Tag Archives: work travel

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white-knuckled return


We flew out in the afternoon during a tropical storm.

It’s hurricane season down there and though it wasn’t one that we left through – the weather.com radar picture graphic had a lot of purple and magenta in it.

Now… WHY would someone who is antsy about flying anyway bother to look at the radar before leaving on a Pradaâ„¢-Bag-sized airplane in the middle of a storm?

Because – neurosis and a morbid sense self determination is simply in my nature.

Sorta how birds migrate,… bears hibernate…. and Republicans don’t recycle.

I swallowed my terror the best I could… The bosses and the architect could tell I was in knots and did a great job distracting me with foot rubs, backgammon, sticking flowers in my hair and making me blush with kissy photo ops intended to make my husbands jealous.

The only jealousy that I seemed to get was Kevin’s cautious warning but envious observation that these guys act more like good friends than coworkers and bosses.

I’d venture to say… “isn’t that the way its supposed to be?” – but I am new to all this.

I’m new to blogging too.. *what is it?

WORK

day 2. part 2


Again – I’d get back to the condo exhausted from trying to concentrate in Caribbean-Heat. (if the business isn’t open – the AC isn’t on – and in both cases – the night clubs were ovens). Again – I got to lay down and grab a micro-nap before Amy would spiral in and start babbling about everything we had to do…

Half-conscious – I didn’t actually “hear” what she was carrying on about… I only heard “Comm’on Corbett – We have blahdie blahdie to do and blachhde blahhdie to call and blahdie blahdie”…

Once I came out from the bathroom from splashing my face with water and wondering if I had any clean clothes left that weren’t sweat soaked and stinky – I again caught the charismatic blur known as my boss who was now in her bathing suit and heading out the door.

What she said and I didn’t hear was… “Come-on Corbett – get your suit on – we’re getting in the ocean…Help make Mai Tais and bring them with you…”

Yes Mam’!

We’d spend the next hour or so pruning ourselves in the crystal water and talking and relaxing.

It was like standing in a swimming pool… except for the occasional fish that’d swim by and investigate and the extra buoyancy the salt water provided.

We eventually crawled out and went out to dinner with the Cayman folks at this great shi-shi restaurant where I had a fish called Wahoo that was so good I’m convinced I lost at least 20 I.Q. points as a result of the meal.

Stuffed – we left and went to the night club I had shot earlier that day. (*the nice one for tourists, not the dark stinky sexy one for locals). I got to experience what its like to cut an 80-person line for a nigh club and get let in through the “red-rope” by a huge doorman… (duh – we were guests of the owner – nonetheless – I enjoyed the Studio-64 moment and moved on).

The place was PACKED – way more for my tastes… But it was really interesting to experience this fusion of hip-hop and reggae music they’re doing down there… The DJ would spin tracks together while an MC guy would endlessly babble over the music (and or interrupt it) – egging on the crowd… I found it a little A.D.D and annoying – but the kids on the floor LOVED it.

Didn’t stay long… Too tired… We went back to the condo…

Meanwhile – I’m feeling a sort of virtual breathlessness trying to journal everything that happened in an extremely full 48 hour adventure.

*I said Journal… I didn’t say blog. 😉

photography, WORK

day 2. part 1


Day two was a little less crazed.

I split from everyone to do more shots…. Nightclubs this time… Also owned by the partner in Cayman.

Yes… the theme from The Godfather started looping in my head at this point as I started to get my head around how much influence, cash and collection of seemingly random, disconnected companies this guy has.

Once I walked into their office, my paranoid fantasies of getting mixed up with the Caribbean mafia dissolved. These guys were just honest, extremely hard working east-indian entrepreneurs – who – despite the devastation of IVAN have picked up the pieces and are still going.

One club was more geared for tourists and quite snazzy and high-end… The second is for locals and well… quite hot-n’-sleezy in a sexy Wild Orchid sorta way…. The second was a real challenge to get to look like anything in the camera and required a lot of trickery. (*read as me running around with a hand-held strobe durring long exposures.)

Somewhere in there was the lunch adventure. click here for story

WORK

day 1. part 3


I was so tired that it felt like I had just laid my head down on the pillow for a moment when I heard Amy call out.. “Corbett! Get up we gotta go!!!”

To celebrate the closing on the resort and christen the second (newly commissioned) pirate ship – we had a party cruise aboard what is now called the Anne-Bonnie.

It was a smaller get together… the party of 30 comprised the gang from St. Louis… The Cayman management… boss owner types and their families and some real estate big shots.

The water was a lot calmer in the evening than earlier that day… Good thing too because I didn’t have a chance to stop by a drug-store and find one of those sea-sickness patches.

A nice spread of food was laid out in the galley, and a friendly, busty blonde manned the open bar and we, literally, sailed into the sunset.

All in all it was about a 3 hour cruise.

(resist urge to sing and make Gilligan’s Island references).

At about hour two, once my memory sticks were filled I got super schmoopy thinking how incredible the experience was followed by a little teary guilt wishing the guys were with me.

Erin helped pull my head outa my ass and we spent the remainder of the cruise chatting.

Hit a monkey-themed bar for ho-hum munchies and drinks before hitting my pillow later.

The day felt like a week.

This however does not feel like a blog.