We're baccckkk

For all those who are missing their novella (our Cuban friends watch Brazilian or Cuban soap operas known as novellas and nothing gets in the way of those!) here I am. Back to reality or at least our version of it here and have been getting caught up/sorted out/straightened away since Thursday p.m. Why is it so much more enjoyable to be packing than un? Why is there so much grieving associated with saying goodbye to the warm weather clothes after they’re washed to be put away for another three months? Why do vacation days go by so much more quickly than workdays? What’s so special about having four seasons anyway – especially that one which starts with W?

Actually the place was in good shape as the prodigal son’s girlfriend had been playing housekeeper to the point I thought the cleaning lady had made it down – she didn’t due to + + storm days. The only casualty was the phone cord for dialup for my laptop, which Gary had apparently been gnawing on in our absence. The pets and the plants were in fine form although the felines were miffed at first and pretended they didn’t miss us, dogs have no such pretensions. Well actually there was one incident the house sitters mentioned where Stanley hid for several hours, not even responding to the shaking of kitty treats, and there was some concern he’d escaped somehow. He hadn’t, just came out from wherever he was hiding in his own sweet time.

We (of course and as usual) had a wonderful trip to visit our Cuban family. And this year with all the attendant added stress it was really therapeutic. It’s been a tough year for Cubans and they looked tired and worried so it’s always harder to leave them. However, we all enjoyed a pig roast on the final Saturday of our stay and it’s always nice to have ‘staff’ to do all the work.

I managed to finish Kite Runner (excellent – a must read) Killing Che (which was very good and both mister and I read for free as there were pages missing and I returned it to the Montreal airport bookstore I purchased it on the way back through) Snow Falling on Cedars, The Pilots Wife, an Elizabeth George novel (I’m her fan now) and Digital Fortress (Dan Brown of DaVinci Code / Angels & Demons fame) which was ok but not as good as I expected and some of the travel partners sailing stories book. Not bad considering all the visiting, snorkeling, sun soaking, eating, sleeping and gazing at sunsets we did.

Had lots of time to decide that I’m going to have to get serious about my retirement planning as we met Quebecois tourists traveling in Cuba for three months each winter and a German couple traveling the world for two years, friends from NB who are retired and travel frequently – envy is not nice. Vacation is one thing but retirement…sigh.

The reports of really rotten Canadian weather in our absence didn’t hurt either. We were really lucky to make it out after the ice storm and back following another big winter storm and apparently several more in between. Yah for sunscreen.