Kayaking in Obes Thorofare in Brigantine New Jersey

Brigantine's Duck Farm 2011

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Post Summer Brigantine Beauty.....

Sunsets lately...

George Clooney

Came to Atlantic City and slept with a waitress who gave him herpes, at least that's how the rumor goes.
Then last night I went to eat snow crab legs at the AC Bar and Grill, and there next to my table is a photo of George Clooney in the AC bar and grill.....
Atlantic City legends come to life!

Live for storms.

    With all the wild weather from the winter and now the whipping wind strong enough to take down the Revel crane built to withstand 120 mph wind, we cannot forget it is a privilage to live so close to such and immense force.

These are the storms that reshape the coast line, and I can't wait until the weather clears up enough to see what the ocean has done to the north end of my little island, as well as the others around me. The marshes behind my house already has a brand new creek cutting into the marsh where there was none before.
The book "great storms of the jersey shore" has maps from the 1870's through 1945 to now showing how Tucker's Island changed shape, joined with Beach Haven, then seperated again and grew smaller, until it completely matched up with Pullen Island with a small cove in the middle renaming it Little Beach.
Now I'm curious to see what the beaches will look like. Last Saturday I came home on rt. 30 with breakers crashing over top of the marshes almost hitting the road, with the NorthEastern wind pushing cars coming around the bend by Delilah rd. Between the wind, the rain, all the snow from earlier in the winter, and the high spring ebbing tide, and it being a new moon. I think the change on Pullen island will be drastic as will the change on the Brigantine Beach. I may take the walk tomorrow. Here are some recent photos I haven't been posting, but stay tuned for more weather reports.

Distractions.....

Soo I've been working on this piece about the AC cops, and trust me it will be amazing, but it has me neglecting my Brigantinelocal blog, which SUCKS until it's finished.

Lately I find myself doing research on small islands all over. I <3 tiny islands, like Pullen Island, Tristan de Cunha, St. Pierre, the forgotten Tucker's Island, and now this new one has me looking at photos, doing research

NPR's food show on Sundays talked about this cake called Smith Island cake, and it's a lovely cake with 12-20 thin layers with either candy or frosting in between each layer, and it's the Maryland State dessert, well it got me interested in looking up this tiny island, Smith Island.

Well here it is....


View Larger Map

It's tiny, wikipedia says the locals have an Elizabethan accent, and being there is like going back in time. All the tourist sites say it's lame, and the kids that are there are bored, so they scream at tourists. They say there's not much to do, and the place is over run with run down boats, and trash.

On the website Smithisland.org, there's a page called "Rough living when the bay freezes over" that describes this poor man who was taken captive by some British Soldiers on the frozen bay in the dead of winter, then walking across GIANT icebergs in the Chesapeake Bay almost 70 miles just to get home!



Either way, this little island has caught my attention.   Hopefully it will have yours. Tucker's Island is next!!

Atlantic City & Snow

Since the record deep snowfall down here, everyone seemed to go crazy.

However that's New Jersey.

The city was empty, but leave it to me to spend 52$ on Beachcabs. My journey went from home to St. George's (where I didn't pay for a single drink other than tipping the famous Jessie) then to the Chelsea Pub then a cold knee deep snow walk to Ducktown then back home, in a sobbing embarrassing beach cab ride.

From now on I'll be only taking Sarge (the best Paki in the world), NJ Transit, or Brigantine Taxi if I'm not driving.
Beach Cab, oh WONDERFUL greedy BEACH CAB decided to add on a snow tax on anyone, like myself, who didn't have the time, energy, or tools to shovel the car out of the snow. (should have paid a little kid 52$ instead, at least then it would have gone to drugs)

From my house to St. Georges, 13$.
St. George's to Chelsea Pub 20$.
Duck Town back to home, crying and sobbing, 21$. This reads like a lame credit card commercial.
In Venturing out the following evening, to eat pizza and stay over in AC, Brigantine Taxi was much friendlier.
Making my way to my meeting, very treacherously via Jitney and then through the un-shoveled sidewalks surrounding the Walk.
You would think that since Atlantic City's outdoor "mallish" style shopping area "the Walk" was created it would be important for it to be accessible by foot and vehicle in all weather since it is outdoors.
However while it's main foot paths are clear where necessary, the point where one must cross the street were not. Luckily I have the most amazing balance, and know how to dress and survive this kind of weather.
Pacific avenue pretty clear,the main Walk areas pretty clear, the cross over from one part of the Walk to the other IMPOSSIBLE. Where the area wasn't frozen it was a ice filled moat that would leave your boots ankle deep even with a heel.
AC has issues with Weather, there's no doubt about that, either way, as you all know I still love it here.

Also check out the videos on Youtube of the Nor'easter this past fall:

Atlantic City and weather.

Taken in ankle deep water in October.

The cold and lonely city....

Last night and the night before, winter really made a full appearance. It was cold.

Welcome back Brants!

I woke up in Atlantic City to the loud pounding of rain outside the partially opened window. These old apartment buildings with bars on the ground floor use radiators to heat the whole building, so temperature control is done with the windows.
6am, still dark and gray, and yet the day was calling to me.
Truthfully, I like the rain.
When I got back to Brigantine around 8.30am, I was happy to see a huge flock of Brants out there organizing on the back bay. It's nice to see them back, even though I missed another Snow Geese migration.

Atlantic City....
What can I say...
Last night I drove out to get something to eat off the islands last night, and passed a police blockade, and thought little of it. Thanks to Twitter and the Press, I knew what had happened while I finished off my late night Denny's breakfast. Apparently a man was being talked down off a ledge by a negotiator, as the police had the whole Missouri avenue between the parking garages at Caesars blocked off.

Between that, and half the other non-friendly press things that happen in AC, like the man found dead under the boardwalk, what can we do to truly change the face of this town?

Cleaning it up may be good, but then where's the fun in that?

Boy Larry Mullen, you got out right in time! How's Australia treating you?
BTW, buddy I heard a rumor your ex is asking for 60,000 a month in alimony. Haha you rich fuck!

Do you miss me summer?

I spent my summer playing in the bay. The wild thing I am kept me fishing and kayaking. Not exactly trapped, but spending a lot more time indoors lately.







Now I've got six budgies, so my indoor noises are somewhat wild, as is how I feel. Is it ok to be wild?















Last week my friend and I took the walk with my two dogs all the way to the furthest tip of the North End. One of my favorite places in the whole world, and watched the sun come up underneath of a visible Venus and Mars. Truly a sight to behold...




I hope the summer misses me as much as I miss it.

More Little Beach!

These photos were taken with my throw away Kodak water-proof camera, then scanned into my computer. I was quite impressed with the results. It's true, only real film can capture the true colors of this beautiful place.
While I know I have a map that says you can walk to Little beach, since the last season, that is now no longer true.

View Larger Map
Too bad, I know.
This years Little Beach finds include a dead logger head turtle, a strange injured bird that neither myself or my mother could identify, Very large rope off a ship, raccoon foot prints, lots of Mylar balloons, and many other pieces of trash.
My mother is OBSESSED with beach combing, and recently found a dead loggerhead turtle, some of the carcass had rotted out but not much, it was clear who the owner still was by both sight and by smell. She insisted that my father cut it out so she could add it to her growing collection of turtle shells in her garden.
After the awful duty of cutting out the gray and rotting meat, it still stunk and had a protective sack attached to the inside.
He tied a rope to it, and hung it in the water off our dock where the crabs decided that it was too disgusting for even bottom feeders. About a week after being under water, they put it under a bush for the insects to finish, where the smell was still to overwhelming to bear.
All this for more decoration for the garden.

Well we're almost back to a dog friendly beach, so I'm very excited!

Surf reports....

...and racoon eyes.

Giddy up, Juliana

Reading the blogs of others.

Thursday is the Brigantine Surf jam, and for the second time in my life I am competiting in the senior women's division. (Everyone gasps at how old I am) The first time I was 20 years old, and working as a maid at a hotel. It was 2004 and I looked and acted like a little kid.
I've been attempting to follow the surf reports to see how the next two days will be, because the competition has already been post poned from August 13th. While checking my surf report app, I found a button leading to a "dog man's blog", which I was very excited at this prospect! Only to be dissappointed by the fact it hadn't been updated since 2007!
Which reminded me what a shitty person I was for not updating my blogs!
There is much much more to come now with my new found respect for regularly updated blogs!
Forgive me public! I shall do better!

Giddy up, Juliana

Atlantic City and Revel an anonymous essay.

A quarter of the world’s population (1.5 Billion people) face East towards Mecca five times daily while praying for salvation, prosperity, and hope. They pray to Allah (a.k.a. GOD) for forgiveness and better days ahead in these uncertain times.

Thirty Five thousand people, (the population of Atlantic City, NJ), their leaders and elected officials , in recent days face North on the island at the financially unstable REVEL Resort and Casino. Despite the uncertainty of it ever being completed, the inhabitants continue to look North towards this “Bronze Beacon of Hope” as the ancient Egyptians did during the building of the Pyramids of Giza . The Revel it seems has become an iconic symbol of the ONLY hope left to resurrect the rapid demise of this East Coast Gambling “Mecca”, known to many simply as “AC”.

This belief, which the natives have so naively accepted, is nothing more than a propagandized campaign by local officials to appease the masses. Instead of admitting their catastrophic failures as incompetent leaders, plagued by massive bureaucracy, and self interest, they continue to blame the “recessionary economy” as the culprit for AC’s current state of affairs and insultingly point to the “Bronze Beacon of Hope” as the answer to all the problems.

The partially completed Revel Resort has taken on a life of its own as a Monolithic God whom all must worship and whose completion can only be equated to the coming of the Messiah. Upon its completion, “believers” will all be led to the “promised” land of a prosperous and once again vibrant Atlantic City.

As ludicrous and unbelievable as this may seem, it is the sad reality of what Atlantic City has become. It is human nature, as a face saving effort to avoid embarrassment, to shift blame where often it does not belong. While the current economy has contributed greatly to the current economic woes of AC, it is by no means the major cause. The steady decline of AC started years ago with competition from neighboring Ct and PA casinos. Inaction and aloofness by AC casinos and officials and the stubborn belief that the impact would be short term has proven to be catastrophic in the long run. Most importantly, the late response of trying to transform AC into a destination resort rather than simply a weekend gambling destination has been a failure.

So where did AC go wrong? How did this stunningly beautiful seaside jewel of the East Coast become dangerously close to extinction? How can a town with so much to offer to every visitor reach this point of uncertainty? The answer is not a simple one, especially as one gazes mesmerizingly at the glittering lights and breathtaking boardwalk. It has been a mutually orchestrated failure of local officials and casinos executives, whose greed and incompetency has formed the perfect storm of events that put AC where it is today.

Instead of finger pointing and name calling, may I suggest that those responsible and in the position of implementing change must unite for this once in a lifetime opportunity to save this beloved seaside resort. Any further mistakes will not only be unforgiveable, but ultimately catastrophic. Instead of waiting idly by for the completion of the Revel as the (ludicrous) ultimate solution, an aggressive and well thought out master plan must be immediately created and implemented. A plan that would include the demolition of these eye sores which are the abandoned buildings dotting the outer blocks of the City. A better plan must be implemented for making the boardwalk, the city’s greatest asset, family-friendly and safer at night. Hire a marketing firm to re-introduce Atlantic City as a destination resort and fire the firm that came up with the slogan, “..Atlantic City, always turned on…”. While there are obviously financial restrictions, a make over can be done inexpensively and expeditiously.

Casinos and hotels should re-train their staff on how to be client oriented, courteous and efficient. The older properties must invest in re-modeling their outdated, gaudy décor and spend more in aggressive advertising and promotion campaigns to bring visitors back. Aging and failing casinos should look towards The Borgata Hotel (Las Vegas, Macau, etc) and learn what is sellable and desirable in today’s gaming market. Struggling Casinos with hopes of survival should be encouraged to merge with more successful ones and there should be certain tax benefits for these mergers. Undesirable casinos resistant to such mergers should be left to close down once and for all. This is a “New World Order” and Survival of the Fittest is critical if there is any hope of survival.

While all these are merely logical suggestions there is at least a PLAN here. Would you not agree that its better than the current one? Oh wait there is NO PLAN right now. Unless you believe that Revel is the answer!!!

If you are one of those naïve Revel believers, good luck because this year, I hate to disappoint you, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and REVEL all “aint coming!”

The summer.

If they weren't here before, they are here now! Like an invasion they've taken over the roads, dominate the sidewalks, and even the bike paths aren't safe.
"I hate tourists" was heard only minutes before I began this post, pushing me to update, as I am well aware was long over due.

A friend of mine pointed out that this is a very bitter blog, something I must work to change. There are many times when I truely enjoy the island, especially this time of year when I only have the time to enjoy, not share with everyone else.

There's a lot on my mind lately which has left me rather vacant. Two days ago I was awake very early swimming with the dogs, and upon leaving the house I thought I had put on ALL of my swimsuit, but no.
After almost 20 minutes of swimming I'm standing in knee deep water, bikini top, pink leporard print panties. I quick ran and put on my pants and finished swimming in those. There wasn't anyone around, and I was grateful for that.

The touristas should give us locals a summer off, like they get.
Us working people loathe the term "summers off", it was only two days ago I went to a riduculous local bar ::cough::laguna::cough:: and met a girl from my childhood who was a school teacher in AC, and lived at her boyfriend's parents house and had the summers off.
That really must be nice. No bills, no responsibilities, and summers off. Sounds like childhood. At least she's contributing to society, but there's a great chance that what she's contributing is negative though. When I asked how she delt with urban special ed, she said "selective hearing", so who knows.

This is now the conclusion of our bus broadcast for the day, thank you for tuning in. 

We locals take the bus and cabs for the

Giddy up, Juliana

Memorial Day Yuppies

Brigantine Local
They come from the Philadelphia suburbs of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the Garden State Parkway both directions is backed up with...them.

Like a bad horror movie, "they're here". Pale, well dressed, sunglass wearing yuppies.

As if they were turtles returning to same beach they were hatched on, close to 11am on the Saturday before Memorial day, every year, these zombies drag their asses onto our fucking beach, coolers in tow. They leave plastic, cans, and glass where it lay. Dropping their broken beach chairs off on their way out, these people are locusts taking the good, and leaving their shit.

One of the best yuppie Brigantine summer leech viewing areas is the second Wawa parking lot. It's like the look out but better.
The sociology project that is the Brigantine Wawa's parking lot, has every varital of over privilaged youth. The smell of entitlement creeps down the surrounding streets at all hours, and stinks up the surrounding area that is almost compeltely locals that live on the island all year round.

The area around the second Wawa is largely dominated by rentals, and AC bus commuters. (Just an observation) Therefor seeing this is I am quite disturbed by the lameness that is this parking lot.

They drive their parent's hummers, and their sweet sixteen present SUVs. Meeting up in the parking lot is a rite of passage for the over grown children that cohabit with me in Brigantine for the summer.

Two years ago I verbally attacked a fellow surfer in a drunken rage due to his lack of shoes.
"If I can't bring my dog in here, why do you not have to wear shoes?"

On an extra personal note, today I littered ever floor in one of the Tropicana towers with magicican flyers barefoot.

What were we talking about?
Oh yea, tourists/snowbirds/yuppies they fucking suck...except they keep the economy going, lucky us.

Map to walk to little beach if you've timed the tides right.

View Walk to Egret Inlet! in a larger map

The view from Little Beach.