A good friend of mine has really had a time of it last year, after Tropical Storm Fay hit them hard on the morning of August 22nd 2008 in the Jacksonville, Florida area. I honestly can’t believe all the heartache he and his wife have had to suffer, after their beautiful home was flooded and pretty much destroyed…

He’s had quite a time dealing with the insurance company as well–which is never fun–and I wanted to pass his story along just so folks can be aware of things you should know if you ever might encounter a similar situation.

His blog is at Built Totally Green and you can read all the details…

There are millions of ways to show customer appreciation…and in this volatile environment, it’s imperative to keep good customer service on the top of the list (IMHO, anyway). Mike over at Toilet Paper Entrepreneur put together a fantastic list of ways that different businesses show their “love”. Check it out here, maybe it will give you some new ideas for how to spread the love…

Or so they say. Well, I’ll be keeping you posted on whether that’s true! I finally hit the big 4-0…and while it wasn’t traumatizing, it is a little strange…not sure exactly how it came around so quickly!   At least I was able to celebrate with some friends over the weekend and have a little fun. A few of us went on the Norwegian Sky, just a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas. I LOVE the Bahamas. I wish I could live there…but unless I hit the lottery, don’t think that’s gonna happen. At least not yet!

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Norwegian over another cruise line–the food was mediocre at best in the regular dining areas…though the specialty restaurant that we tried (Cagney’s Steakhouse) was outstanding. Unfortunately, we had to pay an extra $25 per person for that privilege, which I find annoying. Our room was decent, although the new bed was like sleeping on a board.  No fun there.

Nassau is okay, a bit too crowded for my personal taste…but once we got out of the main area near the port, it was beautiful. I’d recommend skipping the pricey NCL excursions, and just walking about a quarter mile up the road to the FREE public beach. One of the most gorgeous I have seen, the water was incredible.

Anyway…it was a well-needed break, and I’m still dreaming of the crystal clear water…oh, to be a fish!! Unfortunately it’s back to the grind for me now…but hopefully my first year in my “40’s” will involve more swimming…and less dreaming about it. Will let you know how that goes!