12 Strong

12 STRONG

The Cast

Date: 070519

FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN

BACKGROUND:  This started as a long-winded numbered blog.  It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog.  Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your pain.  I lack time.  So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing.  Let’s see who makes the cut.  Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness.  I feel the need…the need for speed.  Let’s turn and burn.

SETTING:  Most of this is written while watching Top Gun, a very American movie, on our country’s Independence Day.  It is one of the most quotable movies, and the movie I could watch over and over for the rest of my life.  Just be glad it didn’t end up the theme, as that was already set.  And I didn’t have a lot of down time to read or watch sports stuff since I was in Mexico, so this obviously is more of a peripheral blog than usual.  Let’s breeze through this like Joey Chestnut on the Fourth of July, without the heartburn.

1. EVERGREEN 1: Big guys just don’t get paid anymore in the NBA.  It is absolutely amazing how the game has changed.  Kevon Looney got $5 million per year.  Cousins still doesn’t have a job.  Bruno Fernando is a big body from Maryland that went in the SECOND round.  The game is positionless, after what the Warriors have done the last few years.  There is no Ewing.  There is no Hakeem.  There isn’t even a freaking Shaq.  Teams shoot more three’s.  They want a guy who can stretch the defense and shoot long distance, yet still block shots inside.  And they need guys who can CHASE the other team’s big guy shooters outside.  Posting up is done more by guards than by seven footers.  Pick and rolls are done by guys who can spot up, or do something much more athletic than past guys.  It is crazy to be honest.  What I grew up with is extinct, and nothing indicates the pendulum will swing back the other way.  Enjoy it as it is faster, and more exciting to the viewer.  Be sad, because the big slow guy in the center is officially dead.
2. EVERGREEN 2:  My trip to Cabo San Lucas of course brings up Sammy Hagar in this blog.  I walk the Roth vs. Sammy line as such.  I loved BOTH of them, but probably loved the Van Hagar years slightly more.  True, I hit my teens during this time, so that fact can’t be ignored, but I have simplified the conversation and debate as such.  David Lee Roth was a guy who was a better stage performer and had better individual songs than Sammy.  But, if I break down the albums as a whole, the “weak” songs are few and far between with Sammy.  His body of work on each album as a whole was a more consistent effort.  Roth had certain songs that were in the top of the rankings of Van Halen songs, but he probably had more at the lower level than Sammy did.  5150 is my favorite album ever by Van Halen (actually had a 20-minute conversation in Cabo with a guy who also deemed as such).  From start to finish, it was more storybook and higher level.  1984 I would rank second overall as a VH album in general, but then it gets dicey.  Give me OU812 over anything past Van Halen I pre-Sammy.  I would listen to Balance before Women and Children First any day.  I think Van Halen II basically only has Dance The Night Away and Beautiful Girls.  And so on.  Basically, if starting from start to finish, give me any Hagar album over anything by Roth except Van Halen I, Diver Down, and 1984.  But, give me probably a lot more individual songs over most of Hagar’s individual masterpieces.  So, in conclusion, Roth might have more trademark songs, but I like Sammy’s end to end releases overall. And give me 5150 to rule all any day of the week.
3. EVERGREEN 3: We lost Jared Lorenzen this week.  Jared died and his legacy is as weird as it gets.  Always known as a good teammate in college and the pros (and yes, he has a ring as he backed up Eli during a win over the Pats), he changed the position.  Or at least tried to.  He was an offensive lineman built guy who had a cannon for an arm.  But, he wasn’t just a trendy item.  He became the all-time leader in yards at QB AFTER guys like Tim Couch at the University of Kentucky.  He walked the walk.  He threw 528 yards and 453 yards in games, people.  He was a monster at that position, and obviously couldn’t be taken down, at least in college.  We will miss him, and whether we liked it or not, he was a cool story, a cool teammate, and a stud at the position in many ways that didn’t seem possible.  He also was honest about his demon…food, and motivated people and let them know that having that demon is ok.  People saw him waging the same battle they were and it meant something.  And, don’t expect to see another 6’4” QB at 315 lbs come down the pike any time soon.  Happy trails, and you will be missed, Jared.  Definitely too young to die any way you slice it regardless.
4. COLLEGE BASKETBALL:  Two items on this topic.  One, pay attention to transfers during this off-time in college hoops.  Kerry Blackshear, as stud at VA Tech, transferred to Florida this week and really gives them a lethal scorer and overall player.  Great add to that lineup for next year.  The second big transfer was Quentin Grimes.  KU reloaded this year, but this is a big blow for them in depth.  Houston got Grimes, and he will blow up on that dangerous squad.  Bill Self lost a great player this offseason.  The other item is Kevin Ollie.  HOW you take over for a legendary coach who crossed the line, and the only thing you have to do is NOT cross the line, but then he does, and gets his school probation as a parting gift, is absolutely beyond me.  Sad.  Kevin had the world on his plate, and he blew it.   Oh, and Duke just reeled in the #4 recruit for next year if you thought they were going anywhere down.  They are not.
5. NBA:  Free agency in blitz style (with some omissions): Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to the Nets are two great pickups by the team, and cements what they are trying to do.  Durant will miss a season, meaning that Irving has a year to A) prove he is not a locker room problem and B) make his own stamp before Durant comes back.  The Celtics basically just replaced Irving with a very similar type of player in Kemba Walker, so that is just that and somewhat of a push.  Kanter wasn’t a horrible pickup by the Celtics after the Blazers gave him 6 minutes with their offer.  I think Pat Riley will keep Jimmy Butler in line if he veers off the course, but I still think that Jimmy should have teamed up with Kyrie so we could watch the flat world explode.  I loved Willie Cauley-Stein at UK, I love his game overall, and how the rest of the league let the Warriors pick him up for their offense is beyond me.  Bucks fans probably believed that their brass was in for the long haul of Giannis’s prime and not have it be a flash in the pan, but letting go of a solid, though not spectacular, Malcolm Brogdon was not a step in that direction for the fan base.  And I am not saying that just because I am a UVA guy.  The Sixers picking up Horford and paying Harris $180 mil to stay is impressive, but A) are they ever going to get a shooter (cue Kyle Korver) and B) how are they going to pay all these guys and the other guys next year? The Knicks did a very Knicks thing in overpaying for Julius Randle.  The Wizards did a very Wizards thing in picking up Isaiah Thomas, a gamble after their other perplexing draft picks.  The Jazz picked up Bogdanovic, and their offseason overall actually gives Donovan Mitchell HELP.  Bobby Portis will make $15.5 million next year for effectively not accomplishing anything in the NBA thus far.  He is like a bad 80’s song and totally beating the system.   We are still waiting on the Kawhi decision at press time.  In the meantime, let’s go watch Zion tear up Summer League ball.  Never seen so much hype for Summer League as this go around.  And now we just wait on Kawhi…
6. MLB:  I disagree with the MLB ASG voting of not having all players on the ballot before the season.  I agree that their “primaries” worked and, of the players they DID have on there, the fans got it right.  And yes, I agree that, because of the amount of players invited, that each team SHOULD have at least one representative on the ASG squad.
7. WIMBLEDON: Think about this crazy stat.  Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic have won every Slam for almost THREE years.  With all of the blossoming talent, they still rule.  Incredible.  We are witnessing three of the best to ever play…at the SAME TIME.  This is beyond Magic, Bird, Thomas, and MJ playing together.  These are competitive GOATS, not just “all-timers.”  Think about this.  I think there have been (ballpark) 27 different winners of the golf Majors in the last 38 or so Majors.  And the last two guys who won Slams were Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, not YOUNG guys either.  Men’s tennis has had potential in young players, but no one can really break through, and many of them are going through their primes waiting for the big three to retire.  I really wanted to see that Kyrgios-Nadal match, saw the opening set, and forgot to record it, but had a pool party to attend.  Dammit.  Kyrgios showed why he is so frustrating.  He hung with Nadal through and through, can explode and ruin his own cause at any moment of any match as a loose cannon, but definitely HAS the skills to compete with the big guys.  He hit Nadal with a ball, and mixed in two underhand serves to really stir things up (I pulled that trick twice in HS tennis actually because I also was a jerk playing the game-hit a guy on a daily basis too in doubles).  “Coco” Gauff (won again today) and Lauren Davis, along with Serena having slow feet this time around but still fighting through each round, are the stories thus far on the women’s side of things.  Osaka out also.  
8. THIS AND THAT:  One movie per flight to and from Cabo.  12 Strong was a decent movie.  Good concept based on a true story.  Great cinematography.  Realistic fight scenes.  Nothing too exaggerated from the story.  But, it lacked storylines WITHIN the main story.  I felt like each character was shallow in their development, and felt no real longing towards anyone’s survival.  Could have done more.  Telling the story is one thing.  Telling the story and attaching us to characters within the story is paramount for the next level.  I gave it a C.  Den of Thieves was fun to watch if you like Heist movies.  But, cool Heist movies are good regardless, and great when you push the envelope.  This didn’t.  This didn’t focus on details that made the Usual Suspects ending so brilliant, and the whole Heat look-a-like/ bad guy telling good guy what he was going to do thing didn’t fly.  Plus, it was obvious that some L.A. settings were in Atlanta, which was weird.  Anyway, the twist at the end was fun, but the buildup didn’t allow the floor to drop out because it lacked the detail you needed to allow that floor to drop out.  Plus, you were kind of wondering why…never mind.  No spoilers.  Anyway, I gave it a B for heist-ness and C for story building.  B-.  By the way, HOW does my awesome phone not have an earphone jack (had to watch a little of the gunfight without sound)?  Stranger Things just got released.  Watched the first one.  Looking forward to the second.  Already lost a character.  Don’t drag.  Keep up.
9. THE FILLERBUSTER: The hardest day I have at work is BEFORE I try and take PTO.  Eating Top Taco, an all you can eat event, right before heading to an all inclusive resort is sort of silly.  I turned down free pizza, which is nuts in my world, the day before we left because of that fact.  I won’t see any fireworks this year-Lindsey was too sick on the third and then it was late on the Fourth before a workday (where it also hailed, so good call).  A 24-year-old biochemist just won Miss Virginia.  I had no idea that the Fourth of July was a big car shopping day, but I heard it on the news.  If you need me, I will be doing two-a-days to counter this last week of eating.  I never knew hail was a regular Colorado thing, but it kind of is.  Someone brought their little child into the slow day after July 4^th, and it ruined the entire karma of the peaceful day.  You know who you are.  It is very irritating that my new house is in between a couple of 24 Hour Fitness locations with no pool or steam room…need to road trip when I need those.  Difference in my sleeping habits is that normal people like my wife were kept up by neighbors fireworks until 11pm, and I don’t remember them past the first 5 minutes of going to sleep.
10. TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Here is a statement from the family of Jared Lorenzen pic.twitter.com/vTJn2gdNU5

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) July 3, 2019

Giannis’ view in Greece looks like a painting 😳

(via @Giannis_An34) pic.twitter.com/4jBvgt2r80

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 4, 2019

1. 11. Number eleven is monster sized, and optional below.  Trip notes and pics.  Separating my short new format with the old school long format.  Enjoy if you want.

ALTERNATE CATEGORIES NOT MAKING THE CUT THIS WEEK

1. NHL
2. THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now)
3. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
4. LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE
5. TRAVEL
6. THIS WEEK’S LIST
7. MY NUMBERS
8. GONE FISHING (the riddle for money)
9. PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone): Included in Cabo #11
10. LIFEGUARD ENTRY
11. MISCELLANEOUS
12. NFL
13. COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The theme?  Well, I watched the movie 12 Strong on the flight there, and we had 12 people in Cabo.  I thought it was pretty cut and dry.  We even had an Alpha and Bravo team. Fourth of July, Top Gun, and Den of Thieves lost out for theme.  Plus, 12 Strong is pretty American and Fourth of July-ish.

Happy belated Fourth, y’all!  Written mostly on the Fourth except for a couple things, but released on the fifth.  I have to go figure out whether I am going to the Dead concert tomorrow night.  I probably will.  I have seen different renditions of the Dead over the years, but haven’t caught one with Jon Mayer yet.

But, even if you skip the optional part below, at LEAST listen to the damn song that explains everything. Sammy Hagar in VH doing Cabo Wabo.

That’s it for today.  Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Remember two things.  First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf.  Second,  if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.  Will I blog again?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.  As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.

OPTIONAL READING OUTSIDE OF THE BREVITY OF ABOVE (I keep a travel journal so this gets done anyway):

11:  THE CABO TRIP/ 12 STRONG

• I had three days to be a master packer and I didn’t forget one single thing.  I overpacked T-Shirts and a frisbee, but had two boxers to spare actually.  Master packer.  Small suitcase.  Five plus day trip.  Jerry Seinfeld would have been proud.
• I actually have to stop packing more than two T-Shirts during my vacations.  I wear long sleeve dry fits ALL THE TIME.  On vacation, and in life.
• I finally remembered to pack a frisbee at a beach location.  It wasn’t used.  Too much wind, and too much watching the waves that might kill us if someone threw the frisbee a little towards the ocean.  NOT a surf you can dive and catch a frisbee.  You would look cool on the catch and then get sucked into the riptide.
• Our morning Uber driver to DIA was one of those over-prepared Uber drivers.  Offer me a water and call it a day.  You can ask about the music once.  Don’t give me constant updates on arrival or secret routes, or Uber stories this reminds you of.  Too much.
• People-watching at the airport should be considered a hobby.  The problem is that either you are on time and in a rush, or not in a rush and too pissed off to people-watch.
• What weird stuff do you buy at airports?  I buy Combos (never eat them at home) and useless books and magazines.
• Root Down has weird food but chilled glasses that are awesome.
• We heard at the airport about this Hibachi experience at the resort (friends arrived two days before us) that would be awesome that you had to wake up at 630am to get reservations for, but we didn’t understand because we weren’t there yet.
• Lindsey and I travel efficiently as heck, but we still lack communication skills on eating at the airport.  Somehow, we always end up being that person who took their smelly food on the plane.  I prefer the sit-down meal before.
• Movies pass the time during a two plus hour flight (now that I blog in shorter measure these days), and I chose 12 Strong on the way there, as you know.
• Why aren’t suitcase colors more independent and exciting?  Who decided that professionalism has to be also on what carries our clothes?  The fact that they all look the same at baggage claim is more of a problem then looking unprofessional while carting it around.
• The gauntlet at the Cabo airport doesn’t bother me anymore, although I understand how it is still overwhelming if you don’t speak the tongue.  Think of everyone treating you like a movie star but really just wishing to scam an American.
• The desert drive from the Cabo airport is weird because you drive through dead stuff and then somehow end up in paradise by veering left towards the ocean.
• We described in one short sentence who Bauer was to our taxi driver and he said “Oh yeah, I drove that guy two days ago.”  Classic.  Once you meet him, you can’t forget him.
• The passport becomes your life when traveling to a foreign country.  I learned that on my first trip with Lindsey.  My OCD kicks into overdrive when traveling to another country.  But, I have cargo shorts, which are cool, practical, and keep my passport safe.  Wear cargo shorts, everyone.
• I will speak Spanish fully NEXT time.  This is my last visit south of the border without knowing what the heck they are saying.  I didn’t feel like showing what I learned and just punted.  Although I am learning quickly.  I surprised my wife a few times, knowing some random saying.
• On the drive, we realized that we weren’t walking anywhere from our Secrets resort in Los Cabos.  If you go to that resort, it is nice, but be prepped for shuttling everywhere.  Also, the resort itself had much more walking than the one we got married at in Cancun.
• We had to make a decision on our room almost immediately while there.  We decided to not do the upgrade on the swim-up room.  Reason?  Swim-up rooms are off the hook, but in my opinion, if the same pool is not connected to your swim-up pool, and you have to get OUT of the pool to get to your room, what is the point?  I need it as a source of transportation.  This is the same as me thinking lazy rivers at amusement park are weaker if they don’t act like a shuttle service around the park.
• I immediately bee-lined it to the beach when I got there and Lindsey was going to check out other people’s rooms for our room decision.  I learned very quickly to respect the Cabo water.  I was ankles deep just saying hello to the beach water and then suddenly, in my shorts, got soaked from waist down from an inconsistent monster wave on the beach.  Soaked everything.  The water had my respect for the rest of the trip, even though I am typically the water idiot.
• Our view from the room was off the hook though, and immediately made me forget the swim-up room option.
• All-inclusive resorts are the best, and it is weird just walking up, saying what you want, and getting it without any transaction.
• My phone’s ESPN was in Spanish.  When I translated it, it was all about Spanish stuff.  I resorted to SI.COM for my global info.  I went without ESPN.COM for six full days.  WOW.
• We did Italian the first dinner that night, after a slight Hibachi miscommunication, which was the ongoing theme, and the service was whacky, slow, and the lasagna was just pedestrian.
• Someone has a new boyfriend.  That person was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to talk to him about since he didn’t like sports or music.  We talked about a lot.  Situational stuff.  I ended up liking this new boyfriend a lot.  It was just the two of them together which was tougher.  I think it was the overdone jokes, overexaggerated sayings, and sexual jokes that made it slightly painful.  Gluten.  Rare.  Six inches.  New on-the-fly pet names.  Ah, love.  May the force be with them.  I know she is a rock star, and he appears to be one. 
• Somehow my wife was on a resort, with plugs in our room, and still managed to have an uncharged device many times.
• Met a guy named Johann, who I approached because he had a cool accent.  He had lived in Denver, and my approach all of a sudden was well worth it.  Wish I just could wake up one day with an Australian or South African accent.
• Not sure why my wife loves this loud, 1987 turquoise polo that I own, but she does.  I feel like I almost should turn the collar up on it.
• Pancho of course decided to think the rules were BS and not pack long pants.  He quickly became a khaki guy for the remainder of the trip, and I wore my other pair of khakis every single night.
• They don’t know what IPA’s are at resorts in Mexico.  Tried twice, and then retired the request. 
• We danced that night, and Lindsey and I contributed to the dance train, the dance circle, and everything in between.  Desires was the name of their “night club.”  Really, bad dancing, although I did prove I still know all the words to “It Takes Two” by Rob Base.
• Our transportation to the night club was from a bellman named Jose, who became very important later in this story.  He explained he could get nothing else for us at all, but only free champagne.  As much as we wanted.  He acknowledged that champagne was weird during his 11pm-7am shift, but it might come in handy at some point.
• I couldn’t get one person to go with me to the cigar event on Friday night.  How is that?  Cigar at the beach?  Sounded wonderful.
• Breakfast buffet to wake up on Saturday.
• The next day was the trip to Cabo San Lucas, the gem and popular spot from down there.  Tough to organize, but we wanted to knock it out early on.  Herding cats.
• Longer ride than I remembered.  Like 40 minutes from our resort.
• We arrived at The Office the next day at noon-ish.  Beach bar, perfect view, and not really an office.
• I had the shrimp tacos, which were amazing.  My wife had an entire huge plate of crab.  They had a Mexican IPA, which made my trip.
• I remember organizing 12 person tabs with restaurant people back in the day.  We always ended up with plenty of cash in the pot, since restaurant people like me calculate tabs on the fly involuntarily.  This was the opposite of that.
• I bartered a boat trip for all of us at $12 a head.  See The Arch, Land’s End, and swim on Lover’s Beach for $12?  Amazing.  You had to swim UP to the beach, and could walk over to the other side and see the ridiculous Pacific waves.  These are items in Van Halen’s song, Cabo Wabo, if you have never heard that musical jewel.
• We didn’t hit the sushi place by the marina, but know it should be on your list if you go, as we did it last time.  We had to commute downtown because of Bauer’s hurt feet, so the sushi was skipped.
• Go to the bar across street from Gigglin Marlin.  Order the rainbow shot.
• I got a fish pedicure while I was there.
• Inside joke.  This is where the belly button incident occurred.  Make you cry laughing story.
• Walked through Cabo Wabo, right by this bar, and looking at the pictures on the wall was mesmerizing to me as always.  Sammy knew and played with so many big-time musicians.
• They don’t sell dry fits or bracelets at the Cabo Wabo gift shop by the way.  This was my second trip with those requests.  Linds and I didn’t agree on a T-Shirt, so I decided to pass.
• By the way, my wife somehow forgot to put me on the group text for the trip, which was funny.  Everyone else was saying “I sent a group text with that info.”  I said “I am not ON that text.”
• The whole time, Annette was with us.  This is Lindsey’s friend who I can share very, very high level Seinfeld jokes with.  Constant under the breath Seinfeld jokes all trip.  Annette rocks.
• I don’t own a boat, but find boat names as interesting as tattoos.  You are posting something to the world that you stand behind.  If it wasn’t so hard to drive up to a boat to tell them how cool their name was, I would.
• We then went to the Gigglin Marlin, because A) it is an adjective and an animal in its name and they are the greatest wherever you are, and B) because you hang upside down and do a mysterious shot.
• We then went to Squid Roe, which is basically the have to see  bucket list location people will ask you about, but basically just a three floor, over-cheesy bar that is fun and then becomes a meat market later on in the night if you need that on your trip.  Bachelor and bachelorette parties galore.
• The strip just goes NUTS at about 10pm.  Think a Mexican version of Bourbon Street.
• We stopped by two places that were small places on the way back.  One had no name actually, and the other one just had a bunch of dollars all over the place.
• At this point, I had organized us, in the spirit of 12 Strong, into the Alpha and Bravo squad.  I can’t say where the Alpha squad was going, but I was in charge of the Bravo squad.
• We had to find a place for Nick to watch the Mexico-Costa Rica match, which I set up at Cabo Wabo, as now people were in there.
• Cabo Wabo is the only place in the world that will play Poundcake on its main set list.
• The band in Cabo Wabo was weak, so we ventured elsewhere.
• Jungle Bar has the best guitarist you will ever see, with the set list from my heaven.  The guy smokes cigarettes and does shots while playing Eddie Van Halen solos one handed.  Magical.  Ridiculous.  He played Sweet Child and Panama for my two requests for VH and GNR.  Perfect and then some.
• We then found the Alpha squad, and…it was hilarious and can’t be noted.  There was the surprised face, the line, and the confusion to follow.
• Shuttled home, went to bed.
• Next day was the breakfast buffet again.  The omelet doesn’t get old, along with the other stuff I was now in a groove getting.
• We went to Flora Farm.  I thought we were going to get a boring farm tour.  We actually were going there to eat…on a beautiful farm.  Kind of cool.  The ladies ordered Sangria, and the bees on the farm apparently like that, so glad we were leaving soon.  But, a farm in the middle of the desert.  Stellar.  Everything you order there is grown there.  The people who ordered fruit cocktails were very, very happy.
• Flora Farm had the best pizza I had in quite some time.  Rome, White Pie Uptown Denver, Flora Farm Los Cabos.
• (except that WHY do you get an egg pizza and they put one single egg on the whole pizza-tough distribution)
• The heat wasn’t as bad as the Belize jungle (from our honeymoon), which will never be topped in my mind, but still very hot each day midday.
• We then went to the beach.  No one could swim once again.  Probably a good idea, and even I recognized that.  I have matured.
• Why do pools and pool bars close at 5pm at places?  Why isn’t it sundown?
• We learned there was a 5pm volleyball game daily.  Noted, and we made plans for the next night.
• The pool bar by the beach had swings, which is one of Lindsey’s favorite things in life.
• Our friend then took his girlfriend to get engaged in Cabo San Lucas (not the new love people, the older love girlfriend/boyfriend).  We all apparently knew this, but independently, so this got blurted out during our 2.5 hour (so slow) dinner at the Mexican restaurant, which was underwhelming.  Oddly, our friend went to Cabo in a shuttle, ate, walked on a beach, proposed, and got a shuttle back all pretty much when we were in this restaurant hell.
• More new love, couple jokes during this time.
• Jose came back into the story at this point.  When we were trying to figure out a way to welcome them, I reminded people that we knew where to get free champagne.  Thanks, Jose.  It was an incredible welcoming event.
• We thought karaoke would be a nice cap to the big night.  We went there, but it had turned into a normal nightclub.  Shame.  No singing.  I was going to sing Nick and Brook a wonderful love song…or just do Sweet Child.  I even had a non-singing guy ready to hit the mic.  That was the guy from the new love couple.  See, he was cool.
• We figured out that they poured from the same tap each time, even though some people were ordering Modelo, and some were ordering Corona.  Weird.  All was watered down.  Liquor and beer all watered down at these places.
• Buffet the next day again.
• No organized plan for a boat on Monday, as Lindsey had organized too much already.  We weren’t putting our credit card down for a 12-person boat when 3 people ended up going.
• Then pool/ swim-up bar.
• Then beach bar/ swings.
• Too windy to play frisbee again.
• Then, volleyball.
• I learned that volleyball skills do indeed diminish when you don’t play for five years.  Noted.  I didn’t even pull out my lethal overhand serve, as that would have been more embarrassing then just under-handing it into play.  I needed practice.
• Someone almost died at the beach right before our volleyball game.  Kind of was surreal.  Luckily, Pancho was one of 17 people trying to rescuing them, so he will say he saved a life that day.
• We ate Italian again that night, as the wait at the seafood restaurant place was too long.  I did NOT order the lasagna.  Ordered shrimp ravioli and it was pretty stellar. 
• This was some people’s last night, but everyone was pretty chill from a long weekend.  People splintered off.  New love went to room to get more ammo for new love jokes.
• That night, although her voice was shot from the trip, Lindsey wanted me to enter the Secrets Idol contest.  I said maybe.  Our dinner was right during the signup time, and glad I didn’t sign up.  We walked up after dinner, and some guy was doing a Superstitious rendition that would have made Stevie jealous as hell.  He won.  I would have gotten second and a $25 massage coupon.
• Lobby bar before bed briefly.
• We were in bed pre-midnight.  No channel 51, which was also a running joke at the resort.
• Last day was Tuesday.  I woke up at 630am to get the six remaining people Hibachi reservations.  There was a line after me when I left at 7:05am.
• Then, we woke up later on Tuesday, our last day, and Lindsey was sick.  Like really sick.  Like Mexican food sick.  We got room service, but it was just ok.  She couldn’t eat.
• Buffet and the girls had the big spa appointment.  I killed the two hours, as I am not a spa guy, by going to the beach to catch some good photos of the killer waves.  There was a storm 15 km’s away, so the surf was even more deadly than the day before.  Lifeguard stopped me from going down the hill on the beach for closer photos.  One minute it was at the bottom of the hill.  The next, it was up at the lifeguard stand.  Brutal.
• The water was turquoise the day before.  Just blue today.
• Squeezed in a nap this day.
• Squeezed in some final pool time this day.
• Wife toughed it out.
• The resort actually had awesome wifi I will say.  Even while I was on the beach taking pictures, photos were being downloaded to my Google Drive.
• The elevators, both, operated independently the whole time.  Weird.
• Hibachi was cool, although my wife couldn’t eat much, as she was toughing it out just being there.
• Next morning, got a shuttle to the airport.
• The Corona bar at the Cabo airport is PRICEY, although it was nice having one single beer that was not watered down.
• No souvenirs.  Plenty of photos, and I keep little stuff from each trip.
• I watched Den of Thieves on the way back, as you know.
• I got another “X” at the Global Entry point at the DIA airport.  I still have not made it through the Global Entry that I pay for smoothly one single time.
• Yes, there was traffic on the way home from the airport on 70.  Long drive made longer.
• The cats were excited to see us when we got home, which was weird, because…they are cats.
• We got home for an AMERICAN holiday.  Lindsey was too sick still to go see fireworks, but we went to a pool on the actual Fourth.
• That’s all, folks.  As always, you should talk to me when going absolutely anywhere, because Lindsey is the ultimate booker, and I am the ultimate note-taker of where we go each time.  I don’t try to make the above exciting.  I just write all notes, so Linds and I can reflect when we are old on our beach in Belize.  Peace.

12. PICS FROM MY PIXEL (might as well have 12 things this blog):

THROW IT BACK IN THE POND

immigration debate

Bahamas shark death

why wasn’t there more got king of North references in NBA playoffs

canelo loses a title franchise

Stanton out til august

Lakers ship 3 to wiz create space for davis

UConn moved officially to big east

hoop dreams pingatore dies

Bradshaw rips ehlinger ut

Utah track student mad

Ortiz planner arrested

darren collison retires at 31 for faith

Kessel trade pens

lorenzen hospital

Lillard blazers deal

rapinoe accepts house invite dc

angels tyler skaggs dies at 27

looney returns to warriors

phone problems-water

cuse mangakahania cancer

warriors might trade russell

teen driver charged with death of auburn broadcaster

canadiens aho

rangers panarin

wiz wall disabled exception

yanks sign top international prospect

Betsy Ross shoe

ex-nfl anthony wright shot in domestic dispute

nfl players might want new deal before 2019 season

female football player killed by drunk driver

Herrera Phil’s cleared dv

tj McConnell pacers

Mavs marjanovic

Morris pistons

rapinoe is American extremely

no Elliott suspension

suns to waived traded Kyle korver

elliott apologizes to goodell

https://deadspin.com/rugby-man-slaps-dislocated-knee-back-into-place-immedi-1835922894

ten people for debate?

another orange new black season

big little lies

Denver detour Google end up field

a scissors

toy review 10 yr old is brilliant

wife thought thunder rolls is thunder road

academy athletes can postpone duty for pros

London game yanks Sox 30 runs

six astros voted to asg

nhl free agency

rapinoe Trump feud

gold cup usmnt out of group

world cup us France others

us in gold cup quarterrs

Argentina loses Brazil copa

fourth July hot dog contest

gauff wins second match

us netherlands

dolphins Kendrick Norton car crash arm amputated

uswnt Nike jersey sales record

yanks minor league team scores 38 runs

tour de France about to start

sudo wins 6th straight eating in women’s

robben retires soccer

Mr. two bits dies fsu

Boston mayor sends letter to blues superfan

yanks torres gets on asg squad after all

pool party

Britain player dumps partner for gauff

us Mexico gold cup final

hot dog eating contest

summer league starting

porter knee injury

hunt in trouble again bar incident

Shaq Lawson pays for funeral

James to give up 23 jersey

There are favorites to win nba summer league title?

Ufc 239 I would watch if I had nothing to do-jones, holm

creeks closing due to rain and moisture

hail stops fourth festivities

Bryson Washington to OU not Texas

Phil’s blow 4-0 lead

fire after fireworks st. lucie

70 yr old marathoner found dead

Teddy b. stroke