Drivin' and Limein'

Okay, so I have no idea if that's you spell lime-ing or not, I was never a great speller,but it is actually a"thing". When I dropped off Analeigh on Friday for her weekly playgroup, the teacher asked if Noelle and I would be "liming". As in, to lime. Which I assume means, chillin' or hanging out. And yes, we have been doing a lot of that, so sure, we had plans to do some "liming". In fact, I had a lovely Friday morning. Ethan was in school and Analeigh was in the GAP (Grand Anse Playgroup), so I put down Noelle for her nap and did the most fun thing I could think of around the apartment: sewing! Yes, Ol' Trusty is up and running after a long journey overseas. She made it no worse for the wear, and since Josh said I could "share" his study table, which I took to mean "permanently borrow", I now have a lovely little corner to work.

Looks cozy, doesn't it?

So I cranked up the country on Tunein Radio (no Pandora here), grabbed my Diet Dr. Pepper, and got to work. It was sublime, or Super Lime, whichever. My first project? Diapers for the girls. Analeigh still cannot make it though the night without one, so she's up first. I told her I was making her special "nu-night panties" so we'll see how it goes. Diapers are twice as expensive here, so the sooner I get this done the better. Of course, I can procrastinate like the best of them, hence the time spent blogging instead of sewing. Like anything else, it's more fun when you can and not when you have to. Once I feel like I have to do something, I don't want to. But the light at the end of the tunnel includes a cute dress or skirt for me or even better: MATCHING skirts for me and the girls. Oh, that's just too much...but maybe...

Driving Ms. Crazy...

I realize that I have not fully gone into the fun and excitement that is driving on this island. There is the obvious: they drive on the wrong side of the road, but there is oh so much more to it. First of all, you have to have a car, but not just any car, The Escudo. Most of us here have one. The rumor is that they were recalled and all sent to Grenada. I haven't looked that one up, but I really don't want to know. I think we've gone quite beyond safety recalls here folks. Ours, for example, has such a long list of problems. Let me introduce them to you:

AC does not work....that' a big one for this Texas girl

2 windows sometimes roll up and down, and sometimes one of those is stuck, but it just recently started working so we don't judge

the other 2 windows are stuck up, in fact, one of them we know doesn't even have the motor to it anymore

the 2 front doors require special instructions to open and close (hold it with 2 fingers, talk nice to it, hold your breath, say a prayer, and go!)

the back door does not work anymore from the outside, you have to open the cover on the inside and pull a special bar thingy to open and push out. Each time I go to the store I have to explain that one. 

when you put the car in gear, you have to know what you are doing because they aren't right. They are one gear off, so if you want to put the car in reverse, it's actually neutral and so on.

NO POWER STEERING...I get a workout every time I drive, except for the few blissful moments it tries to work. Either you so happy it started to work, or you think it's not working and fly dangerously out of control because you yanked too hard on the dang thing. Our theory is that the car is taunting us. 

No lights at night except for the brights but you have to hold those the entire time you are driving. Which is no big deal, but remember, no power steering. So don't try to call me at night if I'm driving, I don't have that many hands...not that my phone rings anymore,  but that's another story...

The list goes on and on, but those are the main issues. Josh wants me to call the repair guy, but what to choose? A friend back home recommended sending us a new car one part at a time and ya know....not a bad idea. I keep thinking of the Myth Busters...did they do a show about a duck-tape car? If not, I got one for ya!!

Notice the sand on the floor board...because we live near the beach!  I can live with that. 

Noelle's car seat is bungee-corded into the car. Don't worry, it's very secure. 

Can't open this window

that's kilometers per hour in case you cannot see it

Good thing I have those bars down there to keep me from ruining the car when I hit stuff. 

Anyway, that's just the vehicle. Then you have to drive it. I don't want to drive it in a country I know, on streets I know, on the side of the road I know, but here we are and this is what we do. Sure the driving on the left is confusing. Mostly, I can remember to stay on the left side, it's trying not to hit something on the left side I have issues with. You see, all us Americans grow up driving with the bulk of the car on our right side and it becomes a part of us. You could drive almost any car comfortably due to that fact, but put all the weight on the left and I feel so off. I can't describe the feeling, but it's just not right (it's left, duh!)

So if all of that wasn't enough to contend with, there is also the other drivers and pedestrians. Apparently, there is a large population of people that walk but there are no sidewalks..or at least, no one sees them. If they're there, I don't pay attention 'cause it seems everyone is in the dang road. I only notice because I almost hit a few...on a daily basis. People like to walk in the road and it drives....me.....crazy!! Oh, and they want to ask you for a ride. They try to flag me down because they see me driving alone, only I'm not alone, I have the kids in the back and no way Jose, I am not giving you a ride. Just the other day a guy cussed me out when I drove by. I think it was because I wouldn't stop to give him a ride because I'm pretty sure I didn't almost hit that guy. 

Then there are the other drivers. Oh yes, there's more!! "Island time" as it is called, is a way of life around here. No one is in any hurry. Island time! I was warned about it and sure enough it exists. Probably because of the heat. It's just to hot to hurry. I get that. But in their cars, on the road, it's the freakin' Indy 500 people!! I can't tell you how many times I've been passed because I'm going too slow. I think there are speed limit signs on the Lance Aux Epines main road, but that might just be a helpful suggestion. It says 40, and I assume that's kilometers per hour, but no one actually drives that speed. Hey, maybe it's like Washington DC and it's really a speed limit under sign. Like, don't drive slower than 40 or you'll get run over. However, don't hit the people on the road or the goats or cows grazing on the side. I saw a chicken try to cross the road and I was like, "hey dude, I wouldn't if I were you". 

So the biggest obnoxious thing that the other drivers here do is stop...anywhere. You'll be going down the street and they just stop in the middle of the road. I've never seen anything like it! It's crazy. But, they are usually dropping off or picking up someone. The worst is when they do it on a blind mountain turn. That's why I never fly around in the mountain regions. You just never know who or what will be awaiting you. I drive white-knuckled to Ethan's school because it's in these beautiful winding mountain roads that I have never been able to enjoy. I'm sure it's lovely; someday I'll let you know. 

So there you have it. Really, you just have to be here and experience it. Words cannot do it justice. I do know this: when we get back to the States, any ol' car will be the BEST CAR EVER!! If it has power steering, AC, windows that work, and doors I can get out of, then we will be in hog heaven my friends. I would give anything right now for the truck we sold which had duct-tape holding the dash board up.  We better go to Carmax when we get back or we'll be quite the suckers at any other dealership. We'll be a used car salesman's dream.

In other news....

The kids are doing well. Ethan likes school, Analeigh and I are working on the alphabet, and we've finally taught Noelle some sign language. She knows "more" and "all done" which is all I ever taught the other two.

Josh is working hard with midterms approaching in a couple a weeks. His first test is on Noelle's 1st birthday. Hopefully we can have a small celebration after the test. 

Well, that's all for now. Hope you're doing well and limin' too!!