Monday, April 30, 2018

Catching those ZZZZZZzzzzz's


I have determined what is wrong with society today.
It's the King Sized bed.

We recently spent a weekend working on the fixer-upper, which is still on boat jacks in the yard waiting for its turn to be plopped back in the lake. (More on the weekend later this week!) Because we can't sleep on the boat while it is on the jacks, we spent the night at a local hotel.
The room was nice, nothing fancy but clean and had a king size bed. I spent half the night wondering if Rob was actually in bed. It took four rolls to steal the blanket.
This is just not right.

All marriage needs compromise and there is no compromise in a king size bed. There is no need.
We sleep on a queen bed at home. It is just large enough to allow for personal space but still small enough to smack the other person with a dream-fulled arm swing.

When we do sleep on the boat we have the option of the V-berth and the camper style table.
Actual size....almost....
The V-berth is exactly as it sounds. A berth shaped like a V. If you sleep with your heads in the V – you spend the night knocking around like coconuts. If you sleep with your feet in the V then you wake up periodically to untangle the knot your legs get tied in.
And don't even get me started with putting one head in the V and one set of feet in the V. 
I am pretty sure that is illegal in most of the lower 48.
We padded this with a comforter and sleeping bags.
I am in the process of making a cushion.
The camper-style table is better. The bench seats and additional flat surface allows for complete stretching. There is still danger of a midnight knee jab but if you opt for individual sleeping bags rather than actual bed linens, well, you can be sure the jabber is cocooned safely away from your lower back. Although personally I feel as if I am wrapped in a coffin when I try to sleep in a sleeping bag, so, sorry Rob.

Yet, even with these discomforts, there is nothing better than sleeping on the boat.
The dark sky and brilliant stars reflecting on the water combined with the random bits of music from distant radios invite reminiscing.
The cozy warmth of reading by the light of a lantern in the cabin relaxes every muscle and quiets every ridiculous worry racing through the brain.
The gentle rocking of the water lulls you into a hypnotizing sleep.
early morning is so peaceful
And when you wake in the morning and step up on deck with a fresh cup of coffee you are greeted by silent still water and bright fresh air...
Mostly because it is only 5am and you fell asleep at 8pm because you were exhausted from a day on the boat, a delicious dinner, an extra glass of wine and at least one jolt awake in the middle of the night wondering if that giant steel pole known as the mast would double as a lightening rod in the event of a pop-up thunderstorm...

And that is why I would put on a boat, every couple who recites like a grocery list those random complaints about their relationship. That one night on a boat would force discussion, listening and compromise.
At the end of the night there would be the shared experience of a night on a boat...or possibly a murder charge....
But either way, problem solved.

And just in case there is question over whether using 'Zzzzzz' counts as a Z word, I give you this:
Hemingway did not see this coming....
Zombies on a Rowboat.
Do not EVER spend the night with Zombies on a Rowboat.... 

This is my FINAL entry in the A to Z challenge for 2018!! I can't believe I actually did it this year! Thank you to Rob - without your encouragement and slight nagging, I would never have finished this year. And a great big THANKS to everyone who has taken the time to read this little blog. It makes me feel so happy when something I have written brightens someone else's day.
And finally THANK YOU to the folks at the A to Z Challenge. Your daily letter related rally posts were perfect and the time you take to manage this yearly event does not go unnoticed. It has reignited my enjoyment of writing daily and inspired me to continue posting on a regular basis, albeit not daily...or alphabetically...


                                            
A-Ahoy
B-Bells
C-Catamaran
D-Dramamine
E-Escape
F-Flags
G-Galley
H-Head to Heel
I-IC24
J-Jib/Jibe
K-Keys
L-Lakes
M-Motor
N-Navigation
O-Ocean
P-Points of Sail
Q-Quote
R-Reef
S-Sailbags
T-Trade Winds
U-Underwater
V-Volume
W-Weather Eye
X-Marks the Spot
Y-Yardarm
Z-Catching Some...

28 comments:

  1. A splendid finish! Congratulations!

    Sleeping on boats is the best sleep.

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  2. Congrats on the finish!! Like you, I always preferred a queen bed. But at ages 67 & 70, we are now in a king bed and we both get sounder sleep. In fact, we are now considering twin beds in our future Airstream trailer (we get more floor space for us and the #2Doods). One twin is half a king so more than enough room for a little messing around. ;)

    I look forward to continuing to follow your blog!

    Donna B McNicol, author & traveler
    Romance & Mystery...writing my life
    A-Z Flash Fiction Tales: http://dbmcnicol.blogspot.com
    A-Z of Goldendoodles: http://ourprimeyears.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you and congrats to you too!! I can completely understand the twin bed possibility, especially in cramped quarters. Gives ‘midnight visits’ an old world charm! Lol!

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  3. Congrats on reaching the end of the challenge. However you organise your bed, I hope you enjoy the well-earned rest, and thank you for all the sailing trivia :-)
    https://iainkellywriting.com/2018/04/30/z-is-for-zaragoza-spain/

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    1. Thank you and congrats to you too!! I think as long as the boat stays afloat sleeping won’t be a problem!

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  4. Yeah you for completing the challenge. I could use some ZZZ's just thinking about it. On the boat in the V, not so sure.

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    1. Thank you! And yes, tha ‘v’ is a trial! Perfect for little though, some day...

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  5. I absolutely love the way you put things! I think that move would be illegal above the 49th as well!

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    1. Lol! Thank you! Although I hear Alaska is pretty progressive...

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  6. I think I'd choose the table and let my husband have the V bunk - more space and less bumping into each other during the night. We have a Queen sized bed and I'm starting to hanker after a King - but then I'd have to reach further to poke him when he snores! Congrats on reaching the end of the AtoZ - we did it!

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    1. Thank you and congrats to you too!! After this month we should be able to sleep anywhere!

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  7. Such a fun story. I spent 3 weeks in a sailboat in the Grenadines and was ready for a hotel room about 2 days into it. Guess I'm not such a good boat camper. It was a lovely trip, though.

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    1. We have yet to do more than a couple nights-and with access to good showers. I think the limited washing up space will be the deal breaker for me!

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  8. OH Laura, I loved this post. I used to love sleeping in our caravan. The bed was narrower than a double bed and so we endured our slaps and jabs as you describe, but I still loved the atmosphere. Stopping by from the #AtoZChallenge Road Trip! Loving my Fitbit

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  9. Hi, Laura - I'm stopping by from the #AtoZChallenge Road Trip. ("Z" is my Road Trip Post as well)! I am delighted to discover your blog. Your description of waking up on a boat does sound ideal. (Okay, maybe not the 5 am part, or the midnight knee jab...but all of the rest). Wonderfully written! Congratulations on completing the Challenge.

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    1. thank you! early morning wake ups on a 'vacation' can be great!

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  10. A murder charge would open a whole other can of worms... But there has to be a reason why waterbeds were popular. I think the rocking in the water must help one sleep.

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    1. Having married a water bed...it can be pretty good...

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  11. Stopping by on the #AtoZChallenge Road Trip, and yes - ZZZ is totally a word (it was my Z word, too!)

    Yesterday, I was thinking about this - not the king-sized bed - but about how marriage is about work and compromise, but also about finding reasons to be grateful instead of complaining.

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    1. thanks for stopping by! it is about even the smallest things!

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  12. "At the end of the night there would be the shared experience of a night on a boat...or possibly a murder charge....
    But either way, problem solved." Love that!

    Ronel from Ronel the Mythmaker A-Z road-tripping with Everything Writerly: Z is for Zooming

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  13. Stopping by from the #AtoZChallenge Road Trip! Ah! Sleeping arrangements! Made me chuckle!

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  14. I am so thankful for the A to Z Road Trip, or I might have missed discovering your wonderful blog. You are a fantastic writer who really made me laugh. I completely agree about the king sized bed. A queen sized bed forces you to make up with your spouse after a quarrel. In a king, you could just go on avoiding them and that could lead to disaster. Have a great week!

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  15. Laughing my butt off right now. Love your plucky humor. I'm the person who would prefer to have two king-sized beds meshed together so we could have more dogs, all of them in bed curled up with us. LOL even more!

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