February 2004
 

Captain’s  Log

Greetings Sandlappers.  It’s been a great year for the Sandlapper Parrothead Club. We’ve had a lot of fun and raised a lot of money for our charities. This year we raised and donated more than $5000 to our charities and totaled 1017 man-hours for charity work and community service. We all should be very proud of our work last year and keep the good work going. Last year we grew a lot too.  We started the year with 75 members and ended with 105. We have some great new members and we plan to keep growing. With more active members, we can have more activities producing more fun for the members and more funds for our charities. So please, keep recruiting and keep telling your friends about the Sandlappers. Last year the parties were great and the music was terrific. We had performers like the Caribbean Cowboys, The Chris Clifton Band, The Rum Punch Bandits, The Oneppo Brothers, and more at our festivities. This year we have even more planned.  Check out the website for more on upcoming events. Speaking of the website, please check it out, www.sandlapperphc.com. BobRob has completely revamped the site.  It’s pretty cool.  He has added a lot of new stuff. There’s even a page called Sandlappers at Work where members can advertise their businesses for free. Thanks to everybody who has donated time and efforts this year. It’s really been A Lovely Cruise.

Charlie Mandeville
President
Sandlapper PHC

 

Sandlapper PHC Member Profile – Ron Wike

I was born in Charlotte, NC. Yes one of the few still here, sort of. I live now in Concord. I enlisted in the Navy 13 days out of High School. (Draft lottery number 3) Stayed for 20 Years, 17 days, 11 hours, 32 min. I am a Chief Petty Officer Electrician and retired in 1992 from the Navy. I have two children in college. Rebecca at Catawba College majoring in Religious Philosophy and Ben at UNC-W majoring in parties, but soon to be journalism.

During my career I served as a Navy recruiter in Charlotte for three years; An instructor for mine warfare in Charleston for four years; Performed electrical repairs on many different ships. I traveled to six of the seven continents, and did my last deployment to Kuwait during Desert Storm where I led a team that cleared sea mines from the harbors and shipping lanes.

I joined the Parrothead nation back in 1974 while in the Navy. Several friends and I were closing a bar in St. Croix one night when two guys came in and started playing guitar together on the stage. One of them was Jimmy Buffett. I had never heard of him but liked the music.

My first Parrot Head club was the Virtual PHC. I ordered tickets to a Charlotte concert in 98. I had to pick up the tickets from Don, President of the Charlotte club. Joined them. Latter joined the Sandlapper PHC and the Upstate PHC and the Coast of Carolina PHC in Myrtle Beach. As you can see I'm a joiner.

I have been around the world. I have been to places that most people would not see in ten lifetimes. I have learned that it is not the places or things in life that matter, it is your friends, your family, your loves. I have found that you can have a better time sitting in a K-mart parking lot in Rock Hill with friends than you can sitting in Paris by yourself. The joy of a hug from someone who cares about you brings more satisfaction than a week of lovemaking with a stranger. (God did I really just say that?)

When I listen to certain Buffett songs I can feel a deck moving below my feet, smell the sea breeze and remember the days when anything was possible. Other songs remind me of my Parrothead friends, the good times we are creating together and the memories we will leave behind. And some are just to fill up a CD. And so is life. Our past, or present and the junk in between. The future? That is promised to no one.

One of my favorite quotes is:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take;
but by the moments that take our breath away!

I would like to leave you all gasping.

“Now she lives down by the ocean, she’s taking care to look for sharks, they hang out down at Stacey’s Bar and they feed right after dark”

Club Member Birthdays

February 5^th        DeWayne Allen
February 6^th        Andrew Wilbanks
February 14^th       Debbie Iliano
February 17^th       Lou Iliano
February 20^th       Jody Smith

Sandlapper PHC’s Birthday Party

The Sandlapper PHC will be celebrating its 6^th Anniversary with an oyster roast at the Beacon Knoll Clubhouse off of Pleasant Road in Fort Mill on Saturday March 20^th. The party will start at 7PM and the Rum Punch bandits will be the evening’s musical guests. $10.00 gets you in the door and we encourage everyone to bring a guest or twelve. It’s a great opportunity to introduce new people to the club. Also, we’d like to ask everyone to bring a covered dish, appetizer or dessert. There will be a silent auction to raise money for the club as well as a 50/50 raffle of a very nice piece of Buffett memorabilia.

Directions: From Rock Hill take I-77 to Exit 85 and turn left. Go to Pleasant Rd. and turn right. Beacon Knoll will be up a ways on the right. From Charlotte take I-77 to Carowinds Blvd. And turn right. Pleasant Rd. will be ahead on the left. Turn there and Beacon Knoll will be on the left.

CoCoNuggetts

 

* Registration for the 2004 Meeting of the Minds Parrot Head Convention in Key West is now open. Go to the Parrot Heads in Paradise website for more info:

www.PhiP.com

* Registration for Parrotstock 2004 is now open as well. This year’s convention will be held at the Ocean Dunes Resort in Myrtle Beach June 10^th – 13^th. The entertainment line-up is set and this promises to be the best Parrotstock yet. Visit the Parrotstock website for more details:

www.Parrotstock.com

* Sandlapper PHC member Eddie Healan passed away January 17^th at his home. He was 52. He was a member of the American Legion Frank Roach Post 34 and a band member of the Mixed Dogs and the Radio Flyers as well as a U.S. National Guard veteran. He will be missed.

* The Margaritaville Café in Myrtle Beach will have a soft opening in June and a grand opening on July 5^th. Nothing is set in stone, but Buffett has made a tradition of performing at the grand openings of his other cafés.