Hurricane Florence Hit Special Areas To Me

The last two weeks have been hard on me to the extent that this hurricane/storm hit a part of the United states that is very special to me.

That would be the North Carolina coastal area ab well as into South Carolina.

Plus, I have relatives living there still, including cousins, nephews, nieces and my brother.  Goldsboro was hard hit and that is where my brother and I were born and we spent many times at both grandparents homes (in Goldsboro and Mt. Olive, N.C.) and then my parents bought my mom's house and lived in it until their deaths.

Plus, my mom had a condo on the second row of Topsail Beach, North Carolina.  In addition, Carolina Beach was the vacation spot we went to for so many years as we grew up.  (Mom's parents even owned a cottage on the ocean there until Hurricane Hazel came through in 1954.)

And, Liz and I used to spend a lot of vacations in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

I tell you, that storm really hit home.

--RoadDog

Just Got Back

I arrived back home yesterday, January 21st, after a ten day trip to North Carolina to clean out Mom's condo at Topsail Beach.  I tell you, at age 65, I am getting too old to do that much moving.

Picked up my nephew Andy at RDU Airport and drove to the beach where I met my brother Bob and later my sister Julie and Ed met us.  We spent Friday night and all day Saturday clearing the place out and took two loads of stuff to the consignment shop in Holly Ridge.

Monday and Tuesday I spent at Carolina Beach and enjoyed Fort Fisher for a good long while on Tuesday.  I then spent Wednesday and Thursday at Goldsboro.

--RoadDog

N.C. Fall 2016-- Part 5: Not As Much Damage As I Thought

SEPTEMBER 23, FRIDAY

I was very happy to see nothing but a few puddles in the lower level of the condo when I opened it.  I got a shop vac and sucked up the puddles in both Mom's and Vicki's place next door to us.

Went to the Jolly Roger Pier for a really good breakfast with Anthony and his granddaughter and friend.  Much less work on the lower level than I had anticipated, so I got to enjoy the beach today.  Did my usual wading and collecting shells and "lima bean" stones.

Went to the Topsail Town hall to pay the water and garbage bill and then Godwin's, one of the earliest businesses in Topsail Beach and still operating and looking like it did in the late 1940s when the area was opened to the public.  Before that it had been used for the U.S. missile and rocket testing program.

Towers from it and the Assembly Building still stand.

--RoadDog

MALE POINT SYSTEM:  You make the bed (+1)
You make the bed, but forget to add the decorative pillows (0)
You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets (-1)

N.C. Fall 2016-- Part 4: Fort Fisher, Silver Dollar Bar, Topsail Beach and a Flood

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016, THURSDAY

Drove to Wilmington in off-and-on rain.  It has rained like that the whole time I have been in North Carolina, since Thursday.  As usual, heavy traffic by the UNC-Wilmington campus.  Stopped at the Carolina Beach Town hall and saw the four dioramas from the old Blockade Runner Museum and went to Fort fisher where the museum had sprung lots of leaks from all this rain.

Stopped at the Silver Dollar Bar in Carolina Beach and then went to Topsail Beach.

I was happy to see that there was no flood in the lower level, but a half hour after I arrived, we got three inches of rain in 30 minutes and the lower lever had two-three inches of water in it.  I found out later that there had already been six inches of rain during the course of the day at Topsail Beach.

There wasn't anything I could do about the flood until the morning so left it alone.

--RoadDog

North Carolina Summer 2016-- Part 10: Leaving the Beach and Beach Music

JULY 28, THURSDAY

Read the paper and had breakfast on the front porch and took a walk on the beach.

July 28th, Thursday.

The appraiser came over and looked at the condo and took a lot of pictures.  Before and after he came I worked on Mom's memoirs, making corrections.

Closed the place up (and only left my I-Pad charger and wash cloth and bath towel).  I went to the Topsail Beach Town Hall and had the water/garbage bill transferred to my name and then closed out the cable, telephone and wi-fi at Holly Ridge.

Stopped at Paul's Famous Hot Dogs (a family tradition) in Rocky Point, N.C..  Drove back to Goldsboro.

later that night, my brother Bob and I went to the Center Street Jam downtown and saw one of the hottest beach bands around these days, Jim Quick and Coastline, and ate at Torino's Mexican Restaurant.  One mighty good steak nachos.

--RoadDog

North Carolina Summer 2016-- Part 9: One More Day at the Beach

JULY 27, WEDNESDAY

The usual coffee, newspaper and breakfast on the front deck.

I called a real estate appraiser to come over and give me an idea what the condo was worth, but he was busy today and way too hot.  He'll come over tomorrow.

This was the hottest of a whole bunch of hot days as of yet.  It was brutal.  Even those nice breezes you get at the beach weren't there in the morning.

Eventually, it did get a breeze and I took a walk along the beach.

Later took a ride to Surf City and crossed the landmark old (1950s) swing bridge that will be replaced starting in the fall and saw a place with a whole lot of cars out front and decided to check it out.  After some difficulty find a parking spot, I went inside the Shuckin' Shack.  Fortunately, there was a seat at the bar.  They had $2.50 bottles of Red Stripe on Wednesdays, so ordered several.

Best of all, they had lobster rolls on the menu, something I've been wanting to try for a long time.  It is like a lobster hot dog with chunks of that delicacy.  It was as good as I thought.

The entertainer at the Trailer Bar had not yet started so went back to Mom's place and sat out on both front decks and watched another sunset.

--  RoadDog

North Carolina Summer of 2016-- Part 8: Half Price Drinks, Wings and Live Trivia

JULY 26, TUESDAY

Godwin's (been there since the early 1950s) for the newspaper and out on FP (front porch for coffee and breakfast.  Walked the beach twice today.

Back on the FP, both second and third levels.

I went to the Home Port Bar and Restaurant in Topsail Beach as this is thee day of the deals.  Enjoyed $2 domestic drafts and $2.50 craft beer as well as the chicken wing special (ten for $3.25)  All these items were half the usual price.  Also played live trivia with a couple from Boca Raton, Florida.

Enjoyed talking with the next door neighbors and then saw a real pretty susset from the ipstaors balcony.

--RoadDog

North Carolina Summer 2016-- Part 6: Entertainment on Topsail Island

Unfortunately, the Town of Topsail Beach, doesn't have real lot of places to go to as far as cocktails and entertainment.  There are quite a few places at Surf City, about 7 miles to the north along Topsail Island which is much more built up.

Sunday, I found out that a place in Surf City called The Trailer Bar had a band playing out on the deck in the afternoon, so drove there.  It is a private club, but memberships is just $1 a year.  A bottle of domestic beer is $3.  I saw the Carolina Band who put on a good show.  They also have entertainment Mondays to Wednesdays and Friday and Saturday as well.  Sure wish it was closer.

On the way back to the condo, I stopped at Home Port in Topsail Beach and was a bit shocked at the $4 drafts for domestic.  But, I did see they have a good special on Tuesdays with half price drafts and chicken wings.  I went there Tuesday and did enjoy those specials, plus they had a deejay who did a trivia game.

Fun at the Beach.  --RoadDog

North Carolina Summer 2016-- Part 5: Hanging Out at Topsail Beach, N.C.

July 24-July 26

I certainly enjoy driving over to either the Jolly Roger Pier or Godwin's every morning to buy my copy of the Wilmington Star-News, then coming back to the condo and having coffee and reading it on the front porch and listening to the ocean across the street.  Being on what is called the Second Row, we have Ocean Boulevard, a line of Front Row cottages and then dunes across the street between us and the ocean.

I have obviously been keeping up with the blogs, but plan to stop Wi-Fi, land phone and cable service at the condo before I leave.

It has been excessively hot with temps every day in the upper 90s, which has kept me inside a lot.   Just too hot to be outside much.  Not bad on the beach though as there always is a good breeze.

I go out and walk the beach looking for shells and "lima beans,"  rocks that have been polished into that shape by thousands of years in the ocean.  I wade in the water and often bring a chair and sit out by ocean.  Just love the sound of the surf rolling in.

Little Ol' Beach Bum Me.  --RoadDog

North Carolina Summer 2016-- Part 4: Traffic, Fort Fisher, a Donut and Topsail Beach

SATURDAY, JULY 23

Chia made a great breakfast at Mom's house and I drove to Wilmington, N.C..  Wilmington has to be one of the worst cities to drive anywhere near it in the country.  If the traffic doesn't get you, the photo-enforced lights will.  Traffic is especially bad around UNC-Wilmington.

I went to my favorite history place, Fort Fisher which was the reason I got into all this history stuff that so impacted my life (why I taught social studies for 33 years).  Took as walk around the fort and then heard Richard Triebe talk about the fate of the Fort Fisher prisoners at the North's horrible Elmira Prison in New York where half of them died in just a few months.

Then got my Britt's Donut fix in Carolina Beach and drove to Topsail Beach to Mom's condo.

--RoadDog

Those "Idge" Phones At the Beach-- Topsail Beach, North Carolina

Again, an "Idge" phone are those cell phones that you see people blankly staring at (especially the 9 to 30 year-old crowd, but sadly, a lot of older folk,  "Idge" stands for "Idiot" phones.  My brother Bob refers to my flip phone as a "Dumb" phone.  It is only dumb because its owner has had it since 2002 and still doesn't know how to use it.  Actually, its owner is technologically challenged in today's pc speak.

I am now (Tuesday, July 26) at the condo at Topsail Beach, North Carolina.  Essentially it is and will be mine until I sell it (hopefully).

However, in case you're wondering what this has to do with "Idge" phones, I saw two REALLY sad things once I got here.  I saw three boys riding their bicycles down the side of the highway with cars whizzing by them within a few feet.  And, believe-it-or-not, these idiots were looking at their "Idge" phones.

And, when I walked across the street from the condo to the ocean, I saw three young teens walking on the beach and staring at their "Idge" phones as if in a trance.  Their phones clearly owned them.  And then, even worse, their father had his "Idge" phone out and was checking on wi-fi hot spots and calling out numbers.  I think they also might have been doing something with that Pokey Man thing.

I Done Believe  I Done Seen Elephants Fly.  --RoadDumb

Summer North Carolina 2016-- Part 2: Mom's Death and the Aftermath

This would be the usual time I would go down to North Carolina to visit with Mom and Bob in Goldsboro, but since last month, things have gone topsy-turvey with Mom's unexpected death at age 85.

This means a whole lot of work going through her papers and talking with people about this and that.  I mean she kept records of all sorts dating back to 1998 when Dad died. And, I have to look at every single paper.  It is slow going.

I also stand to inherit the condo at Topsail Beach.  It is paid for, but there are association dues, electric (no gas at least) water, garbage, cable, land telephone and wi-fi to take care of and that is a job in itself.  Since I live about 1200 miles away and long a go we decided not to have a second home somewhere, we can afford it, but don't want the hassle of owning two places.  One is bad enough.

Of course, this means getting an appraisal, dealing with the condo association, fixing the lower level after the floods from several months ago, listing it and so forth.

Plus,we don't won't to be tied down to just one place we have to go every time.

I Am At  the Condo Right Now.  --RoadDog

JSIS: DeKalb-- Surf City

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff

From the June 20, 2016, USA Today "State-By-State."

DEKALB--  Illinois:  The Labor Relations Board certified a new faculty union at Northern Illinois University, the Daily Chronicle reported.

SURF CITY--  North Carolina.:  Thirteen sea turtles are back home in the waves after their release by workers on the coast.  The turtles were released on the beach after treatment at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

This center used to be at Topsail Beach where my mom has a condo.

--RoadDog

I Was Busted About the Wedding Ring-- Part 3

As, I said earlier, the ring wasn't lost because I didn't look for it. I stopped at every place we went to on our way to the beach. No luck. And then I looked all over the house in Goldsboro. Again, no ring. I decided not to tell Liz, just in case it turned up, but that sure wasn't likely by then.

Left Goldsboro for home on December 3rd. At some point in Virginia, I evidently received a call on the cell phone, but didn't hear it go off because of the music playing too loud. I noticed it had a message in West Virginia. It was from Mom who said the person cleaning the townhome at the beach had found it!! Wow!! I'm sure glad she found it. Called Mom back and got the details.

I think I'm not going to wear it anymore until I get it resized to fit my ring finger.

Must be Doing Something Right. --RoadDog

Happy Dec. 1st --Snowstorm and Ice?

Liz said we had a big storm last Dec. 1st, about ten inches, but I wasn't here, just enjoying 75 degree weather down at Topsail Beach, NC. Unfortunately, this year, I'm here. Guess where I'd rather be? I'd say we have a two inch accumulation right now at 2:09.

They've been predicting this all week. Normally I find weather forecasts pretty accurate when they are calling for bad weather. It started snowing about 11:15 AM and immediately stuck to paved surfaces. It usually melts for awhile before doing the mean thing (sticking). It's supposed to turn to sleet and ice a little later.

Wouldn't it be great if snow would only fall on places that didn't need to be shoveled or driven on? Someone should pass a law or something. I know snowmobilers are getting all excited and expect to be hearing some in the not too distant future. We're located by several trails. In a fair world, they should have to clear off my driveway and sidewalks before they get to go out and enjoy themselves.

I'm not real fond of driving when the roads have snow on them.

Stuck in the House. --RoadDog