Rain or shine, its all a good time!

6 realizes what all-you-all think, with regards to 6’s sanity. 6 would not deny most of them, but there is one conduct that you may consider in-sane, but in reality it is as sane as a fly on the backend of a horse. (yes 6 was watching Gun Smoke). Picture this: High noon, new moon, and the tide is on the raise, dark clouds, rain pounding the umbrella, and the wind is causing the rain to become vertical. Not a soul to be seen other than the chair guy sitting under his red umbrella 100 yards down the beach, stalking every move 6 makes. The chair guy is just waiting for 6 to leave the beach so he can call it a day. Since the chair guy is a “rookie” (we all miss the expertise of scooter) he doesn’t appreciate the deep meditation that 6 is engaging. You know 6 was just thinking (yes again) did anyone other than me ever notice that there are no chair girls? I wonder if we could all sure KCA, for DEI, and get a free week out of the deal????

Was 6 contemplating the “Meaning of life” Nope done that! “The state of politics in America” Nah, done that! “the effects on man on the climate”… too easy.. This time  6 was thinking about something very simple… “why would people come to the beach and not take advantage of all it has to offer?”

Life is way too short, not to take advantage of all, the good the bad and the ugly (isn’t that the name of a movie?) 6 often talks about the wonderful things that happen on the beach when the weather is perfect, the sun is brilliant, and the waves are alluring all. All of the good things make the trivial annoyances with travel, the 365 days of waiting, the Saturday afternoon crowds at Harris Teeter, and most of all, spending hours figuring out how the remote for the TV works, vanish into the past. 

Inevitably, we all wake up one morning, and the sun is hidden behind all of the clouds, no morning walks, no free coffee, no bike rides, nothing to do but sit back and watch Josh tell us that it is raining, and the low areas in Charleston are going to flood. Now what, as you might expect 6 has the answer. The secret is simple, one can do the exact same things on the beach when it is raining as when the sun is brilliant! Soon after breakfast and Josh concluding announcement that it raining, 6 grabs his nice warm cup of coffee, and heads for the beach, no need to take a chair for he will have the choice of hundreds of chairs since he will be the only person sitting on the beach. 6 Knows that he stated it is the same in the rain as in the sun, but there are actually a few things that are different. First when walking to the beach, instead of getting all wet from sweat, one gets wet from the rain drops. Second: sunny day, one has to fight for their real estate on the beach, raining day, one has to choose their chair then clear the puddle of rain water that has formed on the seat. Third: On a sunny day one has to move their chair every ½ hour or so to keep your feet in the waves, on a rainy day once you get settled in, you put your feet in the waves (remember it is a new moon, very high tide) and take the first taste of your coffee and relax! Fourth: on a raining day, there are still a few brave souls that walk on the beach, one can’t help but exchange pleasantries with each person passing by, on a sunny day, people go way out of their way to avoid anything that resembles a pleasantry!  The bottom line is it really doesn’t matter, if you love the beach, one will find rain or shine it will deliver the same tranquility only in different form. 6 gets a perfect day on the beach to ponder life, but often wonders what everyone else is actually doing. Don’t tell me: Josh, GMA, Hodda and Kathy Lee,…….

 

Words of Wisdom: If your day is sunny or cloudy, keep walking the path, for the destination at the end of the day is all that matters.

It's 5:00 someplace

Follow-on on the words of wisdom from last blog. 6 is really not sure this is actually words of wisdom, but 6 knows that we have all heard this one: “It’s 5:00 someplace”. 6 is sure that there are all kinds of wisdom behind that saying, but if one ponders that gem while sitting and staring endlessly at the surf, one can only come to one conclusion! It makes no sense what so ever! 

For example: Some people are very responsible, when it comes to Rex. 6 happens to know intimately someone who listens to CDC suggestions, “…..one must stay hydrated by drinking X oz’s of water every day”, the CDC does fall a little short on that advise when it comes to being in a group of people. They should continue the recommendation with:…..One should add  some unique color to the water, as to ensure the water bottle is recognizable to its user, therefore minimizing the possibility of passing one’s rudiments to another individual. Just because 6 follows the basic CDC recommendations as well as the enhanced 6 amendment, one should not disparage 6 for using bourbon as the distinguishing color. That is responsible drinking! keeping hydrated, safety (identifying his water bottle), starting early, thus results in being happy all day long! 

6 happens to know a group of people who every beach day, gathers at 4:00 on the beach to have an afternoon libation. This consist of may different things from juice, to Rex to beer. In fact, 4 actually takes the beach rules (safety) to the maximum she drinks her white Rex from a tippy cup: No glass, no sand in the Rex, and built in control of the consumption. The others don’t take safety to that extreme, but they all follow the beach rules. Now those rules all depend of the section of beach one is assembling. (for those who do not know why this happens that will be in a future blog) We all sit tasting each one’s choice of beverage, snacking on cheese and crackers, enjoying each other’s company, while enjoying the waves crashing on the shore, the beautiful birds flying overhead, and the coziness of the feathery white sand! As one might expect there are a few stick-in-the-muds: The sand permutates the cheese as it softens in the hot sun, the Rex is no longer comforting and refreshing, but grainy and warm, beautiful birds become drifters, probing for any small scrap of food left behind, leaving droppings on the heads of people who don’t have the sense to wear a hat! Still not 5:00 but all still showing responsibility. 

There are some on the beach who dance to the beat of a different drummer. As you all already realize nothing gets by 6, it may take a day or two, but eventually 6 figures it out. On Sunday morning, upon 6’s morning walk back from the Sanctuary with his fresh coffee, (BTW that has changed), 6 would notice two loan beach chairs and a cooler strategically (i.e. our space) placed on the beach. This repeated itself for the next two or three days. No big deal, but on the third day, while sitting on the beach meditating life, 6 noticed a middle age couple, sitting in those empty chairs pulling beer after beer out of that cooler. Every once in a while, they would go down to the ocean for a dip, the lady would sit back down in the chair while the man would take the cooler, leave the beach. Within 10-15 minutes he would return, sit down in the chair and pull out two cold ones from the cooler, and continue the process of enjoying life in paradise. 4:00 finally arrived which means REX time. Since 8 is a responsible drinker, he will take his empty up to the recycle been on the beach before drinking another. On his second/third/fourth who counts, he came back to the and asked a simple question, he wonders who on the beach is drinking “old Milwaukee” because the whole recycle can was full of empty cans? We were puzzled, but determined to solve the mystery of the aggressive beer drinkers. The next day all was the same, 2 empty chairs and a cooler on 6’s walk, as the day progressed the same couple came and sat in the chairs, they followed the same process, with one difference, 6 decided to determine what the man did when he left the beach. Well it was a simple process, he took the cooler, stopped at the recycle bin, dumped the empty cans in the cooler, walked (he was not the most coordinated person in the world) back to his villa, (first floor first unit off of the board walk). Rex time for us finally arrived, believe it or not the couple was still there, what a treat we had watching them leave the beach. We now know why the only items they had were chairs and a cooler! For if they had anything thing else, they would have never made it back to their villa! It was a wonderfully choreographed dance, the man stood up, helped his wife out of the chair, while she stood there he put each of the chairs on his left shoulder, then the cooler. He gained his balance, turned and she lifted her left arm and placed it on his right shoulder. What a sight! They then began the lengthy walk back to their villa. Each step was calculated as they zigzagged to the boardwalk.  After what seemed to be an hour they arrived, and not a minute too soon, for each of them reached for the railing of the board walk, the man, with his left and the lady with her right as if need of equilibrium. They slowly and gradually walked out of sight, we assume they made to their villa, because the next morning there were the two empty chairs and cooler. 6 would love to take credit for this observation, but credit has to go where credit is due. 7 and 8 happened to notice that the both of them wore the same bathing suit, each day. They surely must be light packers. All they need is traveling attire, two chairs, one cooler, and one bathing suit each! No extra baggage’s charges for them! Now that is what it means to be frugal and only spending on what is really important. In conclusion: Kiawah has beach rules for a reason: To protect people from themselves.

 

Words of Wisdom: The Ocean is indubitably used for many things, by the young and old alike.

Pizza Night!

 Wisdom: “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” 

“The Grass is greener on the other side” These are a couple of 6’s favorites, may not have the words exactly correct, but they are close enough!

 

Friday nighters, cover several of 6’s favorite words of wisdom, but using 6’s superior inelegance, the “grass is greener” might be the best fit, but then again most of you might be thinking “The Fool…..” might be a little more fitting for the person with superior intellect “two sides to every coin”!

Friday afternoon has arrived! On 6’s journey to the beach, he observed a couple things, first: how the local landscapes had finished all of their drudgery, making Paradise perfect for all of the Kiawahians (new word) Saturday’s arrivals. Second: trudging thru the parking lot 6, Cannot help but notice a few individuals not packing, but unpacking their vehicles! As 6 makes his final pass down the boardwalk, and passes thru the tree line, there is something unquestionably different than on the previous days. People are now all nestled all comfy cozy in their beach chairs under their preferred form of sun cover, doing absolutely nothing but sitting blindly gazing at the ocean. Oh well! what could 6 do other than to join them! As 6 sits there not taking advantage of the final few hours in paradise, his intellect quickly looks forward the grind that waits him in the next few days. His focus is not on all the enjoyable times he just had with family and friends (all of those people 6 get accused of meeting on the beach), but on all the upcoming trips to the dumpster, packing, loading, driving, Flying, unpacking, and back to work! To make matters even worse, as the afternoon drags on we happen to notice something very different. Walking down the beach, comes a couple with two little children. The transformation is indescribable!  They are smiling, what is that all about? They are dressed as if they are on their way to the ocean course, to join all of the other “want to be’s”. The kids have so much energy, that they would put the energizer bunny to shame, they are in and out of the water as if they just discovered the ocean for the first time. The family in their Sunday best are busy quenching their thrust both have a nicely chilled glass of Rose wine, not caring that they had to pass at least one sign that told them no GLASS on the beach. As defined, a Friday Nighter is fresh, happy and has no cares in the world, but most of all is not ashamed to flaunt their happiness in front of the “old Timers”. As they pass it is time to get back to all of the “old timers”, Drained, sun scorched, wind tattered, aching, grimy after being covered with endless days of sun screen sand and sweat. As defined, a “Old Timers”  are withered, distressed and are carrying the weight of their world on their shoulders, but most of all is not ashamed to flaunt their distraught in front of the “Friday Nighters”.

Tonight  6 had his glass of Rex in one hand, a pizza in the other, but needed third hand to open the door, since 6 only has two hands he had a choice, put the Rex down, or the pizza. As you may guess the pizza went on the server, but just as he put it down, a picture of 622 can on the video frame. As it would happen, it was a picture of her on a Saturday evening, last summer for her first touch of the ocean. She was a perfect “Friday nighter” smiling from ear to ear, happy without a care in the world. But how can that be, it was Saturday night! So is there such thing as a “Saturday nighter”. 6 says no to that… for the next picture was 622 the following Friday night, it was the same, smiling and happy what gives…  although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. In other words, we all think we are wise, which leads to worry, and not accepting the little thing, as children do. We all can learn.

 

Words of wisdom: It is essential, to consider tomorrow, but why bother if one doesn’t appreciate today.  

 

 

Social Distancing

It undoubtedly has been a prolonged time since 6 has taken the time to part his wisdom and superior intellect, on Uncle Gator’s Kiawah Adventures.  (July 11, 2021)….           It is now 2023, so it looks like 6 has several years escapades to drawback on. 

One of the things that happen every year on Pre-Vacation Vacation (PVV) is, departure falls on 63’s birthday weekend. 6 was ready, instead of yacking for weeks about how 6 is packed and ready to go, in reality 6 spends the night before searching high and low for the fancy duds, 6 carefully places in his suitcase. BTW has anyone other than 6A noticed that 6 brings the same things every year? If so keep it to yourself, 6 would not want 6A to realize that everyone else notices the same thing. There is a bonus on this blog, two words of wisdom: 

6 could be much more proficient, if he would just never unpack from Kiawah!  Back to it:  6 was packed and, all ready to go on Thursday night, because 63 was coming home on Friday night for Pizza and birthday cake. What a time we had, 6,6A,63,62,62A,621,622 were all together drinking Rex, eating fo-reets, dip, cheese, crackers, pizza and singing happy birthday to 63. The next morning 6, was feeling a little tired, but needed to get his butt moving and make his way to Capital City. 6 made it to the gate with his venti coffee, just to be informed that the 12:20 PM flight the flight was delayed. Well to make a long story short, at 10PM they canceled the flight! Now what??? The airline said just go home and come back tomorrow and see if they could put me on a flight… can you believe that! (Side note: 6 will not mention, what 8 was going thru with AVIS! Trust me there will be a RENTAL CAR Blog in the future).

6’s fist Option was to give 46 a holler on the horn, but 6 heard on the news that 46 was on air force 1 on his way to Kiawah. Option 2:  was to call 61 and 61A and see if they were willing to deal with 6 for the night. Well option 1 would cost the taxpayers to much money if 46 would come back to DC and pick up 6 at the airport. Option 2 was the best option. 61A was there in no time, before 6 knew it he was all comfy cozy, with a big glass (or two) of Kentucky’s best bourbon in his hands, running his mouth with 61,61A, and 611! As one would guess 5AM soon arrived and it was time for 6 to go back to the airport for round 2 of his adventure! Believe it or not the plane was on time!!! 6 proceeded (in an orderly fashion) to his assigned seat, send out his text: “On the plane at DCA headed for CHS”. Time for a nap, 6 was still little tired! 6 got all settled in his seat and finally, the flight attendant announced “the cabin doors are now closed” Finally after 24 hours, aircraft lifted off and 6 was on his way!  45 minutes later 6 dutifully took his phone out of “Flight mode” to inform the world the “Just landed in “CHS” and noticed a text that came during his flight… “Just tested for COVID and it came back positive”. Good thing the 6 did not choose option 1!  Oh no now what….. As luck would have it, 8 and 4 just turned in the car at AVIS and were waiting for 6 to get his car from AVIS. No other option now other than for the three of us to pile in the car and take our chances. Talk about the other extreme: Just a few years earlier, 7 was driving the windows were up, it was cool and raining, windows were all misty, one could not even see the front of the car. This time 6 was driving, the windows we down, masks were on, heads dangling out of the windows, it was hotter than hell, and 6 could see for miles. It is only about 40-minute drive to paradise, but is sure seemed to take forever. The next day or so, 6 stayed all by himself, while 4,7 and 8 frolicked at the beach! Finally, the 5-day CDC recommendation for testing passed, 6 took his COVID test and was positive. Now what! Other than on Sunday, not sure if it was the lack of sleep or the bourbon, but 6 was tired that day, 6 felt fine, no symptoms of COVID. Oh, how could 6 forget this: As one knows 6 gets up at sunrise to take a walk on the beach, well on this day it was raining so 6 just went back to bed, and slept to about 8:00. When 6 walked out on the deck he saw 4,7 and 8, drawing straws to see who was going to go into my room to see if 6 was still alive. To their great fortune, they did not have to deal with that!  One thing 6 guesses form all the CDC advice was that social distaining must have worked. 6 stayed in his own room, ate at a different table and stayed away at the beach. Finally Friday arrived and was cleared of COVID, so we all headed back home, Oh not quite, 4,7 and 8’s flight was delayed until Tuesday, so they had to spend a couple more days in Kiawah! I sure felt bad for them, but the good news is they did not get COVID!

 

 

 

Words of wisdom: All things happen for a reason, it is up to us, to determine the correct path to follow.