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| View from our balcony in Manzanillo |
Keeping a diary is not easy. It's January 13th, about 5:15pm as I attempt to get myself caught up.
The day started with normal behavior from the kids, IE-I was annoyed well before we even started breakfast. It's almost like they know where my buttons are, what it takes to press them, and then there is a surprise crackerjack prize after the buttons have been pressed. The prize isn't usually a good one, but they like to play the game anyway.
We are on the fifth floor and Macey thought she'd see how much of a rise she could get out of me by dangling over the balcony. Sorta Michael Jackson style, only it's not the parent holding the child. It's the child doing it on her own. My opinion is you don't get do-overs if you fall off the fifth floor. So I snapped. We also had a breakfast incident with Macey whereby she was carrying an empty glass and tripped on a step, smashing the glass with her landing on top of it. She had a couple of minor scrapes, but she was okay. The glass was a write off. The butler was terrified of a lawsuit. He provided more than ample care.
We connected with Jenn's parents and it was brought to our attention that Ed forgot to pack his sleeping pills and was contemplating booking an emergency flight home as the anxiety was getting the best of him and he hadn't slept a wink and didn't know how he'd cope all week long. I can't let them leave. Without any concrete plan, I said we'd solve the problem without them having to leave.
In Mexico, you don't need a prescription to get a drug from the pharmacy, unless it's for antibiotics. So, Ed phoned back to Dauphin to get the specifics of the two drugs he needed and we headed to Farmacia Guadalarja. I can't spell either word. Anyway, we showed the note to the pharmacist and he turned pale and shrugged his shoulders. I tried my best to communicate with words like 'insomnia' and 'can't sleep', but to no avail. So back to the hotel we go and I can see Ed's anxiety level increasing a bit more. At this point, I'm thinking we could call the local doctor and get him to write a prescription, or else see if the Dauphin pharmacy could email us the prescription and I'd give the Farmacia a second shot. Despite the advances of today's technology and despite pharmacies making scads of money, they are somehow unable to send an email with a prescription. Fax only. Wow. So, I go to the internet and find a website that has a list of all the drug names that these two sleeping pills may fall under and I convince Ed to give the Farmacia a second shot. This time, we get a different pharmacist and she ponies up the first drug right away. She checks stock and doesn't have the second one. Ed starts to panic, but then I try the same thing as I did before using key words like 'insomnia'. The lady grins and brings back a $6 box of Simplex. Ed said "We'll take it." and his anxiety was, instantly, over. After two nights, Ed has slept like a baby for a fraction of the cost of his medication back home. Drugs....sheesh. They are like the price of gas, I think. A big gouge. And me? I should be a pharmacist. Just think what I could do with years of schooling!
I took a lot of satisfaction out of this incident today. Jenn's parents have always helped us out on whatever we need. We do a lot for ourselves, but if we are in a bind; we go to them. And they always deliver. They don't ever need us. Ever. And if they did, I don't think we would ever know. But, after today, I saw such a thankful look from both Ed and Adeline that made me think, "Finally, we have done something for you." I could've have stroked him a cheque for $1 million dollars and it would mean nothing compared to handling this issue today. Jenn's parents and my parents are very different. First of all, my parents divorced when I was a young boy. So, I don't often get (or seek) help from my parents. It's, generally, the other way around. And that's okay. It's not like I had a bad upbringing or anything. And since I was a less than appreciative son during my child/teenage/young adult years, I am really glad to give something back at this point in all of our lives.
January 12
My favorite day so far. After breakfast, we hit the beach and I got in a morning swim. I was also bit by a fish on the bottom of my foot. Didn't hurt, but I was startled. And I don't like wildlife. Cats and dogs are great. But, my animal affection pretty much ends right there.
I've never understood people who say they are reading more than one book. Until now. I've got three on the go. Ron MacLean's autobiography, Moneyball, and The Business of T-Shirts. The latter Sheri picked up from the trade show in Toronto. All three are excellent for three different reasons and I am having a hard time dedicating enough time to any of them! Moneyball got my attention on this day at the beach.
I also like seeing the 'real' sights, but dragging three kids along on a trip like that might be counter productive. Oh....not sure when she said this, but I have to get this in somewhere. Macey said on a walk to the beach at one point, "When I grow up and get my babies, I want to live in Mexico." Anyway, I hopped a taxi (solo) to the local Walmart to grab a cheap pair of running shoes and socks to try out the gym. I'm not a muscle head, but I don't like being fat and I haven't worked out in a week. I gotta do a bike or something and soon. Turns out, Manzanillo also has KFC, Domino's, Office Depot, etc. They also have Monkey's. Monkey's is famous for...wait...fried chicken! Prices were a bit better than back home, but no real bargains. I walked about 30 minutes back to the resort.
We skipped supper and the ten of us got on an excursion that saw us sail the Bay of Santiago for about two hours in search of dolphins or whales. Nothing. When we hit our destination, we were treated to some traditional bongo drumming, a fire pit with the kids getting to roast marshmallows, and a nice supper. I opted for the chicken instead of the catch of the day. Big mistake. Jenn got the fish, which I think is called Mahia Mahia. Again...that's not spelled right. We took the open-air bus back to the resort and that was an experience for all. My bum doesn't have a lot of cushion after all.
Mallory, who was terrified of flying, had a similar outlook on sailing out on the ocean. She gave me the same two handed death grip that I received on the airplane and didn't let up for well over an hour. Towards the end of the ride, I was able to disconnect myself from her, only to find out from Macey that she was upset about me spending so much time with Mallory. So, she clung to me until we were on the beach eating supper.
Fast forward to the present: Jenn doesn't sit still. In a matter of a couple of hours, she hit two or three pools, a craft table, went back to the hotel room, and then convinced us all to go for a walk before supper. So, I'll finish later.
Back at the computer: 8pm January 13th. We finished January 12 by getting back into our rooms by 9:30 from the sunset/beach/supper excursion and after the kids went to sleep...Jenn and I stayed up to play a game of cards. We were bushed too. There wasn't a ton of enthusiasm to it. I think I still won.
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