I'm a Blogging Slacker - Trip Photos!!!

No, "blogging" is not a substitute for an alternative bad word like Cee Lo Green does in 'Forget You':

Rather, I've simply been MIA from here for a while now.  Fortunately, I have a good excuse - I've been on vacation!!!  Yes, that does nothing to account for the other few weeks without writing but cut me some slack, please.  With the semester winding down, this past month has been crazy busy at work.  Bar prep is just around the corner so these next few weeks are my chance to catch up on everything that's been neglected for the past few months.

On to more interesting things...my vacation!  Every 2 years or so my family tries to do a big vacation together.  Our last one was to Aruba two years ago.  This time it was off to St. Kitts with my parents, brothers, and older brother's wife.  There aren't a ton of resorts on the little island (just 68 sq. miles), so we stayed at the Marriott Beach Club:

That was a stock photo pulled from the internet...the rest will be photos I took myself on our trip.  We stayed in one of the little condos/villas instead of the hotel part.  The hotel was very nice while the condos themselves were a bit outdated, but not too bad.  With plenty of places to eat on site, you wouldn't even have to leave the property if you didn't want to...but we definitely got out to see a bunch of the island.  They had a replica of the Nina, one of Columbus's ships, that was 50% of its actual size.  Let me tell you, that 50% was small!  If I had to cross the Atlantic on such a tiny ship, I would probably die from puking my guts out!  Here's a pic of the ship:

Prior to our visit, I didn't know much about the island.  It didn't take long to realize that there are basically two classes: the very, very wealthy and the very poor...the latter of which was in the majority.  St. Kitts was the home of the first French and British colonies in the Caribbean.  Sugar cane used to be the main industry on the island, but when St. Kitts (and its sister island, Nevis) gained independence in 1983, the industry suffered greatly.  Without the British government to subsidize the sugar cane production/exportation, it began to fail.  In 2005, the state-owned sugar industry was shut down and the population had to seek new means for survival.  The solution was tourism...and in just two years (from 2007-2009) the number of visitors increased by about 40%.  I'd be willing to bet that in a decade or so, the island will look completely different than it did on our visit.  So here's how my trip went...

When we arrived on the island on Sunday afternoon it was a good thing our plane was able to stop because the end of the runway wasn't very far from the ocean's edge.  Unfortunately, my luggage never boarded the plane in Miami so while the rest of my family was able to get cleaned up and change into something different, I wouldn't be able to do that until Monday evening.  (Yes, I know I should learn to put a change of clothes and clean underwear in my carry-on...esp. since this isn't the first time I've lost my luggage)  Here's a pic of me with my sister-in-law on the beach the day we arrived:

That's not a brown bagged adult beverage in my hand...it's bug spray in there!  The resort had a casino on site so usually we spent a little time there every evening.  I escaped the week only down about $80 - not bad for a week of roulette and free drinks!

On Monday morning, we decided to take an ATV (4-wheel) tour of the island.  Before we left, we specifically asked the resort's activities director if we would get very dirty.  He assured us we wouldn't.  That bird was a liar!  None of us have ever done the whole ATV thing before so we were pretty excited (and blissfully unaware of the filth to come). 

See?  All clean in that picture.  The tour itself was a lot of fun - great scenery all around and it was really fun to fall back from the group a bit and then floor it to catch up!

The first picture above shows some of the dirt kicking up on the trail.  The second is one of the many abandoned sugar mills on the island.  This next picture is embarrassing, but it perfectly shows just how dirty we got on the ATV's:

How gross is that???  I literally have a dirt unibrow going on!  That evening, I bought a pair of shorts and borrowed my Dad's t-shirt just to have something clean to wear...

On Tuesday, we took a "scenic railroad" tour of the island.  It was a rather long trip and not incredibly exciting.  I did enjoy the (sort of) free pina coladas they served on board.  And it was a good opportunity to snap some nice pictures of the island:

The second shot above is one of my favorites from the trip.  After the train tour, we took a cab up to Ottley Plantation for lunch.  Though it was a bit hazy over the water, the views from the terrace where we had lunch were stunning.  Then again, finding a beautiful view on that island wasn't very difficult.

The next day, Wednesday, four of us decided to go on the horseback riding tour through the rainforest.  If you know me at all then you know that I love horses.  I grew up with them and every time I go on vacation I try to do a horseback riding trip.  In Aruba a couple years ago that was easily my favorite activity.  It was a little different this time around.  First of all, the horses were not in the best shape and were very small.  I mean VERY small.  How do you know your horse is small?  If you stand next to it and your legs are longer than the horse's legs, it's prbaby a small horse:

Before we started our ride, the guide asked if we wanted a group shot.  Of course we did!  The picture we got back was a little less than complete...yet absolutely hilarious.  Here it is:

Thursday was a day for zip-lining.  I've never been, but my brothers and father have gone a couple times.  Previously I was self conscious about my weight, but now that I've lost quite a bit I was comfortable taking on the zips.  It was easily my favorite activity of the entire trip.  Our guides were both really fun and personable and went by the names String Bean and Budweiser.  What a great pair of guys:

The set-up was great and the harnesses kept you feeling very safe and secure (definitely a plus when you're about to be zipping 250 ft. above the ground!). 

The feeling you get when you're soaring above the treetops was like nothing I've ever felt before.  Beyond fun is what it really was.  I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun way to see a new place.  The longest line was 1/4 of a mile long...so amazing!  The only downside was be that it was too short.  I would have loved to do some more zips!

That evening we took a walk along "the Strip" to take in the Caribbean side of the island for a change.  None of the group photos were really great, but here is my favorite one from that evening:

On Friday, we took a cab to the southern peninsula of the island to grab some lunch and search for some monkeys.  Along the way, we captured this shot that shows both the Atlantic and Caribbean sides at the same time:

The island is said to have thousands and thousands of green vervet monkeys everywhere.  Until our second to last day there, all we kept hearing was, "This is usually a great place to see the monkeys but they don't seem to be out today."  That was very frustrating!  After lunch we went to Shipwreck Beach - a place that usually has wild monkeys since they feed them sugar cane.  Happily, we FINALLY got to see some monkeys there!

As you can see, based on the number of pictures posted, I was really excited to finally see those little monkeys!

On our final full day on St. Kitts we just did a little shopping in the town where cruise ships come in.  At the end of it all, this was another great trip filled with fantastic memories!

I'm alive!

It's been over a month since I posted here...but rest assured...

Despite that picture, I am not now a guitar player (though that would be pretty awesome, I'm not sure my fingers are coordinated enough for that hobby).  Life has been gobbling me up and spitting me back out...whole, for the most part. Work is nothing less than a bear lately, but I've been utilizing my weekends to have some fun.

Last weekend saw me in Cape Coral and Ft. Myers for the wedding of one of my law school friends.  It was a great opportunity for a mini reunion of friends I don't get to see nearly as often as I'd like.  Here was the BIG group of us...

And then here's one of just the ladies (which is, of course, nicer to look at)...

I've been itching to travel lately, and while this little trip kept me in Florida, at least it got me out of Jacksonville.  I have so much time off saved up at work, but no one to go on trips with (insert self-pity here).  Hopefully that will change one of these days.  Anyone up for being a travel buddy???

...and I'm off.  Have a great day! xoxo

Unsolicited Groping?

It happens to everyone at some point...someone with whom you are completely unfamiliar gets in your personal space and you find yourself groped.  Sometimes said groping is "innocent."  E.g., you're utilizing public transportation, it's rush hour, the train, bus, etc. is jam packed and the driver seems to have gone on another bender...  The next thing you know, the train/bus is lurching to the side and someone around you loses the precarious grip they had on the handle and they grab (innocently? conveniently?) onto you.  And wouldn't you know it?  A woman's breasts make for a great padded landing!

Sometimes the groping is "welcomed."  E.g., you're at a bar/club and after a few drinks you decide that YES! You really CAN dance...so you make your way to the dance floor and find another delusional individual showcasing their "skills" too.  We all know where this one is going...crowded dance floor groping can sometimes be unwanted, but for the most part, when you step foot out there, you're signing away your right to be upset if Gropey McFeelerson decides it's a good time to get acquainted with your private bits and pieces.

In the past week and a half there have been two occasions of groping that were neither innocent nor welcome.  (I'm only going to talk about the first one since it was way more embarrassing and that makes for a more interesting post)  So...the first groping occurred last week when I was heading to Charlotte for work.  Apparently the Jax airport has taken a leap into the new millennium with those nifty full-body scanners at the security checkpoint.  The problem was this: there was no signage whatsoever explaining exactly how long one is expected to "assume the position."  A quick Google image search demonstrated that other countries have learned such info is important for travelers, as illustrated by this lovely little sign from a foreign airport:

Had there been such a sign at the Jax airport, I would have known that I needed to keep my arms raised for 3 seconds.  Instead, the security guy told me to put my arms up and then turned and walked away.  I figured that meant he was finished so I put my arms down as they were doing the scan...subsequently ruining the scan and clearly frustrating the security guard.  (Hey, buddy...if you want someone to keep their arms raised, why don't you try using your words and telling them that???  I could have done without your sourpuss attitude, especially given what was to come as a result of my failed scan)  Instead of simply running the scan again, I was relegated to the "you're an idiot that can't complete a simple task so now you get a special, personal scan" line.

That's right.  Because I was unable to follow a seemingly easy routine, I was lucky (yea, right) enough to be awarded with a full body check by another security agent.  Perhaps I should have expected a more "thorough" check than in the good old days, but I was completely unaware of how I was about to be violated.  What happened to that little wand-thingy they used to use to check for metal objects?!?  Instead of that, for the next SEVERAL moments (and with one of my co-workers standing there laughing at me) I had a random stranger groping me like I haven't been groped in months.  Though the agent prefaced her groping by telling me she would use the back of her hand on my "private areas," I didn't fully comprehend just how intimate things were about to get until she was all up in my business.  Suffice to say, I feel as though I don't need to make an annual appointment with my lady doctor this year since the agent completed a more than thorough check and I got the "all clear" in the end.  Seriously though, that's the most "action" I've seen in the past two months.  If that's not the saddest representation of my single status, I don't know what is!

And yet it still makes me laugh.  The next time I'm going through security they'll have to drag me out of the damn full-body scanner because I'm not going to budge an inch until they tell me it's okay.  Count this as another life lesson learned.

Hello, Charlotte!

For one night, and one night only, I'm in Charlotte, NC.  Until today, if you'd asked me what I thought of when I heard someone mention Charlotte, I'd have answered: "layover."  A brief rest between flights at the Charlotte airport was all I knew of the city before now.  But after a few hours here in the city, I have to say that I'm quite impressed.  I flew up this afternoon with a couple co-workers for a conference tomorrow.

After some check-in issues (I'm still waiting to attend a conference where there AREN'T check-in issues) we decided to head to Rock Bottom Brewery for a bite to eat - and more importantly - a couple drinks.  Martinis were on special (that's a weird saying..."on special."  I think it's correct though) for just $5 and though the menu on the website doesn't show it, I had a couple absolutely delicious peach martinis.  Even better than the quality food and drinks was the company.  I seriously do love my co-workers!

After dinner, we decided to spend some time strolling the downtown streets.  I've got to say that downtown Charlotte easily has downtown Jax beat.  There were cute, swanky, and fun little bistros and pubs with outdoor seating up and down the streets, the buildings boast some really great architecture, and what I liked the most - the people of Charlotte were out and about, seemingly enjoying this place they call home.  (Perhaps I simply don't spend enough time in downtown Jax, but for the most part you don't really see people enjoying the city.  Everyone seems to have a destination in mind and that's where they go.  They're not strolling the streets or enjoying an evening chatting with friend on a bench along the tree-lined streets like the Charlotte residents.)

It also looks like the next few days are going to be a lot of fun here with the Food Lion Speed Street event going on downtown.  They were blocking off roads and setting up the stages this evening, and while I don't know any of the acts performing, street festivals are always fun.  Plus there were copious amounts of "beer for sale" signs on a majority of the booths.  How can that not be a good time?  Aaaaand, the Oscar Mayer wienermobile was parked on the street...if that doesn't say "awesome" then I don't know what does!  If I didn't have a conference to attend tomorrow, I know exactly where I'd be!

Bottom line: Charlotte is much more than a layover city...I encourage you to check it out if you get the chance!