In my confusion yesterday I made an error in event timing. That bad storm did NOT occur on our first day at Cedar Creek but on our second day. Lucky for us that we decided to remain an extra day in order to reprovision or we might have been caught out on the water in that storm. More on this later.
Our first project in the morning was to try and get to the local Publix Store for groceries. There was no-one available at the club to take us. Like most clubs it is pretty dead weekdays and hopping on the weekends. We were coming off a long holiday weekend and the place was deserted. So I tried a taxi. Either Uber or Nigeria has destroyed the taxi industry in America. I reached a fellow who said yes but did not understand what a yacht club meant. Then another man called back and said he had a flat tire and could not come. He gave me a number of another company but it sounded fake. the number was all 3’s. I dialed it anyway and it was a non-working number. Next I phoned the Publix and asked if they delivered. We had been told they did for a fee. No-one had ever heard of it. I asked if they could send someone to pick us up. They would have to ask the manager who was not there. It was looking dim. Jan called too with the same results. Finally Steve called. He said, “This is Captain Cullen at the Cedar Creek Yacht Club. I have two yachts that need provisioning and need you to send a car right away.” Believe it or not they sent a car with a sweet young woman named Caroline. She drove her own car. We piled in and went to the store.
Caroline and her 2015 Sonata.
When we walked in the staff applauded and rang a bell. Really! We set about filling up two carts top and bottom. Because I was there we got many things we do not often see at home. Jan says this is why she does not allow me to go to the grocery store unless it is an emergency. Anyway we had plenty to eat and drink. Caroline’s car was loaded up and we headed back. On the way we learned that Caroline is a nursing student at Cumberland State College and loves her job at Publix. We were her most exciting experience so far. I forced her to take a twenty for gas and I wrote a strong email to the head of Customer Service for the national chain. Next day I received a reply and they are going to give her an award for outstanding customer service. Hope it includes some cash.
The groceries were stowed and it was then that Jan and Trixie took a nap and the storm came. Also I left out the two lightening strikes that kept Steve and me from venturing out to close canvas during the storm. Both strikes hit on club property and one hit the clubhouse while I was looking directly at it. It was like a flare went off and a bomb exploded simutaneously. I jumped straight up. It destroyed their computers and phone system. Frankly I was glad it hit there rather than our boat. I still do not want to test Tommy’s theory nor buy all new electronics.
Once the storm abated, the sun popped out and it was a beautiful afternoon and evening. Jan marinated chicken breasts in a mesquite sample I picked up at the BBQ Cookoff. Steve again was the grill chef. Another fabulous meal in our dining roon on Little Funhouse. You may ask why we eat on the smaller boat. Because it has a better setup for all of us to sit together.
Steve thinks he is winning Trixie over but she still barks every time he comes aboard and bites him whenever she gets a chance. He just laughs.
Tomorrow we turn back toward home.
