Day 4.. Heading back to Miami without the boat and back again

Sealed up tightly last night during the rain storm

Boat Issues one after another...

I am the first to admit I hate giving up and forced to quit but in this case there was no other option. After countless tries at repairing the engine and getting to sail nothing.. Besides some business we attended to to while here we have remained in the same port, at the same dock for the 4 days we have been gone..BOY what a giant .. I don't even want to say it.. There was no mosquito swamp, no Indian River, no everglades, not even the start of the engine or lifting or releasing (I am no Sailor) of the sails, no NOTHING.. Actuall there was a lot of heat and thunderstoms, and muggy nights... You know come to think about it, this really sucked... 

Our organized Kitchen

Carpeting we purchased

Writing my blogs

Tonight before we left

Looking toward the sleeping quarters

Our little Fan friends from Wal-Mart

No in all honesty we worked hard to bring the ship around. We installed water tanks, carpet, fixed the sleeping chambers, built an engine from three other old ones that I felt were garbage but we managed to do it. Well Jessica Hale managed to do it.. You see she knows everything about boats and boat engines, and how to take them apart, put them back together and work miracles.. I have no clue what she did, how she managed, or for that matter why she insisted we wait.. But she is the Captain and what they say goes... She worked all day above and I cleaned up below and made sure the quarters became livable.. It took what seemed like hundreads of trips to Wal-Mart for supplies

I bought everything from [plastic bins, to cabinet organizers, to my best friend contact paper that works miracles when you need a quick non-permanent fix.. Bought spotlights, nightlights, and everything needed and the little boat now actually looks livable. 

While Jessica worked I just sat below complained about the heat and played with Kiva or the 10 year Macaw who took an instant liking to me and insisted on sleeping with me every night.. Can you imagine what its like to be waken up by a huge screech of a bird because you leaned over to the side to much.. no matter I quickly learned to sleep on my back and her on my stomach.. no more issues or me thinking this killer bird was about to pluck my eyes out.. In all kidding aside she is the cutest bird you have ever seen, she lays on your belly and puts her head on your chest only to fall asleep between your arms or upper shoulder not moving a wisp throughout the night... She loves nuts and beries and will love you forever and be content to sit on your shoulders for as long as you will have her.. 

Getting back to the ship, we finished all major repairs with the exception of the engine and are headed back to Miami tonight to grab some things and return in the morning and maybe then sometime Thursday afternoon or Froiday morning we will finally be on our way to Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Florida, for our exciting trek to Miami..imagine if all this has happened before we even left imagine what adventure and excitement awaits us as we cross into mosquito lagoon.. Maybe I won't come back from Miami and just.... Well stay tuned but I know I will be back as I have a date with Mosquito Lagoon...

Enjoy these pictures of Kiva, my new best friend a 10 Year old Macaw who is super intellegent and if your evef in a dark Marina at night like I was when Jessica went again to Wal-Mart to get supplies and hear a noise and all of the sudden hear Kiva say Hello, guess what, it scares the hell out of you.. I jumped higher then a kite jumping through the air.. Just a little some thing to make all of you laugh

To be continued.......

AG Home Goods

Two very modern apartments...

The ideal apartment for us corporate folk and

an ideal modern, contemporary Loft...

The following two designs are ideal for that corporate officer and then that ideal Loft style apartment for our more design trendy generation that like the open spaces and trendy lifestyles, one filled with a hotbed of modern electronics and video games.. The fast paced life we all lead today and stress way to much over...

Bedroom and Bathroom Design Ideas in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Here are the elegant and luxury apartment Al. Casa Branca design and interior decorating ideas in Brazil. This Casa include the wooden floor, black and reds bedroom interior, cool kitchen ceiling and modern furniture, playing room. this really modern residence for living elegant. Here is more information from the project developers: The decision to purchase the property was taken for two reasons: an open floor plan (all pillars are at the ends of the building) and an impressive view of the Trianon Park (the only green area around Avenida Paulista). In total, between the pursuit of design, property and construction took a year and a half or so. The project is located within the famous architect Paulo Bruna. Customer information was: 1 bedroom, open kitchen to life, places to get comfortable and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

King Beds Design and Bedroom Interior in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Black Wall and Elegant Interior in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Kitchen Bars Table and Furniture in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Kitchen Layout Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Modern Kitchen Furniture Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Playing Room Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Playing Room Interior and Lighting in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Wooden Bathtub Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Living Room Furniture Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Bar Kitchen Chair Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

Bathroom Wall Lighting Design in Apartment Al. Casa Branca in Brazil

An absolute amazingly designed apartment in brazil. We should all be so lucky to have such a modern, cosmopolitan place to call home. Its absolutely stunning..

A modern, contemporary Loft...

living room with modern fireplace at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

Here are the cozy modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York. Originally equipped apartments for stores in the first, warehouses and other large non-residential premises, but after this period were also allocate a style housing.Loft project has high ceilings and the accountant general, the minimum number of partitions and walls. A remarkable advantage of fourth-fourth windows.Another first major accomplishment in colonial style. Ceiling fans refer to the situation in a country house.Painted brick walls are very characteristic of lofts. brick walls, beams and floor under the roof – that “is just a masterpiece, really enjoyed it

Enjoy the following pics!

living room furniture at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

cozy living room design at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

dining room interior and furniture at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

white wardrobe furniture at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

bedroom with conopy design at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

comfy bedroom design at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

cool dining room area at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

cycle coffee table at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

modern kitchen set at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

room layout design at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

table lamps design at modern minimalist style loft apartment interior design in New York

A very modern, contemporary trendy loft.. Absolutely fantastic and modern.. Perfect for us designer, trendy, artist generation who like the fast pace lifestyle so many of us have today..

AG Home Goods

Our Final Day...in Cuba

Cuba day 9-10
Our Final 2 Days and goodbye

Yesterday (Thursday) as an official farewell to all of us.. My family on the side of my father threw a huge celebration on the farm they own here on the Island.. In conjunction with the birthday party of a very honest little girl I have come to really enjoy talking to these past few days...She always tells the truth about everything.. and I do mean everything and when you talk to her it does not seem like you are talking to a 10 year old but to a young passionate college student involved in government or politics and on one side passionately believing in thhe issues you are discussing.

She speaks about the conditions at her school, about the way things are here, and about the residents of the Island in ways that make her seemm like a college grad student.. One thing is clear from her view and many others here that the US Embargo on this Island is only hurting the peoople and not the goovernment and on this one point I will agree... The government still has what it needs and will always have the means to control the population.. Loook at China.. There is no imbargoo and the goivernment there is a much bigger threat to the United States then the Cuban government. If the embargo were lifted it would mean a new begining for this Island, one with some hope and maybe just maybe supplies would start rushing in.. The past is the past it is time to look forward and remove the Embargo against Cuba..

Getting back to our farewell dinner... It had a huge pig, roasted in the open, goat meat, which if any of you have not tried, I suggest you do because it is the most tasty delicious meat of all in my opinion, salids, tamales, and every other cuban made dish you could think of. I of course took the beers and drinks.. sodas and alcohol are usually out of financial limits to most cubans although Cuban Rum is readily available..The party went off without a hitch until about half way thhrough the power went out buty thank god the rain because even though thehre was no electricity for about two hours, the breeze kept things very cool, cooler then before the rain and wityh only fans as most cubans do not have AC anywhere on the island. It is a luxury reserved for the most financial stable families.

Then we sang Happy Birthday to this very special girl and the one thing she says she will remember the moost is the fact that there were balloons at her party. We brouth them from the states. For you see that is one item that even with money can not be found on the island ion any store or even the most expensive hotels... She was happy too have a birthday (her first) with ballonns.. I have to remember that on my next trip proobably in December to bring lots of ballooons because they seemed to maske everyone there happy it somehow took over the air all around us. It was indeed a good, memorable farewell diner for all of us who today at 10:00 PM will travel back to Miami and be there befor 11:00 PMM tonight.. Back to our working iPhones, home computers, blog postings, emails, problems, phone calls, and oother everyday stress... and as you think abnout all of this, you wonder who truly is the lucky one but then reality hits and you realize its you.. With all the problems we put up with in the United States, its rare we go too bed with hunnger or woondering where tomorroow´s mmeal is coming from, or whether or not we are going to eat or not...

Those are the issues facing lots of people here and entire families suffer the same restlessness although I can say one thing, everyone seems to get by somehow.. Somehow it stays together and peoople have time to fix their hommes and the streets of Cuba´s cities are cleaner thenn anywhere I have been in South America or the carribean, for that matter lots of american cities.. They take pride in maintaining the streets clean and debris free.. so that at least you can leave here knowing this is a very clean hygenic society that takes pride in itself and in their surroundings. 

Cuba is indeed a land of contrasts and one vacationn I will gladly repeat in December of this year and again next June for it is my father land and my families hoome, and one I can never forget.. It has my roots and my people from which I came and a week long family celebration is something thjat always does the body good.. Peace, relaxation, and a governmennt bent on making tourists feel welcome make this place, with all its shortcomings perhaps the best vacation on the planet.. at least to me...  

My next blog entry will be tonight from the city of Miami, from my office as I go to check up on what happened in the last ten days.. Gooodbye for now from Cuba, this beautiful island unnknown to many and misunderstood by most...

AG Home Goods

Cuba Days 6-9, tourist stuff with family and friends

Cuba Days 6-9
Tourist stuff with Family and Friends


The last few days on the Island have been mostly spent onn going around and seeing what each family household needs. In other words, a window that needs repairing oor replaced, a rooof that needs fixing, a household that is shoort on food, one that needs plaster or paint and then have been going around and trying to find these items in a country where these things do not exist or are hard nearly impossible toi find. However this year we found that everything we waanted to buy was readilly available and purchased everything we needed in about the two days we had allotted to the search. We purchased wardrobes for some family members, windows for others, as well as friends, connected flat screens that no one seems to know how to opperate, and helped spruce up homes with small items such as plates, glasses, stemware, paint, and a few other basic items such as toilet paper. Everyone here seems to need something yet their spirit and determination is completely alive and kicking. The tourist dollar only stores (correction new chavo - the term used for the converted american dollar) are rich in merchandise but at prices way out of reachj of most the Island. A shovel for example costs 20.00 and most cubans make 10.00 a month.


I also had my first experience in a Cubann Gym these last few days.. To say it was an experience is an understatement. No real equipment to speak about, or for that matter much of anything.. It was two bars, one bench, and outdated and broken stairmasters, which of course did not work.. There were two bars to be shared by everyone and thehy were full of rust and the smoothie bar was commpletely emty but yet there was still someoone working there, the massage area and steam, sauna, and bathrooms were long ago shut and the entrance fee 5.00 USD, which they think is a bargain.. I hear that most good gyms are in Havanna and I agree that Havana is perhaps the closest one gets to feeling like they are back in the states. Although sometimes when I am in the hotel in the room, with the AC full blast and the TV tuned too ESPN, I feel the same but as you open the door and feel the heat and run into the brooken elevator that forces you to walk down 9 flights of stairs annd be completely drenched I realize where I am Cuba. All of this and I would not trade this vacation for a week at the best greek villa on the islands of Mykonos.


People here are waram, friendly, and everyone survives, they know how to party, act, yet survive. The Cuban Spirit is strong determined, and willed to move ahead and make through these times so that they can live a better tomorrow. One thing is for sure the construction here is absolutely sturdy and if this place were to ever see a Lowes or Home Depot or something similar, the reaction would be a better island, one full of tourists, and one completely renovated and invigorated...


We went to a place called LA Granjita, which was Fidel Castro´s old Villa oor House  here in Santa Clara to eat yesterday with our family and friends and at $12.00 all you can eat buffet style dinnner, it was a bargain to have the pleasure of seeing my family and friends enjoy such a wonderful meal and savor every moment, including thhe all you can eat Ice Cream Bar, which seems unimportant to us yet is a super luxury on the Island, and some with us had never seen one.. Its amazing just 90 miles from here is the southern coast of Florida and the city of Miami, with everything available and yet here its a differennt world where everything is a chore too find or get a hold of.


One thing I will never get use to is the lack of paper towels or napkins.. There art none anywhere, you get one for lunch, dinner, and none in the bathrooms, even in the hotels.. So trust me on this when going to the bathroom and going to do number two, do it in your room for a surprize will definitely hit you, if you do it in the public areas.. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE...

Today we are going to say goodbye to most of the people we love and care about in a big celebration outside the city at my grandparents old home, one we completely renovated by sending money from the states. One of three homes we have completely rebuilt here on the Island even added AC, noty too mention the coutless windows, paintings, concrete for other homes of our friends and family we have helped with. For you see with western monney and funds everything is available, for that RIGHT price... then is back to Santa Clara to spend the nighht and tomorrow at 2:00 PM we leave for Havana to make sure we check in by 6:00 for our 10:00 PM flight and back in Miami before 11:00. When we land we will have traveled not only 90 miles but in a time machine forward in time to 2011..

And although I will happy to be back, I will not be able too stop tyhinking about my family and close friends still here on the Island fighting everyday to survive..

AG Home Goods

Cuba, an Island misinterpreted from the outside

Day 3 Cuba....My grandmother´s 105th birthday is today


It was an uneventful night in Santa Clara Cuba. I finally found a way of getting photos sent to all of you and will have them up by this afternoon. (Hopefull). Anyway last night was raining as does everyday here around 3 PM as we are in the tropics and the afternoon thunderstorms tend to roll in everyday at the same time. I think its great since it coold the island down by about 10 to 12 degrees and the breeze before the rain and after is something I would rather have then live without.


We went shoping yesterday and the unthinkable happened. The stores were full of products from the USA, Raisen Bran, Lucky Charms, Cheereos, to name a few cereals and just about everything food wise was made in the UDA. Incredible.. Of course most items were way to expensive for the average cuban family. But no matter most again seemed to get by and honestly I love the island and the people are very friendly and even the government really ahs not done anything wrong to us or anyone around us so a lot of the stories you hear on Cuba are just that stories..


Its safe, secure, the government does go out of its way to show tourists a good time, and you feel very secure where ever you go. So no matter what you have herd, don´t always believe because it might not be true, and more then likely it is not..


We ate early around 600PM and I was in bed by 1100 in a nice clean air conditioned hotel room in the middle of the colonial beautiful city of Santa Clara.. Where everyone seems to be super friendly toward tourists and there are quite a few of them here.. from Europe, Canada, United States, and a slew of other countries. The room includes breakfast which is fantastic buffet style or a la carte with just about everything you can possibly imagine for breakfast...


Well today we are busy getting ready for the big party tonight.. it promises to be a great time and evening.. more on that later and hopefully with some pictures..




Pictures found below.. just A FEW ...

Three very modern, cool, hip homes......

Three really awesome homes.. that are worth mentioning.. 

house with swimming pool and garden design front view

Here the House Renovation Abundant Natural Light with Integrated Indoor and Outdoor Spaces.The initial appeal of the owners of the site was inspired by palms set in the backyard of the North and always a place of life and entertainment facilities within a resort-style luxury. Subsequent measures to comb the landscape with built form and open to sharing a house and other related sectors of life creates a series of layered spaces, from the entrance gallery of double height atrium to the oasis hidden behind. This oasis is the climax of the house, with a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that contain built in sofas, dining rooms, outdoor showers and outdoor toilet hidden, all organized around the pool. Large operable glass doors to all areas of life to join the landscape, resulting in a spectacular lifestyle outdoors for everyone to enjoy.this house designed in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

great house with swimming pool and garden design

sunlight house design with relax swimming pool

renovation house with swimming pool and garden

first floor terrace design ideas

entry way indoor design ideas

ceramic kitchen design ideas

indoor relax space connect to outdoor

kitchen design ideas connected with living room

living room design after house renovation

living room renovation with large glass windows with garden view

wooden staircase design in entry room

renovation house plan

renovation house 3d schema

renovation house plan for first floor

A UNIQUE MODERN, CONTEMPORARY HOME 

The house found below is not only uniquely designed but please pay close attention to its angled shape. It take a perfect plan of action, idea, and creative plan to achieve this kind of modern, contemporary exterior designs. The interior designs are even nicer and very minimal in nature..

Enjoy the pics:

klein bottle experimental house design

This unusual home design, unique home architect by McBride Charles Ryan – Rob McBride & Debbie-Lyn Ryan. and Photographs by John Gollings This holiday home is located on the Mornington Peninsula 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne. It is located in the T-tree in the sand dunes, a short distance from the unspoilt beach 16. The “Klein Bottle” in mathematics is a non-orientable surface (a surface with no distinction between “inside” and “out”). The house revolves around a central courtyard, a grand staircase connecting all levels real. The angle space carefully carved from the living room is both a revelation and a pleasure. Be experimental futuristic looking little house. Red interiors and contemporary furniture makes it look taller. let’s see the Unusual Home Design Klein Bottle Holiday home by Rob McBride picture here:

futuristic house design ideas

klein bottle house terrace view

klein bottle house living room terrace view

klein bottle house enter street view

klein bottle house inside view

klein bottle house bathroom view

Absolutely amazing home.. Its design is simply something that is original, cutting edge, shows boldness in the style, and the end result is simply stunig. 

Fiberglass designs... In Manhattan

minimalist apartment interior design ideas

Here the Fiberglass Glossy Shiny Surfaces Interior Design in Minimalism Apartment. color use for for wall and floor is white and choose black interior, this favorite color for 2010 The atmosphere of minimalism is achieved by using materials such as lacquered MDF, glass, metal, fiberglass. A lot of furniture designed especially for this address. There are two levels in the apartment. The first has a kitchen with a dining table and lounge. The second floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom. The staircase was a very important part of interior design that features a vertical fiberglass wall panel top and black in the center that serves not only rail but also for lighting on the stairs. Even if the atmosphere in the apartment is not as comfortable as in other places that would normally write about what a unique and so minimalist that some of you may find some inspiration in it. this interior designed by Bulgarian designer Jovo Bozhinovski. let’s see the Fiberglass Glossy Shiny Surfaces Interior Design in Minimalism Apartment picture below and hope you get inspired:


Enjoy these pics...

bathroom handwash design ideas

black and white apartment design

black and white bedroom design ideas

black and white dining room interior design

black bathroom design ideas

glass door design for dining room ideas

interior for living room include lighting

lcd tv place design ideas

staircase design ideas

ceramic staircase design ideas

luxury furniture for dining room design ideas

Hope you enjoyed the pics found above.... have a great and safe first weekend in June...

AG Home Goods