July 13, 2012 - Cobb Island, MD

Hello friends!

I am serving as a guest columnist for Boat Notes today, July 13! What an honor.

I have been here exactly 24 hours - on this "sleepy" island that Jim described yesterday. Well, I can honestly say that it is NOT very sleepy! Or maybe the island was just waiting for me to arrive! : )

Rob, Jim, and Debi happily greeted me upon arrival. Although I have boated with Jim and Debi many times, I have never been on Sea Fever. What a luxury! I am in my own bedroom right now, with sun light pouring in from above, cool air, and comfy pillows. Jason, you would be happy here! Maybe he can join me next time. He has parent-duty this weekend.

After settling in, we had cocktails, Debi and I caught up, and then Rob and Debi beat Jim and I at Bocci. Honestly, it was sort of Debi against me, as we were much better than expected. Debi prevailed as the champion. We played on the lawn behind the "Activities" sign, so yesterday we were the "island activity."

Debi prepared a delicious dinner - pork chops with spicy black bean sauce and fresh vegetables - one of her best ever. I couldn't get enough. We lingered on the boat for a while, and THEN....

We went to Scuttlebutts - the marina bar/restaurant. The only bar on the Island. Apparently the phrase around here is that "Everyone ends up at Scuttlebutts sooner or later."

When the four of us walked in - Rob all talkative, Debi dancing, Jim straight to the juke box, and me just being me, well, everyone stopped and looked and (as Debi puts it) the energy got cranked up several notches. During the course of the night (we left around 1:30 a.m.), activities that include the following flowed one after another, just like the beer from behind the bar:  Jim's 24 songs he chose got trumped by a guy who wasn't interested in Jim's "s***" so he paid more to hear his own music (although we eventually heard all 24 excellent choices), Jim ZZ-top guy hung out with us, a lovely couple offered their home for us to do laundry, I had somewhere between a love affair and a therapy session with a darling butchy lesbian who had just gotten out of a 7-year relationship, Jim was a somewhat willing participant in a spray-whipped cream war, an adorable gay man told me I smelled like "grocery store birthday cake" every time he hugged me, Rob became quite involved with a lovely woman who seemed to think she was at Mardi Gras (if you know what I mean), and Debi photographed it all amidst dancing and drinking her Corona Light. 

Sleepy, indeed.

We had a nice morning, talking with many of the same people we met last night, doing the laundry at Steve and Carol's, working out on the bow, riding bikes around the island (see me as the laundry lady in the last pix), and greeting Bob and Peg who arrived this morning. Rob has said goodbye, and we will see what tonight brings ....

Yours truly,
Melanie