BACK HOME!!!!!

Sometimes it takes me a bit to update this blog, but hey, I have been nicknamed "The Clone" by, well, someone close to Miss Chi Chi LaRue, so you can just imagine I am not at home all the time putzing on my computer. (This post however is being written from the comfort of my bed at home in Miami Beach and not in some exotic place paying an arm and leg for Internet service). Anyhow.....well, After party-o-rama in Madrid, Rich and I took off to Paris to try and get business done, but I really hate the cold (home=miami beach...get it?!?!!?) so I am not as productive and out and about as when I am home in sunny Florida. After scoping Paris I rented a car and drove up to Belgium to visit some family of mine.

I would love to share pics of my grandmother and my extended family in Belgium, but you know, some things I keep a bit private. Sooooooo...Rich and I decided to go to Rotterdam to visit the local retailers (as we did in Brussels and Antwerp). I had never been to Rotterdam, but knew it was a nice modern city, but did not know there is a HUGE problem there. I drove in with French license plates and a weird Euro minivan with tinted windows, oh, and it was a Friday and Rich was in the passenger seat. All of a sudden an Arab or North African looking guy ran across traffic lanes to try and catch our car. It was really frightening but then we drove into the center of town and all of a sudden we were being chased my adolescent Arab boys on bikes. Whenever we stopped at a light an Arab youngster would approach. Finally I parked the car and one Arab boy on a bike came up very abruptly. Before he could say a word I started a verbal blast at him which confused him...I spoke English, not French. So, I went to my hotel and asked the concierge why this weird thing was happening. He did not understand until I finally told him I was driving with French plates. "A ha" he expressed, "they think you are here to buy something." What???? Buy what? OHHHHHHH, duh, stupid me, Marijuana is legal in Holland. So all these boys on bikes wanted to get a cut of the profits by taking me to a dealer. Supposedly, French people drive up to Holland to load up on loads of MJ! Mystery solved.

If that wasn't enough excitement, my wonderfully intelligent business partner Rich did not click with some Dutch customs. I don't know what you see, but I clearly see a bike lane in the pic, but Rich thought it was a Rich only lane and almost was
severely injured by several cyclists (as in Rich fashion, he blamed everyone but himself bitching the lanes was not clearly marked!) Oh and look at the pic of the ketchup and mayo. The Burger King employee asked Rich if he wanted mayo or ketchup, Miss Thing said yes to both not realizing that ketchup and mayo are for french fries and not an option for your burger. He also did not realize each one cost half a dollar....waste not want not!

After a night out in Rotterdam we continued on to Amsterdam. Rich really wanted to go (he thought it would look like Curacao) but much to his dismay the city did not thrill him. I have been to Amsterdam a few times, so all I wanted to do was go visit retailers. So I called up Xavier from Drake's and we met up, had lunched and had a great time talking very intelligently about our biz! If you are ever in Amsterdam stop by Drake's and say "hi" to Xavier from Collin O'Neal.