Nuff said…

That’s Tony, Me, and Rob.

Everyday more and more places of business open up and it’s a welcome sight. The pictures above were taken at my friend, Jason’s, bar called Aquabeach. It’s across from the Marriott on Seven Mile Beach. The jerk stands are popping up everywhere as well, so plenty of good food everywhere we go now.

This morning I saw the power guys on the street that leads to our condo complex! Maybe power the beginning of next week? We’ll have to see…

Today is filled with accounting…we are making the first bank run since the hurricane so the books are gonna be messy for about two days. I’ll be hammering numbers and getting things in line so that October is smooth as the green apple splatters.

Keep on hitting HURRICANEIVAN.ky”>HURRICANEIVAN.ky. In one week we have raised $2000! I’m so happy for the support everyone has shown us!

electricity = $0 (there is none)

Bottle of
Shiraz = $0 (found floating in hurricane surge waters)

Nights in
heat with
no sleep = $0 (but AT LEAST three years off my life)

Me in a
Sarong
Skirt on the
internet? = PRICELESS

I’ve been told numerous (ask my mother) times throughout my life that I don’t take things seriously enough. As I sit in my condo on week three with no power and I still maintain the ability to make Wendi laugh, I finally have to agree with the above statement. I’ve always stuck close to my belief that life is unpredictable, sometimes cruel, but always fun.

Wendi and I sat up last night for hours by the kerosene lamp playing Scrabble. Sure I debated that ‘ack’ and ‘wo’ were proper words and we may have bickered a bit over that, but overall we are making the best out of this situation. She has been having horrible nightmares about the storm and specifically me drowning and me getting blown away. In her dreams I am always trying to help someone and I never return to her. I sat up at three in the morning on Monday under the full moon and could really see how that had beaten into her psyche. That’s just who I am.

What is our life worth if we don’t take time to help each other? What’s the point of living our 70 odd average years if you live them stressed and you have more headaches than laughs with friends and family? This experience is making me really miss my friends and my family. The love and letters I have received recently have been more than I can even count and help to make my days brighter. I’m saddened everytime I run into people who ALREADY have returned to their ‘pre-storm’ selves and no longer have that spirit of giving, listening, and helping. I believe, and always have believed, that I will always be successful in my life not because I stress every minute of every day about everything, but because I continue to laugh. I continue to laugh…I continue to smile at everyone I pass…and I continue to help as many as I can. That’s why life is good.

The new car’s got at least 20′s…bling bling

***Wendi pimps the new ride in style…Notice the form, and lack of doors, tires, windsheild, A/C, and everything else that makes a car…***

***Bobby checks the alignment and brake fluid levels…this sucks***

World Famous Seven Mile Beach > September 25, 2004

Don’t forget that all my images of clean up and disaster can still be viewed and are updated daily at hurricaneivan.ky“>hurricaneivan.ky. I have raised $1000 dollars for relief efforts from the site in just three days!!!

We got running water at the condo on Friday night and I’ve never been happier. I can now shower two or three times a night when I wake up a sweaty sticky mess. We may even have power as early as next weekend making it only three weeks without power. That’d be sweet, but I’m not holding my breath.

Everyday we make leaps and bounds on this island and it is really shaping up day by day. Everyone you run into and ask, “how are you doing?” typically responds with, “day by day and project by project”…

I’m going to head out with my metal detector later this afternoon and help out some friends whose belongings are all now buried three feet under sand, to find some stuff…