Sunday, August 23

Relax and Sunbathing

Yesterday:
After the Deli Grotto, I stopped at the Dive Shop to see if I'm on the boat tomorrow. Results: not on the boat tomorrow. I did bump into Keith and Breslin at The Beach Bar and stuck around for their quick bite-and-run. Breslin has a significant movie collection so I ventured over to their place to watch something I haven't seen before and enjoy their company. We ended up watching The Edge, with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin. The movie is on the older side and I enjoyed it- I'd definitely recommend it for a rainy day when you've got a chance to swing by Blockbuster or your local movie rental place.

Today:
Beach Day! I know most people will not feel any kind of sympathy for me when I say what I'm about to say. We had a day of sort of not nice weather. It was a funk for St. John, the skies were cloudy, the horizon hazy, the water cool, the seas rougher than usual, and the shorebreak more intense, with shorter periods. I think the beach at Cinnamon by Keith's is significantly transformed in its physical appearance, particularly after we had Bill get sort of close to our shores. I was hoping to bask in the sun, get unbearably hot, then dip in the ocean for a snorkel around cinnamon cay, maybe a paddle, and then finish the day with a run around Lind Point. My plans were foiled by icky weather. It's just not as fun to romp around the beach and ocean when its cloudy and gross-looking. The water was still just as blue and transparent, although the hue was not as vibrant as usual.

While playing around in the waves, I did gather together a small handful of beach glass. Whoopee! I have added it to my cocktail glass I've been keeping on my dresser. It's a good collection and I'm eager to show Mom just how much I've scavenged.

Between stints at the beach, I caught most of the movie, I think the title is Falcon and The Snowman. It's an interesting film from the 80's with Sean Penn, with two young guys selling secrets to the Russians during the 70's. It's always interesting to watch movies from the cold war era, with stories of espionage, spy games, and the like.

The day could not be fun in its entirety...the laundry pile has caught up with me! I headed home to spin a few loads through the washer, plot out how I could get something tasty for dinner from the ingredients in the fridge. My best bet was a trip to the grocery. I formulated a plan with Michael, our new temporary roommate (long story...), and decided I could use my penne pasta with some new jars of spaghetti sauce and chicken tenders, to make mini chicken parmigiana. The new dish was born shortly thereafter.... Chicken Parmigiana Delight. While at the grocery, I found a most extraordinary deal... a dozen large brown eggs for $1.00!!!! Last time I got eggs, it was $5 for a dozen. I happily got a carton and started thinking about making a tasty egg salad once my leftovers from the pasta dish are gone. I got some silly little chicken fritter things...I think the Any'tizers line from TGIFriday's from the freezer section. They're not too bad, albeit quite bready. Interestingly, the breading doesn't seem to be in the ingredients... maybe I just read the package incorrectly. At any rate, the little round chicken bread balls were perfect. I stirred them into the heated spaghetti sauce, cooked penne pasta, sprinkled on some romano/parmesean cheese, and dug in. It was fantastic! Mmmm!

I will look forward to having good tasting meals for lunch/dinner the next few days. I've also got awesome hard broiled eggs for breakfast and snacks. In light of my training for the Army Ten Miler getting ramped up, the extra protein will be a fantastic item to have in the fridge. I'm thinking tomorrow I may go for 6 miles, if the weather is right.

Internship:
449.5 Hours worked so far for the internship. I'm more than okay for meeting the 450 hour minimum requirement. I've got two more full weeks of work! My last day with the park is supposed to be September 4th. Mom gets here the 5th and we both go home the 10th. Despite my best efforts to formulate a plan to keep myself on the island and with a roof over my head, I do believe I will be booted out on the 10th.

A lot of folks have been asking me what my plans are after the internship. I can't help but feel myself think of a thousand answers. I have made it quite clear that I'd love to work for the park, stay on the island, etc. I'd love to work for the park, even if it's back in the states. I the park doesn't work out, I'm happy to be at Sportrock, instructing rock climbing and reestablishing badass status as soon as possible. I'd also be quite excited to continue my plans to take White Vacation from town to town, with more signings. Finishing the next book is also on the top of my list. There's no lack of things to do. When I'm back, there's also the beginning of my volunteering for the Franconia Volunteer Fire Department. I can't wait to get on a call and ride in the ambulance. I've tried my best to keep my skills sharp, work on my CEU's, and stay abreast of any changes that seem to be happening in the emergency medicine world. I love emergency medicine. I do definitely feel like the next book may need to incorporate some aspects of my wilderness medicine trainings and experiences. There will also be a lot of St. John sprinkled into the setting, whether it takes place here in the Caribbean or elsewhere (somewhere fictitious)