Thoughts and Prayers

Last week the President reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

No surprise there. He’s been playing down the pandemic since January.

Yes, since January.

He rarely wears face masks.

He continues to hold political rallies in crowded auditoriums.

At the recent introduction for his new Supreme Court nominee, he held a mask-less, close-quarters ceremony on the lawn in the Rose Garden.

Several in that crowd tested positive afterwards.

The President knew he was sick when he debated VP Biden and while holding campaign meetings and fundraisers.

On Friday he was dramatically air-lifted to Walter Reed Hospital and reportedly given medications generally reserved for more serious cases.

Captain’s Note: Oddly, among the drugs administered, hydroxychloroquine was not mentioned, nor was bleach, whatever it was the My Pillow Guy was hawking, or Jim Bakker's "Silver Solution".

And then last night, after only three days in the hospital, he returned to the White House.

He ripped off his face masks and declared that COVID-19 was no big deal.

“Don’t let it dominate your life,” he proclaimed.

And this morning he was once again tweeting, comparing COVID-19 to the seasonal flu.

Captain’s Note: Four months into the flu season, an estimated 22 million U.S. citizens have contracted the flu and 12,000 have died. (Source: Washington Post) Contrast that with the 7 million who have contracted COVID-19 and 210,000 who have died with it since March.  

Of course, many people think Trumpf lied to us, that he didn’t really contract the virus.

This was all melodrama to help boost his sagging poll numbers in the presidential race.

Get the “sympathy vote”!

The Captain’s mind immediately went back to the 1992 movie “Bob Roberts”.

Tim Robbins plays a populist political candidate who is shot during the campaign and left partially paralyzed in a wheelchair…

Or was he?

While your Captain has had a little fun with all this, I have generally tried to reserve judgment until all the facts come out.

As others have pointed out, reports on the President’s condition were similar to that of former presidential candidate Herman Cain’s progress.

The difference being that, after more than a month battling the virus, Herman Cain died.

The President is not yet to that stage of the illness.

Captain’s Note: You might recall that Herman Cain likely contracted the virus at a Trump campaign rally.

Why would people question the truthfulness of the President and those around him?

Because Trumpf has sown those seeds of distrust over the past 20 years.

Don't trust Democrats.

Don’t trust the media.

Don’t trust the World Health Organization.

Don’t trust the Center for Disease Control.

Apparently we ARE supposed to trust the My Pillow Guy though.

 

After the press conferences this weekend, we’re not even sure we can trust his attending physicians at Walter Reed.

We know the President lies.

Profusely!

Fact-checking him has become a booming industry now.

So the Captain is withholding judgment here.

We’ll see what transpires over the next couple of weeks.

Thoughts and prayers.

 

Fall

The Captain is writing this from the cabin of The Tiki Hut.

There may be Rum in that cup.

Writing is a laborious process today.

The WiFi at the marina sucks!

S-U-C-K-S!!!

And Microsoft has chosen this moment and these circumstances to attempt a massive software update.

Well that’s not happening, Mr. Bill Gates! You just go back to working on that microchip you’re scheming to put in those CIOVID-19 vaccines!

 

So here I am, tied up in my slip.

Surrounded by boats flying their Trump flags…

Which only says to me, “My boat owner is an asshole!”

I really think the “Basket of Deplorables” has grown since 2016.

It seems many are striving to live into that moniker.

So there is a nip in the air.

Actually, it’s gusty out here. The wind occasionally catches the boat and jerks her to the end of her lines.

The air temp is around 68, the water around 78.

And the water levels are only a foot above winter pool.

All of that is important to understand.

Well, maybe with the exception of Bill Gates’ microchip…

Fall is here.

And with that, boating season is coming to an end.

Up to this point we have only managed to take The Tiki Hut out twice this summer.

Part of the problem was timing.

Part of it was the weather.

Part of it was the need/desire to work on our new home.

And part of it was, admittedly, the Captain’s fault.

All Summer long I have had a dreadful feeling about going out on the water.

Perhaps because we ran out of gas on our first outing and had to be towed in.

On the second outing we broke the button that trims the propeller and limped back to the marina.

Don’t get me wrong. I love The Tiki Hut!

Like most boats, she is a money pit, but I knew that when I bought her.

But being my first boat, I was somewhat lost.

Yes, one friend compared me to Rodney Dangerfield in this scene from "Caddyshack". 

And those I had hoped would coach me on the finer points of boating experienced life changes that took them away from the marina. 

The Tiki Hut makes a great "man cave" when not out on the lake!

But she hasn't lived up to my expectations of getting out on the water...

Of being the Captain of my own ship!

Or perhaps I haven't lived up to her potential.

While I am not ready to give up on her – the Captain doesn’t give up on anything or anyone that easily – but I have decided to give The Tiki Hut one more Summer.

If we don’t use her more in 2021 I will put a “For Sale” sign on her bow and take what I can get.

Oh, you will continue to see the Captain and First Mate out on the water, but probably in a more realistic and manageable boat.