FUMAR CHOCHAR MOPAR

Cooter Brown was always there, even from the beginning. What we didn’t know then, is what we don’t know now. It is like almost like reading a foreign language for the first time every time. Mi Mochillia de paca lolo esta yeno siempre. If you can’t figure that one out then you probably won’t figure out the rest our story either. That’s OK. We don’t know either and that is exactly what we are here for.

Some folks paddle cause they’re married. Some folks paddle cause they don’t have nothing better to do. I have heard that some folks do it because they like to. I don’t know if I believe that but I sure will bet those people always think twice about that somewhere near Hochhiem. Still other folks say that it gives them pride and for them I say “you don’t come out with anything that you didn’t go in with”. You’ll also hear talk of tradition and I cant really argue with that. I think we need more of them. Some folks do it for the challenge. Try it backwards. I believe some people do it for the drugs. You know who you are. I’ve heard your stories about river monkeys and stuff. Hallucinations and what not. I do recall one year a solo runner creaping up on a barge. He sure did think it was an island though. There is talk of a River Goddess. I’ve seen her too. She is one of those shiny Starz. I am certain there are a great many reasons why people say they do this thing. Our story is a little less clear.

Somewhere sometime in San Marcos Texas we met up with Cooter Brown. He would say “Want a beer?.” Then a short while later he would say “Want a beer?.” Yet another short while later he would say “Want a beer?.” It went on just like this for good long while as near as I can remember. Sometime around then we learned about “ FUMAR CHOCHAR MOPAR.”

For years following this episode those words stayed with us.

In the Spring of 1997 I was working out in the World Gym in Round Rock Texas. There on the notice board was a notice. Can you believe that? It said “ Teammate wanted for World’s Toughest Boat Race.” Might have I walked away. There is no need for detail here. It would only bore the readers. A long story short the lady already had a partner. Lindy and Mike are copped out, so Stacey H G___ and Jon T S______ began the story of Number 9.


FUMAR CHOCHAR MOPAR # 9 NO REST FOR THE WEARY