Day 525 Elliebug is comin' to town!

I've had to sit on this post for awhile, at the orders of my youngest, Ellie.  Most of you know how incredibly proud I am of this young lady.  She was a student-athlete all through high school and graduated with honors near the top of her class.  She was appointed to the Air Force Academy, having been chosen as one of 1200 incoming freshman (only 100 females) out of 17,000 applicants. While she chose not to stay at the Academy, she transferred to Purdue and still graduated early. She got her first 'big girl job' two years ago, right out of college, working as a news reporter for KFSM in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  The camera loves her.  She is tremendously poised, so well spoken, and she has always had the personality that people are drawn to her.  She is a natural at telling other people's stories, and she loves her work.  I have watched her grow as a reporter to becoming a news anchor on the desk.  I sit in Beijing, and she lets me know when she's going on air....I then hop on my laptop, watch the live video streaming online, and sit in awe of my baby girl "doing her thang" like a pro.  I tear up every damn time.

Ellie is nearing the end of her two year contract, as I am, and she had begun the process of sending out her resume reel to stations all over the United States.  You have no idea how I happy I was to hear that her top choice was the CBS affiliate in Ft. Myers, FL.  That is just 42 miles from the home Len and I bought last May. When I flew home to Florida for winter break, Ellie called to tell me that WINK in Ft. Myers was flying her in for an interview. You have no idea how excited we both were at getting to see each other while I was stateside, and for her to get an interview with her #1 station. :-) We made plans for dinner, and for me to join her in her hotel for a girls' slumber party- just like old times!

The moment I saw her I burst in to tears.
I love my family so much.  Being away
from them and living in China is what
is most difficult for me- bar none.

We ate at this cool restaurant that was recommended by the
news director when he picked her up at the airport.
It is called Ford's Garage, and is known for its
burgers and selection of over 300 beers.

I thought of my new friend, Jade, who was
spending her winter break exploring Thailand.
She and I love sweet potato fries, and I have
never had them served with caramel sauce
for dipping.  Oh. My. God. It was like crack!

 

It was the coolest place! The water faucet in the ladies
room was a gas pump handle; the bowl was in a tire :-)

 

The napkins were shop towels with hose clamps
for napkin rings.  After listening to 'shop talk'
in NJ and Grand Cayman from Len's days
of working as a mechanic for his uncle, I can't
wait to bring him here. (Besides, he drives a F-150).

The evening passed too quickly getting caught
up on each other's lives.  Then we snuggled in
the king sized bed and watched the Grammy's
together.  It was balm to this momma's soul.

The following morning, she
was dressed for success in the dress
her momma got her for Christmas.
Funny story on this dress: Click here.

There is no greater satisfaction for a parent than
to see all five of her grown, educated children
being successful and making it in the world.  I
have always told all of my kids, I don't care what
career path you choose in life, I simply want you
to "Be Happy. Be Healthy. and Be Successful."
They all have done their momma proud; a
nurse practitioner, a Captain in the Air Force, an
attorney, a mental health therapist, and...

Meet the newly hired news reporter for WINK in Ft. Myers, Florida!!!!

When I got that bit of great news last week while sitting at my desk here in China, I had instant pangs of regret for signing on for a third year at BNDS.  Don't get me wrong, I love my job, I love the students, everyone here has been very, very good to me. However, even the handsome salary does not cover the tremendous sacrifice you make in your relationships with friends and family.  It's hard to hold relationships together, and keep them healthy, halfway across the world with a 13 hour time difference.  *Sigh*  I have made my bed, and I must lay in it- and I will make the most of it.  But I am here to tell you, the love and closeness of family is everything to me.  I cannot wait to get back home to Len this summer, to make the rounds to the rest of my family while I am home, and to have some more slumber parties with my Ellie bug, my peaches, in her new home, and mine.

  Way to go, girlie!!!

G'nite, y'all!

Day 519 Grand Cayman

I have been to Grand Cayman several times before this trip.  If you are wanting to see gorgeous sandy beaches, you won't find them here.  If you want to see me kissing the rays at Sting Ray City, you won't find it here.  If you want to hear about the booze cruise and gorgeous sail and snorkel from a catamaran, you also won't find it here.  Been there, done all of that.  When Len and I decided to book the Outlaw Country Cruise last fall, he had two goals in mind- see Roger Alan Wade and go visit his long time friend, Jerry, whom he hasn't seen in over 20 years.  Jerry and Len worked together as auto mechanics at Len's Uncle Rich's station many, many moons ago.  They had a lot of catching up to do.  

This was as close as we got to a beach while we
waited for Jerry to pick us up.  Through a mis-
communication from our trip to NJ, he didn't show up.
So, we took a cab to town to come up with Plan B.

We went to this shopping area near Jimmy
Buffett's Margaritaville in George Town.  While
Len got on wifi to search for a number for Jerry,
I went shopping for a magnet to add to my
collection on my fridge in my China apartment.
It was a good two hours of waiting while Len
tried to solve this conundrum. Before I looked
like this fella above, (who was waiting on his
wife to finish shopping!) I took to a bench in the sun.

Knowing that Jerry was a successful contractor in George Town, but having no address or phone number, or knowing his company's name, he finally had a stroke of genius to call the local builder's supply store.  He asked the clerk if they knew his friend Jerry, and did they have a phone number for him? They said yes, but they needed to speak with Jerry first to ask permission to give it out. Imagine his surprise when the store clerk called to ask him if he knew Len Olsen and could he come pick him up in town?! Jerry told the clerk to tell us to start walking, and he'd be there soon to pick us up; he was on a job site. Finally, success!

Jerry said he left NJ with $600 in his pocket
and headed for Grand Cayman.  He's been there
ever since, and has done quite well for himself.
He figures he's built about 55 homes on the island
over the years.  We got a tour of his latest project.

Jerry then took us back to his home for the
afternoon.  While the boys threw back some
cold ones, traded stories, and laughed the
day away....

  

Len told his own stories, sang and played guitar.

Jerry didn't realize Len was a singer/songwriter,
and soon he called his wife to come home from
work, and his crew to leave the job site to come
listen to his old buddy Len.

And so the afternoon went.  It was hysterical
hearing them tell stories of Uncle Rich and
the gas station- how they could have died or
been seriously injured on any given day. The
more they drank, the funnier they got.

I was entertained by Jerry's two youngest kids,
who kept catching and bringing me critters!

Yes, he had a pet rooster, that fell asleep on his lap!
Reminded me of Ken Hagemann from the Keys.
That damn rooster was on his back sound asleep, and
this boy was pedaling his legs like a bicycle- crazy!

Later he was seen crossing the road, chasing the missus
who was going to the other side :)

Len needed that afternoon with his friend, after having spent
the few days prior in NJ with his father who was terminal.
I'm glad that were able to reconnect, and that we made it
to the very last tender out to our cruise ship- whew!

G'nite, y'all!

Days 517-521 Cruisin' with a bunch of rednecks!

Len and I caught a night flight out of New Jersey on Saturday, February 6th.  We got back to our home in Ortona well after midnight, grabbed a short sleep, dumped one suitcase of winter clothes and repacked it with summer clothes, and jumped in the truck to drive to Miami.  We had a cruise ship to catch!

This was Len's first cruise adventure, and it was
fitting on NCL.  Len's father's family immigrated
from Norway- in fact, several relatives still live there.

This was no ordinary cruise; it was the Outlaw
Country Cruise, sailing to Grand Cayman.

I have sailed on the Norwegian Pearl before. We decided to
take a walk about and get oriented to the boat while the
other passengers boarded.  It always makes me happy to see
'sticks' up in the air :)  We plan to look at an ODay 40 when
we get back to port on 2/11.  I have an appt. with the owner.

It was chilly the day we left- low 60's and a
cold north breeze.  At least the sun was shining!

So the Outlaw Country Cruise was really a music festival on a
boat.  Most of the bands I have never even heard of, but there
are a few that Len and I listen to like Roger Alan Wade and
Steve Earle. Blackberry Smoke was the headliner. During the
sail away party, Sarah Gayle Meech was playing, and she
was really quite good; I loved her voice.

Soon the skyline of Miami was to our stern.

Let the people watching begin!

Oh the tats....and the beards...so many beards.

...and pony tails longer than mine... Work Sucks, Let's Ride!

When the people watching became uninteresting,
I watched the water instead :)

The first venue we went to was Roger Alan Wade.
We listen to him a lot while we're working on the house,
or riding around in the truck.

It's time for the Chicken Song! 
Click here: Chicken wakes up to a new world every day!
I highly recommend starting your day with coffee and the Chicken Song :)

Lovin' you's like fryin' bacon nekkid;

you tempt me darlin' then you torture me!

When we weren't listening to bands like Dan Baird & Homemade Sin...

Preacher Stone, Shooter Jennings (Waylon's son) and Waymore's Outlaws...

Black Oak Arkansas was singing Jim Dandy to the Rescue, with James
 "Jim Dandy" Mangrum still rocking it out on the stage at 70 years old...

We listened to Blackberry Smoke...

Bobby Bare Sr., and Bobby Bare Jr.

I discovered Jesse Dayton whom I loved- 

especially the guy on stand up bass :-) I saw them twice!

There was music all over the boat...even passengers brought
their own instruments and had pick up jams.

Len finally pulled out his guitar and entertained a bit on the
tender ride to Grand Cayman :)  It was really a cool event though,
because we were all 'confined' to the boat, you could be having a
midnight pizza and a few tables over Steve Earle was doing the same.
Just us and 2600 of our closest redneck outlaw friends!!!
Seriously though, they were the nicest, coolest people :)

There was a speed artist on board, Dave Santia, that would
complete an entire portrait of a country artist to a song.  He did
Johnny Cash's portrait to Folsom Prison Blues. Very Cool.
The paintings were sold at silent auction the final day.

They had a best beard contest, you could go
bowling with Nikki Lane, have beers and bingo
with Dale Watson, attend a guitar clinic with
Jimmy Galloway, get a tattoo (I did not), or
have your vows renewed with Richard Turner
of Blackberry Smoke (negatory there, too),
yet my favorite was Hillbilly Horseshoes, lol!!!

The sunset after a day at Grand Cayman was spectacular.

And the sail away party from Grand Cayman was
a night I won't soon forget! Though I am sure many did :-)

We partied with LuAnn and Wade, and her brother, Stick, from VA.

I took a fireball shot from some old dude in a stove pipe hat
who called himself "Hell Raiser." lol.  But what got us in
trouble was all of the free tequila shots! Cabo tequila was
passing out free shots, and we all had a few too many Caboritas!

...and when THAT happens, Dr. Len started talking philosophy
with our new friend, Wade. Now Wade is so burnt from being a
stoner, he has short term memory loss.  It was hysterical! He would
 be mid sentence and just stop talking and stare bug eyed into the
distance.  Stick or LuAnn would prompt him, and he'd be off
and running again, talking about God only knows what.
By the time Len got through with him, Wade's brain was in
a box, a white horse was not a horse, and he had no hands!
(a little philosophy humor- look it up!)

The last night on board, four artists did a Guitar Pull
in the main theatre, which I enjoyed the most.  It
was like attending a listening cafe in Nashville.
Ray Wylie Hubbard, Lucinda Williams, Steve
Earle, and Paul Thorn all took a turn telling a
story of one of their songs, then playing it.  It was
awesome! I didn't even mind hearing Ray Wylie
Hubbard do "Snake Farm" for the fourth time....
"SNAKE FARM! It just sounds nasty. SNAKE
FARM! It purty much is. SNAKE FARM! It's
a reptile house. SNAKE FARM! Wooooo!"
I can't make this s**t up: Sing Along to SNAKE FARM!

I really liked Paul Thorn's "Pimps and Preachers".

Here's an accoustic version: Pimps and Preachers

Steve Earle was awesome- too bad
Townes van Zandt, his idol whom he
be came acquainted with in Nashville
in the mid-70's, is no longer living.
Len and I love Townes, and Len
covers him so well. The night would
have been complete if those two
shared the stage :-)

I think Len would agree, besides the Guitar Pull,

we really loved seeing Roger Alan Wade.  We 

listen to his album "All Likkered Up" when we're

working on the house- it's great music for pounding

nails, finishing drywall, or painting walls!

"If you're gonna be dumb you gotta be tough,

when you get knocked down you gotta get back up!"

You can't help but sing along to "She's Gone

Back to Whorin'"  LOL.  If you haven't had 

enough yet and need a good chuckle.  Go to You

Tube and check out "Too Fat to Fly", "D-R-U-N-K"

"All Likkered Up", "Party in my Pants" 

or another hysterical song: Butt Ugly Slutt

I can't say I'll join Sirius XM radio for next year's Outlaw Country Cruise, but

we had one helluva time on this one!  Chalk it up to another new adventure :)

G'nite, y'all!

PS.  As for that ODay 40 sailboat back in Miami...Len and I met with the owners, took her out for a sea trial and I was THIS CLOSE to making an offer. Then I read the survey report and the mast is 57' high without a windex or weather station on top.  The tallest bridge to our place is 55'.  Must keep shopping. Dang it. I will say it felt AWESOME to be back at the helm again, though :)))))