Life on the Water....

Yes, I went to the NBC Credit Union and took out a loan to "buy" the boat over the next seven years. It was a pretty, albeit old, wooden Chris Craft cabin cruiser. There was an enclosed back, which meant the deck with the steering wheel and engines beneath was our living room. Down into the cabin you found a dining table, which converted to our bed and a very small kitchen - thank God for crock pots. The front of the boat - or the bow - had a "v" berth with room for two tiny people. Jake's sons fit snugly. They loved the adventure and for about a month, so did I. Or did I just love my father's reaction - "Holy Sh*t...you've lost your mind". Perhaps I had.

The closet held about five work outfits and - get this - the "head" aka bathroom was not to be used at dock. No worries - a restroom complete with showers were a mere 1/4 mile up the dock. As I write this I shudder in disbelief at what I chose as my reality during that time of my life. At the time I thought of the boat as a large water bed.

I wish I could say things were good. But, Jake was not having fun with his "mid life crisis". It involved dramatic changes at work where he was relegated to managing people no one had ever heard of and, more than likely, never would. The financial strains of his first life were creating damaging cracks in his second. Post taxes and boat payments, my salary was stretched and I was not the happiest of campers, either.

We decided to go to San Francisco for our first anniversary - which was also my 25th birthday. Jake had a conference to attend so I had free time during the day. Don't ask me what possessed me, but I called an employment agency and went on an interview at an advertising agency. Down by the wharf, large brick buildings, San Francisco was a seductive city, for sure. While the agency wasn't The Tonight Show, there were good accounts and the dangling carrot of a Jr. Account Executive position should I do well in this entry level post. They liked me and would let me know in a few days.

That night I called my mom while Jake was still in meetings...turning 25 was a milestone and I let her know I was feeling "old". Her response, "what do you care about being 25 - you're married". And, she wasn't even crazy about the guy - it was the status that counted. Can you understand why my life-view was skewed...and screwed?

We flew back to Los Angeles and life went on. Jake's unhappiness and my days spent at the Tonight Show. About a week later I received a phone call from the employment agency. They were offering me the job. The money was significantly higher than what I was making.

I had twenty four hours to make the decision.