Hotmail Account is active again.

After about a week of trying, I was able to convince Hotmail that I am the owner of the account, and have reset my security and a more difficult password.

To anyone who received a spam email from me, I apologize.  I have narrowed the source down to 1 of 3 and will be more careful in the future. 

I will also take this opportunity to say that 2 days ago, I was able to arrange a Honduran driver's license for both car and motorcycle, and picked up, at 6 this morning, the car I have bought.  More about that later, but life is fast getting back on track after a number of de-railings!

I am so happy here.

Hotmail Account Hacked - Temporary (I hope) Gmail address

All is good here in Roatan (the picture above was taken at the Shrimp Festival a few weeks back, and those 2 beauties are the "Salva Vita Beer Girls),  except that my Hotmail account has been taken over by someone or something and is sending out span.  Hotmail shut it down, and I have enrolled 3 times in their process to re-open the account.  They are very cautious and the process is very frustrating. 
They ask for info such as "the subject lines of a few recent emails I sent (I rarely fill out a subject line), the complete and exact names of 5 people in my address book

Until further notice, and gawd, I hope it comes soon, I can be reached at annahfoster@gmail.com.

New Post

OK. OK. OK. Here is a post, as a reply to all of those who have written to me over the past few months, since I have written nothing here. All is good here with me.

At first, I was just doing nothing special worth writing about. It was the same old, same old. Then after another month passed, I realized that I WAS doing some things that should be posted, but, ah, I was just having too much fun to do it.

Another month passed, as the complaints and emails started to become regular. From Europe, the US, even locally, culminating in the one that broke this camel's back. On Facebook the other day, my cousin wrote me. It seems that an old girlfriend had kept his unlisted phone number in her book all these years, and called him, worried about me. Geesh, although we have been friends for all these years still, I stopped dating her about 10 or 12 years ago. But she, and her sister were concerned and contacted Jonathan. I called her and told her I was OK. And decided to post something here.

I have a file of pictures to post, with accompanying comment, but now, because of my procrastination, the task is a bit overwhelming, and really - REALLY, I am having fun and happy, and just too busy doing a lot of nothing to do it.

But I shall.

So to all of you who follow along here, and have written, concerned, my apologies. But rest, assured, that I am well, and happy, and still here at Fantasy Island Resort, on the Bay Island of Roatan, Hond.

Changes

It is 2:27am and I have just returned from the local disco. How I found myself there, is a long story, but the impetus that drove me to blog at all is some music I heard tonight there. More about that later.
The week has been great, kinda topped off by a wonderful party for St Patty's Day on Thursday evening, at the new deck at the marina green. Again, I played my piano for an hour and half or so, to start the cocktail hour, and was joined by Chuck - a Hungarian on a boat here - who plays a very decent sax. Also David came up and sang a bit and added his mandolin to my music. He is an extremely talented guitarist and entertainer, and we have played together several times going back to Christmas. Perhaps 3 or 4 boats total, prepared Irish stew for the dinner and it turned out that for 110 Limperas - about $5 - we had a great meal, and cheap drinks. The night progressed eventually to loud dance music, and I had the pleasure of dancing with a new lady here, my friend Norma, and the woman who organized the party. I should write here, that for anyone interested, Fantasy Island Marina, Roatan, Honduras, on FaceBook, always has updated and good pictures - now thanks to Joyce becoming a semi-official photographer' for the cruisers' activities.
For much of the last few weeks, life has been very easy and good. I wake at 8am, and eventually make my 2 cups of coffee in Anne-Marie's old French press - her Bodem - since the nicer one I had finally was dropped and cracked. Either crunches and push-ups, or a short jog on the beach get me going, or rather help get my heart pumping. Most often, I take a book to the beach, and read, and either sip a half and half mix of pineapple and orange juice, or ask for rum to be added. I most often take a good swim, for the stretching and exercise, but the dip in the salt water is always refreshing, and also, on many days, is my 'shower'. Back to AF for some dinner, or off to a local restaurant. Back home to read, or back to the bar for a nightcap. Would be - and IS for some - an easy lifestyle to become addicted to the booze, and I often laugh to myself about a line from one of the Godfather movies - repeated several times on the Sopranos series, about trying to get out of the business, but being dragged back in. Is the same for drinking, as many days, I wouldn't drink alcohol, but someone stops or invites me to join them and the cycle continues. Well, so what! I do not live this life, and have not for several years, aiming at longevity.
I heard from a friend in Baltimore today, commenting that I had not posted anything lately, so I called him and caught him up on my - can I say boring?? - life. (Is not at all boring, but, living in paradise can become monotonous, but, as I hear so often here, 'somebody has to do it.') Wes and I talked for 30 minutes, and it was good to hear his voice, and he caught me up to date with his life, and the scene at my former home in Inner Harbor, MD.
Tonight was the cruisers' BBQ but I chose not to go with food, having eaten earlier, but had a few drinks. Talked to Sue, who works on boats - half of a Canadian couple but she was raised in New Yawk. She has become, for me, one of the guys, and has filled me in on places to visit, hotels to spend a night, and things in Honduras that are worth my time. Since she is one of the guys here, I feel free now to 'lift a leg' more near to her proximity than I would normally, in front of a lady, and we always laugh about it. I was surprised and pleased to see that my friend Paul came back today, after his surgery in Atlanta. He says he is walking better and the pain is less. (It was a bit of a shock, although I was prepared via Joyce's blog entries, to see how much his stenosis has crippled him in only 2 years since I crewed with them to SXM.) But was great to see him back again. He brought their new kitty along - a - oops, I will not spell this right - Maincoon. My first wife and I had one, as well as my friend Bart and his then-wife, and so I have an attachment to the breed.
So, after speaking to a couple cruisers, and then Sue, I visited my good friends Jim and Norma, and their dog, Rico, and had a couple more vodka and tonics. Another very nice couple came by, and I used their checking on pork chops on the grill to make my exit. Looks like I am taking care of Rico while they return to the US in June. He and I will get along fine, even if he is a white poodle!
Back to the resort bar, and ran into Marcio, who is the 'money man' here at the resort. If you look back to New Year's Eve, I think there is a picture of Patty, and Marcio, and I at the Deck Cafe. He had a friend with him, who is a doctor, and making his public service to the government of Honduras, with a year of practice at the hospital in Coxen Hole. After a couple more, I was offered to depart the resort with them and head for the the local disco, or the West End. (Geesh, I guess I will get into a car with anyone - I thought we were going to the West End, but stopped, instead, at the disco at the mall - a place I have visited before several times.)
I danced with the owner of the Rotisseria Alamen - German rotissery - and saw 2 girls, and their dates, who work here in the restaurant. Have known each GIRL since I arrived, about 8 or even 9 months ago. Their boyfriends/husbands asked us to join them, and after Marcio and Mario had had enough, I decided to stay, and continue dancing, with the assurance that I would get 'home' safely.
So, as I said at the beginning, what drew me to write, besides what Wes wrote about my not having made a post for a while, was the music. Yes, is very loud, and the disco is just like any found back home, but with a Latin flavor, for sure. But one of the favorite 'mixes' here, starts with a World War II song that Mom and Dad would have danced to. It amazed me to watch these kids either trying to jitter-bug or, if the skills weren't there, dance some Latin salsa-ey steps to this music. The mix jumps to 50's music and then on into more modern and more Latin, but the start always seems to get the dance floor moving, and happy. (There is a group of private high school seniors here just now, and I saw the same reaction 2 nights ago to this mix of music as I saw tonight.)
Everything changes, and nothing changes.
Home safe, after turning down a ride with a fellow who works in the dive shop, and came up to me to speak at the disco, to 2 after hour places, 'where the girls are' but ready for bed instead. I will do the after hour thing one Saturday night, I am sure, having heard of it now for several months.
So, that is a taste of my life today.
Changes.....
Life is good.

A suggestion

I would like to recommend to those of you who follow here, a youtube channel just set up by my friend, Drake, from s/v Paragon. www.youtube/drakeParagon.com

I met Drake in Bermuda, where he, along with then-girlfriend, Erin, came to AF to assist me in removing the jib from the furler and folding it, so that I could take it in to the sailmaker. It was a task I had never performed, and the sail itself is bulky and heavy, and was difficult to handle alone. I could not have done it without their help.

Later, Drake and I had a rather harrowing experience late one night, searching for his tender which had come untied at the St George dock. At the time, we were both a bit scared, I think, as the wind and tide were blowing us out the cut in the harbor when my engine failed us, and we ran aground on a breakwater for a moment. We did not recover the tender, nor was it ever found in Bermuda. Drake was sick at his loss.

Drake's videos - 6 in all - document his trip from NYC to Bermuda. He enjoyed the same seas that broke my steering, and towed a sailboat in distress for a long way, towards Bermuda. The experience was not the most pleasant, as the captain of the boat in distress, had no money to reimburse Drake for spent diesel, allowed the 2 boats to collide causing damage to each, and seemed to me to prove himself quite a butt-head later when I met him in St. George.

At this time I have not viewed all 6, as the internet connection is fairly slow, but have seen No 1 and jumped ahead to No 4 and wait for it to load as I type this. So, if you would like a very nice look at what life is like aboard a boat being single handed as I do, take some time and check out Drake's videos.

Felize Cumpleanos to me! 58 Years and still kickin'

As birthdays go, this has been pretty damned good. I remember my last, in St Marten, which was wonderful and spent with good, new friends.This year's has been spread over several days - with more to come, I think - and each fun in its own way.

Saturday was my birthday and also the cruiser's potluck BBQ here at Fantasy. So, I bought 2 carrot cakes to bring to the pot luck as my contribution. Laying on the beach all afternoon, baking I should add, the manager here, Marianella, came by and told me she was bringing her two girls so spend some of the day here, and would I take them for another dink ride and play with them.

I forgot all about them. After baking on the beach, I walked over to my dock, put a better shirt on, and picked up the 2 cakes, plates, cutting knife, etc. and set off for the 'marina green'. As I passed the pool, to beautiful little Latina faces jumped out at me, from the pool, and I remember my obligation. Dropped off my 2 cakes for the cruisers, and headed back to AF to get the dink and ride over to the beach where my 2 little friends waited with their nanny. I rode them over to the cruiser's BBQ for a picture - proof that I was with 2 beautiful Latin ladies, but alas, very young. They enjoy the ride in the dink, but even more, they like to play a game with my hand pump. They fill it with sea water, I say it is broken, putting my finger in the hole, and when I put my face in to see what the problem is, one of them pumps water into my face, 'surprising' me. It gets a laugh every time.

So, although not perfect, my birthday was pretty nice.

Nice dates, huh??

When I was done playing with the girls, I returned to the BBQ to find that most of the food was gone, but Jerry and Annie shared a spare chicken breast with me, I had 2 different pasta salads, a piece of my carrot cake.

When I arrived, friend Joyce made sure that I got a happy birthday sung to me, and she had also bought a delicious rum cake for me as well. My time with the girls had messed up her plan, but she saved me some cake so I had TWO pieces.

Thank you so much, Joyce. (Paul departed for the States that morning for his next spinal surgery, but not before presenting me with a great LED light strip that I hope will work in my galley. Thanks, Paul.)

Sunday morning, Skip returned from Brick Bay, and surprised me with another cake that he asked Morris Johnson to bake for me. He said Morris was happy to be doing for me, and I am sure that I have made another friend here on Roatan.

This one I shared with more of the workers here who have become friends, than I was able to with the others, but there was enough that night to offer some to Skip, Jean-Marie, the guy who is head of security and who's name I cannot remember for the life of me, and Edsel, local guy who is boat sitting 2 boats behind me. Later, taxi driver Edgar showed up - I think he can smell free rum and Cokes - and had the last piece.

Life is good.

Everyday Life.....

Life for me is pretty basic and becoming something of a routine. A good routine, mind you. (Lately, I get up at 8am, make my coffee and drink it with a local sugar biscuit, run my little jog out the beaches, do some needed sit ups and a few push ups, and internet.) The trade winds are back - strong at night, but keep the clouds cleared away and the sun on the beach can bake you, and you dont know it because of the breeze. So a few hours on the beach, reading - I read about 3 books a week lately - or watching the ladies walk by. A few orange juices followed often by a few rum and orange juices, rum and Coke, or beers. Some lunch on the boat, or early dinner sometimes, a nap often fits in late in the day, and after some dinner, return to the bar to see what is about that night.
Occasionally, the routine is broken by some nice folks - sometimes boaters, and other times, guests at the resort. Below is Emilio and his daughter, Paloma. He is a retired Iberia Air pilot, flying for a tiny airline in Guatemala now, and she owns a small restaurant in what they describe as a beautiful village in Southeast Spain. She sent me photos on Facebook, and it is beautful. Also, her mother owns a small hotel in Morocco, and the photos of that are amazing.
This wonderful couple have an amazing friendship and closeness now, and I was glad to invite them for another rum and Coke on AF, along with my buddy, Rene - the Austrian, who bought me a beer in Guatemala one day. His gf, Petra has returned to Vienna, and he is deciding where to leave his boat for the season - return to the Rio Dulce, or leave it on the hard here at the new ship yard.
Anyway, Emilio and Paloma are 2 special people and I am so glad to have met them. You might remember that I feed the Watusas every day. I whistle and they come running. Because I am alone, there are never any pictures of me doing it, but Skip was here one day on his boat, and asked to 'feed my kids."

A funny thing happened the other day. When I whistled and they came running - about 5 of them just now - I noticed a small iguana coming as well. Now he responds and comes running, and has started to take the bread or cookie out of my hand, like the 'rabbits' do, although he whips his tail at them - his defense, even with those mean countenances. I understand that a large one can leave quite a welt on your leg if they whip a man.

So that is a taste of my life lately. Not too special, but - hey, not too shabby, either.

Life is good.