YO HO HO AND A (teeny, tiny, little) BOTTLE OF RUM🍹!!!

This Valentine's Day, I didn't have
anything planned because we were supposed to still be in Japan.
I wanted it to be really special to celebrate our new beginning, but I
couldn't think of a thing besides the requisite flowers, candy and other tangible declarations of love.

Now, as you know, I'm a romantic guy and My Tess has been on the receiving end of that for a while now (no complaints so far 😉🤞), so when I asked her what she wanted to do this year, she just smiled and said "Whatever we do is fine, Honey, but please do not go overboard".😒 Dang it! I thought she'd give me an idea.
I looked for ideas online.  Nothing.
And then about a week before Valentine's Day, the phone rang.  The ladies were out, so I answered the house phone because Mrs.D doesn't have an answering machine. It was Tess' Godfather, the one who lives on the boat. He said he was going to be taking his lady friend to Hawaii for 2 weeks and asked if we wanted to use the boat while he was gone.

Me: YES😵 !!! I yelled, a bit too loudly.
GF: Great! Tess has the keys. I'll get her ship shape (😀). Have a good time !
I thanked him and hung up and when the ladies came home, I told Tess to pack her bathing suit.
Tess: But you had already made plans.
Me: Well, I couldn't decide, but this is perfect ! The sea air will be good for you.
Tess: And you😘.
So, I rented a car and they delivered it the next day. I've borrowed Mrs.D's sedan a couple of times and I felt like I was 16 again, asking my mom for the keys. Not fun. Besides, we didn't know when we'd be back and the coiffure has to be redone every Friday without fail !!! 😶

Doppleganger 😬.

Our monthly grocery order had arrived from WALMART two days earlier (Mrs. D likes to do her own shopping) so Tess packed a box, a basket, and a freezer bag and I loaded those in the car (hernia) and went upstairs to pack my pilot case. We never take the laptops or smartphones, just a cellphone in case of emergency (the boat has a radio,etc.) and extra batteries, and a battery operated CD/cassette player/radio.

Before we left, I brought down the presents we had for Lily and Mrs. D. (We had a Rose bath basket shipped to Miss Belle in Louisiana).

A Sakura bath basket for Lily.

and a Lavender basket for Mrs. D. who eyed me suspiciously and asked why I would buy her something for Valentine's Day.

Tess: Mother😢 ! He is being sweet !
Me: I have a client who told me that in Russia the men give Valentine presents to all of their female relations. We......could be related someday......soon😁.
Mrs.D. 🤨 Have you finally set a date?
Tess: Mother !🤯
Mrs.D. : Oh hush. And where is Tess' present ?
Tess: He already gave me the best present possible.
Mrs.D: And what is that ?
Tess: My freedom.
Mrs D: 🤨?
Me: 🤗(Holding out two presents) I got you these too.

😊The requisite Almond Roca.

A Sweet Pea bath basket for My Little Sweet Pea.😉
(The box of fresh ones that I usually have shipped to NY, weren't ready this year, so this was my substitution. Tess loved it 🤗😘.)

 It took us a couple of hours to drive to where the boat is docked, so we decided to head out the next morning. When we walked into our cabin, there was a piece of stationary taped to the TV set.

DIED TWO DAYS AGO. SORRY.

We didn't care. We haven't watched TV since Game of Thrones ended. Yes, we were happy with how it all turned out and nothing will change our minds.

🗡️🏰 House Stark 🐺🗡️

MINI RANT ALERT !!!

 We skipped all of the award shows this year too, but we watched the Academy Awards in Memoriam and that was enough. Putting a big zero (for no nominations/wins) next to an actor's name is a pretty insensitive way to pay your "respects" to him/her. And memo to the producers: Instrumental music accompanied the in Memoriam for decades and it should've stayed that way. Give the big new singing sensation (of the moment) three minutes somewhere else during the show. Let the people who entertained us for decades take their final bows without the caterwauling. Thank you.

AND NOW BACK TO OUR PROGRAM.........😄

I was helping Tess unpack the groceries (hernia #3) when I noticed something.

Me: Sweetie?

Tess: Yes, Honey?

Me: Did you only bring fish?🐟🐠🐡

Creole pompano with shrimp.

Fried bass.

 Tess:Well, I thought that since we were going to be eating some fish that we might try eating only fish and fruit while we are here.

Me: Not another diet 😣!!!

Tess: Just for 2 weeks.

Me: But why only fish and fruit ?

Sweet pineapple and mango 😋.

Tess: The Blue Lagoon.

Me: 🤔???

Tess: They only ate fish and fruit  and they looked so healthy!

Me: They were actors ! They were teenagers !

Tess: Oh, my ears ! Honey, please do not shout below deck.

Me: Sorry, Captain. Well, what did they drink?

Tess: Water.

Me: 😧.

Tess: That box is full of coconut water.

Me: I wondered why it was so heavy😩.

Awww.

Salmon sushi.

Tess: I also brought a few little treats seeing as it is a holiday.

Me: 🤗.

Tess: In four days.

Me: 😵.

Heart shaped chocolate chip coconut cookies. Yum.

The weather could have been better. In the 80's and raining is not my favorite, but if we were still in NY, it would be in the 30's and raining, so take your pick. The boat does have air conditioning and there was plenty of ice in the freezer for my delicious coconut water 😒.And then I remembered the cabinet full of tiny liquor bottles, but when I went to get a little bottle of rum (boats and rum are a perfect pairing, after all. Ask any pirate) for my coconut water, I found it locked.

Me: Sweetie ? Why is the liquor cabinet locked ?

Tess: Because they did not drink in The Blue Lagoon.

Me: Aha ! Paddy did ! He found that barrel of rum !

Tess: And then he died 😭!

Me: Not right away !

She knew I was right. She went away and came back a few minutes later and set three tiny bottles of rum on the table in front of me. (P.S. Coconut water, two thimblesful of rum, pineapple juice, a squeeze of lime and ice. I think I've invented something 😁🍹! But, probably not😌). 

Salmon patties with spinach and asparagus.

Bass with mushrooms.
I know that sounds weird, but it was delicious !

For twelve days,we ate and swam  and enjoyed the silence ,except for Tess' bossa nova CDs that she likes to play on the boat because they remind her of her daddy 😇. We did a little dancing too 🕺💃.

Tess' Godfather called to thank Tess for the big tin of fresh baked cookies she'd left for him and the three homemade dinners he'd found in the freezer.He apologized for the TV again and I told him it didn't matter and why.

GF: Oh, that Daenerys! Rotten to the core! Pretty little thing, but rotten. They have to be pretty INSIDE !

Me: Like My Tess.

GF: Now, you're talking ! I know I'm prejudiced, but she's the best.

Me: I couldn't agree more.

When we got back, we'd found that Lily had baked a cherry pie because she had noticed CHERRY PIE DAY on Tess' crazy calendar on February 15th.

Me: You're 7 days late. 

Is there any fish in it ?

Lily: No, Sir🤨.

Me: Then we can't have any. We're on a fish and fruit diet 😒.

Lily: Cherries are fruit.

Me: Ah, I might get around that on a technicality.

Tess came downstairs giggling.

Tess: I lost 6 pounds !

I went upstairs and got on the scale. 

Me: Woo Hoo ! I lost 11 !😄

Tess: I knew you could do it !

Me: Maybe we should buy a boat ! A houseboat !!!

Tess: Do you want cool whip on your pie ?

Me: No pie. I'm turning over a new leaf.

Tess: You could have a small piece.

Me: I'm going to bed.

Tess said her goodnights and followed me upstairs.

Me: So, you don't want to live on a boat ?

Tess:Do you ?

Me: It was nice. I'd forgotten how nice. Do you miss the house ?

Tess: Sometimes. We lived there for a long time. I miss my onsen and the swimming pool and the ducks.

Me: I know. We'll find a new house with the first two and we'll buy some ducklings and build a pond in the backyard.

Tess: Really ?

Me: Why not ?

Tess: And you know, we can go out on the boat more often, now that we are nearby. 

Me: Good.

P.S. The next morning, we had cherry pie for breakfast and it was Delicious 😋!!! Turning over a new leaf and completely changing your eating habits are two different things. Besides, life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.😉

And the world's best coffee.

If we had any doubts about quitting our jobs, putting the house up for sale, moving several  states away and leaving our old life (and hopefully all of the drama 🤪!!!) behind, we don't now. It was long overdue and looking back,I'm just sorry that we didn't do it sooner. No amount of money, status, or luxury is worth trading your health, happiness, or

 self respect for. 

Tess says that our only real "needs" are a full tummy, a comfortable bed, and peace of mind, and she's right.  Right now, we have all three under this roof and that's great, but it will be nice when we find a new little home to call our own.

This morning, the grower called to tell me the sweet peas were in bloom.

When I picked them up,I bought a couple of packs of seeds from him too.

Me: For our future garden.
Grower: To plant a garden, is to believe in tomorrow.
Me: That's nice ! Did you write that ?
He stepped aside and I saw the sign bearing the quote on a plaque on the wall. When I got home, I Googled. It was actress Audrey Hepburn who said it. Then I went upstairs and put one vase on Tess' bedside table and another in her bath, so that she would wake up surrounded by her favorite fragrance. I wish I could do that for her every day.

I do believe in tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it, but I have learned to be grateful for today and I'm going to savor every moment of it. I hope you'll do the same. 😉💐