Back in my boat racing days, one year the nationals were being held in Portsmouth Ohio. Actually, they were held there more than just one year. However, I remember this year in particular. I had finished testing and was back at the Keys Motel and thought I would go to the bar and get something to drink. When I got in there, there was only one guy sitting in a booth, and nobody behind the bar. I noticed that he was dressed in western outfit, including a six gun. He told me the bar was closed, and I started to leave when it dawned on me that the gentleman was James Drury, the star of the TV series The Virginian. I sat and talked to him for more than an hour. I was amazed at what I learned about being a tv star. I am not sure if I could have handled it.
Another year at the Nationals, Martha’s brother Dave and his best friend Fred accompanied us. They had just graduated from high school, and we thought it would be a treat for them. Again, we were staying at the Keys Motel which had a nice outdoor pool. While we were down testing on the river, the boys decided they would spend the afternoon swimming and enjoying the sun. I have no idea what happened that afternoon, but they locked themselves out of their room and so decided to swim in their clothes. We suspected that they had been into the beer supply. When we got back from testing, they were wringing wet and acting silly. I went to the office to get a key for their room. Before I got back, they had gone into Martha and my room and crawled into our beds in their wet clothes.
Martha and I moved into their room. the next day we had a little settling to do with the motel manager. Actually, I still remember it as laughable, and still do.
As memory comes back, I will share other stories of those fun days.
