Day 5 -- at Myrtle Beach,. SC

As is usual for me, at least here at Myrtle Beach, I awake at 7:30 am and after visiting the bathroom, pour myself a cup of coffee (that was previously brewed the day before) and heat it up in the microwave for 90 seconds after which I pour in 2-3 spoonfuls of Fat Free Cappuccino Mix and sit down in a chair and drink it all before I do anything...  after my third cup of coffee, I start writing articles for my blogs and by 10:00 am I am ready to join my wife on the beach who typically arrives at our rented umbrella and chairs by 9:00 am or earlier...   

We remain on the beach until 4:00 pm usually getting in the water once or twice in the afternoon when it is low tide and the undercurrent is not so strong...  I no longer do any body surfing (because of my age and stability) although I continue to look at the approaching waves as if that is exactly what I am getting ready to do...

THIS MORNING...  my wife is sitting across from me on the couch and it is after 9:00 am because of the rain that is lightly pouring down in front of us...  after checking our email and probably surfing on Facebook for a while, she will no doubt spend the day shopping at the Malls...

So, 4 out of 5 days, we were able enjoy the reason we drove to Myrtle Beach in the first place and since we have one more day, it would appear that our percentage of good days will increase to 5 out of 6 or a little over 80%.  It would be better if it were 100% and 100% is what we have received for several years so 80% this year is not a bad "batting average."

Day 4 -- at Myrtle Beach, SC

So far...  (knock on wood as they say) we have had 4 uninterrupted days on the beach due to any actual rain falling, however, after 4:00 pm when LACK's Beach Service collects the rented chairs and umbrellas, it has rained a couple of time only to have the downpour to end after 20-30 minutes...  or, just enough to screw up our evening "out on the town," where my wife shops and I sit in the car reading FOX NEWS on my cell phone.

Tonight...  and, before it rained, I was sitting in the car while my wife went into Belks and noticed a black man with his pants down below his butt...  the female with him was dancing around completely oblivious to what was going on.   The pants caught my attention and while I watched him move around what I thought to be his vehicle, he pulled out his penis and began peeing on the car.  I could not tell if he just had to pee or if he was just being vindictive.

As he was shaking his penis, the female with him gave some kind of signal and he returned his device to inside his boxer shorts and pulled his pants up above his waist and walked away quickly.  No sooner than him walking away from the vehicle did a white mother and her daughter walked up to the car and got in...  within seconds, the pissed on vehicle drove away.

I made the assumption that neither saw me staring and was instantly worried that if they had, I might have put myself in harm's way...  ordinarily, witnessing something like this would not have bothered me but given this BLM movement moving around the country...  one has to be careful.

Early to Bed - Early to Rise

After a few days somewhere, a sort of comfortableness sets in and I find a new routine that is relatively accommodating at least for a few more days and such is the case here where I was in bed last night shortly after 9:00 pm and not because I was particularly tired but because I was bored and once in bed must have fallen asleep rather quickly because the next thing I remember was waking up and needing to pee.  As I got up from the bed, I noticed the clock on the table was recording 5:00 and I immediately assumed it was "am" not "pm" and after peeing laid in the bed for a few more minutes until I realized that I was "wide awake" and my body felt fully rested so I got up again, shut the door to block out the light since my wife was still sleeping and heated up some coffee that had been made last night. 

Years ago, I started making coffee the day before using coffee and filters of prepacked pouches of coffee and as soon as all the water had been drained from the tank, I unplugged the coffee pot so that the coffee would not "overcook," which is too bitter for my tastes.  When coffee is desired the next day, one does not have to wait to brew a pot of coffee, one simply pours a cups and heats it in the microwave for a minute and a half.  Until the pot has been emptied, all cups still taste freshly brewed...  at least to me.

So, since I was up early I decided to open the curtains and watch the sun rise since I was as far east as one could get without being in a boat on the water, but it was already light outside WITH NO SUN in sight since the sky was overcast which is often the case here at Myrtle Beach.  I also notice there were about half a dozen people already walking on the beach and immediately wonder what time they had awakened this morning and was that their norm or was it just because they could not sleep.

According to the charts, the sun did not rise here until 6:06 and if it had been visible I would have seen it because I was up and had the curtains parted at 5:58...  or at least that was the time on the kitchen clock.

INTERMISSION IV

Day 3 -- at Myrtle Beach, SC

Nothing remarkable happened today except seeing a shark's fin pass as close to the shoreline as where the waves were breaking this morning...  one person made the sighting and in seconds about 100 people were standing at the water's edge watching the fin traverse a distance of about 100 yards give or take, then disappear as it turned towards deeper water.  Otherwise, the day passed by unnoticed in the minds of many people as they enjoyed the weather and the convenient cool breeze and since the sun was pretty much hidden behind clouds all day, many people decided to do other things as the crowd gradually thinned out as the day progressed.

Tonight, we ate at the OVERPRICED Bonefish Grill and enjoyed a mediocre meal (including service) leaving us with the impression of having no desire to return again anytime in the near future if ever.  On the way back, a gentle rain washed away the ocean's spray that had collected all over the car but not hard enough to cause us to pull over until it subsided.  Maybe rain again tomorrow afternoon, the forecast suggests.

Day 2 -- at Myrtle Beach, SC

Today was pretty much the same as yesterday with the two exceptions...  first I wore only a bathing suit and T-shirt making sure I had on plenty of sunscreen and second, we got into the water at low tide just in time to pee out all the water I had drunk that morning.  Also, there were more people on the beach but ALL MAINTAINED SOCIAL DISTANCING and again there were very few blacks and no foreigners at least in our location, but, the area was again full of families and children.

Our Polynesian Lifeguard from New Hampshire stopped by to talk with us as he made his rounds asking people if they were ok...  he wants to visit Hawaii this winter since that is where his mother is wrong but he knows that it is very expensive to live there.

All-in-all, it was another almost perfect day...

We are on the 3rd floor this time and while we always make a request to go as high as possible this is the first time we have been down this low...  but, even on the 3rd floor, our balcony has a great view of the ocean with unobstructed views on either side...  and, while we cannot see our neighbors we can hear them if we are both out on our balcony at the same time.

TONIGHT, is COLD STONE ice cream night which means that my wife uses one of her gift cards that I got her several years ago ($250 worth in $25 increments) and whatever ice cream she decides to eat, that will be her dinner...  and for me on those nights, I get a Tuna Sub from Subway which is on the way to the COLD STONE location.

We also decided while on the beach today that after ice cream we would drive to North Myrtle Beach and see if there was a Motel and location that we might like and vacation there next time or next year instead of always vacationing at South Myrtle Beach.

DAY 1 - at Myrtle Beach, SC

Even though we could not check into our efficiency apartment until 3 pm, my wife and I were on the beach sitting under a rented umbrella and beach chairs by 10 am wanting to make sure that we got a full day... Last night we had stayed in a motel about 20 minutes from the beach and were up and out by 8:30...  All-in-all, it was a perfect day, at least for me because I have to wear a long sleeve UV shirt and long UV pants because of my cancers and there was a steady breeze all day long allowing me to feel comfortable and not too hot through the day.

However, the day did not pass by without my making note of my observations:

• most of the people were in there 30's, 40's, and 50's
• most of the people drove pickup trucks of SUV's
• obesity seems to be the norm for all ages
  
• did not see any drinking of alcohol
• did not hear any music playing from a boom box
• all people respected social distancing
• most lifeguards were skinny instead of muscular
• police only patrolled twice a day
• there were more smokers than I imagined
• very few black people on the beach after noon/1 pm
• everyone was modestly dressed
• mostly families with children
• very few foreigners unlike last year
• only saw 1 dog
• no screaming children
• surf was very mild
• low tide lasted longer than normal it seemed
• our lifeguard passed by 3 times asking if we were ok

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

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Tourist season is in full swing now as the Grand Strand is experiencing a wave of business re-openings in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

This week, salons, pools, tattoo services and other close-contact businesses have been allowed to reopen with restrictions in place. The wave of re-openings follows restaurants resuming dine-in services, also with restrictions.

Cases of the coronavirus have reached 299 since mid-March in Horry County, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The county has had 19 virus-related deaths.

DHEC reports 52 COVID-19 cases and three deaths in Georgetown County.

Across South Carolina, health officials say there have been more than 8,900 confirmed cases of the virus and 391 deaths.

Traveling to Myrtle Beach, SC

My wife and I left for Myrtle Beach, SC at noon today and as we were making our way towards the Interstate realized that this is our first vacation for the last 9 months.  This was partially due to COVID-19 but mainly due to the fact that we just did not want to go anywhere...   Two years ago (2018) we booked passage on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, and traveled to Europe where we visited Paris, France; Geneva, Switzerland; and London, England.  

While we really enjoyed our cruise on the World's largest cruise ship, we did not much care for our trip to Europe which started with the confusion at the Charles De Gaulle Airport and continued with the residents of Paris not really caring for Americans.  We visited all the typical tourist sites and enjoyed that but directions were weak and the city itself was dirty and drab.

Once we returned home, we donated our luggage to our Church for a yard sale and used carry bags last year (2019) when we vacationed in Destin, FL and Myrtle Beach, SC.  We realized (both my wife and I) that vacationing in the USA was much better than going overseas...  one concept that caused this to be the case was NO ICE available in Europe when asking for a drink.  Public Restrooms were sparse and something had to be ordered if you wanted to use the restroom in a restaurant.

BUT, what really got us going was that there were NO FREE REFILLS and the cost of everything was about 25%-30% higher in most cases.

We decided quite easily that vacationing in the USA was much preferred over anywhere else and in that vacationing choice, our best area is Myrtle Beach...   our second choice is Destin, FL and if we need to make a third choice, it would be Daytona Beach, FL.

On our way to MB,SC when we stopped to eat at a FAST FOOD, there was only DRIVE THRU available and no one could use the inside restrooms.  If you need to use the REST ROOMS, you need to stop at a State supported REST AREA or a TRUCK STOP...  and, if you stop at the latter, you don't have to buy something in order to use the restrooms.

We stopped for the night at a MOTEL and the first thing that we did was put on gloves and with disinfectant cleaned all the surfaces that we would touch and put the remote for the TV in a baggy.  When we get to MB,SC tomorrow and get into our resort room, we will do the same thing there.

This is going to be our NEW NORMAL...

THIS and THAT

The More I think About It The More Pissed Off I Get

I DID NOT HAVE A FRIGGING THING TO DO WITH SLAVERY AND BECAUSE I AM CAUCASIAN I AM BEING BLAMED FOR WHAT SOMEONE ELSE DID...

And...  when I think about what is happening with this damn Black Lives Matter Movement it just seems like this is the last thing about which we should be complaining...

YES...  COPS should not kill Americans

YES...  COPS should not kill Black people

YES...  Black Lives Do Matter

YES...  I am white but I had nothing to do with COPS KILLING BLACKS and I damn sure didn't have anything to do with slavery

Let's put all the CONFEDERATE STATUES in a frigging MUSEUM...   and if, you want to see the damn things you can...  Personally, I could care less about those Confederate Statues and when I pass by them I pay no attention to them.

Let's rename all the MILITARY BASES that have been named after Confederate Generals and name the damn bases after BLACKS like Malcolm X or Al Sharpton or Angela Davis or Sami Davis or Michael Jackson or Michael Jordan...

Let's change all the NATIONAL HOLIDAYS into HOLIDAYS with the names of BLACKS or better yet let's use the name of the blacks that POLICE HAVE KILLED.

NONE OF THIS MATTERS...

WHY?

BECAUSE THAT WILL NOT STOP RACISM

I don't care much for RAP or HIP HOP music

I don't care much for the way black people dress

I don't care much for the way black people talk

I don't care much for the way black people worship

BUT,

I admired Mohammed Ali

I would pay to see any movie with Denzel Washington

I thought Floyd Patterson was the consummate pugilist

I believe James Baldwin to be an outstanding novelist

I thought Martin Luther King Jr was an superior orator

I thought Lena Horne was a marvelous singer

I think Vanessa Williams is a simply beautiful actress

so...  does this make me RACIST?

MAKING JUNETEENTH A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

What in the hell is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the liberation of those who had been held as slaves in the United States. Originating in Texas, it is now celebrated annually on the 19th of June throughout the United States, with varying official recognition. Wikipedia

On June 19, 1865, the announcement was made that tens of thousands of African-Americans in Texas had been emancipated, closing the door on one of the last chapters of slavery in the U.S.

Juneteenth traces its origins back to Galveston, Texas where on June 19, 1865 Union soldiers, led by Major Gen. Gordon Granger landed in the city with news that the Civil War had ended and slaves were now free. The announcement came two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863 that freed slaves in Confederate states. However, since that proclamation was made during the Civil War, it was ignored by Confederate states and it wasn’t until the end of the war that the Executive Order was enforced in the South.

The day's name is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth" in honor of the date of Granger's announcement and first appeared around 1903. It is also known as African American Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

BUT...  making it a National Holiday?   Well...  personally, I think it makes more sense to make it a National Holiday than the National Holiday that was created for MLK Jr.  

HOWEVER, if I was still working, I would like the idea of another PAID HOLIDAY regardless of where it came from...

MY CONCERN:  Will this stop RACISM in America?

My answer:  NO...

Holidays and de-funding the police and killing white folks in retaliation or even paying black reparations for slavery will not stop RACISM in America.

I've got a better idea:  LET'S REMOVE SLAVERY FROM OUR HISTORY BOOKS

All Creatures Great and Small

Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964

According to the dates, Baby Boomers extend through 1964 which I think is a bit too far as the whole notion of baby boomers refers to that time right after WWII  (1946) when the males returned home from the war and started making babies.  But, the historians classify the Baby Boomer with the increase in birth rates which continued up until 1964...  I suppose... even though one might suspect that making babies would last about 10 years not 18 years.

If we take these years as factual and reliable then the Baby Boomers will not officially or theoretically be out of the work place until the 1964 births turn 67...  and, I say theoretically because Baby Boomers are working longer on average...   so, the final retirement year is 2031...  or 11 years from now...

Personally, I think the Baby Boomers should end in 1956 or 3 years after the Korean War ended which means the Baby Boomers should have all retired by 2023 or 3 years from now...

In any event, the Baby Boomers is the largest group of Americans and as they retired from 2020 through 2031, the strain on the Social Security System will be enormous and will either force cuts in the Social Security payout numbers or force the Government to raise taxes...

It would be my guess that CUTS will not take place...  at least not yet...  and that an increase in taxes is more along the lines of what should be expected; although, with this recent stimulus package for COVID-19 layoffs, our debt structure in the US has reached an all time high and at some point-in-time, Congress will have no choice but to cut entitlement spending as well as increase taxes.  I don't envy those politicians.