The Good Show Award

We have instituted a new tradition on SV Estrellita 5.10b called “The Good Show Award” also known as  “A Gold Star”. It started out as an award for refilling something, such as sugar or tissue paper, that we had run out of in the “smaller, easily available storage” and refilling it from the “larger, more difficult to access stockpile”. The award has evolved so that it can be earned from any gross, annoying or painful boat job.

In a house there is very little excuse to not refill something if you use the last of it. However, on the boat there legitimate reasons because of the time and boat yoga required to get something out. If Carol uses the last of the sugar when he is getting ready for work, he really might NOT have time to refill it. If I use the last bit of a roll of paper towels, I may NOT have time to dig out the new roll.

Furthermore, anything you start on the boat may develop into a much larger task than you planned.

For example, last week I went to get out a box of tissue paper from underneath the shelves I posted about in such detail. This involved pulling the bottom layer of cubes out, lifting the shelf partially up (it doesn’t come out completely unless the top shelf and cubes are out too) and digging my hand underneath to a heavy duty trash bag which protects a stash of paper goods.

As I pulled out the cubes I found some small mildew dots where the cubes had managed to shove aside the plastic “waffle style” panels I had put against the rfoil to stop any direct contact. So, on my way to the box of tissue paper, I had to pull out all of the cubes, both of the shelves, clean the cubes, pull out the big trash bag, and clean it. Upon removing the bag, I saw a few inches of water at the bottom. So then, I also had to mop up the water at the bottom of the storage area. Finally, I bleach cleaned the entire area, dried everything, and put everything back together.

And then, we had tissue…and I earned a Good Show Award.