the other Ocean City

I'm retired. I'm 58 yrs. old. An old fart? I guess. I stay up late and I get up late. I like 9 hrs. plus sleep. Lazy? I am. I work and play in spurts. This morning I get a call at 7:15 AM! I usually don't turn the phone on till after 10 AM. It is my friend "The Professor". He's been riding on a sailboat for the last few days coming down the coast from Connecticut. He's jumping ship in Ocean City, NJ. Could I fly over and pick him up and could he live in my hangar for a few days? He wants to "think and write". I say yes, but I go back to sleep. Later I ask wife if she would like to go to the beach in New Jersey. Yes she would. So this trip will require the little Cherokee. It has been in the back of the hangar getting dust and dirt and bird droppings on it. I roll the M-10 Cadet out and set it aside. I rock the Cher OH kee off it's flat spots and roll it about 2 feet. Move a motorcycle. Roll it 2 more feet. Move a motor scooter. Roll it 3 or 4 feet. Move chairs, chocks, a shop vac, tools etc. I have 30 minutes to pre flight and wash the airplane. I spend 20 minutes repairing the water hose. Now I have 10 minutes. My buddy Clark flies in. We visit while I wash. Wife is ready and we go. Across Delaware Bay. A lovely flight. Meet up with Prof. Walk to beach. Wade in Atlantic. Water cold. Eat excellent lunch. Fly down the coast. We look for the sailboat Prof had jumped off of. It is on it's way to Cape May. A needle in a haystack. The Prof. spots it. I circle it. I strafe it. I beat it up at 20 feet. We are five miles off shore. I say a prayer to the Lycoming Gods. Down on the sailboat they are waving like crazy. We hop over to Cape May. Use a port-a-potty. Fly across the bay to home. Buzz the strip for deer. Swing around Eric's house. Land with a little extra speed over the trees because my airspeed indicator has quit. My wife and the Prof and I and six dogs sit around the pool and watch the sunset. We drink crude cocktails. I fire up a Tiki torch. Wife goes to the barn to check on the horses and say goodnight. Prof goes to hangar to sleep in the mancave. He's had a long day. I write here to talk to you. G.A.I.