Living, Working and Writing in Myrtle Beach: Warm and then cold "at the beach"

     January was a very warm month down here, I played golf at least once a week. Highs in mid 60's to low 70's and then February got cold, only into low to mid 50's. You just never know.
     Since we have friends in town, we have being hitting the "show" scene recently. We saw "Good Vibrations" and "The Carolina Opry". Both shows were bery good and highly entertaining. We read in the Preview Bio Book that the drummer, Lynn Brown, was from Lancaster, Ohio, but he had already left and moved on to Nashville. The male dancers in the shows were stars on NBC's America's Got Talent. They are, I think, the hit of both shows. They provide a whole lot of energy. When you're in town, be sure and take in a show or two. You will not be dissapointed.
     A new "Reality" show will be hitting your TV tonight. "Welcome to Myrtle Manor" airs on the TLC channel at 10:00 p.m. The show was filmed at Patrick's Mobile Home Park off of Highway 15 in Myrtle Beach. There are a lot of pros and cons going around the Myrtle Beach area. Stay tuned.
     Another old hotel along Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach has bit the dust. Late last week, crews started taking down the Beverly Motel (no relation) at 703 N. Ocean Blvd., the latest in a wave of old buildings that have been demolished to make way for new devolopment along the beaches main drag. Plans for the new site have not been released as yet.
     New owners are still trying to revive the old Waccamaw Pottery Shopping Center off of Highway 501. There are some physical changes - no more weeds, the parking lots are lit up, a new roof - but there is only a splattering of action in a couple of store spaces. Things are moving a lot slower than some officials had hoped, in part because of the still sputtering economy.
     In real estate news, sales showed a continued upward trend in January, with a 10.3% boost versus a year earlier in sales of single-family homes and a 11.9% increase for condos. The median sales price for condos climbed 4.8% to $98,000 compared to the same period last year but single-family homes fell 3.1% to $155,000. Business is picking-up so y'all come on down, we're dealin!
     My book Murder on the Front Nine has gone into a second edition. The publisher is now working on the Kindle version. I have several book signings planned and speaking engagements booked. I am actually spending more time on writing the second one Cougars at the Beach, which I hope to have completed by this fall. www.stevenmcmillen.com.
     See ya, Steve & Bev