Out with the Old and In with the New

2009 has been an interesting year.  A good friend of mine told me it was going to be a "Big Wheel" year.  Boy was she right.

This past year has found me evaluting my life and my future. Good friends have died.  Good friends have struggled with health issues.  I have noticed that I am not getting any younger and I have more aches in my body than I care to admit to.  But overall, I am health, if not overweight.  Need to work on that one.  I know less BEER!

Relationships are tricky and just when you think you know what one is about you get the rug pulled out from under you and you just can't seem to find the road to forgiveness or to forgetting.  I think that forgiveness will be easier in the long run and I am working on it, but the not being able to forget about how it was is harder by far.

The boat pulpit got destroyed again this year and is now repaired and ready for service.  I am looking forward to blue seas and salt water and a little seclusion.

This year saw more of our cruising friends swallow the hook and become lubbers.  We are slowly drifting in that direction...I think?

We bought a Motor Home and that has reopened some doors of discovery.  We are spending more time in the States and we love the travel.  Can't see us settling down and living in a house.  We just like to take our home with us where-ever we go...be it land or sea.

I went to Spanish School this year and almost had a total break-down.  Thankfully Carole wouldn't let me be a slacker and it all worked out.  That was a wonderful week of just "girl" time.

I became addicted to my iTouch.  I love it...music, movies, wifi, books, addresses, games and more games.

I bought a Mac computer and started the road to switching from a PC to a Mac.  A little different, but all good. 

I got Facebooked!  Still not sure if that is a good thing or not.  Sometimes I like it, but sometimes it wastes my time.  Sometimes I find that it is like overhearing a conversation that you weren't suppose to and all it does is hurt your feelings.  On a different note I have reconnected with  old friends and met some new ones.  Thanks to a  meeting on Facebook we got a new tow dolly for the RV.

Because my sister, Helen and her husband, Einor store our car and RV we have got to spend more time with them.  That sure has been WONDERFUL.

My son, David married Lilly and that increased our family by two.  So welcome Lilly and Devonie to our family.  It is so good to see you happy, David.

My daughter, Sarah and Chris found each other.  I am excited.  Sarah seems happy.

Found out I am going to be a grandmother again. And just got off the phone with my step-son and he and the mother of his child just got married!

Cynthia is growing into a fine young woman.  Our grandsons Chance and Jake are growing like weeds.
Kelly is working and working.  Tina is moving.

So let the new year come and reveal all it has to offer.  We have 2 new daughter-in-laws and a new baby on the way and a new grand-daughter.  The year is full of promise.

So Happy New Year!  May your future be full of promise!

Cold, Driving and Beans

I have forgotten what it means to be cold.  For the first time in almost 7 years my feet are COLD!  I am wearing long sleeves!  I am wearing shoes with socks!

Driving again is always an adventure.  Now we have our lovely tow dolly to take our "dinghy" with us.  It works great and we don't worry about getting pooped.  We do worry about tailgaters.  I still feel like we are in shallow water when we go through big cities.

RV Parks are just like marinas.  There are welcome packets, events and activities and lots of advice givers.  Instead of sea stories you get road stories.  Fortunately for us we got one of the last three spaces at Davis Monthan AFB.  What a great place at the foothills of the Catalina Mountains.  The park is clean, the showers are hot and very private, the laundry is reasonable and the room is very clean.  The staff is friendly and helpful.


Some of you are aware of the Baked Bean shortage in Guatemala.  We have been looking for them for months and Roger and Carole on SV Androsian have not been able to find them.  Jim searches in Guatemala City for them with no luck.  Carole, you will be happy to know that there is no shortage in the USA.  They are everywhere I go to shop...even in the food stores at the gas stations!  Not to worry I will eat some for you.

Mom is taking good care of us.  Homemade dessert every night!  More Wii Fit in my future.

One Week and Counting

I can't believe that next Sunday at this time we will be riding up to Guatemala City.  Then it is just a wake up and we will be winging our way to the United States.

Christmas in the States? Wow, it has been nearly 8 years since we have been there for Christmas. Trying to get my head around cold weather, shopping, shopping, eating, eating, etc.  You get the picture.

Will miss Christmas at the marina with all our friends that we have here.  But am really looking forward to a full size tree.  (Daddy, I hope you are reading this.) The smells of baking cookies.  Making fudge and divinity.  Actually wearing a sweater!

But the thing I am most looking forward to is FAMILY!  We are so fortunate to be able to travel and see almost everyone. 

So we are planning and cleaning and getting the suitcases ready.  We are making our lists and checking them twice.

Giving Thanks

 It is so easy to complain.  My bill is wrong, I lost my job, my kids are in trouble, our country is in trouble, and the list goes on and on and on.

I am guilty of it too.  So with Thanksgiving tomorrow, it is time to reflect on what I have that is right and good.

I have my health
My kids are employed and doing well
My parents are healthy and independent
I have great siblings
My husband loves me
I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and clothes on my back
I have wonderful friends
I have the freedom to practice my faith
I have the freedom to travel
I have money in the bank (not a lot, but enough)
I have a safe place for my boat
I have a safe place for my RV

So as we begin the Holiday Season let us reflect on what is good and right.  If only for a little while.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Bathrooms are a changing

Bathrooms and showers.  You never know what you are going to get when you travel or live in Central America.
Some people complain about the Bathrooms and Showers at Mario's.  I haven't minded them much.  Had worse in a marina in the States.  Korea was a slit in the floor for awhile.   The walls looked a little moldy sometimes, (it is the jungle), the electrical shower head bothered some, not me, and there are only two.  So during high season you may have to wait.  Waiting isn't that bad.  You wait at the pool and usually there is someone to talk to and the staff walk by, the birds are singing and the waves are lapping on the docks.

However, I must admit that I am pleased to say the the walls are being tiled!  Not only tiled, but with a border!  My friend, Israel, who I met 5 years ago is doing the job.  It looks great.  There will be two faucets...hot and cold.

Here are Israel and myself in the partially completed second shower. 

It is that time of year

The tide is high and so that means the grand exodus for deep draft boats has begun.

Pickings are slim here on the Rio.  A very quiet year.  Most people didn't stay with their boats.  We did stay with our boat and took advantage of some events here on the Rio Dulce.

Janet and Russ manage Tortugal Marina here on the river.  They have taken movie night to a new high.  A free launch ride, 2 pieces of pizza (the best on the river) and an outdoor theater.  What fun we have had with a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock's, Rear Window and North by Northwest.  I still can't believe that Eva Marie Saint was able to traverse Mount Rushmore in an A-Line skirt and high heels.
Just when I thought that I had died and gone to heaven with the pizza, we headed over yesterday to Tortugal for Sunday Breakfast Buffet.


Damn it Janet!  I love you.  All you can eat fresh fruit, cinnamon rolls, and coffee.  Then the good, I mean really good stuff came out.  Included in the cost was one mimosa, a gigantic piece of baked french toast with praline topping and a huge slice of homemade crab quiche!  I almost forgot, you also got a serving of toasted English muffins with smoked salmon and capers.

So the next time Tortugal has a Breakfast Buffet call in your reservation.  You won't be sorry.

Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day is a day for reflection.  For me there are personal ties to Veteran's Day.  I am a Disabled Veteran.  My husband is a Veteran.  My Father is a Veteran.  My Uncle George rests as a Veteran aboard the USS ARIZONA at Pearl Harbor.  My sister-in-law is a Veteran.  So many of our friends near and far are Veterans.

This year once again finds our fine young men and women fighting across the sea in foreign countries.  This year at Fort Hood, Texas one solider raised weapons against his fellow soldiers and we ask, WHY?

For every Mother, Father, Daughter, Son, Brother, or Sister who has watched "THE CAR" come down the street and hoped against hope that the car wouldn't stop at their door.  For every loved one who has stood at a grave flinching at the Twenty-one Gun Salute and had the Flag folded and handed to them, "On behalf of a grateful Nation..."  we should and must pause as a Grateful Nation for the ones who lay down their lives on our behalf.  For the ones that won't be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  For the ones the won't see first steps.  For the ones that won't walk daughters down the aisle or toast sons who wed.  For the one's that won't hold their grandchildren.  For all the ones that won't....so that we can.
Please take a moment and remember....

London Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down, Falling Down....

As a little girl that phrase about London Bridge was part of a favorite game.  Not sure I remember all the specifics, but the tune is as fresh in my head as it was oh so many years ago.

I recall all the hubbub when Lake Havasu City won the bid for the London Bridge.  Pretty cool I thought.  Dismantle the bridge and rebuild it stone by stone.  Good idea.  So this summer we were going to be driving right through Lake Havasu City.  Let's stop and see the London Bridge.


Some of you will be shocked to learn that Michael and I approach things differently.  Driving into LHC I was looking for a sign that would direct us to the famed bridge.  Surely something as magnificent as the London Bridge would have a sign with directions.  Well before we came to the sign we came to a rode called London Bridge Road.  Michael wants to take it and I want to wait for the sign.  For the sake of marital harmony I took the blasted road that wandered along the shore line, through the trailer parks, the industrial area and still no sign of the blasted bridge!  Now we are in the middle of town.  I am not very happy and still looking for the bridge.  Perhaps it is close to the London Bridge Resort.  Back and forth, up and down, hither and thither I drove the streets of LHC.  Finally in exasperation I shouted, "Where the Hell is the Bridge?"  My dear husband replied," you have driven across it at least 4 times!"  (Yes you are getting the sanitized version.)

So I found a parking lot just below the bridge.  Michael grabs his camera and says, "Aren't you coming?"  "NO!"  I couldn't believe that this plain old bridge with some flags on it was THE BRIDGE!  I should have known it wasn't going to be that impressive.  When I asked my sister about it and her reply was..."Well, when you think about them taking it apart stone by stone and putting it back together..."  Being the stubborn woman I am I let HIM take all the pictures as I waited thumbs drumming on the steeringwheel looking for the closest breakfast place.

I am not sure what I was expecting in the bridge, but more than what I got.  When I tell my U.K. friends about it they all laugh and say, "You thought it was the Tower Bridge."  Actually, no.  I don't know what the Tower Bridge looks like either.  But I wanted, I guess the London Bridge of my childhood fantasy.  Instead I got the real London Bridge. Recognized I might add at first glimpse by all my U.K. friends.

Enjoy Michael's photos.

?Friends, Facebook, and Aquaintances...?

In this world we use the word, Friend freely.  I remember my mother telling me that I would have enough friends to count on one hand and enough acquaintances to last a life time.

Face book asks you continually,  "Do you want to be my friend?"  My father recently  joined Facebook.  He is NOT my friend!  He is my Father.  I expect him to act as my Father, NOT my friend.  Don't get me wrong.  I want to connect to him on Facebook.  Just like I want to connect with my children, their spouses and all the other people in my life who encourage and lift me up.  BUT.. my children are not my friends!  I am their mother.  As their mother I have a responsibility to tell them when they are wrong, when they are right, and when they need to try again.

A relationship is complicated.  Parents have boundaries that say,  I have some experience and let me share with you what worked for me.  I don't want or need you to like me all the time.  I am your parent.  I will always love you, but I am not always going to like what you are doing.  (Had a hard time with that one when I was younger.)

Friends are special.  Yes,  I can count them on one hand.  Friends are the ones that nod when you admit that you messed up!  Not just messed up but really stepped in it.  They see you for what you are.  Good, bad, or indifferent.  They know you inside and out and still they stand beside you.  They tell you the truth when no one else will take that chance.

Friends are precious.  They are the weavers of our days.  They are the ones that tell us to relax, shut up, cool it, etc.
I wish FaceBook would come up with a different term.  I know who my friends are.

Girl Day at Valle Dorado

For those of you who are regular readers, you may remember that we went to Valle Dorado a couple of months ago.  Valle Dorado is a water park here in Guatemala.  Last time we went there was a Victoria Secret fashion show. Just what the guys were looking for.  Well, the worm turned and yesterday was the Mechanical Bull Competition.

I must tell you there is something about a vaquero (cowboy) in his jeans, and chaps.  It was fun to watch the vaqueros compete.  The interesting thing is that the even was sponsored by Tecate, a Mexican Beer!
Gallo, the National Brand fell down on the job on this one.

The other thing that made this trip fun was that Kathy brought four of her girlfriend's with us.  What a hoot it was to experience the park with these lovely young ladies.  We all got a little too much sun.

We all ate a little to much pizza and hot dogs. (You haven't eaten a hot dog until you eat a hot dog in Guatemala.  They put onions, ketsup, mayo,  & guacamole on them.  You can have it on a corn tortilla or for we gringos on a bun.)

All in all it was a great day.  Gracias Tecate y los vaqueros.

Okay, Now I love Ted

Gerry of SV Katinka has been posting about TED. She is in love with the site and now so am I.  Carole of SV Androsian sent me this bit and asked it I wanted one.

You betcha.  I love tech stuff.  I love gadgets.  I love the fact that I can have an idea and want to share it and can do so via my blog.

So many of the people that I know are geeks.  Remember that used to be a put-down.  Now some of us would wear that badge with honor.  That is were the money is and that is the new wave.

I wonder if I would have had this new device if I would have made better choices about who I dated and who I married. (watch the video for the reference)  Most likely not, I am pretty stubborn.

Music

I love music.   Some of my earliest memories are filled with music.  My Mom and Dad played music all the time.  They played all kinds of music so we kids where exposed to lots of great stuff.

So here I am living on sailboat in Guatemala and I have access to all the music I could want.  The only problem is money!  I could go broke buying all the music I want.  I want you to know that iTunes is doing their very best to get a large chunk of my money.  Remember that there are three of us purchasing music.  We like some of the same music, but each of us has our own favorite.

Yesterday was Michael's turn to go into a downloading frenzy.  Each new album suggested something else that he might like.  Yes, he liked them and downloaded them also.  Seventy songs later he stopped.

Three iPods and one iTouch live with us.  We are downloaded, sync'd and playing our music, listening to our books, reading e-books, watching movies and TV shows.

Who says you can't have it all?

Collectivas...Just part of the "Cultural Experiance"

If you have not been to Central America, you may be unfamiliar with "collectivas".  Well they are nine (9) passenger vans usually on their last legs.  Did I say nine passengers?  That may be what they were designed for, however, if you are going to make a profit carrying the populace between village and city, well.....more is definitely better!  The most that I have ever had was twenty-nine (29) in one van.  We were cheek to jowl, babies on laps, bags of veggies and fruit in laps and people hanging out the sliding door.
Cynthia and I have been regulars on the collectiva to Morales.  Cynthia has braces and must go for routine adjustments we find ourselves grabbing the various collectivas.  We are learning which drivers are just a little too crazy for us. We know that the weekends are just plain suicide.
I will admit that I miss read her appointment slip so last Saturday just past noon we found ourselves on our way to Morales.  Our driver started out just fine.  Then just as we hit the curves he really put the petal to the metal and we were flying around blind curves, passing in no passing zones, just the normal driving habits of your friendly colectiva driver.  So when we saw him yesterday with his helper and money collector holloring, "Morales,  Morales, Puerto Barrios"  we got in.  We needed to get there.

As we are going over the bridge that spans our beautiful river we stop and pick up a clown.  This guy is in full costume and has 7 soda cans all attached to each other in a line.  As we pull away he hands the driver a picture of himself on the bridge with the river in the background.  The driver is looking at the picture and commenting all the while we are weaving across the center line on a two lane bridge.

We are heading down the road and the clown starts to sing and accompany himself with the cans.  He holds them horizontally and there must be seeds inside as it sounds like a rain stick.  So he sings his song of going to the beach and seeing the beautiful girl in the white top and pants, who he calls to and declares his love.  She of course ignores him and he is sick at heart with love for her. ( I am telling you about this song...because it was all in Spanish and I understood 90% of it!)

After dropping off 2 people and picking up 4 more in the village of Buenas Aires I notice that the helper is making arm motions to a collectiva behind us.  The other collectiva pulls around us and then stops to drop off his passengers.  We pull around him and then all of a sudden he as pushed us into the on coming traffic lane!  We are half on the shoulder and he has us blocked in.  Yes, we are in a blind curve!  The other driver comes over and yanks open the door and grabs our driver.  There is yelling and accusations flying.  Cynthia and I are trying not to pay too much attention and are hoping that we won't be hit by on coming traffic.  Fortunately,  the other driver leaves and we continue on our way.

We will never know what it was all about.  The ride home was boring...Can't wait till next month.

SPAM, SPAM, SPAM.......

SPAM, SPAM, SPAM,SPAM......

Monty Python has the Broadway production of Spamalot.  The rest of us have SPAM!

 Either you are a lover of Spam or not.  We are not talking electronic spam here.  We are talking canned meat!
I am not sure when or where I had my first taste of spam, but I know that I like it.
Michael and Cynthia like it too.  That makes it easy for me.  Especially for breakfast.  Now there are some people and they know who they are, that....gasp...do NOT like SPAM.  So of course Murphy's Law is in place.
They sent a cruising friend with a wish list for shopping in Guatemala City.  Being Australian, George picked up canned meat as requested...Well not really.  He came back with two (2) cases of SPAM!  To their credit they tried to like it and then promptly worked out a work trade with Dragonheart.  Spam for sewing.
SPAM is versatile, fried, diced in eggs with pancakes, as a sandwhich, etc.  The list is endless.  Check of the SPAM website for recipies.
 
Roger and Carole like spam also and as Roger is back in England, Carole is at loose ends for breakfast.  Seems that Roger cooks breakfast for her and Sunday breakfast is special.  So we invited her over for breakfast.  Yes, waffles and fried SPAM!
Just a little history about SPAM!

Hormel developed America's first canned ham (''Hormel Flavor-Sealed Ham'') in 1926, and eleven years later developed the first canned meat product that did not require refrigeration. It was a ''distinctive chopped pork shoulder and ham mixture'' developed by Jay C. Hormel, son of Hormel founder George A. Hormel, and marketed as ''Hormel Spiced Ham'' - not a terribly inspiring name for an innovative product fated to save lives, win wars, and balance diets of people world wide.
Hormel Spiced Ham got off to a slightly rocky start. Other meatpackers began to introduce their own canned luncheon meats, and Hormel lost its controlling share of the market. Soon, however, they came up with a cunning plan to rectify this situation - they would give Hormel's luncheon meat a truly catchy name. Toward this end, they offered $100 for a suitable appellation. The winning name was, of course, ''SPAM'', and a legend was born.
SPAM was launched with much high-profile advertising in mid-1937. It was called ''the Miracle Meat'', and promoted as an anytime meat. In 1940, SPAM was the subject of quite possibly the first singing commercial. The jingle was to the tune of the chorus of ''My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean'', and the lyrics were ''SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM/ Hormel's new miracle meat in a can/ Tastes fine, saves time./ If you want something grand,/ Ask for SPAM!''. Hormel also sponsored George Burns' and Gracie Allen's network radio show, which included ''Spammy the Pig''. During World War II, sales boomed. Not only was SPAM great for the military, as it required no refrigeration, it wasn't rationed as beef was, so it became a prime staple in American meals. SPAM supported the war effort more directly, too. Nikita Kruschev credits SPAM with the survival of the Russian Army during WWII. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Hormel Girls performing troupe advertised SPAM as they performed throughout the country, distributed SPAM door-to-door, and even had a national weekly radio show. Ads proclaimed, ''Cold or hot, SPAM hits the spot!''
In 1960, SPAM began to be sold in 7 oz cans alonside the original 12 oz ones. SPAM began to spawn variations in 1971, when smoke-flavored SPAM was introduced. Next came less salt/sodium SPAM, in 1986, and with it the honour of being considered ''state of the art in its industry'' by the Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry." In the early 1990s, SPAM Breakfast Strips were introduced, as was SPAM lite.
What now awaits us on the SPAM front? Only time (and possibly Hormel) will tell.

Try SPAM!   You just may like it.

Now That's a Gadget I Can Use!

I know that I seem obsessed with our last trip to the States.  So please bear with me.  One of the things that makes your heart beat faster is when you are checking into the airlines and you put that first bag on their scale.
You are right...it is over.  How can that be you ask?  I know that we weigh and re-weigh ever bag at least 4 times.  How do we do this?  With the bathroom scale.  It really is quite funny to watch.  Someone usually me lifts the bag, balances it on the scale, and then lifts so that the other person can read the weight.  We never seem to get the same reading.  You can also stand on the scale with the bag in your hand and then subtract your weight from the total.  I never opt for this version as I hate math!

Well we have ordered a hand held digital scale to weigh our bags on our next trip.  There are several out there.  

Supposedly, you just wrap the strap around the handle of your bag, lift and it digitally gives you a read-out.
Sure hope it works as well as it is advertised.  I hate transferring items at the airline counter.

Help us name our Holes???

This is posted on YouTube and Facebook.  I just can't imagine that they didn't realize what the inuendo would be....A hole or B hole????

I laughed.  May-be you will too.

Packaging

On our recent trip to the States we bought a significant amount of stuff.  Stuff for us, stuff for friends and fellow cruisers.  So much stuff was delivered to my sister's home that she quit sending me emails to alert me of arrivals.
One of the first things people tell you is, "break it down".  Couldn't have done it if we hadn't "broke it down".  We filled half of a small dumpster with packaging.  It took me two days to break down the packaging.  Once you get the item out of the packaging then I put it in Zip-Locks and label who it belongs to.

Here is an example of over packaging.
The Original box.

The box inside the box.

 The actual item which is only 3"X3".

Multiply that by a water pump, depth finder, 2 mice for computers, multiple external hard drives...you get the idea.  And that doesn't even take into account the bubblewrap, the styrafoam peanuts, the paper, and those new little airbag things.

No wonder our landfills are full to overflowing and the price of every item is affected by all the PACKAGING!

Red Shirt Friday

This was sent to me by a friend and I feel I need to pass it on.  I may not support the War, but I most certainly do SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

If you want to see and may-be understand what happens when a Solider/Marine is brought home I highly recommend the movie, "Taking Chance".  It is a true story and brings home the message of what it means to be an escort for a fallen Warrior.

Because of every Warrior that has been willing to lay down his/her life or has laid down his/her life for me and mine...I am grateful.  I am proud to have come from a military family.  I am proud that I am a disabled Vet.  I am proud to be married to a retired warrior.

Red  Shirt

                 If  the red shirt thing is new to you, read below  how it went for a man...

                 Last  week, while traveling to  Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a  folded flag, but did not put two and two  together..

                 After we boarded our flight, I  turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to  sit in First Class (across from me), and  inquired if he was heading home.

                 No, he  responded.
                 Heading out I asked?

                 No.  I'm escorting a soldier home.

                 Going to  pick him up?

                 No. He is with me right now.  He was killed in  Iraq , I'm taking him home to  his family.

                 The realization of what he  had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the  gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had  delivered the news of his passing to the  soldier's family and felt as if he knew them  after many conversations in so few days.

                 I turned back to him, extended my hand,  and said, Thank you Thank you for doing what  you do so my family and I can do what we do.

                 Upon landing in  Chicago the pilot  stopped short of the gate and made the following  announcement over the intercom.

                 "Ladies  and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the  United States Marine Corps join us on this  flight He is escorting a fallen comrade back  home to his family. I ask that you please remain  in your seats when we open the forward door to  allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive  his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the  seat belt sign."

                 Without a sound, all  went as requested. I noticed the sergeant  saluting the casket as it was brought off the  plane, and his action made me realize that I am  proud to be an American.

                 So here's a  public Thank You to our military Men and Women  for what you do so we can live the way we  do.

                 Red Fridays.

                 Very soon, you  will see a great many people wearing Red every  Friday. The reason? Americans who support our  troops used to be called the "silent majority."  We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record  breaking numbers. We are not organized,  boisterous or overbearing.

                 Many  Americans, like you, me and all our friends,  simply want to recognize that the vast majority  of America supports our troops. Our idea of  showing solidarity and support for our troops  with dignity and respect starts this Friday --  and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening  message that ... Every red-blooded American who  supports our men and women a far, will wear something red.

                 By word of mouth, press,  TV -- let's make the  United States on every  Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming  football game in the bleachers. If every one of  us who loves this country will share this with  acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family,  it will not be long before the  USA is covered in  RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than  ever, certainly more than the media lets  on.

                 The first thing a soldier says when  asked "What can we do to make things better for  you?" is. "We need your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out and lead with  class and dignity, by example, and wear  something red every Friday.

                Now go and get out your RED SHIRTS!

And There Was Customs and Duty...

We arrived in Guatemala City after being awake for almost 24 hours.  We were tired!  As we were waiting for our baggage I noticed X-ray machines near the Customs Area.  Not a good sign.  Oh, well we finally got our bags, I think that they were the last ones off the plane.  No worries we are spending a couple of days in the City.

Now we notice that everyone is having their bags opened and searched  and some are asked to move over and go to see the officials behind glass.  I really got nervous when I saw that a fellow cruiser was sitting with his bags in front of the Customs Office.  This definitely is not good.

So here go the bags into the X-ray machine and now they are being opened and stuff is being removed and three people besides Michael are asking me questions.  Three are asking in Spanish.  Holy Crap Batman, we are in it now.  They are asking for receipts.  Receipts for what you ask?  Well,  there is the new 20" IMac computer, the depth finder, the new SSB Radio, the electric pump, the Wii and the Wii Fit Board, the wind instrument and varies other small electrical items.  You get the picture...we were burros for other cruisers and now we got to pay.
They want to know how much it all costs.  What is the right answer?  We made a stab at it and were told that we now would need an agent.  I couldn't find all the receipts and now we have our own customs person, Gina, who took over and took care of us.  Gina tells me to calm down, not a problem!  She takes what receipts I can find and goes over and talks to someone behind the GLASS.  She comes back.  We will not need an agent, but we will need NIT's.  NIT's are numbers in Guatemala so that you can pay your taxes and duty and customs.  Okay we can do that.  Only one more small problem, Cynthia is 14 and she will need a NIT.  Gina is trying very hard to keep me calm and move us along.   "Do you know anyone that has a NIT in Guatemala?"  "If you do we can use their number for some of the stuff and off you go."

I call Marco at the Marina and once again he helps us.  He gives his NIT and Mirna's NIT.  Paperwork is being done in triplicate and stamps are flying.  Now all we have to do is PAY!  Lucky us, we brought Quetzales with us and we still have some dollars.  After we pay all our customs and duty and for the NITs we have 20 Quetzales left.  That is about $2.50 US.  Thankfully we have a free airport shuttle.  We can't afford a cab.

We hit the ATM and get more money.  We are at the Biltmore, taking showers, eating pizza and drinking beer.  We are exhausted or "Estamos Fritos" as they say in Spanish.
The moral of this little tale is...never carry more that you can pay for and only be a burro for yourself.  Like I told my Dad, "Next time it is bathing suits and underwear!"

On The Road Again

If you follow on facebook, you know that we bought a motorhome.  I have to admit it...I love the thing.  I am still trying to get use to all the traffic.  I figure it is like sailing in shallow water all the time!

We spent time in San Antonio catching up with friends and family.  I will be posting photos of the wedding soon.  Right now we are in Van Horn, Texas for the night.  Tomorrow we head for Tucson then push on to Fort Mohave, AZ. Now we need to put the car and the motorhome away.

San Antonio was a blast.  We saw Debi and  Roy and Lynn and Mac and Ron and the Kids.  We were happy that we had a place of our own some nights.  Between seeing everyone we had the meet the new in-laws, (they are great), the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding.

So we are finishing up last minute things and praying that we have enough bags for all the stuff!  And of course when Spirit changed our flight we just realized that we will be flying over the Labor Day holiday.  Oh well it should all be ok.

Story Tellers

Story Tellers are an important part of our lives.  I am always reminded of this fact when I visit family and friends.  One of the first things that happens is we begin to tell our stories.
Family remind us of where we came from.  We do this by telling and re-telling our family stories.  Some people call this Oral History.  It is important.  This is how we remind each other of the ties that bind, both good and not so good.  Grandparents are great story tellers.  They help their grandchildren understand that their parents are not the paragons of virtue their children think they are.  How do they do this?  They tell stories on their own children to the grandchildren.  It is a good thing.  It helps keep things in perspective.
I know when my family gets together we tell the same stories over and over.  It may bore some that are not as invested in our stories as we are, but hey...they are OUR STORIES.
Cruisers are great story tellers.  Sea stories remind us of great times and help us realize no matter how high those seas actual were, we survived...TO TELL OUR STORY!

I had an opportunity to listen and tell stories with a good friend from High School on this trip to the States.  It had been over 30 years since we had seen or talked to each other.  I found it interesting that as we began we struggled to remember names and events.  Okay, me more than Summer.  But as the stories continued it opened up old memories and more and more names floated to the surface and more and more stories where told.
Story telling is part of who we are.  So when someone starts to tell you a story even though you may have heard it many times before...stop and really listen.  This story is important to them and they are sharing part of who they are with you.
If any of you remember the movie "Enemy Mine" you will remember that the character played by Dennis Quaid learns the Oral History of his alien enemy so that the child of the enemy can be accepted into the community.
Stories bind us and make us part of the world, the community, and the family.  Tell a good story to someone you care about today.

We're Going to the Water Park

I don't know about you, but when I think about water parks, I am thinking Wet "N" Wild in the States.  Well think again my friends.  Right here in Central America.  Guatemala in fact, are some of the best water parks.  All along the highways you see billboards and other signs for water parks.

When we take the bus to Guatemala City our bus stops by Valle Dorado.  There is a gas station and a fast food place right next to the park.  We often comment on going but being gringos and basically locked into the marina we never have gone.

All that changed with an invitation by Marco, our dock master, and his family. Marco, Mirna and Kathy invited the crew of Dragonheart and Tom and Kim off Miramar to go last Sunday.

Bathing suits, towels and quetzales in our pockets off we went.  What a great day we had.  It always helps to have a very enthusiastic 10 year old leading you around.  It is infectious!

We rode slides, went in the wave machine and walked and walked and walked.  We got Sunburned!

If you have never been to Central America let me tell you...they like their music LOUD!  No matter where you were in the park you could hear it.  Not just hear it you can feel the bass pounding through you body.  So the music is playing and now there is a fashion show sponsored by Victoria Secrets.  At this point Michael is now the photographer and most of our photos are of lovely young Guatemalan women in various pajamas, swimsuits and other clothes.

I can tell you by the time we got back to the marina we were all tired.  We had had a wonderful day full of laughter and friendship.  Thanks Marco, Mirna and Kathy for sharing yet another side of your wonderful country.

A View from the Cockpit

We are working on our fifth Hurricane Season on the Rio Dulce. That is hard to believe. It is not the same place that we pulled into several years ago. I still remember the first time we crossed over from our anchorage at Cabo Tres Puntas. We were in company with several boats: Procyon, Continental Drift, Artemesia and us in Dragonheart. It was a foggy morning and as we approached “The Bar” we were all nervous. Some because of draft, some because it was new and some had heard rumors that the sea buoy had been moved. All went well and we anchored as the mist was lifting. We were excited about getting here and couldn’t wait for the new chapter in our travels.
We all went in and did the check-in dance, Raul didn’t do all the running around for you back then, and had lunch and bought some of the biggest carrots that I have ever seen. We wanted to get to Gringo Bay for the night so we were pushing against the current and the setting sun to get there before dark. None of us were sure which bay was Gringo Bay so we anchored outside a couple of bays and figured we would be safe for the night.
During cocktails on Procyon a small cayuco came up to us. No one spoke Spanish so we didn’t know what he wanted. It made all of us a little nervous. So back to your boats to make sure all was okay. It was…he just wanted to sell us some shrimp. Missed out on that one.
Then it was on to Mario’s Marina. We all had reservations. The place was packed! Packed, not just with boats, but with people. Every place was busy. People lived on their boats full time it seems more then, than now. Just one of the changes on the river. The river now seems more like a “Park and Fly”. There are plenty of boats now, just not many people.
Boats on average were smaller when we first got here. Now if you aren’t 45’ or bigger you are really small. Yes, I remember when Westsail came out with the 32’ and made cruising affordable. When we started looking at our cruising boat we wanted it paid off. Thirty-eight feet was the norm and something that I thought I could handle alone. Most boats were monohulls. Now Catamarans are more numerous. For livability I don’t think you can beat them. I am still not convinced I want to sail one.
That first year was the start of the original Sweet River Band. It really used to rock the house down. Like most band there have been changes to the members and the style of music. They still can play though. I have noticed there is more room on the dance floor. May-be it will fill up when people come back to get ready to cruise.
That is another difference. More people use to hang around. More people just went back for a month and then it was back home to the boat. Now it is two weeks before the season and two weeks after the season. New condos and new grandbabies seem to be the big pull. More people are swallowing the anchor and becoming “dirt dwellers.” I won’t lie to you. It does get harder every year that you age. I personally think that the anchor gains weight each year. I have noticed that I am not as nimble either. The truth is we are getting older!
Many of the restaurants are limiting their hours. There aren’t enough people to keep them open for three meals a day plus Happy Hour. However, as the marinas don’t seem to have the people in them I must admit that the town of Rio Dulce is booming. So many new items in the Dispensa Familia. We even have a meat counter and fresh veggies in the store now. There is a mall. It is a small mall, but a mall none the less. New businesses are cropping up all the time.
Can’t find what you want in Rio Dulce, Morales, or Puerto Barrios you can always hop a bus and go to Guatemala City. Good food, great hotels, movies and department stores. I am convinced if you want something you can get it right here in Guatemala.
The people of Guatemala are some of the most friendly I have ever met. Yes, learning a new language is a challenge, but isn’t that part of why we cruise? We like a challenge. Because we keep returning the employees are more than just employees. I have helped bring their children into the world, pronounced their dead, stitched their wounds and provided medication to their ill, shared a tear or hug and prayed with them. The employees are like family. We have history. I worry about them with the economic down turn.
The geography of the river is changing. In the short time that we have been here entire islands have disappeared. Shell Bay is missing a few islands and the old big bird island is gone. Wakes from power boats, jet skies, and now cayucos with motors are all taking their toll on the river banks, wildlife, and the overall tranquility of the Rio.
There use to be so many Jesus lizards on the property that you could get run over walking down the sidewalk. Though I have noticed a small come back.
Why this walk down memory lane. Well, I AM getting older. New arrivals always ask, “Do you go out in your boat?” When they find out how long we have been here. Here has become home to us. We like it here. We want you to like it too. So we may not be doing long passages, just the jaunt to the Bay Islands and Belize, but we enjoy it. We like our time on the hook. We like our time in the marina.
Some days you just can’t stop wool gathering and remember how something was versus how it is. Nothing bad about how it is…you just remember the “Good Ol’ Days” with fondness.
So to all the cruisers whose paths have crossed with ours, for good or bad, for following seas or beating into it, for full moons and the pitch black of night, may you have fond memories, yet look forward to the new challenges of our ever evolving time on the Big Blue Marble.

THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN

I have waited to post this as I have mixed feelings. It appears that Armando, the black bellied whistling duck has left us. For weeks prior to getting back his flight feathers, large flocks of his kind have been flying over and calling to him.

I am sure that Armando is happy with his own kind. I hope that he is. We miss him around here. He always brought a smile to your face with his antics.

May-be he will bring his mate by so we can check her out.

Vayos con Dios, Armando...que le vaya bien!

We Have Lift-Off

It was bound to happen.  Armando, our pet Black Bellied Whistling Duck FLIES!

We have been noticing that Armando’s flight feathers are growing and that when he stretched his wings out that he had more white feathers.  He was making small flights from the land to the water.  That was all of two feet.  But yesterday he FLEW!  He went from his roast to the middle of the river and back and then took off again and circled the marina.  He was very proud of himself…whistling and whistling.

We do hear others of his kind whistle to him as they fly over and now we are afraid that he will join them and fly away.  We will be sad if that happens, but he should be with his own kind.

He is an incredible flier, quite fast and beautiful when in flight.  Good on you Armando!

The Kindle Answer for books

Living on a boat is a constant battle for space. When three avid readers live on a 38' sailboat the amount of books on board is incredible. We try to read the same things, but that doesn't always work.

Because good books are hard to find we tend to hog books if we see one that we think we may want to read. Each of us has our storage areas and they are full. If Michael finishes a book and either Cynthia or I want to read it later it moves to our space. Sometimes the boat lists to the starboard or the port depending on who is the slower reader.

Amazon has an e-reader device called the Kindle. The Kindle can hold up to 1,000 books. Plus Amazon keeps a copy for you so if your Kindle gets full you can remove a book and download a new book. You can change the size of the font and it includes a dictionary. It is for use only in the USA and uses the Whispernet for downloading. After a lot of wishing and hoping someone here on the river found that you could download the books to your computer and transfer the books to your Kindle.

After months of agonizing about would it really work a fellow boater brought one down. Low and behold it worked like a charm.

I am happy to say the I am now the proud owner of a Kindle and have started to download my books. Problem is I really should finishing reading the stack of books on my side of the boat before I start new ones on the Kindle. Okay just as soon as I finish the new Kindle book I just started. Really....I promise.

I've Been Facebooked!

I swore that I would never join a social networking website.  “Never ,say never. “   I am hooked on Facebook.  It all started out so very innocently.  MK asked her mom, Beth to join and then came the fateful email to me.

“Would you like to be friends with Beth?”  I thought we were friends.  Actually, I think it asked if I wanted to view her photos.  Of course, I want to see her photos.  Well if you want that then you must sign up for an account.

The next thing I know I am signing up to be friends with friends.  We are sharing photos, videos, our neophyte questions and mutual friends.  We are posting on walls and creating groups.  We are joining groups.  We are constantly IMing or emailing each other.  I thought a Blog was hard enough to keep up.

To add insult to injury I keep going in my profile to add that I am married and Michael is the name of my husband.  Even when I save the changes his name doesn’t show up.  After several frustrating tries, Cynthia says, “That’s because he doesn’t have an account.”  Duh!  I can fix that.  First get him his own email account.  Now open a Facebook account.  Send him a message to add me as a friend.  He accepts me.  Go back to my profile and add his name.  Get the message that he must confirm that we are in a relationship!  Since I have all his account info I confirm for him that we are in a relationship.  See how easy that was.

I am afraid that Facebook is starting to eat into my day.  I haven’t dusted in days and all I can think about is who can I search for on Facebook.

This is getting silly, but I am enjoying it.  Thanks for the invite, Beth!

Cynthia Gets Braces

First let me tell you that the photo is NOT of Cynthia's braces.  They look like hers, but I don't think that she would want a photo of her mouth being used.

She finally got the braces put on and yes they are green!  She is dealing with the feeling of loose teeth and a soft diet for the first 6 days.  She had some swelling and pain for a couple of days and even ran a little low grade fever.  Now she is doing just fine.

The last time one of our kids needed braces you didn't get a choice of color.  Now you can have hot pink, lime ricky, black (for the goths) orange or a rainbow of color.  The price is right here in Guatemala and we are pleased with all the aspects of her Orthodontic care.

Stay tuned for progress reports.  She may even let me photo the movement of her teeth.  I will work up my courage to ask her.

Sock Monkeys

Roger and Carole on Androsian were given the game Cranium by their daughter.  So of course now that there are a few more people in the marnia we have been playing once a week.  I should mention that it is the Canadian version of Cranium so they have an advantage.  If you know what a "TimBit" is then you must be Canadian.  It very nearly cost me the game as I was clueless!

So the next time we played we demanded that Roger and Carole be split up so that each team had a Canadian.  One of the things that you have to do is draw and have your team guess what it is that you are drawing.  Unfortunately Roger destroyed his drawing so I can't share it with you.  It was a lovely tree with what appeared to be stick men with anchors attached to them or were they tails?  No matter, our team did not guess correctly.

What he was drawing was a "Sock Monkey".  Well, Roger did not know what a Sock Monkey was...Carole and I originally thought that it was a Sock Puppet.  No, it is the all to familiar monkey made from the Rockford Red Heel Sock.

Google them and you can get free instructions on their construction.

I Felt the Earth Move

No we are not talking about great sex here...we are talking EARTHQUAKE! Yes, we felt the earth move up here on the Rio Dulce. We are fine and so is the marina. Marco, Mirna, and Kathy had it the worst as they were on land. The beds were dancing and stuff was trying to jump off the selves in the store. The pool had waves big enough to empty a good foot and a half of water. We were luck no structural damage.

We talked to our friends at Hotel Kangaroo and they live on the third floor.  Their king sized bed was moving and the house was swaying and the stairs moved 4 inches.  Lots of little houses are down or leaning at crazy angles.

Placencia had quite a bit of damage as well.  The photos of Honduras are scary.  Fortunately it appears that there was not a great loss of life.

Once again we are lucky and safe.

Episode Three…Total Immersion

School completed and a day to ourselves and armed with our new command of the language we decide that we will do the tourist thing.  We decide against doing ruins at Yax Ha and will go to the Archeological Museum.  The lady who runs the hotel hears our discussion and promptly offers her services to get us a launcha to the island where the museum is located.  We agree on a price and a time.  Our guide is a young man named Jose, who is enthusiastic and is happy that we speak a little Spanish.  So as we head to a different Island Carole and I are concerned that we are not going where we thought we were going.  Some discussion ensues and yes he is taking us to the Museo de Arqueológico funny it’s not on the island that we thought it was…we get there and it is a ZOO!  Jose insists that it is the right place and he will let us off and we will cross a bridge and he will meet us on the other side.

As we approach the entrance we notice that the price for Nationals is Q10 and Internationals is Q20. We attempt to convince the gatekeeper that we are Nationals.  Guess our Spanish isn’t that good.  The first things that you see are wild boars sleeping under picnic tables in the open.  Please don’t touch them as they are aggressive.  We move along by some Amazon Parrots and a Macaw, more boars and then I see it…an old swinging bridge over the water.  

 The sign says maximum 15 people, no running or jumping.  They don’t need to worry I am not sure that I will even get across it!  I hate planks, but I think that I hate swinging bridges even more.  Carole heads off first.  The boards are old, dry, and have large spaces, but good news…the bridge has floats and right now it is touching the water.  I take a step and making it across happy that Jose will pick us up on the other side.  Yes, there is Jose and he is ready to take us on a tour of the Zoo and explain all the animals.

All is going well until I spy a sign that clearly states that we must cross another bridge.  This swinging bridge is over the tops of the trees.  I inform Carole and Jose that I will wait with the Puma and hope for a picture while they continue on.  Jose tells me that I will miss the monkeys and the jaguar.  I tell Jose that I have seen both and I will be waiting on this side for their return.  I would rather do TEN FOOT SEAS in a 38 Foot boat than do a swing bridge.  Carole did admit later that it was a little scary when crossing the last bridge.

As we are returning to the island of Flores we ask Jose about the other island and the “radio museo”.  Oh yes he can take us there, but we had not negotiated that with the lady at the hotel.  Okay there must be some deal here that we were not aware of…so take us back to the hotel and it is off to lunch.

As we are walking deciding on a restaurant we are approached by several launcha drivers asking if we want to go to the Radio Museo.  Carole is not keen on looking at a bunch of old radios so we ask our waiter if that is all there is…just radios?  No he assures us it has Maya artifacts.  We must go!

We go and boy are we glad that we did.  The gentleman, Luis, who runs the Peten radio stations, runs the museum and boy what a museum.  The size of a bedroom it is chock-a-block full of artifacts and yes old radios.  No touching, No photos.  There is a group of Guatemalan men being toured and we just join in.  How could you not we are only a foot away from them.   But here is the amazing part.  Luis takes a figurine that is a flute made 400 years before Christ and he plays it!  He moves to the large trumpet shells and plays them.  Now he opens a case and takes out a jade figurine and while he is placing it in my hands tells the group that it was carved 2,000 years before Christ was born!  I am terrified that I will drop it.  And so it was as we moved around, touch this, hold that.  How amazing, how fantastic!   Thank you, Luis.

Now it is time to get ready to go back home to the river.  What a great week Carole and I had.  And if you are wondering…NO I am not fluent!  But at least I know what I need to work on.

Episode Two...Que' Susto (What a Fright)

Some of you know that Carole is a teacher. Not just by vocation, but avocation. She is a natural. So after lunch we would sit on the balcony and review what we had covered in the morning. But let’s talk about lunch. In Central America the menus are on a stand outside the restaurant and you can look at the selection and prices. We chose our restaurants by the price of their beer! So two beers each, lunch and then back to studying. We would people watch and make up stories about the people that passed in Spanish and then we would practice the different tenses. By then it was time to think about dinner.
Santa Elena is the town across the bridge from Flores. Santa Elena has a new Pizza Hut. Now this may not be your cup of tea, but after living without for most of the year, Pizza Hut is a treat. As we had arrived on the bus we noted where the Pizza Hut was and it appeared to be close to the bridge not far from Pollo Campero (a great fried chicken place…eat your heart out Colonel Sanders). So after 4 days of típico food off we headed for Pizza Hut on foot. We passed Pollo Campero and walked and walked and walked. We are now in a very seedy part of town and the “working girls” are out. It is starting to get dusk. Carole asks a man where Pizza Hut would be located. The answer was very far. We turn around and walk back to Pollo Campero and have a lovely meal of fried chicken. But they don’t serve beer. We stop on the way home and have our usual two beers and then back to the hotel for sleep.
Not to be discouraged we decide that we will take a Tuc Tuc the next night and get our Pizza fix. What is a Tuc Tuc you ask? Well it is a means of transportation that is a three wheeled motorcycle with a roof. Usually quite safe. We find our Tuc Tuc and off we go around the island to the bridge. This is when we have our near death experience. The road is pure slippery mud, next to the lake with no guardrail. As we slide we keep getting closer to the lake. I am convinced that we are going to go in so I plan in my head how to save my life. I share with Carole that all I have to do is get out the window and push up. Ha, Ha she says…you will have foot prints on your head from me getting out over you! Finally we get to Pizza Hut but it takes us almost 15 minutes to get a hold of ourselves before we can stop talking about out bouncing boobs, rattling teeth and near death experience.
As we are eating we watch the traffic and note that not many of the Tuc Tucs have lights on. Carole informs me that she WILL NOT ride back in the dark in a Tuc Tuc that doesn’t have lights. I ask her if I will need to do an inspection. Finally I see one that has all his lights. So fortified with pizza and beer we leave with our one piece of to go pizza to catch the tuc tuc with lights. When we ask the price we are told it will be double what we paid to come to Pizza Hut. When asked why we are informed that after dark the price doubles. Carole asks if that is for the lights. Ha, Ha… I ask if we can get a discount if we give him the piece of pizza. Okay he says and off we go. We arrive at the malecón and now he wants full price. Of course he doesn’t have change. Nobody has change. Envision this…Carole and I standing in the headlight digging in our purses for Quetzals, centavos, anything to make 20 Quetzals. Okay we let him keep the pizza. We didn’t have a fridge and would have just thrown it away. Now we have a story for class tomorrow were we can use our preterite tense of verbs.
Episode Three Tomorrow.....