Jerome

I saw this guy rowing his dinghy pulling a Catalina 22 and hollered that maybe that is what I should have for cruising.  We got to talking and he introduced himself as Jerome.  He has been in Isle of Hope since the 70’s and pointed to the big white house where he first lived.  Currently he beds down on the Catalina.  The town won’t let him park his car so here is his routine.  After a day of house painting he parks his car at Walmart,  rides his bike over a mile to the water and rows out to his un-heated boat.  These mornings are cold and he gets up early,  rarely ever eats hot food,  jumps on the bike and heads for his car.  On Christmas day he picked me up to meet another friend and enjoy some food he had in his trunk.  (I fed him pasta and sausage the next night)  His work was drying up during this current recession but he thought if he got a full house painting job that he would back flush again.  Jerome was married 2-1/2 years and had 3 or 4 kids.  He explained that but I didn’t follow well.  It is his grandchildren that keeps him in the area.  At 63 years old his mother gives him a hard time for not being successful.  Very likable and not a complainer.  I hope to see him again sometime.