It’s been a long roller coaster ride of a journey to move the shop after 28 years! If all goes well, we will be transitioning Monday and Tuesday, with a soft opening on Wednesday. We will be settling in to the new place over the week and the move is and will be a work in progress for a while. Stay tuned for a Grand Opening in the near future!
Jessi and I are truly blessed to have so many kind, loving people contribute to Scuba Marco 2.0! For me, it’s been by far the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. It took many people to get us here, and I would hate to think where we would be without the special help from:
Jessi’s dad Gary, ‘there’s a better way’ Hopson. ‘G-Pa’ is what Gary chose to be called when Jessi delivered him grandchildren. He is not only a mechanical genius he is an exceptional human being. He has been not only a good friend, but a pa to me, I love his nickname! I think of him as Mr. Fix It. He always wants to make things better whether it’s his stuff or anybody else’s.
Charlie, ‘don’t touch my walls’ Whelan. Charlie is obsessed with making curved walls straight. Charlie is learning that construction in Florida is never very good. I think of him as The Mudder!
Tom ‘It’ll hold my weight’ Stam. He is an ambience guru (his lovely lady Saylor may have some influence there). On several occasions I was observing Tom work. An Eddy Grant song would pop into my head… We’re going to rock down to Electric Avenue… Tom has been St. Thomas to Jessi and I. He’s electric!
Barbara ‘Utilitarian Angel!’ Hopson. B-ma has blown my socks off with her dedication and willingness to do anything and everything to move the project along. She has sacrificed and delivered in her drive to make the new Scuba Marco a reality. Thank you Mrs. Clean!
Jayden ‘that looks like billable hours’ Dawson. Our son ribs me non-stop. He is super kind, talented and very generous. Not bad for a 22 year old. He is a shining star of his generation. Like the rest of his age group, I’m still trying to amp up his work ethic. His contributions to the shop have been timely and on point. Thanks my favorite son!
John ‘man-child’ Blake. He’s definitely a man! His reliability and commitment to Scuba Marco over the past 9 years have been stupendous. Never late and hasn’t missed a shift… how huge is that! John complains incessantly, but it’s always with a big smile and in jest. He can take it as well as he dishes it out… Lord knows he gets enough practice! John is Mr. Reliable to me!
The list goes on and on: tile guy Larry, optimistic consultant Jim, free legal advice Will, I’ll be back Ralfee (to install your security cameras), our financier Jennifer Renee (best sis ever!), the mothership Laura Lee, etc. Not forgotten are all you kind folks that offered to pitch in along the way. The transition was far greater than throwing inventory in a truck and driving it a mile to the new shop. What a wonderful supporting crew Scuba Marco has! I can’t thank everyone enough!!
My longtime friend and old Marco resident John was walking his dog Taxi a few weeks back and our paths crossed. Mr Campbell just grinned and looked at me and said ‘your life must be crazy right now’. I laughed in agreement and said ‘brother you couldn’t have put it any better’. The Campbells are on the top of the thinning ‘coolest people left in Old Marco’ list’.
There’s no regrets and I’ve been saying goodbye to the old shop for 5 years now. Nothing to be sad about as we pull out of New Old Marco. Well, the Guanna Costa tree and a few of the locals. That includes Jordon who is the caretaker of the last of the old fishing house that sits right behind the shop on the river. I’ve watched ‘Big J’ grow up over the last couple decades. He first said hello to me by doing a funky chicken walk in front of my truck, staring me down with his huge grin… the strangest way anyone has ever introduced themself to me! Much appreciate being able to tie up the boat and unload when the Snook docks are jammed.
I will always think of the space where that little old Dive Shop is exactly the way it is. Regardless of what it becomes. Laughter and adventures and friends and bubbles blown and all the people initiated into the Cool Club will always be what I remember about 1141 Bald Eagle Dr.… The little house under the big old tree!
Thanks everyone! I’m looking forward to the next chapter…
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