[Ozark Tom]

Given that any part of a structure is being dragged through a fluid, energy is dissipated. That energy comes from the kinetics of the mass moving in a forced-orbit (asteroid counter-mass).

The lower end of the system is moving at less velocity than orbital for that altitude—the upper end is moving at higher velocity than needed for that orbital level. Center-mass is the only point of the structure which travels at the appropriate velocity for it’s orbital level.

Tidal accelerations increase geometrically as the distance between two bodies decreases. The tidal bulge of the Earth is always to the East of a line connecting the centers of the Earth and Moon, providing the small acceleration raising the Moon’s orbit. Will eventually lose the total solar eclipse sometime down the line.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Your second paragraph describes the stretching effect of tides. A more subtle effect is the squeezing one, which is the result of gravity always being focused at the center of mass.

Your third paragraph is basically correct except that it's missing the reason that the bulge is east of the line connecting the earth and moon. As the earth spins, that bulge is being carried east faster than the moon is able to orbit. This is also slowing the earth's spin slightly as well as accelerating the moon's orbital speed. Eventually the earth's spin will be synchronized with the moon's orbit, and the moon will no longer recede. But the sun will be long dead by then. Likely the earth will have been swallowed by the sun's red giant phase as well.