Thunder Beach Rally 2009

This is our second motorcycle rally in Panama City Beach. We've been here since Sunday night but the party starts Thursday. There are some bikes here, but they are expecting over 45,000 bikes by Friday. The strip is quiet right now. This gives me a chance to practice on my new harley. Dawn rides in the sidecar with me. She is quite trusting of me actually. Sometimes I have to pry her fingers from the OMG bar, but she's a good sport. I've realized my bike is easier to drive with someone in the sidecar. Everywhere we go people wave and Dawn waves back. When we stop all of the Harley riders come over to look at my bike. We are quite unique and Dawn is loving the attention.

We're in a campground about two miles from the beach nestled in pine trees. The ponds have gators so we keep a close eye on the dogs. It's a short ride to the ocean and I plan on spending some time watching the sun set and enjoying the sounds of the ocean. Today as a matter of fact. We've already had oysters and shrimp, my favorite. It's the only place I'll eat raw oysters. They're from Apalachicola, the best oysters in the world.

I LOVE MY HARLEY!!!!! It's so cool and easy to ride. Gotta go for now. Lots of riding to do. More to come.........

Wedding Gift

Some women want diamonds, some want furs. Me? I get a harley!!! This is the most incredible gift I have ever received, besides my children (including my new children), my grandaughters, and my husband. I just love saying my husband! Our lives together is one adventure after another and I want it to last forever.......

One of my favorite jobs is emergency babysitter. Poor mackenzie had strep throat and after several days of antibiotics still couldn't return to school. Mema to the rescue. Sara and I spent a quiet day playing board games and applying makeup. Then off to McDonalds for lunch. And a trip to the grocery store for a game, ice cream, and flowers for mom. Cassie was pleasantly surprised. I got to spend a couple of hours rocking Madi, one of my favorite passtimes. These girls are such a joy in my life. I'm awaiting my next job on Columbus Day when their day cares are closed.

Jamaica beaches, the perfect wedding, the perfect man, great food, and all the romance anyone could ask for at my fingertips. Did I set this up for you? We picked the perfect place to get married. We were greeted at the airport in Montego Bay and taken to the “Couples Resort Lounge” to await our shuttle. We never touched our baggage after that. We boarded the shuttle for the 1 ½ hour drive to Negril. I enjoyed the eye opening drive through the Jamaica that not many people see. The poor lined the streets hoping for a tourist to stop for a piece of fruit or a drink. Next to these shacks were elaborate homes that overlooked the blue Caribbean waters. Goat herders scurried up side streets keeping their goats out of harms way on the only highway that hugged the Jamaican coast.

Arriving at the resort, and we were greeted by a woman serving cold washcloths on a silver tray. We sat in the lobby while she served champagne and checked us into our rooms. Then we were escorted to the room to wait for out luggage to be delivered. I was already feeling like royalty and we were treated this way throughout our stay.

After unpacking we decided to explore. There were 18 acres of exotic gardens, beaches, restaurants, pools, entertainment, and people waiting to serve our every need. We had dinner at Cassava Terrace and went to the piano bar for a sing-a-long. After a few drinks were served, everyone was singing. Men began singing love songs to their girlfriends/wife’s, everyone sang silly songs together, and the piano player encouraged the silliness. The bartender even joined in on the fun. We met a couple from UK and Steve asked them to “Come and be witnesses at our wedding”. It made the spontaneity of wedding even more fun.

The best thing about the wedding was the individuality. We picked out rings we wanted, not caring if they matched. We wore what we wanted, I was barefoot and he was in Khakis. I walked down the isle (beach) to music I picked out that was very untraditional, plain white T’s, Paul McCartney, and Chris Brown. We said our own spur of the moment vows, nothing written or memorized. We had new friends from the UK, she in her best “frock” and he was in sandals and shorts. People were sunbathing off to the side, wondering what was going on. People we had met at the resort came to watch our nuptials. But most of all, it was private and personal which is just what we wanted.

The rest of the trip was all about romance. We took the catamaran ride to pirate’s cave and swam into the clear blue water up to the old stone stairs inside that led to the top of the cliffs. We snorkeled the reefs. We rode the glass bottom boat down the coast and took a brief tour of the clothing optional beaches and resorts (interesting to say the least). We ate fabulous meals in the restaurants and on the beach. We watched a steel drum band and I played with them during the audience participation part of the show. We danced to jazz during dinner. We laid on the beach and had pina coladas served to us. We laid on our floats and floated up too the swim up bar for drinks. The employees would offer us cold washcloths on a silver tray (again) to fight the heat. A worker climbed a coconut tree and carved the coconut so we could taste the fresh coconut milk. We danced the night away in the disco. We were served chocolate and champagne at sunset. We had wine and cheese while listening to a classical guitarist. I guess I could go on and on. Needless to say, it was the most romantic trip I’ve ever taken. I guess the man I was with made a difference also. Steve is so caring and understanding and I am so deeply in love. Our lives together have been so awesome so far and this was the perfect beginning to the rest of our lives. To be continued………..