Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Trips and starts...
well, the Beard that is wise has entered the exclusive club of boat owners... now, before you begin to imagine some plush well equipped yacht, sailing majestically along the Solent, Pimms swilling hoorays on deck, let me tell you that I'd feel far more at home in a war surplus MTB, or better still a knorr or drakar... of which, more later.. but I have been hankering after a canoe for a long time, dreaming of trips up canals, and across lakes.. and when i say canoe, i mean the open canadian type.. not a big fan of kayaks... but with even the cheapest i've found beyond my at present limited means, I've been land nbound, except for scout trips... so imagine my joy when while shopping in Aldi ( saviour of the poor and cheapskate... due to this fantastic German outlet i can feed my albeit small family for four weeks for less than 80 quid.. but i digress...) when i spotted a lovely little inflatable boat for sale at a staggeringly cheap 30 quid... now, i was under no illusions that it may not be perfect but my reasoning was that if it lasted for three trips it would be cheaper than the equivalent canoe hire... so into the van in went.. so, after our scout car wash one of our great helpers, Richard, offered to use his compressor to blow it up. and imagine my surprise when i saw how big it actually was.. big enough for three 12 stoners.. so just right for me and my son.. and on sunday we dunked it in the canal at Shackerstone, and went fro a boat.. it was of fairly good quality, and stable... but most of all, fun.. and it will now allow us a few cheap outings until i can either buy or build a canoe... i think we often forget in todays world of playstations, and international hiolidays how cheap fun can be... and how much more rewarding.. i mean, anyone can pay a hiundred or so for a console, then buy extra games and feel safe in the knowledge that little johnny is in his room rather than risking his life o the streets.. but for 30 quid little johnny, little jenny and dad could be foating down the canal, watching the moorhens and coots, dabbling with the fish.. and of course this is a one off payment.. go out ten times and its 3 quid a trip... plus you'll be bonding as a family.. i think we constantly fall into the trap of thinking that we are bad parents if we deny our children the so called modern essentials... that we are somehow second class citizens if we prefer to holiday off season in a caravan... and even more so that newer is necessarily better... I've heard parents say that they don't think johnny will like such and such an activity because its a bit old fashioned... but we find the opposite.. that kids actually seem to prefer canoeing, cimbing, hiking, even more than playing with expensive technology.. so why do we believe the opposite?? simply because we are told that this is so.. its rammed down our throats all day.. get a new phone, buy a new tv.. not because there is something wrong with yours, but because it has committed the heinous crime of not being new... well, i for one have never noticed my life being worse than anyone elses, and i don't own an lcd tv, sat nav, camera phone, playstation or anything like that.. apar from my mp3 player.. and thts a cheap one i bought because my sony walkman finally gave up the ghost.. i've no problem with replacing stuff that no longer works... when my tv finally blows its tubes, then i'll probably end up with an lcd one.. but we replace too much that isn't bust.. and that includes trying to replace kids imaginations and longings...but i digress.. until we all don't fix what ain't broke, wisebeard salutes you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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About Me
- Kirk Wisebeard
- Well, about me.... in the words of Gag Halfrunt, "Wisebeard's just zis guy, you know.." My official biography reads "Kirk Parsons is." Once i die,which I plan to do at some point in the future, this will become, "Kirk Parsons isn't." But for those who really want to know, the answers are all in here somewhere....
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