A Little Time Off

Sex and the Beach has been inactive for about three weeks. It was my intention to finish writing the St. Augustine segment of Trail of the Pirates over the holidays and in a grand stroke of irony, I had to fly up to the Ancient City at the last minute. My folks were traveling here and were hospitalized for an emergency health situation. I really thought I was going to lose both my parents. It was scary.

To make the long story short, I'm still in St. Augustine. Folks are back in Miami being tended to by my siblings while I take a couple of days off -- it has been a harrowing experience with little sleep for almost a week. I've got to drive back on Thursday. Oh joy.

Anyway, while I recover here, I'm doing some business networking, possibly some guest lecturing at the college and collecting more material for the pirate series.

Regular posting should resume next week, but it all depends on how much care my parents need.

Hope everyone had a blessed and happy holiday. If the new year starts off so crappy, it can only get better, right?

On a side note, I'd just like to add how wonderful people in general, friends, business contacts and hospital staff have been in St. Augustine. Once you're out of Miami, those random smiles, courtesies from strangers and all that "small town" friendliness really stands out. It's starting to grow on me. Life is so different here.

And a heaping serving of gratitude goes out to those of you who have sent well wishes, thoughts and prayers. All the love I've gotten from my personal friends and social media acquaintances has been consistent and rock solid. Of course my siblings and I have stuck together, but having this "extended family" communicating via social networks has been a beautiful gift of support. I am truly blessed.