tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47686831414693518482024-03-05T20:54:44.571-06:00Taking the PlungeFrom Chicago to St. ThomasChristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-6831842257184219232015-11-10T12:39:00.003-06:002015-11-10T12:51:04.813-06:00I'm a Republican. There. I Said It.<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another presidential
election is heading our way, which can only mean one thing - constant commentary
on social media and cable news about which candidate is more of an idiot than
the other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of me enjoys this
because it means that people are engaged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other part of me gets really annoyed by
all of this political negativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll admit, I’ve ‘unfollowed’ several
Facebook ‘friends’ due to their constant political outbursts – Republican and
Democrat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's not the platform folks!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Up until now, I have tried to make it my policy not
to share my political point of view on social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even talk much about it with my
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I try to use Facebook
how I believe it should be used – to pretend life is perfect and posting the
photos to prove it (photo filter, anyone?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But, then I started asking myself if I wasn’t expressing
my political thoughts because I didn’t want to encourage more of the same, or
if it was because I was afraid of what people would think of me if I stopped being a
closet Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disappointed in
myself, I knew it was the latter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is too bad because I’m actually a pretty political
person. It’s a big part of who I am
fundamentally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I’m originally
from Hamilton County Indiana, which was the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> most conservative
county in the nation when I grew up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In addition, I don’t have a conversation (including email) with my
father without touching on some political topic, and it’s been this way my entire
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to watch Meet the Press and Face
the Nation every Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read a
portion of the Wall Street Journal every morning on my iPad – especially the
Opinion Columns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, in college I spent
an entire summer interning on the Hill in Washington DC for Dan Burton, my
hometown Republican Congressman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u88m5Wq1_9Y/VkI02QNP0HI/AAAAAAAAAi8/mFTKd6mPI9w/s1600/IMG_1401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u88m5Wq1_9Y/VkI02QNP0HI/AAAAAAAAAi8/mFTKd6mPI9w/s320/IMG_1401.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Congressman Dan Burton. I called once a week for months to get that internship.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgXfeBd2FB4/VkI0rudJAAI/AAAAAAAAAi4/WRRqIMiTCoo/s1600/IMG_1400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgXfeBd2FB4/VkI0rudJAAI/AAAAAAAAAi4/WRRqIMiTCoo/s320/IMG_1400.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Senator Bob Doyle and some other interns. My hair...I know.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After my 13 week stint in DC, I was convinced that I was
going to head to the Hill after I graduated to work in public service, then perhaps
get my law degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after
graduating with a degree in history, minoring in (what else) political science,
I took a job in insurance rather than moving to DC as planned only because I
thought it would pay better than being a legislative assistant on the
Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Unfortunately, the fact that I haven’t felt like I can express this
side of me has suppressed a large part of who I am, especially since I’m a pretty outspoken
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I was concerned that people
would categorize me as all sorts of things that I’m not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Racist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Uncaring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gun-loving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Religious fanatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greedy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Homophobic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just name any of the
characteristics used by many people to describe a Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This kind of makes me mad, and it is the
reason why I’m writing this post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of course, anyone that knows me will tell you that I’m
none of those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I live on an
island where white people are the very (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very,
very</i>) large minority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t
remember the last time I stepped foot in a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband and I don’t own a gun and never
will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a few weeks ago I donated to
a local fund to help some guys that got hurt in a boating accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listen to NPR almost every day, and donated
to help get it back on-air locally when it went off-air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I love wearing Birkenstocks, but I think my husband has thrown away every pair I own. I am even seriously considering buying a Subaru Outback as my next car. </span>I could go on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In fact, in a lot of ways, I’m not a Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least, I’m not the quintessential
Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually agree with
Democrats on a lot of social issues, and I get very frustrated with the way
things go in my party sometimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
just that when it comes down to the issues that I feel are the most important
issues – issues that I think impact everyone the most - my point of view lines
up stronger with the Republicans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, please don’t throw things at me, or mislabel me, or
key my car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’m not a hater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’m just a Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-78661864938284575952015-10-01T19:31:00.000-05:002015-10-01T19:52:51.797-05:00Life After Birth<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where do I begin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
life changed overnight when I had my son, Charles Kevin O’Neil. Charlie is now
8 weeks old, and I can honestly say that motherhood is much better than I ever
imagined it would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will forever be
grateful to my son for the endless amount of joy he has brought to my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a doubt, I have never been as happy
as I am today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7Zp6Gguum854K3D94mBtN9b8XO0FroyL0DDjPlUGX4H_M6jaq03TrmjnBLj2-R00QI3m57IZ7YpMPlT2cZeiiDOy2mG4xsZ4M3yi98Pif0AT1ORCwM64-HZ_XLPxiL7G_0GtnFsntCw/s1600/2015CharlieKevinONeil_OnlineSharing_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7Zp6Gguum854K3D94mBtN9b8XO0FroyL0DDjPlUGX4H_M6jaq03TrmjnBLj2-R00QI3m57IZ7YpMPlT2cZeiiDOy2mG4xsZ4M3yi98Pif0AT1ORCwM64-HZ_XLPxiL7G_0GtnFsntCw/s320/2015CharlieKevinONeil_OnlineSharing_003.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie at 1 Week Old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sure, there have been some very tough days and moments. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to pretend that it has been a
piece of cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the day
after we got home from the hospital, excited and blissful, Charlie cried bloody
murder all day long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, Kevin and
I frantically called his mom, my mom and the local lactation consultant (shout
out to Linda Cager).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cried, thinking
that I had ruined our lives by having this monster interrupt what was once a pretty
easy lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kevin assured me that we
would figure things out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, we
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact, things were pretty euphoric for the first 3
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I proudly introduced young
Charles to family and friends, and we started showing him around the island/s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took trips to St. John for dinner and
shopping with family that were visiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I strolled down Main St. with him tucked away in my Moby Wrap and
grabbed lunch in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband pushed
me, begrudgingly, to go to the beach with Charlie 2 weeks after giving birth. After all, 3 weeks prior I was strutting my stuff in a bikini, looking like
a damn torpedo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I know, I was
carrying around an 8 lb (and 1.2 oz) baby!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, by the time Charlie was 4 weeks old I was
tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had had guests for 3 weeks straight, and I
was still getting used to taking care of an infant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up at nights, then pushing myself to do too
much during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My labor was quick
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>relatively</u></i> easy (11 hours
total) so physically I felt good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
the activity was catching up to me, tough, and I was struggling with
Charlie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, I took him to
Kevin and said verbatim, ”I need to not be around this child for a while.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was at my whit’s end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you just need a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if it’s just 10 or 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After Week 4 I pulled myself together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came to the point of acceptance over
Charlie’s inconsolable crying in the evenings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, babies cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
what they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also poop, pee, puke,
sleep and cry and then they do this all over, and over, and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wasn’t really prepared for this, so I got a rude awakening the first
time Charlie peed on me and even more so when he projectile pooped on me, the
Pack ‘n Play and our rug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That time I
managed to clean up him and the Pack ‘n Play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like any selfless mother would, I left the poop on my thigh until after
Charlie had been fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7GIu_f1UUt0/Vg3OxQrMhdI/AAAAAAAAAic/TrRrUPVGOIo/s1600/2015CharlieKevinONeil_OnlineSharing_022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7GIu_f1UUt0/Vg3OxQrMhdI/AAAAAAAAAic/TrRrUPVGOIo/s320/2015CharlieKevinONeil_OnlineSharing_022.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The thing I was most unprepared for, though, was the amount
of time that Charlie needed to be held.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nobody, except Charlie that is, told me how much a child needs to be
held, but by the end of the day my back is burning from holding, swinging and
rocking my child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess this is nature’s
way of helping the two of us bond, which seems like a natural progression when
I think about it, since I did carry him for 9 months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not going to bore you with any more complaints, though,
because this is what I wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As my
sister said when she had her son, ‘This is what I signed up for.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t have it any other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, the joy of having a child by far and
away outweighs the bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pregnancy, labor
and baby is the greatest trifecta of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are no words to describe the happiness that Charlie has brought to the
life of my friends, family and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess that’s why it’s easier for people to talk about how hard it can be
because it’s impossible to describe in words the absolute pleasure that having
a child brings to your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a newfound happiness when I see my husband smiling down
on my son while swishing him around in our pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, during those late night feedings when it’s
just me and Charlie in a quiet room together and I can peacefully gaze down at
him, studying this little being that suddenly means so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t believe how precious this moment in time truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing else that matters more to me
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This family is everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aaC3bbmbvi8/Vg3OhZ5wruI/AAAAAAAAAiU/157ssI_dGAk/s1600/2015CharlieKevinONeil_OnlineSharing_013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aaC3bbmbvi8/Vg3OhZ5wruI/AAAAAAAAAiU/157ssI_dGAk/s320/2015CharlieKevinONeil_OnlineSharing_013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<sub><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d
like to dedicate this blog post to Dr. Ezzo and Dr. Bucknam who wrote <u>On
Becoming Babywise</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is because of
that book that my 8 week old sleeps 7-8 hours at night (for now at least).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sleep is everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d also like to dedicate this blog to one of
my readers whom I have never met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barbara
Schutt, thank you for reaching out to me to encourage me to write this blog,
rather than go thru the 2 weeks of mail that is sitting next to my
computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is way more important.<o:p></o:p></span></span></sub></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-60927872877383353242015-08-01T11:49:00.000-05:002015-08-03T09:08:31.145-05:00D Day <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today is the day
I’ve been waiting for for 40 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
my due date! And, I have to say it came quicker than I expected. Don’t get me wrong, being pregnant is a long
haul, but for me it went by pretty fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I mean, considering that I’m growing life inside of me, 40 weeks doesn’t
really seem to be a long period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know a lot of pregnant women out there that would adamantly disagree
with me, but I can only speak for my own experience over the last months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I’m at the point where the baby could come at any
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holy shit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to be a mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s becoming more and more real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve gone through so many stages in preparing
for what’s to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However, f</span>or most of the time I’ve been pretty terrified of this part of my pregnancy. All of the pain and exhaustion of childbirth had me pretty scared to get to the end result. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Regardless, </span>I have to say that I’m truly at the
point where I don’t really care what I have to do to have this baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m ready. I’m actually in awe of how
full-circle my emotions about delivering this baby have come. <span style="font-family: Calibri;">My hospital bag is packed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s get the show on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not ready in
the sense that I feel like I want to ‘get this thing out of me’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m ready in the sense that I’m excited to
meet my baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To find out if I have a
daughter or son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see what this little
one looks like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be sure everything is
okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To embrace this next chapter in my
own journey with my husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
all, though, I’m ready to take care of this little one and watch it start its
own journey through life that I can only hope to facilitate in a positive
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYW_YhWwfu0qAfjgexPxJqujpSgZRiuTRgqKrWnAdBy05OkXFwHGF4C7p0iCuQj2dMcxg0ji4jrUev8Espm0dV60EbMKc-LxCOBDyo1OAhJ6PvN-EJ1A29XRaAkYQGkwNQ0PezfbQ96M/s1600/2015ChristineONeil_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYW_YhWwfu0qAfjgexPxJqujpSgZRiuTRgqKrWnAdBy05OkXFwHGF4C7p0iCuQj2dMcxg0ji4jrUev8Espm0dV60EbMKc-LxCOBDyo1OAhJ6PvN-EJ1A29XRaAkYQGkwNQ0PezfbQ96M/s320/2015ChristineONeil_011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose it’s natural to get to the point of accepting what’s
to come and feeling like you’re willing to do <u><em>anything</em></u> to have the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care what I have to do now,
and trust me, I’m trying everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
I write this blog I’m drinking red raspberry tea because my doctor said it could help move things along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last night Kevin and I went out to dinner and
I had the spiciest Shrimp Pad Thai on the island (couldn’t eat it fast enough!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have pineapple on my list of items to pick
up the next time I’m at the store because there is suppose to be an enzyme in them that prompts labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
morning I vigorously scrubbed the outside of my kitchen cabinets even though
my house is perfectly clean because I read on-line that vigorously cleaning put some women into labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m walking a couple of miles regularly throughout
the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, my doctor has a few
tricks up her sleeve to provoke things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since I’m putting so much effort into prompting things, I am
constantly thinking that I may be going into labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every little Braxton Hicks contraction is a
complete tease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, going on the intranet
is absolute torture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I look
up a symptom I’m having on-line, someone says they went into labor shortly
after having that same symptom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
not me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I swear, I thought I was going to have this
baby every single day last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I’m
convinced that this baby is never going to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to be the one woman on this earth
that will continue to be pregnant for the rest of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, as I sit here at home playing the waiting game, I’m
still caught up in the wonder of what’s to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's super exciting, not just for me and Kevin but for everyone that cares about us. </span>Family and friends are on stand-by, anxiously
awaiting this one’s arrival and checking in regularly to see how I’m
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Alas, I have no news or updates for them. </span>I know I should simply enjoy this
down time before the baby comes, and I’ll
probably look back at this moment and wonder why I was so anxious for the next
step. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For now, though, I just want to hold my little baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjxWP68TFgY/Vbzux8kNelI/AAAAAAAAAhg/739OsApfpkk/s1600/2015ChristineONeil_021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjxWP68TFgY/Vbzux8kNelI/AAAAAAAAAhg/739OsApfpkk/s320/2015ChristineONeil_021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the record, I'm NOT 40 weeks in this picture!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-75052036133370313092015-05-28T13:47:00.001-05:002015-05-28T13:47:33.220-05:00The Homestretch
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How time
flies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like it was just yesterday
that Kevin and I were anxiously taking one pregnancy test after another to be
sure that I was, indeed, pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was
that second faint line on the stick truly a second line, or was there just 1
line?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that time, nothing had really
changed for us, and the idea of starting a family was still just that – an idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I didn’t have a baby bump, or morning
sickness, and I wasn’t tired or hormonal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was still the same old me, except maybe a bit more excited than usual
at the thought of having a baby on the way.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At nearly 31 weeks, I’m in the homestretch and looking down a very
short path to motherhood. I feel much differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m well past the first few weeks of morning
sickness, which made me feel like I was slightly hung over for about 3-4 solid
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good news – due to years (if not
decades) of intense practice, I’m highly functional at this state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I’ve done all the testing to
monitor the health of my baby and myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those tests can be quite stressful, and aren’t much fun for the
mommy-to-be – you have to draw my blood how many times over the course of 3
hours?!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m through the months where I’m showing enough that people
know I’m pregnant and express this knowledge with confidence, but not showing enough to feel totally uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t even feel pregnant during those
months, but people’s random comments definitely reminded me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite comments tended to be something like,
‘I can’t believe how big you are’ (when I’m only 4 mos along), or ‘Wow, you
look like you’re going to have one BIG baby’, or ‘I don’t think you can get any
bigger’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know people have good
intentions, but one piece of advice – when succumbing to the urge to comment on
the physique of a pregnant woman, less is better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just tell her she looks great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t say anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not a word more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, now…well, I’m showing a LOT and feeling very, very
pregnant!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I’m at the point where
some days are much better than others, but either way I still can’t get off the
couch without using all 4 limbs with full force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday, at the grocery store a very nice,
and extremely concerned West Indian man told me that I shouldn’t be pushing
around a cart “in my condition”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
replied with a smile, and reassured him that, ‘I’m fine’, all the while
thinking that I was going to be pushing a hell of a lot harder than this in the
coming weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AUH_KN9sZwGKCwCdLhstOTQ2PMQH_0rcG6pYBzCqG6tW3BiHspcUL2BO3QYTKJ3dnsTMfrpLMeXcnA7O3s5l4GprqwlxBFCixjCbqWhyphenhyphenVL0R67SqyUztTDYbcWOB1y7k_e2JT_LNWd0/s1600/Paddle+Boarding+STJ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AUH_KN9sZwGKCwCdLhstOTQ2PMQH_0rcG6pYBzCqG6tW3BiHspcUL2BO3QYTKJ3dnsTMfrpLMeXcnA7O3s5l4GprqwlxBFCixjCbqWhyphenhyphenVL0R67SqyUztTDYbcWOB1y7k_e2JT_LNWd0/s320/Paddle+Boarding+STJ.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddle Boarding at 30 Weeks Pregnant in Maho Bay, St. John</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yup, I’m now facing the ultimate hurdle in any pregnancy –
delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point I’m
transitioning my thoughts from managing my pregnancy, to managing the delivery
of an infant and the infant itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AH!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By far and away, this is the scariest phase
of my pregnancy – not the baby so much as the delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, I am a little terrified of the
baby, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other night I was awake
in bed, unable to sleep because my hip had gone numb from sleeping on my side
and the baby was moving non-stop, and I started scaring myself senseless with
thoughts of having to deliver this baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I realized that there was no turning back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That I am in this all the way, and no one else can do this for me. There’s only
one way out of this situation, and it’s probably not going to be pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kind of feel like I’m slowly going up the
hill of a huge roller coaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anxiety and
excitement are building and building as I’m approaching the peak, after which
all chaos will break loose beyond my control as I scream at the top of my lungs
towards the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, while I breathlessly waddle around in the tropical heat
of this island - trying to stay active, yet still maintaining a state of
comfort - I am frantically juggling between reading books on how to prepare for
the delivery of little Baby O’Neil, and books on helping an infant adapt to
his/her new environment without losing my sanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that eating 6 dates per day
helps ease your delivery and that dehydration is the number one cause of
premature labor?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folks, this is the shit
I’m reading about these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile, thanks to the endless support of all of my wonderful
friends and family, there are boxes and boxes of baby items, that only a few months
ago I never knew existed, piling up in our house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I recently found out that there are
wipes made specifically for a baby’s crusty nose vs a baby’s butt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knew!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Curiously, I still don’t seem to have enough baby stuff to be fully
prepared, so yesterday I ordered the remaining items that we’ll need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just can’t wait to try out my new breast
pump and nursing bras!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All joking and fears aside, when I truly think about what
this pregnancy and this baby entails, ultimately I wouldn’t have it any other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I am eternally grateful to have
been able to go through this experience with my husband, who could not be more
supportive and does not care that I’m carry around a 25 lb belly right
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consider myself extremely lucky
to have conceived without any issues and to have had a smooth and healthy
pregnancy thus far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I’m happy that I chose
this time in my life to go through with this process, a time when I feel like I
am capable and ready to take on this next chapter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, for the next couple of months I’m going to try to enjoy the
end of this ride – every last kick to the ribs and craving for a cookie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I’ll continue to relish in the wonder of
what this baby will look like, be like and feel like when it enters this world
and I meet it for the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-26556597268929795812015-03-21T08:47:00.001-05:002015-03-21T09:22:19.471-05:00My Bellybutton Popped Out!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Forgive me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been
a while since I’ve posted a blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
been a little side-tracked with this whole pregnancy thing that I’m going
through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me just say, it’s quite the
journey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life has changed a whole lot
for me during these last 5 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first major change was not drinking alcohol, which
actually hasn’t been too big of a deal for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, it can be pretty humorous at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever been to the Willy T sober?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made the brilliant choice to try this
during Gay Pride Week in the BVI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Entertaining doesn’t begin to describe the level of humor this little
exercise in sobriety offered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
beautiful, Speedo clad and heavily intoxicated men coming into Norman Island by
loads on their catamarans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
like a bunch of sharks, circling their prey for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the
evening, but all signs were pointing to the Willy T getting totally devoured.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t get me wrong, I like my wine and cocktails, but this
hasn’t been the struggle I thought it was going to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually can have some fun without a good
buzz going, which says a lot since I live in the land of free flowing rum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, now that I’ve confirmed that I’m not an
alcoholic (yay!), I can enjoy basking in the world of sobriety for a few more
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to wonder if I’m
okay to drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to worry
about whatever offensive thing I said the night before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I don’t have to deal with a hangover!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Side note: for about 3-4 weeks during my 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
trimester I did feel like I was walking around with a minor hangover all day,
so I technically haven’t avoided this entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do I have to deal with?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bathing suits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, bathing
suits were the first thing this baby mama bought upon finding out that she was
pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not because of my belly, but
because of my boobs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now have them,
and they’re pretty great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stick with me
here folks because I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I realized that I had a serious problem on my hands
when I accidentally exposed myself to my best friend in my pre-pregnancy bikini
top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when I decided I had an
emergency on my hands, and she agreed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
marched right over to the nearest surf shop to try on some swimsuits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the love of God, could retailers please start
putting softer lighting in dressing rooms???!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nothing, and I mean <u>nothing</u> can break a pregnant woman more than
having to try on bikinis in a dressing room that's blasting with neon
white lighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t they know that we
would buy more if they made us look better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I almost had to abort (poor choice of words?) this mission, but I was too desperate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, when I got home and tried on my
new purchase, things looked much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good thing, because we recently got a boat, which I refer to
as our ‘first baby’, or my husband’s ‘mistress’ (I could write an entire blog
about this alone), so we are out on the water every weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means that there is no avoiding this
baby belly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t avoid it,
and…neither can anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s out
there for the world to see, and it’s only going to get bigger and bigger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, it’s also getting whiter and
whiter, which I still can’t figure out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, it has come to my attention that my belly button cannot withstand
much pressure because at 4 months mine unabashedly popped right out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it has a freckle on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to say that I’m pretty lucky though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in the islands means that I can get
away with wearing some wonderfully comfy clothes like sundresses, maxi dresses
and flat sandals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to
squeeze into work pants and high heels anymore, and that is by far the biggest
gift that a pregnant woman could ask for!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of loose clothing, not that I’m necessarily ‘eating
for two’ because I’ve heard that’s not really a good idea, but I have taken it
upon myself to conduct some very critical research over which island bar/grill
offers the best cheeseburger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
weekend I treat myself to a nice, fat, juicy burger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hey, the baby needs the iron, and I’m happy
to oblige!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My analysis has included the following places listed below
in no particular order:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pirate’s Bite – Norman Island<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tap and Still- St. Thomas<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soggy Dollar – Jost Van Dyke<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bee Lines – Little Jost Van Dyke<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Waterfront Bistro – St. John<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Miss Lucy’s – St. John<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve gotta say that burgers around here are pretty damn
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, to me, up to this point Pirate’s
Bite has the best burger around with Waterfront Bistro’s blue cheese burger
being a close second and Miss Lucy’s being third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My tireless research will continue in this
regard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abi Bar in St. Thomas this
weekend will be my next victim.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, before I wrap it up, I should probably use this blog
to address one more thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most
common question I get asked is if I’m going to have the baby in St.
Thomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost everyone I know has
asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is, yes, without a
doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless something major goes
wrong, I will be having our baby in St. Thomas and taking our little bundle of
joy straight home with us as soon as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you ask anyone, and I mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>anyone</u></i>,
that lives here they all say the same thing - birthing babies is what they do
best here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, Islanders LOVE
nothing more than a ‘ripe mango’ (aka pregnant woman) and a newborn baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To them, it’s the best thing in life to have
a baby of your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no hesitation
about this what-so-ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So my island pregnancy continues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As my belly grows and this little tyke kicks
around in there, we are busy getting our house ready and registering for baby
items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is, by far, the most exciting
time in my life, and I could not be more thankful for this truly amazing
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KMSd-iWoD_0/VQ1zvMsxj8I/AAAAAAAAAg0/5ab7hTsTaEw/s1600/IMG_6640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KMSd-iWoD_0/VQ1zvMsxj8I/AAAAAAAAAg0/5ab7hTsTaEw/s1600/IMG_6640.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">18 Weeks</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-68520539779329322002014-10-08T09:36:00.000-05:002014-10-08T09:36:55.796-05:00Pride of Ownership<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My husband and I have now been living in our house for 6
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, we have an
overwhelming list of things we want and need to do. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll admit that of all the things on our list, I have been most anxious to
start renovating the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to Pinterest
and Houzz, I have a variety of grandiose ideas for ‘beach cottage style’ cabinetry,
tile work, paint colors, lighting fixtures, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, I immediately started calling
contractors to get estimates on the price to take on these projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal was to get estimates from contractors
by September and begin work in October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ha!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not happening.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the end of July I had reached out to 5 contractors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoiler alert!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of them have worked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first contractor came right over, looked
at the place and shot out a very quick, arbitrary and unreliable number
for pricing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disqualified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second contractor was too busy to take on
another job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third contractor came
over, spent a good deal of time looking at the place, emailed me back and forth
a couple of times, then went radio silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fourth contractor came over, appeared to really want to work with
us, took the blue prints of our house for measurements and never came back
(with, or without our blueprints).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are still trying to track him down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fifth contractor was also too busy, but said he wanted to help by referring
some really good workers to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
still not received any of his ‘referrals’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Needless to say, we have reached a standstill and have put this project
on hold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile, we have been working with a couple of solar
companies to get pricing to install solar power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re local, or if you’re a regular
follower of this blog, you probably know by now how expensive power is here, so
we thought that if we could supplement the cost with solar, we would be doing
ourselves a favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about a roller-coaster
of very unclear and mixed information with regards to setting this system
up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without getting into too many
details, the local power company, which is government run for the most part, has been less and less willing to work with
new solar customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily we received
our permit to install panels prior to their cut-off date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we are moving forward with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we have some guys doing
work on the roof right now, and soon the solar panels will go on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yay!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0QlvmVsz65Lu885te1LHWGMbaorLml53BLkOfI9O-obXCcuvXngTOqaWmDe3cGo98UucZv_mJbYO7VgT2wRURovgHivEMj_veRfgIg0nFtD7AtS1P-CQFEvWSQnq4axKXX95Lv__RXg/s1600/Guy+on+Roof+Blue+Sky.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0QlvmVsz65Lu885te1LHWGMbaorLml53BLkOfI9O-obXCcuvXngTOqaWmDe3cGo98UucZv_mJbYO7VgT2wRURovgHivEMj_veRfgIg0nFtD7AtS1P-CQFEvWSQnq4axKXX95Lv__RXg/s1600/Guy+on+Roof+Blue+Sky.JPG" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>These guys have been working tirelessly to get our roof ready for solar!</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next up is the yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our lot is probably ¾ of an acre and the prior owner was using the house
as a rental property, so he did the minimum with regards to landscaping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire lawn was pretty over grown and
needed some serious manicuring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
husband, along with 2 different teams of landscapers, and our brand new
chainsaw, have worked countless, backbreaking hours in the Caribbean sun to
clear off our lot and plant new trees, flowers and bushes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have gotten to know the entire staff at our local nursery, as we go there weekly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, things thrive down here, and as soon
as everything is in order…it rains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
few days later everything needs to be trimmed back, and, again, there’s Kevin
out there sun burnt and sweating as he trims everything down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the lawn is a work in progress, but it’s
coming along nicely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R-Grr5SJdSnZf4UVXKjccLOS58_xUhlGv1KqLeWIw9ZYqyOqbbobSnR27pYonAnmrRWkXgQor7gSlM9eUgSb0zeU8-NRuLK5X50VF9ljPcdiK_06tTmx91XIV14KJ9lgWTjm-dshqwk/s1600/Hibiscus+Plant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R-Grr5SJdSnZf4UVXKjccLOS58_xUhlGv1KqLeWIw9ZYqyOqbbobSnR27pYonAnmrRWkXgQor7gSlM9eUgSb0zeU8-NRuLK5X50VF9ljPcdiK_06tTmx91XIV14KJ9lgWTjm-dshqwk/s1600/Hibiscus+Plant.JPG" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><o:p>Kevin planted this glorious hibiscus for me. Now, isn't that nice?</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, we’ve run into a variety of other chores and
issues that typically take a bit more time to fix than if we lived in the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>’ve had to call the gate guy, the pool guy,
the generator guy and the refrigerator guy (several times).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Islanders,
please enlighten me, why is it that you can’t simply make an appointment with
repairmen and have them show up at the scheduled time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do I always feel like I’m inconveniencing
them, or that they are doing me a favor by doing work for me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do know that I will pay them, right?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I call a repairman I get the same
reply….call me tomorrow, or okay I’ll call you tomorrow (doesn’t happen), or I’ll
be in that area the day after tomorrow, so call me then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you do make an appointment, they don’t
always show up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week, I called a pool guy to come out to take a look at
a chip in the diamond bright of our pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When he answered (bonus!) he told me that he’d be in my area the next
day, and asked me to text message him my name, number and location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him I would be around in the afternoon,
and I promptly texted him all of my information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I n</span>ever
heard from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I called him again
first thing in the morning, 2 days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He apologized and said he would re-work his schedule for me that day to
come out and take a look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t hear
from him until after 2:30, at which point I wasn’t home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a normal course of events, so it
winds up taking longer than necessary for anyone to simply come out and look at the issue,
let alone fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m starting to
realize why most of my friends that have lived here for any significant amount
of time have become quite handy on their own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe it’s good that we didn’t start renovating this house
right away because there are so many other things that we need to do to get the
house in order that I can see the budget for cabinetry and tile getting lower
and lower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other day, I was showing
our friend, who is currently staying with us, around our downstairs apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept catching myself saying, in as much a
surprised tone as it was prideful, ‘…and, everything works!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I proceeded by turning on all the lights,
the fan and the air conditioning units.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I once read that when you’re
feeling challenged, or frustrated you should ask yourself what this situation
is teaching you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you learning
from this experience?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's abundantly clear to me that I’m learning
patience, but I wouldn’t simply apply this lesson to my house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d apply it to the entire experience living
on an island!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I must go call the exterminator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landscapers just knocked down a termite
nest!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkSVRLam-mc/VDVIrvqLujI/AAAAAAAAAgA/4-TUJLOMQXU/s1600/Termite%2BNest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkSVRLam-mc/VDVIrvqLujI/AAAAAAAAAgA/4-TUJLOMQXU/s1600/Termite%2BNest.png" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The enemy.</span></span></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-37044266421535180032014-09-02T15:33:00.000-05:002014-09-02T15:48:46.679-05:00Even Paradise Has Mosquitoes<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often get asked by my stateside friends how long I plan on
living down in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
specifically, they want to know if I’m planning on living here forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it rather baffling that this is where
their mind goes, as the world is getting more and more transient, so I don’t
typically expect anyone to commit to one home for the rest of their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, I usually respond by explaining
that forever is a long time, but since we just bought a house here, I can say
with certainty that we won’t be moving back to the states in the foreseeable
future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, if I have to be
perfectly honest, I don’t see myself living in St. Thomas forever, and there is
one main reason for this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know that I have complained before about the heat and the
bugs and the mugginess that this time of year brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, I don't feel like I have a right to complain,
because I don’t have much to complain about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My life is good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the month of September is
terrible on this island, and it brings with it a general sense of overall discomfort
every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow me a chance to indulge
in some catharsis because this month, of all the months, is when I miss Chicago
the most.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First, let’s start with the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning, I was out the door for a run at
6:30 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before leaving, my husband
asked me if I was going to “push it” and do 2 laps, rather than 1 on our usual
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I responded by saying that I was
“pushing it” by simply getting up and doing the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have nothing to prove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Pushing it” for me these days is a 10 minute
mile, maybe even 10 ½ minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously, I can go back to the states and run mile after blissful mile
at a pace that is at least 1 ½ minute faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A cool breeze, a flat surface and one of those fancy sidewalks, and I
could actually be 2 minutes per mile faster!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrO8fajZFqwN2HhDxUSPWL8mTM08H9ATZMPKA40QSztVvwckoe_w" data-sz="f" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="Ob-OiGl9W0-EBM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrO8fajZFqwN2HhDxUSPWL8mTM08H9ATZMPKA40QSztVvwckoe_w" style="height: 184px; margin-left: -4px; margin-right: -4px; margin-top: 0px; width: 184px;" /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To put this in perspective, during the USA vs. Portugal game at
the World Cup this year, they had the players take an unprecedented water break
during the game because the weather was so warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were professional, well-conditioned,
world renowned athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FIFA had NEVER
allowed a mid-game timeout for water before, but they granted an exception
because the game was being played in the Amazon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In fact, a Brazilian court ordered that timeouts should be granted when it's 89.6 degrees or warmer</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made a mental note of
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flash forward to today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heat index today in St. Thomas is 97 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
I’m not even being sarcastic when I tell my friends that I’m running in Amazon like
conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d like to summarize this point by relaying the notes I
made from my run this morning, via the Run Keeper app, which I highly
recommend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were, ‘Brutal. Humidity is
extreme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Muggy nasty day.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s move onto the bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m scratching my ankles as I write this because I’m covered in bug
bites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m also covered in scars from 3
years of getting these vicious bites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
truly cannot think of anything that I loath more than biting bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Given the humidity, the rain, the still air and the heat, the
bugs are out in droves right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
not just mosquitoes, but it’s also those stealthy no-see-ums, or sand fleas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kills me about the bug situation is that
I’m getting bit inside my own home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
night, while trying to watch TV, Kevin got bit so badly by the bugs that this
morning his back was completely covered with bites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has literally painted his body pink with calamine
lotion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQe7dQ5qBxfg5mbxJds76E6bm6F10Vzx1ALi-FfN86l0jzan4-ZdA" data-sz="f" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="-_rBMPzd9LIzpM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQe7dQ5qBxfg5mbxJds76E6bm6F10Vzx1ALi-FfN86l0jzan4-ZdA" style="height: 185px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 266px;" /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, there is no escaping them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is because here in beautiful, sunny St.
Thomas we don’t use central air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
too expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we leave our
homes open to the elements year-round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
refer to it as ‘camping inside’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, Kevin went to Home Depot over the weekend, looking for a thermostat for
our non-central air, bedroom only unit (long story), and they don’t even carry
them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to order one on-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How I haven’t gotten dengue fever is utterly perplexing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the bites I’ve gotten, I expect to
contract it any day now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, I
read in the Wall Street Journal that Japan had diagnosed 2 cases of dengue - 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They immediately responded by sending out a
crew of people to spray the streets for mosquitoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find this to be a perfectly appropriate
reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the Japanese, we too
should be in full panic mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To top it off, this is hurricane season, and tourism is at a
lull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Many of the business owners</span> close up shop
and head up to the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kevin and I literally
had to try 3 restaurants in St. John this weekend before we found one that was
open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These shop owners are escaping the
heat and the low season by visiting lovely, quaint places that serve fudge and have American
Flags hanging from them. Places that have perfectly manicured lawns that smell like freshly cut grass. Places where the AC endlessly flows to the
point where you can blow dry your hair and put on fresh makeup without breaking
a sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Places where you don’t have to cake
yourself with a chemical, whether it be sunscreen or bug spray, in order to
head outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A place where one shower
per day will suffice, and where you can wear blue jeans every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, I digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
point is, I can typically take the hassle of living on this island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have accepted that the
power goes out sporadically, that it’s insanely expensive to live here, that the crime rate is high and that the local
people don’t always make me feel welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, the fact that there is a bug biting the back of my neck
right now, while I sweat through my clothes to write this blog?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s just not okay! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKj_BsJ-qsOxV9IV8s7lBD9y0cwKarho_2ThlAffCVtKbT4Jgf" data-sz="f" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="CBX-n8RkYgBR7M:" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKj_BsJ-qsOxV9IV8s7lBD9y0cwKarho_2ThlAffCVtKbT4Jgf" style="height: 174px; margin-left: -9px; margin-right: -9px; margin-top: 0px; width: 232px;" /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-86402966889525060972014-07-29T12:29:00.000-05:002014-07-29T13:22:13.795-05:00We Bought a House!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
April, my husband and I signed the paperwork that officially made us homeowners
in beautiful St. Thomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no
turning back now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve formally bound
myself to dealing with the everyday craziness that St. Thomas offers. Some of which
includes…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People’s failure to understand how a line works
(Hint: the person in front of you goes before you).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A general break-down in, or lack of communication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The prolonged length of time everything takes (How
many hours do I need to get to the airport ahead of time during spring break
season???).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Safari buses randomly stopping in the middle of
the road (Yes, yes it’s a pretty view, now let’s go!). Side note: a 'safari bus' is actually a pick-up truck with benches drilled into the back of the truck. Proceed with caution!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWoM0QufCwDKkhSVUZuArmv8rBmlkj3EVj73__hw3ld1uSo96WWI1Fi8yx6UbIPbQ9RhV76nfdQoIZ2Fa90qU14NDgjDo7ZzxwcopdCngrAxo26BuGWSPQ6FsOqnsZX4BrDMStaLLnWk/s1600/Safari+Bus2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWoM0QufCwDKkhSVUZuArmv8rBmlkj3EVj73__hw3ld1uSo96WWI1Fi8yx6UbIPbQ9RhV76nfdQoIZ2Fa90qU14NDgjDo7ZzxwcopdCngrAxo26BuGWSPQ6FsOqnsZX4BrDMStaLLnWk/s1600/Safari+Bus2.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This one's pretty fancy!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">General un-responsiveness (What? I haven’t heard
back on a business deal because my contact is sailing in a local regatta?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My other contact is on vacation on another
continent for 3 weeks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My back-up to the
back-up contact is in the states for the rest of the week?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Internal Revenue Bureau - no further comment necessary.</span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The list goes on and on, and I am the first to admit that
this decision did not come easily and was not taken lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of thought, sleepless nights
and time put into deciding to establish a permanent residence on the
island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we almost bailed on the
deal several times before finally committing ourselves – to the house, that
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, we truly enjoy our life down in the islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the sunshine and warm weather that
it offers, it’s a very happy place to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In addition, I am starting to gain some ground with my job, and we have
made great friends and memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, after moving 7 times in the last 9 years (the move to St. Thomas being
a real doozy,) getting married and changing jobs 3 times in the last 5 years, I
felt the need to settle down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m all set
with change at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Naturally, buying the house created a whirlwind of
activity for us this past spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First,
we closed on our house, which could have been a complete Caribbean shit-show
had we not hired an attorney that proved to be a strong advocate for us
(thanks, Leigh Goldman!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
kidding, I’ve heard of closings that last months (by months, I mean it could
potentially be over a year) because an easement wasn’t filed (which could also
mean the paperwork was lost) when the house sold to the current seller several
years prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was constantly on our
mind prior to closing, as our lease was about to run out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then proceeded to move, which shouldn’t have been a rough
task since we were renting a furnished home before moving into our new house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as most of us know, it’s amazing how
much stuff you can accumulate over a very short period of time. So, we borrowed our friend's pickup truck, and we jam it full of odds and ends. We then proceeded to make countless trips back and forth, hoping that our stuff didn't fly out of the back of the truck. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VkwIZ2w_-OYDJzKRqS9kS7NnupTvyc6h8DqMtTwBp43bWoXj3PN55RrnclrmkSU1b7F81u6p8DjYpNA7mIG5ZfftQMQgTyL7t9QKoWIRpoHcvREHBd7PGiWbNrojXzPGQaUP10pskXo/s1600/Packed+Truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VkwIZ2w_-OYDJzKRqS9kS7NnupTvyc6h8DqMtTwBp43bWoXj3PN55RrnclrmkSU1b7F81u6p8DjYpNA7mIG5ZfftQMQgTyL7t9QKoWIRpoHcvREHBd7PGiWbNrojXzPGQaUP10pskXo/s1600/Packed+Truck.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To top it off, we shipped a container full of our beloved
belongings from storage in Chicago to St. Thomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, THAT was a fun little project for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try keeping your patience after you’ve
told the shipping company the pick-up address of your stuff at least 4 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, try finding a moving company to load
your stuff into the container 5 days prior to the move date during the busiest
moving time of the year because the shipping company just told you that they
don’t load their own trucks. Instead, apparently, their driver simply sits in the warmth of their cab, smoking cigarettes, while you pay to have someone else move your things into the container. I could provide multiple other examples of all the
chaos this created, but suffice it to say that if you’re seeking employment,
you should try logistics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>hey will hire anyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WeDnjqOjUHZWQiSM3cTJ036FXh9dgVpY7GMgI64jykMuoy3MY33yW_f8rOvnpZ3PIrA_4VnV3JydTNeM3Ap9rqfM2rt0YDnTVmEfMrDL6bMMeg1pA1W6wST41w5F5MbJaKf4afJ7x8w/s1600/Container.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WeDnjqOjUHZWQiSM3cTJ036FXh9dgVpY7GMgI64jykMuoy3MY33yW_f8rOvnpZ3PIrA_4VnV3JydTNeM3Ap9rqfM2rt0YDnTVmEfMrDL6bMMeg1pA1W6wST41w5F5MbJaKf4afJ7x8w/s1600/Container.JPG" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Our container...actually this is 1/2 a container.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, I was shocked when the movers and truck arrived on time and
everything went smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when
the container (finally) arrived at our house in St. Thomas, about 6 weeks later, I hardly recognized
a thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movers were constantly
asking me ‘Where do you want this?’, and I would reply with ‘What is that?’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, these items had been in storage
for 3 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was I supposed to know
what we put in all those boxes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon unpacking these boxes I realized how much my life has
changed in such a short of a period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t believe all of the items that our container had brought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They proved to be things from another life - Stuart
Weitzman high-heels, suede boots from BananaRepublic, Elie Tahari suits,
cashmere sweaters from JCrew, countless hats, gloves, scarves and coats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list goes on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days, the closest I get to heels is a
pair of wedge sandals and my ‘suit’ consists of white capri pants and a
loose-fitting, sleeveless blouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, if
it’s too hot I can hardly wear a bra! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, I digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the
house we bought was furnished, and we had just moved a bunch of our own
furniture, we had a lot of shuffling around to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband killed himself moving furniture from
here, to there, while I succeeded in selling a record amount of items on
Craigslist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side, Craigslist was a
huge success for us, and I’d like to think the same for the buyers of our
stuff!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alas, we had gotten everything where we wanted it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally
have our furniture from our home in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After living in what felt like someone else’s house for 3 years, we
finally have a place of our own here in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something very calming and
comfortable in knowing that this house is ours to do with as we like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kevin and I realize that with the harsh
elements that this island provides, we will probably always be working on the
house in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And, we understand
that it will cost us a small fortune to renovate this home, which now looks
like a flash back to 1984 on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
This is illustrated by the tile in our bedroom...</span>all 4 corners of the individual tiles collectively
make a daisy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, the walls in
our kitchen and living room are neon green, orange and yellow because the prior
owner wanted the house to look ‘tropical’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, I really don’t care because<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to the many
memories that living here will bring.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a lot of dreams for this house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44dF12OW6Xj9egucPRbeFLEXyj-AF82S7c_vNQHP2Q5uq58JEmB0q8Gt3VI43xN2Ajl43Ml8QvBJi0IGAhEVe4bQmR27AHJen7V3cRRamLj9_SyqfiIgJF9id57UrM2G1msaeqrIKUng/s1600/_MG_6399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44dF12OW6Xj9egucPRbeFLEXyj-AF82S7c_vNQHP2Q5uq58JEmB0q8Gt3VI43xN2Ajl43Ml8QvBJi0IGAhEVe4bQmR27AHJen7V3cRRamLj9_SyqfiIgJF9id57UrM2G1msaeqrIKUng/s1600/_MG_6399.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The O'Neil's - Moving Day!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DLvD4768X2eqbenftiuW1-OrV-H7mmW5Pts9kWhRhATGRZ2JlvOcEzAa3i6SA-3PbLRGHAl7ZLAx_pyaQw2oTOIR3XYLA-RcrCG0Zw9THYxBGMfaTN0dGmGnil4w39FVRjs27HZPO9c/s1600/IMG_6392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DLvD4768X2eqbenftiuW1-OrV-H7mmW5Pts9kWhRhATGRZ2JlvOcEzAa3i6SA-3PbLRGHAl7ZLAx_pyaQw2oTOIR3XYLA-RcrCG0Zw9THYxBGMfaTN0dGmGnil4w39FVRjs27HZPO9c/s1600/IMG_6392.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The House</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-46276942129548121902014-06-23T15:14:00.000-05:002014-06-23T15:37:03.549-05:00No. I am NOT on vacation.<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I should probably start this blog by apologizing for
completely neglecting my blog for the last several months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between buying a new house, traveling back
and forth to the states (it’s wedding season!) and moving, I’ve been
busier these last 3 months than a one armed bricklayer in Baghdad.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, with all that’s been going on, there are numerous
topics that I could blog about right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, what I really want to blog about has to do with the
conversations I’ve had with people during all of my visits back to the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> These exchanges are</span> usually the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
people find out that I live in the Caribbean, they love asking me a plethora of
dreamy questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, this doesn’t
bother me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m happy to talk about what
it’s like to live down here, and I’d probably do the same thing if I was living
in the states and came across an islander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, it does get to be a bit extreme sometimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, my friend Julie (You can read her
blog here <a href="http://2perrotts1blog.blogspot.com/">http://2perrotts1blog.blogspot.com</a> for proof that I’m not the only one doing unconventional things
with my life.), who was at most of the same destinations as me these last few
months, and therefore has experienced this conversation with me first-hand, jokingly
recommended that I print a flyer or brochure of sorts, including answers to the
most common ‘island’ questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t
go that far, but I will address the most common question that I get from
people, which is…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Does living in the islands make you feel like you’re on
vacation all the time?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Um….no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I understand that I live at a tourist destination, but I
think people romanticize living in the islands a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate to disappoint you, but life down here
can be very similar on a day-to-day basis as it is up in the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I have a gorgeous view right outside my
window, and it is warm here 365 days a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
In fact, right now there is a tropical breeze blowing right through my office. </span>But, people here work full-time jobs, have bills to pay, raise families,
go to the grocery store, visit the movie theater, get take-out pizza, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you think about it, this question is kind of reminiscent
of those silly pages in US Weekly that show pictures of famous people doing
ordinary things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I mean, really...THIS is what we pay to read? </span>Oh…there’s Jennifer
Aniston getting a traffic ticket! Or, here’s Lindsay Lohan feeding a parking
meter. Or, isn’t that Gwenth Paltrow reading the back of a food label? Or, Heidi
Klum picking up her kids from school!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why is this interesting to people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folks, reality is reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot run and hide from it whether you’re
rich and famous, or living in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m sorry to be the one to shatter these fantasies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To better illustrate what my life is like, I will walk you
through what I did last weekend…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Friday after work I had some girlfriends over to my house for
pizza and wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gossiped and got a
good buzz on while my dogs freaked out that we had visitors over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then proceeded to go over to another
friend’s house to hang out with a few more ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where we continued to eat a
significant amount of junk, talked a lot and drank more wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was home by 11:30 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saturday I was up at about 7:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a cup of coffee, then did an hour of
yoga while Kevin went to Home Depot – yes, there’s a Home Depot here (but, no
Bed Bath and Beyond).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that Kevin
and I worked in the yard until the late afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can I say, we have some serious yard
work to do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then took a nap, had dinner
and closed out the evening by watching several episodes of Newsroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Side note, Newsroom is one of those shows
that you want to like, but it’s really not that good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I fell asleep at about 9:00 pm (could
have been earlier, but I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday, I woke up at 5:45, had a cup of coffee then was out
the door by 6:30 for a run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a
lazy morning because Kevin has been battling a virus, but since it was our
anniversary, he rallied and we ventured out by noon for brunch, where I had some
delicious French toast and 2 mimosas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
then went to the beach for a few hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I read and snorkeled around a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After the beach, we stopped for ice cream on our way to the grocery
store where we got some chicken to throw on the grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate dinner in front of the TV, while watching
the USA vs. Portugal World Cup game, which proved to be gut-wrenching for us
and traumatic for our dogs, who couldn’t figure out why I kept screaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wrapped up the weekend with a thrilling
episode of 60 Minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was asleep by
9:00 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How boring are we?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, we do have weekends that are a lot more fun, and
less like the ones we had when we were back in the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly, when we go boating around the islands
with friends, that is when I feel like I’m
in paradise the most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those types of weekends are
even more treasured when it’s January and sub-arctic in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, to my chagrin, I have to admit that more
times than not, our lives are very similar to the lives we led when we lived in
the Midwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just that when we get
the chance to enjoy ourselves, we can do so to a greater degree (to us) than we
did when we had free time in Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does that help?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-84390627133124961332014-02-26T15:53:00.000-06:002014-02-27T06:12:24.655-06:008 Tuff Miles<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As small as they are, our little islands don’t have many
road races for those of us that are island runners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, once a year in St. John there is a race
called 8 Tuff Miles that is well known for being one of the toughest runs you
can do down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first 5 miles of
the run include an incline that is the equivalent of climbing to the top of the
Empire State Building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, the last 3
miles are all downhill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, you’re
running from one bay, up across the island, down to another bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a popular run and a huge community
affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I knew I’d be ‘on-island’
for it this year, I committed to training for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to say that training for this run was no easy
task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been running for 20 years, so
I’d like to consider myself an experienced runner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s only 8 miles” I told myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> "</span>How bad could it be?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, running long distances in the
islands can pose for quite the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First you have the issue of where to run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Thomas isn’t exactly ‘runner friendly’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no evenly paved sidewalks (or,
roads for that matter), or nicely wooded suburban trails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, there aren’t even shoulders on the
road that you can run on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, you have
to run on the actual road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be
safer if the road was nice and straight, but the roads down here are about as
straight as Ricky Martin, so safety is out the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, there’s the issue of which side of the road you should
run on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the rule is to run against
traffic, which down here would be on the right side since we drive on the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when you’re running in
the road, up a hill, approaching a 90 degree turn you don’t want to be on the
inside of the hill/turn – that’s called having a death wish because the one
thing that the islanders do fast (the only thing as far as I can tell) is
driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this is the exception to
the rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except, some of the roads are
so curvy that you can’t avoid this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is when you have to get creative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Upon approaching a sharp, blind turn, on a very curvy road I tend to run
out in the road more and sometimes even flail my arms out in a semi-panicky
state with the hopes that the oncoming driver will see me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, this has worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then you have the issue of stray dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a huge dog lover, and I’ve never been
afraid of dogs, but the locals here don’t necessarily have the same affection
for dogs that I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, this
means that dogs here live a bit more on the wild side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, recently I’ve developed this fear of
being attacked by a dog while out on a run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I should probably carry mace or something, because at different moments
throughout my runs I often find myself coming up with a ‘back-up’ plan for what
I would do if an island dog attacked me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously, I look around for parked cars I could hop up on, or utility
poles I may be able to climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition,
I periodically look behind me to be sure I’m not being chased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not good, but it does distract me from
the pain I’m typically feeling at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s talk more about the pain because running to me is on
par with pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all the years I’ve
been running, I’d like to think that if I ever got kidnapped and tortured, I’d
be able to dig into my ‘bag of running tricks' to deal with the pain because I
have a whole slew of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve ran
through broken toes, shin splints, countless (and I mean countless) side
stitches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve ran with colds, with the
flu, while hyperventilating (usually from crying), and - the best one to date -
with a fractured femur (yes, Kevin, I’m still milking that one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side, I didn’t know I had a fractured
femur at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I’ve never in
my life experienced the types of challenges I now face, running in the
tropics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heat is intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hills are intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The humidity is intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is that I’m typically so
concerned about getting hit by a car, or bit by a dog that I don’t really
notice the heat or hills much anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, running in fear is a phenomenon that I think should be studied
at length.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s worked well for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, for the last couple of months I’ve been sticking to
my training plan, and all things considered the training went pretty well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt myself getting stronger and stronger,
and even did a few runs over in St. John to prepare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Considering that the Midwest, where I come
from, is flat as a board, I can honestly say that after training for
this run I’m in the best shape of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was psyched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Until, I got the flu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t have the type of flu that could potentially be
confused with a bad cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, this flu
came out and told me loud and clear "I'M THE FLU".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the type of flu where you turn on
the TV and stare blankly at it without any sound coming out for hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The type that you wear an eye shade over your
eyes while lying in bed during the day because you just want it to be dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kind where going to the doctor proves to
take all of your allotted energy for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can honestly say that I have never felt body aches like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point it was so bad that I thought I
had dengue fever, which is like malaria in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a pathetic mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will say that being sick this time of year in the
Caribbean isn’t like being sick in the winter in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you’re sick during the dead of winter in
Chicago, it kind of makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s cold,
damp, grey and miserable, so when you get sick there, it goes along
with the general theme of gloom you’re already experiencing. However, when you’re sick in the Caribbean
the warm tropical sun still comes out as if to say, ‘What’s your problem?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it’s harder to feel sorry for yourself when
you’re sick in the Caribbean, which is probably a good thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, I went to the doctor and got on some meds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She cleared me to run on Saturday if I felt
up for it, which I translated to mean that I had no excuse not to run this race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I got up early on Saturday morning,
hopped on the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John and took off on my ascent up to
the top of the island with about 1,100 other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I climbed up the hills of St. John, the
cold medicine I was taking kicked in heavily and my mind removed itself
from my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I now understand this to be called disassociation. </span>It was weird, but there
seemed to be a disconnect between what I was doing physically and where I was
mentally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how I coped with getting
up the first big hill, which was about 1.5 miles long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until the torrential downpours came
at Miles 2 and 3 that my mind and body came back together, and I started focusing on
the fact that I was destined to get mononucleosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to confess that I did have to walk a few times
uphill, which is every runners most demoralizing moment, but I always picked it
back up as soon as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pushed as
much as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I reached the
damn summit and started on my decline, I was on my way to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, I got a raging side-stitch on my way down, and I’m now certain that
I know what it’s like to get stabbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, I was reaching hard to keep with this run, but I finally made it
towards the last mile of the race and felt that I may be able to pick it up
some to finish strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, all the
rain had made things really muddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
as a final slap in the face, the last 100 meters of the run to the finish line
was a complete mudslide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was lucky
that I didn’t fall on my face at the end, but alas I had completed my run and
all the pain I had just experience subsided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure why I put myself through all of this, but I guess
it’s kind of like childbirth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never
had a child, so maybe this isn’t a fair comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it seems the same in that you go
through so much for this special accomplishment, then you achieve it, and all
that pain and time and effort are totally forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you think to yourself, ‘I can do that
again’ or ‘I want to try that again’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
demented, but these are the things we do for glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So after taking some time to reflect, here is what I learned
from 8 Tuff Miles this year…when running try to distract yourself with as much as possible
including, wild dogs, fear of head-on collision with car, cold medicine, extreme
weather, the flu, a stabbing feeling in your side and trying not to slip in the
mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can do this, then you can
make it through this run – no problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m going do it again next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9mnaB6sWnSA/Uw5gQRFkqrI/AAAAAAAAAdE/xkscftgDMNo/s1600/8TM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9mnaB6sWnSA/Uw5gQRFkqrI/AAAAAAAAAdE/xkscftgDMNo/s1600/8TM.JPG" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Me, finishing 8 Tuff Miles. Please make note of that giant hill behind me.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-70122495906430553612013-11-18T14:40:00.001-06:002013-11-18T14:54:25.204-06:00The Grocery Store (and my Thanks-giving)<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After living in the Virgin Islands for 2 ½ years, I’m
pretty used to most of the challenges and joys of life in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My longing for a Starbucks coffee (what are
they serving now, pumpkin lattes???) and a stateside drugstore has
subsided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the island just got
our very own Wal-greens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a
parade for it on opening day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the one thing that I
still miss terribly is grocery shopping in the states, and with the biggest
eating holiday right around the corner, it’s hard not to think about how
wonderful grocery shopping on the mainland truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we moved from Chicago, Whole Foods had just built a
brand new store that was a replica of their flagship store in Austin, TX.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time, I didn’t appreciate it for what
it was, but today I realize that that store wasn’t simply any grocery store, it
was heaven on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon entering the store and making your way down the
escalator from the parking garage, you got an aerial view of the produce department
- full of shiny, vibrant, colorful, fresh and healthy organic fruits and
vegetables of any sort you may need and several kinds you will never need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right next to this was where they offered
freshly cut flowers of all colors and types, which they used to make stunning
floral arrangements, ready to take home to make a loved one's day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, this euphoric experience didn’t stop there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Whole Foods also included a wine bar, a
coffee bar, a bar (serving hip and trendy micro-brews, of course), a diner, a
sushi/Chinese station, a gelato station, Panini and sandwich stations, a full
bakery with freshly baked breads and cakes, two soup stations and an enormous
salad bar full of fresh veggies and a variety of salads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and the meat and fish departments were
stocked completely full of any cut or type of fresh meat you could ask for –
just flown in from any given part of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">People would literally go there to hang out, or perhaps
relax and have lunch, or a coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
there would be a wine tasting that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You simply never knew how this store would outdo itself, once again,
when you stepped inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me it was
like looking upon a lively rainbow of health and a wonderland of nourishment each
time you went there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could go on and on about the friendly service, the fully
stocked shelves and the endless frozen food section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and that area of wacky health drinks
ready to alleviate whatever ailment you may have, or could potentially get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this is supposed to be about grocery
shopping in the VI, so I’ll stop elaborating over this dreamlike store and move
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Where do I begin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, think of the store I just described, then think of the exact
opposite, and that’s where I’ll start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlxlMn3XwgXGFBbTvHV7L-0-V8sWBCt0xK3DNA_7nMPIOUpyzcWhUc-2MeiIi-QP0etLWJsYoQNN6OREFtl6gS_NoMpOu0jnzjOnxXc7YhH9ysDdlJ1g99aniQALv7Z3pNASimkMNmjA/s1600/Cost+U+Less.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlxlMn3XwgXGFBbTvHV7L-0-V8sWBCt0xK3DNA_7nMPIOUpyzcWhUc-2MeiIi-QP0etLWJsYoQNN6OREFtl6gS_NoMpOu0jnzjOnxXc7YhH9ysDdlJ1g99aniQALv7Z3pNASimkMNmjA/s1600/Cost+U+Less.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The store I typically shop at...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, Whole Foods or any stateside grocery store has
the unfair advantage of easy and quick shipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now know that this is essential to getting
fresh food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I’ve learned that if you
want ‘fresh’, which means non-moldy or fly-ridden food, you really can only go
to the stores when they get their shipment in, which is typically on Sunday, so
Monday is the best day to go since that’s when everything is fully stocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep in mind that if it wasn’t flown in, then it was
shipped in on a cargo barge, which can take 2 weeks from the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, imagine those bright, beautiful blueberries
that you just bought at Kroger, or Jewel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now imagine them after they’ve been sitting in your refrigerator for 2
weeks – wrinkled, with a bit of fuzzy mold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or, imagine them 2 ½ - 3 weeks later, should you not be able to make it
to the store on Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you pay
full price for them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, we
don’t really eat blueberries anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl6UWXfGCMA/Uop0xQxoHvI/AAAAAAAAAcc/fpFiu4U7vXw/s1600/Produce+Department.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl6UWXfGCMA/Uop0xQxoHvI/AAAAAAAAAcc/fpFiu4U7vXw/s1600/Produce+Department.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The produce department. Note that everything is still in the boxes they were shipped in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of full price, I think there are times when our
price is fuller than the stateside full price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, the shipping issue is a huge part of this, but I also think it
has to do with availability vs. demand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, shipping costs money and that trickles down to the consumer
big time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I once paid $20.00 for a liter
of olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, well maybe it was
$19.99.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was at one of those ‘fancy’
St. Thomas grocery stores that I only go to when I can’t bear the thought of
having to go to more than one store to get everything I need, since it is rare
that one store will have all of the items on your list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of this lack of inventory is because stores aren’t going
to pay to ship something down here that there isn't a huge demand for, and
part of this is that if they do ship a rare item down here they certainly aren’t
going to ship a lot of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you
didn’t come on the first day or two when it was available, it’s sold out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">People often comment on how great and healthy island food
must be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They fantasize about having
fresh fish every night and snacking on tropical fruit throughout the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the simple fact is that for a variety of reasons, there is no
commercial fishing down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
the fish is flown in from other parts of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the fruit, we do get some mangos and
some other exotic tropical fruits like soursop that is most excellent
(especially right off our trees in the backyard), but we don’t have the land on
this little island to produce enough for commercial re-sale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not a self-sufficient island - nearly
everything is shipped.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, here is my top 10 list of what have I learned with
respects to grocery shopping…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a substitute for everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Google it if the store doesn’t have it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Go to the store on Monday if you want the
freshest food you can get.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make pit stops throughout the week to stores
that may have what you couldn’t get on Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inspect everything – touch, look and smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a long, hard look at those onions, or
tomatoes before you buy them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Check and re-check the expiration date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shelves are often still stocked with
expired food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If they have it now and you think you may need/want
it in the near future, then buy 2 of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The check-out lady is still going to be rude to
you even if you say ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try to get to know who the nicer ones are and
get in their line, even if it’s longer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyYHUMywWqJQirVGbqwcyxSKeY2tSAHUA3JLgHkSDyZ3H7MBiMdJIXYDRytaweO0TrQVrpsSMaKqCOzFxcDUlezXJcpaYLcfXUSr3eMawKSVCfSD61PVFb99sH2HcQvLmwUVOa8to4zE/s1600/Boxes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyYHUMywWqJQirVGbqwcyxSKeY2tSAHUA3JLgHkSDyZ3H7MBiMdJIXYDRytaweO0TrQVrpsSMaKqCOzFxcDUlezXJcpaYLcfXUSr3eMawKSVCfSD61PVFb99sH2HcQvLmwUVOa8to4zE/s1600/Boxes.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Those boxes are for people that forget to bring their own bags in which to put their groceries. How environmentally savvy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The wine selection at the store I routinely go
to is never going to change, so I typically drink the same type of wine every week.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bring instant hand sanitizer like Purell with
you every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chicken will juice
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side, you will get a dirty
look from the cashier when she sees that you have put the chicken in a bag from
the produce department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She will resent you for having to do the extra work of taking the bag off slightly to scan the chicken.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If it doesn’t look good, don’t buy it even if
you need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just go with what’s
available and make do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll just have
to wait until next week.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eSSn3Nbc6dHEUejpvsP03lnfM_Tp_cepWCnMZcqqrpfTKW_DUu2ba6JbQM75tAp9RFpKxV3sllt21oDd48ww2S5GeNMKucry4sn_S-91aspFs2TP1ndl95KMe8oxZrf7stOrBhip9xM/s1600/Ginger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eSSn3Nbc6dHEUejpvsP03lnfM_Tp_cepWCnMZcqqrpfTKW_DUu2ba6JbQM75tAp9RFpKxV3sllt21oDd48ww2S5GeNMKucry4sn_S-91aspFs2TP1ndl95KMe8oxZrf7stOrBhip9xM/s1600/Ginger.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I needed this ginger, but it was rotten when I got home. Yum!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose these are all of the work-arounds that I’ve
learned, but what I’ve truly learned is that somehow, someway, not having a micro-brew,
or a coffee bar, or perfectly fresh food at the grocery store has still worked out for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not as pleasant of an experience – the store I go to has a distinct
smell that I have grown to dread – but, life here has somehow worked out for
me, regardless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even more, I understand what it’s like to not live in a
consumer society anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been
a big, <em>huge</em> eye opener for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
living here, I didn’t realize how easy and quick companies made it to
consume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything is at your
fingertips, and if you live in the city, it’s even more so this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Want a Starbucks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No need to get out of the car, you can go to
the drive thru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Already past the
Starbucks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem, there’s another
one 2 blocks away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buying on Amazon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No sweat, you can make your purchase without
having to even put your credit card number in because they already have it
on-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even buying music is easy, just
hop on iTunes for the latest single, enter your password from your phone and voila. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I lived in Chicago, I could spend an entire weekend
shopping for material items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how
I would spend my time - shopping for clothes, shopping for furniture, shopping
for food, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a past time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had I not moved out of that climate, I would
have had a stunning condo, full of beautiful furniture, rugs, dishes, etc.
(which I still very much long for).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
I’d be spending my entire life in a store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here, the store is the last place I want to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s dreadful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to get out of there as soon as
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, while I won’t be eating
organic food anytime in the foreseeable future, I’m thankful that I will be nourishing my life and
soul with tons of sunshine, saltwater, friends and...wilted lettuce.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-91885250664059208382013-10-09T14:58:00.000-05:002013-10-09T15:27:16.536-05:00Rita<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a high-class problem that I can’t help but use this
blog to vent about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly dislike
(hate is a strong word) our pool lady, Rita.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can almost see all of my friends on the island rolling their eyes now
because I have been complaining about this woman to them for months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I simply can’t pass up this cathartic
opportunity to release a bit of frustration over my inept pool lady.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, allow me to self-indulge a bit as I rant
on.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kevin and I moved into our house last December, and the main
reason why we moved into the place was for the absolutely beautiful outdoor
space that it offers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially, the
pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kevin and I have never had a pool
before, and since the weather down here is always warm, we were excited about having
the opportunity to be able to cool down at any time in our own pool,
conveniently located in our backyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi40BdJeZ4UnfhNIvQaYBaQuMGySDuYswpwbEE2k3Y23V0FSUmct1DuA6NhK4J00xje9tgAZuVgUgefyGxtOdxD5tZ6EWez_lDuWINYQ6EDonm0X5NRLIZR9Dta1n1MhnMTRZgFpVzWNE/s1600/Our+House.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi40BdJeZ4UnfhNIvQaYBaQuMGySDuYswpwbEE2k3Y23V0FSUmct1DuA6NhK4J00xje9tgAZuVgUgefyGxtOdxD5tZ6EWez_lDuWINYQ6EDonm0X5NRLIZR9Dta1n1MhnMTRZgFpVzWNE/s1600/Our+House.JPG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our Humble Abode</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we signed our lease, our landlord made a deal with us
that she would pay for pool up-keep and we would pay to keep the lawn nicely
manicured – a fantastic deal for her, I might add.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, she has been working with the same
pool lady for years and continued to arrange to have her come once a week to
maintain the pool. Apparently, she did not get on the hot-pool-guy bandwagon when she hired<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Rita, which was a huge miss on her part in more ways than one.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, since Kevin and I have no clue how to keep the chemicals in
a pool balanced, we relied entirely on our pool lady to do so, which is how we
understood our lease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Unfortunately, w</span>e quickly
realized that this wasn’t going to be adequate enough to keep a nice, blue and clear pool
going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we first realized that the pool was looking a bit
e-coli-esque, we asked Rita what the issue was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rita said that the pool needed to be painted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paint chips were keeping it from working
properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, the next week when she’d
come, we’d ask her again what the problem was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’d blame it on the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then,
the next week it was a broken pump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next
time it was not enough rain/water in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or, too much sun on the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or,
not enough chlorine in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or,
perhaps we had too many people in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe the skimmers weren’t working properly. It was the algae. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Etc., etc., etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, our pool continued to be green, or yellow, or any other
color than clear blue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BjSIhPoHNeA/UlWFIwkRIjI/AAAAAAAAAZo/XkEnoOauxEI/s1600/Good+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BjSIhPoHNeA/UlWFIwkRIjI/AAAAAAAAAZo/XkEnoOauxEI/s1600/Good+Pool.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is the way our pool should look.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nlLWgwIMDGuumHBnlc1LRLBBIG8_M9v1otywlYIVQcYT8FmHtkU1TPZyvOMUhlZuK7AayRinQnpG4A5OEAyJrcjdJ85NH3znhhO9jQYasoKT4vP08jAeI_CCcrclntU9tRlrEHvI0tI/s1600/Typical+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nlLWgwIMDGuumHBnlc1LRLBBIG8_M9v1otywlYIVQcYT8FmHtkU1TPZyvOMUhlZuK7AayRinQnpG4A5OEAyJrcjdJ85NH3znhhO9jQYasoKT4vP08jAeI_CCcrclntU9tRlrEHvI0tI/s1600/Typical+Pool.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is the way our pool typically looks.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-kZq9qI3FfTMZIiDZwXirg7LmREBmZBLHy-CbAU-UCbaUerZPZTN1b_XFIBSiVffbtSDS05dsX464huhHyMx6-Ci_ENH7xZ2oIOHUIlIeMImnrVtXZTmMXUZ4II3FXDqFgE7uinJKqU/s1600/Jen+and+Stephen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-kZq9qI3FfTMZIiDZwXirg7LmREBmZBLHy-CbAU-UCbaUerZPZTN1b_XFIBSiVffbtSDS05dsX464huhHyMx6-Ci_ENH7xZ2oIOHUIlIeMImnrVtXZTmMXUZ4II3FXDqFgE7uinJKqU/s1600/Jen+and+Stephen.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">These are our friends, Jen and Stephen. They're actually in the ocean, not our pool. I know, it's hard to tell the difference.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41abGbcarKU/UlWGJn5w3_I/AAAAAAAAAaA/iIIpjSV41QY/s1600/The+Rita+Special.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41abGbcarKU/UlWGJn5w3_I/AAAAAAAAAaA/iIIpjSV41QY/s1600/The+Rita+Special.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is what I like to call, The Rita Special.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We reached a climax with this situation when I got an email
from our landlord stating that she had received a huge bill from Rita, and we
needed to start contributing to the cost of chemicals for the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let me get this straight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
paying an insane amount of rent to live in a house that was built in the 1970’s
because we like the outdoor space with the pool, which I only swim in about 30%
of the time because it’s so unappealing, and you want us to pay more?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side note, she also asked this of us
about a month before our wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
her timing wasn’t good, and I almost feel sorry for her after she bore the
brunt of my bridezilla frustration coupled with yellow-pool angst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a good combination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, we did not comply with her
request.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead, I went to The Home Depot and bought something that
I could start testing our pool water with to see if the chemicals were
balanced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to keep Rita in
check, and this was just the tool I needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, what I found was that most of the time the chemicals weren’t
even close to balanced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we started
bringing this up with Rita and learned a bit more about how our pool worked, or
(more accurately) didn’t work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We expressed to Rita that we were expecting a lot of friends
and family in town for our wedding and all we really wanted was to have the
pool in shape for the week of our wedding - just 1 week out of the whole damn 12
month period of our lease.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rita agreed to stay on top of it for us that week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came the weekend before the wedding and
shocked the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, a few days
later, while Kevin’s best friend was staying with us, the pool was yellow
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called Rita.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she’d come the next day to fix
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her and all of her excuses came the day after
the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once she arrived, she
proceeded to yell at Kevin in front of our guests for not putting in chlorine
after she shocked it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That didn’t go over
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe Kevin’s exact words
were, ‘I’m just not sure why YOU are yelling at me for not balancing the
chemicals properly.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rita apologized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So our pool looked like crap during the week of our wedding,
and I had had it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next time I saw
Rita I went down to ask her if she could review all of the issues with the pool
for me so that I could bring them up with our landlord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt that our landlord needed to be
informed of these issues. We had been patient enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rita did not
take too kindly to this, and rather than reviewing the laundry list of issues
that our relic of a pool has, she looked at me with demon eyes and said, out of
nowhere, ‘IT’S THE DOGS!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And that is the point in time when my alter ego came
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind she might as well have
said, ‘IT’S YOUR KIDS’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reminded her of the broken pump,
the broken skimmers, the high chlorine, the chipping paint, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I asked her that if what she was saying
was if I simply removed my dogs from the pool, then all of these other issues
would have absolutely no impact?!?!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kevin, hearing me yelling, came downstairs to the rescue, but not before
I shouted at her from the top of the stairs (and my lungs), ‘FINE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WE’LL KEEP THE DOGS OUT OF THE POOL AND SEE
WHAT HAPPENS.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After further discussion with Kevin, she cleaned the pool
better than she had ever cleaned it, and in spite of the situation, we allowed the dogs to joyously swim in
it all week long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Regardless, the pool still looked pretty good at the end of the week. </span>Of course, upon
arriving at our place for the following week’s pool treatment, Rita presumed
that she had won this battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, until
Kevin told her that the dogs had been in and out of the pool all week, and that
he thought that if she just cleaned the pool well every time she comes, as she
had the prior week, then we would be in good shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we have to remind her to clean the pool
properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<o:p> <br />
</o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYyNoRIk9r0GT4MxE0MYxvb7sKc7DIlj8JfMfSfqX-rWKrf_ObohV7VlY2XFG168XRPFpuFwYAq0tOFOx9OFc3F0k9zApTbJ2ba5Qlq6rDv4XTY3GCmrANN2aq6S_DJLkKgHwjmc3wAg/s1600/Thor+in+the+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYyNoRIk9r0GT4MxE0MYxvb7sKc7DIlj8JfMfSfqX-rWKrf_ObohV7VlY2XFG168XRPFpuFwYAq0tOFOx9OFc3F0k9zApTbJ2ba5Qlq6rDv4XTY3GCmrANN2aq6S_DJLkKgHwjmc3wAg/s1600/Thor+in+the+Pool.JPG" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our dog, Thor, who is a labradoodle that does not shed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2GmcC_mE70/UlWz_25BcrI/AAAAAAAAAbo/iB_6jIdLDEg/s1600/Oakley+in+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2GmcC_mE70/UlWz_25BcrI/AAAAAAAAAbo/iB_6jIdLDEg/s320/Oakley+in+Pool.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> </div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our other dog, Oakley, who is in and out of the pool every 5 minutes.</span></div>
</span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Naturally, after my outburst I proceeded to give Rita the
silent treatment for months, during which time she seemed to have completely
fallen in love with Kevin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Telling him
that she thought he had ‘kind eyes’ and that he had a ‘kind soul’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Telling me with a smile and a giggle that
she, ‘really liked my husband’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I didn't think it was possible, but t</span>his made
me like Rita less, and I responded with a silent, inanimate glare.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">During this down-time in my relationship with Rita, I
brought up my pool issues with some girlfriends one night over drinks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They agreed that the issues I was having
sounded like ‘maintenance’ issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
further backed up their opinion by stating that their little kids poop in
their pool all the time, and after shocking it, their pool always goes right back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait a minute, their kids
take a dump in their pool and it bounces back no problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, my dogs shed a few dog hairs in
our pool and it’s a colossal disaster that goes on indefinitely?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an outrage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This saga is still going on now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, we get all kinds of excuses from Rita
when the pool isn’t cleaned properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her excuses include the following: she’s sick (mildly acceptable because
we’ve all used this one), her legs hurt, our cars are parked in the driveway,
so she can’t get through on her hurt leg, family issues…on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, my all-time favorite excuse is the
one where she said that she couldn’t put enough chemicals in our pool because
our pool is too hot in the afternoon sun, so it’s always the last stop of the
day for her when the sun is down, and it’s not her fault that she doesn’t have
a truck that can transport enough chemicals for an entire day’s work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t come up with a more classic island-style
response if I tried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night, Rita came to do her thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m back on speaking terms with her and I feel as though with time things have gotten better between us, if not the pool. So, I
went down to the pool to give her an envelope that our landlord had left for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hoping it is a bribe to get her to do her
job since our landlord wants to put the house on the market and needs it to
show nicely to potential buyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She mumbled
on about how she was late because the last pool she worked on was so bad it
took extra time to clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m betting
this is a more common than usual occupational hazard for her, than the average
pool guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, as I turned to walk
away from her, she sweetly asked me if I was wearing lipstick, or if that was
my natural lip color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was beyond
awkward for me, and I was unsure about how to take it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I wasn’t wearing lipstick, I told her
that it was natural and thanked her for the compliment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I politely said that I should, ‘let you
get back to your work’ as I went inside. Oddly enough, I think</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> we’re turning over a new leaf, Rita and I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2GmcC_mE70/UlWz_25BcrI/AAAAAAAAAbo/iB_6jIdLDEg/s1600/Oakley+in+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-62061522671529784852013-08-28T16:10:00.000-05:002013-08-28T16:24:19.381-05:00Returning to Normalcy<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel obligated to write about my wedding because it seems
like the obvious thing to write about. Frankly, I’m pretty resolute that it’s
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wedding is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I've chopped off my hair, and I'm considering selling my gown. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Don’t get me wrong, I loved every minute of
my wedding day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a day that I will
never forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best day of my life –
by far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out exactly as we
wanted it to, and words cannot do justice to how euphorically happy I was on that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the pictures were
finally ready I couldn’t stop looking at them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously, I obsessively looked at them over and over again for an entire weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will cherish my memories of that day
forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, aside from all the joy and elation that I felt on
that day, I also felt a tremendous amount of relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I felt as much relief as I did
happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly, I was relieved that everything
went well and that everyone seemed to have a great time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, aside from becoming husband and
wife, all Kevin and I truly wanted was for everyone to have fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, when I found the following at our wedding venue after everyone
left, I was assured that we did, indeed, throw a fun party:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 wet bridesmaid’s dresses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 wet pair of panties. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 wet bra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Several inexplicable scrapes and bruises on my
new husband.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a side note, I later confirmed that the bra and panties
were, in fact, from another bridesmaid. If we were still 25, I'd be mildly impressed by my bridesmaids, but at 35 I'm overwhelmed with pride. Nice work out of you, ladies. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4HokNl2Z05w/Uh5i9TCt1SI/AAAAAAAAAY0/uLS50n8epdM/s1600/image+(4).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4HokNl2Z05w/Uh5i9TCt1SI/AAAAAAAAAY0/uLS50n8epdM/s320/image+(4).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, everything was wet because at about 11:30 pm, I
couldn’t resist it any longer…I pushed Kevin into the pool, and he pulled me
right in with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t take long for
the rest of our friends and family to either get pushed in, or mercilessly jump
in with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, in true spring break
fashion we were all in the pool, and that is where we stayed for the rest of the night.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I’m relieved that the wedding
is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more planning or worrying or
constantly feeling like I need to do something for the wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I feel --- free! I can simply reflect on the memories of that day and night fondly. It was a moment in time.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now it’s time to get back to some normalcy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the normal day to day life of
newlyweds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hanging out with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading by the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Making last minute plans for the weekend. </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to say, being a newlywed is MUCH better than being a fiancé.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>So here we go, off on our journey through
married life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new chapter for us has
begun and an old chapter has closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are moving on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52QHh4BuaGnp9Vp2LhE1nLnwc6zFMEEh5RojMdQxrIq_X9PSlhyRy1I2Zn-WR41ZuQA3pBs4XKJoogTKpmBIJYIar68Am1Oqlh9fmb-5iZF1j2v5avm9GdCyDN-Ma8XIN8ENh6YfEnMU/s1600/Christine+&+Kevin+Wedding-179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52QHh4BuaGnp9Vp2LhE1nLnwc6zFMEEh5RojMdQxrIq_X9PSlhyRy1I2Zn-WR41ZuQA3pBs4XKJoogTKpmBIJYIar68Am1Oqlh9fmb-5iZF1j2v5avm9GdCyDN-Ma8XIN8ENh6YfEnMU/s320/Christine+&+Kevin+Wedding-179.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-7340202033472500892013-05-14T14:18:00.001-05:002013-05-14T15:56:47.027-05:00Getting Married - A Rite of Passage<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m just over a month away from getting married, so the
topic of this blog seems pretty obvious to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can I not write about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, I can’t think of anything that I’ve put more time, stress,
effort, thought, concern, emotion, money, attention, anxiety, frustration, etc.,
etc., etc., etc. into ever in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
if I’m being perfectly honest I can’t say that I’ve dealt with it all too well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know that when I look back on the planning of this day, I’m
going to regret stressing out over it as much as I have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the honest truth is that I feel this
overwhelming responsibility to have the most beautiful, put-together day of my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want everything to be perfect, and I’m
anxious that this may not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is probably because perfection is an all-too-familiar illusion that I battle
with on a daily basis, so I know I’m aiming for the unobtainable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I first got engaged, I was over-the-moon excited at the
thought of Kevin and I spending our lives together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had been together for so long that I was
thrilled to finally make our relationship official.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like the luckiest girl on the
planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, while I wouldn’t consider
myself to be the type to plan a wedding, we decided that we wanted to share
this special time in our lives with our closest friends and loved ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there was also this side of me
that had, over the course of the last decade and a half, seen most of my girlfriends get married and have the attention on them, so naturally I wanted that, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At that time, I didn’t realize how unselfish of a decision
sharing our moment with others was going to be, because what I didn’t see
coming at me, like a damn freight train, was what all of this planning was going
to entail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One decision after another about
everything from location, to venue, to food, to colors, to bedding, to flowers, to
dresses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it never really
stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decision making just keeps
coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I just received an
email from my wedding coordinator about our final invoice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I dare look?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve gotten to the point where if I don’t receive a reply
from a wedding vendor quickly, I’m happy because that means that I don’t have
to deal with that particular matter for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I don’t even follow up with them anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just wait for them to get back with me on
their own time, too jaded to really care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, now I can see how some women become complete and total
bridezillas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand how women are able to
get so totally caught up in their wedding day that they forget why they are
planning a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wedding itself
is a demanding distraction of colossal proportions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, since there are so many decisions to
make, there are going to be disagreements among those involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You simply cannot make everyone happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this in mind, I give a lot of credit to
all of my married friends that have gone through this, and a) still had a
wedding, and b) kept their sanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact,
I found a shirt on Pintrest the other day that said, “Engagement, When People
Stop Being Polite and Start Getting Real".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t have said it any better myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll admit, there have been moments when I’ve questioned
whether we should continue to have this wedding - fantasizing about just the 2
of us eloping to Italy, instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite
simply, it hasn’t been as fun as I had pictured it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My good friends and sister are nearly 2,000
miles away, so it’s been a bummer to miss out on the girly part of wedding
planning, even if I don’t care too much about the details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I love Kevin, but those of you that know
him will understand that when I say ‘Chartreuse’, he says, ‘God bless you’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regardless, this entire year-long process really made me
learn and think a great deal about myself, my fiancé, my friends and my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of those realizations were really
disappointing. For example, I learned that I have no idea how to put on fake eyelashes, and I'm kind of afraid to try them. More importantly, other realizations were gifts and assurances that I
never would have had without this experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
I've had some friendships grow tremendously over the last year, and I've received a great deal of support from friends that I never expected it from. It has meant a lot.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Either way, with every decision and experience that the past year has
brought, I’ve come to understand that getting married is a true rite of passage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I no longer have to figure out life on my own
because I’ll have Kevin by my side to support and love me along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will always be there to put a smile on my
face and tell me everything is going to be okay…even if I can’t make up my mind
about whether to wear a veil, or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-1728866537170635552013-03-30T14:48:00.000-05:002013-03-30T15:28:34.704-05:00Thor and Iggy<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before moving to the island Kevin and I didn’t have a lot of
time to look for places to live, so we took the first decent house we could
find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after a year in our old
place, we agreed that we wanted a change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, we searched around for a new place for several months before finding
a house that we loved, only 4 doors down from our old house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The new house is great, and we really couldn’t ask for
anything more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, the yard
is pretty spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s set up on
the side of a hill, overlooking the ocean and other islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, it’s full of coconut trees,
mango trees, banana trees, bougainvillea and hibiscus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like every time we wake up in the
morning we find a new plant blooming and blossoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the house has a pool with a nice, open
pool deck to lay in the sun during any given breezy tropical afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To top it off, there’s an empty lot next to
our house that provides for lots of privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It truly is a tropical haven (stick with me, here).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since the yard and the lot next to the house are fenced in,
we’ve been letting our dogs roam around to explore freely for the first time in
their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Initially,</span> the dogs stayed relatively close to us, perusing the yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oakley had some fun chewing on coconuts and obsessively
bugging us to the throw the ball for him, and Thor simply smelled around a bit
and chewed up every one of Oakley’s balls that he could get a hold of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, as time went on, Thor got more and more confident
with his surroundings, and he realized that there is a whole other world to
explore back in that empty, thickly wooded and viney lot next to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ya, know…the one providing all of that
privacy for our tropical wonderland?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, after a couple of months of walking the perimeter of the
woods, Thor decided to further explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At first he stayed at the edge of the woods where we could see him,
sniffing around for whatever dogs sniff for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, he started obsessively barking up at the trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had no clue what he was barking at, but he
was convincingly barking at something up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Afraid that he would alienate the neighbors, we’d walk back and grab him
and put him back inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side, it’s
not that easy to simply walk back and get him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even when on the perimeter of the woods, you have to put on shoes (not
flip-flops) with socks and long pants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This, of course, meant going into the house to change because I never
wear shoes and socks anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
pain in the ass, but otherwise I’ll break out with some sort of rash and/or get
stung by a bee, or (in Kevin’s case) several bees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, EVERYTHING has thorns on it down here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regardless of our efforts, Thor crept back further and
further into the woods, and his barking continued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was on to something, and he wasn’t going
to quit until he got whatever he was after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, we wound up letting him go back there on his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d hear him barking and if we had the time
and energy, we’d go get him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise,
we’d wait him out and call him to come in when we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At first when we called for him, he would come home covered in dirt and grime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, he would come home with a swollen eye…then,
2 swollen eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, he looked
like his feet and/or legs were bothering him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many times, his nose would be all scraped up and bleeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we couldn’t see him back there, we had
no idea how any of this happened, but he proved that he wasn’t going to let any
of it stop him because the next day he’d be right back out there, barking and
carrying on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, last week while I was out of town with some
girlfriends, Kevin sent me this picture…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSj0EFQuPcIm7GyUQ5HnXmWNuIeHebpqZ0G99WRb1BWX_z1-KEkm6KqtMxfJS5tyTh921e_WEh8UGAwfsocUctbaVknXnaEgpU_dU6RubTPwhdLVXSxC2ug_7IjlrClzMtI1eHVnXpSY/s1600/Zilla+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSj0EFQuPcIm7GyUQ5HnXmWNuIeHebpqZ0G99WRb1BWX_z1-KEkm6KqtMxfJS5tyTh921e_WEh8UGAwfsocUctbaVknXnaEgpU_dU6RubTPwhdLVXSxC2ug_7IjlrClzMtI1eHVnXpSY/s320/Zilla+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saying that Thor brought this over to him, and dropped it in
front of him with a big smile on this face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think that smile looked something like this…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANSUMTebdUEtbp3wHtvx_TwiJf4h1xQC3Af7o2KKBw473Up3PJJ0Q18P99fsP1Cfx1vHs0oKDXs6kQUp5EbEBCyzel0Mlnk6KhfyvValfpg8S6mYQtrZWfABRSezNYQoeR9M62JHbeh4/s1600/Thor+Muddy+Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANSUMTebdUEtbp3wHtvx_TwiJf4h1xQC3Af7o2KKBw473Up3PJJ0Q18P99fsP1Cfx1vHs0oKDXs6kQUp5EbEBCyzel0Mlnk6KhfyvValfpg8S6mYQtrZWfABRSezNYQoeR9M62JHbeh4/s320/Thor+Muddy+Face.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, shortly thereafter he brought Kevin another one, for
good measure…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rbP1e16LFSI/UVc9Q5bRuDI/AAAAAAAAAXg/eSnOkiDD3ok/s1600/Zilla+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rbP1e16LFSI/UVc9Q5bRuDI/AAAAAAAAAXg/eSnOkiDD3ok/s320/Zilla+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, we
aren’t alone in our beloved tropical paradise of a yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of those fruit trees and lovely flowers
are an Iguana’s dream come true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
addition, like us, they enjoy a nice day of sun-bathing on the warmth that our
pool deck provides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I’m not convinced
that our killer dog is going to deter them from sticking around, especially
since the mango season is only a few short months away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t that nice?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, Kevin had nothing but pride for Thor, but I couldn’t
help thinking about what I was going to do when I got home and had to deal with
a dead iguana carcass, or several while Kevin is away for 2 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gross.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, the day after getting home from my most excellent party
weekend with the ladies, I let the dogs outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thor immediately made a run for the woods
and started to frantically dig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched
in horror while an iguana, in all out panic-mode, ran out of the woods, across
the yard and straight for our pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without any hesitation, he dove right in, swam to the bottom and stayed
there…all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s right, this thing
took “The Plunge” right into my pool!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At this point, I know Thor will never dive down to get this
little bastard, so I let Thor have his fun with him, barking and swimming
around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Oakley, who apparently
doesn’t have any killer instinct whatsoever, chimed in from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I made the dogs come in and took them
for a ride in the car, assuming that the iguana would take off at his first
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we got home, the dumb iguana was still at the bottom of
the pool in the same place he was when we left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I quickly Googled how long an iguana can stay under water and found that
it can be anywhere from 28 minutes to a couple of days, depending on the
breed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not really wanting to learn
anything more in this department, I gave up on my search and called in the dogs
for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I woke up the next morning without any doubt that our Iggy
friend would be gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let the dogs
outside and poured myself a cup of coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And…on cue, there was Thor barking and barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oakley was barking, too, which wasn’t a good
sign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came down to the pool, and there
was the iguana…face up, floating at the top, not moving – dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked like this...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ojFJ94y7rJo/UVc9xVF3ZGI/AAAAAAAAAXo/Qfmbhroce3U/s1600/Thor+and+Zilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ojFJ94y7rJo/UVc9xVF3ZGI/AAAAAAAAAXo/Qfmbhroce3U/s1600/Thor+and+Zilla.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The iguana had literally drowned itself overnight and it’s
10 lb dead body was floating in our pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now what?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I text Kevin, who
tells me (like it’s no big deal) that I need to use the pool net to get it out
and put it in a heavy duty garbage bag and take it down to the dumpsters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, where are my ladies at?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ya know when you know you have to do
something that your husband (or whatever) would typically do, but he’s not
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, you feel like you really have
to suck it up and do this nasty thing that he would normally do for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, you really, really, really don’t want to
do it, but if you don’t, then you’ll feel like a total girl about it, and you’re
way too proud to call someone to do it for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, you pump yourself up to get this absolutely repulsive thing over
with, and you kind of want to cry while you’re doing it because it is thee #1
most disgusting thing you’ve EVER had to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You know that feeling?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, the iguana is gone and Thor is now on heavy duty,
full-on, four-alarm lock-down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean
house arrest like one could only compare to LinLo, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and
Martha Stewart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not taking my eye
off that dog until Kevin gets home next weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To make matters worse, a few days after this episode
happened, I met a couple of friends at the beach with our dogs to run them down
and catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I laughingly told them
about the dead iguana in our pool, and my friend, in a very cavalier way, told
me, ‘Oh, yeah, you have to take the iguana out of the pool while it’s still
alive because they can’t find their own way out’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
iguana died because of me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hold up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should
have taken a living, 10-15 lb lizard/rodent out of my pool in order to save
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Clearly, I have mixed feelings about this whole
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if faced with the
same situation again, knowing what I now know, I’m not sure that I would have
handled it any differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, what’s
worse than having to take a dead iguana out of my pool?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll tell ya - taking a living iguana out of
my pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s just not going to
happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, RIP Mr. Dead-Iguana-In-My-Pool, or Mr. Future-Dead-Iguana-In-My-Pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes things aren’t as they seem, so stop
eating my fruit and my flowers and move on out of here because Thor isn’t
giving up, and I can’t help you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wcjb_7-ZGOk/UVdCsumNmkI/AAAAAAAAAXw/KIODNIkWyvA/s1600/_MG_5224_edited-1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wcjb_7-ZGOk/UVdCsumNmkI/AAAAAAAAAXw/KIODNIkWyvA/s320/_MG_5224_edited-1a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-6997575199638236012013-01-30T12:10:00.000-06:002013-01-30T12:10:18.624-06:00Identity Crisis
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been almost 2 years since we moved down to the US Virgin
Islands, and I think saying that there’s been a lot of change in my life is a
major, major understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly,
besides still having Kevin and my 2 dogs in my life, nothing is the same as it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been an overwhelming whirlwind of
emotions, experiences, frustrations and personal growth unlike any other time in
my life.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Culture shock aside, the hardest part of this experience for
me has been letting go of my professional life in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that I’ve been living down here for a
couple of years, I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but my identity was entirely
wrapped up in my career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t just
a job to me, it was my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was what
gave me the freedom to support myself in a lifestyle that was comfortable to
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gave me the independence I
enjoyed so that I did not need to rely on others financially or personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also made me feel really good about
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gave me a lot of confidence,
and I was proud of myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I
was doing what society, friends and family had always encouraged me to do
throughout my entire life - work hard, make money, advance professionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why wouldn’t I get caught up in it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I think about the influences I’ve had
throughout my life and how much time, effort and energy I put into my job, it makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I defined myself by the work I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Couple this with the fact that the big city life can be
demanding in a very materialistic way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everywhere you look there are nice cars, designer clothes, expensive
condos furnished with gorgeous furniture, beautifully manicured women, hip bars
and restaurants – the list goes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, since I had the good job, I could keep up with all of this which only
made me more wrapped up in things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, that lifestyle got to a point where I felt like I was
missing something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I felt that</span> there had to be
more to life than what I had at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was very restless with the idea that all that I had didn’t seem to be
enough for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted more out of life
than working long hours and wearing designer clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I had this nagging feeling that I wasn’t
being the person that I truly was underneath all the hard bargaining and fast
pace life of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t feel
like I was experiencing life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
like I was just going through the motions – day in and day out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is for all of these reasons that I decided that moving to
the island was a great idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was our
way to re-evaluate life and see how other people live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would be able to put less demands on
ourselves and enjoy the world around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, I have to admit that we have experienced just what we thought we
would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had more fun with Kevin since
moving down here, then we did during the entire 4 years of our relationship
prior to our move. Quite simply, we enjoy life more than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve traveled the islands with Kevin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve developed interests in golf,
photography, scuba diving, etc. I’m healthier and more physically active than
I’ve been since high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have more
girlfriends than I’ve had since college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, I’m not nearly as stressed-out and rushed on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, right now it’s 10:45 am on a
Wednesday, and I’m writing this blog at my kitchen table while looking out the (open)
window over the ocean with the sun shining and the palm trees blowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, it’s been all that I could
have asked for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, I still have moments when I struggle to let go of the life
and person I used to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the risk of
sounding dramatic, it has been a painful experience to give up my old life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like losing an old friend, or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the safety and security of what was familiar
is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact, for the first time since I was probably 15 I don’t
have a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m unemployed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The job that I had when I moved down here did
not work out for me, and I really needed to take a step back to decide what I
want from a professional perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
a while I’ve thought I’d like to be an independent insurance agent, which I’m currently
still looking into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, right now I’m
substitute teaching at a local private school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let me just say that spending my day telling kids that ‘no, they cannot
go to the bathroom’ and telling 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> graders to ‘quiet it down’
countless times is a gigantic change – worlds away from my prior life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other day, as I was reading to some
pre-kindergarten kids, one of the girls in the front row gently touched my fingers
and while I was reading whispered, ‘your fingernails are so soft’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Flash back to t</span>hree years ago and my day would have consisted
of frantically running around the office in a full-on suit and high heels,
preparing for a presentation and/or answering an impossible number of emails
and phone calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How’s that for a
whirlwind?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I’ll fully admit that I’m going through a complete
identity crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been tearful
days of disappointment and total confusion, and other days of utter
boredom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to give Kevin a lot of
credit for all of his patience because sometimes I’m just not sure what mood I’ll
be in from one moment to the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
I’ve come up with the most ridiculous ideas of what I should do next. For example, one day I told Kevin that I was thinking of
working at a flower shop, which is great, but I kill every plant I touch, and I don’t
know a peony from a petunia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So, h</span>e’s been
an incredible source of support and encouragement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I should also say that the people on the island that know me
and know that I’m not working have also been very supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t really care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, they care about me, but they don’t
care about what I do for a living, or what car I drive, or the clothes I wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those things aren’t on the list of an
islander’s priorities – well, most islanders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of the islanders I know just want to see if you’d like to go
golfing or boating this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me,
this makes life easier to figure out, and it’s given me the space and time to
move closer and closer to decide what I’d like to do with my life while we are here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know that it was my decision to turn my world around with
this move, and I’m confident that I’ll find a professional path down here that
I’ll enjoy. However, more than ever, I realize that life is all about trade-offs and this was a big one for me, so what I choose as a career doesn’t seem as important to me as it used
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> I know I need to find something, but
I don’t think I need to have my entire focus and identity dedicated to my job anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve
learned from all of this, and I’m glad that I have discovered this so early on
in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> M</span>y life will be better
because of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-40372507140940515182012-10-25T13:32:00.000-05:002012-10-25T13:39:10.200-05:00The Sights and Experiences of a Caribbean Runner<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For any of you that have been consistently reading my blog
you know that I’m a runner, so you’ve probably read about my experiences
running down here in the islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly, I’ve been whining
about it because running in the tropics is brutal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I have to say that getting up early
and jogging around the island is a very telling and at times entertaining thing
to do down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, I love it as
much as I hate it, and I always feel better afterwards, which is probably why I
continue to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, the following are some of my sights and experiences while out running around this crazy island:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I typically run down to a public beach not too far from my
house, which is a common place for other people to exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people-watching is truly amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly, I notice what people are wearing for
their morning workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one
woman in particular that I see on a regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wears the following:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a white cap, a ginormous white tee-shirt, long
black leggings, pantyhose that cover the space between where her leggings end
and where her thick white socks begin and white sneakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, besides her arms, she is completely covered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t help but stare at her pantyhose the
entire time that I’m running by her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
freakin’ 85-90 degrees with 95% humidity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is the point of this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I on
the other hand, couldn’t be wearing less in my jog bra and running shorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I’ve concluded that she and I equally offend each
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a trade-off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a side with regards to this topic, I also see people
walking/exercising (or whatever they may think they are doing) in sweatpants,
sweatshirts, jeans and I cannot confirm this, but I think I’ve seen one lady in
her underwear – trying to pull it off as a swimsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PETERBORG POINT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once a week I switch up my route and run out to the end of
the peninsula that we live on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
tough run with lots of hills, so I can’t do it every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, lately, I’ve been pushing myself to
go all the way to the very end of the point of the peninsula, which provides
for a stunning view of the ocean and the rocky northern coast of St. Thomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I get there, I take a 2 minute rest to
absorb the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The early morning sun
glistens off of the ocean, pelicans glide over the water, the light salty
breeze blows and the ocean crashes against the shoreline below me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If and when we leave St. Thomas, I will always remember the
peacefulness of those 2 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">HOWDY NEIGHBOR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a simple one, but I actually enjoy seeing my
neighbors first thing in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we first moved to the island, I felt like we lived in the country because our
house seemed so remote from everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Especially, compared to living in a high rise in Chicago where you’re on
top of everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I feel like we
live in a neighborhood where we have friends and acquaintances that we hang out
with, chat with and look out for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning, when I was almost back from my run, I took a
second to stop and talk with one of my neighbors that I see often, and while we
were talking I waived hello to another neighbor who was in his car driving to
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe this is the Midwesterner in me, but becoming familiar
with people during my morning runs has provided a great feeling of community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a sharp contrast to the effort I made to
avoid eye contact with my neighbors in the elevator of our last condo in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GOOD MORNING!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a strong cultural tradition down here of saying ‘good
morning’ to people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saying ‘good
afternoon’ is also common, but saying ‘good morning’ is a big, big deal
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t say ‘good morning’,
it’s offensive, and if you say ‘good morning’ and that person doesn’t say ‘good
morning’ back, then it’s a total insult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes, people even go to great lengths to say ‘good morning’ twice
if Kevin and I are together….kind of like a song, ‘morning-morning’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One time when Kevin and I were at the grocery store several
of the women working in the deli were having a very heated conversation about
something and tempers were hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, we walked into the deli and
greeted them with a polite ‘good morning’, to which they immediately
responded by completely dropping their conversation and their hot tempers, and
in unison responded with the most pleasant ‘good morning’ ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a remarkable transition, and it proves
that nothing, <u>nothing</u> gets in the way of greeting someone with a ‘good
morning’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, as you can imagine on my morning runs, it doesn’t matter
if I’m huffing it up a huge hill, sweating my butt off and/or in physical pain…if
someone comes down the hill and greets me with a ‘good morning’, then I have no
choice but to conjure the strength to reply back to them – whether I feel like
it’s a good morning at that moment, or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Several times throughout my runs, I’m struggling to say ‘good
morning’ to complete strangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of
me thinks this is crazy and part of me thinks it’s really nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re validating the other person by politely
acknowledging them, but they are interrupting you at a very inopportune time
with their cultural expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m on
the fence on this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">THE STUMBLERS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I see the same couple down at the beach exercising at least
twice a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first saw them, I
was confused by what they were doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
wears a sweat band, and she seems completely out of breath, so I concluded that
they were indeed exercising, but it looked like there was a lot of stumbling
involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They weren’t really running or
jogging, and this definitely wasn’t a walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s what I now refer to as the stumble-run – kind of a shuffling of the
feet, but with an upward and forward motion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
Of course</span>, there is the constant threat that one of them may stumble and fall
at any given moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the country experiencing an obesity epidemic, I applaud
their commitment to ‘exercising’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I
find myself concerned for them every time I see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they going to fall?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they not going to fall?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He seems pretty confident with what he’s
doing, as I’ve noticed lately that he brings a bouncy ball with him to bounce
and catch along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could
probably step it up a bit to whatever the next level of stumble-running
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She, on the other hand, doesn’t look
too good, with all of her huffing and puffing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either way, I always get a good laugh out of the two of them, and I
ALWAYS say ‘good morning’ to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">KEEP YOUR HEAD UP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week, I woke up and set off on my morning route out to
the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather is getting nicer
here and it was a sunny day with a nice strong breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At a certain place on this run if you look
ahead and beside you, you can see out over the ocean and the islands are in the
background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve always struggled to keep my head up while I’m
running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just a natural thing for
me to keep my head down as I’m moving forward, but on this particular day I
looked up over the ocean and saw an isolated cloud hovering above the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This struck me as odd because it was an
otherwise clear morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I continued
to look out at it, I noticed that there was rain coming down from the
cloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this was the only cloud in
the middle of sunny morning, a rainbow formed between the cloud
and the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found it particularly
special because I could see both ends of the rainbow, which is rare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued on, reminding myself of what a
special place this little island is, and to always keep my head up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">BIKERS BEWARE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you can imagine, there isn’t a whole lot of bike riding
on the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The roads are hilly and
have sharp turns and there aren’t long stretches of land to ride along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the beach we run by provides for
a paved, safe stretch of road for a short bike ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, every now and then at the beach I see a
small child riding their bike with their parents close behind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One morning as I was jogging along my beach route, I noticed
a woman on a bicycle up ahead of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
bike had a banana seat, and it seemed a little too small and childish for her, but
she moved along nonetheless in a shaky but forward motion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short while, I noticed that I was
catching up to her, and became a bit confused by this. Regardless of the
slight downhill that we were approaching, and the fact that she was on wheels,
I seemed to be out-pacing her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could
that be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a second I slowed down to
ponder what I should do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it offend
her if I, a runner, past her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should I
wait until she turns to carry on with my pace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Should I go to the opposite side of the street and pass her, rather than
passing by right next to her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d never
been in this position before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed
so unnatural for a runner to pass a biker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, I decided not to put anymore thought into this
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘This is the Caribbean’, I
thought, ‘things are so backwards here that you can’t even make this stuff up.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked up my normal pace and blew right by
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">RISE AND SHINE<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my last posting I spent most of my time bitching and
moaning about how hot it has been down here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, I’m sure none of you felt sorry for me – rightfully so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there is one really great thing
about getting up for an early run in August and September in St. Thomas…the Sun
Rise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">During these 2 months the sun rises
right over Tortola, so we can see it from our deck while we wake up and have a
cup of coffee before our run. I have seen more of the most beautiful,
picturesque sun rises in the last 2 months, than in my entire life. What’s so
interesting to me about seeing the sun rise every morning is that each one is
completely different from the day before. Some of them are colorful, others are
cloudy and sometimes they can be glaring. Either way, it’s always a great way
to start the day, and I can’t even begin to put into words how beautiful this
is. Instead, I’ll close this posting with a picture so you can see for yourself.
Enjoy!</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BqTE5ScALvI/UIl1dLKK2tI/AAAAAAAAAVc/_B2FEoxxZXM/s1600/_MG_3545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BqTE5ScALvI/UIl1dLKK2tI/AAAAAAAAAVc/_B2FEoxxZXM/s320/_MG_3545.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-22287795668807730582012-09-19T10:07:00.000-05:002012-09-19T10:07:16.944-05:00The Caribbean Meltdown
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been on the island now for over a year, and I’ve gotten
all too familiar with The Caribbean Meltdown phenomenon, or simply “The
Meltdown”. The Meltdown tends to be most prevalent during the months of August
and September, since these are the hottest, most stagnant and unbelievably
humid months of the year – imagine living in a steam room without any escape
for 2 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, it’s not that bad,
but the air is so thick down here that you can actually see it at times, like steam,
and it can get to you…big time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, much
to my own dismay I’m in the heart of Meltdown season right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Caribbean Meltdown is best described as simply overheating….sweating
profusely, inability to cool down and total discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt, this is a physical and emotional
meltdown because at times I have felt as though I am physically melting away,
and it’s more than clear that I’m emotionally, uncontrollably, breaking down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The frequency of these meltdowns varies, but I’d say I’m
averaging about 3 meltdowns a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, I had a minor meltdown this morning, which is a great example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got up at 5:30 a.m. (because it’s too hot
to run after 7:00 a.m. here), had my morning coffee and took off for a longer
run than usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During my run I somehow stayed
pretty mentally strong even though I was becoming increasingly aware of the
thick/humid/hot air as the sun came up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I ran by my neighbor we said hello, and he commented on how hot of a
morning it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say that I was
proud of myself for not being the first to complain about the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, mentally stronger than normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I got home, I took my time stretching
out and had another cup of coffee out on my deck – super mentally strong, as I’m
typically rushing into the bedroom where we do have an AC unit and a fan (my
only saving grace).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then took a cold
shower, got dressed, dried my hair and put on some make-up. I felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. But, upon opening the door of my bedroom to enter
the kitchen, I was smacked in the face by the hot air once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when things took turn for the
worst.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After eating breakfast I wanted to take care of some normal,
everyday household tasks before starting my day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I unloaded the dishwasher, washed some dishes
and changed the sheets on my bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
I was changing the sheets, sweat started pouring down my face, back and neck, I
wiped it off with a paper towel and realized that I was also wiping and
sweating off all of my make-up and my hair was a mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, normal, nice and stable
Christine exits and some sort of monster completely takes over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I walked past Kevin to get some laundry out of the washing
machine and he starts talking to me about plans for the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It went something like this....</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Kevin (sweetly): "Hey, Babe, I have the name of the captain that we need to call to set up our boating trip on Sunday. Do you want me to text it to you, or is email easier?"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Me: "Texting is fine, or...wait (monster creeping in quickly), email is better...or, I don't really care, Kevin. I'm having a complete meltdown (sweating, sweating, sweating) right now, and I can't talk about our weekend plans with you (ROARRRRR)."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then
stop what I’m doing, go back to the bedroom with the AC, sit in front of the fan,
and watch the Today show until the monster vanishes and my lovely self comes back. This transition is indeed a phenomenon like I've never experienced before. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, this morning’s Meltdown was mild because in my case
the overheating/breaking down is typically supplemented by whatever other
Caribbean issue may be bothering me at that moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most commonly, the bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially during these months since it’s so
humid, the bugs are thick and vicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t go in our front yard without bug spray – ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other nagging annoyances include lack of air conditioning in
our home (except the bedroom, which is common in the Caribbean b/c of the
expense and construction of homes), the fact that I’m sweating off the makeup I
just applied, sweating after taking a cold shower, sweating through the clothes
that I just put on for the day, inability to get through a morning run without
thinking about what I wouldn’t give for a nice, crisp, flat Chicago morning, or
just basic and overall frustration with how uncomfortable I am (again).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to thank Kevin for being patient with me, since
[curiously] none of this seems to bother him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He can run 7 miles in 100% humidity, with 90 degree weather, take a cold
shower, still be sweating his ass off, and when I bring up how hot it is, he’ll
look at me with complete confusion and say, ‘what do you mean?’ as sweat pours
down his forehead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, add that to the
above list of nagging annoyances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve talked with other people on the island about the
Caribbean Meltdown, and it’s reassuring to know that others experience this
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was golfing on Sunday, one
of my fellow golf partners, that has lived on the island for over 30 years, mentioned that she
still has meltdowns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait…is that
reassuring??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, I guess it’s better to have a couple of
uncomfortable months, then to have 6-7 months of freezing cold and grey skies
like we did in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I know that
after this month, the next several months are going to provide beautiful
weather almost every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just wish
there was a way to escape the heat in my own home during “Caribbean Meltdown”
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-62528891271953358542012-07-28T13:10:00.000-05:002012-07-28T13:14:31.973-05:00Citizens on Patrole<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve now been living in St. Thomas for over a year, and
while there is no doubt that I love what the island has to offer, most people
would agree that a good portion of the population down here has some serious accountability issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite simply, things on the island aren’t run as
efficiently as they are in the States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
a resident, if you can’t accept this, then you will literally go crazy or have
a massive breakdown at some point, so you have to laugh it off and trust that
things will somehow work out in the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I could give countless examples of how the smallest of tasks
somehow turn into long, drawn out, complicated and confusing burdens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like when I went to OfficeMax to have 4
binders created for a presentation, only to wait there for 3 hours while the
lady tried to figure out where to place each tab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took every ounce of strength for me not to
have a complete melt-down after 2 hours, and by the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> hour I
simply wanted to jump over the counter and do it myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when I asked if I could help in any
way, the lady glared at me and with some serious attitude said, ‘If I needed
your help, I would have asked you for it.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t help but think (over and over again) that Kinko’s in Chicago
would have had my order knocked out in 20 minutes…20 MINUTES!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, I still haven’t recovered from this episode,
but writing about it has been cathartic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, the most recent example of what should be a seamless
duty going awry is that the local police department has run out of tickets to
issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now in the
U.S. Virgin Islands a police officer can only pull you over and issue a warning
because he or she doesn’t have the proper paperwork to issue a formal traffic violation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, a spoke’s woman for the police
department is denying this, but the Deputy Police Chief has confirmed that officers
cannot enforce the law right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, you’re probably wondering how something like this could
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s dissect this convoluted
mess…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to an article in the Virgin Islands Daily News, it’s the
responsibility of the Superior Court to order new ticket books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The court is saying that there has been a
great deal of back and forth with the printing company on the mainland since January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The court’s story is that they
wanted to redesign the format of the tickets to be a certain way, which has
caused this unusual delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d love to
hear the printing company’s story, but somehow the court can’t remember the
name of the company for reference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
take is that the USVI still hasn’t paid them for the last batch of
tickets, and unlike the local companies down here that will kowtow to the
government when they don’t pay their bills, the mainland expects to receive
compensation for their services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty
simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A spokeswoman for the court, Glendia Caines, said that while
she understands that this may have a direct impact on the revenue for the
territory – revenue that is so desperately needed that the government can’t and
often doesn’t pay their bills as mentioned above - they ‘wanted to get it right
the first time.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She went on to say, “We
wanted to get it done and done correctly.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hmm…perhaps Glendia was a bit short-sighted in how she defined getting
it done “right” or “correctly”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a critical
person, but to me the priority in ordering tickets should be…getting the
tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, my favorite of Glendia’s responses was when she
said, “I know the public might be happy when they read this story, but there
are probably a couple of officers still out there with ticket books, so this is
not to say that anybody’s off the hook.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, Glendia, you can’t fool me with all of your uncertainty and
incompetence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to head out in
my car and try to break 40 mph somewhere on this island just as soon as I’m
done with this posting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Breakin’ the law, breakin’ the law….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="189" data-width="254" height="189" id="rg_hi" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRxNvSKZGAdKEQ_p2z-5gmE18PVL-ctTuK_Ui3v5jPgAI6Khj0M" style="height: 189px; width: 254px;" width="254" /></o:p></span></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-20227963684616396372012-06-16T18:27:00.000-05:002012-06-16T18:33:08.690-05:00Oh no…you didn’t.<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This weekend I had some time to myself before I had to pick
up Kevin from the airport, so I decided to take my dogs to the beach for some
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a hot day, and I wanted them
to be warn out and quiet when Kevin got home after a long week away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Going to the beach is always a treat for them since not only
do they get to cool off in the ocean AND play catch, they also get a considerable
car ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I got them hyped up
with the thought of ‘going swimming!’, grabbed their water toy and let them
eagerly jump into the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They stuck
their heads out the window to blissfully catch the breeze as we wound around
the island and headed down to the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon arriving at our destination I parked my car near the beach
and opened the car door for them. They both eagerly jumped out of the car and
made a dash for the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I
could get their toy out of the backseat, they had already made a friend, pooped
and gotten into the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remarkable
progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, I checked my watch to make myself aware of the time
because the salt water tends to upset Oakley’s stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, too much swimming can make him moody
with Thor when they are competing to get the toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oakley’s still a hard charging dog, but he’s
8 years old now, so I try to keep beach time to the lesser of his first snarl
at Thor, or 30-45 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And frankly,
I can only take chasing down Thor in the sand for the toy so many times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I proceeded to throw their toy for them countless times,
as Oakley remained in the water and started to make his usual gagging noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, Thor performed his typical act of
rolling around in the sand after every time he retrieved the toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, I truly enjoyed seeing them have
so much innocent fun, and it’s one of my favorite things to do with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After about 30 minutes, I started to think about getting them
out of the water and back into the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I kept telling myself that I was going to throw their toy just a couple
more times, but I’m such a sucker for them that it wasn’t until Oak snapped at
Thor, several minutes later, that I put an end to things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After toweling them off, we went back in the
car to head home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once home, I rinsed the sand off of them with the hose and we went inside
to relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly noticed that Oakley
was giving me that, ‘I don’t feel so well, Mom’ look, and he started to get
really needy with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He leaned himself
against my legs while I made my lunch, then he laid down next to me on the deck
as I started to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where
things took an unfortunate turn…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I continue I should explain that there is a small
apartment below our house that is rented out to a very nice young couple from
Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this wasn’t the case
when we moved in, and every time the real estate agent showed the apartment, we
tried to warn off potential tenants by letting Oakley out on the deck above
them to relentlessly bark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, this
particular couple wasn’t deterred by our strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think they may have thought that once the
dogs got familiar with them, they would stop barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case with
Oakley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s way too excitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, our downstairs neighbors have gotten to
know Oakley much better than they ever wanted, and the fact that they decided
to get a cat hasn’t helped with Oak’s barking habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regardless, they are both in the service industry, so their
schedules are much different from ours, and I rarely notice them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except, on this particular Saturday they,
too, were out on their deck (directly below our deck), enjoying the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, here we were, all out on our decks,
feeling the salty breeze and soaking up the warm sun, when all of a
sudden…Oakley pukes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nice
combination of partially digested dog food, a heart worm pill and some stomach
bile was all over my deck and quickly dripping and falling down to my
neighbor’s deck below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I immediately
gasp, ‘Oh, Oakley!!!’ as my neighbors ask from below, ‘what was that????”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mortified, I tell them that Oakley just
puked, and at that moment I was certain that if there was ever any doubt about
how they felt about Oak, that doubt no longer existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ran inside for something to clean up this disgusting mess
as my mind raced to figure out what the right thing to do was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I tried to wipe it up, but that only
made the remainder of nasty stuff fall down on top of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, god!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My second attempt was better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After providing a warning ahead of time, I rinsed off my deck with our
garden hose, then I lowered it down to them and told them I’d be down to rinse
it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, like the good
Mid-Westerners that they are, they told me not to worry about coming down, and
simply thanked me for lowering the hose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once they were done, I pulled up the hose and put it
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then grabbed the rest of my
lunch and my 2 dogs and headed inside for the rest of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3tLH-6xzlJg/T90SVvRHf6I/AAAAAAAAAUE/w6ufO0mET80/s1600/Oakley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3tLH-6xzlJg/T90SVvRHf6I/AAAAAAAAAUE/w6ufO0mET80/s320/Oakley.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-22513466417636175672012-06-07T17:41:00.000-05:002012-06-07T17:41:16.673-05:00Photo of the Week<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OH68FqZSdAw/T9Eq2AP3edI/AAAAAAAAASs/8gdSa9SyqAU/s1600/Model%2Bin%2BBronze%2BDress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OH68FqZSdAw/T9Eq2AP3edI/AAAAAAAAASs/8gdSa9SyqAU/s400/Model%2Bin%2BBronze%2BDress.JPG" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was at the beach one day a couple of weeks ago, looking for people to take pictures of, when I came upon a random fashion show and snapped this shot of a model on the catwalk. <br />
<br />
I love the contrast between how glamorous the model is verses the natural background. You'd never know she is on a runway, so the picture truly takes things out of context. I also like all of the space that's in front of the model in this picture. Since she has lots of room to walk into, the feeling of the photo isn't hurried or pressed. Her paused pose reinforces the same calming feeling...as if she will be taking all the time she needs to get to her destination.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-75440651283844107872012-05-05T08:34:00.002-05:002012-05-11T15:13:00.812-05:00Disney World - UghLast week I took a few days off to head back to the States with my boyfriend, Kevin, for his annual corporate trip. In the past, these trips have been to all sorts of romantic destinations like the Bahamas, the Caymans, Puerto Rico, etc. However, this year his company decided that Walt Disney World was going to be our destination. Disney? I’m all for a free trip, but being spoiled by Caribbean breezes and beaches every day AND not have children of my own didn’t help me get too pumped up for this vacation. Regardless, I tried to improve my attitude a bit as we made our way to every child’s ultimate mecca, and in the meantime I made the following observations:<br />
<br />
Observation #1: The Magic Kingdom doesn’t make kids happy. On our first day at Disney we decided to join some friends and head off to the Magic Kingdom. It was a sunny, warm day, and I looked forward to Space Mountain, but that was about it. We spent most of the day standing in line for rides that were designed for little kids. By ‘little kids’, I don’t mean kids in general, but rather kids no older than 5 or 6. <br />
<br />
These “rides” were basically just cars that carted you around in the dark to different scenes from movies like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or scenes from a haunted house. What I enjoyed most about these rides was the air conditioning and the fact that I could actually sit down for a while. <br />
<br />
Anyway, I digress. Like I said earlier, we spent most of our time standing in line, and the rest of the time was spent aimlessly walking from one section of the park to another. After being there for what seemed like forever, but was probably only an hour, I noticed that most of the children weren’t happy at all. Rather than joyfully meeting Cinderella, Mickey Mouse or Pluto, the kids spent their time crying and being harshly reprimanded by their parents. At one point, a mother past me, literally dragging her screaming child and yelling that, ‘This is ridiculous and it needs to stop’. Another time, while going to the bathroom, the mother in the stall next to me yelled at her daughter for ‘tinkling on her panties’ and threatened her by stating that if she didn’t straighten up, they were going home – to Atlanta.<br />
<br />
Yes. It was clear that these kids, and their parents for that matter, were tired, unhappy and surprisingly disappointed. After discussing this shocking reaction to “The Most Magical Place on Earth” with others, I got the same reaction from at least 2 other people that had brought their kids to Disney. They both said that their happiest (and cheapest) day in Walt Disney World was the day they spent at their hotel pool…where their kids could swim and play all day, and they could relax in a comfy chase lounge chair with a cold one.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5wtaVqve5SCm2S_IFYdzlpUoj4xwmJ6vPFegPRnJynTZ_SC7jpwPwUJoyYSNVvlXVeDTR_nprSw57kLXaHMfWDE5-E36ykem8ZUGWW-biPUW5_530an0Q0mZ1Dx0oZVZvlwnVlvltb8/s1600/KO+and+CT+Cinderellas+Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5wtaVqve5SCm2S_IFYdzlpUoj4xwmJ6vPFegPRnJynTZ_SC7jpwPwUJoyYSNVvlXVeDTR_nprSw57kLXaHMfWDE5-E36ykem8ZUGWW-biPUW5_530an0Q0mZ1Dx0oZVZvlwnVlvltb8/s320/KO+and+CT+Cinderellas+Castle.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Observation #2: Disney spares no expense when it comes to fireworks. On our 2nd night in Disney, we went to Epcot Center for dinner and to watch their firework display. After dinner we all congregated by the lagoon, looking over the different countries and presumably towards where the firework show would take place. The lagoon was surrounded by what appeared to be hundreds of people all over the place, heavily anticipating this nightly show. Finally, the music started and the fireworks began. <br />
<br />
There were fireworks in an assortment of colors and shapes. Most notably, there were blue stars and red hearts, which I hadn’t seen before. I kept waiting for a firework to go off in the shape of Mickey’s head, but even Disney couldn’t quite pull that one off – yet. And, there were lower, graceful fireworks shooting across the water, which created a nice reflection.<br />
<br />
As I was thoroughly enjoying this romantic display with Kevin, out of nowhere a huge fireball spewed bursts of fire out into the middle of the lagoon. Maybe ‘fireball’ isn’t the right word for it…I’d say it was closer to a fire cloud, either way it was completely over the top. We could actually feel the heat from this thing as it got bigger, and for a brief moment I thought that there had been a malfunction with the show. Of course, this just goes to show that anytime you introduce large amounts of fire into a show, it’s going to be a huge hit because nobody could take their eyes off that thing. It demanded our attention. We may have actually missed a large part of the show because we were so distracted by the heat and light that this burst was emitting towards us. They finally lowered the heat and ended the show with a nice finale.<br />
<br />
However, this show was just the start for us. There were fireworks throughout the rest of the trip. Every night, people congregated to see them from our hotel, from the Magic Kingdom, from Epcot and from wherever else they were set off. I even saw some during the day, while I was eating lunch outside of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom…during the day, folks. <br />
<br />
So, when it comes to fireworks, nobody outdoes Disney.<br />
<br />
Observation #3: Parents are exploited to the nth degree at Disney. I’m not a parent, but it was so obvious that Disney was completely taking advantage of moms and dads that even I was a bit put off. <br />
<br />
Where do I begin? I guess once you get past the price to stay at a Disney Hotel (over $400/nt), and pay to get into the park ($74 – $80 per day, per person), then you better have arranged to have your kids meet their favorite character at breakfast or something, because I didn’t see any characters making themselves available for the kids to meet in the Magic Kingdom. I saw them in a parade, but you couldn’t go up to Mickey Mouse just anywhere in the park – no. They have him tucked away, so you have to pay a premium to get to him – after waiting in line of course. As far as I’m concerned, Mickey should be greeting every parent as they walk through the front entrance, high-fiving them for making it this far, and wishing them a lot of luck for what the rest of the day had in store for them.<br />
<br />
But the most blatantly obvious exploitation to me was what happens after you get off every ride at Disney. Let’s back up. So, you wait in line for at least 45 minutes, get on a ride where, again [in my opinion] the best part is sitting down and cooling off, then when the ride is done you follow the path to the exit, but before they let you go, you have to walk through a shop with memorabilia related to whatever ride you just got off. For example, we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride – where the only good part, besides the AC and sitting down, was seeing very good replicas of Johnny Depp – so afterwards before they let you go and wait in line for the next sub-par ride, you had to walk through a store full of overpriced Pirates of the Caribbean crap. I mean, how many times can a parent possibly say no to their child before they breakdown and are forced to say yes? It’s so unfair.<br />
<br />
If anything, my recent observations at Disney helped me understand what lengths a parent will go to for their kids. My parents took me to Disney World twice, and it could not have been fun for them. I realize that, for my parents, Disney was probably worth all the effort it took to get my sister and I there, just to see the expression on our faces when we saw Cinderella’s Castle for the first time. I’m sure most parents feel that way, and it's clear that Disney knows how priceless this is. So, Mom and Dad, thank you for enduring what had to have been an excruciating time for you – second only to my adolescence. I love you both.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RlnUwx9kzmM/T6Uo3Za-NPI/AAAAAAAAARY/_jRFGyj8cok/s1600/Goofy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RlnUwx9kzmM/T6Uo3Za-NPI/AAAAAAAAARY/_jRFGyj8cok/s320/Goofy.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-67133520854651610912012-05-03T17:01:00.001-05:002012-05-03T17:02:27.746-05:00Photo of the Week...The biggest thing I've learned in the last week is that photography is about taking shots that make what the viewer should be looking at extremely obvious. This is harder than you'd think because backgrounds can be cluttered and distracting. They can also make your subject more, or less defined. So, photography has a lot to do with keeping a shot simple - removing any unnecessary distractions.<br />
<br />
There's a lot you can do to position the camera and take advantage of your camera's features in order to capture a good shot. This is my best attempt to do so....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhst08gkVV97bRbPPmdnfZ48TvF41J_91THb-sPNqbWn5JxC5UsWLpsfEjeTQTgbJxgCn8qAyaak6-GqjZrU27ZfLA6ReMM8hOtdN6SDfat_FlLHf5Lex1Zd7coInD1YO9Z2KBGSr13B_M/s1600/Water+Canister+Spout+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhst08gkVV97bRbPPmdnfZ48TvF41J_91THb-sPNqbWn5JxC5UsWLpsfEjeTQTgbJxgCn8qAyaak6-GqjZrU27ZfLA6ReMM8hOtdN6SDfat_FlLHf5Lex1Zd7coInD1YO9Z2KBGSr13B_M/s400/Water+Canister+Spout+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-5067446071038118792012-04-22T18:31:00.001-05:002012-04-22T18:33:22.604-05:00Picture of the Week - My Dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
My assignment from class last week was to capture a decisive moment in an action photo. I quickly learned that capturing anything in motion is no easy task. It takes a great deal of patience, and I had to take a lot of pictures in order to get a good one. But, it was pretty rewarding once I got the picture I was looking for, and I was proud of myself when I would finally get a good one! <br />
<br />
This week, my photo of the week is actually going to be photos of the week because I couldn't decide between 2 of the pictures. Both of them are action shots taken of my dogs playing with each other. <br />
<br />
Here they are....<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWEdzIsHn9o/T5SSPr0ygtI/AAAAAAAAAOw/TWHvmSGtIpk/s1600/Oak+and+Thor+Ocean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWEdzIsHn9o/T5SSPr0ygtI/AAAAAAAAAOw/TWHvmSGtIpk/s400/Oak+and+Thor+Ocean.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oakley (with toy) and Thor taking advantage of cooling down in<br />
the ocean, while taking a break from hiking on St. John</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6t81IUhQvYQ/T5SSz6NR7rI/AAAAAAAAAPA/CQJTROAoNj0/s1600/Oak+and+Thor+Going+for+the+Catch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6t81IUhQvYQ/T5SSz6NR7rI/AAAAAAAAAPA/CQJTROAoNj0/s400/Oak+and+Thor+Going+for+the+Catch.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thor (foreground) getting ready to catch the ball in our front <br />
yard while Oakley realizes that Thor has him beat! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4768683141469351848.post-91388159919802974812012-04-16T16:37:00.000-05:002012-04-16T16:37:00.200-05:00A Picture is Worth 1,000 WordsIt's been a year since I started blogging about my experience moving from Chicago to St. Thomas. As I reflect on the year, I can honestly say that I've learned a lot about myself...what I want out of life, what defines me, what makes me happy, etc. Of course, I haven't figured it all out by any stretch, but I've gotten a lot closer to understanding who I am then if I had simply stayed on course with my life in Chicago. <br />
<br />
Of course, I've had a lot of fun sharing all of my experiences through this blog, and I look forward to continuing to use my blog to include all of you in my life. However, one of the major things I've learned this past year is that change can be good. So, instead of continuing to write lengthy blogs about exotic islands, hiking excursions or boating around the Caribbean with friends, I think it's time to switch it up. <br />
<br />
Since moving to the island, I've taken an interest in photography. For any of you that read my blog regularly, you've probably noticed that I often include a new photo at the very bottom of my blog with every posting. All of these photos are pictures I've taken with a simple point and shoot camera. Recently, though, I've wanted to take my picture taking 'skills' to a new level. I found a local photographer that teaches classes and bought a fancy new camera. I now go to a 2 hour class once a week to learn the art of photography, and I work on different lessons that I've learned in class throughout each week. Some of my pictures are better than I ever thought I could take and others are terrible. <br />
<br />
Since they say a picture is worth 1,000 words, I figured that rather than writing 1,000 words every few weeks, I'd start posting a picture of the week for everyone. I still intend on writing about some of my experiences, but by posting a picture with you every week, my hope is that I can share a different side of myself with you in a more creative way. <br />
<br />
So, here is my first picture of the week.....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDpuZ_Kj8Us/T4yKFm9ysTI/AAAAAAAAAOY/3haT01NKD5E/s1600/Kevin+Profile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDpuZ_Kj8Us/T4yKFm9ysTI/AAAAAAAAAOY/3haT01NKD5E/s400/Kevin+Profile.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is my boyfriend Kevin, and I love this picture for so many reasons. I was outside on our deck practicing what I had learned in class the day before, when Kevin came out to see what I was doing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On a fluke, I took this picture of him, and since he didn't want me to take his picture at the time, it is the only one I snapped of him. Typically, I need to take several photos before I get a good one, but this one simply worked out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those of you that know Kevin, you'll know that he doesn't typically have a complete smile on his face when he's in a picture, but I was teasing him because he didn't want me to take his picture, so I caught him with a full smile. At first when I saw the picture I was disappointed because I had wanted more of a 3/4 view of his face, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have always loved the character in Kevin's face, and the lighting that morning brought it out in this shot. I also love the angle that his face took in the picture - his profile almost creates a diagonal line from one corner of the photo to the next, which, I have recently learned, creates great composition.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, maybe I'm over analyzing this photo, and I only love it because I love Kevin. So, please forgive me if you aren't catching on to what I'm saying. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01191140956317158739noreply@blogger.com0