Oh, Westervelt!!

 "Roll Tape......"

Scene: Low Country South Carolina, a Century old House overlooking the Wadmalaw River....

Cast

Steve - Harrison Ford

Randy - Randy Quaid (Cousin Eddie)

George - Don Knotts

Clint- (in absentia)

The Low country will lower your blood pressure and make you a shade tree philosopher of Divinity in short order. Verily, It is the land of contentment. It is inhaled, eaten, drank, spoken, and felt in ones bone marrow. It makes one say all is well with my soul.

And so it goes with Westervelt.

As luck would have it, we were fortunate enough to have another great weekend in the Low Country of Coastal South Carolina at our good friend Steve's house, aka Westervelt. As I write this, I know he is still in a state of exhaustion after having put up with Randy and myself. Our other fraternal core member, Clint, could not make it as he is busy with work. 

And speaking of order, the quasi-regular meeting of the Core (minus one) came to order at 1530 hours on 25 April 2024, for the purpose of restoring our mental health; to discuss, resolve, and potentially provide solutions to most world problems, illnesses and skin disorders.

The minutes from the previous meeting were approved and it was noted that the 'Bell of Westervelt' stands guard over the brackish current of the Wadmalaw River. To commiserate our occasion, the bell was struck 4 times for each member of the core. Four was the number of times the bow was struck, and four shall be the number of record. Three would have been alright, but it is four forevermore. Hence, a toast was proposed, the glasses raised and pointed West towards the Lone Star State, and all in good order.

In new business, a motion was proposed that the whole (of us) is better than the sum of our parts; indeed, we are a force of nature and to be reckoned with the same reverence as one does the oceans, heavens and earth. The motion was seconded and passed under Roberts rules of order. It will be included in the ongoing list of resolutions and published forthwith.

In other 'new business', it was decided upon that the phrase ‘generally speaking’ will be adopted by the core as a way to distinguish between theorems, postulates, facts, fiction and opinions. This helps to maintain not only balance but thoughtful commentary context and consideration. Ultimately, it provides us an exit if facts prove otherwise.

Let it be noted for the record that Steve purchased 8 limes for a quarter each! Holding up a wedge he noted, "This is about a nickel. Let the good times Roll!" Another example of why Westervelt has such a profound effect on ones attitude. Steve was commended for his frugality and the meeting minutes annotated accordingly.

The meeting adjourned with a resounding 'Hell yeah' (a most viable phrase which keeps our ship on course and our morale at its peak) and our collective attention turned to the tasks at hand, which included but wasn’t limited to the acquisition of fresh shrimp and the basic load of accoutrements.

Accoutrements include libations, of course. Tito's for the Bloody Mary's, Makers Mark for Steve, Glen Livet for myself, and for Randy, whose pallet is a bit less sophisticated,  a new batch of Uncle Bubbas' Small batch nearly bonded Panther Piss and Rust Remover.

Daytime Operations commenced each morning around 0730 after the 'dew was shaken from the lily' as it were. Coffee by the pool, and the enjoyment of a spring  breeze on the cool clear morning motivated us to lots of open discussion. Generally speaking, our creative and cognitive juices flowed. Our discussions covered a wide array of topics because after all, we are middle aged men with nearly 200 years of combined experience. A quick synopsis of our seminar is as follows:

• Cheese grits- consumption, type cheese added, and boiling over onto the stove, which is Hell on Earth to clean.
• Bloody Mary mix-Zing Zang is good; Charleston is better wethinks.
• Charcuterie boards vs old school cheese n crackers.
• Egg plant-who knew?
• Noseeums-The struggle is real. Gray sky and no breeze you are eaten up.
• Breeze and lack of breeze-Low country breeze perhaps the greatest; Middle Ga breezes always attached to a storm.
• The operation of coffee pots- the less complicated the better.
• Brushes with greatness (celebrities) when traveling:

        Steve -Actor Gene Hackman, Newsman Geraldo Rivera, Arnold & Maria Schwarzenegger            and twins, Golfer Seve Ballesteros, and Pete Rose)

       George- Olympian Mary Lou Retton, Columnist George Will, Phil Niekro, Brooks                       Robinson.

       Randy- "Generally speaking, Everybody is great!"

• New York City- they take trash to the curb each night.
• Real estate. Affordable and imagined.
• Lottery winnings (see above)
• Bloody Mary’s-a perfect way to start the day from basic to the ones that have 4 course dinners stuck on the stirrer.
• Shrimp- Yes, please!
• Boats- Skiff, Sail, House, Jon, and Flying. (See also Lottery Winnings).
• Jimmy Buffett- Need We say more?
• The American Revolutionary War-former battleground is near  a golf course at Stono Ferry.
• William Shakespeare would most definitely be called 'Wild Bill' or  'Billy Boy'  if he were in the  Meggett or Hollywood SC area and it is more likely than not he would have ran an Oyster bar.

As if the atmosphere at Westervelt isn’t inviting and comforting  enough, it just so happens there are a couple others named George nearby. The new neighbor, George, and another neighbor who has a dog named George. I felt at home and among my own.

But then again, no matter where I end up, as long as I am among my friends, I am among my own.