Monday kicked off with a bang, and the phones at work were ringing off the hook. It was one of those days where I felt like I was just barely keeping my head above water, triaging tasks as quickly as they came in. After such a hectic day, I decided to stay in for the evening, focusing on unpacking and settling into the new house.
Tuesday was Cinco de Mayo, and after work, we headed to Colibri for their tempting two-for-one margaritas, taco dip, and steak egg rolls. Let me assure you, it was every bit as delicious as it sounds. After enjoying our meal and my second margarita, we returned home, where we met Wesley. He was interested in buying property here and wanted our insights, given our recent home-buying experience.
Wednesday morning was a proud moment for Jenn, as her daughter received the Student of the Quarter award, complete with a plaque and a photo opportunity. Jenn shared some pictures, and I put my AI skills to work, enhancing them to her daughter’s delight.
After work, it was ladies’ night, and the usual trio convened at Colibri for drinks. Dave also ended up there, running into Wesley and deciding to join him. Dave made sure to pay only his tab, respecting the ladies’ night declaration.
In a comical turn of events, Colibri closed early for a family event, and Swinging Doors was also closed for the same reason. I volunteered to host everyone at my house. Anise was hesitant, not wanting to upset Dave, but I assured her he wouldn’t mind. Besides, I still had a surplus of limes from our housewarming sundowners, perfect for more margaritas. The three of us headed to my place, and we stopped to invite Norbert to join us after work.
We had a fantastic time, starting on the front porch for some people-watching and then moving to the cozy back patio. There was plenty of laughter, and Anise and I bonded over our shared love and knowledge of all things Disney, as we both worked for the company in different divisions. I worked shoreside for Disney Cruise Line when the Disney Wonder first launched. I have actually quit better jobs than what I went through working there, but the ship experience was second to none, and I had the pleasure of sailing with them three times: once for my training cruise, once for my free cruise (a perk for each DCL employee at that time), and one cruise that I went on with my friend, Koreena. The cruise with Koreena included my first ever day at sea, and I fell totally in love with the experience.
Interestingly enough, that was my very last cruise until my dad’s 60th birthday. I convinced a very reluctant Dave that we should bring my dad & Sue on a Disney Cruise for a seven night cruise. He had all kinds of concerns: they are giant floating petri dishes, they catch fire, they flip over, etc. But ultimately he did agree, and we set sail that October on the Disney Magic for seven nights, Dave with his already disclosed concerns, and my dad having to be without a means of motor vehicle transportation if he got bored and wanted to leave. Sue was excited, especially since she didn’t even have to fly for the trip. Sue was not a fan of airplanes, although she was always willing if the situation called for it. She really did have a sense of fun and adventure about her that became more prevalent later in her life right up until she became unwell, and I truly miss that about her every day.
By the end of the week, everyone was hooked and threatening to hide in the lifeboat so we didn’t have to go home. It was incredible! I mentioned this entire story because we very recently decided to revisit Disney Cruise Line, this time on the Wish for my dad’s upcoming 80th birthday. Loving the symmetry!
Wow, that was quite the detour. Back to my evening of fun and laughter with the ladies, along with the delightful addition of Norbert after he got off work. I finally made it to bed around midnight and slept soundly until around 6:30 am.
Thursday morning was uneventful. For lunch, I took Albus to the Bizzy B and ran into Wesley and Norbert in Breadline Plaza. Wesley kindly watched Albus while I ordered my sandwich, and they brought it out to me when it was ready. After lunch I headed back up the hill, logging back on to work in plenty of time.
Dave made pork chops for dinner with amazing frozen fire-roasted corn. Afterward, I craved something sweet, so we leashed up Albus and walked to Island Paradise. I wasn’t sure of their hours, but it was worth a try. They were closed, but the owner, Patrick, was sitting out front. He offered to open the shop for me if I was willing to take my baked goods to go. We left with two snickers cupcakes and an apple muffin for breakfast, plus an oversized donut hole filled with chocolate cream as a bonus gift from Patrick. It was a great experience that improved my already positive impression of the place.
Later, while sitting on the back patio, Albus spotted a lizard, and unfortunately for the lizard, it didn’t survive the encounter. RIP little lizard, sorry Dave’s dog tried to eat you. I spent the rest of the night writing and working on AI images until bedtime.
TGIF! I decided to try something new: tai chi walking. It’s nine minutes a day, and I was willing to commit to it. I played the video on my phone while doing it on the back patio after Dave left for work, wanting to keep it to myself until I’d tried it out. To my surprise, it wasn’t bad. I felt awkward, but I hoped to improve with practice.
The rest of the day was filled with technical and customer-related challenges. I had things under control by the end of the day, with just a few nightmares in my inbox for Monday. I was ecstatic when the clock struck 5 pm and I could log off. I decided to stay in, so Dave picked up dinner from Amonhana. While eating my mozzarella sticks on the front porch, I saw a familiar face walking up the hill. Dave’s colleague, Sia, was strolling and happened to make eye contact with me. I invited her in to see the new place, and we chatted for about 20 minutes before she left to avoid the rain.
Saturday began with Dave taking Albus on his extended walk, and I used his absence to do my tai chi walking. Day two felt smoother, and my balance was slightly better. I spent the morning exploring the cemetery on our property and researching the history of its inhabitants.
Saturday afternoon, Darren stopped by to see the new house. We happily showed him around and had a nice visit. That night, we had plans with Larry and Sherry, neighbors from our old house. Dave had met them before my arrival, but they had been off-island since. They were lovely people, and we had a nice evening with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
Sunday morning was day three of tai chi walking, and Dave came home early from his walk with Albus and caught me. Imagine his surprise to find me exercising on the back patio! By day three, I felt like I had the hang of it and really enjoyed the session. Dave stopped at the market for drinking water, which we purchase in five gallon jugs, but they were out of stock.
Sunday afternoon, I went into town and ran into Anise, so we decided to have lunch at Saba Snack. It was a pleasant time, and we made plans to meet up later at Swinging Doors for a drink. Once home, I had a nice call with Jason, and around 6pm, I headed to Swinging Doors. Dave was already there but left before I did.
On my way home around 8 pm, I saw our neighbor’s dog, not in his yard, but standing on the surrounding wall. I said “oh no,” but he said “oh yes” and jumped off the wall to greet me, then ran down the hill. I tried to get him back, but he ran back up to say hello again before taking off. Dave heard the commotion and came out to investigate. I explained what had happened, and he grabbed Albus’ leash to help. I knocked on my neighbor’s door, whom I hadn’t met previously, and told them their dog had escaped. Then I went home while Dave helped them catch their escapee, as he was better equipped to assist than I am. You’ll be happy to hear the runaway pooch only ran to his favorite auntie’s house, and was easily captured there.
Well, that wraps up this week’s adventures in paradise. Thanks for reading. I truly appreciate everyone that stops by to check out my goings on in Saba. Have a great one!