Back in 1998, the world was cooler. I was riding high on a promotion and my boss at the time was whispering in my ear that I would eventually be a better engineer than the handful of other engineers he had trained. They were all doing well, running different sections over in the new fab. Things were looking good about even newer fabs soon to be built, maybe as far as Buda, but still within driving range. In my head, eventually I would be the Randy of the Buda fab, hell yeah, I was born to lead, "do as I say, and don't eyeball me boy."
I went and got me a boat. It was swell, a little runabout they call them, big enough for 6-7 people. That's a white folk number, they like to be comfortable. I'd load that boat with 10-12 mesicans and anchors away my friend!! I loved the first few years, boating with our neighbors, fishing with my dad, sometimes just a picnic with the family. Life couldn't be any better. Within a year or two, we needed to up the thrill of just riding on a boat. I got some pull along floats, one was in the shape of a jetski, one was shaped like a chariot, most were just tubes. The boys loved riding these different tubes, and I have great pics at home, showing their giant smiles as we'd zoom along miles of open water.
As it usually goes, eventually, a woman with big boobs enters the picture to distract me. Our neighbors sister decided she wanted to ride on the tube and how could I say no to someone who is already wearing a small bikini. She went along the usual up and down the lake and all was great, until she's being pulled into the boat, and my wife motions to her, "your boob is out". I didn't actually see it, but I figured what had happened, so before she could get back, I said let's go some more, it's getting dark, you can ride tube back to boat ramp. She was probably 25 and game. I then of course was treating the boat like a bull turning maniacally, going in and out of coves, looking back instead of paying attention where the boat ramp was at. A few minutes later, still no boob to be seen, it was dark, and now I had no idea where we were.
The lake was no longer friendly with families in pontoon boats eating chips and drinking pop. Now it was full of old men in aluminum jon boats, murdering innocent worms in their pursuit of gamefish. We brought boat down to a drift and putted along shore where I thought we might be close to our ramp. And then KATUNK KATUNK and boat felt like it lifted up a foot and fell back. I was sure there was a hole on the bottom of the boat and we would all be swimmming in seconds. Everyone had their lifejackets on, as is the law, and for this exact reason. Kids looked at me like come on man, save us, do something. I looked in storage space under the floor and there was no water, so in thinking about it, it was just propeller mashing into some rocks. We were still moving, but there was a roughness to it.
Eventually, we approached another boat with 2-3 guys, I was ready to toss them a wench for good info to get us out of there, and they not only pointed us in the right direction, but they drove in front of us to get us there. Nice guys, not pirates as I feared.
Upon inspection, my propeller blade was bent pretty good, but no other damage to the vessel. I said good, and the next day was at the boat place buying a replacement, $175 and I didn't even get to see the boobs.
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