31 August 2008 - Sunday

Hope everyone is having a pleasant Labor Day weekend! We've been following the path of Hurricane Gustav & TS Hanna. Gustav actually passed over us (last Saturday)... while it was still a tropical depression. He just gave us a day full of rain and a few gusts of wind. We're sitting here tonight checking in on Louisiana's preparation for when he makes landfall in the US. Hopefully, he won't cause any major catastrophes.

Today we worked around the house (again). While Scott worked on trimming the grass (we weedwhack here instead of "mowing"), I pulled weeds & cleared the yard of rotten fruit. We "attacked" a few of the banana trees that were covered with vines & cleaned up around the base of them. Then we mounted a set of shelves Scott made for above the slop sink in the carport. I painted the base of the sink after that. While I cleaned up the mess, Scott worked on repairing a small window on the back door that's been broken since we moved in. And I think I saw my first scorpion! It certainly looked like one... but I thought they were much bigger. It was only about 3/4 inch long (curled up). I found it when I was sweeping up the carport.

The past few weeks I've been working on what we call the PINK bedroom. There was a lot of touch-up work to do since there was pink paint splattered on everything. I've finished repainting the room (a beautiful warm beige!), cleaned the windows, scraped the pink paint spots off the linoleum floor, stripped & waxed the floor, cleaned up the closet doors & removed paint from the mirror (whew!). We now have room for one overnight guest! (Unless you want to get cozy with 2 on a twin bed!) I still need to get the curtains done for the room, and do a little more touch-up work on the dresser. (Photo shows the pink room when we first stayed in the house.)

We're having a little trouble with cell phones this week. The Motorola Razr flip phone I gave Scott to use (with the Grenada phone number) just died this week... a blank white screen is all we get. We still had the Nokia phone that we got with the Grenada SIM card, so we just moved the card back over to that phone... but it needed to be charged. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention (again) to the voltage situation and I plugged it into the same adapter we'd been charging the flip phone on. So now I've "fried" that phone too! No... Scott was NOT happy about having to find a way to fix this problem! But being the electronic "wizard" that he is, he finally got the charger to work again. We're still not sure the phone wasn't damaged, but it seems to be working now. By the way... if anyone out there has an old (unlocked) Motorola Razr phone they want to get rid of... or trade for my Palm Treo - give me a shout!

Wanna get an idea of what it's like driving in Grenada? I used the video mode on my little point & shoot camera and then posted a couple short videos (on YouTube) of part of our drive from home to town. Let me know what you think! Here's Part 1:

... and here's Part 2 (taken the next day):

30-31 July 2008 - Wednesday/Thursday

Well, we’re definitely beginning to settle in here. There’s not too much to report on while we work on getting organized in the house, so it won’t be necessary to send out a “daily” journal.

The past 2 days I’ve spent fine tuning the living room & my business computer setup. Yesterday I assembled a couple floor lamps & replaced the plugs on 4 lamps with the European 220v style. Today I finished cleaning up our old stereo speakers & hooked them up the receiver I had out in the studio… now I have my music! So I was jammin’ with Jimmy Buffet all afternoon!

We finally hung the shower curtain in the middle bath (the only shower that’s working at the moment), so I gave the whole bathroom a good cleaning today and fixed the medicine cabinet.

I’m having trouble coming up with things that I can do without getting Scott involved. I really would like to start painting, but there are other things that need done first… like replacing some of the wood in the cabinets. And until Scott is ready to get involved in that, I’ll just have to wait.

He’s almost finished mounting the lights in the workshop. Not sure what he plans for his next project.

Thought you might find this interesting… here’s a list of some prices for things in the grocery stores here:

Bisquick, 40 oz. ..................... $5.24

Ground Beef, 1 lb.................... 3.89

Eggs, 1/2 doz. ......................... $1.70 (var. sizes & colors together!)

Baking Powder, Calumet............ 2.17

Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese... 4.96

Applesauce, 25 oz. IGA............. 3.11

Spaghetti Sauce, Ragu 26 oz...... 4.93

Pork & Beans, can..................... 1.22

Kiwi fruit, 1 whole....................... .67

Peanuts in shell, 10 oz............... 2.73

Spaghetti Squash, $1.97/lb......... 4.90

Peas, 1 lb. Frozen...................... 2.12

Skim Milk, 1 liter (shelf milk)....... 3.68

Margarine................................. 2.05

Crystal

NOTE: This is finally the last entry I've been trying to catch up with! Next time I'll be current with the date posted.

Photo Description: Sunrise & Mt. Gazo... and Bathroom 2.

29 July 2008 - Tuesday

Today I decided to get some laundry done. I have a new washer & dryer that we brought with us, but Scott needs to figure out how to get them to work on this electric here. In the meantime, the previous owner left a washing machine so Scott set it up in the carport & we’ve been using that for laundry… then hanging everything either on the porch or in the carport. We just have to keep our eyes peeled for passing showers! Actually, the wash can hang out there without getting wet from the rain… unless it’s blowing from the east (which it did today!). Then it’s a scramble to get it down before it gets soaked again. Of course, by the time we get it all down, the shower has passed & the sun is shining again!

This afternoon we took a trip to the post office to mail some letters & check our mail. We’ve had the box for a few months now, but I don’t think we’ve ever received any mail yet! (In case I haven’t told you… I can’t check the mail because our box is so high up that I can’t reach it! Scott can reach it, but he can’t see inside.) So we went inside to ask for our mail. The woman behind the counter told us that we hadn’t paid the bill for the box! (Scott paid for a year just 2 months ago!) We could see that there was mail for us, but she kept saying we had to pay for the box. Fortunately we happened to have the receipt to show them that we paid, then she gave us our mail. I think there was confusion about whoever had that box before us. I’ve heard that the mail delivery system here in Grenada is really not reliable… now I see how that can be true!

We also stopped for groceries today… with our shopping list in hand! Looking at the prices in the meat department, I think we’re going to be eating a LOT of chicken down here! Meals are going to be a bit of a challenge… at least until we figure out the best way to stretch our dollars. So guess what we had for dinner tonight? You guessed it… chicken!

We met a couple from Texas that was walking down our street this evening. They are mennonite missionaries living just up the road. Said they’ve been here for about 9 months, but are scheduled to be here for 33 months. We talked with them for about a half hour at the bottom of our driveway.

We also stopped to see our friends Mike & Jackie. They’ve been working on re-tiling the floor in their house. They have 4 apartments they rent to the college students. They’re trying to get a lot of work done before the kids come back for the school year. I think they said the first ones will arrive in early August. Before we left their place, Mike gave us a piece of fruit he called a “french kashew”. I’m not sure of the spelling, but that’s exactly how it sounded. So I’m thinking it might be called a French Cashew… but it looks like an apple! Haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll let you know how it tastes!

One thing I noticed is that there are a lot of dogs running around here! They just wander all around the neighborhood, sometimes in packs. I’m not even sure if most of them belong to anyone. A lot of them are a bit on the thin side, and I don’t think anyone gets their dogs spayed or neutered. There are at least 2 hanging around at our neighbor’s house (across from our driveway). Every morning there’s one out behind the house. We’re planning to plant a vegetable garden, but I’m told we’ll have to figure out a way to keep the dogs out of it.

Photo description: Main Post Office

28 July 2008 - Monday

Not much unpacking was done today… except for a second computer. I spent the day assembling Scott’s old computer desk, and setting up this desktop computer for both of us to use. That pretty much took most of the day!

I had trouble getting my antivirus program to work, so I ended up contacting Symantec for help. It was amazing to watch the tech “take over my computer” and make the adjustments from their location… probably India! I sat & watched my screen as the cursor moved about. They ended up removing all remnants of the program on my computer, then downloading a newer version & installed it… all while I watched!

Then I had trouble figuring out how to transfer my email messages from my laptop to here. Of course, in the process I lost a few messages… so if you sent me something today & didn’t hear back, try sending it again.

In the grocery stores, American brands are quite expensive. So until we figure out exactly what some of the local items ARE in the stores, our fridge is sparsely stocked. I asked Scott what he wanted for dinner tonight… hot dogs, canned tuna, or Spam? He suggested we walk down to the neighborhood mart to see what they have. I guess you could call it our local “convenience” store… Sunshine’s Shopping Mart. Turns out the only thing they had in the way of meat was chicken wings. We bought a pack of rolls, some onions, baked beans, and yeast for my breadmaker. Then we came home & fried up some Spam and opened a can of beans! Looks like we might have to head into town tomorrow.

But then, we always have the fresh fruit out of the backyard! Scott brought in a few avocados today. I tried one, but I don’t think they’re ripe yet… it was pretty bitter tasting. I was told they’re usually ready around mid-August.

Scott continued working in his shop… painting and installing fluorescent lighting. And I now have a dedicated transformer for my computer.

We’ve both started taking garlic pills a few times a day… hoping that helps with the mosquito bites. Personally… I don’t think it’s helping.

A number of hard rain showers today, along with lots of wind. I saw how the local birds get their “birdbaths”. During the rain I watched a dove sitting on the electric line outside my window… slowly lift up one wing, then alternating to the other. I guess there’s no need for wasting energy splashing around in a puddle!

Photo description: Sunshine's Shopping Mart

27 July 2008 - Sunday

Back in Mount Joy, we had the daily newspaper delivered and Scott’s Sunday ritual was to do the crossword puzzle. (I always did the word find & cryptoquip.) So this morning I surprised him & printed out the puzzle from their “e-Editions”… the online version of the newspaper. So while he was having his eggs for breakfast, he was diligently working on the crossword puzzle! Life is grand!

My mission for today was to get through all the boxes of clothes… at least mine. I found a box of hangers and got to work right after breakfast (probably around 7:30am)! Scott headed below to work on his shop.

Each box of clothes I opened came with a surprise… something I didn’t expect to find in a box of clothes! The best surprise? I found my blender! Now I need to figure out how to get those papayas out of the tree… the ripe ones are pretty high up.

I also found time today to clean the 3 bathrooms! Something I just haven’t had the time or energy to get to until now.

It’s been pretty hot the past few days. We’ve been keeping the doors closed now to keep the mosquitoes under control, so it gets pretty steamy inside the house! As soon as we get the screens fixed we’ll be able to ventilate much better. I actually had goose bumps today when I was sitting on the veranda taking a break! And for the first time since I’ve arrived, I don’t think it rained during the night… at least I didn’t hear it on our metal roof. Today was a glorious clear day again!

Photo description: Blender with fruit from yard.

26 July 2008 - Saturday

It’s another sunny day in paradise!

Scott’s going to continue working on setting up his shop below, so I got to venture out on my own today. That means I’m driving alone to the market (on the wrong side of the road)! So I’m trying to think of all the obstacles along the way & wondering if I’m capable of doing it alone… getting down the driveway; getting UP the driveway; parking downtown (curbside)? So I’m thinking… there IS a bus that I could catch to take me! Nah…that’s a little scary too! OK, I can do this!

Grab my market basket, my shopping list, kiss Scott goodbye, and off I go! Made it down the driveway without a glitch! Not even coming CLOSE to running over anyone yet, so this really isn’t bad! The road to St. George’s is pretty good, and there wasn’t much traffic, so I didn’t have any trouble at all. I thought about stopping to check my mail on the way, but I can’t reach the box! (That will have to be Scott’s chore.) I parked the car, then walked about 10 min. to get to the market. I bought 3 tomatoes ($1.87), some green leaf lettuce ($1.12), and 4 small sweet potatoes ($1.12). Mostly I looked around to see where shops were. (I’m looking for someone to cut my hair… soon!)

I have a number of stops to make before heading back home. I have to stop by our friends’ house to drop off a hose & pick up payment for the refrigerator we brought for them. Wasn’t sure I’d be able to find their place by myself, but I did. They’re working on re-tiling the floor and replacing doors before the fridge gets installed. As soon as things settle down for them, we plan to have them over for breakfast some Sunday!

Well I made it home… AND up the driveway without incident! The rest of the day I just puttered around the house doing little odd jobs. Scott is still working on cleaning up his shop below. He made a lot of progress today… built some shelves (with the wood we used for crating our stuff), which made room for storage of some of the boxed items lying in the middle of the floor. He’s working on hanging some pegboard next, but I think he needs to paint the block wall first.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention… the ice cream truck went by this afternoon! Yep, there is a very loud musical truck that drives around the area selling ice cream! Just like home! (But I think he drives too fast… I don’t have time to get him to stop!)

Photo description: Ice cream truck stopped across the valley.

25 July 2008 - Friday

Well, this might sound boring, but once again we arose to the sunshine hitting us on the face around 6 am! For those of you that really know me… you must be amazed that I’m up & about at that hour! We’re usually turning in around 9:00… don’t forget that it gets dark here around 6:45. So getting up early is easier.

First thing we did this morning was burn up a transformer! The electric used here is the same as in the UK… 220v 60hz, so everything from the US on 110v 50hz needs to go through a transformer. We only have a few of them set up with the proper cords, so we’re constantly moving them from one outlet to another. Scott was heating his breakfast in the microwave & the thing was actually smoking! I guess we’re going to need a bigger one to run the microwave and coffeemaker.

Yesterday I set up the living room… and in doing that all the extra boxes were moved to one of our 4 bedrooms. So today I picked through & organized the boxes in one bedroom. Most of the stuff in that room was my photography gear & office stuff. I had a few surprises, as some of the boxes weren’t marked with “everything” that was inside. So I actually found a few items I was looking for… but I still haven’t found my blender (which is very necessary for those frozen blender drinks)! Scott spent the day working on setting up his shop. He has to get his lighting installed before Monday… a “real” inspector is coming to inspect the electric work!

After a trip to a pretty decent electrical store, he came back with new transformers, adapters, and a pack of 5 light bulbs that we’ll have to take back… again. There are so many things on the packaging that you have to watch for & we keep missing it! The first time we unknowingly bought 110v bulbs (and blew one up in the socket). Then he went back to get the correct 220v bulbs… which he got. But the socket type is not what we can use. So guess what Scott’s doing tomorrow?

When people asked us “What are you going to do in Grenada?” There’s your answer! We spend days getting the simplest of chores done!

So I’m done working for the day, so I guess I’ll send this off… then go watch another episode of Law & Order (which seems to be on TV about 22 hours a day). And that’s another story I’ll tell later!

Signing off for now...