Frosted Again, from the Target's notebook.

"All right, you're a reindeer. Here's your motivation: Your name is Rudolf, you're a freak with a red nose, and no one
likes you. Then, one day, Santa picks you and you save Christmas. No, forget that part. We'll improvise... just keep it
kind of loosey-goosey. You HATE Christmas. You're gonna steal it. Saving Christmas is a lousy ending, way too commercial. ACTION!"     -Jim Carrey, the Grinch

   Its been a tradition  for Watt and myself to visit the OC Winterfest for these many years. But, our tradition has had a serious down side. It seems no matter what day Wattman chooses it has always been sooooo f*#^ing cold we have limited enjoyment of the magic before frostbite sets in. Last year was the rare exception; a milder stint. That being said, I must confess the year I had to attend by myself while the Watt was still in Chicago it was a freezing cold day and I went during the afternoon. As I climbed into my car to start the journey to OC I made sure I had an extra layer of clothing in anticipation of the night's chill. The evening's plan was to start at Harpoon Hanna's on the Ditch in Fenwick, DE. Arriving just in time to see several emergency vehicles head over the small bridge...it was Wattman's luck that an accident had closed Rt. 54 in sight of the restaurant. Now Watt claims he should have gotten credit for being on time since he had no control over the road being closed. But, since he had a choice of routes (and chose unwisely), and I had to wait 30 minutes while he backtracked to Rt. 90, I thought otherwise. There was a saving grace. The extra time allowed the restaurant to slowly clear out. A 1/2 Price Lobster special had the place packed through Happy Hour. Thankfully, by the time the Watts arrived HH was done, and the bar area had opened up.

   First order of business was to put drinks in hand. Our barkeep read off a list of beer on tap and as none appealed I went with a Miller Lite. It wasn't until after that we discovered that my Summer Shandy was still available. This was just the beginning of the lack of attention we received from any of the three barkeeps. By now there were only eleven patrons (including us) in the bar area. We repeatedly had to ask for menus, refills, condiments, even the bar tab took forever in the end. But I digress. We ordered from a pretty decent menu choosing the Sweet & Spicy Wings, the Seafood Skins, and of course, the 1 lb. Lobster Special. The special included fresh homemade muffins which were enjoyed by the three of us. The lobster was disappointing; not real meaty and a bit tough, but it was nice to try something different.

It would have been even better if our barkeep had any tips on getting the most out of a lobster. Instead she commented on how she didn't like seafood and left us to  shredding the shell, like so many of the thigh high waves of this season. The wings looked good but lacked punch. Neither spicy nor hot, the best we could say was that they were meaty and well cooked. The surprise of the night were the seafood potato skins.

 All three potatoes were large and over flowing with crab, shrimp and even some lobster in an imperial cheese sauce. Very rich, to the point that a single skin was almost a meal in itself. As LWatt finished the last skin, we had become the leftovers of the bar. Our only entertainment for the night was watching the bar staff determine if the village drunk had paid his tab or not. After 10 minutes trying to get someones attention to pay the bill, we caught the end of a college basketball game and listened to unforgettable on-hit classic rock. It had been a number of years since the Crew's last visit to Harpoon Hannas, and it may be several more before the Patrol passes by again. For the balance of our evening, we were off to the lights...

THE RATINGS-

Lobster Special w/Muffins: B-

Sweet & Spicy Wings: C+

Seafood Skins: B

Beer: C+

Atmosphere: C

Value: C

Overall Score = 2.38

Welcome to OC's 2018 Winterfest of Lights

   As mentioned earlier, we were were frosted again, resuming what now seems the requisite frigid tour of Ocean City's Winterfest of Lights. This year seemed to have more indoor displays than in the past.

The tent was a good thing, as we were able to extend our stay by splitting time between a heated tent and the exterior tundra. Even caught up with the Big Man in the Red Suit. Speaking of suits, did I mention how cold it was? If I had been thinking far enough ahead I may have borrowed the Watt's rubber suit. Surprised he wasn't wearing it. I could only imagine trekking into the Atlantic this time of year. If there had been any type of precipitation at all, it would have been called for.

As it was, a clear night and the Patrol made the most of our rounds no matter how brief the conditions made 'em. Another tour in the books. So as the song says:

Good master and good mistress,
As you sit beside the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Who wander in the mire...

...Love and joy come to you
 And to you your Wassail, too,
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year