Crazy things my husband does

After our youngest child Rebecca graduated from high school last year, my husband John did something he’d talked about for years and bought a high-end motorboat. It looks like one of those sleek fiberglass models that drug smugglers use to outrun the Coast Guard, and John jokes he should embark on a new career once he retires from his state job. After 25 years of marriage, a part of me worries he’s only half-kidding.

My name is Lori McCauley, I live in Seattle, and I’ll be 50 in a few years. I’d eventually like some grandchildren, but until that happens, at least, John and I have a new hobby: summer boating. Where John used to just have this dinky, smelly fishing boat that he hauled upstate for the occasional weekend fishing trip, always by himself, we have now become a prime provider of entertainment for our friends. Most weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day feature some kind of boat trip and our garage is filled with boat supplies. John even is talking about learning how to wake board (I think he has noticed some of the 20-year-old kids out on the lake doing back flips and wants to see if he can do the same. I’m going to have to schedule an intervention.)

I’m amazed at the amount of boat trip essentials we’ve had to purchase. I figured we just needed a few life vests on board, maybe an extra bottle of sunscreen stashed in the glove box in case any of our guests had forgotten. Turns out there is actually quite a lot of boat supplies for vacation and other purposes that any new boater would do well to purchase. In the past few months alone, John has updated the boat emergency supply kit, installed a mini-fridge near the front of the hull and even gotten an environmentally-friendly wax for the boat. He wants to get a state-of-the-art boat stereo system, as well. We also have a flare gun, distress flags and water skis, among other supplies.

I like so much about boating. I like being able to spend time with our friends, and I like seeing the look of child-like glee in John’s eyes as he revs the boat up to top speed. But of all the things I like about our new hobby, I think I most enjoy how it makes me me feel. On the water, when we’re rocketing through the waves, all other sounds get drowned out and my head begins to clear. I lean back in my chair, shut my eyes and my brain goes on standstill, the ride seemingly endless, a safe haven. Life can be hectic sometimes, even a few years short of retirement, and it’s nice to get any opportunity for calm. Almost always, I come back from a boat trip feeling a little better than I did before we left.

I don’t think John is done with this foray into the world of boating. I found a list the other day that he’d titled, “Boat stuff for my yacht.” At least he won’t be able to wake board or smuggle drugs with that.