Lake Murray Life

Going to Belize

Hopefully you are coming here to Lake Murray Life to check for updates often. First of all, I appreciate you for that. Secondly, you’ll notice a definite lack of activity here next week. That’s because my wife and I are heading off to Belize with some friends for a vacation. I’ll see you back here in July.

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Miss America on Lake Murray

That’s right…You just might get a glimpse of Miss America when you are out on the water. You may be asking, “How will I know her when I see her?” The answer is two-fold. You see, Miss America IX is a boat…but not just any boat. She’s the first boat to ever go faster than 100 mph and she set that record when she clocked 102.256 mph back in 1931.

So to answer your question:

1. You’ll probably hear her before you see her because she’s loud. She started out with two 12 cylinder Packards, but now she’s runnin’ with Chevrolets. In any case, as her owner, Chuck Mistele, says, “people will know when it’s out there.”
2. When you do see her she’ll be everything you expect a Miss America to be because she’s beautiful. Mistele has had her restored to her original glory. The mahogany boat is all original from the waterline up including the 1928 Buick steering wheel.

So if you’re lucky enough to get a glimpse of her, pick your jaw up off the floor and try not to lose your hat as she blows by you.

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Dam Bar and Grill

I decided to try out the Dam Bar & Grill today for lunch. I have driven by it several times on Hwy 6 while on my way over to Lexington (map) and it always seems to have a good crowd. Other than that, all I knew about the place was that it had a catchy name.

As it turns out, that’s about the only unique thing about the place. Now, there was nothing inherently bad about it, it just isn’t anything different than every other sports bar in America. Since I was there by myself, I took a seat at the bar directly in front of the door and from my vantage point I could see action on six different flat screen TVs. The bartender handed me a menu and I saw all of the bar and grill standards: Wings, wraps, salads, burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken fingers, fried shrimp, fried catfish, and steak. Of course, they managed to work the word “dam” into several of the menu items and I can’t blame them for that. I actually heard a couple of patrons get great joy out of ordering a “DAM Cheeseburger.” So, I did the same.

I don’t want it to come off as though I’m saying this place isn’t good. It just isn’t…different, special, cool, etc. My cheeseburger was ordinary. I’m pretty sure that the $7.59 1/2 pound Angus patty was frozen shortly before it was prepared for me. I can get that at Hardee’s for $3.99. The wing chips I got with the burger were pretty good, but they didn’t have the seasoning on them that most places are doing now.

Overall, The Dam Bar and Grill was average at best. I feel like they are trying to sell an experience much more than the food. Who knows, I may not get any rebuttal from the ownership about that. However, for lunch anyway, the experience wasn’t there either. Often when I drive by in the evenings the parking lot is loaded with bikes of all shapes and sizes, so I imagine that experience would be different.

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The Firemen are Coming!

Two Lexington County communities will see a new firestation nearby within the next two years. One has recently been finished. What does this mean to the members of those communities?

More peace of mind. Firemen not only respond to fire calls, they also are often first-responders for medical emergencies, too.

Lower insurance premiums. Insurance companies use a rating system to help determine insurance premiums. Part of the equation is distance from a fire station. Officials say that once these three stations are completed 99.97% of Lexington County residents will live within 5 miles of a fire station which will put them in the best category.

One official estimates that some residents could see insurance premiums drop by as much as 55%. This article on The State’s website has more details.

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Information Explosion

I came across a website this evening that blew my mind with the amount of information that it provides. The website is called neighboroo and it produces demographic information, divided up by zip-code, easier than any site I’ve ever seen. I think part of what excited me about this site is that all of the information is delivered via a Google powered map.
The categories of available information are: Populace, Housing Cost, Housing Market, Schools, Safety, Health, Climate, Income/Work and Age/Ethnicity. Each of those categories also has several subcategories. I would certainly recommend this site to anyone who is planning a move. Oh yeah, if the colors on the map aren’t making sense to you, just click the “Explain” link directly above the legend. Or maybe you don’t see any colors at all because you are Red-Green color blind — they’ve got that covered, too. Brilliant site. Kudos.

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Sickos Arrested at Boat Landings

The Lexington Chronicle and WIS report that seven men were arrested at local boat landings because they were “trolling for sex from other men.” Charges include simple assault and battery, public disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana. The ages of the men range from 28 to 60. Possibly the most surprising part of this story is that the sherriff’s office sting took place between 8:30 am and 2:00 pm on Thursday and Friday because “citizens reported that the solicitation of sex occurred during broad daylight.” So, when you are heading out to the lake, even during the daytime on a weekday, heed the advice that my dad gave me so many times: “Be aware of what’s going on around you.” Six of the seven men have already been released either on bond or on personal recognizance bond.

Read more in the next issue of the Lexington Chronicle or on WIStv.com

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Rates Hit Highs

Market Watch posted this article laying out all of the numbers for you about the 10-month high rates.  There is one quote in the article that bodes well for homeowners:  “As house prices grow less quickly and household incomes rise, the housing market will likely recover from its current slump, but perhaps not before the end of this year.” 

The article found here describes that Consumer Confidence is at a 10-month low.  It’s certainly no coincidence that consumer confidence hits at a 10-month low when rates hit a 10-month high.  You may now be thinking, “What does all of this mean?”  Well, I’ll defer to a post by Brad Inman for an explanation.  He essentially says that low consumer confidence is a good thing because it slows real estate speculation and makes home buyers examine the numbers much closer.  Therefore, people are more likely to buy homes that they can afford for the long-term.

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Lake Murray July 4th

…Well, sort of. The Independence Day celebration will be held on Saturday, June 30th since July 4th falls on a Wednesday. Now that we have that cleared up, here’s what’ll be happening: The Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra and the Lexington County Choral Society will be putting on a special free concert at 8:00. And of course, there will be fireworks. The fireworks will start at 9:15. All of this will be going down at Dreher Island