The Lost Pictures

Time to take a trip down memory lane...well a mini trip at least.  So many things happen on a daily basis around here that I figured an update in pictures may be just the thing to get this blog up to date!  Plus, now that we are in the Facebook era where people can get lost in pictures for hours (usually during their work day...shout out to my office folks!), I think it may be quite enjoyable for most.  That being said...enjoy!

Ok so let's start with visitors...first my friend Melissa came to la isla.  Unfortunately there is no picture of her here because we never got to meet up :(  She was on the other side of the island (San Juan area) and it is about 2+ hours from me.  Our schedules never aligned so I am patiently awaiting her return trip!

Ellie

Whale in Rincón

Next, was Ellie.  Ellie has been a faithful blog reader, yard sale customer, commenter and all around cheerleader throughout this 'packin' up' journey.  So, she came into town and hit the road with her honey bunny to find Mish in PR!  She got to meet the infamous Mama and check out a few whales in Rincón with us.  Unfortunately we were so excited and concentrated on getting pics of whales that we didn't bother getting a picture of us together!  She did, however, supply me with a great pic of her during her time here in PR as well as some awesome pics of the whales!

Ponce

Old San Juan

Then, sistah/cuz came for a visit and we started her trip with a bang...hitting Old San Juan then making our way home to the West.  She took hundreds of gorgeous shots with her handy dandy camera and even contemplated staying a bit longer than planned.  She was offered a job with me as an English teacher but decided against it...good thing she did because two months later I still haven't started!  During one of our trips back from training for this "job" we decided to take a detour and stop in Ponce.  There, we found a waiter who looked like a young Benecio Del Toro -- no lie.  Old Mish would have at the very least posed with this hot hot hottie.  New Mish just appreciated the scenery and tried to convince sistah/cuz to explore her inner cougar LOL.  Now that I think of it, I should have at least asked for him to take a pic with her so you all could see just how much he looked like Benecio, it was crazy!!

Pics n driving? Do not try this at home!

Backseat view

Ok what else...oh!  So, one day we went to visit my granduncle (her uncle).  During that visit my granduncle (Tio Munchin) decided that he wanted to take us for a drive.  Then, his sister, my grandaunt (Titi Viña) said she wanted to tag along.  Before we left, I was warned that I should probably drive...so I did.  The adventure that commenced really cannot be put into words.  Tio wanted us to go up into the mountains and swore that a) it was close and a quick drive (we only had a few hours of sun left) and b) doable with my Smurf and completely safe.  Please note the pics of Tio and I picking up and tossing to the side HUGE rocks...yeah that is the road he had me on (which ended in a dead end of really tall grass).  Did I mention I had to reverse my way out of that road...in my very low to the ground NON 4x4 vehicle?!  I was just praying that nothing would end up broken as I had flashbacks of a very interesting New Years Eve (circa 2003?) in Philadelphia (long story short...a quick 11pm drive to a South Jersey liquor store ended with three friends sitting in the parking lot with a broken oil tank and nothing but booze to keep them warm as they awaited rescue before the ball dropped SHOUT OUT TO GRUMP FOR THAT RESCUE).

The infamous Rocky Road

"You will NOT hurt my smurf!"

Anyway, after successfully navigating our way out of that rock riddled road (say that 3 times fast), Tio continued to make me feel like less of a driver...saying that if he were behind the wheel we would be up the mountain and home already.  I begged to differ but I just stayed quiet.  Our final destination was a local waterway where Tio often stands to fish.  It was beautiful except for the excessive litter surrounding the road leading up to the water.  It never ceases to amaze me how litter bugs never think of the long term effects on our environment, our food, and subsequently, our bodies through their lazy actions.

Tio's fishing station

Finally, a few days before sistah/cuz boarded her plane back to the big city, we found a cozy restaurant to enjoy some delicious lobster empanadillas and take in the sunset.  It was relaxing and wonderful.  Sitting together, talking about everything and nothing...whether its over lobster empanadillas or gourmet mac n' cheese or pad thai....Riesling or Sangria...Black Whale fondue or fried ice cream.  It was good to capture that feeling with her once again in PR!

Sunset in Joyuda

So a few weeks after sistah/cuz left I discovered a double oil leak in my lil' Smurf (hmmm maybe thanks to that Rocky Road adventure?!)  Either way, I needed to get it fixed.  Low and behold my other granduncle (Mr. Miyagi) offered to pay for my car repairs in exchange for a weekend of working with him at his sunglass kiosk on the beach.  I was willing to do it for free, but the opportunity to also get my Smurf repaired was a definite bonus.  So, that Thursday night, there I was...behind a table of sunglasses offering a warm smile and a simple "Buenas" as folks strolled by glancing at what we had to offer.  Some ignored me, some returned the smile, and some were scared off.  I enjoyed this experience because  as I toy with the idea of opening my own kiosk on the beach, I was given an opportunity to see just how this beach vendor thing goes.  Things I took away from this experience:
1.get a good, tall chair (you can't stand for 5+ hours straight and expect not to have shooting leg pain and you want to be able to sit and watch everything as customers stroll by)
2. have some healthy snacks/beverages on hand (the beach is full of food...unfortunately its mostly greasy, overpriced appetizers)
3. come with your "patience" hat on...as customers are very indecisive and full of questions
4. Come with an empty bladder and have a bathroom relief person on hand in case you have to make a run for it
5. Make friends with local restaurant owners so that you don't have to go that far (nor pay...yes pay...there is one restaurant that actually has a person at their bathroom entrance asking for a $1 from everyone who tries to use it) to use the bathroom.

Tio & Carmen getting crazy in the kiosk! Don't be alarmed its only coconut water...no really, Tio doesn't drink!

So, in the end, I made quite a few sales, practiced my Spanish, and walked away with a clearer vision of my future kiosk....now I just need an actual stand to call my own! ; )

WHOA!  I just found a whole 'nother load of lost photos!  Stay tuned for more....