Ring of fire
2003-09-22

We had an open house at my office so I ended up working all weekend again. I did pick up a couple of good leads and I think there will be two, maybe three solid boat sales from it, perhaps one as soon as tomorrow. I'm also picking up a listing and got to sail the new 45, sweet!

On the downside, I also got to watch a person die. Not a good thing. I guess he was homeless and living on one of the derelict boats in the back of the boatyard. We were just ready to pull out when we heard the explosion.

I looked behind the building and saw the smoke imediately. JIm and I jumped in the golf cart and headed over at warp speed. By the time we got there it was fully engulfed.

Now boats that are not plugged in do not spontaneously combust and there was a brand new American flag off the stern so we figured somebody was aboard. As we pulled in closer there was another explosion and we knew there was nothing to do but call 911 and keep the people away.

One idiot mother with a baby in a stroller and a 4 year old kept walking up to the fire. We finally yelled at her that it had blown up twice and was liekly to again. She backed up a few feet, but let the 4 year old stay way too close until the firemen arrived and finally booted her stupid ass.

The marina owners girlfriend said they figured the guy was aboard and it was pretty much confirmed when his girlfriend came running up in tears yelling, I knew he was going to blow himself, up, I knew it, over and over again.

It's not a good feeling to be so helpless, it was like when I saw the plane crash at North Central and we couldn't get through the fence before it blew up. You think wow, there is a real person in there who I just watched burn to death.

I hope he got killed in the blast. Sometimes there is just nothing anybody can do, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch or deal with. You all stay safe OK?

Thanks...

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