Turks & Caicos TR, Part 4
Friday morning we noticed it was very windy--even more so than usual. When we got to the beach after lunch, we saw that the yellow flag was up. And with good reason--the waves were incredible! We made good use of that wind though, with a great spin on a Hobie Cat, courtesy of Lionel the beach guy. That little sailboat really moved!!
Hobie Cats on the beach
Afterwards, we rode the waves for awhile, and then headed over to the pool. Seats were once again hard to come by, but one of the nice pool guys helped us out. There are some really cool pool cabanas, which are reserved for people with Butler Suites (the pricier rooms). Apparently, one of them was vacant, and he led us over to it. Talk about the lap of luxury!! The lounge chairs are thickly padded and oh-so-comfy. I could have taken a nap! We were nicely shaded, too. I opted to skip the pool, due to the chilly breeze, so I just sat on that cushy lounge chair and read my book. Ahhhh, total relaxation!
DD & me in the fancy pool cabana
DD with her favorite snack--nachos!
Friday nights dinner was a beach party. This had been touted as great fun by my friend Dede, who had recently returned from Beaches. Well, obviously its a matter of perspective, because not only did we find the food pretty gross (other than the ribs, which were awesome), but the whole thing had a Sesame Street theme, including a show, with singing. The kids were just mortified. We stayed long enough to eat a little, and bailed out!
Suckling pig at the beach BBQ.
DS's "fruit art"
This time the kids both wanted to swim, so I sat wrapped in towels and watched them. Afterwards, I took a little stroll around the rest of the Italian Village. I wanted to check out the other buildings and see if I could figure out the configuration of rooms. Why?
Because I booked my return trip! For my 50th birthday, just 18 months away, I will be back in Paradise with my baby sister Debbie, my BFF Tracey, and other friends! I knew I wanted a Butler Suite (hey, you only live once
), and I snagged the only one that is a beachfront walkout! I also managed not only the 55% discount they were offering when you book at the resort, but also some further discounts as a Sandals Select member. Not too shabby!
Before we knew it, it was Saturday, our last day of vacation. As I headed to the spa for the last time, I tried to think about the fact that I would be coming back in just 18 months. I finished my treatment and went to enjoy my last crepe. As much as Ill miss them, its a good thing they are only a vacation thing, or I would soon be bursting out of my clothes!
The winds were even higher than the day before, and the yellow flags were still up on the beach. No sailing today, as all the Hobies were pulled far up on the sand. The waves were coming high up on the beach, sometimes as far up as the chairs! We floated on the waves for awhile, but after being tossed around quite a bit, we opted for the still waters of the pool. The pool water was so warm, it was nearly like a hot tub. The kids played their pool games, while I relaxed on a float. We had dinner reservations, so we had to head up to get ready long before we wanted to say goodbye to the water!
Dinner at Kimonos was great fun. We had a family of 5 from New York, and a father and son from Ohio, who were able to get in without a reservation only because they had listed us as a party of 5, when we actually were only 3. Our hibachi chef, Taylor, was a real hoot, and kept us laughing with his antics and silly riddles. The food was excellent, and overly plentiful, as none of us came close to clearing our plates.
After dinner, Laura claimed fatigue and opted to stay in the room, but Danny and I headed down to the Jacuzzi for one last soak. It was cool enough in the water that we could stay in for nearly an hour! But at last, we had to say farewell to the pleasure of the warm water. We headed upstairs to shower and finish packing, as our bags had to be outside the door before we went to bed.
5:15 AM comes VERY early! I slept surprisingly well, maybe because I set 2 alarms AND a wakeup call. But before I knew it, Reville was blowing (literally--that is the alarm ring tone on my cell phone!) I got up and dressed, and then woke the kids up at 5:30. I had kept only a small duffle bag to toss our jammies and toothbrushes in, and we were out the door in no time, and ready to check out.
Promptly at 6 AM the shuttle van pulled up and we climbed in with our bags for the short trip to the airport. Before we knew it, we were up and away, waving goodbye to the beautiful turquoise waters and white sandy beaches of Turks and Caicos. We had originally been scheduled for an 11:35 flight direct to JFK, but for some reason they stopped running that flight on Sundays. So we were rescheduled for the early flight to Miami, with a 5 hour layover before flying up to JFK. I called the airline to say, what the heck?, and the very nice reservation agent was able to switch us to a better flight. This one had only a 2 hour layover in Miami, just long enough to clear customs and get to our gate for boarding. The difference is, we were flying to Laguardia instead of JFK, and getting in at our original 3 PM time, rather than 6:35. Oh, and the flight was full, so they had to upgrade us. To First Class! *sigh*, such a tough situation to deal with!
So now, the countdown begins. 18 months from today, I will turn 50. And 18 months from yesterday, I will return to paradise. I cant think of a better way to celebrate!
Kids are back in school!!!!!
We had to do that once. Lost our one and only toilet to a plumbing problem. I ended up running to the gas station to get ready for bed that night. 
Lucky you! I love LHOTP!!!!! I have collected almost all the DVD sets. Brings back some good childhood memories of my family watching that show. 
I won't put up one with more than a year to go, it would drive me crazy 'cause it would take so long to count down. 
I was hoping I wouldn't feel that way till at least Wednesday but they've been at each others throats all morning. They are finally playing with legos and being quiet. Oops, they are about to have some sort of robot battle which I'm sure DS8 will lose and then have a hissy about it. I need a drink! It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?
I bet it was a good show though. 
Have you been feeling like packing today? 
Looks like Kitty is in the pink! 
NOT a look that really works for me. I rinsed off all the seaweed, and was pleasantly surprised to find my skin was soft and silky smooth.
All I can say is I'm glad DD13 is in charge of this part of her birthday. 
