Character Design & Coffee Flavored Moonshine...

"You can tell its good if you light it and a blue flame comes up; that means its good moonshine and it won't make you go blind."

-Johnny Knoxville

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 Just a hello, I've been on a few adventures lately & I wanted to pop in...

I've never been a big drinker. I will, on occasion (define: when a client is in town & does not want to drink alone), imbibe on a fruity (preferably frozen) cocktail. It must be sweet enough to hide the liquor, pretty enough to make me smile and at the right temperature where I feel like the Caribbean should be in front of me when I open my eyes after the first sip.

This past weekend I journeyed to Puerto Rico for a girls getaway weekend. Yes, you read that right, a girls getaway. There were 3 of us. We have known each other since before we were born; i.e. our parents were friends way before conception. One of my lovely friends was needing an escape, the other was excited to go somewhere without her two young boys in tow and I, well, I just love to travel. 

We arrived, we definitely experienced, we laughed and we danced. We ordered the island's poison on more than one occasion - in fact I spent most of Saturday lounging beside a pool in a 'bed', reading magazines, talking, eating cotton candy & viewing the beauty of the Caribbean with a grin on my face and pink cheeks. I have not done that in years, possibly never to this extent. I enjoyed every flavor of frozen, exotic concoctions that the swim up bar could serve me. The sugar rush had me on high alert and the characters around me are now committed to memory. I often sat in the refreshing cool water of the pool and watched as people from all walks of this great earth enjoyed their vacation. I looked at bodies - all shapes, sizes, colors, designs. I saw hair - long, wavy, short, frizzy. I listened to accents - Australian, New Jersey, New York, Colombia, Southern. It was a plethora of character options. 

There was a moment when I watched a man, easily in his 70's - but moving like he was in his 40's - dance to every song the DJ blared beside the pool. He lost himself in the sounds of contemporary music. He grinned at young ladies, whistled at a few; he high fived the staff and boogied next to the patrons. In my own dazed state of sugar, rum and sun formulation I found myself in awe of his confidence. He moved to his own rhythm, he laughed at himself when the beat changed too quickly, he smiled the entire time. I love this man. He gave me an idea for a character & I am so pleased that in my slightly drunken state that he was able to leave such an imprint...if I had seen him a short 4 hours later I might not remember him as well.

4 hours after the dancing man I sat in a carillo restaurant named Casa Lola in Condado with a shot glass in my hand, numbness in my lips and a grin on my face - as we 3 girls cheered each other on, toasted to friendship, grinned at the nice waiter and then tipped back some Cafe Luna (coffee flavored moonshine)...it burned but in the moment all I could think about is that sometimes it can be rewarding to step away from everything, try something completely new, re-focus, observe life and the people within and hopefully find a moment to see someone else enjoying how fabulous this life is...oh and of course to pray that the moonshine won't make you blind - it sure would stink to miss out on all these interesting facets of life.....