Time to Breath

Me and Linda after
she decorated my goatee

The world is seemingly nothing of what it was 8 months ago.  I thought I had an appreciation for the change ahead in my life, I thought I knew what I was getting into...little did I know I was about enter a world so many long for and don't even realize it.  A world where people are genuine, a world where someone's word is worth far more than a claim check, a world where you start asking about your friends if you haven't physically seen them in a few days, a world that can be so busy that you blink in November and open your eyes in March, a world I wouldn't trade for anything...

It's been a crazy busy few weeks - Brian is down for a visit, Eric got arrested, I made it on the board for the Tour Operator Association...plenty of other stuff happened.  Mark, General Manager of The Phoenix (a multiple winner of the #1 Resort in the Caribbean) paid my staff an amazing compliment yesterday.  He told me that he was so impressed at how they cared for everyone on the Sunset Sail and that even though they ran, jumped, cleaned, served, and hustled the entire time, because of the smiles and great attitude they exuded it didn't look like they had worked a minute. A team that truly loves their job will never work, but have fun living life and the things we do.  So blessed that is my team.

Eric singing "Kiss me I'm Shit Faced"

Saint Paddy's Day...wow...I'm not sure I know how I survived that odyssey.  It was fun partying with my man Tomas, operator of Hostel la Vista.  The night started innocently enough at Lola's...but the night got crazy once we got to Pedro's.  Eric sang karaoke, Brian and I watched and enjoyed some killer beef stew.  I danced some two step with a very nice lady I've met many many times...I can never remember her name (I want to say Kristen...but not quite). What makes it worse is I have NO problem remembering her friends name - cause she's hot and single (both are totally hot, but the one I danced with is married...though I should really remember her name cause her and her husband Randy are cool people - Canadians...of course they're cool). After Pedro's - no comment (5 hours of my life I would have rather slept through)...but David, you're broken selfie stick is still in my house.


So Eric was arrested last week - briefly!  He resembles a guy wanted for murder apparently.  The police treated him extremely well and he treated them with respect and kindness as well - cooperating with each request quickly and smoothly.  Luckily Brian was around to go back to the house and collect Eric's ID.  He found me and we went to the station to prove my brother's innocence. When we arrived he was already un-cuffed and sitting there; the officers apologized for the confusion, and my brother being the stand up guy he is (even at 2am), told them they had nothing to apologize for and that he appreciated them trying to keep us all safe.  Wise words young lad.

The sobering part of that was a few nights later.  We ran into a woman that stopped us, she said she was so sorry that my brother got picked up by the police.  You see this is the woman that came to the station before Brian and I got there and had told the police Eric wasn't the guy...the guy that killed her son.  The world is small...on an island it is microscopic.

This is the greatest place on Earth.  The people of San Pedro Belize and more amazing than anticipated.  There is no doubt in my mind that Ambergris Caye should win #1 Island in the World every year.

I really wanted to hit the emotions surrounding the loss of my dog Bailey the other day...but this post is long enough.  Suffice it to say that it made me more than a little sick, and thinking of the past.

Okay, its a been a couple days and I have a bit more writing mojo; Bailey (pictured left); passed away a few days back.  He was the weirdest damn dog.  You could hold this dog and pet him 23 hours a day, and by goodness the second you removed your hand he was so incensed and looked at you like you must hate him.  We had a fun little game, cause he would let you put him in all sorts of weird places and not issue a single bark, called "Where's Bailey".  He ended up in coolers, dryers, back packs, boxes...you name it, he was likely there.

  Eh, emotions and such.  Just need a bit of time to breath.