Surf & Turf & Sniffles

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Louis Armstrong sang it best.

I see trees of green, red roses too.

I see them bloom, for me and you.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, And clouds of white.

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night,

And I think to myself, What a wonderful world.

Hola all! So I've taken to starting my blogs with things I like. Well here's Things I DON'T like...In particular, getting a major cold in a tropical paradise while on vacation.

I've been away from my blog & on-line work for a few days as I came down with a wicked cold. Since the kids arrived someone has had a bit of a cold. But it took me to get a real "doozy" of a one. Sniffling, head congested but the worst part has been the god blessed sneezing. Lord have mercy, once I start they just go on and on and sometimes it sounds like I'm doing a triple sneeze at once. The palm trees are being knocked over when I sneeze. Talk about embarrassing. I feel like Shrek lumbering through town. Of course the kids think it's hilarious, and people are turning to look at me, while I sneeze into my beach cover up. I sound like a goose being poked with a stick; how come sneezing sounds this way here? Is it me? Is it the echo off the ocean? Well whatever it is, it needs to go away soon.

Nonetheless, we have still been able to get out sightseeing and touring around. Al's dive on Monday was amazing; he saw a large nurse shark, barracuda, a massive green moray eel, and did some swim-throughs, through the openings of the reef. It was a great dive for him. Meanwhile Marth went deep sea fishing and caught an amberjack fish which she was pretty proud of. Luix our favorite beach waiter for years has now become manager of Padi Fishing, so she got to go out fishing with someone she knows. After the dive I met up with Al and we enjoyed some lunch/drinks together and ended up bringing some tacos home for everyone to enjoy around the pool.

Tuesday Martha & Pat went for a massage; a massage where the therapists worked them over, and then some. They claimed it was one of the best ones ever.

Al and I did more touring & walking around, while the girls did some shopping. We all did our own thing which was nice. We stopped to have a wonderful lunch starting with a cheese board and fresh jams, nuts and breads which was amazing. The array of cheeses was plentiful; an old cheddar, an Asiago Italian cheese, a goat's cheese with a smoked rind, a blue cheese, a soft goat's cheese and a cream cheese with ground nuts. And it was very well-priced for the size of the platter, plus the presentation was spectacular.

Last night we went out for dinner on the beach which was so beautiful. The palm trees dripping in sparkly rope lights, the soft sound of jazz filling the air, and the wonderful smells of all the restaurants filling happy customers tummies and oh, some irritating woman sneezing and sniffling on the beach. How annoying 😉 (Yes that was me). There was a beach wedding reception at our restaurant and it was so beautiful. Reminded me of our beach wedding here.

We slept in this morning, and had made plans to meet up with our friends Celine, Ed, Mikyla and Laya. Miklya and Layla are good friends of our kids, so this was rather fun for them to meet up in Mexico. They rented a car, and at the precise time of meeting they were there. Ahhh, great, they were able to navigate the directions right to the given spot. We took them on a small tour of Playa, stopped for a margarita and then toured down the beach & showed them where we normally stay at the condos at Luna Encantada. I think it's safe to say they really liked it. We only got to show them a few blocks of 5th avenue and the beach but Celine was surprised at how big it was and how much if offered in sight seeing. They'll all get the Playa curse like we did 😊

We sat for a few hours chatting, enjoyed the views, company, drinks and the BBQd food we were served at the beach restaurant. Afterwards they joined us back at the house, and it was SO nice to sit and chat with Ed & Celine while the kids swam in the pool and enjoyed themselves. Thank you Celine & Ed for coming for a visit and meeting up with us...it was so much fun. What a great couple & family, and here's to a great vacation for them.

Thursday will bring the end of the big family vacation to a close. I am going to miss Al & Lara, Ray & Pat when they fly home. Martha and I are staying on with Rory & Ava, and welcoming a new batch of wonderful friends on Friday...HOLA Maureen, Sue & Linda, Jadie. We are getting things primed up for you.

I expect in a day or so I'll feel up to doing a jig again. For now just trying to get my mojo back. Not sure where I put it, but I know it's around here somewhere. I am not used to taking medication of any sorts, and these flu medications knock the "you-know-what" out of you.

So as this family vacation winds down, thanks to Ray & Pat for being great vacation buddies. The kids will never forget playing monkey in the middle in the pool at night; Grandma's always a great sport. And grandpa always is willing to hang with the girls and be the #1 photographer. We've had many dinners together, time by the pool, card games, good chats, and boy, watching those Stampede chuck wagon races...they've got me addicted!

Al probably does not read these silly blogs, but if he does, "thank you honey"! I had THE best time with you. Having almost a week together before the gang landed in, is a memory to treasure, and time we so rarely get together uninterrupted. So many laughs and wonderful moments. Safe to say I will miss you Al when you leave but you know I'm in good hands with the girls of the round wine table 😊 So how about it? "Same time, same place, next year Al?"

So that's the catch up here in my neck of the woods, on the Caribbean sea, sitting by the pool, listening to the sounds of nature.

PS since we arrived at this amazing villa, we've been surrounded it seems like owners who all know each other & have a good relationship. However, the one house that is next to us, the owner from what we can determine has rented it out to tenants; assuming people who live & work here. For those of you that know our story back home with neighbors, well this has taken on a bit of the same theme.

We soon found out they have not only one yappy dog, they've added another one on, I'm sure just to annoy us. So it seems at night the owners of said dogs let them out to howl at the moon, keeping Al & I awake till all hours. And just when you are dozing off, they start up again. I think their house is SO big, and with the a/c on they put their yappy dogs out there so they don't have to hear them. And our bedroom window is where their patio is & where the dog(s) pace at night. Lucky the rest of the family is in another part of the house so they haven't been disturbed.

Not long after we arrived, one night at 2 am I went out by the pool and I could see the dog, and then two women were talking. So I said, "yoo-woo". And they said hello. I politely asked them if they could take in their dogs at night since they bark all night. It seems that this house we are staying in, is a popular villa for people to party at, and they seemed to feel that they can let their dogs bark since people here "party". I told her we'd just arrived, we don't party around the pool at night, and we are respectful neighbors. Well that and a buck got me nowhere with them. The manager of our house, Dan has nicely gone to ask them to take in their dogs at night to no avail. Dan says during the day when he's been here, it's been quiet with no dogs barking? What the hecK? It seems night time is a very different scene, it's like a symphony of dogs wailing at night. This is when these dogs get their groove on. And when dogs are having more fun than you at night...well, that just does not seem right.

So given how this flu medication knocked me out, I had visions of getting some nice lean beef and sticking a few flu meds into it. (NO I DIDN'T DO IT PEOPLE, I JUST REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT.) Just like when someone has 15 items at an 8 item grocery checkout. You just realllly want to ask them if they can read.

And what really gets my underwear in a twist, is during the day I've looked over and seen this little yappy chijuahua or whatever small dog he is, on his back sleeping with four paws in the air. Alllll day long he sleeps. That little SOB. So every time Dan the manager comes to clean the pool, he sees this nice sweet little sleeping dog. I wish I could let out one of those huge sneezes and flip that dog right into the pool. So there you go you little chihuahua. Hasta la vista.

(Hey, I think I just got some of my "mojo" back 😊

"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. Oh what a wonderful world"...(even with yappy dogs in it).

Sal 😊

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Comments

[zully]

Love the title of these blog.....'and sniffles'
Hi Sal, Al, Lara, Rory, Eva, Martha and tout le gang, I think every time you go to Mexico you leave behind a piece of your heart there.! For sure. You must leave some here for us back up in Canada. LOL This photos of you" I got you babe' is so nice!...same of the on by the pool with all you girls (minus Marth) is so refreshing. Wow that Marth is quite the fisher woman!!! I could not touch the fish, let alone hold it. lol Soon enough you will be home , so max out your fun. Hugs and smiles...and oh yes please have a siesta by the edge of the ocean for me (that is 1/2 in sand, 1/2 water) Love, Zully