Day 519 - Aruba

You know when you’re sleeping & you’ve fallen asleep in a funny position & your arm or hand falls asleep? Well, that happened to me this morning & as my alarm would ring & I would try to hit snooze, it was near impossible! I’m using my iPod these days & you have to click, swipe & touch in order to hit snooze… It was quite the task when you’ve got a rubber hand!

I eventually got up just before 1000. I didn’t realize all aboard was 1530, otherwise I would have woken earlier. I was on a mission to return the blender & exchange the G12. The blender hasn’t worked well since the day I got it. The G12 had a black line across the LCD that shouldn’t be there.

Becky phoned & was up for a walk, so she accompanied me to the hardware store. It was a bit of a mission. The lady doing returns wasn’t very ‘chipper’, to say the least. She tested the blender, ignoring the rattling happening in the motor, tell me it was fine to blend water. She did put ice in it & used the ‘ice crush’ button, which I’ve never used. She said their return policy was 2 days & they don’t do cash refunds. Clearly seeing someone had done something to her cornflakes this morning, I asked for the Manager. He seemed pleasant enough & when I explained my situation, he said he’d have to call his boss. I thought to myself, ‘But aren’t you the Boss?’ Anyhow, LONG story short, we ended up paying a 15% restocking fee & got $87 back for a blender that should cost about $40 in Canada. We paid over a hundred dollars for the blender originally. At this point, I was happy to get ANYTHING back! The whole process took us an hour.

Becky & I motored back to the ship, collected Jaco & made our way to Boolchand’s for the camera exchange. Thankfully they were organized & all was in order. I picked up my new G12, tested it out & away we went. I do hope everything will be okay with it! I must say, Boolchand’s has been very good to me. I had some troubles with the underwater housing & the camera & they were very quick to replace the items – even when I wasn’t going back to the original shop & had to exchange the item on another island altogether! If you’re in St. Maarten, be sure to stop in & see Mike or Ravi for a sweet deal on gear!

We caught a cab from the Renaissance Hotel to the beach. The driver took us to the closest one, since it was already 1400. We went to Divi beach & it was GORGEOUS! I don’t know why we haven’t been there before! They were welcoming to cruise ship passengers, the beach was near vacant & the water was beautiful! I was so sad we didn’t have more time!

Jaco went for his usual long swim & Becky & I bobbed in the water taking the waves in stride. It was a perfect beach day! Our hour went by quickly & we were soon looking for a cab back to the ship.

We made it back with 10 minutes to spare – of course, after picking up a few postcards! Becky & I went up for a bite to eat & after she dashed away for work, I ran into Carla. She used to work on ships, is married to a Senior Officer & is sailing onboard with her daughter while they visit Daddy. We had a wonderful visit & I hope to run into her again before the end of the week.

Jaco & I spent the night talking & chilling out. I typed a few blog posts while he watched tennis, football, Piers Morgan & ET. He’s now sleeping peacefully beside me – most likely unaware that he’s drifted off & is missing the sports highlights. I do love him so.

Lekker slaap,

xxxxMaria

Day 197 - The Journey Home

Forgive me if I'm not too excited to be coming home. I'm leaving my husband, getting off a luxury cruise ship, leaving the warm weather of the Caribbean & heading home to snow & 6 months of chemo. Yay.


I was up early & in the shower before Jaco was up. That's a rarity! I had to disembark by 0915. Luckily they were running behind, so it actually gave Jaco & I a chance to say goodbye. We hugged & hugged & kissed & kissed & hugged some more. It was awful. I'm getting really tired of saying goodbye. I have such a wonderful husband & all I ever seem to do is say goodbye to him. What's that about? 


After he left, I called the photo lab. Galina, AKA Gorjus Galina, was embarking today. I met Galina on the Star in South America. She is a STUNNING lass from Bulgaria & her personality matches her smile. To my happiness, she came to the dining room where I was waiting to leave & we had a quick visit before I had to go. It was wonderful to see her! My heart was a little happier after having just said goodbye to Jaco. 


But soon enough, it was time to go. Ronel came to my rescue & helped me with my luggage straight through to the taxi cab's door. What a sweetheart. Ronel is the Medical Steward who also helps keep the cabin neat & tidy! Luckily we were swept through a quick line. Sometimes it pays to be Canadian in a slew of British passengers! :o)


And then I was off. I had a bit of a wait in the airport, but thankfully it wasn't long before the Westjet folks showed up to take away my luggage. I visited with a Surgeon from Toronto who specializes in retina surgeries. Wow! While I was visiting with him, I spotted my friends from Pennsylvania from the ship! We said our farewells & I lugged my stuff onto the scale. I was 1/2 a lb under on one case & spot on the money on the other. That's 25 lbs over spot on the money... $50. Told ya. :o)


Luggage free, I grabbed some lunch & ate outside. The bench I sat on was concrete & it was so hot from the sun, I had to put my scarf under my butt because it was actually causing me pain - it was that hot! I took Valentina down one level & let her roam around on a grassy patch so she could get a bit of exercise & have a potty break before the flights. 


I then came inside to call Jaco. Today was his big day at the fertility clinic. I was so nervous he wouldn't make it to his appointment in time & the chances of ever having a mini-wee running around one day would be shot. Thankfully he was there & everything was in order. He said the people were really nice & he was enjoying the medical/scientific side of things. 


During my flight, I ended up sitting next to a lady from Ontario. She was heading home to celebrate her parents 65th wedding anniversary! She is a semi-retired events planner, so she had organized a big To-Do for them. The local newspaper & TV crews were going to stop by & an Italian radio station was going to do an interview. The were Italian - I knew I liked her from the beginning! How fun!


Westjet had told me I would sit behind the bulkhead with Valentina, but when I checked in online, I had no idea where the bulkhead was, so I just picked a seat. When I boarded, I went to the seat I had selected & got settled. (row 22) I had no sooner settled in when the Attendant came by & told me they had a seat for me in the front. Sigh. Okay. I haul my stuff all the way to the front of the plane. I was grateful for the seat, but would have appreciated being told a little sooner! Oh well. I'll know to ask for the next flight.


Next flight. Nope. Sorry. Dogs are in rows 21 & 22. I asked if that was where they put service dogs. She told me to wait until everyone had boarded & then we'd see if there were any bulkhead seats available. Luckily there was a lady who couldn't use the arm tray in the front, so she gladly took my seat in row 18. That left me in the front. But then the Attendants said I couldn't sit there with my dog. I explained that I had done so on the previous flight & I had been told I would have a bulkhead seat on both flights. They said 'All dogs are in rows 21 & 22'. I said, 'Even Service Dogs?' & showed them Valentina's card. It was like I'd slapped them across the face. They instantly apologized & said, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, yes, this is where you sit.' Done. Thank you very much.


While I was in TO, I asked at information if there was a spot for dogs to relieve themselves. No. NO?! What do you mean, no? Is there seriously no grass anywhere at the Toronto airport? No. Now that is a crying shame. I'm sure I'm not the only person to travel through Toronto with a dog! Hmpf. Shows how much they know. I walk out the arrivals door & lo & behold... Across the road is a nice chunk of grass, trees, & shrubs. No where to go, huh? Yeesh. I had a notion to leave them a 'donation', but I didn't! I did, however, let them know where it was located when I came back inside! They didn't look overly impressed. 


On this flight, I sat next to a man whose eyes didn't really stay together & he prayed out loud the entire time they were doing the safety announcements & the Captain was speaking. I was slightly nervous. I was listening for the words, 'Allah, Allah, Allah', but didn't hear them. He went to sleep after his prayers were over. I'm typing this after I've landed, so nothing horrible happened, but it was creepy nonetheless! 


Naturally, Mom was late picking me up, but when she did arrive, oh boy! Valentina was pretty excited to see her! She went crazy! She whined most of the way home & didn't want to sit on my lap, only Nonna's lap! 


I was horrified to see snow on the ground. It made me want to cry. Oh please, send me back to the land of heat & sunshine. I could feel the vitamin D deficiency settling in already! I prayed that it would be melting & gone by morning!


What a day. I'm home, safe & sound & I suppose that's all that matters. 


xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Maria & Valentina

Ronel has a 3 month old baby back home. That he's NEVER EVEN SEEN! :o( 45 days to go!

Contemplate is frozen!

to.snow.es

NeverLate made it through the snow!

Nonna & Valentina

Just a little unpacking & rearranging to do!

Out for the count!

Day 167 - Finally! We Venture Out!

I did my hair! Yup, it looked pretty good, if I do say so! I didn't manage to back comb it like Priscila did, but it stayed under! The buses were so full at the clinic, we needed a 4th bus! Things are really getting busy now! 


It was a beautiful sunny day & I gladly soaked up the Vitamin D! I love the warmth & I hope it's here to stay! I even managed to get a bit of a sandal tan!


Today was a relatively quick day across the border after treatments & I decided I would muster up the courage to go out. I decided to visit Las Americas, the outlet mall, as it is close by & would only be a short distance home if I became too tired. 


Valentina & I boarded the bus & away we went. I noted the Travelodge on our way. Some of the patients at the Clinic have been staying there. It is only $37/night! They don't offer a shuttle service, so this would mean getting to the border on my own & then to the clinic & back on my own. A steal of a deal on the room, but I'm not sure if it's a great idea when I'm on my own. 


Once we found the outlet mall, it was fun to stroll around & check out what was new in the shops since my last visit. It brought back many memories of Laura & I visiting the best shops & finding the best deals! **Snif** It just isn't the same without her! :o( 


I tried on a sexxy pair of sunglasses, but they were the most expensive ones in the shop - go figure! I put them down & thought, 'Nope, not today.' I looked around the shop at the other shades & by the time I made it back around to 'my pair', a lady had bought them! I asked if he had more, but that was it! He sent me to their other location & they had them, but the arms were wobbly. The clerk assured me they had a 2 year warranty & I could send them in for repair. Why would I pay that much money only to have to send them away for ?? months??!! Crazy!!!


The shop I bought my Ugg boots from on my previous trip was open & the clerk even remembered me! Laura & I had been in & tried on some scarves. He remembered her too & asked how she was doing. It really makes you feel special when someone recognizes you months later & you thought they'd quickly forget who you were.


I kept thinking of my girlfriends as I was shopping - kids clothes for the Mom's, Banana Republic for Milla (she would have freaked right out - it was so cheap!), Coach for all the handbag lovers... 


I ended up stopping at Achiote's for some chicken sopes to go. It was already dark & I needed to get home. My feet were talking to me by now! I waited & waited & waited for the bus. Finally it came & I made my way home.


To my delight, Jenn was online when I checked my messages. We enjoyed a brilliant Skype chat & I'm missing her a lot! Her triathlon training is going fantastic! She's going to ace it! I'm so proud of her!


Anyhow, off to bed... Tomorrow is a busy day...
Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Patiently waiting in the shuttle to cross the border.

Little Old Mexican Lady In Really Big Sombrero.

I send my dog out to play in traffic while I go to McDonald's. (This statement is entirely FALSE!)

Valentina's beloved green ball. She dug it out of my purse today.

Day 159 - The Next Next Chapter

Back to where it all began. Well, the blog anyways! Yup, today Lil’ Miss V & I boarded a big ol’ aero-plane bound for San Diego.

I had a particularly crappy night’s sleep, probably because I was so worried about today’s flights & getting to the airport on time always stresses me out. (No just because I’m generally always late, but also because my luggage is usually too heavy & today I was flying on my own with Valentina.

My day started off with a call from Roxy. Then Collet. Then Granny. Then Jaco. Then Laura. I will certainly say, I am so sad to be saying goodbye to all my wonderful & dear friends. They have been there for me through thick & thin & I will be quite lonely without my daily calls to at least one of them! I know I will have Skype & Facebook for awhile & then email, but it’s just not the same. Don’t kid yourself, today saw a lot of tears fall from my eyes!

Mom took me to the airport & we also had a teary goodbye. We’ve had a rocky few months, but I’m happy to say that we parted on proper Mother/Daughter terms & not disgruntled roommate terms! :o)

Security was a nightmare. The queue was ridiculously long & they didn’t even have enough bins to put your stuff in! I put my shoes, belt, jacket, (1/2 my clothing) in one bin, with my liquids. My laptop in one bin & then I had my carryon case, purse & of course, Valentina’s carrier. Apparently one person can’t have 5 ‘scans’, so they made me chuff the bag full of Valentina’s food & treats into my existing luggage. They swabbed ALL of my bags & clothing & even made me put my hands in my pockets & swabbed them! Thank the Good Lord I didn’t have to do the full body scan! It was there, but I didn’t notice anyone in it.

Getting on the plane was just as bad. I had just bought a tea from Starbucks when the started boarding. Having my hands full, I awkwardly made my way down the passage. When I approached the plane, the ‘friendly’ stewardess tells me I can’t bring my carry on case onto the plane. Yeah, right. It’s the one that has my laptop, hard drives & cameras in it. Like I’m going to let those out of my sight! Thank goodness I’d used my bowling bag of a purse, so I could fit my cameras in it & I just carried my laptop onboard.

I sat next to a beautiful Mom from California. She had her 3 month old son with her & we chit chatted our way through most of the flight. Her Grandma stays in the same Assisted Living Home my Granny used to live in! Her little guy had the cutest dimples & was all smiles until we started to descend. With half an hour to go, he got quite fussy, understandably so, and I started a game of peek-a-boo with the in-air shopping magazine. When peek-a-boo didn’t cut it any longer, I tore a page out of the magazine & crinkled it. MAGIC!! He was completely enthralled! It sounded just like those little crinkle book toys you get for babies, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ I went through about 5 pages – they lose their crinkliness after awhile – so sadly, if anyone wants to order the ‘Caveman/Yeti’ for their garden or the hair growth powder, I’m afraid I’ve ruined their chances! The little fellow fell asleep shortly before we landed.

After a brief wait in the San Francisco airport, they announced it was boarding time. I had my luggage prepared like they had asked me to on the previous flight, so when I fumbled my way up to the attendant checking us in, he took one look at me & said 'You're going to have to check one of those bags. You've got 4 bags & you're only allowed 2. You'll have to put a 3rd one inside one of the other bags.'


I looked at him in disbelief. 'You're kidding me, right? This is what they made me do on the last flight & it was fine. One bag is my carry-on, which is too big, so I put it a la carte & take out my camera gear & laptop. Another bag is my purse & the third bag is my dog's carrier.'


He considered the LIVE ANIMAL a bag. Are you kidding me? After I notify the airline & no one tells me this will count towards my carry-on total... I don't think so! I was furious! I rammed my laptop into my purse & asked if he was happy. I was so frustrated getting on that plane! Then, to my surprise, I see these HUGE overhead bins! I could have left everything as it was & been fine! I really wish these airlines would get their act together. And Mr. Jeremy Smith should be a little more helpful when it comes to his paying customers! Yes, United Airlines will be getting an email from me!


I sat next to a Swedish Pole Vaulter. What? You haven't met a Swedish Pole Vaulter before? You need to get out more! Ha ha. I thought this was about the most random combination I could have possibly met! He was a sweet young chap, on his way to San Diego for 5 weeks of training. 


I was met by Alexandra, who turned out to be Dr. Castillo's daughter! I was tickled pink when I saw the sign reading:
'JILL & VALENTINA'


Awh! How cute! They even included Valentina in the welcome sign! Alexandra drove us to the hotel & helped with the luggage. On our drive there, I asked what she did. It turns out she is a Psychologist & she helps people with addictions, eating disorders, and hey! Did I ever have some questions for her! She helped me understand the reasons behind my 'closet eating' & well, I just love it when things like that happen! Little serendipity moments make life beautiful!


Exhausted, I crashed at about 0200. Morning is going to come early! Sleep well & see you in Tijuana!


xxxxx
Maria & Valentina

Tweet Pea & Nonna enjoying a ride in NeverLate

Nonna says goodbye to Valentina

Last minute stuffing before we leave Canada!

The Gorgeous Alexandra who fetched us at the airport

Day 145 - On The Phone Again...

Okay, so this will be a short post...


Today was a complete write off. I spent the entire day on the phone or on the computer. If I wasn't researching alternative treatments & supplements, I was on the phone with someone who needed catching up with.


Of course, there was my escapade with Sears. I wanted to track down a particular Oster blender that I had found on the Sears website. I phoned Chinook Sears. Five times. They disconnected me, hung up on me, didn't answer, put me through to the newest Sears employee who didn't know a thing & then finally told me they didn't have any & had no clue how to find one. Thanks for showing up for WORK today. 


I called Southcentre Sears. They were a lot more useful! They didn't have any in stock, but were able to tell me that Marlborough Sears did & also provided the stock # for next time. I phoned Marlborough & they were slightly more helpful than Chinook Sears, but at least they put a blender on hold for me. 


I skyped with a friend from Ottawa - Kim Ing Photography - and ran the boudoir idea past her. We chatted about life after ships & our travel plans/dreams. 


I talked to Jaco while I walked my 1/2 hour on the treadmill. Yes, I can multi-task from time to time! :o)


All in all, I didn't do a whole lot, but managed to get a lot done! Does that make sense? Anyhow, here's to a better day tomorrow!


Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Bedtime Buddy #1 - Adios

Bedtime Buddy #2 - Valentina