Re: [Paddlewise] A First Time Experience

On 9/28/07, Mark Arnold <mjamja_at_earthlink.net> wrote:
<snip>

> Today I had one of those first time experiences.   I made my first cell
> phone call from the kayak.   I am not sure if this was a good first or a bad
> first.


Mark you are indeed a fortunate man. I take a cell phone with me on every
kayak trip and on most of them someone calls me; usually for work. Because
of my job as a network engineer and because people use networks 24/7/365 my
cell phone can ring any time and if I want to service my customers (and get
paid!) I better answer it.

I've been called while playing in a tidal race along the eastern shore of
Whidbey Island just south of Deception Pass (I had to eddy out); near
Skamokawa I had to abort my paddling trip to get to a computer to solve a
network issue (2 hours drive back to the in-laws computer); on Lake
Washington; on Willapa Bay; and literally dozens of times on Moses Lake.

Until recently I kept my cell phone in a handy little blue plastic case
which broke 2 weeks ago. The phone rides in a zippered pocket of my dry top
until I get a replacement.

But I don't mind having to stop paddling to answer the cell phone. Because
if I didn't have the cell phone I'd have to be near a telephone or in my
office like back in the day. That cell phone has enabled me to work (and
bill!!!) while holding my kayak in that eddy next to Whidbey Island. And
after the call is over (and a note made to charge for 30 minutes minimum
time) I eddied out and was back in the fun.

God bless whoever invented cell phones!!!


Craig Jungers
Royal City, WA
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