It's Impossible to Hate a Canadian

Freedom & ISIS

Gun Rally & Studio 54

Who said Freedom and Islamic Terrorists can't just get along?!  I submit the photo to the left as evidence that Freedom and Islamic Terrorists can in fact get along...a lot of rum really helps to expedite the process, but it did work none the less.
So - Holiday Hotel Halloween Bash 2014...what a good time!  This party is quite the staple in the lives of those on the fabulous Ambergris Caye.  People from all walks of life, that one doesn't usually see around town (such as Hitler) just hanging out and having a good old time.  Anyone who knows me, knows that while I'm not a big 'dress up' kinda guy.  I am a fan of looking like a moron just for the hell of it.  I would submit the time I tried to go to a Bronco game wearing 3 different shades of blue (which I still see no problem with, but defaulted to the advice of those wiser than me).  So - I wanted to attend the party but wanted to go as something slightly more creative than an "ex-pat" (for you US people that basically means a person that has relocated to the island).  So I had some camo (of course), and my friend Laurie, aka Tacogirl.com (Studio 54 in the above pic) had about 40 squirt guns.  The result was my costume...I was...ah...not terribly sure.  I might have been a Gun Rally, or Freedom.  Either way I got a surprising number of compliments on my attire.

Matt and Sara

Boola Shark

Even Eric got into the mood.  I have no idea how he ended up with a shark on his head...and I'm pretty sure Sara was rocking the same shark, but super cool they were.

Party Time

Raquel, Hitler, & Sara

Random Guys Pepperoni

Got to party a bit with the islands hottest bar tender...Lola's own Raquel - hands off guys, word on the streets is that "Clark Kent" guy she was with may actually be Superman.  Not a fight the average Joe needs to pick.

There were a load of really cool costumes.  Most of which I failed to get pics of because my 4 year old POS HTC sucks...I'm getting my spiffy Nokia with the 41 MP camera unlocked on Monday - SO over blowing great shots with the crap camera phone.  But I did capture this dudes pepperoni!


Closing thoughts -

• I did not win the costume contest...didn't help that we were drinking and watching the UFC fights at Lola's while the main contest was going on (darn...).  
• 6:45am comes REALLY early in the morning.
• God blessed my ability to metabolize rum (plus one Fireball shot)...no telling how much went in, but other being exhausted today I really feel like a million bucks!! 
• You can try, you can want to, but if you've ever spent even a few quality minutes with a Canadian, you too will know - it's impossible to hate a Canadian. 
• Please note - I have never "tried" or "wanted" to hate a Canadian...I'm just trying to emphasize a point.  Though these Canadian's keep telling me that the "Canadian bacon" we US folk eat is not really Canadian bacon - which is apparently quite good.  I don't buy it.  I like Canadian's a lot, great people...but I still think their bacon sucks.

Growth doesn't happen with the same ingredients used to create.

What if I told you that passion is also a source of destruction?  That I argued mis-guided passion is a corrosive agent, slowly eating away the core of what that same passion built?  

There are many things that lend to great companies sinking into mediocrity, and eventual collapse. One cause often overlooked is passion; perhaps more accurately, unbridled passion.  Sure I'm aware that the same passion builds amazing things, creates countries, develops ways of life...but not tempering that passion at the right times can have be quiet the corrosive agent - slowly eating away the foundation that it built.  One element is needed for creation, while another is needed for growth.

A key to acknowledge at this point is my belief that passion is a key ingredient, and shared trait, in everyone's favorite person - the micro manager.  At this point I introduce you to my highly technical and completely proprietary chart; The Micro-Management Curve chart (---->).  I hope you read that in a boisterous tone; if not please go back and do so.  As a leader of people, all fall somewhere on this chart.  The passionate micro-manager falls on the right side of the curve.  In the interest of full disclosure I fall on the left side - sure, I wish I was that perfect leader that hit the peak of the curve and rocked it all the time - but I'm not.  I can be a little to absent, and thus be detrimental to my team.    

While hard to hit, we should all be aiming for the sweet spot there.  Side note - iTunes radio is pissing me off...I so badly miss Pandora and I Heart Radio (neither available in Belize...ug. Anyway.  The same passion that creates is what lands managers on the right side of the chart, slipping downwards.  At times a good amount can be accomplished with that overly passionate management style; however the opposite is most often the case.  The more direct management oversight you give (micro management) the less productive your team becomes.  

The team stops contributing their thoughts, motivations, and passions.  Hint - you need your team's passion to create new things.  As a manager you've gone and created; don't let your passion be what hinders your teams passion!  If you do, then you are essentially taking your entire team, and throwing them away in favor of yourself - this is NOT a sustainable practice, and it certainly won't lead to further creation and growth of your enterprise.  Most micro-managers that I've known truly do realize the value of their team, and they want the ideas and passion of those team members...they REALLY do.  What they never seem to realize is that the more you "tell them" the less it happens.  Law of diminishing returns I suppose.

I could write chapters on this...hmmm...maybe I will?!  One last thing to consider is your team.  Are you hiring well?  Do you make the right decision in hiring, or the easy decision, maybe the quick decision?  As a manager you must hire the right person, every time, in every situation.  Obviously we don't; I pride myself on great hires (I have made mistakes, but fewer than most).  I take pride (too much likely) in looking back at my hires over the decades; how many have become managers, and now lead teams of their own.  I better stop here - I feel another book coming on... 

Funday Sunday!

 It was a Funday Sunday here in Belize.  The most amazing wing cooker in the land, and our dear friend Sherlette had a birthday today.  She even cooked and served all the people at her own birthday!  Second best jalapeno poppers I've ever had in my life - if she had employed my buddy Marks bacon trick; they would be tops ever.

Twas a great way to start the day.  Yes, lunch was the start to my day - you're text woke me up Matt; but I'm glad cause I might still be sleeping (long night with my brother Eric).  We went to the beach over by Estel's to help our dear friend Sherlette ring in another year.

We had some great food and drink (Fanta tastes much better down here - love that cane sugar).  Met a few members of the family and some extended members as well.  There was even a little dancing on the beach!  No need to rent areas here; no rules and regulations like that.  Bring out some food and a cooler, plop down, dance around, enjoy life.

After that we went up north with a new friend - Elaine (I think...gosh I hope that's right...sorry if it's not), but she's better known as Taco Girl; the tacogirl.com blogger.  She has wheels and took us to a nice little swim beach "way" up north - it was probably 6 miles from town; which is certainly within my new definition of "way".  Came back to a quick swim, $1 wings at Lola's, apparently my home team Denver Broncos sported way better than the combatants from Arizona against which they contested.  Now I'm avoiding work by posting this and doing my laundry.  Well I suppose the machine does the heavy lifting, but by gosh it can be tough to set those dials and measure all that soapy stuff.

A month in...

Well I've survived 30 days.  I suppose that shouldn't be much of a surprise, but none the less feels like quite a feat!  I live in a very small world down here.  My general daily radius is easily within a 1/2 mile from my house.  Its such a funny thing - two months ago I drove 25.4 miles to work each morning; just shorter than the total length of this island.  Now to think about going a few miles away requires a bit of planning.  But now I have a bike, and my world is opened a bit.

Used that bike to cruise over the Coco Locos's Beach Bar as they were having a celebration for my anniversary of being here one month!  They called it something about their 2nd Anniversary, but we know way they were really celebrating.  I must say, their rum punch is very pricey ($5 US) but after two I was in no shape to drive...but if I can breath, I can bike.  Coco Loco is a gringo joint...not sure I'll be back much as I like the cheap local places - despite them throwing me a party.

Friends - It's good to have people to hang out with.  Sure I'm a fun guy and all, but I get tired of myself after awhile.  Bingo night Fridays at the Lion's Club proved to be a profitable adventure for me.  Thank you Shelly for the invite!

It's also great to have friends from the states come down.  Brian and Alix made the voyage this month and we had quite the time!  Lots of Pain Killers went down the hatch - learned a very important lesson, pay for the coconut rum and NEVER use the Cream of Coconut some recipes call for; leaves chunks of coconut which is totally gross.  Had to strain that batch as I poured it into cups.  While they were here we went to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley, snorkeled with tons of sharks.  Had some good ole fashion hang out with friends time.  Went to some Belizean Independence day celebrations.  Drank some Orange Joeliuses on a yacht...good times had by all.  More people need to come down!

Nicknames - People always pick up nicknames.  Where they come from is usually hard to pin down; though I shall die being known as BEAV to many!  If I can pin this down it goes something like this - in High School I'd get it done!  Count on me baby!  Well my last name is Beymer...similar to Beaver (a favorite school boy subject...if I must explain then God bless you).  So at some point Mark Gerschefske found a paper with the Leave it To Beaver cast on it.  He cut it out, changed Beaver to Beymer and taped it to my back window...I am the BEAV.  Even the parents of my High School friends still call me Beav.

Down here no one knows that.  I have apparently been given two different names; Big Guy, and Moses.  Big Guy is easy...I'm likely one of the biggest guys on the island.  Though at my current rate they'll only be able to call me that for a few more months.  Walking everywhere, swimming, certainly having some positive effects.  Moses is an interesting one.  A few different people have used it - maybe its the long goatee?  Once a guy yelled "hey Moses!" as I walked past, so I stopped took a few steps into the ocean and lifted my hands...no water separated.  Turned back and said - I'm not Moses. I started thinking about it as I've heard it a few more times - in some weird and arrogant way I like the name.  Moses was an introvert, I'm an introvert.  Moses was a great leader of nations...I could only hope to be 1/2 the person that Moses was.  I shall try my best.

Food - Lots of places have been closed through September as it's slow season, and really for the most part I don't eat at restaurants anyway - those are for rich gringos.  The street vendors and the little hole in the wall locals joints are where the amazingness happens.  To hear my folks talk (who have lived in San Pedro for 6 months every year for the past 5 years) about how there is no good food down here...I'm not sure where they eat; guessing those rich gringo joints.


You see that mass of Chicken Chow Mein in that picture?  Well that thing feed me for 3 lunches, yes 3!  It's super yummy and cost of whole $8. Now keep in mind, I'm talking $8 Belize dollars.  At a 2:1 exchange I paid $4 for 3 delicious lunches.  I do enjoy cooking my own food (I made a delicious version of DJ's Berkley Cafe's Kitchen Sink today...yummy - pictured just down and right), but it's really nice to have easy access quality food.  Boogie's Belly (love the name!) being the top of the line.  Stuffed Fry Jacks, stuffed waffles, $5 belize...I can eat an entire meal down here for 1/2 of what most of you pay for your coffee.  Boogie also has the best chicken and waffles I've ever eaten; but a mile!

Lesson in Belizean food - Sausage is NEVER sausage.  It's usually a hot dog, but if it's not a hot dog then its bologna...deal with it.  I was all pumped one morning for pancakes and sausage; it was pancakes and bologna.  Honestly I hadn't had fried bologna in likely 20 years, and when eaten with the pancake it was really quite good. I since have had it in a breakfast burrito - pretty good again.

Dating - Only including this section because several inquiring minds want to know.  I still think "date" is a dirty four letter word.  If I look beyond my jaded self a bit and into an alternate reality not twisted by my personal events - then the logistics really make it tough anyway.  I really don't want to spread stereotypes that may or may not be accurate; so I think it best if I just leave this alone for now.  Let's just say it's a very different culture...husbands have girlfriends, wive's have boyfriends, girls want babies and reasons to latch on.  I want no part of any of that.  So I'm just staying my happy little self away from it all!  Keeping my head down and trying to grow a business right now.


Fun - I will admit there isn't near enough to put in this category. My sense of needing to work and get a handle on the logistics of this company have really left me between the shop and the internet. We did take a sailing vacation for a few days - and that was heavenly.  Nothing like quietly cruising along using the power of the wind - all you hippies and hipsters should be sailors.  I'm a bit ashamed to admit I haven't even scuba dove yet!  I'm a bit nervous...it's been a few years.  I told the guys next dive at Hol Chan I was going!  That's an easy refresher dive, starts at 3 feet, ends at 30...if the crap hits the fan at 30 feet it's an "easy" accent.

Future - I'm nervous and excited for the future.  Don't really want to share to much at this point; but I see some very promising business ventures on the horizon.  I also see some very very busy times ahead for me too - turns out I'll be running the dive shop for the time being (our wonderful and long time GM is leaving the industry)!  There are several factors that make Belize very hot right now.  I see some significant change and and entire ocean of opportunity.  Even with the potential businesses, my biggest personal goal right now is to get my captains license.  I really want to be able to take a cat out, sail, be in the still quite air.  I watched a YouTube video on sailing once...so I think I'm good.

Power Outage

Power Outage

By Kendall Beymer

Darkness descends in the snap of a finger,

No light remains to find my way,

All appliance have stopped their ceaseless droning;

The oven will not warm my burrito now.

My eyes adjust pulling ambient light from I know not where,

My ears bask in the silence,

My heart beat slows while my breathing follows suit;

I love this moment.

I close my computers as no emails will go,

I open the shades assured the world exists still,

I create a bed on the couch to lay in this perfect moment,

The lights flicker and die once again.

The outdoors beckon me from my cool quiet spot,

Stars so abundant seem to dance in their light,

Cool ocean breeze offering a kind hearted hug,

Oh how I am thankful for this powerless night.

I lay on my couch not a sound to be heard,

My brain turns on like never before,

Eyes viewing life clear as a bell,

Feeling alive in this darkened house.

My thoughts create verse,

My lips form a beat,

My hands tingle the desire to create,

My heart dances about for the freedom it’s found.

The hmm rises and rises,

Lights come to life,

The evening is killed,

My heart sadly returns to reality.

In this moment I've realized two truths;

This world stifles my being,

Opportunity to create suffocated by stimuli,

Light has a time as darkness does too,

I must find that balance to be the best me;

I must buy some candles to heat my burrito.