Hump Day Wednesday

Of course, we cheated getting here. Was a bank-holiday weekend, so had Monday off, resulting in only a four day week to get through. So, technically, you could argue we're still on the uphill climb at only two days in, and don't reach the summit till this evening. But that would be splitting hairs whilst you danced on the head of a pin, so we don't need to go there.

Was a great weekend.

Started Friday night with a gig in a new venue. Weddings and Birthdays and the like are often new venues, though we get a fair few repeats at some of the more popular ones, but it's been a while since we've had a new, garden-variety pub venue, so The Trident in Downend was a bit of a treat.

A few friends of the band local to the area turned up to cheer us on, and Dad and Aunty Ann came down to see us, but otherwise lots of new faces in the crowd that hadn't seen the band before. First time Dad's been to a gig in an absolute age, and first time ever I think Aunty Ann has seen us perform "in the wild". We did do a party for one of my cousins about eighteen months ago, but that doesn't really count, fun though it was. This last Friday, Bean, the band's drummer, was away at a festival elsewhere, so one of our regular standbys Dan stood in on drums. As always, he did a fantastic job.

It was a great gig. Turned out to be a lovely venue. We're back there a couple more times before the end of the year (next time, we've got our friend Eddy standing in for Matt on guitar) and a promise of gigs into next year, so good result all round, I think.

Saturday, I actually convinced Nikki to come out sailing with me at Frampton. We took one of the Club's Wanderers out. A Wanderer is very similar to a Wayfarer, just a little shorter overall in length at 14'. Whilst I wasn't able to persuade her onto the helm, Nik said she quite enjoyed it. After she'd had enough, I dropped her back on shore and played for a while longer with the Wanderer whilst she went for a walk around the lake with my usual crew Hels and their dog, Frankie.

Before they got back, I surrendered the Wanderer to one of the other instructors at the Club that wanted to take his grandchildren out and took an RS Feva out. Had fun single-handing the boat with the asymmetric. That bit was easy, and something of a laugh in the gusts. Unfortunately, the jib cleats on boat sides were broken, which at times left me wishing I had a third arm.

Sunday we took off sailing, and instead went out for a pub lunch with Dad, Nikki, the boys and Ben's girlfriend who'd come down from up north to stay for the weekend. I'm usually racing on a Sunday, so it was a bit of an unusual treat; there was no racing scheduled at the Club because of the bank holiday.

Rain was forecast for Monday, with a squally start to the morning, with the wind fading into the afternoon. So Dad and I did the sensible thing, and took Ondine out for a play on the lake. We took Bruno out with us. Previously, he's been a bit like a gazelle on ice, paws slipping and sliding on the fibreglass deck. This time, we fitted him with slippers, and he instantaneously transformed from newborn Bambi-impressionist gazelle to German Shepherd shaped mountain goat.

Despite there being a bit more wind than the last time we took him out, with his boot on he was quite settled, even with the boat heeling in the gusts. Not sure I'd want to trust him out to sea in the Lugger though.

Dad's seriously thinking of trading in the boat for something with a hutch. He'd originally set his eye on a Drascombe Coaster, which we could do for next year, but the more he's talked about it, the more he's convinced himself he'd really like a Drifter 22, which might take an extra year of saving up. Which is fine, as long as his health holds out. On that score though, at the moment he seems bullishly confident.

It occurs to me that with a the additional shelter of a Coaster or the shelter and space of a Drifter 22, Bruno coming out to sea with us becomes a much more realistic prospect. Wonder how you manage the, um, "mechanics" of a German Shepherd at sea? All very well keeping a bucket around for the bipeds aboard, but although he's arguably better house-trained than some of my children, the bucket might be a bit of a stretch for poor old Bruno.

Though that's a puzzle for another day.

Today is Hump Day Wednesday. Downhill to the weekend from here. Meantime however, Ben and I are racing this evening. Not many more Wednesday evenings left before the boy goes back to Uni, so best make the most of it. Currently knocking the trees about in a south-easterly F4. Not our prevailing wind direction, it's funny having it come the wrong way down the valley. Hope it holds into the evening. Forecast to fall a little, but you never know.