Uncle Gator's Kiawah Adventures

We are now with-in a week of the big day, every one of our thoughts are probably set on ensuring that everything is in place for the 24 hours of Christmas. We are all like mini Santa’s, spending each waking moment making our lists and checking it twice. The list is probably very diverse, for example: last minute jobs at work, studying for exams, presents, food, decorating, travel plans, cards; oh the list just keeps growing. But just like taking an exam, at 5:00 on Christmas Eve, it is time to put the pencils down, because at that time, the show if over, the fat lady has sung, the stores are closed, the Fed Ex trucks are parked, and all you have left to do is enjoy. As I sit here in my easy chair with a pipe in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other being warmed by the roaring fire, it give me time to reflect on why we take a time that should be a quiet reflection of all the blessings we have and turn it into a time where tempers are high, stress abounds and expectations ...

Well we are getting close now! All the traditions of thanksgiving were fulfilled and it is time to start on those for Christmas. I bet you are all wondering what the traditions of thanksgiving are, well for those who don’t know I will give you all a little taste of the season. 6 started his slumber on wed night his plan was to sleep for hours and not to wake until the sun was high in the morning sky. Tradition is just so difficult to break, at 5AM the scent of stuffing filled the air and 6 could just not resist. 7: Oh, that uh, that there's an RV. Yeah, yeah, I borrowed it off a buddy of mine. He took my house, I took the RV. It's a good looking vehicle, ain't it? 6: Yeah, it looks so nice parked in the driveway. (This could have happened, if 7 would ever get off his lazy butt and drive that so called dream of an RV.) Before 6 knew it 61 arrived, then OA, 8 and 63 rolled in “Let the eating begin” !   Oh, Lweis... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet,...

This morning as 6 sat back in his easy chair, with a hot cup of coffee, gazing out the window of his office, he began to think about Thanksgiving back in the day.   It was a simple time, 6 did not wake up Thanksgiving morn, roll over in his bed, reach for the remote turn on the 60 inch LED TV, with cell phone in one hand and iPad in the other, and let himself be entertained with useless dribble from the electronic world. No he woke up to the fragrant orders of the season, fresh turkey roasting in the stove, homemade pecan rolls, bacon and eggs, and a big tall glass of milk!   Sometimes you really wonder if we really have made progress.   6 is going to give a little history lesson of how the dinner was prepared when 6 was a lad vs. now when he is a grumpy old man. Take the turkey: today we go to the grocery store, buy $25 dollars worth of stuff and get a turkey for $.99 lb. this could be done weeks before the big day, because what you get is a 25 lb   free rang...

The other day, the gas light came on in the corolla, darn I needed to go to WAWA and spend $20 dollars to fill er up. The good thing is that $20 will last me a couple of weeks. By the way, the truckster still has half a tank from vacation, so 8 when you come down for turkey day, I need some gas, if we plan on going to the annual Christmas tree lighting in Lennytown. 6 went to WAWA, and in front of me was a nice lady, standing there looking at the pump, here we go, she has no money and needs some gas! My ride is a corolla, and she in a Acura, nope she did not do that, she left the pump, and walked around her car and then returned to the pump and looked at it again, this happened three or four times. Now she really had my attention, then she got in the passenger side and pulled out the owner’s manual, and then put it back, and walked around the car one more time. As you could imagine, 6’s car was full of gas by now, but 6 could not help but watch he had seen this before, what the ...

“Oh Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes- Benz”. For the more mature readers you all know what 6 is talking about, and for the young not necessarily at heart look it up. One Friday night not so long ago, 6 was lounging on the deck of his abode, a glass of Rex in one hand,   a stoogie in the other, listening Janice on the Bose speakers, just reflecting on the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Kiawah vacation.   The recollection began in the condo,   it was time to make the annual pilgrimage to the local house of worship, seven of us crammed in the truckster, and off we went.   Upon our arrival we orderly exited the car as OA closed the back door of the vehicle leaving of course 7, helpless, left at the altar, high and dry, beached.   It was then when 6 realized he had left the beach camera back at the abode on the kitchen table. How depressing, for it was a classic 7, as he was confined in the back-back seat, arms up in the air with a look of wonderment on his ...