Betavacation (From the Dept. of Shamless Self-Promotion) January 2, 2007March 5, 2017 So a couple of friends and I are building a resortlet in Costa Rica. (Resortlet: n., a very – very – small resort.) Click paradisebreezes.com to see it. In no time, you could be shooing monkeys off the deck of your four-bedroom villa overlooking the Pacific (complete with broadband, flat screen TVs, little soaps – all that) . . . bird-watching in a wildlife refuge less than two miles away . . . riding horseback to a waterfall, surfing in Manuel Antonio or snorkeling through nearby coral reefs, whitewater rafting, sportfishing, zip-lining . . . or just getting a massage out by your private infinity pool. I can take no credit for the website. The copy I submitted was deemed ‘unhelpful’ by my partners. (‘Zip-lining,’ I wrote, ‘involves a tremendously strenuous climb to the canopy of the rain forest, where you are hooked onto a wire – that could break, for crying out loud – to ‘zip’ from tree to tree, easy prey for whatever lives up there that wants to bite you, sting you, or peck yours eyes out. Are you out of your mind?’ This was revised to: ‘Climb to a height of over 100 feet with your English-speaking guide and savor the beauty of this rare and awe-inspiring natural resource, while perched on the canopy of one of the primary rainforest’s ancient trees. Once you’ve had the time to observe the rainforest’s exotic birds and wildlife, you’ll fly from treetop to treetop, adding even more excitement to your adventure!’) But the website does answer most of the questions you’d be likely to have. And while I’m not suggesting that a lavish vacation is a good way to enhance your financial security (didn’t you just resolve yesterday to live beneath your means?) – what if you split the villa two or three or four ways? What if you booked now, at the 33% off ‘shake-down’ rate? It becomes so cheap that way, it’s almost as if we’re paying you to come. As for the cost of ‘getting there,’ why, dear reader, do you suppose God invented frequent flier miles? If you do check out the website, please don’t be shy about making suggestions or reporting bugs. We’re in beta. Happy New Year!