This morning, renewed by the fact that I didn't have to bust my brain studying for an exam, I got to thinking. As Jules left for work, she said to herself"I am going to have a great day at work". It's her way of manifesting a pleasant, productive day at her job....and a technique that I think does have some definite bearing on how her day goes. Well, a light went on in my head and I told her what if she changed that "great day at work" into a "great day at play". I wonder if that would change anything?
It seems to me that by merely switching those words, we can have an even more profound effect on our day. Even in play, we encounter challenges but we treat them not as obstacles and sources of discontentment, but as ways to get even more out of our experience. Think about not being able to hit a golf ball straight (a problem of mine). I can't do it but occasionally things work out (and planets align) so that I can smack it on a frozen rope out on the fairway. Just because I can't do it all the time doesn't make me angry because ultimately, I am PLAYING! Now I realize that some of you golfers out there might be saying "hitting the ball crooked DOES make me angry". Well, if that makes you angry, I would hate to see you at work. Just kidding.....but if we try to make our work as play and start by switching some words around (words are pretty powerful things....don't believe me, try complementing someone and see what happens) maybe our brains will somehow switch on that little pleasure knob and make our day of work, studying or running errands just a little more pleasurable.
With that said, another idea that came to mind is being a student of the universe. Think about what it means to be student....not too hard for me but it may be to others. I always think of a student as someone who learns and observes. It is the second piece about observation that I want to focus on. If you find yourself stuck in a mindless task or maybe in a waiting line, take a look at what you are doing or what is happening around you. Try to be aware of what makes the motions you are doing work. What does it sounds like where you are? What are the scents in the air? Are there any colors that you are particularly drawn to? How does standing there make your bones or muscles feel? Bring awareness and observation to yourself and your environment can allow you to fulfill the first part of what I think it means to be a student, learning. Learn how you feel, how to react, how to observe. Ultimately, I think the point is to then remove any of these preconceptions and just be in the moment and react to a situation but by practicing this first, maybe it is possible to get to that goal of "nowness" a little sooner. That "nowness" is new, exciting and just like being at play!
Enjoy your day at PLAY!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Second Term....CHECK!!!!
We'll it has certainly been a little more challenging finding time to post blog entries than I thought it was going to be. If only I used my time more wisely....I think that is a quote that most people can relate to.
Speaking of lately, I have been busy with my finals in acupuncture school wrapping up this week. Now that I am done studying....at least for a couple of days (I have a year wrap up Comprehensive Exam May 19th...so kind of them to give us a real break) I intend to get out an enjoy a little of the beautiful weather that we have been having in Boston. With that said, keep an eye out for some new pictures on my Fotki website eventually. My folks come up to Boston next weekend and we have some good stuff planned including a BBQ and some tix to a Red Sox-Devil Rays tussle Sunday afternoon.
More later.....Cheers!!
Speaking of lately, I have been busy with my finals in acupuncture school wrapping up this week. Now that I am done studying....at least for a couple of days (I have a year wrap up Comprehensive Exam May 19th...so kind of them to give us a real break) I intend to get out an enjoy a little of the beautiful weather that we have been having in Boston. With that said, keep an eye out for some new pictures on my Fotki website eventually. My folks come up to Boston next weekend and we have some good stuff planned including a BBQ and some tix to a Red Sox-Devil Rays tussle Sunday afternoon.
More later.....Cheers!!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Out Like a Lion!
So much for the end of winter....we actually had some snow and sleet yesterday. Currently it has changed to rain so I am excited to see all the greenery and flowers as the weather gets warmer in the next couple of weeks....we hope. Hard to believe that Easter is right around the corner. March has flown by and everyone in Boston is preparing for the beginning of a new Red Sox season as they attempt to defend their World Championship by starting their season in Japan. If you haven't heard, the Celtics are having a record season as well having just ended the Houston Rockets 22 game win streak and continue to add wins to the NBA's best record. I'm not a big fan of the NBA because it seems to be too individual with the stars taking all the shots and making or breaking their team, but this year's Celtics squad seems to be sharing the load. I don't profess to be the biggest fan, I'll leave that moniker to my buddy Arto, but it has been enjoyable watching them compete this year.
Acupuncture school has been full of new experiences such as electroacupuncture, which is stimulation of needles using a slight electrical current, and old ones, such as preparing for a test every week. We are starting to put some pieces of this whole Chinese medicine puzzle together (at least that is what they tell us) as we prepare for a Comprehensive Exam in the middle of May. I haven't started studying yet but went to a review session and am in the process of organizing my materials. It'll happen one of these days.
In case you were unaware, I consider myself to be a Buddhist and had the opportunity to attend a recent retreat in the Boston area at the Shambhala Center last weekend. Luckily it was a slow weekend for studying so I didn't have to stress about getting any "real" work accomplished. Basically during these retreats we do a lot of sitting meditation interrupted briefly by walking meditation practices and tea breaks. Occasionally, we have an opportunity to discuss some of the issues we are having with the practice with a teacher and other students which provides a welcome break from the aches and pains of sitting as well as gives us some insight into other ways of thinking about the same problem: how to open one's self to the world and its inhabitants without fear. It's funny how almost 3 hours of sitting in the same position and walking in silence will clarify things for you....or not. Anyway, it was invigorating and I really felt a shift in my mental attitude and state this week. I did want to share something our teacher told us about daily interaction with other people. She mentioned that a good way to develop an understanding and compassion for others, whether they be strangers or friends, was to try the following exercise:
Discreetly look at someone's face (don't creep them out though)
Keeping their face in your mind say to yourself
"This person wants to be happy,
This person wants to be taken for who they are,
This person wants to be loved,
JUST LIKE ME!"
Give it a try and see what happens. It is especially useful when you are waiting in line behind someone slightly annoying or while driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day earlier this week, check out the YouTube videos of the Muppets singing Danny Boy. Very funny:)
May you find happiness and the root of happiness, Cheers!
Acupuncture school has been full of new experiences such as electroacupuncture, which is stimulation of needles using a slight electrical current, and old ones, such as preparing for a test every week. We are starting to put some pieces of this whole Chinese medicine puzzle together (at least that is what they tell us) as we prepare for a Comprehensive Exam in the middle of May. I haven't started studying yet but went to a review session and am in the process of organizing my materials. It'll happen one of these days.
In case you were unaware, I consider myself to be a Buddhist and had the opportunity to attend a recent retreat in the Boston area at the Shambhala Center last weekend. Luckily it was a slow weekend for studying so I didn't have to stress about getting any "real" work accomplished. Basically during these retreats we do a lot of sitting meditation interrupted briefly by walking meditation practices and tea breaks. Occasionally, we have an opportunity to discuss some of the issues we are having with the practice with a teacher and other students which provides a welcome break from the aches and pains of sitting as well as gives us some insight into other ways of thinking about the same problem: how to open one's self to the world and its inhabitants without fear. It's funny how almost 3 hours of sitting in the same position and walking in silence will clarify things for you....or not. Anyway, it was invigorating and I really felt a shift in my mental attitude and state this week. I did want to share something our teacher told us about daily interaction with other people. She mentioned that a good way to develop an understanding and compassion for others, whether they be strangers or friends, was to try the following exercise:
Discreetly look at someone's face (don't creep them out though)
Keeping their face in your mind say to yourself
"This person wants to be happy,
This person wants to be taken for who they are,
This person wants to be loved,
JUST LIKE ME!"
Give it a try and see what happens. It is especially useful when you are waiting in line behind someone slightly annoying or while driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day earlier this week, check out the YouTube videos of the Muppets singing Danny Boy. Very funny:)
May you find happiness and the root of happiness, Cheers!
Friday, March 7, 2008
New Cousin!
Don't know how I forgot to mention this in my last post since it happened while my parents were up in Boston but I now have a new cousin. My Uncle Bill and his wife, Aunt Diane, had a baby girl on Saturday, March 1st at around 6:30 in the evening. Her name is Hannah Alexandra Lehmann and she weighed in at about 8 lbs or so at a length on 20 inches. I could be wrong on the measurements but the important thing is that she and Aunt Diane are healthy and have since come home from the hospital to be officially welcomed into the family. Yippee!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Beantown Visit
Having vomited all the information I knew about Materials & Methods, the pathologies of Lung and Spleen, and all 67 Bladder points onto paper over a grueling 3 day span, I was ready to party. There was just one remedy for my intellectually deflated psych and that was a visit from.....my parents. Yes, Larry and Irene made the long trek (only an hour by plane) up from MD for a stay in Boston. Now I know February might not be the ideal choice for time of year and it did just so happen to be one of the colder weekends of the whole winter but we had a great time none-the-less. They arrived on Thursday afternoon and their not so studious (I actually skipped a biochem class...it's a co-requisite science class, BORING!) son picked them up from the airport and shuttled them to their home away from home, the Westin Copley Place. A beautiful hotel with scratchy sheets, at least according to my dad whose skin is evidently a little sensitive. After dropping off luggage and checking in, it was on to Newton and Apt 2R where Jules and I live for a greeting before hopping over to the Super 88 to grab some dinner. The Super 88 is this awesome Chinese market with an international food court where you can get dim sum, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, and Chinese food. Having sampled the dim sum before, we elected to try it again and purchased nearly $50 in food (which is pretty amazing considering each item costs about $3 and usually includes 3-4 pieces). We took our stash home, met up with some friends, Arto and Stephanie, and settled in to watch LOST. We spent the next two hours trying to figure out what the hell was going and there was no shortage of conspiracy theories about the rescuers and the Oceanic 6. My parents hopped on the T and after a little trouble with the swipe card machine, made it back safe and sound.
The next day poor Julia had to go to work but I was lucky enough to spend the whole day with my folks. We met at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Fenway area and wandered around for the next 3 hours. It being Friday, there were lots of noisy school kids around but we found some solitude among the Asian art pieces (they have a really cool reconstructed Buddhist temple there) and the weird modern art pieces. The highlight had to be the interesting 3 sided piece composed of mirrors and finely polished vases, decanters, and glasses. My Dad has a picture of it and it really tripped us out a bit. Getting back on the T and heading into the city, we met up with Julia and had dinner at Silvertones. The wait was a bit long but the food was tasty and we still had enough room in our bellies for a couple of pieces of Boston Creme Pie at the Parker Omni House, which is supposedly the birthplace of the dessert and a former employer of Hoh Chi Min (sp?). Pooped from a long day of walking, we pulled the sheets up to our chins and fell asleep in the Heavenly Scratchy Beds.
Saturday we woke to a light snowfall and after a quick breakfast at Au Bon Pain, headed out on the town to do some of America's favorite past time....shopping. Julia had gotten her hair cut that morning so she looked particularly beautiful with her brown, straight, flowing locks peaking out of her winter hat. We only made it to a couple of stores but had a great time hunting for bargains on the racks of Filene's Basement, the Tannery shoe store, and City Sports. Of course, we couldn't just satisfy our craving with cheaper adornments and found ourselves in a very expensive jewelry store. Some of the pieces in there were beautiful, especially an earring and necklace set that Julia found made of gold and a myriad (good word, huh!) of multicolored precious stones. We had a late lunch at Fire n' Ice, a hibachi type restaurant with a more American flair to it. You pay a set price, fill your bowl with whatever your little heart desires, and take it over to the giant circular grill where the cooks fry it up and put your choice of sauce on it. My Dad even tried some crayfish! Pretty simple to eat I guess; pull off the tail fin, twist the body off the tail, suck the head (YUCK!), and pull out the tail meat. He liked it but didn't go back for a second helping.....of crayfish, at least. From there we headed back to the room for a little nap before getting ready to venture into the South End for dinner at a restaurant called Masa. They are an American/Southeast fusion sort of place with loads of tequilas and giant margaritas. We didn't sample the margaritas but yours truly had a tequila flight consisting of three different shots of tequila all made by the same brewer. Pretty tasty:) Speaking of tasty, the food was delicious and we gobbled everything on our plates, except for my Mom, who chose to order the 16 oz. cowboy cut steak. That was one BIG piece of meat and she ended up taking some of it back where it was donated to become my lunch this week. We had some time after returning to the hotel so we ordered up Juno on the hotel TV and enjoyed the movie in bed. Great film by the way. Ellen Paige (Juno) did a super job, I can see why she was nominated for an Oscar. The writing was excellent as well and did a good job of capturing the nuances and vernacular of high school kids. Justin Bateman, a reborn actor these days, also did a solid job as a father to be.
Sunday dawned bright, clear and cold. Today we decided to do some more site seeing about Boston and headed over to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, near where our friends Alli and Steve live. We spent several hours there wandering about the grounds and the museum erected to commemorate the event. Julia, myself and my Mom(!) climbed the 294 stairs to the top of the monument to catch a cold glimpse of the city spread out before us. I think all our legs hurt for a little while after that. Following our history lesson, we headed back to the South End to enjoy the day and take a peak at all the cute shops and eateries in the area. Prior to dinner, we met up with my parents friend Joey and his new girlfriend in the hotel bar. It turns out that Joey is nearer to our age than theirs so we might have made a new contact in the Boston area. Following a meal at Cheesecake Factory in the Prudential Mall, Julia and I gathered our gear and hailed a cab back to Newton. Luckily for me though, I would able to see my folks one more time before they left.
I got up early and rode the T into the city to meet them for breakfast and a little quality time before I had to head back for class. We took a little stroll up to the Public Garden near Boston Common and then marveled at the spacious brownstones along Commonwealth Avenue. In all, it was a fabulous visit and we always have so much fun hanging out with each other. I know I went through a little withdraw after they left and we have already started planning another trip when the weather turns a little warmer. So the lesson learned is....come visit, we'll keep you busy, tired and full. I'm sure my parents can vouch for that!
The next day poor Julia had to go to work but I was lucky enough to spend the whole day with my folks. We met at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Fenway area and wandered around for the next 3 hours. It being Friday, there were lots of noisy school kids around but we found some solitude among the Asian art pieces (they have a really cool reconstructed Buddhist temple there) and the weird modern art pieces. The highlight had to be the interesting 3 sided piece composed of mirrors and finely polished vases, decanters, and glasses. My Dad has a picture of it and it really tripped us out a bit. Getting back on the T and heading into the city, we met up with Julia and had dinner at Silvertones. The wait was a bit long but the food was tasty and we still had enough room in our bellies for a couple of pieces of Boston Creme Pie at the Parker Omni House, which is supposedly the birthplace of the dessert and a former employer of Hoh Chi Min (sp?). Pooped from a long day of walking, we pulled the sheets up to our chins and fell asleep in the Heavenly Scratchy Beds.
Saturday we woke to a light snowfall and after a quick breakfast at Au Bon Pain, headed out on the town to do some of America's favorite past time....shopping. Julia had gotten her hair cut that morning so she looked particularly beautiful with her brown, straight, flowing locks peaking out of her winter hat. We only made it to a couple of stores but had a great time hunting for bargains on the racks of Filene's Basement, the Tannery shoe store, and City Sports. Of course, we couldn't just satisfy our craving with cheaper adornments and found ourselves in a very expensive jewelry store. Some of the pieces in there were beautiful, especially an earring and necklace set that Julia found made of gold and a myriad (good word, huh!) of multicolored precious stones. We had a late lunch at Fire n' Ice, a hibachi type restaurant with a more American flair to it. You pay a set price, fill your bowl with whatever your little heart desires, and take it over to the giant circular grill where the cooks fry it up and put your choice of sauce on it. My Dad even tried some crayfish! Pretty simple to eat I guess; pull off the tail fin, twist the body off the tail, suck the head (YUCK!), and pull out the tail meat. He liked it but didn't go back for a second helping.....of crayfish, at least. From there we headed back to the room for a little nap before getting ready to venture into the South End for dinner at a restaurant called Masa. They are an American/Southeast fusion sort of place with loads of tequilas and giant margaritas. We didn't sample the margaritas but yours truly had a tequila flight consisting of three different shots of tequila all made by the same brewer. Pretty tasty:) Speaking of tasty, the food was delicious and we gobbled everything on our plates, except for my Mom, who chose to order the 16 oz. cowboy cut steak. That was one BIG piece of meat and she ended up taking some of it back where it was donated to become my lunch this week. We had some time after returning to the hotel so we ordered up Juno on the hotel TV and enjoyed the movie in bed. Great film by the way. Ellen Paige (Juno) did a super job, I can see why she was nominated for an Oscar. The writing was excellent as well and did a good job of capturing the nuances and vernacular of high school kids. Justin Bateman, a reborn actor these days, also did a solid job as a father to be.
Sunday dawned bright, clear and cold. Today we decided to do some more site seeing about Boston and headed over to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, near where our friends Alli and Steve live. We spent several hours there wandering about the grounds and the museum erected to commemorate the event. Julia, myself and my Mom(!) climbed the 294 stairs to the top of the monument to catch a cold glimpse of the city spread out before us. I think all our legs hurt for a little while after that. Following our history lesson, we headed back to the South End to enjoy the day and take a peak at all the cute shops and eateries in the area. Prior to dinner, we met up with my parents friend Joey and his new girlfriend in the hotel bar. It turns out that Joey is nearer to our age than theirs so we might have made a new contact in the Boston area. Following a meal at Cheesecake Factory in the Prudential Mall, Julia and I gathered our gear and hailed a cab back to Newton. Luckily for me though, I would able to see my folks one more time before they left.
I got up early and rode the T into the city to meet them for breakfast and a little quality time before I had to head back for class. We took a little stroll up to the Public Garden near Boston Common and then marveled at the spacious brownstones along Commonwealth Avenue. In all, it was a fabulous visit and we always have so much fun hanging out with each other. I know I went through a little withdraw after they left and we have already started planning another trip when the weather turns a little warmer. So the lesson learned is....come visit, we'll keep you busy, tired and full. I'm sure my parents can vouch for that!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
STOP!!!!
Before you drive over to your local Wal-Mart or Sam's Club (same owners, multi-BILLIONAIRE Walton family) and go wandering around their 20,000 square foot store looking for some tiny thing nestled way in the back, watch the following movie. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. Really eye opening to say the least. Jules and I recently got it from Blockbuster online but it is probably possible to find it on NetFlix or even your local movie store.
It is pretty disgusting the way that unchecked anything-for-a-buck capitalism and corporate greed has demolished any sense of trust that consumers can have in the products that they buy. There doesn't appear to be any accountability for the rip offs out there. Some people may say "well that's what you'd expect from a place where you can get cheap clothing." There is a difference between getting a deal because of smart shopping and getting a deal at the expense of someone else's livelihood. Let us not forget that many of the products that we get in the great USA are made overseas by workers that get barely enough money to live (and not at poverty level, like our USA Wal-Mart employees mind you). It may be difficult to make smart consumer choices when it seems that everything is unPC at times. Do you eat farm raised salmon or not, should I buy this J. Crew shirt made for pennies in Malaysia, what happens to the waste products of the computer manufacturing company in Korea? Tough, tough and I know that I am not by any means innocent of consumer misinformation or apathy myself. But just ask yourself the question the next time you go to a McDonald's or a Wal-Mart or any other store guilty of poor payment and treatment of workers or life (animals too!).....Do I want to support the poor ethics of this company and reinforce their shady dealings with my dollars? You decide.....
It is pretty disgusting the way that unchecked anything-for-a-buck capitalism and corporate greed has demolished any sense of trust that consumers can have in the products that they buy. There doesn't appear to be any accountability for the rip offs out there. Some people may say "well that's what you'd expect from a place where you can get cheap clothing." There is a difference between getting a deal because of smart shopping and getting a deal at the expense of someone else's livelihood. Let us not forget that many of the products that we get in the great USA are made overseas by workers that get barely enough money to live (and not at poverty level, like our USA Wal-Mart employees mind you). It may be difficult to make smart consumer choices when it seems that everything is unPC at times. Do you eat farm raised salmon or not, should I buy this J. Crew shirt made for pennies in Malaysia, what happens to the waste products of the computer manufacturing company in Korea? Tough, tough and I know that I am not by any means innocent of consumer misinformation or apathy myself. But just ask yourself the question the next time you go to a McDonald's or a Wal-Mart or any other store guilty of poor payment and treatment of workers or life (animals too!).....Do I want to support the poor ethics of this company and reinforce their shady dealings with my dollars? You decide.....
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Great Success!
For those of you that know my Dad, he isn't easily surprised but my Mom and all us kids pulled a big one on him. He turns 60 on February 26 and to celebrate, my Mom put together a surprise party at a local restaurant. It has been in the works for several months now and I am amazed that there was no tip off or bungle that ruined the party. Regardless, it went perfectly and as he entered the restaurant, he was greeted by many of his friends and family. The look of shock on his face was priceless..... 
and once he realized what was happening, all he could do was give my Mom a big high five (a la Borat....hence the title of this post) and hug.
After that, it was on to the Grand Marniers and congratulations from all the revelers. We had gotten to the restaurant earlier in the day to decorate the room with streamers, flowers in watering pots painted especially for the occasion, and Happy Birthday signs. Lindsay (my sister) did a great job acting as the liason for the gathering and organized the invitations and RSVP list with a detail savvy mindset. Julia and I lent our artistic prowess to the invitations and watering pots as well as getting the tables ready for the celebration. But the biggest congrats has to go to my Mom for scheming the whole idea in the first place. I am sure she just about has an ulcer from having to remain tight lipped about the whole thing when she was around my Dad. She even went as far to delete her informational e-mails from the "sent e-mail" folder after she sent us a message about the party. Pretty sneaky.....I guess she picked something up from all those deviants she nabbed while working in security for Verizon. The evening closed with a gift extravaganza back at Chez Lehmann where my Dad got to see how much people really appreciated him being their family member and friend. I am sure he'll keep plenty busy planting all the flowers and hitting all the golf balls he's going to buy.
and once he realized what was happening, all he could do was give my Mom a big high five (a la Borat....hence the title of this post) and hug.After that, it was on to the Grand Marniers and congratulations from all the revelers. We had gotten to the restaurant earlier in the day to decorate the room with streamers, flowers in watering pots painted especially for the occasion, and Happy Birthday signs. Lindsay (my sister) did a great job acting as the liason for the gathering and organized the invitations and RSVP list with a detail savvy mindset. Julia and I lent our artistic prowess to the invitations and watering pots as well as getting the tables ready for the celebration. But the biggest congrats has to go to my Mom for scheming the whole idea in the first place. I am sure she just about has an ulcer from having to remain tight lipped about the whole thing when she was around my Dad. She even went as far to delete her informational e-mails from the "sent e-mail" folder after she sent us a message about the party. Pretty sneaky.....I guess she picked something up from all those deviants she nabbed while working in security for Verizon. The evening closed with a gift extravaganza back at Chez Lehmann where my Dad got to see how much people really appreciated him being their family member and friend. I am sure he'll keep plenty busy planting all the flowers and hitting all the golf balls he's going to buy.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Long time between posts! Sorry :(
Hey everyone, so sorry for the span of time between this and my last post. You know how daily life gets....all the little things that seem to monopolize our time. I just like to have a larger chunk of time to sit and write something and haven't had that since school has started.
Speaking of school, it is going great! This term we are being introduced to the two other modalities of Oriental Medicine: Japanese Acupuncture style and Herbal Medicine. I have intro classes in each of these and am finding the Japanese style very intriguing. The treatments are a little less invasive than the Chinese style since the needles are inserted superficially and typically thinner gauge than the Chinese needles. It is primarily based on treating imbalances in the energy/Qi meridians that run throughout the body. With a few well placed needles you can get some amazing results. I have personally had this style and while skeptical at first (because I didn't really feel any Qi sensation, which is the heaviness that normally accompanies the needle in a highly effective treatment) it really seemed to help me on a more subtle level. We have also been working on our palpation skills since a lot of the Japanese style diagnosis is based on pulse readings and abdominal palpation. The Herbal class is very interesting as well but a little drier. Much of the material in it just has to be memorized. With that in mind though, it may be one of the more powerful Oriental Medicine treatments available if you don't mind swallowing pills or herbs "dissolved" in water. Many of these herbs are kinda smelly, bitter, and downright nasty tasting which leads you to the problem of having a patient comply with taking them. They are natural though and can effect a great change in the body if taken regularly and properly. Anyway, we have to chose our tracks very soon and I will embark upon the Dual Track which includes the standard Chinese style acupuncture, as well as the Japanese style and Herbal Medicine. A lot of work I know but I figure that since I am in school, I might as well learn all there is to know about Chinese medicine.
On the other side of things, I have been enjoying the winter here in Boston. We had an opportunity to go skiing in Western Massachusetts a couple of weeks back when Julia's Dad's family was at Jiminy Peak. It was nice to see them (they're from Florida) and the skiing wasn't too bad once it warmed up a tad and melted some of the ice. A excellent training session for our trip to Jay Peak in Vermont over President's Weekend. After our visit with them, we drove down to Julia's Mom's place in Bloomsburg to spend some time with her family. It was great to see everyone and have an opportunity to catch up with the little ones as well as the big ones, particularly Julia's cousin Matt who was back from China for a little while and had some interesting stories to share. Here's a picture of my sweetie with one of her sweeties, Remme.
Jules and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary on January 27th as well.....a day I'll never forget since it was the night before the Ravens won their first Super Bowl and the day I met my Jules.
Anyway, we made a wonderful dinner of seafood risotto and just relished the time we had together while snuggling on the couch.
On the entertainment side of things, I have seen two good movies lately. Cloverfield, which was developed by LOST creator J. J . Abrams, and There Will Be Blood, the much heralded Oscar worthy film starring Daniel Day Lewis. Cloverfield (which I saw alone since Jules isn't a big fan of monster movies) was excellent although the shaky filming style got to me a bit. If you are a little unsure think Blair Witch Project on steroids. Anyway, if you do go see it, some friends of mine mentioned that if you sit way in the back, it isn't so bad. The movie did a great job of creating an eerie feeling throughout and you really had no idea of what the monster was for a while. You only got to see NYC getting the crap beat out of it. Seems NYC is a popular place these days seeing the I Am Legend also had the city, deserted this time, as it's centerpiece as well. There were a couple of freaky parts but not too terrorizing considering its PG-13 rating. It certainly kept my attention all the way through and left me satisfied. There Will Be Blood was our most recent film foray. Jules and I both enjoyed it and felt like the nearly 3 hour film did an excellent job of remaining on task and upbeat throughout. By upbeat, I mean not dull, since the subject matter and DD Lewis' character's outlook on people was a little depressing. Of course, DD Lewis did an amazing job as the Oilman whose only aim in life is to make money and keep others from succeeding. It is a little tough to get a bead on what his true motivations are since even his "son" isn't that meaningful to him as evidenced by his actions in the film. I'd be interested to hear what people think about the ending and to get an idea about what DD Lewis meant with his final words. Oh, I also loved the music....very haunting and conveyed the fire sweltering under the oilman character particularly well.
On our vacation last month to St. Maarten, I also got into the Golden Compass Trilogy written by Philip Pullman. I finished 2 of the 3 while on vacation and quickly devoured the 3rd once I was home. If you like Harry Potter you will definitely get a charge out of this series as well. There is a lot more philosophical and religious material in this series than Potter so it makes for a significantly more involved read. The basic premise is that there is an impending war that is developing between the Authority (God & the Church) and those that believe in the value of free will. A young girl and her older boy companion are drawn into this conflict and hold the key to tipping the balance in either direction. Perhaps the coolest thing about the series is the idea that each of the characters has a daemon, which is an animal that accompanies you throughout your life and is able to do things for you as well as reveal your internal emotions to the world. An adult's daemon stays fixed in one form while a child's can change. The difference between the adult and child is also a major part of the stories. Jules and I saw the movie version of the first book and I found it to be pretty true to the book, except for the requisite happy Hollywood ending.
Finally, yesterday we headed over to our friend's Alli and Steve's house to celebrate the Patriots-Giants Super Bowl game. After various appetizers, chicken fingers, chili, and little football shaped whoopie pies, we settled in to watch......one of most frustrating games I have ever seen. The Giants defense did a fantastic job of stifling Golden Boy Tom Brady's offense and instead of watching a blowout, we were treated to a game where you just knew a single big play was going to seal a victory for one side. Well, that play came on the Giants' fourth quarter drive when their receiver made one of the luckiest catches I have ever since.....made even more lucky by the fact that Eli Manning almost got dragged down by the Pats defense on the play (check out the YouTube videos if you don't believe me). After that, it was hard to remain positive about the Pats chances and ultimately they fell in defeat despite an undefeated record up to that point. It certainly is a shame but we know that they'll be back in that position again in the future. Of course, the Ravens are going to give them a run for their money in '08 but until then, I guess it's all about rooting for the Celtics.
Speaking of school, it is going great! This term we are being introduced to the two other modalities of Oriental Medicine: Japanese Acupuncture style and Herbal Medicine. I have intro classes in each of these and am finding the Japanese style very intriguing. The treatments are a little less invasive than the Chinese style since the needles are inserted superficially and typically thinner gauge than the Chinese needles. It is primarily based on treating imbalances in the energy/Qi meridians that run throughout the body. With a few well placed needles you can get some amazing results. I have personally had this style and while skeptical at first (because I didn't really feel any Qi sensation, which is the heaviness that normally accompanies the needle in a highly effective treatment) it really seemed to help me on a more subtle level. We have also been working on our palpation skills since a lot of the Japanese style diagnosis is based on pulse readings and abdominal palpation. The Herbal class is very interesting as well but a little drier. Much of the material in it just has to be memorized. With that in mind though, it may be one of the more powerful Oriental Medicine treatments available if you don't mind swallowing pills or herbs "dissolved" in water. Many of these herbs are kinda smelly, bitter, and downright nasty tasting which leads you to the problem of having a patient comply with taking them. They are natural though and can effect a great change in the body if taken regularly and properly. Anyway, we have to chose our tracks very soon and I will embark upon the Dual Track which includes the standard Chinese style acupuncture, as well as the Japanese style and Herbal Medicine. A lot of work I know but I figure that since I am in school, I might as well learn all there is to know about Chinese medicine.
On the other side of things, I have been enjoying the winter here in Boston. We had an opportunity to go skiing in Western Massachusetts a couple of weeks back when Julia's Dad's family was at Jiminy Peak. It was nice to see them (they're from Florida) and the skiing wasn't too bad once it warmed up a tad and melted some of the ice. A excellent training session for our trip to Jay Peak in Vermont over President's Weekend. After our visit with them, we drove down to Julia's Mom's place in Bloomsburg to spend some time with her family. It was great to see everyone and have an opportunity to catch up with the little ones as well as the big ones, particularly Julia's cousin Matt who was back from China for a little while and had some interesting stories to share. Here's a picture of my sweetie with one of her sweeties, Remme.
Jules and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary on January 27th as well.....a day I'll never forget since it was the night before the Ravens won their first Super Bowl and the day I met my Jules.Anyway, we made a wonderful dinner of seafood risotto and just relished the time we had together while snuggling on the couch.
On the entertainment side of things, I have seen two good movies lately. Cloverfield, which was developed by LOST creator J. J . Abrams, and There Will Be Blood, the much heralded Oscar worthy film starring Daniel Day Lewis. Cloverfield (which I saw alone since Jules isn't a big fan of monster movies) was excellent although the shaky filming style got to me a bit. If you are a little unsure think Blair Witch Project on steroids. Anyway, if you do go see it, some friends of mine mentioned that if you sit way in the back, it isn't so bad. The movie did a great job of creating an eerie feeling throughout and you really had no idea of what the monster was for a while. You only got to see NYC getting the crap beat out of it. Seems NYC is a popular place these days seeing the I Am Legend also had the city, deserted this time, as it's centerpiece as well. There were a couple of freaky parts but not too terrorizing considering its PG-13 rating. It certainly kept my attention all the way through and left me satisfied. There Will Be Blood was our most recent film foray. Jules and I both enjoyed it and felt like the nearly 3 hour film did an excellent job of remaining on task and upbeat throughout. By upbeat, I mean not dull, since the subject matter and DD Lewis' character's outlook on people was a little depressing. Of course, DD Lewis did an amazing job as the Oilman whose only aim in life is to make money and keep others from succeeding. It is a little tough to get a bead on what his true motivations are since even his "son" isn't that meaningful to him as evidenced by his actions in the film. I'd be interested to hear what people think about the ending and to get an idea about what DD Lewis meant with his final words. Oh, I also loved the music....very haunting and conveyed the fire sweltering under the oilman character particularly well.
On our vacation last month to St. Maarten, I also got into the Golden Compass Trilogy written by Philip Pullman. I finished 2 of the 3 while on vacation and quickly devoured the 3rd once I was home. If you like Harry Potter you will definitely get a charge out of this series as well. There is a lot more philosophical and religious material in this series than Potter so it makes for a significantly more involved read. The basic premise is that there is an impending war that is developing between the Authority (God & the Church) and those that believe in the value of free will. A young girl and her older boy companion are drawn into this conflict and hold the key to tipping the balance in either direction. Perhaps the coolest thing about the series is the idea that each of the characters has a daemon, which is an animal that accompanies you throughout your life and is able to do things for you as well as reveal your internal emotions to the world. An adult's daemon stays fixed in one form while a child's can change. The difference between the adult and child is also a major part of the stories. Jules and I saw the movie version of the first book and I found it to be pretty true to the book, except for the requisite happy Hollywood ending.
Finally, yesterday we headed over to our friend's Alli and Steve's house to celebrate the Patriots-Giants Super Bowl game. After various appetizers, chicken fingers, chili, and little football shaped whoopie pies, we settled in to watch......one of most frustrating games I have ever seen. The Giants defense did a fantastic job of stifling Golden Boy Tom Brady's offense and instead of watching a blowout, we were treated to a game where you just knew a single big play was going to seal a victory for one side. Well, that play came on the Giants' fourth quarter drive when their receiver made one of the luckiest catches I have ever since.....made even more lucky by the fact that Eli Manning almost got dragged down by the Pats defense on the play (check out the YouTube videos if you don't believe me). After that, it was hard to remain positive about the Pats chances and ultimately they fell in defeat despite an undefeated record up to that point. It certainly is a shame but we know that they'll be back in that position again in the future. Of course, the Ravens are going to give them a run for their money in '08 but until then, I guess it's all about rooting for the Celtics.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Funny Holiday Picture
I saw this picture on a e-mail announcement for a band that Jules and I like and decided to put it up. Poor kid....
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Holidays in Paradise
I hope that everyone is having a delightful start to their new year and that the holiday season went smoothly. It is always interesting to me that people you talk too are sooooo looking forward to a little break of some sort for the holidays but when asked about how it was, always seem to bring up traveling, the hassles of coordinating dinners, and just a general want to get back into a daily routine. Well, not me and Jules.....I know that we both would have loved to prolong our holiday season and who can blame us. As you will soon see, our vacation to St. Maarten over the Christmas holiday was about as perfect as could be, even with some interesting little quirks here and there.
Jules and I departed from Boston on December 23 very early in the morning for our flight down to San Juan where we were to meet my family (Mom: Irene, Dad: Larry, Sister: Lindsay, Brother-in-law: Matt). They arrived several hours after we did and were fortunate to catch the connecting flight to St. Maarten. A quick hop south took us there and we then spent the next hour or so collecting our luggage and looking for the car rental guy to take us from the airport to the agency. Well, I guess this young man working for the agency didn't get the memo about holding up the sign with the names because as he clutched the sheet on a clipboard close to his chest, we probably wandered past him a couple of times. We got our rental car, a SUV that probably would have fit two of the normal sized St. Maarten cars in it, packed it to the gills with luggage and bodies and headed to our home away from home, The Royal Islander La Plage.
The room was very spacious and perfect for the beach. It was tiled everywhere and being on the 5th floor, we had a great view of the pool, beach, and ocean. There were two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a nice sized kitchen where we ate breakfast and prepared lunch every morning. Being located where it was, the resort also had another special amenity. We got to watch as every type of plane imaginable, from a prop puddlejumper to an AirFrance 757, landed at the airport runway just adjacent to the resort.
It was a pretty incredible experience seeing these large airliners line up the runway from way off and then fly over the beach only about 50-100 ft off the ground before landing. A bunch of us even went out to stand on the beach as a plane was getting to land and take off. During take off, the jet wash was strong enough to blow beach towels, chairs, hats, even carelessly tied bikini tops (just kidding) into the water behind the runway.
That first night we were treated to an amazing sunset (the first in a string of many) and then made plans to head out for a bite to eat before our minds and bodies turned to jelly after a long day of traveling.
Luckily we didn't have to go far since our resort was located in a fairly hopping area with a casino, shops, and a couple of restaurants nearby. We had a delicious Italian meal before dragging our feet back to our place for some rest.
The next day dawned warm and sunny and we headed out to explore the beach at Mullet Bay. Getting there early was key as we were able to get set up with our umbrellas and chairs before it got too crowded....not to mention parking the Behemoth. While the rest of the family lazed in beach chairs reading or the ocean rafts sunning, Matt and I headed out with some snorkel gear to check out the sea life around the rocks. A couple of minutes snorkeling revealed an octopus and lots of anemones, sea urchins (the long black spiky kinds and the less harmful white quilled kinds), and tons of fish. We also saw and held some conch which are large snails that live in those shells you may have seen islanders blow into to make an interesting horn like sound. The weirdest things that we found were a tape measure which I grabbed and threw to my Dad who was wandering on the rocks (of course, it broke though) and a $10 bill waving in the current of a cove. Well, that $10 paid for my lunch as we feasted not on freshly grilled jerk chicken, seafood sandwiches, or even fried plantains but on a Subway sub. It did the trick though and after a long day in the sun we headed home to make our plans for Christmas Eve dinner. We had a fine seafood dinner and some ribs at a local restaurant called The Boathouse that had a very nice fillet of grouper and some curried sea scallops. After heading home, we even stopped in the casino for a little gambling before calling it a night and retiring to our beds with dreams of sugarplums in our heads because the next day was.....
Christmas! Waking up early, we all were amazed to see that even here in the middle of the Caribbean, Santa had made a visit, taking the time to put tiny stockings up on a poster with suction cup hooks and erecting a small artificial tree complete with Christmas lights. Upon further discovery, we found that he didn't have time to put ornaments on the tree but did the next best thing and left us each a package to create our own ornament using markers and glitter glue. Well, since the Lehmann family is well rounded and particularly adept at artwork, we spent the next several hours hunched over these tiny wooden cutouts of Santa, snowmen, Christmas trees, and stockings crafting each one with care that would make any of Santa's little helpers proud.
When we finally decided it was time to continue on with the day, we hopped in the car and drove over to a ferry to take us to Pinel Island. It was another beautiful day and the views of the harbor could not be beat. Reading and spending time with family in the Caribbean sun.....there is no better way to spend the holiday. We were stymied in our efforts to snorkel due to some rough surf on the far side of the island but a short hike did reward us with views of St. Bart's, Tintemarre, and Anguilla.
Heading home through the back roads of Grand Case was interesting but being Christmas, everyone was in high spirits and our enthusiasm for the day couldn't be diminished. A particularly good, and expensive I'm told (wink, wink), dinner at Le Bec Fin put the cherry on top of an all around fabulous celebration. The fish there couldn't have been better and we all wiped our plates clean with the French rolls that accompanied the meal.
Another early morning....another beautiful day. Julia and I headed out for a two tank dive with local SCUBA operators Ocean Explorers while the rest of the gang settled for that most American of post-Christmas past times, shopping in duty free Philipsburg where the jewelry, electronics, cigar, and liquor stores pack the sides of Front Street. On our SCUBA trip we had an opportunity to do a couple of wreck dives, even poking our head inside one of the rusted hulls. We saw among other things, another octopus, a turtle with a very large remora attached (never seen that before), several scorpionfish, a bunch of different eels, and a couple of ginormous spiny lobster. It was a really fun trip and only having 6 divers on the boat made it a personalized and enjoyable experience. After picking us up at the dive store, the whole family headed back to the resort for some naps by the pool and the beach. Of course, we were always wakened from our slumber by a certain family member who insisted that from 3-5 pm everyday we take advantage of 2 for 1 drink specials at the bar. Thanks a lot!!!!! Thoroughly mellowed from our drinks and breeze caressed dream time it was again time for a meal. Tonight we tempted our taste buds with some items from the largely Mexican menu of Jimbo's. Several of us had the fajitas and I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed the meal.....especially the shot of passion fruit infused tequila we got on the house. Feeling satiated we again tried our luck in the casino close to our resort and several of us won playing penny slots (OZZIE! OZZIE! OZZIE!) but the big story had to be Mom who found herself as usual at the craps table throwing down with guys who crowded the padded armrests. She wasn't having a whole lot of luck and then her favorite son showed up and the tides turned. Not saying that I was the lucky talisman but I am sure that the positive vibes Julia and I sent her way didn't hurt. Well, to make a long story short, she got on a great roll, throwing 7s four times in a row in the come out roll which basically doubles everyones money. She did so well in fact, that a gentlemen (with a big, bald bodyguard I might add) tossed her a $100 chip as he left the table. Of course, during her roll he probably cashed in about $5000, maybe more. She ended the night up and went to bed amped after her win.
Thursday morning was spent wandering the streets of Marigot, another small shopping area on the French side of the island. The shops were upscale and my Mom found some jewelry from a shop she had frequented on my parent's previous visits. We all enjoyed the day and had a delightful lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the harbor. From there we journeyed further around the island to Orient Beach. One of the largest beaches on the island, it was a little crowded but with the power of the law of attraction, we were able to find parking, beach chairs and an umbrella without little trouble. We spent the rest of day watching the endless lines of people walking the beach, the kite boarders skimming the chop just off shore, and relishing the refreshing breeze that came in off the ocean. I'm told that the far eastern end of the beach is clothing optional although I can neither confirm or discount that claim. Some members of our party might be able to though....ahem.... Dinner was eaten at a local restaurant called Cheri's where they had good comfort food and a raunchy stage show. Entertaining all around.
Friday was our last day on the island and Julia and I were treated to a 2 hour jet ski tour by my sister and brother-in-law. Of course they came along too and we had a great time zipping along the water past the mega-yachts and hill castles of the rich and famous. We had the opportunity to see a different beach and do some snorkeling before hopping back on our machines for the short ride home. A little salty from our trip, we headed back to the pool at the resort where we reconnected with my parents and enjoyed the rest of the day in the sun and sand, poolside. We had another good seafood meal at Lee's Roadside Grill and then headed back to the casino to try our luck one last time. This time, I played some craps alongside my Mom who was welcomed back to the table by her $100 mystery man. He even got another player to move so she could stand in her lucky position. Well, the table wasn't particularly hot that night and I disposed of my funds after about an hour or so. But this wasn't before my Mom rolled well again (despite not hitting the point number even once) and earning all the players at the table some more dough. This time, her cash cow flicked her $200 and sauntered off to enjoy the rest of his evening on a multimillion dollar boat no doubt. The dice didn't roll true and when all was said and done she came out down but not for lack of trying. The important part is to have fun playing and craps in one of those games that you can play without losing all your money in a flash. I am looking forward to when my folks come back up so we can hit up the Mohegan Sun tables.
Our flight out on Saturday was later in the afternoon so we packed up in the morning, trucked our luggage over to the airport, checked in and then spent the rest of the day at the pool. Surprising as it sounds, it was nice to off gas a little from our very busy and exciting week on St. Maarten. We talked about plans for next year and trips to be made in the future. Despite an earlier flight, the family was able to gather once more at our gate before we said goodbye and headed back to Boston. It wasn't with tears though but with smiles; smiles that showed our contentment, thankfulness, and love at being able to enjoy this experience with people who were near and dear to us. Thanks Mom, Dad, Linds, Matt, and Jules for making this holiday a very happy one....and that is a lot from someone who REEEALLLLYYY enjoys opening presents :)
If you want to check out some more pictures from the trip visit my Fotki webpage. Matt just put one up too so if you search for mpaushter you could see his too!
Best wishes to everyone out there for a prosperous and healthy 2008. We have so much to be thankful for.....be sure to say it and feel it everyday.
Jules and I departed from Boston on December 23 very early in the morning for our flight down to San Juan where we were to meet my family (Mom: Irene, Dad: Larry, Sister: Lindsay, Brother-in-law: Matt). They arrived several hours after we did and were fortunate to catch the connecting flight to St. Maarten. A quick hop south took us there and we then spent the next hour or so collecting our luggage and looking for the car rental guy to take us from the airport to the agency. Well, I guess this young man working for the agency didn't get the memo about holding up the sign with the names because as he clutched the sheet on a clipboard close to his chest, we probably wandered past him a couple of times. We got our rental car, a SUV that probably would have fit two of the normal sized St. Maarten cars in it, packed it to the gills with luggage and bodies and headed to our home away from home, The Royal Islander La Plage.
The room was very spacious and perfect for the beach. It was tiled everywhere and being on the 5th floor, we had a great view of the pool, beach, and ocean. There were two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a nice sized kitchen where we ate breakfast and prepared lunch every morning. Being located where it was, the resort also had another special amenity. We got to watch as every type of plane imaginable, from a prop puddlejumper to an AirFrance 757, landed at the airport runway just adjacent to the resort.
It was a pretty incredible experience seeing these large airliners line up the runway from way off and then fly over the beach only about 50-100 ft off the ground before landing. A bunch of us even went out to stand on the beach as a plane was getting to land and take off. During take off, the jet wash was strong enough to blow beach towels, chairs, hats, even carelessly tied bikini tops (just kidding) into the water behind the runway.That first night we were treated to an amazing sunset (the first in a string of many) and then made plans to head out for a bite to eat before our minds and bodies turned to jelly after a long day of traveling.
Luckily we didn't have to go far since our resort was located in a fairly hopping area with a casino, shops, and a couple of restaurants nearby. We had a delicious Italian meal before dragging our feet back to our place for some rest.The next day dawned warm and sunny and we headed out to explore the beach at Mullet Bay. Getting there early was key as we were able to get set up with our umbrellas and chairs before it got too crowded....not to mention parking the Behemoth. While the rest of the family lazed in beach chairs reading or the ocean rafts sunning, Matt and I headed out with some snorkel gear to check out the sea life around the rocks. A couple of minutes snorkeling revealed an octopus and lots of anemones, sea urchins (the long black spiky kinds and the less harmful white quilled kinds), and tons of fish. We also saw and held some conch which are large snails that live in those shells you may have seen islanders blow into to make an interesting horn like sound. The weirdest things that we found were a tape measure which I grabbed and threw to my Dad who was wandering on the rocks (of course, it broke though) and a $10 bill waving in the current of a cove. Well, that $10 paid for my lunch as we feasted not on freshly grilled jerk chicken, seafood sandwiches, or even fried plantains but on a Subway sub. It did the trick though and after a long day in the sun we headed home to make our plans for Christmas Eve dinner. We had a fine seafood dinner and some ribs at a local restaurant called The Boathouse that had a very nice fillet of grouper and some curried sea scallops. After heading home, we even stopped in the casino for a little gambling before calling it a night and retiring to our beds with dreams of sugarplums in our heads because the next day was.....
Christmas! Waking up early, we all were amazed to see that even here in the middle of the Caribbean, Santa had made a visit, taking the time to put tiny stockings up on a poster with suction cup hooks and erecting a small artificial tree complete with Christmas lights. Upon further discovery, we found that he didn't have time to put ornaments on the tree but did the next best thing and left us each a package to create our own ornament using markers and glitter glue. Well, since the Lehmann family is well rounded and particularly adept at artwork, we spent the next several hours hunched over these tiny wooden cutouts of Santa, snowmen, Christmas trees, and stockings crafting each one with care that would make any of Santa's little helpers proud.
When we finally decided it was time to continue on with the day, we hopped in the car and drove over to a ferry to take us to Pinel Island. It was another beautiful day and the views of the harbor could not be beat. Reading and spending time with family in the Caribbean sun.....there is no better way to spend the holiday. We were stymied in our efforts to snorkel due to some rough surf on the far side of the island but a short hike did reward us with views of St. Bart's, Tintemarre, and Anguilla.
Heading home through the back roads of Grand Case was interesting but being Christmas, everyone was in high spirits and our enthusiasm for the day couldn't be diminished. A particularly good, and expensive I'm told (wink, wink), dinner at Le Bec Fin put the cherry on top of an all around fabulous celebration. The fish there couldn't have been better and we all wiped our plates clean with the French rolls that accompanied the meal.Another early morning....another beautiful day. Julia and I headed out for a two tank dive with local SCUBA operators Ocean Explorers while the rest of the gang settled for that most American of post-Christmas past times, shopping in duty free Philipsburg where the jewelry, electronics, cigar, and liquor stores pack the sides of Front Street. On our SCUBA trip we had an opportunity to do a couple of wreck dives, even poking our head inside one of the rusted hulls. We saw among other things, another octopus, a turtle with a very large remora attached (never seen that before), several scorpionfish, a bunch of different eels, and a couple of ginormous spiny lobster. It was a really fun trip and only having 6 divers on the boat made it a personalized and enjoyable experience. After picking us up at the dive store, the whole family headed back to the resort for some naps by the pool and the beach. Of course, we were always wakened from our slumber by a certain family member who insisted that from 3-5 pm everyday we take advantage of 2 for 1 drink specials at the bar. Thanks a lot!!!!! Thoroughly mellowed from our drinks and breeze caressed dream time it was again time for a meal. Tonight we tempted our taste buds with some items from the largely Mexican menu of Jimbo's. Several of us had the fajitas and I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed the meal.....especially the shot of passion fruit infused tequila we got on the house. Feeling satiated we again tried our luck in the casino close to our resort and several of us won playing penny slots (OZZIE! OZZIE! OZZIE!) but the big story had to be Mom who found herself as usual at the craps table throwing down with guys who crowded the padded armrests. She wasn't having a whole lot of luck and then her favorite son showed up and the tides turned. Not saying that I was the lucky talisman but I am sure that the positive vibes Julia and I sent her way didn't hurt. Well, to make a long story short, she got on a great roll, throwing 7s four times in a row in the come out roll which basically doubles everyones money. She did so well in fact, that a gentlemen (with a big, bald bodyguard I might add) tossed her a $100 chip as he left the table. Of course, during her roll he probably cashed in about $5000, maybe more. She ended the night up and went to bed amped after her win.
Thursday morning was spent wandering the streets of Marigot, another small shopping area on the French side of the island. The shops were upscale and my Mom found some jewelry from a shop she had frequented on my parent's previous visits. We all enjoyed the day and had a delightful lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the harbor. From there we journeyed further around the island to Orient Beach. One of the largest beaches on the island, it was a little crowded but with the power of the law of attraction, we were able to find parking, beach chairs and an umbrella without little trouble. We spent the rest of day watching the endless lines of people walking the beach, the kite boarders skimming the chop just off shore, and relishing the refreshing breeze that came in off the ocean. I'm told that the far eastern end of the beach is clothing optional although I can neither confirm or discount that claim. Some members of our party might be able to though....ahem.... Dinner was eaten at a local restaurant called Cheri's where they had good comfort food and a raunchy stage show. Entertaining all around.
Friday was our last day on the island and Julia and I were treated to a 2 hour jet ski tour by my sister and brother-in-law. Of course they came along too and we had a great time zipping along the water past the mega-yachts and hill castles of the rich and famous. We had the opportunity to see a different beach and do some snorkeling before hopping back on our machines for the short ride home. A little salty from our trip, we headed back to the pool at the resort where we reconnected with my parents and enjoyed the rest of the day in the sun and sand, poolside. We had another good seafood meal at Lee's Roadside Grill and then headed back to the casino to try our luck one last time. This time, I played some craps alongside my Mom who was welcomed back to the table by her $100 mystery man. He even got another player to move so she could stand in her lucky position. Well, the table wasn't particularly hot that night and I disposed of my funds after about an hour or so. But this wasn't before my Mom rolled well again (despite not hitting the point number even once) and earning all the players at the table some more dough. This time, her cash cow flicked her $200 and sauntered off to enjoy the rest of his evening on a multimillion dollar boat no doubt. The dice didn't roll true and when all was said and done she came out down but not for lack of trying. The important part is to have fun playing and craps in one of those games that you can play without losing all your money in a flash. I am looking forward to when my folks come back up so we can hit up the Mohegan Sun tables.
Our flight out on Saturday was later in the afternoon so we packed up in the morning, trucked our luggage over to the airport, checked in and then spent the rest of the day at the pool. Surprising as it sounds, it was nice to off gas a little from our very busy and exciting week on St. Maarten. We talked about plans for next year and trips to be made in the future. Despite an earlier flight, the family was able to gather once more at our gate before we said goodbye and headed back to Boston. It wasn't with tears though but with smiles; smiles that showed our contentment, thankfulness, and love at being able to enjoy this experience with people who were near and dear to us. Thanks Mom, Dad, Linds, Matt, and Jules for making this holiday a very happy one....and that is a lot from someone who REEEALLLLYYY enjoys opening presents :)
If you want to check out some more pictures from the trip visit my Fotki webpage. Matt just put one up too so if you search for mpaushter you could see his too!
Best wishes to everyone out there for a prosperous and healthy 2008. We have so much to be thankful for.....be sure to say it and feel it everyday.
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