Cuba, Baby!!

It's cold. Well, okay, not that cold today, but a few days ago? -25. -30. We're talking celcius here, my American friends. Freeeeeeeeezing.

But you know what makes the cold and snow of a Canadian winter bearable?

Memories of Cuba.

A week ago at this time, I was chillin' on the beach. In fact, exactly one week ago, I spent the entire day on the beach. It was bliss.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. This story all starts at about 2 AM on Friday, January 14th, when a big yellow school bus pulled into Wayne's yard...

I love this picture. It looks like Sarah's telling Cowan all the fun things we're going to do in Cuba. And he looks terrified.

That morning, 22 tired but super-pumped people headed off to the Ottawa airport to board a flight to Veradero, Cuba.


By 3:30 PM that afternoon, we had finally reached our destination: The Breezes Jibacoa resort, nestled between mountains and ocean, exactly one hour from Veradero and Havana on either side. By that time, I was able to cross a lot off my 101 list already - my first time flying, my first time going South, my first time dabbling my toes in the ocean. (I promise, the 101 List will be updated soon!)

It was windy and overcast when we landed, but I didn't mind - my first glimpse of ocean!

We crossed this bridge on our way to the resort

This is the view from our room!

I had already accomplished so much on this trip. And the week had only just begun!


That first afternoon, we familiarized ourselves with the beach bar and grill, we napped, explored the resort, had dinner at the buffet, and then witnessed the longest game of pool ever played. So long, in fact, that Lindsay eventually gave up her cue to Sarah, so that she could finish the game with Ryan.


We were zonked. First night in Cuba, in bed by 9. Wooooooooooooooo!!


But then we were totally rested up for the next day. The first couple of days were pretty windy, so we spent a lot of our time hanging out by the pool, where it was a little more sheltered. On Monday, we had made plans with the entire group to go to Havana, and I was very excited to see what Cuban life was like off the resort.




Our tour guide taught us the word of the week on that trip: Suuaaaaavéééé. We said it a lot. He explained that it meant "slowly", and that's the way to approach life in Cuba. We learned that he really meant it on our walking tour of Old Havana, when he literally strolled the streets at such a mellow, relaxed pace that we had a hard time staying behind him. (He also didn't seem to understand the urgency of needing to PEE, either!!)

The Havana trip was one of the highlights for me, as we were able to take pictures in Revolution Square, and then tour the old city, with stops at Hemmingway's favourite bar in Cuba, a colonial-style home that had been turned into a hotel (we saw a peacock there!), a huge and majestic Catholic church, and just mingle with the local people and take in their culture and lifestyles. We also made a stop at the market, which was a little scary...you couldn't move through the vendors without them shouting, "Hey, lady! Look at this!" every two steps. Eek!

Most of our group in Revolution Square

We had lunch and then took a trip up to the fortress that used to protect the island from invaders. There we were able to buy rum and cigars before leaving to go back to our resort. We had opted for a shorter tour that was supposed to get us back by 2 PM, but because our guide was so "suavé", and then because we were stalled in traffic due to a roadside fire, we didn't get back until about 4:30. Everyone hurried to their rooms for bathing suits and headed to the beach for the last few hours of sunshine!

The next day was one of my favourites of the whole week. We spent the morning on the beach, and it was Cuban Day at the resort. They had a giant blow-up boxing ring and over-sized gloves and sumo wrestling suits, which everyone had a lot of fun with, whether participating or taking pictures! They also had a guy making drinks out of coconuts for us, and a huge pork barbeque on the beach.


By mid-afternoon, we were all showered and dressed, back on the beach for Kerry and Jeff's wedding. What an absolutely stunning location, and the couple looked amazing! They made a VERY strong case for a down-south wedding. I felt so fortunate to be there to share their special day with them. Afterwards, we all danced and sipped champagne in the gazebo, and then had drinks and laughs in their suite (which was right above our room). We all gathered for dinner at the Italian a la carte Martino's, and celebrated with the newlyweds!

Sarah, myself & Brenda on the beach before the wedding

Wednesday: Officially spent the entire day at the beach. Awesome. I loved every minute! We took a paddleboat out and had a great time inspecting the coral reef from above. Then later that afternoon, Kerry loaned me her snorkel gear so that I could go out with Brenda, Wayne, Sarah, and Cowan to do some underwater investigating. It was surreal! We saw some kind of ray swimming along the reef, and all kinds of fish that swam right up to your face. Swimming in water that blue...it was truly a dream for me!


Thursday was another beach day, but we were starting to gear up for our departure. I tried to relax and enjoy the last rays of sun and the feeling of the salt water on my skin, but my mind was already racing to thoughts of re-packing the suitcase, making sure I had the right documents for the airport, and figuring out what to take with me and leave behind so that my suitcase didn't exceed the weight limits.

I was ready to come home. The week had been filled with good drinks, good food, good friends, and fabulous memories, but I was ready to fly home. I was dying for good ol' Canadian junk food, and my own bed, and my family and friends that I'd left behind.

But the memories are there, in the pictures, and in my mind. I just close my eyes, and it's there.

Nelson's omelettes in the morning. Watching the kids try to walk in flippers. Blue Lagoons in travel mugs. The old guy singing in the piano bar. Dancing with the German mullet head in the disco. The little lizards. The dead crab. Suaaaaavvvééééé. Yeffy! Yimmy! Barrieeeeeeeeeeee!! Running to guess songs from movies and TV shows (and only getting there once.) The buns. Hockey on the beach. The light blue banana hammock. Bad little Winnipeg boys. Snorkeling. The names Wayne & Terry gave the fish. ("C*cksucker!" "And his brother Motherf*cker!" "Ah, Sonofabitch!") Jimmy from England. Owen's amazing dance moves. Cha-cha-cha'ing in the gazebo. Threatening Cowan's life to get him to dance with me. The Pina Coladas with no rum. "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts - REAL ones!" My 3 little seashells that cost a lot of toothbrushes and gum. The McDonalds war. Gasolina!! The bus that was nicer than the plane. Weighing ourselves in Jeff & Kerry's room. Michayla yelling at Barry to stop giving away his clothes for necklaces. The peacock. The paddleboat. The guy who made weird dolphin noises in the pool. My "teeth" from the sea. Guantanamera. The sun dance. The paparazzi. Terry & Jimmy sumo wrestling. The entertertainment dude lip syching to Shania Twain. Slush with rum. Rinsing cups with vodka. The towel swan wearing my shades.

Kerry & I

Wayne, Brenda & Sarah

Yes. We did sing "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts..."

Jeff & Kerry exchanging vows on the beach.

A week I'll never forget!

I have a million more pictures I'd love to post, but it would take forever! I'm hoping to upload most of them to Facebook tomorrow. Also, since Kerry & Jeff have yet to share wedding pictures with many of their family & friends, I'm only posting the one wedding picture for now! :)

I'm Back!!

That's right...Home from Cuba! Lots of pics and stories to follow! I also crossed lots of items off my 101 List, so I'll have a new post up there in the next few days as well.

Stay tuned!! :)

Farewell!!

My last blog before I leave early tomorrow morning for Cuba.

Holy smokes. CAN'T wait to just GO! I've been packed since early in the week, except for last-minute items that just need to be slipped in. I'm not very good at waiting. The more time I have to wait, the more I can create ridiculous questions and scenarios in my head. It's my first time flying and my first time going South, so yeah. I worry. But I think I have pretty good control of it, all things considered. I'm not going entirely nuts. Small miracle. But we're still almost a day away...

In less than a week, Kerry & Jeff will be married, and we will all be partying on the beach. Sun and sand and ocean... I still can't believe I'm actually going to be somewhere that I've only ever seen in pictures. It's still a little surreal to me.

Upon my return, there will be stories. There will be pictures. And you'll also have to wait until then for the first real The Single Girl Files post.

Cuba, here I come!!

The Single Girl Files: An Introduction

As I mentioned in my Holiday Recap post, I've had an idea swirling around in my head about doing a weekly feature on my "single girl" status.

I'm a single girl wondrin' if love could be passin' me by
I'm a single girl and I know all about men and their lies
Nobody loves me 'cause nobody knows me
Nobody takes the time to go slowly
The single girl needs a sweet lovin' man to lean on.

I remember the first time I heard these Sandy Posey lyrics. I was at a party when Lise "The Voice of an Angel" Nobert played it on her guitar, and my mouth literally dropped open. It was like someone had crawled up inside my head and pulled out the thoughts and put them in a song. I stood up and shouted, "That's my friggin' THEME SONG!! That's MY SONG!!!"

Yes, it's possible that I may have been a little drunk as well.

I'm 27 years old. Twenty-seven. We're quickly approaching the age (or maybe I'm already there?) where people say, "Hmm...Must be something wrong with her to still be single at that age."

So that's what The Single Girl Files are going to be all about. What's wrong with me? What am I doing wrong? Is it the wrong guys? The wrong tactics? The wrong town? Or is it just me? Am I just wrong? We're going to explore my sad little experiences and try to figure this out. Okay, people? I need your help.

Or maybe you'll just laugh at me. Whatever. That's okay, too.

I also promise to hide the identy of the dudes in my stories. I promise, no names will appear here. Only secret code names that no one will understand but me. It's going to be super-secret. Swear.

Now, it has been suggested in the past by some close friends that my flirting methods leave a little to be desired. Yes, they have observed me in my flirting attempts. Just like zoo experts observe animals in the wild, or something. And they think I suck at it. So that is what you have to look forward to: The Flirt Face.

It's coming up soon. And you're gonna love it.

The EPIC Collapse

I'm not going to spout all kinds of hockey clichés at you. I did that last year, in my Olympic Memories post.

A little under a year ago, Canada was glowing from a golden win on the Olympic stage, defeating Team USA in Overtime, with our golden boy Sidney Crosby scoring the OT winner. If there's one thing Canadians love, it's celebrating a big win on the International stage. That one was epic.

We were poised to do the same again, last night, with our Canadian boys in the final game of the World Juniors against legendary adversary, Russia. I'm not sure anyone else in the world cares about the Junior tourney quite as much as Canadians. But around here, it's a highlight on the sporting calendar. Games kick off on Boxing Day, it's a holiday tradition for many.

In the semi-final round, Canada faced off against the US, on their home rink in Buffalo, and made headlines for not only dominating on the ice in a 4-1 score, but also for the red & white that filled the stands. Canadian hockey fans made the trek across the border to cheer on their boys, and it turned out that they outnumbered the American fans in their own country.

It was the stuff legends are made of.

All they had to do was beat Russia in the gold medal game to cap it off. And with a 3-0 lead heading into the third period, it appeared that gold was almost a guarantee.

Oh, no. Not so. Not by a long shot.

I'll admit to being a little uncomfortable heading into the third, with a solid but not insurmountable lead. They say 3-0 is the worst lead in hockey. The Canadians made that a vast understatement last night. The Russians came out in the third and were relentless, eventually netting 5 unanswered goals, and taking the game with a 5-3 final score. The gold was in our hands, and they snatched it away.

Not so cocky now, huh?

You can talk about collapses all you want. They're not that uncommon in hockey. (And they're definitely familiar to us Sens fans...)

But last night? I think you could call that one epic.

A little less than a year after our epic Olympic victory, we're venting and complaining about the epic - EPIC - collapse.

Some people are saying to cut them some slack. They still won silver. And they're kids, for crying out loud.

A bunch of kids who, in a few years' time, will be NHL'ers. Some of them may be stars.

But I can promise that none of them will forget last night. And hopefully a valuable lesson was learned.

It ain't over til it's over. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. What's that about a fat lady singing?

So maybe I didn't escape without a few clichés after all.

The Bursting-At-The-Seams Holiday Recap!!

Ohmygod, it's 2011. Like, wayyyyyyy 2011.

Where've I been, you ask? Well, I've been mostly hanging out at my mom's. And yes, there is a computer there, which I could have used to do my bloggy duties, but I chose not to. Because there were kids to play with, and there was food to eat, and TV shows and movies to watch, and guitars to play, and couches to nap on.

For 10 days, that's what I did. I abandoned my blog and totally vegged with the fam. It was nice.
But now it's time for the Christmas & New Year's rundown, so buckle up!!

We'll start with Christmas Eve, my favourite day of the year. And as many of you know, I was a little concerned that it would be difficult and maybe even a little painful this year, without Troy. We didn't escape without a few tears, but overall... One of the best Christmas Eves ever. I'm going to attempt to post a video of The Coconut Song for those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to witness it. This was the last video I took of the night - there were approximately 10 before it - so this is the true, drunken, around Patti's island, feet stomping, voices roaring, "ONE MORE TIME" edition. Enjoy.

I think Dogbone would've been proud of us.

Next up was Christmas morning. It was shortly after 7 that the house started stirring. Mom, Dad and I were all up when my sister finally released her 5-year-old from the confines of the spare bedroom. Caden's eyes lit up with excitement when he saw all the gifts Santa had left at our place. Danica followed closely behind, and while I'm not sure she really got it (I think she thought it was another birthday party), watching the kids rip into gifts was pure, blissful entertainment.

Note that it is still dark outside!!!

(PS - For those of you who were concerned about our family breakfast fight, the tradition stood. Sticky Buns and Wife Beater it was, while Dad grumbled about how good bacon and eggs would be. But a small miracle did unfold: Luke decided he likes the yummy eggy cheesey bacony casserole. One more member for my team.)

We saved our Christmas dinner for Boxing Day this year, so the rest of the day was spent snoozing on the couch and watching TV. And that night? You wouldn't have believed the craziness. I watched A Conversation with the Prime Minister with my parents, and then the Canadian Tenors Christmas Special.

Try to contain your excitement.

After the Boxing Day dinner, things sort of died down. I had the whole week between Christmas and New Year's off, and by Tuesday I was starting to get cabin fever. Believe it or not, I actually began wondering if I should have just gone into work.

It was time for action. So I rounded up some of the troops and went out to dinner and bowling. We had a blast! The next day, I babysat Caden and Danica while Kara and Chris returned to work, and I quickly gained huge respect for the people who have kids and get up to go to work at 5:30 in the morning. After playing all morning and having lunch, Danica went for her nap, and Caden got stuck with a bum babysitter who fell asleep on the couch mid-afternoon. I seriously don't know how they do it.

Thursday, Luke and Amanda allowed me to tag along on their dinner and movie date, so we enjoyed a delicious dinner at East Side Mario's and then went to see The Little Fockers. Big hit with us!!

Friday was New Year's Eve, and after much debate on what to do, I finally invited a group of friends over to my place for drinks and snacks before heading down to Gavan's. It was a last minute plan, but we had a great time ringing in 2011! I was never so glad to see a year go. 2010 was a rough one. So with the new year, there was hope of brighter days ahead. On Facebook, I threatened 2011 by telling it that if it wasn't any better than 2010, I was gonna kick its ass.

Charlotte's first New Year's Eve party!

This is the popped collars pic...one of my faves from the night!

There were two couples pictures taken. In this one, Sue actually has her REAL boyfriend beside her!!

So here we are. 5 days in to 2011. Big things to come. Like Cuba. Oh, and here on the Blog? I have a few ideas whirling around. Like planning a giveaway, for one. And I've also been thinking about starting a weekly feature about my single status and the adventures I've got into while searching for love. Thinking about calling it "The Single Girl Files" or something like that. Could be good for a laugh?

Stay tuned! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :)