Right this moment I am sitting on a porch in Charleston, South Carolina, nursing a sore throat with some hot tea.




I need to try incorporate more moments like this into my daily life.




Sincerely,
Muddy waters

PS. . . My wife informed me that this fleece doesn't look good on me. ONCE AGAIN, she's right.

With the cat and hot tea and the use of lovely, I'm sensing a little more estrogen than usual in this post. At least I am not reading a romance novel on the porch.

Charlestonian Green

After the Civil War, the federal government gave Charleston surplus black paint to assist in the reconstruction. The proud Charlestonians refused to use the paint as is, so they added a tinge of yellow to each gallon to create their own unique color, Charlestonian Green.

Here's a sample of that color:

At first glance, it looks black, but upon close inspection, you'll see some green peaking through.

However, Charlestonian Green isn't the only color in the city. If you travel along Rainbow Row, the pastel-colored homes resemble easter eggs.

I could spend days walking through this city. There's something interesting to look at around every corner.

Shrimp and Grits

This morning's breakfast:

Shrimp étouffée with fried green tomatoes, a side of grits



And a buttermilk biscuit.


More updates to come.

Take care,
Muddy waters

Location:Broad St,Charleston,United States

The Rhett Butler

I don't quite understand it, but my wife swoons each time she watches this scene from Gone with the Wind. She talks about how romantic it is, and how Clark Gable impressively takes two steps at a time as he heads to bed Scarlet. I tell my wife that I could take two steps at a time up our stairs, but she just rolls her eyes. Maybe I should build a grander staircase.

Here's what I don't understand:

1. Why doesn't Clark Gable have a Southern accent?


2. Why do women find Clark Gable attractive?


3. Why isn't Rhett's roughness with Scarlet a turnoff? He seems to be one step away from pulling an Ike Turner. I guess it's all about the context.

Today as I'm heading to Charleston, the home of Rhett Butler, I'll ponder these questions and the female mind and more or perhaps less.

For now I offer you the counterpart to the Scarlet O'Hara cocktail:

The Rhett Butler

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Southern Comfort


• 1/2 oz orange curacao


• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice


• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  
  Mix, garnish with a lemon-twist, enjoy, and share dramatic interpretations of Gone with the Wind.

i give a damn,

muddywaters

PS. . . OK, maybe he's slightly attractive, but he's no Cary Grant.

I Want to Go Everywhere

In my family, the driver controls the radio. While I don't believe in dictatorships, I think this is a good rule. I'm a benevolent dictator when I drive. I keep in mind that my wife and daughter hate the nasally Willie Nelson and the guttural Bob Dylan, so I abstain from including them on road trip playlists. I also take requests when I'm driving.



Currently the following are my daughter's five most requested songs:

• "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash


• "Ring of Fire" by Mr. Cash


• "Love Shack" by the B-52's


• Any song from the Harry Potter soundtrack


• "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga

"I've Been Everywhere" has even inspired our buckets lists. We've both set the goal to visit every place mentioned in the song. Below is a list of places mentioned in the song, and in red are the places I've visited:

• Reno


• Chicago


• Fargo


• Minnesota


• Buffalo


• Toronto (Kansas)


• Winslow


• Sarasota


• Wichita


• Tulsa


• Ottawa (Kansas)


• Oklahoma


• Tampa (Kansas)


• Panama


• Mattawa


• La Paloma


• Bangor


• Baltimore


• Salvador


• Amarillo


• Tocapillo


• Baranquilla


• Perdilla


• Boston


• Charleston


• Dayton


• Louisiana


• Washington


• Houston


• Kingston


• Texarkana


• Monterey


• Faraday


• Santa Fe


• Tallapoosa


• Glen Rock


• Black Rock


• Little Rock


• Oskaloosa


• Tennessee


• Hennessey


• Chicopee


• Spirit Lake


• Grand Lake


• Devils Lake


• Crater Lake


• Louisville


• Nashville


• Knoxville


• Ombabika


• Schefferville


• Jacksonville


• Waterville


• Costa Rica


• Pittsfield


• Springfield


• Bakersfield


• Shreveport


• Hackensack


• Cadillac


• Fond du Lac


• Davenport


• Idaho,


• Jellico


• Argentina


• Diamantina


• Catalina


• Pittsburgh (Kansas)


• Parkersburg


• Gravelbourg


• Colorado


• Ellensburg


• Rexburg


• Vicksburg


• El Dorado


• Larimore


• Ardmore


• Haverstraw


• Chatanika


• Chaska


• Nebraska


• Alaska


• Opelika


• Baraboo


• Waterloo


• Kalamazoo


• Kansas City


• Sioux City


• Cedar City

Out of 88 places, I've visited 28 Later this week I'll cross Charleston off my list. How many of these places have you visited?

the road goes on forever,

muddywaters

P.S. "I've Been Everywhere" was originally an Australia song and listed places in that country.

San Diego Dining: An Unconventional List

The holidays found me living a Merle Haggard song minus all the drinking. We rambled all over the western United States. First we traveled to southwest Nebraska. Then we headed to Boulder, and finally we ended up in San Diego to watch the University of Nebraska play in the Holiday Bowl.

While I prefer to stay put during the holidays and the bowl game didn't end the way I wanted it to, I'm still grateful to have had the opportunity to travel.

Even though I've been to San Diego three times, I haven't sampled a lot of the food the city has to offer. On my trips to the city, most of my meals were provided for me or we packed picnic lunches consisting simply of sandwiches. Since this a food blog, I thought I'd share my favorite places. It's an unconventional list. I don't think you'll find most foodies raving about any of these places or dishes, but it's what I ate when I was in San Diego:

• The Cheese Shop: Our first full day in San Diego was rainy and cold. We plodded our way through the Gaslamp Quarter looking for breakfast. We were a bit crabby until we entered this warm, friendly establishment where they served a good breakfast at a reasonable price. The Cheese Shop also packs picnic baskets. On my next trip to SD, I plan on having them pack my lunch for a picnic in one of San Diego's great parks.
  

• Mystery Ice Cream Novelty Treat: On a day trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, I stopped at a gas station an purchased an ice cream treat. It resembled a drumstick on steroids (I should avoid such trite phrases), and it was the greatest ice cream novelty I've ever eaten. However, I can't remember its name. I thought it was called The Matterhorn, but a Google search turns up no such product. I'm beginning to think this treat is a figment of my imagination.
  

• Fried Cabbage at Camp Pendleton: Once I spent a week in San Diego as a guest of the United States Marines. I was part of a group of educators who spent a week observing how the USMC trains soldiers. We ate all of our meals at various mess halls at Camp Pendleton and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. My favorite thing I ate all week was the fried cabbage.

• Point Loma Seafoods: I've eaten at Point Loma Seafoods more than any place in San Diego. When a Kansan has access to fresh seafood, he goes a bit crazy. I think I've eaten at this place five or six times. When I traveled there as a guest of the USMC our hotel was within walking distance. This is a seafood market that also prepares meals. Grab your meal and sit outside and overlook the bay.
  

• The Broken Yolk Cafe: They have various locations around town, but we ate at their location in the Gaslamp. The service was friendly, the menu was varied, and the food was reasonably priced.

This is a weak post, but I'm just trying to grease the ol' wheels to get this blog rolling again.

take care,
muddy