Sunday Soapbox

One of my greatest joys is waking up on Sunday morning to a nice fat newspaper, a pot of coffee and nothing to do.  (On this Sunday I do have things to do but they will come after I finish the crosswords.)  I read through the paper before getting to my beloved puzzle page and what I read left me with one of those "AHA!" moments.  I realized that the thing that annoys me most about being in Seattle is that most people have a crippling fear of failure.  It's nuts!  I mean, people are afraid of being wrong to the point of petty squabbles and even road rage.  The state and city governments are afraid of making big changes so they do nothing as an alternative. Hell, if someone had the balls to tell people 10 years ago they were living in the path of a possibly life threatening mudslide people would have had the choice to move away.  But nobody wanted to take the responsibility for alarm (just in case it didn't happen).  The newspaper was full of stories which all said the same thing:  

Failure is not an option, therefore there are no options.

I go out in public all the time (bars, stores, the bus, etc.) and I will talk to anyone.  I find that usually people just want to bitch about something.  They will complain that the "Don't walk" sign is taking too long, or the bus is late, or the bartender is ignoring them, or there aren't enough cashiers.  It is a rare occasion to be around anyone in this city who isn't looking to complain.  I have come to the conclusion that they are complaining because if they voice out loud how bad things are they can blame someone else if things go wrong (the "I told you so" loophole).  For example:  "The 'don't walk' sign went on too long so I missed the bus and was late to work.  It wasn't my fault.  Don't blame me."  There are many reasons people want to find scapegoats but it all comes back to the crippling fear of failure.

SETTLE DOWN, PEOPLE!  

Don't be afraid of making mistakes.  Don't be afraid of looking like a goof.  Take up juggling and drop the balls over and over.  It isn't the end of the world.  People won't die if you are half an hour late (unless your job is saving lives...).  Instead of blaming the cashier for the line at the store, be positive ("My, those flowers are lovely in the floral department." Or "That fresh baked bread smells wonderful!  I could stand here all day!")  Seriously, even if you just say these things to yourself you will fell a hell of a lot better  the rest of your day.  

And for Pete's sake, take some responsibility!!!  If you miss the bus (even if the bus is early) say "I missed the bus."  Don't automatically blame the bus driver (even if it is the driver's fault).  It's very empowering to take responsibility for things.  Maybe we'll start a trend?

Seattle

Well, I'm in Seattle for a visit while things mature in the islands.  Not a lot of detail on that just yet.  For now I am cold and wet and making the rounds.  I don't have my camera hooked up to this computer (it belongs to my friend) so no photos as yet.  I am going to try using my new camera but as a confirmed Luddite I am not making any promises that it will work.

Meanwhile, Oreo is back in Cane Garden Bay and apparently becoming quite the little beach bum!  Good for him!

Fishing

Went fishing the other day over near Jost Van Dyke!  My back is killing me but it was a lot of fun!

 

 



Brewer's Bay

Here are a couple pictures of Oreo from our afternoon at Brewer's Bay (just over the hill from where we live).  He's such a happy beach dog!!  He likes the sand as much as I do!

 



Painkillers

My friend, Mimi, came over from Cooper Island last week and we went to White Bay, Jost Van Dyke for some sun, swimming and Painkillers.  It was lovely (even if my sunscreen was only effective for about 10 minutes into the ferry ride...).

 

Sage Mountain

While I still have a reliable internet connection, I figure I might as well post some photos from Sage Mountain. 

Back when I was exercising and feeling fine (before I twisted my ankle and screwed up my back again) I went walking in this National Park here on Tortola. 

It is a lovely place to walk with lots of trails that are well maintained.  There is a rain forest up there which is just stunning.

So, when you visit the BVI, remember that the beach isn't the only cool place to see!  (Not that I'm knocking the beach because the beaches are pretty darn awesome...)

 

The Things That Try Us

When last I posted, things were going well!  Loving my job.  Loving my home.  Internet wasn't so great but things were going well even if I couldn't blog about them.

At the beginning of May, Oreo made it down here by some miracle and by the ingenuity of a friend who went up to Seattle (much love to Lion!!).

Yep, everything was going my way!

Until June...

On June 15th I was heading out the door to work.  It had been rainy and my stairs were wet.  Building codes mean nothing here and I am well aware of that.  I knew the steps would be slippery (since they used indoor wall tile on the stairs).  I took hold of the handrail and promptly fell down the stairs.  At first I thought I had just badly bruised my back and hip.  I had heard enough horror stories about Peeble's Hospital to want to avoid it at all cost but my friends convinced me that ice was not going to make things better and they called an ambulance.  Now I have my own horror stories about the hospital.  Trust me, don't go. 

I spent two days in the emergency room before they decided to admit me.  I couldn't walk.  I couldn't sit up.  I could barely move.  Still, I didn't want to be admitted.  I wanted to go home and wait for the swelling to go down.  They eventually did a CT scan and told me I had broken 4 vertebrae.  Then they did nothing for the next two weeks.  I refused all attempts to stick needles in me.  I didn't trust the hygenic standards at all.  I won't go into too much detail but I wouldn't eat the food, either, after seeing how dirty it was.  So, I lay in bed watching the wall and waiting for visitors.  Thankfully, I had a steady stream of company which really helped a lot!  I don't know how I would have coped if I hadn't had the distractions!!

Anyway, I survived the hospital.  Not sure how but I did.

The ambulance had to take me home since I couldn't walk back up the stairs.  (They wanted to keep me longer but I just couldn't see the logic!)

Armed with back brace and walker I made it home. 

I walked and exercised my heart out and figured I would be just dandy for work when we reopened for the season. 

But then I twisted my ankle and was in excruciating pain for about a week.  That's when I realized that my recovery would take a bit longer than I had thought.

So, now i am thinking the most sensible plan is to move to St. John and get whatever sedentary job (or jobs) I can find. 

That's the update.

I'm house/dog sitting at the moment (in Little Apple Bay) and there's a fantastic wifi connection so I'm making the most of it.

Figured I'd better update.  It had been way too long.

Wish me luck!  I'll update again as soon as I am able!

Hope you are all well!