We had a scare with Myles (our older dog). One morning in late July we heard him yelp and cry after we let him out around 6:00 am. Marcus ran out and found him in our neighbors driveway with some grease marks and a very limp front left leg. The strange thing was we didn't hear a car go by when it happened. We believe someone hit him with a bike or Moped. We were in shock (as was he) and not sure what to do. Unfortunately, this happened on a Saturday morning on a holiday weekend. We found out fairly quickly that most Vet offices were closed. He didn't seem to be in pain, but had a deep gash on his back left leg. 

We made some calls to try to find a Vet. Since it happened so early in the morning, we ended up waiting around until 9:00 am before we could try to get in touch with someone. Our Vet in Mayaguez was closed - we drove by. Then we headed to Aguadilla to find a Vet there - they were also closed. So, we ended up at a clinic in Isabela. They didn't open until 12:00 so we waited in the parking lot for over an hour. Finally, the Vet was able to see him. Yep, sure enough a broken leg. She gave us an IV to take home with us for the weekend (we were a little surprised to take home an IV) and stitched up his gash.

The IV was a big hassle. The Vet assured us that he wouldn't chew it, but we knew better. This little dog of ours is very tenacious and persistent. So, he did end up chewing some of the tape off and the line got blocked so we had to remove the IV. Oh, what fun that was. Luckily, Marcus's sister is a RN-Midwife and walked us through what to do. Myles was yelping and crying because the tape hurt. We finally were able to pull out the IV and let him have at the tape. Needless to say he had chewed the tape off by the next day. 

We did some research online which is always a little scary, and found out that the best option for him based on his age and injury was to have a metal plate put in his leg. We decided to go to a highly recommended Vet  - Dr. Garcia in Mayaguez. He evaluated him on Tuesday morning since Monday was a holiday. So, now we were going on 3+ days since the accident. He did X-rays and recommended plate surgery. There are only two ortho Vets in PR and we went to Dr. Monhil in San Juan. He made the appointment for us and we headed to San Juan on Wednesday morning. We arrived and were seen fairly quickly by Dr. Monhil - young guy, great bedside manner, very personable and explained everything to us. He said the recovery would be about 6 weeks. We had to ask how much because we kept seeing dollar signs as he was talking. We thought it was reasonable for everything including overnight stays, surgery, plate, etc.. I am sure in the States it would have been double the price we ended up paying. 

So, we left Myles in his care on Wednesday. They had to run test to be sure he was fit for the surgery. We got those results on Thursday morning and the surgery was Thursday afternoon. We were really concerned about having Myles put under, but they use a gas in order to better monitor the vitals and allows dogs to come to almost immediately. So, Thursday we were very nervous, but hopeful.  Dr. Monhil called us late Thursday afternoon and told us that Myles did great. He wanted to monitor him overnight to be sure there weren't any complications and we could pick him up on Friday afternoon.

We headed to San Juan anxiously and excitedly to pick up Mr. Myles. BTW, Dr. Monhil referred to him as 'this old man' - very sweet. We picked up Myles and were aghast at the bruising and trauma to his leg since he was shaved. It was horrific. Purple and red all over his front leg and the incision was also a bit gruesome. We felt terrible for him. He was drugged so he slept the whole way home.  

We were instructed to keep him in a quiet, cool place for the next two weeks so that his leg could heal. It was fairly easy the first week because he didn't really want to move. He didn't put any weight on his leg in the beginning which was good. We had to carry him up and down the stairs and carry him outside to go to the bathroom. After about 10 days he was starting to put weight on it, but his elbow was pretty sensitive. We took him in after two weeks to Dr. Garcia to evaluate him and he thought everything seemed fine. So, we just needed to make it through the next two weeks then the one month evaluation with X-rays which would really tell us how he was healing. We just had our 4 week evaluation and he is doing great! The break has healed and the plate and 11 screws are all intact. He even has started going on his old paths around the property and can get up the spiral staircase. Really amazing recovery. He is as good as new with a strong limp but it is better than the alternative!

In the meantime, about 10 days after his accident we had planned to go to Florida to see my sister and check out the Gulf Coast area as a potential place to live. However, since Myles was still recovering Marcus stayed with him and I went alone. I was excited about the trip and I was going to see my sister and her family who I haven't seen in a few years. I landed in Tampa and headed to Sarasota to meet with a realtor to show me around. I was focusing on Sarasota - Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island, and Captiva, Sanibel, etc. down the coast to Naples. In a nutshell I didn't really like it much. It wasn't what I expected. I felt like most of the areas were crowded with condo's and high rises that blocked the beach and most of these areas were only a few blocks away from a strip mall type road. Nice but not what I had in mind. We really wanted a sleepy, eclectic, coastal town near a larger city. But just didn't really find that. Also, the prices were still pretty high for anything near the water. One area I did really like was Tampa - my brother in-law encouraged me to drive up there while I was visiting them in Naples to check it out. I loved the Hyde Park area and the downtown was very nice.  So, it was something I wanted to talk to Marcus about as a potential place.

I had a great time in Naples visiting my sister. We watched the Olympics and hung out with the kids. They showed me around town and we drove around the multi-million dollar homes - absolutely amazing. I couldn't believe some of the houses. Unbelievable in size and opulence. Naples has a really nice downtown area - a high-end tourist area with nice boutiques and restaurants. We went out to dinner one night at a restaurant on the pier - excellent food.  So, all in all a very nice time. 

So, I really liked the Tampa area and the good thing about it was there are plenty of jobs in downtown Tampa and reasonable housing prices. There isn't a beach, but many close by. So, it fit a lot of things on our list. Marcus wasn't sold. He never envisioned himself living in Florida. It just wasn't a place he wanted to live. Nothing against Florida. He wanted to be excited about the place we were going to move and also wanted plenty of space - not a lot of neighbors, but wonderful views. I looked extensively online on message boards city-data.com to find some neat towns that might be a good fit for us. I looked at the San Diego area - too expensive and too crowded. Commute times could be awful. I looked in the Phoenix area, better housing prices, but too crowded. Not enough mountain property with nice views in our price range. I looked at the coastal areas of Boston and Maine even North Carolina and Georgia. Nothing really seemed to fit.

We had trip planned to visit family out in Colorado. My niece just had a baby and my cousin had a 10 month old baby. So, my Mom, brother, Aunt and Uncle all went to CO  to visit over the holiday weekend.  Marcus planned a work trip to CO to coincide so we could all be together. This was the first time I had been to CO since we left last November. It was love at first sight. I knew the minute I got there that this really is the place for us. I never thought I would say it, but after all the research and visiting this was the place that just felt right. Granted we have lived in CO on and off for 7 years, but it just had that special something that no other place offered. I had a wonderful, relaxing, and fun time visiting family and friends. I immediately contacted our realtor and we started to look in some different areas from where we lived before. We settled on Nederland. Small mountain community, eclectic, has all the conveniences, but still close to Boulder for jobs, shopping, restaurants, etc. We had looked in Nederland previously but decided the winters were a little too harsh at 10,000 ft. However, we decided that the plan was to live in CO 8 months out of the year and PR the remaining time. Seems like the perfect compromise. What a relief to have this decision made and we both feel really good about it. We are both excited and eager to find a great mountain home with a couple of acres and spectacular views and also be here in PR to get our fix of warm, sun, beach, great friends and ocean during those harsh winter months. Onward to we go.

We have done a few new things in between all the traveling. We have been paddleboarding - which is basically stand-up canoeing on a board similar to a surf board. This is great upper body exercise, but also peaceful and relaxing. We saw huge pink and purple jelly fish as well as turtles. We get in the water at Steps and then just head down the coast and back. Lots of fun. We also went to a bowling party for the 12 year old daughter of our good friends. First time bowling in PR. We had a nice time drinking and bowling with the adults. We also tried a new Mexican restaurant downtown - pretty good food, nice environment. It is in the town center of Rincon.  Many restaurants are closed right now due to the low season, but will open up again in October.  I am off to Hawaii in two weeks to celebrate my Mom's 78th birthday, just the two of us. Should be lots of fun!

We celebrated our 35th birthdays on June 8th and June 14th. We enjoy having our birthdays so close together because it turns into a 10 day celebration. For Marcus's birthday we had our good friends and their two kids over for dinner. We made lots of pizza which is hard work, but fun. They are our best critics so we tweak the pizza each time to try and get it just right. Marcus is the pizza perfectionist. I simply like it all, but always add my 2 cents! I made chocolate cup cakes for his birthday which is a first. This way we got to eat them all week. Dessert is big in our household.As far as birthday presents our Italy trip was so special we will experience the lasting effects all year.

We spent that Saturday at the beach, all day which was nice and relaxing. We usually go to Steps beach because of the water color and beautiful surroundings, but who are we kidding all the beaches in Rincon have beautiful water and great beaches. Although each are slightly different. Steps beach doesn't have any facilities and when crowded requires parking on the street and a walk to get to the beach so it attracts the kind of crowd that doesn't mind putting in a little effort to get to the beach.  We like that:)

Leading into my birthday week was fairly uneventful. This birthday was a bit anticlimactic, but kind of in a good way. I feel like 35 is a big deal but also a little scary. It makes me feel like 40 is right around the corner, which isn't bad but makes me feel old. So, we kind of just skated into my birthday and skated out. We made a great Cioppino for my birthday dinner which included shrimp, crab meat and white fish. We also made homemade Italian bread. I made white cupcakes with pink vanilla icing for my dessert. For some reason I had a hankering for white cake and super sweet icing and these hit the spot perfectly. 

Right after my birthday week Marcus went out of town to Colorado the whole week. At first I was bit down about it because I wanted to go (tickets were way too expensive - can't believe how much the airfare prices have increased over the past month) and because I wasn't sure how I would feel about being alone for 5 days. However, I decided to make the best of it and keep myself busy. I had my week planned with ARF puppies, shopping in San Juan and beach time.

We started fostering two puppies from the El Faro the week of Marcus's birthday so they were a happy temporary addition to the family. So the week he was gone I took them to the vet to get checked out to make sure they were healthy. I also started my placement efforts to try to find them a good home. I sent my heartfelt pleading email to my close friends and family to try to place them. More on that later.I also went to the beach for the first time by myself. I know this seems strange and admittedly it is a little weird. I am not working so why in the world wouldn't I go the beach. I think it is because I feel guilty. Marcus works really hard everyday and I couldn't bring myself to go spend the day at the beach thinking about him sitting at home in his office. So, since he was out of town this was my opportunity to go on my own. It felt great. No guilt whatsoever.

I also headed to San Juan to Plaza Las Americas for a little shopping. I really wanted to get some throw pillows from Pottery Barn (just opened in April) and buy some new shoes. I was successful in my search and had a lot of fun. I was a bit nervous about driving 2.5 hours because as a woman driving alone with Marcus out of town it always crosses my mind that if something happens (Flat tire, etc.) I will be stuck. But, everything went smoothly and I felt empowered by my independence and adventurous nature by throwing caution to the wind and just going for it. Something about living here for me has had an impact on my adventurous nature. It probably has more to do with the language barrier than anything else, but it was nice to break out my safe home turf and go to the big city!

Once Marcus got back we decided that we needed to start doing more adventurous, exploration and exciting things twice a week. We too get stuck in the daily grind (just like everyone else) and get so accustomed to living here that we forget to take advantage of where we live. I think this is partly due to the fact we have lived here previously so we feel like we have seen it all, when this really isn't true. Yes, we may have to put a little more effort into finding new things to do but by no means have we seen it all. So, we are starting to plan more fun and new things to do here. 

So, our first adventure was for Marcus to take a day off (since he worked non-stop while he was gone) in the middle of the week and head to Bahia Sucia in Cabo Rojo south of Mayaguez on the Southwest tip. There is a famous lighthouse located there.  We debated it the morning of as we always tend to wimp out on these things, but we persevered and made a break for it.  We have been here before, but only a couple of times. The water is beautiful because it has a white sandy bottom and is very shallow quite a ways out (similar to Jobos beach in Isabella). It turns out this was a popular day to go because there were quite  a few people there and the wind was wipping around so the water was a bit churned up. But we had a great time. It was nice to get out town.

On Saturday we hung out at the Tamboo all afternoon drinking, talking, enjoying the view from the deck. We really enjoyed reconnecting after Marcus's back to back traveling and couldn't think of a better place to do this than the Tamboo - our favorite local watering hole. On Sunday we planned on doing pizza at our friends house who have a fabulous pool and patio with an outdoor kitchen. So, Marcus and I made about 14 pizza's for everyone. They all really enjoyed it, especially the new dessert pizza we learned in Italy - banana, nutella and powdered sugar oh my! Again, it is a lot of work but so worth it when everyone is smiling and happy with full tummies. We were there from about 2:00 until 8:00 pm - they really know how to make the Sunday's last here! Two great things we did that we don't normally do. We are sticking to our plan!

I have started to look for some contract work and may have something lined up. I wasn't sure how I would feel about starting work again, but I think I am ready because I got very excited about the prospect of working again. I have taken the past 4 months off which has been so nice, but it has had an effect on my psyche. It is weird to not be working and figuring out what to do with my time and focus on what I enjoy doing and not doing. It has also given me a lot of time to reflect and evaluate where we are, where we are going and how to get there. Without getting into too much personal detail we have struggled with where we want to live on a more permanent basis although in the past 14 years we have moved 5 times - twice to Colorado and twice to Puerto Rico. So for us permanent is relative. We really only contemplate living somewhere for 3-5 years at the most. We have never lived anywhere more than 4 years. We are ready for a new experience, but want to enjoy where we are now. It is hard to always live in the present. I am a planner and organizer so my brain is always thinking two steps ahead. 

So, that leads us back to enjoying where we are and seeking out new adventures here locally. We shipped our adorable puppies off to the ARF of the Hamptons this week! We were so excited to have them start their new lives in a new place! We recently created a partnership with this organization to help support our efforts here in Rincon. This was a great first step in this new relationship.

Marcus had 4th of July off so we headed to Steps beach with our friends for the day. We arrived around 10:00 and left around 4:00. When we say we are spending the day at the beach, we mean it! It was a great day even with a little cloud coverage and rain sprinkles. The beach was packed due to the holiday in fact July is the biggest holiday month in Puerto Rico with a holiday every week.We had our friends over for pizza (of course) to have the usual white pizza (pesto and fresh mozza), margherita, pepperoni, and our famous deep dish! This was a special treat for our friends. Saturday we played poker (Marcus plays every couple of weeks with our landscaper friend and a couple of other friends). So, I decided I would play this once.  I am just not that into poker and neither of us won. 

The crescendo of the holiday weekend was our fishing trip. We went with our friend Pepi with Makaira Charters http://www.makairafishingcharters.com/  on a fabulous fishing excursion. He has a beautiful 34 foot Contender fishing boat. It is in mint condition with plenty of seating, great music, and amazing weather and a cool water bean bag for sunning! We went close to Desecheo Island (never been to Desecheo before) and caught about 5 Blackfin Tuna and a Rainbow Runner. We caught about 5 small Bonita fish that are mostly baitfish. There were 6 of us on the boat each of us taking a turn with the rod and reeling the fish in. We saw a large sea turtle and also had dolphins swim along with us - that was amazing. There were about 4 different pods of dolphins with ones off in the distance jumping out of the water about 3 feet in the air. We headed to calmer waters because I was feeling a little sea sick (one of our friends did hurl over the side) near Mayaguez closer to the shore. Seeing the island from a far was really amazing. It really made me feel like I lived on an island. I know that sounds kind of silly, but for some reason it just felt different seeing it from the water at a distance. We trolled, hung out had a few drinks and chatted away for a while. This was a lot of fun. We then headed over to Villa Cofresi to order some food to bring on the boat and hang out in the swimming area. This was also fun because I have always admired boats that pull up, anchor/moor and then zoom off. I always wanted to be one of those people and today I was!! We hung out here for a while watching all the activity of the banana boats, jet skis, swimmers, people just enjoying themselves. We had a good lunch and decided to head to Crashboat beach in Aguada. The clouds started to roll in and look very ominous. We were on our way and ran into the beginnings of a big rainstorm some rough water and rain. The rain was whipping at us and we were jumping of our seats due to the waves - it felt like a roller coaster. We laughed so hard, but quickly turned around because we were headed into the weather instead of away from it.  We went back to Corcega beach and anchored near shore. We hung out, listened to music, swam and then the sky opened up. We thought it would pass, but after about 25 minutes we decided to head back reluctantly. We were having such a great time with our friends and Pepi. One of the best days not only in Puerto Rico, but anytime. An amazing time. We cleaned the fish and divided the fish for everyone. Nothing like having fresh fish in the freezer for the next month. Another great week with great adventures!

The Troops (my sister Lisa, brother in-law David and nephews Hunter and Clayton) came to visit! They have been here several times, but this was the second time with my nephews who are 8 and 6 years old. They stayed in the Casita to have their own space. The boys usually woke up first, but entertained themselves with cartoon or video games. The mango tree was full of almost ripe mangoes so mango collecting was in full force. However, both Hunter and David got a itchy rash on their arms, face and torso that lasted the whole trip and continued after they got home. They went to a doctor locally who thought it might be something in the water because he had seen this rash before. Very odd, still not really sure what caused it. It will forever be remembered at the itchy vacation in Rincon.

We had a really nice time just relaxing, having fun dinners and hanging out with the boys. They were here in December so this time we decided to stay local and hang out on the beaches, mainly Sea Beach because of the calm water and the break is so close to the beach and Steps where the snorkeling is fantastic.  Also, the little pools are great for Clayton to play and collect shells and rocks. We made pizza quite a bit because it is everyone's favorite. We headed to El Coqui restaurant one night which is just up the street from us. They have great fried food such as breaded shrimp, chicken fingers, wings, etc. There is also a panoramic view and a pool table.  We also went to see Indiana Jones at the movie theater in Mayaguez which was fun and good entertainment on a cloudy afternoon. All in all a great visit.

Italy was wonderful! What an amazing trip. Lots of sightseeing and walking, walking and more walking. We only took public transportation when it was absolutely necessary otherwise we walked everywhere. I wanted to give brief highlights about our trip because a detailed description would be extremely lengthy and probably not very interesting to anyone except us. So, here is a list of the places we visited and the top things that come to mind for each city (in no particular order):

Venice: labyrinth of streets, numerous neighborhoods hidden within the narrow walkways, gondoliers, bridges, beautiful displays in bakery windows of biscotti cookies, gelato, murano glass, leather, lace, carnival masks, different burrows with a slightly different vibe to each and excellent seafood. Getting lost numerous times a day.

Cinque Terre: Monterosso - old town and new town (very similar), beach and ocean, lemon trees, amazing scenic hike between the five cities of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore, quiet streets, wine bars, amazing dinner in Monterosso - seafood risotto with thin pizza crust baked on top, lots of drinking in Vernazza and excellent seafood dinner (seafood theme - we LOVE seafood), quaint towns, boutiques, colorful umbrellas, colorful facade painted houses, lots of potted flowers, worth the 7 hour train ride from Venice.

Siena: variations of orange tiled roofs and brown brick, gelato, pizzeria's everywhere, mouth watering and beautifully displayed cured meats/wine/cheese, large piazza with funny street entertainer, lots of tourist souvenir shops, handmade pinocchio's, romantic boutique hotel with panoramic view of Siena. Ate some of the best pizza on the whole trip.

Pienza: Rented car from Siena to drive to Gradoli with short stop in Pienza. Favorite Tuscan town. Idyllic, quiet, picturesque, gorgeous panoramic views of hillsides, wonderful al fresco lunch with fresh made pasta and zupa de pane with white beans. Bikes parked outside residences. Vibrant flower pots everywhere.

Gradoli: Welcoming, genuine, loving family members. Authentic Italian non-touristy village, lots of wine - homemade wine, olive trees, big lunch - main meal of the day, small dinner, locally made desserts, antipasti of prosciutto and vegetables, many stories, slow pace, close and supporting family.

Civita: Etruscan town. Less than 20 villagers, unchanged, quiet, unique, historical, long and steep bridge, wine and cheese shops.

Rome: busy, noisy, lots of walking, excellent restaurants, beautiful sightseeing - Colosseum, Forum, St. Mark's Basilica - walking to top of dome, pizza making class, gelato, bakeries and pizzeria's, handmade chocolate shop, naps, smart cars, night life.

We can't wait to go to Southern Italy! What a beautiful place!

We had a great group of friends and kids (about 15-17 total) over a couple of weeks ago for pizza. We made 14 pizzas - yes I know this sounds almost ridiculous and it almost was, but the pizza was sooo good. We made several types of dough, but Deep dish was by far the most popular. At one point during the party a group of people started singing old Puerto Rican children's schoolyard songs.  It was really fun and funny to watch -similar to Red Rover in that there is a line of people on one side and one person across from them asking them what they want to be when they grow up and either the line accepts what the one person says or says no and asks them to pick again. I am sure I am not explaining this well, but trust me it was fun.   

Marcus and I recently purchased a pizza oven (outdoor grill with a pizza stone and large propane burner) that cooks 10" pizza in about 3 minutes because it reaches about 800 degrees. It's pretty cool. We have been experimenting with different dough like Neapolitan, New York style, etc. My favorite is Roman style or Neapolitan cooked slowly to get a really crispy crust. We have been cooking pizza for years and thought we had perfected it, but once we got this new oven (really it's a fun outdoor toy) we have been experimenting quite a bit. Marcus was making dough everyday to the point we couldn't even really eat pizza anymore - we would have a slice or two to taste test the dough and give the rest away.  So, that has been a fun activity we have taken on recently.    

We also just co-hosted a baby shower with our good friends Ivelisse and Gaby. They are expecting their second child, a boy (Enrique) in the next week and we are very excited. Gaby designed the most beautiful cake with the baby noah's ark theme. Too cute. As party favors we had customized M&M's with Enrique Grabiel and also had 'It's a Boy' Hershey kisses wrapped in tulle with ribbon - very sweet. So, we had a lot of fun at the party this past weekend. 

We have been trying to spend more time at the beach - we had been on a beach holiday for about a month so we were due to get in some beach time. The waves have been pretty good lately so it has been nice for the surfer's, but not so nice for snorkeling. We really like Steps beach, but also go to Sandy beach (Puntas) and Sea beach (Stella).

Earth Day was yesterday in Rincon - the only town in Puerto Rico to celebrate. ARF had a booth with resource information, adoption information and yard sale items - to make a little money. Other booths were Natural High - organic and vegetarian/vegan deli and smoothie shop next to the Post Office, plants/herb nursery's, surfrider.org, etc. Pretty cool. And this week Rincon is hosting the first ever Film Festival. There are many short films and feature length films from all over the world hosted at different guest house/hotels each night. Not sure if we will go to any - but seems like it could be fun.

Last, but certainly not least we shipped Willow (the dog at El Faro) to Colorado this past week. She made it safely and was greeted with snow! She is being well taken care of at the Boulder Valley Humane Society (no kill shelter) and was even apart of their big fundraiser they had this past weekend. I know she will find a wonderful home in Colorado! I found some great contacts through our dogsitter/trainer we used while living there.  A volunteer from the BVHS contacted me to help get Willow to CO. It all went very smoothly and we couldn't be happier for her! I will keep you posted on her progress. There were many people involved in this process in Rincon and Boulder so it was a community effort on both ends. 

Next on the ARF schedule is another Bingo Fundraiser in late May and an Animal Clinic in June to offer discounted immunizations and spay/neuters to Rincon residents. This will be our first ever clinic, but putting our funds to good use for the community.  

Only 11 days until we leave for Italy!!!

I am always so surprised and thrilled when people come to visit and decide they want to take a "sato" with them. ARF helps organize the paperwork, medical visit and flight to make sure the dog or cat are ready to go! We are in the process of sending one of the sweet dogs (Willow) to Boulder, CO. I had emailed our old dogsitter/trainer in Lyons to see if she could help get the word out and low and behold two people from the Humane Society in Boulder contacted me to let me know they would take Willow - how amazing! They are a no kill shelter and have a high adoption rate. So, we are in the process of planning her flight to Colorado. I am hoping Marcus can coordinate with his next trip, but she may have to go without an escort. Continental Airlines does a great job with transporting animals, but the cost is rather high. It all depends on weight - Hopkins cost around $280 to send down - one way. So, not cheap. I believe there are some other airlines that are less expensive but we haven't used any other airlines. I know if you can fit you animal under the seat there is only a minimal charge for that ticket.

So, I have really enjoyed spending a few hours a week volunteering and in the process have met some really great people most of whom have been coming to Rincon during the winter for years and years. However, most are now going back to the States for the Spring/Summer so our volunteer pool will go way down. Marcus and I decided to have a Thank You ARF party as well as a farewell to our group of volunteers last night. I was really nice - about 25 people came. It was the first time we have had a party here and we realized what a great house we live in and that it is a great house for entertaining. My mother in-law was so happy when we told her because this house was empty for so long because she couldn't get down her very often. So, she is really happy that the house is being used and that it has come to life again.

I am excited for her to see the changes we have made - finally got a new couch and chair last weekend!!!! I found it in the Sears in Ponce and they delivered for $65 - cheap! I have been working on getting the house to feel more like our home so we have made some nice improvements - mostly decorative and cosmetic nothing structural. The office looks really nice and the living room is very cozy now with the new couch and chair.  We still haven't figured out our plan. We are still working on some ideas, but we have a tendency to always look toward the 'next thing' and we are trying not to do that as much. Simply enjoy here and now and each day as opposed to what is coming. So, we are taking our time with the business plans, but will have a ideas on paper in the next couple of months to see if it really makes sense.

In the meantime we are getting very excited for our trip to Italy next month! We spoke to Marcus's relative (Maria) in Gradoli the other day just to give her our itinerary and Marcus asked her how many Andronici's there were in Gradoli. Maria laughed and said she didn't know the number off the top of her head, but said there are quite a few. I am guessing about 30 people in a town of 100. So, we are really interested and excited to meet his relatives and get to experience the really local culture there. 

THIS COASTAL FLOODING IS THE GREATEST NON-TROPICAL CYCLONE RELATED
SWELL EVENT EXPERIENCED IN THE LOCAL AREA SINCE THE PERFECT STORM OF
1991. RESIDENTS AND LOCAL INTERESTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPECT MAJOR
BEACH EROSION...AS WELL AS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO PIERS... BOARDWALKS
AND STRUCTURES DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE COASTLINE. THE GREATEST RISK
FOR COASTAL FLOODING AND MAJOR BEACH EROSION WILL OCCUR NEAR TIMES
OF HIGHS TIDES.

The town is alive as to be expected!  It has been a slow season so far however this weeks event is doing its best to make up for the dry spell.  Emily went down and took a few shots over the last couple days. We will post more in the pictures section.  This one is from today (Swell actually peaked yesterday evening).  Maybe some day soon I will try to learn how to surf ;) 

Tres Palmas This AM (March 21st)

There are two types of health insurance for self-employed/individuals. The Direct or Direct Plus Plans. Direct is a HMO plan that costs around $109 per individual includes Vision, but Dental is extra about $8. The out of pocket expense is slightly higher for some of the services such as ER visit, mental health, In-patient and with various percentages covered for x-rays 25%, MRI 50%, etc. and minimal co-pays for General office visit around $10 and Specialist $15. Maternity is also covered under the plan. We opted for the Direct Plus Plan which is a PPO plan at $135 per individual around $8 for Dental. We got two separate Individual plans. The Family plan covers children. Both plans cover ER visits in the U.S., but not any preventative care. Also, neither plan covers prescription. We don't have any presciptions so this really wasn't a big deal for us. We were finished in less than an hour - Yippee!

Off to the Motor Vehicle place to get two passport photo's taken ( a little wooden booth and el medico is also there for the driver's license). We are going to Italy in May and need to get an International Driver's Permit hence the photo's. This took less than 10 minutes.  I attempted in Spanish, but the nice photographer spoke perfect English.

Then we headed to AutoLand where we purchased our car to pick-up the title. Simply walked in gave them our driver's license and our title quickly appeared - perfecto!

So, three big errands in no time at all - I think we were home in less than two hours with driving taking a little over 30 minutes each way.  This was a great way to start the day!

I hadn't mentioned that we are going to Italy in May previously, but we are very excited. This is the first time either of us has been to Italy. Marcus has extended family in Gradoli (West of Orvieto in central Italy). There are something like 27 Andronici's in this town. I think this will be a really special experience. We got terrific flights out of Aguadilla direct to Newark and Newark to Rome.

Our itinerary is as follows: we are taking the train to Venice for a couple of nights, off to Cinque Terre for a couple of nights then a train to Siena where we are renting a car. We are staying over in Siena and then driving around Tuscany/Umbria for a few days. We are staying in Gradoli for three nights, but taking day trips in the Hill towns. Then dropping the car off in Orvieto to head to Rome by train for three nights. We have only done a touring vacation once before to New Zealand and we had a blast so we both anticipate this will be equally if not more fantastic!

In the meantime, I have also been volunteering for ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) of Rincon www.arfofrincon.org since early January to help find homes for stray dogs and participate on the fundraising committee.   We already had a Bingo fundraiser in February on President's Day which was a great success. This was the first Bingo fundraiser ARF has done so it was a new experience for everyone. There were about 140 people that came with a nice mixture of Expats and Locals.

We sold Beer, Wine, Soda/Water and some light food. We also had a resource table with educational materials and photo's of dogs needing homes. I have to admit I have only played Bingo a couple of times before so this was quite an experience. Most of the people were dead serious about their Bingo - I had no idea! They came with their own cards (or we sold them at the door $5/6 cards). We used corn kernels and beans to cover the numbers. We actually ran out of corn kernels and someone had to make a run to get more. We had solicited several local businesses for gifts/prizes for the winners and ended up with about 30 gifts. A nice man named Pino (who is also running for Mayor of Rincon) called out the numbers and was in charge of the Bingo since he is Bi-lingual and has done this numerous times in the past.

We had gift certificates to local restaurants, gift baskets from local gift shops and cash prizes. The Bingo started around 4:00 and went until 8:00 pm - that is a lot of Bingo. I started setting-up around 12:00 and left around 7:30 so I was exhausted. Lots of work setting up all the tables, chairs, the bar, etc. The Bingo took place at a Tack and Saddle Shop that used to be a bar with an upstairs that was empty and the perfect space. So, everything had to be carried up two flights of steps. The best thing about the event is all the dogs were adopted!!!! Everyone was thrilled!

Next Monday, St. Patrick's Day we are having the annual St. Patty's Day Event at Villa Cofresi - ARF has held this event for numerous years and it is our biggest fundraiser of the year. We are going to have a silent auction (local businesses donated one night stays at hotels or guest houses, dinners, and art from local artists). About 200 people attend this with $30/per person including dinner. We will also sell wine, beer and soda/water. We are also going to have a live auction for some premium items such as a signed Bunger Surf Board. And we are going to have a parade of some of the dogs we have up for adoption hoping to find homes for these great dogs! This is how we got Hopkins a few years ago - at this same event so of course I am a strong supporter!

We are excited for the weekend - we may go to Bahia Sucia Beach (one of our favorites on the Southwest side of Puerto Rico). We went to La Parguera last week (Marcus took a day off) which was wonderful. Very relaxing. We usually rent from Cancel Boat Rental, but this time we rented from Johnny's Boat Rental. Someone greets people in the parking lot and guides you to the rental place. They alternate the days so it changes which one is open each day. We rented for 3 hours which went by so quickly. We headed to our favorite spot - Reef Pop. They have the best Aranitas (shredded plantains deep fried)! They are hard to find in Rincon and most of the hot spots don't have them on the menu - not sure why. You can also buy them frozen in the local supermercado and these are also quite good.

I am trying to learn Spanish - we bought the Rosetta Stone DVD before we left Colorado and I just started about two weeks ago. But this is something I need to do on a daily basis if I am really going to get anywhere so I am now trying to do a lesson 5 days a week Mon-Fri. I have done about 4 lessons - they are about 45 minutes each, but getting longer and harder as I go. I am determined to learn Spanish, but I have to force myself to speak Spanish when I am out in town because most people speak English. However, today I went to the School Supply store to buy some things and spoke Spanish, but the nice man worked with me and corrected me which was so helpful and encouraging! I will let you know how this progresses! For some reason I have never really been one to catch on to a new language easily - you know how some people just seem to absorb it and they speak like 3-5 languages, well I am not one of those fortunate people. I have to really work at it so that is what I am doing.

I am still on the hunt for a new couch (mentioned this previously), but have really been everywhere (Sears, Rooms to Go, Berrios, Sam's, etc.). I even called Pottery Barn who will ship to a Shipping Company who would then ship to me - sounds like mucho dinero to me. So, I am planning a San Juan trip in April to check stores in San Juan - I am confident I will find one! I am very particular about my living space and design so once I get my mind set on something I won't quit until I find it therefore the couch hunt continues. The word for couch in Espanol is Sofa and couch means something else, not sure what.......Just looked up couch which means expression in Espanol like I am going to couch that subject. No wonder the sales people looked at me funny:)

When we lived here before for 19 months I think we only left the island twice which looking back on probably wasn't good. However, in our defense I worked 6 days a week for a high end luxury resort so holidays and weekends were busy and I didn't have a lot of time off. Things that are familiar, expected, comforting are important for me to experience in order to keep a good perspective, but to also adjust to the differences here more easily.

I spent some time in Target which sounds ridiculous, but they don't have Target in Puerto Rico (I looked on the Target website to see if there was any indication of a store opening here, but didn't find anything). They do have Sam's, Wal-mart and Kmart, but anyone who is a die-hard Target fan like me knows that these simply don't compare to Target. So, again just an indication of needing things that are familiar. Also went shopping to pick up some things at Willams-Sonoma to bring back - one of the items was a pizza stone. We used to have one in Colorado, but didn't think it made sense to ship it so I hauled it back on three planes (luckily it didn't break). I know...we are nuts. I did look for one at the aforementioned places, but no luck.

So, got back late on Tuesday night (landed around 1:45 am) and the amazing thing was there was a Jet Blue flight leaving after this time - crazy, but it is an inexpensive flight from Aguadilla to NY. It felt good to be back which was a nice feeling. It was great to have Marcus pick me up and drive away and know that we aren't tourists, we actually live here!

I went shopping on Thursday - out to the Mayaguez mall looking for a Kitchen Aid Mixer. We had one in Colorado, but again it didn't make sense to ship due to the weight. I had luck with this one - found it at Wal-mart. So, that was a pleasant surprise. Also headed to Marshall's just because this is such a great place to browse as well as Sears, JCPenney and Pier 1 for furniture. We decided we should buy a couch. We have one here in the house, but it is a rattan couch more suitable for short-term rentals than everyday use. So, on the hunt for a decent couch. I did find out that Pottery Barn is opening a store in Plaza Las Americas (huge mall in San Juan) in April so I may make the trip to check it out. Actually, San Juan pretty much has everything you need, but the 2.5 hour drive makes it a full day outing. Haven't made the trip yet, but thinking I might soon.

I also stopped at a grocery store in Mayaguez named Grande and larget (Spanish to English translation) it was. Probably the best grocery store I have been to besides the Amigo in Aguadilla. Pretty much had everything I needed - lots of gourmet cheeses, some organic items and anchovies! Econo in Rincon rarely has anchovies. This seems inconsequential but we cook a lot - actually pretty much every night and we aren't the macaroni and cheese kind of cooks. We make homemade pizza, pasta, bread, etc. So, a good grocery is muy importante. Which reminds me I have only done one Spanish lesson from my Rosetta Stone, but plan on doing this on a daily basis during the week. I will let you know how it goes. I am determined to learn Spanish!

We spent some time at the beach today - Sandy Beach in front of the Tamboo. A bit windy with some sea and sand spray, but wonderful. We took some pics of a Kite Surfer. We are trying to use our new camera to get more comfortable with it. We are going to Italy (can't wait, we have been wanting to go for about 5 years, but got detoured to Puerto Rico!) in May and wanted to upgrade our digital camera we have had for 6 years to something with more bells and whistles. Maybe you will be able to tell with our exceptional photos...or not.;)  

We are off to Triple S insurance on Monday to change our existing previous employment insurance to self-employed/personal insurance (Marcus is now a contractor for his company instead of an employee - the expense to be a certified company in Puerto Rico is expensive so this was the best alternative).  I found where it was located on the way home from the mall so at least we know we won't be driving around trying to find it!