The Boat of Doom

It's all fun and games until someone needs stiches. Yesterday we went with Sarah's two sisters-in-law, Bernadette and Elise, out on the Clyde River in Matthew's boat. (Matthew is Bernadette's partner.) The day was a little bit of a mess getting two small children packed for a day at the river, but we finally got to our rendezvous spot and Matthew picked us up.

We cruised upriver looking for a place to set up our picnic and call home base for the rest of the day. There were a lot of boats on the river with skiers and wakeboarders, so when we finally found a spot at "glass beach," we thought we should grab it. Glass beach is aptly named. As Matthew was standing in the knee-deep water to help unload coolers and blankets, he stepped on a broken bottle and sliced a 2-inch gash into the ball of his left foot. It was one of those cuts where you immediately know a trip to the hospital is going to be involved.

We drug out the ancient first aid kit, dumped some iodine on the cut, wrapped it up and headed back to the boat ramp. After discussing logistics and a meltdown from the 2-year-old, we regrouped at the beach by the caravan park (campground - think KOA in this case) and hung out in the sun while Matthew and Bernie went to the hospital. Universal health care is not necessarily speedy health care, so it was several hourse before they returned.

When they finally got to the beach, I went out with Matthew and their friend Jim for a ski. Friends know that I don't actually ever ski, but I'm a great spotter (they don't carry flags in the boat in Australia, so I felt like a cop without a gun. very sad.) On his first run, Jim managed to pull his left hamstring. (That's him writhing after I had to help drag him back on the boat.) All I can say is, THANK GOD Jim was wearing real swim shorts and not a damn Speedo like most Aussie men. That's one place where I'm perfectly A-OK with prudish Americans and their big puritanical swim shorts. And if the elastic wears out on your ratty Speedo that your 57-year-old ass is still wearing, for GOD'S SAKE, GET A NEW ONE! Ah, but I digress....

Next up, Sarah decides to take a turn on the Boat of Doom, and manages to pull a tendon or something in her arm. She now has tingly fingers and almost made me cut her meat for her tonight. I managed to remain injury free... at least until I smacked my middle toe with the car door. It's the same toe I had to do minor surgery on the night before to remove two giant splinters. If that toe survives Australia without an amputation, it will be a miracle.