UNDER THE THUMB

lanason

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Right - this weekend is the first weekend out in my new boat. So I invited my best mate weeks ago to join me and to help. So me, my mate and my 10 year old son were to be the team. Plan was to leave my SWMBO at home with the little ones (5 and 3) cus they would be too much trouble first time out.
Now my mate phones up TONIGHT and says he cannot make it. Because - wait for it - his SWMBO has invited people around for a meal on Saturday night and he has to be there to help.
Now that leaves me and my 10 year old on our own.

So is my mate a UNDER THE THUMB or what. Last invite he gets, sad G*T.

Adrian

Don't call me "Ian"
Cleopatra - yellow hull called Court Jester. Have you seen her ?
 
How can one break this to you gently.Its like err well sort of.Umm
O crikey how can we put this
Some people are not actually that keen on boats.
Nasty things keep moving up and down.
There now I have said it.Maybe he was looking for excuse not to go .

Exercise is bunk.If you are healthy,you do not need it;if you are sick you should not take it.
 
No this guy is MAD on boats - a few years ago BEFORE he met his SWMBO, he and I spent ages looking at big boats for him to LIVE on.
No this is not what you think.

Adrian

Don't call me "Ian"
Cleopatra - yellow hull called Court Jester. Have you seen her ?
 
I've got a pal who's mad about boats too...."love to come out,anytime" etc.

when I phone, it's never enough notice....he wants fine,calm weather,booked at least a week in advance (so he can arrange it with his missus)
 
Oh dear, by now you should be feeling a teensy weensy bit sorry that you were so dismissive of letting me join your 'Holiday' club...I wouldnt have let you down like that....oh no....I'd have stuck to my agreeement to help you through thick and thin and if swmbo didnt like it she'd have to either get used to it or do the other thing.......
Stop arguing about whether your so called mate is under the thumb or not cos that aint going to solve your real problem of needing someone to hold your hand whilst you make those first tentative little steps towards boating self sufficiency.
Come on Andrea..........put out an APB to all those other little Holiday friends of yours (about 3 or 4 of them arent there?) and get the calvary over.
Plan B is to teach ten year old short person how to open a beer can so's you can keep both hands on the wheel..........
On a slightly more serious note wots his missus like..maybe I could nip over and look after her needs so's he can go out with you..............;-)

Call me anything you like...you probably will anyway!



' shouldn't cost much to put that right....or is it a v*lv*? ;-)'

www.boatsonthethames.co.uk
 
Various options appear to spring to mind
1) Invite his wife and the others around to have the meal aboard your boat.
2)Hand over your younger children to granny/granpa and take own wife
3) Leave No1 son with mum and go alone
4) Leave No1 son with mum and go with mistress
5) Have a dinner party of your own at home (its going to piss down and blow anyway this weekend so this might be the best option) and invite aforementioned friend and wife. This will test whether they were having a party in the first place, give you the opportunity to explore his turning down of your invitation to sail. It will also give you the opportunity to fix his drink and fill him full of remorse on Sunday morning.
6) Should they be having a dinner party - how come you were not invited as you are such good friends? Perhaps its time to find a new friend?

regards
Claymore
 
I had that problem many years ago, I remember once ready to go at his front door and his wife decided she needed to visit a garden centre for a cherry tree, I ended up waiting until they got back.

And yes he was mad about boating but his wife has control completely, these days I can't even get him down to the pub unless it's 4months notice!

Needless to say I no longer go boating with him, have plenty of mates who don't let you down.

RM.
 
Funny how they all want to go. But only exactly on there terms. I've one mate been coming for about five years. He wants to come now. When he's built his radio controled sea plane!! They must think the boats parked up ready for there personal use!!

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn
 
Down in Milford Haven - actually I'm not worried about me and my son on the boat. But is my mate a s*d or what.
Never did get on well with his SWMBO - is this her revenge ??
Adrian

Don't call me "Ian"
Cleopatra - yellow hull called Court Jester. Have you seen her ?
 
The same sort of thing happens when you want some company on board for six-year old crew member, to keep them occupied instead of asking ten thousand unanswerable questions when you're really concentrating on the navigation or whatever. All these other mothers say their children would absolutely LOVE to go away on a boat for a weekend, but then, when the time comes they've got a party to go to, or a dodgy tummy, or something. So you end up being a mummy lion/mermaid/dinosaur, whilst jumping ashore with the spring/trying to arrange a berth with a Frenchman/taking the controls while he gets the anchor up etc...
 
yup - I'm leaving my wife and the two little one (3 year old boy and 5 year old girl) at home. My 13 year old daughter does not want to come down so its just me and my 10 year old son.
Am I getting excited or WHAT.

Adrian


Don't call me "Ian"
Cleopatra - yellow hull called Court Jester. Have you seen her ?
 
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