I plan on getting a little work done this morning, then the wife and I are heading out on a boat this afternoon. No, we don't own a boat. I did once, bought a little pontoon when I first moved to Florida. That lasted about five minutes.

Turns out the old saying is 100 percent true: the two best days of a boat owner's life are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it. Boat ownership sounds romantic... until you're scrubbing the deck in July, flushing the engine every trip, and fueling it up all the time. I had a dock in my backyard, so I didn't have to tow or store it, but every storm warning meant tying that thing down like I was prepping for warp turbulence. Not fun.

A few years ago, we joined Freedom Boat Club*, and I much prefer that. We can take a boat out pretty much whenever we want, and they handle everything. Fueling, maintenance, cleaning, you name it. You just show up and go.

Back when I owned the boat, it was an hour-long canal ride just to get out to open water. If you were just doing a casual loop to look at houses, fine. But after the third or fourth trip, it felt like watching reruns of the same slow-moving episode. Now we can launch in spots that are right near the Gulf of Mexico**. That makes for a much better trip.

We try to go out once or twice a month, though that's probably being generous. In season, December through April, you've got to book well in advance because all the snowbirds scoop up the reservations. In the summer, there are fewer people, but the weather turns into a daily gamble. It might be crystal clear in the morning, then by 2 PM it looks like Armageddon rolled in from the Everglades. And between storms, it's humid enough to steam vegetables. Unless you're moving fast, you're sweating.

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday. Born on 4/20. He grows his own. That's all I'll say about that. Both of my parents are big-time hippies. We're taking him out for a nice dinner tomorrow night.

So that's my plan for the weekend. I may not have my own ship anymore, but I still get to feel like the captain... even if I have to drive the ship myself. LOL

What are your plans?

LLAP/RR

* Yes, I do highly recommend Freedom. You know I only recommend stuff I use personally. If you decide you'd like to join, let me know. I'll get a referral bonus, and whatever that is, I'll give it to you in free lessons. I think it's like $250, but don't quote me.

** Not being political, but changing this was just silly, IMHO.