I'm Always Mentally on Vacation

All is right in the world

We are in the golden age my friend.

Our Thomas Edison (Steve Jobs) walks among us creating gadgets that change our lives.

The Black Eyed Peas sing Dirty Bits and I tap my foot in joy.

And I find comfort knowing that Cherie Berry has inspected my elevator and I am safe from elevator harm.

All is right in the world.

© 2011 wReggie’s I’m Always Mentally on Vacation. These Terms and Conditions of Use apply to you when you view, access or otherwise use the blog located at www.wreggie.com (the “blog”). Terms and Conditions can be found at http://reghunnicutt.com/terms.html.

Two Items for Discussion

MIDLAND, NC - Behold the bounty of the chickens. Two days worth of eggs are here.

Look closely at this picture and you’ll see my fathers hand conveniently located at the end of my left arm. When did I get the hands of an old man?

Fascinating on both accounts.

My Favorite Trees

EAST END, ST CROIX - I had planned another blog topic this morning but after opening my mail this morning I decided to share this sexy specimen of a coconut tree.

This was shot on St Croix last week by a friend. It shows several beautiful coconut trees framing Buck Island which lies 1 mile off shore.

Hey....3 Weeks and Change

MIDLAND, NC - With less than 4 weeks away to winter vacation my thoughts turn to activities I like on the island. I tend not to be a person that sits on a beach but more of one that engages the island in activity. So much so that I wear even myself out sometimes.

And so I have stepped up the daily workouts. Its not easy walking around loaded with an air tank on ones back, or a cooler backpack full of beer hiking to some distant beach.

I have been walking daily to the point where Gigi gave me a grab on the butt cheek and told me I was walking my ass off....literally.

Yesterday I started doing proper form push-ups. Today I feel like I lifted a car yesterday.

It is hard for me not to choreograph my time down there. I want to squeeze as much activity as I can but for others desire their vacation to be about rest, relaxation and spontaneous events.

Rest and relaxation and waiting for a spontaneous event to occur make me nervous.

Sunsets

I love a good sunset or sunrise but the problem is you need a high vantage point or unobstructed view to see the event.

Around here the sun comes and goes but it is filtered through trees or high rise buildings. So in essence all we get is lights on...lights off and the drama of sunset and sunrises are stuff of TV commercials.

I have been walking a lot recently and noticed about a mile from my house on top of a hill overlooking a big corn field is a well manicured and landscaped place by the road with two comfortable Adirondack chairs. The chairs are facing west.

Yesterday at dusk it was warm enough that I saw the couple who lives there sitting in the chairs by the road with a drink and a smile watching the sun set.

I thought that was a great idea. Don’t have an ocean? A corn field on a hill will do.

I Am Not Ashamed

MIDLAND, NC - When I go to San Francisco in March I will be staying here. It is by far my favorite hotel chain.

I have stayed in some mighty fine hotels when someone else is paying. The ones that stand out are The Biltmore, Los Angeles, The Plaza, New York, The St Regis, Dana Point, The Silverado, Napa, Four Seasons, San Diego, La Costa, Carlsbad, and The Montage, Laguna Beach, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson and any Ritz Carlton to name a few. .

I loves me a fancy high end hotel.

The Contrast is Peaking

MIDLAND, NC - 4 weeks from today will be Christmas morning for me. The childlike anticipation culminates with winter vacation to the tropics.

Like last year this winter has been harsh. The snow and ice are still encrusted a week after the storm and the night cold is relentless.

UPS deliveries have gone undelivered and the garbage sits by the curb waiting for last weeks pickup.

I have been daydreaming about diving the clear blue sea and driving among the lush hills of grasses and foliage. I can wait to see brightly colored bougainvillea and hear the warm wind swishing through coconut palm canopies.

The contrast between here and there is at its peak. As best I can tell from afar today it will be 82 degrees, the water is 79.3, the air is windy to gusty, with a 30% chance of a passing shower. The low tonight will be 72.

St Croix is not a bad option to winter.

San Francisco

MIDLAND, NC - I’m going back to San Francisco in March for a brief business trip. Now I can formally embrace my new MLB team the Giants.

Southerners didn’t grow up around baseball. The sport was a sport of big cities and shift workers. No respectful southern town of 100,000 could be expected to fill a 30,000 seat stadium in the middle of a work day.

And so I never learned to appreciate the game. I have been to one MLB game in my life and that was indoors in Toronto.

There is a void in my life after football and baseball could be just the ticket. Beer and hotdogs.

My State?

Dry pork.

I Gotta Get Out of This Place

MIDLAND, NC - Here in Midland we got 5 inches of snow followed by a ¼ glaze of ice and we have yet to get over freezing in 3 days. This is highly unusual for Piedmont North Carolina.

Everything is iced down. All but the main roads are frozen ice. We don’t have a big budget for snow removal down here nor do we have an abundance of equipment to remove snow and ice from the roads.

And so I sit home with Gigi in my PJs showering occasionally waiting for the big thaw.

I’ve been napping too much and eating too much and missing exercise immensely. I took a long walk Saturday before the storm hit but that has been it.

Gigi and I were counting our blessing to day because we have electricity, Internet, heat, water, TV, each other yet we are still bored shitless.

Wednesday will be 31 days until I experience warm weather. I can hardly wait.

The Big Blow of '11

MIDLAND, NC - We received our second snowfall of the winter today. This one was a bit more hazardous than the first so I stayed home. Only the main roads were clear.

Then I thought I’d play with my new video camera I bought for scuba to get used to it. The underwater case should be in this week.

Meanwhile I am impressed with the quality of video for a $117 camera.

This video is available in 720 HD

Fast Food Slow

WEST END, ST CROIX - On the island I run into countless fast food chains of one. They dot the beaches. They are Wendy’s, Taco-bell, Pizza Hut with a bar all rolled into one. Each is different and each has their own flair.

Rather than following a strict corporate formula of two ounces of this and 5 grams of that the makers of this fast food follow their heart. The outcome is so different and so refreshing.

And...it ain’t fast either. But it is good.

Here I was enjoying a fish taco at Coconuts on The Beach between dives. It was mighty fine.

Bragging on the Kids

MIDLAND, NC - Border collies are said to be smart. If given a challenge a bright border collie will amaze me every time.

As part of my multi year out of pocket, pay as I go renovations we decided to fence the area that divided the house and guest house. A great deal of the fence is in the wooded area for the dogs to run free and enjoy themselves.

Close to the structures we have more ornate fencing. And finally on the deck we have a very nice gate with a latch.

Tanner has already figured out how to open the latch and let himself out. I saw him do it yesterday.

Finally I have to brag once again on my hens. First sunny side up eggs I have done in a long time.

The Cool Kids

CHRISTIANSTED, VI - Nothing better than being one of the cool kids coming into the harbor from a long day at Buck Island.

Activities on Buck include, eating, drinking, swimming, laughing, and snorkeling. It is storybook beautiful.

A Pier Dive

FREDERIKSTED, VI - I hate jumping from heights.

I love to scuba dive.

I like scuba diving more than I hate heights.

I am so looking forward to diving in warm clear water next month.

Two Years Ago....

CHARLOTTE, NC - Two years ago I looked like Boss Nass.

A drug reaction during Wildcard Weekend caused this. I was back to my handsome self in a few days.

Kids....don't mess with drugs.

Big Doings Right Here in River City

MIDLAND, NC - Big doings here in my Scuba world. I have a high definition underwater video camera on my terms.

You see people often ask me why don’t I take pictures underwater. Number one, an underwater camera capable of going depths of 130 feet is expensive. Number two, I don’t care if I ever see another moray eel or most any wildlife underwater.

I don’t dive to see wildlife like the majority of divers do. Oh I do get a rush going up against a school of thousands of fish but basically I dive for different reasons.

When I posted that video the other day I got excited about getting a camera because the sights and sounds were so realistic.

So I set out to find the best quality camera at a great price. I settled on a Flip Video Camera HD with 2 hour recording time for $117 on eBay.

Next was the case. Ikelite makes the best and only case for this Flip Video. They are the standard of the industry and typically a case can run $300 and up.

I found one for $246 with no shipping and no sales tax.

So while I refused to buy a mediocre video camera for $500, I think I have put together a very good video camera for $363. Plus this case comes with a filter that will assist with color under water.

Expect to joint me in my underwater adventures.

Living in Denial

MIDLAND, NC - For most of my adult life I have been living in denial about the coldness of winter. Like a good alcoholic I was able to cover up and get by but deep inside I was cold.

I would dash outside in the cold under dressed into a warm car and then dash through the cold into a heated office.

I would visit the barn under protected and be miserable in 5 minutes.

This winter so far is as cold as last which was unusually cold for North Carolina but this year I am fighting back.

First, I have my insulated Dickies. They are so warm, so encompassing and so easy to put on and take off that I don’t avoid using them.

Second, I have been layering, overdressing and taking extra layers just in case.

Third, I have been covering my head more and using a polar Buff around my neck and head.

Finally this has allowed me to spend many more hours outside where I prefer to be.

I know this seems like common sense to a Midwesterner but you have to know a bit about our winters. A good winter here is cold but not harsh. Everything is dark and wet. Highs are upper 50’s to warm lower 60’s with lows around 30.

This year is like last. Lows in the low 20’s to upper teens. Frozen ground in the morning until noon. Highs in the 40’s to maybe 50 and always a brisk breeze. We have had quite a few days in the 30’s and lows in the teens.

These winters are in stark contrast to each other.

So The Grind Goes on

CHARLOTTE, NC - And so I am 40 days away from my winter island vacation and I fully expect to dive and hike and sail when I down there.

Problem is I have about a month of sitting on my ass and avoiding the usual cardio workout that I have done for years.

My knee is a bit sore so the thoughts of the stationary bike hurt. But I have to do something to build a little stamina and work off some pudge around the middle.

Me walking all alone in my thoughts

I looked out my window and said to myself, “wReggie....why you could walk that 5 story deck a few times and that would get your fat ass moving”. And I did. Twice in 32 minutes. It was a nice brisk walk and I feel good.

A Quarry Dive Experience

BLANCH, NC - Ever wonder what fresh water quarry diving is like? This video was shot 1/1/11 at the JMR quarry in Blanch, NC. This is one of three quarries that I have access to through the Piedmont Diving Rescue Association (PDRA).

I normally dive the Lake Norman Quarry but did dive this quarry on the video once this past summer. The visibility at the time of my dive was horrible so I never saw any of the things on this video.

The water was 45 degrees and the visibility was good.

The two fellows on this dive are PDRA members.

Trust me, they are warm in their dry suits and are having a blast.

Video used with permission of Steve Campbell and edited by me.

A Restful Day

BLOG CENTRAL - If I had this delicious New Year Day meal of chopped collards, black eye peas and pulled pork, then what did the chickens get special for New Years?

The Repair

BARNYARD - Yesterday the weather has turned unusually warm and a thick fog blanketed the homestead.

With the weather clearing I decided I would take advantage of the warmth and repair a crack that occurred on my cast iron spigot from last weeks cold.

So I inspected the damage.

I cleaned out the crack.

Using my finest china and silverware I mixed the J B Weld.

I smeared it on as even and as bonding as I know how. I ain't no Mic ya know.

Think it will work?

Happy New Year!

MIDLAND, NC - Wow! What a 2010 and welcome to 2011....year six of Mental Vacation.

Like all good classic logos mine is updated for 2011. I needed my old original photo back with the biplane chasing me but new and improved. Kind of like Aunt Jemimah gets updated from looking like Mammy to Holly Barry, I need a new look too.

A new picture, updated face and a new wide screen layout to greet you for the new year.

Today is a very traditional day in the life of a Southerner because today is the only day when your behavior can influence the outcome of the year ahead.

Don’t ask me where this comes from, my parents passed it down to me. And secretly all traditional Southerners are doing a variation of this tradition today.

It is all based on luck for the coming year. Personally I hope we get Luck as in Andrew Luck quarterback from Stanford as our number one draft pick but that would be selfish and un-gentlemen like.

So here are the rules as taught by my mother to assure good luck in the new year:

1. One must not do laundry on the first day of the year.
2. One must not take out ashes on the first day of the year.
3. One must eat greens to ensure plenty of money in the new year. Traditionally collard greens or turnip greens but a ruling by my mother a few years also included a salad so Gigi would have money too. She gags when she even smell collards.
4. One must consume Black Eyed Peas for luck. It is a special bean that Southerners eat. I don’t think any other bean will substitute but I can ask her for a ruling if Yankees want to play along.
5. One must eat pork for good luck. Traditionally we ate hog jaws. You can’t find them anymore so the ruling board decided pork was close enough. I’ll have a slow cooked Boston Butt.

Now before you question the authenticity of this and the rule bending remember that there are Catholics in hell doing hard time for eating meat on Friday only for others to get a pass on the rule after Vatican II. I still order a flounder sandwich on Fridays even though I’m Protestant because of tradition.

Play along if you like. It couldn't hurt and we can all use good luck. Maybe it will become your tradition too.