Dock Talk

Marinas are odd odd places. The strangest one I've ever been to is Horta in the Azores...odd memories of angry drunken Norwegians, hairy hippies on a boat seemingly made of duct tape, rafting six deep on the seawall, all completely overshadowed by my discovery of spicy ketchup at the marina cafe. Ah, spicy ketchup, Mother Nature's Perfect Elixir.

But the People's Republic of Berkeley Marina might take the cake. No spicy ketchup, but great neighbors.

Conversation with Starboard Neighbor (SN)
Bob: So, how close to finishing that project (his boat) are you?
SN: It's not going too fast, I have a new girlfriend in San Francisco so I can't work on the boat too much.
Edward: Too bad, but at least you got a girlfriend out of it.
SN: It's a good match. She's a veterinarian and I have a dog.

Silence, nobody knows what to say.
More silence, awkward glances.

SN: With epiliepsy. My dog has epilepsy.
Bob: Good thing you found the right girl then.