ahh... Vacation Time!

After having the busiest quarter in my company's history, I am taking another vacation this year. What's funny about that, is during the first TEN YEARS (yes, 10) after opening my first business, my family couldn't afford more than a weekend getaway to the zoo.

At the beginning of the year I went to California for 4 days to visit my sister and her kids.

Next week, I am taking my family to Universal Studios in Orlando, with a side trip to Clearwater Beach first. This will be the 4th trip to Clearwater Beach in a year and half. The north half of the beach, from Pier 60 north, is the best part of Clearwater Beach. If you ever get a chance to eat at Forlini's, it is a must eat at Italian dining experience.

One more must while on the beach at Pier 60, is to look up Caricaturist Roby Macdougall on the beach -- see photo -- I met Roby in March of 2006 while on vacation in Clearwater Beach and he did my caricature. Two and a half months later I was back vacationing there with my family and had him do our family caricature, and then again in August 2006 I took some of my employees to Clearwater Beach, for a business meeting before we caught a boat from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau Bahamas, and Roby again did the caricature's of all those at the business meeting. The meetings with Roby and subsequent phone conversations, have sparked a business venture that Roby and I will be entering into in the next few months. We are starting a caricature website where you will be able to purchase your caricature and then have it printed on T-shirts, coffeemugs, or just about anything you wold want it printed on. Soon coming will be CreateMyCaricature.com .

Anyway back to Universal Studios, we will head to Clearwater Beach first, then off to Universal Studios for 3 days. My son has started making his own home movie about going to Universal Studios. So look for Zack goes Universal Orlando, coming to a YouTube near you soon.

If any of you have been to Universal Studios and have any suggestions, I would love to hear what they are!

~ciao