We have returned from our 7 day journey into the land of Lake Powell. While I did indeed tan I did not get as dark as I would have liked but that is okay because it lowers my chance of skin cancer, right?
The whole trip was mainly uneventful. We had the occasional freak storm that threatened to destroy us but that too passed eventually. It was quite unnerving that the wind storm would hit between 4 and 5 pm every day until Mondayish. My father re-injured his toe (the one he broke last time in Lake Powell) but succeeded in skiing. There was a lot of swimming and hiking and exploring and reading and ipad/phone game playing that occupied the rest of us. Eric built an epic sandcastle twice and my aunt and mother built Oompa Loompa Land, but that is another story...Instead, here are two other stories :)
The story of the manly sport bare-footing
A neighboring neighbor from my parent's home ward was also down at Lake Powell and my father challenged them to bare-footing...the manliest sport according to my father. It is very painful unless you have the right equipment (bruises form on the buttocks area unless proper padding shorts are worn...) and the amount of ab strength-not to mention arms, leg, and chest strength-is daunting and not for the faint of heart. The daring and bold adventurer starts dragging in the water as they hold on to a bar, known as the boom. When the boat has picked up speed (around 40 mph or faster if the boat permits) the adventurer attempts to draw his legs over, around, and up into their chest. Then ever so slowly they lower their feet into the water. If successful they are bare-footing and receive their 'man card' (or 'woman card' since the fiance of one of the neighbors tried it as well).
I know what you are thinking. Did Eric receive his man card? The answer is yes and while I don't have any pictures at the moment I will soon! :) He did very well actually. It is all those flips that gave him great ab strength!
The story of the sinking ski-boat
The real exciting thing was my parent's ski boat almost sinking! Duh Duh Duh!!!!!
Here, let me explain...
While out skiing, wake-boarding, and other such things one does in Lake Powell on a boat, my father noticed that there was a lot of water-more so than usual-in the engine area and bilging (something boats do as they usually get water and it must be drained out by bilging) did not get rid of it fast enough. So they returned to the houseboat where he and Rodney (Rodney and Jolene Hoffman were the ones who invited us down on their houseboat) attempted to clear the water and ascertain the problem. They used a floor vacuum and turned it into a water sucking machine that they had no idea would alter the next days course of events. My father had a pretty good idea it had something to do with the shower pump/hose/stuff since he had recently replaced it. After a few hours they called it good as new and retired to bed on the top of the houseboat under the stars. The next morning, however, they realized they were very, very wrong.
It all started the same as every other day. Dad, Brandon, Ben (Brandon's racquetball friend) woke up at 5:30-6:00 am and went skiing/wake-boarding on the super smooth and fabulous water. The rest of us woke up at a decent hour of 7-8 am and after putting the bedding away went downstairs to wait for breakfast when all of a sudden we hear:
"Get the vacuum!"
So of course we look around like what the heck is going on? Are the gnats talking to us now? I am pretty sure I might have looked suspiciously at a spider crawling up the wall (of which there were many).
"Get the vacuum! Get bilge buckets!"
No, wait. That sounds like daddy. Only the stressed, freaking out daddy that you don't want to mess with. We all look out the window on the side of the boat and see the boys coasting in on the boat with Ben pumping out water from the boat with two cups. The boat is sinking.
Immediately Rodney moves to get the vacuum and we grab punch containers. They barely make it to the houseboat and the motor sputters and dies. Furiously the men pump water and the vacuum sucks it out. Without the vacuum though we wouldn't have been able to get the water out fast enough. So, yay vacuum!!!
The rest of the story isn't as exciting. Apparently all the banging and smashing over the years loosened some pipe that caused water to pour into the boat. They were able to get it to the marina and take it to a place where they used some kind of super glue/sealant to seal the pipe again thus fixing the boat short-term until we returned from the trip when my father will actually fix it.
And that is what you all missed at Lake Powell! :)
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