Holidays can be overrated, especially the ones that can't be celebrated on water. Even though I enjoy Christmas, it annoys me when I start seeing displays before I've even had a chance to carve my pumpkin. And until our company changes its policy so we no longer have to work on Columbus Day, I'm going to continue to let this one pass by without much fanfare.
But arguably the greatest holiday of them all is Thanksgiving! No hype, just a combination of food, family and football. Plus unlike Christmas, I've yet to hear about anyone being offended by this holiday-well, maybe just PETA and of course the turkeys themselves.
So as I prepare to preheat the oven for our turkey feast (or realistically as I plan to keep a safe distance from the kitchen in my recliner, while my sweet wife insures our successful dinner), I can't help but stop and give thanks.
Rather than dive into giving the much-deserved thanks to my wife, children, family, company and the founder of Olive Garden, I'd like to do something a little different for this "thanksgiving-themed" column. I'm going to focus on the PDB Forum Blast Party that I attended in September. A full report-along with incriminating photos-is sure to follow in an upcoming issue. In the recap we'll break down the details and make those who attended blush and those who couldn't make it, sorry they missed it.
Sometimes I get so caught up in a busy summer travel schedule for my job that I don't get a chance to just relax, be myself and put the camera down for a few minutes when I'm on the water. I feel the success of this magazine depends on how well I can do my job and because of that pressure I'm always trying to be in the right place at the right time to capture the ideal story. But at the PDB Forum Blast that was held at Moors Resort and Marina on Kentucky Lake, I just felt like one of the guys.
Post recaps on the forum from those in attendance focused on the wind and the storm that blew through on Sunday, but what seemed to get overlooked was the beautiful Saturday afternoon that we all enjoyed. With enough sunburns to go around, it was a near perfect day as we beached and ate snacks off a makeshift buffet table, also known as the bow of a Moors rental pontoon. Forks? Who needs forks? On this day we were all family and we just dove into the impressive spread that Dave and Alma Richards (aka Looneytoons on the forum) had brought for the group.
To me, this is what boating is all about and I'm thankful that I got to be a part of this event. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is more than just a good pre-game meal that is followed by a well-designed plan to tackle the early morning Christmas sales the next day. It's about coming together as a family and putting your differences aside and that is another reason why I liked this forum party so much. It's a forum and there are plenty of times when we all disagree as opinions are shared (and trashed). But everyone got along at the get-together and there were no divided groups. This was just further evidence that boaters are some of the most laid back and friendliest people that you'll ever meet.
A big thanks goes out to all those who made this event possible and to those who came a great distance to support it. Plans are already in the works for the next forum gathering and hopefully this party will continue to grow each time. In this month of Thanksgiving, let us appreciate all the good things in our lives that make us who we are.
"I've yet to hear about anyone being offended by this holiday-well, maybe just the turkeys."
