And Then What Happened

August 24, 2006
MurphGuide Summer Cruise

And then we went on the annual MurphGuide Cruise...
By Stephen Bailey

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Floating along the waters of the Hudson certainly is a fun way to party. The night comes complete with pre-swaying floors. The floors of a place onshore don't usually start to sway until the proper dosage of booze causes your drunken legs and head loose their purpose. Ironically though, the more intoxicated I got on the boat, the steadier my balance became. Sorta like having an alcohol powered gyroscope installed in my inner ear. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I crossed over Twelfth Avenue heading towards the World Yacht Marina at Pier 81 and was greeted by a security person who told me to walk to left, follow the 'blue'. "The 'blue' what?" I wondered. Well, it turned out that everything was blue. The lights, the floor. And in the damp early light of dusk, the walk had a very surreal feel.

A plethora of partygoers milled past the ticket table where I stood, over to our fine vessel for the evening called The Temptress and on up the gangplank.

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Despite the early threats of rain and running a bit late due to the slowness of a previous, unrelated party, the Tenth Annual MurphGuide Summer Cruise went off without a hitch. This year there was the added bonus of co-sponsorship with NY and Pittsburgh sister bars both called The Town Tavern. Representing the Pittsburgh contingency were several hot, scantily clad and extremely friendly pirate girl bartenders. I introduced myself to each girl with the disclaimer, "I'm taking pictures for an article I'm writing. I don't want you to think I'm a letch or anything." To which one girl replied, "Oh, it's OK. We pose like this all the time. Even when there are no camera's around."

I never really figured on a reason to go to Pittsburgh before. Oh, don't misunderstand. It's not as though I have anything against the place. I hear it's nice. I'm not enough of a sports fan to have an opinion about the Pirates or Stealers. I just never really gave it any thought. But talking to these smiling young ladies as they so graciously pumped me full of cold cans of beer indeed put Pittsburgh in a new light.

Tonight's musical selection was provided by DLJ and had a little bit of everything for everybody. He was sorta like a really good wedding DJ but thankfully without the annoying cheese factor. When colored, swirling disco lights began to intermittently light up the dance floor—and subsequently mess up my aforementioned gyroscope—the joint was jumpin'. A couple of the Pirate girls infiltrated the crowd and really got the guys moving. I preferred keeping my rhythm-handicapped self in a safe perch on the second level looking down at the festivities.

The most densely crowded section of the boat was by far out back in the open air where the smokers could huddle free of persecution. It was also a great place to test your knowledge of geography by pointing out areas like Hoboken, Jersey City or Brooklyn. We rounded the Stature of Liberty and you could tell the beer was taking over. Several guys tried to get good 'up-skirt' pictures from Miss Liberty. Others, like myself, felt our geographical knowledge fading away. "Hey, is that Cleveland?"

Among the revelry there was a brief moment of silent reverence for me as the Statue first came into view. A slight gasp of awe passed my lips even though I had seen her many times before. There is still something solemn about being in this part of the city, on the harbor waters. The memories and emotions of the horrors from five years gone are still raw for me as I'm sure they are for numerous others.

So why bring that up? To bring you down? Certainly not. There are few things in this world that I have found to be reliable. One of them is an event like this to show me the good things in life can in fact be free—or at least very reasonably priced—and that laughter is truly good medicine. I can always count on a MurphGuide event to make my spirit light and my face smile and tonight was no exception.

I just wish it came more than once a year. Then again I've learned—as I age somewhat gracefully—that a year is but a drop in the bucket of time. So if I were you, I'd plan for a Thursday late in August 2007 to find yourself on a boat on a river with plenty of fun-lovin' folks and a good time.

Links:
Photos of the Cruise
Marco Polo Cruises
TownTavernPittsburgh
MurphGuide Cruise 2007
And Then What Happened?