CHAPTER FIFTY: SLOW MOTION’S TOP TEN LISTS

CHAPTER FIFTY: SLOW MOTION’S TOP TEN LISTS

The Admiral and I are taking stock of the highs and lows of the past year and we’d like to offer a few Top Ten Lists (I know, I know, how original…). Here they are:

Top Ten Phrases of 2012 that Must be Retired (better yet, Banned):

1.     FISCAL CLIFF (FISCAL PRECIPICE, or any similar phrase) – Push all the commentators and the legislators off this cliff and be done with it.

2.     BUCKET LIST -- No. 1 on our “bucket list” is to get rid of this phrase.

3.     NO PROBLEM (NO WORRIES) – misused when “You’re welcome” is appropriate

4.     LOL – If it’s funny, you don’t need these letters to point it out.

5.     DOUBLE DOWN – yuck – How about “repeat the same behavior”?

6.     BREAKING NEWS – Use this maybe once a week, not once a minute, please.

7.     FAIR AND BALANCED – Let the viewer decide. Don’t advertise what you can’t deliver.

8.     PUSHBACK – This should not be a word, ever.

9.     JOB CREATOR – Can we get back to saying “employer”?

10.  “LIKE” – Like, every year this needs to be on the list, like, you know what I mean?

 

Top Ten Spots of Natural Beauty that We Experienced this Year:

 

1.     Harper Canyon, California

2.     Waccamaw River, North Carolina

3.     Jekyll Island, Georgia

4.     Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California

5.     Sunrise and Sunset at the Casper Marina, Swansboro, North Carolina

6.     Calvert Cliffs, Chesapeake Bay, Solomons, Maryland

7.     Botanical Garden, Norfolk, Virginia

8.     Botanical Garden, Tucson, Arizona

9.     Live Oak and Spanish Moss Mile Long Arch, Wormsloe Plantation, Isle of Hope, Georgia

10.  TIE: Charleston, South Carolina (not all natural, but too much beauty to ignore)

              St. Augustine, Florida (ditto)

 

Top Ten Marinas on ICW between Ft. Lauderdale, FLA and Solomons, MD:

 

1.     Dozier’s, Deltaville, Virginia

2.     River Dunes, Oriental, North Carolina

3.     Calvert Marina, Solomons, Maryland  (but please upgrade the showers)

4.     Rebel Marine Service, Norfolk, Virginia

5.     Jekyll Harbor Marina, Jekyll Island, Georgia

6.     Seapath Yacht Marina, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (our shelter from Sandy)

7.     Atlantic Yacht Basin, Chesapeake, Virginia (great boat yard and marine store)

8.     Thunderbolt Marina, Thunderbolt, Georgia

9.     The Harborage at Ashley Marina, Charleston, South Carolina

10.  Casper’s, Swansboro, North Carolina (could improve the shower)

Honorable Mentions: Isle of Hope Marina, Isle of Hope, Georgia

                                        St. Augustine Municipal Marina, St. Augustine, Florida

                                        Nettles Island Marina, Jensen Beach, Florida

 

Top Ten Meals/Dishes prepared by the Admiral:

 

1.     Rib roast, fresh corn, mashed potatoes (not too much starch, really)

2.     Pulled pork, fresh corn and potluck dishes of HC neighbors

3.     Spaghetti with meat balls/ sausages and homemade sauce (from scratch)

4.     Beef and barley soup and fresh green salad

5.     Steamed clams in white wine, , fresh corn, green salad

6.     Beef Stroganoff

7.     Shrimp stir fry

8.     Barbecued ribs/ chicken, fresh corn, cole slaw

9.     Five alarm chili

10.  Breakfast omelets with peppers, ham or sausage and cheese

Too many honorable mentions to mention

 

Top Ten Most Challenging Cruising Days with Slow Motion:

 

1.     Hell Gate, Georgia (MM 601.4 – 602.4), low tide, heading north on the ICW – depth reader 1.5 feet

2.     Albemarle Sound, North Carolina (MM 65), heading north, watching looming thunderstorm and waiting for storm to go ahead of us

3.     Calibogue Sound, South Carolina (MM 565 – 576), heading south in dense fog

4.     Tropical Storm Debbie hit our marina in St. Augustine, Florida (MM 777.7), sinking a boat two slips away from Slow Motion – up all night checking the lines

5.     Gale force winds on trip south from Two Way Fish Camp to Jekyll Island, Georgia (MM 664 – 685)

6.     Mud River, Georgia (MM 650 – 660), heading north on ICW, with depths of 3 feet

7.     Getting away from the dock at Dudley’s Marina, Swansboro, North Carolina (MM 229), without any help, with extremely strong winds and currents – moving to Casper’s

8.     Trying to fit into tiny slip (short AND narrow) at Soverel Marina, Florida (MM 1011.9) – backing in with no rear view mirrors and dinghy blocking  rear view

9.     Trying to tie up at Georgetown Landing Marina, South Carolina (MM 402),heading north, with strong currents and winds and inexperienced dock hands

10.  Our first day leaving Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, (MM 1063), dealing with 23 bridges, 11 of which had to open for Slow motion

 

Top Ten “Moments” of 2012:

 

1.     The first day we cruised away from Ft. Lauderdale in Slow Motion starting our adventure

on the Intracoastal Waterway

2.     Butch’s successful  surgery with the quickest recovery known to man

3.     Dinner with Bethlehem Babes at Bay Wolf’s and follow up bonding at the Inn

4.     Angel Ruelas’s plea of guilty to the murder of Kris Olinger and his agreement

to meet with Kris’s brother, Travis

5.     Sonja’s visits and Sabina’s visit with their Daddo on Slow Motion

6.     Visits to Slow Motion by the Andersons and the Shipmans

7.     Hitting 12 on the hemoglobin scale

8.     Meeting Dr. O’Shea in Chapel Hill and Dr. Baer in Baltimore

9.     Spending a day visiting parks with Mary Jane in Calvert County/Eating crabs with

Mary Jane and Mike on their deck

10.  Dinners at the Calkins/Moore house, especially the November potluck

             Honorable Mentions: Exploring forts up and down the Atlantic Coast with the Admiral

                               (Moultrie, Sumter, Pulaski)

                                Riding my bike – anywhere (Charleston, Jekyll Island, Swansboro, Solomons)

                               Sunrises and sunsets on the ICW

                               Pre-Christmas with Sue and Butch in Tucson and my birthday with Rusty, Lois and

                               the Admiral in Pocono Pines as the leaves changed
 

Top Repair Person:

Bill, Charleston Boat Yard, Charleston, SC

Top Marina Office Person:

 Mary Ellen, Calvert Marina, Solomons, MD

 

Top Dog:

Violet, Washington, D.C.

Top Cat:

Midnight, Calvert Marina, Solomons, MD

 

Top Movie:

Lincoln

 Top social event:

TIE:      1. Sue and Doug’s 50^th anniversary, Dilworthtown, PA

1. Potluck at Calkins/Moore’s in Harper Canyon, CA

             1. Potluck at Calvert Marina, Solomons, MD

Top Book:

All the murder mysteries that Jake Leishman gave me, especially the ones by Lisa Scottaline

Second place: The Impeachment of Lincoln

Third place: Team of Rivals

 

Top BLOG Follower:

Vivian

         

We’re celebrating the New Year at Jekyll Harbor Marina in Georgia. The Admiral is playing nonstop with his new IPad, courtesy of Sonja. The first day of the year is overcast and moderately warm (high 50’s). The Happy Warrior in Washington did the deal, which probably makes nobody happy. That’s why they call it a compromise. Of course, no guarantees that the House, which will soon be in foreclosure, will go along with the Joe and Mitch Show. We’re sending thoughts and prayers to Hillary, who clearly needs a more balanced life. Listen to me, Hillary, it’s time to abandon the “all work and no play” mode -- do you know anyone who, on her deathbed, mouthed the words:  “Gee, I wish I had spent more time at the office?” Thanks, Glen Nolte, for that bit of sage advice. And I promise you, if you exercise and eat well, and sleep a lot more than you’ve been sleeping, then you will be refreshed to take on the greatest challenge of your life – First Woman President. If I can’t be the one, I’ll support your candidacy wholeheartedly, because it’s way past time for this country to have a woman in charge. On that note, have a New Year full of happy surprises and unbounded joy. Live your cruising dreams vicariously through the Admiral and me for another year, as we go to Key West, the
Bahamas and north to the New York Harbor.