Vacation At Club Med Turkoise

I just got back from an amazing and much needed vacation at Club Med’s resort Turkoise in the Turks & Caicos islands.  This was a bucket list item to take a vacation by myself.  I also knocked off the scuba diving challenge as well.   I chose Turkoise based on a recommendation from a colleague and booked it rather impulsively with out much research so I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into.  I had use-it-or-lose-it vacation and had to take it between projects so I needed a place that I could travel to by myself and still have a good time.  When I read that Turkoise was an 18+ resort that catered to solo travelers and friends groups, I was hooked.

I honestly didn’t know much about Club Med prior to the trip.  I expected to get some guff from my friends when I mentioned the resort, but got little.  In my mind Club Med was a dated chain of resorts that was all the rage for the twenty-some baby boomers in the 80′s and was still primarily occupied by those baby boomers today.  I couldn’t have been more wrong!  There was a large variety of age groups, and I had no problem finding some fun young travelers to hang out with.

Turkoise is like summer camp for adults – the entire experience is geared around making new friends and meeting people.  When you first arrive, check out the events calendar near the main bar.  Activities include, but not limited to, salsa dancing lessons, beach Olympics, snorkeling, Zumba classes, yoga on the dock, volley ball, pool floatie relays, trapeze school, scuba diving and soccer.  There is always something to be doing!  Its an all-inclusive resort which means the two bars will serve you a delicious concoction or beer any time of day.  Hungry between main meals?  Head over to Sharkies for a burger and fries!

Every night their is a show and a dance-club style bar scene.  While the shows aren’t Broadway, they are entertaining.  They become even more so as you get to know the staff members who put them on – its like watching a school play with all your friends!  The circus show is especially impressive!

I found the food at Turkoise to be great.  The buffet changes daily with themes such as Mexican, French and Mediterranean, with a few staples remaining every day.  Honestly, my expectations for buffet food at an all inclusive resort wasn’t very high.  I was continually surprised at the dinner options: Escargot in puff pastries, beef wellington,  duck confit, and some of the most amazing desert spreads I’ve seen in my life!  Admittedly, the last time I was at a real resort was with my family at the age of 13 or so, but I certainly don’t remember this quality of food at any of the resorts we visited.

The majority of the tables in the main dining room seat 8, so if you have a smaller group you’ll likely be sat with other guests.  I was fine with this since it introduced me to new people.  There was only one time when I was sat with an entire table of Italians who didn’t speak a word of English.  Luckily a group of friends showed up soon after, and I ‘escuzied’ myself from the table and sat with them.

Its not a perfect resort though.  Turkoise was built in the early 80′s and it is showing its age.  The rooms could definitely use some touch ups.  My bathroom was missing tiles and spots around the shower had some mold.  A fresh coat of paint and new tiling would do wonders. I can understand how this might gross out some people used to more 5 star accommodations, but I didn’t plan on spending much time in my room, and Club Med clearly has this resort marked at 3 stars.

Word around the resort was that when Club Med has renovated their 18+ resorts, they often change to cater to families as well.  If cleaning up the rooms means it will suddenly another Beaches filled with screaming-cannonballing-crying-poolpooping-buffetsneezing kids, I’ll take the sub-par rooms.

I’ll finish with just a small address to some of the negative comments posted on Trip Advisor:

• “Singles” resort doesn’t mean “sex/swinger resort.”  Not that you can’t find it here if you’re looking and play that game, but its not going to be thrown at you like some other resorts.
• The “20 minute waits at the bar” are gross exaggerations.  Lets be real.  Yes at peak times it can be a bit slower, but 5 minutes tops.  (I know, 5 minutes can seem like 20 minutes when you really want a drink and are being a negative-nancy)
• Club Med is not dishonest about its marketing about it being a luxury resort.  Turkoise is clearly marked as a 3 trident (star) out of 5 resort in their brochures.
• Smoking is allowed at the resort, although I personally noticed very little of it. Sorry, you’re not in the USA anymore – smoking is still very prevalent in other countries.
• The grounds were clean and well maintained while I was there.  Every morning when I woke early for scuba a section of the pool area was being repainted and grounds crews were up trimming trees and shrubs.
• If you’re going to spend the money, read about the resort first:  Their brochures clearly state that All-Inclusive doesn’t include bottled drinks or premium alcohol (it does include Absolute, J&B, Jim Beam and Gimblys though if you ask for it by name – otherwise its Turks & Caicos island brand booze for you) and some activities such as scuba and massages.

The Elephant (that was?) In The Room

My blog is currently going through a transition period as I transfer my domain and site hosting from GoDaddy to NetworkSolutions.  I believe most of the textual content of the blog is intact, but some of the media may not be available.  I’m working to correct this.

Last week I read about GoDaddy CEO, Bob Parson’s African vacation during which he shot and killed an elephant, then poses wearing GoDaddy branded clothing.  The video also shows villagers slaughtering the elephant wearing bright orange GoDaddy shirts and hats.

While I’m far from a PETA activist, this whole scenario just really bothered and I decided to end my 10 year relationship with GoDaddy.  I understand that there are reasons for animal management.  I’m not going to preach on the morals of whether or not this elephant was destroying the livelihood of the village – it was the manner in which it was performed that bothered me.  Bob Parson’s would like us all to believe that he was helping the village by killing the elephants.  With his billions of dollars he could have found a better way.

From the video, to the photo-shoot after, this was clearly just a rich man getting his trophy kill.

Year 1 With Scotch

I picked up my dog Scotch exactly one year ago today.  I met the breeder in the parking lot of a motel in Alexandria.  Scotch, who didn’t make a peep in the breeders car from Texas to Minnesota, made the most horrible whining noise the entire hour drive back to my house… and then through the entire night!  I ended up sleeping on the floor next to his crate for the first three nights because it was the only thing I could do to calm him.

He almost didn’t make it with me a few times!  Puppy hood is a stressful time for owner and pup alike.  I wasn’t sure if I could hack it.  Eventually he got into a routine of relaxing during my work day.  I’m extremely thankful for my mom, roommate and friends who have helped me out over the past year!  I’m glad this is one April fools that turned out well!

I Can See Clearly Now

Three weeks ago, I had lasik surgery at North Suburban Eye Specialists in Minnesota.  I could not be happier with the results!

I started wearing glasses senior year of college.  I noticed I was starting to get headaches when reading or using the computer, and someone suggested I get my eyes checked.  Turns out, I was near sided in one eye and far in the other, which was the reason for the headaches.  Getting glasses was like an epiphany!  “You mean everyone could read that sign from that distance?  You mean you can actually tell that’s Josh walking in from across the bar?”  I just assumed everyone saw as blurry as I did!

I started wearing contacts about two years ago when I started snowboarding.  I had a pair of over-the-glasses goggles, but every time I put them on, my glasses would fog up!  They also jut out far enough from my face that I had to look almost straight down to see my board and feet, a common practice for a beginning boarder.

In December of last year my eyes started to really bother me while wearing contacts.  I would take them out at the end of the day and at least one of my eyes would flair up red for almost the entire next day.  I actually ended up getting drops for pink eye the first time this happened.  Contacts just didn’t seem worth it anymore and I wanted to find out if I was a candidate for lasik.

I had preliminary appointments at both Lasik Plus in Edina and North Suburban Eye Specialists (NSES).  I ended up going with NSES because I was the most comfortable with their treatment plan.  I never met with a surgeon at Lasik Plus, and according to their results I would only qualify for PRK – another type of eye surgery with a much longer recovery time.  At NSES however, I met with Dr. Lobanoff the same day as my preliminary appointment.  He explained my results and the process of lasik to me, how my eyes worked and about their unique system at NSES.  Apparently, they have the most advanced laser in the state!  Every lasik machine can track the small movements of your eye during surgery – left/right, up/down – but the laser at NSES is currently the only system in MN that can also track the small amount of circular rotation that occurs in your eye as well!

Dr. Lobanoff assured me that I was a candidate for lasik, and he would be able to perform it a few times if needed.  It all has to do with the thickness of the cornea, and while mine was slightly thinner than average, it wouldn’t be an issue.  They also have a guarantee – if my eye site changes I can come back and have the procedure done again at no cost.  He also mentioned that some of the other providers will have a similar guarantee, they have certain requirements on it – like coming in for yearly exams and vision deteriorating beyond a specific point.  I never confirmed if this was the case at Lasik Plus.

The surgery itself went smoothly.  I was given some Valium to help calm my nerves and a series of eye drops prior.  The procedure itself is… uncomfortable.  Its not painful, and its not very long.  Mine took about 8 minutes.  I think the most memorable thing was the smell from the laser – I suppose they are burning your eyeball, so yeah, you’ll smell it.  I put a video below to show some of the process and how it works on a more detailed level.  I don’t remember having my eye marked like that, but every thing else seems pretty spot on.

I had my three week post opp exam today, and my vision is currently at 20/15 and even my astigmatism is corrected!  I cannot imagine anyone not being happy with lasik!  If your looking for lasik in the Minnesota area, I highly recommend the team at NSES.   Tell ‘em I sent you!

New Years Challenge 2011

Since 2007, each year I have picked a new skill to learn.  When ever possible, I tried to get professional guidance in learning it – consider it my own personal Made.  Over the years I have done guitar, singing, salsa/swing dancing and boxing.  Dancing has been by far my favorite of these skills so far, and the one I have used the most.  Boxing was the shortest of my endeavors.  I learned rather quickly that I don’t enjoy getting punched in the face, and that it would take far more training ($$) and time that I wanted to invest to get to the point where getting in the ring wouldn’t just be a self-promoted-pummeling.

This years challenge:  Baking.  (Sub challenge: Maintain my current weight at the same time!)

I purchased The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking & Pastry.  Its a text book that is used in professional baking schools, and so has specific instructions on not just the recipes but the science behind the process as well.  I found it interesting that almost all the ingredients are measured by weight instead of volume.  I’ve also had to cut almost every recipe in half just to make them manageable in my modest kitchen.

Along with this I also got a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart stand mixer.  Note that if you are planning to buy a mixer, the color you chose can have a dramatic difference in price! I have to admit, I was quite excited for this to arrive.

I don’t think I’ll end up getting professional training this year, but hopefully I have enough friends and family with experiencing baking that I won’t need it!  So far I have made chocolate chip cookies, (failed) vanilla butter cookies, almond tart with chocolate glaze & raspberries and sweet Irish soda bread.

Honestly, I’m not enjoying this challenge as much as I thought I would.  I picked baking over “cooking” because I knew it was a unique skill set and process.  It requires precision and patience – something I often lack.  So far precisions and patience has meant tedious and putsy.  I’ll continue to power through for a few more months and see how it goes!  My friends should expect copious amounts baked goods, since if I eat everything I cook I’ll fatter than Santa by 2012!

Blogging Challenge

When I started this blog back in 2007, my goal was to create a 100% technical blog.  Posts would be on what ever technology I was using at the time, and continue to evolve as my programming skills grew and adapted over time.  The blog eventually faded away with small posts every few months.  When I resurrected  the blog back in November, my goal was one post a week.  It didn’t matter what the theme was – the goal was just to write.  While I’d love for more of these posts to be on programming, the challenge is finding new things to talk about in that area!  Right now I’m learning iOS development by working through The Big Nerd Ranch Guide to iPhone Programming, and while its incredibly interesting and a great learning tool, its difficult for me to pull out topics to write on that wouldn’t just be duplicating information from the book.  So, for the time being, expect more random posts on whats going on in life.

Solving iPad Wifi Incorrect Password Issue

I’m writing to you from a small log cabin off peak 8 beautiful Breckinridge Colorado.  I’m actually on vacation, but thought I’d post this quick while it was still fresh in my memory.  If you have had problems not being able to connect to protected WiFi networks on your iPad because of an incorrect password you are certain is right, this may help.

The cabin comes equipped with DSL internet access from a combo modem and wifi router.  There is no other computer set up here, so you are at the mercy of the gods to figure out how the router was configured.  My brothers MacBook Pro had no problem getting online with the provided password, but my friends iPad and mine refused to connect.  Despite typing in the password absolutely correct a number of times, it continued to give us “Password Incorrect.”  I tried a number of ways to get our iPads online – including hooking up our own Airport Express to the router to try to create our own WiFi hotspot, but nothing worked.

Luckily my brother had his Macbook Pro which had no problem connecting to the WiFi.  I opened up System Preferences, Network, clicked on AirPort and the Advanced button.  This gave a list of all the wireless networks he has connected to in the past.  I found the one I was having trouble connecting to, and clicked on the little edit pencil icon.  This will give a small window with the network name, the type of security and the password starrred out.  By clicking Show Password, it gave me the numeric value of the password.  Typing this value as the password on my iPad finally allowed me to connect to the network.

I’m guessing this has something to do with a 64 or 128 bit WEP Key, but as I’m on vacation, I’m not going to do all that research right now!  If you happen to know the exact correlation, or perhaps how one may be able to figure out that number without needing another laptop, please leave a comment below.

Minneapolis Events and Adventures Sales Practices

Preface: I am not a member of the Minneapolis branch of Events and Adventures, have never attended an event and cannot comment on the actual value of the club or its members. Under normal circumstances I would not post things like this, but after being left with such an insulting and sour taste in my mouth, I felt I had to write about the sales tactics used to recruit new members. Although I have not found bad reviews about the Minneapolis branch, I have read several bad reviews about other Events and Adventures franchises, so I encourage members of the Minneapolis branch of Events and Adventures to comment about their experience with the club below.

If you live in Minneapolis and listen to the radio, odds are you’ve heard about Events and Adventures. They claim to be the Twin Cities premier network for singles.  Being single and not having much luck with the internet scene, I decide to give them a call. One of the first things I ask about is membership fees.  I am told Events and Adventures can’t discuss membership fees over the phone (red flag number one). I make an appointment for an in-person interview for the next day.

When I arrived at my appointment, Events and Adventures explained that they are a very selective club for people looking to meet “high quality” singles.  We talked about goals, a bit about past relationships, and what hasn’t been working with my current dating strategies. I learned that standard membership is about $2000 for one year, plus an additional $30 per month. So in total, the cost is approximately $2360.  But wait!  That’s not all, Bob.  If I order today and pay in full, they’ll reduce my membership fees by $300 AND give me 2 months of membership dues free!  So, my total cost is now only $2000…. wait… only $2000.  That’s a lot of money.

Despite the high cost, I actually did sign up. I was told I was getting special privileges by having three days to cancel.  What wasn’t made readily apparent was the fact that  EVERYONE gets this.  Written into the contract is a three-day cancellation period, which also happens to be a MN state law. This isn’t necessarily shady, but it should have been brought up more accurately in the meeting.

After I got home, I started to crunch the numbers. In the meeting, it was explained to me that membership dues cover the cost of ensuring quality members and a portion of the event costs. Additional cost is determined per event. There are 1,500 members paying about $166 a month each, for a grand total of $250,000 a month — that is $3 MILLION per year. What kind of events are they hosting with that budget?

Looking at the calendar for July, the majority of the events are outdoor games such as softball, kickball, hiking, BBQ, canoeing, tubing, etc… All very fun activities, but virtually free. There are a few exceptions on the calendar, like a cruise on St. Croix and Tandam Skydiving for an additional cost (see below), but the vast majority of the events are very inexpensive.  To their credit, winter events may be more expensive to host, especially if an indoor venue needs to be rented. But again, if they are making $250,000 a month, this shouldn’t be an issue. I expect more from my dues than softball games.

As for the events with an additional charge? A “gourmet” dinner would cost me about $25. Sky diving around $150.  Having been sky diving before, I can tell you that they’re only covering about $50 of the cost. What are the membership dues actually going towards? Certainly not the events.

However, my biggest complaint is the 12-month required membership. There are many problems with having such a long membership period. If I meet someone through Events and Adventures and we get married, great, money well spent. But if I meet someone, stop attending events, and then we break up after my year membership is over, I would feel like I wasted a lot of money.

When I had brought this up during my meeting, it was explained to me that you can still come to the events as long as you are not married (another red flag).  So wait a minute…  I’m in a singles club, and there will be members who are in COMMITTED RELATIONSHIPS?  I’m paying $2000 and yet still have to question the availability of the women in the club.

I decided to go back in to see if Events and Adventures could accommodate a shorter contract. They offered to make some phone calls while I was there to see if that was a possibility.  I told the rep that even if she could accommodate that, I would still need to think about it. This didn’t sit well and she made some comment about doing “all that work,” trying to get me “special privileges” and I still wouldn’t sign up?  Her demeanor had quickly turned from sweet to passive-aggressive.

After I decided to cancel, she made a comment such as ”So it really comes down to the money, right?” I told her that I don’t want to spend $2000 for a year subscription on something I haven’t heard anything real great about, never experienced, and could possible be just a waste.  I also mentioned that I was starting a small business and this probably isn’t the best place for me to put $2000 at the moment.  She replied snidely, “So, really, you just can’t afford it?”

Its not about what I can afford, it’s whether or not I see value in what I’m buying. She would have been much better off just letting me turn in my notice, telling me she was sorry to see me go and that it’s really a great club.  But instead, she turned it into another high pressure sale (buy today!  buy now!), and topped it off with an insult. I know lots of “quality” singles who couldn’t afford a $2000 membership, and I know lots of wealthy jerks.  Being able to afford their pricey membership in no way indicates if someone has a character of “high quality.”

If I spent that amount of money buying drinks for women at the bar – that’d be a drink for 5 different women every Saturday night for one year – odds are I’d find a “high quality” woman and have as “high quality” of a relationship.

As I said at the beginning, I could be completely wrong on my impression of the value of the club.  It could be the greatest thing since sliced bread.  What could Events and Adventures do to change my mind?

1. Offer shorter memberships. If the club really is so great, people would continue to go month after month because it is a great value and experience.  If people ended memberships because they found the man or woman of their dreams, success!  Success breeds success.  A major component of eHarmony’s success is showing REAL PEOPLE finding REAL LOVE.  Last I checked they have 90 members married a day. You can’t argue with that type of success.

1. Reduce membership dues.  As I noted above, with the exception of a few, the events themselves don’t seem that spectacular, and it’s disappointing that the really exciting ones still cost a significant amount of money.  Reducing membership dues would also attract more people (1,500 singles spread between men and women really is not that many), since I know a lot of quality men and women who simply could not afford this.

**Update 3/11/2010:  Not that it wasn’t incredibly obvious by the tone of her post, but the director of sales for Events and Adventures was kind of enough to grace us with her thoughts on the folks who didn’t enjoy the club and found their sales practices misleading and abusive.  Better luck next time E&A.  If you would like references to quality online marketing and social media consultants to help handle E&A’s tarnished online presence, feel free to contact me.

Where Am I?

Well, its been a long time since I posted last! I’ve had a few changes in my life, and have been very busy.Firstly, I am happy to report I accepted a job offer from Universal Mind and have been on the job for about four weeks. Its been very excited and I love the work I’m doing! I got sent to Denver my first week and with the exception of the added stress (see below), it was a great time! I’m really enjoying being able to work from home (and Caribou Coffee). I’ve had to put in some long days, but its amazing how easy it is when I’m not confined to a small tan cubicle and can work in the environment of my choosing with music blaring, cold beverages and a windowed office.

With the new job comes a chance to get the heck out of Owatonna. While the town was good the first year, for various reasons my second year there was not fun. I spent a good chunk of last month trying to get the house ready to sell – painting, landscaping and cleaning… The night before I planned on putting the house on the market, and had to leave for Denver I had this to deal with. So, while starting a brand new job and being away from home, I had to coordinate the clean up and fight insurance companies to cover some (which they aren’t) of the damage.

So anyway, the Denver project is complete, the house will hopefully be fully fixed and ready to go on the market again next week, and I’ll then have time to continue my experiments and keep the blog rolling.