Day trip

Hello!  I am finally enjoying some time off this week with no obligations... and loving it (imagine maxwell smart saying that last part).  My reprieve started yesterday, which was the first of 3 days off, after which I work 2 nights, then off for another 3.  I relaxed quite a bit yesterday but did get a few chores done (laundry and such).  Had plans to do the same today, but a friend invited me out for trip to BVI, which I am not known to turn down.  There's really nothing on a "to do" list that trumps a trip to BVI.  Let's be honest here.

I had a great day and finally have a couple pictures to show you.  The cool thing today is that we took a different route than I am used to and so I got to see some new areas and different sides of islands that I was already familiar with.  Most of the day was spent at Jost van Dyke, which you all know by now is my favorite.

If you ever get the chance to go to White Bay on Jost van Dyke, GO!  And take me with you!  Omg - laying in the hammock on the beach, feeling the ocean breeze as the sun warms your skin, ice cold Soggy Dollar painkiller in hand with the long leaves of the palm trees smacking together to create that soothing rustling sound - you just can't stop repeating to yourself that there can't be anything more perfect than this.  The white sand of the beach and the absolutely clear blue of the water there is just stunning.

Okay, now that I have that off my chest, here are pictures.  The first is me just before I got off the boat at White Bay.  The second is of a cool sailboat we saw as we were riding around on the boat today.  Which reminds me that I also wanted to point out that riding around on a boat through the Virgin Islands is such a therapeutic experience.  The beautiful scenery, the movement of the boat, the breezes, and the sunshine all combine to create such a soothing feeling.  It's so easy to see why people come here for vacation and instead of taking the flight back home, end up calling their family with requests to sell all they have and send them the money.

Beach party!

The parties continue in St Thomas.  On Tuesday we had a beach party loosely celebrate Kevin's return to the island, but really just to party.  It's been great to have him back on island and have it feel like old times.  So we all met at the guys' new favorite beach, Linquist.  It took the guys some time to start the fire for the grill (which was my entertainment for the day), and then Kevin cooked up some nice burnt hot dogs and such.  I stuck to brownies and potato chips.  Afterward we went to Island Time Pub for pizza (not burnt) and then poor Trish had to get some rest before going to work at 11PM.  Here are some pictures to tell the story of the day.

First of all, here's Kevin.

The order of the day is really to relax in the water with a beer.  We take turns being the one who has to go to shore for the beverages.  The guys like to play catch every now and then.  There are a couple stories about me getting not-so-satisfactory frisbees (and teased mercilessly for it) which Todd will be happy to tell.   On this day out we did not have a frisbee and I ended up using a leaf as one.  Before long we were having a great time tossing around a few large leaves that we found floating in the water, and we now have a new game called "Lily Pad Tossing."  It will soon be all the rage.  Just like children, it apparently doesn't take much to amuse us.  Anyway, this is what we looked like all day.

And here's Todd making a not-so-valiant effort to retrieve the ball.

There were about 10 of us in the water at one point, sipping on beer and tossing the ball around.  All of a sudden Todd yells out, "Hey, there are people sitting in cubicles right now."  We all had a respectful moment of silence for them, and then resumed the festivities.  Yes, here in the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday, we were all out simply enjoying the weather, the water, and each other's company with no obligations cluttering our minds.  It is indeed good to be in St Thomas.

Halloween party

I think enough time has passed that I am finally ready and able to discuss Halloween in St. Thomas.  Wow, what a sight.  It was a crazy night to be sure.  I have a few pictures to show you, though much of the night was too scandalous for the blog.  The theme for Duffy's was red, white, and blue for the election so there were a few political costumes.  People were dancing and having a good time, typical St Thomas just in funnier clothes.  Here are some pics...

This is Sarah Palin and Luis, in the guise of a woman.  He surprisingly made a very convincing female and seemed all too comfortable in high-heel shoes...

This was a creative group, they came in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory costumes.  

And behind the bar we had Castro and Bill Clinton, otherwise known as Rich and Brandon.  Brandon mentioned in advance of the holiday that his Clinton mask scared his young son, and I can now sympathize.

Hope that you all had a great Halloween!