OK - I'll play -
1) # 3242
2) A life lesson from my youth. I was 16. Out on a Hurricane Island Outward Bound sailing/survival training expedition. 3 teams of 12 per boat. We had come ashore on an island for the night. Harvested our supper from the shore and cooked on coffee can cookers we had made. I and a guy from each of the other 2 boats were assigned the
dawn watch. We only needed to watch the boats at anchor and move them with the tide as needed and then wake everyone else up at sunrise.
We 3 however
- got it into our heads that it would be a well received breakfast treat for everyone if we gathered some muscles off the low tide rocks and had a nice hot breakfast of biscuits and muscles with tea and coffee ready for everyone. It was a beautiful sunrise and we were bouncing around elated and proud of ourselves as teenagers can be when out in nature and intent on a happy purpose. We knew the other guys would love it!
We had the fires going, food on the heat and at last it was time to wake everyone up to start this glorious day and to receive the grateful accolades of our sailing companions. Hey guys look what we have for you - :grouphug:
It was then that the Watch Leader (our instructor) casually looked around and then says -
Hey Sam - how are the boats?
I looked out to the beach and with immediate regret - embarrassment -
really, utter shame - I saw that our 3 - 30' boats were mired in the mud 30 feet of the shore and all of that more away from the tide water that was outgoing even as we watched.
AND SO
that was the END of breakfast and any chance for basking in the glow of hot breakfast feasting comrades. We were immediately all dispatched to break down camp and then with packs and gear slug through the tidal mud to the boats which we were then tasked to CARRY/DRAG to the receding water. We had no choice. It would have been a long day of sitting on the island waiting for the tide to return to us and relift the boats. We were not waiting for that.
As you can imagine - standing in mud and trying to lift out of the mud and then drag boats from their gunwales - even with 12 guys sharing the load - was damn tough, dirty and altogether unpleasant work. This was not a friendly crowd. They had been deprived of breakfast and they were now knee deep in mud, miserable, grumpy and overworked. :scowl: :sweat::scowl: :sweat: :scowl:
ME? I was/am the
very short guy in the group. Completely useless in the circumstance because I could barely reach the gunwales let alone lift and drag. So you know what I got to do
I got into the boat and watched!!
They were all now carrying me too! There was nothing else I could do. :sigh:
You CAN IMAGINE the amount of grief that was piled on me that day. I was - to say the least - mortified. OH - the ignominy.
The boats hauling, at last, was successful. Back IN the boats and out in the water, everyone had a chance to swim and rinse off while I, very willingly and with much humility, made up 3 dozen, or more, peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches as breakfast on the go. The day was a perfect summer day. Sailing was invigorating (
at least we had wind and did not need to row) and these guys were soon enough laughing and though unforgetting, generally pretty forgiving to this little poop of a mate. How could they stay mad at someone as cute and charming as moi?
Surprising how often I think of that morning. Needless to say - if I'm assigned the dawn watch or any other task on which others depend for me to be vigilant - I don't get distracted ...
3) Would have been a great breakfast :twothumbs
Another #? If so - # 2689
Enjoy, Sam