July 2-3, 2016 Last minute arrangements for SD/MN

We spent a couple days getting packed and getting the boat ready to leave it in the boat yard.  Seems like there are all kinds of last minute preparations.  To start off, we couldn't find something on the table because of the collection of hats that Dave rounded up.  I guess it’s time to put a few things away.

Dave was nicely surprised to see that the dingy cover fit over the dinghy even though it was turned over.  I didn’t ask him to list all the things he did, but he was busy.  The cockpit looked great on Sunday with everything stowed away. 

I went to church with Rosie Sunday morning.  We did a little shopping afterwards.  I wanted sandals like her’s.  And we hit the Good Will to find shorts for our husbands.  Boat work it pretty hard on your clothes.  She calls it GW Outfitters. 

We have a ride to the airport on Monday with the owner of the boatyard.  When I told him we would pay for gas or compensate him somehow, he said he didn’t expect anything.  Just giving him our business was enough.  Pretty nice guy. 

We still need to line up a ride back to the boatyard for Dave.  I hate to ask the boat yard owner because he arrives at 1:15pm on a Saturday.  It would break up his whole day.  I called the lady that gave me her number on Friday night.  She apologized because they were going to be out of town.  There is a list in the laundry room of people that offer rides.  The first one I called was out of town.  So I gave up on it and will take the list with us.  Dave can always get a one way rental car.  On Sunday, the yacht club lady called us back because she had found Dave a ride.  She gave us the phone number of one of the other couples we met Friday.  So we lined that up for Dave’s return.  They said their Yacht Club likes to offer rides to boaters in hopes that they will return to the community and tell others about it.  And they have all “been there, done that”.

I had another interesting phone conversation today.  When I was making an annual exam appointment with a new doctors office in Rapid City (my NP will be out of town), the receptionist remembered me.  She used to work for a different dentist.  When I told her we live on a sailboat, she said that her sister did too.  And she thought she’s want to meet me.  I gave her permission to give her my number.  Well, she called today.  She and her husband live aboard a 42 ft Pierson.  She’ll still be in Rapid City when I get there, so we are going to meet for lunch and share stories and experiences.  How fun!

Rosie and Larry had a son arrive today to visit and help them finalize the boat to launch after 3 years.  We met him early evening and said our “good-byes”.  They will probably still be here when Dave returns, but not when I return.  We really got to know them and enjoyed our time with them just in the last week.