this place is perfection
hot rainy republican miami
my soul resides here
full time
year 2 of my show
after i renewed for 2 more
i could buy a house in miami
any house
i got the house with the tree
owned by a woman who didnt want to sell
but kind of had to
in the end - a win win
last week - jackie me and her teenage daughter
were out on the boat
making it back home before the dark clouds opened up
it rains daily in the summer
we pass the SHARK HUNTER boat
last time i was here
blake read it himself
and asked if i thought they really caught sharks
no i said
i doubt it
cause - well - i did doubt it
really
sharks r very rare - was my thinking
i never heard of anyone getting bit
there on south beach
so no - i figured
i had passed that boat many many times
and never saw a shark
well i looked over at the shark hunter boat
and could not believe my eyes
hanging there -
a huge dead hammerhead shark
i pulled up near the boat
and i asked where they caught it
i shouted it
i dont realize how loud i am sometimes
so there r 8 people on board
MARK THE SHARK GUY
a local legend
he is dressed like the guys on deadliest catch
hey rosie he said
he waved me over
holy shit i said as we got closer
that thing is huge
all i can think of is blakey
he would love it so much
so i asked
"would u mind waiting here
so i can go get my son
he is 5 mins away
i will be right back"
the sky is now getting darker
rain has started
but he says yes
i love mark the shark
i speed home
i run in saying
blake u gotta come 2 see a huge dead shark
we got on the jetski
into the roughest part of the ocean
he has never done this part on the jet ski
but we go
and he is ok
and we get on board
there r 2 young couples on the top deck
like 21 or 24
a few teens - a newborn
and a 45 yr old woman taking notes
blake is asking about bait
and staring at the shark
the woman with the pen says she is a reporter
writing a book about sharks
and asks blake a very complex sentence
"so young man how is it u found urself initially interested in sharks ?"
huh? he says
like she is speaking french
she tries to re frame it
y do u like sharks
i just do he says
then turns away from her
and back to mark the shark man
totally entranced
she looks at me
and i fill in
he is very connected to all animals
especially sea life
he caught 2 seahorses
by hand he says proudly
he catches fish off r dock
he snorkels for hours
picking up crabs and lobsters
he can spot a dolphin a mile away
he is of the earth my son
a nature boy
tarzan meets steve irwin
"when i snorkel mom - i feel like i AM a fish"
he looks like a seal
effortlessly gliding under the dock
thru water like he was born there
he is home
there was a beautiful boy named jake
who lived next door to us in miami
looked like chris atkins from the blue lagoon
a florida kid - curly hair - puka beads
he would come hang on r dock
when he was a teen
he would dive into the water
and catch fish for his tank in zip lock bags
he was beautiful in every way
mark the shark was so great with blake
i asked if we could book an outing
he asked where we live
i told him - star island - next to the white house
he looked at me for a minute
mark the shark man said
"i raised that jake next door...taught him to fish...trained him "
he looked away
in september jake ...
27 married with a new born and a 3 yr old
was murdered on his boat
by a guy who chartered the trip to the bahamas
6 degrees of sadness
simple silence
blake and i came home
showed everyone r photos
he told me before he fell asleep
"this was the best day of my life"
tonight i am in atlanta
with vivi and blake
we had room service
and r watching animal planet
kel and parker r on board
norwegian cruise line
r family vacations to alaska
the first one i am missing
feels odd not being there
drop dead dive premieres tomorrow night
i am here shooting another episode
be sure to tune in
on lifetime
it is a wonderful show
and i am proud to be a tiny part of it
peace out peeps
where ever u r
