I must confess, I never dated a stewardess. I will add it to my To Do list. Right underneath date a girl named Coco. (Never did that either.)
My doctor agreed to let me extend my weekend vacation to six weeks.
Back at the hut, I have a housekeeper and two alternating cooks, dozens of friends who will check in on me. And a beach a walk away. Thus, I have the support group, fresh air, and sun that I need.
My best friend Titi, has started the process of finding a nurse who will make weekly visits. He assured me she would be young, pretty, and single.
While they were here, my daughter Cat and my ex Ally enjoyed using my debit cards (with my permission) as I rested, purchasing clothing online for my future vacations. Thankfully, they know my choice and tastes in designers and stores. The clothes were shipped last week.
Thus, I am traveling with a boarding pass, passport, and my laptop.
This resting and building my strength trip will be all about the three B’s.
1- Baptism
2- Beach
3- Books. Continue working on my current novel of eternal love and reincarnation and prep my sci-fi love story Paradox (written in boths forms novel & screenplay) for marketing to literary agents and Hollywood.
Will also do my best to surround myself with women. Hey! Man does not live by beach alone. I think some wise man said that.
The Beach Boy promises poetry and open comments on Monday.
Seriously, did you really think the Beach Boy didn’t have one last adventure in him? Today, I am flying to the Dominican Republic for a three month writing retreat/vacation.
Question: Who wrote the following? A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.
The first week, I will be staying at exclusive 7,000 acre resort Casa de Campo. It is a great golfing resort. President Bill Clinton just stayed there in July. The resort’s theatre was opened with an exclusive concert by with performers Frank Sinatra , Buddy Rich, Heart. and Santana (Aug 20, 1982).
On my last vacation I chased whales. The itinerary for this trip begins with the exploration of the 100,000 year old Las Maravillas Caves, where long before Chistopher Columbus arrived, the Taino Indians left pictographs on the walls.
Altos de Chavón is a replica 16th century Mediterrean village which serves as a cultural center for students, tourists, and artists from around the world. St. Stanislaus church is a stone building in the center of the village. Consecrated in 1979, Pope John Paul II sent the ashes of Poland’s patron saint, St. Stanislaus, and a hand-carved statue from Krakow to commemorate the church’s inauguration.
Of course, I will be spending time with my goddaughter Dibel (a.k.a. Lily) and so many friends.
I will stick to my regular blogging schedule Monday and Thursday (comment closed)
Answer: Charlie Chaplin wrote these words in his diary.
A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.
As I said right before my vacation, jobs fill our pockets. Adventures fill our souls. My first 5 days in the Dominican Republic were at a beach resort to relieve my stress. This was the view outside my balcony.
There was nightly entertainment. On the second night 8 professional dancers selected 4 men and 4 women from the audience to compete in a Dancing With the Stars competition. Yes, I was selected. When I survived the first five rounds (rock & roll, the twist, hip hop, lambada, and salsa) I thought I had a chance. The last two elimination rounds were the typical island dances; merengue and bachata (my forte). At the end of the competition I was called back onto the stage to receive my award (a bottle of rum) and I pulled a hamstring. The very next day I received Swedish massage to ease my pain.
One of the reasons I went to the island was to see the humpback whales. These whales come every winter from as far away as northern Canada and Norway. This is a single female flirting and letting the males know she is free. The white on their tails are like our fingerprints. No two whales are alike.
Here I captured two males crashing into one another as they fought for the attention and right to be with the female. In all, there were four males fighting for the lone female. I guess she had an amazing tail.
This is my goddaughter Dibel (proounced Dee-bell). We spent plenty of time together shopping, beaching, and playing. Now, the peculiar thing about Dibel is she swears her parents gave her the wrong name. She insists her name was supposed to be Lily. So, I always make sure to call her Lily.
My good firiend Luis has a slight resemeblence to actor Daniel Craig. After years of teasing him about it, I put it to a test. One night in a beach bar, I turned on the charm and convinced two lovely ladies that Luis is James Bond’s stunt double. Well, after a wonderful night of dancing, laughing, and drinking, the two ladies left the bar with 007’s stunt double. Lonely Author went back to his room alone.
Because of the wedding, I had the opportunity to stay at this private resort for two nights. This was the table where I had breakfast and did some writing.
My long time followers recognize Ally. We spent some time together at the 75th birthday party and at the beach wedding.
I had the chance to dine at two mountainside restaurants. This one Aroma De La Montaña (Aroma of the Mountain) has a revolving floor which gave us spectacular views while me and my friends dined.
Ah, the wedding. It was my first time being a bestman. I had plenty of fun dancing and mingling. I recited poetry (English and Spanish) during the bestman speech at the celebration.
Sadly, I said goodbye to two old dear friends Maria (95) and Tato (93). Hope they will still be there when I return.
Here is a peek at one of the orange sunsets.
Life is about the memories we make. And the memories waiting to be made. So, go out there and make some memories of your own.
A quick announcement. Lonely Author is off to his next adventure. Today I am flying to the inviting beaches of the Dominican Republic. My first week, will be at a beach resort. Now, check this out, the main pool has a bar. I never have to leave the pool to get my mojito.
Please note: I will be blogging through this vacation. I won’t be able to read every post, but I will make sure to touch each and every one of you. Also, I will be posting once a week during this time.
This year I fulfill one of my lifetime goals. Every January through March, the hump back whales of the North Atlantic, travel to the waters of a beach town called Samana. Here, pregnant whales give birth. All other whales find a mate. This ritual of turning these waters into a singles bar/maternity ward has been going on for ages. I have already booked my seat on one of these touring vessels to get a first hand look.
Now, this vacay won’t only be about whale watching, For the first time in my life, I will be the best man at a wedding, Also, will be seeing my beloved God daughter (now 6). Will attend a 75th birthday celebration. Then, there is Carnival. But most importantly, after my stay at the resort, the rest of the trip will be used as a writing retreat to concentrate on my manuscript.
I want to thank a special someone who read my first chapter and ignited a passion within me that will carry me through to completion (whenever that is).
I want to apologize for being late with my blog reading and responding to comments. I have been coordinating the birthday and wedding celebrations from New York. A very stressful task.
Also, whenever I travel to the Dominican Republic I prepare a care package for the poor. These 3 boxes contain used clothes, canned good, and toys that I collected from friends. One family on the island had their stove stolen recently. Miraculously I was able to find someone replacing their used stove upstate, so these friends will have a place to cook. All of these items and some other used furniture were shipped last week and will be waiting for me to distribute it upon my arrival.
One final thought……
Jobs fill our pockets.
Adventures fill our souls.
My friends, get out there and enjoy this beautiful life.
My next post will be on Thursday, February 14th. (You really didn’t think I would miss Valentine’s Day, did you?)
And to my inspiring muse……my first mojito will be in your honor.
The Lonely Author 