Survivor: Brazil

I survived. That's all I can really say. My first summer in Floripa (2009) was merely a warm-up. This one was more like hell week of Navy Seals training where at the end you're just happy to be alive and have all limbs intact. Summer in Floripa really has it all: beaches, surfing, parties, sun, yachts, more parties, girls, churasscos (the Brazilian version of barbeques only taken much more seriously), sports, more girls, more parties and on and on and on. The hard part is through all of this somehow you need to find time to get your work done and stay somewhat productive. Since we opened Cactus in December and were running a strategy based more on trial and error than on experience (probably not what they teach in restaurant management), this summer was all the more intense. Between working at two restaurants, including many 12 hour days at Cactus, constantly moving back and forth between my house and apartment, and trying not to let the summer pass without enjoying it at least a little bit, it really is a miracle to be alive. All things considered, I shouldn't be surprised at how fast it flew by. Three months felt more like a week.....but what a hell of a week it was!!!

One of the highlights this summer was again Carnival. Last year I spent Carnival up north in Salvador so this was my first Carnival in Floripa. There is an incredible amount of energy in the Brazilian culture and during Carnival that energy skyrockets, which really you have to see to believe. It's parties 24 hours a day: day party, night party, after party, after-after party (this was a new concept to me but I loved it nonetheless). Honestly, it's mindblowing. In those four days alone I saw Sharam, Kaskade, Steve Angello, and Erick Morillo play in some of the best, energy-filled clubs in the world. It was really spectacular. Sharam played at Warung, my favorite club in the world, for 9 1/2 hours. I arrived at 3am and left at noon and he still wasn't done. For music lovers, it was one of those rare "I can't believe I just saw that" moments. These are the things you only see at Carnival in Brazil. Luckily, I made lots of videos and took lots of pictures because one day I'm going to need help remembering all of this so thank God for my Canon.....

The good news about living in Floripa is that the sun sticks around for a few months after summer is over. With the sun out and the madness gone for the most part, those of us who live here can enjoy some more peaceful time on the beach in our "recovery mode" (sort of like Betty Ford on the beach). We like to call it "locals' summer." I've said it here before and I'll say it again, March and April are absolutely wonderful months to be in Floripa. Things at Cactus have calmed down quite a bit so I'm enjoying it even more, and I must say it's nice to get back to a normal schedule. The only downside is that as the summer slips away and fall takes over, that means winter is just around the corner. Winter in Floripa is hard. It's cold and, quite frankly, there isn't much to do. The joke in Floripa is that guys ditch their girlfriends right before summer and go on a mad girlfriend search right before winter because that's about the only thing that's going to keep you busy in winter. I still haven't perfected this strategy and as time ticks down I might need a buzzer beater, but in Floripa a buzzer beater is a wife in the US..... ;)

My two year anniversary in Floripa passed in early March and like summer, it's amazing to think how quickly the time has passed. I'd like to think I have accomplished a few things in this period, but really it's just been more of a learning process for something bigger (I hope!). I've definitely made some mistakes along the way, but the learning curve in a country like Brazil is demanding to say the least (I think you need a master's at Harvard just to understand the tax code alone). The key, as we all know, is to learn from these mistakes, and I like to think that I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in now if I haven't learned from those mistakes and moved forward. Now it's time to take advantage and see what the next thing Brazil has in store for me....fingers crossed for a prosperous 2010!!!!!

South of the Border

It seems like I now start out every post now with an apology regarding the length between posts so I'll say it again. I apologize for being absent for so long! At least this time I have a legitimate excuse. It turns out that I remember how to work hard, and I have been doing exactly that. As a mentioned awhile back, I was about to embark on a new business down here (one that I wasn't ready to announce yet). Well, after six months of hard work, that business is finally up and running. The business is a gourmet fast food (Mexican) store in a shopping mall (Iguatemi). How the hell did I get into this you ask? Great question. On my first trip to Floripa back in 2007, our group kept craving Mexican food. As someone who has spent the last twenty something years between California and Arizona, it's safe to say that burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas are my version of the four food groups. Amazingly, we were unable to find any Mexican food here. As a matter of fact, most of the Brazilians we were with had no idea what a burrito even was. That thought literally blew me away and actually still does (we get customers all the time who ask what a burrito is). Anyway, to make a long story short (or at least I'll try to keep it short), I started discussing this idea with my good friend and business partner at Tatsuya earlier last year. The idea really started to get momentum and then one day I thought the following. Somebody is going to do this here and we're going to look back and say, "well, that was our idea but we just didn't make it happen." Seriously, in life how many times have you thought that about something? I think I've heard that about a million times and I didn't want this to be one of those things, especially considering that we had the time to do it and we were really looking for a new idea. We basically found an architect and one thing just lead to another. Six months later Dave, my partner, was in the kitchen flipping tortillas and I was washing dishes in a sink without a disposal and we looked at each other and said, "who's God damn idea was this anyway?"

On the bright side, things are going really well. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and I would say that overall we are very happy. The downside is that we are practically living there. This is about as hands on of a business as you can get and, unfortunately in this country more than most, you really have to keep a close eye on your employees. I've heard so many crazy stories about employees here (not to mention what happened at Tatsuya with our waiters) that I pretty much would believe anything these days. Also, since we are in the summer season here in Floripa, it's nearly impossible to find employees. When we started we would schedule something like 15 interviews and literally two people would show up. And now it's shocking to see the corollary between it being sunny out and employees deciding not to show up that day. Quite frankly, it's mind blowing. However, this is the life we chose and now we must deal with it. Therefore, for anyone tired of the sh*tty job market in the US, we are hiring. The pay is terrible but you get free burritos and, really, how can you argue with free burritos?

My favorite story so far was during one of our first days of being open I was running around the store doing everything possible to help: doing dishes, making burritos, you name it. And let's just say that there might have been some sweat involved. Anyway, up to the counter comes a girl I used to date and she looks as me like I'm a cow with three heads and says, "Chris, you work HERE?" I think she was questioning how she could have dated a fast food attendant (hey, we have feelings too!). I kind of just laughed it off and explained it to her and the color returned to her face. Dave said I should have told her that things just went really bad after we broke up and I ended up having to take this job, but I didn't have that much foresight at the time. I would have loved to see the look on her face with that one. It would have been priceless....

The good news is that sometimes with this job there are perks that you would never imagine. One day I was sitting in front of the store on my computer and guess who walks by but Alessandra Ambrosio (for those that don't know who she is google her and clear your schedule for the next 8 hours or so). Her husband ends up eating at our place (by the way, the name is Cactus Mexican Food). He asks the attendant who the owner is and ends up talking to Dave. He later comes over to my table and we end up chatting for 45 minutes. He introduces me to Alessandra, which as you can imagine, was right up there with birth, my first car, graduating college, etc. Then he asks me for my number because he said he doesn't have a lot of dudes to hang out with in Floripa (hanging with super models must be such a tough life). I then ask him for his and he says to me, "I don't have a local number here so just take my girl's number." It's not exactly how I pictured it in my dreams but let's just say that I'm not losing that number. In Floripa, I always say that "surreal is my new reality" and this was just more proof of the truth to that statement....

During the craziness of trying to open Cactus, my Mom came out to visit me for the first time. It was difficult trying to balance everything while trying to show her around Floripa, but we got it done. It was really great having her down her so she could finally see what pulled me away so far from everyone. Her comment was that she couldn't believe I had the balls to move to somewhere like this because she saw how difficult life can be at times here, and I must say I had to agree with her. During this process, I really experienced how much bureacracy exists here and how difficult it is to do something as simple as getting internet installed at the store (I couldn't even begin to explain this experience). Anyway, we had a wonderful time and it was very hard to see her go, but now I think she will be much comfortable returning. I just hope that before her next visit she finally understands that "gracias" is Spanish and Brazilians speak Portuguese. Baby steps....

Everything else here is going great. New Year's passed without and serious problems and I guess that's all you can really ask for. From December 26th to about a few days ago, the whole world arrived in Floripa just like every year, and it was as crazy as you can imagine. I was trying to find that balance of working at two restaurants, seeing friends, being the local nightlife guide, trying to enjoy my life a little, and sleeping whenever possible. The traffics was, as usual during that time of year, horrific. However, I ended up renting an apartment in the Centro for six months and was able to avoid it most of the time. But for that week I continue to think that Floripa must be one of the craziest spots in the world. It's just party after party after party with as many beautiful people as you could imagine. But for us people who live here I must say that I'm happy it's over. It's nice to have our little Floripa back, and now this island serves Mexican food!!!!

Welcome to the Jungle

It's a funny thing that you must learn as an entrepreneur, discipline. I've always had a strong sense of discipline since the time I was very young, but the real test doesn't begin until you've grown up (is that too much of a stretch for me?), been through a serious job or two, and then been re-released into the wild to figure it out on your own. There is a simple routine in a corporate job: you wake up, head to the office, and wait for the work to come to you. Sure, you have to come up with ideas here and there and creativity is sometimes required (haha), but for the most part you just sit tight and wait for the work that you know is heading your way. This whole entrepreneur thing is the polar opposite. If you sit tight waiting for something to come your way, it's going to be a lonely journey (and one where you'll end up on the streets!). Nobody is looking out for you, and you better be willing to go out and get yours. It's kind of like what I would imagine would happen to a gorilla, for instance, that has lived his whole life at the zoo and then one day is released into the jungle. In the zoo, everything the gorilla wants is provided for him: food, shelter, companionship, etc. Then one day he is sent out to the jungle to figure it out on his own. I can only imagine that this would be an extremely difficult transition, if not an impossible one. The gorilla has to find ways to acclimate to this new world and, most importantly, find a way to survive. He no longer sits in the big gorilla playland with regular meals being fed to him. In the unknown world, he has to go out and make it happen on his own. Now, from a business perspective as a human, it's one thing to find that idea to make to make it on your own but you have to turn that idea into reality. I live on an island full of beautiful beaches and even more beautiful girls so it requires an even deeper commitment to discipline. You can easily get distracted here, and it's something that I see every day. There are lots and lots of people here that have just settled into the easy routine. If you're searching for a great quality of life, Floripa is definitely the place for you. But if you're still young and searching for the next great opportunity in Floripa, you better dig deep for that idea and you must work very, very hard to make that idea a success. There are hundreds of distractions every day and you're not confined to an office. The world is your oyster but you need to swim out to sea, search the ocean for that oyster, find the oyster, nurture the oyster, and then just hope that this oyster is the right one. Perhaps the oyster was not the right one so you need to cut your losses, forget about it, and move on. It's not a simple task by any stretch of the imagination and with all of the distractions, it's even more difficult. Discipline is definitely the key. A wise man once said that, "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments" and he couldn't have been more right. I'm living in the jungle, baby, and it's time to go hunting for some food....

Bureaucrazy continues to be a hilarious obstacle every day. As I prepare to open my new business, I've unfortunately had to get my hands dirty again. We've been in contract negotiations for at least two months with a shopping center here, and I would argue that we have been as agreeable as possible with our terms. Did you know that all shopping centers in Brazil charge double rent for the month of December? In any universe, does this make sense? My favorite part of their contract is that very last clause that they so conveniently place in the contract. I'm paraphrasing (and some words might be lost in translation) but more or less the clause states "You can ignore anything written above as the shopping center can decide what to do when it wants with no notice whatsoever." It's definitely my favorite part. We're also working with architects, contractors, designers, and God knows who else. Sometimes we'll send a simple question to our graphic designer and we won't hear from him for four days. It never ceases to blow my mind. You'd be out of business in a week if that happened back in the U.S. Also, we've been opening up new companies and dealing with the funding of these companies with international wires. These things all seem so easy but here in Brazil it's like climbing Mt. Everest every day. A funny anecdote - the other day I was having lunch with a few American friends who have a business here. One of the partners was discussing how he just opened a LLC for the company in the states so they could start exporting to the US. A Brazilian guy who was with us asked how long it took him to open the business. My friend responded, "About 45 minutes." The Brazilian was literally dumbfounded and I mean DUMBFOUNDED. We all started cracking up and at the very least, this moment of laughter made us all forget how crazy some of this stuff really is.

I've come to the conclusion that the bureaucracy is the Brazilian government's way of employing as many people as possible. Everyone here seems to work for the public system in one way or another, and it seems to me at least to be such a strange way of going about business as it completely lacks efficiency. And the more people working for the government, the more hoops you have to jump throught. Based on how many hoops I have jumped through in the past few months, I would estimate the number of government employees in Brazil to be about 750 million.

Outside of all of this, all is good here in Floripa. Spring time has arrived along with its best friend Sr. Chuva (Mr. Rain). I can only hope that we don't see the amount of rain that we saw last year. That almost killed me. You can only spend so many days in a cafe drinking coffee. I was more wired last spring that Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch. Everyone continues to anxiously await for summer. As a business owner, your whole year relies on what happens in the summer months so I'm making sure that Tatsuya is completely ready to rock. It's going to be a wild one, and I couldn't be more ready. May God be with me....... ;)

Friends, Family, and More

Well, I just returned from what seems to now be my annual trip to the United States. From all of the stories I have heard about the economy back home, I was expecting a ghost town or at the very least some clear signs of a blood bath, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Maybe it was because my expectations were what they were but I found things to be not as apocalyptic as I was told. Sure, there were plenty of For Sale signs on houses and quite a few stores that I used to visit are now closed. However, there were still lots of people out shopping, going out to dinner, and just overall contributing to the economy in some fashion. Of course, I was only there for a few weeks, and I have no doubt that those living in the US have a much better grasp of what's happening there than I do. My only point is that it wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. It's just one man's opinion, but I sure hope that I'm right....

Besides being able to spend time with my family and friends, one thing I love about going back to the US is being able to actual shop for the first time in a year. I will literally go an entire year (or very close to it) not buying a single material thing here in Brazil. It is just something that I have never been able to justify. The sunglasses I would wear cost $1,000USD, the Nike shoes I would need cost $250USD, and so on and so on. The Brazilians pay it because they aren't aware how much they are getting ripped off and also because they don't really have another option (like being able to go to the US to shop). The Americans down here just know how absurd it is and nobody buys a thing. The Brazil economy has rebounded fairly rapidly, and I can assure you that the Americans are not responsible. Anyway, it was great to be able to pick up a few necessities and, of course, I couldn't help but bring back more Cholula sauce, waffle mix, and other food that I miss so much. I'm no Bill Gates for sure but I think it's fair to say that I did my share to stimulate the US economy!

Far more important than shopping was the opportunity to see all of my friends and family for the first time in a long time. As I've said here a few times before, Brazil has been an incredible place in terms of meeting new friends who quickly become your new family, but there is just no replacing the history of the friends and family from home. Plus, it's just fun as hell to laugh like a kid again and that only happens when you are with the people who you know so well that all it takes is one word and you're laughing about something that probably happened 20 years ago. I also got to spend lots of time with my niece. She is 2 1/2 years old and is absolutely adorable. Kids grow up so fast so when you only see them once a year it's like seeing an entirely different person, and I'm just glad I get to catch a few moments along the way because no one made me laugh more than her. God bless my sister for having the 24 hour energy to watch over her. As if I needed a reminder but this was a pretty clear sign that I still have quite a bit of time before I'm ready for kids. I had a dog for four days and a cat for six and each one almost killed me. A child? God help me....

As for some quick highlights of the trip, they go as follows in no particular order:

LA - my first Chinese food meal in a year at Chin Chin, laughing hysterically at the first bar on the first night where last call occurred at 11:30PM (that's dinner time in Brazil!), massive flip cup tournament on the 4th of July in the Malibu Colony, Jonathan Club in Santa Monica where I'm either now an instant lifetime member or no longer welcome (that has still yet to be decided)

SF - having dinner with my old Merrill Lynch colleagues at Betelnut (still one of my favorite restaurants in the world), Friday night at Ana Mandara with great friends, walking down Chestnut Street and reliving some amazing memories, playing tennis and just hanging out with my cousin, a long great talk over drinks with JK

AZ - hanging with my Mom by the pool (it's been a LONG time), seeing my best friend's new baby (and watching the "what in the hell am I doing" look on his face), Saturday night out at Jackrabbit with the old crew, dinner with Dad (who drove hundreds of miles for a few hours with me), Tuesday night at Z Tejas with a few famous chambord margaritas, lunch at Uncle Sam's with Mom, sis, and niece (I can't tell you how much I miss a good philly cheese steak),

NY - the drive into the Hamptons (the scenery is shockingly beautiful), a Coors Light and a long walk on the beach with my bro, the rehearsal dinner at The Surf Lodge in Montauk (and watching a GILF try to attack my friend like a famished lion at the bar), Preston's beautiful wedding at the Most Holy Trinity Church (not to be confused with the Holy Trinity Church - this one is by far the most holy), having my sis clean up her dress after her daughter decided it was appropriate to pee all over her during the ceremony, Sunday at the Georgica beach with family and friends (including an old roommate who took the train out from Manhattan just to spend the day with us)

After three weeks of traveling across the US, I must say that it is good to be home. Living out of a suitcase takes its toll, and eventually all you want to do is sleep in your own bed. Following three glorious weeks of sun, I must admit that it was a little depressing to return to cold and rainy weather. I was bummed out for a few days but the weekend re-energized me. I went to Green Valley, which is a club basically in the middle of the jungle an hour and a half away, on Saturday night. I can't believe what I've been missing out on. The place is seriously unreal, and for all of my future visitors, I will be sure to take you there. It's a place you don't want to miss. In the end, though, it was just great to see everyone from Floripa again. We cranked it up a notch as usual and left at about 8AM. "Last call" in the US was suddenly a long forgotten dream....

Honeymooning in Floripa

It seems like the longer I live here, the more hesitant I am to write a post. Certainly, during the "honeymoon" phase it was much easier to update because everything was so new and different, and I felt so encouraged to update everyone on my life here. I'm starting to feel more accustomed to everything in Floripa, and I sometimes get the feeling that I don't want to bore anyone with any stories that don't tip the amazing scale. The first year was so unbelievable that as I enter into my second year here I wonder if it can ever be topped. The truth, however, is that it doesn't need to be topped. Like with anything, the beginning of something is always the best whether it be a relationship, a job, a new car, whatever. The sign of something really great is when you pass that honeymoon stage and everything continues to be wonderful. I would say that I'm safely in this zone now. While the first year was full of new adventures, the second year has started off with much of the same only with a slightly different focus. I am still very much enjoying the parties, beaches, friends, and everything else. It's impossible to live here and not enjoy these things. The only change is that now I'm more seriously focused on putting together something that will allow me to stay here for an extended time. Business at Tatsuya continues to be good (we continue to get great feedback regarding the food, drinks, ambience, service and everything else) but as with any business in Floripa, the winter time is very difficult. The tourists are gone, it's a lot colder, and all of the businesses just buckles down into survival mode. By the time summer rolls around, we will be a year old and very well positioned to take advantage of the summer rush. While I'm doing my best to avoid being so cyclical and totally relying on the summer, I must say that, from a business perspective, summer couldn't some soon enough. Thank God Brazil has taught me a lot about patience because December isn't exactly coming tomorrow....

With Tatsuya fairly well in control, I am currently working on my next project with my partner, Dave. We are very close to closing a deal in Iguatemi, the biggest and best mall in Floripa. This is a business that we strongly believe Brazilians will embrace because it's such an obvious void here, and it's something that we both know very well. We have chosen the mall because of the obvious foot traffic that it offers although obviously that comes with a price. It's going to require a lot of work, but we're both up for the challenge and very much looking forward to it. Now, I apologize for being vague on the business, but when the time comes and everything is secure, I will happily describe the details. Until then, I have promised to keep my mouth shut....

Everything else in Floripa has been amazing. It's been awhile since my last post so I'll try to give a quick recap of everything that has happened since then. I had another house party back in May when some friends in LA were in town. It was another incredible party with lots of action, including several celebrities. Marcelo D2 and Seu Jorge, two of Brazil's most popular music artists, showed up to the excitement of everyone. They were in town filming a music video and had heard about the party so they decided to stop by (how cool is that?). It was great having them there and as with any event when celebrities are in the house, the energy always cranks up a bit, which was amazing. Each party keeps getting better so I'm going to have to come up with something extra special next time. Anyone have Justin Timberlake's phone number?

A few weeks ago I went to Curitiba with a group of friends for a legendary costume party. The party has been going on for twelve years, and everyone talks about it like it's the Holy Grail of costume parties. Therefore, I had no choice but to go, right? Well, all I can say is that it lived up to the hype. There were probably 4,000 people there, and it was an absolute show. There was incredible music, strippers (guys and girls), midgets, amazing costumes, and pretty much everything else you can imagine. I have never been to a costume party like that in my life, and I'm pretty sure that I will never see another like it so I'm super glad that I went. Outside of the party aspect, I really enjoyed being in Curitiba. It's known as the most progressive and green city of Brazil. I actually was there last year but only for a day so I didn't get to really see the city. This time we stayed in Batel, which is considered the nicest of the neighborhoods there. The thing that I was really impressed by were the restaurants. We went to this area that has about six super cool places right next to each other each with their own theme: Russian, Mexican, Irish, American, Asian, etc. We went to three of the restaurants and each had at least a 45 minute wait to eat. That would NEVER happen in Floripa. It was just very cool to see that the restaurant business is booming there with lots and lots of people out spending money. Now if only we could get that in Floripa!!!!!

This last weekend in Floripa I had the chance to enjoy Winter Play. Winter Play is basically a three day party up in Jurerê. Literally thousands of people from all over Brazil come here from this thing. It's an expensive party so I decided not to go on Friday, but I did end up going on Saturday. Let me tell you, you've never been to a party (and I realize that I say that a lot!) until you've been to this thing. It would be difficult to explain here. It's essentially just thousands of people all staying in two hotels just going for it the entire weekend. What I can say is that it's worth the trip if you ever make it. For those of you with Facebook, I just posted a few videos so you can get a feel for the vibe by checking them out there. Just don't cry that you missed it. All you can do is make sure that you come next year!

Now that winter has set in here, I am making my annual trip to the U.S. I will be leaving on June 30th and returning to Floripa on July 21st. I will be heading to LA, San Francisco, Scottsdale, and NY. It's always great to get to spend time with family and friends so I'm definitely looking forward to it. The tough part is trying to manage to see everyone in such a short span, but I will do my best as always. The one funny thing is that I always miss Floripa the second that I leave. It's like no other place that I've ever been. So, while I'm very happy to be coming back to the U.S., I know that deep down Floripa will be seducing me back. And what can I do? It's the honeymoon that never stops...

Custard's Last Stand

After almost six months straight of visitors, it's hard to believe that I'm on the final stretch and I will be going back to "normal" life very soon. You have to understand that it's hard to continue doing your day to day routine with a friend (or friends for that matter) in town. You basically throw your routine out the window. You might be able to squeeze in a few errands here and there but essentially you're doing just enough to get by so that your life doesn't fall completely apart. And sleep? Well, that's not really an option. Tuesday night and you want to be mellow? Forget about it. We're going out! Sunday night, movie night? Yeah right! El Divino here we come! I used to live in a city (San Francisco) where I used to have a lot of visitors, but it's so much different here. What I realized several months ago is that people coming down to Brazil are coming here completely blind, and when you throw in the language barrier, you realize just how much guidance guests need. It's a 24-hour job with no breaks. But the thing is is that I want my friends and family that come here to like Floripa as much as I do. A lot of people, especially my family, must have wondered what kind of place would have made me make such a leap of faith. Therefore, it's very important for me to "show off" Floripa as much as I can when I am lucky enough to have my family and friends down here. Now if only I could find a way to get paid for this.....

I never had a chance to write about it after he left, but I think it's safe to say that my Dad REALLY enjoyed Floripa. I can't say that I was worried that my Dad wouldn't like it, but of course you never know. The one thing I was a little concerned about is that Floripa, like the rest of Brazil, runs on a different time schedule, if you will, than we are accostumed to in the United States. My Dad is one of those people that really engages in that promptness. However, my Dad couldn't have been cooler during his time here. He went with the flow in a big way, and we ended up having a great time. There was lots of tennis, lots of beach time, and of course a few parties. I think what my Dad appreciated most about this area is how green, lush, and protected the environment is. My house is literally surrounded by a lush forest, and my Dad loved that. We ended his trip here with an unbelievable night at P12. It was a proper send off, and I think he left here with all smiles. Actually, I take that back. He definitely left here all smiles. Just look at the pictures!

Last week one of my closest friends was in town. It was really great having him in town. It goes without saying that the hardest thing about living down here is being so far away from family and friends. And no matter how many great new friends I have made here, it's impossible to replicate those friendships that have been created over many, many years (and even decades at this point). As usual, we had a great time. We are definitely in the "off-season" of Floripa by now, but my buddy is married with a kid on the way so it was a good combination. Summer time in Floripa might be a little bit of an overload for a married guy, and God knows I don't want to be responsible for that!!!!

As my final days of visitors comes to an end, I look back at the last six months with many incredible memories that were only made better because I shared these moments with the people that I love. It's been one hell of a stretch, and honestly I can't believe that I survived with minimal wreckage (although I'm sure my liver would completely disagree). Floripa has been my Little Big Horn and the parties have been my Sitting Bull. But now it's time to get back to focusing on my life and my work and the new things that are hopefully on the horizon. But for those that know me, you understand that I couldn't go out quietly. Therefore, I will be hosting one more house party tonight. If you're going to go out, you HAVE to go out with a bang! Truer words were never spoken.....