Antigua

02/06/202402/08/2024Irene

We’re having a wonderful time on this beautiful island, vacationing with our good friends Sharon and Dick. The four of us took a cab from the airport and were greeted at Verandah Resort with a rum punch and a nice cool towel to freshen up with. We checked in and were driven to our cottage that will be home for the next 10 days.

Our cottage is spacious and our view from our veranda is gorgeous. Our cottage is next door to Sharon and Dick’s. We have a huge walk-in shower, and a king sized bed that is very comfortable, and we are within walking distance to most of the amenities at the resort.

Since we were here before with our friends Sharon and Dick, we know the layout of the land. The resort has changed from a family resort to adult only, added new restaurants, spruced up the pools, and extended one of the beaches.

Sipping mojitos, sunning at the pool, enjoying pizza, and listening to Island music has been wonderful. The staff are very friendly and helpful, although they do work on island time so, there is no rush and sometimes you have to wait for service.

I’ve been to a pool aerobics class. Pool aerobics was a good workout and afterwards the instructor had us join hands and form a circle, and she asked every other person to float, while the rest pulled the floaters around in a circle. Then after a minute of reflection and calm for the floaters, we switched and the floaters took a turn pulling the others around the circle for another minute. Great relaxing way to start the day. (Except the guy next to me really wasn’t too great at floating and he kept gripping my wrist and pulling on it while I pulled him along. Not very relaxing for me… so I finally gently pulled his death grip off my wrist and said…” Maybe floating isn’t for you!” Mental note: Don’t stand next to this guy again during circle time!!)

Dinner last night was Italian at the main restaurant which is buffet style. It is also the same place we go to for breakfast each morning. The dinner was excellent, especially the meatballs. Our only complaint is that the food could be served a tad hotter. Breakfast in the morning is plentiful – cereals, waffles, pancakes, an omelet station, an assortment of breads, meats and cheeses, and coffee and juices. Of course you can also have a liquor drink as well.

Our waitress the other night told us that she works two jobs each day as the cost of living is high with a 17% sales tax on everything you purchase. Tipping at the resort is not expected and is actually included in the price of your stay, but the four of us tip the staff with cash periodically, and they truly appreciate it.

Tonight we all go to Sails and Tails restaurant at the resort for dinner. You have to make reservations a few days ahead for the specialty restaurants. There is no extra charge, except for Nicole’s, another specialty restaurant at the resort, that has a $40 up charge.

Being with our friends Sharon and Dick has been so much fun. Lots of laughing, story telling, and just wonderful being together.

We have dinner reservations made for the week, a sunset cruise scheduled, and today we will go to guest relations with our friends to schedule some more activities for the rest of our stay.

View from our veranda and the personal pizza we enjoyed for lunch.

“S”

01/29/202405/08/2023Irene

Whose idea was it to put an “s” in the word LISP??!!??

Bring on the Beans!

01/19/202405/08/2023Irene

When we lived in North Carolina, we would attend “Dessert with the Doc” seminars, given by local doctors on a wide range of medical topics. One time, the topic was “Your Poo and You.” Honestly, the doctor that gave the seminar could have been a stand up comedian. But then again, the subject matter was pretty conducive to jokes.

We laughed our way through some of the highlights of the topics he addressed: “hanging chads”, “the Hershey squirts”, “racing stripes in the toilet” and “floaters vs sinkers”.

And he could hardly keep a straight face, during the question and answer period, when a lady in the audience confessed she was plagued with gas whenever she flew in an airplane and questioned the doc about what she should do about it.

“Encourage fellow travelers not to sit near you would be my first advice,” he said barely able to get out the words. And then he offered another pearl of wisdom.

“There is a new product on the market,” he sputtered. “They’re called…” (stopping to wipe the tears from his eyes from his laughter ) “Farty Pants,” he finally blurted out.

It seems that people who have a flatulence problem need not be embarrassed anymore. They can buy Farty Pants, underpants that have a charcoal liner embedded in the crotch that renders harmless the noxious gases emanating from a person’s bowels. And no one is the wiser except the wearer.

The underwear makers swear they work…and the liners last for a few weeks. They are washable…but the company advises that the occupant not use them in a hot tub or swimming pool. (Personally, I think someone who has this problem shouldn’t be in a hot tub or a swimming pool in the first place. The bubbles could give them away!)

After the hour of laughter, we were asked to write down our thoughts and comments on the doctor’s presentation and how effectively he gave enlightenment on the subject.

I wrote “He was POOsitively wonderful!!!”

“NO!!!!! I WON’T GO BACK IN THE BOX!!”

01/06/202402/21/2023Irene

We were putting away all of the decorations from Christmas when suddenly…we heard a loud crash.

It seems that Pedro the Christmas turkey, (who does a nice rendition of Feliz Navidad), distraught that Christmas was over, flung himself from the shelf where he was perched all through the holidays, and had a temper tantrum.

I won’t go back in the box!

I’m not listening!

I SAID NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Well, alright. But only if I can take some leftover candy canes with me. And some rum balls.
And that cute little angel on the top of the tree.

You can’t make this stuff up, folks.

Understanding Women

12/30/202305/08/2023Irene

…AND ALLAN WOULD ADD…. “VOLUME 1” !!!

AWESOMENESS

12/09/202306/20/2023Irene

The word “awesomeness”, which isn’t a word according to the dictionary, absolutely should be.

The word does appear in the Urban Dictionary…and let’s not forget, I did come from Queens, NY so that’s probably where I picked it up. Those streets in South Ozone Park can be rough and some of the language…whoa!!

Anyway, it might not be a bona fide word according to Merriam-Webster, but I think it should be. The awesomeness of a sunset….the awesomeness of witnessing a birth….the awesomeness of my kids and grandkids….the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon…the awesomeness of God.

New words are being added to the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as I type this. So one has to ask… how DOES a new word get into the dictionary? The answer is simple: USAGE! Apparently the editors of the dictionary read all kinds of publications – books, magazines, news articles – searching for contemporary words. Once a potential word is found, it is stored in the computer system as a “citation”. The word makes the jump from the citation area to the dictionary by having enough citations to show it is widely used. According to John Morse, president of the Springfield, Massachusetts based dictionary publisher, “A word has to be more than a flash-in-the-pan. It has to have staying power”.

This year, some new words that made it to Merriam-Webster so far this year are magnetic fishing, dawn chorus, sponcon, yeet, yanky, and adorkable (awwww…).

So here’s the deal. Start using the word “awesomeness” in your everyday interactions with people. Maybe in the year 2030 it will make it to the pages of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.

And in actuality, “awesomeness” is used in an article by Umair Hague from Harvard Business Publishing, a subsidiary of Harvard University, entitled “The Awesomeness Manifesto” written September 16, 2009. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that Mr. Hague was referring to my blog!!

Topless in Asheville

11/25/202306/20/2023Irene

The women from Gotopless.org decided that men shouldn’t be the only ones allowed to strut their bare chests and have all the fun. So they staged a nationwide demonstration a few years ago for the right to go topless….and their bosom buddies from Asheville, North Carolina were right there joining the protest and proudly baring their breasts. “It isn’t against the law in North Carolina for women to walk around topless since the law only bans indecent exposure from the waist down,” said Wally Welch, a spokesperson for the Asheville police.

Livienne Love (really???? Livienne Love???), the local protest organizer was quoted as saying, “We just want to raise awareness about this inequality”.

The event planning committee, however, didn’t take into account that the Gateway Christian Community Church would be holding their Sunday services at the same time the topless demonstration was to take place. “They’ll be some distance apart,” said Jon Fillman, the city’s outdoor special events coordinator. And a spokesperson from the church added that if necessary, “they’ll completely turn their event so they’re facing the other direction.”

Wouldn’t it be a hooter (pun intended) if the Bible reading today was from Psalms 119…”Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things…” And, if it wasn’t, you can bet your sweet cupcakes those Christian men were on their knees praying it!!

Sorry…Wrong Number

11/03/202305/08/2023Irene

Today the phone rang and my caller ID said “Dr. Chuck Noonan”. I don’t know any doctor named Chuck Noonan, but since I had just been for some routine lab tests, I answered, thinking it might be someone from the lab.

I picked up the phone and a cheerful voice announced “Dr. Chuck Noonan calling!”

When I didn’t answer right away he went on to say…”Uh..the veterinarian!”

It is always tempting to mess with a wrong number caller and say something rather glib…but I never do.

I should have said, “Are you located next door to the taxidermist? Because either way…I’d get my parrot back!”

I’m just saying…

Home sweet Home

11/01/202311/02/2023Irene

Our flight back to the states was uneventful, but when we were walking to pick up our luggage, the fire alarm went off throughout the building. YIKES! It was very loud and continued to assault our ears for the better part of 20 minutes.

We picked up our car and stopped on the way home for McDonald’s, since there’s nothing like a burger and fries!

It was a wonderful trip and we really did delve into the history of Spain and Portugal in depth. Till next time… Adios!

Portugal – Sintra & Cascais

10/31/202311/02/2023Irene

This morning we took the bus to Sintra and Cascais and on the way our local guide talked about life in Portugal.

There are three types of health care for the public in Portugal. The first is the National Health Services. It’s designed to serve all people who contribute to the social security system. This is funded through general taxation, as well as social security contributions. The second type is known as the health subsystem program. It provides health insurance coverage to members of certain professions and organizations. Some of the most prominent groups covered under this stream include the police, the military, banking services, and public servants. The third type of care is voluntary private health insurance. While not as popular as it is in other countries, private medical insurance still plays an important role in Portuguese society.

For the most part, the first six months of your salary out of the year goes towards the taxes for the socialized medicine and for education. But in actuality, the year is really 14 months and not 12 months since you are paid a vacation month bonus as well as a Christmas month bonus.

Education is free for elementary and college but you can pay to attend the better private schools if you have the grades.

With health care, if it is an emergency or a serious illness, you are seen right away, but if it is elected surgery or just because you want to see a doctor, you have you wait.

We drove to Sintra, a town Lord Byron called “the most beautiful in the world”. We began at the Royal Palace, which dates back to the Middle Ages. It was the residence of the Islamic Moorish rulers of the region. Nothing built during Moorish rule or during the reign of the first Portuguese kings survived. What they think is the earliest surviving part of the palace is the Royal Chapel, possibly built in the 14th century. The chapel was under renovation when we were there, but we were able to see the ceiling with the doves of peace painted in squares to resemble tile work.

We toured the many rooms, and two of interest were what looked like bedrooms. There was a huge bed in the room called a state bed. These beds were used for major “events” such as marriage, birth and death. These events were deemed so important, that witnesses would have to be present and would stand around the bed while the event took place.

We saw the Swan Room because of all the painted swans on the ceiling, which was the symbol of the house of the groom. There was also the Magpie Room with magpies painted all over the ceiling with the emblem “por bem” (for honor) in their beaks. Our guide said that King John I was caught kissing a lady while he waited for his queen. The gossip of the kiss spread throughout the palace by the ladies of the court. To put a stop to the gossip, the king decorated the ceiling with as many magpies as there were women in the court.

The rooms were elegant as were the furnishings, and we had to climb many curved staircases to get to the top rooms. The view was beautiful though as it overlooked all of the rooftops and we could see the ruins of a Moorish castle in the distance.

We got did some shopping, enjoyed a pastel de nata and some Portuguese coffee, and then it was back on the bus. Since is was Halloween, I gave out Hershey candy bars to everyone. The local guide and the bus driver really enjoyed them.

We then drove to Cascais, a beautiful seaside town along the Atlantic ocean. It is known for tourism as well as for hosting many international events for surfing and sailing. The town has many restaurants and we stopped in one for a bowl of soup. Then we went across the street to Santini’s which is supposed to serve the best gelato in Portugal. We weren’t impressed.

The Farewell Dinner took place tonight, and before hand, we sampled some porto wine and our guide thanked us for coming to his country. We walked to the restaurant for the dinner and said goodbye to all the travelers. Tomorrow we are up at 5 to make our flight back to the states.