Discovering life - It's going ahead after all!

- What new things have I discovered about myself?

Over the last few days, I've been struggling a lot to empty an oil tank that my former boat builder brought on board, but which I don't need. We had flooded it for the crossing and the oil that was still stuck to the bottom came loose and floated in the water. So you couldn't just tip the water out. I first tried using the wet-dry hoover. That went well for a while until the angle was no longer right. Then no more water came out - but the tank was still too heavy for me to tip it. I got a man to help me... but it was still a pain. Vacuuming. Tipping it into buckets. Buckets in plastic bottles, which I then took with me to dispose of. PUH! I thought I'd never finish. There was no end in sight. And this afternoon, apparently all of a sudden, it slurp - the wonderful sound of water and air being sucked in...I had made it.

I've learnt that seemingly endless tasks can really get me down. I was really discouraged at times. But that I somehow manage to pick myself up again and keep going. And that I can keep going until the end. That also gives me courage when I think of the 500 kilos, half a tonne, of sand that is still on board after sandblasting and has to be swept away and vacuumed....I'll make it.

Now a friend comes round - and brings a cold beer - just the right thing for the end of the day.