Long time no see!

It's been awhile since I posted.  Having a baby, buying a business, kind of put a pinch on any spare time I had.  But now the baby is not a baby, and I am leaving the business, so maybe I can start up with this again.  :)

I dare you!

Go ahead, I dare you, try to tell me that these aren't the cutest thing you have ever seen!

Dictionary addition

Sufferation: When someone gets well deserved suffering origin: from the words suffer and reparation

This is a good one! I think someone needs to call Webster's about this word.

Pregnancy update

I have entered this phase of pregnancy. I went to sit on the sand at the beach yesterday and I could not squat down far enough to make it and fell the rest of the way and tipped over, feet flying up into the air. Cute.

Hair that is too long

My hair is getting really long. Like, so long that I feel like I should join a cult. Be one of 5 wives. Should have 19 children. Like my last name should be Duggar. Maybe this is all intensified by the fact that I'm pregnant....but sometimes I think long hair is just freaky, not pretty.

New additions to the dictonary

1. Weeklyal: def Something that occurs once a week (Luca)
2. hydrenalin: def The stuff that pumps through your veins that gets you all worked up (King)
3. big boneded: def Someone who has never been skinny (King)
4. fraternity: used in place of maternity, meaning the same thing as maternity (King)

Not a word, but a phrase
"I commin' now" meaning: I am going now, but I will be back in just a minute (King)

I'll leave out the words I screw up :) It's my blog, and I can do what I want!

Waking up at a decent hour

I was all impressed with myself when I got up yesterday and opened my computer and read a time of 5:55 am in the upper right hand corner. So I went to the bathroom, made my coffee, thought...hmm....these days sure are getting short!! Sat down at the computer to start my morning routine and it was really

That's 2:04 am for those of you used to a digital clock. Which is my norm these days. I wont complain....I usually get a lot of stuff done in these quiet wee hours of the morning!

Dreaming

So I had a dream last night that I was brushing my teeth with a paint brush. The same paint brush I used three weeks ago to dust off the trim work in Verace. What do you think that means? I was worried someone would notice that I was using it for a toothbrush and was trying to hide it. Hmmm.....

Up Before the IRS

Our online assistant is currently unavailable.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try again at a later time.

This application is available during the following hours:

Monday – Friday

6:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Eastern time

Saturday

6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time

Sunday

7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern time


Seriously dude? Can someone please explain to me why an ONLINE application would have hours of operation? What about people like me who wake up at 2am?

Update to Verace

So after many years of neglect, Verace is finally getting a little attention...from me. We are closed for the month of September and I said, "I'll do it!" Sure...no problem....I can do it. It's a big job and I am inching along trying to get it all done before we reopen. Well, I'm not going to!

Of the 3 people who work there, I'm the only one who can do the most of the stuff. I would rather shoot myself than let Luigi touch a paint brush. Kim, well, she's not so good at it either, plus, she has been off island the whole time.

I have to paint the interior, try and repair the crackle painted display cases, recover the display case slat walls (THIS IS THE WORST JOB EVER!!!), repair old broken trim....a big job.

Did I mention that I'm 6 months pregnant? And that I broke my toe a week into it? Let's just say that I am moving a lot slower than I usually am. And that on top of all of this work, I have to do my 'regular' job? I finally had to admit to myself that I am not a superhero. So the updating is now broken down into smaller pieces so that if I can't get it all done, I can spread it out over the next month or two while we are open but still slow.

Maybe next year, when we are making the big bucks, we can afford to have a professional come in and do a true remodel. For now, this will do! So I've been really busy, and no time to post or make phone calls.

First Day of School - Take 4

Sorry, couldn't get him to stand still for the picture. School was supposed to start on Monday August 30th, but hurricane Earl blew through that day. So Luca didn't start school until Thursday. He was soooo ready to go that he rushed down to class and refused to pause for a picture. Doesn't he look handsome!?

Don't let your husband do this

So I get home to this scene. My husband up 35 feet in the air, hopping around in a couple of trees, with a RUNNING chainsaw hanging from a rope. Granted, he saved us a bundle of money by enlisting the guy with the gray hair to help cut it down (the guy charged $50, the "professionals" wanted $800).....but it was scary to watch! I'm sure he didn't have to be up in the tree, but King says "Why should that guy get to have all the fun? Tree climbing, a chainsaw, YIPPIE!!!!" I would have had a heart attack if I had been there for the trimming of the top part of the tree.

Hurricane Earl

First hurricane of the season that is coming close!

First Day of School ------ CANCELED

Getting some rain and gusty winds as of about 2:30am. They have it going north of St. John by about 90 miles or so...hopefully it stays on that path. We are going to be in for a lot of rain either way. If you don't know which one is St. John.... starting from the left, that is the tip of the Dominican Republic, the next one is Puerto Rico, and we are a tiny little island just to the right of that.

Private Message

From:	mindehankins
To:	stjohnjulie
Posted:	Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:24 am
Subject:	Oxyboost?
Hi Julie, You're so doggone helpful to everyone here on this forum and TA! We're expecting to make a trip down in November. When you see that we have a ticker, please send me a wishlist, and I'll see what I can get down to you. I send boxes down, and what you need could go in them, or our carry-ons or in our backpacks. I'd be grateful for the opportunity to pay you back for all the helpful info you provide daily! Keep an eye out and start making a mental list.... Minde

Awwwwhhhhh! Wasn't that nice! She made my day!

The passing of a friend

My mom's dear friend passed away recently after a battle with cancer. Jeanne was an intensely private person with a heart of gold. I feel glad that she was a friend to my mom because I think my mom was lucky to have experienced a friendship that was so pure. Now I feel sad for my mom because this is a loss like she has never known.

I just wanted to share an experience that I had with Jeanne that I think shows her strong character. When I was 15 (yes mom, I was only 15) I went to a local Planned Parenthood to get on the birth control pill. When I walked into the office Jeanne was there at the counter checking people in. I almost walked right back out the door because I didn't want my parents to know I was there. I paused briefly at the door trying to decide what to do. From what I knew of Jeanne, I was pretty sure that I could trust her to keep my secret. I made my way to the counter and Jeanne greeted me, just like she greeted anyone who walked through the door. A warm smile, her calm and soothing tone, and instructions on what paperwork I needed to fill out. I was so nervous. Jeanne didn't let on that she knew me and I'm pretty sure she kept my visit to herself since I didn't get a "talk" from my parents. I hope she never felt like she was betraying my mom in some way. I am sure that she helped many many people over the years and I thank her for what she did for me.

Jeanne, you will be missed. Thank you for being my mom's friend.

I'm Smilin' !!!!!

1. Luca is home today!!!! That's all I really care about. I miss him so much. After he his here, maybe I can stop worrying so much. It's been hard to smile without him here. Now I just have to worry about a travel day. Cars, planes, ferries. This "dead in a ditch" stuff sucks. The absolute worst thing about being a parent.

Pregnancy symptoms, take two

I'm at 22 weeks now and the little lull I had in symptoms have returned.

1. I'm hungry, like all the time, like the little caterpillar that ate, and grew, and ate, and grew. It's like there is an alien in me that is eating everything I put into my mouth. I hope I don't start spinning a cocoon.

2. I can't poo.

3. King can't win, ever, at anything. Every morning I want to smack out the six spoonfuls of Pops he just shoved in his mouth before he decided to chew.

4. My feet hurt.

5. I worry that everybody and everything is dead. When Jeffy has his eyes close in the morning my first thought is he is dead. Every time the phone rings, someone had died. I keep on waking up King, Charlie, Alakay, Jeffy, because I always think they are dead. This has to be one of the most annoying parts of being a mom. Nobody can get any rest around here and it's all my fault.

6. Steve moves, a LOT, and for long periods of time. There are pregnant ladies who are just feeling movement for the first time around now and I've been feeling Steve for more than 5 weeks. He woke me up at 2:15am today with enough strong movement that I couldn't sleep. I'm GLAD to feel him move, but seriously, what the hell is he doing in there? And can he try not to do it until I'm awake?

No pictures please!

So I was in Dolphin Market yesterday and saw that they had a sale on some cookies. The price had been reduced twice. It just caught my eye, got me thinkin', "wonder how much these things cost in the states?" So instead of writing down all the information, I had my cell phone in my hand and snapped a shot so I could check it out online when I got home.

Not two seconds after I took the picture, the manager and another scary looking guy came up to me. The manager got about three inches away from me and said in a creepy tone, "Why are you taking a picture?" I said, "Uhhh, because they are on sale?" I was immediately intimidated by him and had no idea why he was being so confrontational. He told me that I had to delete the picture and that I am not allowed to come in there and take pictures. He stood really close to me and waited until I figured out how to delete it and check out all my other pictures.

What's creepy is, they were WATCHING ME on the security cameras in the back. Then they followed me around to make sure that I didn't take any more pictures. I told the guy I didn't mean to offend him, but he wouldn't say anything to me. It was really pretty fucked up. I was soooo uncomfortable.

When I got home, I did a little research. You are not allowed to take pictures in stores. You are allowed to take pictures of privately owned places only if you are taking them from public property. I had no idea. The dude didn't have to be so scary, he could have been polite about it. So how is it that all these news people can show us hidden camera stuff?? Wouldn't that be against the law too?

Meet Jeffy

If I get to missing Luca too much, King always pulls through. The other day he came home from work asking me "Didn't Luca want a solider crab for a pet?" (hermit crab to us state-siders)

What he really meant was, "I found a baby iguana at work today and brought it home and it's in the bucket by the door. Can we keep it?!? Please, please please!!!!" I know King is 40, but I don't think he knows it. I told him to call Luca and work it out because I am NOT going to take care of it.

Day one....I fed it, I held it, I gave it water. The good thing about this pet is that we can let it go into the wild. I am totally going to put it outside when the the first of these two things happen. 1. It gets big. 2. It is not being taken care of. I would put money on #2 happening first. Although, I will admit that he is cute and I like him :-)

Iguana facts.... They can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh up to 18lbs. They can live for 20 years. They are herbivores and should only eat plants, NO bugs! Iguanas are excellent swimmers. They can fall 40 feet (from a tree) and still be ok. Iguanas kept in captivity as a pet either die, or let loose, or given away within the first year. In Central America, iguana meat is called "bamboo chicken" or "chicken of the trees".

Who the hell's body am I in?

Of course your body changes a lot when you are pregnant, that is to be expected. But I still scare myself when I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror, or look down to see what food I just dropped on my chest.

I'm just sitting there eating a muffin at the table when some of the muffin crumbled off and fell down my shirt. I looked down to try and locate the crumbs and it was sitting on my CLEAVAGE!
OH - MY - GOD! When did I get that!?! Nobody told me! I didn't even have to dig down in my bra to retrieve the crumbs, they were just sitting right there on top of my boobs. Quick! Someone send me some low plunging tops. I have to take advantage of this new development!

With the ever increasing belly size, I hadn't seen my, uh, how would Cora say it?, nu-nu, in awhile. I had to do a little maintenance down there because I was going to the beach. I think someone broke in the house and did a dye job while I was asleep, because to my great surprise, the hair is a different color. What the hell is that all about?

I've also been getting this lately:

Them: "You look GREAT!"
Me: "Thanks!"
Them: "No, like really great. Like better than you did before your were pregnant."
Me: "Uh, thanks?"

Thanks Steve, I think you are sucking off all of the little fat deposits from around my body and utilizing them in a positive manner. But I would appreciate it if you would stop requesting doughnuts. We've got a good thing going here, lets not push our luck with all of this fried dough.

Slow Roast vs. Flash Fry

Getting a suntan in the VI just isn't the same as it is in the states. When I visit Michigan every year I lay out in the sun and get a nice golden brown tan. I can stay out there all day long and soak up the sun. In the VI, well, I can go about 40 minutes before I have a burn. Not brown, just straight to burn. The sun here is no joke. Just ask the hundreds of fried tourists wandering around the island. I just don't understand how they can't feel themselves getting burned. The sun here is intense, you can feel it cooking your skin. USE SUNSCREEN IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND YOU HAVE PALE SKIN!!!!!!

The UV index is 1,000 times greater at the equator than it is at the poles.

The UV index, at the worst part of the day, on St. John is 13. The UV index at the worst part of the day in Michigan is 7. St. John's UV index is higher than Michigan's MAX UV index of 7 between 2 and 3 pm, from 10 am until 3:30pm.

Bring your jumbo sized 30 SPF! If you let your kids get burned, I'm going to give you the stink eye.

Dreadlocks: Unlocking Some of the Mystery

1. Don't touch someone's dreadlocks without asking. Many people who have dreadlocks don't let anyone touch them.

2. It is all hair, their hair, no extensions or anything like that.

3. Yes, they wash them! Once a week or more. Lots of shampoo, lots of conditioner, then some kind of oil. You also have to violently shake your head, or the dreads, to get the water out of them. They take a long time to dry.

4. You have to "lock" the new growth. You can do a finger lock, thread the dread through the new growth in different directions. You can twist them, using beeswax or other hair wax. I do both on King's hair.

5. You can't comb them out. They call them knotty for a reason. When the new growth starts, you have to "bust" (rip) the hair apart to make it go into the right dread.

6. They get dry. You have to put oil on them. They make all kinds of hair products that you can use, but you can use any kind of oil.

7. If you are working with anything dusty (saw dust, plaster, chipping concrete) you have to cover them with a stocking. If the dust gets in the dreadlocks, it will work it's way in and end up breaking the hair and the dread will break and fall off.

8. The stocking of choice for working Rastas in the VI is control top pantyhose. Turn the pantyhose inside out, tie the legs together at the crotch, cut off the legs, and now you have a stocking cap! The tight weave of the control top keeps even fine dust out.

9. Glitter is not a friend of dreadlocks. See #7.

10. You don't cut or trim dreadlocks. But you can braid, twist, or tie them into a new hairdo.

West Indian-ism

I am not sure why this is, but West Indians will not use your bathroom. I've had some of my friends here ALL DAY LONG and they never once go to the bathroom. How do they do that? Why won't they use my bathroom? Oh well, guess I don't have to worry about it being clean!

***DISCLAIMER*** This is not actually my bathroom...but my bathroom isn't disgusting or anything.

St. John

Where everywhere you go is everyone you know.

That is one of the bumper stickers floating around the island and it is so true. It is a blessing, and at times a curse. It's all in how you look at it. It is simply impossible to go anywhere on St. John and not run into people you know.

You know how it is when you live in the states and you bump into a friend at the store? Well multiply that by 50 and that is what it is like on St. John. Throughout the course of the day you will chat with more than a dozen people that you know from here or there. Makes it really hard to hold on to a bad mood that you may be in. Maybe you have to fake that smile with the first couple of people you run into, but before long, you forget all about why you grumpy.

Returning to island after vacation is always so nice. Even though most people don't realize you have been gone (whether it has been a week or 6 months), they always have a quick smile and a few minutes of pleasant small talk. This time was a little different for me. My "could be a beer belly" turned into a definite "baby bump" in the 2 and a half weeks I was away. People are not afraid to say something now and I've turned into a Buddha of sorts with lots of belly rubbing going on.

Ok, maybe one more

3. A fast reliable internet connection.

Ok, ok, I'll admit it...

There are a couple of things that I miss about living in the states.

1. Water pressure - Geeze, you guys don't even need to use soap in the shower! It's like being pressure washed!

2. Grass - I love the way a lawn feels, love the way it looks, and most of all, love the way it smells when it is freshly cut.

MI ---->STJ

Back home!!! It was a long day of travel, but we made it back to St. John on the 10pm ferry (thank you ferry boat people for holding the boat a couple of minutes). It is just soaked down here. The potholes now have potholes. The yard is a big mud pit. My house smells like mildew. Sent King to the store for a couple cans of Lysol. Charlie and Alakay have been fattened up. (They like CeeJah's feeding methods....keep the bowl full at all times.) Ahh, good to be home!

Steve is a Steve!

We went for an ultrasound while we are in Michigan and it has been confirmed....Steve is a boy! He was shy about giving it up, but after several attempts of trying to see between his legs, King shouted out "THERE IT IS!!!!" Just a brief glimpse, but King saw it before the doctor could even say anything. This is Steve's first picture. I think it will be hard for Luca to adapt to the baby's real name, which is yet to be determined, but it will NOT be Steve.

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Night

In the VI, any time you make eye contact with someone, you say "Good morning/afternoon/night" It's just what we do. This is a topic that comes up a lot on the travel forums. People who live in the VI instruct visitors to use these greetings when they are here. It's not like a magic bullet that will instantly make things go well for you, it's just something that most locals like to hear before you utter anything else. Often times you will hear visitors complain about "having" to do this, or about how they did it and locals were still rude to them. Whatever....

You know what happens when you do this when you are in the states? People look at you funny, treat you like you are "special needs", or just off your rocker. Whenever I visit the states I have to constantly remind myself NOT to do this, avoid eye contact, ignore the people around me. This is one of the things that bothers me the most when I visit the states. I find it sad that people in the states are so disconnected from one another. It's a real bummer that extending a greeting in the states to people whom you don't know, but encounter, is so surprising that it tends to put statesiders off. I would much rather be in a place where a handful of people will still treat you rude if you use these greetings than in a place where only a handful of people appreciate the greetings.

Back from Tawas

Had a great time on the annual Tawas trip. Good to see everyone, relax in the sun, read some books. I was up early every morning, but it was like sleeping in since I was up around 5:30am instead of 3am. Every morning I would go out to the beach and poke the coals in the fire pit and try to revive the previous night's fire. I would wait for the sunrise and drink coffee and read a book.This is one of the best sunrise pictures I got. The crappiest days had the most beautiful sunrises!