Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Jewelry Schmewlry. Hardware a girl really wants...


I know lots of women who think that nothing says 'I love you' quite like a nice piece of jewelry. I like jewelry as much as the next girl, but this week I got an even better materialistic representation of Mark's adoration of me. Houston, we have a water heater. Those of you who are living on land with access to plentiful water at the flick of a tap, dispensed immediately at your desired temperature might not understand my glee at this most recent development, but my fellow boat babes will understand. Testify my sisters! Having the ability to heat water without the use of a tea kettle and stove is pretty darned luxurious living. I can't wait until it is all plumbed in. Yes, I will still be forced to wet down, turn off the tap, lather up, then turn on the taps to shower in an effort to keep our water usage to a minimum but that little spray of water will NOT be cold. This is awesome.

 I was so excited at the prospect of getting this on the boat I did not even mind the fact that I looked like a Clampett family member transporting this huge box in the passenger side of my mom's tiny little car. (My car is in the shop in an attempt to keep the Hoopty running for just one more year....) Kitty was disappointed that such a huge box did not contain something a bit more exciting. She was convinced that such a large box must contain something really amazing and you could see the disappointment on her face when I told her that while said box did not contain a pony, it had something even better- a water heater. Maura also seemed a little dubious as to the awesomeness of said water heater. I think I will let them shower in cold water for a bit so that later they can have an appreciation for how awesome our little Iso Temp really is.


We took break from making template patterns for the forward cabin seat cushion (me, messing up my first attempt) and from redesigning the engine exhaust system (Mark) to rectify what we think are serious design flaws to kick it around the docks with the kids.


Kitty's favorite place to go in all of Kemah is Kemah Hardware. Fortunately for her, they carry so many of the copper fittings, epoxy, etc, that she is pretty much assured of regular trips. This time she was beyond excited because in addition to some copper fittings, we were going to acquire a crab net of her very own and promised to take her crabbing. Mark, thinking he knew better than I- despite never having crabbed in his life insisted that what Kitty needed was a tiny bait net. I knew it wouldn't work but I let it go because Kitty was so jazzed about having a net of her own I couldn't bear to steal her joy.

After procuring the requisite chicken legs (how is it you can no longer buy just the necks anywhere? Galveston Bay- you have changed) we went off with bucket in hand to get to crabbin'. Mark thought all this production would be a waste of time. "You will never catch a crab" he said. "Check my birth certificate" I said. "Hello..SEABROOK NATIVE. I guarantee we will catch a crab. I spent endless hours playing around this bay as a kid and while it was too murky for swimming there were crabs a plenty. Galveston Bay=crabs.I am like the crab whisperer. I'm all Deadliest Catch on Galveston Bay. Trust me." I informed him knowingly.



So off we went. We did not manage to land a crab because I timed it wrong and the tide was coming so our crabs kept getting knocked off the line before we could attempt to net them. I should add that after seeing the inadequacy of his preferred net, Mark went off and added an extension. I didn't mind because I was able to smile the satisfied smile of the correct. Of course, Mark got all Captain Perfecto on us and the extension is a bit more finely crafted than mine would have been but its all good. Kitty can not wait to go crabbing again and she really hopes to land one next time. Maura is happy just to kick it around the water and I am just happy to get to spend a little bit of time with them all wasting time in pursuit of crabs. Soon enough, I shall be able to introduce the girls to the fun of crab drag racing.

Dubious Mark
Now a believer, Mark tried to bring the crab along the dock. I told him it wouldn't work, he did not listen. The crab let go. Hello- listen to the crab whisperer next time. Pull up slowly, scoop quickly. Be one with the crab...



9 comments:

  1. Oh yes, Crab Whisperer... it was the tide. Yep.
    I think you should name the hot water heater pony. Except then if it breaks and you say the pony died, it might freak out Kitty. We lived and cruised on boat #1 without hot water. I did my PREGNANCY on that boat without hot water. Through winter. I chalk it up to hormones and youth. Basically I was insane. Glad you will be comfortable!

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    1. Pregnant? In the winter with no hot water? You are a tougher woman than i!

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  2. Oh I still remember Ike well enough to know how exciting running water, much less HEATED running water can be! Although you know, camera equipment rates right up there too, doesn't it? We always see people crabbing but have never done it. I'll have to remember to be one with the crab if we do!!! :-) :-) :-) Love the pictures, although I think my monitor may have gasped its last breath, so I'm loving pink pictures. :-(

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    1. I should have posted a photo of me then. Pink makes everyone look good.

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  3. I laughed, I cried, I wished I had been filming the smug look on your face when you turned out to be, ahem... RIGHT! Crab whisperer, indeed. I bought a crab trap for MIke one year for his birthday (you are not allowed to catch crabs with a line up here). We never used it once. Why? Because he can't kill them, that's why. He considers them his 'brethren', since he is a Cancer. The trap sat in the shed for several years looking forlorn until I decided my nephew needed it. Now HE is the crab whisperer of the northwest after pulling up 11 crabs the first time. Loved this post! It made me laugh out loud. And kudos on that water heater! The girls will figure out soon enough how romantic a gift this is. Also, i grew up going to Galveston to the beach back in the day. My uncle had a house on stilts. I remember the sandy water, and all the sand in the swim suits, and seeing a shark in the wave.

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    1. Bay crabs are strictly for catch and release- no worries for Mike. We do like to have the afore mentioned drag races and they are awfully fun to menace younger siblings with but eating? Not so much. Now crabs from YOUR waters? YUM!

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  4. Interesting water heater, is it a 120v one?

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  5. Ha ha! Oh this is funny. First off I'm SOO jealous of your water heater, I'm already resigned to heating water on a stove. As long we can have a watermaker, i'm ok with that but I will not hesistant to bribe you with food and drink to come use yours!

    Secondly, the Crab whisperer? What a skill! You should definitely market this on your trip and show me some moves so I won't starve.
    Dani

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