draughty, dank hangar somewhere. Do I have to book ????
 
 
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Monday morning (this time next week we will be on the bus heading for Auckland for a few nights before we fly home, yikes, so much still to do. Well he didn’t actually say yikes but something not to be typed at this point).
Ron back to work today and there he is under the girl, dealing with a little bit of reef damage. Meantime Warren was finishing off the office window. Rod and Mary due at half past nine. Just time for me to operate on my ‘over the shoulder boulder holder’. Most yachty females don’t bother with this particular piece of clothing, rather like wearing a life jacket – only necessary when needed. Last time I wore my new cheapy from The Warehouse, I could barely chew as my chest appendages were strung so high. I know,,,,,,, I’ll remove the under wires. There I was sawing a hole on the left side piece. First wire removed. Warren watched the second one in sheer amazement as the long slither of bent wire found its way to freedom. So this morning I left the girl with said appendages in a more appropriate position to carry out normal daily functions.
 
 
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Rod and Mary promised us a wonderful shop called Arthur’s Emporium. I was to be wowed by the material section and Bear in the hardware department. We had a pleasant journey down to Whangarei in Mrs Puki and headed straight for Arthur’s. Well were we wowed ??? Not much to look at from the outside, but inside, I haven’t seen that many different materials on the roll since Jimmy Abood’s in Trinidad. Bear was soon seen ferretting around in the Boys Department with a cheesy grin on his face and a basket on his arm – soon to be changed for a trolley.
 
 
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I know, I know, we must get out more. But look. When was the last time any of us saw a button selection like this.........and the edgings and finishes........ I found him at the transition point between Household and Boys.
 
 
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Our most inappropriate purchase was however, a had to be. I saw a Beez coloured bin, unexceptional – until you see the size of it against my shades. It’s going to be our cockpit bin, Velcro to keep it in place in the corner. That’ll save me coming on shift and finding your sweet papers chucked in the corner. They are not chucked, they are placed in the corner, ready for collection. Yeah, by me. No, let’s move on......... Hair cut booked for Saturday, note to self from a while back. Don’t use husband, he may be inexpensive, I so don’t like the word cheap. It’s because I wear varifocals, I can’t do straight lines. Clearly.
 
 
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With no paintbrush in hand I had to find something new to do, perhaps something creative that looks as if I have achieved something. At the start of everyday is the question, where are you working today. This morning it was, at the front in my office, sorting my shelves and making labels for my boxes. Marvelous. I set up on the cooker cover, a nice space at a great working height. New edging on the window blinds, velvet cord material cut to size. The fun bit of squidging the glue, using my nail file holder as a spreader, squashing down the material and seeing the final product drying on the settee. Sounds simple. Just how many times did Bear pad backward and forward. Just how many times can you squeeze two big people past each other. Just how many times until I wanted to stab him with my hair cutting scissors (my kitchen ones are now quite blunt. I hope you don’t want to blame me for that too. I might).
 
 
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Meanwhile, back in the office. I’ve seen a variety of clothes, less clothes and the back view of the busy Bear. Sadly, I didn’t get the blue glow as he dropped his spanner on the bow thruster battery and caused a bit of a firework display. Fortunately short lived and only blew one fuse. I’ll say nothing at this point because it would only get physical, cause Bear pain and me the need for a stiff libation.........
 
 
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The office. New boxes from The Warehouse, all labelled. Central pile organised, note nice varnishing on the floor. Later, said shelf seen with the new netting look. Do you know, that took me all day. It might have been done by lunch time, had you not padded up and down past me every two minutes. My turn to growwwwwwl. Don’t you growl at me.........
 
 
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This is the first time I’ve seen the office vice in years. The end of the bed may have to be finished before sleep time and the dressing table is a must to be cleared. On the morrow I’m getting the printer out. Bus tickets, flight tickets, lots of important stuff scheduled for the morning. Yes, dear.........
 
 
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The view in my office is unchanged. A young man did come by to remove the last ...........No special tool though, as promised, just the strength of youth and my soaking it overnight in WD40. Yes, dear...... Hopefully the engine boys will be back soon and you never know.........
 
 
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One day we walked up to the shop. What a great sight, a gang of mature, silver riders waiting for the Russell Ferry. Our only other view is trudging back from the shower each evening. All things must come to pass, surely........ Soon enough the jobs will be finished, will they. Seeing everyone at home is all that’s keeping us going right now.
 
 
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The absolute happened this evening. Where’s my anorak, came the call from outside. In the cockpit behind my chair, I called back. No, that’s yours. Oh !!! and as many swear words as I could spout in the next minute and a half. A rule on Beez Neez is ‘One In – One Out’. On our last trip to Kerikeri – the one Bear took me on for having done bad things to my varnishing, that ended in me needing fish and chips, we had stopped at the farm shop, the one I had found the retractable cattle prod, well anyway. Bear bought me my new waterproof (cheapy Arry, but I love them) leggings and anorak. I duly put mine out for the pile to go to the laundry, where others pick over said pile and take what’s useful. Rod popped by and I thought Mary might like it and off it went. Now a hasty phone call to Rod and Mary. “No problem, Bear can have his back.” Oh how I had to pour myself a big one. A massive thank you to Mary for showing me such pity. I hope my real one fits her as well.
On a brighter note. This weeks winner has got to be Bears neatly strung variety of duct tapes. Always good to know how to lay my hand on the major supply. I do have my own see-through roll hidden but handy for quick release purposes – for the just in case speedy need to tape the skipper by the wrists, or is that by the neck................................
Life cannot be this exciting..........
 
 
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL ARE WE THERE YET ????
                   SOON, I HOPE.......
 
 
 
 
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