Dave and I headed out with our friend Mack to Santiago on the 16th of September to get a "good deal" on a fridge since we were told they were cheaper in Santiago than in Luperon. Eight hours later we were back in Luperon sans fridge and later that day we bought the one we originally saw and liked in town. It has a one year guarantee, for as much as that is worth in this country. And the brand name is...MABE...which has resulted in our friend Warren stating in a smart-a>> manner, "it mabe a good fridge, but mabe not". Luckily he doesn't earn a living from his humor! I think Dave was fine with the trip because he got to go to TGI Fridays and eat the chicken pieces dipped in the Jack Daniels sauce.
Other harbor excitement involved Dave chasing a drunk boater,Jimmy, to the muelle(dock) because the ever so slightly intoxicated Jimmy was heading inland in the opposite direction of his boat on Wednesday night. He caught fellow cruisers (On the boat "Te Oigo") attention when ran over the bow line of the boat at anchor. In doing so he knocked his bimini cover off his boat and he's lucky he didn't decapitate himself. Like Dave said, drunks and fools are always watched over so Jimmy was watched over twice this night. Not sure if he even remembers the event. Come to thinkof it, we haven't heard or seen from him in quite a few days, so we may want to make sure he's okay, but the quiet is nice. (Most recent update, he is okay and is laying low in Navarette where no one knows him.)
Last week we had a Dominican carpinter, who did our friend Guys woodwork up on Gringo hill give us an estimate for all the cabinets, shelves and drawers in the kitchen, pantry, bathroom, and bedroom closet. They should be done in 2 weeks...Dominican time...which means sometime in October. As for now, everything is stacked in heaps in the different areas of the house.
Dave and our friend Patrick together ran the first round of the Oldlywed Game (a poor take off of the Newlywed Game) this past Monday. Five brave couples volunteered. Dave handled the sound and Patrick in an alligator foam hat, hawaiian shirt, sarong and thong bathing suite???? ran the show. It was a fun night with the winners, Andy and Carole, getting a bottle of wine, second place received a beer, and third place received an uncooked hotdog on a wooden skewer. Next week Dave's starting up team trivia on Monday night after the local potluck supper, it should be fun.
We had our second ever happy hour at the house the past Wednesday and had an assortment of folks up here to visit, eat snacks and have a few drinks. We had a fun time but we've decided I should never have more than 2 beers because I then start inviting everyone I know up to the house for happy hour. On the upside, it got Dave working like the man of last year. I told him I may tell him that we are having a happy hour every week if I know it will get him working that hard for each one.
We've had some afternoon showers and late night rains the past few days and they have been much appreciated. It's made for some spectacular light shows, some cooler evenings and a fuller cistern.
I am still tutoring in town once a week with my friend Jeanette. The teacher there teaches the kids to read and has for 20 or so years and she is on the lower end of the economic scale to say the least. No running water or sink inside, chickens and chicks running around inside around the kids, no electricity, no fridge and so on. We sit outside where it is "cooler" to have our classes under the trees. I am not sure that cooler is the appropriate term since I am soaked with sweat from the moment I sit down until I leave but I will take her word for it that it's better outside. So the other week, while Jeanette was in the states, I was tutoring the kids only to find them all hopping in their chairs to a corner of the yard. They are pointing up at the trees and pointing to the little boy to my left that has been pooped upon. Nothing a little piece of notebook paper won't wipe off his head. We all scooch to the corner of the yard and keep on learning!
Enjoy the last of September. Time continues to rush by at warp speed.
Liz, Dave and Bear