Monday, September 7

Touring The Island: Tourists For a Day

Woke up just after first light and checked on the status of our sunburns. Mine is largely tan now. Mom is less fortunate. At any rate, we both slathered on a thick layer of aloe vera to quench our skin's thirst. With a small bowl of granola and yogurt out of the way, we loaded up the special honey baked ham for Thomas into our pack and walked down the hill. Mom really prefers walking down the hill via paved road, and enjoys less the rocky and uneven Lind Point Trail.

Real breakfast at Deli Grotto: the must-visit place for a tasty breakfast burrito and your morning coffee. Mom and I sat with our daily cup of wake-up and passed the time until we could head for the Hospitality Car Rental office to pick up our rental for the rest of the week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we might get a Jeep. I'm anxious to start showing her places around Northshore Rd. and along the way, stop at Keith's, where there is a gathering going on starting around noon today. Yay for Labor Day! I think we'll go make a special trip to Starfish market to pick up a tasty bottle of wine. My latest favorite wine is Barefoot's Cabernet Savignon. I've not ever been one that is too fond of wine, especially reds, but I've found this one is more than tasty. I could likely drink an entire bottle to myself, if left alone with a wine glass and a full bottle.

Got the car, not at the initially planned 9am, but a little after. Thomas was extremely happy about getting the Ham. He was all smiles and very pleased. We drove off with the car and the favor was immediately returned with a nice gesture of maybe letting us have the car for extra time or without having to worry about refilling the tank. I wish we could use the car for another day! Too bad we'll need to go into St. Thomas then night before we leave- the car won't do us much good on Thursday unless we could leave it at the airport.

Got the car, went to get a bottle of wine for Keith. Stopped at Shop and signed up Mom to go diving tomorrow! She'll be doing Discover SCUBA Diving (DSD) and I'll be fun-diving.

With the car I was ready to start cruising the roads. We drove along Northshore Rd. and stopped at all the overlooks and beaches possible. I got to even show mom Island Fancy! There's someone living there now, so he let us inside so she could see my old bedroom. I still felt like I was getting home when I walked through the house. She got to see the views and smell the air. We talked to the new resident and had a great time. Then we drove over to Maho Bay Camps and mom got to see one of the tents there that are part of their accommodations. It's very spartan.

We continued East and drove all the way to the end of the road at the East End, to Sloop Jones' studio. He's closed for September. It's a shame since Mom was quite excited to see his place and collection of shirts and other items I'd e-mailed her about. We turned around and decided to make our way back toward Cinnamon. However, by this time, we'd both skipped lunch and were getting kind of hungry. We went into Lily's Market in Coral Bay and got some goodies, BBQ chips for Mom and Babybel semisoft cheese for me, and sodas for us both. I do love those little cheese wheels wrapped in wax.

Drove to Keiths and joined the fun being had on his beach. We sailed the sunfish, swam around Cinnamon Bay, had some awesome pulled pork sandwiches, and enjoyed the sunshine. On my sandwich, I added a few drops of Miss Anne's hot sauce... the number one ingredient is habanero peppers. It's hot. Mixed with some bbq sauce, it ended up making a pretty mild few bites. As the sun started disappearing over the horizon, the boat left the bay and Ronnie started the trip to return it to Maho Bay. As the crowd thinned we followed suit and headed home for the night. Rinsed off and fresh feeling (it does feel amazing when you rinse off the crusty salt water), we went back to Starfish Gourmet & Wines and picked up our fill of duty-free spirits. I got three bottles of guava rum, one dark rum, and one light rum, all Cruzan. Mom got her blackstrap Cruzan (actually she got that at Lily's Market in Coral Bay), some Pineapple, Mango, and Black Cherry Cruzan, and Jim Beam Whiskey on top of that. She has six bottles total. I can't remember her sixth bottle, but I bet it is something tasty. Oh I know! It's the Coconut rum we haven't picked up yet (see tomorrrow's post). Then, we went in search of a proper dinner. We found Morgan's Mango open and not crowded. Mom enjoyed the recommended Hurricane Hugo. I also ordered and enjoyed a Hurricane Hugo. Something about that drink makes it very easy for me to fall asleep at night. We both got the special appetizer, which was 4oz. of sashimi quality tuna with a rockin' spicy wasabi sauce and yummy soy and ginger sauce drizzled across the plate. The meal of an appetizer was tasty and hit the spot. We glugged down the drinks and felt happiness with each sip. I love drinks that taste like strawberry puree.

Sunday, September 6

Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, BVI!

A wholly delicious day. Two delicious coffees and a breakfast burrito from the Deli Grotto for second breakfast. First breakfast was a few hours earlier, which consisted of yogurt and granola. Between first and second breakfast, we headed down the trail to Salomon Beach and swam around, doing a little bit of snorkeling. The water, as usual, was quite clear and lovely. We toweled off in time to walk down the trail into Cruz Bay.

After our second breakfast was complete, we walked down to the ferry dock. There, we met Ilya, one of our crew for the day. We happily hopped on the dinghy and shortly thereafter, boarded the Dream Weaver and met our captain, Jini. Once everyone was on board, we set sail for Jost Van Dyke. Sailing and sunbathing through the morning is really one of the best ways to pass one's morning. Mom got to man the wheel for a good distance. When the sails are tightly held and full of wind, you can hear a whistling sound. The scream of wind howling past lets you know you've got the wind fully harnessed. Mom produced much whistling with her steering. During the sail, we met our fellow passengers, which consisted of some Cruzans (St. Croix folks) from Ohio, who were very interesting people. One of the girls on the boat happens to have worked for David Letterman as his personal assistant. Of course, she has some very excellent people in her social circles and it was very entertaining to hear her talk about having a drink with folks like Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz. Of course, these people are famous, but they are people too, and they are fully capable of sitting around having a nice “regular” chat over some cocktails. It was refreshing to hear that even with extreme fame and/or fortune, they're still very accessible and human. It is awesome that you can get thrown on a boat with random strangers for 7+ hours and end up getting along with them quite happily. It may have just been the painkillers, or the cool island breeze, but man, I love new meeting people down here.

Sometime around noon, we arrived at Grand Harbor, Jost Van Dyke, to clear Her Majesty's Customs, and swim into White Bay. The beach is phenomenal. Soggy Dollar Bar was alive and well. Mic fixed us two painkillers straightaway and then we hit the lovely gift shop for our Soggy paraphernalia. Mom found a bright yellow hooded-zip sweatshirt, we both got some slap-koozies, stickers (I do love stickers), and a surprise for Dad.

For lunch: two orders of chicken roti and garden salad. Wonderful and splendid to share things like roti with Mom now that she's in the Caribbean, too. I am also excited to show her some pate and a mahi sandwich from Woody's. If you've never had roti, I should do some explaining. The roti here in the Caribbean is like a curry. With raisins, spices, curries, and other ingredients I don't know about, mixed with chicken (bone-in or bone-out), the dish is a must-try if you're around the area. I suggest bone-in if you like sucking on a tasty bone until it's nothing more than a toothpick. There are so many tasty places to eat, I don't think we'll have time to visit them all before it's time to go home. I'll make sure no meal is wasted on silly places, though, that's for sure. Somewhere in the mix, and after two painkillers, we settled up the tab. I suppose life was feeling very wonderful, because after I paid the bill (long afterward), I realized that I paid about $28 too many for our drinks and lunch. I guess our tab was mixed-in with the rest of the boat and someone probably thought they got a free lunch or free drink during the trip. At any rate, I'm not terribly worried about it- it was a fabulous time that was had by all on the boat, and especially at Soggy Dollar! Mom really loved the day, although as it wore on, we started noticing our pale skin was turning a bit more red. The sunblock must have either been expired or nowhere near strong enough. We both got “boint” (read: burnt with accent). By the time we got home, the redness was more fully set-in. A few layers of aloe gel will do the trick! I'm hoping mine turns brown by tomorrow. Last time I had a burn of this quality pink/red, I found that the very next day, all pink was gone and I appeared more in the tan spectrum. Mom hasn't had as much sun this summer, so I hope she does well to not turn red and peel, although as a tourist, it wouldn't be the first or the last time it's happened. We even have a tree on the island named the tourist tree- because it turns red (the bark) and peels. Hehe.

Tomorrow, we get to pick up the rental car and begin driving around the island. I think giving le grand tour of the island is one part of Mom's visit I've been most excited about, both for the joy of sharing “keep left” and all the beautiful sights within the park, including the beaches and ruins. Heck, I'm excited to have her here, period- she gets to see Jost Van Dyke, most of the island, a handful of beaches, a few great restaurants, lots of smiling faces, several good friends, and the place I've fallen in love with and called home the past three months.

Saturday, September 5

Mom's Here!!!

What a rain! The skies emptied today. Rain came in sideways through the jalousie windows. As the rain poured onto our wireless router positioned near the window, I jumped into action. I moved the router onto dryer counter-tops and then noticed the spare bed we've got sitting in the living area was also getting a dousing of rain. I pushed it around on the floor to get it away from the window. A GIANT scorpion was left hiding in the corner between the wall and the floor. Two inches of mean scorpion tail were staring at me. I don't want to get stung by the critter so I went back to my room to grab my zapping racquet. By the time I returned from the other room, the scorpion was gone! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I do not find him again in less favorable circumstances.


Yesterday:
Ater work, I went out to AquaBistro for my evening Budweiser and to hang out with good friends. There was a funny joke I heard at the bar from one of our favorite bartenders: “Looking for a job with big tips? Circumsize Elephants.” It may be a bit colorful to share on this blog but it made me laugh in a deep belly-jiggling kind of way, so I just had to share it!

After AquaBistro, we headed into town and for the first time, I had some Chinese food from Lucky Pagoda here in Cruz Bay. Keith and Breslin came over to enjoy the good eats and indeed, the Kung Pao Chicken and fried rice with a spring roll were a great dinner. I think they each ordered General Tao's Chicken, which they also enjoyed.

Today:
I woke up and gazed out the window. There is rain today. Lots of rain. I debated on the topic
of when and how I should get down to Cruz Bay and the ferry dock, since eventually, I need to meet mom after she gets off the ferry. It's wet out there. I grabbed my dry bag reluctantly (it's leaked the last few times I've used it) and then my raincoat. I walked down the trail that I know well and avoided the guts and drainage streams easily. The red flowing muddy water gushed downhill. The image of the flooding trail catapulted me into imaginations of the lives described in the book I've been reading, Death in Grand Canyon. These small streams of runoff appear harmless to me, but is that how those ill-fated people regarded the small eddys and rapids as they rode down the Colorado? St. John's water-filled guts are not quite the Colorado, but I've heard flooding can get quite nasty when the cisterns start over-flowing island-wide. I let my thoughts wander to what might happen if I, clad in my Chaco's, stepped into one of these streams of water and was carried off down the hill into Cruz Bay. The vision turned comedic, as I'd likely just get dumped onto a concrete roadway and then the marina with its 2 feet deep water. After every possible thread of my shorts was soaked, I finally arrived at Mongoose Junction. I think I chose the most absorbent shorts possible for this trip. I hovered over the toilet at the Deli and wrung out my shorts. A few cups of water dripped out into the bowl. That's a lot of water for a pair of shorts. They are still quite soaked and I'm thinking a few hours at the Air Conditioned Deli will lend itself well to leaving here with somewhat dryer clothes. My top stayed entirely dry, as the Mountain Hardwear Conduit material is space-age with its water proof qualities. My dry bag fared far worse. Last time I opened the dry bag (Soggy Dollar visit with Kevin when he was here) was after a short swim. I opened the bag and water had collected all around the top of the bag, which then flowed into the bag as soon as I had opened it. This time I precariously opened the bag, wiped it dry, then reached a napkin into the bag to dry out the immediate inside, while carefully keeping the bag horizontal, so as to avoid any water from being gravitationally pulled into the bag. It was somewhat silly looking, if anybody were paying me any attention. Fortunately, things in the bag stayed dry, which this time, included my phone, laptop, wallet, and camera. I may have to consider some alternate dry bag or dry box for future excursions.

I love knowing a place well enough that you feel happy to see a familiar face. I greeted the usual folks working at the Deli Grotto and filled up my large coffee. I do love getting my coffee here. Usually I'm here by 8am. Today, the time was closer to noon. I was jokingly reminded that I was late. I felt happy at hearing the comment. I got my cup filled with delicious French Vanilla, cream, and sugar. Next, I enjoyed my plain bagel toasted with cream cheese. Delicious. Nearly an hour after plopping down here at the Deli, I'm still quite drippy in the shorts. I suppose I will need the help of a real mechanical dryer if I expect to completely dry out anytime soon.

In the Deli, I came across more familiar faces! The group I had been diving with last while at Low Key Watersports was in full force at the Grotto! The group of travelers greeted me and re-thanked me for an excellent time diving this past week. I was only sad to report that I didn't get to go out with them on Thursday, as they had requested; I'm not in charge of scheduling. They all agreed that their diving had been quite fantastic and truly appreciated my help during the three times that I helped each of them with the small rescues that took place on our trip. It was noted that my professionalism was spot-on. I owe this mostly to Kim and Jake. Yay for having such fantastic dive instructors back at the Scuba Club at Virginia Tech! I will definitely need to call Jake and Kim and share the story of the dive with them soon.

Mom and I have been playing tag over text and voicemail. Looks like she was a bit slow getting into Miami, with delays on the runway, waiting to get into a gate. From there, there were delays with flights leaving Miami, due to the rain. I imagine they are talking about the rain that is hovering over St. Thomas right now. The rain, based on satellite images, looks to be torrential. With 4 inches expected in about 2 hours, looking at the most non-conservative estimates, that's a lot of water. I'm eager to have Mom get on the island and start enjoying the tropics. Hopefully, by the time she gets here, it will dry up a little and she can see some of the glorious sunshine!

After the Deli, I walked over to Starfish Market to pick up a few rolls of toilet paper. Fabulously, I stumbled across a hot dog eating contest! In three minutes, grown adults wolfed down as many hot dogs as possible to compete for a shopping spree at Starfish Market. The winner consumed 8 hot dogs in the allotted three minutes and then ate two more in celebration of his win. At one point he was double-fisting with the hotdogs. I enjoyed a complimentary hot dog (don't worry, I didn't participate) and a cold Heineken. At the Book and Bean, I got some thank you cards for folks at the park that have helped me have a great internship. There's no favor too small to warrant a thank you card. From the marketplace, I ventured back down the hill to the ferry. With plenty of time still until Mom would arrive, I hung out at the visitor center for a short while. Weather reports indicate the storms are going to stay away for a short pause, but more rain should pour down later this evening. I'm hoping the break in the clouds is long enough to get the luggage from the ferry to the house.

While continuing the wait (the day sure turned out to be a lot of waiting), I grabbed a bottle of juice from the Bayside Mini Mart. I don't think I've been in that mini mart but a handful of times. They do carry one of my favorite juices- Nantucket Nectars' Pomegranate Pear. I wonder if I can get that at the grocery next time I'm there. Nothing quite like a satisfying bottle of juice.

During the final moments of waiting for Mom's arrival, I checked in with Jini on the Dream Weaver. We're still a go for tomorrow's trip to Jost Van Dyke. Yeah! for painkillers and beautiful sandy beaches.

Sometime about an hour or so after I thought she'd arrive, mom did finally step off the ferry and onto St. John. The reality that I'm closer to home is hard to grasp. With mom's visit comes the joy of sharing such a neat place, but also the terrible knowledge that it's coming to an end.

We found a temporary home for the luggage at Slim's lot and continued on to the Beach Bar. There, we met up with Keith and Breslin for some cocktails and a bite to eat. Of course, Mom was starving after a day spent traveling. We got cheeseburgers, which were tasty. I ordered a bushwhacker for mom (I think either Beach Bar or Morgan's Mango have the best bushwhackers, of what I've tried). For me, a Lime & Coconut hit the spot. Bellies full and livers working hard, we went home with the luggage, just in time for the rain to start again.

In my continued reading of Death in Grand Canyon, I've found a few more items that would make a hike into any canyon a little bit more survivable. I'm going to have to add a whistle, signal mirror, and dry matches in a waterproof box to my list of things to pack for the next big hike (I've got a whistle built into one of my packs and I always carry a magnesium stick).

Old News:
Back in August, I fruit-snacked the bed. It's not quite like wetting the bed, but it's just as annoying. I sometimes will have a snack just before falling asleep, if I get late-night munchies. One night, I had such a craving for some fruit snacks. Typically, the tasty Welch's fruit snacks are perfect for writing and late-night reading. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling something gooey and sticky on my leg. I felt my legs and found more on my thigh. Curiosity got the best of me and I tasted what the sticky substance could be. It was sweet and fruity. Strangely, it was a lot like my fruit snacks. Half asleep, I had a eureka moment and realized I'd fallen asleep with a few gummy fruits right in my bed. Orange flavored. It had melted in the heat and was spread across the full width of the bed, smeared into the sheets. Gross. My fears turned to the ants swallowing me whole as they swarmed the bed, hunting after the sugar. Surviving the night without having ants in my pants became a huge priority. I got up and started collecting my sheets and items to run them through the washing machine. I had some fears about waking up a housemate that sleeps near the machines, so I opted instead to sleep on the spare bed in my room.

Friday, September 4

Last Day at the Office

I've never been a huge fan of goodbyes.

I started today with a slippery walk down the hill (along Northshore Rd. today, since the trail is likely quite slick after the rain last night). I led the final tailgate session and bid adieu to the Maintenance Team. We snapped a group photograph, me clad in my SCA t-shirt and them in the NPS uniforms. I will feel strange not to start each day down at the maintenance yard wishing folks good morning and asking everyone how their day is going.

The rain is coming down in spurts and small trickles today. The horizon is gray and the waters have lost their bluish hues. White caps in the distance break over the shallow reefs and I am enjoying a cool breeze that is unusual this time of year. Birds and frogs still chirp wildly, calling to each other across the point. I'm going to miss the cacophony of sounds from the bush. I can gauge the wind by the way the screen chinks back and forth in its window frame. With increasing breezes and gusts, I hear the metal frame clang against the bracket. The bay below still bustles despite the waning sunshine, with the gurgle of diesel powered ferry boats and rumbles of truck traffic wafting up the hill.

I feel a little funny; I hope I am not getting sick. The rapid change in the weather and this storm system could be the source of my icky feelings. I'm going to guzzle down a few packages of Emergen-C and hope that I'm not getting a cold or something else unpleasant.

Thursday, September 3

I Think I Scare Away The Storms

Tropical Storm Erika has brought us a beautifully purple, pink, and rose colored sunset with a nice cool breeze. I'm anxious to see if my cistern will actually fill up with any rain from this incoming storm. I think we could use another 10 feet or so of water in the cistern to fill it up, so bring on the rain (just a little).

Almost the last day at the office! I prepared my final report and presented the sum of my internship to the Superintendent today. It has been a very wonderful experience and I am most happy to have had this great opportunity. Who can deny that spending 12 weeks in the Virgin Islands is a great way to spend 12 weeks? It was great to review my outputs and other items that came up during the internship and discuss future opportunities. I still haven't completely ironed out what the next steps are for me, but I'm eager for the next adventure.

Weather in Virginia is quite beautiful this week, I hear. I'm excited to come home to fall-ish temperatures and maybe even see a few leaves change colors. The cooler months are going to be upon us, back in Virginia, very shortly. I am excited to do some rock climbing outside and enjoy the smooth and cool rock. I wonder if putting on my climbing shoes (they're 3 sizes smaller than street shoe size) will hurt all over again. They never did stop hurting before I came down here, but I was at least used to the pain of a well fitted climbing shoe. I hope I'm not wimpy when I slide them back on. Admittedly, I did put them on a few times down here when I got rock-sick (like homesick, but for climbing), but it was only ever for a few minutes.

Mom is nearly here. As her arrival nears, our conversations become more closely spaced. All is in order for Mom to start enjoying St. John and all that makes it known as Love City. There are quite a few places in town and across the island that have closed for a few months (we're almost in the peak of off-season), but there are still plenty of great spots that will be ready to accept our happy faces.

I think tomorrow I will make my rounds and say my goodbyes across the park. It is really strange that these three months are truly over, so soon. I felt like I was really making a home for myself here the whole time. Knowing my flights home are in less than a week, I'm almost nervous. I had a great conversation with Becca about coming home and she does know me well. She already has the notion that I'm plotting the next adventure, before the current one is even over. I'll likely get home, love it, enjoy it, but eventually I'll get bored, feverish, and return to lusting after more excursions or experiences. We sat chatting and I divulged all that is brewing in my stewpot of a brain. Through the end of the year, at least, I will most definitely be enjoying life in Alexandria. Beyond that, there is a possibility for a trip abroad. I'll see where life takes me.

Wednesday, September 2

Labor Day is Almost Here

What does one do to prepare for labor day? Why they labor, of course! That's just what I did today!

There was a heap of paperwork for the finale of my internship and I happily filled in the questionnaires, surveys, forms, e-mails, applications, and other items that needed to be addressed.

Tropical Storm Erika is on its way and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. The day fluctuated with news of big rain, nearly nothing, and cries that it might very well sit on top of us for hours. I honestly don't mind what the forecasts declare, as long as my cistern is full at the end of the storm and that my house doesn't flood in the process.

The thunderclouds wont keep the Low Key folks from doing a trip tomorrow morning, thankfully (the storm shouldn't even get close until later in the evening). Unfortunately though, I'm not on the boat tomorrow. Maybe I can spend the “extra” day to do another assessment in the park!

After work, I hiked down to Cruz Bay and wandered around somewhat aimlessly. There are a few hours between me finishing work and the end of daylight. On a hot, sweltering day like today, I'm going to just refuse to be inside the house all that time. I walked along the beach, through town, wandered over to the school with Meika, Anin, and Michael (the school is actually pretty awesome!), then decided to get a smoothie. Guava Strawberry Banana! Mmmmm! Thomas (the same Thomas from Hospitality Car Rental where I'm getting a car in a few days) fixed me up the most delicious smoothie and threw in a banana to boot! What a wonderful dude! I will miss the friendly faces here when I go home!

With my smoothie quickly disappearing, I stopped to say hello to some lifeguards and rangers by the visitor center before getting on the trail. The uphill wins every time. Before I hit the front door, I'm dripping with sweat. Once inside the house, it only made sense to sit there under the fan for several long moments before moving again.

I cooked up a tasty meal of madras lentils and naan and tried to finish up my reading of Grandma Raised the Roof. For being such a short bit of a book, it sure is taking me a long time to finish it!

In other news, I've made my hotel reservations for St. Thomas during my travel back to the states. Mom & I shall be staying over at the Island Beachcomber! Wonderful! Mom will be here in just two and a half days!

Tuesday, September 1

Bubble, Bubble

I saw a dolphin and sort of saved two lives today. I'm happy.

Carvel Rock and Grass Cay were on the menu for dive sites today. What a show! During the first dive, I hopped in the water and started guiding the way through a canyon between two rocks out at Carvel. I peered down and saw a lobster. Neat! The dive continued, past amazing views of corals, fish, sea feathers, huge file fish, parrot fish, some I haven't figured out how to identify just yet, but they were neat parrot fish. We circled around Carvel Rock and towards the end of the dive, two of my divers surfaced, a ways off from the boat. One was out of air and a little too buoyant after breathing through most of his tank. The other was just plain low on air and was still a good 150-200 yards to the boat. I'd just checked his air (I literally had grabbed his console to check for myself since his hand signals were hard to interpret), and he'd had 1100 psi not 10 minutes earlier. It was strange that after swimming along, without much current, he'd sucked the tank nearly dry. These things do happen. He did mention he was a heavy breather... After confirming all was okay, I helped tow him back to the boat. As we were nearing the boat, we saw a DOLPHIN! It's rare and a real treasure to see a dolphin in these waters. Wow! It leaped into the air, appearing to dive over the ladder (lovely visual illusion). Several divers swam in the direction of the dolphin while others offed their tanks in time to jump back in with just masks and snorkels to get a closer look. Fantastic. I stayed on the boat, as the newbie (at least one crew has to be on the boat at all times, I think). People do love to see dolphins, especially when they're in the water- I'm no exception. The tips today were also evidence of just how happy folks were to see the beautiful dolphin streaming through the water.

Just as I finished switching over some 11 or 12 sets of gear to new tanks, we pulled up to the second site, Grass Cay. Another fantastic site full of all that the Caribbean has to offer underwater. I can't get enough of these reefs. Nothing beats being prepared for a dive in the ocean. Rather than get into the specifics of how two folks could have enjoyed their dive(s) better, let me just make a plug and reminder for maintaining ones gear and performing final buddy checks before getting in the water. Having a clear mask and a first stage with all the hose connections tight is just as important if not more important than wearing a bathing suit. That said, the dive went well. During the second dive, I helped two divers in situations that could happen to anybody. Using experience and training, I interrupted their dives when it became necessary, and helped them back to the boat calmly and safely. Back on the surface and on the boat, both thanked me and appreciated my efforts to keep them happy and safe, even if it meant blowing fewer bubbles on the bottom. It feels great to help people!

But wait, there's more! Coming back to the bay, we tied up the boat and started filling-in everyone back at the shop about our dolphin sighting. There were some green faces (envy, not seasickness). There is great exercise to be gained from carrying tanks across a sandy shore. I can appreciate carrying the tanks for not only having something to breathe later, but also for keeping me prepared for whatever adventure finds me next. (Despite pig-outs of Mahi-Mahi sandwiches, chocolates, and tropical drinks, I'm still relatively svelt.) Today I must have made folks on the boat quite happy- I've been requested to dive again with them on Thursday! Insert cheers and hoorahs here. I'm excited to get on the boat again soon and see more beautiful water, from the bottom, up.

Later in the day...

There's nothing more thirst quenching than the drink you're craving when you're parched. Sometimes it may just be plain water. For me, tonight, it was a limey drink. I felt like a Lime & Coconut from The Beach Bar would hit the spot. On second thought, once I walked all the way down the hill and got to iScream, the Key Lime Smoothie sounded much better. For a 16oz. $6 smoothie, my thirst was quenched. I love feeling like I'm drinking key lime pie. At home, to make something similar, I might mix about one or two cups vanilla frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream, 1 cup margarita mix, some lime juice/pulp, and ice. For an adult version, throw in one or two shots of rum. It's good.

I'm going to see if I can finish my reading of Grandma Raised the Roof tonight. Tomorrow, I will conquer a supreme day at the park, wrapping up my last week with as much gusto as possible.

Monday, August 31

A Donkey Named Daiquiri

There are many many contests that have deadlines either by midnight tonight or sometime in September. I am eager to finish and/or polish a few short stories and get them entered and try my hand for getting published to a wider audience.

Very few days in the Virgin Islands go as they had initially been planned. The joke is in the planning and thinking you'll actually get all of your to-do list completed. My morning ultimately consisted of driving around to Trunk Bay, Hawksnest, and Jumbie Beach to check on some coconut trees that needed trimming, coconut removal, or cutting down. Not surprisingly, a stop at the Visitor Center completed the coconut field trip, as more information needed to be gathered on just how to go about requesting the purchase to pay for the removal and pruning of said coconut trees. By then, it was well into lunchtime territory.

At the Deli Grotto, I scanned the menu. After all this time on the island, I've only been there for coffee and breakfast, never lunch. I read the ingredients with a meticulous eye, in hopes that I'd find the perfect sandwich to quench my hunger. Pink Cadillac. What kind of sandwich hails back to The Boss and his well-known song? This sandwich, that's who. It's turkey, cheddar, guacamole, salsa, and cream cheese, on pumpernickel. I initially said, no cream cheese. The lovely woman working the register was frank- the cream cheese is what really makes this sandwich. To ask for no cream cheese is nearly blasphemous. I changed my mind, quickly. I do love cream cheese ordinarily, but the mixture of it with the listed ingredients, all together, made me just the teenciest bit squeamish. My response to the nice lady was to make it however the deli normally makes it, and I'd love every bite. She smiled. I got my sandwich not too many moments later. Back at my desk, I dove into the Pink Cadillac.

It was delicious.

I would recommend ordering one to the next person I see looking for a good sandwich. Next time I visit, however, I'm interested in the hot roast beef and cheddar on french bread. There's not too much in this world that rivals a good roast beef sandwich, which is a matter of personal preference. My ultimate favorite roast beef sandwich? I'd have to go with the one I had from JJ's... Jimmy John's – I can't remember it's official title or number on the menu board, but it's one of the subs that has double the meat and double the cheese (roast beef and provolone), and I like mine with peppers, o+v, s+p, oregano, and easy on the mayo. Mmmmm....

Eventually the day turned into discussions of the incoming area of interest in the tropical Atlantic. Tropical Cyclone formation is highly likely in the next 48 hours. That would place the storm potentially right over top of us, soon. There is a potential that we'll go into Incident Command mode soon, if the area of interest develops into a tropical depression, storm, or H. I'll be following the weather underground and National Hurricane Center closely during the next 72 hours or so.

After work, I stretched my legs and felt the itch to go running. I Ran. Goal: 5 Miles. 88-90 degrees. Heavy haze. Muggy. Searing hot sun. 750 mL in a water bottle not meant for trail running, but it will have to do. I dodged rocky boulders leaping out of the trail, roots teasing my shoes, and branches swinging low enough to clothesline me in an instant. I ran on, steadying myself with every muscle in my legs. My wrist grew tired as I pinched my hand around the water bottle. I reminded myself the sensation isn't too different from pinching onto one of the ginormous pinches at the gym. My mind shifted: this is a double workout. I'm practicing my pinching while trail running. Perhaps my comeback to climbing shall go well afterall. I ran on, swapping my bottle from left to right, then right to left, back and forth, trying not to lose my balance too badly as the water sloshed around with each stride. I ran on down the hill from Lind Point into town. From there, I surged forward far enough to go back uphill again, to Gallows Point and then on to Battery Hill. The sweat poured down my face. I waved to hello to anybody that paid me any attention. At last, my Forerunner let me know I'd run at least 2.5 miles. I turned around. The ride back was wonderful. I stopped at the dive shop for just a moment and checked the schedule. No diving for me tomorrow. I ran on. Jeremy, one of the instructors and captains honked his horn at me as I passed through Wharfside Village. I turned back. He asked if I could work tomorrow. Yes. I can be on the boat tomorrow, happily. Excellent! I'm going diving!

I ran home with an extra surge of energy. The mostly uphill trail returned me back to Lind Point. From there, I gathered my snorkel gear, which I'd left in the office, in order to bring it with me while diving tomorrow. Hardly before I'd finished stretching, I got my gear together and set aside my stack of goodies to take with me when I walk down to the shop in the morning. Mind you, it doesn't take long to throw a bathing suit, SCUBA gear, and some leave-in conditioner into a pile.

I read some more of Grandma Raised the Roof, which is a nice account of how Island Fancy was built. It is of particular interest since I actually got to live in the location about which the book is written. With the reading, I scarfed down two bean and cheese burritos, which I'd purchased on a whim last time I was at the market. Patio Burritos... a small step above Swanson frozen dinners, aren't too bad. For $1.06 per burrito, it's a cheap dinner to eat just two. It was a good blend of fat, protein, carbs, and sodium.

OH! I almost forgot to mention! I recently got a gift certificate for Amazon.com. I do enjoy a nice gift certificate now and again. I have noticed that my SIGG bottle has not done well in the salty air. With chips and dents galore (evidence of my hardcore badassery), it's started to leave chips of paint everywhere from my hands, clothes, and desk, to my floor. As nice as the trail of blue paint chips may be, I think I may need to retire this bottle. Enter gift certificate. I searched high and low and found that SIGG is now making steel bottles- under the name Steelworks by SIGG. For the first time, they're making bottles overseas, in Asia. Rather than having my bottle being Swiss made, it'll be Asian made, per the Swiss. I guess it should arrive in Alexandria just as I get home.