Happy New Year

I was going to write in my blog on Christmas Day but we ended up having a really busy day of phone calls to my girls and a lovely Christmas dinner with good friends.  Then, I was going to write on New Year’s Day but that didn’t work out so well either because of the fondue with good friends, cards, and too much wine (wine will do that to you every time), so I decided that today was the day!

I looked back to see when I last blogged and can’t believe I haven’t written since September!  Now, I have to rack my brain to try and remember everything that has happened.

I found out that I am going to be a Great Auntie.  My niece, Megan, is going to have a baby in May and she is really excited.  Of course, I had to bug my brother and Megan’s mom about being grandparents!

Many of you have read about my love/hate relationship with our swimming pool.  My relationship with the pool has deteriorated again.  The pool has several holes in the bottom concrete and our pool is empty, trying to dry out so we can begin the repairs and repaint the pool.

Boss is still going to obedience lessons.  He loves to run on the beach before lessons.  He loves the car ride to and from lessons.  He does not like being told what to do.  He is a very strong dog.  He’s learned some of his commands both verbal and hand.  “Stay” really isn’t working all that well for us yet…

Ross is a stalker.  I don’t know what it is with Ross and Russian women.  We were in the grocery store shopping.  Ross doesn’t usually come with me but for some reason he decided to make the trip with me.  He was pushing the cart for me as I was getting the things on my list.  I turned to tell him something and he was gone.  I saw him pushing the cart looking at things he would never look at…shampoo, soap, tin foil…I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until I saw the “woman”…she was stunning (I don’t usually check women out).  He was following her around the store.  Finally I told him I was finished; actually I was getting tired of following him around the store.  We went to the checkouts were the “woman” was…she walked up to two of the nastiest looking old Russian men, one of who was holding a toddler…she picked up the toddler…Ross’s fantasy was crushed!

We had a Christmas tree this year.  Ross and I decided to take the plunge and decorate the house this year.  We went to La Serena (Dominican version of Walmart) to get our goodies.  We came home with a Charlie Brown artificial tree and assorted lights and decorations and I think I would have made Martha Stewart proud with my decorating abilities.  We even had some garland and lights on our door arches.  We had our usual string of lights on the outside of the house.  Boss ate the electrical cord one night so Ross had to make some repairs to the cord.  Boss ate the electrical cord a second night only this time the lights were plugged in…he doesn’t bother the electrical cord anymore.

We had another first sighting of something that just makes you shake your head and ask why.  In December, Ross and I were going to Puerto Plata.  It was raining.  Dominican’s don’t like to get wet.  Dominican’s love plastic.  Dominican’s are very resourceful in avoiding the wet and utilizing plastic.  A grown man is driving his motorbike down the highway in the pouring rain.  He has a very large sheet of clear plastic covering his ENTIRE body.  The plastic is molded over his face as he is driving down the road and all we could see was his mouth open wide as he was gasping for air.  The plastic was flapping in the wind behind him as he went down the road.  I don’t know about you but one of the first things we teach toddlers is to NOT PUT PLASTIC BAGS OVER YOUR HEAD….this guy obviously put some thought into this.

Last night we went to a Dominican birthday party.  A group of friends rented a tourist bus/van to take us all to Puerto Plata to a hall.  We were among the first to arrive.  We all got our drinks set up and were sitting around visiting.  As family of the birthday lady began to arrive, every one of them (young and old) greeted each of us individually and really made all of us feel welcome.  They love their loud music…holy but it got crazy after a while!  Lots of dancing, laughing and then the food arrived at around 9:30 pm.  I made eight dozen homemade buns to be served with the meal. 

We were served first as the guests of honor (I would have thought that the woman, Rebecca, who was having her birthday would have been served first).  They made a traditional Dominican soup/stew called sancocho.  Now, everyone who knows me really well knows how much I don’t love vegetables.  I am also not really into mystery meat.   I googled sancocho before we went so I knew what we were in for.  Good thing I did – if you are curious, and I know you are, google it!  Now, let me say on a positive note that the broth was lovely! LOL 

Today is January 3 – only three more days…50.  We’re having a dinner party with friends at favorite restaurant.  Should be a fun night and I am looking forward to it.