Sunday, September 27, 2009

I Suck At The Boston Belle Charters

Today, Karen and I took a charter cruise around Boston Harbor via the Boston Belle Charters. Unfortunately, I suck at the Boston Belle Charters.

The cause for the charter was the annual memorial for a friend who I grew up with (Greg). Greg passed away on Valentine's day some time ago. Unfortunately, I do not know what was the cause of the unfortunate circumstance. Anyway, I knew Greg since middle school. As well, we ended up running track together. He had attempted running hurdles along with my friend (Marc) and I at one time, but found running long distance easier.

Needless to say, Greg's mother, who happens to be a teacher at the high school that all of us went to, holds an annual fundraiser for a scholarship in his name. The fundraiser this year involved the Boston Harbor cruise.

With the inclement weather today, I was a little hesitant about the cruise at first. Luckily, mother nature cooperated and the cruise turned out to be pretty good.

My friends (Cass and Ellen) were also on the cruise with us, which was great. Aside from Cass and Ellen, Karen and I did not know anyone else on the cruise except for Greg's mother and our old track coach (Geoff). Technically, that's not totally true. Cass's parents were on the cruise too. So I knew them.

(Pictured below is Cass, impersonating the Gorton's fisherman.)


Speaking of Cass's parents, Karen and I got to see the scar on Cass's father's thumb. When my friends and I took Cass out to celebrate his birthday, Cass's father cut his thumb with a saw. The cut required 16 stitches and was an interesting way to end the birthday celebration.

As the story goes, Cass's father was cutting a post with a table saw. The piece of wood kicked back and apparently by instinct, his father pushed the piece of wood down to the rotating blade. The only problem... his thumb caught the blade. Obviously, that is a big no-no. Safety safety safety. As Cass said, his father is lucky to still have his thumb. Parents...

Anyway, it just so happened that Cass's father... and his scarred thumb... won one of the raffle items for Greg's scholarship fund. Cass's father seems to win things. When we were in Las Vegas, he won money at a slot machine at the airport. It was bizarre. But, the raffled item he happened to win was the large gift basket of wine that my favorite sister-in-law (Janine) had donated to the fund.

Needless to say, it was an interesting time.