Emmy's Sleepover

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How well Emily is adapting. The only time one would allow a photo to be taken of trying to pick one's nose with one's toes - is with true friends.

Ow - That Darn Cat!

Before we begin this post I would just like to point out a few important facts about our Tabby cat named "Ow".

• He is 13 years old.


• He has no claws.


• He has no front teeth.

When we lived in Virginia he loved to bring us gifts... into the house...did I mention he has no teeth? They were always alive. He has presented to us (with a very loud and proud "meow") the following:

• Voles


• Chipmunks


• Baby Rabbits


• Mice


• Butterflies


• Moths


• Birds (once "Daddy Cardinal" - we were devastated)

and... drumroll please...

• A bat... in the middle of the night... in to the bed... a big one.

Now all that was bad but thankfully we have a nature-loving daughter who would simply capture the confused animal in a kitchen towel and release it.

This - I don't know if we can take. How can an old, toothless, clawless cat catch lizards? They are very, very fast. Well, it turns out that he can - and even worse - it turns out he likes to eat them - after he gums them to death. Of course the meal would not nearly as enjoyable if he did not let them run around the house for a while looking for an escape. Worst of all - he doesn't like the tails so he bites them off and leaves them twitching on the carpet.

Here is his latest catch. We think he was showing off to Colonel who couldn't catch a lizard if Ow walked up and inserted in to his mouth.

Braveheart

Emily dropped a plastic bag in the sea. One of her chores is to pick up the big leaves around the house. She was emptying them over the patio when the wind (who has been partying pretty hard with the sea for the last couple of days - we wish they would get some sleep!) snatched that plastic bag right out of her hand. Little Miss "Being a Polluter is Akin to Armed Robbery" stripped off her t-shirt and jumped in. Did I mention that the sea was angry? While Lisa kept a restraining arm on Mark (who had also been in the sea earlier that day when the wind stole his bucket), Emily swam out about 15 yards, with no fear whatsoever, to collect the plastic bag. I guess those swimming lessons are paying off. Did we mention it was also getting dark?

It is so hard to let your kids discover their strength!

The Sad Tale of Lisa's Underwear

On Friday we received a stack of "Welcome to Your New Home" cards - most of which had been mailed before we left the US.

This brought to mind a story about Lisa's underwear... bear with us please. Right before we left the US, Deb (Lisa's trusty business Partner) offered to take Lisa shopping at the Ralph Lauren store with a major coupon she got from a friend. Those of you who know Lisa, know she is not a Ralph Lauren kind of gal, so she politely declined. On the other hand Lisa is a "sale" kind of gal - so when Deb returned with stacks of unbelievably priced, good quality clothing, Lisa made her turn around and take her back. It was at that sale that Deb discovered the bikini that ruled the universe. The bikini that would represent "la dolce vita" of life in the Bahamas - and Lisa bought it. Then she left it - in a drawer in the guest room of Deb's lovely home with a stack of old underwear.

Knowing that Lisa couldn't really live without that adorable Ralph Lauren bikini, Deb efficiently packed it up, along with her old underwear and some mail, and sent it priority to the Bahamas. "Don't worry", said Deb, "it says you will get it in 6-10 days." (cue Bahamaian laughter)

When someone from outside of the Bahamas asks for our mailing address now - we laugh. We are so jaded. The Bahamas doesn't have a mail home delivery system. The only way to get mail is to purchase a PO Box at one of the mail stores around the island. We did that before we arrived and spent the first two weeks opening that little mail slot only to see a gaping, empty hole mocking our hopeful expressions. Even the ladies at the counter were laughing at the fact we came in every day.

After about two weeks of waiting for her bikini Lisa approached one of the counter girls. The girl glanced around at a huge pile of boxes (about 3 stacks high and 5 stacks deep) behind the counter nudged a couple aside with her foot (we think that was just for show) and said, "nope, don't see it."

"But I'm not sure you understand," Lisa patiently explains, "it was sent Priority Mail."

"Uh huh", says the counter girl nodding her head.

"So it is supposed to arrive in 6-10 days."

"Yeah, that's right", says the counter girl.

"But it's been two weeks and you said it's not here."

Understanding dawns on the counter girl's face. "Oh - 6-10 days to the Bahamas sure", says the counter girl. "But I have no idea when you will get it!"

So about 6-7 weeks later Lisa gets a little note in her PO Box that the package has arrived. Whoo hoo! She goes to see the counter girl who tells her it's not there.

"But didn't you guys put this note in my box telling me it's here?"

"Yep, but I can't find it."

"But it's here?"

"Must be."

OK. Feeling defeated and a not a little frustrated, Lisa returns to the car.

A few days later when we have a chance to go to the mail box again - we find a different counter girl who explains that this note is from the Post Office downtown who are holding my package for payment of customs duty. For old underwear?

We make the drive to the pre-historic post office in downtown Nassau where we are shuffled from queue to queue, getting stamps and signatures all for no apparent reason, until we finally receive the box. With a huge grin of relief on her face Lisa picks up the box and turns from the counter to go home.

"Excuse me Maam?" says the gigantic lady behind the desk, "please open the package and display the contents."

So... we have only been here two months and already on this island there are approximately 25 people who have seen Lisa's underwear.

Uncase the colours, unfurl the flag.....

After two months in Nassau, Mark has finally managed to raise the flag! No longer will New Providence be simply another Bahama island, it'll have a wee piece of Scotland in it.

Mark decided that it was fitting to fly the "Lion Rampant" over Grandad's rock as Grandad has such a loving affinity for auld Caledonia.

Let's Get This Party Started...

So we are having a go at this ultimate blog party thang - even though 5 Minutes for Mom (our host) is so backed up that we can't get on!

Here is a little story of our journey so far....

In 2004 Mark got a consulting gig in sunny Bahamas for about 4 months. It was a dream job as Lisa was working for a major telecom at the time from her virtual home office and, thanks to the magic of Vonage, was able to join Mark and work from the Hilton... not bad! It was especially great since she was missing Emily who was off for the summer with her Dad. The Bahamas can be a nice distraction.

Fast forward to 2007. Lisa has received the coveted "package" and has left the corporate world to start her own company (come and visit Emily Rose!) and Mark has left his most recent corporate job to work on a start-up with the same folks who brought us the "Bahamas Gig". They also dangle the carrot of a consulting job in the Bahamas that will start in late 2007 (still not happening!) We decide... why not... let's do something major and exciting.

2007 becomes a crazy year. We get fantastic Partners to join us in the Emily Rose journey. We visit the Bahamas and buy a house! We get Emily enrolled in a fabulous school. We get the cats their Rabies shots. We try to sell our house in VA and fail - we get a tenant. We move all of our stuff over here and start a new life.

We started this blog to keep our families and friends up to date on our adventures, and what a rocky road it has been. From arriving and discovering that we had no electricity or water - just lots of massive cockroaches, to figuring out the Bahamian style of gettings things done, to helping (or not having to help) Emily adjust, to feeling a little nostalgic.

Our journey continues in 2008 as we continue tackling this adventure - and enjoying life at Water's Edge.

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Hey we wouldn't mind winning some blog party prizes either (although they can't be mailed here - we'll have to do a mail post one day). Here is what we would like the most...

1. The blog design offered by TBO Designs.
2. The blog design from Shauna.
3. The Chocolate from Chocolistas (it's not for me it's for Emily :-))

If I don't win any of those I would like to win anything that a 10 year-old would like or a working Mommy (that would be for my Partner, Deb).