Mike Jones
<font color=993300>....nothing clever to say... ju
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 1,372
The Cast:
Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!
DAY 16 FRIDAY 2ND JANUARY 2004
Today: Sugar n Spice, Beach, Daiquiri Deck
Well, it had to come, I suppose the last day. Technically, its not, as we wont be home until Sunday, but Saturday will be dedicated more or less to travelling, so its our last real free day. Didnt set any alarms and awake naturally at 630am.
Everyone else is still asleep, and we dont have a fixed agenda for today, so I fix coffee and walk across the road onto the beach to watch the sun come up. Someones hit the repeat button on the weather and its mild and still with no clouds and the promise of another lovely day.
There are a few old catamarans lying at the edge of the dune area, just before the sand starts, so I perch on one of these and wait for old sol to creep up above the hotels far down the beach. It doesnt disappoint, and has risen by 720am. I have a slow wander along the surf line, just in case any sand dollars (or 3 shark teeth!) have washed up in the night, and then return to the apartment. Adam appears soon afterwards, but the girls are still asleep. We have deliberately avoided burdening ourselves with something big to do today, so that we can relax before the pandemonium of packing in advance of leaving in the morning. Accordingly, I leave them to it. Adam and I eat breakfast while channel hopping for news. CNN are reporting that BA Flight 223 to Washington has been cancelled again for security reasons. Quite disturbed by this, as we are flying home tomorrow, but MORE disturbed that CNN apparently employ Brit Richard Quest as their UK correspondent he acts and looks so eccentric that I despair of the Americans ever taking us seriously! He was reporting on some non-story about pet dogs in the Royal Household, and did his piece with a stuffed toy dog perched on his shoulder. Groan.
Bethany arose, loudly, at 830 with the news that she has lost another tooth, and whats the $ rate per tooth these days? We fix her breakfast and I read outside while the kids watch Nickleodeon. Heather finally appears at 930, gasping for tea! Everyone gets cleaned up and we have a family discussion about what to do today. (Adams vote is for any beach, Beth wants to stay at the apartment, draw her garden plan and watch TV. Weird child.) We decide to dedicate the rest of the morning to a bit of tidying and packing, so we can relax this evening, before trying for Sugar n Spice again at lunch. I am ashamed of the amount of sand we have dragged into the car, so Adam and I drive to a nearby gas station to use the vacuum cleaner. Feeling much more virtuous, we return to the girls and help with the packing. Its hot inside the apartment today, so we put the air-con on for the first time. Within a few minutes were all chilled to the bone, and it goes off again!
Setting off at 11:50, we arrive at S&S about 1215. we spend the brief wait (about 5 minutes) outside, soaking up the sunshine like convicts about to be sent back to our cells! We are seated in a different dining room to last time it has the same, oak tables and joinery as the first one, but lighter painted walls and a winter Amish farm mural. The server brings iced water to us and takes our drinks order coffee for Heather and I, Pepsi for Adam and lemonade for Bethany. For lunch we choose: Heather Alaskan cod and fries, me- T bone steak with two sides of hash browns (one for the kids) onion rings and green beans.. Adam asks for a Joyburger n fries, while Bethany requests chicken noodle soup and a side of coleslaw.
The food was excellent, again. The steak was perfect and Beths soup incredibly tasty. We make an effort to force desserts into our complaining digestive systems I cant decide between rhubarb pie and chocolate cream pie, so I ask for both (sorry!) Heather and Adam also ask for the rhubarb. Bethany gets cherry pie. We stagger to the cashier to settle the exorbitant check ($62 INCLUDING a generous tip! At current exchange rates thats about £35!) before returning slowly back to the accommodation.
We decide to spend the rest of the daylight hours on the beach. Its been such a pleasure to just walk across the road to a really first class beach instead of having to drive. We gather our beach kit and are chilling at 230. Adam heads straight into the sea to fight the waves, while Bethany plays with her Game boy (her old one, not the new SP!). Heather and I try to deplete our surplus stock of Budweiser by sneaking drinks from bottles hidden inside carrier bags there is a notice banning bottles on the beach and weve not seen anyone break the rule all week, so we want to be discrete Im not sure we manage this, though, and I have a suspicion we just look like street winos! The pelicans are in fine form again today, diving for fish all over the place some are very close to Adam, who is delighted!
Its lovely and warm, although a few clouds have moved in, hinting at the possibility of a more dramatic sunset. Adam comes out of the water after an hour or so, and asks if Ill help him dig a deep hole underneath his chair (who knows?!) which I do. Bethany and I then create a pyramid and sphinx scene, instead of a sandcastle. It raises a few smiles from passers-by.
We watch and video our last sunset (sob) and make our way back to the apartment for showers at about 600pm. I sat outside and brought my trip notes up to date with another Budweiser for inspiration (only another 12 to drink now!) and we walk into the village for food. Its a pleasantly warm evening again and we dont need sweaters. We arrive at the Daiquiri Deck (well, did you really think wed go to Subway on our last evening?) where we are told that the wait will be about 20 minutes. Taking a pager, we sit on bar stools at a high table in the upper bar area and order drinks Coke for Adam, Chocolate Milk for Bethany, Silk Panties for Heather (and then she ordered a drink! LOL!) and Margarita for me. ($17). The atmosphere up here is very convivial, listening to Neil Diamond tracks on the sound system!
We are seated in about 15 minutes, on the street front terrace again. The village seems quieter this evening maybe the holidays have caused people to change their habits, or maybe Saturday is the local rave night on the island?
Adam orders mozzarella sticks & fries, Bethany potato wedges (they have been popular this week!), Heather settles for stuffed mushrooms off the appetiser menu, and greedy guts here asks for the ½ lb of peel n eat shrimp followed by a mushroom burger w/fries! The drinks are going down well, too, so we order more cocktails: more Panties for Heather and Mai Tai for me. The food is lovely. Having observed the relative peace in the village tonight, we feel it might be about to get a bit more lively, as a rock band is cranking up in the bar (The Speakeasy) next door! We finish with another cocktail each and leave the Deck at about 830, after settling the check ($71 incl tip, for the meal and the last 4 drinks!). We stagger gently towards the beach access in the village centre and have our last moonlit walk back to the apartment. Its about 900pm when we arrive, and the kids are starting to snap at each other as fatigue catches up. Simple is best, my mum always told me, so we put them to bed! Heather and I then take up position under the poolside gazebo and make a last valiant attempt to reduce the beer surplus, as we wont be able to take it home with us! Back inside at 1030, we decide to leave any attempts at packing until the morning (wed probably pack the fridge or the pillows in our current, mildly fuddled state!) and drop into bed for the last time.
Tomorow: The Journey Home
Mike
Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!
DAY 16 FRIDAY 2ND JANUARY 2004
Today: Sugar n Spice, Beach, Daiquiri Deck
Well, it had to come, I suppose the last day. Technically, its not, as we wont be home until Sunday, but Saturday will be dedicated more or less to travelling, so its our last real free day. Didnt set any alarms and awake naturally at 630am.
Everyone else is still asleep, and we dont have a fixed agenda for today, so I fix coffee and walk across the road onto the beach to watch the sun come up. Someones hit the repeat button on the weather and its mild and still with no clouds and the promise of another lovely day.
There are a few old catamarans lying at the edge of the dune area, just before the sand starts, so I perch on one of these and wait for old sol to creep up above the hotels far down the beach. It doesnt disappoint, and has risen by 720am. I have a slow wander along the surf line, just in case any sand dollars (or 3 shark teeth!) have washed up in the night, and then return to the apartment. Adam appears soon afterwards, but the girls are still asleep. We have deliberately avoided burdening ourselves with something big to do today, so that we can relax before the pandemonium of packing in advance of leaving in the morning. Accordingly, I leave them to it. Adam and I eat breakfast while channel hopping for news. CNN are reporting that BA Flight 223 to Washington has been cancelled again for security reasons. Quite disturbed by this, as we are flying home tomorrow, but MORE disturbed that CNN apparently employ Brit Richard Quest as their UK correspondent he acts and looks so eccentric that I despair of the Americans ever taking us seriously! He was reporting on some non-story about pet dogs in the Royal Household, and did his piece with a stuffed toy dog perched on his shoulder. Groan.
Bethany arose, loudly, at 830 with the news that she has lost another tooth, and whats the $ rate per tooth these days? We fix her breakfast and I read outside while the kids watch Nickleodeon. Heather finally appears at 930, gasping for tea! Everyone gets cleaned up and we have a family discussion about what to do today. (Adams vote is for any beach, Beth wants to stay at the apartment, draw her garden plan and watch TV. Weird child.) We decide to dedicate the rest of the morning to a bit of tidying and packing, so we can relax this evening, before trying for Sugar n Spice again at lunch. I am ashamed of the amount of sand we have dragged into the car, so Adam and I drive to a nearby gas station to use the vacuum cleaner. Feeling much more virtuous, we return to the girls and help with the packing. Its hot inside the apartment today, so we put the air-con on for the first time. Within a few minutes were all chilled to the bone, and it goes off again!
Setting off at 11:50, we arrive at S&S about 1215. we spend the brief wait (about 5 minutes) outside, soaking up the sunshine like convicts about to be sent back to our cells! We are seated in a different dining room to last time it has the same, oak tables and joinery as the first one, but lighter painted walls and a winter Amish farm mural. The server brings iced water to us and takes our drinks order coffee for Heather and I, Pepsi for Adam and lemonade for Bethany. For lunch we choose: Heather Alaskan cod and fries, me- T bone steak with two sides of hash browns (one for the kids) onion rings and green beans.. Adam asks for a Joyburger n fries, while Bethany requests chicken noodle soup and a side of coleslaw.
The food was excellent, again. The steak was perfect and Beths soup incredibly tasty. We make an effort to force desserts into our complaining digestive systems I cant decide between rhubarb pie and chocolate cream pie, so I ask for both (sorry!) Heather and Adam also ask for the rhubarb. Bethany gets cherry pie. We stagger to the cashier to settle the exorbitant check ($62 INCLUDING a generous tip! At current exchange rates thats about £35!) before returning slowly back to the accommodation.
We decide to spend the rest of the daylight hours on the beach. Its been such a pleasure to just walk across the road to a really first class beach instead of having to drive. We gather our beach kit and are chilling at 230. Adam heads straight into the sea to fight the waves, while Bethany plays with her Game boy (her old one, not the new SP!). Heather and I try to deplete our surplus stock of Budweiser by sneaking drinks from bottles hidden inside carrier bags there is a notice banning bottles on the beach and weve not seen anyone break the rule all week, so we want to be discrete Im not sure we manage this, though, and I have a suspicion we just look like street winos! The pelicans are in fine form again today, diving for fish all over the place some are very close to Adam, who is delighted!
Its lovely and warm, although a few clouds have moved in, hinting at the possibility of a more dramatic sunset. Adam comes out of the water after an hour or so, and asks if Ill help him dig a deep hole underneath his chair (who knows?!) which I do. Bethany and I then create a pyramid and sphinx scene, instead of a sandcastle. It raises a few smiles from passers-by.
We watch and video our last sunset (sob) and make our way back to the apartment for showers at about 600pm. I sat outside and brought my trip notes up to date with another Budweiser for inspiration (only another 12 to drink now!) and we walk into the village for food. Its a pleasantly warm evening again and we dont need sweaters. We arrive at the Daiquiri Deck (well, did you really think wed go to Subway on our last evening?) where we are told that the wait will be about 20 minutes. Taking a pager, we sit on bar stools at a high table in the upper bar area and order drinks Coke for Adam, Chocolate Milk for Bethany, Silk Panties for Heather (and then she ordered a drink! LOL!) and Margarita for me. ($17). The atmosphere up here is very convivial, listening to Neil Diamond tracks on the sound system!
We are seated in about 15 minutes, on the street front terrace again. The village seems quieter this evening maybe the holidays have caused people to change their habits, or maybe Saturday is the local rave night on the island?
Adam orders mozzarella sticks & fries, Bethany potato wedges (they have been popular this week!), Heather settles for stuffed mushrooms off the appetiser menu, and greedy guts here asks for the ½ lb of peel n eat shrimp followed by a mushroom burger w/fries! The drinks are going down well, too, so we order more cocktails: more Panties for Heather and Mai Tai for me. The food is lovely. Having observed the relative peace in the village tonight, we feel it might be about to get a bit more lively, as a rock band is cranking up in the bar (The Speakeasy) next door! We finish with another cocktail each and leave the Deck at about 830, after settling the check ($71 incl tip, for the meal and the last 4 drinks!). We stagger gently towards the beach access in the village centre and have our last moonlit walk back to the apartment. Its about 900pm when we arrive, and the kids are starting to snap at each other as fatigue catches up. Simple is best, my mum always told me, so we put them to bed! Heather and I then take up position under the poolside gazebo and make a last valiant attempt to reduce the beer surplus, as we wont be able to take it home with us! Back inside at 1030, we decide to leave any attempts at packing until the morning (wed probably pack the fridge or the pillows in our current, mildly fuddled state!) and drop into bed for the last time.
Tomorow: The Journey Home
Mike
