A few weeks worth of wrap-up

Hey everyone!!!!!

I know I have been REALLY bad lately with not writing to let you know how things are going, and haven't posted on my blog, so tonight's the night. Pull up a chair, grab a drink and get ready for some reading. :D

First off, all in all, things are going very well. Work is great, and everyone is super nice and friendly and very helpful. Been keeping busy, and billing, like crazy every day. Definitely interesting to actually have to bill my time...but I don't have to worry about billing a certain amount of time every day - so that's good. My team partner is still out of the office, but I still have work left to do from my training time, so am able to keep the days full with new things every day. I've been doing company and fund incorporations and terminations and all the lovely stuff that goes with it. Fun! Definitely a new learning experience and an area of law I am so not familiar with, but it seems to be coming together well, and don't forsee any huge hurdles I am going to have to jump (I know, I am knocking on wood!).

Got myself all moved in to Treasure Island - it's been about 10 days now since I moved in, and it's going great. I am attaching some pics of the apartment for you guys to see. The ocean is about 75 feet down the walk way...with a nice little beach and some palms to lie under. Though I haven't spent nearly as much time out there as I have hoped.

Why? Well, the weather has been mildly disappointing the last week or so. It's been cloudy, with sun, and some showers off and on (more on THAT later). No real suntanning potential, but it is nice to go out and sit after work and watch the sunset. Of course the day that I actually took my camera to take pictures my camera batteries died!!!! grrrrrrr

I venture out and walk 7 Mile Beach a few times a week. Usually head out right after work and walk for an hour or so, up to the Ritz and back. The Ritz is about 1 1/2 miles or so up the beach...so a good walk before dinner..then it's home to veg out and chat with Sheldon and the kids on the webcam.

The weekend before last I headed out on a boat charter with my roommate and a bunch of her friends. SOOOO fun!!! I know I have posted some pics on Facebook and probably sent some area already - so I won't get too in to it...but it was great fun....had a "few" mimosas and beers and did some snorkelling and went to Stingray City and swam with the Stingrays. Let me tell you, THAT is an experience I won't soon forget. The captain of the boat had picked up a whole bunch of conch (which is really good btw) and was feeding it to the rays before we all went in the water at Stingray City. Of course all the rays were swimming around and it took me a while to actually get the nerve to get in the water with these incredible animals......they feel very soft, and some of them are HUGE - like 5-6 feet "wing" span. Takes some getting used to feeling them brush against your legs, etc. However, there was this one guy (Roger) who was so in to it, and the rays were surrounding him and some of them were up on his back. He just loved it.....definitely had more nerve then me. :D

All in all the day was a massive riot and I can't wait to find an excuse to do it again! Good time...good people...good beer...beautiful sunshine. THIS is what Cayman is all about. :D

Last weekend was the long weekend for Easter and everything was pretty much shut down for Friday and the Monday. My roommate headed to Jamaica with her friend for the weekend so I had the apartment to myself...and got to borrow her car...which was really nice. Did some serious napping...some time at the beach...and on Sunday went and visited Anna (Nona's daughter) and her kids out in South Sound - which is about 15 minute drive from here. We had a nice visit and the kids are really quite sweet (they are little animals when they are in Vancouver!). Of course the boys, Michael and Thomas, wanted to know when Evan and Kira were coming to visit. They thought that I had them with me! Oh I wish I did!

Anna and I took a drive around to the property that she and her hubby have bought - and also the property that Nona has bought. There are some cute houses in the South Sound/Prospect area, but I really think, to start, I want the family to move to the Snug Harbour/7 Mile Beach area that I was in when I first arrived on the Island. MUCH closer to everything (see...you can't take the city out of me that easily!).

Last Friday night went for dinner with a friend that Nicole and I met on the boat trip the weekend earlier. Him and Nicole seemed to have hit it off and are spending time together - very cute. Nicole is a great, great girl...very generous and open and happy all the time...couldn't have found a better roommate!

On Monday I went with some people from work to the Million Dollar Race..which is a yearly boat race they have on the Island. It's all speed boats and was very cool - except for the RAIN!!!!! We left the 7Mile Beach area on a boat called the Nina, which is an exact replica of the boat that Christopher Columbus used on his voyages to the "new world". Very neat...and what a way to go to see a fast boat race! We headed up to North Sound to an area called Kaibo (which is ...surprise...another bar!) and watched the race from the boat and then headed to the beach. Unfortunately that is when the rain clouds decided to break open and we all got SOAKED! What a way to spoil a really neat day!

I have experienced rain showers here...but they usually last 10-15 minutes or so...and then things clear up. Not last Monday - it rained for 6 hours straight!!! Of course as soon as we landed and were heading home it cleared up...go figure.

We also had some wicked winds this past week - they blow down from Florida and the waves we have been having have been incredible. We have been having 6-7 foot waves which is unheard of here. Some of the cruise ships had to be diverted to another part of the island to dock because the waves were too rocky and the wind was too strong.

It has FINALLY died down and we are back to cloudy, muggy, 1/2 sunny weather. I have heard that Vancouver has been having SNOW and hail, so I won't complain too bad. :P

This past week I have pretty much been keeping a low profile. Haven't been feeling 100%, but there is a bug/flu going around the office so I might just have a twitch of that. :(

However! This weekend is going to be full!...with some serious tanning and napping taking place too. :D

Tomorrow I am laying low and plan to sit and read a good book all day and then possibly head out with an acquaintance to go up to West Bay and do some horseback riding! Yay! I haven't been able to touch base with the girl for the past few days..but hopefully everything will work out. Promise to take lots of pictures!

Then Sunday Nicole and I are heading to the Humane Society to help walk the dogs. They have dog walking every Sunday and you can just go and show up and walk however many dogs you want for however long you want. The Humane Society is run strictly on donations, so every little bit counts. I am definitely missing animal interaction so thought that might be a cool thing to check out! I promise I won't come home with a dog. :D

The Sunday evening Nicole, Paul, Lucinda and I are heading out to a World Cup Qualifier soccer match! Cayman and Bermuda are playing and tickets are almost sold out and it's going be awesome! Cayman just needs a draw or win to go on to the next round, so there is actually a chance they could make it! Should be great fun, and I have never been to a soccer game - so whole new experience for me. Promise to take pics of that too!

So that's it...that's my last few weeks...some major downtime...some playing around and getting to know new people...and working my butt off! har har

The family and Jeff are coming out for a visit on April 18th for a week and Sheldon is lining up interviews and meetings like mad....he's been doing a great job getting organized. The tickets are bought, the passports are all ready....and we are just all counting down the days! I am starting to plan the activities for the week and am very excited that work is giving me the entire week off!!!! We are going to go on the pirate ship, and do Stingray, and Sunday Brunch and Rum Point...and lots of time at the pool and beach. It will be SOOOO good to be with the hubby and babies again...I have been missing them like crazy...sniff...

Okay...that's it for now - I have to go and eat or I will fade away to nothing! har har....uh huh..sure!!!

Love to you all!

Ang

Week Wrap Up - sorry it's took so long!!!

Hello!!!!

I’ve been getting complaints that I haven’t been writing near enough – so tonight’s the night! har har

I always do intend to write more often, but with having to drag the computer outside every night to the patio (because I can’t get wireless in the condo) it’s a bit of a pain you know????

You’ll all be happy to know that I am watching Hockey Night in Canada right now – yes!!! They have Hockey Night here on Saturdays! It’s only Toronto and Buffalo playing right now, but hey it’s hockey right?

So….week wrap up. Let’s see….

I just finished my first full week of work, and it’s going great!! I’m at my “training” desk right now, and have been receiving training from the head paralegal this week. We’ve done a company incorporation, a fund strike off, a company strike off and I’ve done some research for my partner. It is very different from what I am used to, but it’s a great challenge to learn this new part of the law, and I find that I really enjoy it. There is a lot of autonomy for the paralegals and the lawyers are quite happy to let you do your thing while they handle their thing. Gives you a huge boost of self-confidence to not have to double check everything with your lawyer. They know you are experienced and have the knowledge to do the little things…and some big things. For example, I’ve e-mailed a few clients sending documents…with no checking by the lawyer first (of course the paralegal checks it first right now). It’s totally liberating!!!!! The lawyers that I work for are all very nice, and the secretaries are great. I’ll be working for one partner and four (soon to be five) lawyers and there are three support secretaries. Everyone does what they are supposed to do and it just clicks along.

Alright, enough about work!!! Har har

Last Monday and Tuesday night I didn’t do much but hang around the house and chill. The weather was still a little off (sunny with clouds and windy and showery off and on). I met up with Nicole and Lucinda (who is from Nova Scotia! – small world!) on Wednesday evening and we headed to Aquabeach, which is a restaurant on West Bay Road – the main road that runs along 7 Mile Beach. They have an inside area, and also an outside area that has picnic tables and sand on the ground – so it feels like your on the beach! Very fun. They also have big screen TV’s around and loh and behold what did they have on? A Canucks game!!!! Woohoo! Of course we got our butts kicked…but ah it was nice to see the uniforms even for a little while. :D

Thursday night Nicole and I met right after work and headed to the beach for a pre-dinner walk. We started just up near the Public Beach (which is about ¾ of the way up the beach) and walked all the way down to almost Treasure Island – which is on the south end of the beach. Round trip was about 6 kms!!!! We just started walking and talking and next thing we knew the sun was going down and we had to huff it back up the beach before it got too dark! We had no idea that we walked for about an hour ½! Got to see the beautiful Cayman sunset and feel the surf between my toes. Not much that I can compare to that!!!

We stopped at the Marriott Courtyard for “a” beer and some dinner when we were done….one of her guy friends works behind the bar there. Next thing you know it’s four hours later, four beer down, pizza being delivered and we were still there! Met some great people including a former Army guy from the mid-west who was on his honeymoon. His poor new wife was up in the hotel room suffering from strep throat so we kept him company for a while and wished him well. Very nice fellow – best of luck to him! Finally dragged our butts home around midnight and then another day of work! Thank goodness for casual Fridays. Har har

I took it easy last night – since my tummy has been a little off the past week or so. Not sure if it’s the water or what…but every once in a while my tummy just gets upset. So laid low, fell asleep on the couch and then had a nice chat with Sheldon and the kids and Kaye & Bob who were over visiting the house. Nice to hook up with all of them.

Today I did some chores around the house, went and got some groceries and suntanned by the pool. It was beautiful out today – high of about 85 or so with just a few clouds. Ahhhhh….

Tomorrow off for a boat cruise with Nicole and some of her friends and co=workers. We are heading up to North Sound for some snorkeling and then hitting up Stingray City which I am super excited about! You actually get in the water and swim with the Stingrays!!!!! Then we are boating over to Rum Point for some lunch and lounging. A full day in the sun and surf planned and yes I plan to take massive amounts of pictures!

I move in to Treasure Island on Tuesday night and am very excited! Great little condo. Nicole is heading to Jamaica next Thursday for the Easter weekend so I will have the digs to myself, it will give me lots of time to unpack and get settled and get used to my new surroundings.

Sheldon, Jeff and the kids are going to be getting their plane tickets this weekend to come and visit in April – woohoo!!!!! They will be arriving on Friday the 18th (afternoon) and not leave until the following Saturday. I cannot WAIT!!!!!!!!! I am missing them so much….the webcam just isn’t the same. It will be great to grab Kira and Evan and wrap them in my arms and give them the biggest mommy hug and kiss ever! Hee hee

Alright…that’s it for now. I promise to report tomorrow or Monday on how the boat trip went tomorrow. More pictures to come!

Miss you all….really…come visit!!!!! Love and Kisses.

xoxox

Weekend Wrap Up

Hey there!

Alright, as promised I am blogging tonight (ahem!).

Just finished my first full day at the office and I already could work overtime! har har

Seriously though - did SO much today and there is so much to digest - it's great actually. No worries about not being busy!

But...this is a blog about my weekend...you don't want to hear boring work stuff! :P

Saturday I did absolutely nothing - and it was GREAT!!!!

I got up late...read in bed...made some breakfast (well, brunch really) and did some laundry. Tidied up around the house and then in the late afternoon I met up with Nicole - watched her play a game of Netball - and we just went back to her place (well, soon to be my place too) and she made some great pasta and we enjoyed a bottle of wine and just sitting on the patio and chatting. It was nice to just sit back and relax. We don't seem to run out of things to talk about which is great. She is going to be a great friend I can tell.

The apartment itself it totally awesome!!! It looks out right on to the pool (and swimup bar) and is on the 2nd floor (which is good because if there is a hurricane you won't get flooded and your roof won't fall in - hey! Not my words, but her's!) :D It's nice and open and airy and is clean and bright. Just what I like. yay!

We were hoping for a sunny Sunday so that we could just sit at the beach and suntan...but the weather isn't cooperating really well with us right now. Woke up yesterday and it was cloudy with sunny periods and wind! My goodness! Seems I might have brought some Vancouver weather down with me!

We hooked up and decided we wanted to go for a big walk so decided to hit the Mastic Trail

http://www.nationaltrust.org.ky/info/mastic.html

It's about 2 miles one way and takes about 2 hours to do. We thought - bah! We can do it faster than that. Yeah...well....no. hee hee. We walked through for just over an hour (with on and off showers, hot sun, humidity, MUD!) and then turned around. It was a great workout and it was really nice to wander through the brush...until we saw the snakes and things that randomly jumped out of the way in front of us. Eek!

We then headed over to Rum Point - which is on the East End of the Island and sat and enjoyed the view for a bit (pic on the main blog page). Got ourselves some mudslides which is a mixed drink with milk, rum, chocolate, etc. mmmmmm By this time the wind was really picking up and you could see the waves breaking on the reef a ways out. It's quite a popular place to go on Sunday because its away from town and they have a bar there, beach chairs, hammocks and water sports. Gorgeous views and you can walk out quite far (like 100 yards) and still the water is only up to your waist. Got a nice little sunburn before the rains came and we hightailed it out of there and started heading for home.

On the way we checked out all the great houses in the East End...it's quite rural compared to the Georgetown and 7 Mile Beach area...but very relaxing to be sure.

We stopped at a beach bar on the way, had a beer on the patio and watched the waves continue to roll in. Some locals were playing a rather aggressive game of Dominos...who knew it could be so competitive!

We headed back through town, only to realize that the main road that runs along the harbour had been closed down because the waves were so big they were washing over the harbour wall on to the road. Sand was everywhere! I would say the waves were at least 7-9 feet high!!!

We went back to Treasure Island and relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the 2 for 1 Rum Punch special that they have on Sundays and just people watched and enjoyed the sunset.

Whew! I didn't get home until about 9:30 or so and was just pooped!!!

So that's it! That was my weekend. hee hee. Pictures are posted on Flickr for those that want to check them out.

Tomorrow is work, work, work...and then a girl here is having a birthday party and I am heading out to have dinner and celebrate with her. Met her at the Work Social and she is super nice - so of course I want to wish her well!

I promise to keep sending updates - and some stories about the buses here and the lovely tourists! har har

Who knew that people think it's appropriate to wear a bikini top (with a muffin top to go along with it!) while wandering through town. har har

L, Ang

Week Wrapup

Finished my training today - woohoo! We actually finished early (cuz we rock!) and I headed over to my office this afternoon and started working...right away...on archiving corporate files - woohoo! har har

I found out where I am going to be sitting and met the members of my "team". Basically there are four teams made up of partners, associates, a paralegal (that would be me!) and legal secretaries. I am going to be training for another 2 weeks or so and then head over to my perm. spot and start the real work! har har....

I haven't met my "partner" yet, but I did meet the associates and secretaries and everyone seems really nice. So far so good! :D Apparently there is quite a bit of competition between the teams - and of course I've been told our team is the best! I have heard nothing but good words about the partner I will be working for - which is a HUGE sigh of relief. hee hee

Been keeping it on the down low this week pretty much. Went out with my roommate on Wednesday night for a few beers and a chat. She is SO nice...I am very lucky to have found her. I think that we will become fast and very good friends. She has a big heart and is really funny and laid back. Just what I was hoping for.

We went to this place called the Reef Resort right on 7MB. The restuarant/bar is literally right on the beach so you can sit there and have your beer and a bite to eat and watch the waves roll in. Doesn't get much better than that! (Well, except for Sheldon being with me!).

Nicole and I are getting together again tomorrow night and get a bite to eat and a few Red Stripes (which is a Jamaician beer) and get to know eachother some more and just take in the weekend.

The bars and restaurants, etc., have to close before midnight here on Saturday nights because Sunday is a rest day. No music and no liquor served on Sundays, everyone attends church and then goes to the beach and spends time with the family. No stores are open either - except for some of the tourist shops if there is a ship in town....otherwise the whole island pretty much locks down. It's kinda nice actually.

Another neat thing here is that you will hear everyone honking at eachother. It's not because people are getting made at eachother when driving but it's sort of a "hey" honk, or a "go ahead of me" honk. Though the driving can get crazy here, people are pretty considerate all around when it comes to the rules of the road. People will slow down to let you in, etc., etc. Definitely different from Vancouver - and the fact that everyone doesn't have a cellphone attached to their ear (though they do seem obsessed with text messaging). har har

I think that we are going to like it down here just fine as a family. It's small, it's a little Mexico, a little Canada all mixed in to one...I know that doesn't make very much sense but...it's like....they have this modern stuff - grocery stores, gas stations, etc., and then you will go to a restauarant and its plank floors and doors are all rickety, etc. There is a charm to that though. They don't fix everything right away...and everything doesn't have to be perfect and new all the time.

There is definitely no real competition between everyone though - you don't have to have the latest purse, or the latest jeans, etc. Everyone just sort of gets on with it and does there thing without thinking how they look and where they are seen, etc. At least not what I have experienced so far...and it's very refreshing.

Alright, enough about me. har har....I am going to run for now and grab a bowl of ice cream, a good book.

Hope everyone is doing well. Love you to bits and want you to come visit me soon!!!

Soon come Cayman!!!!

Love, Ang

Cruise Ships...Tourists...Traffic...OH MY!

Heyo,

Just getting dinner ready so I thought I would check in and say hi.

Everything is going well. I'm in training all week and it is going really well. The systems they have in place, their precedents, templates, document management, etc., is fabulous! Totally incredible and eye opening. The trainer is really good and I feel really comfortable with the way things are....whew!

I've already found my coffee shop - which is just a few doors down from my work. hee hee...didn't take long did it? You know how I need my coffee in the morning. :D Miracles of miracles I am actually eating breakfast at home (which I NEVER did back home). So I grab my coffee, sit and read the local paper and veg until it's time to go in to work.

There's lots of relaxing here.... good and bad in a way..since I am used to running around everywhere and battle traffic, etc., etc.

Got off of work at 4:30 and was walking in the door here at the condo at 4:45. What to do? Got changed really quickly and went down to the Beach Club and took an hour long walk on the beach. Didn't take any pictures...sorry. :D BUT as I was walking back there were these folks in the water fishing off the beach and they caught this HUGE fish. I mean...well, it was probably 4 pounds or so...but so close to the beach! They released it back..yay!

There were five ships in port today - five! SOOO many people wandering around. I ventured out at lunchtime to find a spot to sit and chill and it was chaos! Imagine Robson street on a Saturday. Now I know why the locals complain about the cruise shippers. Good for the economy and all I know but they are just running back and forth to shops and excursions...you think they would sit and relax and just enjoy. :D Mind you....I guess I would be one of them if I came here for just one day too.

Someone actually asked me for directions today! har har....George Town being as small as it is I could actually help them. I guess the work clothes sort of gave it away. :D

Anyhoo....gonna go grab some grub and watch some TV and then check out the stars - which are so beautiful here. The sun is just setting now and the crickets are starting up. Snug Harbour really is a nice quiet part of the Island.

Here are a few pics I took this morning of the ships coming in. Thursday we are supposed to get 8 ships in port. Eiya. Think I will take my lunch in to work that day. ;)

The fun continues...and dang it's hot!

Hey there everyone,

If you know of anyone that might be interested in the blog, feel free to send it on (ie., Trevor and Sherri). I have their e-mail somewhere.....um....

Little bit of an adventure today. I got my cellphone changed over to a Cayman number. Nice little drive around a round about about three times and a wrong turn and I was there! har har... The driving is getting better, and the roundabouts are fine, but dang there are a lot of cars on the road when ships are in town. I think there was a Royal Carib ship in town today.

I got my phone unlocked for $35CI and then got a new sim card and some pre-paid minutes. The cost to call back to Canada is only 35 cents per minute..which is MUCH better than the $3.00 I was paying per minute when I first arrived - ouch!

Came home and chatted with Sheldon and the kids for a bit on Skype. Great service, which will be even better once Sheldon figures out how to get the mic working on the laptop. Wished my bug, Evan, a very happy birthday. He is 8 today and I just can't believe it. How time flies. I remember being in labour with him, and carrying him in my tummy and now he is a grand 8 years old and he is such a beautiful, gentle, loving little guy. Sigh

I was outside this morning and was taking some pics of the canal and this HUGE iguana came by. I mean HUGE. One of the girls warned me there was an iguana that hung around but I had no idea it was that big!!!

A little later in the afternoon I came back outside and was getting some sun (I mean, really, I need some colour!) and the big guy came back. JoAnn and I gave him some banana....and he came as close as the palm trees right on the edge of my patio. He's a funny little thing...but kinda freaky! har har

I went down to 7 MB and met up with Anna and the kiddies for some splashing in the surf. Michael was having his year end party for his hockey league (roller hockey that is). My first real glimpse of 7 MB and it is is simply fabulous. I took a walk about a mile down to the Ritz, just to check it out, and there was a couple getting married under a gazebo. So romantic..though a bit like being in a fishbowl with people sitting in chairs nearby.

I just got home and am now watching Hockey Night in Canada! har har....Unfortunately it's not the Canucks, but Toronto and Washington. However, it is only 4 p.m. in the PST so maybe the Canucks will be on later? Don't know if I can stay up that late! har har

Tomorrow I am off to Treasure Island to meet up with my roommate Nicole and check out the new digs and have a little rum punch at the swimup bar. I still have to finish unpacking...but I have enough things out to wear for Monday that I think I will just chilax tonight and watch some TV and enjoy myself tomorrow.

Hope all of you are well. Miss everyone and happy to get to work to get my mind off of home.

Promise to try to send some sun your way!

Love, Ang

P.S. I'm posting some pics of the condo for your viewing pleasure. I am also getting things uploaded on Flickr so check out camelbakorbust there too.