In past issues of this page I've shared with you collections of quotations inspired by, and trivia about, the sea.
All things nautical are always on my mind. So, I'm not surprised that as I was browsing the supermarket aisles recently I started to take note of just how many common products are also inspired by -or at least named after - nautical things.
So let's see just how nautical of a day I can have, even when nowhere near the water's edge.
I get up in the morning, shower with Coast soap and while shaving nick myself so I use a little Sea Breeze astringent, then splash on some Old Spice aftershave. I brush my teeth with Aquafresh toothpaste and notice the nice blue water in the commode, thanks to the Tidy bowl man in his little boat.
I dress in a pair of Docker's khakis, an Old Navy shirt, then slip on my favorite pair of Topsiders. Once in the kitchen I open the cupboard and grab a box of Captain Crunch for breakfast, pour myself a big glass of Ocean Spray juice and toast a few slices of Captain John Durst bread with some Land-O-Lakes butter.
If it was a weekday I'd head to the gym for a rigorous Nautilus workout. But it's the weekend so I pack myself a proper boating lunch, whipping up some tuna salad using Chicken of the Sea flavored with a few shakes my trusty can of Old Bay seasoning and spread it out on yet another few slices of Captain Durst bread. A few Chips Ahoy cookies and a pouch of Goldfish snacks will round out my lunch. But before heading out the door I decide to load some laundry with a double scoop of Tide detergent. I used to use Surf.
Out in the yard I can't decide whether to drive the Chevy Corvette or the Pacifica. I decide on the Pacifica but once out the driveway realize the low fuel light is on so I head for the local Shell station to fill up.
Lastly, and not so surprisingly given the age-old reputation of mariner's as drinkers, it's at the ABC and beer store where the nautical influence is most apparent. Black Seal, Captain Morgan and Parrot Bay rums; Cutty Sark scotch; then Landshark and Anchor Steam beer.