Wednesday, August 5

Relax

I didn't quite relax today. It was a 12 hour work day. Fortunately, I unwound quickly with a nice tall bushwhacker at Morgan's Mango. Amazing.

The day started with site assessments and a focus group at Hawksnest beach. After collecting feedback from the visitors, I attended a meeting with OSHA. It was really great to get a closer look at the park from a new perspective. The short meeting with OSHA will definitely help as I try to find more ways to make positive and lasting impacts in the park. For now, it was great to get exposure to more training and knowledge about risk and health safety issues. The evening usually means no work and spending time doing “whatever,” but tonight I went to a public hearing for the car rental companies on St. John. It was a really interesting meeting and I am more than glad that I got wind of the hearing. The car rental industry on St. John is definitely very important and the voices and opinions of the car rental company representatives are valuable.

By 8:30pm, my tumbly was very rumbly. I pretty much skipped lunch. I'm not one to skip a meal. I happily sat down to a table at Morgan's Mango, opposite Dave, who had also attended the public hearing. I got the Anegada Crab and Lobster Cakes, which were about silver dollar-sized and delicious. Nothing quite compares to a Maryland Crab Cake, but I do appreciate the deliciousness that was on my plate. Having ordered the appetizer, not realizing that the portions wouldn't actually fill me up entirely, I happily accepted the offering of some of Dave's Citrus Chicken. The half of a chicken that filled his plate next to a few sides was more than large enough to spare a few bites. I gobbled down the beautifully marinated chicken and the accompanying beans and rice. I also had the pleasure of enjoying my first Bushwhacker! I had tasted a bit of one at Fat Turtle in St. Thomas, but having my own full-sized portion was fantastic! Mmmmmm! If you are in the Caribbean, particularly the Virgin Islands, you've got to try one. It really is a milkshake for adults.

For dessert, which is spelled with two “s” because there is always room for seconds, I ordered the coconut crème brulee. I have a weakness for sweets, and a larger one for crème brulee's. The custard was amazing. Dave got the caramel crepes, which were heavenly. The sweet caramel, cool vanilla ice cream, and soft crepes were a wonderful way to finish the meal. Eating the caramel crepes reminded me of when I used to take whipped cream at Starbucks, fill up a short cup, and then drizzle the caramel topping onto the whipped cream. I'd eat it by the spoonful, ignoring the fat and calories, and make several servings, inching closer to a diabetic coma. Nothing wrong with a little caramel in your daily routine.