Random Facts Writing

A recent assignment in my second session of Creative Writing was to pick a random fact from a list of 31 facts we were given. Once your fact was chosen you were to include it in your writing. For me, this exercise posed a few questions: how long should this be? What exactly am I supposed to write about - fact or fiction? In the end, the writing was short & true.

Read on...

I look out over the balcony to the clear water and can see the reef below. Before coming to Belize, I had never seen such clear water--a clarity that reigns in the Caribbean. Pristine waters, sandy beaches, hammocks in the shade of palm trees all seem to be trademarks of the Caribbean islands. Every vista is postcard perfect.

Back home, the bluish-brown expanse offered little hope for glimpses of the teeming underwater world below. During the many visits to the beach in my youth, I believed this was the way of all large bodies of water. Certainly none could be clear enough to see to the ocean floor! The massive amount of sea life, areas of pollution and typical changes in the weather patterns that affect the currents make it a logical conclusion that ocean water would be churned to a murky shade.

Then I took my first trip to the Caribbean.

Was it the color, the temperature, the vibe of the tropics or crystal blue water that struck me the most? They say the color blue has a calming effect, that it causes your brain to release calming hormones. If that's true, I can understand the laid back mentality of the islands. Blue is all around you--in the sky, the water & the colorful buildings. It's more than a fleeting feeling of relaxation; it's a blanket that envelopes you, shifting your attitude and mood.

I imagine waking every day to find the blue once again greeting me with its soothing effects. It would be a world with little stress and nothing that couldn't be fixed with a journey to look into the depths of the clear sea. Envisioning a world below the water's surface and how peaceful the creatures must live in the blue, day after day, would be enough to transport me to another mind-set.

Cruisin' State of Mind

Right before Christmas this year, I'll be heading down to Florida to start to beginning of my vacation - a cruise to the Caribbean. I can't wait. Now that my work trip is over, I can fully concentrate on something much more interesting... what I might do & see on my week in the Western Caribbean. The possiblities are endless.

It's true, I have been to all these ports of call before. But ya know what??? That just means even more relaxation for me! I don't have to be rushed to keep a sightseeing schedule. What could be better than that??

This will be my 5th cruise... all have been in the Caribbean. You can't beat cruisin' down the islands while everyone else is bundled up in their winter gear. I think I might even squeal with delight at the thought of it!

With 4 cruises under my belt, I'll be more than happy to see things such as those below again... It'll be greeting an old friend. (An old friend that requires me to save to see her, but it's ok... she's worth it!)

Observations... & then some.

Most of you know that i was in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the last week. Unfortunately it wasn’t for vacation… it was for work! Cop’er, on the other hand, came with me & HE managed to have a relaxing time. Lucky him.

While in for PR, it was impossible not to notice things, make observations, assumptions & conclusions. Now I would like to share those things with you. Buckle up.

1. Even though the temperature seemed to be a reprieve from the 100+ degrees we were having in my neck of the woods, it was not to be. With temps in the 85+ range & 100% humidity, I was actually wishing I was home to cool off! Lower temps there = deception! Even the people who live there complained about the ‘heat’ & it’s like that all the time!
2. Because of #1, I would have to say open air hotel lobbies & bars are NOT a good thing.
3. Puerto Rico is in the “Caribbean” – both location & attitude. That said, they move at a MUCH slower pace than anyone on mainland US & that includes the snail-paced people of the southern states. If you were at a restaurant & in a hurry, you would have had faster service by going into the kitchen & preparing your own meal. I have NEVER been anywhere with slower service.
4. But let’s not stop there… everywhere we went, it was SLOW—the airport, the hotel, the restaurants, the services, the response time, the attitude.
5. There were lots of homeless people in the city.
6. Puerto Rico is a territory of the US. The people are citizens, but are not allowed to vote for President. They do not pay federal taxes. But even knowing all this, I have come to the conclusion that they really aren’t part of the US. The majority speak Spanish; they drive like all the other Caribbean islands I have been to(without real rules and structure); etc.
7. The citizens of PR… they like their Crocs!
8. You can buy alcohol in the drugstores and even some fast food establishments.
9. The water at the beach of the resort was so warm it was ALMOST too warm. I thought I was working up a sweat just floating!
10. There are lots of lizard-ish things walking around… as frequent as squirrels here!
11. If you are thinking about buying rum at the duty-free shop on your way INTO PR, don’t bother. It’s not going to happen.
12. When you are leaving PR, you have to have all your bags checked by the USDA. No produce or exotic animals are allowed to be packed into your luggage. That was a first for me.
13. Cop’er & I have thought about cruising out of San Juan, but after this trip, we’ve marked that off the list of things to do. I can really say I don’t have much interest in going back. I might be southern, but I like my life a little faster paced.

I managed to take some shots of the hotel. And before you say I had time to ‘sightsee’, I’d like you to know that my sightseeing was a day and 1/2. The rest was working (long hours) or too tired to do anything. Good thing Cop’er saw enough for both of us… + we’d been there before!

A Few Shots from Snowhell

It's no surprise to some of you that I don't like the snow. I long for days with the windows down & the wind in my hair as I drive wherever I want just because I feel like it. Obviously, that's not going to happen in recent weather we've had.

Here are a few images from Snowhell 2010.

ABOVE: Lil Guy during the 2nd snowfall. He's looking a little like a full-fledged snowdog!

An interesting view of the headlight on my car melting the snow.








The snow through the trees in our backyard













A view of our house from the front

It looks like we have our own skating rink... the pool may never be the same!

A view from the comfort of my house, looking outside during a blizzard like moment (3rd snow)

I'll leave you with this pic. I happen to love this shot of Lil Guy... He's obviously planning his next escape down the street. If he's heading to the Caribbean, I'm likely to follow!