1/17/2011 - Latest Update

NOTE:  apologies ahead of time…I’m very talkative today.

Notice the two alligator slides on either side of the tower.

The fun just keeps on coming… Yesterday, Jake was invited to our friend’s boat, Andiamo III.  They have moved from La Cruz to a marina close by called Paridise Village because they have some friends coming to stay with them and they wanted to be closer to them.  It’s one of those places where people joke that scared Americans go to see Mexico (no offense to Andiamo, they feel the same way).  Anyway, they invited Jake to come and play in the totally awesome pool (complete with alligator slide) and then spend the night with their kids Christian and Abigail.  Jake wasn’t too keen on spending the night yet so we decided to go for the day while Andy worked on the boat. 

After an hour or so on two different buses (I really hate the bus system here…it takes FOREVER to get anywhere), Jake and I had lunch at McDonald’s and ice cream before we called Andiamo on the radio.  Shockingly, they couldn’t hear us…our hand held radio is crap.  So we set about to find them.  Trying to get into Paradise Village without proper id is like trying to get onto a military base the day after 9/11(well, not that hard, but pretty darn close).   We just tried to look the part and after some well staged conversation between Jake and I about not being able to find his friends, spoken in front of sympathetic looking people who looked liked they missed their grandkids, a nice gentleman let us in the gate to the dock so we could continue our hunt.  We finally found Andiamo and surprised them in the middle of their lunch.

Jake, partaking in the paper airplane contest.

Once the kids were all dressed, we went to the pool and had a fabulous afternoon.  The kids swam and played games while Tami and I sipped white wine spritzers and had some much needed (at least for me) girl time.  The highlight of Jake’s day was probably going down the big alligator slide.  I had to go first to see how scary it was…against my better judgment I decided to take Jake down with me the second time.  I say against my better judgment because I hate water slides.  Absolutely hate them.  I’m not the best swimmer in the world and hate water up my nose, which is what always happens on those things.  I’m positive I must have had a bad experience at White Water at a young age and have just supressed that memory.  Like most of my worries, it was unfounded and we landed safely in the shallow pool at the bottom, both times (he made me do it twice).

Today, I really didn’t want to do anything.  It’s two o’clock and I’m still in my pajamas.  But I will say we have been pretty productive.  I cut Andy and Jake’s hair this morning (long overdue), then Jake and I had school.   He’s coming a long much better with this new math program we’re using (Mathucansee), recommended by an old high school friend (thanks Tina, if you’re reading this).  And by doing Math first, somehow he doesn’t mind the reading and writing so much afterwards. 

Yes, that's my purple shirt he's wearing.

Sanding away...

Andy has been busy for several days sanding, priming and painting the whole boat.  He’s doing a fantastic job but there is dust everywhere and the whole boat is a wreck (which is why cleaning is not on my list of things to do today…it would be a waste of time).

Painter's tape, primer, windows are out... lots of prep work.

The cockpit is a total mess...dust everywhere.

My next task was to check on our ditch bag and see what was in there.  A ditch bag, for those of you don’t know, is literally the bag you take with you if you have to “ditch” your boat.  While no one ever expects to have to do that, it’s a good idea to be prepared anyway.  I know all of my cruiser friends are thinking that’s the understatement of the year.  See, we went to a seminar the other night where the topic was being prepared.  Aside from scaring the bejesus out of most everyone, it also woke us up to realize we probably have some work to do.  We packed our ditch bag a while back so I had forgotten what was in there.  When I dumped it out and laid it all out, I think we’re only about halfway packed.  So, off I go to make more lists (and spend more $).

Around lunch time, Jake announced he was hungry (what’s with that kid?).  I looked around and we have nothing appetizing to a 5 year old.  No bread, no tortillas, no tostado chips.  So I gave him an apple and peanut butter to hold him over until I thought of something.  While we are in a place where I can just “go to the store,” it’s not that easy to do.  I have to lower the dinghy, drive 15 minutes or so (we’re at the very end of the anchorage) in rolly waters – from 1-5pm here it sucks – probably getting wet… park the dinghy, find someone to let me in/out of the dock gate, walk ½ mile – 1 mile depending on where I parked the dinghy to the store, buy vegetables, go to another store, buy meat, go to another store, buy drinks, pack them all in my backpack and/or additional bags I brought and walk the ½ mile or so back and do everything backwards again.  The other option would be to hop on the bus for an hour and go to the Mega grocery store, make sure I don’t buy too much as I have to carry it all and hop on the bus back, walk some more, dinghy back…you get the picture.  I didn’t want to do any of that today so I have made some quick bread to tide everyone over and am trying my darndest to get my husband to take us out to dinner.  There is supposed to be some “weather” this afternoon (20 knot wind) and he wants to stay on the boat for that…I’m hoping it doesn’t pan out or we’re all having popcorn for supper (again).  He’s out of beer though so I’m thinking things are in my favor…

Tomorrow I get to have another girl day with my friend Diane.  She is a travel writer and often gets some really cool perks providing that she does a review or an article for the said perk.  Tomorrow she is going to the spa and has graciously invited me to go with her.  I cannot tell you how happy this makes me…  It’s been over a year since I had a pedicure and the last massage I had was by a giant Russian with hairy knuckles at the YMCA in Norfolk!!  I have no idea what I’m going to get but I’m positive it will be fantastic.