Locked up Abroad... Well not quite.

There's nothing quite like being escorted out of the terminal by the US Customs and Boarder Protection and led into the holding area for questioning. Truth is I kinda deserved it. 

You see, I found this beautiful hand painted piece of artwork for sale on the wall of a local pub.  When I inquired on the price of the item the bartender said It was $35 and she would send the artist right over.  I felt like this item was worth well more than $35 so I questioned why so cheap?  She explained that since it's been painted on a piece a drift wood I may have trouble getting it through security.  But she told me the piece had been "sprayed", to wrap it up in a towel and if I run into any trouble to have security call her directly, and she gave me her card. 

Well just when I was about to board the plane and just when I thought I was in the clear, I was being paged over the intercomn. As I approached the gate and saw the two officers searching the crowd for whomever "passanger Sharon Brooks" might be, I knew that I WAS NOT about to get upgraded, but that my $35 investment was a goner. 

He took me out back and started firing questions. Are u aware this item was in your possession? Where did you get this? How much did u pay for it?  Who's the artist? How did u get to the bar? What resort are you staying at?  And then he showed me my now destroyed piece of artwork. It was filled with gross centipede worm type things, and clearly an item that is NOT allowed to enter the US.  After a bit of a lecture and a scolding sesh he let us go (and by us, I mean I made my mom come with me for questioning). 

At least I got to enjoy it for a week and truth be told, no way in hell I'd want icky bugs creeping in some artwork hanging above my bed...  Oh well lesson learned!! And now our plane has been delayed because they can't get the luggage compartment to close.  Guess there are worse places to be stuck..

Photos below show my purchased piece of art.  1st phot:  it's the long one top right (not the fishes). 2nd photo:  after I had to have the maintaince guy saw it in half cuz it wouldn't fit in my luggage.

Down in the Islands

Freeport Bahamas, also known as Grand Bahama, is the largest of the over 200 islands that make up the Bahamas. And being the farthest north, I was a little skeptical of the weather and water temps, but why should I be? After all, anything would be better then where I was coming from. But much to my surprise it was downright HOT w/water temps of 75 degrees.  I have been swimming in the ocean for 7straight days and have now officially dove the 3 largest reefs on the planet (bucket list...check!).  I've explored and explored and explored some more. And as I'm wrapping up the final days of this vacation there are a few shout outs that I would like to mention; wayward Hayward, Old Blue and my girl Casandra.  

Casandra, the bartender/server here at the resort, was my first friend on the island. Well, she and Miss Haddie, but Miss Haddie was just being friendly in the hopes I would buy a timeshare.  But Cassandra was great. Not only did she keep me stocked up on chicken quesadillas and Sands beer, but we shared many a story and many a laugh. She is a beautiful strong woman, doing her best to survive and provide for her family... as is the case w most of the women I've met on the island.  

Then there's Hayward... a 3rd generational tour guide who also deserves an honorable mention. He scouted us out on the second day and subsequently became our personal taxi driver for the duration.  He carted us all over the island, pointing out sights, spouting out bits of history and fun facts, and took us off the beaten path to local hangouts so we could get a taste of real Bahamian life.  

But if my destination was w/in a few miles of the resort then to heck with Hayward.  I would call upon my trusty steed Old Blue to get the job done.  A rickety ole rusted out beach cruiser, Old Blue is one humdinger of a bike, and quite a challenge to ride. In fact a 2 mile ride on this fine piece of machinery seemed to equate to one of my 22 mile spin classes. But none the less, if u were up for the task she was always ready and waiting. Need a quick trip to the liquer store? Old Blue. Feel like exploring surrounding beaches or crashing neighboring resorts?  Old blue.  Want to take a ride into town to do a little shopping? Old blue.  Banging and clanging the whole way, switching gears on her own, and virtually no breaks to speak of, Old Blue proved herself through and through... gonna miss that old clunker. 

Gonna miss it all really. The warm weather, warm water.  The beautiful beaches, beautiful people.  It was another fantastic vacation and many more memories were made. A giant thank you to all who contributed to that.  Now it's back to the cold and snow, but hopefully for only a few more weeks.  Spring is right around the corner and soon enough the sun may even feel warm New England.  

Ps dive blog to come soon, waiting until I can download my underwater pics... Giant reef sharks, woot woot!

Under the Sea

Its been exactly a year since I've had the opportunity to do what I love most... Scuba dive. I booked my trips w Grand Bahama Scuba who's dive shop is conveniently located right here at the resort, with their boat docked right here in the marina.  

Day one we hit up the dive sights Arrow Point and The Chamber.  Neither of which were super spectacular, but as we say in the dive world, "Any dive, is a good dive!"  And when your chilling with the fishes in 75 degree water with 100 ft visibility then what's not to love?  Interesting to note that at the dive site The Chamber, boats actually moore to the only hyperbaric chamber on the island.  Apparently a certain dive insurance company (I won't mention names) neglected to keep up with the payments on this chamber so it was confiscated, sunk, and it's now used as a marker for a dive sight. Also on that note, because the only chamber on the island lyes in 80ft of water, mandatory safety stops 1min at 25ft and 4mins at 15 no mater how short and/or shallow your dives.   

Day two was amazing; Dunkens Wreck and Shark Junction. Dunkens wreck is a 172 ft container ship from Panama that was seized by the government when it was discovered to have 200,000 kilos of cocaine buried in the walls of the ship. It was sunk in 2002 and lay perfectly upright in 120ft of water. When the hurricanes hit in 2004 it knocked the ship on its starboard side, twisting and crushing the stern like a soda can and ripped it completely apart from the rest of the ship.  This site is home to many eels, giant grouper, sea turtles and some of the biggest puffer fish I've ever seen (my fav's!!!)

Next came Shark Junction and as you can probably guess, considering my love and passion for these creatures, it was the highlight of my trip. Sharks sharks and more sharks. Every where you looked. Coming up behind you, swimming straight toward you, off in the distance. All Caribbean reef sharks ranging from 5 to 10 ft long with a few pregnant mamas who looked ready to burst.  They are such fascinating animals and if I had enough air in my tank I'll probably still be sitting on the bottom of the ocean completely awestruck.  

I also had the rare pleasure of having a sea turtle as my dive buddy for about 5 minutes.  We swam along side each other, checking each other out... completely memorized by each other.  It was fantastic!! Also fantastic was the opportunity for my mom to take a stab at a free discover scuba class offered at the resort. And although in the end she didn't sign up to get her open water certification, she at least shlept around in all the gear and got to experience breathing underwater.  She now has a better understanding of why diving is such a passion of mine. Can't wait to do it again!

PS:  photos taken by Melinda Riger from Grand Bahama Scuba - owner, captain and photographer.  And wherever you see that ugly black and bright yellow wet suit, that's me... Gotta love rentals :) 

Winter Blues

Appoligies for the lack of blogs but to be completely honest my life has been pretty drab lately. It's the dead of winter and  I'm not a fan of the cold, snow, ice, or anything in between.  I don't like to be outdoors unless it's absolutely necessary.  I can't afford a lift ticket, snow shoeing bores me and xcountry skiing seems like such a chore. I go to work, workout,  eat, sleep,  repeat... And so is my life. 

 

Celebrated my BD yesterday. And thank you all for the well wishes, you're too kind :) I have one more year to relish my 30's YIKES!   In anticipation of yet another 1+ footer of snow, and knowing I'd be solo on by celebratory day of birth, I planned ahead. 

When life gives you lemons... make lemon drop martinis!   It was wonderful!  I splurged on some delishous reds, made myself a giant heap of somewhat healthy shrimp scampi, rocked out to Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, and had Skype/FaceTime dates w some of my favorite peeps.  I shoveled snow.... And shoveled snow... And shoveled more snow. In fact I'm gearing up to.... Can u guess???..shovel even more 

snow! 

I'm not afraid of shoveling, in fact I freakishly enjoy it.  If forces me to get fresh air, it's great exercise and Ripken gets to romp around and eat till his heart is content. Problem is, I was raised/trained by the "Lawn Ranger".  Jimmy Brooks instilled in me, my mom, Ryan, and the neighbors alike, that your not 100% complete until evey blade of grass is swept off and every crumb of snow is clear from the area.(For those that never knew him, don't get the wrong impression.  He was an amazing man and chill in many ways, but for whatever reason he was fanatical about his lawn care.). So what might take most people 20 minutes to clear a pathway will take me double that time. And I honestly can't quit until it's perfect... I often want to be done long befor I'm done, and that would suffice, but I won't stop.  It's so irritating on so many levels, but it is what it is.

This is my 2nd winter in a very long time and I'm sick of it already. Although I must admit my confidence in driving in these horrid conditions is vastly improving.  And lemon drops or not, I've got a silver lining... A week from today I'll be flying to the Bahamas and relaxing under water w the fishes and sharks.  Soooo excited!

Stay tuned.  More interesting blogs to come... we hope :)

A Year in Review

Well 2013 has come and gone and what a fantastic year it was.  Highlights include a jaunt back to Mexico where I experienced some of the best diving of my career.  I was blessed with the opportunity to go exploring around ye ole Emerald Isle for a couple weeks in August.  I took an interest in myself for the first time in a long time, focused and dropped about 30 lbs. I celebrated my 20th high school reunion where I got to rekindle old friendships and spent the rest if the year making new ones. But the biggest news of 2013 is that my little brother Ryan popped the “Big Q” and is now engaged to his beautiful fiancée Marissa Baggarly.

With all the good and excitement from last year I am optimistic for what 2014 may bring.  Now that the Holidays are over I can go back to my usual regimen.  Back to my somewhat healthy lifestyle of eating right and exercising regularly (now if I could only give up the wine...).  Not only do I need to counteract my over indulgence of delectable delights and holiday cheer that I’ve been spreading since Thanksgiving, but I could use to shed a few additional pounds on top of that.

As far as travel and vacations are concerned, I’ve booked a relaxing getaway to the Bahamas toward the end of Feb; perfect timing before my body is entirely depleted of vitamin D and I go completely insane from all the snow and these polar vortex shenanigans.  A much overdue visit to San Diego is on the horizon for some time late spring (missing my SoCal peeps and old stomping grounds).  On top of that there is a GIANT wedding to help plan for in September… so many things to look forward to.

And with last year behind us, I hope 2014 treats you kindly.  Should you encounter any of life’s unexpected curveballs, may you stay strong and handle them with grace and optimism.  Happy New Year everyone... and let our new adventures begin!    

Winter wonderland

There's nothing more magical than waking up after the first big snowfall of the season and peeking out the window into a winter wonderland. A blanket of white as far as the eye can see, snow glistening in the new break of day. Everything is quiet, peaceful and picture perfect.  And that my friends, is when you take it all in.  Embrace that moment and cherish it for what it is, because soon the reality of it consume you.  It won't be long before you realize that your completely snowed in and it's gonna take a hell of a lot of time and effort just to get this day started.

It's not long before that calm after the storm is masked by the irritating sound of snow blowers and plow trucks barrel-assing at a million miles an hour down your street.  Soon that blanket of white will be tainted by animal tracks, shoveled walkways and random heaping piles of snow.  The white will turn gray, and then eventually brown from all the sand and exhaust on the roads, and soon the only thing you'll find glistening are little patches of yellow from all the dogs in the neighborhood peeing on your lawn. 

Now don't misconstrue, I'm not trying to be a negative nancy.  I would just like to reiterate that living in this climate is a giant pain in the ass.  You need to get up extra early to allow yourself time to unburry yourself before heading to work and pray the whole way that you make it there safely. You need to wear layers upon layers of clothes, because you'll be freezing your ass off in one place, only to start sweating to death in the next. 

And the expense of living/surviving in this climate is outrageous. Every year people pay an exuberant amount of money on heat/oil/wood/pellets/alcohol or whatever they use to try and stay warm.  They have to own a second set of tires just for the snow season, and pay someone twice a year to have them put on/taken off.  People spend extra money on warm bedding, warm clothes, and warming accessories... only to dream about the day they will be warm again. 

But the one good thing about dealing w/cold wintery winters, is it make you really appreciate the finer things in life (or at least warmer things).  And speaking of warm, now that I'm done w my hot coco and peppermint schnapps (something I would have never drank in San Diego) it's back to the grind and clear up the last of the nearly two feet of snow we've gotten in the past two days.  Be safe everyone, and enjoy yourselves no matter wherever or how warm/cold you are :) 

Fall Recap

My appoligies for lack of blogs. I've been pretty busy this past month.  But to sum it up, here are some bits:

Halloween- keeping w/my heritage and recent trip to Ireand, I dressed up as lady leprechaun; aka CloverGirl.  Fun was had by all parties I attended and I finally got to play that infamous game Cards Against Humanity... Tons of fun, but completely inpolitaclly correct in all aspects. 

New England Rythem Fest-wknd long festival promoting different types of dance from across the globe. I Had the opportunity to take a stab at the sultry sexy art of belly dancing...Holy hard!  With all my experience shaking my groove thing in prof Zumba classes, I thought i was a shoe in.... Not so much.  My triceps and akillies hurt like hell. But our instructor was so awesome and accommodating, and it's a style of dance that I'd like to peruse in the future -timing and cost permitting.

Sox Champions? What what? - had to take a mini vaca to my fav metropolitan city in the US to help celebrate the amazing sportsmanship, purservierence, dedication and drive known as lthe Boston Red Sox!  My dear friend Al-vac from San Diego just happened to be on the East side, and we got to spend time honoring our favorite team.  We also checked out Boston's newest comedy club, and randomly ended up strutting our stuff on the red carpet...(had I known, I would have practiced.  Pretty sure Todlers n Tierra's have way more swag than me)

So just to recap, all is good on the homefront.  Summer is officially gone :(. Days are getting cold, nights even colder.  But the Holidays are rapidly approaching and I'm looking forward to catching up w friends and family, and spreading some Holiday cheer :)