For once, a day of work that was entirely satisfactory, certainly from my point of view. In the morning, it were as though I were trying to re-introduce pole-squatting as a major sport, since I spent getting on for 3 hours up the main mast. The job was to fit a new bridge piece (sort of a mini-spreader which sticks forward) which meant having the piece of wood pass up and down various times to be planed, drilled, etc. The most difficult thing up there is always having to put tools, screws, material away, and then dig them out again, usually discovering they’re in the wrong hand. However, I seem to have lost completely my nervousness about working at a height, and it is intensely satisfying to be able to complete the work satisfactorily, and see the tangible results.
After lunch, a variety of small jobs up the mizzen – fixing a deck floodlight, (which didn’t work… and I told Dave to check it) and a couple of aerials. As usual, we have back-up systems for everything. Most tricky was affixing an insulated retainer for yet another aerial, out at the end of the spreader, so I had to pull the seat out to reach it.
Finally, was able to relax with a couple of drinks, + then dinner, with John + Barbara present. A good relaxed evening. John is very good company. Dave, as usual, went to sleep. Although basically a lazy person, I do enjoy working when I get going, + the job is something to get one’s teeth into.
In contrast, Friday was relatively speaking a complete waste of time. Oh, we got the canoe on board. And Val spent ages cleaning up the batteries. And Dave drilled 4 holes. Which was just about it for the day. Which is very silly really, since there is still much to do. Dave put off climbing the mast to fix up the rest of the electrics. The strain of a month’s work is beginning to tell, I think. At any rate, Val + I have arrived at one of our pissed off with the Simons phases once again – at Monika’s silliness + at Dave’s insensitivity + bullheadedness.
As I have already said, irritation with our hosts does seem to preoccupy me a great deal at this time; read cumulatively, they come across as a massive whinge, and rather an ungrateful one at that. Still, I can’t go on apologising for it ad nauseum.
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