Playing
Playing and playful – fun and funny – this page will grow up to include all the ways I like to relax.
Bay Shore Yacht Club
The name sounds so stuffy and “country-club”, but the people are wonderful and neither one of those labels fit at all. Last night (9-17-05) was the 20th year anniversary party, so everyone put on shoes and gathered at the Radisson in Racine to celebrate.
We just joined this club last year because our marina dock is populated by about a dozen club members and they troll for members as though they were Mormons. We didn’t get the two-by-two missionary visit or anything, but we were welcomed to the dock by the friendliest group of boating people I’ve ever met. Please note that boating people are almost always friendly, so this was really some major enthusiasm.
Back story: 20 years ago a group of young sailing friends are sitting around the little lake in the suburbs of Chicago where they regularly gathered. They decide that the funnest and funniest thing to do might be form their own Yacht Club and call it the BS yacht club, meaning male cow dung. Someone pushed for logic and said if you call it the BS yacht club, the BS has to stand for something else, too, so that people who can’t say male cow dung in its’ correct form can still join.
So the Bay Shore Yacht Club was formed and to this day, the favorite form of recreation is to sit around in deck chairs on the dock, spread out a little potluck appetizer buffet, raise a glass and enjoy a couple hours of pure bullshit. They also like to race.
Congratulations, BS Yacht Club! Twenty years is something to be proud of. Even though the originals have settled into Middle Age and beyond, the spirit of the club remains as youthful as it must have been. The club survived all the migrations that typically kill a small local club – everyone eventually got bigger boats, moved them to different marinas along Lake Michigan for the most part, some switched to Power Boats and trawlers that could make the Big Loop. Even so, the majority make it to Racine for gatherings like this one and the fun begins.
If you haven’t seen it yet, please read my post about Pogo.com (June 24, 2005, Funniest thing happened today.) It should explain my love of Pogo gaming online.
I’ll add more playful things as I remember them. Don’t forget: The family that plays together not only stays together, they usually have toys strung out all over the house.
