Roses are Red Violets are Blue on my blog today, I have Roses for you...
This is a little rose that is growing on my back deck, I think it's some kind of hybrid plant because the flowers are very small and don't last very long... still beautiful.
I am really looking forward to the weekend because Monday is a holiday on the island (Discovery Day- something to do with Columbus coming around this area). I will be diving my rebreather again for the first time this year, yey for that!
Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to smell the roses!!!
For those who read my blog and those who don't (shame on you, LOL!) I have to tell you all that I LOVE coffee!
Coming from Costa Rica where one of the 3 top industries is coffee plantations, I cannot even recall when was it that I first tried coffee for the first time, but I do remember at the beginning I used to drink it with little milk and sugar, nowadays I am all up for the good all black no suga', the best. Now, I take my coffee in the mornings before coming to work, then sometimes mid morning, sometimes mid afternoon, and sometimes both, jeje... So that's at least 2 or 3 cups a day.
Of course when I drink it at home I don't spend much money, but then when I buy a cup around work it's at least $1.95 KYD (Cayman Islands Dollars) = $2.40 USD x 5 days a week= $12usd x 4 weeks a month= $48usd a month just on coffee. Now, we have a new manager at the store that contrary to our previous manager this one drinks coffee, so she has decided to get a coffee machine, so we are renting this:
It's the Keurig B40!
If you've never heard of it, this are all it's amazing features:
Two Brew Sizes 8oz and 10
Ready to brew three minutes after turned on
Brews an 8 ounce cup in less than one minute
Optional Auto-off feature shuts down brewer after 2 hours
Water Heating and Refill Tank indicator lights
Removable 48-oz. water reservoir
Descale indicator for long use
Easy-clean, removable plastic drip tray
Nice, isn't it, we should get it delivered by tomorrow of maybe Monday, can't wait!
Wednesday is here, the middle of the week day, hump day or just whatever you want to call it...
I myself always liked Wednesdays, it's my favorite "business" day, dunno exactly why but maybe it's got something to do with the fact that I was born on a Feb. 23rd for the year 1977 which was not other than a Wednesday, maybe that's why!
I feel pretty energetic today, must be because lately I've been walking/jogging for a 1/2 an hour in the mornings, I really want to get into running. When I lived in Cayman Brac (the other island) I used to run about 2 miles a day, sometimes on the treadmill and other times (when it wasn't too hot) on the road... I really want to get into that again.
In fact this morning I feel so full of energy that I could probably walk around the world in 80 seconds, wanna join me?
Isn't this video fun? Have a wonderful Wednesday...
For those who keep a blog and even those that read them, there's always a time when you feel it's a struggle to think about what to post, when the inspiration fairy just took off without notice and you feel that whatever you are sharing just don't appeal to anybody and that maybe there is really no one out there reading, sharing and enjoying what you decided to write about...
Well, just when some of those feeling appeared on me and I start doubting if my life is interested enough to continue sharing it through a blog, yesterday I got a unique surprise, a bit of my life on the island was featured in another blog/web site, it's a wonderful site called Daily Vitamin Sea, and Oh WOW, what a great honor to be feature on a blog that is all about coastal lifestyle!
So, go head, check me out, I know you want to... (click here to find it).
I think Maya did a wonderful job taking a little bit of information about my life and how much I always wanted to live on an island.... I really had not idea that she even reads my blog and that is probably one of the things that makes blogging such a wonderful experience, being able to reach to people from different cultures, backgrounds, different opinions and very different places.
So I want to thank Maya for the honor of mentioning me on her site, hopefully one day she can come down and visit me to have a better idea of what life in this little rock is all about.
Meanwhile I will keep trying to share more about my life here and today with this little video I took on Sunday at the beach, enjoy!
Over the course of the year I've had all sorts of weekends.
When I was a little girl it was all about birthday parties, going out to family events or just try to stay up a little later than usual.
Then when school years came, it was all about sleepovers or pajama parties, going rollerblading, maybe to a friends pool and if lucky, catch a movie without any grownup supervision!
As I ventured into my teens and high school years, weekends were about being on the phone for hours with girlfriends taking about the latest gossip, boys and that family event we were pretty much forced to attend. Also in my case I can't forget those times when I used to leave homework for Sunday night ( last minute deal after procrastinating all weekend long) when the assignment was due Monday first period.
Years went by and then weekends were all about going out with friends. This are the years when I was either close to 18 or already 18 so in CR this means legal to drive, to drink and to vote (but not necessary in that order), and that's when the fun on weekends begin, I had a few "party hardy" years myself. Those were the years when I would go out pretty much every night of the weekend, sometimes getting home with the early morning newspaper, just in time to crash for a few hours, charge batteries and then go out again at night... good times!
Then the real deal with college begins and in my case so was my first job (part time while in school). Then that's when things start to change because, you either have too much to study or you simply start working on weekends, so so in my case I started slowing down, maybe got together with friends, have some drinks or even just catching a happy hour after work to get home early, study some more or just get the "beauty sleep" for next day.
Now a days my weekends are all about chilling out, I like to stay home, watch movies, maybe go for a dive (although with my arm situation I haven't been doing much of that lately), work on the yard, etc. But mostly, my weekends nowadays are to rest and spend time with my husband. Sometimes we go to dinner at a nice restaurant and go shopping together for stuff we just can't go do during the week.
This past weekend, for a change, in a long time, we catch the release of a brand new movie: Iron Man 2, it was awesome! (well if you are into super heroe/action movies or into Robert Downey Jr- like me, I'm into both!!).
To the movies we went with some friends that are going through a very difficult time; their dog Angel has been pretty sick for a while, so finally they had to make the decision to put her down the next day on Saturday. So a movie on the previous night was a good deal to take their mind off such a hard and difficult decision, I am very sad for them.
On Saturday I went to get another test for my arm, this time it was an EMG which is an electromyogram, that measures the electrical impulses of muscles at rest and during contraction. So basically, I went to see a doctor that gave me electric shocks on my arm (not pleasant!) to find out if my problem is a pinched nerve, well it looks like I don't, what's going on is a chronic tendonitis in both my elbow and my shoulder (more on treatment later).
Also I have to mention that my doctor was a Russian visiting Neurologist and after watching IM2 the night before, getting electric shocks from a Russian was not that fun (when you watch the movie you'll know what I mean).
The on Saturday afternoon we finally made up our mind and went looking for a new grill, we found a great deal and upgraded in a very nice way, this is out new baby:
Then yesterday was just a very nice day, sunny and hot, we went to the beach, did some snorkeling and then watched a movie at home, now my batteries are charged and I am ready to start my week.
Have a wonderful Monday!
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!
This is a little rose that is growing on my back deck, I think it's some kind of hybrid plant because the flowers are very small and don't last very long... still beautiful.
