So... Canoe Marathon is this weekend. For years I've been trying to convey the excitement and anticipation of the canoe marathon to my friends outside of my town. I try to get my co-workers to come on down and check it out, I try to get my friends from down state to come up and spend the weekend. But inevitably the conversation goes like this...
Them - "Sooo what's this canoe marathon thing all about anyway"
Me- "A bunch of people canoeing at night, portaging dams, etc etc."
Them- "Soooo if we came then what do we do"
Me- " Welll... you pick a spot and you sit, then they'll shoot the gun, and the guys run down this road, around the corner, all the while they're carrying their canoes, and you're waiting for one to trip, cuz when one goes, it's going to be like domino's. And then they all get in the river and they go paddling by and you cheer them on."
Them- "Like... 'Yea... Canoes?'"
Me- "Yeah... like yea canoes."
Them- "Then what do you do after they pass you by"
Me- "You get in your car and drive to the next spot and wait for them to come by again, and when they do, you cheer them on again"
Them- "Yea... Canoes."
Me- "ummmmm.... yeah"
Them- "yeah"
Me- "You're not coming are you"
Them- "no"
Me- "didn't think so. It's a Grayling thing. I don't think you're invited anyway."
Them- "Bummer."
I think my first time watching the race was in high school after work at Hardee's. The canoes would always come through my hometown, but I'd be sound asleep when they passed through, and my parents were hermits, so I never experienced it. But after one... if you're in the right frame of mind... you're hooked. And I was hooked. BIG TIME. LOL. To the point that on the day of my wedding shower--in DETROIT-- I opened my gifts, visited with everyone packed up the car and booked it back to Grayling to watch the race. It's a disease really... it's a disease.
Unless you're from here, or been here forever... you just don't get it. But the marathon is coming, it's this weekend, and I'm excited for it. If for no other reason than to visit the craft show and watch the parade, because who doesn't love a parade! lol.
Oh yeah... and to yell "yea canoes"
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13 comments:
I think the frame of mind you speak of is...drunk?
I'm one of those who could personally care less about race weekend. I used to work at Ray's, so I have been standing five feet away from the guys as they jump in the river. When the race brings memories of 16 hr days...Eric and I were the ones who put up and tore down all those signs, fences, and penenats and packed them up so they could go to Oscoda.
It's just not my thing, but I understand the experience and the potential is there for fun. I know Toby does it out of tradition and the kids, plus his experience was one of being a spectator, not a worker.
I'm thinking my first week of working will fall on race weekend...so it causes me extra work yet again.
And some advice for newbies, watch were you park. Somewhere by Wakely Bridge and for sure by McMasters, people are drunk out of theie gourds and driving quickly in and out of a landing...there are tons of fender benders and the like, so whoever has the beater car, drive it.
I'm not taking my awesome Grand Am out in that....
welll... I can't say that I've ever WATCHED the marathon drunk, and I still enjoyed it. But yeah... I guess I do get a kick out of watching THE drunks pass me by. -- errr I mean--- I get a kick stepping over the drunks. LOL. Mostly I personally just like to go uptown and hang out, see the craft show, parade, see people I haven't seen in forever, and cheer on whoever it is that I know is canoing. Usually theres one or two kids from high school, a friend of a friend, etc etc.
I've never followed it all the way, but I did happen to go to Oscoda when I was pregnant to watch the end, and that was cool too. That was the year Matt and Mo lost by like 2 seconds to Surge, and Kolka.
I don't know... I like it, and I'm not drunk. But i"m weird. You're right though... I'd HATE to be working that weekend. ugggh.
I have been followong the race for about 11yrs and have not one time witnessed a fender bender...I love it Steph and i have to agree people who are not from around here just don't get it..
Oh, then I guess there hasn't been any fender benders over the 11 yrs you have been following, since you haven't seen any...Anyhow, I'm talking from 96' and earlier...there was lots of them then...;)
Wow!! I really don't like your attitude..I am just saying you don't have to be a druken fool to enjoy the experance...And no never saw a one...
NO FIGHTING! Don't make me curl up into the fetal position and cry for my mommy. lol.
Hey, lighten up a bit...geez. Didn't you see that little winky thing that I did at the end that makes me not liable for any of my comments...;)
Obviously, you don't have to be drunk to enjoy the marathon, I was just stating the fact that for alot of people, the drinking is part of the experience. Also in my experience, and in some people that I know, dings, scratches, and dents have been known to happen in the rush in and out of viewing areas.
So, Anonymous, I humbly ask for your forgiveness...just don't disagree with me again.
-------------> ;)
P.S. - I deleted my 1st post because my ability to put correctly spelled and logical sentences together apparently has been hampered today...I just edited a bit.
I personaly enjoy the drinking part of it!!!!!
I will never forget the time that I followed the race to Mio. (I think it was after the wedding shower) and the man and I showed up at McMasters and there was a Uhaul and they Whipped open the Uhaul doors, and there was a picnic table a bunch of people and a kegger! I laughed so hard. It was absolute redneck mania, and I loved it!
Then there was the time that I follwed Jay and Eric out to some crazy old out of the way place to watch the canoes and the whole way out of there him or Eric... I think it was Eric threw grass and weeds on my car. I was picking weeds out of my grill and wippers for about a week.
See... THIS is why I love marathon! lol... And I was sober EACH time!
Were you with us? The only place I can think of way Dick's House. Did the racers ask us to cheer when the next one went through, so they could judge how far back the next person was?
That is so funny! I only remember Eric, but I knew someone else was with us...just not you.
Grass and weed picking...Eric has always been so romantic...
I don't know who's house it was, but it was off 72 on Ox Bow rd.... and yeah, they asked us to cheer so they could hear how far back the other guys were. I forgot about that.
And yeah, it was you me Eric, and some other friends of yours. We sat on some dock and watched them roll by. And the guy, whoever it was offered up some beer, and I was all **GASP** cracked me up.
Yeah... weeds... sooooo romantic. I just can't imagine why I never tried to date that man... hmmm...
Yeah, Dick was a nice guy. My mom swore he was just trying to lure us up to the house..."Here little boy, you want some candy".
He also offered everyone a beer...it was part of his routine. He came from an era when everyone could drink at 18. I liked him. He gve me two of my favorite sayings:
"Son, we ain't building watches here." - When I was slow doing something, mostly carpentry.
"You do good work, son. Not a lot of it, but what you do is good."
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