Say It Isn’t So

January 8, 2026January 7, 2026 ~ JodiLea ~ Leave a comment

Just when we thought the work on our street was nearly finished, we learn that it really has only begun. Now, they are ready for the BIG machines to come in and make REALLY BIG HOLES. From September through November, it turns out.

Oh, they have begun to prep other streets around our neighborhood, and have seriously damaged the one road we were taking to get off our road and into town. Last week, we had to take a different route to town every day. Every day, I had to rely on my Apple CarPlay to navigate me – whether I was coming or going.

Some residents just stopped going anywhere, unless it was Sunday and the road crews were off work. Sure, the potholes and metal plates were still there, causing you to slalom down the mountain. However, the streets were free from roadblocks and detours. No GPS guidance necessary. Even for me.

It started July 10th, 2025, and wrapped up the week before Thanksgiving. Meaning PG&E is finished burying their power lines. We don’t know if the cable or telephone companies will follow suit. If they do, it will be next summer. For now, our neighborhood is ours again. I did not realize how possessive I am of our neighborhood.

I understand now why I was so angry about it. It was like I was being violated when our streets were torn up, and our cul-de-sac was an equipment and materials parking lot. Even getting lost every day was not as disturbing as the fact that residents were not told in advance, or informed of what would happen when. It was as if we were not there.

TTFN

Adventures in Cozumel, Mexico

January 5, 2026 ~ JodiLea ~ 2 Comments

OR, how I was cursed by an ancient Mayan village…

We have all heard about how you shouldn’t drink the water. So, of course, I didn’t. But nobody tells you about how the war paint & watercolors, which contain local water. That may have been how I contracted dysentery. Or not.

Regardless, ignorance was bliss, and we enjoyed our excursion to the Mayan Village very much. It was the last stop on our cruise before the two days at sea to reach Fort Lauderdale. We took an hour bus ride to the Village. Instead of a tour guide, we were escorted to the different areas of the village by the local Mayan people.

The village was not very large, but the different tents and huts hosted activities. The first hut was a large area with tables. We were seated in the chairs around the tables. Natural items were sitting on top of the table. It turned out that we were in the music hut, and those items (rocks, pieces of wood, etc.) were our instruments. We were taught how to play them, and we accompanied the band.

I hoped we would learn some dance moves, but there wasn’t enough time. We needed to move on to the art room. There, we painted on a version of papyrus. We must not have pleased the art God because a deluge of rain hit us and washed our paintings away!

The Path of Skulls. These skulls are protecting the garden

Both sides of the path were decorated with skulls. So spooky that I photographed the same side twice.

The four of us travelers all got this awful cold/sinus infection during the last half of the trip. It hit me very hard the afternoon of the trip to Cozumel. I knew my sinuses were infected, but this was no ordinary infection. For one thing, the thought of eating turned my stomach. I spent the last days at sea in bed, in our cabin, instead of sunning by the pool. I would have been heartbroken if I weren’t semi-conscious.

I should have gotten a clue or spotted a red flag when everyone else could function and use their brain. They could play cards, eat meals, and communicate. I could not use my brain correctly. I struggled to answer questions – even yes or no questions. I sensed that hubby was getting annoyed with my lack of participation, especially the last night when we had to put our suitcases out in the hall by 9pm, so we would not have to lug them to the airport. I should have asked him to pack up for me, but alas, no brain.

I will spare you what happened at the airport. I don’t care how curious you are. There are just some details you can’t unknow.

We have had enough adventures for now. Time to stock up for the winter and organize things around the house.

TTFN

Mars: Belize

December 27, 2025December 27, 2025 ~ JodiLea ~ Leave a comment

This excursion had many different things going on. First off, the ship could not dock in this port because of the fragile coral reef. The Mars had to anchor over 30 minutes away from port. This meant we had to get into little boats and get taken to shore. Then, we were gathered by group # to get on a bus. Our tour guide, Shanna, was quite the bubbly fountain of information. We know more things about Belize than we ever wanted to know. I mean political, economic, you name it. A few things struck me as surprising…

They are the only Caribbean country where English is the primary language.

They have security checkpoints that we had to clear before we could proceed. Shanna told us that they are constantly looking for contraband. Things like Ham, Turkey, Alcohol, Cigarettes, anything from somewhere else. They tax all imports 12.5%. If you bring anything in that doesn’t go through customs, it’s contraband. She explained that because Belize did not produce anything, everything had to be imported. Tourism is the country’s number one industry, supported by cruise lines, snorkeling, and deep-sea diving companies.

The purpose of our 1 1/2 hour bus ride was to see the Altun Ha, Mayan Temples. These were not ruins, but partially excavated pyramid-like buildings.

These temples are only 2 of the many temples that were built in a circle surrounding a large flat area. I would have liked to take a photo of all the temples, but alas, there was no vantage point. There may have been one after climbing one thousand stairs, but we had to get back on the bus. We did have 10 minutes of shopping time on the way to the bus. I was disappointed that the wares were mostly trinkets and not clothes or hats.

Stay tuned for our last port, Cozumel, Mexico.