Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Seven Year Itch (Feels like)

There was a bit of a worry today when I thought the horrid itch was coming back, but I think it may finally be calming and retreating back to wherever it came from which is a big relief. Try going two months being so itchy that you can't sleep or do anything while trying to watch your kids in a tropical climate and see if it doesn't test your mettle as a human being to the core. I feel pretty darn proud of myself that I made it through without breaking down and crying everyday and I was still able to keep up with the dishes (that was my one goal everyday besides feeding and taking care of my kids.....which is pretty ambitious since I have to wash everything by hand.....something that takes me the better part of an hour.....and any movement could send me into itch hell from which there is no escape until it decides to release me). It's funny how skin problems come and go without you ever really being able to pinpoint what caused it in the first place. This isn't the first time that something like this has happened to me and I fear not the last until I find out what causes the reaction to begin with. Until then I'll just be happy that it's over with......for now. Ominous words.
I was finally able to clean my downstairs. Something that was driving me crazy from the clutter. My friend came over and kept me company while I cleaned and our kids played. Now I just have to clean the rest of the house and I'll feel much better....like some kind of control has been returned. I cleared out five bags of trash. All of it papers and shredded toilet paper (thank you cat) except for one bag that carries my favorite blanket. It's a chenille blanket that I bought from Target before we left the states and I loved it.....until it started falling apart. At first I thought the cat was putting holes in it but noticed that the yarn itself was becoming threadbare and simply falling apart. Washing it is completely out of the question. I would end up with piles of string in my washer. And there are so many big holes appearing daily that it's not uncommon for me to wake with all my appendages threaded through one. It was a beautiful knit blanket.....chocolate brown chenille......but very shoddy workmanship. I could probably search for a chenille yarn that's very sturdy and knit one myself, but it would cost and arm and a leg. If it lasts forever that's not really too bad of a deal. Right now I'm content using my hubby's cotton blanket while he's gone. I found a standard issue hospital cotton blanket which I like except that I wake waffle weaved (my skin, that is). I'm picky about my bedding and like high thread count sheets, fluffy matress pads and pillows and cozy, luxurious blankets/quilts/duvets.
I took a drive around the island in the SUV yesterday (the SUV that I'm renting until I get my car......my NEW TO ME car). I'm actualy getting the SUV for the same price as a compact because they didn't have any compacts and we're friends with the car rental guy (we should be by now because we've had to rent cars from him so much plus you just make friends quickly in paradise). Stop anywhere along the south end of the island and you're likely to be invited to a barbeque. You go to the beach with just you and your family and you bring food, but by the time you leave it's a big party that everyone chips in on. Especially if you have kids. They always want to feed the kids and there's usually some kind of religious festival taking place in one of the villages everyday. The thing I like most about the southern side of the island is the fact that the resorts and tourists have barely touched there and so the natural beauty still abounds. Even on the "city side" I still find myself staring at the coast because I can't believe how beautiful and blue and green it all is. That's nothing compared to what you find in the south. I wish I had my camera because I never got a chance to really snag pictures of the south. I have a few, but even the color in those is not vibrant enough to explain what it looks like in front of your eyes. As you drive along the windy road, over and down mountains, along the coast.....literally hugging the coast, you can see little secluded beaches and some small islands that you would be tempted to swim out to for the day with a hammock and something to split and pierce coconuts. Maybe some water too (too much coconut juice would leave you in trouble the next day). I saw something I would really like to try. Kiteboarding. It's so windy here it's perfect, although can be dangerous because it can pick you up and slap you down hard in the water. It looks like fun and surfing space is limited here (although I'd love to learn to surf as well). Scuba diving is something else I want to take a try at as soon as hubby gets home for a little while and can take classes with me. I think he would be upset if I did it by myself because he wants to learn so badly as well. I would be mad if he took classes without me. I'm just saying ;-P
Speaking of classes, I'm looking into taking some here soon. Automotive technology. A mechanic. After everything that I've been through with the car here it seems like not only a great way to make money, but also a valuable skill in today's world. There is a shortage in mechanics and I'm anxious to get into it although the class list seems daunting upon first glance. Maybe I can get certified and then go for the degree later. I really want to get back to making money so I'm looking for a fast track of some sorts. Maybe the guy that was working on my car would take me on as an apprentice. Most of his mechanics are learning though apprenticeship. Hard on him, but he's giving people jobs and that is commendable. As I've said before they're really good at fixing Toyotas and all the other common brands, but a Saab is a new beast for them. Literally. They don't like my car. They affectionately refer to it as they're personal hell. Ah well. Tomorrow I will have a common brand and then at least one car will always be easy and quick to fix. Ideally it shouldn't break down.....I would say I dare it to break down, but I did that to the Saab and it did about ten minutes later. I'm not pressing my luck ;-@

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