What it is and What it do world?  Life is good still very blessed.  Son officially crawlin and now sittin upward on 1 knee and 1 foot like he wants to stand up already!  Daughter starts Kindergarten next weds and i joined the PTA to be as active in her school as i possibly can be (as a Dad)  But anywho on to the point of this chapter!

 

Yesterday actually started out in the wee hours of the morning.  I got off work at 2am and went to go get the boat.  Wanted to get as much of the lil stuff out the way as possible and that included gettin gas.  So i hooked it up as i usually do and tried to think of the closest Chevron to get gas at which i thought was in Auburn but then i remembered there was one right about the corner still in Kent! so i take it round the way thumbin my beats cause theres no one in the streets. pull up to an empty station and take a lane allllll to myself.  Jump out the whip and lock it up cause 1) im up topside on the back of the boat so cant jump down quick enough if someones makin a quick snatch out the truck and 2) i just got off work so i dont have the strap on me if i needed it! so.... just lock up the truck and avoid the whole scenario!

 

Get up topside wit the tank key to open it and its not movin.  (here we go)  im twistin and twistin and its not givin way at all.  So then i get to thinkin... well maybe im twistin it the wrong way so then i start twistin it the other way (clockwise) even worse. UGH its 230am im not feelin this ish i wanna go home and sleep!  Im unprepared of course, no tools so i gotta think of somethin. i go down into the galley and get the swiss army knife type thingy my dad brought me that has pliers, knives, phillips screwdriver etc and bein i dont have a hammer either i grab the long metal flashlight like the ol school ones that one time would use to beat yo a**. (hahahahaha)  Go back up topside and start hammerin away at that thang.  Probably had the clerk wonderin what the heck and any neighbor. (reference of time others had already come and gone from fillin their tanks yet here i am without my gas cap off!  FINALLY it comes loose. 

 

I climb down to get the pump, put that bad boy in and its jumpin.  wont keep pumpin (yep here we go again)  Im fightin it fightin it finally get it to pump steadily and pssssssssssssh! gas on my leg, arm, jean shorts, shoes... now im PISSED.  this boat is now becomin a nuisance!  I just stop at $100.00 (36 gallons) yet the meter registered full (book says its a 55 gallon tank and in flat driveway it previously registered on E) hmmmm.  anywho noticed my back left trailer tire was goin flat but i aint bout to funky manevuer all the way around this driveway just to get over to the corner to pay .75 cents for air so i take off to drop it off at my parents house.   get there round 3am drop it off and head home get there round 340am and not sleep till an hour later due to a wide awake 8 month old that thought it was playtime and havin to wash the freakin gas off.

 

Woke round 840ish and fed the kids and gathered up some stuff for the boat. Stopped at Walgreens picked up some disposable plates cups forks and a gallon of fresh water (will be key later in the chapter).  Get to my parents, back the truck up to the boat and do some minor things quick (fill the tire w/air, fill the water tank, load all the small stuff on the boat so its less to do at the boat.)  Get'er done and we take off for the boat launch.

 

We pull up at rainier beach to the Atlantic City Launch (only cost $5.00 for the day! cheaper than Gene Coulon!)  Remove the back tiedowns, unplug the trailer lights and proceed to back that beast into the water!  A lil adjusting here and there but i get it in without incident (Weekday, midday theres very little boat traffic which was perfect i wanna be able to practice without people around till i get it right and perfect. let the manual winch go till its in the water unhook and tie down. load the kids and other minor stuff, and go park the trailer. (that was the 2nd hardest park gettin the empty trailer and truck in the slot straight! lol

 

Hop aboard lets go!!!! eh.. no.  Crank over the engine after havin let the blower run for a few minutes.... nothin. crankin.... crankin... nothin.  open the blige stare at a big 5.0 engine and not a clue where to start lol  My dad (who took the day off to help me wit the boat as i expressed my concern of deployin for the 1st time alone w/out an experienced person wit me) told me to check this and that but all "seemed" to be in place.  So we do at his suggestion (and also somethin i read in the book "the idiots guide to boating and sailing) lol put the throttle forward a lil and crank and ta-dow! big ol engine roars to life! YES! let it run for a minute then turn off just to recheck the bilge and crank again w/out hesitation!  Pull the ropes off the dock and i proceed to back it away without hesitation!  The throttle has a pretty big range before it reacts to a motion of fwd or back so i gotta get used to that.

 

Whip the boat around and lets get it!  i proceed slow out the no wake zone (8mph only) and after that let that hammer go! rev the engine up, kids down below on the bed chillin dad up topside wit me and we gettin it!  felt like Miami Vice for a second standin up, wife beater t-shirt under a tommy hilfiger ski coveralls suit (biiiig mistake to come into play in a minute)  We cruised down to Gene Coulon then turned north toward Mercer Island up to I-90, doubled back and headed back to the docks.  Practiced pullin up to the docks 3x or so which was kinda difficult sit the current and the wind workin against me but i got it the 3rd time. 

 

Jumped off tied it down and that was a wrap!  Went and got the Trailblazer and thats when it started.  The truck had gotten hot (bein it was 80+ degrees out there) and i was in ski coveralls. Not the thick insulated ones but like a nylon sweatsuit material.  So i thought itd be perfect in case it was breezy on the water i wasnt cold but thin material so i wouldnt be hot.  but it was becoming very thermal like.  I pull the truck and trailer back around and back it up but stop before submerging it.  Perfect time to install the remote power winch!  We pop the screws off the manual and pop on the new remote winch and back it on down.  Hook that clamp on there and try the remote..... not workin. hmmm must've been deprogrammed worry bout that later.  push the button on the back of the winch and it  whirrs to life! pullin that big 23ft bad boy right on up the trailer!  It was comin in at an angle a couple times so had to back it down and redo a few times (definitely a good thing the power winch was on!)

 

Come the 3rd time the talking around me grew quieter and the day became brighter and brighter... heart racing.  I knew what was happening.. i was about to pass out.  I stepped down without comment from the trailer and walked (quietly) the length of the dock and boat and went down to the galley where the gallon of water was. opened it up and immediately started drinkin till i couldnt and immediately sound started returning and brightness diminished.  I sat down on the bed for a few minutes (undetected)  After i felt a lil ok re-emerged and finished pullin it out the water.  Told my dad how i was feelin in case somethin did happen so he'd know (how ironic a few chapters ago it was my dad with medical problems with HIS boat!) Get that bad boy out and secured and haul it back to Kent to moor and dropped him back at his house and headed home to shower.  Felt super sticky and still drinkin water the whole way home and even after but still felt sick. So went to bed early and feelin revitalized and ready to get it crackin again! maybe ill see you aboard!

 

PS-  THE PICTURES YOU SEE ATTACHED ARE ADDT'L FROM PREVIOUS CHAPTER.  THATS THE 12.1" FLIPDOWN SCREEN I HAD INSTALLED W/DVD PLAYER.  THE CD STEREO DECK IS WIRED FOR IPOD, AND OF COURSE GOTTA STEP UP MY GAME! GOT IT WIRED TO HOOK UP A GAMING SYSTEM AS OF NOW THE PS2 IS ON BOARD BUT CAN BRING MY WII OR PS3 ON BOARD FOR WEEKEND ANCHORED GAMING!

 

Well this is more of a recap of the last couple weeks as alot has been goin on to make this chapter happen.  After my dad's heart episode that really brought things to a head about things i wanted in life as well as for my family. and one of those things was... a BOAT!  Checkin finances it was definitely doable but it was a matter of findin what i want for the right price. and that obviously wasnt gonna be a new boat cause that wouldve ran me bout 40-60g's!  I'd been checkin in the paper for a while to see if i could find my dream boat and that was comin up wit some bulllllllllllllsh....  so i went to where ive made some purchases in the past that were legit.  CRAIG'S LIST!

 

1st day i looked and i had to scroll several days back and make some minimum pricing to sort through the crappy ish and thats when i found it!  I was willin to drive if i had to to find it and outta the several my results came up wit this one totally stood out. the price was at the MAXIMUM range i wanted to pay so i kept my options open but still this one to me was perfect for us.  I sat on it for a couple days cause wifey was not on board wit it at all and had reserved feelings (as usual nothing new i had that already figured in on the debate)  But after the debate she had me inquire on another similar boat.  That one was in the water and didnt have a trailer so that was a no go as far as interest and it didnt come wit that mooring slip.  Another was in idaho and another was in Graham which was nice too! my #2 in interest cause this Olympia one just had my eye! 

 

When i finally had her convinced to lets push forward wit it I contacted BECU online to get preapproved.  Them clowns said i was good for 84k in boat financing! hahahhahah yeah maybe if we didnt have a mortgage, 2 kids, 2 newer cars (2005 and 2007) amongst other thangs! wit that paper in hand though i contacted number 2 and number 1.  number 1 was a 1999 bayliner 2355 number 2 was a 2001 bayliner 2455.  Number 2 contacted me back and advised it was a bank repo already gone. Dang it! missed it by 48hrs or so!  Number 1 contacted me as well and gave me the run down on what was up wit it.  it was a beaut and was in the water now but he'd pull it out and show me.  It was a marriage special was why he was gettin rid of it so that was a plus to me.  (he's 2 yrs older than i am, gotta get rid of the toys to get a house and all that. me ive already go that so ill gladly take your toy thanks! lol)  it was a 1999 bayliner 2355 ciera. 23" pleasure yacht by Bayliner (yes it has a yacht certification plaque on it!) BALLIN!!!  its got 2 beds (sleeps 4 adults comfortably), tv/dvd, kitchen sink, refrig, stove, microwave, bathroom wit 2 windows, sony xplod deck, plenty of speakers, plenty of lights.  up top it seats 6 including captain.  automatic anchor, a mericruiser 250hp inboard engine, 4 batteries, a dingy boat (for emergencies) and an ez-loader trailer. $27k

 

I went down to look at it on a saturday afternoon when it was hecka nice outside.  It was a convoy down! my parents went, niece, nephew, my daughter.... wife not present.  Got on board and looked it over... yeah go head and wrap this up for me ill take it.  I was flashin pics up down left right inside and out it was in love. this is it. He fired up the engine and that puppy growled like it was a mustang or camaro in the water (yet new didnt need a tuneup loud) hahahaha.  dad of course advised do your homework dont impulse buy (oh i was ready!) so i made no commitment just told'em id be in contact the next day and asked if the person who came to look before me earlier that day had showed sincere interest. he hadnt was lookin for somethin to fish in.  The next day i had slept on it and it was still on my mind.  I didnt tell no one but i pushed forward wit gettin this boat secured.  I emailed him again asked more questions and if he could pull it out the water for me so i can check the hull and all.  He said he could and we set up a day to get-er dun by that time negotiations had already begun.

 

I had googled the model make and year and checked for sale prices nationwide and his was pretty much median pricing but gotta see what can be done.  Already i was savin a grand off the craig's list price as what he had posted in the window of the boat was 26k yet on Craig's was posted 27k. i had a grand CASH so lets get it ta crackin.  In the end he admitted it had no more room to move on it so i went wit the 26k. Oh i wasnt lettin this boat go!  But before we even got to the 2nd rendezvous to look at it trouble started.  I called BECU to see what was the next move and those clowns was wantin 15% down!  mutha.... if i had 15% to put down id pay CASH for the boat! you clowns let me enter into negotiations wit someone then pull the carpet from under me??so wit a couple hours left in the banking day the day before i was to go look at the boat again im on the phone SCRAMBLING to find new financing.  I call 2 other credit unions im associated wit and they both offer 0 down 100-120% financing. coo. i go wit 1 over the other since they offered over the phone pre-approval the 2nd wanted me to come in and fill out app. NOPE.  i get re-pre-approved (if that makes sense hahahaha) and push forward again wit the meeting (he never knew the floor fell out from under the deal. i never committed to the sale either so that base was covered) 

 

I ended up havin my niece and my nephew for a few days hangin out wit them so they went wit me the next day down to Olympia.  I got on the boat and we went for a cruise around the lake down there. Boat cut through the water like butta (butter for you proper peoples!) i turned it and let the throttle go and got up the 30 and the boat went into planing mode i was like yeah... i bout to act a FOOL on lake washington fo sho! i let'em dock it back at the ramp of his soon to be father in law and arranged to meet him round the other side of the lake to pull it out the water.  It was pretty much an agreed done deal so we agreed to pull it out the water and he would tow it to lakewood where his dad lived for me to pickup there when it was 100% finalized. i get over there and he powerloads it up on the ez loader i was impressed! that trailer wit all them rollers is definitely gonna come in handy.  We convoy over to lakewood and i tell'em ill be by to pick it up the next day or so.

 

Next day i head to Lacey where he works to get some of the notarized papers i needed from him that he had arraigned to have already done for me to swoop up.  Wit kids in tow i get'em and they all looked (yes looked) legit.  so i go up to my credit union in tukwila.  Hand her the papers.... "no... no.. these are wrong" (expletive)  Whats the problem?  the bank he used had gave him pre-canned bill of sale, power of attorney papers that had their name as power of attorney.  so that couldnt be whited out as it was a notarized paper it had to be RE-done. (expletive).  I call'em while im in the bank and let him know the deal but he's at work and not pickin up his cell.  Leve a voicemail and we push forward.  More errors found  that needed to be redone.  3 papers total.  So i tell'er i just wanna push through all the papers i can and get whatever i can get signed right now and ill go back and handle the rest.  By that time my wife had showed up on her lunch break to unhappily sign her portion of the papers.  (orignially i was gonna do just single applicant but the bank suggested she be on it as she outdid me by 20point on credit score and both of ours is FLAWLESS! mid 700's and her butt beat me!) We stumble through the paperwork cause this lady is now actin a clown and screwin up our paperwork! havin her maiden name all over the paperwork, misspellin the dudes name on the power of attorney paperwork gettin the registration info wrong... it wouldve surely got kicked back on a technicality.  3-4x i caught her in errors i was PISSED why am i doin her job for her??  Eventually my wife completely irritated left and i remained to do the rest.  got it done and started headin back to Lacey (bout this time is nearing 2pm)  I had got ahold of him as i realized i had his work number too.  Arrainged to meet him on his lunch break at 330 and go to the bank and have all re notarized.  I get there early so me and the kids eat at taco bell for lunch.  We kick back in the lot and watch a movie till he came out convoyed over to the bank and got the papers resigned properly.  Check it over wit a fine tooth comb (cause i aint comin back!) and fly back up to tukwila to drop it off.

 

I get there and walk in as the lady said just come on back dont need another appointment so i do. Approach her and she asks me to wait as someone else was waitin for her assistance. im thinkin F that yo, all that i been through now you lucky i didnt go out to my truck get that thang and stick up the joint for my inconvienience!  but of course thats only a thought wasnt a realistic option hahaha i tell her just check the papers over to assure its all good cause if not i need to get back goin now.  she checked it over, its all good. perfection! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED? no. OK. i leave and contact my dad as i had arrainged for him to use his Hemi 1/2ton to get my boat as a precaution as ive never towed anything that big before.  im down washington/meeker in kent almost to where he is in auburn when my phone rings.

 

Hey its..... from the bank.  she forgot to get the cash i had on me that i was puttin down for the boat.  son of a..... cott.... (expletive) (expletive) (expletive) you pay for it since your incompetent behind cant complete a loan without havin every (expletive) problem known to bankers occur!  I rip a u-turn and fly back down west valley into southcenter and im livid.  I walk back in and she's laughin it up thinkin its soooo funny. you lucky i dont come across that desk and back hand you out into the street and make you WORK that money off that im payin you and wastin in gas.  i place the wad of cash on her desk and she counts it out.  i ask her AGAIN. is there anything else. she laughs and says no this is it. i wait 30 seconds. ARE YOU SURE. yes. i turn and walk out.  From there i just ask my dad to meet me in Lakewood as its already now 5ish.  I stop at Boaters World in federal way and get a membership there to save money on stuff (every $300 you spend you get a $12 giftcard or somethin)  Look for a trailer ball lock but they dont have the one im lookin for.  Met my dad in Lakewood and convoyed over and got the boat!  Convoyed to Kent and dropped it off and went on home.

Ugh what a month that was. GLAD its over and a new leaf has turned. Lemme break it on down for ya.

 

Yesterday (7/31) I was over at my parents house after my son's unnecessary doctor's appt (wifey thought he had an ear infection so i had to run him up to the doc even though i felt nothin was wrong and yes i was right) I stop at schucks to pick up somethin for my dad (had some NICE cheap fold out blades for $1.49 thought about grabbin me some but ill stick to my guns..for now)  Cruise on down to Wendy's cause you know you gots ta have the Biggie Fries! Ok ill be serious lol i get up to their house and they already have the yacht pulled to the side of the house and have been washin it preparin to launch it this weekend for seafair.

 

Go inside we all sit down and eat and talk before he and my niece and daughter go back out to work on the boat some more. I stay inside cause i have my son and its too hot to put him on board the boat right now.  besides... i just brought mario strikers charged had to give that a spin! I hear my dad's laptop beepin upstairs as if it lost power and the battery is dyin but i pay it no mind.  eventually my dad called me on my cell from the boat outside as the boat was no longer chargin (the local outlet circuit had tripped) and wanted to me check the kitchen & bedroom outlets after the circuit breaker to assure it hadnt tripped. i go to the garage... no problem. go upstairs yet my behind wasnt lookin for the actual  OUTLET for the lil red reset button im lookin for a freakin other circuit breaker box! after not findin it im comin downstairs to the kitchen still havin my dad on the phone talkin when i hear an "AHH!!" and the line seemed to had gone dead.

 

I knew it didnt sound right at all it was abrupt almost as if you just got stung.  I open up the screen door to look out at him and the boat to assure all was ok when...AHH!!! and he clutched at his heart.  He's standin at the end of the boat which bein a yacht and on the trailer is high up (i can see his feet above the fenceline from the deck) i immediately panic inside and grab for the housephone to call 911. its dead.  (EXPLETIVE) i forgot the power had gone out in the kitchen. i still have my cell in my left hand i hang it up as it showed my dad was still on the other line and call 911.  Bein in their area KCSO is the primary PSAP (for those not down wit the lingo, King County Sheriff's Office 911 center gets the 1st call if its an aid call they have to transfer it to another agency which is the one i work for presently) they answer the phone: 911 do you have an emergency? i say yeah this is Lonnie...(pause waitin for recognition) (f**k it) this is Lonnie i need a medic, address... (yeah like im crazy enough to type my parents address on here come on now!) they tell me to hold on and transfer me to my job and gave them the address on my behalf.  I again now realizin its my job tell'em hey this is Lonnie (i get recognition. yes!) no time for that now, dad needs help. I need a medic, address, hes a 50yo male, heart hx, defib (i said pacemaker, he corrected me in the background as if it was gucci vs knock off lol) anyways defib shocked 2x, no other pains, no dizzy or clammy, med hx of... (i aint airin'em out like that come on now!)  i know the routine so i just lay it out on a platter bottom line i want'em to have a medic and NOW.  i get off the phone and hear the engine company thats less than 1 mile away already comin down the road. coo. gimme medic 6 my nerves are rattled myself and i may need the good stuff too.

 

He knows the routine its shocked him before so he retreated on inside the house and i secured the yacht and pulled stuff on in.  E91 does an eval and by the time i came back in the house M6 was onsc. (cool im a 26yom who just saw his dad almost die. im gonna need a slow drip, some of the medical marijuana, and... what do ya'll have in a hard liquor?)  They go down the whole routine of questions and tell'em he needs to go to the hospital for further tests (apparently durin the interrogation he did admit to THEM he had been feelin light-headed and dizzy) he REFUSES to let amr take him though (apparently they screwed'em on a bill from a prior transport that took months to workout.  Charged him for a blanket yada yada and he says to me "but i didnt get no blanket!" hahahahahaha)  I tell'em ill take'em myself down to the ER (for those in the biz... POV which im sure when i said that they figured i was affliated in the biz somehow)

 

They bounce and i get my kids and niece together and assure the yacht was as best secured as possible and we head on down to the ER (quickly had to change my station in the trailblazer im sure if my dad had heard that rap it wouldve set off the defib implant all over again!) i turn it to the news (which im sure was probably just as dangerous gettin the possible news on just how Bush screwed the nation again today) I turn on some easy listenin r&b and we navigate through the city streets to the ER wit wifey followin behind and my mom  enroute from work.  I text my sister (outta obligation as i still hadnt been talkin to her) and keep it strictly about the current situation before discontinuing contact again.  When we in the ER i go wit'em to fill out the paperwork and sit in the back room wit'em till my mom arrives. 

 

When she gets there i excuse myself back to the lobby to collect my wife and kids and we go back to their house to check things again and stage there till my dad came home.  My wife took the boy home since she had just got off work herself and wanted to change and get comfortable.  After awhile (and gettin the word out to my cousins to tell my uncles...which are his brothers) my mom advises that hes gonna stay overnight in the hospital for observation voluntarily.  She arrives back home to gather up a bag to stay the night wit'em and i take my niece home wit me for the night since she had been stayin the night wit'em.

 

That brings us to today (8/01) he was discharged and home as of 1pm or so but doc said that his heart went into VF again (ventricular Fibrillation) and that had it not been for the defibrillator that probrably wouldve been it right there in front of my eyes.  Ugh i cant tell you the sheer panic i felt inside. Seein him grab his heart and audibly sound out wit the pain of the shock almost led me to tears but i had no time for emotion i had to react and short out the fear later.  Keep him in your prayers.