Signs

You ever have a day where nothing goes right? It starts with something simple like spilling tea, or whacking your toe on something you've walked past for over five years without a problem. Maybe you wake up, stretch, and pull a muscle, or you slide off the bed and step on a belt buckle that jabs the instep of your foot. These are signs. Signs that your day will suck. If you're smart you recognize these events for what they are, and you stop what you are doing, and just grab a good read and lay around the boat all day doing nothing. Maybe you start drinking early. Never, after recognizing these signs, do you attempt to do something that if done incorrectly or carelessly, could lead to disaster, or negatively impact your budget. Small projects can be attempted, but they will almost always end in frustration. The key to avoiding disaster, frustration, or embarrassment is recognizing the early warning signs and taking the necessary inaction. Yes, inaction. Sit there and ponder life until the bad luck leaves you.

In my past life, when I was incarcerated employed as an engineer, we would notice the Bad Juju right away. At first we didn't see it, and we were cursed for that day, but as time went by and we got older wiser, we could spot the signs. Here is one example of what would happen:
You pull into the parking lot and notice your one tire is half flat. "Son of a.." You boot up your laptop, and forget your password. You go to get some hot water for tea, but nobody turned on the pot. You wait for the pot to warm up, and the plant manager sees you shooting the shit. You feel guilty, so you make that software update they've been waiting for. Your software has a bug, the machine goes down, and the plant manager thinks you're a no talent slacker who stands around the coffee pot all day. After things like this happen often enough, you recognize the signs and realize that your day will suck. You lay low, avoiding any serious mayhem. It became well known in our area, that you never, ever make program changes on a Friday. Just like you  never start a voyage on that day. It's just bad luck. Recognize the signs.

This last week that bad aura had descended upon me. I missed all the signs to indicate that my day, or days would suck. I did not realize the fact that I was cursed, and kept plugging away at projects expecting things would improve. They did not.

It started with morning tea. I was enjoying a nice cup of tea in the cockpit, with the rising Sun beaming in. Birds were singing, skies were clear, Deb was working, fish were jumping, and I was oh so relaxed watching it all unfold. The tea was getting a tad cold, so I gulped it a bit, swallowing and choking on the tea leaves that had busted out of the bag. With half a mouthful of leaves that I didn't want to ingest, I stepped out of the cockpit and spit it all in the water, leaving a coating of black leaves on my teeth and tongue.  On the way back into the boat to get some water I missed the last step and fell back into the salon table, knocking over my metal water bottle that scratched the cabin sole finish. I should have stopped right there and recognized the signs, but no. I continued on with my day and everything I touched for the next several, turned to shit.

The freezer project has a connecting line between plates that is too short, and this was noticed AFTER I mounted the two heavy holding plates. The drill then died and the battery will not charge. I lost the chuck key. I bang my head getting in the shower. I fill the cockpit with shower water because I forgot to open the seacock to drain it. I bang my head getting out of the shower. I wear my t-shirt inside out for most of the day. I caulk the tub/shower, only to find out I bought clear, which comes out white at first so you don't notice. I clean the toilet, only to have it spit back at me when I flush it, and find out I need a new joker valve, and a new shirt. I buy wood for making new screen frames, but forget the screen material. I refill the water tank and spill clorox all over the deck. I spill laundry detergent all over the floor of the van. I lift the laundry basket, and the metal leg breaks and cuts the top of my hand open. I bleed on a shirt. I leave in the van to run some errands, and the steering has a loud bang, and now something is rattling around under there. That something rattling cost me $1300. Another horrible day is almost over, so a beer and pizza in the cockpit sounds really good, and I need to light the oven. After the crappy few days I'm having, I'm afraid to light the damn thing. I get the pie in the oven just fine, check it in 10 minutes, looking good, check again in 10 more, again in 2...why is this pizza taking so long? No propane. The tank ran out.

In the space of two days, not one thing went right and I became a super klutz. Now I have to focus on getting rid of the bad luck. How do you get rid of it? I usually just wait it out, but I find it hard to just sit here and do nothing. I can't believe I just said that. Really, I think it's just a waiting game. Maybe I just need to generate some good Karma? Yesterday I helped the old sailor down the dock by leaving my cart for him. That count? There were little crabs all over the dock and I avoided stepping on them. How about that? I let some old lady go ahead of me in the grocery checkout, which I thought would help, only to have her all confused with her card, and then she needed a price check, and then she whipped out the coin purse because her card wouldn't work. C'mon you old crone! Have your groceries delivered next time!

Yea. It might be a while.

As punishment for the "old Crone" thoughts, I hooked my toe in my bathing suit while changing and fell off balance into a cabinet door, generating a nagging throb of pain in that toe.

Maybe these guys can help me.