the last weeks

i have returned from my tour of the eastern caribbean. actually, i returned a week ago. i decided that during last week both ripping down all signs of the holidays and laying on the ground face-up were more important than writing. i was also fighting off some sort of disease i most likely picked up on some island somewhere. it made me feel tired and crave rum. i did make it to a party for the new year at a nice house in shadyside. three stories high, this place had a college-like first floor with pool, beirut, and shuffleboard tables, as well as a wooden bar. the second floor was clean and furnished, with another kitchen like it was a separate apartment. the third floor consisted of a long multipurpose room and a catwalk that overlooked the second floor. it was impressive. i spent most of the night drinking champagne from the bottle and playing beirut. it appears i still have the skills i acquired in college. the blurriness of the late evening attests to that.

the vacation was relaxing and tame. i caught up on my reading and sudoku puzzles. i stared at the ocean for hours listening to michael mcdonald and the mary jane girls. i visited some islands and learned about the general history of tourism. i also saw the hospital where anna nicole smith’s son died. i wished a native happy holidays. i laid on a beach in a bay where i could collect my thoughts. i listened to jazz at night in a faux-ivory room. i found the elusive balance between winning and losing in the casino. i can’t help but think that this may be the last family vacation i attend.