I am looking for ways of earning extra money. At this time of year, the purse is pretty empty, and things like the car tax fall due for payment, really bad timing just after Christmas. So, I am looking at my options.
There is a website where freelance jobs are advertised, and I have been poking about to see what is on offer. One job asked for a short piece on travel mishaps, and it reminded me of something that happened to me a number of years ago.
My French friend had come across for a visit, so we thought that we would take her to the beautiful Lake District. It was July, and the weather typical for a British summer, cold, wet and windy. We stayed with friends of my parents who were keen on boating, and who offered to take us out on the lake. Despite my reservations about boats and water, it sounded like it would be fun.
So off we went, three girls in a small boat on a big lake. We sailed about for a while, rain soaked, wind in our hair, before my French friend decided it was too cold and wanted to go back to sit in the car.
The boat, expertly handled by our family friend, was manoeuvred close to shore, and we were told to jump out. So, I jumped, and found myself in rather deep water unable to feel the lake bed. Stupidly, I had not checked to see on which side of the boat the land lay and had jumped out the wrong side. Before I managed to think, the sail was caught by the wind and our little boat started to head out towards the middle of the lake with me clinging to the side wondering whether or not to let go.
We sailed back towards the shore and shallower water, and to my relief a complete stranger waded out to grab me. At this point, it is worth bearing in mind that my family were on dry land watching, and that not one of them thought to come to my rescue, they were laughing too hard. The other thing to note, is that I was the only person who had gone to the lake without a change of clothes, so I had an extremely soggy afternoon until we arrived back at the house.
The moral of the story? Look before you leap.
There is a website where freelance jobs are advertised, and I have been poking about to see what is on offer. One job asked for a short piece on travel mishaps, and it reminded me of something that happened to me a number of years ago.
My French friend had come across for a visit, so we thought that we would take her to the beautiful Lake District. It was July, and the weather typical for a British summer, cold, wet and windy. We stayed with friends of my parents who were keen on boating, and who offered to take us out on the lake. Despite my reservations about boats and water, it sounded like it would be fun.
So off we went, three girls in a small boat on a big lake. We sailed about for a while, rain soaked, wind in our hair, before my French friend decided it was too cold and wanted to go back to sit in the car.
The boat, expertly handled by our family friend, was manoeuvred close to shore, and we were told to jump out. So, I jumped, and found myself in rather deep water unable to feel the lake bed. Stupidly, I had not checked to see on which side of the boat the land lay and had jumped out the wrong side. Before I managed to think, the sail was caught by the wind and our little boat started to head out towards the middle of the lake with me clinging to the side wondering whether or not to let go.
We sailed back towards the shore and shallower water, and to my relief a complete stranger waded out to grab me. At this point, it is worth bearing in mind that my family were on dry land watching, and that not one of them thought to come to my rescue, they were laughing too hard. The other thing to note, is that I was the only person who had gone to the lake without a change of clothes, so I had an extremely soggy afternoon until we arrived back at the house.
The moral of the story? Look before you leap.
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