Monday, December 28, 2015

Good and bad news


Hey everyone,

Well I'm currently 7 weeks pregnant with my third child! !!  Very excited however the morning  (all day) sickness is so bad I can barely function let alone stare at a computer screen for longer then a few minutes.  So I am going to have to take a few days, hopefully not too long, to get better. Sorry, I will post again just not sure when.

Juliette

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Alicia's news

August 2003


"So, we wanted to go the end of summer but it turns out the best time to go is November through May, the dry season." Dean said before taking a bite of his burger.

"I have a break around Thanksgiving I could go then. Or maybe Christmas!  I've always wanted  to spend Christmas in another country. " Alicia piped in.

"I could do either,  I mean I still have to request time off and make sure I don't have a midterm or something but I think either sounds fun." I added my part.

"Well that was easier then I thought this conversation would go. I thought we'd have to go back and forth about when would work." Dean laughed.

"Fine neither work, let's just forget it!" Alicia dramatically exclaimed,  she couldn't hide her smile as she kissed Dean on the cheek while he just rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to bring Jacob Jules? " Dean said turning his attention to me.

"I don't know, I mentioned we were thinking about going, and he does love to surf..." I paused not sure what else to say. Alicia saw my hesitation and quickly changed the subject. I don't know why I haven't asked Jacob to go yet. That's a lie, there's one reason and it's a curly head boy. I don't think I necessarily want to be with Dominic but I feel weird bringing another guy around a guy I have chemistry with.

We finished our meals and continued chatting about all the things we wanted to do on our trip. We decided we would all check our work and school schedules and pick if we will go over thanksgiving break or Christmas. We walked back to the complex and I was surprised when Alicia kissed Dean goodnight and followed me inside.

"You're not staying at Dean's tonight?" I asked curious.

"What? We don't have to spend every moment together,  can't a girl want to spend time with her friend?" Alicia complained. I rolled my eyes as I threw my flip flops off and fell on the couch.

"Actually,  I really did want to spend some quality Jules time. But I did want to talk to you..." She said sitting next to me.

"What's the matter," I asked sensing the concerned tone in her voice.

"It's nothing the matter, it's just, Dean asked me to move in with him.  We found a little house to rent not far from here." She wouldn't look at me, she kept her eyes on the wall behind me.

"Alicia that's great! I mean I'll miss you but I am happy you guys are at that place in your relationship." She looked at me and squealed throwing her arms around my neck. We spent the rest of the night catching up and hearing about the little house they found.

I climbed into bed later that night and it hit me, I was going to need a roommate. I couldn't afford the rent here by myself. I know she wasn't moving out until the first of the year but I couldn't think of anyone right now. I fretted about the issue until I finally passed out.


The next morning I hurried to work. I was still worried about the roommate issue but in the light of day I knew I'd figure something out.  I passed Don's office and noticed Taylor sitting next to him focused on his computer screen. I continued on to my desk and got to work.  I replied to a few emails from underwriting and answered a couple calls. Before I knew it, it was lunch. I was just about to run to Wendy's when Taylor met me at the back door asking if I would like to join her for lunch. I couldn't think of any reason not to so we walked to a nearby deli.

The deli was crowded but we managed to find a table after we grabbed a couple pre made sandwiches.  I tend to be a little shy so I struggled some trying to make small talk. Luckily Taylor was easy to talk to and had many stories to tell. She has traveled all over the world and knows spanish, italian and french. From the sounds of it her upbringing was very, privileged.  But you wouldn't think that talking to her. She never came across as bragging during the conversation.

"So did you leave a boyfriend back in South Carolina?" I asked as we started walking back to the office.

"Yes, actually ex-fiance to be exact." I whipped my head around to see her face. Her usual perky demeanor had changed, her shoulders fell as she sighed.

"Steve, I met him in college. We fell in love instantly. He purposed six months after we started dating. He was a few years my senior and after university he got his dream job in marketing. Unfortunately it was in New York.  He broke off the engagement and flew out the next day. I haven't seen him since."

"That sucks I'm sorry." I said. She turned to me and smiled.

"Oh honey,  I don't mean to be so gloomy. It all worked out, I was able to move here with my mother." She put on a large grin and stood up straight.

"How's your mother doing?"

"She's is doing better, she caught pneumonia and spent three days in the hospital.  She's back home now, we are staying at grandmama's house, I'm grateful she has her own room there. I'm staying on the couch now but eventually I would like to find a place of my own." She said as she held the door to the office open for me.

"Taylor, I think we should talk..."




Note: hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a happy New Year!  Juliette 

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Welcome to the hotel California -present post part 3

I didn't want to break it up again so this is a long post :)



November 2015 -present post part 3


I set down my empty margarita and got off the swing.

"Let's take a water taxi back," my husband suggested.  When else do you get to take a boat as transportation, it's part of the fun.

I had a slight buzz so I was a little concerned about climbing the moving ladder to get in. I put one foot up and lifted just as a wave came and jerked the boat back to sea. Thankfully my husband went first and grabbed my hand to steady me.

There was a cruise ship in port today,  it was massive. The tiny water taxi went by and you had to lift your head to the clouds to see the beast. I could only imagine how busy the marina must be with how many tourists you could fit on that ship.

We got to the resort quickly and took a short cut back to the room through the pool. I'm not sure who initiated it first, but we got distracted in bed for an hour. So nice to have afternoon sex and not have to put a show on for our kids in the other room to distract them.  Before we got a lock on our door, I remember one time being right in the middle of it and having our, (at the time) 3 year old barge in exclaiming his show cut out. Needless to say we installed a lock the next day.

We got dressed again and walked to the travel agency office on site.   There were dozens of brochures on exciting excursions and tours. I flipped through several. One in particular caught my eye, it was a tour to Todos Santos. I had heard about Todos Santos when I looked up what to do in Cabo. It was a small old artsy town that had the Hotel California, the one some say the song is based off.

"Let's do this!" I shoved the brochure at him.

"You want to tour a blanket factory and walk around an old town? You realize we will be the youngest people on the tour? "

"Yep I'm sure, besides according to you, we are old. " I gave him a look and he agreed to go booking the trip for friday. He also booked a snorkel trip on a catamaran sailboat for tomorrow.

Feeling satisfied we went back to the room to get ready for dinner.  We had reservations at a place called,  Edith's. I took my time getting ready. I had bought a curling wand just for the trip,  I love the look of thick ringlets all over. Spritzing some hair spray on I moved to pick out a dress.

I decided on a low cut, short blue and white print dress. It was tight in the waist with a thick belt,  and sorta poofed out at the hip.  My favorite part was the pockets, I love dresses with pockets.  With a whistle from my husband we were off. He looked extra handsome in his slim dress shirt and dark jeans.

The cab dropped us off outside a dark peach building, the arch entrance was painted blue with a mosaic pattern outlining. Inside the busy establishment we were greeted by the hostess and shown our table. The grand palapas above us had colorful glowing lanterns hanging all around. Even the palm trees had these glowing coconut shaped lanterns. I pointed them out and told him to make them for our palm trees back home.

Our waiter appeared quickly and got our drink order, I got a gin and lime drink this time since I've had too many maragaitas to count. Once our drinks arrived the waiter brought out a platter of meat, he pointed out the specials and combinations you could make. I decided on the lobster tail and shrimp, my partner chose the red snapper. We also heard they were famous for their caesar salad and ordered that as well.

Another friendly man appeared at our side with a table and started preparing the salad there. We said yes to anchovies and he got busy making the dressing from scratch. While he made it my husband got into a conversation about celebrities he has seen dine here. Turns out Kobe Bryant was here not long ago.

The salad was as amazing as we hoped. We ate, chatted and people watched throughout the meal. After getting over filled on dessert we paid our bill and went for a walk.


The next morning we grabbed breakfast from local coffee shop and walked to the marina to make our snorkel trip. Along the way we passed several stores, I made a mental note to come back tomorrow for souvenirs. We found the dock for our trip and were early so we grabbed a beer at Seńor Frogs. Once we were able to board we were greeted by a petite lady passing out drinks. I declined and found a spot to sit.

There was only supposed to be about twelve passengers but a quick count showed there was at least twenty. Unfortunately the two nets at the front of the boat were already filled. We wanted to sit on the net and watch the water pass by. We found a seat near the captain at the back instead.

The music was turned up and we headed out. The boat was going to sail by the arch and lover's beach. In front of lovers beach we stood and took a handful of pictures, mostly kissing. Then again when we got to the arch. It was so picturesque, being here with my favorite person only made it even more memorable.

We made our way toward the snorkel spot. I had relaxed and accepted the fruity rum drink offered this time around. The captain cast several fishing lines at the back of the boat. My husband was excited and started up a conversation about what they've caught in the past.

They raised the sail, watching the process was exciting, the giant fabric tight against the wind was impressive.

Everyone was having a good time drinking and dancing that the trip to Santa Maria Bay flew by.  We brought our own snorkel gear so we were the first ones off the boat while everyone else tried on their sets. Jumping into the warm water we headed toward the rocks.

Vibrant fish swam by, some I recognized from past adventures while others I had never seen. My favorite was the parrot fish by far. Someone fed the fish nearby making schools of fish go crazy. We explored a small opening between the rocks, a wave came in sending the shallow water rushing forward. Before I slammed into a rock I stuck my feet out and braced for impact.  My fins pressed against the large rock and as soon I felt the water recede, I pushed off with force and started swimming as fast as I could out of the inlet. My husband was right next to me and helped by giving me a shove on my rear to push me out further.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought us that close to the shallow rocks." He said after we popped up from the water. I told him to relax it was fine we were ok. We got back to snorkeling and as soon as we heard the signal we headed to the boat. The petite lady appeared at the stairs and rinsed us off. There was a large spread of sandwich makings and fresh guacamole laid out. We dried off and grabbed a couple plates and a couple more drinks.

On the way back to the marina everyone was in party mode. A couple girls held onto some rope dancing, while others sang aloud with the music. After we ate we were able to find a place on the net and watch the water rush by for a while. We actually enjoyed our spot by the captain more, so after a while we went back.

The petite lady who I had learned was named Rosa, went downstairs and came back up wearing a leather batwomen mask and some leather corset. She was also carrying around a bottle of tequila pouring it down everyone's throat. I gave her a dirty look when she sat on my husband's lap and poured the liquid down his throat, afterward blowing a whistle and pinching his nipples. My husband just laughed , I knew it was all in good sport so I laughed along with him. We continued to accept the free drinks and by the time we were off the boat I was tipsy to say the least.


Back at the resort we were able to make the 3:30 volleyball game, when I say we I mean my husband played and I sipped on a Pina colada watching. He joined me after his team won.

"What are some other drinks you have, I know the usual like margarita, Pina colada, Mai tai. But are there any others I should try?" My husband asked our server.

"Si señor, dirty monkey is good,  we also have a WTF." He said grinning.  My husband asked what was in it, it sounded a bit like a dirty monkey with more shots of different alcohol. I said what the hell and ordered one, even though I wasn't a banana fan.

I regretted my decision immensely when I was curled up in bed that night trying to feel better. Everything was spinning and it was worse when I closed my eyes, I tried so hard to not throw up but in the end the acid in my stomach won out. My husband tried to comfort me without laughing but he failed. I kicked him out of the bathroom and proceeded to suffer. Once I cleaned up I crawled into bed I thankfully passed out.


The next morning I woke up cursing the world. My head was spinning. I got ready and grabbed a pack of pop tarts and bottle of water as we headed to the van for our tour. We were going to see Todos Santos today, I hoped I would feel better along the way so I could actually enjoy the little adventure I insisted on. Our guide, Daniel was friendly and chatted with us as we drove to pick up the other couple joining the group.

"50 bucks says they are over sixty," my husband grinned at me. I just shook my head and ignored him. When we pulled up to another grand resort I excused myself to go use the restroom. Returning I was met with an elderly couple,  maybe in their seventies getting into the van. I said hello to them and gave my husband a 'shut up' look as I got in.

Our first stop was the blanket factory. We saw and even tried out the large loom where they make many of their blankets. In the shop, hand loomed blankets in vibrant blues, oranges ,purples,  any color you name it, were hanging for display . Some had intricately woven patterns in bright colors, others had images like animals or flowers. We ended up buying a vibrant blanket, mostly red with a Aztec style pattern in blue, yellow and green.

Our next stop was a small candy stand where we sampled and purchased hand made Mexican candy. Some of the items I thought looked weird were actually the best tasting. We bought a container of this bright yellow coconut candy and two mini bottles of coke. I felt ten times better then this morning and my husband who was joking about the trip earlier, looked like he was having more fun then I was.

Hotel California was next on the list. Daniel parked the car and gave us a tour of the hotel, which felt more like an intimate estate, besides the gift store of course. Past the big rod doors we entered the area for hotel guests only. There was a small pool surrounded by lush plants and large gargoyle statues. Almost every wall was painted in dark colors, purple,  blue, orange, and red. Candles were lit everywhere in the dark hallways. The hotel was small I think he said only 11 rooms, but it was beautifully decorated and felt like you were brought back in time at a luxurious Mexican estate.

Daniel informed us this point in the tour was were we all split up for lunch and explore on our own. The other couple chose to have lunch at the hotel California.  We decided to try Daniel's recommendation and walked to a quaint outside cantina. We were once again blown away by the delicious food.  My husband tried their house margarita while I nursed another bottle of water, after last night I was scared to try another drink for a while.

Afterward we walked to a surf shop, where my husband fed his growing desire to surf while he is in Cabo.  He chatted with the owner about the waves while I petted the sweetest puppy I've ever met.  We bought a couple souvenirs and walked around the cute little old town before heading back to the van. One if my favorites was an old brick hotel, at one time it was a boarding school.  Now it was a quiet pretty boutique hotel.

"That was fun I'm glad you made us go, " he said giving me a long passionate kiss. The kiss was just enough to get me excited and I was dreading the hour trip back. With traffic and having to drop off the other couple we got back to the hotel a couple hours later.  I picked back up where we left that kiss and practically jumped on my husband sending us both tumbling down on the bed.


The next day we took a water taxi to Lover's Beach to snorkel. After a look at divorce beach on the Pacific side, we walked down to the water to jump in on lovers side. The roped off area looked weak and small so we made our way back toward pelican rock where we saw several snorkelers and divers on our way to lover's.  It was tricky getting in because in order to go left we had to get in when there wasn't a water taxi dropping off or picking up passengers, which was constantly.  We saw a opening and jumped in hugging the rock as we swam. Once reaching pelican rock  we were extremely happy with the abundance of wildlife below.  My husband saw tourists jumping off pelican rock, so of course he had to join. I got video of him making the long leap into the water below. We continued to explore until it was time to head back.

That night we were going to the famous, The Office, it was Edith's sister restaurant.  I put on my new Aztec print cocktail dress and got dolled up.  The restaurant was packed so we grabbed a drink at the bar while waiting for a table. Luckily we didn't have to wait long before we stepped down into the sand and made our way to our table.

Everything was in the sand, it was fun sitting in the chair and slightly sinking. We feasted on a whole fried fish and crab as we made fun at the drunk group of ladies next to us. They went up to the live band several times and joined them on stage, they weren't terrible singers but not great either, it was entertaining to say the least. We purchased the photo they took of us and had another flaming coffee before calling it a night. Back at the hotel we found some hidden energy and had some hot shower sex before getting some sleep.

The final day we went shopping,  I got little stuff for the kids like a hand carved box with a whale on it, and a captain America ukulele. We also picked up some ornaments and pottery before heading back to the resort to check out. We packed up and headed to Cabo Surf Hotel. My husband was giddy to surf even though the waves were small.  He rented a chair and umbrella for me and asked again if I was sure I didn't want to surf too. I wasn't in the mood to get wet again before the flight so I shoo'd him away. He rented a longboard and got a good hour in before heading back in for lunch.

We took our time eating before we had to get the cab to the airport.  On the ride I thought about how anxious I was to get home and see my boys. We had video chatted almost everyday, but I missed them and was ready to get back.

I walked through the stores at the airport and got a couple last minute souvenirs for people I hadn't.  Finishing I sat next to my husband to wait for our departure. We were sad to leave cabo because vacation was over but happy to go home.  All in all I would say it was a successful trip,  and I look forward to going back.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Happy ending -present post part 2

Nov 2015 present post part 2



I woke up naturally around 7:30am. Groaning I rolled over and tried to fall back asleep, after about a half hour I gave up and got up. My husband stirred beneath the covers.

"What time is it?" He said as he stretched.

"About 8, it's vacation,  and we're kidless. I should be able to sleep in." I was a little annoyed, I had pictured sleeping in, I don't think I've slept in, for the last five years.

"That's because we're old and that's what old people do, they get up early." He grinned.

"Haha, get up old man, let's explore! " I threw a pillow at his face and went to change. I knew we wanted to walk to town but I also knew there was a high possibility of diving into the water at some point. So I put on my new swimsuit. It was a seagreen halter tankini, the part around my waist was lace so it was see through without being a bikini. I had worked hard on loosing my baby weight but I still didn't love my stomach, some women don't get stretch marks some do, I am the latter. I threw some whitewash jean shorts on over my suit and put my hair in a ponytail.

The hotel had a small market on site so we grabbed some breakfast there first. We climbed down the stairs and for the first time on this trip, our feet touched the sand. The view of the El Arco rock formations was stunning, just like the turquoise sea in front of it.  We were approached every few feet by vendors selling everything from pottery to Sombreros featuring your favorite football team. I wasn't ready to get souvenirs so I tried to politely say no to each one.

The sun was beating down with a force and there wasn't a cloud in site. We weren't far from town however walking on sand seemed to make it feel like forever.  Half way through we rested a bit. Sitting down  in the warm sand I laid back and tried to relax. I had my hand over my face to shelter from the sun so I didn't see when my husband got up. I did hear him holler something before hearing a splash. Sitting up on my elbows I saw him splashing in the water.

"Come in baby its so warm," he called out.

I pulled off my shorts and tank top I had over my suit and ran in. I made the mistake of trying to dive in right when a wave came so I pretty much hit the sand, the drop off was very quick though, so with a kick I was already shoulder deep.

"Oh my gosh, the water is sooo warm!"  The water back on San Diego was freezing right now,  here it had to be 80 degrees it was so nice.  We floated around for a while before we decided to continue our journey into town. Once we reached the inlet to the marina we searched some of the shops for a pair of sunglasses, I brought mine but the hubby forgot his. A handful of vendors called out to us offering snorkel trips, jet ski rentals, horseback riding on the beach and more. The hotel had a travel agent on site offering the same excursions at pretty much the same price, we decided earlier to just book with them. It got a little tiring having to say no over and over.

We passed the mall and were now on the hunt for an atm for pesos, we passed several that dispensed US dollars. We wanted pesos because with the exchange rate our money would go further. We spotted a machine next to Cabo Wabo.

"Wait don't get out 2000 bucks, what if someone robs us?!" I whispered as loud as I could.

"Relax babe, it's a little over a hundred dollars." He laughed. I felt a little embarrassed that we literally just had this conversation this morning about the conversion rate. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, "you're cute. Now let's go get some lunch." Walking back to town in the direction of the hotel, he grabbed my hand.


"Justin from work recommended a place called, Happy Ending, it's just over there wanna try it?" He laughed when he saw the look on my face.

"I'm going to ignore the name and try it."

I'm glad we did the tacos were great and the cheap beer was even better. We were exhausted from walking so we grabbed a cab back to the resort. Entering the room I colapsed on the bed and curled up to take a nap.

I was slowly fading when I felt my halter being untied. His hands softly moved to untie the other knot in the back. I worked on removing my shorts and suit bottom.

"Hey I was just thinking you'd sleep better out of your suit. But I mean...if you want to we could do something else." He grinned mischievously. We spent the next hour getting sweaty and then drifting off to sleep. The nap lasted only about a half hour before we got up.

Putting our suits back on we left and hit the pool. My husband joined a volleyball game and I floated around watching. Several Pina coladas later we got out and went back to the room to get ready for dinner. After showering I changed into a short black dress and put on my favorite anchor shaped earrings.

We tried the Italian restaurant at the resort nextdoor. I was surprised how good all the food has been so far. We went to Playa del Carmen several years ago and I remember the food was very mediocre. I know the two places were no where near each other, I guess I just assumed the food wouldn't be as good as it is.

We ended up going to bed around ten, my husband of course joked about being old but we didn't care, we were exhausted.



The next morning we managed to sleep in an extra half hour before trying out the buffet breakfast. We ended up meeting a friendly couple at the table next to us, Mary and Luke. They were from Colorado and had two boys around the same age as ours. We made plans to meet up later for some drinks by the pool.

Today we were going to go jet skiing. I've been jet skiing before but never in open ocean. After signing some waiver we climbed into a water taxi. The boat was glassbottom so you could see the clear water below. The ride was short and we were dropped off where the jet skis were parked.

As we were putting on our life jackets I spotted a stingray swimming in the shallows. I pointed it out to my husband, the one stingray turned out to be about five or six stingrays. They were swimming around right next to several tourists wading in the water. Grabbing his GoPro he went to get some video of the rays. There was a very loud and obviously drunk guy walking into the water to get a better look also. He was being stupid trying to grab at them. I heard my husband try to warn him about getting stung but the guy just blew him off. I didn't want to see this guy get stung so I went to listen to the instructor give instructions on how to use the jet ski and my husband joined my side.

We got on the ski and were about to head out when we heard a loud yelp coming from the area where we saw the rays.

"That's why they're called sting rays," he yelled as he pulled on the gas handle to bring us out. We had to go slow until we were further from shore, as soon as we were deep enough, he sped up. The water was rough and choppy and each time we hit a little chop it felt like we were going to fall off. I was screaming so loud, every few seconds I would say it had probably been a half hour and we had to get back. A couple times he slowed to see if I wanted to go back but for some crazy reason I would shake my head no and hold on for dear life. About half way through our time we switched and I drove.  I was going super slow at first until I started creeping up the speed. Being in control was less frightening, however I hit a little wave in the water and over turned slightly, almost sending us flying. After that I told him I was good and he should drop me off so he could spend the last minutes left going as fast as he wanted.

Once on shore I took off my life vest and sat on the beach. The cotton sundress I wore over my suit was now soaked. A vendor walked by carrying swimsuit cover ups, I saw a cute black sheer one and hoped he would still be near when my other half got back. He was the one carrying the money in a waterproof pouch around his neck.

About ten minutes later he appeared with a huge grin on his face.

"You loved that didn't you?" I laughed at how excited he looked.

"Yeah, sorry if you didn't, thanks for going though."  He said as he unclipped his vest.

"No...I did, I just think I prefer jet skiing on a flat lake." I overheard the instructor telling some other tourists that it wasn't very choppy today and pretty flat, yeah right.

I pointed out my soaked dress and how I needed a cover that was better suited for getting wet. He quickly agreed and walked with me to find the vendor who was in all white, with a big straw hat. We spotted him near an outside bar and I picked out the black one and left the bartering to my husband. Taking off my wet dress I slipped on the new one and was happy with my purchase.  It exposed my cleavage a lot but my guy didn't have a problem with that of course.

The outdoor bar had swings instead of barstools, so of course we had to grab a drink. I ordered a margarita and he ordered some type of cerveza. The swing idea was pretty cool, we rocked back and forth as we chatted with a couple on our left about our trip.  The bartender set down two margaritas and two beers in front of us, apparently it was happy hour. Fine by me, we raised our glasses to toast to our trip.




Note: I have to break this trip up into 3 posts. Sorry it's just too hard to get seven days on paper and shorten it, I promise to wrap up the trip on the next post. Thanks for reading and commenting

Friday, December 11, 2015

Cause I'm your lady - present post part 1

Nov 2015

"You know I read somewhere to treat the the little bumps in the air during a flight, like a bump in the road." I said to my husband while pulling on the zipper of my suitcase.

It was the day of our trip and I was a mixture of nerves, excitement and a little sadness. We have taken trips in the past without the kids, but never more then once in a year, and never over 4 nights. This time we were going for 7 nights. Up until this day I had been counting down the hours. We finished the packing and I made a mental note to check off everything I needed before heading to the car. At the airport we all got out of the car, I knelt down to say goodbye.

"Bye momma I'm going to miss you pretty lady." Raen said wrapping his arms around my neck and squeezing me tight. He was my little charmer, always telling me how how pretty I am, my favorite line being, 'you're as pretty as a rose mom'. I kissed Raen and gave him a speech about being the man of the house while I'm gone before turning to Kai.

"Mom!" Was all he yelled as he tackled me. He squeaked a few times and kissed me goodbye.

I hesitantly pulled away to head inside. Sliding my hand through my husband's, I blinked back the tears.

"Babe don't cry, I know you'll miss them but we will be back before you know it!" He raised my chin and softly wiped a tear away. Funny just the other day I was complaining about how much I needed this vacation now I was feeling guilty. I brushed it off and focused on the self check in screen. My husband punched in the info, when he got to the choose your seats screen I panicked.

"Wait, I need to be in the window seat, we can't have the middle and isle seat!" I exclaimed. I felt calmer when I could visually see everything.

"Relax it's not even a two hour flight." He said trying to calm me down.

"At least choose those two by the wing, I heard it's less turbulent there." I inhaled and looked to the ceiling. I know I was being over dramatic but I hate flying. I could feel myself realizing I was overreacting but I couldn't wipe the worried look off my face.

"Juliette, STOP. I need this vacation it's been so stressful at work. I really need you to stop freaking out and come on vacation with me." His eyes pleaded with me to stop, I could tell I had pushed it. With all the comments I made today about flying and worrying.

"You're right, let's do this." I lifted up on my tippy toes and kissed him. He was still a little stiff but he at least kissed me back. We quickly went through the short security line. As always I cursed at forgetting to wear socks, I hate having to take off your shoes and walk through that nasty damp carpet that millions of people have walked on, ew!

Once through security we sat down at the airport bar to grab a quick bite and drink.

"She'll have a long island," my husband asked the waitress before I opened my mouth to speak. I apparently needed it, no objection here.

Two long island's later I was feeling much more relaxed. Still nervous but not like before. Before I was anxious as mouse in a snake's cage. We boarded the plane and I was happy to see a smiling older woman sitting next to us. She was friendly throughout the flight and even gave us a lot of tips, where to eat and activities we should hit up when we get there. Thank God the flight was smooth most of the way with only a couple mild bumps.

Hand in hand my husband and I joyfully made our way through the terminal and up the stairs. Our grins faded slightly at the sight of the immigration line. The zigzag queue was packed with hundreds of tourists. We got in and surprisingly kept moving at a comfortable pace. About forty minutes later we made our way through and got our passports stamped.

"Welcome to Cabo!" The man behind the counter smiled and waved his hand to let us continue on. We got our bags and waited in another line. They must have had several planes land at once because the couple in front of us kept commenting on how they've never seen it like this before. After pressing the magic button we got a green light meaning our luggage didn't need inspecting, with a high five between us we headed to the exit. I lost track of how many people approached us to sell something between each sliding glass door we went through.

Outside we were met with a sea of people waiting to get transportation to their resort. The outside bar area was packed and about ninety percent of the population scattered around carrying either a margarita or a beer. It was still light out and despite the crowd we were just excited to start our vacation. After finding our resort shuttle a man in an orange guayabera told us the wait would be about an hour. After debating we decided to find another shuttle, luckily there was one leaving in the next five minutes. The shuttle was going to drop off passengers at five other locations. One being in San José and the rest in Cabo San Lucas, including ours. By the time we dropped off the last couple it was dark outside. Most of the passengers had been to Cabo several times and we're happy to give all their advice to us Cabo virgins.

I was growing tired of traveling and starving. Pulling up to our resort I instantly perked up when I saw the grand entrance. During check in I took in the lobby, the sparkling marble floors seemed to go on and on. Giant bouquets of vibrant tropical flowers were everywhere in beautiful spanish vases. We got our keys and made our way to the room, only getting a little lost along the way.

The room was gorgeous, the floors were a dark brown travertine. There was a small kitchenette with granite countertops. I was excited to see a whirlpool tub in the bathroom.

"Let's get some food, I'm getting grumpy without food." My husband said setting his suitcase on the bed.

"I wanted to shower and change..." I saw the look on his face and I knew he was going to need food, now. "Nope never mind let me pee and then we'll go." I laughed when he perked up.


Walking around the grounds of the hotel made me feel as if vacation had really started. The pathways were lit up, palm trees and lounge chairs aligned the three pools we passed. And even though I couldn't see it, I could hear the waves crashing in the dark distance.

There were three restaurants in the resort, we quickly decided on dining at the Mexican food place that overlooked the beach. Bright torches shined, illuminating the restaurant. We were seating at a table on the patio, not against the wall but one over.

"Good evening, my name is Carlos and I will be your server tonight. Can I get you anything to drink senorita? "

"Good evening, yes do you have any jalapeño margaritas?" What kind of first night in Mexico would it be without a margarita?

"Si senorita, maybe a little extra spicy for you." He said with a wink. My husband ordered a Pacifico and some ceviche. We chatted a bit about what we should do tomorrow, we were both anxious to snorkel, I wanted to horseback and he wanted go jet ski. We decided exploring the resort after breakfast was a good idea, then we would walk to town along the beach.

During dinner we heard loud music coming from the beach, it sounded like karaoke. It was a lot of fun listening to strangers belt out the classic wedding songs like, 'can't take my eyes off of you' and 'at last'.

"How was your dinner mis amigos?" Carlos appeared at the table with another margarita and Pacifico. We quickly thanked him and praised on the delicious food.

"If I may, I would like to make a special surprise dessert for you?" His smile was so bright and genuine we had to say yes.

"Just no bananas please," I asked.

"No, no bananas." He grinned walking away.

We heard the song 'I'm your lady' coming from the beach below, it was way too good to be karaoke. When I saw a couple people get up and peer over the wall I decided I needed to see for myself.

Taking a peek I saw the small wedding set up on the sand. There were about 4 tables of guest all staring forward. Their eyes were fixed upon a petite blonde woman with the mic. She belted out the chorus, 'cause I'm your lady, and you are my man, whenever you reach for me, I'll do all that I can'. With every high note she would step to the right and push off to gain momentum. My husband had joined me and was leaning on the wall listening.

"Wow, I thought it was a recording, she's good." I said turning to him.

"Whenever you reach for me," he started, singing off key. I slapped his arm playfully and headed back to the table. We were busy laughing about something when Carlos returned rolling a small cart. He happily showed us the brandy and tequila before setting a plate in front of us with a slice if cheesecake and strawberries. He then poured some brandy and tequila in what looked like a gravy boat. He lit the boat on fire and proceeded to pour the flaming liquid between two boats. It was pretty seeing the bright blue flames. Pouring the mixture on top of our dessert he told us to enjoy.

Back at the room I collapsed onto the bed, I was well stuffed and the exhaustion from traveling was creeping back. My husband joined my side. He began softly kissing my neck then moved to my shoulder.

"Mmm, I love vacation. First night was perfect." He lifted my shirt and started kissing my stomach.

"It isn't over yet," he looked up at me with a devilish grin. Instead of responding I just shook my head and laid back.


*note: sorry meant to have this post up earlier in the week but have had company. This was part one of our trip and I hope to get another post up soon. Please please comment, I Love hearing what everyone thinks and that there's readers out there ! :) thanks for reading and commenting- Juliette

Friday, December 4, 2015

Past few weeks



August 2003


The past few weeks seemed to fly by and it was already August. My second year at the community college was starting soon and I was a little anxious about whether or not I wanted to go on to University after this year or not. My dilemma was being so damn indecisive. One minute I was sure I wanted to be a teacher, the next I thought I should go to school and become a chef or interior designer.  I envy Alicia and her pure passion for marine biology.  For now I was just going to focus on school and work and hope that I have more of an idea of what I want to do with my life, next semester.

Jacob and I seem to be closer then ever, there's not a night spent where we don't talk, whether by phone or in person. I find myself on more then one occasion falling asleep with the phone between my head and the pillow. Through all the talking though we have never had 'the talk'. I don't know if he considered me his girlfriend or his friend with benefits? I knew in my heart I wanted more then anything to be his girlfriend,  but there was something holding me back. I feel like I'm too young to feel like I've met the boy I want to run off into the sunset with, aren't I?  There was a time when I thought Cal could have been the one, look how that turned out. Just like my future life career options, I'm going to put it off and just enjoy what we have right now. Maybe he'll bring up the topic? That thought made my heart race.

My alarm went off on the nightstand next to me. Groaning I hit my palm against the clock silencing the obnoxious melody. I had stayed up way too late last night for a weeknight. Amanda had come over, we were supposed to hang out, watch chick flicks, maybe paint our nails.  Instead I opened the door to be greeted by a hysterical Amanda.

 I helped her in and sat her down on the couch. About 10 minutes later she had calmed down enough to talk. I quickly got her a washcloth for her red swollen face. 

"Miles and I broke up!" She managed to get out before the hiccups hit. I went to get her a glass of water, on the counter I saw a candy bowl full of M&M's and grabbed that too.

"OK, do you want to talk about what happened?" I said handing the glass of water over and placing the chocolate on the coffee table in front of her. She shook her head yes but didn't speak. After gulping down half the water and stuffing a few candy pieces in her mouth she let out a deep breath. 

"I went to meet him for dinner, it was at this fancy restaurant on the beach in Del Mar. I got us a table and ordered a drink. I was on my third drink and fifth text message when he finally showed up. An hour and a half late Jules!  If I didn't order an appetizer and drinks I think they would have asked me to give up my table."

"Ok, did he say why he was late?" I didn't like Miles, it was taking all I had not to just say 'fuck him'.

"He said...he said he couldn't do this anymore.  He was with his wife and they had a talk about starting a family.  He said he didn't want an affair on the side if he had a child." 

"Wait, I thought you said he was leaving her?" The shock in my voice was evident. 

"He was, up until this he always talked about how much he didn't like his wife and how he only stayed with her for his parents,  he didn't want to disappoint them." I rolled my eyes at this. What grown man let's his parents have such an influence.  But then I thought about it, he was probably lying to Amanda. 

"I tried to protest but he kept saying how much he still loved her and how this was a mistake..a MISTAKE, Jules he called me a mistake." Her eyes watered and back to sobbing she went. Reaching across the couch I snatched the box of tissues and handed them over.

"Amanda,  you can't let this guy get to you. You're 21, you have your whole life ahead of you. Screw him and his lies."

"But it had been so long, I loved him, I thought he loved me. He doesn't love her, I have to make him see that. " She reached for her phone in her purse. As soon as her fingers started dialing away I yanked the cell away from her. I got up to hide it in the kitchen. 

Pulling a couple beers out of the fridge I came back into the living room and spent the next few hours consoling her. When the clock hit 1:30 am I fetched a blanket and pillow and demanded she sleep over. I didn't have to convince her and within minutes she was sound asleep on the couch. I don't know how someone could believe that a guy capable of cheating on his wife was actually telling you the truth. I really hoped this was the last Amanda would see of Miles but something told me she wasn't going to let him go that easy.

I showered quickly and got ready for work. I was surprised to see the blanket I gave Amanda last night folded and placed neatly on the pillow when I walked into the living room. She must have left earlier. Alicia never made it in last night so I assumed she spent the night at Dean's. I ate my breakfast speedily and in silence before heading to work.

There was a green civic I didn't recognize parked in the back lot of work. It was too early for an interview, must be someone from one of the other businesses. The owner was revealed when I opened the door and saw the back of a women's head sitting in Don's office. Don was rarely ever at the office before 10, he must of had an appointment.  I continued to my desk when Don called out. Stepping into his office the blonde woman turned around and I recognized her from a few weeks back.

"Taylor how are you, I thought you moved back to South Carolina? " after her interview Don offered her the job. She had declined saying she decided to go back home to South Carolina.

"Yes miss, I did plan on it. Unfortunately my dear mother took ill and I couldn't leave her. I decided, as much as I miss home I would miss being here for her." She smiled kindly, her southern accent was so sweet sounding I instantly wished I had one.

"Well the good news out of that is she is going to join our team. " Don said cheerfully.

"Well welcome to the team." I said grateful for the extra help.

"I'm going to train her and show her around. If I need anything I will let you know Juliette." Don said, it sounded like a dismissal so I said welcome again to Taylor and went to my desk. It was surprising that he was going to train her. I specifically remember him mentioning I would do the training for new hires. I brushed it off and got to work.

Half way through the day I got a text from Alicia.

Alicia - dinner tonight with Dean and I?  We are picking trip dates!!

I instantly replied I was in. I had about 2 weeks vacation time so I wasn't worried about that. And now that Taylor was here, we luckily had someone with experience. Let's just hope she gets licensed quickly and hopefully before I leave.




Note: I was thinking about making the next post about the trip I just went on. It would be a present post, but that does mean the only present posts have been about vacations.  Would anyone be interested?  Or I could do a flash forward post about something else or just a regular post? Please comment :)    Juliette 

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

French Toast and Potatoes


July 2003


I woke up feeling like someone was staring at me. When my eyes met Jacob's I was correct.

"Morning sleepy head," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

"Mmm, morning." I rolled onto my back and stretched my arms, this made the sheet fall below my chest exposing my bare breasts. Jacob leaned over in a flash and placed his mouth on my breast. I pushed him away giggling and raising the sheet to cover up. When he pouted I threw the sheet off and smiled. We spent the rest of the morning in bed having lazy amazing sex. When we finally decided our hunger for food outweighed our desire to stay in bed we quickly dressed and walked to a diner nearby.

"I want sausage, but then I want potatoes too, ooh and french toast. Why is it that most places don't serve hashbrowns with French Toast, I mean they do with pancakes?  What why are you looking at me like that?" I looked up from my menu to see Jacob smiling at me with his thick brows raised as high as they could go.

"Nothing, you're just cute."

"I like breakfast, leave me alone. Besides you've been looking at me for years don't look at me like you are surprised by me."

"Jujie, I have been looking at you for years, but trust me, I only had one thing on my mind." He grinned.

"Oh really, so when we were like 10 you only had one thing on your mind? " I questioned him.

"At ten, yes. It may have been more innocent thoughts then at 13 but yes,  they were still a little perverted." He confessed.

"What!?" I squeaked. I should be a little weirded out but I was only flattered.

"Juliette,  you were and are still the hottest girl I know. When I was younger I was lanky and a nerd, I didn't have a lot of confidence.  When I hit sophomore year my family moved. My acne was clearer and I wasn't lanky anymore. I decided I was going to go into the school year and act like I owned my confidence.  It worked, I got on the varsity basketball team and made a lot of friends. Even though I dated other girls,  it was always in the back of my head that I wished you were near." He looked down, a flash of embarrassment on his face, but then he straightened up and looked me in the eyes and smiled.

"Really? I thought you were going to marry your high school sweetheart, Kim?" I said with a small laugh and he joined in.

"She sure thought that, but no. I even told her once about you. "  I raised my head back up from reading the menu and gave him a surprised look.

"I didn't say you specifically but I did tell her that there was this girl I'd known forever, I told her I had always thought that girl was the one. " I swallowed and felt my heart speed up at this. I didn't know what to say back. I didn't have to, he changed the subject and began talking like he didn't just say that.

Our waiter appeared and we spent the rest of breakfast chatting about everything from school to work. Walking out of the diner hand in hand we made plans to see a movie next week. When we reached the front of my complex Jacob stepped down off the curb and wrapped his arms around my waist.  Even though I was standing on the curb I still had to raise on my tippy toes to kiss him goodbye.  The kiss was long and I was sad when he had to part. He said goodbye before he got in his car and headed for work.

I went inside to shower. I was getting ready to go shopping with Amanda. Passing by I noticed a new travel book that was on the coffee table, it was a guide to Nicaragua.  We hadn't picked out an exact date to go. I realized I still hadn't told Jacob about going, part of me wanted to invite him. He does love to surf, but I also felt weird about inviting him when Dominic would be there,  would it be weird?





Sorry for the short post today, I'm working on another and hope to post soon :) Juliette