What Beach Etiquette Means to Me

Today I spent a relaxing day at Cocoa beach catching up on some reading and of course working on my tan. As I began to observe all of the things going on around me I started thinking about what proper “beach etiquette” would mean to me. Here are some things I came up with:

• 1. Please DO NOT feed the seagulls! There is nothing worse than relaxing with a good book and the people next to you start throwing bread crumbs and chips to those disgusting little birds. Before you know it 1,000 seagulls are swarming around you, wings are clipping the top of your head, you have to put all of your snacks out of sight and then the poop starts flying. Yuck!

• 2. Refrain from any type of running near where people are laying and please tell your children to do the same. There is nothing like dosing off and getting awakened by being pelted with sand.

• 3. Refrain from shaking your towel downwind from people lying on the beach for the same reason that I stated above.

• 4. Old men should throw away that Speedo they have been wearing for the past 20 years. The same goes for the big women in the itty bitty bikini.

• 5. Sound carries on the beach, therefore please try to keep the swear words, especially the F* bombs to a minimum. Gram and Pap sitting nearby don’t need to hear that kind of language neither does the families with the small children. Have some respect!

• 6. Do not bring your reptile friends to the beach! I kid you not; some chick had a freakin snake at the beach today. WHY??? There are enough scary things IN the ocean, we don’t need to worry about snakes sneaking up on your while you’re lying on the beach!

• 7. Have some class and clean up your trash. Don’t leave your empty beer cans and other garbage on the beach.

• 8. I know the term “sex on the beach “ is popular but people please try to hold back on your extreme make out sessions while the sun is still in the sky and families surround you! Come back after dark.

• 9. While playing football or catching ball on the beach please be courteous to those around you.

• 10. Everyone has peed in the ocean, but it is extremely obvious when you wander out into the ocean by yourself only go in just up to your waist and run back out. I’m sure you could do better to hide it!

10Things an Entrepreneur's Valentine Should Know

Since it is Valentines Day I spent some time reflecting on my wonderful relationship of three and a half years with my boyfriend David. However, being the girlfriend of an entrepreneur is challenging but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. So for those of you in the same boat as me, hang in there it will be well worth it! Here are some tips that I found helpful: :)

1. You must be able to block out the alerts coming from the cell phone. It will drive you nuts with all of the e-mails, phone calls/text messages and Twitter updates.
2. Only expect a tiny little corner of the bookshelf. Most likely the book shelf will be completely stacked with books like “Future Millionaires”, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and “Founders at Work”.
3. Let him know that dinner is ready about 10-15 mins before it actually is. Therefore, he can finish his e-mail, conversation on Twitter or phone call in a timely manner before his food gets cold. I can’t tell you how many meals I’ve had to microwave.
4. Always be supportive. Being the girlfriend or wife of an entrepreneur requires you to be their support through the many ups and downs of the roller coaster ride.
5. You may have to move across the country because he needs to go to the state/city that will be best for his venture.
6. Be prepared for him to NETWORK everywhere you go!
7. Be prepared for him to be in front of or at least near his computer 75% of the day
8. TV shows like BIG IDEA will be filling up your DVR
9. Get used to going to bed alone. Especially if you work early and want to get at least 8 hrs of sleep. Most likely he will finally shut off the computer and crawl into bed around 2 or 3 am.
10. Most importantly, understand that you are with an extremely motivated, self disciplined and inspired person, be proud of them. It takes special people to be entrepreneurs.