Okay, where do we begin? Maybe a weekend re-cap, although nothing too crazy. We spent a lot of the day on Saturday at Home Depot and other stores trying to tie up some loose ends. We enjoyed the last hour or two of sun drinking boat drinks by the pool and then headed down to Iggy’s for some drinks and dinner. We received a warm welcome by both the hostess, who I used to work with when I was at the Marriott last year and whom I like very much, and by our waitress who we’ve known for a long time LOVES Chris. She’s a local islander who seems no-nonsense and intimidating at first, but she’s got a soft spot for Chris and now, due to association, I think she’s warming up to me!
Sunday was lovely- we hung out by the pool and met a very sweet woman who lives in our villas with her husband and 2 ½ year old. We were introduced because she mentioned re-doing their condo and she was happy to quiz us on many things. We shared some tips and troubles we’ve had and exchanged contact info, so hopefully new friends we have made! We ended the day having some drinks and appetizers down at Iggy’s (again) with a neighbor and a local couple he is friends with. We had a great time and might even have people to hang out with on New Years! We sure felt popular this weekend.
The rest of the week has had its ups and downs. I will get the downs over with first. Our internet has been shoddy for about a week and you can’t rely on it to send out what you are trying to, so Chris has been very frustrated. We found out this morning that the problem lies somewhere in the wiring of the building, so it is not up to the DSL company to find the problem, but for the condo association. Other than the goodness of their hearts (and they are nice people), they really have no incentive to light a fire under their butts and fix the problem, since it really only affects us right now. We’re hoping they will take pity on us. Also, yesterday, our trusty Slick Ricky (our car) went kaputz on us and didn’t want to start. So, Slick Ricky is a Sick Ricky and has been towed to get fixed today.
On the upside, our cabinets went up in 4 short hours on Tuesday and look fantastic! The countertop people came in first thing on Wednesday to measure things, so we hope to get those in soon enough, too. We are excited that this chapter is coming to a close. After this, we just need some plumbing and a tile backsplash and we are DONE!
Well, this is probably my last blog until after the holidays and I will be seeing some of you soon enough. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and am excited to be sharing Christmas with our families.
Happy Holidays!!!!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Happy Birthday Dad!!!!
And another shout out for a wonderful birthday!!! We're thinking of you and love you. Wish we could have been around to celebrate both birthdays, since you both mean so much to us.
XOXO,
Kasey and Chris
Happy Birthday Jenny!!!!
This is a big week for birthdays! A special birthday shout out goes to Jenny Beauchesne (A.K.A Super Sister-in-Law)- we’re thinking of you today and wishing you a lovely day for celebration.
So, where was I when we last checked in? Oh yea, Chris had just saved the day with fixing the plumbing for our buildings. Turns out the pool guys never shut off the water while refilling the pool, so it was overflowing for hours. Nice! Anyway, we had a lovely night out with our first dinner of Mexican food since we got here and then went to the Caribbean Saloon to check out a Pearl Jam cover band called “Once”. They were pretty good, but they came on about an 1 and ½ late at 11:30pm and, with us not being the night owls we used to be, we left pretty early in. Red Bulls couldn’t even give us wings that night! We had a pretty lazy Saturday and finally made it to one of our favorite beaches in the afternoon (Lindquist Beach).
On Sunday, we took the ferry over to St. John and meandered around the island for a while, ending up at Cinnamon Bay Beach. Such a lovely beach and a beautiful place to spend the afternoon! The homeless person that was camped out behind us seemed to agree. We think he was homeless, but he had quite the nice set up on the beach nestled in some palms. With his airplane nips, suspicious smelling “cigarettes” and his snorkel gear, this potentially residentially challenged individual seemed to truly be living the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” lifestyle.
Other than that, there is not too much new to report. We had our second weekend in a row of ordering Pizza Amore and my waistline has acknowledged it. But it’s soooo good. Our appliances came in last week and we have narrowed down our countertops, so things are moving right along.
I apologize about the photos getting fewer and fewer, but it’s only because we want to feel more like locals than tourists, so the camera has been staying at home more often. However, when we get outside of the norm, we’ll be sure to take it with us.
Have a great week!!!!
So, where was I when we last checked in? Oh yea, Chris had just saved the day with fixing the plumbing for our buildings. Turns out the pool guys never shut off the water while refilling the pool, so it was overflowing for hours. Nice! Anyway, we had a lovely night out with our first dinner of Mexican food since we got here and then went to the Caribbean Saloon to check out a Pearl Jam cover band called “Once”. They were pretty good, but they came on about an 1 and ½ late at 11:30pm and, with us not being the night owls we used to be, we left pretty early in. Red Bulls couldn’t even give us wings that night! We had a pretty lazy Saturday and finally made it to one of our favorite beaches in the afternoon (Lindquist Beach).
On Sunday, we took the ferry over to St. John and meandered around the island for a while, ending up at Cinnamon Bay Beach. Such a lovely beach and a beautiful place to spend the afternoon! The homeless person that was camped out behind us seemed to agree. We think he was homeless, but he had quite the nice set up on the beach nestled in some palms. With his airplane nips, suspicious smelling “cigarettes” and his snorkel gear, this potentially residentially challenged individual seemed to truly be living the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” lifestyle.
Other than that, there is not too much new to report. We had our second weekend in a row of ordering Pizza Amore and my waistline has acknowledged it. But it’s soooo good. Our appliances came in last week and we have narrowed down our countertops, so things are moving right along.
I apologize about the photos getting fewer and fewer, but it’s only because we want to feel more like locals than tourists, so the camera has been staying at home more often. However, when we get outside of the norm, we’ll be sure to take it with us.
Have a great week!!!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
TGIF!!!
I blog to you now, at 7:30pm on a Friday night because of two things. 1.) the water has been turned off in our condo and surrounding buildings and neither Chris nor I (learning this only after I came back sweaty from the gym) can shower to go out to dinner as we were thinking and, 2.) because Chris has gone out on a mission with one of the condo board members to try to fix the problem. Apparently, after fixing many leaks in this condo, he's widening his territory. Hmmmm.... I just heard our faucet sprouting some water. Chris has saved the day again and we're off to dinner!!!! Ciao for now!!!! Blog more later!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving Week!!!!
I hope everyone has recovered from stuffing themselves silly this Thanksgiving. I know everyone was full and happy when we talked to them. We were no exception. While we missed being around our families on this day of thanks, we made sure to enjoy the day by spending the early afternoon at Secret Harbor Beach, where Chris finally got to relax a bit (about time!) and we spent much of our time in the water, since it was hot, hot, hot out.
For an official Thanksgiving feast, we decided to go down to Craig & Sally’s, where they are well known for delicious food and have a traditional spread for Thanksgiving. The food was delicious and we had the comfort tastes of home. Of course, while scrumptious, it was not as good as homemade. ;) That’s for you, moms! Chris did go outside of the box a bit and ordered the oyster stuffing. I did not venture a try. He said it was interesting…
Chris’ relaxation was short-lived and around 4am that night/next morning, his servers went down and he was up trying to figure that out for the next few hours. I tried to stay up with him, but retreated to bed after an hour or two. Most of yesterday, he was trying to figure out what went wrong with his servers. But today, I am going to force him to relax.
Happily, we tried a pizza place last night for dinner that we have heard raves about but for some reason never made it to last year. The pizza was so very good and, if not as good as home, then better. We will be back, Pizza Amore! I think the 18 inch pizza will be feeding us for at least today and maybe tomorrow…
Well, that’s my summary for now. Chris is just working on the baseboards for the closet and then I hope to get him out and about. It’s a bit overcast here, but there is an arts and music festival in town that I hope to check out. Will let you know how it all turns out soon enough!
XOXO and miss you!
New picture for those of you who already saw this post. I think Chris wanted his whole head included....
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Mid-Week Hello!
Just a couple of updates since we last touched base. Due to a leaky air conditioner, we noticed a damaged wall in the closet, as well as rusty tools. We first thought of it as an inconvenience, but soon realized it was more than that. With Chris and I both getting a bit sicker respiratory-wise throughout the week, Chris realized in the middle of the night that we might have a bit of a mold issue. Again. So, I woke up at 7am to “Sledge” ripping open a wall. Well, about 1/8 in. of black and florescent mold was living behind our closet wall. We got a new A/C and Chris cleared out the mold and bleached the area. We both started feeling remarkable better as the week winded down. Not saying our mold was toxic, since a cold was going around, but the timing of us getting sick and our recovery beginning after we got it all out, makes me wonder a bit…
I started “work” this week at Havana Blue. However, the reception desk is under construction, so we are able to take the phone home and take reservations from there. Soooo, I took my phone right up to the pool at our complex and got paid while sunbathing. I am so spoiled. I am going to have a big reality slap in my face someday, but until then I will certainly appreciate every minute of this.
That’s about it! The weekend was very low-key and kind of rainy. We finally made it to the cinema here. We were hoping for the beach, but the weather would not allow. We have a new beach we are looking forward to checking out and hope it’s a bit easier to find then the infamous Stumpy’s of last year. However, it is called Secret Harbor, so I am not holding my breath.
I have decided I am going to wait on the pictures, so that I can show a before and after of the living room/ kitchen area. No other new pics than what y’all saw last year, so you’ll have to wait a bit to see our smiling faces.
I hope all is well for everyone and look forward to touching base about this time next week.
Cheers!
I started “work” this week at Havana Blue. However, the reception desk is under construction, so we are able to take the phone home and take reservations from there. Soooo, I took my phone right up to the pool at our complex and got paid while sunbathing. I am so spoiled. I am going to have a big reality slap in my face someday, but until then I will certainly appreciate every minute of this.
That’s about it! The weekend was very low-key and kind of rainy. We finally made it to the cinema here. We were hoping for the beach, but the weather would not allow. We have a new beach we are looking forward to checking out and hope it’s a bit easier to find then the infamous Stumpy’s of last year. However, it is called Secret Harbor, so I am not holding my breath.
I have decided I am going to wait on the pictures, so that I can show a before and after of the living room/ kitchen area. No other new pics than what y’all saw last year, so you’ll have to wait a bit to see our smiling faces.
I hope all is well for everyone and look forward to touching base about this time next week.
Cheers!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
We meet again, St. T!
Well, we are back on the island as of Saturday and are getting ourselves settled. Once landed, we found some quick sustenance at Iggy’s and then headed back to the condo to start some cleaning and laundry and putting our bed back in place, since it mysteriously moved itself to the center of our bedroom and was covered in some unidentified brown residue. Rumor has it that there was a leak here while we were gone, but we’ve yet to confirm it and see no other evidence of it except for the aforementioned issue.
The past couple of days have just been about putting some things to order and getting the necessary provisions. Good new is that the car started right away and without protest. It is in the shop today for a 30,000 mile check-up, as well as to make sure Slick Ricky made it through the months unscathed (minus some bruised emotions due to lack of attention).
Chaz, our contractor extraordinaire, has been called to duty to put up some drywall and to do some remaining misc. stuff in order for us to be able to put our order in for cabinets. We were very fortunate that he was willing and able to start yesterday and will be finished this week. We should have a good idea by the end of this week about when to expect our cabinets and to know how long we’ll be Without Kitchen. We are managing well, but it makes you realize how much you take for granted having all the modern conveniences at your fingertips.
I’m having technical difficulties with the camera, so once I can figure out my issues, I will post pictures of our “kitchen” area…
The past couple of days have just been about putting some things to order and getting the necessary provisions. Good new is that the car started right away and without protest. It is in the shop today for a 30,000 mile check-up, as well as to make sure Slick Ricky made it through the months unscathed (minus some bruised emotions due to lack of attention).
Chaz, our contractor extraordinaire, has been called to duty to put up some drywall and to do some remaining misc. stuff in order for us to be able to put our order in for cabinets. We were very fortunate that he was willing and able to start yesterday and will be finished this week. We should have a good idea by the end of this week about when to expect our cabinets and to know how long we’ll be Without Kitchen. We are managing well, but it makes you realize how much you take for granted having all the modern conveniences at your fingertips.
I’m having technical difficulties with the camera, so once I can figure out my issues, I will post pictures of our “kitchen” area…
Monday, May 11, 2009
Until Next Time, St. T!!!!
Well, we have been making our last few days here a little bit of fun and a little bit of tying up loose ends. St. Thomas has decided to make our departure a bit easier by being mostly rainy 7 out of the past 8 days, but we’ve still managed to catch a few rays and enjoy our last days on the island. We haven’t done anything too exciting, just sitting on our patio and trying to finish up the last of our Presidentes and margarita fixin’s. I run to the sun when it graces us with its presence and have snagged a couple of good hours. Today, it’s mostly wrapping up household things, since it is overcast again. If I get enough done today, hopefully I can make it to the beach one last time tomorrow.
For a final blog, I wanted to post the latest and greatest of our newly, mostly painted condo. Chris finished his painting sometime last week and finally felt like he deserved to cash in the gift certificate for a massage that I gave him 5 MONTHS AGO. Even with all the hard work he’s done, he wouldn’t let himself use it until he finished his condo goals.
I think that’s it for now! I look forward to catching up face to face with all of you from here on out! Tune in around fall of next year for more caribbean encounters...XOXOXO....
Our new, actually working, sliding doors
Tile finished on the patio
Chris hard at work, as usual. Loves his new island map and it does seem to go with the colors! Win/Win!
Notice something missing? No more crazy safari portrait. Whew!
Our two toned condo...
For a final blog, I wanted to post the latest and greatest of our newly, mostly painted condo. Chris finished his painting sometime last week and finally felt like he deserved to cash in the gift certificate for a massage that I gave him 5 MONTHS AGO. Even with all the hard work he’s done, he wouldn’t let himself use it until he finished his condo goals.
I think that’s it for now! I look forward to catching up face to face with all of you from here on out! Tune in around fall of next year for more caribbean encounters...XOXOXO....
Our new, actually working, sliding doors
Tile finished on the patio
Chris hard at work, as usual. Loves his new island map and it does seem to go with the colors! Win/Win!
Notice something missing? No more crazy safari portrait. Whew!
Our two toned condo...
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Happy Birthday, Chris! Happy Healing, Mom!
The Birthday Boy
We're thinking of you and wishing for a speedy recovery mom!!
*************************************************************************************
This has been an exciting week. First, my mom had her big knee replacement operation on Thursday (all went well and now it will be, hopefully, a quick road to recovery) and then today is Chris’ birthday. Woo-hoo!
This weekend we are staying close to home. It is Carnival here and we might just brave the masses to get a taste of the celebrations. As for the big 34th birthday, I started it with Chris’ favorite breakfast, pancakes, and tried to hold out on giving him his presents, but I am not very good at that. So, by 9:30am, I already gave him both. His “small” gift was just a t-shirt he’s been eyeing. If you knew the state of most of his t-shirts and his pickiness in finding ones he likes, you would understand why I jumped at the chance to get this one.
His main gift was a framed “accurately portrayed” map of the Virgin Islands. He’s been wanting one for when “we” finish painting the living room, but it had to be “accurate”. Which, no biggee, right? Wouldn’t maps be accurate, you say? Answer: No. Most ones we ran across were more for show and, for some reason, that means taking artistic license in portraying the sizes and placements of the islands. Now, I’ll let you in on a secret. Chris doesn’t know this (well, unless he reads this), that what makes this gift even more special is that there were a gazillion “inaccurate maps” that would go PERFECTLY with our colors here and would match everything and looked really cool. But this “accurate” map that he had at one point mentioned was exactly the kind he wanted, does not go with the color scheme and that practically kills me. But it is so worth it because he was very happy when he opened it this morning and declared it the “perfect map”.
As for the rest of the day, Chris is painting right now. I need to go make him stop. I told him no housework on his bday, but he overruled me by saying that since it’s his birthday, he gets to do what he wants. But he promised only a little. Soooo, I am off now to rip that brush out of his hand and insist he relax. Wish me luck. As for birthday dinner, tonight, I cook him oscar-style filet, and it sounds like he’s excited.
If we make it to Carnival, I promise photos sometime this week!!! Only a couple of more posts and I’ll be able to keep you up to date in person. Until then, much love and hugs!!!!!
Finally- Virgin Gorda
Last Saturday, we went to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. This was a trip that we had been intending to go on the whole time here, but we never quite made it. This, we both think, is a must-do if you are ever in the islands for more than a few days. A little info on the Baths- “The name "baths" comes from the warm sheltered pools of water in and around the rocks which flood at high tide. Large caves and a huge tunnel through one of the boulders is a result of erosion. These features can be explored by visitors clambering inside and underneath the massive granite boulders. The oldest rocks were thrown together as a result of volcanic eruptions. Newly formed volcanic larva on the seabed over 70 million years ago eventually turned to granite and around 20 million years ago a fault occurred on the seabed and the rocks which we see today were lifted up. The boulders would have been much larger and worn down and rounded by millions of years of erosion from rain, wind and the sea.” Long story short- very cool and BEAUTIFUL.
En route to the Baths
No descriptions necessary
En route to the Baths
No descriptions necessary
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Back to Nature
We don’t have too much excitement to report on our past weekend. We had a good mix of work and play. We are trying to fit in some trips that we’ve marked as “must dos” before we leave the island. We can’t believe we only have 3 weekends left. Yikes!
So, this weekend we decided to go hike the Reef Bay Trail in St. John (http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Reef%20Bay%20Trail.htm). It’s a hike I have wanted to do for a while. It starts as a 2.4 mile hike downhill, so that you have to hike uphill on the way back. Not my first choice in hiking, but no biggee. A short hike off of this trail also takes you to petroglyphs, which are ancient Taino rock carvings. We had a great hike and I look forward to getting some more hiking in over the summer. Some of the highlights, other than the petroglyphs, were seeing deer, bats, and wild pineapple (not yet edible, darn it). I can understand the desire to do 10 + miles hikes, since I felt it all ended too soon.
I hope everyone else had a lovely weekend and is enjoying the week. I will touch base next time I have something post-worthy.
XOXO until next time!
Petroglyphs! Can you see them? Some kind hikers had to point them out to us.
A big ol' nest of termites. I don't ever want to be within 700ft of one of those if falls...
Wild pineapple-yum
Bats! They are kind of cute upclose...
Bambi- who knew there were deer in St. John? That was news to us.
So, this weekend we decided to go hike the Reef Bay Trail in St. John (http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Reef%20Bay%20Trail.htm). It’s a hike I have wanted to do for a while. It starts as a 2.4 mile hike downhill, so that you have to hike uphill on the way back. Not my first choice in hiking, but no biggee. A short hike off of this trail also takes you to petroglyphs, which are ancient Taino rock carvings. We had a great hike and I look forward to getting some more hiking in over the summer. Some of the highlights, other than the petroglyphs, were seeing deer, bats, and wild pineapple (not yet edible, darn it). I can understand the desire to do 10 + miles hikes, since I felt it all ended too soon.
I hope everyone else had a lovely weekend and is enjoying the week. I will touch base next time I have something post-worthy.
XOXO until next time!
Petroglyphs! Can you see them? Some kind hikers had to point them out to us.
A big ol' nest of termites. I don't ever want to be within 700ft of one of those if falls...
Wild pineapple-yum
Bats! They are kind of cute upclose...
Bambi- who knew there were deer in St. John? That was news to us.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Tile Time!
In a decision that really could have gone either way (to re-tile or not to), we decided to bite the bullet and go through with updating the rest of the tile in the condo to match our bathroom.
With all the visitors, the time for tiling came faster than we ever expected. Our place has been in chaos ever since. It was not as terrible of a process as I’d anticipated, but we first had to live almost a week with all the stuff from our bedroom (including all clothes and misc. things in closets) piled in the living room. I couldn’t believe how much it all adds up! The second week was everything from the living room piled up into the bedroom. It gives me an inkling of how pack rats may live. I have no fear of ever becoming a pack rat, since my level of discomfort rises in direct relation to the clutter that surrounds me.
But, the good new is, we are in the home stretch! While we were pretty much homeless during the days when the tile workers were here, and homeless one night in order to get the tiles done quicker, we managed quite well. Now that everything is out of the living room area, though, Chris thinks it’s a great time (and it really is) to paint the ceilings and the walls. But first, we need to have an electrician look at some ghost switches that run to nowhere. Dad- thank your lucky stars we realize we needed to address this issue a few weeks ago! So, sounds like we might be living la vida loca for a week or more until we manage to snag an electrician that will come to his appointment (unlike the one that was supposed to be here last Thursday and then again last Friday). No fun photos on this one. But we’re moving right along…
With all the visitors, the time for tiling came faster than we ever expected. Our place has been in chaos ever since. It was not as terrible of a process as I’d anticipated, but we first had to live almost a week with all the stuff from our bedroom (including all clothes and misc. things in closets) piled in the living room. I couldn’t believe how much it all adds up! The second week was everything from the living room piled up into the bedroom. It gives me an inkling of how pack rats may live. I have no fear of ever becoming a pack rat, since my level of discomfort rises in direct relation to the clutter that surrounds me.
But, the good new is, we are in the home stretch! While we were pretty much homeless during the days when the tile workers were here, and homeless one night in order to get the tiles done quicker, we managed quite well. Now that everything is out of the living room area, though, Chris thinks it’s a great time (and it really is) to paint the ceilings and the walls. But first, we need to have an electrician look at some ghost switches that run to nowhere. Dad- thank your lucky stars we realize we needed to address this issue a few weeks ago! So, sounds like we might be living la vida loca for a week or more until we manage to snag an electrician that will come to his appointment (unlike the one that was supposed to be here last Thursday and then again last Friday). No fun photos on this one. But we’re moving right along…
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Family Fun 2 continued!
Okay, here we go again!!! Now, where did I leave off? Oh, yea...
The fourth day in, my parent decided they had enough of us and went off on their own. Just kidding! We had to work and then I was off to pick up Chris' parents from the airport. My parents figured they would give us the night to catch up with Susan and Bruce and they'd have a little fun on their own. Once we got Susan and Bruce settled in at their hotel, we headed back to our place to watch the sunset and eat nearby at Iggy's. I know we lack creativity, as we did a similar night with my parents the first day, but why reinvent the wheel?
The next day, it was a family affair! After hearing about Bruce and Susan's unsettling account of a break-in at the place across from where they were sleeping, (no people were staying there, but a flat screen TV was taken) all of us headed over for a visit to St. John. We had some delicious lunch, toured the island and showed the parents some highlights. Susan and Bruce knew what to expect, as they have been there before, but it was new to Betty and Dave. All in all, it was a lovely day.
The following morning saw myself and the Padres on a tour of Blackbeard's castle. We learned some interesting tales of piratry (is that a word?) and tasted some new-to-us flavors of rum (pineapple and banana). Yum! The tour ended with a bit of history on amber (I know- a bit of a jump from pirates) and directly in a jewelry store. Bruce and Dave had more patience than I anticipated and gave us almost 7 minutes to look at jewelry before hinting to get the show on the road. It was a parting of the families at this juncture- the Walshes were heading to the airport and the Edwardses were going to canvas the town of Charlotte Amailie and take in a bit of scenary. After sharing one last delectable BBC with my parents, I bid them a fond farewell and promised I'd see them in just a few short weeks.
We had one last full day of Susan and Bruce to ourselves, so we made it action packed! We started the day with an eco-tour that included kayaking, hiking and snorkeling. This kayak trip marked a milestone of the first one Chris and I ever went on where we shared the kayak and didn't question our relationship by the end. The weather was perfect and once we reached the small island that was our destination (after some valuable lessons on mangroves and the surrounding nature), we all participated in a hermit crab race. I am sorry to say that none of our crabs even made it close to winning. Snorkling was fun- Bruce pointed out some jouvenile baracuda, a puffer fish and other wonders of nature. We kayaked back after that and were on to our next adventure.
After quickly showering/rinsing off and some quick snacks, it was on to Coral World, the island's aquarium. In addition to checking out the cool exhibits, we were there for inspiration. Bruce is what you might call a carving wizard and has won 1st place awards and best in show after just one year of carving. He's got the bug and wants to study different species of fish to clean up house at next year's competition. We had a lot of up close encounters, so we hope he's got some ideas to run with.
Finally, we went back to our place for some famous Edwardian BBQ and, once we were all tuckered out, got Susan and Bruce back to their hotel.
Alas, all good things must come to an end and we had a farewell brunch with Susan and Bruce that next morning. After stuffing ourselves full of eggs and all other breakfast related things, we gave B&S a brief tour of the island and stopped at the best of the best scenic vistas. Once we had enough of beautiful views, we headed on over to the airport to send them off with hugs and promises of seeing them soon enough. It was a whirlwind week, but, for the second time that week, it was sad to see our parents go. But more to look forward to for next year!
Thank you, Moms and Dads, for our wonderful and fun-filled week! You were overly generous in not letting us pay for much (and with the only things we got away with paying for having to be done quite sneakily!). We love you very much and look forward to seeing you soon!
Many hugs and kisses!
Walshes and Edwardses' bonding over apps
Edwardses in Annaberg
Scary pirate!
Betty and Dave testing "spirits". Well, okay, rum.
Farewell family brunch!
The fourth day in, my parent decided they had enough of us and went off on their own. Just kidding! We had to work and then I was off to pick up Chris' parents from the airport. My parents figured they would give us the night to catch up with Susan and Bruce and they'd have a little fun on their own. Once we got Susan and Bruce settled in at their hotel, we headed back to our place to watch the sunset and eat nearby at Iggy's. I know we lack creativity, as we did a similar night with my parents the first day, but why reinvent the wheel?
The next day, it was a family affair! After hearing about Bruce and Susan's unsettling account of a break-in at the place across from where they were sleeping, (no people were staying there, but a flat screen TV was taken) all of us headed over for a visit to St. John. We had some delicious lunch, toured the island and showed the parents some highlights. Susan and Bruce knew what to expect, as they have been there before, but it was new to Betty and Dave. All in all, it was a lovely day.
The following morning saw myself and the Padres on a tour of Blackbeard's castle. We learned some interesting tales of piratry (is that a word?) and tasted some new-to-us flavors of rum (pineapple and banana). Yum! The tour ended with a bit of history on amber (I know- a bit of a jump from pirates) and directly in a jewelry store. Bruce and Dave had more patience than I anticipated and gave us almost 7 minutes to look at jewelry before hinting to get the show on the road. It was a parting of the families at this juncture- the Walshes were heading to the airport and the Edwardses were going to canvas the town of Charlotte Amailie and take in a bit of scenary. After sharing one last delectable BBC with my parents, I bid them a fond farewell and promised I'd see them in just a few short weeks.
We had one last full day of Susan and Bruce to ourselves, so we made it action packed! We started the day with an eco-tour that included kayaking, hiking and snorkeling. This kayak trip marked a milestone of the first one Chris and I ever went on where we shared the kayak and didn't question our relationship by the end. The weather was perfect and once we reached the small island that was our destination (after some valuable lessons on mangroves and the surrounding nature), we all participated in a hermit crab race. I am sorry to say that none of our crabs even made it close to winning. Snorkling was fun- Bruce pointed out some jouvenile baracuda, a puffer fish and other wonders of nature. We kayaked back after that and were on to our next adventure.
After quickly showering/rinsing off and some quick snacks, it was on to Coral World, the island's aquarium. In addition to checking out the cool exhibits, we were there for inspiration. Bruce is what you might call a carving wizard and has won 1st place awards and best in show after just one year of carving. He's got the bug and wants to study different species of fish to clean up house at next year's competition. We had a lot of up close encounters, so we hope he's got some ideas to run with.
Finally, we went back to our place for some famous Edwardian BBQ and, once we were all tuckered out, got Susan and Bruce back to their hotel.
Alas, all good things must come to an end and we had a farewell brunch with Susan and Bruce that next morning. After stuffing ourselves full of eggs and all other breakfast related things, we gave B&S a brief tour of the island and stopped at the best of the best scenic vistas. Once we had enough of beautiful views, we headed on over to the airport to send them off with hugs and promises of seeing them soon enough. It was a whirlwind week, but, for the second time that week, it was sad to see our parents go. But more to look forward to for next year!
Thank you, Moms and Dads, for our wonderful and fun-filled week! You were overly generous in not letting us pay for much (and with the only things we got away with paying for having to be done quite sneakily!). We love you very much and look forward to seeing you soon!
Many hugs and kisses!
Walshes and Edwardses' bonding over apps
Edwardses in Annaberg
Scary pirate!
Betty and Dave testing "spirits". Well, okay, rum.
Farewell family brunch!
Family Fun 2!!
What a fun and eventful week we had with our parents! It had been a long time since we saw their smiling faces and it was wonderful to have them here to get a taste of the island life. Bear with me- with so much action, this is a long post! Actually, I will split this up into two posts, as I am sure your attention span might waver a bit...
Upon picking my parents up at the airport, I took them to get settled in at their hotel and enjoyed some appetizers and a drink before heading out to Casa de Edwards to show my parents where we live. After a very early morning flight and a long day, we decided to go to dinner nearby at Mim’s (very yummy!) and get those two home for some much needed sleep.
The next day, while Chris had to slave away at the desk, I met up with my parents around 11am to take them snorkeling and beaching at the most recommended beach for snorkeling, Coki beach. They very much enjoyed having the early morning for some breakfast and pool time and this became the norm for the rest of their stay. This was lovely for them and great for me to have the morning for my own errands. The snorkeling was amazing!!! Since this beach is right next to the aquarium, there is an overflow of fish who get fed regularly with snuba and snorkeling offered by the aquarium. My dad was handed some bread to feed the fish by a generous bystander and we were quite entertained (and, admittedly, a little skittish) by the vast numbers of fish willing to swarm around you to get to the food. The beach, itself, was action packed and kind of busy- not recommended for relaxing, but great for people watching.
We then headed back to the Marriott for some pool time and to introduce my parents to a “BBC” (Baily’s, Banana Colada). It was a hit and a regular indulgence for the rest of the trip. Yum! After that and showering up, it was back to Casa de Edwards for some home BBQing and watching the sunset (never gets old).
Day 3 saw Chris playing hooky from work and joining us on the golf course. It was girls (Team Pink) vs. boys (Team Stripe) on a highly competitive, show-no-mercy 18 holes. Okay, well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. With Chris and I being very novice golf players, we were giving a lot of patience and encouragement. With the teams also splitting up Betty and Dave as teammates, the Bickersons did not join us for the day. :P
The game was fun and we thankfully switched to Best Ball by the 9th hole, to go a bit easy on the amateurs and to get the rather overbearing team behind us off our backs, even though we were keeping up with the people in front of us). We determined over dinner that evening that Team Pink may have won, but we may not have been terribly diligent in counting our scores. So, really, we determined a rematch was needed when we’re back home for the summer.
Okay, kiddos, that’s it for now. For the exciting conclusion of the parental visits, check in with me again tomorrow. :)
Action shot of dad after he had enough of those crazy fish
The happy couple on the golf course
Mother and daughter enjoying the sunset
Upon picking my parents up at the airport, I took them to get settled in at their hotel and enjoyed some appetizers and a drink before heading out to Casa de Edwards to show my parents where we live. After a very early morning flight and a long day, we decided to go to dinner nearby at Mim’s (very yummy!) and get those two home for some much needed sleep.
The next day, while Chris had to slave away at the desk, I met up with my parents around 11am to take them snorkeling and beaching at the most recommended beach for snorkeling, Coki beach. They very much enjoyed having the early morning for some breakfast and pool time and this became the norm for the rest of their stay. This was lovely for them and great for me to have the morning for my own errands. The snorkeling was amazing!!! Since this beach is right next to the aquarium, there is an overflow of fish who get fed regularly with snuba and snorkeling offered by the aquarium. My dad was handed some bread to feed the fish by a generous bystander and we were quite entertained (and, admittedly, a little skittish) by the vast numbers of fish willing to swarm around you to get to the food. The beach, itself, was action packed and kind of busy- not recommended for relaxing, but great for people watching.
We then headed back to the Marriott for some pool time and to introduce my parents to a “BBC” (Baily’s, Banana Colada). It was a hit and a regular indulgence for the rest of the trip. Yum! After that and showering up, it was back to Casa de Edwards for some home BBQing and watching the sunset (never gets old).
Day 3 saw Chris playing hooky from work and joining us on the golf course. It was girls (Team Pink) vs. boys (Team Stripe) on a highly competitive, show-no-mercy 18 holes. Okay, well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. With Chris and I being very novice golf players, we were giving a lot of patience and encouragement. With the teams also splitting up Betty and Dave as teammates, the Bickersons did not join us for the day. :P
The game was fun and we thankfully switched to Best Ball by the 9th hole, to go a bit easy on the amateurs and to get the rather overbearing team behind us off our backs, even though we were keeping up with the people in front of us). We determined over dinner that evening that Team Pink may have won, but we may not have been terribly diligent in counting our scores. So, really, we determined a rematch was needed when we’re back home for the summer.
Okay, kiddos, that’s it for now. For the exciting conclusion of the parental visits, check in with me again tomorrow. :)
Action shot of dad after he had enough of those crazy fish
The happy couple on the golf course
Mother and daughter enjoying the sunset
Happy Easter and Happy Birthday Boo!
We are back again and thinking of our friends and family on this Easter day. We love you all very much and wish we could share the holiday with you. Also, it is my good friend, Isabella Maffa’s, first birthday. Happy Birthday Boo! In honor of her birthday, I will start this blog a few weeks back and tell you all about our trip with her parents, Monique and Jimmy. To make up for my lull in blogging, expect this week to be quite active!
M&J were only here for a few short days, so we had to make the most of it! On day 1, we took them to, surprise, surprise…Iggie’s! It’s not only easy, it’s a guest must see. Chris was very excited to see that they had all you could eat king crab legs that night and set out to break the record. He didn’t, but he made a valiant effort! We retired fairly early that night (after a bit of the celebrity name game that Mike and Greg had taught us- Monique and I won) since the next day was a big day with a chartered boat and Jost Van Dyke.
Bright and early the next day we found our boat and met “Captain Chris”. No, it was not my husband, no matter how much he wished to captain the boat. We celebrated our maiden voyage to Jost with mimosas and beers first thing, since the spirit of that island is fun and partying and us four do like to get in the spirit!
Captain Chris took us to see some sights on the way to Jost so that we had some beauty to photograph before getting our groove on. The day was quite fun and we made sure to visit the Soggy Dollar and Foxy’s- two of the more widely known bars on the island.
At the end of our voyage, Captain Chris dropped off his slightly tire and extremely well behaved crew and we set on our way to go home and bbq and an early night to bed. We were all tuckered out!
The next day, I took M&J to Magan’s bay and then off to some shopping downtown. After we were done soaking up the sun, fighting the crowds and picking up some gifts, we came back for some downtime. That night, we decided to have a Celebrity name game rematch. Chris and Jimmy won. They also cheated. :P
The last day came too soon, although we covered a lot of ground in the couple of days that the Maffa’s were here. Their last morning here the weather disagreed with us and decided to rain. With little to do when it’s raining in St. Thomas, we went to an early lunch at the Fat Turtle and then got J & M to the airport with only a few minutes to spare. We had a lot of fun together and were sorry to see them go. But, we can’t wait to be reconnected again in Newburyport in just a few weeks. Yay!
Well, I think that’s enough for now. I will update y’all on our parent visits and our retiling of the place in the next few days. We are just starting to put our house back together after the tiling and then I am off to cook my hubby an Easter dinner.
Miss you, Love you, and Thinking of you this Easter Sunday!
Happy Birthday Isabella!
Monique and Jimmy- Limin' it up at Iggies
Chris and second favorite KC- King Crab!
Love Jost!
We could get used to this private boating!
Scenic stop in the BVIs
M&J were only here for a few short days, so we had to make the most of it! On day 1, we took them to, surprise, surprise…Iggie’s! It’s not only easy, it’s a guest must see. Chris was very excited to see that they had all you could eat king crab legs that night and set out to break the record. He didn’t, but he made a valiant effort! We retired fairly early that night (after a bit of the celebrity name game that Mike and Greg had taught us- Monique and I won) since the next day was a big day with a chartered boat and Jost Van Dyke.
Bright and early the next day we found our boat and met “Captain Chris”. No, it was not my husband, no matter how much he wished to captain the boat. We celebrated our maiden voyage to Jost with mimosas and beers first thing, since the spirit of that island is fun and partying and us four do like to get in the spirit!
Captain Chris took us to see some sights on the way to Jost so that we had some beauty to photograph before getting our groove on. The day was quite fun and we made sure to visit the Soggy Dollar and Foxy’s- two of the more widely known bars on the island.
At the end of our voyage, Captain Chris dropped off his slightly tire and extremely well behaved crew and we set on our way to go home and bbq and an early night to bed. We were all tuckered out!
The next day, I took M&J to Magan’s bay and then off to some shopping downtown. After we were done soaking up the sun, fighting the crowds and picking up some gifts, we came back for some downtime. That night, we decided to have a Celebrity name game rematch. Chris and Jimmy won. They also cheated. :P
The last day came too soon, although we covered a lot of ground in the couple of days that the Maffa’s were here. Their last morning here the weather disagreed with us and decided to rain. With little to do when it’s raining in St. Thomas, we went to an early lunch at the Fat Turtle and then got J & M to the airport with only a few minutes to spare. We had a lot of fun together and were sorry to see them go. But, we can’t wait to be reconnected again in Newburyport in just a few weeks. Yay!
Well, I think that’s enough for now. I will update y’all on our parent visits and our retiling of the place in the next few days. We are just starting to put our house back together after the tiling and then I am off to cook my hubby an Easter dinner.
Miss you, Love you, and Thinking of you this Easter Sunday!
Happy Birthday Isabella!
Monique and Jimmy- Limin' it up at Iggies
Chris and second favorite KC- King Crab!
Love Jost!
We could get used to this private boating!
Scenic stop in the BVIs
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Happy Hump Day!
I hope everyone is having a lovely week. I first want to wish my brother (whose chances of actually reading this post is slim) a very happy birthday on Friday. Contrary to what he may have told some people, he is older than me and will be turning 33. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Also, I want to wish little Ms. Kate Larkin a very, very happy 1st birthday. Woo-hoo!
We had a mostly enjoyable weekend here that started on Friday with us trying dinner at a new found Mexican place called Margarita Phils. It has been recently re-opened and I think Chris was in a bit of heaven finding a Mexican restaurant up to his standards on the island. So that was a fruitful evening!
Saturday, we spent a very relaxing day close to home at the pool. I, as usual, put on my regular sunscreen and set out to lay in the sun for a few hours. Chris joined me for a quick hour, also lathering up his regular sunscreen. Later on that day, as we got ready for our next excursion to the Blues Fest over in St. John, Chris noticed that I was a bit red and chided me for not applying sunscreen and refused to believe me when I insisted I was quite responsible. But don't fear for my integrity, I was proven to be telling the truth when, later on that evening, Chris' skin had that unmistakeable red glow of a sunburn. Moral of this story- that Caribbean sun can get you anytime! It's tricky and even when you think you have got it figured out, it throws you a curveball. Visitors beware!
Since our sunburns were more bark than bite, we did not feel any pain as we enjoyed the rest of the day over in St. John. Chris took me to the world famous happy hour over at Woody's and then we headed to one of our favorites, the Beach Bar, for a quick dinner. Onto the the Blues Festival over at Coral Bay in St. John. It was a very well put together show and we enjoyed a few different blues bands, our favorite being "Trampled Underfoot". As it got a bit later, we opted for the 2nd to last ferry home so as not to deal with the crowds, and we were on our way.
Sunday was originally deemed a day to find Stumpy's beach (yes, we were going to try again) and another widely endorsed beach called Lindquist, but our plans were foiled due to a residual sunburn on Chris' part. I dared the pool again, since my burn had turned to tan, but found I, too, was a bit gun shy by the scorching sun and retired to the house to do some chores.
We'll be facing the sun again with stronger sunscreen and smiles this next weekend when Jimmy and Monique come to visit the island- yay!!!!! And, as we send them off, my parents will be coming next day and followed by Chris' parents just a few days later. You may not hear from me for a while, but I am sure I will have blog enough for everyone after that stint!
On the work note, I have to say I am so happy to have something consistant to fill my days and give me a bit extra cash. I truly, truly enjoyed last weekend since my free time felt earned, and not a given.
Bye for now and hugs for everyone!
Chris' face when he realized he had a sunburn...
We had a mostly enjoyable weekend here that started on Friday with us trying dinner at a new found Mexican place called Margarita Phils. It has been recently re-opened and I think Chris was in a bit of heaven finding a Mexican restaurant up to his standards on the island. So that was a fruitful evening!
Saturday, we spent a very relaxing day close to home at the pool. I, as usual, put on my regular sunscreen and set out to lay in the sun for a few hours. Chris joined me for a quick hour, also lathering up his regular sunscreen. Later on that day, as we got ready for our next excursion to the Blues Fest over in St. John, Chris noticed that I was a bit red and chided me for not applying sunscreen and refused to believe me when I insisted I was quite responsible. But don't fear for my integrity, I was proven to be telling the truth when, later on that evening, Chris' skin had that unmistakeable red glow of a sunburn. Moral of this story- that Caribbean sun can get you anytime! It's tricky and even when you think you have got it figured out, it throws you a curveball. Visitors beware!
Since our sunburns were more bark than bite, we did not feel any pain as we enjoyed the rest of the day over in St. John. Chris took me to the world famous happy hour over at Woody's and then we headed to one of our favorites, the Beach Bar, for a quick dinner. Onto the the Blues Festival over at Coral Bay in St. John. It was a very well put together show and we enjoyed a few different blues bands, our favorite being "Trampled Underfoot". As it got a bit later, we opted for the 2nd to last ferry home so as not to deal with the crowds, and we were on our way.
Sunday was originally deemed a day to find Stumpy's beach (yes, we were going to try again) and another widely endorsed beach called Lindquist, but our plans were foiled due to a residual sunburn on Chris' part. I dared the pool again, since my burn had turned to tan, but found I, too, was a bit gun shy by the scorching sun and retired to the house to do some chores.
We'll be facing the sun again with stronger sunscreen and smiles this next weekend when Jimmy and Monique come to visit the island- yay!!!!! And, as we send them off, my parents will be coming next day and followed by Chris' parents just a few days later. You may not hear from me for a while, but I am sure I will have blog enough for everyone after that stint!
On the work note, I have to say I am so happy to have something consistant to fill my days and give me a bit extra cash. I truly, truly enjoyed last weekend since my free time felt earned, and not a given.
Bye for now and hugs for everyone!
Chris' face when he realized he had a sunburn...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Bathroom photos, as promised!
Okay, y'all, here are the pictures from when Chris first went to look at the condo.
And here are the afters! Yay!!! :)
And here are the afters! Yay!!! :)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Paddy’s day!
Hey there everyone! I am very sorry about my delinquency in blogging. We’ve had a busy couple of weeks in completely finishing the bathroom, work picking up (I’ve got another job!) and just trying to catch our breath and smell the roses.
Where we last left off, it was the day before my birthday. I don’t think I mentioned that, but probably because Chris always makes fun of me for milking it. Just kidding- it really just snuck up on me. I had a lovely birthday. I worked, but it consisted of sitting on the beach for a few hours in St. John, so no complaints here. When I got home, Chris finished up work a little early and we enjoyed watching the sunset while sipping wine and eating cheese and crackers. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but poor Chris usually finishes after the sun goes down. For dinner, we ended up going over to a restaurant I’d been itching to try, called Oceana. It overlooks the harbor and has a gorgeous view. I’ve been there for work, but never got to eat. Since I heard the food was great (and it was!), I just had to go. We enjoyed the night and the food was delicious. And I got my birthday candles, as well. Thank you Chris!
As I mentioned previously, we have got the bathroom 99.99% done. Chris just has to hang the towel rack and I will publish photos. He’s been juggling a lot of work and deadlines, though, so I figured I’d give him some time on that. But, we love how it turned out and it’s amazing to think that we had a completely different bathroom just a few weeks ago.
On the work front, as I mentioned, I have taken on a job taking reservations for Havana Blue restaurant on the Marriott property. If you remember, this is a restaurant we love here on the island. I managed to snag this job by running into a friendly Havana Blue worker at the gas station who had lived in Medford. We got to talking and he let me know they were looking for someone. The description is exactly what I do, take reservations. Not exactly brain surgery, but it’s fairly consistent hours a couple of days a week and I hope to get to know more people at the Marriott and the restaurant for something next year. Plus, I get to socialize with people regularly- yay! My bosses there are great and I think it might prove entertaining- especially getting to know more people on the island…
As for work at the destination management company, they were involved with a unique community day last week where a pharmaceutical company encourages their employees to give back to communities. You can read about it at http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article?id=17633988. I was assigned to work at Lockhart Elementary school to provide snacks and water and some general logistical coordination to the volunteers. There were some great volunteers, some that couldn’t get out fast enough, and some that didn’t show up, but the overall act was greatly appreciated by the school and the principal was very grateful and arranged a lovely “thank you” during lunch for the volunteers, this consisted of the kids doing a couple of dance routines, as well as goodie bags with thank you cards. I also was given a small gift for my role there- an adorable “Karibbean Kids” doll that is made at the school to represent the beautiful and diverse children of the Caribbean. Since one particular doll existed in my image and likeness, it was determined that she had to go home with me. I was very touched by the gift and told them I would put the info on my blog in case anyone is as enamored by them as I am. If you are, check out www.karibbeankidsvi.com.
Well, I think I’ve run on long enough. As promised, I will post ASAP the pics for the bathrooms. Have a great week and I will touch base again soon.
XOXO and Happy St. Paddy’s day!!!!
The lovely sunset that we enjoyed on my birthday
Chris and I at Oceana on the birthday evening
Can you see the resemblance?
*************************************************************************************
Where we last left off, it was the day before my birthday. I don’t think I mentioned that, but probably because Chris always makes fun of me for milking it. Just kidding- it really just snuck up on me. I had a lovely birthday. I worked, but it consisted of sitting on the beach for a few hours in St. John, so no complaints here. When I got home, Chris finished up work a little early and we enjoyed watching the sunset while sipping wine and eating cheese and crackers. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but poor Chris usually finishes after the sun goes down. For dinner, we ended up going over to a restaurant I’d been itching to try, called Oceana. It overlooks the harbor and has a gorgeous view. I’ve been there for work, but never got to eat. Since I heard the food was great (and it was!), I just had to go. We enjoyed the night and the food was delicious. And I got my birthday candles, as well. Thank you Chris!
As I mentioned previously, we have got the bathroom 99.99% done. Chris just has to hang the towel rack and I will publish photos. He’s been juggling a lot of work and deadlines, though, so I figured I’d give him some time on that. But, we love how it turned out and it’s amazing to think that we had a completely different bathroom just a few weeks ago.
On the work front, as I mentioned, I have taken on a job taking reservations for Havana Blue restaurant on the Marriott property. If you remember, this is a restaurant we love here on the island. I managed to snag this job by running into a friendly Havana Blue worker at the gas station who had lived in Medford. We got to talking and he let me know they were looking for someone. The description is exactly what I do, take reservations. Not exactly brain surgery, but it’s fairly consistent hours a couple of days a week and I hope to get to know more people at the Marriott and the restaurant for something next year. Plus, I get to socialize with people regularly- yay! My bosses there are great and I think it might prove entertaining- especially getting to know more people on the island…
As for work at the destination management company, they were involved with a unique community day last week where a pharmaceutical company encourages their employees to give back to communities. You can read about it at http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article?id=17633988. I was assigned to work at Lockhart Elementary school to provide snacks and water and some general logistical coordination to the volunteers. There were some great volunteers, some that couldn’t get out fast enough, and some that didn’t show up, but the overall act was greatly appreciated by the school and the principal was very grateful and arranged a lovely “thank you” during lunch for the volunteers, this consisted of the kids doing a couple of dance routines, as well as goodie bags with thank you cards. I also was given a small gift for my role there- an adorable “Karibbean Kids” doll that is made at the school to represent the beautiful and diverse children of the Caribbean. Since one particular doll existed in my image and likeness, it was determined that she had to go home with me. I was very touched by the gift and told them I would put the info on my blog in case anyone is as enamored by them as I am. If you are, check out www.karibbeankidsvi.com.
Well, I think I’ve run on long enough. As promised, I will post ASAP the pics for the bathrooms. Have a great week and I will touch base again soon.
XOXO and Happy St. Paddy’s day!!!!
The lovely sunset that we enjoyed on my birthday
Chris and I at Oceana on the birthday evening
Can you see the resemblance?
*************************************************************************************
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