07-12-2016, 05:49 PM
Hi everyone,
I realized it had been quite some time since I updated you all on what's been going on in my world, so here we go.
It's been an exciting year for sure, full of up and downs, checking off the bucket list and pushing myself to new heights. The contract for the Marley family was a great success. The cooks learned a great deal and from what I understand they are still keeping up with the techniques, recipes and hygienic practices that I taught them. It was a challenging contract, the guys weren't exactly open to being trained by me, but we got it done. Only now when I look back on those 2 months can I see how positive the experience was for me. All those mornings spent sitting on the meditation rock, staring out into the valley. All those nights sitting next to Bob in his tomb, just talking to him, burning spliffs and feeling the vibe. Those were some of the most peaceful moments of my life.
After the contract was over I spent some time back at my old cabin in Broughton. I spent most of my time playing with my magical butter machine. Making hash, tincture, infused coconut oil and pure cannabis oil. I distributed most of it among friends who needed it the most and trained a few people on the process. The biggest success story is my friend Beannie who has late state prostate cancer. He is too poor for any type of chemo so they had been giving him pain killers. I made in an incredible batch of oil, enough to last him several months. That was almost a year ago when he only had months to live and now he is thriving and my friend said that the doctors told him he is “getting better”. Not sure what his markers are but they were in disbelief when they last saw him. Another friend had some type of mysterious bacterial infection that has also disappeared with the help of proper nutrition and cannabis oil. So those were the 2 best results of that trip.
After the trip I went home to Baltimore for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I spent most of my time in Annapolis working on several amendments to last years laws and a new bill that my foundation had introduced. Also continued my work in the medical cannabis field, acting as a consultant for Maryland's Medical Marijuana commission and several prospective license holders. The bill and amendments for opiate harm reduction passed uncontested which was fantastic. However, in the end, I had to give up on Maryland's Cannabis program. I became so disgusted by the amount of red tape and political bullshit that was going on. Favoritism towards big business and certain individuals, unnecessary regulation and blatant lies that were accepted as fact. The last straw was the appointing of the new president of the commission. A former MD state trooper and politician who ran for county sheriff 2 years prior on an anti drug platform. This showed me the legislature truly has no interest in helping patients or healing the sick. In the end, the Cannabis Industry around the country has become just that, an industry. When it should be community. I made a decision to never support the “legal” cannabis market ever again and become a permanent version of what I've always been, a guerrilla healer. So that was that.
There was success to come out of my visit home. I had a great time with my family. Attended many parties and put on an epic NYE dinner with another Chef friend. Went to a farm and cut down the tree with my brother and father, decorated the house with my mother and got to enjoy the last normal family Christmas at my Grandmother's house who unfortunately passed away a month ago. I was able to produce oil for my 5th and 6[sup]th[/sup] cancer patients, one of which decided to forgo conventional treatment and both of them are doing well.
In February I took a leap of faith and scraped together most of the cash I had left and moved to Ecuador. A country I knew very little about and didn't speak much of the language. There was an owner of small resort in a sleepy little beach town called Puerto Cayo who was willing to give me a great deal on leasing his beachfront bar/restaurant. So I went down and did it. I had my little piece of paradise called Booby's Beach Bar & Grill. It was challenging to say the least. Financing and operating a restaurant in a developing country. My menu was mostly American gastropub food. Lots of artisan tacos, the best burgers in the country, a few pasta dishes, lots of grilled seafood and incredible grilled shrimp Bloody Marys just to name a few. I also served many “medicated” dishes, word caught on and I changed a few people's perception about cannabis.
Things were going well, I built a great reputation and had a steady flow of regulars. Even did a few private dinners for some of the wealthy expats, all with great success. There was a young volunteer helping me who turned into a great friend. But after almost 3 months I was getting tired of running the place as a one man show. There were internal issues with owner and a few problem with theft, things weren't easy. Then one night, I was reminded just how insignificant we are on this planet. A 7.8 earthquake hit the coast, the center being about 100 miles north of where I was. The quake killed nearly 1000 people and damaged my restaurant including the building I was staying in. Not only that but serious after shocks continued for a week afterwards and I had had enough. I can deal with many obstacles, but the ground beneath my feet needs to be stable. So I decided to leave my little piece of paradise and recoup my investment doing what I love. Before I left I had the opportunity to treat a patient who for years thought he had glaucoma. He was wearing an eye patch when I met him the disease was so bad. A new doctor had recently made a new diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis. So I made a potent oil for him and in less than 2 weeks, his site was back and the infection which had troubled him for years was gone. His overall health improved dramatically.
I hung out in Seattle for a short time trying to decided which offer to say yes to when the my current contract was offered to me. Now, I am the Sous Chef of the most exclusive fly-in fishing lodge in Alaska. Cooking gourmet family style meals for the rich and famous. We charge $1200 per night per person. The lodge is located about 200 miles SW of Anchorage on 6 mile lake. I'm sitting on the lake's edge as I write this, staring off out at the snow capped mountains which we are surrounded by. Majestic is the only word I have in my considerable vocabulary to describe my surroundings. It's a tough gig, 7 days a week, 2 meals a day for 30 people. I'm being pushed by my Chef every day to be better, faster and more precise, which I love. I'm living/eating/drinking some of the ingredients in the world for free, being paid the most legal money I've ever made to train under an incredible Chef and live in one of the most beautiful and last untouched places on earth. Life is good. But you can't have yin without the yang. About 2 weeks after I arrived, I learned that my that my friend Nick, that I had spent every day with for 2 months in Ecuador was struck and killed by a car in Peru. The news was devastating and it saddened me deeply that the plans we made to adventure together in October will never happen. However his parents have invited me to visit them in Australia and take some of his ashes with me and spread him around the world like I do with my brother. So I'm looking forward to that.
The day after Nick was killed I got a call saying my Grandmother had a heart attack. Being [sup]one of the[/sup] most important person in my life, I charted a plane and was by her side in less than 24 hours. She was still conscious enough when I first arrived to get a hug and say the things to each other that still needed to be said. I sat by her side for 4 days holding her hand. Only leaving long enough to give others their time alone with her. Those last few glimpses into her eyes even after she lost the ability to speak, the look of confusion that turned to comfort when she recognized me are moments that will carry me for the rest of my life. There really aren’t many words to describe seeing someone who has been a part of your daily life since the day you were born, transform from a strong beautiful person to this old machine slowly winding down. She passed away just after midnight with my mother and I by her side. Life is different now. I would call her almost every day with tales of my travels and new recipes I was cooking. There is an emptiness similar to what was left behind when I lost my brother. But there is also a profound sense of peace inside. I guess that will have to do for now.
So that's about it. I'll be here until early October, then I'm off to see some friends in Seattle followed by a trip to Florida for my mother's birthday. Plans are in the works to collaborate with a pastry Chef (CIA graduate) in South Florida to put on the most epic Cannabis dinner in history. Wagyu beef, Karobutu pork, Toro, caviar, etc. Small plates, modernist plating, a little molecular gastronomy. It will surely be an event that sets the bar high for Canna Chefs around the world. Then there is a family trip to Riviera Maya for a week and that's as far as my plans have gotten. I'll likely stay in Mexico or Central America until Christmas. I've had my beachfront restaurant in paradise so that's one goal completed, now I'm focused on cooking on all 7 continents. Only 2 more to go so I'll definitely get to Africa this year, besides that who knows. Hope all is well with everyone and you all are enjoying life as much as I do. Travel free and travel far.
“Never let growing up stop the adventure”
Nick
I realized it had been quite some time since I updated you all on what's been going on in my world, so here we go.
It's been an exciting year for sure, full of up and downs, checking off the bucket list and pushing myself to new heights. The contract for the Marley family was a great success. The cooks learned a great deal and from what I understand they are still keeping up with the techniques, recipes and hygienic practices that I taught them. It was a challenging contract, the guys weren't exactly open to being trained by me, but we got it done. Only now when I look back on those 2 months can I see how positive the experience was for me. All those mornings spent sitting on the meditation rock, staring out into the valley. All those nights sitting next to Bob in his tomb, just talking to him, burning spliffs and feeling the vibe. Those were some of the most peaceful moments of my life.
After the contract was over I spent some time back at my old cabin in Broughton. I spent most of my time playing with my magical butter machine. Making hash, tincture, infused coconut oil and pure cannabis oil. I distributed most of it among friends who needed it the most and trained a few people on the process. The biggest success story is my friend Beannie who has late state prostate cancer. He is too poor for any type of chemo so they had been giving him pain killers. I made in an incredible batch of oil, enough to last him several months. That was almost a year ago when he only had months to live and now he is thriving and my friend said that the doctors told him he is “getting better”. Not sure what his markers are but they were in disbelief when they last saw him. Another friend had some type of mysterious bacterial infection that has also disappeared with the help of proper nutrition and cannabis oil. So those were the 2 best results of that trip.
After the trip I went home to Baltimore for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I spent most of my time in Annapolis working on several amendments to last years laws and a new bill that my foundation had introduced. Also continued my work in the medical cannabis field, acting as a consultant for Maryland's Medical Marijuana commission and several prospective license holders. The bill and amendments for opiate harm reduction passed uncontested which was fantastic. However, in the end, I had to give up on Maryland's Cannabis program. I became so disgusted by the amount of red tape and political bullshit that was going on. Favoritism towards big business and certain individuals, unnecessary regulation and blatant lies that were accepted as fact. The last straw was the appointing of the new president of the commission. A former MD state trooper and politician who ran for county sheriff 2 years prior on an anti drug platform. This showed me the legislature truly has no interest in helping patients or healing the sick. In the end, the Cannabis Industry around the country has become just that, an industry. When it should be community. I made a decision to never support the “legal” cannabis market ever again and become a permanent version of what I've always been, a guerrilla healer. So that was that.
There was success to come out of my visit home. I had a great time with my family. Attended many parties and put on an epic NYE dinner with another Chef friend. Went to a farm and cut down the tree with my brother and father, decorated the house with my mother and got to enjoy the last normal family Christmas at my Grandmother's house who unfortunately passed away a month ago. I was able to produce oil for my 5th and 6[sup]th[/sup] cancer patients, one of which decided to forgo conventional treatment and both of them are doing well.
In February I took a leap of faith and scraped together most of the cash I had left and moved to Ecuador. A country I knew very little about and didn't speak much of the language. There was an owner of small resort in a sleepy little beach town called Puerto Cayo who was willing to give me a great deal on leasing his beachfront bar/restaurant. So I went down and did it. I had my little piece of paradise called Booby's Beach Bar & Grill. It was challenging to say the least. Financing and operating a restaurant in a developing country. My menu was mostly American gastropub food. Lots of artisan tacos, the best burgers in the country, a few pasta dishes, lots of grilled seafood and incredible grilled shrimp Bloody Marys just to name a few. I also served many “medicated” dishes, word caught on and I changed a few people's perception about cannabis.
Things were going well, I built a great reputation and had a steady flow of regulars. Even did a few private dinners for some of the wealthy expats, all with great success. There was a young volunteer helping me who turned into a great friend. But after almost 3 months I was getting tired of running the place as a one man show. There were internal issues with owner and a few problem with theft, things weren't easy. Then one night, I was reminded just how insignificant we are on this planet. A 7.8 earthquake hit the coast, the center being about 100 miles north of where I was. The quake killed nearly 1000 people and damaged my restaurant including the building I was staying in. Not only that but serious after shocks continued for a week afterwards and I had had enough. I can deal with many obstacles, but the ground beneath my feet needs to be stable. So I decided to leave my little piece of paradise and recoup my investment doing what I love. Before I left I had the opportunity to treat a patient who for years thought he had glaucoma. He was wearing an eye patch when I met him the disease was so bad. A new doctor had recently made a new diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis. So I made a potent oil for him and in less than 2 weeks, his site was back and the infection which had troubled him for years was gone. His overall health improved dramatically.
I hung out in Seattle for a short time trying to decided which offer to say yes to when the my current contract was offered to me. Now, I am the Sous Chef of the most exclusive fly-in fishing lodge in Alaska. Cooking gourmet family style meals for the rich and famous. We charge $1200 per night per person. The lodge is located about 200 miles SW of Anchorage on 6 mile lake. I'm sitting on the lake's edge as I write this, staring off out at the snow capped mountains which we are surrounded by. Majestic is the only word I have in my considerable vocabulary to describe my surroundings. It's a tough gig, 7 days a week, 2 meals a day for 30 people. I'm being pushed by my Chef every day to be better, faster and more precise, which I love. I'm living/eating/drinking some of the ingredients in the world for free, being paid the most legal money I've ever made to train under an incredible Chef and live in one of the most beautiful and last untouched places on earth. Life is good. But you can't have yin without the yang. About 2 weeks after I arrived, I learned that my that my friend Nick, that I had spent every day with for 2 months in Ecuador was struck and killed by a car in Peru. The news was devastating and it saddened me deeply that the plans we made to adventure together in October will never happen. However his parents have invited me to visit them in Australia and take some of his ashes with me and spread him around the world like I do with my brother. So I'm looking forward to that.
The day after Nick was killed I got a call saying my Grandmother had a heart attack. Being [sup]one of the[/sup] most important person in my life, I charted a plane and was by her side in less than 24 hours. She was still conscious enough when I first arrived to get a hug and say the things to each other that still needed to be said. I sat by her side for 4 days holding her hand. Only leaving long enough to give others their time alone with her. Those last few glimpses into her eyes even after she lost the ability to speak, the look of confusion that turned to comfort when she recognized me are moments that will carry me for the rest of my life. There really aren’t many words to describe seeing someone who has been a part of your daily life since the day you were born, transform from a strong beautiful person to this old machine slowly winding down. She passed away just after midnight with my mother and I by her side. Life is different now. I would call her almost every day with tales of my travels and new recipes I was cooking. There is an emptiness similar to what was left behind when I lost my brother. But there is also a profound sense of peace inside. I guess that will have to do for now.
So that's about it. I'll be here until early October, then I'm off to see some friends in Seattle followed by a trip to Florida for my mother's birthday. Plans are in the works to collaborate with a pastry Chef (CIA graduate) in South Florida to put on the most epic Cannabis dinner in history. Wagyu beef, Karobutu pork, Toro, caviar, etc. Small plates, modernist plating, a little molecular gastronomy. It will surely be an event that sets the bar high for Canna Chefs around the world. Then there is a family trip to Riviera Maya for a week and that's as far as my plans have gotten. I'll likely stay in Mexico or Central America until Christmas. I've had my beachfront restaurant in paradise so that's one goal completed, now I'm focused on cooking on all 7 continents. Only 2 more to go so I'll definitely get to Africa this year, besides that who knows. Hope all is well with everyone and you all are enjoying life as much as I do. Travel free and travel far.
“Never let growing up stop the adventure”
Nick