The “too much of a good thing” phrase has been around for a long time – even before Shakespeare used it in his play “Twelfth Night.” You probably don’t need it explained. But I will anyway. Some things that are generally regarded as good can become bad or undesirable if they become excessive.

Food examples for me might be ice cream, chocolate, pizza, and steak. Some years ago, we went to Omaha for a few days. I made a goal to eat a big steak every night.

By the fifth night, I thought long and hard about ordering that big hunk of meat. But a goal is a goal. I ordered. I steak sauced. I conquered. I continue to take cholesterol pills.

So, back to Jamaica. What about that week there could become “too much of a good thing?” I’ll tell you.

It’s the first time I’ve been at one of these types of resorts. We were treated like royalty. We were frequently asked, “Is everything okay?” – “Can I bring you anything?” — “Would you like something to eat? I can bring a menu to you” “More towels?”

The food was great at the buffet. And there were multiple fine dining restaurants serving varieties of cuisine. In the Asian place, I had to be careful and back up to save my eyelashes and my Hawaiian shirt when the chef was making three-foot flames on the grill as he cooked in front of us.

I gained some weight. I’m not saying how much. Oh, did I mention that there was 24-hour room service? All this was included – no extra charge. (This is not new news to many of you, but it was for this country boy.)

Lounging by a pool, near the ocean, in a shaded, plush, padded, two-person cabana, I remarked to Diane, “I feel like we’re Anthony and Cleopatra on the Nile River” I don’t know much about them, but I was feeling the “royalty” thing. (Diane was “Queen of “Denial”” I guess.)

The pools were comfortably cool. The ocean was warm. And the hot tub was hot. It was difficult to complain.

We went out on a catamaran and did some snorkeling. There were lots of colorful fish at the reef. (Am I creating the “good thing picture” adequately?)

The catamaran boat took us to the famous (look it up) Dunn’s River Falls where a little river cascades for more than 900 feet of travertine rocks with pools. We got into the river with a guide and hiked up through the fairly steep riverbed.

A young couple, Bill and Valerie, from Baltimore were hiking near us. They became our helpers – just out of the goodness of their hearts. I guess they saw us as an older couple (true) who probably needed a hand and some guidance (also true).

Well, you get the idea. I experienced a lot of good things in that week. Was it too much? The short answer – Nope! Not too much.

Would two weeks be too much? I don’t know. That would be an experiment for another time. — Merrill