THE COURT JESTER, THE QUEEN OF RINCON, NIALL "DIAMOND", and THE HORSE WHISPERER

Who is this masked man! Well, he goes by many names in this lets just say he's COURT JESTER to the king and his court. And strangely enough he's been know to resemble CAPTAIN MORGAN to a T! and yes what you are seeing is a real adult on a random tuesday night but so what!

The queen of the world here, was actually the queen of Rincon the whole time she was here. It was definitely her kind of town hopefully she comes back soon! However, since I retain the title now, she will always be honorary queen.

Here's LB's infamous singing barracho!! Niall DIAMOND!! He took the 413 ROAD TO HAPPINESS TO GET HERE, and after missing his flight and a long walk back he almost had to take 413 ROAD TO REHAB!

Aww, our lovely horse whisperer, while she has been know to soothe the savage beast with her gentle tones and sweet southern drawl, in this picture I do believe she thought the horse was the bartender!!

LONG BEACH ON THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS

Last week we had the LONG BEACH contingency of the NBLK's in the house! The amount of laughs, liquor, and lewdness was pretty much over the top! I can truly say that I dont think the KING AND I ever laughed so hard in our lives. It was a pretty great cast of characters and we hope they all come back soon and often!!

Cast of characters from left to right: Papi chulo #1, (notice how Lindas love pillows have him entranced!) Linda, Kelly (soon to be Senese), John Senese, Niall "the crooner" Ruecker, Papi chulo #2 and of course the KING!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

YES, we live at the beach, YES we are retired, but...and who doesn't like a beverage while watching a magnificent sunset? ...But, the clock...??
We were recently in a HOME GOODS store and Sean was like a kid at christmas... "look at this!! ooooh look at this!! oh we HAVE to get this!!" He found this clock at the end of an aisle underneath another that was all banged up, and in a broken box. He said, "I don't care if this works or not we ARE DEFINITELY GETTING THIS!" Lo and behold add 1 AA battery and it worked!! Now where do I put this freaking thing?? Any ideas? Let me know!

CAMUY CAVES

Within an hour or so from our house are a tons of really cool places to see and visit that make you see past all the magnificient beaches and oceans that cover all shades of blue.

We recently took a day trip to the Camuy Caves about an hour and a half northeast of us. Stalagmites and stalagtites was not really my favorite earth science subject but it was by far the wildest cave I've ever been in!! And, strangely enough believe it or not, I have been in a few! I have never been so amazed by the natural beauty, and, the enormity.

Here is a picture walking down to the entrance (sorry cell phone picture). it looks small, but the opening is over 160 feet high!!

Below is a natural column and formation that is smaller but, likens to the world famous AYERS ROCK in Australia, on a smaller scale.
I believe the picture below needs no words....except on your next trip to PR make sure this is on your "TO DO" list!

BEFORE & AFTER

Recently, Sean and I went to the beach, which we try and do at least for an hour everyday! Take a swim in the ocean, take a walk, look for sea glass, or watch the sunset...Not to mention, my favorite thing, take a cat nap!! This is what happened the last time I woke up from one of my cat naps...This is before...(I fell asleep) and this is after (I woke up)....

hmmm...or perhaps the sun just got to me!! You can see the similarities, no??

MY 1st BABY...VISITOR THAT IS!!!

I just had my 1st baby at the house and it was AWESOME!! Little Miss Ella was an extreme pleasure!! You can tell shes related because she eats everything, likes her naps, and LOVES TO DANCE, just like her mommy! Slept through the night, woke up smiling, and couldn't have been any easier!! Hope you come back soon Miss Ella!

THE NASHS ARE ON THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS!

The past week we had some visitors, and I hope they enjoyed their time here as much as Sean and I did sharing it with them!! Aunt Jayne, Uncle Ed, Lauren and John, Dina and Chris, and the lovely Miss Ella. We went to the beach, to the chapel, shopping...you name it and not to mention had some phenomenal meals thanks to Uncle Ed the grill master!!Locally it was pretty quiet, except at CASA FEE where Sean and Dina really got the party started!! And if you look closely will see Sean in there dancing his hiney off!! As much as he really pretends not to...that boy LOVES TO DANCE!! Um, obviously we all do!!

TRYING OUR HAND AT GREENERY...

Hmmm, the only plants I've ever planted, and/or tended to well, I guess you could call them....artificial! hahaha!

Either way with all the beautiful foliage, fruit trees, hundreds perhaps thousands of different type palms that surround us, I guess at some point I'm going to have to learn.

So wish me luck, um, us luck. And stay tuned, we have lots and lots to do before it looks the way we planned and hope it to be!

...AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT!!

In our hallway we have what would probably be Seans favorite part of the house, the big blue block window.  While the house is relatively contemporary in style, it was hard to find something that was not only pretty but simple and of course fitting.

This is what we chose.

And at night looking in, from the outside, it looks even prettier!

THIS IS WHY I LOVE WHERE I LIVE

Of course, you've seen the ads on TV, in magazines and yes Puerto Rico is as beautiful as it all looks! The narrow winding roads lined with pastel colored homes, the steep roughly paved hillsides dotted with clusters of bamboo as thick as your fist, all so beautiful and, all, so beautifully different.

Each time I make that left down the hill, on the way home, the views change with the light, with the wind, and I fall in love all over again.

This is why I love where I live...

ps... all these were taken in the car with my cell phone! i cannot help it i think at least once a day i stop while driving home i stop and remember how very blessed we are.

<

MARIA IN DA HOUSE!!

Happy Birthday to you ...Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear MAAAARIA...happy birthday to you!!

Maria, came down to celebrate her birthday a boriquen style!!

Start early finish early!!! hahahahaah!! not all the time...but...

we definitely ate drank and were very merry!! Regresa pronto meija!!

RINCON Y MÁS ALLÁ

Some of the best things about where we live...are the beaches!

If you are beach lovers like we are, you will love it here!! Not only are there a number of different beaches just steps from our home, but even more within minutes and for sure under an hour! All very different, extremely beautiful, picturesque, and well worth the walk or the drive!

Here's a must see must do list...

1-Pools beach across the street from us

2-Sandy beach down the block a bit

3-Casa Islena beach a 4 minute walk from our house - still part of Sandy Beach

4-Playa Maria 3 minute drive - excellent for surfing or watching and wicked sunsets!

5-Aguada balineiro beaches a 5 minute drive from our house (where the fam is from)

6-Corcega & Stella beaches also a 5 minute drive from our house - no waves

7-Anasco beaches also no waves 10 minute drive from our house - also no waves

8-Playa Crashboat huge beach close to the airport - fun beach with banana rides, jet ski rentals, etc

9-Jobos beach Isabella (anthony bourdain stop off for all you foodies! - "DAME LA VACA!")

10-Boqueron balineiro great beach now waves and town like a PR Key West about 45 minutes from us depending on traffic

...so when are you coming to experience it all for yourselves...?

CHARLIES CHEAPIES

Here's a secret, for any and all of you planning to visit us in Puerto Rico.  

CHARLIES RENTAL CARS...just off site at BQN these guys are the BEST.  They pick you up upon arrival in and you never have to wait!!  They have the best rates (even during holiday weeks) great super quick service, brand new cars, and did I say GGGGreat prices?  You can even book it online!  Paula and Pat, our 1st guests, (used them during easter week) and after checking around we found CHARLIES to be about 1/4 the price of the other big name on site rental car companies.  We love CHARLIES! 

KITCHEN ALMOST DONE!!

So here it is sooo far...this is a night foto, and as you can tell the dishwasher (the most important part, since Sean has retired!) has yet to be installed!!

MOTHERS WEEK IN PR!!

Even though the house isn't and wasn't totally finished last week, mom was here and not only a huge huge help, but a super trooper! It was hot, rainy, muddy, dirty, but definitely fun! We sweated, cleaned, ate, drank, laughed, and I think ate some more! Mothers day I took her on an excursion to the top of the TIPPY TOP of the mountain to have breakfast at one of the best breakfast places around. She took the trip up "white knuckled", "aye yi yi-ing" and "braking" the whole time! It was a definite adventure for her I'm sure, if she had known, would have decided not to take, but in the end the fresh baked breads superior food and the endless views made it soooooo worth while!!

We even had a real puerto rican bar-b-cue at a local "balineiro" sans arroz con guandules but of course with plenty of music and rum!!

And yes thats mom in the picture all cozy with the man next to her!! (lol jk mom) Um, and they aren't waving they are telling me they need more drinks...

I was bartender that day!!

Pictures are worth a thousand words!!

SEAN...RIGHT AT HOME!!

Those of you who know Sean, I mean REALLY know Sean, know that having a Bud while watching the sunset on the beach is pretty much one of his most favorite things!

And well, here he is at the beach across the street from our place, and it looks to me that Sean is right at home!!

INSTEAD OF THIS...I GOT THIS...

For about 2-3 months I spent morning, noon and night searching for the perfect square rainshower head and lever handle. Finally I find it!! Of course, I ordered it immediately! I liked it even more when I finally received it. And off to Puerto Rico it went! So when I got to the house I ran straight to the bathroom and you can imagine my surprise when I do not see this...

...But this!! Immediately my hands started to shake and i set out to find who was responsible, and why. And of course when I found the plumber and asked him what the problem was, he politely advised that we were missing a part and he had just (that very day) received the faucet and was unaware that we would need the extra part. That is after of course I had been told "no worries ees fine!" a month and a half earlier.

So after they (being the contractors) order and receive the part (2wks approx) they will then have to remove a number of tiles around the faucet and attach the piece and replace the tiles!

Hopefully it will not take that long and I pray it is completely seamless!!

Wish me luck!!

1st GUESTS!!

This past week we had our 1st guests, which amid the mayhem, they made us forget all the negative, look the postive, laugh, laugh, laugh and laugh some more, but more importantly made us realize how truly lucky we are! Thanks Paula & Pat-aka Dusty Einstein "Can i have 3 shrimp please?"

WOWEE WOW WOW!

And here we are in all our blue glory!! The way the sun is hitting the house, it looks bluer in some ares more than others but as for the spiral staircase, that is not the case. Yes you are seeing a bit of a municipal pool color going on, but, Sean told the painter it was bueno but I didn't and still don't think so.

Perhaps it will grow on me. Perhaps not. Either way I have Willy the painters phone number!

Here's the patio and the patio steps all nice and tiled for skid free ups and downs. Skid free or not I have already taken a bit of a spill, too bad they're not cushioned!

Now all we need is the pool and a landscaper and YEEEEHAAA!!

IS THIS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE?!?

The last 10 days or so, in what is to be my new home, has been an eye opening experience to me. I love the pace at which people live. Laid back, relaxed, sometimes almost in reverse.
It is a wonderment.

However, how does one moving at such a pace accomplish anything... completely, much less perfectly?

Answer is they don't.

The doors in the house are truly one of my FAVORITE things. They are huge, solid, and the exact color I wanted them. So tell me... Do you see anything wrong with these doors? Sean didn't really think so.

Ps...These are the front doors.

BUSY BUSY BUSY!!

Since Sean was there, alot has gotten done! Still alot to do but... A little sometimes goes a long way!

1-We have railings!! Yay!!
2-We have cabinets or GABINAYS...en espanol!! (still trying to decide whether i love them...)
3-We have interior doors...ok now its time to jump for joy!! (doors are exactly what i wanted....we i mean they struggled with this for a while)

So here you go, a little peek...

...i think this is the laundry room door...


...one of the bedrooms downstairs...


...now here the colors are off because of the sunlight etc... and size is hard to gauge...backsplash is a pale blue glass tile like the "blog" background... all the cut outs look small but i guess i will find out on tuesday when we get down there!!


and these, as you can tell are the railings...sean didnt want wood...im kind of glad because i hate the smell of pledge so...we decided on this after seeing something similar...

ok i bet you're thinking the same thing...what is with the little roundy things on the bottom? perhaps a type of adornment? finial?...hmmm all i know not my fave...but whatev... it took long enough to get here im not even gonna bother with this!!