10th Grade English Class

My writing is rarely laconic, true? When I put pen to paper, I believe in including as much superfluous detail as any given subject might condign. Yet at one time, my 10th grade English teacher, Jane Pratt, whose tutelage I oftentimes found to be achingly insensate, accused me of cupidity - of all things. She so contemned my sempiternal, pusillanimous approach to her assignments. In fact, she told me outright that the supernumerary emoluments I received from other endeavors I was involved in during that school term detracted my attentions specifically away from her assignments - complaining that my writing was lacking.

In reality, it was simply that I found the antediluvian novels she selected for the 10th grade class to be so horrendously irrelevant that I required an anodyne after each attempt at reading them. So... I adopted a malingering approach to her essays and research papers, rather than being forced to extol the selections made by this troglodyte. True enough that was a bit puerile on my part. Better to palaver ones way through class as a tatterdemalion, than resort to outright sesquipedalian vituperation and embarrass her (such a gamine I was in those days!).

Now in my mid-30’s, I propound here that I have a meticulous interest in language in general, but specifically the language of cookbooks. Who knew of such a delightful melange of gustatory and mephitic words to describe the art and science of cooking! These books, dappled with riches from the diadems of quondam culinary legends, their fiduciary legacy is passed from one generation to the next. Much like Beowolf, but oh, so much more relevant.

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OK - I'm just being a smart ass. Quelle Surprise! -- these words are not my own. I found them here, in the dictionary.com's "Word-of-the-Day" July archive. I just thought I'd try to use them all in one post. Ha ha! I did! Now go translate! ; )

China Week

Since Sunday when I arrived at the boat, I’ve managed to not go to the grocery store yet. I like to bring stuff from home as much as possible, and true I bought bottled water and milk at a convenience store yesterday… Had dinner at Mom’s last night, and tonight I had take out Chinese. Make that - GLORIOUS take out Chinese from a little storefront about 5 minutes from the Marina, on the recommendation of the concierge at the hotel.



I was positively giddy with anticipation upon opening the brown paper bag of piping hot goodness. I LOVE Chinese food, and haven’t had any for several weeks - so this was really a treat! It happens to be “China Week” on the Travel Channel which I’m sure has been at the root of my yearning! As I scarfed down Sesame Chicken and Crab Rangoons, I watched Samantha Brown - my favorite Travel Channel host - cuddle with a Giant Panda Bear at the Panda Breeding Research Center in Chengdo, Sichaun Province, the only place in the world where this would be a possibility. I’ve never really thought about going to China before, but after seeing so many back-to-back travel shows on China in 3 days time, I really want to go!

Internal Clock

I’ve been working on a project for a couple of days now. I’ve found that it’s difficult for me to buckle down and focus when I’m at the house in Charlotte, so I packed up and headed back to the beach on Sunday.

Being in my little cocoon, er, on the boat, I can churn out hours of uninterrupted productivity. My “schedule” is still off, so to speak. I’ve heard that in order to find out what time your true, biological alarm clock goes of you need two weeks of being able to wake up naturally… then there you have it. It’s probably advisable to go to bed at a normal hour to get an accurate reading for this. But for the past couple, oh, three months - I’ve been getting up around 10, and staying up til 2am. That’s still a 16 hour day with 8 hours of sleep, but society frowns upon keeping such hours. So I’m torn between what “society” wants and what my body wants.

My Tribe

I am currently reading a great book called "Finding Your Own North Star" by noted author and life-design coach Martha Beck, PhD. In the chapter I read yesterday she talked about the importance of spending as much time as possible with your tribe. This really struck a chord with me, as I certainly understand the importance of one's tribe now that I'm constantly on the move.

Your tribe is made up of like-minded good friends who are a part of your life - whether in person or in spirit, and whether life is on the upswing or down the tubes - your tribe is always ALWAYS there for you.

Sorry if I'm sounding a little sappy... I'm in one of those moods. Since I've been away from work and my daily dose of girl talk, it's become wildly apparent to me how much I miss and love my friends. I don't say this often, but I am truly blessed to count so many.

Speaking of which, today I had a call today from my girl Debbie. Debbie lives in Raleigh with her husband Brian and their three little kids Anna (5), Bryson (3 1/2), and Isa (6 months). Debbie and I worked together in Baltimore between 2002 - 2003 and had an INSTANT connection when she first arrived. We shared an office for about a year, and most of that time she was miraculously pregnant with her first child, Anna.

It was an amazing experience to go through her pregnancy, day in and day out. It was especially helpful for me to have something to focus on other than myself because at that time in my life I had become severely depressed. There were a lot of days when Debbie was the only reason I got out of bed to go to work in the morning because I knew I could make it through the day with her bright and beautiful soul there to cheer me on.

I cried - er, sobbed, the day she told me she was leaving to move back to Raleigh. It was a very, very dark day for me - but she and Brian have prospered since moving back, and now they have not one miracle baby, but THREE! Truly, I could not be more happy for them and I can't wait to see her the next time I go to Raleigh!

Here's a picture of Debbie - with Brian in the background - when they were in the UK a few years ago: To all my dear friends - you know who you are! Spread out all over the place - thank you for enriching my life. Hugs.

Happy Belated Birthday Tina!

Tina is Gary's sister - her birthday was yesterday - July 23. We don't get to see Tina very often becuase she lives in Ohio (evidence: this picture was taken 3 years ago). But when she's around a good time is guaranteed! She's a RIOT and I adore her!

The Fabulous Life of... CRYSTAL!!!!

Last night I had the pleasure of visiting with my friend Crystal, along with 10 or so of her friends for a Spa Party at her staggeringly beautiful home. It was a party featuring a very sophisticated line of skin care and other personal care and beauty products - which we got to play with for a few hours of self-indulgent pampering.

Crystal was the hostess with the mostess - serving fresh fruit margaritas and other delicious party nibbles including the best cheese dip ever! Ironically while I plied myself with these tasty treats, we learned about the finer points of cellulite treatment.
Why do I have no problem walking around with a green face? I mean, if there's green stuff I can put on my face, I'm all over it! Reminds me of the time…

Mud Bath Anyone?

Unlike the all-natural, vegan and tres chere skin care products I played with last night, Lydia and friend got a mud bath the old fashioned way. As my Grandmother Edna would have said, "Oh my word o' mercy."



Glad we have a garden hose.

Satellite

Oh Satellite, Oh Satellite - why are you here?
To receive coded signals from aliens not near?

Are you spying on us, and sending up reports?
Do extra-terrestrials laugh their retorts?

When did you get here, and what do you want?
Are you studying the humans, never to be caught?

Are you simply a relic of days gone by
A symbol of progress in TV hi-fi?

Lawn ornament or eye-sore, what shall we do?
When aliens swoop down, hark, “Take me with you!”

An Ode To Stairs

Wooden slats upon which we’d step
From kitchen to cars we routinely met.
Welcome matt there to scuff and wipe
Our dirty shoes with mirth and might.
I never thought I’d miss you much
But then again who’d think of such?
You’ve been gone for days on end
Each time I depart and return again
I consider my route from car to door
Which way to go should it start to pour.
When you return after the project’s through
I won’t take for granted the wooden splendor of you.

Birthday Cookout

On Sunday we continued the celebration of Gary’s birthday with a cookout. Everyone was expected around 1 - 1:30. About noon, while sipping a diet coke on the porch I was struck by a shocking thought - we were totally ready and actually waiting for people to get here! Thanks to a remarkable team effort getting the house ready to have people over - both inside and outside, upstairs and downstairs - this was the most relaxed party we‘ve ever had!

We got a humongous rib of beef and cut it into about 20 steaks, 2 whole chickens for BBQing, made cole slaw, corn on the cobb and a plum tart. We were overwhelmed by everyone else’s unexpected and delightful contributions to make this a full-on feast! I was determined to get a group photo of everyone - to post here but also to try out my new tripod. Suffice to say that I need to work focusing the shots and the impact of too much light when using a tripod - but if you know the folks in the picture, you can make them out.

Left to right front: Dan & Rebecca’s kids Zach & Lauren, Lauren’s boyfriend Alex, Zeek and our Alex. Next row: Me, Gary’s Mom Joyce, cousin Donnie, Gary, Dan’s wife Rebecca, Donnie’s wife Holly & baby girl Camryn, Gary’s brother Theron & baby girl Maitlan, Gary’s nephew Phillip, Theron’s significant other Christina, Martin’s wife Lori with newborn baby boy Noah, Lydia’s boyfriend Jonathan and Lydia. Top row: Gary’s old friends Dan and Martin holding son Jacob - towering above us all standing on the hearth.

We ate very well and fun was had by all. The 4-wheeler trails were put to good use by the teenagers and teenagers at heart. It was also baby-central with 3 babies and a toddler who were all outstanding party guests!

Donnie, Holly & Camryn.......Lori & Martin with Jacob and newborn Noah

Maitlan with Rebecca (taken while Mommy & Daddy Christina and Theron played outside on the trails!)

A Marvel Of Modern Engineering

This is Gary's new helicopter:

Here it is in flight:

Happy Birthday to my beloved

We celebrated Gary's birthday today with dinner at PF Changs. For his prezzie I borrowed his trademark giftwrap - newspaper - but I had to gussie it up with a shiny silver bow. He got an in-dash DVD/stereo/MP3 player to put in his super tricked out Chinookie Van!

He also got a killer remote controlled Helicopter and a new handset for his super hi-tech touchscreen phone which he showed off inside the restaurant:



Grainy photos courtesy of my camera phone.

We Finally Gave In

Back in Charlotte since Saturday. Went to check in on the kitties and only saw Mama Cat and one gray kitten. Don't know where the other three went - I suspect we know what really happened, but I'd like to think they set off on their own to seek their kitty fortunes.



Mama looked pretty forelorn and frail. No doubt she's been struggling to keep herself fed, much less the babies - and I'm sure it hasn't been easy defending against all the wildlife that lives around us. When we only saw one kitten, we felt so sorry for her we brought her a can of tuna and some milk and water. She devoured the tuna right away. Even her kitten got in on some tuna action. It was really pitiful and I felt so bad for having left her to her own devices that I finally gave in a bought her a food dish and some Cat Chow. They both took to the bowls and food right away. Bless their sweet little hearts.



I hope she's found some peace now that she doesn't have to go looking for food anymore.

So Much To Do In Wilmington!

Besides eating, we also did a TON of touristy stuff in Wilmington and Gary and I agreed we walked more in those 2 days than we had in ages. Let's see... There was the horse-drawn street car tour with 2 rescued Percherons, Ned and Mike. Have no idea what the tour guide's name was. Saw more of Wilmington's historic homes and neighborhoods.

Then there was the ghost walking tour which started off great with a spooky story told at the base of an old building which was at one time a children's hospital and is allegedly haunted by the children who died from too much radiation from one of the first x-ray machines in the city. The guide lost us later, though, with too much unfocused and unnecessary commentary. Can't say I don't recommend the Ghost Walk, because we did get to see more of the city and there were a few other pretty good stories. Note to self: wear better shoes the next time I go on a walking tour.

We stopped by the studio of some old friends of Gary's. They currently own an art gallery, but Gary knew Guy & Justine Farreri from the old days at Proposition 45 on Providence Road in Charlotte. At the time Guy was 50 and Justine a mere 23, but apparently he swept her off her feet and she married him. Fast forward 30 years - Guy is now 80 and Justine, 53, and still living happily ever after in the Port City, selling adorable ceramic objets d'art from their studio. We bought three small pieces - couldn't afford to shell out $800+ for the larger pieces. There are also numerous shops and boutiques and other art galleries to explore. Excellent and affordable work by local artists abounds.

Gary and Lydia went for a Pedicab Ride Wednesday evening before dinner, while I was writing back on the boat. We were docked at the perfect location and yes, we did do a lot of walking, but everything is concentrated in the adjacent 6-10 blocks to the dock - our spot at the dock worked out great.



To see all our photos from the Wilmington Boat Trip, click here.

Eating Wilmington

We spent $132.00 stocking up on food and drinks at Wally World before leaving Myrtle Beach, but the food scene in Wilmington is surprisingly robust, so we’ve eaten around quite a bit since we arrived yesterday afternoon.


We stopped in for refreshment at Elijah’s, a long-standing staple in the Wilmington dining scene. restaurant that’s been around since Gary lived here. We had a tasty snack of Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and Crab Dip.

We later grabbed a Frappucino at Java Dog Café for a pick-me-up in the afternoon.

Ski & Kate recommended a wonderful restaurant for dinner, Deluxe. They’ve received accolades from Wine Spectator and other high-brow authorities on food and wine for 6 years. It was the best restaurant meal I’ve had in quite some time. More like the old days when I used to spend all my spare income on fine dining and the best food & drinks money (or a good expense account) could buy. I had the duck. Fab.


After dinner Kate was jonesing for ice cream from Kilwins - and once again my will power was overcome by the siren song of fresh baked waffle cones…which I enjoyed the crushed variety in a cup under a pillow of “Cake Batter” ice cream. A true epicurean, I am.

On Wednesday we finally ate some of the food we brought for breakfast and lunch, but had dinner at another of Wilmington’s upscale eateries. This time a tiny restaurant called Caprice Bistro, another recommendation of Kate & Ski‘s. I had a green salad perfectly tossed in a light vinaigrette, along with very tasty steak au poivre with steak frites (fries). The atmosphere was very French. I loved it. Gary and Lydia, not so much... a little too snooty for their taste I think.



In the same way I was surprised how much I liked the overall downtown in Wilmington, I was again very surprised at the quality of dining in Wilmington and would be happy to go back for more!

Welcome to Wilmington, North Carolina’s lovely Port City

Gary lived here in the early 80’s so he’s well acquainted with the neighborhood. We walked about 8 blocks through the tree lined streets of the Historic District and saw where he used to work at Stemmermans, just down the street from where he lived at 314 S. Front Street in a pretty Victorian Bed & Breakfast, which is a private residence now.



We walked past a long row of beautiful homes including the Governor’s Mansion - home to Governor Dudley of North Carolina in the 1830’s. It is a stunning, stately mansion walled in on three sides by an aging brick, with flowers and plants cascading over the top and sides. A visceral sense of the fine ladies and gentlemen attending lavish soirees wafted through the breeze all around this beautiful place. I was quite taken with it.



In fact, I’ve always felt that no historic Southern city held a candle to Charleston, but I have a garnered a new fondness for Wilmington thanks to this trip.

Did I mention the cost of gas these days?

We were already 3/4 tank full, so we stopped to "top off the tank" for the trip.

It’s all about the journey

That is unless you’re with Gary, then it’s all about the journey and then it’s all about the destination. We left the marina at 9am on Tuesday and set out for a 5 hour trip north to Wilmington, NC for a couple days of sight seeing, joined by Lydia, a teenager who is more than happy to come along for the ride.

We didn’t quite get as far as downtown Wilmington the other week when we took the jet skis on a similar trip but going north on the Intracoastal Waterway on the jet skis a dozen or more times has made the route familiar to us. I always enjoy seeing all the indigenous plant and animal life along the way - the marsh grasses, the old trees with outcroppings of roots visible above the sand, and I love to see fish jumping out of the water, turning back flips in the air. Bliss!

From Little River Inlet we took the ocean route 40+ miles all the way to the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and then another 18 miles or so to downtown Wilmington. This was the first time we’ve taken the boat in the ocean and it was something else! Being on the ocean on the jet skis somewhat prepared us for all the plunging and surfing sensations, but doing it in the boat is a whole different matter. At one point Gary joked that I should go below deck and make us some lunch while we were out there. He was actually kidding because he was feeling a bit sea sick and probably would not have been able to keep anything down while we were out there. Same for Lydia - she just laid on the sofa trying to concentrate on not being sick. I, on the other hand, felt no sea sickness whatsoever and would have preferred to ride at the very tip end of the bow with legs dangling over the side, had Gary let me. He didn’t.


I did go down to fetch drinks a couple times, which reminded me of being in the old house at Mystery Hill in Boone, NC, a fascinating structure build in such a way that water ran up hill. It was also a lot like being very drunk - trying to steady myself, steady the cups and pour tea into them rather than missing entirely and spilling everything on the floor. I prevailed in the end (I’ve had some practice at that sort of thing, don’tcha know).

We arrived in Wilmington about 2pm and docked at the City Dock right on Water Street. There were only a couple of other boats on the dock, including one gorgeous and massive Trawler and several commercial Water Taxis and other touristy sight seeing boats. Such a thrill to make this trip and arrive safe and sound. We tied up to the dock just as the tides were changing. Gary remarked that the boat was rocking like the horsey ride in front of Wal-Mart with a line of kids and a roll of quarters. We took showers and dressed for an afternoon on solid ground about town.

As Joseph used to say...

I have a plan!

On Broadway

"Broadway at the Beach" is a place one finds all walks of life looking to be entertained. There are shops for touristy souvenirs, themed eateries and bars, amusement rides, theaters, an aquarium and even miniature golf -- all rolled into one massive indoor-outdoor complex. It is where the masses go to see and do things other than enjoying Myrtle Beach's #1 attraction - the beach. Spent the day there Saturday. I have to say it's great for people-watching.

I got a little thrill riding "The Pirate" -- which swings to and fro and gives you a little g-force lift at the top... and I dangled my bare feet high over the crowds on the "Wave Swinger". We had a typical amusement park lunch of corn dogs and pizza, followed by (why not?) funnel cake - AFTER the rides.

The main thing we went to Broadway at the Beach was to go to Magic Quest. Suffice to say it's a great place to drop the kids off for a couple hours for some hard core energy busting. It's like a dungeons & dragons meets Harry Potter video game, but you're in it accumulating points by solving riddles and finding clues around a 10,000 sq ft maze of castles, crypts, dungeons and fairy princess cages. Add 150 little kids and cranky parents who've just been steamrolled into spending half a fortune on magic wands and admission and you've got Chucky Cheese on steroids. Oy. My kind of place, right? Here's my magic wand and paperwork I had to fill out before we got started.

In my opinion, the ROI on the $90.00 it cost for 3 of us to play for an hour was nil, with the possible exception that I now know I don't ever need to go there again. Sorta like the ROI from "The Farmer's Daughter" - quite possibly the WORST restaurant in Myrtle Beach that we mistakenly spent $60 on their buffet dinner a few weeks ago. I've been avoiding going to Ruth's Chris here at the Marina because it's "so expensive" - but the fact is they have a 2-for-$90 special they run on week nights that would have been sooooooo much better than the $60 we spent on the slop at Farmer's Daughter, and certainly would have been a much better way to blow $90 than at Magic Quest. Oh well, live and learn.

On the way out of Broadway we stopped in at the candy store. Couldn't help it - it smelled so good it was like the siren song calling to us. We nibbled free samples of pralines, filled a couple small bags with assorted gummy, sweet and sour things, and a hunk of fudge. They make most of their candy in house, which is a plus, and had the salt water taffy machine going, which was interesting (?) to watch this old piece of machinery cut, roll and wrap the individual pieces of taffy and spit them into a bucket.

In the end, Broadway at the Beach is just part of the Disneyfication that has become the *new* Myrtle Beach. I found this article in a back issue of Charlotte's Creative Loafing, which chronicles the growth and corruption of the Grand Strand with cynical detail on how this city has become what it is today. I share similar fond memories of family vacations to *the old* Myrtle Beach that the author describes, and frankly prefer to forgo all the shiny new (and extremely over-priced) touristy venues for a day on the beach - any day of the week. BTW, the B&C Co. referenced in the article also developed the marina where I'm now living part-time. Great.

Aaaaaaaand We're Back!

Back on the boat tonight after spending 2 nights at Mom's while Ele & Finn were here. I've seen all my dock friends -- John & Sherri from Winston-Salem, Gary [the other Gary] and his family from Raleigh, and our pals George & Betty are back at C-Dock after a brief Spring hiatus.

George & Betty are the most active Septuagenarians I've ever known (or even heard of!). They put us young folk to shame around here. George is 76 and Betty is 72, originally from just outside Charlotte at Lake Wylie. They're the "Joneses" everyone attempts to keep up here at the Marina. They inspired us to get the Sea-Doo's (the Jet Skis) JUST like theirs. They go on 600 mile Jet Ski Trips several times a year.

When they're not jet-skiing, they're taking their immaculately clean and sparkling boat "On The Go II" out on overnights (sipping drinks from their "On The Go II" cups, wearing matching "On The Go II" T-shirts and inviting guests on board to wipe their feet on the "On The Go II" welcome mat).

When they're not out on the boat, George cheers Betty on at her basketball games. She plays on a seniors team -- competitively. They are the loveliest couple. I'll try to get a picture of them to post over the next few days. They are such an inspiration with a lifestyle definitely worth aspiring to!

The Finest Southern Hospitality

After three days of good home-cooking, Mom's grand finale was a Southern-Ladies-Who-Lunch Tea Sandwich and Tomato Aspic (recipes circa 1966) which is simply a marvel to behold. It's a layered "sandwich" you eat with a knife and fork. Four pieces of bread (two wheat, two white) layered with chicken salad, pimento cheese, egg salad and "iced" with a cucumber-cream cheese spread, topped with an olive slice. The Tomato Aspic tastes like savory Bloody Mary flavored Jello. The sandwich was delish, the aspic, well, let's just say it's an acquired taste. I know my Mom will be MORTIFIED that I posted this picture, but as she said, "When you see a lady in curlers, just know she's going someplace really important after while." Thanks for all you did to make this another special visit Mom. You wrote the book on Southern Hospitality. And you're the prettiest senior citizen I know.