Punta Cana: Day 2

Everyone always asks me if we spend our "vacation" in meetings since it is put on by the home office at Pre-Paid Legal. Um, NO! There was a welcome breakfast where all the big names spoke, but it was optional.

I guess I kinda understand the question. Except, if Pre-Paid is giving me a PAID VACATION why would I want to earn another if I had to spend the whole time in meetings and trainings?

There were NO meetings. Just social; training if you wanted it and could find somebody who wanted to talk shop.


Dave Savula.

Brian Carruthers.

My Executive Director: Mike Humes.

Remember how I said the resort was still under construction? Here's a guy working. I guess they have some sort of special, 100% humidity resistant paint...


We FINALLY made it to the beach. It was warm and just breezy. Dad WAS there but he didn't end up in any of my beach photos -- he was off getting lunch when I finally took a break from the water.

You can't tell, but there is a TON of sand in my hair! The water was really warm, but the surf was rough. The first (and only!) time I tried to body surf I ended up being scraped along the sand. I got a nasty sand-burn on my elbow. Icko!

Alvin was a total trooper and stayed with me in the water. Not many people can keep up! I was screaming with laughter (Arizona girl does beach) and Alvin didn't get embarrassed.

Do you notice our wrist bands? The light one shows that we're guests at the resort and can eat, the purple on my wrist is my drink band: for $50 I could have all the alcoholic beverages I wanted.

So I go to the bar to get a drink. What comes out of my mouth?


Shirley Temple!


The sand was pale tan and very soft, like talc powder. But in the ocean, it's coarser and flat and round. Like glitter almost. It sticks to EVERYTHING and doesn't come out. Even dipping in one of the 13 pools doesn't wash it off... The pool was nice but too hot. Hotter than the ocean which was comfortable but not too warm.

I borrowed a boogie board from a lady. The waves were bigger than the last time I did it and easier to catch. But they were so BIG. Like scary big since if it hit me they'd roll over and over and pound me into the sand. It was hold my breath and go LIMP.

I'm not afraid of anything in the water but that, well! I think I swallowed GALLONS of salt water and had tons wash into my nose and ears.

It's really neat how they worked the beach/pool towels. They gave me a card for each of us that you trade in for a beach towel. You can trade a towel for a towel or back into a card. At checkout, they tell us we have to return the card or we owe them $20. NICE to not have to shelp a room towel back and forth.

We finally left the beach for a nap (tired!) and then to get ready for dinner. It looked like a rain storm was coming in too.



Dinner (we'd made reservations that morning) were at a tempenyaki restaurant. A Dominican cooking Japanese...

They served as much sushi as you wanted while you were waiting for dinner.

Just as the chef was finishing up, the power went off. And STAYED off. There were no security lights, emergency lights, backup generators... Nobody came out with candles or flashlights. In stead, we ate in the dark and then followed staff with glowing cell phones back out.

I'm glad we had 6:00 dinner reservations or it might have been REALLY ugly. And, it gets hot fast when the air conditioning is off.

On the tram on the way to the room the lights came back on. We went to the rooms, but it was too early to catch the 9:45 magic show so we headed back to the main building for dessert. We went to "Maria's Restaurant". I had a "Copa Cubana" - coconut ice cream, caramel sauce, plantains, and a cookie. Amazing! (On the way, I returned my borrowed boogie board.)

By then, we were too tired for the magic show. So, it was back to the room for a hot tub and bed.

Punta Cana: Day 1

Welcome to Punta Cana! We left Phoenix about 9:30 pm last night and FINALLY arrived in Punta Cana about 12:30 the next afternoon.

It's hot and humid. The air is heavy. But it is so much FUN. I mean, what's not to love. The airport was this open air affair -- not climate controlled and you use the roll-up ladders to get down from the plane. Customs and immigration was the EASIEST thing I've ever done.

Of course, like a looby, I didn't use the restroom in the airport so that bus trip to the hotel was LONG. When we finally checked in, there were snacks waiting for us but the rooms weren't ready yet. Mom was all for laying down but I could hear the ocean calling to me!

We finally got to go to our rooms: 5118 (Dad & Mom's) and 5119 (mine & Alvin's). Wow! The mock-ups on the hotel website didn't do it justice. By the time we'd dropped our stuff off, we decided to get a late lunch/early dinner before finding the beach.


My first view of the resort. It isn't quite done yet but you can already see how amazing it'll be.


They had these little signs all over near the sidewalk (down really low). I couldn't figure out what they meant.


Until it rained BUCKETS (no beach today!) and they put the plastic sides down on the little trolleys. Of course, we soon found out that the plastic sides don't keep you dry. Or even DRIER...


After "dinner" we wandered around a bit. The food was excellent but not enough so I decided that we needed a second dinner. (Hello Hobbit!) This restaurant has open sides and a palm-thatch roof. I love the photos on the first day of a trip: we all look exhausted and stressed (travel, work, and ready for a vacation)




FOOD:

All you can eat, whenever you want it, WHEREVER you want it! And you can order two if you want!




We finished up with scrumptious desserts. No swimming today (or even walking on the beach) so we'll have to do that tomorrow.

Flying To Punta Cana

We leave today for Punta Cana. We're leaving Phoenix at about 9:30 pm and getting into Boston (of all crazy places!) early in the morning.

Then, we fly out to go to Punta Cana for 6 whole days!

This is the Player's Club trip that I earned after 11 months of hard work. Dad earned his own trip. We're staying at a brand new resort -- we'll be the first people to stay there at the Moon Palace Resort in Punta Cana. It runs like $300+ per night. It's so new, their website doesn't have REAL photos, yet, just digital renderings.

Did I mention that this is all expenses paid? Pre-Paid Legal is picking up 100% of my bill.

NACOG Kids

My NACOG students start work today! Instead of two, I got THREE!!

There's N & K (brothers) and then B who just graduated from Prescott High. N finished his first year at NAU and K is a brand-new Senior.

The goal:


To get all the campgrounds, National Forests, lakes, and state parks up. MAN that state is huge! To do it, we need to be researching 45 new attractions every day.

I'll keep you posted.

Back from Las Vegas

We go to Las Vegas several times each year; it's just about 3 hours away so we drive. We were in Las Vegas at the Office Tools Pro user conference. We use Office Tools Pro as a contact management at MDI.

(If you decide that you'd like to try Office Tools, be sure to tell them that Kim from MDI sent you; we get credit!)

Every time, going over Hoover Dam, I look for the big horn sheep but I've never seen them.


Until now!



I made Dad pull over so I could whip out my camera. There were about 15 all total. I don't think I got any fair winning photos, but I did get photographic PROOF that

I'VE SEEN THE SHEEP!

They were really hard to spot the second they stopped moving.


And, this is the new scary bridge that will re-route the traffic off of Hoover Dam. I don't think I'll EVER go over it -- to scary.

Dad & I had lunch in Boulder, NV. That is a really neat place! And we shopped at Goat Feathers -- Dad got Mom a bell and I bought Alvin a silver fork to make wind chimes out of.

Memorial Day In Tucson

For Memorial Day, we went to Tucson to visit Nana & Papa. Papa just got a new dog: Mollie. She's a yellow lab, about a year old. She's a total goof ball! She and Lily got along okay although Lily didn't think much of her.

Mollie the dog.


And, Alvin got to help Papa install a new water purifier. Lily helped. Aren't you glad that isn't YOU under the sink with the whole world "helping"?

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Sale for GPS Scratch Protectors

Chino Valley Chamber Fundraiser

The Chino Valley Chamber had their annual fund raiser. They do a "casino night" which is always a lot of fun. I didn't win any "money" and I certainly didn't win any raffles. Last year, I got a pool pass from a friend (he won it and gave it to me)

Fun. Especially watching the college kids deal cards.

It was a LONG night though.

A Garden in the Rocks

For my birthday in September, Les & Kathy promised me 4 home-made garden boxes. Since it is now SPRING, here they are.


See all those rocks in my back yard? No dirt to be found! Who ever thought that I'd BUY dirt. Buying DIRT. I think that's crazy.


Alvin drilled drainage holes in the bottom of all the boxes. We lined it with ground cloth so the dirt wouldn't fall out.



The finished product. I only ended up with enough dirt for 3 so I'll have to get some more.

Alvin, the box of dirt, and my beautiful flowering tree!