Yachie Mommy Paradise

Day two into our yachtie mommy paradise in St. Maarten is coming with a big heaping scoop of pain in the ass.  Our accommodations are somewhat comparable to last summer’s Monaco accommodations where we had little A/C, no TV, a leaky roof, 4 flights of dangerous stairs to climb, and floors that turned our feet black.  Although this time, in SXM, not only are our feet black and the A/C is not working in some of the rooms, but we have no internet, I have no phone, the water isn’t working from some of the faucets, the only shower that works has NO hot water, there’s no bath tub for Alexa, many of the electrical outlets are not working, Alexa’s baby monitor doesn’t work in 2 of the three rooms, there are no hangers, and most of the appliances are not working or missing completely.  We have an ironing board, but no iron; a $400 internet contraption G bought this morning, but no internet; and apparently, according to little A, the almond milk sucks here.  But… when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade, or in this case, I decided to transform the yucky tasting almond milk into a smoothie for Alexa.  I filled the blender with ice, almond milk, chocolate flavored organic green power, pineapple, mango, and a banana only to find out after the fact the blender doesn’t work.  So, I poured this clumpy messy mixture into a bowl and began attempting to squish up the fruit with a spoon.  Then, I dumped it all in her sippy cup and shook the cup violently.  Making the most of the situation, Alexa and I danced around together in the smoothie splattered kitchen singing “Shake, shake, shake.  Shake, shake, shake.  Shake that bootie.  Shake that bootie!” The result, two laughing goofballs and a clumpy “smoothie” that can’t be sucked through a straw because the clumps keep getting stuck in it.  So, since we have no strainer, I tried to strain out the chunks with a spoon into another bowl.  After finally getting this “smoothie” the right consistency, I gave it to my sweetie who sucked it up in under 5 minutes flat.  Thankfully it tasted good, or maybe the poor little thing was starving to death since she wasn’t too fond of the falafel, humus, olive, pita platter I ordered for her for lunch at “Top Carrot” earlier.  I put her down for a nap in her way too small pack & play bed and proceeded to clean up this crazy smoothie mess…. uhhhhhh… NO WATER!  The ants come marching one by one, ha rah, ha rah.  You guessed it, shortly after this fiasco the ants are swarming the sink loving the mango, pineapple, banana, chocolate green powder, almond milk splashes that I can’t do much about except collect cold water from the one working shower and dump it on this mess, scrub everything with dish soap, then dumping more cold shower water again and again until it’s semi cleaned up.  Frustrated with all these inconveniences, G removed himself from this situation early this morning and has yet to return.  It’s almost 6pm.  He’s been gone all day working with Scott and I have no idea when they will be back.  I have no car, no internet, and no phone.  I miss my Mom and my friends.

If there’s one thing I have learned in my life, it is to be flexible, especially as a yachtie mommy.  All bitching aside, this place really is actually quite peaceful.  Besides a plane roar every so often, the island breeze blowing the palm trees creates a serene ambiance and keeps the villa cool… enough… you know, humid, camping on the water kind of cool.  The green hills smiling at us through our wall-sized windows and towering over the sunny bay is picturesque. If only I had internet right now so I could get some work done on our gorgeous terrace while Alexa naps.  I guess I have to settle for blogging in Word on our terrace in the breeze, then when G gets home, (time permitting), maybe I’ll walk over to “Jimbo’s” Tex-mex with free Wifi and yummy margaritas to get some work done.

Alexa and I spent a couple of hours at the gorgeous pool this morning before heading across the street for lunch at my favorite vegetarian café on the island.  Like most populated islands, this one is dangerous, so without a car, the closer the better.  A medical clinic, grocery store, vegan breakfast/lunch place, a variety of restaurants, and a few bars are all but a few minutes walk away from our 24/7 guarded security villa.  Playing it safe, the only way I will be able to keep up my running is if I find a running group or a treadmill.  Thankfully, little A and I found that amazing pool this morning that’s not only beautifully relaxing, but also long and deep, perfect for swimming laps.  I think with a regular exercise routine, starting a Sunday brunch Orient beach family tradition, reliable internet, locating a beach within walking distance, some scuba diving, parks for little A, maybe finding some friends at a mommy & me group, and a few other minor adjustments this place could become quite cozy.