It's raining, it's pouring, the old streets are falling

Not all adventures in paradise are sunshiney and fun. For the last two days, St. Kitts has fallen victim to a Tropical Wave, and it has been pouring down rain nonstop. The power has gone out a few times, the internet has gone out a couple times. Awesome.  I've been stuck in the house, and at first I was super bummed. Then I saw these photos:

These photos are of a street in Basseterre, our capital "city," although, large village is probably a more appropriate term.  There are also several ghauts across the island. These are streets or drains that are supposed to channel water safely away from the towns and villages. The problem is, several of them are also roads or cross major roads. This means driving down or across a raging torrent of water. It seems like a sewer system may be worth looking into. 

Perhaps leaving in eight days, before hurricane season is in full swing, is not such a bad idea. On a positive note, there has been so much rain, our pool turned itself into an infinity pool! Now all I need is the sunshine to come back so I can get IN the pool!

Where has the time gone?!

It's been a month since my last post here on the blog. I feel kinda bad, but not a whole lot has been going on, plus I post on the baby's blog every week... I've gotten lazy, what can I say?

My last post was written the day I got back to St. Kitts after being gone a LONG six weeks! To make matters worse, Rob had gotten shingles and I had to stay at a friends house for two weeks til he recovered. I was SO happy to finally get back to the Dolphin House after eight weeks! It was a pain to be able to see Rob during those two weeks but not be able to kiss or hug him hello! Stupid shingles.

Once back at the DH I was tasked with getting a list of things we wanted to sell before moving home so Rob can start at UGA's vet school. I've managed to sell nearly everything we are trying to get rid of, and I think we'll make a pretty penny to put towards anything we might need for our new house (which hopefully isn't much since all of our engagement party, bridal shower, and wedding gifts are still sitting unopened in my parents basement- after two years I CANNOT WAIT to finally use all the loot we got from our great friends and family!)  I have to admit though, I am going to be pretty sad to leave the DH. I love this house, and really, Rob and I probably will never have an amazing beach house with a completely uninterrupted view of the ocean ever again. Man... why can't UGA's vet school be located along a stretch of beautiful beach?

Seriously- look at that view! I can't leave!!!

There are a few other preg girls on the island- Tracey and Tamsin. Tracey is about 8 or so months along, and Tamsin is about 4 months along. I am smack in the middle of them. Last weekend Tamsin and my friend Catherine threw Tracey a baby shower. It was pool party with a beachy theme. Catherine came up with the CUTEST decorations. It was a lot of fun, and I ate a LOT of food. Success. I have to admit, even if it makes me seem kinda of greedy, I am looking forward to coming back to the states and having a baby shower! Yeah I will get cool baby stuff, but I get to see all my friends and loved ones in one place and I can't wait for that!

Three pregnant Ladies of Leisure... perhaps too leisurely :)

Yesterday some of the Ladies of Leisure were Ladies who Lunch. I had been wanting to visit Palm Court Gardens for a while, a few of the other VIP ladies had been there, and it was on my SK bucket list.  I believe it's an old house, now privately owned, that offers lunch and dinner, a pool, and the art gallery- Shell Works. There were some items at Shell Works that I have my eye on... definitely going back before heading back to the states. Catherine, Tiffany, Daisy, Tracey, Tamsin, Abby (and her four month old baby girl Zenalee), and I all enjoyed a nice, but slightly rainy lunch. It was a lovely time, I was super thankful they all came out, cause I am going to miss being and hanging with the Ladies of Leisure!  Before we left, we took a progressive pregnancy photo. Tracy, then me, and then Tamsin. It was cute! I wish I was going to have preg friends to hang out with back home! (I have no idea why this paragraph is white. My sincerest apologies).

While I enjoyed a stylish lunch, you may be wondering about what Rob was doing. Well, as a card carrying member of the Bovine Club at Ross University, my husband got to go on a "palp" trip to a local farm. Basically, they go to a farm with cows and shove their arms up the cow's butt holes. I'm not really clear on why you would do that... but Rob was pretty excited about it.  Today he is at school studying, but he has signed up for several "Calf Watch" shifts. The Ross cows are preg (seriously, there is something in the water here), and apparently a few are ready to pop out babies. So, Rob has to go check on them every now and them to... I don't actually know what the purpose of Calf Watch is. I guess they just check how the mommy cow is doing or see if she is ready to have the baby. I don't know, I'm not a vet.

This is my husband. The man of my dreams. With his hand up a cow's ass.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times- I am one lucky lady.

I only have two and a half weeks left on the island. It's so bitter sweet. I can't wait to get home to the states and settle into our new life there and get ready for Baby Boy to arrive. I also do not want to leave the island. I really love living here, despite the ups and downs of living in a foreign country, and I will really miss all the amazing friends I've made.

Best Day Ever. Eh, not so much.

Today I returned to St. Kitts. Before you get all excited about a big reunion for me and Rob after 6 LONG weeks, sit back and listen to this, "Only happens to Rob and Stephanie" tale.

This morning my alarm went off at 4:30. I hate waking up early. I packed up the last of my things, ate some breakfast, the usual stuff before an early flight. By 5:30 my mom and I were in the car headed to the airport. About 15 minutes into the ride, Rob calls. Hm, I thought, what is he doing up this early?

me- "Hey Robbie, what are you doing awake?"

Rob- "Um, can you call your doctor and ask about pregnancy and chicken pox?"

me- "Huh?"

Rob- "Yeah, I think I have shingles."

me- "Rob! I've never even had chicken pox!!! If you have shingles I don't think I can be near you!"

Rob- "I'll go to the doctor, I'll know by the time you land."

Wonderful. I have never had chicken pox, and apparently it's super dangerous to get when your pregnant. Like deformities and scars on the baby dangerous. Cause ya know, I'm not already stressing about a bunch of other pregnancy stuff.

I get to the airport, check in, and promptly get stuck behind a HUGE mission group of teenagers going through security. Ugh. I finally get through security, only to find out the mission trip people are on my plane. Super sweet. Oh, wait- I can do better. I get a middle seat between two of these teenage Christian crusaders. Neither of which had ever flown before. After they got their king size pillows, blankets with animal heads, and over filled backpacks safely stowed, I could finally get back to reading my book. Oh no. One of the girls couldn't figure out how to put her seat belt on. Yes, you read that correctly. She couldn't figure out her seat belt. Her friend and I both tried to explain it to her, I ended up just buckling her in. (Shakes head).

Luckily they were not on my flight between Miami and St. Kitts. Also luckily, I had a real friend on the flight- Laura, a fellow VIP, was headed to the island too. Our seats were right next to each other, so we got to chat and catch up. The flight took off nearly an hour late, but we landed only 20 minutes late. Once we landed, I called Rob to see what the diagnosis was.

Rob told me that not only was our friend RJ picking me up at the airport, he was taking me to our friends' house (Brayton, Leann, Emily, and Andrew)... for maybe two weeks. Robert Seerley has shingles. I can't be anywhere near him until it FULLY clears up. He has to take pills 4 times a day and has to apply topical medication 5 times a day. So, after 6 weeks apart, Rob gets shingles today. The day I return to St. Kitts. Not in the 6 freakin' weeks I was gone. TODAY.  Our friends drove me to our house and I stood in the street and said hi to him while he stood in the yard about 15 feet away. Not exactly the reunion I imagined. 


Oh, and in case you were thinking my day couldn't get any worse... We just got back to the house after eating dinner, and Leann and Brayton's cat peed, pooped, and puked on the bed I am sleeping in (and all over the floor). 


I can tell you are jealous of my day... :-/

SK v. USA

This here is a throw down between St. Kitts and good ol' America. Being home for two weeks has brought some discrepancies, both large and small, between SK and the USA to my attention. Some differences are nice, some are annoying.

Weather

Win- St. Kitts

The temperature in the ATL has been about 5-10 degrees hotter than it's been in St. Kitts since I've been here. It was 94 degrees the other day! GROSS. Also, I have no delightful ocean breeze in Johns Creek, Georgia. Stagnant, hot weather. Bleh.
Note- The sun sets in St. Kitts around 6:30, which is lame. Today the sun is set to... set at 8:40 pm. Two extra hours of sunlight! That's pretty awesome, but not awesome enough for the win.

Food

Win- USA

There are so many reasons why the US wins- lower cost, wider variety, freshness, I don't get covered in bacon liquid from a ripped package (that has happened to me more than once at IGA in St Kitts).  I bought a mango at my regular grocery store for a dollar yesterday (and yes it was imported from somewhere in the tropics). This is especially ridiculous, since mangos can be grown for a large market in St. Kitts, but no. It's clearly much easier to import tropical fruit from other islands and charge a butt load of money for crappy, bruised, over ripe fruit. (Shakes head). However, the real reason USA wins this category- PIZZA. I f*ing LOVE pizza (excuse the language, I'm passionate). Let me be clear though. I do not love all pizza. I rather starve than eat crap pizza. I have eaten pizza about, actually, I am not gonna say how many times I've eaten pizza since I've been home. I'd just embarrass myself.

Driving/Cars/Roads

Tie

So, really the entire driving situation is crappy in both countries. The US has WAY better roads and better, safer, newer cars, but it also has AWFUL traffic. AWFUL. Also, everything is so far away in the states. It takes me equal time to get from house to grocery store in SK and the USA. This is a bit absurd since in SK the store is on the other side of the island (and the other side of the country), and in the US the store butts up against my neighborhood. So, the better roads and cars of the US tie St. Kitts for lack of traffic. And traffic lights. I now hate traffic lights. Everything should have circles!!!

Scenery

Win- St. Kitts

This is soley based on where I have been on this trip, and the type of scenery I personally prefer. Which is the beach/ocean. The view from my back deck in Half Moon Bay is the ocean. Completely uninterrupted panoramic ocean view. The view from my parents back deck- their pie shaped yard, some trees, and our two neighbor's houses. I like the backyard, don't get my wrong, but I rather stare at the beach than pine trees.  Now, when I was in NY/NJ/Philly I did have several views of the water. However, gross heavily used ports are not exactly the same as crystal clear waters of the tropics. Yeah, I wish I was laying on Shipwreck beach right now...

Sites to See

Win- Egypt

Ok, ok, I know Egypt is not one of the official contenders, but it wins as a write in. St. Kitts has the beach and Brimstone. The USA has loads of fun stuff I don't feel like naming. BUT Egypt has all kinds of amazing things- things that both St. Kitts and the USA has AND MORE. St. Kitts has the beach and the fort (as I said)- but so does Egypt. The Red Sea is a HUGE tourist destination for snorkeling, scuba, and all kinds of other water sports. The Citadel in Egypt is also way bigger and more badass than Brimstone (it even includes a Military museum that is not at all accurate when it comes to battles between Egypt and Israel). Compared to the US, Egypt has big cities, lots of natural wonders (like Wadi el-Hitan and the White Desert, to name very few), and really... can any country compare to Egypt when it comes to historical sites? The answer is No. Stop thinking, nothing compares. NOTHING!!!!

People

Tie

This is a tricky one. Here is the states I have my family and lots of old friends. I really love all these people. However, all these people have jobs. So I am pretty bored during the day. While my friends and "St. Kitts family" are newer to my life, most of them are VIPs like me, and are also jobless. This means I ALWAYS have someone to hang out with. I am a social girl, I like being with people. Fun people. Everyone I know in SK is fun! I currently miss them as much as I miss my American friends and family when I am down there.

Rob

Win- St. Kitts

Clearly my access to Rob is non-existent here in the USA. That is not ok. I miss him like crazy, and I still have about 26 days til I see him again. How would you like to be away from your partner and best friend for 6 weeks? It's the worst. 

All in all, St. Kitts has it's pros and cons and so does the USA. I miss the laid back lifestyle in St. Kitts, but I love the convenience (and pizza) of the being in the states. Oh, and being away from Rob = Sad face.

Our Egypt BFFs come to town!

Rob and I have been really lucky to have a lot of friends and family come visit us since we moved to St. Kitts. My cousin Lia and friend Mauri came down in October for my birthday, my cousin JP came in Feb/March, my parents visited the beginning of April, and most recently, our friend Beth and Damian visited from the UK.

Damian and Beth by the river at Wingfield Estate.

We met Beth and Damian in 2010 when we moved to Egypt. Beth, like me, worked in Dr. Zahi's office. The four of us quickly bonded over living abroad in Cairo. We hadn't seen each other in a year; since Rob and I moved back to the states last April. I was really excited when B&D booked their trip to St. Kitts! The best part was they planned a nice long 10 day vacation!

They arrived on Tuesday April 17th, smack in the middle of Rob's finals! Luckily, he only had two finals to go (and yes Rob passed all his classes, is moving up to 3rd semester, and has a 3.0 GPA!), and was able to spend time with our guests for the majority of their trip. The first full day they were here was a beach day- Rob had a final and I had to work. So, I dropped them at the beach at noon and picked them up at 4. Thursday was Rob's last final of the semester, so Beth, Damian, and I met Rob and his fellow students at port from some salted cod johnny cakes and some frozen cocktails. Salted cod johnny cakes is local fare, and Damian was eager to taste one. Beth opted for a chicken johnny cake, I don't blame her (salted cod=
yuck).

Since Rob was done with finals, he had plenty of time to hang out with our guests. We had a beach day and Beth and Damian went snorkeling. Beth had never been before, and I was pleased that they were able to see some cool stuff. Damian found a bunch of sand dollars, and once back on shore he promptly sat on and broke all of them!  Rob also took Beth and Damo on an island tour, driving them completely around the island and giving them a lay of the land. We visited Brimstone Fortress and learned about its history AND saw loads of monkeys! That night we ate at Sprat Net's and watched a beautiful Caribbean sunset. Life is hard in the islands.

Sunset from Sprat Net

On our second trip into town we had more Johnny cakes, and Beth was the victim of an exploding hot sauce bottle. She twisted the top off, and it sounded like a champagne bottle being uncorked. Hot sauce flew all over Beth and the wall next to her. The hot sauce was coming out of the bottle like lava erupting from a volcano. It was gross. Needless to say, no one used THAT hot sauce. After lunch, we visited the National Museum, housed in the old Treasury Building. It was a small museum, only three rooms, but very interesting and educational.

Damian, me, and Rob at the Main Ordnance Store at Brimstone

We also went on two turtle walks. We went out to Keys Beach at 8pm, and met up with the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, in the hopes of seeing some Leatherback turtles come on the beach to nest. The first night we were there from 8pm til 1:30am. No turtles. Well, we found out the next day one came up at 2am!!! We tried to go out again on Wednesday night, two days later, we stayed from 8pm-2am, NO turtles!!! We were really bummed out. Apparently, this year has been a very slow nesting season. I guess usually there are 1-3 turtles a night, and this year they will go days with no turtles nesting.

Wednesday during the day Beth and Damian went on a mini hike to the Bat Cave (although, they didn't climb over the boulder). They did enjoy the jungle-y scenery, the petroglyphs, and Beth got a wicked bruise on her thigh (although, I don't think she enjoyed that).  Thursday I took B&D to do some more sightseeing at Wingfield Estate and Romney Manor. They were able to buy a few souvenirs and gifts for people back home at Caribelle Batik. Friday morning we did a bit more gift buying in Port Zante, and then we were headed to Reggae Beach.  Of course, my wonderful island car decided not to start. It seemed the battery had died. I called Ross security, and they sent the mobile unit out to jump the car. Interestingly, it seemed that when the guy pulled the plastic off the terminal the lights came on... weird. But just to be safe we connected and jumped. Success.

Down to Reggae we went! We had some lunch, waited for a small rain shower to pass, then grabbed some beach chairs and lounged away. Well, I lounged away. Beth and Damian did some more snorkeling alone and with Rob. They found some really cool shells, including a small conch that was perched atop a large sponge. They couldn't figure out how it got there, but it looked cool so they grabbed it. Later, as we were packing up to head home, Damian was deciding which shells he should keep. Rob had found the one sitting on the sponge, so Damo handed it to me to hold. All of a sudden the shell jerked in my hand. I, being a huge baby, freaked out and threw it on the chair. Beth peeked inside, and sure enough there was a HUGE hermit crab living in the shell! We decided to set him free, and put him back in the water so he could climb up his sponge to his penthouse apartment in the sea.

Beth and me at Brimstone

Saturday was the day Beth and Damian had to fly back, but first Trevor and I took them over to SNAPPER, where the rehab turtles live. We got a "free" tour since those selfish Leatherbacks refused to show during our night walks! Beth and Damo got to meet some cute little hatchlings, Brimmie and Frodo (my two favorites), and poor two flipper Olivia. No giant, wild, Leatherbacks, but I am glad they got to see some sea turtles nonetheless.

Damian and Rob and a cannon.

Later that afternoon we had to say goodbye and part ways at the airport. It was so great to have Beth and Damian here that it was hard to say goodbye to them. I hope we don't have to go another year before seeing each other again. Maybe next year, Rob and I can make a trip to England... even though it will probably be cold and rainy... ;)

Oh... and if you haven't hear, I'm pregnant! If you are interested, I have created a pregnancy blog, and you can follow it here.

Mike and Beth come to St. Kitts!

Boy oh boy am I behind on blogging! I haven't blogged since Rob hurt his leg. An update on Rob (if you don't already know)- he tore his PCL. It's like the ACL, but it goes the opposite direction in your knee. Not surprisingly, it is VERY rare to tear your PCL... so of course that's what Rob tore. He also strained or sprained his MCL, and bruised his bones.  He does not need surgery, but he is in a huge brace that pretty much goes from his bum to his ankle. He needs to wear the brace and use crutches for two months, but the tear should heal on its own. Yay for no surgery!

Here is a picture of Rob (and me!) in his brace.

Now on to the real topic- My parents came to visit! They were here from April 1st through the 8th! It was great having them here for a whole entire week! They got here on a Sunday afternoon, so we kinda just vegged out and took a walk on the beach behind our house. My dad even found some kind of weird radio transmitter. Unfortunately when we opened it up it was very rusty inside. Oh well.

My parents, Mike and Beth

Monday we got up and did some sightseeing at Brimstone Hill Fortress. We walked around the ruins and the fort and the skies were clear so there was an amazing view of Statia, and island near St. Kitts. There were tons of monkeys around, which is awesome, cause I haven't seem them around Brimstone before. After spending the morning sweating our butts off, we went and had lunch at the Marriott, then hung out at the house all evening. Tuesday we spent the day at Shipwreck Beach. My parents were able to lounge around on the beach all day, but I had my last archaeology class, so I left the beach early. My dad was able to get some snorkeling in, and while he said he saw some cool stuff, he didn't go as far as I usually do, so I think he probably missed seeing some of the best stuff. Oh well. Tuesday night I dragged them to trivia, and they got to meet the trivia crew. Despite Ting Country's best efforts we lost by ONE POINT!!!! Grrr! Oh well. There's always next week...

Up at Brimstone Fortress. Island of Statia in the background

Wednesday I had to work (BOO), so I dropped my parents off at the Marriott beach before I went in. I was super bummed not to spend the day with them, but I think they had fun without me... jerks. My dad did some more snorkeling, and as he was coming in towards shore, he said some British girl started screaming at him. He popped his head up, and said the girl was yelling, "SHARK!! SHARK!! RIGHT NEXT TO YOU MISTER!!! SHARK!!!" Of course my dad sticks his head back underwater to check out said "shark."  No shark, just a big barracuda. My pops did said it was a bit weird to see a big barracuda in shallow water, he thinks something was wrong with it. He did get his butt out of the water though, he was not interested in messing with a possibly sick and/or crazy cuda!  I met them by the pool bar around 4:30 for some snacks before heading home. Wednesday we had a really nice dinner at the French place near our house. As my local friends can tell you, nearly all the eating establishments here are open air, so many provide bug spray for customers to use. We all sprayed a bit on our legs right before we sat down. My loser dad kept touching his leg and saying, "Crap! I touched my leg again!" I think he washed his hands like 7 times.

Thursday morning I had to run some errands in town, so we grabbed breakfast at Carib Cafe and then did a bit of sightseeing at Wingfield Estates (where I excavated with my students) and Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor. In the afternoon, my dad and I went back to the Marriott Beach while my mom stayed home to read and nap. That night we dined at Blu, the seafood restaurant at the Marriott. We were a bit nervous, cause hotel eateries are usually on the lame side, but we were pleasantly surprised with our meal... although the bread totally sucked. To be fair, I think all the bread on this island sucks, except at the French place. After dinner, Rob and my dad did a little gambling at the casino. They played blackjack, and they both won! Yay for beating the house!

At the Marriott, about to go take the casino by storm!

Friday was a total bust. We decided to go to Nevis, got up early, drove ALL the way to the far end of the island, paid for the ferry ride to Nevis, only to discover that because it was Good Friday EVERYTHING was closed. EVERYTHING. We wandered around a dead Charlestown for 10 min, then looked for a place to eat. Luckily Sunshine Bar was open, and we got some grub, and got on the next ferry back to St. Kitts. I felt terrible, it was a huge waste of time and money! We could have been laying on the beach all day!!! Oh well. Friday night wasn't so bad though, we went to my favorite place to eat dinner- Carembola's. My dad was feeling a bit weird, so he didn't get to enjoy dinner, but the rest of us did! My coworkers were at the table next to us, having the end of semester dinner, so it was a fun night. I would eat at that place every day if it was a little cheaper.

Saturday we had brunch at the Marriott and then spent the day on the beach. Nothing special happened, just a lazy beach day. We tried the Italian place at the Marriott for dinner... not impressed. I was bummed cause it was my parents last night in St. Kitts. It's really hard to live so far away from them. Since Rob started vet school in August, 8 months ago, I've only seen my parents for two weeks at Christmas, and the last week. I love my parents A LOT, and I can't wait to live close to them again one day! I'm excited that I get to see them again next month when I visit the states! Yay!

Sunday was "regular" Easter (today is Greek Easter- Xristos Anesti!), and my parents departure day. Their flight was at 3:30 in the afternoon, but because our airport is tiny, and only one person checks in the whole flight, you really need to be there 2 hours in advance. Plus, they will yell at you if you are not, ask my friend Mauri. So, we really only had time for a lazy breakfast and one last lunch before I had to bring my parents to the airport. It was sad to have to say goodbye, because the week went so fast. Although, I'm sure they were relieved I wasn't hysterical crying like I was when they left Egypt last year!

I am so glad that Beth and Mike, my awesome parents, were able to come visit me and Rob for an entire week. I had a lot of fun with them. I really couldn't ask for better parents.

RWS: The Future Bionic Man

For those of you who know Rob, this post probably won't surprise you at all. Rob has a long history of crazy injuries. When he was a kid, he somehow managed to get his hand mangled by an industrial sized fan. He now boasts a huge disfiguring scar on his hand. He broke his two front teeth by running into a parked car. When some bully played keep away with Rob's frisbee, he kicked the bully. Unfortunately for Rob, the bully was a black belt in Karate, and Rob ended up with a broken leg. Just last semester Rob broke his scaphoid bone in his right wrist while playing flag football. He had a cast on his wrist from the end of December til just about a month ago.

Sunday Rob decided that since he had a clean bill of health again, he was going to play flag football. As he was leaving I said, try not to break anything this time. Famous last words. A couple hours later, I hear the car horn so I go open our driveway gate and hop back on the couch. Next thing I know, Rob is calling my cell phone asking me to open the basement door. Upon opening the door not only do I see Rob, but also three of the class/team mates. They proceed to tell me that while he didn't BREAK anything, he likely tore his ACL. Perfect.

Rob was unable to support his own weight, so Enrique had to carry him all the way up our basements stairs and dump him and his messed up knee on the couch.  After the guys left, Rob explained that some kid basically tackled him (FLAG FOOTBALL PEOPLE!!! NOT A CONTACT SPORT) while he was turning, and Rob heard and felt his knee pop. Oh, and this was in the first few minutes of the game. Nice, right?

So, Rob was wheeling around in his roll-y desk chair all afternoon and evening. Luckily, our friend Matt has torn his ACL twice, and had two knee braces. He brought them both over last night, and Rob was able to fit into them and is sporting one as we speak. We are SO thankful that Matt had a spare brace to lend to Rob. Wearing Matty's brace Rob felt comfortable enough to put some weight on his leg and walk around a little bit.

Rob made it to school today and was able to get crutches from the nurse office.  He has an appointment with a doctor on island this afternoon to assess the damage. If it is serious, he might have to go to the states this weekend for an MRI and to see whether or not he needs surgery. Oy Vey. The school has some provisions for assisting with flights to the states for medical purposes, so hopefully we can get reimbursed for the flight to the states if he does need to fly back.

It's always an adventure with Rob! Let's just hope he doesn't need surgery!

Dolphin House Bed and Breakfast: Now open for business

Welcome to the Dolphin House Bed and Breakfast! We have a wide range of vacation packages that can be tailored to suit everyone's Caribbean dreams.  The guest house offers tasteful furniture, a spacious kitchen where the head chef will prepare anything you'd like, a lovely veranda with comfortable seating for enjoying a good book or a frozen cocktail, and the main deck offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Royal St. Kitts Golf Course from our (almost) infinity pool. You can take your meals in our main dining room, on the gorgeous faux alabaster table, or out on the deck on our rustic drift wood table. Our well appointed guest room offers a pillow-topped queen bed, no views, and access to the laundry room.  Bathroom access is available, but limited (guests have a private half bath, but must share bathing accommodation with manager of B&B) Travel around the island to local beaches, shops, restaurants, and historic sites is provided by a vintage Toyota Rav4 that compliments the simple island lifestyle. Wi-fi is available throughout the guest house at no cost, and the low-def television boasts 14 channels! At the rear of the house is a stunning, large scale mural depicting a mother and juvenile killer whale, swimming happily in their 100% accurately represented marine environment; it is from this masterpiece the house takes it name (don't argue, Killer whales are in the dolphin family). The house is surrounded by stunning gardens, including a grove of fruit trees bearing coconuts and "papayas. Occasionally, wildlife can be seen from the veranda- monkeys, mongooses, random stray dogs have all found their way onto our grounds, delighting our guests with their adorable and destructive behaviour. In addition to the wild fauna, there are two domesticated animals that call the Dolphin House home: Autumn, an adorable coconut retriever puppy that bites and pees everywhere, and Lucy, the bulimic one eyed feral cat. They are sure to make you feel at home during your stray with their incessant barking, meowing, whining, and hissing.

Room rates are very affordable ranging from $0 in low season to $0 at the peak of high season, you need only confirm your travel dates with reception. Guests are responsible for airfare which is likely to be expensive and include at least one connection in either Miami or San Juan.

Here are some testimonials from some satisfied customers:

"Thanks again for the AMAZING trip."- Mauri H.


"Thanks so much to you and Rob for having me down there. It was a lot of fun and I miss you guys and the island already!" - John Paul T.


"Thanks for having me, I can't wait to visit again!" -Lia T.



"Ugh that view is so sick" -Lia T. (Referring to the view from the pool deck; I believe here that this visitor means "sick" in a positive way)


" I love this place. Not too many people who look like me, or drink whiskey like me, but it is very nice." - Zack P.

The Dolphin House is book through the end of May, but we are now accepting reservations for summer and fall! Hurry up and reserve your room before it's too late!

Keep on trucking February

February has been one of those months where I have been too lazy to write many posts. Well, that and I haven't done a ton of awesome stuff like usual.

I have been dying to go snorkeling, but the water has been just a little too cold. Luckily, it's warming up fast, and Catherine and I plan on scoping out some new snorkel spots we've had our eyes on.  I have been going to the beach, but it's not as much fun when you can't get in the water!

My favorite part of Wednesdays? Pirate ship at Shipwreck Beach.

I have been spending loads of time with the other Ladies of Leisure: Wednesday Catherine and I went out to Club 1 for some dancing, Thursday was pool day at Calypso Bay, and Friday the ladies had dinner at Nirvana, and then finished the night at Bamboo Lounge. Rob had two tests, so he was totally fine with me staying out of his hair. Unfortunately, those tests fell on either side of Valentine's day. Fortunately, I had a great valentine anyway! While Rob was studying on campus with his friend Brayton, I went to the movies with Leann (B's wife).  We saw The Vow, a sappy chick flick that we made fun of the whole time. I didn't love the movie, but I do love Leann, so it was a successful Valentine's date in my book.

Me and Leann

The other great part about Valentine's day was my archaeology kids. I decided to teach them about stratigraphy. Now, all my archaeology friends are probably thinking, "Kids, stratigraphy? Why bother?" Uh, cause I taught they all about it with cake!!!  I made a cake with one layer each of chocolate, yellow, and strawberry. Then, I buried "artifacts" in each of the layers.  It was pretty awesome. After we excavated the site we discussed the different layers, and artifacts that they found. It was awesome. When was the last time you taught 10 year olds graduate school concepts so that they understand? Yeah, that's what I though, never. It's cool, maybe one day you can do it too.

Stratigraphy cake! You can even see of of the "artifacts" poking out of the top layer!

Thursday was kind of a big deal too, cause I had a job interview. There is a Hills Pet Food store on campus that caters to the students, faculty, and staff. There are two positions opening at the end of the semester, and I got an interview. I also got the job. Yep, they offered it to me later that day.  The craziest thing is that the next day I got another job offer. When it rains it pours right? It's a far cry from Egyptian Art History, but hey- money is money right?!

My cousin JP!

I'm crazy excited for next week. It's mid-semester break on Monday (and Rob's birthday, so don't forget to call/skype/email him!), and my cousin JP comes to visit on Wednesday for 5 days!!! I spend a lot of time trying to convince everyone I know to come down and visit, so I can't wait for JP to get here. My parents will be here a month after JP, then two weeks later Beth and Damian (our BFFs from England) visit for 10 days, and then a week later my aunt and uncle visit for a week at the beginning of May! I love having guests. So... start planning your trip... now.

Getting Dirty

As an Egyptologist, moving from Egypt to St. Kitts is like getting the mother of all demotions. There is one tiny museum, and the history only goes back in hundreds of years, not several thousands. I just figured I'd miss the hell out of Egypt and all it's awesome history.
I tend to fall ass backwards into all the jobs I've ever had dealing with Egypt. My old graduate advisor hooked me up with my job at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. My boss at the museum got me my job working for Dr. Zahi at the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, and now he's asked me to work on his excavation next January (digging up an 18th Dynasty palace that King Tut may have lived in as a kid. For all the non-nerds out there, it's a huge deal). I have no idea what I will do when I actually have to apply for a job on my own.

Since I have to wait an entire year for that to happen, I figured I'd sit back, relax and continue enjoying my amazing life in the tropics. Part of my awesome life is teaching kids at Ross' Prep school about ancient cultures and archaeology.  They asked if I could take them on an excavation, I told them I would look into it, but didn't think that it would be possible.
Luckily for them, I again stumbled into the perfect situation. With impeccable timing, a friend emailed me a link from the weekly newsletter saying that there was an archaeological field school at Wingfield Estates, site of a 17th centure rum distillery and sugar mill. Well, I called up, got permission to bring not only the kids I teach, but all the kids from 5-8th grades.

Adorable Amatuer Archaeologists

David, the head archaeologist and historian, was great with the kids. He gave us a history of the site, and even let the kids dig. We were told that if we found any pottery or glass sherds to bag them for study. Well, my group was not content with that. We decided to dig in the exact spot where some 200 yr old metals tools could be found. Tools that will be going into the tiny museum I mentioned earlier. It was a huge deal, the kids were crazy excited. I cannot believe how lucky I get sometimes. It's insane. If you want to see more pictures, click here.

Old chain and pick-axe thing they found, along with some old glass.
They told me they figured the blacksmith got drunk alot.

Digging along the wall where we found our buried treasure!

I went back with my friends Steve and Trevor on Thursday to volunteer again. We ended up digging out the old steam engine room from the sugar mill. Steve and Trev said I must be happy to be back "in my element." Sorry boys, I like hot, dry sandy climates. Not muddy, wet, dank, digging. Hell, who am I kidding, it was still awesome. We dug out the old steam engine and found the drainage system. I was filthy and out of my mind happy. Which is unusual since I pretty much hate being dirty.

Digging out the drainage system behind the engine... in a 3 foot space.

Of course, I was even happier when David asked for my contact information so that he could exploit my skills on some of the other dig sites on the island. Hooray! So, maybe I can do some archaeological stuff while I am here. It's just a shame I don't know the first thing about the history of Caribbean sugar cane plantations or rum distilleries. That's a lie, I know a LOT  about local rum. I can't help that it's so delicious.

Sunday was the Super Bowl, and it was an epic match up between the Giants (yay) and the Patriots (boo). Now, when it comes to NYC/Boston match-ups, I prefer to watch the Yankees and the Red Sox. Mainly cause I love the Yankees and I freaking HATE the Sox. (I would say that I bleed grey and navy blue, but that sounds kind of disgusting and implies I have some sort of terrible illness).  I'm not the biggest football fan, but when I watch, the G-men are for me.  So, of course I was cheering for them yesterday. Trevor and Kate, the roomates, are from Boston. We get along famously as long as sports are never brought up. So, they were none to pleased when the Giants beat them... just like last time. I of course gloated, cause I'm a jerk. I love winning.

(Conversations)

My friend Catherine has her own blog about living in St. Kitts, and she does a {Conversations} segment in which she recounts hilarious conversations that have taken place here in St. Kitts. I was even featured in one of these segments, check it out!

Well, I have had two moments that I think fit the {Conversations} genre.

While shopping in Karibhana's (a SK department store):
Kate- Do you know what I really want?
Me- What?
Kate - A machete. (dead serious)
Me- Yeah, we really do need one. (dead serious)

While playing trivia:
Brett- Up in the Arctic, there's water under the ice, right?
Me- No.
Trevor- It's ice all the way down. Ice, ice, ice, HOT LAVA.

After living in Egypt and now in the Caribbean, I am pretty sure that the amount of time I spend in the sun is directly linked to how well my brain works. More sun = less brain activity.

A British Invasion of the Royal Persuasion!

The British royal family is coming to St. Kitts!!!

Ok, only kind of. In celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, her youngest child, Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will be visiting St. Kitts. Very exciting, right? Below is a write up my friend Catherine found:

Earl and Countess of Wessex to visit St. Kitts and Nevis for Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis as part of a Caribbean tour to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The Royal couple will also visit Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Gibraltar

Although details of royal engagements and specific dates have yet to be released, it's likely that host countries will put on grand events for the visits that will celebrate the Queen's 60-year reign.

While senior royals will visit the Queen's 15 realms - nations where the sovereign is head of state - major Commonwealth countries and other destinations with close links to the UK, it is the younger royals trips that are likely to garner the most interest

 

So, it's not the Queen or Will and Kate, but hey, it's still pretty cool! Maybe I'll get a glimpse of the royal couple while they are here in Sunny St. Kitts!

Things that are Awesome!

I have started to volunteer at the prepschool in the after school program. I am teaching some of the 5th and 6th graders art history and archaeology! The kids are really smart and really excited about the class. At the museum I used to work at, we had stuffed animal-esque organs that we would use to teach kids about mummification. I thought that would be a great project to do with the kids in my program here. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find pretend stuffed lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines here in St. Kitts. Weird, right?

Luckily, I have a secret weapon (awesome thing #1)- my friend Catherine! She is super crafty, and most important, she can sew, which I cannot do. After a relaxing pool day at our friend Tiffany's house on Thursday, we went to our adorable tiny fabric store and got some pinky-beige fabric. We then headed to Catherine's house for some organ making. After some brainstorming and google image searching, we were able to produce some decent looking organs (awesome things #2). I literally would not have been able to do it without Catherine; I am super thankful we are friends!

Anatomically correct organs... filled with beans. Yay for Catherine!

Friday was FULL of awesome things! Trevor and I had to run some errands, and one of the items on our list was an electric bug killer. There has been quite a bit of rain lately, and the mosquitoes have been out of control at night (also, they have infiltrated both of our cars, so there is a total mosquito onslaught when we need to go anywhere!). Now, I know that when I said electric bug killer, you immediately pictured this:

If you thinking, yep, that is what I thought of, you would be wrong. Terribly wrong. While those are brightly lit and effective, we had something more fun and sinister in mind. The tennis racket-electric bug killer hybrid. Or as the Chinese packaging called it a "Electronic Mosquito Bat." Either way, it is maybe my favorite purchase on the island, and it is awesome thing #3. It doesn't even need batteries, cause it's rechargeable. AND, it has a light on it so you can sniper the stupid little skeeters! I love it.

My favorite thing EVER!!!

Our friend Dave has one, and he often brings it to Trivia. He told us that he bought it at TDC, so that is where Trevor and I began our search. We looked all over the store with no luck. We asked about it, and were told they are kept up by the front desk and we would have to ask for one. Cool. No, not cool. They were sold out! Luckily, our cashier lady was very nice and recommended we check out Courts or Rams in Basseterre. We journeyed into town and visited Courts first, since we were not interested in buying computers or appliances, they could not help us out. We tried Rams next, and after explaining what we wanted to an employee, she took us to the regular old fly swatters. I was distraught! I could not go another night dealing with a million mosquitoes keeping me awake! Crestfallen, Trevor and I left Rams unsure of what to do about the plague of mosquitoes waging war on the Dolphin House. Before leaving town, we decided to visit the new Chinese grocery store across from Rams.

This store immediately lifted our spirits. First, we found awesome thing #4- Chinese Dumplings (or pot stickers, if you prefer). We hadn't eaten lunch, and quickly decided we needed a bag of 40 pork and veg dumplings. Probably the best decision of the day, but we will get back to that later. So, we walked around the store bought some supplies for a new cocktail we wanted to try to make, but still couldn't find our Electronic Mosquito Bat (EMB). As he paid, Trevor asked our cashier if they had any EMBs. She said YES!!!! She pointed out the aisle, and I took off. After hastily searching the shelves, I didn't find them. I was about to leave when a shelf stocker happened by. I asked if he knew where they were, and he did. Right behind me. On the shelf I had just been looking at. Yeah, I'm not so smart sometimes. So, after deciding the boys would be mad if I bought the pink one, I picked up the red EMB and ran to the front, proudly waving my new prize whilst killing any bugs in my electronic path! The best part was that it was pretty cheap, only $20 EC- less than $10 US.

I tore open the bag back in the car. If you remember, I had mentioned the damn blood suckers had been getting in the cars. I fired up the EMB and it freaking exploded there were so many bugs! I think I zapped 30 in less than 4 seconds. It felt great. I love my EMB.

Our final stop before home was the liquor store/duty free beachy shop for amaretto and pool floats. Trev got the booze and I was able to find a floaty ring (awesome thing #5) to use in my pool (yes mom, I still want you to bring some bigger ones down when you come! love you!)

Delicious dumplings

Once back home Trevor went to town on dumpling and cocktail making while I began to make some brownies I promised Kate. All creations were complete successes. I stuffed four Chinese pouches of goodness into my mouth, as I said earlier- best decision of our day buying those things. I am gonna be eating them like crazy. The cocktails were a reverse engineering attempt at a drink the bartender at Carembola's made for us. Amaretto, dark rum, and cranberry, cherry, and lime juices. It was tasty at the restaurant and just as tasty at the Dolphin House! Kate had sent me a brownie recipe she found, so I threw it together yesterday afternoon. Even though it was a scratch recipe, it was really easy to make with just a few ingredients. I only had one piece, but when I woke up this morning, two thirds of the brownies were gone. I think she liked them. I also made one of my favorite sweet treats- chocolate covered gummi bears. If you have never had them you are probably thinking, chocolate covered gummi bears, eh I don't know. Again, you would be wrong. They are delicious. I guess you could say that the cocktails, brownies, and chocolate gummi bears are awesome things #6-8).

Yummy chocolate bears. mmmm....

After all our food and drink making, we headed out to celebrate Kate's birthday which had been earlier in the week. We dined at Copper Chimney and then headed to Bamboo, one of my local haunts. A good time was had by all. The drinks were flowing, the dancing was so fun that not only the girls danced (like I wouldn't dance!) even the boys danced! Zach, Brayton, Trevor, and Rob were all shaking what their momma's gave them! That would be awesome thing #9- hilariously awesome man dancing. We even had a new to Ross couple meet us out at Bamboo. Emily and Andrew just moved here so Andrew could attend school, and they needed to get out and have some fun. It was great to meet them and hang out with a new couple. I hope they had as much fun out as we did! New friends = awesome thing #10.

We invited everyone back to our house for some shisha smoking and drinks. Trevor and Venessa decided to box. It was mildly hilarious and Venessa got mad cause Trevor hit her in the face. It only got better when she shoved an unsuspecting Trevor in the pool (awesome thing #11). Of course, Venessa was the next thrown into the pool. Oy vey, there is always someone being thrown into the pool at the Dolphin House! As long as it's not me and no one is getting hurt, who cares!

Of course, I have to include the most adorably awesome thing, #12: AUTUMN!!! She is getting big fast and she is super cute! Today she got her new green necklace and name tag. She isn't quite sure what to make of them, going so far as to try and back out of her collar. Hilarious and cute!

In summary all these awesome things add up to my life being pretty awesome here in St. Kitts. Now you will have to excuse me, I think it's pool time :)

They're Men, Men in Tights (and heels)!

If you read my blog at the beginning of Rob's first semester, you will remember that Ross holds Olympic Games the first week of classes. Part of the Olympics that I did not mention last year (mainly cause I found it lame and boring) was the Mr. Ross pageant.

This pageant is basically a way the mostly female student body can objectify their male classmates. As you can imagine, it's put on in the classiest of ways. The two hosts make lots of sexual jokes, which are more uncomfortable than funny, the judges (professors) are given copious amounts of alcohol, and the contestants are given even more alcohol, and act like drunken monkeys. This semester, Rob was the contestant for 2nd semester.

The men of Ross

Now, He did not plan on being his class representative, but since NO OTHER guys in his class volunteered he stepped up to the plate... Of course, he only accepted after Dr. Dusty Spencer, one of his anatomy professors offered to buy beer, appear in a skit, AND give one extra full point on the final anatomy grade to whoever would be Mr. Ross.  ROb's no idiot- he loves beer! Just kidding, he wanted that point!

Since my brave husband decided to join the pageant late in the game (some classes prepare all semester and bring crazy props back from the states), he and his class had to come up with some fun skits quick! The categories were Real Men of Genius (based on the Bud Light commercials), Favorite Cartoon or Nursery Rhyme, Talent, and Formal wear- the animal in you. Rob gathered an amazing team of co-stars, dancers, singers, and writers. There is no way he could have pulled it off without all of them! In my opinion, they had two killer skits, and two skits that could go either way.

Rob is a real man of genius

For Rob's Real Men of Genius, Trevor wrote a great skit entitled, "Ross Men of Genius: Mr. Any Species but Human Doctor." It was pure gold. Also, Rob got to wear his overalls and perform open heart surgery on a cuttlefish, so I gave it an A+. His favorite Cartoon skit consisted of Rob dressed as a red Power Ranger, kicking the ass of some of the more difficult parts of vet school. It was alright. For his formal wear, he was Taz- the Tasmanian Devil. Again, it was alright.

Rob as Taz

The talent portion of Rob's act should have won him the whole thing. If you watch Saturday Night Live, you have probably seen the beyonce- Justin Timberlake Single Ladies skit. If you haven't click here before continuing on. If you have already seen it, click that link anyway, that skit is freakin' hilarious!

Ok, back to the story at hand. Katie, one of Rob's classmates and a friend from out orientation group, suggested doing that skit. Of course, everyone thought with Rob's God-given talent in dance, it would be perfect! So, we wrangled two other brave men- Zach and Nick, and began searching high and low for high heels and black leotards in adult man size. Oh, wait, I bet you want to know who played beyonce. Remember how I said one of Rob's professor's bribed him to be Mr. Ross by saying she would be in his skit? Yeah, that's right, Dr. Dusty Spencer was cast as Beyonce. B-Rilliant!

To be honest, there are absolutely NO WORDS that can describe the skit. There are some things you just cannot unsee! Luckily for you the entire event was filmed, both by my friend Leann, and by Ross University! Oh yes, I do plan on buying the DVD to show our children and grandchildren. Here is Leann's version for your viewing pleasure.

All in all, I think Mike, from 4th semester should have won. He was hilarious, and all his skits were well put together and thoughtout. I think Rob should have gotten second or third. The problem is, the pageant is pretty much rigged. Upper semesters, usually 7th, take the win cause they are the "senior" class. Mike got second place, and the guy from 7th got first. I think almost everyone booed (I say almost cause 7th semester was obviously pleased that their hastily thrown together skits actually won). I was pleased to hear later from Dr. Spaccarelli that he was under the impression Mike and Rob were going to take 1st and 2nd placed based on the votes that the judges actually cast. Good to know that the 7th semester students tallying the votes know how to count properly since they'll be vets soon.

I am one lucky lady!

In light of this voting scandal, I plan on taking the case to the Supreme Court of the Dolphin House! Oh, yay- they have already returned with their verdict. MIKE AND ROB WIN! Yay! haha.

Oh, and in other Dolphin House news, Kate and trevor have gone animal crazy this week! First, Kate brings home Lucy, the one-eyed cow cat. Yes, the one-eyed cow cat, you did read that correctly. Kate used to work for a shelter, and is passionate about fostering animals. So, We are hosting Lucy until the first adoption event at the end of January. She is really sweet, and is white with black spots, like a cow. Her one eye is my favorite part. I love physically handicapped animals. It's a shame she is isn't three-legged. Oh well, a girl can dream.

Lucy! And no, she is not winking at you... or is she?

So, we have lucy all of 1.5 days when Kate and trev get wind of puppies being dropped off at the clinic (and by "get wind,"I mean I found out about them and immediately told Kate). This story is kind of sad: a local who works at the Ross clinic took two week old puppies from their mom (HIS DOG!), and brought them to the clinic so they could be adopted. Unfortunately, the adoption group has a freeze on incoming animals. So, he just left them in a box in the clinic with a note saying, "please take one." He didn't bother to mention it to anyone, so no one knows how long the pups were without food and water before one of the student techs saw them. If you are thinking, "hm, two weeks old? Shouldn't they still be with their mom?" The answer is YES!!! One of the puppies died last night. Super sad. So, now all these puppies have to be bottle fed and stimulated (that means you have to rub their butt holes til they poop. Kate and Trevor have experience with this, but only for kittens. Incidentally, I only have experience doing this with lion, tiger, jaguar, bear, and wolf babies. I imagine it's easier with kittens and puppies).  So, long story short- there is now an adorable little girl puppy in residence. Her name is Autumn and she is super cute!

Proud new parents of Autumn the Wonderpup!

PUPPY!!!

One last thing. In case you forgot how amazing St. Kitts is, we just picked a coconut from one of our own trees, and drank the coconut milk. Then we turned the coconut milk into Pina Coladas. Yay for the tropics!