Jammin' on the Cloud again!!!

He worked hard all year and just wanted a few weeks alone............

That's the line that kept running through my head, 1999 was one hell of a year for all of us in the office, new network infrastructure, network operating system, desktop operating systems, application software, e-mail systems, basically everything was replaced including a couple of I/S Directors, it was a long 18 months and I know my mind, patience and many other things were gone or were going.  All the people I work with in the I/S Departments worked long and hard to get things up and running before the Y2K non-event and it went quite well and all deserve some R&R.  For me, I had a weeks vacation from 1999 to burn and was looking to take a week in February, go down to Florida with a good friend for a little Golf, Relaxation and getting my mind back before it's all gone.  Little did I know a new I/S Director was hired to start the first of February, so, I needed to make some quick changes to burn the vacation before his arrival, we'll end that there.

Thank God, I am married to Joyce, the most understanding and patient woman in the world, who also happens to be an excellent travel consultant.  She not only had a short time to make the needed arrangements, she also was willing to let me go away, to that part of the world she loves the most.  Now this was new for me a vacation by myself, limited business travel and weekends to sporting events with the guys has been one thing, but, a vacation without Joyce another.  Joyce, I missed you and thank you for allowing me to go and take some time to try and get my mind back.  Joyce went down to the dungeon, got on her computer, found some cheap air fair to St Thomas, that was a fantastic start, then a miracle happened, an opening on the Flying Cloud (discounted no less) for the week I was going to be in the islands.  We have been on several Windjammers before, meeting new friends the first few years, traveling with small groups of friends for the next few, then traveling with forty of our closets friends on the last, boy, was this going to be different.  The kicker was, the last trip, with the forty, was May of  '99 on the same Flying Cloud, hope the crew does not remember me or I will be totally out numbered, this time, with my party of one.

My plans were set less than a week before I was to leave for the trip, No Problem Mon.....   Fly to St Thomas, ferry to Tortola, get on the Cloud, ferry back to St. Thomas for a night at Bolongo Beach, then head home.   All went well, except for customs taking my cigars in St. John's (sorry guy's) and the usual flight delay on the way home (I did get in an extra lobster on the beach, sorry Deb and Barb), otherwise,  the trip was excellent.  I did have the opportunity to meet some very interesting people on the trip, got to go diving, hit a few golf balls, see some of the most beautiful Islands and beaches, including one of my favorites, Cane Garden Bay, found a new bar Billy-Bones on Norman Island and most of all got to see and spend time with Captain Adrian and the fantastic crew of the Flying Cloud. 

Thank you, officers and crew of the Flying Cloud, you made me feel like I was spending a week, a good week, with family.  Also, a big thank you to all those in the below photo, for helping me enjoy my stay in paradise.  And finally, Joyce, thank-you for putting up with me, setting up and giving me the time I needed, I think and hope I'm starting to come back, although a little of my mind will always be in the islands, together. 

Click on the photo to go to the pic's

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