Good stuff 10/31/11

• It never did rain.  WOO HOO!  Even had some sunshine.  A good day.
• Spent time at Chapin Memorial Library today.  The staff is super friendly.  Today the head librarian was dressed as warden, the other staff as inmates.  Great collection, two hours of free internet/day on 18 public computers, found two books that look interesting.  More good day.
• I have a wonderful SGD!  Got two unexpected packages in the mail:  Season 4 of Big Bang Theory (we are both BBT nuts) and "Point Break," a movie I love and have been searching for for the longest time.  Thanks, Babe, for being such a thoughtful man.  You ROCK.
• Finished the first draft of my Elle article.  Feel pretty solid about it.  May even have a friend or two willing to be proofreaders.
• HAPPY HALLOWEEN YALL!

Rainy days and Mondays 10/31/11

• are a combo pack today.  7:15am  Slate gray clouds, heavy with rain, hang over Mother Ocean.  Her waves are churning fierce, whipped up to a froth by the gusty north wind.  I have a quick smoke on the balcony, take my coffee back inside to watch for the sunrise from my living room window.
• 7:40am  My wait paid off.  Sunbella found a gap above the jagged mountain clouds at the horizon and rose boldly.  Her golden light melted the chill off the morning.  Until she disappeared into the rain clouds.  Rainy days and Mondays didn't get Sunbella down (a play on the classic Carpenter's tune, for those of you that might not recognize it).  I won't let it get me down, either.
• Been working on an article all morning.  Sometimes when the words tumble and flow out of me like a river rolling over glossy smooth rocks, I feel like a WRITER.  I lose all sense of time and where I am, until my low back aches and I get up to stretch and move.  Then the next word or sentence or idea grabs me, and I'm right back at my paper with the pen flying across it as if possessed.  These times are how I know that moving here to write was the right thing to do.  

Going to the chapel, and I'm . . . 10/30/11

. . . checking out Unity Christ Church in Surfside.  If the door greeters had carded people instead of shaking hands, I'll bet there were only five people in attendance besides me that were under 60.  Felt like a young chick in this group.
   As people start pouring in, I notice someone is rocking the Patchouli pretty heavy.  Do you think someone got a little high before coming in to get high on God?  Wonder if it's the hipster in leopard print ensemble, gray suede peep-toe pumps, and hot red spikey hair or the long-haired earth mama in the Mexican blanket serape, jeans and roach-killer boots?
   The one leading the program, since the regular pastor was away, was sweet, sweet as McAllister's sweet tea, in her words and tone.  Came across as phony.  All the "let's sing together" and "let's bow our heads in prayer togethers" made me realize, I don't like group have-tos.  I'm more comfy as a solo spiritual seeker.
   Liked the funky decorated coffee cans passed around for the do-unto-others offering, not just money for the church.  Having meditation during church was cool, never experienced that before.  Liked some of the messages:

• We are here on earth to express and experience God.
• Reality is only an illusion.  Make the choice not to get caught up in all that comes along.  Embrace it, bless it, and let it go on its way if it causes you suffering, then welcome the next happening.
• What we focus on IS our reality.  What are you focusing on?  Something you want or something you don't want?  Not new stuff to me, but a good reminder about where I'm spending my energy.
• What is your truth?  What do you choose to believe?  Believe that we are amazing expressions of the divine and start living that way.

    Toward the end, the music people did a churched-up version of Joe Cocker's "Feeling All Right," with bongos, piano, and harmonica that was rocking, the crowd clapped along.  Then we had to get in a big swaying circle and hold hands and sing the final song.  That had way too much of a flaky Kum-Ba-Yah church camp sing-along feel for me.
    Did find out about the Myrtle Beach Community Kitchen that feeds needy people and Hope House that helps MB homeless teens.  Apparently there are lots of these folks in MB.  Doing some volunteer work might set better with me than church and be a way to meet some people.
    Did I mention Patty's Bar is right next door in the industrial strip mall??  Not open when church let out, though.  I did find gas for $3.13/gallon, cheaper than I've seen in MB!

Having a Myrtle Sunday 10/30/11

• 6:55am  Don't know if it's the cold temperature, 38 degrees according to the Weather Channel, but Mother Ocean flows deep steely blue in slow, lumbering waves.  The horizon is spread with intense sherbert colors -- orange, pineapple, blue raspberry.
• 7:33am  Sunbella peeks up.  A chunk of cloud hangs in front of her, looks like a duck floating on the water, basking in the sun.
• 1:00pm  Walked north up the sidewalk for 17 blocks, back down the beach.  Started out in a fully-buttoned sweater, sweatshirt, capri jeans, socks, and sneakers, cheeks chilled, nose running.  Ended up with the sweater tied around my waist, sweatshirt sleeves rolled up above my elbows, sweating, nose still running.  60 degrees feels pretty darn good with the sun on my face and no ugly wind.
• Met a baby Corgi on the beach.  He jumped up on me with big fluffy paws.  Those stand-up ears were almost bigger than he is.  Puppy love!
• Got to work on a doo-rag look.  Beachwalking has my in-need-of-a-trim hair looking like a tangle of sea grass.  And my roots are showing.  Ugh.

From my balcony and other stuff 10/29/11

• No Sunbella rising this morning.  Socked in with heavy gray mist.
• Made some chickensalad out of a chickenpoop day (weather-wise) -- a fave expression of my SGD, with a minor alteration to keep my blog relatively clean.  I hot-tubbed while the palmetto fronds outside blew sideways in the nasty west wind.  Got a workout in doing push-ups and jogging around the indoor half of the heated pool, watching steam roll off the outdoor half and make snow mist blow up into the air.
• Speaking of my SGD, today is our 17-month anniversary of dating.  Me likey you, SGD!!
• Noonish  Sunbella is out, dimmed by clouds, but the day now feels much better than total dreary.
• 1:20pm  Full sun.  Mother Ocean is a tranquil, soft blue even in the driving wind.  A white Great Dane with gray spots romps across the sun-warmed sand, his people bundled up head to toe.
• Thank you, God, for the Starbucks at Ocean Blvd and 20th Ave North!!  Have had no wifi access at Bluewater Resort since early yesterday afternoon and was going nutso wanting to get some work done.  Now my keyboard is flying again and I'm getting supercharged on caffeine in this wonderful smelling, quaint coffee shop with groovy tunes playing.  Starbucks totally saved my afternoon.  Have you seen the commercials on donating through Starbucks to get America working by supporting small businesses?  Intriguing idea.  I'm going to check it out further.  Maybe they'll support my writing career??   

Other stuff 10/28/11

• Best buy of the year so far?  $2.50 flip flops from Wal-Mart!  Wore them all over the beach when SGD and I were here for a week back in May.  Worn them practically non-stop since this Myrtle Beach journey began.  And cute!  Can't beat cotton candy stripes of pink, coral, gray, and lilac.
• I know it's a good week when there is only one shirt to wash because the rest of the time I've worn bikini tops.  Love beach living.
• Tried out the treadmill at Bluewater Resort.  Loved it.  Had a kickbutt workout watching "Mad About You" when Paul and Jamie get married.  Forgot how clever and funny that show was!
• Me gusta la cena al restaurante Mexico Lindo.  Las quesadillas vegetarianas son muy sabrosas.  Translation:  Loved dinner at Mexico Lindo at Ocean Blvd and 28th Ave South!  The vegetarian quesadillas were delicious.  Festive atmosphere and I got to practice my Spanish a little with the friendly staff.  I'll be back!
• CARDINALS WON THE WORLD SERIES 6-2!!  I know this is old news by now, but my SGD is such a huge Cardinals fan that I had to give them some recognition.  SGD called me and we shared that final Ranger's pop-up and Cardinal catch -- a memory we won't forget.  Sorry the Rangers lost, especially since manager Ron Washington is such an awesome example of good sportmanship.  I am inspired by the way he leads his team to get serious but still have fun, to know they are champions by how they played and not from receiving a trophy, and the way he lets loose his enthusiasm and dances right there on the field.  I hope the Rangers being in the Series and Mr. Washington getting some spotlight will inspire others in sports to clean up their act.   

More from my balcony 10/28/11

• Noon  Not a soul on the beach (that hasn't happened since I've been here) as Mother Ocean churns and froths and kicks up mega waves.  Wonder if the surfers are catching the big ones down by Springmaid Pier?
• See white caps on the heated pool -- now that's windy.  I made the right choice not to beachwalk today!