| My brother-in-law was fond of the expression, "The | | | | It was the IDEA OF WASTE that started nibbling |
| two happiest days are when you buy a boat and | | | | away at him. |
| when you sell a boat." | | | | I've had the same experience, but with cars. In a |
| He knew this from experience. | | | | moment of utter stupidity I leased a luxury |
| He had been the proud owner of an almost-yacht; | | | | convertible that ended up adorning my garage for |
| officially it was one foot shy of that vaunted | | | | the better part of two years. The lease allowed me |
| designation. Thus, its price tag was materially less | | | | to log about 800 miles per month, a miserly |
| than that of its longer and more prestigious kin. | | | | allotment, at best. |
| I wouldn't say he loved this craft, but I do believe he | | | | But I only put on half of that amount. |
| liked the atmospherics quite a bit, including living the | | | | What a relief it was not to see it, or to calculate |
| marina lifestyle with all that entails. | | | | how much I was throwing away on insurance. |
| But the fact of the matter was that he simply didn't | | | | The recession is a chance to hit the reset button on |
| get out into the open water enough. So it sat in its | | | | extravagances of this kind. |
| slip, mostly enjoyed by tourists that would see it | | | | Look around you. Are there underutilized assets that |
| through the glamorous mist along with its idle and | | | | are draining funds and sapping your spirits instead of |
| stately peers. | | | | enhancing them? |
| I sensed he and his cruising companion were destined | | | | If so, sell them, trade them in, or give them away. |
| to part ways when he started complaining that at | | | | There's a reason they're bothering you, stealing your |
| best it only got about three miles to the gallon, | | | | joy, even if they once made the heart beat a little |
| burning diesel. Just to get it out of the harbor and | | | | faster. |
| out for a short cruise set him back a hundred bucks. | | | | Your underutilized assets are telling you it's time to let |
| Not that he was going to miss the C-note. | | | | go! |