If there's one thing I can't stand above most other things is the constant sensation of near drowning. Why, pray tell, would I mention this? Because I've been suffering with post nasal drip for eight days. Seeing a doctor, while the wise thing to do, is really just a waste of co-pay dollars and comes out of my wallet anyways, which money is better spent on say, groceries or gasoline for the car (i.e. X-Men comics, natch). After all, colds will take two or three weeks to shake with or without the antibiotics.

As is my experience with this chronically annual (sometimes bi- or tri-annual) affliction I find it's best to suffer it out with plenty of rest, food, and fluids. In fact, I spent all of Sunday sleeping in bed (it happens more frequently than I should even admit) but once 1900 rolled around (that would be 7pm) I felt much better and less like I would drown. Good thing because I hate feeling sick and I hate being sick. Especially with no one at my bedside administering tender loving care, but then, that's a couple topics for later discussions.

But, to get back to the drowning bit, or why else would I have brought it up in the first place. In my profile I mentioned how I've seen my life flash before me at least once. *cue music and Wayne & Garth squiggly hand motions to invoke convention of time travel* It's April 17, 1994 (thankfully I dated the photos to know when to go back to) and we're thrashing about in the roiling current with the flat out REFUSAL to die there (must tweak the calibrations of this machine).

I had just snapped a picture as we approached the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and the swift current snatched our raft.
It was difficult to steer and our oarspeople were struggling, but gaining slightly to get ourselves into a different groove in the creek. We all braced for pending impact with a felled tree on the bank and were relieved when the raft bounced off the tree seemingly unharmed when all of a sudden we were underwater, some with the raft trapping us submerged. In that briefest of moments came a stream of light in super fast motion like I'd whipped a filmstrip through a table mounted viewer and many memories blinked in front of my eyes. (I recall thinking that's it? That was too short.) I fought to get above the water's tumultuous surface for air and bearings. My head went under three times and three times I swallowed a large amount of Pine Creek. Each time coming back up just an inch short of a handhold on the rapidly deflating capsized raft (in hindsight, if I'd just gotten myself free and floated downstream the ordeal never would have happened) but survival instincts kick in and with one last mighty reach - SUCCESS! Time for a photo because NOBODY will ever believe this (I was surprised the elastic wrist band of my Kodak underwater one time use camera was strong and I didn't lose the camera during my struggle in the waters). Help from other rafters and guides came instantly, but it took 90 minutes to get me out of the tree because we were fighting the currents (oh yeah, this will become a superhero fan fiction story. It's been marinating for months already).

Once we finally arrived at the end of the journey in Blackwell a good friend of mine and fellow raft mate was waiting on the banks, explaining how he'd heard they had to amputate my leg to get me free, William Shatner had had to come in with a helicopter (his show Rescue 911 was popular at the time) and airlift me to safety and all kinds of other nasty rumors each more gory than the one previous.

The following year many of us were back again and our guide's first words were "You don't have to worry, your tree got swept downstream out of the way" I was pleased and disappointed because I knew I could have avoided that overgrown obstacle this time. I did vindicate myself as captain however.

One of these days, I'm going to check in with my friend and see if that group will be rafting there again. And even if not, I'm itching for another ride through Owassi.
I'll have to go listen to C.W. McCall's "Green River" for a vicarious rafting rush now. "Hard left!"