winds of change

The last couple weeks have yielded some unpredictable results. So much has gone on that I feel like there are about seven blog posts I could write covering it all. And maybe I will some day. But for now, I'm racing to beat the clock tonight in order to get my beauty rest, which is how I plan to tackle the audit du jour tomorrow.

Here's a recap of the current events:

The Blog Introduces Us to Cruisers

It's funny how things come full circle. The whole reason I started this blog is that we moved to Cayman. The whole reason we moved to Cayman is that we (literally) stumbled onto the island while on a cruise. Now, through the blog (actually, because of our House Hunters episode that directs people to this blog), we met J&M - two full-time cruisers on their on personal sailboat.

That's a U.S. flag on the back - woohoo!

Long story short: They're on a multi-year cruise "around" the world (not technically around, but they'll hit a lot more countries I've ever seen), and Cayman is one of their stops on the way to Central America. You can read all about their progress on their blog.

Now here's how we fit into their adventure: J&M saw the HHG show, found the blog, emailed us to get some info while visiting Cayman, invited us to meet up, and we wound up having a lovely dinner together at Sunshine Grill.

Hold that thought. These details become important later on.

Foreshadowing.

The Blog Introduces Me to Bloomberg

Another interesting email of the week: The Caribbean reporter for Bloomberg contacted me after reading my blog, wanting my input on a Cayman-based story.

Random?  Yep.   Exciting?  Yep.   Results?  We'll see.


My Husband Introduces Me to A New Apartment

One of the effects of busy season, for better or for worse, is that I become very detached from normal domestic tasks. Activities like cooking, cleaning, decorating, entertaining, and (as you've noticed) blogging just have to take a temporary back burner while I focus on client needs. The great thing is that NS is totally supportive of my non-traditional schedule, happily out-sourcing the cleaning and relying on prepared food or take-out for the majority of our meals. It's not the cheapest way to do it, but it helps me remain sane.

The results of this detachment most recently manifested in a scenario where NS had to make a major decision - where to live after our West Bay lease ran out - without a lot of direct input from me. I did get the chance to walk-through two potential properties, and I saw a load of photos online for other places, but when he stumbled upon the condo that he knew would tick most, if not all, of our Must-Have-in-a-Rental boxes, he signed on the dotted line without even supplying a me photograph as a visual aid.

I don't really blame him. I've been really busy, he knows what I want/like in most categories of life, and there's always the budgetary considerations that he weights quite heavily. Plus, good rentals tend to get scooped up quickly, and we were pretty sure which neighborhood we wanted. Besides, I had delegated 90% of the packing and moving to him, and he really did a terrific job of corralling packing materials, sorting through three years of accumulated nonsense, boxing up our lives, and organizing a moving truck to haul it all out of our first Cayman rental.

I'll share some photos once some of the boxes in the new place have been cleared away. But the good news is we still have a spare bedroom, so to all future guests: You can breathe a sigh of relief!

We Say a Preemptive Goodbye to B&A

You'll understand after reading the next section of this post why we had to host an early farewell party for B&A this past weekend, rather than waiting closer to their departure date later this month.

The party was great - food was designed and executed by SS and SM - and it was so nice to spend a Saturday afternoon lounging by the pool.

My contribution to the Party Planning Committee involved the photos (obviously) and some of the Stateside shopping during our last trip. See those little chalk boards? Jo-Ann Fabric, baby. My old stomping grounds.

That basil was homegrown by SS in her urban garden - all built into a wooden pallet.
I've never seen her so excitable about green leafy things.

JS handled all the meat prep like an absolute pro.  The Hawaiian sliders were incred.

Can't read the blurry sign? I'll help ya:
Maple Bacon Cupcakes. SS wowed us all with her baking creations, once again.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies by SM - perfect tribute to B&A's Pennsylvania roots.

One of the co-planners, enjoying the fruit of her labor.

But having to throw goodbye parties are not my fave. B&A are part of our core group here in Cayman, and saying goodbye to them is like having a couple siblings - the siblings that make you double over in laughter every time they're around - move far away. Fortunately, they're moving to a lovely section of Virginia, so they've been warned that we're likely to show up on their doorstep one of these days. Don't put it past us; we've done it before!


The Auditing World Says Goodbye to NS

Remember those cruisers we met at the beginning of the post? Well, I'm pretty sure they're more than just acquaintances of ours by now. When we learned that J&M were on their way to Honduras (by boat), and NS was planning a trip to Honduras (by plane), they decided to coordinate itineraries, cancel N's flight, and make him a member of their crew!

Don't worry; this is just the boat's boat.

His first day on the sailboat was also his last day at his auditing firm. That's right: NS has moved on from the wonderful world of auditing, and has accepted an exciting senior management role at a Cayman-based bank.

And here's where my bragging rights come in: I've officially outlasted NS in the auditing career! I know, I know, you're all shocked and impressed, as this is obviously a really big deal. But hey, long hours and rigid deadlines aren't for everyone. It takes a special kind of person to stick it out.

Just kidding. In all honesty, NS is one of the smartest, hardest-working, most dedicated persons I've ever met. His talents and intelligence were valuable assets at both of the firms that employed him over the past seven years, and I'm fully confident that he'll continue to excel in his new investment banking role.

But for now, he better just excel as Second Mate of the Serendipity.

That's the fearless captain on the left. On the right: Auditor-turned-Sailor. Time to update the resume.

So many topics to cover in blog posts ahead. Hang on!