Gadget-Man! By Patty Kean

So, no one yet has written about the gadgets…???

Now, having grown up in a house where calling someone in to fix anything was never a slight consideration, I can recognize an expert gadget-man from quite a distance. I have also since learned that being addicted to gadgets is a requirement for both carpenters and sailors ~ so Stuart, also being very independent and self-confident (Karen, did I hear you whisper “stubborn”?), really had no chance (or desire) of recovery.

However, I must say that one particular gadget saved my life … ok, ok, an exaggeration. But, it did save Karen a lot of work.

The seas were rough. Very rough. We were docked in Vineyard Haven for the evening. The shrimp kabobs were sizzling on the grill; Larry and Stuart were watching them cook, and I went down underneath (I know there is a “right” term) to help Karen with the salad. “Ohh….Karen, I need to go back up on deck…now.”

I sat on one of the side cushions and took a deep breath…and Stuart, being the observant man that he was, looked at me with that knowing look. And, suddenly, his whole face lit up!

“You’re feeling sick!” he exclaimed. “I’ll be right back!” And within seconds, he was strapping what looked like a Timex without the time on my wrist. “Wear this. It is supposed to stop motion sickness. What intensity do you want the shocks to be?” Could Stuart be using behavioral modification on me? Little shocks like the one on those dog collars to keep dogs in the yard?

“Stuart….” And, he jumped in with an explanation that made me realize that I would probably buy a set of old encyclopedias from this man. The shocks from the gadget enter my wrist and go to my palm and send a message to my stomach so that I won’t throw up on your boat? But, ten minutes had passed from the first wave of nausea, and I was ready to try the shock treatments.

That darn gadget did the trick. And, as the weather worsened, Stuart and Larry became nauseous. However, I wouldn’t let anyone even try the gadget. Stuart gave Larry a patch, which Larry promptly put on backwards and retired for the evening as did Stuart. And, Karen sat up all night getting ready for what could be a very intense scene…What if they all get sick at once????

Stuart was as irritated that morning as I had ever known him. He was furious, pulling up anchor, motoring to a more protected harbor. Muttering about that damn blog…(Yes, Doug, I am sure that is what he was muttering, come to think of it.) Angry about being surprised by the seas. Upset with himself because as a host, he cared that we were uncomfortable. I kept trying to reassure him that I found it to be just a fine experience: Lying on the bench during the night, repeating my mantra, “One with the sea” and making sure the wrist shocker gadget stayed in exactly the right place.

He finally smiled, “So, the thing really worked?”