While Tennessee is having a very hard time after being affected by heavy rains that flooded most of Nashville and other areas, meanwhile here, we haven't had a drop of rain in days.
Our island is very, very dry but at the same time very humid. Just yesterday they were saying on the radio that temperature was around 87F but the real feel was more like 105F so that's pretty much boiling hot to me.
I only wish there was a way to get a little bit of that rain that they got in Nashville to spread around my yard, that way maybe we could get some green grass from a change and not the horrible and spiky weeds that are suddenly taking over our wonderful lawn.
enjoying my outdoor shower
On the other hand, we are less than a month away from the beginning of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, so hopefully in a few months I won't be asking for some dry weather and complaining about so much rain, because that's just how it is sometimes with us humans...
You know what they say "The grass is always greener..." even if it's cause is full of manure, LOL!
There are a lot of things in life that fill my life with joy, some are complex but others very simple ones that just bright my day and make me enjoy being alive.
People make me happy but also sometimes make me very sad, human relationships are hard and definitely not simple, still when they are positive influences in your life they can definitely bring you much, much joy.
Now, when it comes to animals, this is a completely different story in my case, I love animals and most of the time they make me very, very happy. More and more everyday I come to find out how amazing they are, how awesome it's to be able to share my life with them and wish more people would realize the same; that way they would be more loved and protected.
I have to admit that one simple thing that makes me really happy is; whenever I see a dog riding in a car. Why this makes me happy? Is not mainly because of the dog being in the car, but the fact that the people with him/her really appreciate their relationship and it goes beyond a human-pet type, is like they give their animal the value of life companion, and that is priceless.
Yesterday morning, I was driving to work, nowadays I always carry my camera with me in case I encounter one of those "Kodak moments", then all of a sudden on the side of the road while I am waiting on a red light, here comes a man driving a scooter with the most wonderful passenger...
Isn't he great?
After I got home that afternoon I told my husband:
-You won't believe what I saw this morning and took a picture of? and he answered:
-You saw a guy riding a scooter with a dog in the back!
I was like, WOW! How did you know? He says because he saw it too around the island (twice) and each time he thought of me!!! (And that's another reason why I love my man).
I guess when a holiday celebration is linked to tacos, tequila and maybe even mariachi music, it is bound to get popular, right? So that's probably the reason a day like today Cinco de Mayo, is celebrated in the States and other country more than it even is in Mexico.
But, does most of the people celebrating and getting drunk with margaritas really know what this date is all about? I seriously doubt it, I bet that if I go to any of the many bars having "Cinco de Mayo" event and specials around the island, and I ask a few people what is the real celebration of this day, they will probably say:
1. The Independence of Mexico
2. When USA won the state of Texas over Mexico.
3. National Day of Tequila
4. National Tacos Day
5. Speedy Gonzales Birthday
But none of this are the REAL reason why Cinco de Mayo is even an recognized date. The real reason is that today commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
You can read more about the history of today at the Wikipedia page of Cinco de Mayo, where it also says
"In the United States Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico. The date is perhaps best recognized in the United States as a date to celebrate the culture and experiences of Americans of Mexican ancestry, much as St. Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest, and the Chinese New Year are used to celebrate those of Irish, German, and Chinese ancestry respectively. Similar to those holidays, Cinco de Mayo is observed by many Americans regardless of ethnic origin. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on beverages, foods, and music".
So there you have it in case you didn't know... Anyhoo, whatever is your reason for celebrating Cinco de Mayo, have fun, be responsible (specially when dealing with Tequila) and at least know the real reason in case somebody asks you what today's date means you don't sound like idiot (you've been warned!, LOL!)
Living in the Caribbean and in a house that is built on 10 foot columns we usually get pretty good breeze so there's no need in running the A/C 24/7 which is great, doors and windows open most of the time, I love it.
The only little detail about it, is that with doors open "policy", we also get some unwanted guests: mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches and even those annoying geckos that leave their droppings everywhere, ugh!
The other day I even found him (or her?)
don't even know what kind of bug this is? It has wings like a dragonfly but then the body is completely different and it has antennas as well. It seem pretty harmless so I decided to take the picture.
Last year we had some pest control done and it helped, but damn it is expensive! And because of this, I've been procrastinating about getting it done again, until now that it's gotten to the point that instead of just mosquitoes is more like clouds of them, not nice, specially for our blood count, LOL!
Finally tomorrow we are having the Pest Control guys coming in, they are spraying both the yard as well as the inside, I think it's important to do that now before it starts raining and more bugs start coming out of the bushes to look for shelter in our lovely house, hope this helps!
It's Monday again and I am no longer a "newlywed", feels great as it is and I can't wait to have many more years along my loving husband.
As an anniversary present I wanted to give him something special, that you don't do every day and something that we both have never done before, so I arranged a Helicopter ride around our beautiful island, it was AWESOME!
Like I said before it was a one of a kind experience and we really enjoyed it, here are some of the best pictures of around the island.
taking off
flying towards the East End of the Island
View of 7 mile beach
Our House from the air!
Our beach house, not! The Ritz Carlton Hotel
Nice houses in the South Shore
George town's Port
Isn't it a beautiful island and how about the color of the water? Just amazing...
Helicopter tour is definitely a must when you come visit, it's worth the money and the time... We already want to do it again, hopefully we won't wait for another year to go by!
A year ago, May 2nd, 2009 was one of the most important and unforgettable days of my life, I was getting ready to become a wife to the man that I love with all my heart.
Thinking back on that day at times it seems kind of blurry, I had so many mixed feeling of love, happiness, excitement, nerves, but all were good ones, the kind that you only have once in a lifetime!
Now a whole year has passed and like many things that you only do for a first time, we are having our first year anniversary.
I can't really say it feel like the first day we met because our love has changed, grown and evolve in many levels, and one thing I am sure of is that is not the same love, but a much, much better one, that will keep on changing as we do, otherwise we get stuck and that's when things don't work out as well.
So, yeah, it feels really fast that a whole year has already passed, I guess "time flies when you are in love", and I don't mind that, as long as I am next to Mark to share it with him.
The weekend is here and with it also my one year wedding anniversary. WOW! it feels like it was just yesterday that I was starting to plan our wedding and now we are getting ready to celebrate this "milestone", how exciting!
I have a wonderful thing planned for Saturday afternoon, something both me and my husband have never done before, can't really say what it is because my husband reads my blog, so for now it's going to remain a mystery, but promise you'll know all about it in a few days. I am very excited and hope we are going to have a great time!!!
Also this weekend is Batabano Carnival on the island, last year the parade was the same exact day as our wedding so of course we didn't go, maybe this year we'll catch a little bit of it, we'll see, promise pictures if I make it, meanwhile here's a little video so you could have an idea of what's all about.
There's nothing like nourishing your soul by connecting with somebody or something you love dearly.
These past few days back home with my family were exactly that, nourishment for my soul. I felt loved, appreciated and through this connections I kind of "recharged" batteries to keep on going in life.
I am a firm believer that without God and specially this kind of amazing energy that our loved ones provides us, our lives will be dull and just too difficult and exhausting to deal with...
But in my case, not only my family and being in my country gave me this amazing nourishment I needed, my parents animals did most of the job, but specially my Mom's lovely and dear cat Lea.
She is an adorable kitty, just loving and fun to be around. I miss having a cat so much, but with our two dogs bringing a cat into into our household right now, would be an absolute nightmare for us and them...
These past days with Lea filled that need that my soul has of having a cat again, so for that I am so incredibly happy and thankful!
As of yesterday afternoon I am back to Grand Cayman and back to reality, but you know what? After spending some wonderful (although short) days with my family back home, reality of the kind of life I have here (on this pretty little island) is not bad AT ALL!!!
Of course I miss my family, the fact that we have such a great and close relationship, is like you always have a "support group" at a short distance, and that's what I probably miss and lack the most here.
But besides that, now when I go back to visit, I see that I don't miss city living and specially all the cars and craziness that goes on the roads now a days.
Our visit was short but sweet, I really got to spend time with my Mom who was in the need of some serious TLC, after falling and then having to be on a wheelchair for the past 2 weeks.
Before we left, I talked to my dad over the phone and he said she was very depressed (and who wouldn't having to be on a wheel chair with a cast on your leg and a shoulder immobilizer, when you are a very active person!)....
But now after a few days with her I believe she is in much, much better spirit and happy with all the love and appreciation that so many people showed her over the weekend but specially on Sunday that was her 60th birthday.
So, remember I was planning to get her 60 presents to celebrate this special milestone??? Well, I did it. She was surprised, happy and mesmerize by so much thoughtfulness from me, I was just delighted to see her smile, happy and enjoying the whole 1/2 an hour that it took her to open everything I got her... Plus I am sure this is a memory she is going to cherish for a long time, besides the fact that most of the gift were very useful things that she will really enjoy using...
60 ways to say I LOVE YOU MOM!!!
The doggies love you (and your presents too, LOL!)
Some of the presents ("guard dog" not included, LOL)
Like I said before, the visit was SHORT but sweet, took some pictures (specially of the dogs, the cat and some at my mom's party), will share more later, have a wonderful Wednesday!
Tomorrow we are leaving to Costa Rica, I am so excited to see my Mom, Dad and the rest of the family, but also I can't wait to see the dogs (one of the 3 they have at the house is mine) and my mom's cat Lea.
It's going to be so good to leave even if it's just for 5 days.
I really need to disconnect from work but also I feel like I have a little bit of island fever, so Costa Rica it's the best medicine for that! Also last time I went away with my husband was back in October (for work), so that makes a BIG difference.
So, got my tickets, got some $$$, got my Mom's 60 presents for her 60th birthday, so I'm all set...
BTW, don't know how much internet access I will have, last time I was home my parents had dial up, yeap, you heard me right, DIAL UP internet connection, so dreaming of a fast connection wasn't even an option, now it looks like they finally have dsl or something comparable, but I still don't think I will be posting much, I do promise lots of pictures and then share them via my blog...
Until then, here's a nice little video I found on Youtube about Costa Rica, the girl narrating I think is kind of hard to understand at time cause of her accent... anyway, hope you like it and this gives you an idea of what my lovely country is all about...
BTW, the last part about investing in CR is because this is a video made by the Chamber of Commerce, if you don't have $$$ to invest, just invest in a visit!!!
The weather is beautiful on our part of the world.
Of course it's only Tuesday so I am stuck inside working, but I do have to admit I'd rather be out there instead, it's bright, sunny, hot and maybe even sticky if you decide to have an ice cream and it ends up melting on you, unless you are faster at licking it, LOL!
So, here's a little video to prove that I am not making this stuff up, of course I can't really prove the ice cream part unless you come down to George town, buy me one and then I conduct the experiment and prove it, what da'ya think? Sounds like a plan to me...
We had 5 cruise ships in port today, on the video you can only see 4, one on the side and 3 in a row but the resolution it's not good enough for you to see them well, the other one was far, far away on the horizon by the time I took this video, enjoy!
It's amazing how much (and sometimes how fast) times change.
Once upon a cigarette, smoking was hip, cool and maybe even "good for ya"... The fact that there were advertising like the following one, seems so unreal now a days...
Also that you were encouraged to share the "Christmas Spirit" with cigarettes; endorsed by no other than Ronald Reagan. Here's the former US president advertising a very special Christmas-Card carton that was THE THING to buy for all those you care for... plus no unpleasant after-taste, LOL!
Times have definitely changed and in some cases for better but in other cases, not sure...
In many cases the planet is the one that has suffer (and is still is) the many changes, otherwise ask the New York territory.
Crazy how times, things, places and even people change... Now, if only there was a way to change weekends so they were longer, LOL!
It's finally raining for the first time probably in the whole year 2010. Our little island is being so dry, plants needed it so bad, that I am sure that today they must feel like dancing. We've been having to water them every other day to keep them alive.
I wonder if plants get the feeling of thirst? If after a while of not having any water, when it finally rains they feel just like we do when we are extremely thirsty and then we finally drink a glass a water, ahhhh that feels so good!
So today, I am grateful for the rain and for the plants and animals that I am sure are rejoicing in it because of how dry everything was... But also it's Saturday and I have to work because my manager is still away so I am the "manager on duty". So I am even grateful for that, considering next week at this time I will be in Costa Rica... I do have to admit that today's weather makes me feel like staying home, cuddling in bed with my husband, anywhoo...
Every time I see an amazing display in nature can't help but thank God for such beauty that not only decorates our life but also brings joy to our souls.
Today I am not talking about a flower but a whole tree full of them, full of color and the best part of it is, that is just around the corner from my house.
Isn't it beautiful? These trees are all over the island and blooming to the fullest, such beauty should remind us of how lucky we are and how important is the preserve nature.
Yesterday was supposed to be one of two days of the week to get physiotherapy for my arm.
I am still in pain, at this point I suspect everything is affecting my recovery; stress makes it worst, computer typing definitely aggravates it, sleeping on my right side is out of the question and I'm starting to think that even certain bras affected it too!
The worst part at this point is that I've been going to physio for a few weeks now and if somebody asks me how I feel after this process of "recovery" -insert sarcastic tone here- started, I will have to go with probably I feel worse. At some point I guess I felt better but lately cause of stress and a lot of arm activities (cause of working at a gallery) have definitely set me back a bit.
So, what's with the tip of the iceberg?
Like I said before, after weeks of physio, the therapist I'm seeing at the hospital, at time is extremely rude to me, she makes me feel like it's an inconvenience for her to take care of me, and to top it all, yesterday I showed up for my 8am appointment (after sorting out the schedule at work to be able to make it) and the receptionists tells me the therapist changed schedules so she doesn't work until 9am, say whaaaaat????
I don't even wanna try to describe the feelings I got from the situation, but oh well I guess this is expected when you use public health and go through your insurance. Still, she has no right to be this way, of course I called the supervisor and complained, about her attitude and specially what happened yesterday, the supervisor apologized saying they had a computer glitch (yeah right, always the computer excuse) and that they tried to notify everybody and I guess they forgot to call me, a whole week she had to do that, I guess maybe this therapist has way to many patients to keep track, or just plain she doesn't give a rats behind!
I hate it when people make me waste time, I got up earlier than usual, left the house on time and like I mentioned before arranged everything so there was somebody at work to open the store and all for nothing... Hope today when they re schedule my appointment she doesn't chop my arm or something, wish me luck!
Well, not much to write about today... just like I suspected yesterday, I am in for a very busy week, what keeps me going is the fact that I am less than 2 weeks away to go back to Costa Rica and spend time with my parents.
As I mentioned before, my Mom is turning 60 on the 25th of April and my Dad's birthday is the next day, the 26. So, those are the main reasons why we are going. But now there's another (not so pleasant) reason, this past Saturday my Mom went out for a jog and fell, she broke her right ankle and her left shoulder, ouch!
Now she has a cast on her leg and a shoulder immobilizer, she has to go back to the Doctor in about a week to make sure she is not going to be needing surgery to correct the shoulder part, hopefully she wont.
Me & Mom in 2004
I can't wait to go home, give her a hug and the 60 presents I already got for her, how exciting... meanwhile I am here busy bee!
The weekend was pretty fun, on Friday while doing some grocery shopping I noticed a signed about a Kiwanis annual Dog Walk which was going on Sunday morning, and I thought: (insert sarcastic tone of voice here first) "what a great way to start the day at 6:30 am, specially on a Sunday"....
But then for real I thought, our dogs would love it... So I mentioned it to my husband and he said: YOU want to wake up early on Sunday? So I said, yeah maybe I do, cause I know the dogs would have a blast.
And guess what, we made it to the walk... Got up in time and had a wonderful time, here is the proof.
getting ready to start the walk
but not without the proper good morning greetings!
after walking for a while...
for Sheba it's time to cool off, before the rest of the crowd arrives
Like in every story there are two sides of the story, so please visit my husband's blog to read more about the wonderful time we had with the dogs...
In other news:
My bosses from FL arrive today and my manager's dad passed away on Saturday, so she is leaving to Canada tomorrow for a week, so I know it's going to be busy week for me... Have a great day!!!
