Ramble On

Last night the winery hosted a dinner for the local Kiwanis club. They had requested a tour of Wedmore Place and we were only too happy to oblige. Things got going around 7:30 pm. We had had a series of very strong storm cells passing through, but it happened to be just at that time when there was a lull. We walked over and gave the tour in three different groups. At the end of the tours, I was actually ecstatic to be a part of this hotel even though right now there is so much to do and to anticipate. I'm up to my ears in code compliance and fire safety procedures, menus and packages. But when I saw the beauty of the hotel at night, and the excitement buzzing around the locals about the place where I work, I was really happy I was a part of it. I drove home feeling so blessed to be placed here and to be on this team. The storms kicked up again right when I started to drive home and they were STRONG. I'm sure this is redundant at this point but there are few things I enjoy more ...

I just got off the phone with Lauren. Lauren is my alter-ego. My friend who is the opposite of me but we just work. My best friend. She came to visit me this weekend and I have to say it was restoring. We spent a whole lot of time together just sitting around and talking and it was really really fun. Anyway.... She called because she wanted the link to my old blog from my year in France (referred to as "le Métropole" in Martinique) and while I was searching for it, we started reminiscing. When we do that, it almost always ends up with me groaning and her laughing hysterically. This time, we both ended up laughing. When I found it, I sent the link to her and then we both started reading the entry about when she visited me in Paris together. I just started laughing because my GOSH what a crazy trip that was. I mean, seriously, read the entry for yourself ( date: April 14, 2004 ). It was crazy. So we're reading over it and laughing and then we say bye and hang up. I...

This just happened to me at work. To set the stage, I had to call a phone company to inquire about the telephone numbers at Wedmore Place and how to switch our toll-free line over to the other building. Phone recording : Hello, you have reached Cavalier Telephone company. Please state the telephone number of your account. Me: 7-5-7-2-5-8-0-8-9-9 Phone recording : 7-9-7-3-5-2-0-5-9-9 (Pause) Is that correct? Me : Not even close. Phone recording : You can speak to me like you would a normal phone operator . Me : I don't think you want me to do that . Phone Recording: Please state the telephone number of your account. Me : 7-5-7-2-5-8-0-8-9-9 Phone Recording : 7-3-6-3-2-9-0-5-8-8 (Pause ) Is that correct? Me: Are you SERIOUS?? Phone Recording : You can speak to me like you would a normal phone operator. Me: Can I also punch you in the face? Phone Recording: Please state the telephone number of your account. Me: Heaven help us . 7-5-7-2-5-8-0-8-9-9 ...

Only because I work in an air-conditioned office and my apartment has an ambient temperature of about 50 degrees can I say that for about the first minute after I go outside does that blast of summer heat feel good. It embodies everything that I love about summer. The slight laziness that everyone feels entitled to because there's no school, it's too hot to do a lot outside that doesn't involve a water park. The feeling of the hot sun shining on you. The sensation that the beach is right around the corner. It's really the beach that I think of when I feel that summer heat. And when I say "the beach" I am thinking of only one place which embodies all that those words mean to me: Sunset Beach, North Carolina. I don't feel like a year has actually happened until I get to Sunset with my family. This year will be the first year in a very long time that I won't be in attendance for the whole thing, or possibly even any of it. And I'm starting to realize ...

I'll tell you what's awesome. It's a Tuesday night and I don't have to go to work tomorrow. Collin (my 9 yr. old new best friend for the sole reason that I have a bike and he has one too) and I are going on a bike ride to the duck pond at 10am. I have a new life goal: to compete in the world series of pop culture and to get respectably far, (at least past the first round), and I have people willing to help me accomplish this RIDICULOUS life goal. I laughed a lot today, and I like to laugh, especially when things are stressful and crazy like they are at work. I love barbeques and I get to go to one tomorrow. I broke one hundred when I went bowling last night. (Then proceeded to bowl a 46 in the next game... but that's not the point). I own Animaniacs on DVD... I'm sorry, but that is awesome. I have a pool in my backyard. this has been an unrealized dream of mine ever since I knew that you could have pools in your backyard and that I probably wouldn't ever....

Isn't the gym and the people who frequent it such an interesting sub-culture? I'm a gym rat, and I'm not trying to exclude myself or imply that I am somehow not a part of this subculture. I go all the time. I'm the one gets annoyed at major holidays because the gyms are closed, the one who will leave late for vacation so I can squeeze in an hour before I get in the car and will be away from my precious elliptical for days on end, the one who yearns to get to the gym after work each day and loves the feeling of total exhaustion and being drenched in sweat from a good long workout. I think I may be a bit obsessed. But I really like going to the gym after being in a chair all day staring at a computer. And I like the people who go to gyms. Just the other day, I was on a machine and a girl my age was on one next to me, and I noticed that she, like myself, was watching Braveheart on her TV. I happened to catch her eye and she said "there was never anyone hotter than Mel...

First, for those of you who like to run, you will understand why I love the following images so much: Before After It's also why I have such a hard time throwing away old shoes. I spend so much time and good memories and the shoes take me such interesting places. When I have to retire a pair, I can never throw them away immediately even though the sole is completely worn through and the shock absorption has only been absorbing foot odor and doing nothing for my poor knees for weeks... It's emotional. Second, is anyone watching Adventures in Hollyhood on MTV? I think it might be the most hilarious show MTV has ever aired. It stars Three 6 Mafia who are from Memphis who are living in Hollywood, doing the movie/music/producer/gangsta thing that I guess is sort of a right of passage and has to be expected of the only rap group ever to win an Oscar. So my first favorite thing about the show is that it has subtitles. Yes, Three 6 Mafia does speak English, but SO unintelligibly th...

This is one of the prettiest buildings in Fort de France. It's the library named after Victor Schoelcher who campaigned for the independence of slaves in the 19th century. Photo courtesy of Mr. David Stevens. This is about as pretty as Fort de France will ever look. Photo courtesy of Mr. David Stevens. This is a good view of the lush Martinique vegetation. Photo courtesy of Mr. David Stevens. I think the last time I wrote anything for my blog was a very long time ago. My last days in Martinique weren’t all that busy, but my camera lost a battle with an ocean wave and without pictures, I made excuses that the blog wasn’t worth updating. I know, lame, but I’m just lazy, what can I say. I have been back in the states now for a full two weeks. I have started my new job at Wedmore Place, a new inn on the property of the Williamsburg Winery, and have been trying to get the basics in place before the anticipated opening in May. It seems like it is going to be a good fit for me and ...

So here are some of the kids that I taught at LP Bateliere. I asked them to say goodbye. They are too much!

I am remembering how I hate the feeling when I know I have a lot to do that I cannot do all at once. I hate having things that I have to do that are out of my control. Namely, sell my car, and find a way to close my bank account after my final paycheck is deposited into it at the end of this month. I am doing a classified ad which I hope has the desired effect for the car, and I guess the bank account situation will just have to go work itself out. I have had very few classes lately too, just two hours on Thursday and 3 on Friday. All the rest of my classes are doing internships for a few weeks. They have been better about listening. I have been trying to do more fun things with them like games and songs. I did a crossword puzzle and guessing game that worked alright, but they really hate speaking in English. I had to constantly ask them to ask the questions for the guessing game in English and they just kind of ignored me. Those are some of the reasons I am happy to be leaving...

I joined YouTube to be able to post these, so I hope it works....

I have had a solid weekend. Friday night I went to a bar frequented by students at the IUFM an d the University called Feuille de Tol to say goodbye to one of Zie Juhmans, Andy. I had a great night, meeting new people, hanging out at the bar, singing Piano Man at the top of my lungs like the boisterous American I was allowed to be when others were willing to help. There were a group of students spending their winter break doing a one-month study abroad program through University of Delaware. It was interesting talking to them and getting their impression of the island. They weren't too pleased with the place, but I told them, just rent a car for your last week here and it won't be so bad. They are only here for a month anyway. They have managed to do a lot more than I did in my first month. Saturday, Ceri and I headed out to Anse Trabaud. The beach was off the beaten path, to say the least. There was a sign pointing the way to it, but about 100 feet after the sign, ther...

In keeping with my promise to be more adventurous, I have gotten out a bit to some new places on the island the last couple of days and had some very Caribbean experiences. After finishing all my classes on Friday, I sort of took the night off, watched some movies on TV and went to bed early. Saturday morning I was excited because I was going to a new beach, Cap Chevalier, and going to a birthday party on the beach that night. I picked up Ceri and we set off to the southeastern part of the island. Cap Chevalier is a beautiful string of beaches protected by coral reefs. The only thing that makes the swimming not very enjoyable is the amount of seaweed there is in the water. I went off and hiked part of the 17 mile trail that goes up the southeastern coast of Martinique. It has beautiful views but also lots of thistles so I was getting scraped up pretty good. I turned around after a few miles and headed back to the beach. Ceri was relaxing in the late afternoon sun and we were wa...

It’s been a good while since I’ve been back and it has been much better since my shaky return. I have been going out more, being more adventurous, spending a lot on gas, teaching private English lessons with kids who are motivated (!!) and finally getting a sense of enjoyment out of living here. I’ve been going to the beaches more, making a checklist of things I have to do before I leave Martinique… The secret of life here is to stay busy, even if busy means taking the time to relocate to a beach to read instead of just hanging out at my place. There are a ton of tourists here now. The season for the Caribbean has begun and the prices reflect it, so do the crowds. As always, Martinique is visited by vast quantities of French people, a few German people, and even fewer other nationalities. I am glad I went to St. Lucia before the break, but now I am wishing I had gone to other islands too. I have 4 day weekends now. I do private English lessons on Tuesday nights at a family’s ...

I have been in Dominica all day. I was supposed be in Martinique by now, but they cancelled my flight. So I had an impromptu one-day layover in Dominica today. And I have to spend most of tomorrow here too. It sounds strange to say it but I REALLY wanted to get back to Martinique today. I was so angry when they tol d me I couldn’t go. This happened to me with the same airline on the way home too. Thankfully, they found a way to get me to Dominica on time to catch my flight to San Juan, and ultimately, to the states. But today I couldn’t help myself and I just broke down in the middle of the Take Airlines office. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy when I came back, but I didn’t want it to start this early. I didn’t want there to be a problem before I even got to Martinique! Today wasn’t completely wasted. I went to town to wash the one set of clothes I hav e w ith me, and then I went to Trafalgar Falls just to see a little bit of Dominica while it was still possible. I know ...

I have put so many things in my way to look forward to so that the actual date that I'm so excited for, Thursday Dec. 14th, the day of my return to the states, will sneak up on me. It HAS! I just finished my christmas shopping this morning at mall that is tiny by our standards but GIGANTINORMOUS by Caribbean standards. It is, in fact, the largest shopping center in the Caribbean. It took me 30 minutes to find a parking spot. It's because it's Christmas. I think I would take the traditional french route and hand-make all my gifts if I had any particularly useful skill. They give homemade foie-gras, liquers, figurines of clay or wood, produce from their gardens, dresses or cloth creations design and realised in their own homes. It's incredible. The other thing that is really incredible at Christmastime in France or a part of France, is the ENTIRE AISLE devoted only to chocolate at all grocery stores. They clear off whatever insignificant item was there before and create ...