A yucky week

We got home from Mexico to illness. We spent the weekend with my family since Lauren entered the MTC on Wednesday. I was glad to spend time with everyone but ickiness started setting in on Monday. We took the girls to the Instacare to make sure nothing sinister was going on and sure enough, our whole family came down with bronchitis. It must have had a long incubation period since we all got it about the same time despite being separated for a week. We are finally getting over it but the girls still have nasty sounding coughs. On another note I started working Fridays for a few months while one of my coworkers is on maternity leave. On Friday I just totally drugged myself up so I wasn't coughing on anyone. Fun times.

Puerto Vallarta VII Last Day

Our last day was pretty good. We had to check out at 10, but our flight didn't leave until 3. We were able to leave our bags with the bell boys until we needed to head over to the airport. We hung out at the cabanas on the beach, reading and relaxing. We ordered a lunch of a burrito, guacamole and a pinata (non-alcoholic pina colada). We ate a lot to help us last until we got home, it worked. We left the beach and condo around noon and had a very pleasant journey home. We were ready to come home, but weren't excited to get back to life.

Puerto Vallarta VI

Today we went on another booze cruise/sightseeing tour. It started early at 9:30. Again, we were so glad we read the reviews regarding this tour. First off, we knew the provided breakfast was going to be pretty small. In fact it was a few pieces of fruit, a small croissant and orange juice. We were glad we ate at the condo. The next tip we got was to take Dramamine. At the last minute I brought all the pills and was glad I did because there were several people who were not doing well. One girl threw up a few times. I gave her a pill and she asked for another a couple of hours later. The boat we were on was a double-decker so we had to choose, up in the sun or down in the shade. We chose the roof because Marc loves the sun and I thought the lower deck might be a little stifling. We were in the sun all day. We were constantly reapplying sunscreen and ended up running out at the last stop. Marc ended up fairly burned on his arms and shoulders. I had a hat and cover-up that kept me pretty well out of harms way.

The first stop was at Los Arcos for snorkeling. We had heard the snorkeling wasn’t great, but we were going to do it anyway. When we got to the station to get the gear we were told that we would have to wait for someone else to finish using the gear because they were all out, EEEWWWW! So we just swam.

The next stop we had two options, hang out at a secluded beach that can only be reached by boat, or rent horses to take us to a waterfall. Marc is severely allergic to horses so we opted for the beach. It was nice. There was a restaurant there that we ordered a few sodas at so we could use their chairs and relaxed for about an hour and a half before the boat took us over for lunch. Marc decided to lie under the sun while I huddled under the umbrella; he forgot to reapply sunscreen and so got pretty red. We also were able to swim in the ocean for a bit. Marc hopped in a second time and quickly hopped out after nearly running into a jellyfish, luckily he didn’t get stung.

Lunch was provided and when we arrived at the pier we were asked if we wanted chicken, beef, fish, or quesadilla. We chose fish not knowing anything. We made the right choice. When we got to the restaurant everyone was getting their food all at once. Marc was getting hungry and impatient, so he was able to snag our food fairly quickly. At every meal here you are given a stack of tortilla because every meal is a taco. We rolled our fish in the tortillas, squeezed on a little lime with some salsa, delicious!

When we got back on the boat we realized our sunscreen was gone. Marc was totally annoyed but decided to still stay out in the sun with his shirt off. I encouraged him to over himself with his towel but he refused. I cover up and put my hat on. I didn’t get burned, he did. The boat ride back was over an hour and the booze flowed freely. Needless to say, we were DONE by the end.

Puerto Vallarta V

Today we did a city tour. We should have done this at the beginning of the week but whatever, it only cost $5.  It started off on a nice, air-conditioned bus (for which Marc was grateful). It took us to the main downtown area where we saw a traditional native show where some guys swung from a pole to music. The four guys are supposed to represent the four seasons and this is a ritual to the gods. It was different. The guide talked about the history of the area and pointed out a few sculptures. He also showed us Gringo Gulch before herding us over to the city hall where there was a cool mural representing Puerto Vallarta and then to the main church. After the church we headed over to the flea market. We had already done the flea market, but looked around anyway. We found some little maracas for that I think the girls will like. This concluded the city tour portion of the excursion as we headed into the jungle. I think the jungle is more impressive in the winter after the rainy season, but we say some crazy houses and enjoyed the views on the ride. On the way the guide told us about the local cuisine and a dish called fish on a stick that sounded really cool. After talking up the local fare we were taken to a restaurant that offered none of those things, it was very disappointing and overpriced.

Following dinner we went to a traditional tequila factory where they distill tequila the old-fashioned way. It was interesting to learn about the process and we drifted off as discretely as possible when they began handing out samples. We did buy some agave there, which is what tequila is made from.

The ride back was a long and I took a little nap. When we finally got back to the condo we found a little restaurant that a few people have recommended. It was OK. When we got there we were given free shots of tequila and when our meal was finished we were brought Kaluas with cream on the house. When it was obvious that the alcohol was going untouched the owner came over to make sure everything was OK. We told him we didn’t drink and he brought us virgin strawberry daiquiris. He was very nice. I think he thought we were on our honeymoon. In fact everyone here thinks we are on our honeymoon. Marc thinks it is hilarious and when I don’t do something for him he reminds me that we are supposed to be on our honeymoon.

Puerto Vallarta IV

Since we got in so late last night, we opted not to schedule anything today. We got up late and spent the day lounging by the ocean. Around 4:00 we decided to go into town to get some dinner. We opted for the Blue Shrimp, which Melanie recommended. And Melanie, you are right the bathrooms are awesome. The best thing about the dinner was the dessert. Marc got this chocolate cake that was nothing like cake. It was closer to the richest chocolate cheesecake imaginable. I could only handle a few bites, but of course Marc was able to almost finish it. I got a frozen banana tart, which was also amazing. After dinner we strolled along the ocean and watched the sun set.  We are getting the hang of the busses here, but Marc hates them. He says they are way too hot, cramped, and bumpy. I’M fine and he is trying to tell ME that MY internal temperature must be off, whatever

Puerto Vallarta III

Today was the best day so far. We spent the entire morning by the pool and/or ocean. We discovered this great area with padded sun chairs and covered beds/loungers. It was fabulous. In the afternoon we had to actually get dressed because we were cashing in on our 4-hour presentation trying to sell us a condo. We attended Rhythms of the Night, a booze cruise/dinner/Mexican show. Since we knew we were doing this Marc looked up a few reviews regarding this excursion. People either loved it or hated it, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We did get one great tip from the reviews: take Dramamine. The boat ride over was fairly choppy and not too conducive to relaxing. The dinner and show were at Las Caletas, a small island without electricity and very secluded. When we arrived there were torches lighting our way to the buffet served on the beach. While we were eating we got to enjoy a lovely sunset and were serenaded by a little Mexican band. The food was good; I particularly enjoyed a fish fillet cooked in Pico de Gallo with shrimp. We spent too much time eating and missed the opportunity to wander around the premise.

To begin my description of the show I have to preface it with the fact that I am not a huge fan of shows in general. It started out really weird with some weird banter between the cast members. This went on for 10 minutes, but seemed like an hour. They were trying to be funny, but it just wasn’t working for me. They finally started the show and it was really enjoyable. The dances were modern mixed with traditional Mexican dances and that I thought worked well together. The costumes were really good. Marc’s only comment on whether he liked the show was that you don’t wonder where the money goes; it was obviously an expensive production. From Marc, this is high praise. (A little aside here: We had the opportunity to attend a Tahitian show at our condo on the beach and I think we chose the better thing.)

On the way back people were pretty hammered and having a good time. There was lots of dancing. The cruise director (or whatever you call him) was strongly encouraging everyone to get up and dance. Because of where we were sitting it would have been really awkward if we didn’t join in. For the first time in our marriage I got Marc to dance with me, we danced the Marenge and two slow dances. If anyone knows Marc this was a BIG DEAL. It was really fun. We didn’t get back until almost midnight and were very ready to crash into bed. One last thing, on the boat we met a couple going to our same hotel and decided to share a cab back. When we departed the pier we noticed that there were vans instead of traditional taxis, we still inquired after the price of the taxi and since the guy thought we were all together only charged us half of what everyone else paid. 

Puerto Vallarta II

Today was the first real day that we felt like we had. Our condo is right next to a marina and we heard that it was interesting. So we spent the morning wandering the marina. We ran into about a thousand people trying to sell us everything from excursions to condos. The most we got offered was $500 cash to attend a time-share presentation. (My dad would have gone but we wasted enough time doing that already). At the marina Marc bought some fake Ray bans. I was so proud of him for doing a great job haggling, the vendor told him to stop being such a Mexican. So far I have decided that unless you are prepared to be harassed, it is best to just stay at the condo. After visiting the marina we went back to the condo, packed a lunch, the caught the bus into town to try and find the flea market. We got off on the wrong stop, but didn’t mind the short walk to where we were trying to go. We were able to see the best part of PV; right along the beach is a nice walkway with some really funky sculptures and lots of sand art by people trying to get tips. We were able to find the flea market with a little help from the map where I bought a necklace, some vanilla and a couple of super cute outfits for the girls. I think I got a pretty good deal on everything since all of the vendors were unhappy when we left. We spent the afternoon by the pool. It was fine for me because I just read but Marc was annoyed with the music they were playing rather loudly. He said that he is going to try to rally the old men together to stop the music, but I didn’t care. He has a much harder time blocking out that stuff than I do.

The one major complaint I’ve had thus far (if you can call it that) is that my swimsuits refuse to get dry. This was really driving me crazy until I realized that none of my clothes are dry, even the dry ones. Everything here is damp. The biggest upside to this is that I have zero problems wearing my contacts.

Puerto Vallarta I

We finally made it to Puerto Vallarta after quite the ordeal. The flight down was fine and a nonstop so no complaints there, however the airport was another story. When we got off the plane of course the first thing to do is go through immigration. Normally the flight attendants help you fill out the forms to make sure everything is in order, not on this flight, the just handed them out and let you fend for yourself (this will become relevant later on). We later found out that the vast majority of PV flights arrive on Saturday afternoon pretty much at the same time. Immigration was a mad house with a wait of about 1.5 hours. When we finally got to the front of the line we noticed that some girls had not filled out their forms correctly and the immigration official was sending them to the back of the line! Mean! I was so glad this was not my first time flying internationally or I would have been really confused. So we finally got through (we were much less annoyed about our experience after watching people get sent to the back) and off to customs. The screening process there is completely random, so we were lucky and didn’t get picked. When you get through with customs you are sent down a chute of condo sales people who lie to you and tell you they are your transportation. We only got sucked in once and quickly left after we realized what was going on. We finally found our transportation to the condo after a bit of searching.

            I need to start this section off by mentioning that my parents are super cheap. It costs around $70 to get a guest pass and change the reservation into another’s name and my mom doesn’t like to pay the extra $70 so she typically emails the resort to tell them that I, or someone else, will be checking in and she will join us later, thus bypassing the charge. She accidentally mentioned that we would be traveling alone and she would not be coming. This spawned an email response that she needed to pay the $70. Undaunted, my mom sent me with her credit card and passport and instructions to masquerade as her. (I’m not sure that the ruse is worth $70, but whatever.) When we checked in I gave them her credit card and things went fairly smoothly. The next step was to talk to the property sales people who wanted us to go on the sales pitch for their new facility. We kept telling them we were not interested and we were totally happy with how thing were with our current situation. There are always incentives for these things and she finally got down to a free meal, a free excursion (worth $200 that we were interested in anyway) and 10% off of our total room tab (this includes gym, internet, and restaurant bills), it was too good to pass up so we decided to continue being Kay and Janae for a little while longer. When we arrived at the sales pitch we were initially told 1 hour, it was really 4 and we were pretty clear that we were not interested and were dragged there in the first place. I don’t want to know how long people who showed interest were there for. The story we settled on was that we were RCI owners (they already knew that) but that my parents bought them and paid all the fees. None of the sales people knew what to do with us because they simply couldn’t beat that deal. The sales person we were with the entire time was really nice so we felt bad about wasting her time, but I think she knew from the beginning that we weren’t going to buy. I only slipped once when telling a story about Marc, my brother. It was a quick save. This tour better be worth it.

            Our condo is really nice. There is a small, but lovely beach area and a nice pool. The only complaint I have is regarding the hot tub situation, there is none. There is a weird jetted area in one of the pools but that’s it. There are several restaurants on the property with outdoor seating and ocean views. There are a few shops as well.

We have ventured out to Wal-Mart on the bus and decided that it wasn’t so different from the Wal-Marts at home, except that the bakery was amazing. I felt right at home in a Wal-Mart full of Mexicans and a few white people smattered about. 

Mother's Day

Today was a great mother's day. Since I was on call yesterday Marc had to get me my flowers on Friday. Melanie was so sweet and got me the Hawaiian bouquet, Sandy also got me an adorable locket with the girl's pictures in it, and Marc bought me a banana hook (I asked for this so don't think it is unromantic). We went to church and then spent the day at the Inman's. The girls looked so cute that I wanted to get some Mother's Day pictures. The group shots didn't turn out great because the girls were fairly uncooperative, but I'm posting them anyway. Their individual ones were adorable.

A very short trip

I forgot to post this so here is what I wrote on Sunday:
This weekend my work sent me to GA for an ultrasound class. One benefit of working at a tiny hospital is that this opportunity was actually available to me. If I had worked at a larger hospital there is no way I would have been sent. I got to go because one tech didn't want to and the other is too pregnant. Yeah! I've never actually been excited to go to a conference, but for this I was. I learned about how to use the 3D imaging of my ultrasound machine. The only caveat is that I need to go back and teach the other techs what I learned. The teacher was really engaging and excited about the new technology. He is a GYN surgeon from Denver who is totally in love with 3D imaging, and he got everyone else excited about it too. I arrived last night at about 9:00. There were supposed to be 2 other people for the conference on my flight, but they missed it and no one got the memo even though they made the effort of calling to inform the travel agency. Because of this the driver and I waited until 10:30 for them. At that point we were given permission to leave and headed into a traffic nightmare. Think 4 lanes into 1 for construction meets accident. Total gridlock. The driver was able to get us off the freeway and onto sidestreets but we didn't arrive at the hotel until almost midnight. Then I had to get up at 6:00 for my class. Good thing the instructor was entertaining. I hope the teacher wasn't offended or thought I was bored because I was yawning, I tried to hide it as much as possible. All in all, it was really good and I am excited to put this training on my resume!

Here is the follow up story:

I dropped off the girls for the weekend so I could go to the class and Marc could get some work done. As we were planning the weekend we realized that Lauren and Ashley were leaving for New York 1.5 hours before I was scheduled to leave, so we would car pool. Not even thinking we took Lauren's car. When I got home I realized it had been snowing basically non-stop the entire time I was gone. I decided to brave the elements and see if Lauren's car could make it up my driveway. Prior to this storm all the ice had melted so I thought I had a reasonable chance. Due to my years of experience navigating the steep dirt driveway I was able to get the car up and to my house. During the night it snowed another foot. When we were getting ready to leave and pick up the girls I started thinking that the car wasn't going to make it out of the driveway, it didn't. The car high centered on the snow and we were stuck. Marc hasn't let me hear the end of it. I'm a fliberty-gibbit, I can't help it if I don't consider all of the consequences to all of my actions. For future reference, DO NOT TAKE A 2WD CAR TO MY HOUSE OCT-MAY, EVER! You never know what will happen. Don't worry Lauren, the car is fine and Mom is picking it up on Friday.