NoVembER 24

We're here in Fraser's Hog Cay, at the Berry Island Club. Really three dudes playing monopoly at an otherwise abandonded resort, and two dogs, intensely flea ridden, who instantly jumped onto our legs as we walked by, but hey, they're wireless. So I'm on here now, Ruth is checking our bank account to see if we can afford to stay here tonight, and I'm checking my email/posting this. We're here because my birthday is tomorrow, and my wish is to talk to my family and friends and know that all are well.

That and for my skin to improve a bit. I am just about out of treatments/tubes of creams,liniments, salves, lotions, butters, oils, and snakeoils. I have benadryl tablets, but that's about it. The good news is: today it seems like it's way better. Yeah, I know, big deal, but if you were covered by a rash for a year, all over, that itched really bad, you'd be celebrating too. Maybe it's on the retreat...

We went conching the other day, and got 7 conch, and made a nice conch salad, but didn't know to skin them, so it was a bit tough. We ate what we could raw, but I oversalted them, and ate the rest for breakfast today, fried. Pretty good. The food situation is a bit weird. An example is at the Chub Cay Club where the rooms are a couple grand a night, they have two stores, neither of which carries bread. One had sweet potatoes, for three and a half bucks apiece. Liquor is cheaper here than at home. Absolut, Maker's Mark, whatever you like. I haven't been taking too much advantage, because I think it aggravates this skin condition. Oh, that and we have maxed out credit cards, and several checks ago, we had 4 dollars in our account. We haven't spent much money for like 5 days though, (nowhere to spend it, even on bread), so hopefully we're getting ahead of our budget again.

Anyway, it's taking her forever to check our bank account, (wait, the latest is: Planned System Maintenance, SITE DOWN TEMPORARILY. ..) but I'm just going to write that we love all of you guys, and we're thinking of you.

Oh, P.S.: There was a TRUCK under the water on the way into the dock. This place is crazy. We were alone in this bay last night, that was maybe ten miles across, with largely uninhabited islands on all sides, and no other boats. Amazing. For like 24 hours. And the water is that raspberry slushee blue that you think is totally fiction. If only there was a fish in there with my name on it...

I'll write again before I leave here, I'm sure. In the meantime, love to everyone. Do me a favor and write me an email and tell me you're okay, alive, etc. Being out of touch means we get ZERO news of any of you, and if you get hit by a bus, we have no way of knowing. Please let us know that no buses have been in your recent history.

XOX,
JL