Slow Boat to China?

Okay, so I admit that the mailboat has been less than reliable lately. What do you expect? It is the subtropics. You're lucky there is a boat! So what has been going on during this slow boat to China phase of my blog? So many things! The house on the mainland is still not repaired. This is a major gripe for me and for hubby. Add to that the fact that the workmen have damaged and stolen things, and we are so not happy. Happily, however, things on the island are just swell. Aside from a Christmas unapologetically stolen by Cuban migrants, things have been going rather well. I am getting out and about on the boats more lately, due to the unusually calm weather and a sudden reduction in panic on my part about damaging something. I'm getting a bit more confident with it now. Just need a little more work on the slip docking maneuvers. After today's oh so dramatic dinghy rescue, I returned to the dock and just couldn't get it quite straight in the slip. Thankfully, the boss came out and helped. He assures me I am doing well for someone who is still learning. As always, I am harder on myself than I perhaps need to be.

I have been asked this evening if we are getting together. I was puzzled for a moment, and then I realized that this is New Year's Eve. Forgot about that. Holidays, weekends - they have little meaning down here. You just gotta take the day as it comes. I found out from the Christmas fiasco that planning on any special day is just likely to end in disappointment. I have been told that there are a couple of bottles of champagne hanging about waiting for someone to drink them, so we are thinking of an early celebration. We can't stay up until midnight, as we are likely to have 3 a.m. visitors from the south again. Got to get to bed. Anyhow, I'm sure it will be be, like so many things on these islands, special in its own way.

Happy New Year to all, and I hope that 2006 will bring you lots of great things.