Changes in Latitudes

Daddy Time

2009-08-21T15:23:00.002-05:00

One of our oldest and dearest friends in San Pedro is Curvin. He lived in San Pedro for several years, then moved to Sand Hill about two years ago to live with his father.

Curvin is a tremendous artist and a great friend. He came from the mainland today to let us know that he is getting married and becoming a father for the first time soon.

Three or four years ago, he told us he was ready to settle down and start a family. He has finally found his one true love, Judith, and she's quite a beauty.

We wish Curvin and his new family all the best!!!!

New Year's Ever with Rachel Sedacca

2009-08-20T18:00:00.003-05:00

For more information, to find out about Rachel and hear some music clips, click here

Hopkins, Sittee River, and Dangriga

2009-08-18T14:34:00.002-05:00

After taking Nepenthe to the Rio, Shanley was bringing Bindi back to San Pedro. There was a property on the Sittee River that they wanted to check out, so Renita and I met up with them in Dangriga, where we stayed overnight at the Sittee River Lodge. Reva was our guide and found us yummy places to eat, and showed us the sights.

It was only one night, but very informative and fun.

For pictures, CLICK HERE

San Pedro to Rio Dulce

2009-08-18T14:30:00.002-05:00

Jeannie, Cal, Shanley, Brady, Bindi and I set out to take the Nepenthe to Rio Dulce. Despite a storm just outside Dangriga that set us back five hours, we managed to make it there and back in just three days.

We had a lot of fun, and accomplished some things for friends along the way.

Pictures of our trip CLICK HERE

Jace Turns 12

2009-08-13T10:27:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Jace's 12th birthday and we celebrated with dinner at Antijito's then went back to their house for some birthday cake.

Apparently, when you turn 12, you are allowed to eat your candles.....

Jace and his favorite sister, Kellyn. (Ok, his only sister)

Jeannie lights the candles

Jeannie Renita and I cheezing it up for Kellyn

Patiently waiting for the cake to be cut

Jace fanning himself with birthday money!

Saturday Night at Costa Maya Festival

2009-08-13T08:46:00.005-05:00

We arrived at the Costa Maya Festival on Saturday night around 7:00 pm. Working for Tammy at the Hummingbird Cafe booth. Fresh never frozen BAL shrimp in every imaginable combination you can think of. The party had barely started when we arrived and the doors were not opened to visitors for about an hour.

Entrance to the Festival was flanked by a giant Belikin marquee

And you thought cotton candy was made how? Well, here's the real way to make it.....

There's some kind of pink goo in the bucket to his right, which he throws into the giant metal bowl, and voila! he puts in a stick and pulls all the hairy looking pink stuff out.

The carnival rides in Belize travel at an extremely fast rate. I kept waiting to see bodies flinging off the rides as they sped around.....this pic is a flashback for Melanie......

Jeannie and Tammy's friend Dana behind the Hummingbird Cafe booth

The "worker's" table

Little beauty

Dixie and Faith go for a spin

They are spinning pretty high now

They survived!!!

Logan Calvain Elbert has Arrived!!!!

2009-08-12T09:27:00.005-05:00

Some of you may remember when the Elberts were here back in January. TJ and Ashley made the announcement about their pregnancy to TJ's parents the day they arrived.

Logan Calvain was born last night at 8:28 PM..... weighed in at 6 pounds five ounces, and 18inches long.

Congratulations to Ashley, TJ, Rena Richard and Aunt Kelly!!!

We love you guys!!!

Bindi Jade

2009-08-11T12:25:00.008-05:00

Great pictures Renita.....she's a keeper!!!!

Saying Adios to Bally and Fads...and Erin

2009-08-10T17:07:00.005-05:00

The morning before Fads and Bally left to continue their journey southward, we took them to Estelle's for breakfast

Fads of course had a traditional English breakfast with baked beans all over everything

One Jager Bomb too many for Bally the night before at BC's

CHEERS!!!

Bally and Fads at breakfast

The four of us at Estelle's

Hate to see them all go......Fads and Bally are in New Zealand last I heard, and Erin is in Rio Dulce getting ready to head to South Africa for three weeks, then on to Australia....

Bon Voyage and safe travels.....we miss you!!!

Belize New Years Eve 2010

2009-08-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

BTL Working NOT so much

2009-08-03T17:47:00.011-05:00

The phone's not working Then I hear some cat calling from the open window near my desk I look out and I see BTL and think well at least they are working on it And I further think at least the electric working

Some time goes by I still hear the cat calling and phone still not working So I take another look

ONLY to see, they are NOT working The one sitting continues his babe or not so babe calling every female that goes down coconut drive while the other one eats peanuts I sigh & close the window

More time passes and still no phone, so I have to look again and What do I see Drinking and it's not even a Belikin ONLY in Belize

Now I understand the limited part on the logo ahhhhhh

Tropic Air San Pedro - Island Style

2009-08-02T07:51:00.007-05:00

It was all glitz and glamour last night at the Grand Opening of the Tropic Air terminal here in San Pedro. The new facility is awesome, and the party was like a "Who's Who" of Belize.

Holiday Hotel provided the bar service, which, I might add was par excellance, and the wonderful food was done by none other than Amy Knox of Wild Mango's. Amy is an award winning chef, and last night's fare leaves no doubt as to why.

Guests were screened at the door, and a band played outside. The decorations rivaled anything I've ever seen here, and lots of other places as well.

The Prime Minister and First Lady of Belize were in attendance

The Tropic Air Family

Sir Barry and Lady Dixie chat with the Prime Minister

Up close with the fishies

Dick and Carole

Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Manuel "Junior" Heredia

Steve

Miss Celi gave a great background on little Johnny and his love of airplanes. While there were several speakers, they kept their speeches quite short, knowing that the party goers were there to see the facility, eat, and drink.....did I mention drink?

Johnny stuck to his word and gave a "painfully short" speech

CJ cuts the ribbon

It was a great party, and everyone worked very hard to make sure that the party was a success.....and it was!

Girl's Lunch

2009-07-30T17:48:00.004-05:00

We had a girl's lunch with Shanley, Bindi, Erin, at Jeannie's house. It was so hot out you could literally fry an egg, and we were all smoking hot. Well, that too, but our body temperatures were definitely elevated.

In any event, we had a glorious day in the pool and even made ourselves a little lunch. I am pretty sure that we had a few cocktails as well.

She is so cute!!!

Erin, Jeannie and Shanley

Renita giving Bindi a ride around the pool

Renita and I in the kitchen for refills

That little face!!!

Auntie Ezza and Bindi

Bindi and Mommy

Bindi taking a nap...believe it or not she is sound asleep, having rolled off the mattress

From under the futon

She wakes up to Mommy and her friends laughing at her

But she wakes up happy!!

I'm gonna miss her!

Sailing into the Sunset .... and back again

2009-07-30T07:54:00.007-05:00

It's best to hum the theme song to "Gilligan's Island" while you are reading this post. Shanley and Brady offered to take their boat, Nepenthe out for a sunset cruise while Melanie and Ray were here. We had lots and lots of food, lots and lots of drinks, and we set out to see the sunset.

Bindi and Shanley

Bindi, Ana, and Shanley

Believe it or not, Brady was in charge of our fates that night

Mel and Ray set in for their "three hour tour"

There was a bit of a snafu after we got back. The "Bindi Jade" was anchored out, and had to be returned to be docked next to the Nepenthe. Erin went out and captained the Bindi Jade back to shore. You can see here that she is throwing the line in to Shanley, who is on the Nepenthe.

Jennifer, Bindi and Shanley

Ray helps bring Nepenthe in

Bringing down the sail

Erin throws in the other line....

Now, Ana and Shanley both have a line.....

Closer, closer...

Uh oh, try again Erin, Shanley and Ana each have the end of the same line!!!

The rising moon and the setting sun....it doesn't get much better than this

What we came for

Erin tries again

Pull Ray, pull!!!

It was a great three hour tour, with lots of laughs, good friends, good food, sea air, and a wonderful sunset....how do you get better than that?

SNUBA and a Courtyard Dinner

2009-07-29T18:00:00.006-05:00

One night while the kids were here, we had another one of our famous courtyard dinners. Big John brought the chicken and sides, and did it up right on the barbie. Lots of our island friends showed up, along with Bally and Fawad, and a good time was had by all.

Earlier in the day, we had taken a SNUBA trip out to the Tuffy Canyon site. I stayed on the boat and snapped some photos of Renita, Bally, Fawad, Mel and Ray while they snubaed away into the deep

Shell Searching...

2009-07-29T17:10:00.005-05:00

.... is sort of like soul searching, but you put stuff in a bag when you shell search. We went to an isolated part of the island one day while Mel and Ray where here. They had a unity candle at the wedding for Ray's father, and now they wanted to find shells to fill it with. I think they got enough.

There are some moments in time, particularly with your kids, that you never forget. Looking at these pictures reminded me of the first time Melanie saw the ocean. She was a little over two, and when we crested the hill before the beach in Florida, all she could say was "BIG WATER". She went running for it and I have a picture of her standing there, with the biggest smile on her face, and you can tell in the photo that I am holding her shirt, so that she didn't run right in.

Thirty years, later, I don't have to hold her shirt anymore.

Kim and Isa

Isa is having a blast!

Must be something good down there she's trying to get

Barb and Isa

Blogfest Belize

2009-07-29T16:14:00.005-05:00

Laurie, aka "Tacogirl" (www.tacogirl.com) planned a Blogfest here in San Pedro to coincide with the week of Lobsterfest. We had bloggers from all over the US, Canada, and Mexico.

We decided to do a little French Toast with Hot Buttered Rum Syrup one morning for the group, and a good time was had by all.

Smoking, eating, and talking.....if you find a good horse, ride it!!!

Paul and Collette took a turn at playing the Blue Hole game!

Collette working on her form

Paul and Laurie

I think Collette is going for the gold!

Paul, Laurie, Collette, and Michelle

Eating French Toast and watching as the competition heats up

Maria looks good as a blond!

Lobsterfest Festivities

2009-07-29T15:07:00.007-05:00

Ok, ok, I am well aware that Lobsterfest was in JUNE.... I'm trying to play catch up here....I have important things to do here, like sun, shop, and eat bon bons, so no shit please about these being more than a month late!!!

The day of the block party for Lobsterfest, it rained off and on all day. Luckily, just before we left, the rain stopped and we had a great time!

Melanie and Ray

Mel wanted her hair braided so it didn't go all out Afro on her, Jeannie got it braided, but then Ray and I discovered that she looked just like Princess Leia!!

I think this was supposed to be some kind of lobster suit, but my suggestion would be if anyone brings you a green lobster, don't eat it!!

Frenchy and his woman

Our party table

Friends from Texas were here, Barb Kim and Isa....Isa couldn't take the excitement any longer!!

Various lobster attire

Casino booth

Kim, Isa, Bigs, and Barb

Fewer booths this year, bigger crowd!

Mitch's beau, above, and with Mitch, below. These glasses were prizes at the Casino booth

Working it at the Hummingbird booth

Jeannie, the dessert pusher

Doug, Dixie, Tammy

Suck it in, stick it out

It was a great night and lots of fun.....lots of great food and drinks too!!!

June Hijinks

2009-07-29T12:36:00.005-05:00

After getting some hate mail and a few "comments" about my slacking in the blog department, I am on a whirlwind effort to catch up. It's not that we have been busy, we've just been busy.

Our friend Jane stayed with us between her trip home to the UK and her trip back to work on a yacht in the Bahamas.......we had a great time

Jane, Kellyn and Gypsy (note Kellyn is in charge of the beer)

Gypsy tries to learn to smoke

Kelly found great delight in playing "bartendress" by pouring beer in Jane's mouth

I think Kellyn has gotten Jane a little smashed!

"More beer, more beer!!!!"

I think this bottle is empty

This morning, we had a bloody Mary breakfast with the women, the little ones played in the pool

Jeannie, Renita, Jane, Shanley, Tammy and I breakfasting

Jeannie with Bindi

Jane and I at the smoker's table

Kellyn & Faith picked flowers for their moms

Here Comes the Bride (and Groom)

2009-06-15T11:55:00.006-05:00

Most of you know that my only child got married April 24 to a great guy....now what more could a mother want?

The wedding was beautiful, it was a great time, and they are arriving in San Pedro today for their honeymoon. It will be Ray's virgin trip to San Pedro, so if you see these two out and about, stop and say hi.

Did I mention how excited I was that they are coming???

You've Played Cornhole.......

2009-06-15T11:45:00.004-05:00

Now, come and play the BLUE HOLE!! Yes, we did!!! Painted up the platforms to look just like the Blue Hole. And now all we need are some bean bag fish.......Going to look around for some, but for now, we have orange and blue sandbags!!!

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Tide

2009-06-10T12:03:00.002-05:00

"There's not much to see in a small town, but what you hear makes up for it".... Kim Hubbard

This saying is not only true, but here on the island, it CAN be hilarious. Thanks to Collette for letting me swipe the signature from her.......but it's the only way I can describe the following events.

Last Friday, Jeannie, Janie, and I took a trip into the big city (yeah, right) to do some shopping. We loaded up Ruben's van with our 18 boxes and headed for the Riverside Tavern for lunch.

Now, if you are in Belize City, you MUST stop at the Riverside Tavern (except for Mondays, they are closed) Owned and operated by Dustin Bowen, this place has yummy food, a great atmosphere, and an unparalleled drink menu. The burgers are made with Gallon Jug beef and are the best I have had in Belize.

Some of the drink selections include "Sand in My Shorts", (which is preferably ordered prior to the shot called a "Duck Fart", in order to eliminate the sand from your shorts. If those are not to your liking, there are several others..... "Flaming Blue Jesus", "Nasty Bitch", and many others. We have given Dustin our selection for some additional shots to add to the menu, including the "Dirty Bitch", (take any of the existing "bitch" shots and add Kahlua), "Green Christ", (non flaming), and several others. Oh, and don't forget the onion rings.....but, I digress.........

So we shopped and lunched and then headed to the airstrip for our flight back to San Pedro. A few of our boxes did not make the flight we were on but were on a flight which arrived a few minutes later. Ruben is such a dear, he packs all our purchases in boxes and then seals them up with our names on them, so sorting them out once we get to San Pedro is easy....well, usually........

We divvy up our boxes and head to our respective houses to unload. Jeannie didn't quite get her boxes unloaded for a couple days. On Saturday afternoon, I received a call from Catherine, our neighbor across the street and a manager at Tropic Air. She asked me, "Did you go into the city on Friday?". "Yes", I replied. "Did you bring back several boxes?" "Yes". "Well, I have been on the phone all morning, and have gathered alot of information, and I was wondering if you have an extra box of Tide detergent, as another lady on the later plane is missing hers".

I had to call Jeannie. I cannot use the Tide powder because I cannot get it to dissolve. Sure enough, when I called, she told me that she had found a box in her stuff, but set it aside because she thought it belonged to me. I quickly phoned Catherine back and reported that we had solved the mystery. Ken brought the package to our house that evening, and the following day, Catherine sent one of the guys from Tropic Cargo over to pick it up. Mystery solved.

"There's not much to see in a small town, but what you hear makes up for it".... Kim Hubbard Go figure!!! I love this place!!!

Jumping into June

2009-06-04T18:42:00.009-05:00

June is the month for graduations.....and brides.....

We'll get to the bride part later....right now we are going to talk about graduations. Now I remember back in ancient times when I was in grade school, we sat in some extremely hot classrooms, with no air conditioning, some worn out textbooks on the shelves, and maybe some wild animal or two that our class had managed to put into a cage or box sometime during the school year.

Walking outside the classroom was not much better. It was hot, and dirt clouds were everywhere, especially during recess. Graduation, or the end of school assembly was held in a gymnasium that smelled like dirty socks, (and probably because someone HAD left their dirty socks, and gym suits in the place all year), was hot and stuffy, had a really really bad PA system, even though the little geeks acted like they knew how to run the equipment, they didn't so there was endless squeaking and squawking in between any sort of plausible announcements that were to be made.

Not in San Pedro.

The kids at the Island Academy have a really cool graduation, set about 50 feet from the Caribbean Sea. A couple of Belikin or Coke tents keeps the blinding sun out of our faces, (and also causes everyone under the tent to look a little orange around the gills), kids are "dressed up" in their sundresses and flip flops with heels.

Our favorite little people were there, along with some of our bigger friends....it was a beautiful day to celebrate their accomplishments!!!

Rebecca came to see both of her kids

Ken snuck into town a couple days early so he could watch his kids

Willie and Sandy's daughter gets an award

Lady Dixie, principal and Mistress of Ceremonies

Mitchell gets an award

I'm not sure if Kellyn is sleeping or being quiet...hard to tell....

Mia

Faith had perfect attendance!!!

Jace

Jackson enters the tent

Jace and Celi come in

See those two girls in the heart???

Mitchell's mom, Dr. Renae

Jeannie took over the last six weeks of Kindergarten, she is passing out awards

Jeannie comes in with the little ones

Maxine

Faith

Michael comes into the tent

Kellyn in her new dress

The Earth Moved

2009-05-28T11:59:00.003-05:00

Last night's 7.1 earthquake off the coast of Honduras was pretty darned close to us. Several reports from Dangriga, PG and Placencia show that there was structural damage, power and water outages, and the water tank was knocked to the ground in Independence village.

We felt nothing, (although I did have some weird dreams last night), but people situated further away from the Sea did experience tremors. About four inches of water splashed out of Jeannie's pool, and the BYC pool is very low as well. The worst of it was that there was a tsunami warning out for about a half hour.

Except for some pictures hanging sideways on the walls this morning, we haven't noticed anything else yet.

Thanks to everyone who checked up on us!

For more information, click here, for pictures of the damage in Placencia, click here.

Sky Angel aka "Bindi Jade"

2009-05-26T09:38:00.007-05:00

This beauty is for sale. For details and pricing, click here

The Snake Whisperer

2009-05-25T20:01:00.002-05:00

Shanley's sister, Erin, has been working on their old boat, Sky Angel the past few weeks. They are going to sell it and Erin's been sanding and replacing all of the wood interior, cleaning it up and cleaning it out.

Yesterday, she came across an uninvited guest. She says it's a small python, which got on the boat somewhere between San Pedro, Rio Dulce, Belize City, and back to San Pedro. She brought it by for us to see, but I merely looked outside, while Renita followed her around and got these pictures.

She reminded us of Huckleberry Finn, with her pole and bucket. You can see the critter peeking over the side of the bucket.

A little closer shot

She took it across the street to La Isla, and all Mahmood could say was "No snakes in here, no snakes in here".....guess we now know how to get him to do what we want him to do!!

She introduces it to it's new home in an almond tree.....

He seems to curl right up on the branch

Wrapping himself around the trunk

Hiding out in the leaves..... run free little snake, run free and have fun!!!

SPF ZERO

2009-05-21T14:27:00.004-05:00

Today, I got on cleaning frenzy. I don't know why....well, yes, I do know why. I was making out a list for shopping, and knew that somewhere in the inner recesses of our cabinets I would find half of the things that were already on my list.

I didn't quite find half of the items, but I did find several. Like I now have 25 packages of blueberry muffin mix. Seems a few of those slipped down behind other things, and well, you know, I just kept ordering them, and now I have enough to last me about six months.

The things I found in the bathroom though were quite amusing. People come and people go, and generally, they leave something behind. For us, it's sunscreen. If you are a friend or family member, and you come to see us, please don't bring sunscreen. We have it all........Reminded me of this....

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 1997.....

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT!

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind. The kind that blindside you at 4:00 pm on some idle Tuesday.

DO ONE THING EVERY DAY THAT SCARES YOU.

SING.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

FLOSS.

Don't waste your time on jealousy, sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you are behind. The race is long, and in the end, it is only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

STRETCH.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 or 50 year olds still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they are gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you don, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll every own.

DANCE. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the dircetions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they will be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on to. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard, live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

TRAVEL.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse, but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wipng it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

It Takes A Long Time To Grow Old Friends

2009-05-19T17:46:00.007-05:00

No trip to the US would be complete without a night with my Five Fabulous Friends. This time we managed, thanks to Mike (aka Guido) and Annie to have two awesome throw downs at her house.

The first night it was just the girls, the night before Melanie's wedding, and the second time, we decided that the "Along for the Ride" gang could join us.

We are a snitty bunch of old broads, aren't we?

Mike is making some sort of flat bread from a Bobby Flay recipe he tweaked. I can't remember everything that was in it, but there was feta cheese, meat, black beans, and all kinds of good stuff. I bet the guys at the firehouse love it when he cooks, because we sure do!!

Here they are all rolled up and ready for the grill. I'd really like to report what exactly he put in there and how he did it but I truly can't remember. Once they came off the grill, we sliced them....yummy!!!

These are the hands of the Fab Five. Don't ask why.....because, again, I can't remember, but it was important at the time.

Here we all are in a semi-upright position, Janet, me, Maureen, Pam, and Ann. We have little clippy things that Ann bought for all of us with our initials. See, I remembered that......

We are all laughing hysterically at something, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you what it was....again, I forgot.

Mike, Annie, and Jack

Mike the Party Peeper, 'cause every party needs a peeper

This is Maureen's foot. Now, you might be asking yourself why I would put a picture of her foot on this blog. Well, if you notice, she has somewhat of a "dew claw" on that right foot of hers. Known about it for years but forgot until she mentioned it that night. Her brother always said they should have clipped that thing off when she was born. Only purpose it serves is to fill her shoes.

These are five fabulous feet. I do remember why we took this, because we didn't know what was wrong with our faces because we all laughed til we nearly cried about the "dew claw", so we figured just for fairness, we'd all take our shoes off!

I'm sure we are all laughing at something terribly funny. Damned if I can remember what it was though......

A fun night was had by all. But then again, we all seem to be pretty enthusiastic about continuing to grow old friends.

Happy Birthday Melanie

2009-05-18T16:07:00.005-05:00

Having a particularly chaotic Monday today. On the internet to wish Melanie a Happy Birthday and twelve different things start falling apart at the same time.

I won't bore you with the details, but the events required a lot of mental and physical energy in a short period of time. Finally, things seem to have settled down a bit.

Melanie sends me a text message, "Is it worse than it was 32 years ago?" I said, "absolutely, at least at the end of that day I got a prize." And what a prize she has been!!! Here's a couple of pictures......Happy Birthday Honey I love you!!!

Learning to ski

With her trike

With her new hubby

I Am a Sweat Machine

2009-05-16T16:04:00.002-05:00

So here in Belize, at the end of May, first of June, it's hotter than a whore in church. That's my dad's way of describing the weather in the Summer.

It's not only hot, there is no air moving. If one of the Island Academy kids would happen to have a tiny bit of flatulence on their way to school in the morning, it would be the only breeze we would have for an entire day.

If you don't have sufficient sweat glands, and have problems in the heat with just turning beet red and not sweating, and you are looking for a donor, I'm your girl.

Rates negotiable. Trust me, I have plenty to spare.

Chasing My Tail and Finding a $20

2009-05-16T08:04:00.005-05:00

It was the beginning of April, a week before Easter, and we received some news about a member of Renita's family that was not good. After pondering for a day or so, she decided that there was nothing for her to do but to take a trip back to Indy and try to help with the situation if there was any way at all for her to do it.

That's just the way she is. When someone she cares about is having a hard time, she is driven to help, in whatever way she can. She will put her own issues and wants aside to go out of her way to help a friend, and even more so when it's someone she loves. One of the reasons I love her.

After a long walk, and a lot of soul searching, she decided that she would go back immediately and stay for a month to help, to do whatever she could. We booked her a frequent flier trip and on the 6th of April she was gone. I spent the day she left in mourning. Not because I can't live without her, but because I don't want to. I understood what she needed to do, but we are rarely ever apart.

Needless to say, one week before Easter, I was also a little panicked about being here with the Easter crowd by myself. Since she is the breakfast aficionado, and I am the shy, quiet one, I wondered how I would fare during her absence. She was scheduled to be gone for 14 days and come back to Belize on the 19th.

I surprised myself. The main group of guests arrived that same week, and I was able to do both the breakfasts for them and all of the other things that she does every day. There was a fantastic group of people here during that ten days or so that overlaps Easter. Three girls, one who had been here before, along with two of her friends came for a week. They were all originally from the same town in Australia, although two of them live in New York now. We started talking one day and realized that they were actually from the same small town that Brady, Shanley, Erin and Cal were from. So I arranged a get together at BC's, and they all had a little "old home" week.

Jeannie, Ken and the kids were gone to BlackRock Lodge when Renita left, and so I cheered myself up the best I could. There were several other guests who were just so nice and fun, and it sort of felt good to know that I COULD do this if I had to.

Kristin and Tim from Chicago, and Dave and Bonnie rounded out the week. Keeping track of 11 people and all of their trips and tours for several days was a challenge, but I don't think anyone had a bad time or a bad breakfast while I was in charge. I chased my tail a few times, and a couple of other tails, but eventually found all the tails and put things in place.

When Jeannie, Ken and the kids got back, they were so sweet in inviting me to hang out with them nearly every day, so that I wouldn't get too morose, but the truth is, that I was pretty darned tired and was in bed most nights by 8:00!

Renita was having some success in helping out, and was helping my daughter with some things for her wedding. They talked daily and saw each other a lot. Since I was already scheduled to go up for the wedding late in the month, it was good to know that since I couldn't be there to do some things for Melanie, Renita was there and was helping her.

A few days before she was due to come back, she called me and said that she realized she was going to need more time with family, and since there were only a few guests checking in during the interim, I should go ahead and come up for the wedding as planned on the 22nd, and that instead of returning on the 28th like I had planned, (the wedding was on the 25th), we would both stay until the 5th of May.

She stayed up late at night (one night all night) and made lists and schedules, enlisted the help of Rebecca, Jeannie, and Tammy so that someone would be available for the few guests that we did have. She made schedules, lists and letters for the employees; she wrote letters to the guests explaining the situation and we decided to give them cash for their breakfasts so that they would still get breakfast with their stay; she sent emails and zip files from a crappy US internet connection that we pick up from the Alice in Wonderland House to me for printing. She basically did everything and sent it to me, all I had to do was get on the plane.

On my Tropic flight over to International, I had my IPod in my ears, with Kelly McGuire singing "Solitude" and over the song, I could hear the crackling of the pilot's radio, all the time looking at the little island I love, the sea, the sea, the sea.

This trip was also a frequent flier trip, and they don't always give you the most direct route when you travel that way. First stop was Miami, where I had time to run through customs and immigration, run to my gate, and get on the plane. Second stop was Dallas, where I did the same thing, except instead of having to go through customs and immigration, I had to figure out which high rise subway to get on and find my gate. I made it in the nick of time though, just as the flight was boarding.

The air was cold when I arrived......brisk would probably be how the locals would have described it.....cold to me. I didn't wait long at the airport before she showed up to collect me and my bags.......It was nearly midnight there, and I fell into bed, exhausted, even though I had slept on every flight all day.

Funny how people think that flying somewhere is not work. I'll wager against that every time. Not only is it stressful to get into and stay into the correct lines and areas when you are traveling into or out of the US, but then you have to attempt to do an OJ Simpson move through damned near every airport you are ever in so that you don't see that awful site of the door to the gangway being locked in front of you. In addition to that, you nearly always have to sit next to some strange person (some are stranger than others) in close proximity, while some faceless "captain" tells you that you are 42,000 feet above the earth. 100 push ups wouldn't make me that tired. Ok, maybe, but probably not.

I was delighted and surprised the next morning when I woke up. It has been six years since I have been north of Mexico in the springtime. I had forgotten the wonders of spring in the Midwest. When we arrive every year in late August, the Hostas are blooming, the "Liveforevers" are blooming, Asters and Mums have started to bloom.

The end of April though, is different. This is what I found that I forgot I had......it's kind of like putting on your winter coat for the first time of the season and finding a crumpled up twenty dollar bill in the pocket.

All the little spring flowers!

Red tulips....I used to have 200 of these and 200 yellow ones in front of my house

I love yellow daffodils

...and the white ones too

Most people mow this stuff down....I love it!

The frogs have still not finished their checker game

Lobster Fest

2009-05-13T15:55:00.003-05:00

Email us at latitudesbelize@yahoo.com for special room rates and packages. There will also be a "BLOG FIESTA" during this week, for bloggers from all over the place! Hope to see everyone here!

IIIIII'''''MMMMM BAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKK

2009-05-13T15:32:00.002-05:00

So, ok for all of you who don't know, and even all of those who DO know, it's been a very loooooonnnnngggg month. Thanks to those of you who have sent me emails and comments about "hey when in the hell are you going to post something new on your blog".

So get ready, I've got a lot of pictures and a lot of information (and gossip) just waiting to post on here, in between the daily power outages, internet outages, and frequent mismanagement of my own time!!!

Tweet Tweet

2009-04-04T13:58:00.003-06:00

Went out to eat a week or so ago with Jeannie and the kids, and the guy next to us ordered a whole fish. The plate looked so cool I had to take a picture of it. Whole fish is not on my diet, but many people in Belize love them. This one looks like it was deep fried, but also looks like it's ready to swim away!!!

While sitting at our hideout the other day, I was excited to see a Red Tanager in the tree right next to us. I have seen one Blue Tanager here on the island, but never a red one, so this was a nice surprise. They really are much brighter in real life than in these photos.

Another rare bird shot. I caught both a male and female "Banana Bird" in the same tree. The male is on the left, the female is on the right. They are actually a type of Oriole, but the locals refer to them as "Banana Birds" because they build their nests under the banana tree leaves, and they look like little hammocks.

Drumming to Cayo

2009-03-14T11:10:00.007-06:00

The Drum Corp from the Isla Bonita Elementary School has been invited to take part in the Band Fest scheduled to take place in Cayo on April 4. They did a little parade route today trying to earn money for their trip. We were happy to oblige them. They are pretty awesome, and it's a real treat to hear them practicing after school and on the weekends, so it was great to have them stop and do their thing in front of our Inn today. Check them out on the video below....

I could hear them coming!

They are working hard

There's Brittany, our neighbor!!!

Check out their sound!! They rock!!!

You Say Goodbye....

2009-03-14T10:26:00.005-06:00

Last month it was a blow out bon voyage party for Ryan, this week, it was saying goodbye to Heather and Roger, part of the BYC Clan. They have been here three months, but it was time for them to get back to Idaho, Canada, Spain, or wherever Roger ends up heading for work.

A good time was had by all at the party. See you next year Roger and Heather! Safe travels!

Unique Fishing

2009-03-14T09:35:00.003-06:00

We spent an afternoon last week at Jeannie's pool. Tammy, Renita, Belinda, Tony and I, and a friend of Belinda and Tony's, named Jeff. Well, Jeff got a little careless and dropped his keys into the slats of the deck. Since there was no way to get under there, a little creativity had to be arranged.

Are they in there? Yep, yep. they are!

I can see them I can see them

Jeannie, in her infinite wisdom went into the house and brought back a fishing pole.

A successful catch!

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Jeannie drops her favorite bookmark through the slats on the other side of the pool

looking, looking, trying...

SUCCESS!

The second drop did not require a fishing pole. However, the next evening, we went over to the house with Tina and Curvin. Renita's keys fell behind the stove, and once again, another fishing expedition was successful!

Baron Blish Beach Bash

2009-03-10T13:32:00.009-06:00

I went walking on the beach Monday morning. Baron Bliss Day here in Belize. It's a public and bank holiday, so nothing is open really, and we had no guests checking in.....

I ran into Brady who was walking to work, and he told me that he and Shanley and Erin were going for a barbeque (that's 'barby" in Australian) that afternoon when he got off work....did we want to go?

Now, I'm just saying that it took me about 2 seconds to say, "YES", and I headed back home to tell Renita. In the (paraphrased) words of Kevin Bloody Wilson, "that's a f*&%in marvelous idea!!!"

We made some goodies for the trip, and headed over to the Nepenthe around noon. Brady wasn't home yet so we sat on the boat for a bit with Erin, Shanley and Princess Bindi.

Erin doesn't look like she's suffering from a hangover, does she?

That Bindi makes the cutest faces!!!

Renita got som,e great shots of her

This is Princess Bindi's hammock bed...where she naps

Who me?

Calling her grandma in Australia....

"Yeah, that's my bed"

"What are you saying?"

Brady finally came back before we could break into the food. We took off, picked Sharon up from north of the bridge, headed through the cut and back to the canals...on our way to another adventure.

Kids tubing

Mr. Nervous Bladder had to make a "piss stop" back in the mangroves

Normally, you put little babies in the car to get them to sleep, this one, you take out on a boat and go really really fast....it works!

Taking the family out on a holiday

We found the little slice of beach....and Brady was in charge of bringing the barbeque...which, I might add, he forgot...one thing, and he forgot. So he and Mrs. Robinson Crusoe here, scoured the bush for the makings of a barbeque pit.

I see fire!!!

There was a little sea gull roost out in the water

Sharon, Renita, Brady and I flying across the water

Erin seems to have recovered nicely from her hangover

Going, going, gone

A playpen on the beach

Dad, I think I like it!

Brady, Shanley and Bindi

Could this be the youngest member of Bar 595?

Renita found a hoola hoop in the bush, and Shanley tried it out. Let's just say some things are better when they are manufactured

Our little picnic site

On the way home, through the canals again...these two were enjoying their day

The perfect welcome mat

Back home to another one of those crappy susets!!!

We had an awesome day....ate some chicken dip, some tasty ribs, and shrimp, and Sharon's wonderful salad. Not bad for forgetting the barby, eh mate?

The March Blow

2009-03-08T08:48:00.004-06:00

"In like a lion, out like a lamb"....I can still remember the calendars from grade school where the beginning picture was of a ferocious cartoon lion, and by the end of the month of March, there was a picture of a sweet little lamb.

The saying originated early in the 1600's and some astrologers say that it has to do with the constellations Leo (the lion) and Aries (the lamb) and the way they are lined up during this time of year. In the norther US, it generally means that the harshness of winter will be replaced by semi-warm, longer, spring days.

In tropical climates, it is sometimes called the "March Blow" and starts with the lion some time before the full moon, with high winds, and starts turning into the lamb after the full moon. Here in San Pedro, it happens every year. The seas are rough, fishing and diving generally come to a standstill, and tour guides and fishermen use this time of year to drink and make babies.

I walked the beach this morning and took some shots of the waves breaking and the wind blowing. Ah...so much better than ice and snow!!!!

Flags at Ramon's Village

Not exactly "surf", but fairly big for inside the reef

Australian Pizza

2009-03-06T09:11:00.008-06:00

Brady, Shanley, and Erin invited us onboard The Nepenthe last night for "Australian Pizza". That's a joke in itself, because when Brady's mom was here we were at the boat one night and she said she was fixing "Australian Tacos". When we asked her what those were, she told us that they were just regulaar tacos, but she was Australian, so that made them "Australian Tacos".

The walk up the pier was quite interesting and I am sooooo sorry that I did not have the chip to the camera then. We were taking a duck puppet over to Bindi because the night before, she cackled when I played with it for her.

While we are walking up the pier, a gust of wind blew the puppet out of Renita's hand, and it went head over tail into the Sea. We stood and watched as the body of it started taking on water, while the head bobbed up and down in the Sea. I ran to the boat to find a long stick, but Renita wasn't waiting.....she walked into the Sea, with her jeans on no less, water up to her thighs, and rescued the poor little thing.

First she administered mouth to mouth resuscitation, then she did a few chest pounds on the poor thing...then she wrung it out. We hung it upside down on the boat to dry.

After she went home, changed her jeans, and brought back the camera chip, we were ready for our pizza!

Brady, Shanley and I on the boat

Brady was getting hungry, so he went in to start the pizza

He looks like he's done this before

Shanley comes in and tries to help

He assures her he knows what he's doing

Brady gets fancy on us

Putting on the good stuff!

Excellent!

Fantastic

Perfect!

Some of the best pizza ever!!!

Shanley and her sister Erin eating and talking on the boat.

Thanks guys....we'll be back for more!!

The Bear Who Wanted To Be A Toucan

2009-03-05T11:31:00.002-06:00

Why? You might ask yourself this question. Well, here's the story, short and sweet. Our friend Mary, brought down a boatload of stuffed bears for her boys' old class at Island Academy. She told us they are called "Build-A-Bear", and that they are all the rage with kids these days.

Apparently the kids go out on a website, and they can buy outfits, hats, and accessories for these bears. Sort of like the cabbage patch dolls from years ago......or the beanie babies......

So I figured, what better way to dress up the bear....than as our skiing toucan.....

Thanks to Sara over at the Sweat Shop for sewing the swimming trucks, scarf and the fake toucan nose...

Then I decorated a room for some honeymooners, and I was done.

Oh, and the bear lived happily ever after, all along thinking he was a toucan!!!

Playing Hooky

2009-03-05T08:14:00.011-06:00

Tammy called in the morning and asked if we wanted to play hooky for the day. Since breakfast was nearly over, and we had no one checking in.....we took the bait.

The kids are out of school this day for countrywide elections, so Faith and Kellyn went along. Jeannie was a little under the weather, so she couldn't make it, but the girls, Tammy, Rene, and both of us hit the water for a little fun.

Faith looks happy to be out of school and on the water

Kellyn looks the same.....

After seeing Joe Chung's "barracuda face" pictures, Renita got the girls to try it.

We moored out at Hol Chan and watched all the boatloads of people snorkeling...Renita decided to get in too...

She's coaxing the girls in, after seeing a couple of sharks swim by, they were a little hesitant. The next six or seven photos show their timid tries to get in the water.

Almost in!!!

Albeit brief, they did both get in the water!

They got a little cat nap on the way to Caye Caulker

This looks like it is a funny story

Jumping off the boat

Tammy and Faith

Our trusty boat captain, Ishmael, and his girls

The split

Jumping back and forth, on and off the boat

Tourists on Caye Caulker soaking up the sunshine

She's thinking...........

We found a starfish munching on a dead fish at the cut

Boat jumping.....again

A Rasta, a bike, and the deep blue sea

Caye Caulker girl eating her lunch

Paddling a surfboard

The Stone Crab docked at Caye Caulker

Bye Lazy Lizard

On our way home

As you can tell, they didn't have ANY fun!

Girls on the bow

Rene laughing

Explaining games to the girls on the beach

Playing hangman on the beach

It was a fun day.....we ran into a ten minute squall out at the reef, but it wasn't enough to get our towels wet.

Now why would I want to be in the snow and cold? Right, I wouldn't!!!!

What You See Is What You Get

2009-03-02T12:39:00.005-06:00

Well, sort of.

Yesterday, on a trip to town, we saw an unusual thing on a golf cart. Now, I've seen some pretty amazing things on them, but this one was great...if I had only had my camera out and ready!!

One of the Graniel twins (I can't ever tell which one is which) was driving her cart the opposite direction of us. Renita noticed that she was shaking a five gallon bucket that was sitting on the floor of the passenger side while she was driving.

When she finally passed us, she noticed that there was a turtle in the bucket, trying to climb out.....and she was shaking the bucket, trying to get it back in.

Only in San Pedro!

San Pedro Sun Shining on US!

2009-03-01T17:51:00.005-06:00

Today was a fun "day off" It started with a visit from Mary (under the napkin) and her sister-in-law who came by for breakfast. Mary is in charge of the cover story for next week's issue of the San Pedro Sun's Visitor Guide....so be on the lookout for pictures of our place on the cover next week.

This is a great time of year for our bouganvilla

We were going to hitch a ride with Brady and Shanley over to St. George's Caye for the afternoon, but then something came up and Brady had to leave earlier than expected. We didn't want the day to go to waste, so we decided to head up to Captain Morgan's for lunch and some sun.

Waiting for the Island Ferry, we saw this group soaking up the sun

Does this piece of driftwood look like a giant sea monster to anyone but me?

Driving home along middle street

Travel and Tour Belize getting a new facelift from a local artist

When we got home, the sky turned a very strange color. Renita suggested that I go out and take some pictures while the light was so weird...so I did

These boats look like they are sitting in purple water...

This is a reflection off the sun setting....I'm looking northwest from the beach

Clouds look like water ripples

And then I was home!!!

Happy Teeth

2009-02-25T15:38:00.005-06:00

Just because we live on an island, doesn't mean that we don't have proper dental care. A few years ago, we started going to our friendly dentist on the island, Dr. Mark, to have our teeth cleaned and dental work done.

Dr. Mark and his wife Joan, not only operate what I think is the best dental clinic on the island, but they do great things for the island's population as well. Several times a year, they bring dentists from all over the world to spend a week in San Pedro, and the traveling dental troupe manages to see hundreds of schoolchildren each time. No doubt they have contributed to the dental health of most of the kids on the island.

Our first stop on our trip to the dentist is a visit to the Island Ferry, to buy our boat tickets

Not a bad commute, huh?

The walkway to the dentist's office

This office looks nothing like those offices you find in the US

Even the door made of Belizean hardwood seems happy to see you

There's Sara, helping out....and there's even magazines in the waiting room

They provide the gas, and the cool sunglasses

I can't feel a thing!

Time to go....the walk out of the office

Somebody forgot something!!!

And you also get a little goodie bag when you leave

Thanks Dr. Mark and Joan for many jobs well done!!!!

Fat Tuesday.....Island Style

2009-02-25T07:30:00.011-06:00

Carnaval, Fat Tuesday, Carnivale, Mardi Gras. Whatever you call it where you are from, it is a pagan holiday held in places all over the world the day before Ash Wednesday, when lent begins. Originally started as a day to "blow out" or have your last wild fling prior to the beginning of Lent, San Pedro is one of the remaining places in Belize where it is celebrated every year.

The adults do most of their celebrating by performing comparsas, where various upstanding members of the community dress in extravagant costumes, roaming through town performing self-written skits that include song and dance. These are a real treat, and we have seen everything from men dressed in drag, to adults dressed as babies, wearing nothing but diapers and huge pacifers, to last night's wedding party comparsa.

The children spend the night with their friends on the beach, painting each other with all colors of paint, and adorning their best buddies with rotten eggs. Last night was no exception!

Before the festivities began, we took a trip down to the "clubhouse" to watch the kids getting ready to go into town...

This little beauty has no idea this is a horseshoe pit...it is her personal sandbox

Table climbing

On our way down Front Street, we were bombarded by what appeared to be a riot, but was actually two groups of kids attacking one another.

Gearing up on the beach, headed to town

Businesses in the "paint zone" drape tarps to save their walls

A couple of fine specimens

Planning their attacks

Little ghost boy getting in on the fun

Swarms of kids

This little girl takes it all in...maybe next year sweetie!

Guillermo and his buddies

Making the scary trip from street to beach

These kids are plotting

Sometimes you need to "rinse" off

Egg in hand, she hides behind the tree

Armed with paint, these two plan their next move

Walking closer to the action

I see scheming going on here

A tourist inspects her paint job

They love the picture of themselves!!

Faith has just a little paint here...

Even the dog got painted

Heads full of baby oil and bandanas

With mom and dad, all ready to get painted

They were gentle for her first layer

Guess who?

Going back for more

The wedding comparsas

Faith bathes in the Sea before the golf cart ride home

All cleaned up....well, sort of

More wedding comparsa

These painted adults watch from the safety of their cart

Mark

RC school had a comparsa as well

This is a super fun holiday in San Pedro, and if you tell the kids you don't want to be painted, they won't paint you. Or, you may have to give them the hairy eyeball, or the Scary Mom look.......but it's soooo much fun to watch!!!

San Pedro Saturday

2009-02-21T06:23:00.002-06:00

San Pedro Saturday sunrise

Tell Me You Love Me.......Again

2009-02-19T15:11:00.009-06:00

Danielle and Erik, saying goodbye to Belize this morning

We all love romance, don't we?And watching romantic stories come to life right before your eyes, well, that's damn near as good as it gets! I knew this was going to be a special couple as soon as I got an email from Dani back in January. Here, in part, is what she wrote to me.

Hi Renita and Cindy,

I can't express to you how excited I am about this vacation. My husband Erik and I will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on the 22nd of this month, however, for the second conscutive year, we will be geographically separated. He is an officer with the Army and is currently serving his second tour overseas, but he will be back just a few short weeks before our trip. We are also expecting our second child in July which will make me about 20 weeks pregnant at the time. I guess you could call this a second "baby moon"

Well, once I read that, I made a note on the file to make sure there was champagne in their room when they arrived.

I had a chance to sit and chat with Erik the day they got in, and he told me some more of the story....(ok ladies, get out the box of tissues, you're gonna need them)

They caught each other's eye when they were around 12 or 13. He says he almost failed one of his classes because they were so busy passing notes back and forth to one another. After a couple of years, her family moved. Then, ten years later, he found her. They started dating again, and he proposed to her while they were skydiving. When he found out he was going to be deployed to Iraq, the ended up getting married about six weeks before he left. When he left she was pregnant with their son, Miko, who is now 16 months old. He was overseas when the first baby was born but he will be able to be here for the current baby.

In the course of the conversation, he told me that he wanted to renew their wedding vows. Apparently, at some point they had said that they would get married on every continent. When she suggested getting married in Belize, he threw her off by telling her that it was still North America....yet he wanted this to be a surprise to her. The really difficult part was that he wanted to get married on the lagoon side, at sunset.

I contacted Dulce, he told her they were going to have their photos taken for a magazine. We racked our brains until one afternoon Jeannie said, "Why don't you do it on my rooftop?" You can see both the Sea and the lagoon, and a perfect spot for a sunset view. Eiden was available Thursday at 5, and we were off.

The pictures below are not in order, try as I might to figure out how to move all these around.....but you will definitely get a good feel for how the ceremony went. Thanks Renita for taking the pictures and the video!

Dani thinks she's going to a photo shoot on the rooftop

Decorations up

Saying their vows

Cake by Hummingbird, flowers by Dulce

A toast

Erik, Dani, Eiden

Jeannie, I, Erik, Dani, and Dulce

I love you all over again!

Erik and Danielle, most joyous wishes from San Pedro. We can't wait to see pictures of your new little one! Be safe, be happy, love each other.

Tuesday Tacos at Wet Willies

2009-02-19T13:58:00.005-06:00

Taco Tuesday at Wet Willies was a great way to say goodbye to four of our friends leaving the island the next day.

Dennis, Sherry, and Dan made great music, and Gary and Conrad filled in on their breaks. There was a houseful there, and we had lots and lots of fun, which, I might add, took a half a day to recover from....don't you people know we are usually in bed by 8:00 pm???

Aw hell, it was way worth it. See you all next time, or maybe hefore!

Pammy was shakin it up on the dance floor

Renita and I and the Trumpets

Steve and I...hey, we're doing a version of the crab dance!

Bertha was there

Ken and Mel

Steve playing his air guitar

That pirate was dancing with all the women!

Mel, Ken, Pam, and Steve

The Trumpets nearly killed her!

Steve and I

Garrick was playing waiter, bartender, and a couple of other things

Conrad

The Usual Suspects rock on

Norm

2009-02-17T16:16:00.004-06:00

Norm is here. We meet sooooo many people in the course of our daily lives here. Norm is a February staple on the island. Norm has been coming to San Pedro for 30 years. He's been staying with us since the Hideaway Hotel closed several years ago. Norm has lived around 80 years in Madison, Indiana,...right near the Kentucky border. Norm calls us every year on Christmas day and on Easter. He is a fine man. No internet, no email. He uses the old fashioned telephone.

I'll never forget the first time Norm came to stay with us. On his last day here, I walked into the kitchen and he was struggling with his backpack. I asked him if he needed help getting his second arm in. When I went behind him to help him, I realized that the reason he was having so much trouble was that his backpack was loaded down with Belikin beers. He told me he needed to go and say goodbye to his friends. After I helped him get the backpack on, he sort of leaned backward from the weight of the backpack and jingle jangled his way down the beach.

Last year Norm wanted to skydive. Since he had recently had heart surgery, they wouldn't let him. This year, he asked his doctor to fax a letter to the Tsunami office to give him the go ahead. I'm not sure if he will skydive this year or not, but he is getting a start. He went parasailing with some of his friends. We love you Norm!!!!

He's on the back of the boat getting ready

On his way up

He's getting higher

You are flying over the Caribbean Norm!!!

Love Is In The Air

2009-02-16T16:52:00.001-06:00

And Valentine's Day is already over!

Sailing Away from the Madness

2009-02-15T10:28:00.009-06:00

I stole the title from one of my favorite Kelly McGuire songs. And there's no "madness" here to sail away from, but it sure was a great day on the water!!!

The night before, we got a visit from the crew...

Sammy Walnuts, taking it easy on the cart

Now there's trouble right there!

Renita got a free hat from a traveling basket salesman. My little leprechaun!

Next morning, time to sail! We started this trip three years ago, and every time the Peckham crew hits the island, it's time to sail....

Willie and Daniel, heading out

It don't get much better

Sammy, headed out

Ryan, headed out

Pam Steve, and Rebacca, headed out

Snorkel stop! Three mermaids

Diane snorkeling

Patty snorkels away

Ryan overboard!!!

Patty and Ramon newly engaged!

Renita snorkeling

Sammy looks like he might be thinking, and that could be dangerous!

Pam and Steve at Capricorn

The whole boatload at Capricorn

Diane wrestling Ramon

Steve in the hole

Willie working

Sammy and I

Shake shake shake!

Another heron

Sammy and Steve plotting on the boat

Rebecca and Ryan

Patty

Bye Willie

Please don't tell Steve he's not a pirate!!!

Junk

2009-02-12T11:23:00.003-06:00

Every morning I am amazed by what I find in my "Spam" mail folder. No matter how many times I try and get rid of this stuff, it still magically appears overnight while I'm sleeping.

Today's menu boasts some of the usual

From Vicky Lazari $500 HOME IMPROVEMENT GIFT CARD
From liz42756 WANT TO SEE MY PRETTY PICS?
From Erase Debt LEGALLY ERASE DEBT AS SEEN ON CNBC
From Allie Wilson YOUR NEW DELL XPS M1530
From Karen Storm YOUR BLACKBERRY STORM IS READY
From Your bail out GET YOUR BAILOUT...ITS YOUR TURN (there's three of those)
From Sue Emerson YOUR PENDING SHIPMENT
From Jennifer PRIZE DELIVERY NOTIFICATION
From Senate House ATM CARD NUMBER 47361028878876
From JeNNiFeR WANT TO BE LOVED? COME HERE
From Michael Vincent I FOUND YOU A NEW JOB
From Fling MEET SOMEONE SEXY TONIGHT

And the one I receive most often these days is for Acai Berry. Originally, the emails claimed that this stuff would make your skin smooth, now it is for weight reduction....oh, and there's the growing list of people who want to give me new ring tones for my phone.

NO!!!!! I don't want a bailout, bail in, a new job, to find someone sexy, to go on a date or to see your pics. I don't want to lose weight, get my skin softened, or get a "free" gift from your site. And I damned sure do not want any new ring tones for my phone. If it rings at all, and I actually hear it, I'm happy. I don't need something that is going to play the Macarena for god's sake.

Why don't all these people get in touch with Michael Vincent and find a new job?

Here's Looking at You

2009-02-10T17:09:00.006-06:00

There's a great newcomer to the island who specializes in natural eyelashes. She puts them on one at a time, and they are made of human hair.

Having used "fake eyelashes" in the past, I was a little skeptical, until I saw Jeannie's, and they looked fabulous!

So today, I went in and had it done. It's amazing how natural they look and feel.

In order to get the procedure done, you have to take off all your mascara. Here's the before picture...(ok no comments about crow's feet or other wrinkles please!)

This is the after picture! Amazing what Kim can do in an hour and a half!

If you are interested, email Kim at mermaid_lashes@yahoo.com for an appointment!