Grand Cayman - the beginning

So, Krystal and I have just started our 7th anniversary trip. This is the longest vacation we've ever taken. We'll be on Grand Cayman, in the Cayman Islands (just south of Cuba), for 15 days!!! Holy crap. This is gonna be great! Especially considering we both worked our asses to the bone in the weeks prior to vacation.

So, we left on Saturday at about 5:30 in the morning. We flew through Dallas and Miami and then on to Grand Cayman. It was a long day of travel. But, since Krystal flies every week, we were able to upgrade to first class all the way. And, during our layovers, we were able to chill and relax in the American Airlines Admiral's Club areas of the airport. Very cushy travel.

The airport in Miami was kinda shitty. Most of the restaurants and shops were outside of the terminals and outside security. So, we just hung out for a few hours. We did see this, which was very beautiful and too big to get in one picture:











That was pretty cool.

So, we made it to Grand Cayman on Saturday night at around 8PM. Since we arrived after dark, we decided we better take a cab to the condo and get our rental car the next day. Driving is on the left side of the road, and the island is much bigger than the last few islands we've visited. I didn't want to tackle that kind of driving for the first time in the dark.

Man... Our condo is fantastic. We're staying RIGHT ON THE BEACH!!! It's like a luxury apartment. Here are some pics:


the bedroom


the living room


the living room


the kitchen


the hall


the TV

That TV came in really handy for the Super Bowl. We don't follow NFL football at all. But, the Super Bowl always happens on our anniversary trip. And, it's something of a tradition for us to get some lobster pizza and island beer and watch it. Problem is, all grocery and liquor stores on Grand Cayman are closed on Sundays. So, we went out to a beach bar on Sunday afternoon and talked them into selling us some beers "to go". There's also a great service here called Fine Dine In. They're similar to Oklahoma's Dining Express, except that they'll deliver from basically any restaurant on the island. So, we got our beers and seafood pizza. Check out this food:


the pizza and salad. pizza looks good, huh? how 'bout a closer look?


dang. fish, lobster, shrimp, scallops, and calamari! still want a closer look? thought so.


whoa!

Here's the Cayman beer I had for Super Bowl. Caybrew!



So, today, on Monday, our anniversary, we went out and snorkeled a bunch. We probably swam a half a mile, against the current. I'll be sore as hell tomorrow. Then, we went to a restaurant on the water to have some great lunch. We had an appetizer of conch, pounded, breaded and fried. Krystal had a grilled Mahi Mahi and Yucca fries. Yum!! I had a conch ceviche. Damn, it was good. We forgot to take the camera to lunch. But, here are some iPhone pics from the dock:





That's it for now! More pics soon!

Ian Curtis for a day!

So, as the clock struck midnight, on December 8, how was I ringing in my 35th birthday? I was pretending to be Ian Curtis!



My friends are playing in a Joy Division tribute band for a Christmas party. But, the guy who's gonna sing for them is in Chicago until a few days before the show. So, I volunteered to act as stand-in for Matt/Ian Curtis for a Sunday night practice. Wow! What a good time!

The band has taken on a lot with this project. But, they sounded fantastic! And, it was a real treat to get lost in the music for a couple of hours. We did lots of great songs. Off the top of my head, we did Atmosphere, She's Lost Control, Walked in Line, Isolation, Shadowplay, Ceremony, Digital, Love Will Tear Us Apart, and Dead Souls.

Today, I've got lunch with my parents. Then, this evening, some Scar Party recording. Can't wait! I'm sad that Krystal has to be in Connecticut for work. But, we had a great weekend, and another one coming up this weekend.