Hello, more musings about nothing particular and everything in general.
Tuesday morning we all lazed about getting our individual breakfast choices, checking Email, perusing through the news on line, showering, watching bad golfers, and in general just living a relaxed resort kind of life. Brenda had started working on a bazillion piece jigsaw puzzle. Jerry and Vickie were helping and or kibitzing. Got me wondering who actually started calling them jigsaw puzzles? Did some guy paste a picture on a board and then cut it up with a jigsaw in little pieces for his kids to put together one rainy day? Sometimes you just have to think about these kinds of things. It is very nice to travel with our long term traveling companions. Over time we have learned to accommodate each other’s idiosyncrasies, and we can relax together with minimal stress.
Later as we all finished preparation, we loaded in Jerry’s Explorer and set out to explore (pardon the pun) the island. Jerry and Brenda have started a business distributing Kazuri Beads. While on their safari to Kenya they visited the Kazuri bead factory in Nairobi. Here they saw the process where Kazuri beads are hand made by the local residents. When they returned they decided to get involved in distributing the rare and unusual beads in the U.S.A year or so later they have a web site www.kakarjewelry.com and are attending bead shows regularly. That is actually how we came to be at Hilton Head this week. They had a local bead shop to visit along with a bead show this coming weekend in Charleston. I had to chuckle at the name of the bead shop, “Hemp Seed and High Tide Beads”. Even more entertainment was had as we actually visited the shop. Jerry and Brenda went into the shop to conduct their business, while Vickie and I wandered the little strip mall containing the shop. Jerry later reported the owners looked the part of creative artists.
First on the list of interesting stuff was a bunch of Yuppie women discussing their bead purchases on a bench outside the bead shop. Allow me to digress a minute about my use of the term Yuppie. Yuppie is not a derogatory term for me, but more a descriptive term. And to me the root term Yuppie has many sub types however most are unnamed. Let me say that I also consider myself the antithesis for some Yuppies. In my opinion they perceive my eccentricity as a threat to their very formal and organized rich peoples lives. I just find the whole mess entertaining and food for my ever-wondering mind. End of digression, oh and let me record it here: I just promised Vickie if she could get me a hotel room with a window overlooking a good view of Fremont Street, with my laptop, Internet connection, pocket tape recorder, and a good supply of liquor, I’d go with her back to Las Vegas. (I notoriously hate Las Vegas since among my many vices gambling IS NOT and the place bores me quickly)
Back to the strip mall: the ladies discussing their bead purchases gave the appearance of being rich and bored. In addition they looked suspiciously at me as I made notes on my pocket recorder and observed life. I moved on down the mall to “The Island Gold Works” looking in the windows at many beautiful items on display. I got to the door, and there was this sign with a new approach to business (for me). The sign said “Open, Please press buzzer and wait for assistance”. I didn’t figure they wanted to talk to me so I moved on down the mall. Soon I was standing in front of “The Encore Consignment Store”. I looked inside, and it was a Yuppie consignment store, which looked to me like a fancy women’s store. Vickie made a circuit through the store and reported it was stocked with all types of high end “stuff” there on consignment. From looking at some shoes displayed out front, according to Vickie, you could buy “used” $250 shoes for $45. Interesting concept, would be a shopping bonanza for folks who weren’t from here. Also in the strip mall was a cool looking bar---not open darn it. And on the end was a real tearoom with little old ladies drinking tea, reading books, and chatting quietly. Beside the tearoom was a Cat Clinic, and the “Dr. Is (was) In”. Everywhere at this mall Yuppiedom was in evidence especially in the parking lot. There was a preponderance of Mercedes, Exotic SUV’s and other high end transportation. While Jerry and Brenda finished their business, Vickie and I landed on a bench and perused the proffered free literature proclaiming the attractions of Hilton Head. Interesting reading. Vickie found a residence that was now down to $845,000 from it’s 2006 appraisal of $1.6 million. I read an interesting article by a guy who retired from “The War on Drugs” and was now a “Security Consultant” to a security company servicing the residents of Hilton Head. (think he was a high end security system salesman) I also read about this cool solar device that is supposed to be able to heat water even on cloudy days. Article says it is especially good for heating hot tubs and touted possible Federal Tax credits. I tore out the page and intend to investigate upon returning home.
We left the Yuppie strip mall and headed to Sea Pines Plantation. Sea Pines is the original development on Hilton Head Island. It was started and planned by Charles Fraser, who is buried under the Liberty Oak overlooking the harbor. His theory was build the attractions first I.E. the marinas, the golf courses, the swimming pools, and beach accesses, then plan the community around them gently preserving and working with the natural vegetation. The result is a beautiful blend of houses, condos, recreation, shopping, ponds, trees, alligators, birds, and bike trails. It was so successful Charles’s overarching plan of having restrictive development covenants attached to land became the standard of the resort industry. His tenants were used in the development of several other SC developments including Kiowa Island. He was a truly great man.
We had a great lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking the harbor at Harbor Village. The food was great, I had a cup of (very good) Crab Bisque, and a Cuban Sandwich, Brenda had a Chicken Panini, Jerry had a Blackened Tuna Wrap, and Vickie had a Pulled Pork Sandwich. All came with Sea Pines Chips, which were great kettle cooked potato chips. We also ordered the special drink of the day a Bahama Mama. We figured the special ought to be special. We weren’t disappointed---the drink was especially ordinary and the price was especially ridiculous. All in all lunch reminded us we were in Hilton Head by being ridiculously over priced.
After lunch I wanted to tour the harbor and look at the boats. I stopped, just out of curiosity, at the fuel dock. The fuel pump had the most recent sales still recorded on it. The first one was “Off Road Low Sulfur Non Highway Diesel” $2.369 per gallon, last sale 395 gallons for $937.24. On the gasoline side $3.119 per gallon last sale 40 gallons for $127.24. It’s obvious the gasoline still contains “Road Taxes” which is pretty ridiculous for a boat. In VA there is some mechanism for recovering the “Road Tax” paid on boat gas. We have not explored it yet, but with the new boat holding 51 gallons of gas, we probably will.
After visiting the fuel dock, Vickie and I continued our tour of the harbor. We saw some beautiful boats, and wondered what the dockage must be to stay in this particular (very special) harbor. I say very special because the 18th green just across the harbor is featured in the PGA Verizon Heritage at the Harbor Town Golf Links. The boats (yachts) did not disappoint either. I made myself a note to look up Lazzara Yachts because that was the name on a very beautiful yacht we saw moored there. (which I did, and they are incredible)
After viewing all the sights at Sea Pines, we returned home via the Fresh Market and Piggly Wiggly to obtain sustenance for the balance of the week. After we got back and unloaded all our stuff, everyone settled down to do whatever, and Miss Vickie took her bike back to the beach to look for shells. I took the opportunity to explore a little, and found the “Club House” that is associated with our group of units. It has a nice pool table, ping-pong table, beautiful work out room, and a shelf of books and games. Amongst the games I found a box of very nice 9 spot dominoes, and we have passed the last two evenings with spirited dominoes tournaments. (don’t want to jinx things, but yours truly has won the last two nights)
After exploring the clubhouse, I went and soaked my lower legs in the hot tub at the pool for about 20 minutes. While soaking I watched the turtles and alligators in the pond next to the pool. Then I headed back to the condo. I hadn’t been back too long when Miss Vickie came in quite distressed. Seems as though she had lost control of her bike on the bike path, and rode down an embankment wedging herself between two trees and under the bike. She had to be rescued by 2 ladies. Good news is she didn’t break anything, mostly cuts and bruises, and no alligators or snakes got to her. Bad part is the unmerciful abuse she has had to endure from all of us. We took good care of her, and got her soaking in a warm whirlpool bath, and gave her some Tylenol for her pain. Cut on her finger required bandaging, and she had to get some dirt and blood out of her swimsuit cover up. Jerry wanted her to go back, lie down in the weeds and recreate the wreck so we could take a picture for the blog. (Vickie didn’t think so) By Wednesday she was doing better, but has not been back on the bike again yet.
More later,
Wes
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