What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

MLK weekend came round and we made our way out to Las Vegas again. Every year Mark has the footie tournament for the "old crocks" - teams are over 45 and over 50. Mark still kicks a ball around and so competed with the over 50's team. This is a bunch of old mates from Virginia who feel compelled every winter to don their boots and shin guards, stock up on Aleve and prepare for copious amounts of alcohol, late nights and long days. This year didn't disappoint with its usual trials and tribulations of disappearing players (AWOL), mystery injuries (after a hard night at the tables) and boisterous team talks (that no on listens to).

Vegas really is a kooky, surreal place. A real, live Sodom and Gomorrah: if God is looking down he must be saying "I'm warning you guys, you know what happened last time." It is an exciting, effervescent town but you can only take a weekend of it before you're wishing to be turned into a pillar of salt. For all its sins, we had a blast. The Cabrellis don't gamble but that didn't diminish at all from the enjoyment. We really enjoyed the footie during the day and the glitter during the night. We had the added delight this year by having our great friend, Grant, making his way out. It was tremendous to see him again and hopefully we get together again sometime over the summer.

Oh, the football - here's a pic of Mark in action. Enough said about the tournament result me thinks - in all decency that should stay in Vegas.

Happy New Year!

Yes that's Emily behind all that sparkle!

It is a beautiful New Year's Day 2010. Two years ago, having just begun our Bahamas adventure, we hitch-hiked downtown from our brand new home that had no furniture, no water, no electricity, a lot of dirt and a lot of very large resident cockroaches (yuck!) We caught the very end of the Junkanoo celebration and felt as though we had moved to another planet. Everything was new, a challenge and strange. It seems like yesterday, it seems like forever ago.

These past two years have challenged us - both as a family and individuals. Emily had to adapt to a new school and culture. Mark stressed over having too much time on his hands. I had to deal with a myriad of business challenges. All of us had to adapt to "life on the rock".

The Bahamas (and this house) are now very much our home. I am currently sitting out on our back patio looking out over the gently rolling warm ocean, listening to the splash of the pool waterfall. There's not another sound except for the wind rustling the palm leaves. It's warm and sunny and I am still in my pajamas :-)

We are very, very fortunate to have had the opportunity for such an adventure. We got here because we had goals and targets and we never took our eyes off of them no matter what. We love The Bahamas - we have amazing friends here, Mark's enjoying his work, our business is growing, Emily loves her school, Mark has football, I have book club, Emily has endless sleep-overs and a real BFF. But... now we know that we want a different high-school experience for Emily, it's time to dust off those goals and targets.

The year ahead is going to be the most important year ever for our business. I will need to hunker down here and focus every ounce of energy and passion on achieving the (as I think of it now) seemingly impossible. While I am working on the business our family will also be working on planning the next few years together. And as we have learned - once we know where we are going - we are bound to get there.

I wonder what's next...