Names

-Romeo, I said.

-Come on, be serious, said Alisa.


-I am serious. What better gift to give your son than naming him Romeo?


-We're not going to use it. Here's a good one - I saw it on a boat today. Ramblin' Rose.


-That's a great name!


-I know, it's a great name.


-Who would have ever thought I'd own a boat with a name from a Grateful Dead song?


-But we can't use it. It's already taken, end of story.


-Boat names are hard.


-Baby names are hard.


-Boat names are harder.


We paused and thought.


-I've got it! I said.


-What? asked Alisa.


-Elias, Jr.


-Ha ha ha. Actually, it did work the first time.


-But what a way to give Elias a complex.


-Yeah.


-Yeah.


-Pelagic is such a good name, said Alisa.


-Yeah, it's a name you don't mind answering to for sure.


-But we could never do Pelagic II.


-I agree. Never. How about Tall Cotton?


-No.


-Steady Roll?


-No.


-I know. Get this. Stranger.


-I like it! It works on two levels.


-Yeah, right. We're always strangers in a new place. Plus the other meaning.


-That could work.


-Or Everywhere.


-That's good too. I thought you said boat names were harder than baby names.


-OK, baby names. How about Thelonious?


-No.


-Django?


-Not since your sister's mother-in-law turns out to have a dog named Django.


-How come you're not suggesting any baby names?


-Because mine are serious, so I want to save them and see how they feel first.


-Pelagic is such a great boat.


-I know. I hate to think of selling her.


-Dave and Jaja sailed high latitudes with three kids on a 33 footer. It's not like it's impossible.

-But I don't think we could do four people on Pelagic.

-I know. I need a door I can close behind me as it is. I just can't take sharing a single room with a three year old twenty four seven.

-Much less a three year old and a six year old, said Alisa.

-Much less, I agreed.

-So I guess we'll try to swap boats while we're in Tasmania?

-It makes sense, I said, we have to spend some time ashore there anyway. But I want to get back on the boat with the new baby as soon as we can.

-Back on the new boat with the new baby, said Alisa.

-As soon as we can, I said.

-Right, as soon as we can, agreed Alisa.