So, probably the last great sailing picnic of the year is planned. Looks like I will go to San Francisco at the beginning of December and it also looks like the weather is going to be pretty bad for the rest of the month.

The picnic will be an elaborate affair. The crew foregather in warm sunshine and light wind. The plan is a gentle cruise around, followed by languid eating. It is true that the weather prediction forecasts possible light showers but there is no evidence of precipitation.

We back away from the pontoon and happily chug out to the harbor basin to raise sail. Whilst doing this deep black clouds sneak up behind us and gleefully unload thousands of liters of rain right onto us. It is so sudden, so unexpected, so intense. Within seconds we are all completely drenched.

I had fouled the peak and throat halyards whilst raising the sail and was so concentrated on untangling them that I completely forgot I had two waterproof jackets in the cabin. The crew sit patiently in their light Okinawan clothes and are soaked.

In 5 minutes the excursion is all over and we scurry back to our pontoon. The crew go off to try and dry off. There is still hope of a picnic but things get worse, the wind rises and the rain, albeit less intense, continues.

We abandon the boat picnic but resolve to have a picnic in my apartment. We have the best fun.

We start with Octopus Coctel, the essential ingredient is a Mexican mix of clam juice and tomato juice, Clamato, which Arisa miraculously tracks down in Okinawa. Next is steak with asparagus and pickled cucumber salad. Salade Lyonnaise with poached egg is fabulous. An excellent carrot cake before we freshen our mouths with crisp apple slices from Nagano. Various wines. It is very dark by the time we push away from the table. We live so well.

This is a dull movie mainly about cooking octopus.

Ah, quality of life? For me availably of lots of super fresh fish, especially octopus, is key. Keep your, er, Porsche, your, er fancy house, your, er, you know, all that stuff.

Just slap me across the face with a wet fish.