Vacation Time!

First time in a week that our feet have been stuffed into shoes. All checked out and leaving the hotel for the airport at 11. Look out snow, we're coming home! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz, Cancún, Mexico

What a nice day to end our week. Plenty of wind, but lots of sunshine as well. We spent as much time soaking up the rays as possible. Lunch next door and dinner at the Cove. Fantastic dinner to boot. Forgot to mention earlier that I was whistled out of the water by the life guards for "my own safety." There were two currents coming in and creating some great waves - 4' full curls. Awesome for body surfing. And I've been in worse water. The guard would have none of it. Fun sucker! Things I've would not have gotten at home: fresh cut grass; sun bathing; enough alcohol to support a small village. Things I've missed: my high def TV in English. Not the snow or cold. Packing up and getting ready to fly out tomorrow morning. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz, Cancún, Mexico

I stayed up late and read a book. Mama crashed on the couch. Awoke to more rain this morning. Got in about 2 hours of sun before lunch. Came back to room to read more. Went to the Mayan museum next door as it was still raining. Only $5 each to get in but all the displays are in Spanish. Neat stuff regardless. It is also being expanded by a third. Too bad it was nasty outside, yes we had to ford a river to get there, and no we don't expect any sympathy from the frozen tundra inhabitants. But had the weather cooperated, there is a serious archeological dig right here in Cancun next to the museum and it goes on for about four blocks. Who knew? Showers and then taxi to the Crab House for dinner - our most expensive yet. They no longer give a 10% discount for Royal hotels, but they offered a free appetizer instead. Crab cakes were wonderful. Back to the room for reading and ESPN. We see the the Broncos are beating the Chargers but can't get the game. Finally, the sun poisoning has

Not much to report on this, my second attempt to update the blog. First edition got moved to the great unknown when I tried to take a rain photo. Got 2.5 hours of sun bathing in before the rains hit. We ordered pizza in the room for lunch. We read and watched TV. Sandy finished one book today. We went downstairs to eat dinner - Italian night, which we both enjoyed but for different variety of food. And yes, we got soaked walking the short distance to the restaurant. No worries. We kept telling ourselves, "It could be snow. It could be snow!" Sandy is keeping a keen eye on the brutal weather at home. Looks like the snow should be over by the time we land, but the felt 100 degree temperature delta will be a real shock. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz,Cancún,Mexico

Tuesday is landscaping day here at the King Kamehameha Club (sorry, throwback for all the Magnum PI fans out there). Lawn mowers were running before 0800. So we got up and hit the pool before 9. Laid across from the pool bar til lunch time. Ate at the Mayan again - cheeseburgers in paradise - check the pics. Back to the room to change and hit the sun deck. The room stool got stuck in flush mode. No biggie, I can fix that. Pulled the top off and created a fountain. Pretty sure the hose is broken - but it works by spraying water on the lid and filling the tank. At this point, NMP. The sun deck was hot. No wind today and 88F. Sandy says neither Kathy or Shelby would need a sweatshirt today and probably would have gotten in the pool to cool down - like Sandy did 4X, and dunked her head. Yes, it's that hot. Thank goodness for frozen beverages from the pool bar. Took a bus up to the Flamingo Mall late this afternoon. We had a coupon for a free charm from the Lapis jewelry store. We had t

Up and out by 9 this morning. 10 minute rain came before 10. Back out to enjoy the sun before lunch next door. On the way back, we ran into the Magic Finger guys doing their finger painting on tiles. Laid out on the sun deck until dinner. Had another 4 minute shower. Didn't stop us from enjoying the day. I hit the ocean for a swim. Double breaking waves with a full curl on the outside set. Fun to body surf. Wind chill hovering around 91F. Took showers and headed back to the Cove for dinner. Sandy had the shrimp trio and I ordered the Hogfish fillet. Awesome eats and I would have it again. Last night we ate here in the RC. They mixed up our steaks. Sandy's ribeye was med-rare and my prime was med-well. No worries. We made the best of it. Have found that my limit is six beers until I'm too full to drink any more. Have not found the limit on Cap't Morgan and coke. Sitting in room watching MNF. Ditka gets his number retired at the half. Saw that Nick, Alex and gang won Silv

Sleep was not as refreshing for Sandy as it was for me. She hit the pool at 0830 this morning. And for the second time on this trip, someone here at the Caribbean said they recognized her or remember her from before. Probably true because when she parties, she parties HARD! Crazy woman. Mostly sunny and mid 80's all day. Pleasant breeze with cloud buddies. Not sure the over/under on sun poisoning, but none yet...yet. Ate lunch at the Mayan again. Joined the Welcome party but just for the free beer. Showered and then hit the karaoke bar downstairs to watch football. Dinner here at the Caribbean - steak and lobster. Sandy also had key lime pie and sent a nasty text to Kathy. Back in the room around 7:30 and watching more football before crashing early again. More of the same tomorrow. First pic below is off the sun deck looking E at the beach. The second is looking back SW at our hotel. Our room is two floors up behind the palm tree dead center of photo, just above the pool bar roof.

Got up after about 3 hours of sleep. Nick, Eric and I were trying to win Clan Wars on COD Ghosts. Temps hovered around 15 F and Sandy wore gloves to the airport. Flight was delayed about 30 mins for deicing. Other than that, pretty uneventful. I watched "We are the Millers" or something like that. Landed about 10 local, one hour behind Indiana. Ate lunch at the Mayan and checked into room 616, one floor above front deck and two above pool. On the SW side underneath the camera and across from the pool bar. Hit the pool and sun deck until dinner at the Cove. We both tried new dishes that were excellent. Returned to room and crashed. The technology has changed. We now have our own router in the room. Thus there are different passwords for the public RC wifi and our room wifi. None of them seem to work on either my phone or iPad. Sandy is loving it because her stuff works. I have shut off my phone and Sandy's. The only way to reach us is via our gmail accounts. After mess

Early this Saturday, we are headed for Cancun - for about the 25th time.  Yes, we love it down there. Nick and Shelby are staying at the house to keep tabs on the pets. It's muzzle loading season for deer, so the boys will be hunting sometime. Check back here to see how we're doing in the land of sandy beaches.

Vacation Blog is about - to get busy again too. We are slated for a year-end trip to Cancun, Mexico - AGAIN.  Leaving the opening week of muzzle loading season - Again.  Nick has said that he will be using my muzzle loader while I am gone. Then, last week, we booked our trip to Maui in January.  Going over there for the NFL Pro Bowl.  Be celebrating my birthday Hawaiian style.  Stay on Maui, hop over to Honolulu for the game, then back to Maui.  Get home just in time to host a Super Bowl party. Hunting blog will be updated here soon, as season opens next week.  Then this blog will get busy as we approach year end. Stay tuned.  Boppum and Pa will be holding down the fort in our absence.  No kids partying at our place, like we used to do when they were gone...

Sat at the pool after our buffet breakfast at Tradewinds. Hit the showers at 10. Taxi to airport at 11. Sandy saw an older man with black dress socks and sandals. She could hear Kathy screaming from Indy. I am forbidden from ever committing such a fashion faux pas. Been threatened with death. Got right through check-in, as Sandy had signed us up for premiere seating. Good call. Sat down at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company for lunch. Pretty good eats. We agreed better than the airport Margaritaville. 30 minutes until we board. Figure with the 1-hour time difference and then the Daylight Savings Time change on Sunday, we're really not going to know what time it is anywhere. Trying to figure out where we are going for the rest of this year. I've got prairie dogs and an elk hunt later this year. We've got the Seager Run-away in June. Potentially have the Cousin Reunion, but that depends on Sandy's availability. Maybe coming back here in December to prepare us fo

For our final night, as is customary, we ate at the Capt's Cove for dinner. We thought that maybe they had a large group coming in because they sat is in Poncho & Willy's. But, it was just to get more people seats by the water. We got some awesome sunset photos and Alex's alligator came to visit. He's tough to see, but square in the middle is a 5 footer. His head is shiny. Sandy had the lobster stuffed shrimp. I had the fillet and lobster. We topped it off with carrot cake and key lime pie. Service was a bit lacking, but the food and ambiance could not be beat. We started packing and are relaxing in front of the tube. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz,Cancún,Mexico

So there's a family, taught by the Grandfather, who finger paints on tiles. It is amazing to watch the pictures come to life. They are here in Cancun, Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta. We have bought these paintings before, and in fact have one hanging in our living room from our 25th anniversary trip here last year. A percentage of the proceeds from each sale go to help under privileged children here in Cancun. Well, we bought 3 on Wednesday, and another 4 today. Most are gifts and/or presents. But I had a tough time pulling Sandy away. I think she would have them all over our house if we had a way to get them all home. And, Jose painted one as a gift since we bought so many. Hey, buy 7 and get one free! Here is Jose painting the next one: You can check out Jose Montero's Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/magicfingercancun There are some pictures of his work and even a video there. Truly a talent. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz, Cancún, Mex

Spent the end of the week exactly as it began. We did nothing but soak up rays today. Lunch was next door at the Mayan's Palapa. The finger painters were back, see next post for details. Stayed on the sun deck all day. Sandy was the lush. Note, 2 drinks for Sandy. Yes, it's Happy Hour. Of course, when is it not when in Cancun? Yes, some horrific weather. Waves roll in, but they are pretty weak and have been for most of the week. You can just see one para sailer out there. Been a good week! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz, Cancún, Mexico

We took some photos at night with the camera, iPad, and my Samsung Galaxy. By far, the Samsung pics are the best. I thought I could send them to Dropbox over wifi, to no avail. I tried to email them to myself. Again fail. I need to get them here to my iPad to share on this blog. Oh well, this will have to do for now. From our balcony, two floors up. That's the entrance to Tradewinds on the far right. It's the ocean all the way in the back - all black. Time has gone by quickly. One more day and we have to start packing. Our new suitcases are huge and will do nicely for getting all the stuff we just bought home. I still have to pass a written exam for my open water certification. Will try that first thing in the morning. Good night all. From the not-so-snowy beaches of Cancun! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz, Cancún, Mexico

We slept in a bit today. Finally hit the pool around 10. Had lunch at the Tradewinds on the patio deck across from the pool bar. Hit the sun deck after lunch and just let our bodies soak up the rays. An email from Boppum says the web camera is out of service. She can't stalk us. We were on the sun deck today in full view. Too bad she didn't get to see me mooning the camera! Showers by 4 and then off to shop. We found everything we needed and some things we did not at La Isla. Then off to Fred's for dinner. Fred's is right next door to the Crab House. Everything at Fred's is ala carte, which means more $. Sandy had the rib eye and I had the fillet with Alaskan king crab legs. Sandy ordered med-well and had to send it back to cook some more. I ordered medium and it was barely warm in the middle. However, it was the most tender steak I have ever eaten and my crab legs were grilled. They served one of Cambalache's peppers with them too. Watch out. Calei

Got up this morning at 7:30. Went downstairs to the Tradewinds for a buffet breakfast. I hit the front desk to catch a taxi N. Sandy looked for a chair that was not in direct sun. She figures she's red enough for a Wednesday and didn't want to push it. I headed off toward the NE corner of the island and hopped a boat. We headed NE to what I thought was to be a ship wreck. Instead 2 more reef dives to 55'. This makes 3 & 4 for me and completes my open water certification with PADI. We saw sting rays, barracuda, lobsters, sea turtles, and a shark. I also got my first salvage when I picked up a weight belt some other diver had lost. The instructors have been awesome and the rest of my diving friends more than pleasant - very encouraging. I kept a keen eye on my air, as I'm sure all noobs do. We ran our first dive, with a controlled stop right to the end of my air. We ran the second dive to the end of my air. The gauge said I had about 10 lbs left, but who kn

So we're checking out the weather forecast for Central Indiana, reading your emails, and watching New York news. Seems like you all back home are having a March storm that includes freezing rain, sleet, and snow. We called to check in with Kathy and Nick. Nick said there was 2" on the ground already with more coming down. About the only good thing he could think of was to sled with the Gator. Baa Haaaa.... Yep, we've got horrible weather down here in Cancun too! Check it out... This is snow, in its unfrozen form. This is rain. It's raining sunshine! This is hail - as in Hail Yea! All we can say is, it's good to be us! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad Location: Calle Cucumatz, Cancún, Mexico

Just before heading to lunch yesterday, I stopped by the resort dive shop to check on book progress. That is, I was borrowing one of their books to learn the written instructions on becoming open water certified. As luck would have it, my instructor said let's do the pool training now. So instead of having lunch at Noon, we walked next door at 3 for a snack. I had to demonstrate 18 dive/rescue techniques. This was more in depth than the last time we all went on a dive. The fellow that joined me for the lesson helped slow us down. One hour verbal instruction, 2 hours in the pool. I was a cold prune upon exit. My bride, who continued to sun bathe, was hungry. Returned to the room for showers and relaxation. Watched some NCAA men's basketball and then hit Tradewinds for Cajun night. Back to the room and in bed by 9. This vacation stuff really wears one out. Mind you, this dive reading is nothing at all like what brother Trent just had to submit for his doctorate. Five

Yesterday, our pool chairs were next to some guys from the east coast. Entertaining for a while, but annoying enough that we switched locations. We ate lunch at the Mayan with the goal of having cheeseburgers in paradise. Alas, their lunch special was quesadillas which suited us both nicely. New seats after lunch. Stayed out til after 3. Showers and some basketball viewing before hitting the Cove for dinner. We sat inside due to the wind, but went outside to take pictures. We shoulda sat outside. There was no one guarding the front desk as we left the Cove, so I ended up with enough dinner mints for the rest of the week! We both read until sleepy time. Mama was out by 9, I read til 11:30. First up at 7:30 am today because the maintenance guys were Mowing! Followed by the weed eater. Gorgeous looking day today. No wind and full sun. We're lathering up to go find a sit spot by the pool. When we first arrived, my Lilly email worked fine. Now it does not. My speculation is

After sunning til about 3 yesterday, we took showers and headed to dinner here. Ate at the Tradewinds. Sandy had Italian chicken and I opted for the lobster - prime rib combo. I washed it all down with some cap't and coke. We agreed that the food was awesome, but it did not beat Captain's Cove for taste or atmosphere. In the future we will return to the Cove for first meal. And we have plans to return there tonight. Hit the room about 7 and straight to sleep. We were tired little vacationers. Sleep for 14 hours. Got up, sun screened, and to the pool. The wind has lessened, but is not completely dead. Sandy says she's comfortable, but if any cloud buddies show up, she's certain Kathy would have a towel buddy to keep warm. Sandy says it's perfect. She does not have to get wet to keep cool. And we all know, if Mama ain't happy, then nobody's happy! Since we were a little late, chairs are at a premium. It is crowded as we near Spring Break. Not many people

Got less than 3 hours sleep before heading to the airport today. No issues with traffic, weather, or pocket knives. For any Donkey Heads reading this (they know who they are) we rode on Frontier's "Cliff" the Mt. Goat. Got some sleep on the plane. I watched Ice Age Continental Drift on this here iPad. Sandy played solitaire and Angry Birds on her Kindle after her napper. Arrived at 9:30 am local, which is 1 hour behind Indiana. We sat in the front row of the plane and were thus first off. Upon arrival at Customs, we had the ENTIRE place to ourselves. The only other people in the joint were the officers. Got right thru, grabbed our bags and then a taxi. Green light. No searches. Arrived at the Royal Caribbean close to 10 am. Went next door for a buffet breakfast. This time we were smart enough to pack our suits in the carry-on bag. Changed into them after breakfast, lathered up, and grabbed some Z's. Here is mama on vacation. Looks pretty familiar. Checked in

Our flight officially leaves before 7 am this coming Saturday, March 2.  Can you believe it's March already??? We had planned this trip to coincide with Shelby's Spring Break in case she and Nick wanted to join us.  Alas, she has work to do and they will not be coming.  Sucks to be them... Just me and Mama enjoying a week on the beach.  Temps are predicted to be in the mid-70's to low-80's.  Don't matter much as we will not be here nor doing any work. As has become customary, I will update this blog while we are out so you can read about our comings and goings.  Feel free to leave any snide comments or send an email as I can receive them while I'm sipping on some Boat Drinks. In the meantime, I have stuff to finish here at work before we leave.  Back at it. Next update from Cancun!