Saturday, October 25, 2008

New Day #303

Today I was supposed to participate in the international Thrill the World event, but I haven't had time to practice. Instead, I took part in the 5th Annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta on Tualatin Commons, which required no preparation.

Sort of.

I mean, as I stepped into a hollowed out 800-pound pumpkin with a kayaking oar it occurred to me that I had no idea how to kayak and perhaps it would have been prudent to learn how to operate one before I tried piloting a vegetable. Luckily, someone was nice enough to tell me I had my oar upside down.


I was joined by Tim "Up-for-Anything" McNichol, who substituted for the Long-Suffering Floyd, who was home suffering with a cold. Tim's goal was that he not come in last, a goal I'm sorry to report he did not meet, as he discovered too late that his oar was too short for his pumpkin, pumpkin kayaking being a very inexact pastime.

I, on the other hand, managed to come in 6th out of 15, partly because I moved the buoys on the course when I couldn't maneuver around them.


What can I say? You can take the boy out of Jersey, but you can't take the Jersey out of the boy. Even if you put him in a pumpkin.

7 comments:

Rick Bettencourt said...

While I was looking forward to you "thrilling" us with your fancy toe-tapping this is equally as amusing.

That Thriller thing is pretty big. They're advertising here it Salem too.

Fran said...

Lillian said "Good for you!" on moving the buoys. It's gotta be an East Coast thing. She said it's a matter of perspective -- are you going past the buoys or are the buoys going past you?

Anonymous said...

OH MY GOD = this looks like more fun than anything so far in alll your new things days! Makes me want to go out, grow a huge pumpkin and organize the Potomac River Pumpkin Paddle of 2009!! Passing the Washington Monument or going under the 14th street bridge in a pumpkin could potentially be my life's work! I love this!!

Greg said...

Reminds me of the old rhyme, Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater.... I would never have thought those huge pumpkins would be able to float.

Rick Andreoli said...

That's genius! I love it! And you look gourd-eous!

therese patrick, author said...

I watched this on the news - didn't think to look for you. Awesome! I love kayaking.

Valerie Willman said...

Who thinks up this stuff?! Kayaking pumpkins? What a hoot. I totally would have done it.