Inventing A New Sport Is Not Easy
Advice From Old Folks On How To Live Longer - 7 • Love, Life, And A Rock Quarry - Conclusion
Stock Photo Stories
Inventing A New Sport Is Not Easy
People love sports. People also like being entrepreneurs and inventors. What better way to combine these three favorites than to invent a new sport?
That is precisely what four guys from Ramberg, Norway thought. But thinking up a new sport is no piece of cake. Most of the good ones are already taken. And it can be a challenge to get anyone to try a new one.
But Aksel, Henrik, Jakob, and Tobias thought they had come up with the perfect solution. By using already available sporting equipment and a pastime many people already enjoy, they created a brand new sport. Surfboard Napping.
The goal of surfboard napping is to take the longest nap without falling off your board. Jakob always loses. He blames his restless-leg syndrome.
So far, surfboard napping hasn’t caught on. But the fellas are not giving up. The four of them are hoping to raise enough funds to relocate to California, where the frigid waters of the North Atlantic won’t be such a deterrent.
Stock Photo Stories give you the real stories behind the photos. That I might have made up.
Life
Advice From Old Folks On How To Live Longer • 7
Aibreann McKneeflex — Age 96
I have abandoned my quest to get my book Super Useful Tips To Squeeze More Days Out Of Our Meager Human Lifespan published traditionally.
Smart people who say things say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Or is that voting? Either way, I get the point professional publishers. You want books that sell. Helping people is not important. Got it.
However, I am not abandoning my quest to help people live longer. I will just be using the power of the internet to get this valuable advice directly into people’s brains, which is more effective than a book in the clearance bin at Barnes & Noble, anyway.
So save your hard-earned debit card balance and simply read these useful tips here. One at a time. So you can savor each one. Allow them to soak in and become part of your consciousness. Then, incorporate them into your lifestyle.
Here is tip number 7:
If you want to learn to Riverdance,
make sure the river is not too deep.
Fabulous advice, Aibreann. Thank you for the helpful tip.
Serial Story
Love, Life, And A Rock Quarry
An uncommon tale
Part 4 (conclusion)
In the previous part, Swimvest and Bill blasted a hole in the quarry wall, and it filled with water. They hired Becky Cook to run their food stand.
As spring and summer wore on, they built the stairs and ordered a couple of giant tents, six commercial grills, and three dozen picnic tables. They also installed a gravel parking lot and a ticket booth, built a restroom/changing station, and cleared a picnic area at the top of the quarry with a great view of the cliff jumping. Becky handled food ordering and preparation and hired local teens to work at the food tent. By mid-July, they were ready for business.
They rented a billboard on the freeway to advertise the quarry. It worked. By the start of August, word had gotten around. The quarry was a huge success. They earned enough in August to pay off their business loan. Then, thanks to an unusually warm September, they added a couple more weeks of income to their bank account. Then, they took a well-deserved winter break from the quarry. Swimvest and Bill helped Becky get her cafe started over the winter.
As things naturally tend to happen, Swimvest and Becky became more than business associates—more than friends. They both felt a spark. Bill often looked at Swimvest and Becky together and smiled a goofy smile.
“What?” They would both say in unison.
“Nothin’,” Bill would reply.
The following summer was crazy. They could barely keep up with the crowds. The quarry was making more money than they ever imagined. About mid-summer, Swimvest asked Bill about the restaurant.
“Bill, we are making tons of money. Don’t you think it’s time to build our restaurant?
“I recommend caution. We don’t really need it. And it wouldn’t be finished by summer’s end. Let’s give it one more summer. If we have another year like this, I will feel more confident about the investment.”
“I suppose you’re right. But I sure would like to build a proper place for Becky to cook.”
Bill laughed. “You asked her out yet?”
“What?”
“Come on. It’s plain as day. You are both smitten with each other. Any fool can see it.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to ruin things.”
“Then you’re a fool. The two of you have been inseparable for over a year now. Becky’s a better woman than you deserve. And she obviously has feelings for you. What more do you want? Ask her out.”
“You’re right. I will.”
Swimvest spent the next three days practicing his “Will you go out with me?” speech. Then, he finally summoned his courage and asked her to go with him to the local high school production of The Sound Of Music. He remembered that Becky had played Maria in her senior year. She said yes.
Romance ensued.
The following January, disaster struck. Mayor Blabbings called Bill, who called Swimvest, who called Becky. The news was devastating. Seven Flags was planning to open up an enormous water park an hour away in Walton County. Bill suspected they had seen the popularity of their quarry and decided they could tap the market for themselves.
The three of them met at Becky’s cafe for lunch.
“I figure it will take them all summer to build it. So we got probably one more year. Best not spend any more money and make the best of it. Honestly, one more good year should do it. We will have enough money to all live comfortably for a long time. And if the water park doesn’t take away all our business, we can operate bare-bones and maybe still make a small profit,” Bill said.
“I never thought I’d see the quarry close twice,” Swimvest said.
“Come on, Swim. Cheer up. It will all work out,” Becky said.
“I hope so.”
Bill was correct about it taking all summer for Seven Flags to build the water park. The quarry had another banner year, and they banked a considerable amount of cash. But the following summer, crowds dropped to a trickle. No doubt, everyone wanted to try out the new water park. They lost money for the first time. Not a lot, but it didn’t bode well for the future.
“Bill, I got a feeling the swimming hole idea has run its course. But I have some other ideas.”
“You’re the vision guy. Let’s hear them.”
“All right. First…”
The following year, they started teaching scuba diving classes. They also stocked the lake with fish and held fishing tournaments for small boats with electric trolling motors. They rented kayaks and canoes. In the winter, they made ice skating rinks and started an outdoor hockey league. They also rented ice fishing shanties. They weren’t making nearly as much as the first three years, but they were making a profit. Best of all, Swimvest still got to work in his much-beloved quarry. A few years later, Bill retired and became a regular in the fishing tournaments.
Every summer, Swimvest and Becky still jump off the edge of the quarry. Running, laughing, and holding hands.
The same way they jumped into marriage.
Happy Monday. Thanks for reading and responding. You make it fun.
Mark
Surfboard napping! I'm in! Bring it to Santa Cruz, California. While others are hitting the big ones at Steamer Lane, the surfboard nappers can head on over to Twin Lakes for a little snooze just outside the Harbor. And as for the Quarry Story: money, success, romance -- goodness, how I do love a happy ending, Mark. There are so few of them in real life.
"Love, Life, and a Rock Quarry" — AWWWW!!!
"The following year, they started teaching scuba diving classes." When my father was taking scuba classes (in the early 1970s) the "final" was in an old quarry. Despite being early-summer, he said the water was COLD! He guessed that it was partly the depth, partly the spring feeding it.