Today I went on a boat that didn’t go anywhere and didn’t go on a boat that did go somewhere.
My day was really supposed to be different. I had plans to visit a friend of mine who was donating some pretty amazing bike tires to me and going to help install them. Even though I log more than 100 miles a week I couldn’t tell you the names of most of the parts of my bike. I’m embarrassed to say, but it’s true, that I just learned there was a “tube†inside the tire about a year ago. I’ve been riding for four years. Obviously I have the capability to learn this stuff, but it just doesn’t come naturally.
To use a football term that I understand as an “audibleâ€, my friend Justin called and invited me on his boat. This was a new purchase that he made with a few other guys. I was excited as I happen to live very close to the harbor. I jumped on my bike with the dog in the backpack and headed over. I had called Jon and asked if we could push the bike tire-swap back until tomorrow. Boat trumps bike stuff.
I called my mom from Justin’s boat to find out about the next boat. She had invited me on a nighttime boat tour a few months ago. I assumed it was one of those big dinner cruises where the food is top-shelf and the waiters all wear white suits. My mom informed me that I had it all wrong and it was a sailboat, no dinner, and going to last three hours. It’s still an amazing trip and you get to see the Chicago cityscape and the Navy Pier fireworks, but to sit on a boat (which I had just been doing) for another three hours didn’t appeal to me. I politely asked my mom if she would mind if I skipped. She was fine with this, and told me that it probably made sense as the other five people on the boat were her best friends from high school. I was merely filling in for my dad who couldn’t be there.
I biked home and ate some pretzel rods.
Oh, and I started watching Dr. Who. People have been telling me that I absolutely HAVE to start watching this show. I started with the 2005 reboot. The first episode was very campy and strangely acted it’s going to take a few, I think, before I get hooked. But so many people have told me to stick with it that I’m going to blindly follow.
And by the way, I think we should all blindly follow a bit more. If the Muppets newest movie has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and you won’t see it because you don’t like Muppets movies then you’re an idiot. I don’t like the stupid Muppets either, but I’ll see anything that’s a 97%. Why? Because it’s going to be awesome. When someone tells you to check out a band or a tv show and they have great taste, just go do it. Don’t be that person that won’t watch Archer on FX just because you don’t like cartoons.
You don’t need to check in with your feelings about your opinion of the Muppets. Let dozens of the top film critics tell you whether it’s great or if it sucks. Trust them, they’re right.
Follow! Follow I say! Go blindly into the night (but listen for someone’s voice ahead of you so you know where to walk).
photo credit: Shirin K. A. Winiger via photo pin cc