2011 Comes To An End

WOW!  What an incredible year!  I was amazed to see my last post was in early June (atleast it was when I started writing this particular post).

The 2011 boating season was very good to us.  After the Spring Cruise, we attended the 6th Annual Bryant Boatowner's Homecoming on beautiful Tellico and Ft.Loudon Lakes.  We had nearly 50 boats in attendance (I didn't get an exact count) with more than 50 families participating.  Several of us arrived early and made it a week-long vacation which started on Saturday night at Sequoyah Marina & Resort.  Many thanks to David Britt who prepared a wonderful Low Country Boil for us.  As always, when this crowd gathers, the food was great, the drinks a plenty and good times were shared by all.  The rest of the week was filled with many hours on the water with old friends and new ones too.  Much food was consumed, many gallons of beverages drank, lots of boat modifications and upgrades were discussed, a couple of new boats were purchased, goodbyes were said to friends who have passed on, night-time music and dancing was enjoyed by all (some more than others - table dancing!  Really?)  All of these good friends and memories because one man had a vision of building the best boat in the world . . . thank you Jim Bryant!  A special thanks to the entire Bryant family and their employees who are simply AWESOME! In light of all the good times we had, we were also very humbled on Wednesday evening when we all assisted Joe Bryant, Black Eyed Joe's BBQ and The Lost Sheep Ministries in feeding more than 500 of Knoxville's homeless.  Another inspiring and successful BBO event - Thank you to those who make our Homecoming a HUGE success each year. 

Unfortunately due to many truck issues, we missed much of the remainder of our boating season.  We were saddened that we were not able to join our friends at Dale Hollow in August and just as sad that our next boat outting was not until the middle of October when we all gathered for our Fall Cruise.  Friends from near and far, great boats, good food and beautiful weather made for a wonderful end to our boating season.

I have other posts regarding our trucking mishaps for this year and I hate to say, but it was (and still is) and ongoing thing throughout 2011 and into 2012.  But, the repairs as expensive as they are, are still cheaper than a new truck payment.  Our truck dilema continued with us putting the truck in the shop on November 29 with a blown engine.  If you follow me on Facebook, you know the details - $20,000 . . . 6 weeks . . . and unimaginable lost revenue and we got back to work on January 4.  We've had a couple of issues, but I must say KUDOS to Clarke Diesel of Memphis, TN for quickly and efficiently handling our troubles.

August 2011 brought us a dedicated run from Memphis, TN to the West Coast weekly.  This was definitely a blessing for us considering the amout of down time we had encountered.  So, we called Memphis home until mid-January.  Knowing we were going to be there for several months, we brought over our pick-up and truck camper and settled into T.O.Fuller State Park.  Thank you John and Robert (camp hosts) for making our stay a true pleasure. 

I must say, MEMPHIS FOLK KNOW HOW TO COOK!  Anytime we are in a new town, we like to try some local flavor.  Marlowe's BBQ had fantastic ribs and oh my goodness at the fried green tomatoes and deep fried dinner rolls.  We discovered an up and coming part of Memphis called Cooper Young District.  Simply wonderful food.  Tsunami's has melt-in-your-mouth Sea Bass and a delicious Tuna Steak.  Sweet Grass and Next Door were superb as well and we dined here on several ocassions sampling something different with each visit.  If you know me, you know I LUV CUBAN food.  Never thought I would find any worthy Cuban cuisine north of Tampa, FL, however, we were fortunate to have come across LosCompadres (a Mexican restaurant) that is owned by a Cuban family.  The menu is part Mexican and part Cuban - two thumbs up for a well blended cultural experience.  .

Moving into 2012 and getting back to work in January, we were disappointed to learn that our dedicated was coming to an end.  Back to reality and working the load board.  Business has been good thus far and we've not had any down time.  Busy . . . Busy . . . Busy . . . And busy is good! 

Home for a few days.  Enjoyed a wonderful day with friends Saturday, Super Bowl and relaxing on Sunday and we'll see what Monday brings :-)  The truck will be in the shop for a couple of days for a coolant leak, fortunately under warranty!  And hopefully Clarke Diesel of Knoxville will be as efficient as their Memphis sister.  Always so much to do and so little time to do it.

All in all, 2011 was okay.  Troubles we may have, but we are blessed and so very fortunate and that I am truly thankful for.