1. A quick visit with our neighbor David Suchet (inspector Poirot) at his dressing room on the last night of his play.
2. Having fast fun in the sun in winter
3. The sign of the times closing down Florida style- we will miss the cow
4. The shape of men now with the dangerous fat around them
5. Tame fish at the hotel spar
A day in the life of the seriously rich...
Well here I am in sunny Miami again. I have been commissioned to co-author a book on a Miami dynasty family and have been lucky enough to be taken around with them to see how the wealthy spend their time. It's pretty good I have to say; I could live like this very easily.
I am being hosted in a fabulous 19th floor apartment with wrap-around windows overlooking the tremendous skyline of Miami. The apartment building is often used for filming in many TV series' and movies. So here is a day in the life of the seriously rich...
I wake up to blue skies and all the amenities you could possible want in a bedroom. I keep the curtains open for the stupendous views from every room I walk into in this spacious piece of prime property. Down below is a marina and the jet-skis and a flotilla of super yachts are out in force. I look enviously at the fantastic private islands called 'Star' and 'Hibiscus' to name a few. Their fabulous mansions and pools decorate my view for miles.
"It's a lovely day," says my co-authors son, "just perfect to take the boat out. I'll go and get it ready and call you when to come down." I am in my element now and cannot finish my breakfast fast enough. We get down to the very pretty marina and just take off for a luxury ride to see some of the properties that they have owned in this multi-millionaire patch of paradise. The weather is fabulous and my jet lag is non-existent. We spend a couple of hours sailing around before I go to pick up a swimsuit for the next part of the day - a visit to a splendid spa only a few hundred yards from the apartment. Of course the apartment has its own facilities, ballroom, restaurant, fitness centre etc. but the hotel spa is 'thee' place to be seen without costing the earth.
It's rare to see a tourist here. It's the residents of South Beach's well kept secret and the very few that are in the know and hotel guests. At the weekend all the massages and beauty therapies are fully booked but I can relax in a Roman-style warm room with hot tubs at just the right temperature, ambient lighting and gentle music. Of course, just like California, the place has beautiful young staff members to take care of your every need including fresh strawberries and peeled fresh fruit scattered discretely about in case you fancy a healthy snack. I then walk out to the swimming pool and again the view takes my breath away. It is just spectacular. The large sea-water swimming pool is facing the bay with that never to be tired of Miami skyline. To make it even more incredible the Jacuzzi has a fountain pouring into it down a rock face. The water is hot and when you sit under it the water beats down on you like the best massage you could imagine. I am sold. It is so busy because of the price - only $40 for a day-pass whereas other spas can be up to $250. I leave feeling fantastic.
Naked Bingo?
A quick rest then it's ready for the evening in the same hotel for Bingo. Yes, Bingo! When I was invited I really didn't want to go as I had a stereotyped preconception of it being full of old people with blue rinsed hair. I couldn't have been more wrong. I was told it would be full but I wasn't prepared for an evening that turned out to be hilarious. It's the trendy place to go with beautiful people having a great time. The prizes included a day at the spar, treatments and booze. There was also lots of 'free' booze and the bingo was free.
When it came down to a tie the potential winners had a "dance-off" and the audience chose the winner by clapping. I thought it would be just ordinary dancing. I thought wrong. One girl did a twirl on her head and did some great ghetto-style dancing while another guy and girl danced around her; a very provocative dance where he took his shirt off to reveal a very healthy and toned body. All the time the 'ballsy' bingo lady callers were making sexual innuendos with almost every number. All in all I came away having had a great time. It seems it is South Beach's new entertainment for the 20-30-somethings with lots of other age groups mixing perfectly. I looked in the newspaper today and the hotel's good idea had been covered on the front page saying that this "jaw-dropping" success could bring bingo back into fashion.
Is the credit crunch keeping you awake?
Almost half of the people in the UK are being kept awake because of anxieties about the credit crunch. In fact the figure could be as high as 48% claims a new poll. Even if this is greatly exaggerated it is a lot of people. If you are one of those who can't sleep you may want to contact me for a workshop I am putting on in May to help you sleep like a baby – a very easy skill to acquire with hypnosis. Money worries and fears of job losses or even your own children's debts mean 48% percent of people are not sleeping. 35% of those polled said they are losing an hour of sleep every night and 14% claim they lose out on at least two hours. The statistics reveal a catch-22 situation where more than half said lack of sleep is affecting their performance at work and making them more anxious.
Dr Adrian Lord, consultant psychiatrist and medical director of Cygnet Hospital Harrow, says there is a link between stress, insomnia and mental health problems. "Stress can cause initial insomnia – where you have trouble getting off to sleep – because your anxiety levels are high and your whole body is pumped full of adrenaline, noradrenaline and other excitatory neurotransmitters and hormones," he says. However, if worries about your job and finances are making it more difficult for you to sleep through the night, you could be suffering from depression without realizing it. "For instance waking up in the middle of the night – as long as it's not associated with a physical need like needing to go to the toilet – can be a symptom of depression," he says. "Another of the hallmarks of depression is early morning waking, where you wake up at three or four in the morning and start worrying about things, then you can't get back to sleep again until it's nearly time to get up or you can't get back off to sleep at all. And by not sleeping properly, you can't cope with stress and you get even more anxious – it's a nasty, vicious cycle." According to Dr Lord, a persistent sleep disturbance problem lasting more than 14 days could be a sign of anxiety or depression. Another survey suggests that when you get older you should make sure you have 8 hours sleep a night so you will be healthy in old age. You may not have realized how important 'good sleep' was but again your life is in your hands and the good thing is you can do something about it.
Another report says if you don't smoke, drink moderately, eat healthier and exercise it could put a very healthy 14 years on your life and when you get to 75 that will be a long time and well worth the effort.
A Reason for Schools to Ban Processed and Genetically Engineered Foods
Appleton Wisconsin high school was out of control before it changed the diet in their cafeteria's processed foods with wholesome, nutritious food. It was so bad that there were weapons violations, student disruptions, and even a full time cop on duty.
Just changing the school meals had an incredible impact. The students became calm, focused, and orderly. There were no more weapons violations, no suicides or expulsions, dropouts or drug violations. The new diet and improved behavior has lasted for seven years, and now other schools are changing their meal programs with similar results.
It just shows you how important diet is. I have to get rid of several pounds from having to eat on the go in restaurants. Two weeks of chemicals and processed food will probably take me two months to get rid of. A diet of just 80% organic food will do its magic.
Alcohol in hospitals rise by a third.
I haven't had a drink for 4 months and just had a couple of alcoholic drinks when I came to the UK this trip. I didn't even have a drink at Christmas. It is amazing what a bit of hypnosis can do. I didn't set a time limit but my body has had a good rest and shows that trance can overcome temptation. It also saved me a lot of money.Thank you for reading my page. You can e-mail me at: valerieaustinhyp@aol.com
Please visit my website at www.valerieaustin.com
Valerie Austin Training (founded 1989)
Validated (GHR, GHSC) Hypnosis Training courses at foundation & practitioner level in business and medical hypnotherapy.
Valerie Austin is author of six successful self-help books including SELF HYPNOSIS published by Thorsons
Founder of UKRAH (1992) The UK Register of Advanced Hypnotherapy.
Eds Note: VALERIE AUSTIN is an author, journalist and trainer with an international reputation in the field of hypnosis. Her best selling books and training help people achieve their full potential. She founded the Austin Corporate Stress Management Company focusing on reducing stress and anxiety amongst executives and CEO's. She also worked as a consultant in hypnosis at the Priory Hospital, the UK's equivalent to The Betty Ford Clinic, which specialises in food addiction and alcohol abuse. Valerie's work in the film industry (Hollywood) interviewing movers and shakers, producing TV news segments and publishing celebrity magazines in London gave her invaluable experience for her current Harley Street practice. |
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