Monday, May 31, 2010

Birthday Weekend, Skunked at Sea

I had a great birthday weekend, over Memorial Day, this year. I went on an all-day, outfitted fishing trip out of Newport, Oregon with my friend Heidi.

It started innocently enough, at 5 AM, wakey wakey... By 6 AM, we were in the car headed to the dock in Newport for our 7 AM trip. On the way, I listened to my phone messages and had one from the outfitter. "Where are you, we are waiting", sent at about 5:45 AM. Uh-oh, we were slightly late. "No problem, we'll wait for you." And so we busted our butts even faster. Since this was to be a 10-12 hour day trip, we were told to bring lunches and beverages. To this end, we had packed nuts, jerky, bananas, water, some juice, chips, fried chicken, and the hugest deli sandwiches I'd ever seen in my life. In short, we were preparing for a flotilla.

We got on board and the other two passengers and the captain followed. We changed into our waterproof-casual-fishing-attire-gear (Heidi will know what that means). I also downed some dramamine. I knew I wouldn't need it because I've never been sea sick before.

The weather on this lovely day was overcast with swells big enough to wet us down thoroughly, cool and with no rain. We were hopeful that the day would improve. We started fishing for Halibut, using minnows and squid as bait. The dutiful captain readied our poles, got us into position and a'fishing we went! I got the first bite. I reeled in my exciting catch, only the realize that it was just that. A healthly bite had been taken out of my minnow, leaving only the top half. More fishing. Nibbles, reeling, nothing, nibbles, reeling, nothing...

At about 9 AM, I needed to use the lou, and so I went down into the cabin and sat upon the throne, where I proudly had my morning constitution. This was an accomplishment, since the ship was heaving to and fro (heavy on the fro), threatening to topple me in the all too-small lou-room. Trying to remember the captain's instructions how to flush the toilet, I pulled this lever, pushed that one, pulled the originally one, pushed and pulled the other one again... again... constitution still there... "um, Heidi, Can you ask the Captain for instructions on flushing the lou?" "He just said to do blah blah blah..." (She actually said something there, but in my fog, I forgot.) I go back, push, pull, constitution staring back at me... "Ummm... Heidi, can you please ask him?" And then he says how and lo and behold... no more constitution! :) and then I sit back in the cabin, because I can feel the need for dramamine and a banana, and I take both.

I go back up to fish some more, and then I go back down to eat a snack, because I'm sloshing deep inside and need something to calm my stomach. And there I sit in the bowels of the ship, swishing back and forth, to and fro. bubblee... bubbleeee... "Colleen, are you ok?" I just look at Heidi and shake my head. She's standing between me and the closed door of the lou and all I can think about is that she's standing between me and the closed door of the lou... "Do you need anything?" "DOOR" blurb... blurb... "What?" I stand up and lurch around her to where I wrestle with the firmly closed door, wrench it open, and finally, wretch and wretch and wretch. Only now, I know how to flush it.

I come back up on deck and we are off to do some Salmon fishing, not having any luck with Halibut. We were skunked on Salmon too. No bites or nibbles. No lunch either. I have one final hurrah! over the side of the ship, while Heidi wisely scurried away. By now, it's mid-afternoon and the Captain suggests we try Rock fishing. Very wise of him. We were all able to pull in various nice catches and experience the exhilaration of the catch.

It was good to get back on dry land and even better to be able to eat. Which we did, at a buffett. Then off to Newberg where a well-deserved shower waited.

I had a great time. I'd do it again, but perhaps not for the whole day.

3 comments:

roxrocks said...

Just like reading Hemmingway. =D

Hawthorne said...

You left off the part about the sharks and being marooned on an island..and an invisible monster.

Anonymous said...

ACK! I knew there was a reason I never went with the family on little boat swishing to and fro, to and fro, to and fro.... Oh, where is the lou when you need it???