Just Raven

Every now and again I have to take stock of where I’m wasting my time and take steps to fix that. It’s not easy but I’m always a better person after.

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My hero.

This is THE reason I eat (semi) right, exercise hard and work like a maniac…so I can live like this man (who I personally know and just adore) when I get to be an old lady…

“People said I was crazy, I was too old,” said the 79-year-old as he put the finishing touches on his wooden boat. “I don’t like to lose.”

Almost every day for the past 18 months, Dorr has been on the docks at Beacon Marine Basin, building his own motorboat, all 24 feet long and 8 feet wide of it. His hands are weathered, his heart is full, and he is ready to launch the boat Saturday.

“I built every [expletive] bit of it,” he said. “Some days, I wish to Christ I never started.”

“It’s more than what I bargained for,” he added. “I’m happy I built it, but I would never do it again.”

The boat is named Dog Star, another name for Sirius, the brightest star and a useful navigation tool. There is a 150-horsepower engine and the bow has a Ram’s head from an old Dodge truck that died 15 years ago.

Dorr started with blueprints from a boat designer in Maine, but he grew frustrated with the design and stopped using the plans after two months.

“I like things rugged,” he said, banging on the boat to demonstrate its strength.

He could have been explaining himself.

“There’s no toilet,” he said. “Just a 5-gallon bucket.”

Dorr wears ratty jeans, work boots, and a green flannel shirt, a pack of Marlboro mediums in his front pocket. He has a stern handshake, crusty hands, and curses like, well, a sailor.

Yep…he’s one of those men who thinks nothing of scratching his privates in full view of the world around him. He swears like I do, drinks beer, laughs at himself and appreciates life. He doesn’t need fancy fittings around him to feel complete or to enjoy life. The 5 gallon shit bucket is just as efficient and probably more so than any flushing toilet…esp on the high seas!

The perception of “Old age” is a chosen lifestyle- to him and to people like me. I know too many people his age who get excited about going out once a month to play…golf. Or who moap about dwelling upon their every ill and ache.

Screw that shit.

The Double-A is my hero because he has shown me that one can do anything they want- his life long dream is about to become his reality and if he can do it, ANYONE can. How cool is that, to live on a boat and traverse the eastern coast, at age 80?? I will be doing similar things when I hit that number.
Guaranteed.

Sunday afternoon Pink Floyd: The mystical and (some say) forlorn Marooned from the Division Bell.
I don’t call it forlorn so much as I call it Just. Pink. Floyd.

Another one of my favorites- we won’t discuss the kind of dancing that’s done to this song.

This is where yours truly spends many of her recent days: WORK. Works makes the world go round and round and…okay that’s bullshit but I had to try to pretend this isn’t too bad.

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Appetizer: Name a color you find soothing.
White. Or blue. Most shades of blue, but I really like grayish blues.
<--Like that.

Soup : Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.
Down at Camp Lejuene: (my X taught me to drive) We were driving and got chased by the MPs.

Salad: What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?
Easy. Cotton. I rarely wear anything else, save for denim.

Main Course: Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?
I have waited in line for: David Gilmore and Roger Waters. Pink Floyd before they split. There is no one else who deserves such a pilgrimage.

Dessert: What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?
A. Lots of a’s…5 altogether.

Money chat. Yes. That’s right…I recently used this service to see if it could help me figure out where I stand, overall, with my finances. I got 68 page report which is quite comprehensive considering how damn frugal and tight I am with my cash. I refuse to hire a financial planner simply cause I can’t afford that. The $98.00 it cost me to do this was a bargain. And I know exactly where I stand with my money- I used this software to see if my ideas were anywhere near correct compared to other ideas. I’m doing a lot better than a big percentage of most people, which surprises me when I consider my lifestyle. Then again my lifestyle now is exactly why things look good down the road.

Anyway…

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In an email group I belong to we were discussing Sex Education Programs and I wandered off topic a little…in the effort to show where (I think) parents responsibility should be with regards to talking with their kids about these subjects. I think very differently on these things and I have ticked off a lot of people with my thoughts. However, I stand by my positions because of where I’ve been and my experiences. Most people haven’t stood in my shoes so I realize how hard it is to understand where I’m coming from.

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Yeah…I grilled some higher class type food yesterday. Grilled chix, pineapple and asparagus. As always I grilled WAY too much but thats ok.

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From an email:

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

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I love spring in New England. I suppose it’s like this everywhere but I only know of my area..there is nothing as serene as a cool morning around my little world. Mind you, we could easily get three feet of snow tomorrow.

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