No Travel
So today was the start of the big, long-awaited event ... the AGLCA Rendezvous. I woke this morning to temperatures in the low 40s. It was comfortable to warm when I went to bed last night, so I left the bed made with only two blankets. Clark was sound asleep snoring by the time I came to bed as he decided not to wait up for me while I finished my blog update. Even if he had been awake I don't think I would have thought to ask that he turn the heat on in the boat.
Sometime during the night the cold moved in, and in the morning I found that the only warm part of the bed was within the outline of my body. If I moved an inch one way or the other I felt freezing cold sheets. I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to get up. Clark, however, seemed oblivious to the cold as he continued to sleep while I laid there awake. Finally at 8:00 I could not take it any more and decided to brave getting out of bed to make that dreaded trek to the head in the lodge at the park.
Cold air sinks, and our bed is down the stairs into the boat. Just coming up the four steps into the cabin I got warmer and found it was warmer still outside where the sun was shining. I pointed out to Clark, as we walked past the docks, that the water appeared to be "smoking" as the fog was lifting from the water.
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| Morning Fog at Joe Wheeler State Park |
By the time we came back out of the lodge, the fog on the water had completely disappeared. I was glad we got our photo opp when we did. Shortly after returning to the boat from the walk to the head, I found I was warm enough to change into shorts and ditch my coat for the rest of the day. I spent a large portion of the day inside the lodge for the rendezvous, so I cannot attest to whether or not we reached the predicted high for today of 76 degrees. I cannot say that I like these 30+ degree swings in temperatures over the course of a single day.
The rendezvous program started at 3:00 today, so we had time to kill before any events. I decided to pass the time by preparing the boat for the "looper crawl" where anyone interested can come by and tour the boats that have been volunteered to be shown. Clark loves to talk about Sea Moss, so the "looper crawl" is perfect for him to show off all the features of our lovely Mainship 350.
I tidied up a bit inside which made me notice that the windows and screens inside the boat desperately needed to be cleaned. I started by cleaning the inside of the windows and then tackled the outsides as well. By the time I was done I was perspiring like crazy. Clark, on the other hand, was inside the boat on the computer complaining that he was cold even with a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. As soon as he got outside and starting polishing the hull of the boat, however, he started warming up in a hurry, and shortly after he began, he was back in the boat to change to a t-shirt and shorts.
Sitting on the dock polishing the boat at the rendezvous appears to be a great way to meet the other boaters. I was inside on the computer taking care of some business that could not wait, and I could hear all the folks stop by to chat with Clark and make comments about his cleaning efforts. I wondered what percent of his time was spent cleaning and what percent was spent chatting. One of the couples that came by is very interested in purchasing a Mainship, so we actually gave them a tour of the boat. They got the early version, i.e. before the boat was cleaned in preparation for "looper crawl" visitors.
Although registration started at 3:00, I gave Clark until 3:30 to wrap up his cleaning efforts. I was quite pleased that at 3:28 we were walking towards the entrance to go register. When we got to the lodge, the rooms were overflowing with people. We made our way to register and collect our name tags and the AGLCA goody bag. We received a card to get sponsor signatures and a bingo card to get attendee signatures. Completing each activity entitles an attendee to participate in drawings for free gifts during the event.
The sponsor card was relatively easy - go to each booth and have them initial that you went there. The bingo card was harder as each square contained something that a looper had to have done and you had to find a looper who had done that thing. For example, find a looper that saw a shark while on the loop, find a Canadian looper, find a looper who has done the loop more than once, find a looper that was a "reluctant spouse" (wife that did not want to do the loop but did so because her husband wanted to go), ...
While she was standing at one of the sponsor counters, I asked Pam from Endoxi to sign my "reluctant spouse" square. She agreed to do so, and I happily got another box checked off. As Pam and I walked away, I heard the two women at the booth laughing as one said to the other, "Who would actually admit to being a reluctant spouse?" It took a while for it to click, but then I realized that they thought that Pam was saying she entered her marriage reluctantly not that she went on the loop reluctantly. I walked over and explained to the sponsors what the phrase "reluctant spouse" means in the looper world. We all had a good laugh over their misunderstanding.
At 4:45 the program began with "in progress" loopers standing up to say a few words about being a looper. Some explain how they came to be a looper while others offer words of encouragement and advice to those thinking about being loopers. We walked in late at almost 5:00 mostly because I had to follow Clark around to keep him moving in the right direction to get to the meeting room.
As we sat listening to the "in progress" loopers, I could not understand why Clark would not get up to join the line of folks introducing themselves to the audience as "in progress". Finally after I got really mad because it looked like I would either have to stand up by myself or not stand up at all, he agreed that he would go up. He made me livid by actually laughing at the fact that I was angry because he refused to participate in the program. Why he waits to do what I ask until I get so angry I get emotional, I will never know. We did go up and we did introduce ourselves with a few words each about who we are, our boat name and type, and some words about planning, or not planning, for the trip as the case may be.
So many folks are "in progress" that at 6:00, the moderator called a halt to the introductions. She needed to kick everyone out of the room so that the tables could be set up for dinner at 7:00. Since the weather was nice, or so she claimed, she said the reception of cheese and wine could be found outdoors. When I got out to the reception, I found myself very grateful that I had a jacket in my backpack, but even wearing the jacket I felt cold!
We milled around outside chatting with other loopers or looper wannabes until the 7:00 dinner time when we were allowed back in for the buffet dinner. Dinner was paid for by one of the sponsors therefore it was free to Clark and I. We were not impressed with the food however as other than the lettuce, there was not a fresh vegetable in sight. The vegetable choices were canned green beans, canned corn, and canned yams. That selection of vegetables combined with the sliced ham option for the main meal left slim pickings for food that Clark either can or wants to eat. Fortunately they served some type of baked fish that Clark could eat so he had that with salad and a roll with butter.
After dinner Gold Loopers got a chance to stand up and say whatever words of wisdom they wanted to share with the other attendees. A Gold Looper is a person who has completed the loop already. A Platinum Looper has completed the loop more than once. No one that introduced themselves indicated they had completed it more than once, but at least two couples who have done the trip in the past are currently doing it again. After the Gold Loopers each said their piece, the "in progress" loopers that still had not spoken were given the opportunity to say something.
As a finishing touch to the day, some door prizes were given out by random drawing. Only one item that they gave out caught my eye as something that I really wanted. I did not win that item or anything else for that matter. I never win things that I really want. Most of the give away items were baseball caps or shirts with advertisements on them. The one item I wanted was a Florida cruising guide that I had seen at a booth yesterday. I even tried to buy that same book today at the same booth, and the vendor had no idea what book I was referring to. It was very frustrating!
Tomorrow starts bright and early with a complimentary breakfast running from 7:45 to 8;30. Then events run all day long including presentations and seminars and ending with a trip into Rogersville to see a musical show at the Cotton Gin venue. Sounds like a very busy day ahead!
Too bad that our little camera cannot take a good picture of the night sky here at Joe Wheeler State Park. The stars are amazing. Even with the tutorial I took at the Planetarium at Land Between the Lakes State Park, I still can only find Cassiopeia each night as I study the sky. Irregardless of that, it is still breathtaking to see the sky whether the constellations pop out for me or not! Each time I am able to see the Milky Way I am in awe! I have not once seen the Milky Way the entire time I have lived in New Jersey. The last I remember seeing it was as a child in rural Pennsylvania! Being able to view stars was a major attraction for me to come on this trip.
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