PEOPLE AMAZE ME!!

Well, we listed Paul's boat in the paper Friday. Paul got called to an emergency response (ER) in Houston, so that did not work out well. I know absolutely NOTHING about boats, so I was kind of concerned when Paul started calling me telling me people were wanting to come look at it. I can't start this thing or tell anyone anything about it, except that we used to have a lot of fun on it and that the seats and carpet need to be replaced badly, other than that it is a great boat.

We had a guy come out last night and look at it. Paul and I both got the feeling by the way he acted and talked that he knew everything about boats (or at least he thought he did). So I just handed him the keys and stood out of the way. He got in the boat and said the floor felt a little weak. He asked if he could pull a little corner of the carpet up. I said that was fine and the next thing I hear is him pulling up about a foot of carpet - IN TWO PLACES!! The nerve of some people! I can understand wanting to check things out, but come on!! Next he goes and gets all these tools and supplies and starts hammering in different places all over the floor. Then he hooks some stuff to the engine to try to start it. Now, for those of you who don't know (I do know this much), you can't start a boat without water going through the motor. They have these earmuff things that you put on the motor and attach to a water hose to "trick" the boat into thinking there is water going through. Apparantly he decided to do another way where you take out the spark plugs and blah blah blah (Paul explained, but I don't understand - big surprise!!) So this guy is tinkering around, I step inside to check on my wonderful boys who waited patiently inside! I come back out and he is packing things up and said he was going to pass on it.

So, I talk to Paul late last night and apparantly this guy called Paul and told him that we needed to be letting people know that the boat needed major work and that it would not even start. At 10:30 last night, in the dark, nasty bugs flying all around and on me, I am out trying to figure out why the boat won't start - you know, with all my infinite wisdom of boats (more like absolute idiocy). Paul was on the phone telling me what to look at. He thought the charger or battery had gone bad (the battery stays on a charger that charges as needed). The battery is not too terribly old and when the guy turned the key (without water going through the motor) it sounded like it was going to start, which I don't think it would do if the battery was bad.

Well, by now - on top of the dark and bugs - it is raining!! The boat is not easy to cover by yourself, but I had gotten it recovered after the guy left. I decided to check to see if the depth finder and lights worked, which meant uncovering the boat (in the rain, dark and bugs). I uncover and find that everything worked fine and after I looked, went back to the battery and saw the charger light on (saying it was charging). I told Paul that it was all working and I did not know what the guys problem was. We did not know what to do, someone was supposed to come over and look at it at 8:30 this morning! I gave up, recovered it and went to bed.

So, this morning, I am really worried about the boat and if something is wrong with it, since someone was coming over to look at it. To top it off - it is pouring and only over OUR COUNTY! The rest of the state - DRY! I did not have a number for this couple to tell them to wait a while for it to stop raining, so when they got here, I again went out in the rain to uncover it for about a minute and a half. This guy looks at it, really wants it, wants Paul to call him so they can "work out a deal" and told me that he would come back when Paul is home and it is not raining (and actually helped me cover it back). I said that was fine. They call me about 10 minutes after they leave and ask me to call Paul and find out the lowest price he would take, and that he wanted it. I did that, called back and told him he would not come off the price (he way underpriced it anyway, apparantly!). They started telling me how they were on a fixed income (aren't we all??)and they wanted him to knock off about $350 (and we won't even talk about the fact that they drove up in a new camaro!). So they told me that if it does not sell by the time Paul comes home to call him and they would deal.

Meanwhile, the phone has been ringing off the hook! Paul is down where things are exploding and his phone is ringing off the hook (we listed his cell phone number in the add unaware of Paul leaving town). A couple came out and looked at it. After a while, he goes to try to start it. I am really worried and praying that it will start for him (Paul ran it last month for quite awhile so I knew it WAS working). I ended up having to call Paul so he could tell the guy how to start it. Well, apparantly when the know-it-all-jerk came last night and rudely called Paul talking about how awful the boat was - HE FAILED TO CHECK THE GAS!!! I had put gas in it, but I did not know that the line was unhooked so that gas was not sitting in the engine! The first thing the guy this afternoon did when it did not start right up was CHECK THE GAS and immediately saw that the gas line was not hooked up. Hey guess what folks, the boat runs off gas and when it had gas - IT STARTED!! I almost love it when someone like that - that thinks they know everything - are put in there place by something so obvious and stupid - I just wish he had been here to see it!

Anyways - this couple bought the boat - YEAH!!! I have had several more calls that had talked to Paul before it was sold, and had to tell them it was gone. We got what we asked and they did not even try to get the price down! They know everything that we know needs to be done with it, but it runs and floats and that is the most important thing! AND now I don't have a boat just sitting in my driveway making parking crappy!

A word to the wise - if you see a boat that is listed way lower then all the other boats similar in age, etc., don't expect a boat that looks brand new! This boat is almost 20 years old and it has been well used up until the last couple of years! All the stuff that needs to be done to it is normal wear and tear on a boat of that age. The seats and carpet don't stay perfect forever. It is amazing that the first guy knew all of that before he came, went and had a hitch put on his tryuck, brought the cash and was still disappointed because it was apparantly not nice enough! Furthermore, I understand being on a fixed income and really it is none of my business what you drive or what you spend your money on, but understand too, that you are not the only one on a tight budget. We are a large one - income family and I get to pay bills with the money we made from it - FUN FUN!!