What I did on my second summer vacation.....

I’m lucky enough to have had two summer vacations this year and I’ve already reported on the first with family. On my second summer vacation, Jim & I went to Couples San Souci in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was a beautiful resort and the food was the best of any all-inclusive that we’ve been to. We met a lot of people from all over the U.S., Canada and England. We also met a couple from Northern Ireland and another one from Switzerland.

The first night as Jim & I walked to our room there was a bunch of whistling noises in the air. I thought it was coming from frogs or something but I couldn’t see any. The next day when I asked about the “whistling noise at night” I was told it came from crickets.

We went snorkeling and scuba diving which were included in the package. There were beautiful fish and one in particular that I liked was dark blue with neon blue dots. We also saw a sea snake that was white with white spots. The reef we snorkeled & scuba dived at was Wieden’s Reef and there was a sunken ship called the Christine but we were disappointed that the reef itself wasn’t more colorful. There was no comparison to the reefs with purple, yellow, orange, pink, etc. corals we’ve seen in Mexico. The only thing I can think of is that in Mexico we always had to wear a wetsuit but we didn’t in Jamaica so maybe the water is colder in Mexico and maybe that has something to do with the colorful coral. Anyway, it was still fun.

In between the Bob Marley shots, Red Stripe beer, Absolut and Jamaican rum drinks, we managed to go on a couple of excursions. We went to a place called Dunns River Falls which was a waterfall that we walked up 960 feet to the top through the rushing water. It kind of reminded me of Johnson’s Shut-Ins but not flat. I thought it was fun but Jim didn’t like it too much.

We also went tubing for 3 miles in the White River Valley through the jungle where we saw giant bamboo trees and some of the biggest rubber plants I’ve ever seen. The tubes had hard, plastic bottoms in them because some of the rapids got pretty rough. There were 2 guides who helped along the way so there was “no problem, mon”! After tubing for a couple of miles, we stopped at a snack bar in the middle of nowhere and ate some excellent jerk chicken. We finished tubing with a big splash as the last rapids were real dunkers. I hung on & didn’t get flipped but Jim did. No problem, mon – the guide was right there to grab the camera and tube.

After tubing we went zip-lining. This was the first time either of us had done it and it was awesome. We only had to walk up to the first platform and then zip lined 3 times from there. When I stepped off the first platform it was pretty scary and I screamed the whole way. I got going really fast and I had to remember how to slow myself down to land on the second platform so I didn’t flatten Junior, the guide. Anyway, it was a lot of fun.

We took a catamaran ride with Oneil, ate, drank, we went kayaking and rode in a glass bottom boat over the reef. We watched crab races, ate, drank, we swam in the mineral pool, listened to the band by another pool in the evening, rode bicycles, hired Orville to drive us into town to go souvenir shopping, ate, drank and walked up & down a million steps. We quickly dunked into the freezing mineral grotto, enjoyed the Gala, ate, drank, talked to Crackers the parrot and relaxed on the beach. And did I mention that we ate & drank?

It was another great vacation and we got home just in time to quietly celebrate Jim's 50th birthday.  Oh and for me to go on my annual float trip with my girlfriends.

What I did on my first summer vacation

I will try to recall the events of our family vacation but it's already a little fuzzy.  The Smiths came to town at around noon Saturday, July 10 which began the vacation.  Some other family members (don't remember exactly who) came over for barbecue & poker and I know it was too many for regular poker so we played Texas holdem. 

Sunday morning we (Smiths, Jim, me, Ronnie & Janet) left bright & early for our drive to Jennifer's property in Salem where we were meeting Jennifer, Matt, Sharon, Scarlett, Jessica, Mike & Max.  From there we drove about 1/2 hour to Akers Ferry where we went on an 8 mile float down the Current River.  I've floated the Current before but it's been many years and I forgot how cold the water is.  It never warms up because it's spring-fed.  Mike & Jessica didn't go on the float because they felt Max was too little and Ronnie & Janet didn't go because Janet had back surgery recently and she couldn't so they stayed behind.  We all rented canoes & Jennifer & Joyce rented a raft but we all switched around throughout the day.  It wasn't all that sunny but it was hot enough.  Everything went well besides when Jim & Devon were in a conoe together not paying attention & they crashed.  Oh well, we needed a little excitement!  When we were about 1 mile from the takeout point it started raining.  Then it started pouring down.  I didn't mind but Joyce & Madison (the ones with no fat on their bodies) were freezing.  The Akers Ferry bus picked us up at an earlier take out point which worked out well.  We went back to Jennifers where Matt had a fish fry & we played poker and spent the night.

The next morning we drove back home and went to the funeral parlor for Maggie and went to Ronnie & Janet's afterwards for more poker.  Tuesday morning we went to the funeral mass and just hung out at our house. 

Wednesday morning we drove to Mark Twain Lake and rented a cabin for the night so Janet could sit by the pool because she couldn't go boating.  Angie & Brian came along & we spent the day on the Lake.  It was 96 degrees so we all got alot of sun.  Devon & Madison went knee-boarding for the first time and they both did really good.  They also went tubing and jumped off a cliff with Brian.  It was a beautiful day and for once we didn't get rained on!  We went back to the cabin & walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner before Angie & Brian left to go back  home.

Thursday morning we drove to Hannibal which is not far from the lake.  We walked around the town a little before going to Mark Twain Cave.  It's a standing joke in the family about all the caves we've toured but this is my all-time favorite.  I love the stories about Mark Twain, Injun Joe, etc.  We hung around for a little while & went to a couple of gift shops before driving back home.

Friday we played demolition ball, laser tag & went to the Omnimax Theatre and saw Hubble which was about the space telescope.  Not really my cup of tea but Scott wanted to see it.  Pizza & another poker party rounded out the evening. 

The Smiths got a late start driving home Saturday as Scott wasn't feeling too good.  I was sorry to see them go and can't wait to see them again at Lake Monroe on Labor Day weekend. 

My second summer vacation starts tomorrow morning when Jim & I travel to Jamaica for his 50th birthday & a second honeymoon.  Will report on that when we get back next week.

Nope, not gonna

JCI's Mid-Year Executive meeting was this weekend so I had to work.  Everything started Friday morning when we had our Audit Committee meeting and I had to present a proposed budget for next year.  Unfortunately, the budget came out with almost a $600,000 deficit which was unacceptable but we presented it that way to prove a point.  JCI has been asking for a dues increase for the past few years because it's getting impossible to provide the services & travel required.  JCI hasn't had a dues increase since 1999 and at that time it only went up $2.00.  Edson even prepared a power point presentation to play at General Assembly a couple of years ago to compare our membership dues with other organizations.  The increase was voted down and the GA passed a deficit budget that year. 
The Finance Committee meeting was held Saturday morning and the outcome:  my task was to find $450,000 to cut from the budget because they couldn't live with showing a deficit of $600,000 but they could live with showing a $150,000 deficit and they would push for a dues increase.  Therefore, the pressure was on.

I was on my way home Saturday evening when I got a text from Jim asking if I wanted him to make dinner.  Since it was already going on 7:00, I replied, "yep, on my way home".  When I got home, nobody was in the kitchen preparing dinner but somebody was in the family room playing an army game on Wii.  When I said , "where's my dinner, I thought you said you were going to make dinner?" somebody said, "nope, not gonna". 
After I changed, I poured myself a big glass of wine and went out on the deck.  The temperature said 89 but it didn't feel too bad so I sat in my favorite chair to drink my wine & unwind.  Somebody came out and said I was crazy because it was so hot out and when I mentioned about my dinner I was told, "nope, not gonna" again.

I ended up making myself a grilled cheese.  I was in a hurry to get down to my scrapbooking because I had a project due Monday morning and Sister Richard Maureen takes no excuse.  As I was walking through the family room somebody told me Wipeout was on the DVR.  I couldn't resist.  I love that show!  I laugh so hard in that show.  I sat down & watched and the rest of my stress was laughed off - well almost the rest of it.
The outcome:  I finished my scrapbooking project and gave the Finance Committee a budget. 

I was supposed to go to Edson's house Sunday evening because he's having the Board, Japanese guests & staff over for barbecue but I decided not to go.  Jim always pushes me to participate in these kinds of things because he says it's PR.  For some reason he's always afraid I'm going to get fired or something.  When I got home Sunday afternoon and he asked if I was going to Edson's, I told him, "nope, not gonna!" 

Update

I just wanted to update everyone regarding Jethro and his trapping of raccoons. The night after he trapped the first raccoon, I went out on the deck at just after dusk when it’s dark but not all the way and I saw two animals run from the deck to the woods. I strained my eyes to see what they were and there they were looking at me from the edge of the woods. They were going to wait for me to go back inside so they could come back and raid my bird feeders. I took a step down the stairs to get a better look when they turned and casually walked into the woods. They probably only went a few feet, just far enough to hide behind brush so I couldn’t see them. Jim wasn’t home at the time but when he got back I told him there were TWO raccoons out there. So he baited the trap.

A while later, I was upstairs reading before bed when Jim came rushing up to give me the play-by-play. He was freaking out because he said he went downstairs to look out the window of my scrapbooking room where he could see the trap from inside and lo and behold there was a great big possum out there sniffing around! Now, we’ve seen a variety of different wildlife at our house but never a possum. Jim concluded that we were drawing animals with the scent of our bait in the trap. So that was the end of the game. We decided not to set the trap because who knows what else we’d attract. Ya know, dar are coyotes in dem dar woods….

It's Official

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and it seems that I’m falling apart and I didn’t even know it. Besides a knee thing that’s been bothering me for a month or so, I feel fine. “Nay, nay, reindeer”, says the doctor. I have really high cholesterol and my bone density is not good so now I’m on medication for both. I decided that maybe I need to get healthier so I quit smoking June 1 (I hope telling everyone doesn’t put a hex on me!) and Jim got my bike down for me last night. I think it’s been at least a year since I rode it. I even offered to give it to Angie last year when she said she needed one because she & Brian were going to start riding because he has really high cholesterol. Anyway, Jim & I went riding last night. We hadn’t even gotten up to the first cross street which is about maybe 200 yards from our driveway and I told Jim that I was already tired and I didn’t know if I could make it very far. You have to give me a break because although it isn’t a steep hill, there is a definite incline. I persisted and we rode up to the entrance of the neighborhood and back. I think we were riding for approximately 3 minutes and 55 seconds. I told Jim I’d have to work my way up to riding further. The problem is that the road coming into our neighborhood (Jacobs Station) has a huge hill and there’s no way I will ever be able to ride all the way up that. I’ll have to push my bike and then I’ll really feel old! I guess we’ll have to ride the opposite way going out of the neighborhood but it’s supposed to be private back there. Oh well, I may be old but I’m still a rebel!