A young girl near the Galveston Strand was so depressed that she decided to end her life by throwing herself into the harbor.

She went to the docks and was about to leap into the water when a handsome young sailor saw her tottering on the edge of a pier.
He took pity and said, "Look, you have so much to live for, you're young and attractive, and I'm off to Europe, so if you like, I can stow you away. I'll provide you with shelter and bring you food every day. And I'll keep you happy, if you keep me happy."

The girl agreed. After all, what did she have to lose? Perhaps a fresh start in Europe would give her life new meaning. The sailor brought her aboard and hid her in a lifeboat. From then on, he brought her sandwiches and fruit, and they made passionate love until dawn.

A week later, during a routine inspection, she was discovered by the captain. "What's going on here and what are you doing here?" the captain asked. "I have an arrangement with one of the sailors," she explained. "I get food and a trip to Europe, and in return he's screwing me."

"He certainly is", the captain said, "this is the Boliver Ferry."

This ROTFLMAO-vignette is genius in action; -a nice reflection of the creativity and opportunistic spirit of those gents with whom I used to work off-shore of the southern TX & LA coastline.

For those who would enjoy a trip down memory lane-- esp. if you suffer from Galveston Island withdrawl... get a load of this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGLck42anbo

Wow... the video is a hoot, esp. with the Ezra Charles' Texas Blues Band setting the tone. [*note the lyrics below]

I'm glad to hear that they can still crank out the Boogie-Woogie, Swing, Rockabilly and Blues like when I used to hear them in Houston as “Ezra Charles and The Works” back in the '80's.

-And for a more extensive sampler... check out: http://ezracharles.com/

* "The weather hung heavy; an' a low gray cloud--like a woman just about to cry...
I said 'Why don't we go out for the afternoon-
- down to Galveston an' give it a try?..." *