Driving and driving some more...

Sitting in a hotel lobby waiting for my dad and my son to get out of bed so we can continue our journey to my son's school, I realize, the tables have turned! I used to be the one holding everyone up! I still have the tendency to stall and find a million and one things to do before leaving the house, (and I am with my teacher, mentor, official staller of the universe, my dad!). This morning, here I am; watching the news, reading the paper, 3 or 4 cups of coffee and I'm ready to get going! The "breakfast bar" is officially closed, the cleaning staff wants me out of the way to do what they do for the next wave of tourists! Oh well...

Eventually, sometime today, hopefully! We will repack the car and start the last leg of the drive to Virginia to the Blue Ridge School! Unpacking, reorganizing and some last minute shopping to do before I kiss my boy goodbye! A senior in high school and I still cannot believe it! I am so glad to have my dad with me on this trip, as I cannot imagine the trip back to Chicago alone with my thoughts! Positive there will be tears, but soon the laughs and stories will begin again and the hours of driving will fly on by!

My boy

I woke up at my usual time; the dogs are my alarm clock! Pippi jumps up on the bed to lick my face and greet me! She is always the first one up and the first one bounding down the steps to get outside! Too cute! Anyway, this morning, it is raining! The thunder and lightning have passed and now it is the beautiful steady rain! I love the sound! Mother nature singing her song! Dogs outside, I unlock the gates, turn off lights and head back inside to finish my morning routine. While the coffee is brewing, I check the internet to see what is going on in the world. This is confusing to the dogs, as they are waiting at the beach gate to go about the daily routine! It's raining and I really do not feel like sitting out on the dock to get soaked. Confused, they head back to the house and happily take their treats. The internet says rain and there is a tropical depression forming to the east. From what I can tell, Colin should be able to get off the island without a problem tomorrow; my flight is Saturday; we shall see!

Colin is heading back earlier to get ready for a mini-triathlon he is doing with his uncle and cousins back in the states. He has worked hard and has stayed focused! He has impressed me immensely! (I would have given up a while ago! The heat, humidity, etc., would have done me in!) He has pressed forward, riding his borrowed bike to the gym, working out twice a day. Then, he has been swimming in the sea between our dock and my neighbor's, (the nice one!) Amazing; the sea creatures only fascinate him! I would have sprouted wings to fly out of the water upon seeing a spotted sting ray or barracuda! He shouts up to me, (I'm on the dock with the time clock), "wow, mom, a huge barracuda ! right there!" as he points to the direction! Yikes, I love the sea animals, from the dock, that is, not in there with them! (I dangle my feet and toes off this dock and they, the fish, come over and start nibbling immediately! What's to stop that barracuda?)

Anyway, on to the race and getting Colin ready for that and for his senior year of high school. We have had our usual doctor's appointments for the school physical, did a little shopping for some of the clothes he needs and his hair is cut. I am struggling this morning with the fact that my little boy is a man! When did he grow up? When did he become so determined? What happened to the days when he was the one jumping on the bed telling me, "mommy wake up, it's a new day!" I know why parents get weepy! I could cry, but I have too much to do this morning! I have to finish his packing, laundry and get him organized. I have made a dozen calls this morning, talking to the airlines, (to be sure his exit taxes were paid), his uncle, (picking him up Friday morning and taking him where he needs to go), leaving messages all over the place for other little things. Keeping myself busy to avoid the plain truth! My son still needs me, but it is not the same! I will be driving him back to Virginia to prep school in another week and I will have to leave him. He will get up and get himself dressed and ready for school alone without me. (The school will not let parents stay in the rooms with their sons; I know I could sleep in that lower bunk! I could secretly check his homework or help him with it! I could cook him all his favorite dishes; maybe that is what I should do? Work at the school!) These were choices we made and I am still not used to it! Our daughter turns 21 in another week and it seems like yesterday, Colin and I, were waiting for her at the bus stop to come home from kindergarten, holding his little hand! Where does the time go?

Okay, enough! No time to head down memory lane, do not want to get myself upset. Push forward, love him, squeeze him, hold him and continue to do! I will make him whatever he wants for breakfast, and lunch! I will sit out there in the rain to time his swim. I will drive in the rain to take him to the gym, if that is what he wants! He is my boy, the best Christmas present I have ever had! I love you Colin and you will do well in the race, I know it! mom :)

The Dock

I love the morning! Nothing makes me happier than awaking to sunshine, my dogs furry faces and a cup of coffee to start the day! I love tiptoeing out of bed to let Steve sleep a little longer, to make the daily brew, empty the dishwasher and gather up my morning tools to head outside! I love watching the fishermen heading out either with tourists or going to work! I love watching the construction guys bicycle by on their way to their jobs. Most of all, I love walking out to the dock with the dogs, coffee cup and camera!

The dock is really my favorite place! It is so peaceful and so beautiful, and, the best part is, each day there is something new to see! I have referred to this place as "my science lab"! It truly is a living science laboratory! So amazing each day, I could sit there for hours. I have had the pleasure of seeing, dolphins, moray eels, spotted rays, lemon rays, millions of sardines, barracuda, bonefish, starfish, needlenose fish, batfish and on and on! Not to mention the birds! Nothing more spectacular than a flock of roseate spoonbills flying overhead! These huge birds are so graceful and quiet, true poetry in motion! I have learned so much and many times have run into the house to grab Steve or a guest to come out and see something I have just discovered! It is marvelous and it brings out the true conservationist in me! I have posted, "no fishing" signs all over our dock. I baby my mangroves and plant new seedlings. I walk with a bag in my pocket always as to pick up litter from the road and beach. I have taught my children to love, enjoy and respect mother nature.

These pictures are of my little furry entourage. Mojo, our cartoon character cat accompanied us this morning! He freaks at the water motion and bright sunlight, but loves going with us. Nothing really exciting this morning except the laughing and pointing from the renters next door watching Mojo tag along behind Tobykeith, Pippi and Pickle! Most people do not believe me when I tell them this cat goes for walks with us!

So, happy Costa Maya to my Belize neighbors and enjoy your weekend! You never know what's waiting for you outside! :)

The Sky and Views of the Sea

Woohoo! The weather the last few days has made for some conversation! It has been everything from calm, humid, windy, rainy, dark, sunny and everything in between! I love this stuff! I could sit on the veranda and watch the clouds roll by all day, (I think that's what Steve thinks I do, do all day!). I am most fortunate to have water views from every vista, this morning the lagoon and sea were dead calm, sheets of glass! Heading out the door, I had the usual: coffee, keys, camera (!), doggy doo bags and bug spray. Juggling this, the dogs and I bound down the steps to unlock the gates and out to the beach. (They're so cute, Pippi and Tobykeith run along side each other almost attached at the hips; Pickle tries to keep up!) I join the anxious group to venture to the end of the dock to see what's going on up close.

The science lab is full of fish this morning; the local fishermen are out as well as the new tourists from next door. The locals know to be out further in a boat, the tourists look frustrated, I know it's too clear right now, the fish can see for miles, they're all under the docks or out in the rocks and reef. The locals in their boats are reeling them in, the tourists roam the beach in frustration! The dogs take up their posts to chase every bird, big and small away from their dock. I cannot keep my eyes off the skies! It's spectacular! The lightning, thunder and clouds are wonderful. I head back to the house only because the dogs know my coffee is gone and now the bugs are really becoming a nuisance.

Inside, doggy treats all around, refill of coffee, a check to the internet weather websites my friends have turned me on to and now settled in to watch how the day plays out. Scuba Steve asks for my opinion of the weather, I give it, (not in the Tommy Skilling professional manner, I do not have his technical training and admitting, am still trying to figure this place out!) Off Scuba Steve goes to work in his boat. I go about my morning chores and will decide as the morning goes on, to alter my tasks or plow ahead. I will more than likely, take the big Bertha Polaris golf cart, (it has a wind shield and cloth top; you still get soaked, but at least flying objects are deflected), and deal with the noise, the parking and the stalling, this monster truck does at every intersection. Not to mention the things I run over and back into making normal turns! (OMG! Ask Christine, yesterday, I took off the fence post to a gate! It WAS lovely, had pretty flowers growing on it too! We put it back to the best of our abilities! No one was around and you do not leave "notes" here when you plow into something like in the states; one nice thing, for me!)

Okay, typical Belize weather; wait 5 minutes, it will change! And, indeed, it has. Still grey, breezy and that pending nasty storm has blown south and west toward Guatemala. Being the novice weathergirl, I will more than likely be completely wrong and find myself later in the storm of the year; or not! I cannot figure this out! All I know for certain, it is humid, hot and hurricane season. I need to do some errands and restock the pantry and water supply. As soon as boy wonder awakes, off we will go, of course, after his 5 course breakfast, and hope for the best!

To the "Weather Channel"! :) D

Real Bananas

This week on "facebook" I have new-old friends, learned about new games to play on-line and have made numerous posts.  Many of these posts are silly comments to island life; laughing to roll with the punches!  All said, it's been an interesting week.  My proudest moment was harvesting bananas.  We have had bananas before; our little rental house had a tree; I picked those, learned a lot from that event.  (ie; leave them on the tree until they are ready, first lesson!  Second, when they are about ready, cut down the whole bunch and then hang them in your bodega until about yellow!  There are more lessons, but not as important as those :)  

Anyway, so I have this gorgeous bunch on one of my many trees!  Roberto informs me it is time to cut!  We do this  and I can hardly wait!  Within 24 hours, we have huge, ripe yellow bananas!  Colin,  Roberto and I gorge ourselves sick on them!  They are so good, we are besides ourselves!  I send Roberto home with a half dozen, "snicks" he says, instead of "snacks!"  (See why he makes me smile!)  The next day, it is time to start making something with all this fruit.  I start with my famous banana bread, bake 3 loaves, a dozen muffins and a custard cream banana pie  :)   I give a loaf to Roberto, Steve helps himself to muffins, (won't say how many; they are small), another loaf to my girlfriend who has just returned to the island and one loaf into the freezer.

This morning, waiting to see if we have the "scheduled" power outage; we do not, so the baking resumes.  Dozen muffins, one giant loaf and a cake.  Steve has already left for the day and Colin shows up for breakfast looking for banana bread.  As he's eating his first course of breakfast, (a mixing bowl size bowl of granola and yogurt), he is ready for his second course.  Just in time the muffins are ready, he chows down three with a giant glass of orange juice.  (The woman at my grocery/produce store marvels at what I buy these days; she does not believe me when I tell her of my son's appetite!  I should have her over for coffee one morning to witness this ritual!)

The clean-up is complete, breads are cooling and these freshly baked goods will go into the freezer for future dates to enjoy.  We have another bunch getting ready and several more trees that will produce fruit in the next month.  I love this!  Now if I could figure out why my tomatoes are not producing fruit,  I would be most pleased!

Cheers again, and here's to "real" life farm-town-stuff!  :)  (Love you Lisa!)

d

Dinner

Doing the final clean up this morning from last night's dinner, I decided, I must keep my camera either in my pocket or at my side at all times!  The Kodak/Cannon moments never come back nor re-enacted!  Not that anything out of the ordinary occurred last night, it was my son's reaction to the empty tonic water and wine bottles on the kitchen counter that had me thinking.

Yesterday morning I started off as most days with my dearly beloved "list".  After the limpiaring, (Spanish for cleaning, lol),  I threw a load of laundry in the washer and jumped into the golf cart for a ride into town.  Wait, back up!  Before that, Roberto had to show me the amazing caterpillar he found, (yikes, made me think of the battle a friend is having right now with her passion fruit and caterpillars!  Should I worry about this?),  Colin had a question or two that needed answers,  the dogs needed a pat on the head, the phones ringing,  Pickle under the cart and won't come out!  In other words, a hour later, I was in the golf cart on my way to town!

Now, anyone who knows this place, knows this isn't always the, "Isla Bonita," Madonna sings about!  Madonna never went into town, in a noisy Polaris in the middle of summer, along these dusty roads with her empty 5 gallon water bottles bouncing in the cargo part of the cart!  Her peeps did it, she only heard about it!  Friends of mine are shopping in the states right now and I am so envious, I can hardly stand it!  I love to shop, it is my sport of preference and I can outlast the best of them!  Shopping in San Pedro is a whole other ball game!  Even the pros are left exhausted, frustrated and in need of a shower and cocktail!  The pleasure I once knew seems like a mere figment of my imagination;  did I once know the shoe department of Neiman's like the back of my hand?  Did the cosmetic counters at Macy's feel like an old comfy sofa?  Does Whole Foods really exist?  

I arrive in town, wave to the familiar faces along the way and get to my first destination not to find a space to park the beast of all golf carts!  I circle the block, OMG!, used to do that in my sleep at the mall back home, no problemo, (Spanish for not a big deal!), and after a couple close calls of tourist wandering aimlessly in the streets, dodging the enormous electric company truck, (ew, maybe I should have hit that?!), "bingo" I get a spot a block from the store!  Once inside,  I tick away at the list, proud of myself for remembering to bring the styro-foam egg carton to save 35 cents BZ (!), I realize, damn-it, my water jugs are unsecured in the back of the golf cart!  (They are worth more empty than full or $25BZ each!)   Do I go out there, fire the cart up and try to move in closer to the front door of the store?  Do I go out there, make an attempt at tying them in?  No, don't want to attract attention, I'll get out of here fast!  Shopping like a pro, I finished in record time!   Cramming the bags into the small storage unit under the passenger seat, start the cart and away I go to the next stop.

Around, around I go, trying to find parking!  I could go a few blocks to the, "parking lot" that only the owner of this property and few select others know about, because there is no sign and taxis are usually blocking the entrance.  Better not,  a few blocks away,  but I have $100BZ worth of unsecured water bottles in back and groceries in the storage compartment.  Must find something closer.  Around and around again, I decide I am a frequent customer at another retailer and I will bloody park there!  (A lot of my British ex-pat friends use this "bloody" expression; it seems to fit well in many circumstances, I like it!)  Okay, I park, give the security guard a little friendly wave and across the street I go to the next store.  

This little gem of a produce market has just about everything else on my list and it's fully air conditioned.  The owner and I have become friends, I glide through this tiny establishment feeling relaxed and at ease.  Standing in line, (which, by the way is a new concept here!  Very few, except tourists, stand in a line and wait their turn!  A major pet peeve for another blog:),  I wait patiently for the tourist ahead of me to finish her story, her trials of the day, her excitement of being on the island.  The owner and I trade glances,  roll our eye balls and it is now my turn.  I pay my bill, collect my parcels, exchange nicey-nicey's with my friend and away I go to the next stop.  Keep in mind; the narrow streets, roaming-picture-taking tourists, hot blazing sun, 95% humidity and a golf cart that should come with it's own "Bose" noise- cancelling head set!  To sum this up, 3 or 4 more stops to go!   Chats with neighbors along the way,  a lot of smiles and hand waves, (tourists feel compelled to wave), finally, back home.

When I arrive, no one is around to help unload, (I'm thinking Madonna would have her staff unloading this cart in the noontime sun!)  Instead,  I have 3 dogs jumping to lick the sweat dripping off my face, while juggling bags,  looking for my keys.  Inside the kitchen, I scrub the dust off my hands, arms and face, to begin  the task of preparing tonight's meal.  My husband has invited two friends whose wives are off island, to dinner.  We love to have friends over and these guys are dear and make me laugh!  I begin the chopping, cooking and preparing of this meal.  It's simple, prosciutto and melon, salad, lasagne, garlic bread and zucchini/coconut/pineapple cake.  By the time Steve steps in the door, I have finished cooking and tend to the table and the last of the limpiaring.  He's on the sofa snoozing when our first guest arrives.  (How does he do that?)

Now we get back to the, "dead soldiers" on the kitchen counter this morning!  Excited to see his friends, Steve starts pouring drinks.  I put our first guest's lovely appetizer on a pretty plate, get out the perfect utensil and the party has officially begun.  Next bachelor arrives.  I place his bottle of wine along side the first guest's bottle and offer him a piece of melon.  Steve soon realizes, we need more tonic and ice, (maybe the sofa time should have been spent checking on the bar supplies?),  Colin just happens to walk in upon returning from his third work out of the day!  (Another blog topic, later!)  Convincing our son, these are drastic needs, he gets into the golf cart for another trip to the store for tonic and ice.

Colin returns, the boys are ready to eat.  I serve everyone, glasses clink in the "cheers" and the manga (I talian for let's eat!) begins!  Your husbands, girlfriends shopping, are true gentlemen.  Polite conversations, most acceptable table manners and generous compliments to the chef, (moi; french for me!)  Seconds go around, bread is gone, another glass of wine, open another bottle and dessert.  We enjoy each others company, exchange stories, tell some jokes, update the latest island gossip.  It is about now that I go looking for a camera.  Steve is going on and on about his high school athletic career, Colin is desperately trying to get some training advice and I realize, my camera is not where I thought I left it!  They now miss me, have left the table  and have moved outside.  I did not mean to stop the party, I just wanted to take a photo to send to the wives stateside.  Darn it, cannot get those moments back nor the momentum.  So, the boys talk some more, I am limpiaring, again and before I know it, Steve is horizontal with all three dogs in the bed!

I finish what I want to do in the kitchen, turn off the lights, check the gates, say "goodnight" to our son, turn in for the night.  This morning, I have a quick walk with the dogs, greet Robert and notice Steve is moving painfully slow.  I look closer and he cannot be feeling  great.  Looking at my kitchen counter to finish up last night's clean up,  I understand his angst!  His is the face of too many rum and tonics, throw in some red wine and whole lot of food(!) and this is the face of pure misery!  Thus, the photo of empty bottles, (maybe I should go through the trash for the other empties!  Naw!)

So, ladies shopping, I don't know how your guys are feeling today?  I was busy getting food out to notice the drinking until it was too late!  It really wasn't that much!   Sorry about that, but I think they had a good time!  I am sure Steve will hit that sofa again after working today!  I am also sure he will be happy with a grilled cheese sandwich and some soup!  Let me know if I should take something similar over to yours!  :)  Cheers...

Power

Roberto and plants
Dogs snoozing and waiting for the birds!
Pippi, one eye open in case a bird lands!

I have not blogged in a while, mostly because I have been busy with day to day life.  What a change!  Anywhere else I would understand this, but here, day to day life throws some real curve balls and tries one's patience!  The latest trial of patience has been power outages!  

These so called, "scheduled" and "unscheduled" power outages have been a real pain! (We had an "unscheduled" power outage the day before last for 5 hours!  and, more outages the weekend prior!)  I have tried to find the humor in it, but it is a real inconvenience!  Thank goodness for my son who has kept me entertained, and of course,  Roberto who always makes me laugh.  During the outage yesterday; 8 hours versus the 6 hour "planned outage!?", we kept ourselves busy and tried desperately to find the humor in it!

I started my morning by getting up well before the 6:00 a.m.  start of the "scheduled" outage so I could have my beloved cup of coffee, (this is a religious experience for me; very difficult to get through a day without this small routine to kick start it!)  After the brew was complete, I poured this steamy pot of wonderful into a thermos to be able to enjoy it hot throughout the morning.  Then out into the yard and beach.  I had my usual pair of snippers in my pocket and began taking note of what needed trimming, repotting, moving and removing, (this will keep me busy for hours!), but, Roberto sees me trimming and studying,  he loves this kind of work and  soon takes over!  Okay fine, let him have his fun,  I have plenty to do.  Out to the dock with new coffee and the dogs.

On the dock,  we watch the bonefish chase the small sardines and the pelicans dive for breakfast.  The dogs believe it is their job to bark and announce the pelican arrivals.  They go absolutely nuts over any bird coming near their territorial dock!  They bark and jump out of their minds at these odd looking creatures and pride themselves when the birds keep flying by.  Sort of as to say, "look, mom we did it,  they're gone!  Can we have a cookie now?"  They never cease to make me smile.  I marvel at the daunting task they have taken upon themselves!  These adorable animals seem so completely pleased with themselves and content to follow me around!  Of course, they know I will reward them for being so damn cute; their furry faces are the sweetest and really should be professionally photographed for a doggy calendar or coffee table book!  :)

Speaking  of coffee, I am out!  Back to the house for doggy treats and something else to do.  Roberto is busy chopping, dogs are chomping and it is 7:15 am and hours to go before power!  That is okay, I have a long list of "to-do's"!   I "limpiar" aka clean,  (big LOL's; I get a "Spanish" word of the day from an internet site, wonder what today's word is?).  I sort through Steve's paper trail, take the laundry downstairs, get that ready to go and plan tonight's dinner.  8:00 a.m!  What?  4 more hours!  No internet, no "facebook", no fan, no air conditioning and no power also means the water pump does not work either!  Okay, it is an adventure, find the humor in all this,  my friends back in the states say they would trade places with me at any time!   Into the pool!

After the cool swim, there is no hiding from the sun there, upstairs again; it is now 8:30 a.m!  This is ridiculous, normally the hours fly by, why is today taking all day?  Any other day, these hours would have passed unnoticed and I would be marveling at how quickly they have flown by and can it really be lunch time!   My god!  I look around, everything is as neat and tidy as I want it.  It is hot, humid and I need to be outside in the breeze.  To the porch swing with a crossword puzzle;  they do not require electricity and pass the time as well as exercise the brain!  I do a few of these and now I have had enough!  I want to get that laundry done, I want to start pulling stuff out of the freezer to cook, bake and do some checking!  I would like to finish a small embroidery project for a new customer!  I would like to turn the water faucet on and get some water!

11:00 a.m,  back to the pool, another dip, swim, a little exercise.  Back to the dock.  Ready to give up, I move the lounge chair into the shade and  fall asleep.  Lulled by the sound of the waves breaking against the pier,  birds chirping, dogs snoring, cool breezes off the Caribbean sea and why had I not thought of this sooner?  Napping!,  the most excellent way to pass the time!  And, that it does,  when I awake the power is still not on, but my attitude and mood are back to my cheerful self.  The dogs want to play, Colin is hungry and  peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are perfect!  He and I sit outside and chat about old times, old friends and family, tell a few jokes.  We enjoy each other's company and make some plans for our trip back to the states next month.  OOps, back to the electricity problem, we need the internet to book those flights and makes those calls!  When is the power coming back?  It is now past noon!

Around 2:00 pm., the power finally returns and we all slip into our daily routines once more.  Laundry is done, dinner is made and the a/c is blasting!   The airlines were all too happy to make our reservations and the emails to let our friends and family know we are coming in get sent.   Somehow in the middle of it, we managed, we relaxed, we laughed and we survived!  Not a big deal, another adventure in paradise!  Happy day!  :)