Our Man in Antigua

as in sucking up the bottom of the bay, river or whatever…or just sucking up…o where to start? another business or two or three going under…the stationery store at the corner of 5th calle/6th ave…where i buy my printer cartridges…the korean restaurant on 7th..same block as El Chiman and Minoshka’s Spa(who’s taken over three different locations)…the very subtly advertised wine/liquor store on 5th calle..next to the BlackCat Hostel #2..now has a sign…Vinos y Licores…fabu…maybe if they make enough money they’ll come up with a business name..some people outa the loop on Hector’s note to the Rum Bum…should you care, ask for a  copy  … he was hanging at the park, while his place is packed..Quincy et al…O-lot doing fine…Whiskey Den quiet, as was Pangea..Ixcot? aside from the kid in the corner who’s always staring at his laptop..nada, zip, bagels, zilch…F2 doing little biz, as is/was Bistrot Cinq…El Caz quiet…El Caminante? Peter the G and Mario of Johnny’s Place on the roof top…bucket of ice, glasses and a bottle of Ron B…fine..have another one..ok..El Muro? salsa lessons rock…Yo Yo et al…they’re getting the afterhours crowds from Santo Domingo..’just as John W predicted..folks will wander 2-3 blocks away from their flop but no further..as if the SD is a ‘flop’…hey, it was good enough for Paris Hilton..good for our favorite bartenderess at the O…a ‘relationship…’been so long since I’ve had  one that i forget who ties who up first..coming this weekend…no, not me…the ‘Pimp N Ho’ event at El Mirador, the Noche del Chefs at the Capuchino Convent…no, that’s not where they invented the coffee drink and some kinda VIP thing at Fridas..all the same night, Saturday..take your vitamins or whatever it is that keeps the juices flowing..Adan…the pianist at Caffe Opera…you can hear the music from a block away…damn good music..if you like classics..sorry, no Pink Floyd..Dark Side of the Moon, etc..Nelson is in Nawlawns for two weeks..what became of Karla?…love…it stinks..just like a bath..after a while, its not so hot..alas..’thought they made a great couple…’still lookin’ and considering a move…the javelina in front..etc..landlord, when told…’don’t move’…fine…i once offered him fifty bucks to raise her rent…offer still on the table..what next for the Rum Bum? if i were the sellers of Cafe Flor i’d be a bit concerned about the $$..kinda like the previous leasee of Sangre..now, there’s a business plan…WTF? this town and its economics of leasors/leasees never fails to amuse me…coming from a career of appraising business’ and leaseholds..values, going concern, goodwill, cha cha cha..i confess that I just don’t get it about Antigua..it’s not about maximizing value or maintaining an income stream..places sit vacant, waiting for the ‘bigger fool’ to come along..’not like any place I’ve ever lived or worked…San Francisco, Sausalito, Carmel, Hawaii or Vegas..i’ve been told that there’s just so much money sitting around that the owners don’t care..and i’m coming around to that realization..kinda like how the hell does the jade business make any money? Jades Antigua with two locations on 5th Ave…kinda like doubling down on 12 at black jack…wierd..i’ve been in the stone/jewelry biz from the mine to the manufacture side..and i know the economics..a pound of jade is $50 USD..cutting/polishing…500 carats net? the only stores doing biz are the ones who tout/suck the tour groups..Jades S.A has a lock..and frankly, Scarlett…it all sucks, at least to my eyes..all ‘smoke and mirrors’..and the ‘Mayan Legend’..’once gave the Georgian witch a tasty black pendant..and i couldn’t tell the difference between that and black onyx..hey, it worked..at least for that particular New Year’s Eve..let’s see..it cost me X amount of $$ and we did XX amount of et cetera..that works out to X equals…?  

jaded, again