Autumn is here in my home town, the leaves are vibrant and the weather has cooled.
So freaking what!! I have ten days and a wake up till we are off on another journey to the Caribbean. Getting excited! Will have the chance to renew friendships, start new ones and of course rekindle or own.
Lots happening in Rob’s household. Youngest and family are in process of moving out. Not sure I understand how when they moved in everything was there the same day but when moving out it is a staging process. Oh well they are now living on their own and I hope doing well for themselves. They are missed but the freedom at home is nice too.
I also have a business trip scheduled for next week to Las Vegas. I am even bailing on the conference’s last night of fun that will be Thursday night. I am sorry that I will miss it but it seems that if I wish to get everything I need done before we leave for the Caribbean that it necessitates me passing on the after party to catch the last flight of the day back home. Gets me in bed by about 1 AM on Friday but that is fine as I will run errands Friday to prepare for our journey.
I already have my camera equipment packed and just need to drop my laptop into my bag and all technical equipment I need will be ready to go. Dive equipment is out and ready to be packed but not too sure if will take it or not…We may dive and may not…guess not much time to make up our minds now. Will be a 12 day trip that will cover ST Maarten, Anguilla and ST Barts. Diving may jut not be on the relax plan this time..we shall see.
Stopped by the techno geek store at lunchtoday and picked up some burnable DVDs and new headphones. Came back to work and fired up my best buddy Jimmy Buffett for some escape this afternoon while editing a bunch of presentations that will be given next week.
Not yet too geeked about the trip but know it is coming. There is just so much to do and so little time to do it in. Feel as if we have been planning for so long that I truly feel over prepared.
We will also see so many friends that this trip will be different from any we have previously taken. I will however commit my early mornings and evenings to photography. I wont hesitate to stop while driving around the island to snap off a few pix no matter what time of day. Time is coming fast….and it will go by even faster once we are there. Right now it is 10 days and a wake up till my toes will be in the sand with the most beautiful woman in the world at my side…..can hardly wait!!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Reach out and touch someone…
I am sitting and pondering some odd things today. I have 19 days until our vacation…we are seriously all but packed. We have never been this prepared for a trip this early. What has me shrugging my shoulders and scratching my head today is….cell phones…have em at home, use em all the time. Seems I cant get away from them. We have traveled to the Caribbean many times and we take one with us but the phones only have US service so they stay tucked away in our travel bags for the lion’s share of the trip. I have always liked that we are pretty much left to no communications for the week or so we are traveling…kinda nice just my wife and I.
This year we are renting a phone and will have a number while in the islands….why? What the hell? Am I crazy? (responses…dunno, not hell but will be warm, response #3 Yes, you know you are crazy) Oh, wait maybe I shouldn’t be answering rhetorical questions.
We will for the first time know several couples on island at differing times while we are there so have found that having a phone may make our lives easier…wait, did I just say having a phone makes life easier…again here I go with the am I crazy thing. There is something to be said about not worrying about a ringing phone, escaping day to day life and its electronic “enhancements”.
Ok still stuck on the cell phone thing. Since we will have a multitude of friends there interlacing in and out of the set days we will be on our little island get away, we thought it wise to be immediately reachable by the relaxation shattering screech of a cell phone to break the romantic and relaxing mood of lying on a beach on an exotic island with the beautiful woman at my side…(yes honey I mean you), rather than the tried and true we will meet ya at Peg Leg Pub at 7:30 or see ya at the port tomorrow morning at 7 to head to Anguilla, we can now call and coordinate.
Hmm have we made our vacation complicated life by making it easier??
Me thinks so!! Therefore we will be like many others and be able to reach out and touch someone even when we don’t wanna or they don’t want to be touched all for the convenience of coordination. It seems instead of a man’s word being his bond it is now a quick little buzz to confirm that yes you intend to keep the pre-arranged date and meet us when you said you would.
We all know no one ignores a ringing cell phone, us included.
This year we are renting a phone and will have a number while in the islands….why? What the hell? Am I crazy? (responses…dunno, not hell but will be warm, response #3 Yes, you know you are crazy) Oh, wait maybe I shouldn’t be answering rhetorical questions.
We will for the first time know several couples on island at differing times while we are there so have found that having a phone may make our lives easier…wait, did I just say having a phone makes life easier…again here I go with the am I crazy thing. There is something to be said about not worrying about a ringing phone, escaping day to day life and its electronic “enhancements”.
Ok still stuck on the cell phone thing. Since we will have a multitude of friends there interlacing in and out of the set days we will be on our little island get away, we thought it wise to be immediately reachable by the relaxation shattering screech of a cell phone to break the romantic and relaxing mood of lying on a beach on an exotic island with the beautiful woman at my side…(yes honey I mean you), rather than the tried and true we will meet ya at Peg Leg Pub at 7:30 or see ya at the port tomorrow morning at 7 to head to Anguilla, we can now call and coordinate.
Hmm have we made our vacation complicated life by making it easier??
Me thinks so!! Therefore we will be like many others and be able to reach out and touch someone even when we don’t wanna or they don’t want to be touched all for the convenience of coordination. It seems instead of a man’s word being his bond it is now a quick little buzz to confirm that yes you intend to keep the pre-arranged date and meet us when you said you would.
We all know no one ignores a ringing cell phone, us included.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Rob plays the bonus round and WINS!!!
Wow, I just noticed that I have been absent from posting for quite some time...if there are readers out there sorry....
Met with a friend for coffee Saturday morning to cuss and discuss life in general as well as a bit more specific trips to the islands. We became friends several years ago and found that we both have a terminal case of DIF. What is DIF? Dreaded Island fever and the kind we both have is quite terminal. It possesses our very thoughts. We are both budding entrepeneurs and yes both businesses are based arount the Caribbean.
During our discussion he brought up our impending trip. Easy conversation fro Rob for sure but he threw a giant monkey wrench into the works….he said something like Hey, did you see that Jimmy Buffett is giving a free concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Le Select in Gustavia, ST Bartholomew French West Indies. My response was no but my interest certainly was piqued. Rob is a closet Parrot Head….that would be Jimmy Buffett fan to any non parrot head. I load up on island music about 30 days before my trip and honestly JB is, wait…have to get out my Ipod, ok he is playing now….the most prolific musician that plays ESCAPE music and I love it!!! Ok, tangent complete for now so back to the conversation.
Buddy asked if I was going, I said would love to but not so sure my wife would be into it.
He said if he and his wife were going to be on island they would move heaven and earth to go. I went home and asked what she thought and her response surprised me, she was in!!! Didn’t really do much about it. Looked into travel from ST Maarten to ST Barts but frankly didn’t see this happening so kind of left the idea beached like a smugglers boat after a storm.
Monday on my way to work I got a text message…same buddy…Hey we booked to be on island, still wanna see the JB concert? There is a one word reply….DUDE!!!!
We talked a bit and next thing I know I am calling the couple that has been planning on traveling with us the entire time and they want in as well. JB boat to Bart’s for 6!!
Before lunch on Tuesday we have acquired passage for 6 from SXM to Barts….look out Jimmy here we come. For many this seems an awful lot to do to see this guy. JB will as I said above be playing in Gustavia….to celebrate La Select’s birthday. Significance is this is the little restaurant that was the catalyst for the song Cheeseburger in Paradise. So for a parrot head…we will be in what equals out to be the escapist’s Mecca. I never in my life thought I would have an opportunity like this.
Our diversion to ST Barts is truly an opportunity that someone like me doesn’t pass up when presented to you all wrapped up in a pretty little package. My wife asked about the cost….response was concert is free, trip over and back is $95 each plus…she then chimed in…your souvenir. To which I answered emphatically Yes Ma’am!!!
Now you may see why Rob sees this little piece of incredibly convenient timing as playing and winning the bonus round. We were to be in ST Maarten anyway and now I get to see the master of escape music perform in the place that may have provided the inspiration for the song that gave him his big break………Look out Gustavia you will be inundated with a flock of parrot heads that will bring a voracious appetite for beer, rum and that infamous Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Met with a friend for coffee Saturday morning to cuss and discuss life in general as well as a bit more specific trips to the islands. We became friends several years ago and found that we both have a terminal case of DIF. What is DIF? Dreaded Island fever and the kind we both have is quite terminal. It possesses our very thoughts. We are both budding entrepeneurs and yes both businesses are based arount the Caribbean.
During our discussion he brought up our impending trip. Easy conversation fro Rob for sure but he threw a giant monkey wrench into the works….he said something like Hey, did you see that Jimmy Buffett is giving a free concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Le Select in Gustavia, ST Bartholomew French West Indies. My response was no but my interest certainly was piqued. Rob is a closet Parrot Head….that would be Jimmy Buffett fan to any non parrot head. I load up on island music about 30 days before my trip and honestly JB is, wait…have to get out my Ipod, ok he is playing now….the most prolific musician that plays ESCAPE music and I love it!!! Ok, tangent complete for now so back to the conversation.
Buddy asked if I was going, I said would love to but not so sure my wife would be into it.
He said if he and his wife were going to be on island they would move heaven and earth to go. I went home and asked what she thought and her response surprised me, she was in!!! Didn’t really do much about it. Looked into travel from ST Maarten to ST Barts but frankly didn’t see this happening so kind of left the idea beached like a smugglers boat after a storm.
Monday on my way to work I got a text message…same buddy…Hey we booked to be on island, still wanna see the JB concert? There is a one word reply….DUDE!!!!
We talked a bit and next thing I know I am calling the couple that has been planning on traveling with us the entire time and they want in as well. JB boat to Bart’s for 6!!
Before lunch on Tuesday we have acquired passage for 6 from SXM to Barts….look out Jimmy here we come. For many this seems an awful lot to do to see this guy. JB will as I said above be playing in Gustavia….to celebrate La Select’s birthday. Significance is this is the little restaurant that was the catalyst for the song Cheeseburger in Paradise. So for a parrot head…we will be in what equals out to be the escapist’s Mecca. I never in my life thought I would have an opportunity like this.
Our diversion to ST Barts is truly an opportunity that someone like me doesn’t pass up when presented to you all wrapped up in a pretty little package. My wife asked about the cost….response was concert is free, trip over and back is $95 each plus…she then chimed in…your souvenir. To which I answered emphatically Yes Ma’am!!!
Now you may see why Rob sees this little piece of incredibly convenient timing as playing and winning the bonus round. We were to be in ST Maarten anyway and now I get to see the master of escape music perform in the place that may have provided the inspiration for the song that gave him his big break………Look out Gustavia you will be inundated with a flock of parrot heads that will bring a voracious appetite for beer, rum and that infamous Cheeseburger in Paradise.
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