Sunday, June 12, 2011

Whatever Floats My Boat

There are three definitive kinds of cabins. Each one can best be described by the type of boat floating at the end of the dock. Where did I spend my weekend? I'll give you a hint: I haven't showered. My clothes are full of fish slime and worm guts. And I have a nice little sunburn on my chest and shoulders, but a total farmer's tan on my legs.

Cabin #1: Fishing Boat Cabins with a fishing boat are low-key, laid back, relaxation fests. Usually, they are on a quiet lake, with clean, but weed-y, water. They are the kinds of places where you never ever quite feel clean, but you like it. Brushing your teeth is, like, a good idea but certainly not a requirement. No need to bring a change of clothes, because you'll probably spend all day in a bathing suit and whatever pajamas you packed. You float around in the boat on a quiet lake, catching fish and throwing 'em back, and just generally lazing. Then you bundle up in sweatpants and sit by the campfire making s'mores and drinking. You hone your skills in ripping up worms to bait a hook, and find out that fish squirt some gnarly juicy substance when you squeeze them to get them off your hook. You get your hands dirty. You don't miss TV AT ALL. You forget all about Facebook.

Cabin #2: Speed Boat If you're at a cabin with a speedboat, you'd better be prepared to do a lot of tubing or wakeboarding. Your skin perpetually takes on the look of raisins. You're exhausted after spending the whole day on the water, hopping in and out of the boat. When you're not ON the boat, you're TALKING about being on the boat. You have to eat a good breakfast. You're always lake-water clean, but since your suit is inevitably filled with seaweed, you have to shower before dinner. More often than not, you're too sore at the end of the day to do anything besides have a beer and half-heartedly play a game of cards. But you get a workout in, and it's like running a marathon (I assume. Shockingly, I've never actually DONE a marathon). Also you get incredibly good sun because it's all about soaking it up.

Cabin #3: Pontoon A pontoon is kind of a wildcard. But for the most part, Pontoon Cabins are like less dirty, more drinky versions of a Fishing Boat Cabin. You wear skirts a lot. You eat a lot of snacks. You ride at a very slow pace around the lake, spying on other people's cabins, seeing what's going on. You probably eat 3 well-prepared meals a day, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a hair dryer and straightener packed in the bag of someone going to Pontoon Cabin. It's probably quiet, but since there's typically more drinking and socializing at these cabins, the quiet-time only lasts until after dinner. Then everyone hangs out, sipping cocktails, and playing games or listening to some music. It's more about hanging out than chilling out.

All three have definite perks. I love ANY cabin, actually. I've been to all three and I've rocked 'em all. But I spent this weekend at, duh, a Fishing Boat cabin. My parents are renting one for the summer, and I was there with my sister Prinna, her husband and kids, my brother Perek and his wife Leah, and my parents. I caught approximately a zillion fish and only got stuck with a hook once. I loved it. I had so much fun hanging out with everyone. We played charades, board games, and had a campfire and made s'mores. We all snored next to each other and fell asleep to the sounds of loons and the occasional firecracker way off in the distance. I had the greatest time!

Oh, also I may have found a new pet...


Anyway, how was YOUR weekend??

3 comments:

grandmaman said...

I guess my cabin would be classified as a 5 boat but none available for use.

cindi said...

And my cabin is a 5 HORSE ALUMINUM BOAT cabin.....no one cares to go out on it unless it is to rescue a kid in a rowboat....lotsa reading...naps...drinking....and staring out at OTHER people in fishing,speed and pontoon boats.

Leslie Bookwalter said...

Out of all cabins out there, I prefer the first one, since fishing is always fun for me. Not to mention, it's also one of the best ways to unwind yourself from a very hectic schedule.