I have about decided that this "Interrupted Cruising" that I had
planned whereby I sail for a few days and then return to work and
family for a week or so is very difficult to make work. During the
times at home and work, events conspire to delay the cruise.
Last week would have been perfect sailing from St. Marks, FL to points
south but I delayed because I really wanted to be in the annual
"Frostbite Regatta" which is a local dinghy sailing race and I wanted
to enter my two MiniCups with myself and son. Instead, he broke his
wrist skateboarding, AHHHHHHHHHHH crap.
THEN, to make it worse, I found a pot pipe under his dresser.
Fortunately, I think he has had no opportunity to smoke it since he was
busted at school just before Christmas vacation. However, I am so
****ed that I may just push him overboard when we are sailing and claim
it was an accident (you all know about this so now I cannot do
it)because him and I were to sail together because he was kicked out of
school for getting busted.
Him and I were supposed to leave St. Marks tomorrow morn at 4:00 am
because he was supposed to finish his school exams (he is 14) today but
instead, he still has one more and we have now made arrangements to get
a urine pot test tomorrow so we cannot leave till Wed. morn. I really
think having him with me sailing will be a good thing. It has aspects
of punishment ( days of being on a small boat with his uncool scientist
nerd father will be hell for Mr social butterfly)and I will make sure
he learns some trig and geometry by doing navigation. He will also
have no way to be near a phone or computer (It is really difficult to
insure NO access to these at home).
Being kicked out of school for the next six months may be a good thing
if I can sort of "home school" him to keep him away from the pervasive
drug atmosphere at his school. It might also get some of the desire to
"look good" in front of people out of his system. Somehow, he has this
weird magnetism that draws other people and the attention of girls to
him. Since I have never had ANY social skills, this is bizarre to me
and we really do not understand each other (although I really do think
I am his dad). Fortunately, my work life is very flexible (very small,
very high tech business owner) that he can go to work with me and study
from online lessons I download and he can also get some mechanical and
electronic skills by working on equipment.
I'd like to just take off a few months but I get too excited about work
and cannot bear to leave it for long. When I come back after a couple
days, its like Christmas with so much cool stuff to do. Leaving the
other two kids with my wife would also not be fair since she works part
time so I am somewhat committed to this part time cruising thing but I
just have to spend more time at it.
ANYWAY, I hope to leave again on Wed morn.

I did get my boats name painted on the stern so I am no longer "The
unidentified sailboat" on VHF.

David

"Ragtime"

i would rather catch my kid smoking some pot, rather than drinking...
either way, he needs to learn "when to say when" with any "relaxation
method".....he is just trying to escape the pressures of school, social

life, or whatever the case may be...Try and have him discover other
ways
of relaxing, as the pressure will probabaly be higher, later in
life....

just my $.02.....good luck !!

wrote:

I have about decided that this "Interrupted Cruising" that I had
planned whereby I sail for a few days and then return to work and
family for a week or so is very difficult to make work. During the
times at home and work, events conspire to delay the cruise.
Last week would have been perfect sailing from St. Marks, FL to points
south but I delayed because I really wanted to be in the annual
"Frostbite Regatta" which is a local dinghy sailing race and I wanted
to enter my two MiniCups with myself and son. Instead, he broke his
wrist skateboarding, AHHHHHHHHHHH crap.
THEN, to make it worse, I found a pot pipe under his dresser.
Fortunately, I think he has had no opportunity to smoke it since he was
busted at school just before Christmas vacation. However, I am so
****ed that I may just push him overboard when we are sailing and claim
it was an accident (you all know about this so now I cannot do
it)because him and I were to sail together because he was kicked out of
school for getting busted.
Him and I were supposed to leave St. Marks tomorrow morn at 4:00 am
because he was supposed to finish his school exams (he is 14) today but
instead, he still has one more and we have now made arrangements to get
a urine pot test tomorrow so we cannot leave till Wed. morn. I really
think having him with me sailing will be a good thing. It has aspects
of punishment ( days of being on a small boat with his uncool scientist
nerd father will be hell for Mr social butterfly)and I will make sure
he learns some trig and geometry by doing navigation. He will also
have no way to be near a phone or computer (It is really difficult to
insure NO access to these at home).
Being kicked out of school for the next six months may be a good thing
if I can sort of "home school" him to keep him away from the pervasive
drug atmosphere at his school. It might also get some of the desire to
"look good" in front of people out of his system. Somehow, he has this
weird magnetism that draws other people and the attention of girls to
him. Since I have never had ANY social skills, this is bizarre to me
and we really do not understand each other (although I really do think
I am his dad). Fortunately, my work life is very flexible (very small,
very high tech business owner) that he can go to work with me and study
from online lessons I download and he can also get some mechanical and
electronic skills by working on equipment.
I'd like to just take off a few months but I get too excited about work
and cannot bear to leave it for long. When I come back after a couple
days, its like Christmas with so much cool stuff to do. Leaving the
other two kids with my wife would also not be fair since she works part
time so I am somewhat committed to this part time cruising thing but I
just have to spend more time at it.
ANYWAY, I hope to leave again on Wed morn.

I did get my boats name painted on the stern so I am no longer "The
unidentified sailboat" on VHF.

David

"Ragtime"



From a peer who just broke 60 and sold a business that was more like a
jail, and one who never figured out how to pull off what you are doing
now (in perhaps your 40's?), you seem to be on track to boast a bit
about actually integrating cruising into your family life. Keep a stiff
upper lip, as a good friend affirmed to me, it is the leaving that is
the most intricate of tasks and the cruising that is the most rewarding.
Whereas you post on rec.boats.cruising, your thoughts are more
life.raising.teenager. You might consider starting such a forum?
That's a poorly done joke... But it is no joke that you have ways to
provide alternative focus for your son. Good luck...

Skip

On 3 Jan 2005 18:34:30 -0800, "~^ beancounter ~^"
wrote:

i would rather catch my kid smoking some pot, rather than drinking...
either way, he needs to learn "when to say when" with any "relaxation
method".....he is just trying to escape the pressures of school, social

life, or whatever the case may be...Try and have him discover other
ways
of relaxing, as the pressure will probabaly be higher, later in
life....

I have to agree here, but then I'm in Canada and it's nearly legal
here. I assume whatever your stance on pot use, the laws are harsh
enough to screw with your entire life if caught. Tell him the best
time to "fight the power" and to "legalize it" is NOT from jail and
NOT while keeping a stash hidden from the old man. It's pure self
interest to not break the laws you wish to overturn.

I think the pot is beside the point: it's the lying and hiding stuff
that is the issue.

Maybe if you give him responsibility for the boat (when well off the
coast, perhaps, in open water?G), he will at least be too busy to
contemplate sparking one up.

R.

here is colorado, i think you just get a ticket (like
jay walking) and pay a small fine...if you have less than
a certain amount...and you are not cought trakkicking or
distributing...thats a whole nother story...



-----snip--------------------------
"the laws are harsh
enough to screw with
your entire life if caught."

On 6 Jan 2005 08:18:10 -0800, "~^ beancounter ~^"
wrote:
here is colorado, i think you just get a ticket (like
jay walking) and pay a small fine...if you have less than
a certain amount...and you are not cought trakkicking or
distributing...thats a whole nother story...

==================================

All well and good but as I recall the incident in question took place
in school, by a 14 y/o. Not really a good thing in my opinion,
certainly not conducive to learning, and sort of akin to underage
drinking in school.

It's tough to keep kids out of trouble when they have that kind of
peer pressure to deal with. Maybe a different school? I think many
parents fail to appreciate the different cultures that exist from
town-to-town and school-to-school.

true, your right......it is best kept out of the
"learning environment".....