The National Park Service has teamed up with the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club to offer free surf fishing lessons each Tuesday and Thursday morning during the summer. All you need to bring is bait.
Rick, my stepson Alex, and I took one of the lessons last week. We arrived at ramp 43 (near the lighthouse) just before 8 a.m. with bloodworms and shrimp. The lesson started with some information about casting. Nancy, a member of the anglers club, taught us how to hold the rod and how to cast. Then we went and picked rods, grabbed rod holders and found our spot in the surf.
We cut up our bait, put it on hooks and proceeded to cast. We all did pretty well and only got tangled up with each other's lines a couple of times.
Rick and Alex each caught a mullet. There were members of the anglers club around at all times to offer tips and help identify fish.
You can sign up for "Take Me Fishing" at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center. When you register, you'll be given a handout that explains a little bit about the program and provides tips about fishing. The program started on June 12, 2007 and will run through August 30, 2007. – Shelby Kinnaird
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Best Father's Day Ever
I hate to brag. Well, no I don’t but what did you get for Father’s Day?
Maybe, a lovely mug hand painted by those who love you? Or maybe a card that said you were the best dad in the whole world? Or maybe you got a tie to go with that pair of hush puppy slippers you got last Christmas?
What did I get you ask?
Oh well, I got something that shows my children truly love and understand me. I got the official Office Space kit. Yes, that’s right. Now if you haven’t seen the movie Office Space I would highly suggest you got out to Wal-Mart and pay the $6.88 to get the DVD and watch it. The movie features Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. You may not know Ron Livingston by name but you’ll immediately recognize him as being one of those actors you know from somewhere. The tall guy from Scrubs who was the gay cop in Wild Hogs is also in the movie. Office Space deals with life in an office and they nail it. They show the inanity and stupidity that invades much of corporate life. Jennifer Aniston is perfectly cast as the TGIFriday type waitress. I think it’s her best role.
The movie is just full of all kinds of wonderful little things that point up the silliness of much of modern life. I won’t tell you anymore about the movie but I will tell you what is in the kit:
- Milton’s Red Stapler, (the one I got is not a Swingline 50 and it’s more tomato than red but I’m being picky.)
- Lumberg’s Initech Mug, he’s the boss and he walks around with a coffee mug asking people to work on the weekends and doesn’t wait for their reply.
- “IS THIS GOOD FOR THE COMPANY?” banner
- Starter “Flair” button, my button says, “It looks like someone has a case of the Mondays.” Flair is the term Jennifer’s boss at the restaurant uses to talk about the “cute” buttons the wait staff wears on their suspenders at the restaurant. She has several meetings with her boss about her “Flair” and how much she should wear.
- PC LOAD LETTER sticker, this was the message that kept coming up on the copier all the time when the copier didn’t work.
- A “Jump to Conclusions” mat, the game that one of Ron’s co-workers came up with after being nearly killed in an auto accident.
- Five “T.P.S.” Report Covers – through out the movie Ron is asked and reminded to use the new cover sheet on the T.P.S. reports. No matter what he says he’s continually reminded of this. It is never explained what a T.P.S. Report is.
- A 32 page book full of useful tips, such as:
o Answers to the consultant question, “What would you say you do around here?”
o Fun Ways to use your red stapler:
Give it a name and insist that everyone call it by its name
Put a piggy bank next to your stapler and insist that everyone pay you to use it
Etc.
o Bill Lumbergh’s line that he used on our man Ron, I mean Peter, “Say Peter, I’m going to need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday ‘Kay?”
o “PC Load Letter”? What the f*ck does that mean?
o Starter Flair speech, “Well fifteen is the minimum. Well it’s up to you whether you want to do the bare minimum or, well Brian for exampl has 37 pieces of flair.” (What motivation! Huh?)
It’s just too good.
I am a very happy and pleased father this Father’s Day.
And then to hear my daughter got it at the bargain table at Barnes and Noble! Well, that makes me even prouder. It shows she cherishes her Scotch roots. And she shared the giving with my son. What a perfect Father’s Day.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go play a rousing game of “Jump to Conclusions” while standing under the “Is it good for the company?” banner.
Maybe, a lovely mug hand painted by those who love you? Or maybe a card that said you were the best dad in the whole world? Or maybe you got a tie to go with that pair of hush puppy slippers you got last Christmas?
What did I get you ask?
Oh well, I got something that shows my children truly love and understand me. I got the official Office Space kit. Yes, that’s right. Now if you haven’t seen the movie Office Space I would highly suggest you got out to Wal-Mart and pay the $6.88 to get the DVD and watch it. The movie features Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. You may not know Ron Livingston by name but you’ll immediately recognize him as being one of those actors you know from somewhere. The tall guy from Scrubs who was the gay cop in Wild Hogs is also in the movie. Office Space deals with life in an office and they nail it. They show the inanity and stupidity that invades much of corporate life. Jennifer Aniston is perfectly cast as the TGIFriday type waitress. I think it’s her best role.
The movie is just full of all kinds of wonderful little things that point up the silliness of much of modern life. I won’t tell you anymore about the movie but I will tell you what is in the kit:
- Milton’s Red Stapler, (the one I got is not a Swingline 50 and it’s more tomato than red but I’m being picky.)
- Lumberg’s Initech Mug, he’s the boss and he walks around with a coffee mug asking people to work on the weekends and doesn’t wait for their reply.
- “IS THIS GOOD FOR THE COMPANY?” banner
- Starter “Flair” button, my button says, “It looks like someone has a case of the Mondays.” Flair is the term Jennifer’s boss at the restaurant uses to talk about the “cute” buttons the wait staff wears on their suspenders at the restaurant. She has several meetings with her boss about her “Flair” and how much she should wear.
- PC LOAD LETTER sticker, this was the message that kept coming up on the copier all the time when the copier didn’t work.
- A “Jump to Conclusions” mat, the game that one of Ron’s co-workers came up with after being nearly killed in an auto accident.
- Five “T.P.S.” Report Covers – through out the movie Ron is asked and reminded to use the new cover sheet on the T.P.S. reports. No matter what he says he’s continually reminded of this. It is never explained what a T.P.S. Report is.
- A 32 page book full of useful tips, such as:
o Answers to the consultant question, “What would you say you do around here?”
o Fun Ways to use your red stapler:
Give it a name and insist that everyone call it by its name
Put a piggy bank next to your stapler and insist that everyone pay you to use it
Etc.
o Bill Lumbergh’s line that he used on our man Ron, I mean Peter, “Say Peter, I’m going to need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday ‘Kay?”
o “PC Load Letter”? What the f*ck does that mean?
o Starter Flair speech, “Well fifteen is the minimum. Well it’s up to you whether you want to do the bare minimum or, well Brian for exampl has 37 pieces of flair.” (What motivation! Huh?)
It’s just too good.
I am a very happy and pleased father this Father’s Day.
And then to hear my daughter got it at the bargain table at Barnes and Noble! Well, that makes me even prouder. It shows she cherishes her Scotch roots. And she shared the giving with my son. What a perfect Father’s Day.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go play a rousing game of “Jump to Conclusions” while standing under the “Is it good for the company?” banner.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Employees Must Wash Hands
Let me ask you this. You go into the rest room at the restaurant and you see the sign "Employees Must Wash Hands." I want to know have any of you stopped and waited?
Waited for what? Waited for an employee to come wash your hands. That's what the sign says. Maybe, I'm being too literal. Or maybe someone ought to write the sign to make clear what they mean.
How about this. How about a law that says when a store has a sign up that says open you are allowed to open the door and go in the store. The fact that the door is locked either because they didn't unlock it, or only unlocked one side of a double door, or that they closed and left the neon sign on saying, "OPEN" doesn't matter. You might have walked into the door and broken it down because it was supposed to swing in and couldn't because there was a dead bolt into the concrete floor and how were you to know? Or maybe you yanked on the door and it didn't budge so you hooked it up to your tow hitch with a chain and ripped it open?
Maybe that's a little extreme. Here's another extreme idea. If you aren't in your seat doing your job for eight hours a day (okay, make it seven and a half), after three days your fired. We'll get someone else who can do the job. That's the standard that's applied to anyone working in a factory, you are expected to be on the job and if you aren't after three days your fired. Why do I bring this up? Because I want this simple standard applied to both the congresspeople in the House of Representatives and the senators in the Senate. I also want the rules enforced. There is a rule that says that every bill must be read out loud three times before being passed. I'll bet if they really did that and if they had to sit in their seats and listen to the bill the size of the bills would drop dramatically.
Why did I tell you this? I'm not sure it's been on my mind and I've got to tell someone. I was going to tell you all about all the various Hatteras and vacation rental things that Shelby and I have going on but I just wrote about that in my blog, http://letterstohank.blogspot.com/
So why don't you go there to learn all that good stuff?
Let's talk wine. Here's a mini-mini review:
Est! Est!! Est!! Yeah that's the name of an Italian white which if my Latin serves me correctly means, "It is!" (repeated 3 times with increasing emphasis). My mini-review, "It ain't." It's one of those "not bad" cheap white wines, not good but not bad, slightly acidic on the tongue on top of the palette. Nothing to write home about or buy again.
Thirsty Lizard - This falls right into the type of wine I'm drinking this summer, regular bottle/cute label. They say it's a white but it's really a blush. It's another "not bad" wine - not good/not bad. Tending more toward bad than good. Slight fruity and kool-aid taste with residue left in the mouth. It gets you nicely skunked in a few glasses, of course that's true of most wine for me now-a-days.
Time for the weather report - We got a storm yesterday and the day before that, the remnants of Low Pressure system "Bob"; I think it was Bob. Lots of rain, which was good for the new lawn at Sound Mind and lots of wind, which wasn't so great. It's cool in the shade provided the wind blows, which it has been at 20-30 mph, in the sun it's been brutal. Now it's sunny with gentle gusts.
Waited for what? Waited for an employee to come wash your hands. That's what the sign says. Maybe, I'm being too literal. Or maybe someone ought to write the sign to make clear what they mean.
How about this. How about a law that says when a store has a sign up that says open you are allowed to open the door and go in the store. The fact that the door is locked either because they didn't unlock it, or only unlocked one side of a double door, or that they closed and left the neon sign on saying, "OPEN" doesn't matter. You might have walked into the door and broken it down because it was supposed to swing in and couldn't because there was a dead bolt into the concrete floor and how were you to know? Or maybe you yanked on the door and it didn't budge so you hooked it up to your tow hitch with a chain and ripped it open?
Maybe that's a little extreme. Here's another extreme idea. If you aren't in your seat doing your job for eight hours a day (okay, make it seven and a half), after three days your fired. We'll get someone else who can do the job. That's the standard that's applied to anyone working in a factory, you are expected to be on the job and if you aren't after three days your fired. Why do I bring this up? Because I want this simple standard applied to both the congresspeople in the House of Representatives and the senators in the Senate. I also want the rules enforced. There is a rule that says that every bill must be read out loud three times before being passed. I'll bet if they really did that and if they had to sit in their seats and listen to the bill the size of the bills would drop dramatically.
Why did I tell you this? I'm not sure it's been on my mind and I've got to tell someone. I was going to tell you all about all the various Hatteras and vacation rental things that Shelby and I have going on but I just wrote about that in my blog, http://letterstohank.blogspot.com/
So why don't you go there to learn all that good stuff?
Let's talk wine. Here's a mini-mini review:
Est! Est!! Est!! Yeah that's the name of an Italian white which if my Latin serves me correctly means, "It is!" (repeated 3 times with increasing emphasis). My mini-review, "It ain't." It's one of those "not bad" cheap white wines, not good but not bad, slightly acidic on the tongue on top of the palette. Nothing to write home about or buy again.
Thirsty Lizard - This falls right into the type of wine I'm drinking this summer, regular bottle/cute label. They say it's a white but it's really a blush. It's another "not bad" wine - not good/not bad. Tending more toward bad than good. Slight fruity and kool-aid taste with residue left in the mouth. It gets you nicely skunked in a few glasses, of course that's true of most wine for me now-a-days.
Time for the weather report - We got a storm yesterday and the day before that, the remnants of Low Pressure system "Bob"; I think it was Bob. Lots of rain, which was good for the new lawn at Sound Mind and lots of wind, which wasn't so great. It's cool in the shade provided the wind blows, which it has been at 20-30 mph, in the sun it's been brutal. Now it's sunny with gentle gusts.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Cocktails on Ocracoke; is Hatteras next?
Mixed drinks are now being served in restaurants on Ocracoke. Until Hyde County voters passed a referendum in August 2006, folks only had the option of drinking beer or wine while dining out. Howard's Pub served the first mixed drink (a Bloody Mary) on Feb. 11, 2007.
Not all restaurants plan to take advantage of the new law, however. Some have no plans to add cocktails to their menu and others want to see what customer demand is like before they make a commitment. Small establishments still cannot serve liquor because of ABC laws which require that 30% of food and beverage sales in restaurants serving mixed drinks must be food and the restaurants must have indoor seating for at least 36 people.
On Hatteras Island, establishments still only serve beer and wine. Some restaurants, however, have "brown bagging" licenses which allow customers to bring in their own bottles of liquor. Hatteras restaurant owners who want to sell cocktails are circulating a petition that calls for a vote on the issue. They need signatures from 25% of the island's registered voters in order for an election to be held. The group has until about June 23 to collect the signatures and they are already more than halfway to reaching that goal. - Shelby Kinnaird
Not all restaurants plan to take advantage of the new law, however. Some have no plans to add cocktails to their menu and others want to see what customer demand is like before they make a commitment. Small establishments still cannot serve liquor because of ABC laws which require that 30% of food and beverage sales in restaurants serving mixed drinks must be food and the restaurants must have indoor seating for at least 36 people.
On Hatteras Island, establishments still only serve beer and wine. Some restaurants, however, have "brown bagging" licenses which allow customers to bring in their own bottles of liquor. Hatteras restaurant owners who want to sell cocktails are circulating a petition that calls for a vote on the issue. They need signatures from 25% of the island's registered voters in order for an election to be held. The group has until about June 23 to collect the signatures and they are already more than halfway to reaching that goal. - Shelby Kinnaird
Monday, May 14, 2007
Ocrafolk Festival 2007
The Ocrafolk Music and Storytelling Festival will be held in Ocracoke Village on June 1-3, 2007. The free festival features artists, musicians and storytellers. There will be weekend performances, a Friday night community potluck and auction, a Saturday night square dance, a Sunday morning gospel sing plus a fig cake bake-off, a restaurant waiter competition and more.
For more information, visit www.ocrafolkfestival.org.
For more information, visit www.ocrafolkfestival.org.
While we were out ...
We've been out of town for a couple of weeks and it seems like a lot happened while we were away.
First, there was the storm. Apparently, a 40-foot wave hit the beach near Rodanthe and the ocean washed over the road in at least three places: just south of the Bonner Bridge (Oregon Inlet), at the S-curves and in the town of Rodanthe. Fortunately for us, there was no soundside flooding with the storm.
Second, the film crew for Nights in Rodanthe showed up. You may have noticed the house called "Serendipity" - the first one on the left in Mirlo Beach as you approach from the north. Well, it's now sporting a sign that says "The Inn at Rodanthe" and there is a lot of activity around the house. This is where the film will be shot. We heard that the film crew was excited to be able to get footage of the storm last week. They weren't so happy, however, when they couldn't get off the island after filming because the road was washed out. Ah, life on Hatteras. - Shelby Kinnaird
First, there was the storm. Apparently, a 40-foot wave hit the beach near Rodanthe and the ocean washed over the road in at least three places: just south of the Bonner Bridge (Oregon Inlet), at the S-curves and in the town of Rodanthe. Fortunately for us, there was no soundside flooding with the storm.
Second, the film crew for Nights in Rodanthe showed up. You may have noticed the house called "Serendipity" - the first one on the left in Mirlo Beach as you approach from the north. Well, it's now sporting a sign that says "The Inn at Rodanthe" and there is a lot of activity around the house. This is where the film will be shot. We heard that the film crew was excited to be able to get footage of the storm last week. They weren't so happy, however, when they couldn't get off the island after filming because the road was washed out. Ah, life on Hatteras. - Shelby Kinnaird
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Movie to be Filmed in Rodanthe
The book Nights in Rodanthe by NC resident Nicholas Sparks is being made into a movie and will be filmed in Rodanthe and Wilmington, NC. The movie will star Richard Gere and Diane Lane.
Shooting is expected to begin in late May 2007. The release date is currently scheduled to be June 6, 2008.
Who knows, if you're on Hatteras Island this summer, you may bump into someone famous!
- Shelby Kinnaird
Shooting is expected to begin in late May 2007. The release date is currently scheduled to be June 6, 2008.
Who knows, if you're on Hatteras Island this summer, you may bump into someone famous!
- Shelby Kinnaird
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