We arrived safely back from Puerto Rico. Waking up in our own comfy bed the next morning was in itself a nice treat!
Spending Christmas with my mom was very nice. Since we had a huge spread at Thanksgiving we all decided to have a simple Christmas dinner and enjoy each others company with the few days we have left here.
Kris and I spent the weekend after Christmas with our son Duane and his girl Heather. Heather has a precious 3 year old name Caleb. Caleb and I had so much fun together while the grown ups were busy working on some other things. Caleb is so smart and is learning to count and say his ABC's. He is not especially interested in being introduced to new foods, however, with some coaching he is nibbling at oatmeal and peas. It is my hope that one day he and our other grandson Riley will grown up playing together and sharing in boyhood adventures.
Duane and Kris worked on the hot tub and Heather's car. They came to the conclusion that the filters needed to be clean and the hot tub is running just fine now. The story with Heather's car is not as easy. Since the car has been having issues and now having other issues they have concluded that throwing good money after bad has come to a dead halt. She is now a proud owner of a 2008 Chevy Malibu! You go Girl! You have done very well taking care of your finances and now you are reaping your reward!
Traveling on the interstate between work and day care is not so stressful since she does not have the worry about breaking down.
Kris has his new orders for his next job. It appears we are heading back to Meridian, MS to finish the work we had to leave hanging. Since the job was put on hold for various reasons we took advantage of the time off and headed to NC to see my doctor about my back. The job should only take about 2 weeks and then we are off to Montgomery, Al.
Our beautiful grandson Riley and his lovely parents live in Al and it is our hope that
we will be able to visit with them while we are there.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Getting around
When I was walking to the grocery the other day, which is just around the corner from the hotel, I heard something very familiar. I looked to my right and there was the airport! I knew it was close but never thought it was that close. Right across the street, which is the 4 lane interstate, there it was. I could see the planes land and taxi and smell the jet fuel. That felt a little strange since all the airports I have been to are as large as a city and you cannot see it from walking along a sidewalk.
We have also noticed the police and the ambulances ride around with their lights on most of the time. I guess it is to say "here we are if you need us." I am not sure how you would know if they are after you unless they turn their siren on.
On our little outing Sunday to explore the island, which is 150 miles long not the 105 that I originally stated and 35 miles wide, we were met with several challenges. On one exploration we were trying to get to a lighthouse. After several wrong turns (GPS doesn't know a drive and dirt path from regular roads here for some reason) and very winding roads we finally found it to discover it was a Coast Guard facility. Even though it was a lighthouse, we could not access it. On the way out the road signs were covered with a banner for some event in the area. We ended up going down a one way street the wrong way for a couple of blocks before I said "hmm the cars are all going one way and parked one way: we must be going the wrong way." Yes, people were honking their horns at us! Thank goodness it was in a small village town and not a busy street!
As we were making our way toward the other side of the island, we were going on a four lane highway that took us through some amazing mountains! My ears popped a couple of times, but the camera cannot do the view justice! After traveling about 30 miles, we saw a sign that told us we had 75 more miles to go. We had gone through some construction areas with rain so we took a different route back to the hotel to see what we could see before dark.
After a while of driving, we started seeing a lot of police and people standing along side of the road. Then it dawned on us there is either going to be a bicycle ride or runners since we saw water stops along the way. After about 20, more minutes of driving we saw the starting point and it was runners getting ready.
The drive was quite nice with the shore line quite close to the road. We found a place to pull over and took a short walk. The shore line consisted of small rocks and was hard to walk on, but I was able to dip my hand in the Caribbean sea! The shore line was an amazing sight with coves coming in so close to the road and the mountain range in the same view and the lighthouse on the distant point.
On the road we took back was through another set of mountainous roads with sharp curves and houses sitting on the road in the curves. It had been raining and the roads were very wet which in turn gave me an uneasy feeling. I am glad we were on the inside lane since the outside lane was a sheer drop if you made a wrong adjustment in the steering. We came along a curve and it ended up being a one lane road since the other lane was washed out! Oh my was I nervous, since this road is a well-traveled road and we have met many cars along the way. As we were winding around another curve, I just happened to take a picture of a steep drive to someones house that was washed out and a boulder from the washout was sitting in our lane! I am so glad Kris was driving and reacted quickly.
Now I know there are many mountain roads like this in the US, but I dare say they are as well-traveled as these roads. There are houses everywhere up here poking out from every point and appear to be hanging off the side of a mountain on a wing and a prayer. I saw gaps in the foundations on the houses that were above us on our side of the road. NOT me, sorry but I cannot live like that. Some are very nice houses, but most are little cinder block houses as you will see in my pictures. I cannot imagine living up there and nowhere really to park a car. Some park theirs halfway on the road. They don't have a choice because it is nothing but curves up there! People are standing there washing their cars and talking and walking as if they are saying, "ok I see you but you have to move!"
After getting back on the 4 lane road I was viewing the mountains in the distance and the clouds were descending down, which created a sense of a wild, but free, feeling. I took a snapshot which turned out rather nice, but again the camera just doesn't grasp the feeling I got. I do wish more people could see this. You can feel how remote the mountains look, but yet you are so close to civilization.
It was interesting to see banana groves and how they are planted.
As you ride down the interstate, the signs are not saying "Beware of Deer", but letting you know that cattle and horses will wander out onto the highway!
It is a different world than what I know and it is one to enjoy exploring!
We have also noticed the police and the ambulances ride around with their lights on most of the time. I guess it is to say "here we are if you need us." I am not sure how you would know if they are after you unless they turn their siren on.
On our little outing Sunday to explore the island, which is 150 miles long not the 105 that I originally stated and 35 miles wide, we were met with several challenges. On one exploration we were trying to get to a lighthouse. After several wrong turns (GPS doesn't know a drive and dirt path from regular roads here for some reason) and very winding roads we finally found it to discover it was a Coast Guard facility. Even though it was a lighthouse, we could not access it. On the way out the road signs were covered with a banner for some event in the area. We ended up going down a one way street the wrong way for a couple of blocks before I said "hmm the cars are all going one way and parked one way: we must be going the wrong way." Yes, people were honking their horns at us! Thank goodness it was in a small village town and not a busy street!
As we were making our way toward the other side of the island, we were going on a four lane highway that took us through some amazing mountains! My ears popped a couple of times, but the camera cannot do the view justice! After traveling about 30 miles, we saw a sign that told us we had 75 more miles to go. We had gone through some construction areas with rain so we took a different route back to the hotel to see what we could see before dark.
After a while of driving, we started seeing a lot of police and people standing along side of the road. Then it dawned on us there is either going to be a bicycle ride or runners since we saw water stops along the way. After about 20, more minutes of driving we saw the starting point and it was runners getting ready.
The drive was quite nice with the shore line quite close to the road. We found a place to pull over and took a short walk. The shore line consisted of small rocks and was hard to walk on, but I was able to dip my hand in the Caribbean sea! The shore line was an amazing sight with coves coming in so close to the road and the mountain range in the same view and the lighthouse on the distant point.
On the road we took back was through another set of mountainous roads with sharp curves and houses sitting on the road in the curves. It had been raining and the roads were very wet which in turn gave me an uneasy feeling. I am glad we were on the inside lane since the outside lane was a sheer drop if you made a wrong adjustment in the steering. We came along a curve and it ended up being a one lane road since the other lane was washed out! Oh my was I nervous, since this road is a well-traveled road and we have met many cars along the way. As we were winding around another curve, I just happened to take a picture of a steep drive to someones house that was washed out and a boulder from the washout was sitting in our lane! I am so glad Kris was driving and reacted quickly.
Now I know there are many mountain roads like this in the US, but I dare say they are as well-traveled as these roads. There are houses everywhere up here poking out from every point and appear to be hanging off the side of a mountain on a wing and a prayer. I saw gaps in the foundations on the houses that were above us on our side of the road. NOT me, sorry but I cannot live like that. Some are very nice houses, but most are little cinder block houses as you will see in my pictures. I cannot imagine living up there and nowhere really to park a car. Some park theirs halfway on the road. They don't have a choice because it is nothing but curves up there! People are standing there washing their cars and talking and walking as if they are saying, "ok I see you but you have to move!"
After getting back on the 4 lane road I was viewing the mountains in the distance and the clouds were descending down, which created a sense of a wild, but free, feeling. I took a snapshot which turned out rather nice, but again the camera just doesn't grasp the feeling I got. I do wish more people could see this. You can feel how remote the mountains look, but yet you are so close to civilization.
It was interesting to see banana groves and how they are planted.
As you ride down the interstate, the signs are not saying "Beware of Deer", but letting you know that cattle and horses will wander out onto the highway!
It is a different world than what I know and it is one to enjoy exploring!
Life as we see it
As we were driving to the base yesterday we observed some men out in the middle of the road selling their wares. They were selling anything from newspapers (which we have seen in Key West and not that all uncommon) to selling bottle water and all kinds of goodies. I have no idea what the items were but the locals were buying them. It is sad in a way to see how hard these men are working to provide for their families or just to survive. You have to really admire these men for what they do, for it is honorable work. Hard but honest work. At least they are not trying to rob someone or stand in a hand out line. To many of us stick up our noses at these types of people, but it is humbling to know just how close each and everyone of us are to poverty. We are a society of wanting things now and not willing to save and sacrifice for a better tomorrow. Honestly we all could do with a little self discipline and saying no to ourselves.
As we were driving by the local prison we also saw how some of the choices people made were not good choices at that. We saw families standing outside the gate waiting for visiting hours to began. What a waste of a perfectly good day having to visit a prison. It would be nice if people could look down the road and see the consequences of their action before taking that wrong step. Not only do they have to suffer but more important their children and the rest of the family has to as well. Some of these children will never know another life exist outside of visiting a love one behind bars. They may fee like they are in prison too. Please do not think I am judging these people but really, when you stop and think about the decisions we all have to make it makes sense to think about being held accountable for those decisions. There are poor decision that may not land one behind bars but their are bars that we don't see. Financial distress caused my poor money management. Relationship problems due to people not willing to give they just want to take or not even talking to each other about your dreams and desires and turning those dreams and desires into a family adventure.
Children that are not listen to and not being allowed to share their hopes and dreams with their parents. Everyone has a voice and needs to be heard. However there is a balance to everything and finding that balance takes communicating with each other.
Okay, I know I am getting deep here but maybe this will help someone think before they act.
The longer I am here the more I am realizing that I don't treat these people with much compassion when they come to the States. We get upset when they cannot speak "our" language and we stick our holy then thou noses up at them. When we cannot speak their language here in their home land they smile and try to accommodate us the best they know how. They look for ways to communicate with us.
I walked over to the local grocery store the other day by myself and felt relax. Most of the items were in English and most of the people spoke broken English. However I was able to communicate with them and even laughed at myself which relaxed them and me. They did not shrug their shoulders or stick their nose up at me.
I bet I know what you are saying, well it is a US Territory. Yes it is, however, we fought Spain for this land and that is what ended the Spanish America War. The people here were Spaniers and there native tonuge was Spanish. So in essence it still is and that is the way it should be. They should not give up what is rightfully theirs.
It is funny to think about some people in the States will not come over here due to the fact that they "feel" uncomfortable with the language and the signs. I think it would do a lot of us some good to get out of our comfort zone every now and then. It will have a tendency to humble us and show us that we are not an island and we need each other and that just because someone is different doesn't mean they are not good and honest people.
As we were driving by the local prison we also saw how some of the choices people made were not good choices at that. We saw families standing outside the gate waiting for visiting hours to began. What a waste of a perfectly good day having to visit a prison. It would be nice if people could look down the road and see the consequences of their action before taking that wrong step. Not only do they have to suffer but more important their children and the rest of the family has to as well. Some of these children will never know another life exist outside of visiting a love one behind bars. They may fee like they are in prison too. Please do not think I am judging these people but really, when you stop and think about the decisions we all have to make it makes sense to think about being held accountable for those decisions. There are poor decision that may not land one behind bars but their are bars that we don't see. Financial distress caused my poor money management. Relationship problems due to people not willing to give they just want to take or not even talking to each other about your dreams and desires and turning those dreams and desires into a family adventure.
Children that are not listen to and not being allowed to share their hopes and dreams with their parents. Everyone has a voice and needs to be heard. However there is a balance to everything and finding that balance takes communicating with each other.
Okay, I know I am getting deep here but maybe this will help someone think before they act.
The longer I am here the more I am realizing that I don't treat these people with much compassion when they come to the States. We get upset when they cannot speak "our" language and we stick our holy then thou noses up at them. When we cannot speak their language here in their home land they smile and try to accommodate us the best they know how. They look for ways to communicate with us.
I walked over to the local grocery store the other day by myself and felt relax. Most of the items were in English and most of the people spoke broken English. However I was able to communicate with them and even laughed at myself which relaxed them and me. They did not shrug their shoulders or stick their nose up at me.
I bet I know what you are saying, well it is a US Territory. Yes it is, however, we fought Spain for this land and that is what ended the Spanish America War. The people here were Spaniers and there native tonuge was Spanish. So in essence it still is and that is the way it should be. They should not give up what is rightfully theirs.
It is funny to think about some people in the States will not come over here due to the fact that they "feel" uncomfortable with the language and the signs. I think it would do a lot of us some good to get out of our comfort zone every now and then. It will have a tendency to humble us and show us that we are not an island and we need each other and that just because someone is different doesn't mean they are not good and honest people.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Adventure we rather not have had
Monday was to have been an uneventful day. Kris went to the airport to get the keys he needed for the site. The gate will be locked for the Rain forest and they will need to get to the site before park hours and leaving after park hours. He came by to see me, I was sitting by the pool while the laundry was doing its thing. He asked me if I wanted to ride up with him to the site since the work will not start until tomorrow. He hoped the weather would be better for taking some pictures. I said "sure", so he did some work on line and waited for me to finish up the laundry.
We took off to get him a haircut on base and then headed out to the site. Well we didn't get very far down the interstate before we were part of a traffic jam. We thought it was a traffic accident but found out as we got closer to the source that it was a huge hold in the road! A mile or so down the road we heard something pop, Kris ran over some rhubarb, not sure if it was part of the bridge or fell off someone's truck. A few seconds later a dash light came on the jeep and it showed the tire was going flat! GEE! We were very close to the car rental where we got out jeep from so Kris drove in there to advise them on the flat. They called roadside service to change the tire and sent us over to Goodyear to get another tire. The tire was not puncher it was split! Well now it was 1pm and by the time we got the tire replaced it was 4pm. With the language barrier here, meaning we don't speak Spanish, Kris had a time getting them to understand the tire was covered under the rental contract. He was worn out by the end of the day with just trying to communicate with people! Oh did I mention we were thinking about learning Spanish. I guess we need to stop thinking and do it! We were blessed that the rental Jeep was under FAA contract, because if we were here just as tourist we would be paying for this out of pocket. My advice to all who rent cars as tourist to know your policy and if you roadside service in the states covers other US territories. The rental company wanted to switch out vehicles but Kris had added a toll pass (yes tolls here too) and could not get it off the windshield without breaking the code bar. Tip: If you ever rent a vehicle and add a toll pass do not apply it all the way, leave the tips to grab on to so you can transfer it in case you have to change vehicles.
As we were sitting in the parking lot waiting for roadside service we saw a state vehicle on the bridge where we hit the rhubarb. We guess it was a bridge problem after all.
I guess you can tell we never made it to the mountain top!
We took off to get him a haircut on base and then headed out to the site. Well we didn't get very far down the interstate before we were part of a traffic jam. We thought it was a traffic accident but found out as we got closer to the source that it was a huge hold in the road! A mile or so down the road we heard something pop, Kris ran over some rhubarb, not sure if it was part of the bridge or fell off someone's truck. A few seconds later a dash light came on the jeep and it showed the tire was going flat! GEE! We were very close to the car rental where we got out jeep from so Kris drove in there to advise them on the flat. They called roadside service to change the tire and sent us over to Goodyear to get another tire. The tire was not puncher it was split! Well now it was 1pm and by the time we got the tire replaced it was 4pm. With the language barrier here, meaning we don't speak Spanish, Kris had a time getting them to understand the tire was covered under the rental contract. He was worn out by the end of the day with just trying to communicate with people! Oh did I mention we were thinking about learning Spanish. I guess we need to stop thinking and do it! We were blessed that the rental Jeep was under FAA contract, because if we were here just as tourist we would be paying for this out of pocket. My advice to all who rent cars as tourist to know your policy and if you roadside service in the states covers other US territories. The rental company wanted to switch out vehicles but Kris had added a toll pass (yes tolls here too) and could not get it off the windshield without breaking the code bar. Tip: If you ever rent a vehicle and add a toll pass do not apply it all the way, leave the tips to grab on to so you can transfer it in case you have to change vehicles.
As we were sitting in the parking lot waiting for roadside service we saw a state vehicle on the bridge where we hit the rhubarb. We guess it was a bridge problem after all.
I guess you can tell we never made it to the mountain top!
Out of Town
Where in the world do I start! So much is happening and I don't want to leave anything out! Duane, Kris and I have a saying we enjoy when we are traveling, "out of town." When we go places we have never been before, whether it is a road or a city we always say "we are out of town". With all the places we have been to: Miami, Alabama, Key West, Mississippi and now Puerto Rico, our getting "out of town" is becoming more challenging! A challenge we both love and look forward to.
We ran into a very nice couple going out of the hotel the other day and the husband had on a Kure Beach, NC Tee shirt. I asked if they lived there and they said they had family there. She was originally from Boston and He was from St. Thomas. They live in St. Thomas, but choose to come over to the island to shop since the shopping in St. Thomas is mainly dedicated to tourist.
On our little outing for the day, Kris drove us down the coast line. We stopped on the side of the road and took this amazing shot. This is absolutely a breath taking scene!
Kris took me up to see the Arecibo Observatory. It is the home of the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope for radar and astronomy. It has not only captured interest of visitors of all ages but also Hollywood producers in the James Bond movie Contact. Scientists can examine phenomena that occur as close as 2 miles above the Earth's atmosphere,or probe the hearts of quasars, objects 10 billion light-years away, at the very edge of the discernible universe. To learn more about this amazing instrument visit http://www.naic.edu or better yet come and see it for yourself!
While we were driving back down the mountain from viewing the radar, we decide to take the back roads to the interstate. Even though you are on the back roads, going up the mountain there are still more back roads to drive. Kris programmed the GPS for another route. Well, trust me when say we love our GPS, but it is not always correct. Sometimes it views a path as a road and we found out the hard way when the path was taking us dead end into someone's driveway. We love adventures, however, not when dark is setting in and the road is a one lane road: not a one way road, and the mountain roads are very curvy. We have noticed the locals are constantly blowing their car horns to alert the other drivers coming from the other direction, someone else is coming around the mountain.
Even though the island is only 105 miles long and 35 miles wide, it is amazing how secluded it is in the mountains. You can easily get lost providing you don't have a GPS or know your way around the area. There is another town 40 miles down the road I would like to visit to see how different the area is from here. There are 3 Sam's clubs here on the island that we know of and a huge mall that I would like to see. I am curious what kind of clothes they sell here, if it is like at the BX on the military base. On base they sell winter clothes! We are not that far from the equator and they sell long sleeves and coats! Kris was sharing with me, when he was in Okinawan the day temperatures were 95 and the night temperatures dropped to 65. With such of a difference in temperatures it is a big change.
The BX's (retail) and Commissary (grocery) prices are sooooo much better than the civilian prices. We bought some prepared meals ( I know they are not the healthiest meals) to warm up in the microwave. We can eat for about $4.00 a person instead of $12 or $25 per person. We also picked up some salad fixings and a few goodies. The Hotel breakfast is included in your room fee, we pick up some yogurt and apple for a later snack. The hotel also servers as a treat to the hotel guest popcorn and drinks at the end of the day. I have to be careful because I do not want to get in the habit of drinking soft drinks again. All of this saves some dollars too! We want to save our dollars to eat out on the weekend and for other fun stuff. Money will go in a hurry if you don't stay on top of your spending. I am very thankful I have been keeping track on my spending for several years now so it is not a burden to keep track on it here.
People have laughed at me for keeping my receipts and tracking my everyday spending. I really don't care what they think since they are not paying my bills. It is important to know where every nickel goes. Yes I said nickel not dollar. It will add up and I know by doing this we can enjoy our travels more. We know there is more travels to come and I want to enjoy them, but not to over shadow today's fun with tomorrows travel, so keeping track allows me to enjoy each day and be concerned but not worried about tomorrow! Duane has learned that very well and he now is helping others so they too can enjoy life more.
One more tip: always know the time zone you are traveling to. As much as we travel we try to be aware of the time zones, but we were caught with out pants down here. Each day we seem to get to places as they were closing or closed. We were late for breakfast at the hotel once. Then it hit us, we are in Atlantic Standard time zone. When Kris was here by himself a few months ago I went to the Puerto Rico website and saw they did not honor daylight savings time. Kris and I were on the same time scheduled. Me in NC and he, here in Puerto Rico. However when we both came over here together we completely forgot about the time difference. We were both pleased we figured it out before he had to show up for work! We are ahead an hour from eastern time zone.
We ran into a very nice couple going out of the hotel the other day and the husband had on a Kure Beach, NC Tee shirt. I asked if they lived there and they said they had family there. She was originally from Boston and He was from St. Thomas. They live in St. Thomas, but choose to come over to the island to shop since the shopping in St. Thomas is mainly dedicated to tourist.
On our little outing for the day, Kris drove us down the coast line. We stopped on the side of the road and took this amazing shot. This is absolutely a breath taking scene!
Kris took me up to see the Arecibo Observatory. It is the home of the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope for radar and astronomy. It has not only captured interest of visitors of all ages but also Hollywood producers in the James Bond movie Contact. Scientists can examine phenomena that occur as close as 2 miles above the Earth's atmosphere,or probe the hearts of quasars, objects 10 billion light-years away, at the very edge of the discernible universe. To learn more about this amazing instrument visit http://www.naic.edu or better yet come and see it for yourself!
While we were driving back down the mountain from viewing the radar, we decide to take the back roads to the interstate. Even though you are on the back roads, going up the mountain there are still more back roads to drive. Kris programmed the GPS for another route. Well, trust me when say we love our GPS, but it is not always correct. Sometimes it views a path as a road and we found out the hard way when the path was taking us dead end into someone's driveway. We love adventures, however, not when dark is setting in and the road is a one lane road: not a one way road, and the mountain roads are very curvy. We have noticed the locals are constantly blowing their car horns to alert the other drivers coming from the other direction, someone else is coming around the mountain.
Even though the island is only 105 miles long and 35 miles wide, it is amazing how secluded it is in the mountains. You can easily get lost providing you don't have a GPS or know your way around the area. There is another town 40 miles down the road I would like to visit to see how different the area is from here. There are 3 Sam's clubs here on the island that we know of and a huge mall that I would like to see. I am curious what kind of clothes they sell here, if it is like at the BX on the military base. On base they sell winter clothes! We are not that far from the equator and they sell long sleeves and coats! Kris was sharing with me, when he was in Okinawan the day temperatures were 95 and the night temperatures dropped to 65. With such of a difference in temperatures it is a big change.
The BX's (retail) and Commissary (grocery) prices are sooooo much better than the civilian prices. We bought some prepared meals ( I know they are not the healthiest meals) to warm up in the microwave. We can eat for about $4.00 a person instead of $12 or $25 per person. We also picked up some salad fixings and a few goodies. The Hotel breakfast is included in your room fee, we pick up some yogurt and apple for a later snack. The hotel also servers as a treat to the hotel guest popcorn and drinks at the end of the day. I have to be careful because I do not want to get in the habit of drinking soft drinks again. All of this saves some dollars too! We want to save our dollars to eat out on the weekend and for other fun stuff. Money will go in a hurry if you don't stay on top of your spending. I am very thankful I have been keeping track on my spending for several years now so it is not a burden to keep track on it here.
People have laughed at me for keeping my receipts and tracking my everyday spending. I really don't care what they think since they are not paying my bills. It is important to know where every nickel goes. Yes I said nickel not dollar. It will add up and I know by doing this we can enjoy our travels more. We know there is more travels to come and I want to enjoy them, but not to over shadow today's fun with tomorrows travel, so keeping track allows me to enjoy each day and be concerned but not worried about tomorrow! Duane has learned that very well and he now is helping others so they too can enjoy life more.
One more tip: always know the time zone you are traveling to. As much as we travel we try to be aware of the time zones, but we were caught with out pants down here. Each day we seem to get to places as they were closing or closed. We were late for breakfast at the hotel once. Then it hit us, we are in Atlantic Standard time zone. When Kris was here by himself a few months ago I went to the Puerto Rico website and saw they did not honor daylight savings time. Kris and I were on the same time scheduled. Me in NC and he, here in Puerto Rico. However when we both came over here together we completely forgot about the time difference. We were both pleased we figured it out before he had to show up for work! We are ahead an hour from eastern time zone.
Friday, November 28, 2008
On top of the world looking down on creation...
Kris had to go up to the Pico del Este radar site today to get things ready for the next four weeks of work. The new beacon radar system will be activated over the next few weeks. This project is in conjunction with the Air Force and civilian air craft. Since 9-11 the FAA is upgrading all their long range radar sites to keep the friendly skies friendly. This is a major undertaking coordinating military and civilian personal along with an FAA pilot and jet to activate this system. Two AM solars and two PM solars have to be logged over the next few days to catch the right angle for spotting air craft. It is amazing all the planning that goes into this project.
Anyway back to the top of the world. Kris took me up to an old castle at the very top of the El Yunque Rain forest. The only way civilians can get up there is to hike, but having the privilege of being with someone who has a badge and clearance we were able to drive our nice red jeep up there! Now mind you I would love to hike some, but still healing from surgery that would not be a good idea as these roads are steep! Of course I am not complaining about the ride either! I know that pictures will not do this justice but it is the best I can do to bring this to life for you.
I would love to see my son Duane and brother David on their bicycles here training for their next ride or race! I have a feeling it would whip the best of the best.
The road up there was quite breath taking. As we came out of one curve we were going into another one. I have been in the mountains of NC but I have never seen anything like this! I feel like I was part of Romancing the Stone and looking for Lupe's Escape! This is a truly amazing place with very steep banks and lush vegetation and signs of mud slides! It is my hope that more people in the States would come over here to experience the beauty this place has to offer.
Puerto Rico is like any large city. It has its low housing and upper class, but I have not met anyone yet who was not willing to assist no matter where we are. People smile and nod their heads or wave at you.
When we were at the top, I took some pictures on buildings and scenery to show just how quickly the scenery can change. One shot will show clouds all around us and just a few seconds or minutes the clouds are gone. This was not the best time to be here for there are more clouds around us. Time was not on our side today since Kris had to get to the site and meet someone there. Hopefully we can make it back up there again before we leave. That particular road was a one lane and no one else should be on that road, at least I hope not!
There is a telco building right before we get to the top that is not the FAA's, however, it has to be manned very day since there is no telling when communication will go down. I feel for this man since he is so far from any store. From what Kris tells me the man takes a lot of naps :) I don't blame him for there is nothing to do until something breaks. I guess you can only play solitaire so much.
As you will see in some of the pictures, as I am standing on top of the world in the middle of the rain forest I can actually see the ocean! It is truly an amazing sight!
While I was standing outside on the platform at the radar site taking some pictures, I could not believe the temperature change: it was so cold I could not hardly hold the camera still. I left NC to get warm! What is wrong with this picture!
As we were leaving the top of the mountain, we took the top off the jeep and enjoyed the nice cool breeze of the rain forest. We stopped by several waterfalls and took a few short walks.
While we were stopping for some dinner, Kris noticed a Bird of Paradise plant right beside of us. It was quite lovely and very interesting.
This has been truly an amazing day.
Anyway back to the top of the world. Kris took me up to an old castle at the very top of the El Yunque Rain forest. The only way civilians can get up there is to hike, but having the privilege of being with someone who has a badge and clearance we were able to drive our nice red jeep up there! Now mind you I would love to hike some, but still healing from surgery that would not be a good idea as these roads are steep! Of course I am not complaining about the ride either! I know that pictures will not do this justice but it is the best I can do to bring this to life for you.
I would love to see my son Duane and brother David on their bicycles here training for their next ride or race! I have a feeling it would whip the best of the best.
The road up there was quite breath taking. As we came out of one curve we were going into another one. I have been in the mountains of NC but I have never seen anything like this! I feel like I was part of Romancing the Stone and looking for Lupe's Escape! This is a truly amazing place with very steep banks and lush vegetation and signs of mud slides! It is my hope that more people in the States would come over here to experience the beauty this place has to offer.
Puerto Rico is like any large city. It has its low housing and upper class, but I have not met anyone yet who was not willing to assist no matter where we are. People smile and nod their heads or wave at you.
When we were at the top, I took some pictures on buildings and scenery to show just how quickly the scenery can change. One shot will show clouds all around us and just a few seconds or minutes the clouds are gone. This was not the best time to be here for there are more clouds around us. Time was not on our side today since Kris had to get to the site and meet someone there. Hopefully we can make it back up there again before we leave. That particular road was a one lane and no one else should be on that road, at least I hope not!
There is a telco building right before we get to the top that is not the FAA's, however, it has to be manned very day since there is no telling when communication will go down. I feel for this man since he is so far from any store. From what Kris tells me the man takes a lot of naps :) I don't blame him for there is nothing to do until something breaks. I guess you can only play solitaire so much.
As you will see in some of the pictures, as I am standing on top of the world in the middle of the rain forest I can actually see the ocean! It is truly an amazing sight!
While I was standing outside on the platform at the radar site taking some pictures, I could not believe the temperature change: it was so cold I could not hardly hold the camera still. I left NC to get warm! What is wrong with this picture!
As we were leaving the top of the mountain, we took the top off the jeep and enjoyed the nice cool breeze of the rain forest. We stopped by several waterfalls and took a few short walks.
While we were stopping for some dinner, Kris noticed a Bird of Paradise plant right beside of us. It was quite lovely and very interesting.
This has been truly an amazing day.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
First full day in Puerto Rico
Kris and I arrived yesterday tired but very pleased to be back traveling together. It has been a long journey but it has reminded us both just how much we have been blessed. Flying into Puerto Rico was impressive in of itself! I would have never thought the area would have been so civilized. I guess it is a mixed blessing. Out hotel and room is very nice and with hot water! I can look out of my bed room window and see the ocean and without twisting too far to the left or right I can count 16 hotels! The island has something going on all of the time
We took a short drive today since my back is still rather sore from sitting so long on the plane and waiting a while for a rental car. All the road signs and most of the business signs are in Spanish. Kris and I have thought about learning to speak Spanish, I guess we better start soon, real soon! As a matter of fact it looks like I need to learn the metric system too since all the mile markers are in kilometers, and to think the people in the Sates think this is a third world country. More people hear can speak 2 languages and know the metric system and most the people I know have a hard time speaking the English language and surely don't know the metric system! It truly amazes me how us Americas are so quickly to stick our all mighty noses up at something we know very little about! I would love for some of them to come over here and see just how superior they are NOT!
There is an Outback restaurant here at the hotel. Since it is turkey day all the outside restaurants are closed ,however, the hotel provided a nice Thanksgiving dinner for $24.95 per person. The hotel serves a free breakfast buffet so that should help us save some on the cost of food. When we went to the grocery today we had to be mindful of what we bought since we have only a very small microwave and small refrigerator in the room. We came out around $155.00 which in the States would have been little more than half the cost. We are going to try to stay under $30 for two per meal. I believe we will be eating sandwiches (yuck, I hate sandwiches) we prepare for lunch and eat out for dinner.
Kris and I did stop by a roadside stand where the locals were cooking up (road kill) tacos and something wrapped up in a banana and fried! it was ok but hmmm don't think I will eat that again. Three Tacos cost us $8.00! It is interesting to try the local foods. I just know my body cannot take too many different kinds of foods. It will make me hate life later:)
It is a nice 85 degrees here so that in of itself is one good reason to be here! Kris will be taking me up into the rain forest (the only rain forest in the U.S.) tomorrow to the site he will be working at. From tip to tip of the island it is about 4 hour drive to give you some idea how large the island is. Oh, I almost forgot, when we were at the grocery we saw a SUV go by with I love NC on the back. I ran up to it and asked where in NC, they said Raleigh! I said my son lives in Holly Springs! They were surprised to here that and it is true about the old saying " tis a small world"!
We took a short drive today since my back is still rather sore from sitting so long on the plane and waiting a while for a rental car. All the road signs and most of the business signs are in Spanish. Kris and I have thought about learning to speak Spanish, I guess we better start soon, real soon! As a matter of fact it looks like I need to learn the metric system too since all the mile markers are in kilometers, and to think the people in the Sates think this is a third world country. More people hear can speak 2 languages and know the metric system and most the people I know have a hard time speaking the English language and surely don't know the metric system! It truly amazes me how us Americas are so quickly to stick our all mighty noses up at something we know very little about! I would love for some of them to come over here and see just how superior they are NOT!
There is an Outback restaurant here at the hotel. Since it is turkey day all the outside restaurants are closed ,however, the hotel provided a nice Thanksgiving dinner for $24.95 per person. The hotel serves a free breakfast buffet so that should help us save some on the cost of food. When we went to the grocery today we had to be mindful of what we bought since we have only a very small microwave and small refrigerator in the room. We came out around $155.00 which in the States would have been little more than half the cost. We are going to try to stay under $30 for two per meal. I believe we will be eating sandwiches (yuck, I hate sandwiches) we prepare for lunch and eat out for dinner.
Kris and I did stop by a roadside stand where the locals were cooking up (road kill) tacos and something wrapped up in a banana and fried! it was ok but hmmm don't think I will eat that again. Three Tacos cost us $8.00! It is interesting to try the local foods. I just know my body cannot take too many different kinds of foods. It will make me hate life later:)
It is a nice 85 degrees here so that in of itself is one good reason to be here! Kris will be taking me up into the rain forest (the only rain forest in the U.S.) tomorrow to the site he will be working at. From tip to tip of the island it is about 4 hour drive to give you some idea how large the island is. Oh, I almost forgot, when we were at the grocery we saw a SUV go by with I love NC on the back. I ran up to it and asked where in NC, they said Raleigh! I said my son lives in Holly Springs! They were surprised to here that and it is true about the old saying " tis a small world"!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Recovering
I have been at my mom's residence in Albemarle, NC since July. I am being treated for back
problems that has been plaguing me since early 1980. My wonderful back specialist Dr. Baker and his wonderful staff in Salisbury, NC has implanted a Medtronic back stimulator. It is implanted in my spine and is control by a remote device that I carry around with me. According to my doctor my back is so bad off and I am too young ( that made me feel good) to do any surgery at this time. We are all hopeful that I will never need surgery. I am truly blessed and amazed at how far and advance technology has come. It has been six weeks since the implant and I am still under doctors care. This is a very serious surgery and the healing process takes time. I can walk and take care of me but nothing else.
The good news is I can travel with Kris to Puerto Rico late November to be with him on his assignment. Kris has been in Puerto Rico through my recovery and now he is in the Grand Turks.
Don't get to excited, he said the place is a mess since the last hurricane came through and tore up most the island.
My wonderful son Duane took pity on me and brought me to his house for a few weeks to recover. The Stately Duane Manor was a fabulous place to recover. It was nice being doted on and cooked for. This really made me feel special that a young man who has a active life style would have his mom underfoot and willing to take time to help her. His girl friend Heather doted on me as well. She took me to get my hair fixed and to buy some new makeup to make me feel better about myself. I had not been to a hair salon since April. I could not walk or sit long enough to have anything done. I felt truly blessed
problems that has been plaguing me since early 1980. My wonderful back specialist Dr. Baker and his wonderful staff in Salisbury, NC has implanted a Medtronic back stimulator. It is implanted in my spine and is control by a remote device that I carry around with me. According to my doctor my back is so bad off and I am too young ( that made me feel good) to do any surgery at this time. We are all hopeful that I will never need surgery. I am truly blessed and amazed at how far and advance technology has come. It has been six weeks since the implant and I am still under doctors care. This is a very serious surgery and the healing process takes time. I can walk and take care of me but nothing else.
The good news is I can travel with Kris to Puerto Rico late November to be with him on his assignment. Kris has been in Puerto Rico through my recovery and now he is in the Grand Turks.
Don't get to excited, he said the place is a mess since the last hurricane came through and tore up most the island.
My wonderful son Duane took pity on me and brought me to his house for a few weeks to recover. The Stately Duane Manor was a fabulous place to recover. It was nice being doted on and cooked for. This really made me feel special that a young man who has a active life style would have his mom underfoot and willing to take time to help her. His girl friend Heather doted on me as well. She took me to get my hair fixed and to buy some new makeup to make me feel better about myself. I had not been to a hair salon since April. I could not walk or sit long enough to have anything done. I felt truly blessed
Saturday, November 8, 2008
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