Hello everyone! Kevin here...For my first blog entry EVER, I thought I’d tell you about the fantastic weekend I had – and what it’s like to face a life-risking moment head-on!
So my weekend started out Friday night. Being the stud bachelor I am, that consisted of falling asleep watching Friday Night Smackdown. Rock on.
Saturday, however, was AWESOME! With Coach Miller and Coach Roos on vacations, Brandi and I were able to take up an offer from our good friends and great supporters Allen and Pam Heringhuas to spend the day at their cottage on Lake Erie, less than an hour away from BG. As soon as we got there, we loaded up and took out their beautiful 28 foot boat out onto the lake. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and we ended up docking at Kelly’s Island and had a great lunch. We headed back out and toured around the lake, looking at the million-dollar homes, and just enjoying a fantastic day with great company! We eventually got back to their cottage, and Pam said that Brandi and I should go out on their new jet ski. She didn’t have to ask twice, and thus Brandi and I put on some life jackets and headed out! Little did I know that I was riding out into extreme danger…
The lake was a bit choppy that day, but nothing I couldn’t handle behind the wheel of the jet ski. Brandi, riding on the back, seemed a bit timid, and I was warned by both her and Allen not to take it too fast because of the waves, and not to throw her off the jet ski. Being the gentlemen I am, we cruised around and had a good time, never pushing it past 30 mph. After a while, I asked Brandi if she wanted to take over, and, eagerly accepting my offer, we switched and Brandi got behind the wheel.
And that, my friends, is where I made my big mistake. Little did I know that Brandi, our conservative southern-belle, who has been known to be overly-cautious when behind the wheel of motorized vehicles, was the Jeff Gordon of jet-ski’s. Details are hazy, as most of the time the wind and water in my face, along with the fear that shut my eyes, prevented me from seeing what was going on. But above the blast of the motor I could hear this shrill, almost-insane laughing – which I later came to realize was Brandi. It was as if a total transformation had taken place! Gone was sweet, innocent and conservative Brandi, replaced by a speed demon with a dangerous sense of invincibility! I knew I was in trouble when she screamed above the roar “We’re up over 50!” as she headed straight for the wake created by the Jet Express, a 100 foot, 80 ton ferry with 4000 horsepower. Without anything to hold onto at the time (Brandi neglected to tell me about the strap I could’ve held that I was sitting on), it was a “Perfect Storm”-like wave that finally tossed me into the treacherous waters of Lake Erie. Only because of my sheer athleticism and mental and physical toughness was I able to survive. When we finally made it back to Pam and Allen’s, I felt exhilarated for surviving such an adventure. Her Danica Patrick exhibition over, Brandi returned to her old self, and we hung out and had a great rest of the day. Allen and Pam took us to dinner, where we had some of the best burgers and fries I’ve ever had (seeing your life flash before your eyes can make you really appreciate a good burger!), and it was simply one of the best days I’ve had. Thank you SO MUCH Pam and Allen!
With less than 2 weeks before the Fall Semester starts, I’m excited to get going, but I’m also going to try my best to pack in as much fun as possible! I do want to give a shout-out to our three freshmen, Victoria, Maribeth and Jess, for surviving-and excelling-this summer! And a big shout-out to the rest of the team, for helping those three make it thru, and for having an OUTSTANDING summer! I love you all, and can’t wait for you to get back here!
If you made it this far and actually read this thing, THANKS! Lessons for you to take with you – Pam and Allen Heringhaus are wonderful people, and if Brandi ever decides to get out of coaching, jet-ski racing and/or stunt-driving is a definite career possibility! Take care, and Go Falcons!
So my weekend started out Friday night. Being the stud bachelor I am, that consisted of falling asleep watching Friday Night Smackdown. Rock on.
Saturday, however, was AWESOME! With Coach Miller and Coach Roos on vacations, Brandi and I were able to take up an offer from our good friends and great supporters Allen and Pam Heringhuas to spend the day at their cottage on Lake Erie, less than an hour away from BG. As soon as we got there, we loaded up and took out their beautiful 28 foot boat out onto the lake. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and we ended up docking at Kelly’s Island and had a great lunch. We headed back out and toured around the lake, looking at the million-dollar homes, and just enjoying a fantastic day with great company! We eventually got back to their cottage, and Pam said that Brandi and I should go out on their new jet ski. She didn’t have to ask twice, and thus Brandi and I put on some life jackets and headed out! Little did I know that I was riding out into extreme danger…
The lake was a bit choppy that day, but nothing I couldn’t handle behind the wheel of the jet ski. Brandi, riding on the back, seemed a bit timid, and I was warned by both her and Allen not to take it too fast because of the waves, and not to throw her off the jet ski. Being the gentlemen I am, we cruised around and had a good time, never pushing it past 30 mph. After a while, I asked Brandi if she wanted to take over, and, eagerly accepting my offer, we switched and Brandi got behind the wheel.
And that, my friends, is where I made my big mistake. Little did I know that Brandi, our conservative southern-belle, who has been known to be overly-cautious when behind the wheel of motorized vehicles, was the Jeff Gordon of jet-ski’s. Details are hazy, as most of the time the wind and water in my face, along with the fear that shut my eyes, prevented me from seeing what was going on. But above the blast of the motor I could hear this shrill, almost-insane laughing – which I later came to realize was Brandi. It was as if a total transformation had taken place! Gone was sweet, innocent and conservative Brandi, replaced by a speed demon with a dangerous sense of invincibility! I knew I was in trouble when she screamed above the roar “We’re up over 50!” as she headed straight for the wake created by the Jet Express, a 100 foot, 80 ton ferry with 4000 horsepower. Without anything to hold onto at the time (Brandi neglected to tell me about the strap I could’ve held that I was sitting on), it was a “Perfect Storm”-like wave that finally tossed me into the treacherous waters of Lake Erie. Only because of my sheer athleticism and mental and physical toughness was I able to survive. When we finally made it back to Pam and Allen’s, I felt exhilarated for surviving such an adventure. Her Danica Patrick exhibition over, Brandi returned to her old self, and we hung out and had a great rest of the day. Allen and Pam took us to dinner, where we had some of the best burgers and fries I’ve ever had (seeing your life flash before your eyes can make you really appreciate a good burger!), and it was simply one of the best days I’ve had. Thank you SO MUCH Pam and Allen!
With less than 2 weeks before the Fall Semester starts, I’m excited to get going, but I’m also going to try my best to pack in as much fun as possible! I do want to give a shout-out to our three freshmen, Victoria, Maribeth and Jess, for surviving-and excelling-this summer! And a big shout-out to the rest of the team, for helping those three make it thru, and for having an OUTSTANDING summer! I love you all, and can’t wait for you to get back here!
If you made it this far and actually read this thing, THANKS! Lessons for you to take with you – Pam and Allen Heringhaus are wonderful people, and if Brandi ever decides to get out of coaching, jet-ski racing and/or stunt-driving is a definite career possibility! Take care, and Go Falcons!
Kevin Eckert
2 comments:
Glad to hear you survived Coach Eckert, great story none the less, especially the falling alseep to Smackdown part, hopefully that means you'll be at the Smackdown house in BG on Septemeber 22
Kevin..you are HILARIOUS! You could be a professional writer; loved your story. Brandi...you go girl!
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