Marshall Co-Pilots the Puddle Jumper

From Belize City Airport, you can get to the island of Ambergris Caye by boat or puddle jumper, which is a little cramped airplane. With seating full, I got to ride in the co-pilot seat and did my best to keep my hands off everything and generally stay out of trouble.

Here was the instruments in front of me
This is the Belize Rain Forest that we flew over
I guess I did the job as the co-pilot
We got to Ambergris Caye and, as they say, any landing you can walk away from is a good one
To be continued

Touchdown in Belize City Airport

We went from Akron Canton to Charlotte NC to Belize City. We were not in the airport very long as we had one more flight, but more about that in a minute. Here are the beautiful ladies, tired, but happy that the long flight was over.

Here was my first glance outside at Belize
And, here I am chillin' with the Big Kahuna


To be continued

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America Adventure

Here we are very, very early at Akron Canton Airport last Saturday to board our plane. We look pretty good for being up at 3:00 in the morning.

Here is what we arrived to, a tropical paradise. This was the view outside our balcony deck
This is the view outside the restaurant deck
Here we are getting ready to leave paradise and come back to Ohio

Here is our friend, Ashner the Concierge of the Costa Maya Resort. Ashner took good care of us all week and made sure that whatever we wanted or needed, we got. This young man has a bright future ahead of him in business with the excellent customer service and humor that he provides.
To be continued

Marshall's Flower Garden

Parsing Dan Gilbert’s Mr. James Letter

Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert


Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening,
A jab at Mr. James, from the get go

is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
He’s right. It was.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff
Don’t quit on us, we need the money.

over here at your hometown Cavaliers
Mr. James from Akron was not a hometown guy, but we are.

have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.
Mr. James is the bad guy in this, not us.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.
Have no idea what he is talking about here. Lebron’s Posse, perhaps?

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.
Not only was it betrayal, it was COWARDLY betrayal. Don’t know if anyone else was betrayed, but Mr. Gilbert feels he was betrayed. Guess he felt he deserved a phone call at 8:30 last night.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.
So don’t quit on us, we need the money.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"
What’s the plan here? Couldn’t win it with Mr. James, how you going to do this without him?

You can take it to the bank.
So keep coming to the games, buying season tickets, and buying merchandise, so I can take that $$$ to the bank, anyway

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland,
He’s right here. Really thought they were doing whatever it takes

I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own
Just wanted to make sure you knew how selfish Mr. James is and how betrayed I feel.

has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.
Okay, now this is personal

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.
Is South Beach heaven? Not sure what he is talking about here?

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.
What works? You have to die to go to heaven?

This shocking act of disloyalty
I think this is the crux of the matter. There is no loyalty anymore. We coddled this guy and gave him everything, you would expect some loyalty, but all he did was draw his paycheck and perks.

from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.
This is one generation talking about another generation. This is a sad lesson that this generation is the “me first” generation, something most of us knew all along and Mr. Gilbert might have just learned.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.
Well, why not? I already guaranteed a championship before he does, might as well go all the way.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south.
Has Mr. Gilbert put a curse on Mr. James or is this wishful thinking? Either way, guy’s really angry at him.

And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio,
You mean until he comes crawling back into Cleveland and Ohio on his hands and knees for you to lift the curse?

James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.
I don’t know if this spell is the so-called Curse of Rocky Colavito, but I do know that what comes around goes around.

Just watch.
And keep coming to the games and buying our merchandise, we need the money.

Sleep well, Cleveland.
And you Mr. Gilbert.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....
Actually, the day started off cloudy and raining on the shores of Lake Erie and it still is as of this writing. So much for optimism, but nice try.

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:
Here’s the big finish.

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....
Long deserved – like anyone is owed a championship, yeah right.



Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

Actually, to be fair, I think this is a good public relations strategy as Mr. Gilbert has now become the Face of the Cleveland Cavaliers, not a position an owner should be in.

Ryan and Slider

Fourth of July 2010

Elaine had a great idea of us going to the Cleveland Indian game, so we did. It was eighty-three miles from home, up I-77 and off on E 9th Street Exit, easy drive. Pulled in the first parking lot that we came to, right across the street from the Stadium.


On the way up, we saw these Lebron James Please Stay signs driving up the interstate and in town here.


When we go in the stadium, we were trying to decide where to eat, when I asked an Lady Usher if they had any nice sit down restaurants or grills. She said there was The Terrace Club, but it was only for season ticket holders. Disappointed, we were trying to figure out where to lunch at a concession stand, when the Lady Usher approached us and said that she just found out there was a special at The Terrace Club and anyone could go in today. Thank you Lady Usher!


Here I am feeling like a big shot.


Then, it was time to take our seats for the start of the game, which the Indians lost 3 to 1. Frankly, the Indians look like a farm team this year, but we had a good time and a great day at 94 degrees, nonetheless.

Nice Dive Day at Gilboa Quarry

As we will be traveling to Belize in a few weeks and I will be diving there, I wanted to get some more dive time in before the trip. I made a quick run out to the quarry yesterday on a perfect dive day. The water was warm down to about 20 feet, then cold to my deepest depth of about 40 feet. Anyway, it was a good dive day. Here are my dive buddies, Mel and Chip.

Aaron's Ipad Unboxing

Aaron's Graduation Party Photos

Ryan Painting Adirondack Chairs

Last year, I made two chairs and a table for Ryan's and Brian's porch deck. Ryan worked hard to stain them.

Fathers Day 2010

Yesterday, we all went to Old Carolina Barbecue for a lovely lunch with our families. Bruce and I are so blessed to have loving wives and children who honor us not only on Father's Day, but everyday of the year.

Elaine in Cleveland


While on important work for Wooster City School in Cleveland, Elaine had an evening off and went here.

Richard's Graduation Party

Graduation Day Video

Graduation Day Photos

This was right after the graduation ceremony when we ran around the Convocation Center to find Aaron and start our family celebration and congratulations.
As we found him, he was being interviewed by a reporter from the OU Student newspaper on the standard questions, "How does it feel?" I did not hear what he said, but I am sure that he had some clever quips and soundbites.









After, we went to the Ponderosa for lunch and to celebrate

Marietta Friday Night

Ryan, Brian, Elaine, and I traveled to Marietta, Ohio and stayed at the Hampton Inn, in preparation for going to Aaron's Ohio University Graduation tomorrown in Athens. There was a street fair going on in downtown Marietta and the first person we met, was serving free samples of pizza. Turns out, it was the Mayor of Marietta, Moon Mullen. It was a very nice affair, lots of people out, shopping, and the downtown restaurants were very busy.
Next, we ate dinner at the Gun Room Restaurant, part of the Lafayette Hotel. The whole town is very historic and the restaurant was just part of the history motif. The inside was exactly like a turn to the century riverboat, very unusual. The food was very good.
Here is the Ohio River Bridge downtown.

Ryan and Brian Went to the Cleveland Indian Game

DUI Drysuit Day at Gilboa Quarry

Friday, I went to the Quarry as the DUI Company was there and you could test out drysuits in the hopes of buying. I do want a drysuit, but I want to get a few dives in before we go to Belize. Also, I got the new underwater housing for my Flip Video Camera and wanted to test it out.


This is the DUI Company display. You start at one end and work your way through each station to get you fitted and suited properly.

Here I am just getting in the water to start my second dive.


Here is the boat and motorcycle, I've videod and photod these before, as I said, I was just testing my video equipment. As you can see, I did not have the wide angle lens on, so everything fills the screen like I am way to close.

The water temperature was about 54 degree and I was in about 20 minutes for each dive. My face and head were cold, but the rest of me was warm from the drysuit. There is no way I could have dove with a wetsuit, the water is still too cold. Hopefully, it will warm up soon.

Lockdown at New Towne Mall

Real Bad Storm Today