Moon's Orbit Unwinding?

I'm not sure the theories are quite thought through yet.  Since the entire idea is based on speculation and limited observation, there is no reason to believe the trend to move away from the earth is continuous or that it won't get closer as well.  The main influence on the moon is the sun as mentioned. The moon and earth both orbit the sun, neither of them curving outward but always toward the sun.  The moon's orbit is a little more erratic but the sun is still the main influence.
In my looking into this the tides are citeed as a cause of this distance widening of the moon.  This is a little odd since there is no gravitational friction.  Also the tides are a result of the moons gravity not the other way around.
Interestingly the movement of the moon away from the earth at such a rate does correlate somewhat with the rising sea level.  If this is the reason for the movement then as the icecaps freeze and thaw then the moon shifts with the overall surface of the water, not a degrading or unwinding orbit but a symbiotic relationship with the earth.