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Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Who is really your friend when it comes to social media?

I have lost three old friends over the last couple of years. Not in a physical sense. They are still very much alive. I lost them on account of social media.

There are those that say something gets lost in translation with the disparity between the typed word and personal conversation. While that may be true, this was not the case when it came to these three individuals. The social media interactions that led to the friendship collapses revealed one surprising revelation only. The other two were in retrospect, tentative friendships at best, marked by thinly-veiled resentments evident from day one. On to the cases in point:

Ex-friend number one was a band mate from nearly forty years ago. We parted ways when I left a band destined to play bars and frat parties forever, and the band leaders were not in the least interested in recording, or taking things to the next level. Despite an association with an agency that built the careers of Christopher Cross and Stevie Ray Vaughn (playing the same circuit that gave rise to their popularity), the polarizing difference was a song list full of copy music; 1980’s drivel.

Prior to that group was one I led, and I had us on a mission to stardom. We invested every spare dollar in recording, and the resulting EP was to be our stepping stone to a recording contract. The problem was, only two of the four other members were actually on board with my plan. One was fearful he would be cut in the contract process, and the other never felt comfortable with our original material, perhaps sharing that same fear of dismissal that the next level might bring. They also believed they were much smarter than I; second-guessing every move I made and finding glory in mistakes that would invariably be made by a 22 year-old band leader.

These two factors made me dismissive towards them. My focus was on the two songwriters in the group. Although they had distinctively different styles and influences, there was a fusion-like quality that was also distinctive; like nothing else out there.

You would think the naysayers would be one of the people I had to unceremoniously drop from my circle of online friends, right? Not so. It was one of the songwriters.

He inquired about the master tapes that never made their way to vinyl, and I still had them. I shipped them off to LA (where he now resides), and he mastered them in the hopes of making some money off the finished project. And although we still had a couple of hundred admirers who associated that group with the best years of their lives, their interest in the music was limited to paying for postage at best. Just hearing the songs again on our “like” page was enough for most, if not all of them.

Fast-forward to the tipping point: A last-minute excursion to the city where we first met quickly escalated to a live performance reunion. Everyone was all in except for this disappointed individual. A free plane ticket was offered, as well as a place to stay. Food was not a factor either. He was adamant in his refusal to attend, so we carried on in his absence, performing a couple of songs from the never-released EP, plus quite a few new ones from the songwriter who was still active in the music industry.

An obligatory band picture was (of course), taken and I assembled a “then and now” photo, Photoshopping the missing member into the “now” shot with the only available 38 year-old photo (his social media profile does not have a photo less than 35 years old).

That’s when the trouble started. He sent me an email, saying he had a screenwriter interested in my novels. This was exciting news indeed, but it was quickly followed by a request to take the collage picture down. It was not long after that when the reunion-attending band member sent me an email excerpt from a candid, private conversation between the now-angry non-attendee and myself concerning the direction he was taking with his continuing musical career. My remarks would have been hurtful, but we had already discussed this very subject personally while we were there. It was old news, and a subject that was explained to me in the context of his current location. “Red Dirt” music is all the rage in Texas these days, and my friend was simply following the money trail. This genre was unbeknownst to me, and I experienced it for myself the following year when I was privileged to perform with this gentleman in Texas the following year.

The screenplay offer was, of course, fake, and concocted in an effort to humiliate me (as was the copy and pasted private email conversation). To this day, I don’t know what set this guy off. Perhaps he has not aged well (which would explain no current pictures). His ex let me know he was nearly homeless, despite posts about upcoming recording projects and endless pictures of a large hill he owned a part of.

But the root in full retrospect seems to be a perception that I ruined his career before his 25th birthday. Although that sounds ludicrous, it is the only reasonable conclusion I could reach. Perhaps he would have been plucked from small-town obscurity had we never met. Most likely not, and he was also still a very young man when we parted ways so many years’ ago. It’s hard to blame yourself when your dreams don’t come true for some. I have never had that problem.

Anyway, the onslaught of venom ended our friendship forever. Delete delete delete. Gone. Good luck with that attitude buddy.

Ex-friend number two was a friendship of much shorter duration. My first “real job” was with a manufacturing company with a very rich and very eccentric founder and president. He took an immediate liking to me, and I quickly became part of his inner circle, which consisted of a female office manager, an accountant, and me. His loyalty to them shielded them from any disciplinary action over caustic remarks, and they were frequently aimed at me. Still, I regarded them as friends, despite hurtful remarks about my looks and rude body English, like turning their backs to me during a conversation to let me know in no uncertain terms I was always to be considered an outsider; a mere lackey in the presence of royalty. The affinity between my boss and I grew, and with it their resentment.

When this founder of the company was ousted in a hostile takeover, the accountant was immediately fired and the office manager soon after that. I was laid off (as were several others when the news of his ouster spread and the business began to tank), but returned to perform the jobs of three people who were not brought back less than a year later.

Nearing retirement, the office manager was beyond distraught. Her former boss did find her a job elsewhere, but she reportedly performed poorly, and finally quit over her religious beliefs (as good an excuse for anyone who is no longer interested in working).

I was a pillar of moral support through her tough times; her constant worry over an early retirement soothed by encouraging messages and phone calls. She and her husband both survived early termination, however, and the days of contentment resumed.

That’s when the trouble started. I have a stunningly beautiful daughter, and any photo post of her on social media invariably led to a comment of disbelief that someone with my looks could possibly have sired such a beautiful creature. I made light of it the first time. The second time, my wife became enraged by the comment and I called her out over it. She apologized, saying I misconstrued her meaning. Her insults from the past told me otherwise, but I considered the matter closed when I directly addressed it.

Not long after that, she did it again! Although comments like these were met with glee with her audience of one back in the office days, backhanded compliments aimed to once again point out I was ugly for an audience of over 700 pushed me to the limit. Three strikes, you’re out lady.

Ex-friend number three was by far the longest friendship, but the circumstances were quite similar to ex-friend #2. This woman has done wonderful things for many in her life, but she is also well known for bad-mouthing people behind their backs. Anyone that thinks they are exempt from this unsavory trait is being naïve, but her friends try to keep this out of their minds when she skewers mutual friends in private conversation.

She also lost her job unexpectedly, and again I took the role of team lead in her support group. Encouraging texts and phone calls emphasized not giving up hope. Things will look up. Keep moving forward. She seemed very appreciative.

That is, until she found another job. When she announced this on social media, I exclaimed “You are back!” in a comment. “I am back?” was her reply. WTH? Was this statement hard to understand? It seemed like an effort to make me look stupid. I took it in stride, but I was nonetheless confused.

Then the attacks started. My every post was met with a snarky comment by this friend. Anatomy was frequently the context of her remarks. They became so prevalent; I began to dread a notification from her on my posts.

Despite my humorous responses to these comments, the attacks continued, finally culminating in a very personal degrading reference to my anatomy (a subject to which she would have absolutely no personal knowledge). Rather than go on the attack in front of hundreds of people, I confronted her privately, asking if she would really like to get into anatomy with me on a public forum. She is a large woman, and in similar fashion to her comment, I implied it with enough words to make it clear anyone could interpret this easily, as they would her comments directed at me.

Shocked and hurt beyond words, she played it out in true passive-aggressive style, making herself the victim with cryptic memes about someone she always defended turning out to be just as others perceived them; a cold-hearted prick, disliked by just about everyone in our circle. This was not only pure nonsense, it also a continuation of the insults without the benefit of being able to post it directly in the form of a comment on my social media profile. I offered the olive branch, which was ignored. I blocked her posts so I wouldn’t have to read them anymore. Finally, after seeing each other at local events and watching her look through me and interrupt my conversations with mutual friends with various tactics, I decided that this one too, would have to go.

Everyone who knows this woman has been on her shit list from time to time. We often laugh about it. But we all somehow fall back into her good graces…typically when she needs something from us. I’m getting too old to play that waiting game. So long!

The purpose of this diatribe is more than catharsis for me. It merely points out that although I may have a lot of friends on social media with whom I will never develop a rapport, I have others who became close friends without personal introduction, and I have gone on to meet them personally, and will hopefully meet others sometime in the future.

My point is; yes, a lot of my social media friends are not “real friends”

But I have also found that some of my real friends were not really friends at all.


And it took social media for me to finally figure that out.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

10 reasons why you should never visit St. Martin

1. That brutal sunshine.
That cloud in the distance hasn’t moved in four hours! I went a month back home without seeing the sun once. How can you possibly expect me to adjust to this?


2. No consistency to accommodations.
I wanted an ocean high rise and got one. What is with all these quaint charming places with amazing views? Stop confusing me here!

3. The food prices are outrageous.
A full plate of grilled ribs, four sides, and a Carib for $13 bucks? You have got to be kidding me! And while we’re on the subject, what the heck is a Carib?

4. Too many beaches.
Look, when I book a vacation, I want to have a single beach to call my own. I don’t like hearing there are 30 or so others I need to visit. And the water is way too blue. I think they put food coloring in it.

5. There are pirates everywhere.
Mean, nasty, evil pirates, slogging down every drop of rum on the island. And it costs a third of what I pay back home, so they must want them here (hic).

6. Seriously, what’s so exciting about sitting on a beach and watching planes land?
OMG! I thought that one was going to take off my head! I better take cover at the bar. And why are all the woman at this bar topless? Egad!


7. Not enough fast food.
What’s with all this grilled snapper, lobster, and prime rib? I shouldn’t have to drive more than a mile for a whopper.

8. While we’re on the subject of beaches, one of them is full of naked people!
Heathens! I went there once just to see it with my own eyes. Okay, I went there six times.

9. Those annoying sunsets.
Every night, it’s like a rainbow exploded in my face. I swear they’re going to trigger a seizure eventually.

10. Excessive smiling.
All this friendliness from all these different cultures, all getting along so well is unnerving. These people must be up to something. There is definitely something sinister behind those grins.

Oh, and one more thing. Unnecessary diversions!


Watersports, excursions to neighboring islands, and hiking to secluded beaches is just too much for one vacation. Now we have to come back again. Dammit!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Take a trip over the border and explore French St. Martin


In responses to my Facebook posts from our island adventures, it became apparent to me that an old friend who has been to the island many more times than I had never really gotten out and explored everything “the rock” has to offer. She and her husband had never taken the hike to Happy Bay, never climbed to the top of Fort Louis to take in the spectacular view of Marigot, and never enjoyed the fine cuisine found in Marigot, Grand Case, and Orient Village. “You are missing out,” I told her. Although the Dutch side holds many attractions all its own, the French side experience is decidedly more European in its culture and “feel” (do I state the obvious?).

For us, a trip to Port de la Royale is mandatory for a late lunch after spending a beach day at Baie Rouge or Cupecoy. Just a short walk from a spacious parking area, it is tucked into the Simpson Bay Lagoon where Marigot “proper” begins. A three-sided boardwalk surrounds the end of the lagoon with a large number of restaurants. You have your choice of open-air dining or inside dining at most (if not all) establishments. A beautiful young lady or entertaining gentleman waits outside each one to draw you in to sample their respective cuisines.
Take a table near the docks and relax as the dinghies bring in folks from their yachts, or enjoy the people watching as others stroll the boardwalk. We like to debate whether the impeccably dressed woman casually walking by is a celebrity or famous model…you never know who may show up there.

The variety of dining choices is near endless, from lobster-stuffed chicken filet to submarine sandwiches (on banquette of course); we have never been disappointed on our visits to this port.
Once you exit the Marigot area, you will encounter rolling hills and pastures with grazing cows, along with goats and chickens carefully navigating the edge of the roads. Look for a left turn just past the small airport to arrive in Grand Case, a wonderful area with a lively street scene. There is parking available in a large lot and the narrow avenue is resplendent with restaurants and shops; again, an excellent opportunity to stroll and take in the French Island culture. The variety of epicurean delights is far greater than you might expect, with fine French cuisine to simple, yet tasty (and completely affordable) grilled fish, chicken, and ribs found at the outdoor Lolos that overlook the Grand Case beach.

Any establishment on the water offers a spectacular sunset; it is a good opportunity to take photos of your significant others with a breathtaking backdrop. Some places are energetic and crowded with locals, while others are quietly sophisticated. You can peruse the menus on signs posted outside most restaurants to decide what you are in the mood for while browsing the merchandise in an artist’s studio or learning to make your own perfume. Grand Case is a must-do every time we visit St. Martin.

Another area we favor is Orient Village, where we always feel we have been transported to a small town somewhere in France. The large courtyard behind the Orient Beach resorts features just a few restaurants with a great variety of cultural specialties and some of the friendliest staff you will ever encounter anywhere. Sit back and enjoy the open-air dining while watching the progress of a game of Pétanque on the gravel quad or listening to live music (not loud) on a stage in the center of this square. A completely relaxing and delightful “old world” experience.

I have since convinced my friend to stray from their timeshare on the Dutch side and get out and enjoy everything French St. Martin has to offer. There is much more to explore than simply Orient Beach for a day trip. Bon Appétit my friends!


Tim Stelma, contributing writer and author of the Happy Bay Novel series.

 click here to find out more about the Happy Bay book series

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Kindle is King

Kindle is still the king of eBooks and Amazon is the place to find the Happy Bay Book Trilogy. You can locate all three on my Amazon Author Page:amazon.com/author/tstelma


Monday, June 23, 2014

International Review

Here is a nice review from a St. Martin resident on the Happy Bay Book Series.
Click for review
Available worldwide online. All formats of eBook and softcover.
How to Order

Friday, June 20, 2014

This is not a paid celebrity endorsement

Another satisfied customer. Thanks Kim!
Today at 6:32pm
Just finished the third and final book in the Happy Bay Series. Here is the absolute truth. I first bought all of them because T. Stelma is my best friend's cousin and I wanted to support his efforts. But when I started the first book, I was hooked. I'm a very diligent reader and read many books a week. These books have everything you could want. Suspense, murder, fashion, sex and rock and roll! And at such a reasonable price (underpriced if you ask me). So, go out and buy these books! You'll be glad you did. And you'll be impatiently waiting for him to write more. I'm not gonna lie, I was happily surprised. I don't know why since I know Tim is a creative guy, but I was. Make these books part of your summer reading. Don't miss out!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Beach reads

I know what a lot of folks in St. Martin are going to be reading on the beach next week. Sandy Ground. If you can't make it to the beach just yet, lose yourself in this trio of island adventures from the comfort of your home. $8.97 gets you all three eBooks. www.happybaynovel.com has all the links for whatever tablet you might have.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Number #1

Sandy Ground is #1 in romantic Caribbean suspense-mystery-action with a little beach whoopee (okay, so I created my own category).
www.happybaynovel.com

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Here is a live webcam link to the world famous clothing optional Orient Beach, setting for the novel Happy Bay.

Orient Beach Webcam

Amazon author page

Kindle editions of Happy Bay and Cole Bay Band are $2.99@

Sunday, October 13, 2013

A non-swingers experience at Hedo III (before they closed)



Hedo III Trip Report 2007

First of all, I'm not going to bore you with every detail. Let it suffice to say that we rode a plane, we rode a bus. We ate good food, we drank good drinks, and we slept in a clean room, blah de blah blah. Let's get down to business.

Saturday

We didn't get in until around 5:30 p.m. and our surroundings looked typical enough at check in. Beyond the lobby was an outdoor area featuring a large square tile bar. People stood or sat around the bar drinking and conversing. Some were in swimsuits, others in resort wear. Nothing unusual here, I surmised. Once we got situated in our room, I urged P to get back out on the grounds so we could get the lay of the land before it got dark. She obliged and we walked around to get an idea of where the restaurants were. That didn't take long, so we returned to the aforementioned bar for a drink and began to wonder about dinner. Alas, it would not be served for another hour so we ventured towards the nude area, which our room overlooked. The hot tub was chock full of people, all naked, most of them dancing to the piped in Jamaican disco music. A young clean shaven blonde was particularly visible, waving her arms over her head with more of her body being out of the tub than in. Okay, maybe this place is not so ordinary.

After dinner we headed back to the same area and found things had settled down quite a bit. We stripped and got in the hot tub, which now contained only three other couples. They were all engaging in sexual activity of one sort or another. One pair of couples managed at least three combinations of partners in the 20 some minutes we were in there. While P explored the possibilities offered by different placement of her feet in and out of the tub, one of the woman fixed her gaze upon me, her face devoid of expression as her husband (or his friend) worked her over. Their routine almost seemed choreographed, as if they were re-enacting a scene from their favorite adult film. It made it hard to concentrate…almost. That was the closest we got to group sex.

It was time for a shower. Either it was a little humid, or the plane ride had let me feeling sticky, or the thought of vastly diluted love juices of a dozen or so people on my skin made the shower now seem mandatory. The shower possessed the velocity of a power washer. How appropriate, I thought as I lathered while watching the continuing love-fest from the knees-to-ceiling shower window. Whether they were watching me bathe, I do not know and do not care, but I guess that is the point of the window.

Now cleansed of our sins, we headed back down to the Dining/Terrace/Main stage area and got our first look at the entertainment crew (E/C). They strutted their stuff one by one on stage, giving everyone a healthy shot in the libido. The men were muscular and limber and the women were of several physical types, from the sleek slender curves of a Nubian Princess, to the well rounded curves of an "I like big butts" style music video girls. They were all appealing in their own way, the men being a little more indefinable than the women…even to P. There was one male entertainer that was easily identified as a complete diva, kind of a muscular version of Miss Jay on America's Next Top Model. Very gay. Something for everyone I suppose.






Then it was off to Karaoke at the Piano bar, where P enthralled the crowd with her hit "These boots" and I warbled a little Barry White. P's performance garnered more praise than mine and rightfully so. I was just getting warmed up. It was, after all, only our first night.

When things began to settle down at the piano bar we ventured out into the night and managed to find our way up to the disco after some consternation concerning its entrance. Once inside we encountered a lingerie clad mob undulating to the pulsing beat. Four women wearing next to nothing were putting on a show on top of the bar to the enjoyment of the other patrons. Their actions were being meticulously recorded with a camera by a man in their company. More about them later. I leaned over to P and exclaimed "We have just been dropped into the jaws of Hell!" It was quite a scene.




It had been a long day, so we didn't last long there. We bedded down for the night with the sounds of a nude pool party below us (lingering until around5:00 a.m.by P's account). I slept through it all. Our first seven hours were eye-opening to say the least, but my eyes were going to be shut for awhile.

Sunday

After breakfast P reserved the last two chairs in the nude pool area. They were the farthest from the pool and would be in the shade of palm trees all day. Not the best of situations. I asked about the nude beach area "Packed," she replied. So we got our towels and headed for the "prude pool" also known as the quad pool because it is surrounded by rooms in four buildings. We were thrilled to see a combination of nudes and prudes there, and not many of either; a much better environment than being packed onto a patio like a can of nude sardines. This is where we would swim and sun for the rest of the week, as well as make the acquaintance of many non-swingers. Just good old naked and non-naked folks like us. Single guys, girls, and couples of all ages, and most of them friendly. We managed to miss all the day's activities somehow, although we did look them over on the schedule handout.



After getting good and sweaty, we retreated back to our room and made occasional forays back to the nude pool area for food and drink. Every time we would go through, a sexual act of some kind was in progress. We began to check out the action occasionally from the picture window or our shower to find out what they were up to now. The area soon became known to us as the "erotic aquarium"; like having one full of really horny fish in your living room.



We wandered around the complex some more, ate, took some sunset pictures and eventually ended up back at the Terrace, where P participated in the "Battle of the Sexes" contest. I was nursing an injury and declined, fearing there would be some physical aspect that I would not be able to perform (or strip naked on stage, which I was not ready for either). During the course of this show, P got hit on by a teenager (who was there with his dad???) that ended up following her around for the next two days. She also had to grab the crotch of an Italian Stallion looking guy, who was wearing a t-shirt and underpants and appeared to have a football sized package. P had to simulate as many sexual positions as possible in 15 seconds with a third guy. They lost. 



But overall, I think she did walk away with a bottle of Rum, the first of five to be snagged this week.
 Then it was back to the piano bar for sing-a-long night. Packed with people with some interesting outfits, but the entertainment was kind of boring. We drank up and headed back into the disco, where it was “leather and lace night”. Most interesting was a leather clad female leading her mate around with a leash. She carried a whip and a smug smile; he had a spiked collar and not much else on. We took it to the nude pool and got some drinks to go and called it a night.

Monday

Another day at the pool. Started to see some familiar faces, a group of women who were there without mates and with suits on, A quiet guy that just laid in his lounge chair alone, a nude couple that sunned on a deck far above the pool that would climb down the steps into the pool and share a raft every hour or so. Fairly quiet Jamaican disco played from the swim up bar. I would periodically fill our sports bottles with water and talk to the bartender, who was always dancing to the beat. She was adorable.

For lunch we both tried Ackee and Saltfish, which is the National Dish of Jamaica. After a few bites I reasoned that the national after lunch pastime is picking fish bones out of your mouth. P wouldn't eat hers at all. We found out a little later that the Nude Beach Grill had the best food. Who'd a thunk it?

We had a little interlude at dusk in a lounge chair at the nude pool. I enjoyed a cigarette while P enjoyed something else. A nude woman walked by and stopped to say; "I just wanted to tell you that you two are hot!" Instead of the customary "Would you like to join us?" we simply said thank you and she moved on to greener pastures. That was the closest we got to a threesome.
Later on we watched a steel band at the Terrace. I watched them set up with dread, I can't stand this genre of music. It always sounds out of tune to me. However, the front man for this group played like a jazz artist. He had a deft touch and played with great confidence and flair. He was an older guy that reminded me a lot of…well, of me.

After the show we watched the Hedo III circus, which consisted of four guys, a white guy that was very good and three Jamaicans who were not so good. They did balancing, juggling, and trapeze work. There were party games afterward, pass the grapefruit, bowling pin, etc. after that. Our team one and we received two more bottles of rum.



Later at the short shorts party at the disco, P fulfilled her fantasy of being trapped in a cage with a wild half-naked island native. I was pulled onto the dance floor by E/C girl Ivory, who gave me a booty shaking upright lap dance, Jamaican style. Wasn't a fantasy of mine, but it didn't suck either.
Not long after, we had sex with the two of them on the dance floor. Our bodies moved rhythmically to the throbbing Disco beat as the crowd encircled us chanting and cheering. Or maybe we went back to our room and fell asleep. I can't remember which.





Tuesday

Tuesday featured an erotic body painting contest, but it didn't happen at the scheduled time so we only saw the results and were not painted ourselves. The theme for the evening was "pajama party" and the E/C put on a lingerie fashion show that was entertaining and erotic. One guy came out with a giant rubber "tool" that was a hit with the ladies. It was toss-up who was hotter on the ladies end; Ivory, Chardonnay, or P of course.

 It was apparent to me by now that at least a dozen men were hopelessly in love with P, including some of the staff at Hedo III. She was frequently stopped by men who complimented her on her outfit or beauty, the wives of some of the guests would repeat their husband’s admiration to me, and the staff photographer who easily sees over five thousand women per year there admitted his love for her. This could be attributed to her remarkable god-given physical attributes, but the smile in her eyes, her outgoing and uninhibited nature, and the absolute absence of any pretense whatsoever in her manner has much more to do with it than her physical beauty. The first mentioned quality was a surprise to me when we first came together, but these others qualities are what drew me to her as a long-term relationship.



Later on at the Disco, P got her dance groove on with a couple more black men, including the Diva Spike. It was pajama party night. The outfits on the guests and staff were pretty delightful.

Wednesday

An interesting day to be sure. I dropped out of the pool volleyball game, due to a pulled stomach muscle and P filled in for me. After a few games, the entertainment girls showed up with a PA and hosted a booty shaking contest. Ivory and Chardonnay did their thing on a tile table with a fountain at water top level, followed by P and a couple other guests. P was nude and straddled the fountain at one point, diverting and strengthening the fountain in such a way that it appeared she had swallowed a fire hose and the torrent of pressurized water was now shooting out of her rear end. I think it is safe to say her southern end was clean as a whistle after that dance. Sorry, no picture. I didn't want to bring the camera into the pool.
Body shots at the swim up bar followed with the girls going first. They sat on the bar and leaned back as the men licked the booze off their skin. Some of us were more thorough than others. When it was the men's turn, P was most meticulous in getting every drop of booze off of every part of me. Her attention to a particular area prompted the emcee to say "No eating of the sausage!" I looked around and saw that I wasn't the only one getting the special treatment. Ivory, who was next to me helping a single guy participate started smacking me in the arm over what P was doing. I shrugged it off, telling her it wasn't my idea. When the girls dismounted, Ivory splashed water from the pool on me to remove the already removed booze and perhaps calm down the sausage. I told her I would be alright in a minute or so. If there was a moment where we could safely say we had become true hedonists, I believe it would be that one.


The theme for the night was Pimps and Ho's. P was a memorable Ho, but being too cheap to invest in a pimp costume, I chose a Mexican theme similar to Harvey Keitel's outfit in the movie "Taxi Driver". This prompted one staff member to inquire whether I was a pimp or a ho. Oh well…at least I saved a few bucks.




P elected not to participate in the Pimps and Ho's competition, saying she didn't want to go through all the physical aspects or strip down for the crowd. The guests that did participate were narrowed down to one man and woman, who were asked for their last task to cross dress into the other's character. The Pimp made a bee-line for P and asked her for her top and boa. So much for not stripping down. P obliged and gave up the articles and watched the conclusion of the show topless. The guy won by a landslide.


Later on at the piano bar's second Karaoke night, I rapped "Getting Jiggy Wit It" from memory. This impressed many of the guests and staff. Although P's rise to fame had been meteoric, my own ascent to fame would rely on talent and time. I felt like my own star was finally beginning to rise. At one point I went to the bathroom and when I came back to my seat I found P now standing on the piano singing "I'm a Soul Man" (of all things). Apparently Chardonnay had felt badly that "These Boots" was already taken and dragged P up to sing a song that Chardonnay felt P could cover. And cover it well she did, although it was a bit strange watching a well endowed woman in a see-through top singing the line "I'm a Soul Man" over and over again.

It was very warm in the disco that night, so we retreated outside where P skinny dipped in the Terrace area pool while I chatted it up with the 5 women that had been at the quad pool with us every day. Sufficiently cooled down, P and I returned to the disco where she danced while I stood at the bar watching. P never bothered to put her outfit back on.

There was a guy in the disco that had a full blown shit fit when I took a picture of him dancing on top of the bar with Ivory. He was in a complete panic, demanding that I delete the picture immediately while he watched. I tried to explain to him that the switch was broken and my wife could manage to flip it with a safety pin, but I was unable to do so myself. He stormed away and sent an E/C girl over to me who I explained the whole process to again outside the door. She tried to flip the switch herself for a couple of minutes, then asked me; "Is your wife the one dancing naked on the box?" I said yes and she told me she would tell the guy I had erased the picture. We looked at the picture back in the room and the guy was pulling Ivory's top away from her skin so he could get a better look at her breasts. This did not seem like an adequate reason to throw a shit-fit, so I came up with three other plausible theories:

1.      His wife was asleep in the room and didn't know he had left.
2.      His wife was back home in Iowa, believing he was on a week-long golf outing in Florida with his buddies.
3.      He is wanted by the police in at least one state.

After all the pictures taken by dozens of people of women and men wearing nothing or next to nothing, I never would have thought that that one would get somebody so upset. Poor Baby! I feel sorry for whoever it is you're screwing over.

Thursday

On this day we learned how to make a toga outfit and I rehearsed with the band for that night's Staff and Guest Talent Show. The rest of the day was spent at the pool where we talked with the single girls some more, along with a guy who's wife had left him when he booked the trip and another guy who was spending most of his time smoking pot and sleeping in his room.
After considerable effort and modifications, we managed to assemble our togas and headed down to dinner and a show at the Terrace. During the toga contest, the emcee called us "Mom and Pop". I guess the eyeglasses didn't help much either. Not very Roman.

There were three guests who participated in the talent show. I was first, and sang and played "Mustang Sally". It hadn't occurred to me during the rehearsal that I would later be performing in a toga. I spent the whole song wondering if my testicles were hanging out, I could feel the breeze blowing down there as I played and sang. The audience cheered at the end of my guitar solo. That may well have been the first time I got an audience response in mid song. (besides getting up and walking out). That took my mind off the testicular ventilation.




There were two other guest performers; a drummer from New York that always wanted to play with a real reggae band and a female singer, who was one of the four posers that kept popping into places for revealing photo ops and then quickly leaving. She had the emcee warn the crowd that there was to be no videotaping or photography during her performance. This made little sense to me since she had been flashing her boobs and butt all over the place all week. She sang a ballad that started out pretty well, but one of her "bodyguards" stopped the Hedo photographer from taking pictures during her first verse. So she isn't going to sing naked…. She thinks she's Celine-F*cking-Dion. As she got farther into the song it turned into something you normally hear from an American Idol contestant that is about to be shown the door. She appeared quite miffed when the audience did not react with wild enthusiasm over her performance. Sorry Celine…I smoked your ass. That's show biz baby.
P won a bottle of rum for doing something on stage that can't for the life of me remember. We came in second at the toga contest, but that means very little since there was only one other couple on stage with us.

P expressed discomfort with her toga, so I quickly modified into something more to her (and everyone else's) liking. Boob cradling ropes is the best I can describe it.

Next stop; the piano bar (getting a sense of the routine now?). We did a lot of talking with the other guests and found out the 4 wannabe vixens were from a girl on girl introduction website where the guys can only watch. That "club" must have accounted for 50% of the guests that week. Gee, what a surprise to find out these photo ops are actually staged. I'll give up the name of the website on request if anybody is willing to pay to see if P turns up on it. I am not willing to do so. We have our own pictures.
Later on, my slave girl performed pole dances on top of the bar in the disco. I have pictures, but am keeping them to myself. They were meant only for her Master.

Friday

We had breakfast with David, one of the E/C crew who described in great detail how to make porridge (as if I'm going to run home and make some orange colored oatmeal). He was very nice and only a little gay. He recalled P's second toga from the night before with fondness.
P declared we would spend the whole day in the sun by the pool which we did. I wore a t shirt over my chest, which was getting pretty crispy by now.

We left the pool only to watch the wet t-shirt contest at the Terrace stage. P got dry humped by Ebony despite being only a spectator (her skirt pushed up to her chest in the process), but we left before its conclusion. One of the web vixens told us she won and probably rightfully so. She possessed a fine set of ta-ta's. It was difficult to say whether they were God given or not. P said fake, I said real. P was done participating in events by then.

After dinner, I was forced onstage to participate in a reggae dance lesson/contest. I suck at dancing and this style was no exception. When that ended, David told me to stay on the stage and sit down. Five other guys were rounded up ranging in age from mid-twenties to around fifty and the emcee announced the Hedo Ultimate Hunk Contest. Now this was going to be a tough one. The contest consisted mostly of questions, which worked in my favor, being a smart-ass and all. I also had the advantage of being the last one to be asked to say or do anything each time.

When the emcee asked why we thought we should be named Ultimate Hunk, I replied: "I have no idea what I'm doing up here right now".

When she asked a question about Jamaican history I guessed an answer correctly (we missed that lecture).
Then they brought a woman up from the audience for us to use our best pickup line on, the first guy was incoherent. He had been drunk at the pool five hours before and was in even worse shape now. He was also the only guy within two decades of my age. Anyways, my pick-up line was: "I am Jon Bon Jovi's road manager". That one even cracked up the emcee.

When asked to imitate the sounds of an orgasm, I borrowed a line from Andrew Dice Clay: "Uhhh. Get out!" The emcee responded: "That wasn't very nice!" through her laughter.

Then we had to do push-ups with E/C girl Ebony lying on top of us. Some guys were impressive, managing twenty or more. She took one look at me and got on the floor to do the push-ups herself. I told her I was injured and would not be able to do any, so we clowned our way through that one.

The last part required us to put on a show of some kind individually (this usually involves getting naked and dancing). The drunken guy whipped off his clothes and threw them into the crowd. When it got to my turn I took off my shirt and made some muscle poses until a trick came back to me from long ago. I grabbed my inner left thigh in two places around ten inches apart and moved the muscle rhythmically. It took the crowd a few seconds to realize it looked like I was holding on to a 12 inch by 3 inch wide penis. David lost it completely, running up to the stage and collapsing on it in a fit of laughter. I then turned and jiggled my bare buns for a few seconds, the obligatory skin show without the full frontal (I didn't want to destroy the illusion I had just created).



When the crowd cheered me into victory at the judging, it occurred to me that I had a rooting section of all the people we had met over the course of the week. In the six days prior we had become a neighborhood, a subdivision of non-swingers who had conversations and learned about each other while the swingers were off to the group gropes at the pool or taking touchy feely pictures of each other in suite parties.
We went to the piano bar for a little while, and then had one more round of nude pool whoopee in public before calling it a night.

We dragged our exhausted but happy bodies off to the bus and airport the next day at eleven a.m. It had been one hell of a week.

For those of you reading this that have religious convictions and find our behavior too heathen, you are welcome to pray for us. Indeed, we were very naughty, but not nearly as naughty as we could have been. Perhaps we both deserve a good spanking. We will administer one to each other tonight in penance for our deeds.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Book Excerpt Cole Bay Band

From a personal standpoint, Lori was disappointed in the lack of camaraderie offstage with Jimmy’s musical group. Although their love for performing together was obvious and infectious to the audience, the quintet divided into factions during the day. Jimmy partnered with Junior nearly every day in his song writing sessions and Cici was spending most of her time at her home rather than the villa. This left Sam, who Lori was welcome to tag along with on day trips around the island. She was relieved Sam had gotten over her failed advances towards her.
Sam had little problem taking it in stride, as she made new friends every day on Orient beach. She would walk the length, clad only in a G-string or tiny wrap, armed with postcard-sized promotional band pictures to hand out to tourists. This was an excellent tactic, as it brought customers to their performances in droves. Sam’s propensity towards hooking up with single guys and couples during the day left Lori frequently stranded, though, so she eventually limited her time with Sam to the car ride there and back.

Although she was lonely, Lori found comfort via a ferry boat that carried her to Pinel Island. The conversations she would have with tourists on the short trip were enough pedestrian interaction for her. She would hike around the tiny landmass, exploring the nearly deserted beaches in favor of the largest one at the ferry’s dock. In was in these places that she could enjoy body freedom without recognition or interruption, contemplating her future and reflecting on her past. She found solace in the peaceful rhythm of the surf and the tranquil sky above. She was a regular for lunch at one of the two restaurants on the main beach. The wait staff all knew her by name, but was not aware of her growing island fame. Lori was grateful for the anonymity; she was glad she had proven Jimmy wrong, but attributed her personal success to being just another cog in the wheel that was the Cole Bay Band. Plus there was always the fact she was really only a big fish in a small pond.

Cole Bay Band and Happy Bay @Amazon