It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere........Ocho Freaking Rios, Jamaica

I need to suck it up buttercup. After seven fantastic days in the Jamaican sun, we returned home to YVR at around 11:30 to 7°C and sheets of cold rain. Not great weather, considering we were still wearing shorts and flip-flops. I whined like a baby who had dropped his soother. Yes, we could have changed into more suitable attire, but that would have been a full acknowledgment that the holiday was indeed over. The saving grace for my family was that they had five more days of Spring Break vacation. I, on the other hand, manned up and went to work the next morning. Although I have tried to focus for the last few days, every once in a while, I am taken back to the beach, the sailing, the seemingly endless supply of rum, and deep inside, I yearn to go back.

Speaking of rum (and I know my rum), I must admit that it was weird to get up in the morning, scout out a spot for the day, apply the sunscreen, and then order a tall rum-based beverage. One day as I swam up to the bar to place my order (around 11:00 a.m. if memory serves correct), I joked with a woman beside me that it might be a bit early to imbibe. She responded with the quintessential "it's 5 'clock somewhere". As Arron the bartender filled my insulated mug with a seriously strong concoction of rum and who knows what else, I thought to myself....."yes, it is". And that was the only excuse that I needed.

So tonight, I raise a toast to that moment with a video by Alan Jackson (featuring a cameo by the legendary Jimmy Buffett). I'm not a big country guy, but this one gets me toe tapping every time. Enjoy, and have a strong Appleton's for me.