FAMILY HERNANDEZ (partial) COMES TO TOWN

Gary, Lil, Alexa and Jake were the latest travelers on 413, ROAD TO HAPPINESS.

And I do believe it is so, we have, yet, a few more converts! Island life as you can see, can get to be pretty hard. Wake up to the waves, check them, (for the surfers) decide which beach to go to, pack the cooler, do a quick check of your crackberry, leave it on the counter, grab your sunglasses, some sunscreen and off you go!!

Whether its across the street or an hour away to one of the most beautiful beaches you have ever seen, there is never NOTHING to do. And at the same time ALWAYS nothing to do! As they say, Siempre manana!

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??

...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.

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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!!

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.

I AM SOOOO LOVING IT!!

As you can see the paint is sure coming along and I am totally in love!

HOLY FRIJOLES!!

I don't really know where to start, but, oh my how things have changed!! May 05 2008 (yes i know what day that is...) was our demolition/ground breaking day and here we almost done!! The house (at least the top floor - outside) is painted!! YIPPEEE!!! Today they are painting the spiral stair case and hopefully the baluster railings! The color on the picture is a bit off it is definitely less green and a paler shade of blue but i guess the clouds through everything off... Either way we have PAINT!! YAY!!

Sean is there now probably to calm the GC and the Project Manager, since I am sure you can imagine when it comes down to details and time management, all things are done way way different in Rincon, than in I am used to in New York. But here on your left is a picture of the side of the house where our bedroom and bathroom are. At the top the underside of the overhang is done in a contrasting brite white...I just cannot wait to see it done! Sean is completely over joyed right now especially since the "BIG" door is in!!

CLIMBING THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN...

Heaven on earth that is...But to get here...(ps the other side is ocean view...)


you will have to climb these...

...althought they seem kind of spindly, (is that a word?) they are solid iron. Either way it beats that rickety old hand made (yes hand made) ladder that they have been using. I tried a number of times to climb it but, decided against even though Sean made it up and down a bunch of times.
With my luck, if anyone was going to fall off it, it could and would only be me!

SOME TILE DOWN!!!?!

OK...it could be me or the lighting perhaps or the camera,or something else, hopefully... But these are not supposed to be purple tiles...or shall I pray that there is a reason!! Do they look purple to you? AYE DIOS MIO!! Because they do to me!! The tiles are supposed to be a cool greyish tone or so we thought but now HOLY FRIJOLES...I am a bit on the OH NO side!! AYE CHI MAMA? What do you think??

I BET YOU CAN...

...SEE YOURSELF HERE!! If not, you best stay up north! Sunsets, (ie:opening shot) full moons, midnite skies, and an endless carpet of stars...I can ask for nothing more...

(ps SANTA I = WE need a pool..LOL!!!) The picture was taken on a yucky day, but I hope you've got the idea!

IT'S GOING TO BE SSSSWEEET!!

Yes, we need to do some trimming, but is this not the MONEY SHOT!?!

....So you can hang up there...or just go here!!

WE HAVE WINDOWS!! (ok some for now)

Ok...it may be a bit hard to tell, but if you focus your attention to the bottom left of the picture and follow it to the end, you will see windows!! WOO HOO!! WINDOWS! The frame is a chocolate brown color and they are all tinted...which of course is much needed unless you want to get sunburn while you're laying in bed! It seems they have only gotten the bottom done but its ALOT MORE than I expected so I AM OVER THE MOON!! Thanks Roberto!!



Wowee wow wow...fancy stairs...Nah not really. Most of the homes in Puerto Rico have very similar outside railings if not the same type. I really love the overall look, and I think once the paint is on (a pale icewater blue) the house and the railings, and the balusters painted white (polar bear white) it will really really be something...or so I hope!! They still have yet to start the balusters along the upper sun deck, and i doubt that will be done before the extended Christmas break but, as they say, siempre mañana... "theres always tomorrow!" Aye yi yi...

Ok... i doubt there will be any other updates before the holidays...so MERRY CHRISTMAS y'all!!

xoxo

Lisette and Sean

TWO TIMES IN ONE WEEK!?!

OK...y'all hold on to your shorts, your hats, your mouse...whatever! It is hard to believe but I've received pictures twice in one week!! So of course like any proud mom...yes this is my baby and it has been 7months...so here you go!! This picture is from the inside out I guess its like kitchen/living area looking out onto the deck. The big gaping hole will be filled by a sort of panoramic folding door one day!





These are just some glass block accents in the master shower. The master showere is actually 4x7 will when done have a glass block wall partial enclosure. It's hard to see but there will be a rain shower and a pressure jet... I cannot wait to have water pressure!!!

BALUSTERS!!

It's actually starting to look like something!! This may not look like much to you but... to me its like the sun came out on a cloudy day!! They ARE working!! It's hard to believe it when you don't have anything to see...

...hopefully through-out the week or at least until Wednesday, they will work on getting the sun (roof) deck balusters up!

I know at some point the windows are to go in but I think that would be after paint right!? ...Either way...throughout this process I have learned to NOT count your chickens before they hatch!!

IT'S COMING ALONG!!

Today i received some new photos, which actually made me believe that things were actually coming along! This week they actually started the balusters. YAY!!
The balusters are to rim the the stairs up to the deck, the deck, and the roofdeck. So far this is where we are.




All the wood laying around is actually to form the plane on which the balusters will sit. If you look to the right in this picture behind the stack of balusters, you can see 2 already added to the form. Of course everything is done in cement so this too will take a few weeks to dry.

And as that dries they are supposed to start even-ing out the interior floors for all the flooring which of course will take another couple of weeks to dry! Then the window installation. Flooring... etc...Arrrgh!!...


Eventually, it will look like this... and I'm sure sooner (i hope )than later it will be done and all this watching and waiting will be just a thing in the past!


and...I CANNOT WAIT!!

It may not look like much...

Ok...it doesn't really look like much was done, but, for PR it was! All the interior walls have been done which is great because i have serious problems with the concept of spatial ratio! As you can see from the picture on the left the top floor spackling has been finished and hopefully this week the bottom will be done. Then it takes like another 2 weeks to dry, oh joy!

In the interim, they are to be working on and installing the windows. Can't wait to see how long that takes! After the windows, then they paint, then the floor...and then (drum roll please) the cabinets! Can we say hello April?? Please cross your fingers for us... we are hoping for February, but if they're not movin' slow, they're movin' backwards!!

Anyway, In the center of house by the rickety hand made ladder is where the outdoor shower is going to be, when and if this thing ever gets finished!!
Aye yi yi!!

All though one could probably never tell by pictures, It was an extremely productive trip...

Here's just some of what we accomplished...

Picked 16 x 16 tiles for the 1st floor
Met with window guy and picked window style framing and tint
Met with Cabinet guy - Redesigned kitchen layout
Picked finish, wood and hardware for the cabinets
Decided on front door and interior doors - solid wood
Spent 7 hours in home depot looking for the perfect toilet - sean is very picky!
Found tiles for the master bath floor and shower
Picked paint colors for exterior, trim and interior

And last but not least I tormented the project manager to the point of no return! i have heard (sean says...) i can drive anyone to drink!