Canoes, Kayaks & Rowers

I am SOOO excited that we're doing this. I spend WAYYY too much time reading blogs without posting online myself...and I have alot to say...REALLY...I do...has anyone ever noticed? :)

The Bunn family has had a Stetson Crew twister spin right into our weekend and it was DIZZINGLY fun. You know, after graduating, I don't remember really staying in touch with any Stetson folks - except you girls. Well, apparently major life changing events can rekindle relationships like no other - and I guess my wedding was the spark that re-ignited the flame of friendship between myself and the four captains who followed my ridiculous reign at Stetson.

Anyway, the girls showed up Friday night full of FUN. Little Loki had his first overnight with Grandma (Whitebread's mom) which was clearly FAR more emotional for me than it was for him. I'm not even sure he noticed.

For old times sake, I got the girls up at 5 AM for a little fresh water kayak trip down the clinch river - a fateful trip indeed. At this point you should begin to recall a sweet little diddy from the cult classic Deliverance. I only ask you to begin to recall it, as I still have some scene laying to do.

This trip was not nearly as spontaneous as our youthful hearts used to allow us to be. I've known for some time that the girls were coming and that I should be making fun exciting plans. Amongst these were a relaxing canoe trip down the Clinch river. Now, because the trip was meant to be another bonding experience and we were all going to be enjoying each others company I figured that we could get away with renting one canoe for the five of us and we would take turns paddling. So I called the equipment desk at my Graduate School Alma Mater and asked to make a reservation for a single canoe for the weekend, only to be told that it wasn't necessary since no one EVER rented the canoes and they had a few of them, so surely one would be available.

Well, one of the other girls having overheard my plans put a prompt end to that notion. Not only was it ridiculous to try and squeeze 5 women into one canoe but where would we put the cooler. And while I was disappointed that we weren't all going to ride together - she had a point about the cooler! So, I called the equipment desk again to see if I should make reservations for two canoes (since getting two would surely be riskier than getting just one). And a very different individual told me that it wasn't necessary because there were PLENTY of canoes and surely we wouldn't have any problems getting two when we wanted them.

So, as the weekend approached, I grew even more wary of the availability of said canoes. And of course, I really wanted the weekend to go off without a hitch. So, the Wednesday before the girls arrived, I stopped by the equipment desk to, yet again, inquire about making reservations for the canoes. And again, I was told that I wouldn't need reservations. So I just wanted to be sure that we would be able to get the necessary equipment to accompany said canoes...I would be needing 5 life jackets and I wanted to make sure that enough would be available.

When I asked for five life jackets the girls looked at me like I was crazy and asked me what I needed 5 for. Well, I told them that there are 5 of us - one boat would carry two girls and the other boat would carry three - with one girl riding in the middle. And again, the girls looked at me like I was nuts and told me that I couldn't do that. And I said, "What do you mean, I can't do that? It'll be fine." They said, "No, really. You can't do that. There's not room." So I asked her to show me the canoes and needless to say, they weren't canoes at all! They were kayaks. Which is fine, but completely changed the concept...and now I needed 3 boats and not just two - two tandems and a single. So again I ask to make a reservation for these 3 KAYAKS and I was told that it wasn't necessary.

So I went off on my merry way, excitedly anticipating the arrival of the girls. When they did arrive I whisked them away to help load the kayaks into the back of the truck I borrowed for the occasion.

We arrived at the equipment ready to load away. I filled out all of the paper work, but before I handed them a check (they didn't accept credit cards), I wanted to make sure that we could fit them into the truck. So, I followed the lady into the back where we promptly discovered that all of the kayaks I wanted to rent were gone! Someone had come in and rented them all 3 hours earlier! And the woman says, "Oh yeah, it was soo strange, no one EVER rents these." WHAT?!!! I was FURIOUS!!! I had called twice and come in once - 3 times I was told that I didn't need a reservation...I don't know if you've ever seen a fuming Howie - but smoke was billowing out of my ears.

But alas, we decided to check another location in town and luckily they had 2 kayaks available - a tandem and a single. And I remembered that the school did have ONE tandem still left - so I called them and asked the girl if I could reserve the red tandem kayak that I had seen when I was in there earlier and she told me that it would be fine but that that one was a canoe and I could have it if I didn't mind having a canoe.

This was getting ridiculous - I had seen it earlier and knew that it was a kayak and not a canoe. So I argued with her only briefly because it was clearly going to be a loosing battle. So I told her that I would take the canoe that was really a kayak and that she should DEFINITELY put my name on it and RESERVE it for me until I could get back there to get it.

As I was completing the paperwork for the other kayaks she called me back - only it wasn't her, it was her boss who told me that I couldn't have that kayak (yes, he, in fact, did call it a kayak) because it was busted. So I asked him how bad it was busted. He told me it had a hole in it and it leaked a little. Well, a little water never hurt anyone and I was willing to take it, but he told me that I couldn't because the boys who had rented it previously had yet to pay for the damage and it was their only evidence - SHEESH! This trip was just getting loopier by the minute...you can begin humming that tune you conjured up in your head earlier...you know the one...dueling banjo's and all...

We eventually got it figured out and made it down to the river - where 5 crew captains were quickly humbled by the goddess of the river. Surely, we thought, that if we can lead a team full of rowers into competition that we could tackle a wimpy little river. I mean really, clearly we were the cream of the crew crop. They don't just let ANYONE be captain! We might have been wrong...

Well, after 3 flips, a busted knee, a sliced hand, a missing toenail and a few bottles of Boone's Farm (Sangria flavor is the only one worth mentioning) - we made it down the river where Whitebread was patiently waiting to haul us out!

And we spent the rest of trip drinking whisky slushes and eating pretzels with frosting! I love having girlfriends - and I miss you girls IMMENSELY!!!