How to captain the Love Boat

To my husband on our second anniversary -

The traditional gift over the second year is cotton. I guess we blew past that with the paddle boat, aka love boat. There isn't an once of cotton from the canopy to the little cooler. But the more I think about it the more I realize that it was a gift that has fit our second year of marriage. Sometimes we took on water, sometimes the sailing was smooth, sometimes a bit more ruff than we'd planned, or more weeds than we wanted. Sometimes the right side didn't pull her weight but sometimes it paddled for both. We both took our turns steer and plotting our course but the best part is whenever we went out...we did it together.

I have a feeling year 2 is going to be colorful and different as we continue to settle into our marriage and lives. I have a feeling we'll continue to push and pull each other along. There will be meals, talks, cats, trips, decisions, and disagreements. I'm looking forward to them all.

On our wedding day I said, I love you for who you are and who I am when I'm with you.
On our first anniversary I said, I still choose you.
This year I say that I love that no matter what happens, we are in it together.

Love, Wifey

4 Seasons, 52 weeks, 1 love

You know those days that cause you to remember…cause you to reflect on who you are and where you’ve come from and have you relive a day and celebrate yourself a little. I like those. The best day of my life has been my wedding day and I’m actually concerned that it’s going to take a lot to compete with the caliber of that day. The highs couldn’t get any higher and the lows were bumps in the road but didn’t blemish the outcome of what was there. 

There’s something to be said about 365 days. A lot can happen. You can get married, renovate a bathroom, change your place of employment, become semi-homeless and plan a new life. You can have the highs and the lows, the laughter and the tears, the screams and sighs. We celebrated our anniversary the best way we knew how…with each other. 

We took off into Bismarck, our new town and just spent some time. From taking one-year anniversary pics with a photographer that works well with Matt by the river, to rummaging around town, to dinner at restaurant that was meant to be our special occasion to golfing the site of our wedding, to breakfast downtown, to a walk around Fort Lincoln. We talked, laughed, reviewed the last year and planned parts of the next 40 or 50. We drove by the house that we will come to know as home and tried more year old cake.  

It would have been pretty amazing…..but we got sick off champagne and old angel food. What a disappointment. At least we did it together. 

Best meal: Hawaiian Opa, avocado corn soup, ny strip, with smoked walleye.

On rummaging….

MJR: 50% off…WHO ARE THEY KIDDING…..They are setting their own price….50% off of a made up price…how do we know that this is something great…it’s not the recommended MSRP….it’s 50% off a subjective guestimate of value! And the next BIG SALE sign we see, I’m going to go ask them how they qualified that it was a BIG SALE…..I’ve seen these proclaimed Big Sales…they aren’t.

Those Vows

I surprised Matt by asking Shantelle, a bridesmaid of mine, to renew our vows exactly one year from the day we got married in the exact same spot.

I appreciate what she came up with:

Love is about building your life together. The little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.
It is having mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is being each other’s best friend. It is having fun together. It is sharing and shouldering sorrows and struggles. It is standing together and facing the world, because together you are better and stronger than anything you could be apart. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the while family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
Amanda asked me to give you my thoughts on love. I guess I could say I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on love, but until now I never really took the time to really sit down and think about it. In my mind, there are two different types of love. “Love” and “true love”. Love means loving those around you that you care about; your parents, siblings, family, and close friends. “True love” is the love within a relationship and/or marriage between two individuals that are equally committed to each other.

Throughout my life, I have heard some people say that “love doesn’t last forever” or “love fades” or “love isn’t perfect” or “love doesn’t exist”. If it is indeed “true love”, it will last a lifetime. “True love” cannot and will not fade. If love fades within time, it wasn’t meant to be or it wasn’t true love to begin with. As we all know, relationships and marriages aren’t always perfect. That is because humans are not perfect. True love should never be questioned, because true love is what holds your bonding relationship together. Love is the foundation of your marriage.

Matt and Amanda, I truly believe that the love you share is true love and will always be true no matter what may come in your path, now or in the future. Life will always be full of winding path, but once you get through it together, you will know what kind of love exists in your relationship.

9.7.14 Love Letter for One

A note to my husband on our one year anniversary,

We’ve done it. A year. Married. Husband and Wife. We’ve experienced a move and the changes with that and new jobs. We’ve fought, we’ve laughed, and we’ve watched me cry for one reason or another. I love you. I love you for the man you are and the woman that I am because of you. I love us. I love that on many issues you are my first thought and my final thought. I love that you’ll give me your best answer, even when I don’t want to hear it. I love that you are my continual rock who occasionally needs a reminder or advice but a rock still. I love what we do together, the food, the trips, the talks. You have the ability to frustrate me like no one else and I think some days you like to revel in that and test that skill to its full potential. I know this year is supposed to be considered an easy year being newlyweds and that we still have struggles down the road. I know our marriage is not perfect and neither am I and neither are you. But no matter what…I know that the most important thing hasn’t changed for me. I still chose you.  

Wifey

Happy Holidays From the Remynses!

First Christmas Card…First Christmas Letter.

Here’s a brief rundown of things that are happening with us this year…a Top 5 of sorts.

1. WE GOT MARRIED!!! Best day ever…will live in my memories for the rest of my life. My favorite moment of the day was the first moment that we saw each. That moment where I realized that he was my future and how happy I was…it was amazing.

2. We bought a house together. I could follow this up with, we made it through our first remodel together…wallpaper (which is a curse word in our house), texture, lights, paint, sanding…it all has been coming together.

3. Traveling…we usually get a few trips in but there were 2 that stuck out in my mind. Both were in October. We took a trip to Michigan to attend Bob Remynse, Matt’s grandfather’s funeral. We drove. And drove back. With Michele and Randy. A week after we got back and found ourselves recovered, we took our honeymoon to St. Maarten, an island in the Caribbean. What a beautiful week of beaches, sun, and just us!

4. Work life. I just honored my first year at Job Service, where I have an amazing group of coworkers (which is my favorite part of my job). Matt watched a dream come true at the airport. In June, he watched the jets come in to acknowledge the start of jet service in Dickinson. Was great to see how his hard work and stress finally had a pay off.

5. We really got married…I say this because not only was the wedding day and the day after and the day before amazing but the planning and time that went into the details of the day was such a major part of our year. We wanted to make sure that our day was about us and that people got to know us and our relationship a bit better.

Other honorable mentions:
-we got old (both of us turned 30)
-after a year of living together…the cats still do not get along. Sometimes I think they think they are playing but aren’t sure but for the most part all three; TonyDanza, Nike, and Lola, do not all mix well.
-we took 2 camping trips this year, pathetic.
-we visited the farm, but not as much as we would have liked. We did buy a heifer to bulk our herd numbers up a bit, and Matt did take over for Dad a time or two, but we had higher hopes for being a bigger help.

Goals for next year:
Matt wants to do a bit of landscaping to our small yard.
Amanda wants to revise the guest bedrooms
Matt wants to hunt more.
We want to travel more, golf more, camp more…

So in closing, I’ll leave you with a conversation from Matt and I…but we are so glad to have so many people in our lives that continue to check on us and think of us. We are blessed to have the family that we were given and the friends that continue to chose us. Can’t wait to see your families and hear your stories.

ALR: We’ve been married a couple months.
MJR: yea.
ALR: Does it feel weird?
MJR: no.
ALR: Is it how you thought it was going to be?
MJR: yea.
ALR: Really?
MJR: yea, just like I was expecting.
ALR: oh. Well, I think it’s different. I think we’ve got a pretty good thing happening here.
MJR: I know, it’s what I was expecting.

White Weekends and White Closets

The weather is changing. We both are hating it. Matt’s stressing out over it because of work and I’m hating it because of the cold. We actually turned up the heat this past week…I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it on Friday when the good temps are actually zero. Matt has spent some long days at the airport….in a piece of equipment. Felt bad when he came home for 6 hours last night, just enough time to eat a sandwich, have a bowl of cereal, and take a nap. We didn’t get a ton of snow, just enough to be an inconvenience and totally cover the ground.

This past weekend we did get some stuff accomplished! Got some things put online to sell, house cleaned up a bit, pumpkin cooked with more seeds roasted, and even got the pillows washed in the house. I don’t think someone was impressed. The biggest time suck/accomplishment was the closet in the guest bedroom finally got painted. FINALLY. Seriously who paints a closet AND THE CEILING a brown/purple color. They even painted the dowel and the shelf and the brackets…but not well. They painted them but didn’t move them.

Matt had another good game of hockey. He scored another goal and his team was sitting in first place on Monday. I’m glad he’s enjoying it. He hasn’t gotten his jersey yet but is enjoying the guys he’s playing with.

We also got our Christmas Card out this week. We didn’t send a letter but instead put a blog link up. Hope people enjoy both! 

Best Meal of the week: We had a date night on Friday, Matt smoked salmon (compliments of Kevin!) and after a great meal we sat down with the DVD of wedding photos that we got from Ken. Very bittersweet, the pics were beautiful and it reminded us of the day in so many ways but now there is nothing else to look forward to. Randy says that he wants to get the pics perfect so we should have another wedding, how can I disagree with this brilliant man?

Painting the closet

MJR: How many coats is this?

ALR: Let’s see, this is one coat of primer, two coats of white, and I think we’ll need one more for sure and probably 2 more on the seams?

MJR: This is taking forever.

ALR: I know.

ALR: What color is this?

MJR: Mauve?

ALR (AGHAST): NO!!! Our wedding color for the rosewood was mauve, this horrible abomination is nothing similar to the wonderfulness of our wedding!

MJR: Oh, well maybe we’ll stick with purple-brown.

ALR: I should say SO!

HM: All Good Things Must Come to an End

Now I didn’t continue with Saturday’s trip. We got into Atlanta as it was dark and in time to check out of customs, reenter security, recheck our bags, and have priority as we went past a ton of others to get through to our area in time to make the Minneapolis flight. This was not a meal flight, but only offered snacks. What a bummer. We got into Minneapolis and upon previous experience; we decided to get a room for the night.

We stayed at the Marriot for the night. Actually a pretty nice place. They shuttled us there and back the next day. We were running behind schedule according to Matt so we didn’t arrive at the airport as quick as he was hoping. Thanks to being priority, we got in quick but waited a bit for TSA. From there we did have an awesome breakfast despite the fact that service was about as slow as they come. Juice and Coffee from Dunn Brothers and Lox bagels from Einstein’s Bagels.

We got on our flight and got to listen to the special announcements from the flight attendant and then the pilot came out.
Pilot: Folks, has anyone been to Dickinson in the past 2 or 3 weeks?
(Heads nod)
Pilot: well, we have a real treat for you today, we’ve heard the ramp is open and we will get to use it finally…no more bus!
Passenger (who Matt knows as Terry): Be careful, the airport manager is on this flight!
Pilot (looks at where Terry is pointing): Really?
(Matt nods)
Pilot: nice.

So there we rode..wondering how we ever flew like this before…not first class. The seats were small, the leg room was cramped, the drinks weren’t free! How do people live like this?

We got back, got home and began the clean up and unpacking. We looked through our purchases, looked through handouts and stuff that we had taken. It was very bittersweet to be home and in the cold. We went from 80+ to 40 with a storm coming. Ugh.

But the trip wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Kevin. And it wouldn’t have been as luxurious if it weren’t for the first class upgrade from Randy and Michele. And the money that we got from family for the honeymoon definitely made it possible to have the amazing meals and memorable activities that we did.

And a special shout out to Aimee and Landry….they babysat the kitties. They really only saw 2 of the three…but who is really shocked by that.

Best Meal: It was a dang good breakfast with the salted caramel latte and the lox bagels (they wanted to put cucumbers on it…EWWWW)…probably the second best breakfast of the week (right after Sarafine’s) and the best thing before heading back to the reality of life.

So there I sat at the MSP carousel waiting so we could go to the hotel….

MJR: So my bag came through?

ALR: Yes.
MJR: But yours hasn’t come?

ALR: Right.

watching the carousel

MJR: So, which one did you put the sand in?

ALR: Mine.

watching the carousel

ALR: I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that.

MJR: If you get arrested for bringing sand, I’m disowning you, Moser.

HM: How Do You Say Goodbye in Dutch?

Saturday….I did not want to wake Up. Waking up meant packing and leaving. I did not want to leave.

Matt finally convinced me that we could go down to the beach one more time, swim in the ocean, feel the sand, and say goodbye. As much as I didn’t like that last thing, I did want to spend just a bit more time on the beach. So we went down. The water was calm, warm, and still so clear. I had a nice tan by this time and was very comfortable on Eastern time.

We did say goodbye to the beach and packed up our bags and called the bellhop. We took a cab to SXM and sat down at the Plantation, the restaurant in the airport. WORST meal of the trip. Service was bad. The meal was missing pieces. And for being in an airport, they sure took their sweet time. For a club and a BLT, it took about an hour. It was a good thing we had the time.

We sat in the sterile area for so long, which was crowded because of the delayed Delta flights to JFK and the construction that was happening. In prepping to board, Matt got checked through security once again. He’d gotten extra checked leaving Dickinson but at SXM, they double went through his shoes, his carry on, and all. I shouldn’t have been surprised that it was him that got picked.

As we took off, sitting in first class again too, it was sad. We’d have to go back to reality. This flight to Atlanta, there was no champagne. It felt appropriate. But I did watch the island disappear beneath us as I prepped the list of things for our return visit.

Best meal: We had Chick-fil-a despite my irritation with the belief system of the company. I almost hate to admit that it was a dang good sandwich.

ALR: Goodbye Room.

   Goodbye Balcony.

   Goodbye Hill and other hill and other hill.

   Goodbye Lizards (They were fricken EVERYWHERE)

   Goodbye Beach

   Goodbye Divi Little Bay

   Goodbye guavaberries

   Goodbye cabs

   Goodbye St. Juliane

   Goodbye Ocean.

MJR: Are you done?

ALR: No. Goodbye golf couse.

MJR: Are you done now?

ALR: yeah, I guess so. (Sad face)

 

HM: Sandtraps and Lost Balls

 Final Full Day of the HM.


So to give you a little back story on this day…Matt had been riding me for the two weeks before we went on our honeymoon about golfing the course on the island. He had been saving money here and there and I really didn’t think it was necessary but finally because I wanted to ensure that he was happy, I said, yes, let’s go golfing.

We got the prices from Eugene but when Matt went to set up his tee time, she told him don’t bother. First red flag to me. So there we were on Friday, getting carted to the golf course. As we turned on the road that the course was one, I began seeing more and more red flags as the grounds were unkempt and the growth and landscaping was a bit more miss than hit. So we pulled up to the “clubbuilding” which had bars on the window. We went in and was surprised how uninviting it was…decoration was mostly concrete and piles. There weren’t really any apparel hung to display? There weren’t clubs for showing off or shoes for trying on and the lady that took our tee time wasn’t exactly what I would call a golf pro.

We got 2 bags and 1 cart rental and 2 rounds of 9. Matt then told her that we needed tees to which she grabbed a handful out of a drawer and handed to him. Matt then told her that we needed balls. She stated that she’d sell a bag of balls to us, used. I could barely contain my laughter watching him hold his bag o’balls and his handful of tees.

My laughter got stronger when we pulled up to the first tee box and also when we got to the first green. Here he was expecting this lush, plush, cushy course…and we got the island version of Lansford! I didn’t mind the course but I know he was disappointed. I might as well have stayed on the beach for the day for as much time as I spent in the sandtraps. First time I’d ever seen seashells in the sandtraps!

 After completing our round and being unsuccessfully in selling back our balls to the “pro” we headed back in our cab to only stop for lunch. We stopped at the Taste Factory Bakery and I had a salami sandwich with a gallon of water and Matt had a Tunefish sandwich.

When we got back to the resort, we stopped at the Resort office. Matt and I had decided that even though we weren’t going to take them up on their timeshares offer, we did want to take advantage of the comeback plan. We’d get to try them out another time in a beachfront studio at a discounted rate. Think of it as getting our feetwet with the idea of a timeshare. We were excited to try it out and when we signed they presented us with a bag and a bottle of champagne…can’t say no to those things.

With the bottle chilling in the fridge, we headed out to supper. We walked the boardwalk and picked a place, Talula Mango’s also known as the Blue Bitch Bar. We ordered a bucket of beer, an ice cream drink, and something as close as Matt could get to mozzarella sticks…Gouda sticks.

As the sun sank down on the Great Bay…we relived the time on the island. It was a great time and it was nice to have the two of us…no phones, no internet, no work…just us, the sand, the beach, and the occasional rain. While talking, I ordered the creole grouper and Matt had the ½ and 1/2, ½ ribs and ½ jerk chicken…was one of his favorite meals on the island. I was glad he ordered it because the mashed potatoes were amazing that came with them!

After arriving home, we spent the last night on the patio with a cigar and our bottle of champagne and toasted to the first of our many married vacations together.

Best meal: Matt’s meal at Blue Bitch was the best….I could have had ribs and those mashed potatoes over and over again.

MJR: Laugh all you want.

ALR: There were bars on the window.

MJR: Yes I saw them.

ALR (giggling)

MJR: Are you going to tee off already?

ALR: You didn’t wonder when they said, just show up?

ALR: (Giggling)

HM: Scuba, Spa, and Siesta

Day 6: Thursday
This day started out a bit off as the alarm didn’t go off and it was one of the few days we couldn’t miss the schedule. Matt headed off to the Scuba shop for a dive and I headed to the spa. We did this in Cabo as well…so it wasn’t that unique.

Matt’s water was a bit rougher than he was expecting but still got to do 2 dives. He dove a shipwreck and a reef. I’ll admit it did sound pretty cool, especially after 2 days of snorkeling where I could see so well. He liked the reef dive and saw a small shark and a ton of fish but I could tell he enjoyed the wreck better. I thought it was cool that he had seen a bunch of rings and when he asked what they were, it was the rum barrels’ rings..they were left over from the trade.

I enjoyed a manicure and pedicure and said goodbye to one of my last things from the wedding…my wedding nails. They had grown out significantly and had to be replaced and I thought it was appropriate that they be replaced with honeymoon nails.

We met up afterward to compare notes and had a lunch at the resort back at Gizmo’s. We had pizza with pineapple, shrimp, and capers and split an app plate with jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, and wings (which weren’t as good as Barefoot).

We actually had a slow afternoon, not sure if the waves were hard on Matt or being on the go for so many days caught up to us, but we actually just sat and watched a movie on TV. Ate cheetos, drank lemonade and ginger ale and relaxed. After awhile, I hopped in the shower to get ready to go out.

Whenever we asked people for recommendations of restaurants, we kept hearing the same one, Chesterfield’s. We almost were sick of hearing about this place since it came up in every recommendation. But how could we turn it down when everybody and their dog was suggesting it. So off we headed. It was a beautiful restaurant. We sat so close to the water I may have been able to put my feet in. I had a glass of Pinot Grigio and Matt had a Heineken (which is a uber popular beer there). We started off with a gi-normous bowl of lobster bisque which was amazing. I followed it with the crab stuffed shrimp and Matt had the combination plate: Mahi Mahi, grouper, pan fried calamari, and shrimp. There was so much food, I’m embarrassed to admit I had to leave some on the plate.

Best meal: For the day, it was Chesterfield’s…the soup…so good!

MJR: I told the scuba master that I thought it was odd that I used up all my air first and she said, “Of course, you a big boy!”

HM: French Living.

Day 5 of Honeymoon…it was a Wednesday.

Now we had planned to take a second tour to the French side. We arranged it with our concierge, Eugene to ensure we had a spot on the bus. We also asked her if we could take it over but then come back by cab later on. Her response, oh that will be enough time for you to be on the French side, it’s from 9-2. I’m sorry, Eugene, but we missed our bus!

We got on the bus and headed over. We arrived in Marigot around 9:30. Just in time for breakfast. I finally got to try the pastry shop that was closed on Monday, Sarafine’s. It was an absolutely wonderful meal. We started with a latte for me and a passion fruit juice for Matt. I can still taste it. Next came my smoked salmon crepe with mozzarella and tomato topped with an sunny side up egg. Matt had nutella crepes with a crossant. What an absolutely wonderful meal. We then ordered our lunch to take up to the beach.

We left Sarafine’s fat and happy (and I wonder why I gain weight on vacations). We headed over to the open air market. This market was a combination for the locals and the tourists. The locals section had fresh seafood, and when I say fresh, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. I love my freezer of beef and the homestyle feeling I always get but seeing the availability of product made my jealousy twinge a bit. I did delay Matt and get 2 bags of seasoning...the fish and jerk. We also hopped over to the tourist side where Matt picked up a set of knock off Oakleys and a diving shirt. I was pretty content to take a look just checking out local product, picking out my magnet, and finally taking a look at the food vendors with their local flavor.

  From there, we took a cab to Orient Beach, a well known beach on the French side that has a reputation all its own. It’s a beautiful bay. We rented a spot 2 chairs and 1 umbrella for $20. It was wonderful. We sat there took in some sun, enjoyed the sand, even took a bit of a swim. Had a few beers and the only addition that we could have had was that we wish we had brought our kindles versus the snorkel gear…the water was a bit choppier than we expected to snorkel. But it was a wonderful afternoon and when we were ready we brought out our picnic lunch that we got at Sarafine’s, a salami and prosciutto sandwich served on a baguette and macaroons for dessert. It was absolutely wonderful until I handed the lemon macaroon over to Matt and he didn’t realize how delicate they are and it dropped into the sand at our feet. Saddest thing ever. The raspberry and vanilla were good but the lemon was heaven.

We enjoyed our time there and eventually grabbed a cab and headed back to the island. We got out the snorkel gear a final time and took it in again. This time we saw some of the same things but got close to a sting ray. Was so cool. I do know my husband is not the picture of romantic but snorkeling under the water we held each other’s hands so to not get too far from each other. It was like we were otters! It’s the sweet things that like that make me glad we have and are what we are. We did find a few more sand dollars in an attempt to recover the one the maid took…but they are so fragile.

That night we headed over to Simpson Bay, which was where the nightlife from Philipsburg moves after 6. We took in one of my favorite restaurants of the trip…Skipjack’s. It’s a fresh seafood market. You could pick your lobster (Caribbean or Maine) but we decided to go to more of what we knew. We started the meal off with a gin and tonic and a guaveberry colada with a dozen oysters in the half shell. For our meal, Matt had the blackened grouper and I had shrimp stuffed baked Mahi Mahi. I got the better shake of this meal.

After the meal, we took off and tried to walk around a bit. We had heard good things about Lee’s so stopped in there for a drink. The food looked good, but we were definitely finding out that the island liked serving ribs…and to think, we were all about the seafood.

We stopped at a couple more shops and headed home with a baguette, some pastries, and a couple cigars.

Best meal: Skipjack’s was probably one of my favorite restaurants of the trip. We sat on the water and even saw a boat that later one of the cab driver’s told us belonged to Steve Jobs. Was nice, great service, and great product.

MJR: I’m so glad you talked me into it.

Referring to coming to Orient Beach. 

HM: Snorkeling and Shopping and Snails

Tuesday morning started out a long time before Tuesday.


Enter Darlene. Now, I remember Darlene for a couple reasons. My grandmother’s name is Darlene, so as soon as she introduced herself, I remembered her name. The other reason I remember Darlene is because she wouldn’t let us forget her.

Scene: Matt and I walking along the line in front of the resort. Sunday.
Darlene: YOHOOOO! Sweeties (Sidenote, everyone on the island, especially women call everyone sweeties)….hello, I saw you come yesterday, we didn’t get to talk. My name is Darlene. Where are you going?
ALR: We were going to orientation. (Informational session that was held the first full day that they were there, talked about tours available, resort options, and then did a basic giveaway.
Darlene: Oh good, me too, walk with me. See I’m your timeshare concierge, I’m Darlene. Where is your timeshare at?
ALR: It was a gift, from a beloved, wonderful, giving, handsome man (some of this might not have been actually said, but was there in spirit) for our wedding.
Darlene: Oh a gift, very nice, sweeties. Walk with me. So you don’t own?
MJR: no. (He doesn’t do well with personalities like Darlene)
Darlene: Oh great, we’ll show you our resort, you love it. Here we’ll get you down to visit with Hank. You tell him that Darlene sent you. That’s me.

Scene: Monday. Matt and I looking at the tour bus with Mr. Thomas
Darlene: Sweeties!!! Are you going on the tour?
ALR: Yes, we are…just getting ready.
Darlene: Remember, me, Darlene?
MJR: of course.
Darlene: Got you down for an appointment right?
ALR: Yes, with Hank, tomorrow.
Darlene: Great!

Scene: Monday evening.
Darlene: Oh I see you two AGAIN! See I change clothes
MJR: we see that.
Darlene: And I came back!
ALR and MJR start walking away.
ALR: Have a good night, Darlene.
Darlene: Don’t forget your appointment tomorrow.
To ALR, MJR: I don’t think we could.

Scene: Tuesday morning, in our room. Phone rings.
MJR: Hello.
    Yes it is.
    Yes we are.
    Yes, we are leaving soon.
(Hangs up)
ALR: Darlene?
MJR sighs

So there we were walking up to the sales office. And who do we see…..DARLENE!
Darlene: Sweeties!! Did you get a phone call?
MJR: yes.
Darlene: That wasn’t me. I just got in a fight with the girl. See I told her that people are on vacation. They need their space. Walk with me. See I said, you can’t call them. So I am so sorry.
ALR smiling because she thinks Darlene is hilarious.

So there we were with Hank, our salesman. Now, Hank has just gotten back from a vacation. He has laryngitis. Which makes our questions and the sales presentation real fun and mostly about drawings. We tour a beautiful room and Hank explains some of the botany around the resort. Because of the situation and what’s going on, Matt and I decide to hold going through with a timeshare, despite the fact that we both are strongly considering it.

From there we had lunch poolside. Although the service had a lot to be desired, the meal was just fine. We started with nachos and Matt had the club sandwich, which he said was the best thing that he had at the resort. I had the fish tacos. We headed up the hill changed into our suit and went snorkeling.

This was my second time snorkeling. My first in Cabo wasn’t what I’d call a complete success. It was interesting and a great time and the sights were amazing….but I struggled to get started and was mentally aware of what I was doing the entire time because of all the people, all the boats, and the yucky waves. This time it was amazingly easy. It was beautiful too…the water was so clear and calm compared to Cabo. This first trip out we saw squid, coral, construction parts and pieces, an octopus, and oodles of fish. It was amazing how far out we got. Past the fishing boats almost out to where the big boats were docked at. I’d say it was ¼ of a mile at least out. On the way back, Matt and I searched for sand dollars and he dove for them. What made me sad is we found a good one and took it back to our room and the next day, we found it missing from our hotel room. Thanks, Maid.

After snorkeling, we headed back into Philipsburg for some shopping. I got Matt his birthday present which was a Breitling knockoff watch. Something he could wear when he wasn’t wearing his wedding watch…something that we could travel with and not fear breaking or missing. He loved it…gyroscope and all.

Best Meal, we had supper at the Greenhouse, which was on the edge of the boardwalk. Great little restaurant, where we were able to take advantage of happy hour 2 for 1 drinks (margaritas and painkillers). We also decided to indulge in the starters and then split a meal….worked out so well. We started with the escargot and the bang bang shrimp….both were so good! Was glad we went forward with the bang bang shrimp. We split the lobster thermidore.

Scene: Leaving the sales shop for the resort
Darlene: Sweeties!!! How was HanK? Did you have a good appointment?
MJR: yes, Darlene.

HM: Touring 37 Sq. Miles

Honeymoon Day 4

We were surprisingly adjusted to Island time, which was probably the benefit of spending so much quality time in the Atlanta airport. The first thing on our agenda was the island tour with Bertrum Thomas, a witty older guy who gave a nice tour. We toured the whole island and had a few stops along the way. The first was at Simpson bay, where we got some rundowns on the island particulars. Like, there is a water and power station on each side of the island (French and Dutch) and they run on different voltage. We also saw the spot of a new resort and a questionable church site. From Simpson Bay, we went a bit through the Dutch side and found ourselves at the French border. The only way you know you are crossing over is the “Welcome” signs and the white tags on the road.

We stopped in the capitol of the French side, which is Marigot. We walked around a bit and I wish that we had more time available to take in food choices. The bakery that I had wanted to visit was closed for the day and the market was quiet with a few exceptions. We saw Fort Lewis, which was the French fort, but did not take the trek up to see it. From the capitol we went out in the countryside and saw the guavaberries, which aside from tourism, is their biggest product. You take the guavaberries and add them to a pina colada! So good. Another misfortune for Matt is that they are rum. Their products used to be salt and sugar cane. These products are no longer being a reliable export for the country. From there, we went to Orient Bay and enjoyed a walk along the beach with a guavaberry colada.

 We got back on the bus and went through the French Quarters and saw their main livestock! Although we never partook in enjoying cuisine from this animals, we saw it on the menu. We crossed back over to the Dutch side and went through the capitol of the Dutch side, Phillipsburg. This city is known for it’s shopping and because of the location to the cruise docks, they have stores such as Tiffany’s, LaCoste, Ralph Lauren, Cartier, and so on. They can fit up to 8 cruises in the bay and when you get up to 10,000 on a cruise, that makes for some interesting opportunities. Their two shopping streets are Front Street and Back Street and Matt and I also took in the boardwalk. From there we headed back to the resort, and passed a cemetery, which was super intriguing. Because of the water and the hurricane, the set up was a bit different than what we were used to.

Our tour guide focused on a few things that were very interesting. So much of the island has changed because they are building the island out onto the water to better fit their needs. They are building up the land and expanding in that sense. He also commented that the laws (like the power abilities) are different for each side. What is done on one side is sometimes not allowed on the other. He did saw, we are not French or Dutch, but we are one island. And aside from some semantics, it was obvious to see how that worked. We also never changed our money over, everything ran in dollars (French and Dutch side). Although it got more problematic with the French side, which was on the Euro, we did get the crossover to happen pretty seamlessly. Language was also not a barrier. Everyone spoke English, Mr. Thomas explained that the island is surrounded by British Islands and before the airport was established, traveling only occurred by boats to these British Islands. This necessity boded well for the island as the English probably has served the tourism industry beyond what was expected.

Mr. Thomas: See the rules are different and the law is different on the two side. If you are married on the Dutch side, you are single on the French side. (long pause) I'm just kidding.

After the tour, Matt and I headed back into Phillipsburg. After doing some light shopping, we headed to Barefoot Restaurant. We started with some jerk wings, which I’ll admit I had my doubts, but they were so tasty. A bit of a kick with the seasoning, but worth mentioning for sure. Matt had a shrimp dish while I ventured out to try conch (the meat inside the big seashells). Matt’s meal was definitely the best and I found myself jealous as mine was a bit chewy…not what I was expecting. The flavor was good, but I couldn’t get past just how chewy.

As we were sitting there, suddenly the clouds let loose. The rain came in buckets and we found ourselves stranded as it continued to downpour. We had another drink but found that we wouldn’t be able to out wait it. We continued some browsing on the front street stores before heading back.

As we sat and watched the rain, we decided to smoke a few cigars. Sounds great in theory and after struggling to light with a match, we did enjoy them. That is until I finished mine and realized that my stomach/body hadn’t built up the tolerance to tobacco and smoke and I found myself a bit sick! What a wimp.

 

After a slight nap and some ginger ale, Matt and I headed down to the resort’s meal special…surf and turf. I’ll admit I was very disappointed. The flank and skirt stakes were a waste of time (but most steaks are compared to what we get from home). The salad bar seemed bleak. The pork was dried out. The lobster was okay, but I’m determining that maybe I don’t like lobster…it’s okay but crab is waaaayyyy better. The best thing of the dinner was the soup and the bread. I’m not sure what kinda soup…I’m thinking it was a seafood. What’s funny is that I had 2 or 3 bowls of it…and it wasn’t until we were getting ready to leave that Matt even tried it and he surprisingly agreed.

Best meal: The Barefoot restaurant meal…If I had ordered Matt’s shrimp, it would have been an EASY pick…but because of the chicken wings, the rice, and the fried plantains it still was pretty noteworthy.

While walking on the French side…
ALR: I’m so glad I have you here to translate for me, just like I translated in Cabo.
MJR: Screw you!

HM: SXM

Now I previously mentioned about the St. Maarten airport. I knew I couldn’t hold Matt off this for a long time so after breakfast, we headed back to SXM and their runway end. Now looking back, this may have been one of my favorite days.

At the end of the runway in Simpson bay on Maho Beach we headed and there. We grabbed a seat, had a drink and watched the beach. I could tell Matt was anxious to get out onto the beach so I suggested that we get a bucket of beer and head out there, just in time for the first plane.

MJR: It’s coming!
ALR: I see it, it’s a plane.
MJR: GIVE ME THE CAMERA.
MJR grabs for it…it comes out of ALR’s hand and smashes against the rock…he grabs it up and scampers up to the road and fence.
ALR (to herself): That is why I don’t have a big expensive camera.

So we watched the planes come in and leave. They got so close you could see the people in the windows. My favorite was them flying in…almost like they would take out a bus if it was parked on the road, but Matt loved when they took off. The first few showed me where the boundary-ish was on the beach to avoid the jet blast….and then came the 747.

Matt was pumped. He was ready and excited doesn’t come close to describing what was happening with him. I decided to back down the beach into the safe area to ensure that I got a picture of it. So there I was and the KLM came closer and just as I looked up, I saw our neighbor beach dweller ( the wife of 1 of the 2 cruiser couples) run up to put her foot on her bag and towels to ensure it didn’t blow and I realized that maybe I should do the same! And then it hit me…it was excruciating for minutes and what I envision a hurricane to feel like. I picked up Matt’s hat to protect my face and gave up the attempt to take Matt’s picture and just kept waiting for the pain to be over.

When it was, Matt came over to me hunched and sandblasted and had the audacity to be pissed. Not for my safety or my concern. I could have lost an eyeball! But was pissed because I rode the jet blast of a 747 and he did not. I could have punched him. The 747 did not gun the engines at the end of the ramp like the rest but was powering up as he made the curve which was where I was dutifully standing, waiting with my camera. The sand was engrained in my skins, behind my ears, my arms, my legs. I had welts forming on my thighs, on my stomach, and my back. The sand in my hair was so gritty I couldn’t imagine how I was going to get it out….and he was pissed it wasn’t him. Frankly, so was I.

Other planes came and went and Matt picked up a few welts here and there and got covered in the sand, but nothing like the one KLM that ripped through. The cruisers left and we got hungry. We headed up to the bar for a meal. Matt ordered the Dutch Croquette von Dobben and Buttered Bun and I shared the KLM Pizza with him. On it was Pomodoro, mozzarella, prosciutto, funghi, (tomato, mozzarella, ham, and mushrooms). We enjoyed a few more planes before taking off to walk a bit around the area.

We wandered a bit in the shops that were nearby where I picked up a hat that I’d been looking for for some time. I asked Matt if he wanted cigars and he seemed surprised. I had assumed with us being so close to Cuba, we’d want to take advantage of that. (Foreshadowing for later). And with these purchases we continued on. We had a few drinks at a local bar and was ready to keep moving. The trick about St. Maarten versus Cabo is that the set up isn’t conducive to wandering and exploring. We ended up working to hail a tag with a friend/body builder who attempted to give me whistling lessons.

After splitting a gouda cheeseburger at the resort bar, we attempted to take a shower to get some of the sand off that had embedded into our skin after each take off. The tub could have been a beach and even after that I found I missed the beach that was STILL sitting on my scalp.

What a great day!

Best meal: Matt's sandwich was hamburger and mashed potatoes mixed together and fried was so good and my pizza was great too. We had a beach, a beer, a meal, and the entertainment!

ALR with her notebook: “What planes did you ride today”
MJR Begins to list them.
ALR writes them down, page looks like this:
          Matt rode
                  MD80 – 2 of them
                  757
                  737
                  A-320
                  3RJ175
                  Challenger
                   747 (sort of)
                   Citation
                   Dash 8
           Amanda rode
                    747
MJR grabs notebook out of ALR’s hand: “WHAT!! Sort of? GRRRR….Screw you!”