Return To The Motherland, notes from the Target

TRoth on a close-out floater, 7/24

   Mark Twain has been credited with saying "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."  Regardless if he said it or not, this may be one of the coolest summers on the beach that we can remember in a while.  TRoth joined us this week on his annual surfari to O City from North Myrtle.  Not impressed.  And we didn't blame him.  66th and Holiday's. Winds in excess of 10mph, and warm temps tempered by said winds have made mid-week a challenging choice to surf at best.  A slight wrinkle this week.  Clean right closing frames approximately knee to thigh breaking about eight to ten yards from the emerging sand at low-tide. All you see is beach-front property looming forth on take-off.  Fast ride, fast kick-out. Otherwise, drop, cover and roll, or head over heels, whichever happens first.  Slop at session's end.  Still, always nice to pull some of the old Crew in for a jam sesh...any surf will do.

  The small conditions left us wanting.  So we headed for the Motherland, our place of origin for wings so to speak.  Smitty McGees.  It's been 6 months.  The interior had seen some remodeling and a new coat of paint.  Some big, new flatscreens had the O's playing, but being a Wednesday- no music, no band.  New wait staff with some seriously loud, green t-shirts.  One had to wonder about direction. But we came for the wings, and our standard order- BBQ and Medium Hot- was all we needed to know that we had brought the Journey home.  Nothing wrong with that.  Need to come home from time to time. Take a shower. Clean underwear.  Laundry.  A nap.  Generally refresh one's self.  It's the food that really brings you back. Next week, the Journey rolls on.  But this night, the wings seemed especially good.

RATINGS-

Medium Hot Wings: B

BBQ Wings: B

 Beer: B-

Atmosphere: B-

Overall Score = 2.88

See What We Can Find, notes from the Target

Not your screamin' teenies, 7/18

"Hot town, summer in the city.  Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty."  -Lovin' Spoonful.
 Yeah, guess so with these southern winds we've been getting lately.  Like a wind tunnel between the shoreline and the dune line.  Whips up the sand. Knocks down the surf.  Welcomed in comparison to the rain and overcast skies we've had the past couple of months.  Water has warmed to about 70 and the rubber is shed.  Late in July, but summer has awakened.  Brought in the humidity and heat as well. Slaps ya in the face when you walk out the door in the morning.  We'll take it.  Small, tiny...somewhat prepubescent waves. Short rides that melted away into foam instead of a crashing spray. Cool respite from the humid conditions. It has been said, "2 feet to twenty feet, the stoke is there."  (Dave Kalama).

"Have a drink have a drive. Go out and see what you can find." - Mungo Jerry
We cleaned up and headed out west into a quick setting sun.  The Ocean City Fishing Center Marina and Micky Fins.  Ya got the salt smell of the bay.  Outside covered bar with a view of the marina.  A great way to throw back some wings and a couple of brews.  Music was not exactly of our choosing, but clear enough.  Beer was cold and smooth, but the plastic cups (yeah plastic, though we were outside), seemed small. Another week of an easy choice of wings...only two.  Buffalo and Asian Sesame.  They arrived hot and meaty.  Well cooked.  The buffalo had a good taste, but no spice.  The Asian seemed to get better with each one. Both were well presented with chunky blue cheese and celery.  After wolfin' them down, we relaxed, finishing the beverages.  Decor to match the sport. Decent flatscreens (could use a few more).  Mellow crowd.  Middle age to older.  I'm sure during tournament time this place rocks.  Like the surf, it's all in the timing.

THE RATINGS-
Buffalo Wings: C+
Asian Sesame Wings: B
Beer: C
Atmosphere: B

Overall Score = 2.56

Why So Frigid?, notes from The Watt

 

Roller derby, 7/11

   Surfed Castles this past week.  Seemed to be breaking a little better than most areas.  Not that we've had great swell on our Thursday sessions as of late, regardless of the locale.  Managed to get in a few nice front sides on some knee to thigh rollers.  Overcast skies, mid-tide, and the water in the upper 60's...Damn!, our girl's been a bit frigid for July.  We are in the middle of a heat wave though, with upcoming week temps soaring into the mid 90's. That should heat up Lady Atlantic.

   Post sesh wings have brought the Journey back out West.  Hoopers Crab House on the western shore of the Sinepuxant.  A clearing sunset, the smell of the bay, and  Fin City Brewing combined to make for a promising taste test.  We went with the Sneaky Pete Wheat as our beer of choice.

Sneaky Surf

Served in plastic cups... now I know what ya'll are thinkin'...Plastic!  But these were 20 oz. refallables at $2 each.  A winning deal dispite the lack of glass.  The wing choices were easy, Buffalo and Old Bay...that's it.  They came out hot and decent size.  We found the Buffalo to be about average, no real kick but good taste.  The Old Bay were crisp- better than the Buffalo.  Music was fair, little difficult to hear.  TV's small (and bad receptiong on the deck).  Our bartenders, though not real talkative, were attentive and the tab much more reasonable than we have been seeing for less.  All and all, a satisfactory night.  The brewery will definitely be worth another look.  The Jouney moves on.

THE RATINGS-

Bufalo Wings: C

Old Bay Wings: C+

Beer: B+

Atmosphere: B-

Overall Score = 2.56

Left Wanting, notes from the Target

Gimme more! 7/3  -Holidays

   They say there are ninety-two days of summer.  Ninety-f%#king two days of sun and heat.  Warm water.  The taste of salt on you lips.  The Ocean's spray on you skin.  When?  When!?  We've seen none of this.  Oh yeah, we got it home.  Stuffy, humid, sweat soaked, hotness.  But cross that dune line...ya better bring your hoodie. Maybe keep the rubber if'n you're still in the water. July 4th weekend (well the 3rd for us).  Wattman has shed the suits for a rubber top and trunks.  In the mid to upper 60's he's feeling the pain of the chill.  A little bit.  The waves, at least on our choice of days, still small, still choppy.  But, at least this time we had ridable swell.  About knee to thigh.  A north-bound drift that could move you a block in about 5 minutes.  Nothing to make Cover.  Actually left wanting more. The surf does that, ya know.  Not just literally, but spiritually as well.  It's why, even on the crap days, we keep comin' back. It's what the Surf Life is all about.
   The Watt brought his Midwest squeeze with 'im.  Needless to say she was not impressed with the conditions.  A few returns to the line-up too many, and we're headin' out.  10th street was our Mission of choice. Hammerheads with their latest thrill ride, Shorebilly Brewing.  The skateboard holding the tasting samples were the best part of those beers.

"You have been weighed, you have been measured,

and you have been found wanting."

-Count Adhemar, A Knight's Tale

Very weak, almost a watered down taste, regardless of the style.  The bar- little more than a tourist trap.  Small, no real identity.  The bartender had a nice smile, but was hidden by the 300lb. drunks surrounding us.  Few TVs. Club music.  The wings, after an extended preparation, arrived.  BBQ and the Everything, a mix of all sauces.  Neither impressive.  Not hot, small. Definitely not memorable.  This was a dive bar wannabe.  Left us wanting, again.  Still - it's OCMD in full swing summer.  Right?  Here is the long and short of it:  The Journey is a tough sell.  And when you have brought an impatient judge all the way out from the Midwest, not a good thing.  We had fun, but a return engagement is unlikely.

THE RATINGS-
The Everything Wings: C
BBQ Wings: C
Beer: C-
Atmosphere: C-

Overall Score = 1.88