Omar The Rainmaker

People in the Virgin Islands and St. Maarten are letting out a sigh of relief today. Hurricane Omar went from being a small fry to a full-blown category 3 baked potato, and fortunately passed between the islands, causing minimal damage. Even though he was packing sustained winds of 125 mph, a last-minute turn sent Omar between land masses, churning the ocean like an incessantly loud child throwing a tantrum. Obviously the cruise lines who use those islands and their tours as a revenue source and port of call are relieved as well. There was one death in Puerto Rico blamed on Omar, a heart attack that happened when a man was shuttering his home in preparation for the storm. No injuries were reported on the other islands, just some trees down and debris, with mudslides and some localized flooding. But the islanders will soon pick up the palm fronds, make them into hats to sell to tourists at $25 a pop, and it'll be business as usual in the Leeward islands.

Hey you. Traveler. Got no passport yet? Wanna get away before the Holidays? Here's a thought that might grab your fancy. The leaves are starting to turn color, and in just a few weeks they'll be gone, and we'll have bare trees until Spring time. But it's always green in Florida. For a quick getaway, or even a week or more, you've got options: Miami Beach, South Beach, the Keys, Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Marco Island, Sanibel, Longboat Key, West Palm Beach - there's plenty of Florida to choose from. More than almost any other state, Florida has seasonal pricing. Hotel rates always skyrocket around Dec. 15, and don't fall back until the middle of April, give-or-take. But if you have some free time between now and Dec. 15th there are some excellent values available, and if you're even a little flexible we can work to find you the best air promotions as well. Who wants to look at bare old brown tree stumps anyway? Beat the bleak. Call or email me for pricing on a trip to Florida, and enjoy a little more sunshine before 2008 (or your tan) disappears.

According to the Sep. 12th Wisconsin State Journal, Wendy Brown seemed thrilled, after making her high school's cheerleading squad at the age of 15. Even at this young age, she claimed it had been "a life-long dream come true" for her. Wendy was attending Ashwaubenon High School in Green Bay, and had been practicing each routine rigorously, to make the A Team. Apparently she made quite an impression on school officials and the cheerleading committee, who found her to be extremely mature and capable. As the days and weeks progressed, some began to question if Wendy wasn't a little TOO mature for her age. After some digging and research, it was discovered that 15-year old Wendy was actually 33-year old Wendy, who had stolen her estranged daughter's identity to fulfill her goal of becoming a Varsity cheerleader. Ms. Brown has been indicted on identity theft charges, while her daughter in Nevada was unavailable for comment. Rumor has it Wendy is organizing "Spirit Lines" in the correctional holding facility.