Then Vs. Now

Over the years, one would think that beach time would change, but 6 is here to tell you that no matter which beach one visits, or where or how one sits, the beach is the beach, be it 1900 or 2025! 

First, 6 cannot really go back to 1900, but 6 can go back a long way! Let’s start with 6’s first trip to the beach! It was long ago, and far way. We all loaded up it the family truckster long before the sun appeared in the eastern sky, rolled down the window and headed for the mistake on the lake. Yes, 6 know that a lake is not an ocean, but when one is a little rascal, sand, waves, and water as far as the eye can see is the definition of a beach! We arrived, and opened our trunk, and began to unload our beach paraphernalia. Yes, we had no Yeti coolers they were not invented yet, but we did have a Stainless-steel Coleman cooler. In retrospect they both performed the same function, with two major differences! One was made from good old US Steel, while the other is made from plastic! Thus 8 could still pack is clothes in the Coleman, but since it was made of steel, would have to check it and pay extra baggage fees, because it would be over 60 pounds. The second difference, after a long day on the beach 6 would struggle, dragging that cooler and the rest of the paraphernalia back to the villa. Next chair, back in the day there was no such thing as a beach chair, first of all we did not sit on the beach, there was really no room because of all the fish laying on the beach! But for those brave enough to sit down, all you need was a simple towel! Today, everyone needs a beach chair, whether it comes from the local dumpster, or the big sale on Shibumi chairs, yes 6 said they now have chairs! After all, now a days one can’t put their bottoms in that dirty old sand, or is it more one can not get back up after sitting in the sand… You can be the judge! The one thing that is different is we have become more educated in the dangers of the sun! Back in the day, the object of going to the beach was to have fun and get a tan. We went to as may lengths as we do today, but we wanted the opposite effect. Back in the day instead of using SPF 100, one would get a bottle of baby oil and add a few drops of Iodine, slather it all over just like SPF 100, and it had the same effect as SFP-100. In the end one would either get sunburned, of a nice tan! Today, as all-you-all know 6 put SPF 100 all over his head and face, and then puts on his Hammer shirt, and hat, so there is no chance of one UV ray hitting his skin. Note: looking further in the future, when the prices of Hammer Pants become reasonable, 6 will add them to his beach collection! Just like bathing suits back in the day! Torso and legs covered! No chance of getting any UV on the skin. What goes around comes around! The next thing we never packed in the trunk or the truckster was a tent for the beach! Back in the day, the rich people would have a beach umbrella. Us normal folks, if the sun got to hot would just cover ourselves with the towel we brought. Today, rich or poor everyone has a Shibumi tent! Every time 6 looks at the beach cam, when it is actually working, the beach is covered with them! At $250 a pop for the tent and $175 a pop for the chairs, that actually cost more than the truckster that took the family to the beach. Now that might be the difference in going to the mistake on the lake, vs. Kiawah Island! 

The bottom line is everything we do becomes more complex, but the purpose (having good old family fun) never does!

 

 

Words of Wisdom: ‘A happy family is but an earlier heaven”. George Benard Shaw

 

 

The 4th of July!!!

Since we are in the middle of 4^th of July, 6 was took a few moments away from Gun Smoke, Banna, and all of 6’s all time favorite shows, and sat back thinking about the good old days!  As you all know by now, the uniformed think 6 lives in a fantasy world, all by 6’s lonesome. But out of that void, come some sparks of brilliance, given words reflecting the   realities of life. Meditate on this: Proceedings remain consistent, the eyes that interpretate the proceedings are in fact the veracity of that change. 

Follow this: 4^th of July celebrations! 6 is not going to fucus on the importance of the day, but on the proceedings. Way back in the dark ages when 6’s was a little one. the  We started by going to the BLVD for the annual parade. (it’s no wonder why today 6 doesn’t like parades). Miles of fire trucks, police cars, and hard candy being tossed by the township Gov’t officials into the vast crowds of adoring peasants. At that time in 6’s life, many events make lasting impression on 6’s aura. Upon the conclusion of the parade, 6 and his friend(s) (Gene)  had to rush home and duplicate what we just witnessed. Since it was July 4^th, it was 950 degrees and after that long walk from the BLVD, we all had to wash our bikes to make them shine like a new penny! It also helped to cool us off and keep us hydrated. Let me explain, for the young folks, we did not know anything about the importance of hydration, all we had to drink was water, and when one got hot and thirsty one just turned the garden hose on one’s head and cooled off while getting a cool drink of water. Even better we did not know that drinking out of a garden hose was not healthy, lead and plastic was fully acceptable back in the day. Once our bikes were clean, we had our own parade, and threw rocks, at the mail boxes just like the local politicians were throwing candy! Later that day we ate our fried chicken and potato salad outside on the picnic table while anxiously awaiting the sun to start to fall in the western sky, so we could go to the big city to watch the fireworks! Before we knew it, the time finally arrived to pile in the family truckster, and head to 0/0A friends sisters house to sit on the front porch high on up on a hill to watch the July 4^th fireworks, after the crowds disbursed, we went to the local Dairy Queen for our annual summer treat!

Fast forward a few years, 6’s view may have somewhat matured, but the events and process did not change. This year 6 did not make the trip to the BLVD, mainly because he had to be ready to play in the all-star baseball game at the new township park. Wellll 8, honestly the possibility of missing the parade did not break 6’s heart, but the stream of hard candy being chucked into the crowd is a different story!  At a point when the final batter was out, we all headed to the new swimming pool, no more drinking out of the garden hose, 6 could now drink as much of the chlorine filled pool water as he possibly could, no more lead or micro-plastics. Soon it was getting close to dinner time, so time to walk home to the feast of fried chicken and potato salad outside on the picnic table. After dinner it was time to head back to the park to meet with friends and watch the fireworks. We had it scheduled to meet at the sewer pipe clean out down in the woods. At the prescribed time, we all walked the final 100 yards to the park! Upon entering the park, it was full of parked cars and people as far as one could see! There were vendors, selling everything from cotton candy, to popcorn, regrettably for the vendors 6 was broke! Up on stage at the pavilion, there was a live band (they were called groups back in the day), not sure who they were but they were playing various selection from the Beach Boys, to Nirvana, to 6’s disappointment no Jefferson Airplane, but on the bright side we did see the white rabbit running down the sewer pipe.  6’s basically has no recollection of the” Bubble Gum” songs being played, but 6 can remember one of them “Rapper” No comments from the peanut gallery, for all-you-all over the age of 30 know it! Nevermind on Nirvana, but speaking of them, does anyone have any idea why some many people have started to wear Nirvana Tee shirts?

Fast forward a few decades, (the years from Jefferson Airplane to Jefferson Starship are a bit hazy). 6 was so excited to see the fireworks on this particular year, that 6 loaded up to old trickster (now an SUV) and drove several hours, to just make it in time for the fried chicken and potato salad, on the picnic table on the veranda. Now that 6 has watched a few decades pass, still wanted to walk to the park, but 6’s new found wisdom made the decision to drive to the park, for haul’in the coolers and two little ones, might pose it own issues.  6 followed in line like a respectful citizen, and joined the hundreds of other parked cars in the park.  As one may expect 6 laxly followed the directives given, and maneuvered his vehicle, to the perfect spot for a hasty exit upon the completion of the fireworks. This comes with decades of driving experience. 6’s and company establish a ‘Nice” spot on the very steep hill and nestled in on the blanket surrounded by a cast of thousands! Very similar to 6’s job every morning on the beach, who would guess that expertise like that would prove to provide dividends at a fireworks show. Off to the left, 6’s could see the entrance to the woods where not more than 100 yards, one would find the renowned sewer clean-out, one has to wonder if the teens of the day saw the same White Rabbit? The unfortunate reality, is no kids would bother walking to the park, the only white rabbit they would see would be on their smart phones. Too 6’s right side, was the legendary baseball field, now filled with lawn chairs full of anxious onlookers, and straight ahead one could see the pool, and the pavilion where the only place on God’s green earth the  band was playing “The Rapper”! The vendors were all still there, but, as one might expect, 6 still had no money, sure was a good thing that 8 decided to pack the Yeti Beach cooler, or 62,63, 621, 622 and 8 would have been very hungry and thirsty, after all the pool was now closed because of the fireworks. 

As one can clearly see, the proceeding as exactly the same, thru time the veracity, was somewhat altered. Like.. in the first sonnet it did end up with fireworks, but behind the scenes were several gentlemen, all smoking cigarettes, and when it came time to fire the fireworks, on que, they would each light the fuse, with their cigarettes. In the last sonnet, there was only one gentleman, and he had an iPad, and on que, would press an icon, which started the whole process saving several cigarettes, but the fireworks all still fired.

Proceedings remain consistent in all three sonnets, the eyes that interpretate the proceedings did in fact change driving the veracity of that change. 

 

Words of Wisdom: Don’t become a victim of the patterns of our world, follow the path to the truth. 

Ideas are a way of life!

6 knows what all you all are thinking when 6 spends his days in paradise, just sitting back watching shadows in the sand, in 6’s borrowed beach rocking chair. Let 6 tell you something, 6’s expends a tremendous amount of energy thinking of ways to make a buck! As they say, “A penny saved is a penny earned” 6 will add selected smack to that… until it drives everyone crazy! Here is the unqualified truth! 6 is not cheap, but frugal. For the uninformed, there is a vast difference in the two! Being cheap is when one opens their wallet, and moths fly out, being frugal is being imaginative and creative in developing and executing a financial plan. 

Here we go! In just one short afternoon sitting on the beach, 6 has developed several things that would help make life paradise just a little more extraordinary, while 6’s increases his fixed income.

Problem: What do people do on the beach? As we all know, they sit in a chair in the sand under some short of sun cover drinking beer scrolling on their phones. 6’s solution: Purchase several virtual reality goggles, a go-pro, a smart phone with personal hotspot, several 50-pound bags of sand and finally a beach chair. Execution of the plan: Here is how the system will work. 6 will rent the goggles, sand and chair to people all over the world via a subscription for purchase at your favorite app store. Every morning, when 6 takes his walk to the Sanctuary, 6 will strategically place the go-pro on a selfie stick in the sand on the beach, along with a chair and tent, then sync the phone to the camera, and broadcast the go-pro feed to all the 6’s subscribing customers. The only action 6 will have to perform is once an hour moves the camera to a different location. Think about it, now all people have to do is subscribe to 6’s streaming service, and they never have to leave the comfort of their home. They could just sit their kids in their back yards in the sand a beach chair with the VR goggles, and they could sit in their nice comfort-controlled house with their VR goggles and all watch and listen to the beach while scrolling on their phones. 6 make a fortune and they get the same experience with-out having to leave their house!

Problem: What do people do while on the beach and their Yeti water runs dry or their case of Corona (in cans) also runs dry? 6’s solution: Develop a partnership with the chair guys to deliver those FuFu coffee drinks much like Starbucks makes. Execution: 6 will rent a room from 7 in his new home on Eugenia Ave, and stock it up with all the supplies 6 will need to make Fu Fu coffee drinks, and other things such as FuFu water etc. Next 6 will develop an app and call it Beach dash. Print some QR codes, post them on all the boardwalks on the beach. This QR code will bring you to the Breach dash app. From their one can order any type of drink on the menu, it would automatically tie in the persons location on the beach via GPS. 6 would take the drink orders, make the drinks, walk the drink order down to the beach, where the beach chair truck would be waiting. The beach chair truck would then take the orders to the red umbrella’s (where the chair guys sit all day long), the chair guy would then deliver the drinks to the patrons sitting in their assigned section. Easy peasy! 

Problem: Where does one go to the bathroom on the beach? Solution: This is really a difficult problem, but it does have two solutions. One solution that could make some money the other would provide safety for the people who use the beach. 6 will start with the money idea. Purchase a small tent and plastic shovel, place it near the tide. Execution:  As people need to use the facilities, change them a few dollars, hand them the plastic shovel, they then go into the tent, do their business, and much like a cat, use the shovel to cover their mess. They then can use the giant bidet, to clean themselves. Not sure this version would be used much, but it is an option. The other idea is really is really keeping the beach safe for all. I bet the health department would go for this one. Solution: This idea came from something we saw last year on FFV. We all realize that the little kids use Lake Bundy as a Dunny. Ok but we would just assume that the adults used it as well, but one never had the hard evidence. Welllll 8 let me remind you. Last year two you women (6 would call them ladies but) were walking their dogs while taking a walk on the beach. As it happened one of the women had to relieve herself, so she asked her friend to hold the leash of the dog she was walking squatted and relived herself in Lake Bundy, right in front of 6/7/8. Execution: Since 7 and 8 sit in their chairs on the shore line of Lake Bundy every day, they could put some of that chemical in the water, the same as they do at public pools, that changes color when it detects urine in the water. (BTW there is no such chemical, but that will only go to hold down 6’s cost profile) When the notice a change in the color of the water( or strange activity in the water), they can stretch some of the crime tape across Lake Bundy, notifying people not to go into the water, when the color goes away (natural flushing as a result of the tide) they can take the tape down.

Just a couple ideas, and trust 6 has many more. Time to run Banna is on!

 

Words OF Wisdom: One is faced with issues often, if one would just use the gifts once has received keep a cool head, one can overcome any issue.

We all Shine on.

 

As 6 was doing 6’s normal deep deliberations, while sitting comfortably, on the beach in the shade of the Shibumi tent and comfort of his Tommy Bahama’s lounge chair, the question of life was waying deeply on 6’s massive intellect. Is anyone familiar with the theory of Six Degrees of separation? Simply, it states that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other! For example, 6 bets that all-you-all did not know that six is actually less than 6 degrees away from the Beatles! Yes, 6 realizes that some of 6’s devotees, think 6 takes some liberties with facets of the truth (don’t even think about it 7) follow this: 6 worked with a woman, whose daughter went to school with Nora Jones, Nora Jones is Ravi Shankar’s Daughter, and Ravi Shankar taught George Harrison the sitar. As one can see that is only 4 degrees of separation. The fascinating thing is this theory can apply to life in general. Here is another example instead of people think of chairs; let us focus on the chair (s) that 6 so comfortably sat in on PVV this year. 

The chair saga, started Sunday morning upon the return trip from Rose Bank Farms. BTW just like most things in life, Rose Bank Farms has had a makeover, (the owners must plan on having an appearance on Southern Charm) more on that in a different blog. It was revealed by 7 that there were no beach chairs to be found, could one think of anything worse than that! Let 6 tell you, 7 has never found a deterrent that doesn’t have a plausible solution. As one would expect the next thing 6 knew, out of the blue, 7 appeared with three “NICE” beach chairs! Sunday and Monday were perfect days on the beach, sitting conformably under the tent in the lavish beach chair, meditating on life!  On the third day, at Rex time, 7 unceremoniously, dragged his beach chair up the beach to sit down and enjoy Rex time on the beach. Carefully placing the chair in the customary late afternoon sand storm, all while struggling to navigate the blowing sand and sitting down. Low and behold, as he placed his bottom in the chair,7 just kept going right thru the seat of the chair as if it was not even there. Now as one may expect, 4 and 6 had their theories as to why 7 broke the chair. They ranged from, the sand blew into his eyes, casually drinking a bottle of Rex at lunch time, the 28 oz steak he had for breakfast. After bottle 2, as one may conclude the truth always rises to the surface! It was “Instant Karma”! As It also happened just at that moment, the sky darkened and the lightning bolts were seen breaking across the vast ocean.  One has to ask, would intelligent people sitting on a wide-open beach on aluminum chairs under a aluminum arch, with lightning bolts all around them have the astuteness to leave? Really, that would cause us to cut Rex time short, after all 7 felt well-grounded with is butt on the beach. After some time (a bottle and half of Rex) the sky cleared, and all we had to deal with was the sand storm, a broken chair and yes how could we forget the staple beach delicacy “MSC&C” melted sand cheese and Crackers. As it was approaching 7 PM, we all figured it was about time to call it a day on the beach and head back to the villa and open a new bottle of Rex. As some to the astute reads my have figured out, we still had the same issue of the broken chair! Wellll 8, you don’t have to worry yourself. On the way back to the villa, as you all know we have to pass several dumpsters. The first stop 7 dumped the old chair in the dumpster, and low and behold, there was a nice red (or at least at one time) folding chair to replace the broken green chair. Like pennies from heaven, our PVV was back on schedule. When 6 arrived back at the villa, the first thing 6 did was take his bucket hat off, and oppppps, 6 had forgotten to take his beloved 15-year-old sunglass off of his hat, and would you not know it, they fell on the floor and the right Lense cracked in half. How disappointing! It was “Instant Karma” The next day was totally uneventful, until 7 was walking back to the beach after eating his lunch. He made the terrifying proclamation; 7 noticed a car parked under a villa. It all came in to focus now, we had to return the chairs that were found on the first day, this was really not such a bad thing because we only had two Rex times left, and believe it or not, there were two old raggy soccer chairs under our villa. Immediately, 6 and 7 jumped to our feet and ran the two remaining chairs back to the villa with the car parked under it, in a hope that we would not affect the new people’s vacation in paradise.  We carefully placed the two remaining chairs under the villa, picked up the two soccer chairs, and headed back to the beach! As luck would have it, 7 decided to do some more dumpster diving, and would you believe, found 3 chairs perched atop an empty case of Corona cans in the dumpster!  The last two days of Rex on the beach was saved! As a side note 7 was supposed to carefully position those 3 new chairs under our villa, so we can have Rex time on FFV. In other words, hide them so no-one else can use them! 

Back to 6 degrees of separation, as one can see this happens with people as well as chairs! 

Steal a chair, break a chair, find a chair, return a chair, find a chair! 4 degrees on the Beatles, 5 degrees on chairs! Go figure! Never forget “Instant Karma” for we all shine on!

6 just notice the time and it time for Banna!

 

Words of Wisdom: Have faith and never give up, for your dreams may be found in the strangest places.     

It Is a small world after All!

As PVV rapidly approaches, one can not help but change their focus from a hard day of work or a hard day of play. No, matter your state in life, you next step is the same! One must find their Kiawah clothes, dust off the moth balls, and pack them painstakingly for their long journey to paradise! Since this is PVV, by definition a practice run for the big show, it also forces one to make some agonizing decisions. If one actually works for living, these decisions will be nebulous, just one more thing to decide. WELLLL 5 for those on a fixed income whose biggest decision is whether to use peanut butter or almond butter on their toast every lucky morning, getting ready for PVV is a very traumatic event!

            6 remembers the day when getting ready for PVV, was a matter of waiting for the 40–45-day mark, logging on to the laptop and buying a ticket, renting a car and finally forewarning “the man” 6 was taking a week off. For the next 40 days, life would just proceed as normal. But 5 days prior 6 would jump in to active mod and check the suitcase, which was a matter of adding the red/white and blue swim trunks, since PVV always falls on a federal holiday, and making certain there was adequate tooth paste and shaving cream from the preceding FFV. When we reach the 48-hour mark, it is time to make the first and only decision, Will TOTAL WINE have any REX, or will 6 have to make a decision on other types of wine? With any luck, TOTAL WINEwill have Rex in stock, and all 6 has to do is hit the order bottom. Life is really good!  The next thing 6 knows, 6 is sitting in church with 4/7/8 and Joe Biden, preparing to make 6’s second decision. Do we stop by Sunny Brook Farms otherwise known as Rosebank Farms (well known for its “locally grown” fresh produce) after church, or do we go on Sunday morning? 6 could go on, but as one can appreciate, when one is working decisions are ostensibly simple, but now that one has a fixed income, life all of a sudden becomes subsequently considerably more convoluted. This is what life is like now!

Publish the Calander for the 2025 year, including the dates for PVV, making a leap of faith, the dates would not change from the past half century. WELLLL 6 not a good decision, text received, enlightening 6 that the official dates on the official calendar are incorrect. For someone who works for a living, no big deal, for things change all the time. But for someone who’s mental geniuses might not quite be what they used to be, this is a major conundrum. One would not think a simple date change would cause so much disturbance, well one would be incorrect let 6 enlighten, the less cognizant! 

1)    Rental car, reservations make: now have to cancel and re-order

2)    Airline Reservations, the same as car, but in this case, lost my good seat, had to change not only the date, but also the time, last but not least cost twice as much, causing 6 to have to re-do his family budget for the next 3 months! 

3)    The plan this year was to retire  6’s celebrated beach attire. 6 appreciates all-you-all’s disappointment, but after 20 odd years, 6 was pondering trading it in on more age-appropriate attire. That purchase is now down the dunny, for 6’s SS check arrives later in the month, and there will not be any discretionary cash available prior to PVV. 

4)    Additional stress thinking about having to do our grocery shopping at Harris Teeder. Normally on PVV 6 can wait until the checker scans and bags all of our purchases. At that point start to hunt awkwardly for some greenbacks, count the exact amount, including the 10 cents (made up of one nickel and 5 pennies) drops it clumsily on the counter for the cashier to pick up and recount. Easy-peasy! Now, 6 is going to have to have the credit card in hand ready to swipe instantaneously, as the final item crosses the scanner. 6 can feel the stress mounting!

5)    Drink at least 1 additional bottle of Rex per day, endeavoring to moderate the additional anxiety of items 1 thru 4! 

As 6 sits here every day watching the beach CAM (when it is actually up), drinking that extra bottle of Rex, the frustration of wasting his time watching for new beach fashions just continues to mount. So, in the meantime, do not ask 6 to carry anything to the beach because all of 6’s pockets have holes worn in them, bring extra sunscreen because the hammer shirts no longer provide sun protection, and finally, for you Pitt alumni, don’t be ashamed because your coveted panther logo is distorted due to sweat stains. In other words, don’t be mortified to sit in 6 vicinities, as strangers are sauntering by dropping their loose change in 6’s empty tuna can. After all, 6 cannot think of a more applicable way of supplementing 6’s social securely check than becoming a beach panhandler! Best of all Paradise is full of rich old people, and it will all be tax free! Not to concern yourself, 6 has done due diligence and checked in the official KICA rules and regulations for the beach, and today they have not added panhandling to the list! One has to take every advantage that is offered until it has been taken away! With even moderate success at beach panhandling, 6 will be able to purchase the original hammer shirt, from MC himself! 6 sure hopes that no one minds the panhandling, but then again 6 did not change the date…. Banana Time!

 

 

Words of wisdom: Believe you can accomplish a skill, is being more than half the way there.