Meet my friends....

The 2008 Annual Round the Island Seagull Race was held this past Saturday.

This is the first year that I have not been either a) racing, b) crash-boating, or c) timing boats in....I was too busy having a melt down, or something. I eventually decided to go down for the after-party to cheer myself up, and it was worth it for Alison's t-shirt alone!...'Will sell husband for wine' indeed.

As I left the house to head down to the boat club late in the afternoon, I could already hear the music and the shouting....no one can talk at a normal sound level after having been stuck next to a Seagull engine all day!...besides they are, of course, all completely intoxicated.It's always a great chance to see people...some you only see once a year for this event...they come out of the woodwork a couple of weeks prior to spiff up the boat and get the engine in working order. And at the end of the evening, with the BBQ over and the prizes handed out, they p-ting their way into the sunset, until next year.Since I don't have a great story and a ton of beautiful photographs I thought I'd include this YouTube link to the LookTV video of last year's race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6owwo_m4QNo&feature=PlayList&p=60F62AD7F79C9E20&index=0 It's an absolute classic! For full drunken entertainment value you have to watch to the end...and I love the one girl's remark in the comments section, "they're all drunk". 10 out of 10 for observation.

Sauna anyone?

My tan is proof that we have certainly had some gorgeous weather...but summer kicked in with a bang last week. We never get that actually hot here in Bermuda. Our summer highs are really quite comfortable in the high F80's, rarely going over F90, and being an island we have the blessing of sea breezes...being a very narrow island those breezes reach everywhere.
Sounds idyllic doesn't it?
Maybe it would be if it wasn't for the humidity. It's damp in the winter...making it feel colder than it actually is...and in the summer? whoa! sauna.

Tonight we sat in the garden at Minton for a farewell dinner for Lucy, who is heading home to Mexico to tend to her cancer-ridden mother who has just been given a very poor prognosis.
It was a bittersweet occasion. Many people were congratulating Bruce and Lucy on their newly announced engagement. And we had a cake...with sparklers!!! smuggled into the island by a friend and donated for the occasion....household fireworks are illegal in Bermuda! =(.....to celebrate Lucy's 30th birthday. Which we were supposed to celebrate next week. And as always the food was amazing and the company...er, entertaining! Ha ha! Anyone who has had dinner at Bruce's knows what I mean!
But still. The farewell part. We know we will see Lucy again soon...hasta la pronto, I think she said? But as we sat there, with Lucy feeling terrible, but putting a brave face on, and I trying to reassure her that, of course she was doing the right thing, she said in her charmingly broken English, '' The problem is, I don't know what to feel. I don't want to go so soon after I arrived and I want to come back as soon as possible. But I know that coming back will mean my mother is gone.''
What do you say to that???
I looked her in the eyes, as they teared up, and said ''You have to do what you must. And you will be strong for your mother. You will give her joy by being there and that is the greatest thing you can do for her at the moment.''
She nodded. How inadequate it seemed.

I'm sorry. What was my original point???? Oh yes, humidity!! In the past few days the humidity has sat in the 90's. % that is for those of you that don't have to deal with it.
Everything is wet. My hair won't dry. A towel used for a shower the day before is still damp when you reach for it.
Tonight sitting in the garden it was actually palpable. You could feel the wetness settling on your skin...exactly like it was starting to sprinkle with rain, but the sky was clear.
Yes. Summer is here. And all good Bermudians, having moaned all winter about the cold (sorry all northeners), will now start to moan about the heat. Especially the humidity!
I keep reminding myself that my grandmother always said that humidity is a skin's best friend.
And I have to admit that I am only bothered by it Monday through Friday....if I didn't have to work in it maybe I wouldn't mind it at all.

But, no. I, like all other Onions, I'm bitching...hard...

Taken last week not last night but this Lecia, Lucy, Bruce and I.....

Childhood on the beach

It's been a while now since it became an expected activity to spend Sunday afternoons with Jillian and her 3 year-old son, Lucas, at the beach.

Seeing his pure joy at each new discovery, at simply standing in the surf, or digging a hole in the sand really takes me back in time. I don't have too many actual memories of myself at that age (tho tons of my brothers) but there are many photographs to show I did exactly the same thing. Everytime I look at them it gives me a warm feeling to know I had such a fresh-air, sun, sand and sea filled childhood, with a father who was willing to stand with me in the surf, much as Jillian does (and me too...we have to take turns....it's boring for us at our advanced age!!)

Lucas has been getting braver every week, more willing to stand in a bit of surf by himself....to want to wander off looking for a rock pool to sit in, by himself....to actually touch that shed crab shell.

Today we finally swam ''in the blue water''. Myself be willing, and Jillian not so much, I waded out with Lucas clinging to me like a leech...squealing with every fresh splash...wait, maybe that was me?....and we spent a good part of the afternoon jumping in the swell. And with his chubby little toddler legs gripped around my waist and a stranglehold around my neck he kept saying, ''Don't worry, I got you''. Bless.

Eventually he relaxed enough to lay on the surface with me holding him up. I told him to kick and whirled him in circles to shouts of delight at the fact that he was ''swimming so fast!''

I wish so much that I had video of that, mainly for myself, but in a way it doesn't matter because I know that I am a part of creating memories for a child that he will never forget.

Last week the wind picked up a piece of paper he had been holding and blew it a few feet away. ''Quick, quick!'' we both said, ''Get it!'' And that child chased that piece of paper halfway down the beach on his tiny little legs, zig-zagging, stopping and starting, and every now and then looking back to see where Mummy was. Mummy and Aunty Steph were still sitting where he'd left them, on their beach towels.....peeing themselves laughing.

Mummy did eventually go stop him but by that time he had the whole beach in stitches as well!

Seriously? How lucky are we to live on such a beautiful island? Where we can stand in the surf, laugh, paddle in rock pools and swim in 'blue water' and all the while creating life-long memories in such a simple way.

And Lucas will never know it but he saved me today. He took my mind away from a bunch of shitiness and told me what I needed to hear ''Don't worry, I got you.'' From the mouths of babes.

FYI: Today Jillian did eventually rise to the occasion and for the first time this year actually entered the sea. Good job buddy!

To those who may or may not be concerned...

I may or may not be a complete idiot.
The truth is yet to be unmasked.
When one believes in love one always opens oneself up for hurt or disappointment. When one feels the need to query it over and over again....hmmm, bordering on dumb.
But I'm blonde so ...bear with me... I mean, how much questioning do you actually have to do when looking for someone to love?
Uh, LOTS.
I always look at things first in the context as friends...good thing for all the ladies and maybe why I have so many wonderful girlfriends...but it's a great way to get to know guys too...I mean, really, if there's anything else to it you'll find out soon enough!
A good friend told me not so long ago to start looking outside of my own 'locality'. Let's face it, Bermuda ain't the greatest when it comes to the dating pool.
I took her advice and started looking outside the box.
It has gotten me ooooohhhh lots of 'chances'...it has actually made me a few friends...and it has disappointed me in a big way x3.
Once of those 3 has actually broken my heart.
Box, wherefore art thou box....me needst to know thy boundaries...me needst to know the rules of the 'playas'!!!!
I've had a really rough few weeks (not that you'd know by the OH so frequent updates =P, so, um oops!) but someone who has held my hand, walked and talked me through it all, offered all kinds of remote, and monetary, and emotional, and physical support has turned out to be someone I cannot rely on. In the least. In fact, determined by his heretofore unknown circumstances, I will no doubt never hear from him again. Sorry 'long term partner'.
Well, go figure!
The thing is, we all know that losing a friend, in no matter what context, hurts. Losing somenone you love...no telling the pain.
But in an internet or cyber (wtf ever!) kind of love it seems to be 'yeah, double that with a side of 'I told you so' from the cheap seats.
Well, but wait, I really thought there was something there!
I'm sorry, Idiot was it?
okthanks.

Good grief, how long has it been?????

A friend who recently moved to the UK emailed me today and said that he had stumbled across this blog! It's great 'cause we're back in touch and he has added me to Facebook, and later this afternoon his wife added me as well. Now, Ann and I were really close when we were young...her grandparents lived just up the road from us and she and her brother spent a lot of time there and were close with my bro and me. Rob moved to the neighbourhood a while later and we all used to spent a lot of time in his parent's basement area playing music. Yes.

They hooked up sometime while I was in the UK and by the time I came back to Bermuda they had made a move to London where Rob busked the subways and such.

They came back to Bermuda raised a young family but have decided that they'd rather raise their kids in the UK, without the bigotry that can pervade every facet of life in Bermuda, but especially the school system. So off to Old Blighty again. And they seem so settled and happy, and I am so happy for them.

Never fear, they are people that I will always hold in my heart and always be happy to see, along with their lovely family. I miss knowing that they are in Bermuda...in the rather unfortunate way that Bermudians often feel, but take for granted!

The product of an environment where people are constantly coming and going...and sometimes coming and going again!

Oooh George!

----- Original Message ----
From: Danielle Parker
To: Stephanie Hunter
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:40 AM
Subject: FW: Warning to all Women....

This Could Happen To You..... It Could Happen To Your Mother, Your Sister,Your Daughter or your best friend. So please warn all the women you care about.The strangest thing happened to me at lunch today.
I was sitting at a localoutdoor cafe having lunch by myself and two men came and sat down at mytable. I gave them the death look, but they just casually stayed at my table andwouldn't leave me alone. I shined up my wedding ring then placed my hand onthe table and I hinted to them that I was married and that I was just notinterested in them. Luckily for me they got the hint and left, butthankfully the whole thing was captured on the Cafe's camera. I'm sending you this picture as a warningjust in case they try and pick you up too.
Honestly, some men think they're God's gift .

From: Stephanie Hunter
To: Danielle Parker
Oi! That's my two ex-boyfriends you're talking about there!

*******************************
From: Danielle Parker
To: Stephanie Hunter
Hope they weren’t two timing me at the time with you!!!
*******************************
From: Stephanie Hunter

To: Danielle Parker
No, no sweetie...I kicked them to the curb well before you came along.

*******************************
From: Danielle Parker
To: Stephanie Hunter
Phew because obviously I’ve remained firm friends with them both…but had that been the case I might have had a few words to say.
*******************************
From: Stephanie Hunter
To: Danielle Parker
Oh of course. Don't worry, I speak to them both everyday and they admit to being somewhat fond of you still. They say it's just a shame you were so smelly.

*******************************

From: Danielle Parker

To: Stephanie Hunter
Yes but do they tell you ‘smelly’ in a good way… a bit like a rose bush I believe they once told me.
*******************************
From: Stephanie Hunter

To: Danielle Parker

A bit like old socks I believe they said....or was it old man's farts...whichever. The other day we were all out on the yacht and they were arguing about it...can't remember which one they settled on. Then of course Ang came and took Brad down below to see the children and George and I had a skinny-dip for old time's sake. Good times.

*********************************

From: Danielle Parker

To: Stephanie Hunter

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Bruce's 43 Birthday Weekend

This past weekend Bruce's sister, Lisa, and I threw a big bash for Bruce's
birthday...at his house, so no surprise for him. The surprise for us turned
out to be that Bruce had spent the previous few days inviting everyone he saw, so the numbers climbed quickly. Luckily Lisa and I reserved our panic in case we actually did run out of food on the night (instead of spending the week in a blind panic which was the first reaction), because, as is typical, plenty of people didn't make it and there was tons of food. I'm still eating it in fact!

Anyway, Lisa had a friend make a cake with the RISR logo on it,
including the motto: Once is not enough. Oh yeah????







The heat, the noise, the cooking...oh and I burnt my legs and feet when
the fish sauce poured out of the pan....well it was all just too much for me.

And Bruce brought out this funky little number to perform some
initiations into the "Fun-de-mental-ist Church of the Wasted (K)Nights
of Minton"....we made $14 which is our biggest offertory so far!

And of course everyone had a blast so my headache and blistered
legs were worth it.

The next day Tim took our hangovers for a lovely relaxing

afternoon out on the Iridio. We sat off in Paradise lakes for a while....
swimming and drinking...and then it was decided to troll around the
Sound before heading home.



We caught a lot of Bermuda rock fish....and on one occasion we could

not free the lure. Bruce had to dive in and unhook it which took a fair amount of effort with all that red wine in him. Plus, there's no fixed
ladder on Iridio so Tim had to man handle Bruce back into the boat.





I was relaxed anyway....finally!

After all the excitement it was a lovely cocktail cruise
back home

and I had earned my t-shirt again.
Cool.

And completely apros pro of nothing.....frangipani.