Part 2

Day 8 / Wednesday / July 8

We awoke and the boys decided to spend their last day together at Platform. I decided to clean the house and refresh our flower cuttings. Our host came over and gave my D and I a golf lesson and my D continued to play "mini golf" right out on the grounds of the estate. Then my D and I decided to drive down to Hull Bay to check it out. I was expecting to find pretty shells, but one of the boat owners down there told me that the shells are plentiful in the winter when the surf is rough - not in the summer. We found no good shells  The Hideaway place down at Hull Bay looked interesting. It looks like a restaurant/bar/gathering spot. I would like to try it some day. The weather was cloudy this day and I was glad that the island was getting some rain. What's great about such a long vacation is that you don't mind when it rains a few days - you KNOW you'll have more sun than you need. On the way back to the house we stopped at Udder Delight for milkshakes. I had the Bananaquit (I think it had amoretto in it) and my D had a plain vanilla shake - delish!

We took my son's friend to the airport, but his plane was delayed (note: always call ahead for your departure time - I have never left STT on time and the flights are normally 1-2 hrs delayed). The plane he was going out on was the same plane my son's GF was coming in on - so she was also delayed. His GF's birthday would take place while she was on island with us and she had requested a certain Tiffany bracelet, which my son decided to get for her (with his money, of course). So, my D and I offered to run to town while he waited with his friend so we could buy the bracelet and have that piece out of the way. We went to Little Switzerland and I saw that a woman I met when I was previously staying at Sapphire another year was working the counter. When I met her she had just arrived on the island from NYC and was learning her way. That was about 3 years back. She told me she was having a fabulous time and would never go back - and she looked like it. We bought the bracelet (Tiffany charges same prices as stateside, but no tax, which can add up with Tiffany prices) and went back to the airport. My son's GF had just arrived and we jumped into the car and headed to Burrito Bay. She started to complain loudly about how long the food was taking and I shot my son the "look" , after which he took my cue and told her to relax and enjoy island time. I'll spare you the details of this scenario repeating itself many times over the duration of the trip - and openly apologize to the cabdriver with whom she engaged in an all out shouting match. Needless to say, she and my son will need to travel by themselves from here on. Though, she did mention that she thought it was better to come by cruise ship because they have ice skating, movies, multiple pools (she didn't like the sea water), etc. So, perhaps the islanders won't be subjected to her in the future, which is a great thing. I think this was the night the storm hit the island and the power went out for the evening. We all went to bed early. I really enjoyed the storm….the sound of rain on the roof, the lightning, the thunder, the darkness.

Day 9/ Thursday / July 7

We awoke to the fresh, clean smell of the island after a strong rain. It was a magnificent scent. There is some plant on the island that has a distinctive smell and I have no idea what it is. If anyone knows, please share. I smell it everywhere on the island. Anyway, we had passes for the Ritz gym and my son and his GF wanted to work out (she's a college soccer player and had a program to keep while we were away, so workouts were daily), so off we went to the Ritz. My D and I swam in the pool (where my D again met up with her friend) and the teens worked out. We stayed by the pool until it was time to go back and get dressed for the VINOW Board gathering at Azure. The teens stayed behind while my D and I went to the gathering. We had a great time and I stayed out longer than expected. I am still salivating over the Thai spring rolls we ate. "Glennswife" (Donna) told me about the bowling alley and we met lots of the board regulars from the travel and relocation boards. Islander and Jeff were gracious hosts!! I wish I could have stayed longer, but the teens were at home waiting to be driver to dinner. This turned out to be a downside of the trip - the driving them around and dropping them off places.

When we got back to the house the teens had a "tude" because I was out too long and my cell wasn't working (my cell hardly worked the entire time!!!). I took them into Havensight and we checked out a place called "Shipwreck" (I think that was the name), but when they got out of the car a guy was sitting there and called my son "yellow" and asked him for money, so the kids got back into the car feeling uneasy and asked me to drop them at the Greenhouse, which I did. But, Greenhouse was ready to stop serving so they took a cab over to another place in Havensight and had dinner. My friend was playing in a softball game by the Holiday Inn so my D and I went there to check things out (10pm and a softball game hadn't started yet?). It turned out that the other team didn't have enough players so the game was forfeited. I am still amazed that so many things start so late on the island. We actually missed out on some of the better things to do because they started too late for us. STT is really a late-night place. I went home and my friend gave the teens a ride back to the house after the softball events wound down.

Day 10 / Friday / July 8

ANOTHER day at the Ritz. I proclaimed this to be the last day at the pool. I didn't come to STT to sit by a pool. I wanted beaches! But, my D was busied by her friends and it did provide me with some time to relax. Ritz food and drinks were also expensive and were eating into my budget. I was becoming envious of the parents who hired the nannies I saw in the pool with their little charges. I wondered where those parents were - a lazy daysail? Sleeping on the beach? Snorkeling some exotic cay? I was starting to feel like the trip was more work than at home. Would I need a vacation from this vacation?
Ah, the parental vacation issues. I decided that any other long trips to STT would require me checking into camps. We cooked dinner at home that night and the teens wanted to make this their big night out at Duffy's, which they did.

Day 11 / Saturday / July 9

We woke up and went for a drive around the island on the West End. I have barely explored this side of the island. Then my D and I stopped by Ronnie's to see if he was there, which he wasn't. So, we went into town and did a little shopping. It was much too hot and the heat combined with the pushy jewelry stores was making me cranky. Then I remembered that Marty worked at Azure and wanted to say hi. Sure enough, he was there! We chatted for a few and Marty gave me tips on how to earn money on the island. Hi Marty! Thanks for the tips!! My favorite find while shopping was the candles in the conch shells. I found them in a small gift shop on a side street. I remember having these in our home when I lived on the island as a child. Now, if I could only find the large "sand candles" that used to hang in homes on the island - they were sometimes adorned with shells in the sand. I think I recall someone saying I could find them at Tillett Gardens. Has anyone seen them?

Ok, so we went back to the house and just hung around exploring the grounds and looking at the flowers and plants. The entire time we were staying a the house we had several lizards that lived there with us. Amazingly, they remained in the spots the entire time -- one on the window in the dining room, one in the living room, one behind the chase in the master bedroom - and several others - always there in the same spots. We welcomed their presence and never had a mosquito problem while in that house - even though we kept the sliding glass doors totally open on the north side of the house, without screens.

On this night the teens decided to go to Cuzzins for dinner and my D and I decided on Molly Malone's (heaven forbid we all eat in the same place - but hey, this meant I didn't have to pay for them - and my son's GF is the one who has to have two expensive appetizers and has no concept for looking for deals on the entrée menu - plus dessert - and with the way she orders the staff around, I was glad to not be seen with them so as not to ruin my reputation as a well behaved visitor). So, we dropped them off and headed to Red Hook. Molly Malone's was crowded, but we were quickly seated (albeit, the hostess was cold and after I told her there were two of us, she just picked up two menus and walked off without saying a word to us. I was left wondering if we were supposed to follow or not. After watching her walk across to an empty table, I decided that perhaps we were supposed to follow, so we did. She put the menus at our places and walked off. Oh well.

The service wasn't too hot. Our server was "cool" and maybe she was tired or something. She never smiled, barely attended to us and brought the entrée and appetizers all at once - after a long wait without an offer for drink refills or anything else. I actually had to flag her down to ask for another beer. We usually have a good experience at Molly's, so this was surprising. I can understand the place being busy on a Sat night - but a smile and a little warmth would have helped. But, the food was yummy, as always - and reasonable. I had conch chowder - sooooooooooooo good! I also had fish and chips. My D had kids chicken fingers. We were both too full to finish and asked to take our food with us.

As we walked back to our spot in the parking lot we had a scare (where a guy followed me and my daughter in the American Yacht Harbor parking lot) and I think he was going to try to take my purse as he ran up on me - I was carrying my purse under my arm and had my arms full of two big leftover food containers from Molly's.....but I glanced over my shoulder and caught him as he was coming and he and I had a "chat" - he told me he was just seeing me to my car and I told him not to, but he kept coming - walking realy fast and clearly drunk -....we were coming from Molly Malones on a Sat night around 9:30pm. I was angry because he wouldn't go away even after I told him to...and he followed us on to the car (with his drink in his hand). I went right to the driver's side and unlocked the doors from my side while my 7 yr old daughter opened her own door in the rear on the passenger side, he went to her side (I was on the other side) and I thought he was going to get into the passenger side front, but my D jumped in and slammed her door, I locked all the doors from my side and then I got in, so by the time he realized he couldn't get in on the passenger side front because the door was locked, he RAN around to my side but I jumped in and all the doors were then locked. Just then a big SUV full off people pulled around and they slowed down to see what was going on. I pulled out behind them and the guy followed me, right next to my car window, all the way to the road - he was jogging because I was driving kind of fast.

Lesson: like everyone ALWAYS says, be aware of your surroundings. Had I not glanced behind us while we were walkng, he would have gotten whatever he wanted. This parking lot is VERY well lit and in an area where there are always people around and cars going by....but that didn't matter. I was wishing for a can of pepper spray and a whistle.

We then drove back to Cuzzins to pick up the teens and all drove home. My D was a little shaken up by the parking lot event - but well all fell asleep quickly.

Day 12 / Sunday / July 10

Today we were planning to head to Sapphire's Beach Party. I woke up early and decided that my tan lines were unsightly and a little au natural tanning on the balcony would be a good idea. It was about 7:30 when I went out and by 9:30 I had some color where none had been. This became my routine for the rest of the trip. I finished my book on this morning and placed it on the bookshelf for other guests to enjoy. The teens awoke and wanted to go to Ritz to workout. I dropped them off (LOTS of driving on this trip) and came back to lounge around the house until 2pm, where we headed to Sapphire. The beach party really wasn't in full swing yet, so we swam around snorkeled a bit. The water at Sapphire is just wonderful and the fish are plentiful. We saw some idiots walking on the reef (as always). Why are people determined to kill that reef???
Now that I am writing this I remembered that we were at Sapphire on another day earlier in the trip, but I can't recall which one. It's so hard to remember everything. My D and I got hungry and decided to grab some burgers at the grill. $8 each - and they come with chips. My friend/host came and joined us for little while and I asked him why the beach party didn't seem as lively as I recall from years past. He said the band had a lot to do with it and that this new band wasn't too good. I agreed. The Sapphire Beach party wasn't what it used to be. It was disappointing. We swam some more and headed out. I was starting not to feel well. By the time we started driving I was feeling dizzy and had a headache that could kill a horse. The teens had taken a taxi back from the Ritz and were hungry, so I took them to Sibs to get take-out for dinner. Sibs is a great place. I like their food and the atmosphere of the shady gardens where the outdoor tables are is extraordinary! I recommend bringing bug spray because the mosquitoes love the stream that runs amongst the tables in the garden area. If you haven't tried Sibs, please do! It's near Mafolie, just down from Sibily School. The service is always good and friendly.
While the kids were inside getting their food I was in the car feeling like death. Too much sun? I don't know….but it wasn't fun. When we got back to the house I was feeling faint and dizzy. I got a big glass of water and downed some Advil - which I had to repeat because it didn't stay down the first time. I then fell asleep (it was about 7:30pm) and awoke feeling fine.

Day 13 / Monday / July 11

This was my son's GF's birthday. She wanted to shop for her birthday, so I drove them to town and dropped them off. Then my D and I went to Bolongo/ Iggie's for lunch and to meet up with a friend I had yet to see on this trip. We enjoyed Bolongo - the food was good ( though, I think they might have changed their crab dip recipe - I recall it being better than it tasted this time - I used to go there just for that. Maybe it's my imagination, but it used to be more yellow - more lobster - more tangy. Did they change the dip entirely? I wish I knew. The server was sooo nice and friendly. The breeze at Bolongo is great and sitting there was so refreshing. You sit at on outside, covered veranda on the beach. My D enjoyed looking for shells and swinging in the hammock while we waiting a short time for our food. I had the crab dip and conch fritters. My d had the Dungeness crab, which, of course, I had to crack and pull for her. A mom's work is never done.

Then we went to Kmart to load up on water, as I was feeling a little dehydrated and was thinking that my previous night's illness might have been partly due to not drinking enough water. You just can't hydrate yourself with Cruzan and Heineken 

We drove back to town to pick up the teens and I was hopeful that my son hadn't purchased all of the jewelry his GF was now draped in. I then noticed he had his own "bling" (both of his ears were sporting large diamond studs and there was a big silver chain around his neck). These two were officially "bling-blinged" out. Whatever…LOL.

We then went for an early evening dip in Megan's Bay. I love this place at Sunset…soooo peaceful. The Dominicans were having a gathering and Spanish music was pumping from one of the cars. It was fun and festive. The kids and I enjoyed looking at the HUGE sea cucumbers that we found. But, my son's GF refused to come into the water once she saw them.

Then we went home to shower and change. My son and his GF were preparing for her big, birthday bash (from which my D and I were banned - fine by us) and the teens decided to go to the Caribbean Saloon in red Hook for dinner. None of us had ever been there. We dropped them off and then D and I were so tired we decided to head to the Food Center for bagels, smoked salmon and cream cheese. This would be our dinner and we were quite pleased with ourselves. Though, a small container of smoked salmon was $8 and cream cheese was $5. A 5 pack of bagels was $2.99. We went home, ate and fell asleep. The teens came in at 2am and said they had a blast at the Saloon. They had been there the entire time - 8:30pm - 1:30am. I asked my son how much he spent (cringing) and he said a little more than $40. Huh? How did you both eat for $40. He said they had 3 appetizers and 2 entrees for $40, but they ordered off of the bar menu. Wow. And even the GF said the food was delicious. They also have slot machines in the saloon, so this is what they did all night - so much for the $40 night. The admitted that they put quite a bit into those machines. They raved about the Caribbean Saloon so much that we all went back the next night…and I was glad we did!!

Day 14 / Tuesday / July 12
Our last full day  We decided to head to Coki and spend the day limin' on the beach. Ok, so we didn’t check the ship schedule. Coki looked like the Jersey shore with all of those people! We could barely squeeze into a spot. UGH! But, we really wanted to spend time at Coki so we decided to stay. My D made a friend in the water and played. The sun feels super-bright at Coki. It was almost too much for me. I lathered on the sunscreen and hoped not to burn. My son and his GF enjoyed the water and then found shade on a picnic bench under a tree next to a food stall. I went to say hi to John Thomas who runs the smoothie bar and ordered an "Island Girl" drink. He always makes extra and gives you the leftovers after he fills your big cup…and he always has a smile and a kind word. As I went over to chat with the teens, I realized they were not only enjoying the shade of the tree and the music, but were also enjoying the aroma of a downwind breeze of ghanja coming from someone in the food shack. Just then a lady came out of the shack wearing her bathing suit. She came over to our table shaking her head and said "one hit and you're done"…lol…then she said she was lost. We asked where she was trying to go. She said "into the water" (hello, we were standing on the beach), so we pointed to the water and off she went. LOL. Wow, good stuff.

Just then a guy from Texas (off of a ship) came over and started talking to us. One of the vendors came by with a plate of food to show everyone what the special was. I commented on how good it looked an the Texan warned us not to eat from the food stands - "I wouldn't eat that! They cook it right there in that shack!" Man, these people have been cooking food in shacks longer than you've had barbeque in Texas. Then he asked us how many times we've been to STT. We told him dozens (I decided not to tell him I used to live here - he wouldn't appreciate it, I decided). His wife was coming up and he said "hey, these people have been here dozens of times" and she said "y'all come to the same place EVERY year?", as though that was wrong. I told them that we did take a year off to go to Disney World, but my kids wound up being so upset that we weren't going to STT, so we never ventured away again. Anyway, of course, we go other places - but that is always in addition to STT. For us, STT isn't like going away, it's like going home. But, I knew he wouldn't understand - so we wished them well and left for home.

We all decided that we would go home for a rest. I called "Glennswife" (Donna) to see if she was planning to bring her daughter to bowling that evening, as her daughter and my daughter had become friendly at the VINOW gathering the prior week. She said she would be at the bowling alley that evening. My friend and I were planning an "adults only" farewell happy hour gathering that evening, so I dropped the kids off at the bowling alley and went off for drinks with my friend, at Iggie's. I returned about 2 hrs later to find that the kids didn’t want to leave. They loved the new bowling alley and were having fun. But, hunger prevailed and we all left to…….guess where……

You got it….Caribbean Saloon…..

This is an awesome place and I am sorry to have missed it all of these years. The décor is beautiful and trendy. The service is SUPER fast - way faster than anything else we have ever experience on the island. There are several really huge TVs, which were broadcasting a baseball game. The server kept coming back to ask us if we needed anything….and offering to refill our drinks. They hustled! The meal was well timed….salads, appetizers, entrees. The seating is really comfy. The place feels like a plush, stateside restaurant with a sort of deco feel. But, the prices were more reasonable than normal and the food was better. The ceasar salad was the best I have ever had on the island. If you are a ceasar salad lover, you'll appreciate how hard it is to find a good one anywhere - the dressing was creamy and tart. We all agreed that the only way to have made it better would have been to have shaved fresh provolone on top - and then it would have mirrored the salad we have our favorite South Philadelphia Italian restaurants. Bravo Caribbean Saloon! I had the Rib Eye steak, which was well presented and delicious. It came with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. We had two orders of calamari - which was also yummy (and you know how hard it is to find good calamari which isn't too breaded or soggy). The teens had more stuff off of the bar menu. We had a LOT of food and I even had to take more than half of my steak home. Total bill? $102 for 4 people - which included appetizers all around and salads. Oh, and I had three beers.

So, Burrito bay is #1 because of the local dishes and completely awesomely cheap prices - and Caribbean Saloon is #2 (but would easily be #1 if we weren't so budget conscious! - clearly, the food and service at Caribbean Saloon is #1). The teens then went to gamble a little before we left. They're both 18, so gambling is ok.

We went home and decided not to pack that night. We were too tired. After everyone went to sleep I went out on the balcony to bid the stars and night creatures farewell. The warm, fragrant breeze caressed me and begged me to stay. I thought, for the millionth time on this trip, about moving down. Could I? Should I? Dare I? If I didn't have a 7 yr old, I would do it in a heartbeat. It's just different when you have children who need to be educated, etc. Anyway, that's another discussion. And I have to pay for this Ivy League college that my son has gone and gotten himself into (lol)….I'm like the guy on the commercial…."Ivy League! Great……." And then you see him looking worn, eating out of the trash can and brining some Russian guy home to live in the guest room. So, it's be at least another three years before I am free from these financial chains that bind.

I got up around 6am and started to clean the house. I wanted to leave it like we found it, although our host said he would have a cleaning lady come to take care of it and asked me not to. By about 11am I was drenched in sweat, but the house was clean and almost all of the linens were washed and put away. We packed up and took some final pics with our host. Big hugs all around and lots of "see you soon"s. We were headed to the airport at 1:30pm for the 3pm flight. I called just as we crested the hill to town and learned that the flight was delayed til 4:21. BURRITO BAY!!!! Yelled my hungry crew. So, we all cheered for the extra couple of hours and headed to Red Hook after gassing up the car. For some reason, Burrito Bay was extra slow that day. My son's GF was having a craving for the cheese and bacon fries at the Caribbean Saloon so she left to go get some and come back. She finished her food and we were still waiting for our Burrito Bay. We looked at the clock and it was 3pm. Yikes!! At 3:00 our food was ready and we had to ask for it to go. We hustled to the car and prayed that we would make the flight….We knew that customs might not let us through if we were less than 1 hr from our departure. Traffic was bad and we arrived at the airport at 3:20. We hustled with all of our bags and decided to check in for the flight before going to the Avis counter to return the car. This is when we were told that our flight was cancelled. "something happened to the plane on the runway"….we asked if we could go on another flight, even connecting through Charlotte. No, we were told that we would not be able to leave that day. The USAir counter person was nice, but said USAir would not be compensating us for it. No vouchers. However, they would get us a couple of rooms at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef and give us food vouchers for dinner and breakfast - and a free cab ride over and back.

So, I went over to the Avis counter to return the car. The man behind the counter said the agent would be back in a few minutes. I left and came back about 20 minutes later. There was a customer there who was upset about something and I had to wait about another 15 minutes because there was only 1 agent. Finally, my turn. I asked her if my bill reflected the $30 per week credit I was to receive because I was given a car below the class I had reserved. No, she said. I explained that I had spoken with the manager on the day I took the car and that he had agreed to give me $60 off because my corporate plan gives me a mid-sized car with and I had a coupon for an upgrade, which I had reserved months earlier. I had been given the mid-size, but no upgrade and I complained because I could have gotten the car for less from Dependable if I had known they wouldn't honor the coupon (which stated that it was good in the VI). The agent told me that the manager probably just told me that to get me off of the phone and that the car I had was a compact, not a midsize - so, not only had I not been given the upgrade, but I was downgraded another category without anyone telling me and without any adjustment to my rate - and I did see the mid-sized cars on the lot when we left so I know there were available (we rented through Avis last year for two weeks on STT and had a Malibu) . Ok, well, fine…but he needs to honor it. So I asked her to call him. She did and he told her to give me a coupon for a future rental. She rang up my bill and handed me the coupon with no explanation. I asked if I could use it now and she said no. So, I asked her to call him back and tell him that I wanted him to honor his agreement. She was angry and got an attitude. But, she called and whatever he told her made her slam things around on the counter in front of her. Hello!!! I just got told that my flight was cancelled with no compensation and these people are trying to scam me and NOW they have an attitude while I am being nice and calm 'cause I am too damn hot to be upset? So, I remained calm because I have a really don't have much space between calm and outrage - and it takes a lot to get me to outrage. She corrected my rate to what had been agreed and I was on my way. Why was it so hard to get what had been agreed to? And all of that slamming was totally uncalled for. Avis, never again. Don't try to scam me and then get a 'tude when I am smart enough to call you on it.

Back at the USAir counter the agent was preparing our vouchers for meals - $15 pp total. What? That will buy us 1 burger at the Marriott. We have another 24 hrs before we have to leave and all you give us is $15? And no flight vouchers? And this was a mechanical problem! Ok, again , I am too hot and I open my Burrito Bay container and eat my lunch at the counter while we wait for everyone else to come out from the gate - because USAir wanted everyone to go at once. So, we waiter and waited. Finally, we boarded the taxi for Frenchman's Reef. This is a lovely, swank, upscale resort. We were checked in and decided to head to the pool for a sunset swim and to wave goodbye to the cruise ships that go right past the pool deck as they head out at sunset for their next destination. We had just missed the happy hour, but we found a big cooler of ice water and grabbed some drinks and cooled off. I was sorry I didn't bring any rum with us. I had restocked the house's rum supply and filled the home's wine cabinet as a "thank you" to our host.

I called our host to tell him of our extra night and my knight in shining armor, without me asking, offered to bring us a supply of food and drinks (including rum!). He showed up shortly after and hung out with us for a while.

The "Sunset Pool" at Frenchamn's Reef is a wonderful place to sit in the evening and watch the twinkling lights of Charlotte Amalie. There's a waterfall in the center of the pool and a connecting waterway to another pool with a volleyball net. There's also a swim-up bar, but it was closed. We were broke anyway. We ate dinner in our rooms and my host and I said our final goodbyes so that I could put my D to bed and get ready for the next day. My D and I splurged our collective $30 on room service in the morning and then we all lounged around until time to board the taxi back to the airport. I forgot to call and check the flight status. And, of course, it was 1.5 hrs delayed…but we just wanted to check our luggage and be done, so we checked though much earlier than needed and waited….and waited…and waited. And we sat and watched the planes come in and the "pale people" coming off with bright smiles of anticipation and looks of sympathy as they saw us peering through the glass at them.

I still had the bottle of rum from my host in my carry on, so we got a little toasty while we waited. My D made friend with some kids seated near us. They were traveling with their single dad and he and I started sharing our woes about being single parents traveling with kids and how it's sometimes more work than a vacation. He, too, had been there for two weeks (on STJ, though). His kids, like mine, were missing pets, internet access, 500 digital cable channels, (my son was missing his car and his freedom - so was I). We started to talk about the delicious fruit and his son offered us some genips he had stashed in his pocket, which he was taking home for his mom to sample. We were thankful for this little surprise and a last taste of the island. Just as we finished our genips, our flight was called and off we went.

The flight home was uneventful and calm. It was also FAST! We flew non-stop to Philly in about 3 hrs. My dad met us at the baggage claim and told me that my mom had prepared a huge meal for our return. My parents are twice yearly travelers to Tortola, so they know how hungry you are when you get home.

We drove through Philly and ooooh'd and ahhhh'd at all that had been done to spruce it up for Live 8 and July 4th. My mom had a feast waiting and was eager to hear all about our travels - as STT used to be her and my dad's home (they aren't native - they just"lived the dream" - twice). It was 11pm before we went to our own home to greet our very confused kitty who probably wanted to smack us for leaving her and her 4 three week old kittens in the hands of my dad for two weeks. But, nobody told her to go get preggers 3 months before our trip! Talk about bad timing, Ms. Kitty!

My dad also had a surprise in store for me - he had painted my front porch, my columns and my windowsills…and he had planted flowers in my flowerboxes, polished the brass on my mailslot and completed some other much-needed minor repairs. All of this on top of the twice daily chore of taking care of the cat and her kittens. My dad is the best!

I now miss my island house and my wonderful host/friend. I miss the nightly serenade of the creatures in the trees. I miss my new-found favorite "private" beach. I miss all of the wonderful people we know on the island, and the presence of those we don't know. I miss the smiling faces of the greetings from those who joined us at Megan's Bay in the evenings - the bathers, the joggers, the bikers, the walkers - everyone there is soooo happy, and rightly so. I miss the ladies at Burrito Bay. I miss the sound of my car engine gunning as we struggle to make it up the steep, steep hills. I miss the views….whoa…those wonder views from my balcony…..Hans Lolick just ahead, then off to the right…..Jost, STJ, Tortola and Virgin Gorda in the way, way distance…and the view of Megan's Bay from my kitchen window, which made dish washing much more enjoyable. But, I'm comforted by the fact that I know we can always return, whenever we want. We made new friends on this trip…and connected more as locals. I know what's happening……we're inching our way back. And my parents are cheering me on…….they would be pleased as punch if I moved to STT (as long as I had an efficiency for them to use). My son is a city kid at heart…and would probably only want to come for visits…which is fine. My son is academically bright and my plan was to stay put and educate him as best I could to get him to where he is today…..and now that work is done…and all bets are off. My daughter is a little free spirit and would probably adjust quite nicely to island life. So, I think I'll go hang out on the relo board for a while and see what's happening. And, in three years…..just maybe……probably…….it's likely…….