Selling T-shirts to Tourists aka Jolly Dog

First on the agenda, Nathan and Laura finally made it to FL. They left on Fri, Jan 28 intending to drive all the way thru to Marilynn's house, but it was too far and they were too tired. Ended up there on Sat, stayed about an hour and off they went to see the school. Boy, Marilynn and I were so anticipating their arrival the week before and some time with her family. Nathan's truck was in the shop for about 2 weeks. Laura flew back to MI on Sunday. Nathan stayed Sunday night with an old HS buddy who lives 10 minutes from the school. He started school today. Thanks to Marilynn, Nathan now has 2 mothers. They weren't there 15 minutes when she asked when the last time they ate. laura was laughing because she said M sounded just like something I would say. What would you expect? We were raised by the same mother!!
I got a job working at the Jolly Dog. I met a girl walking here in Privateer and we got to talking after a couple of walks and she wanted to cut some hours so she and the manager told the owner I was the one for the job. He wanted "mature" help. Well, he's got it. The mgr is 62 and lives on a 52' sail boat with her husband and my friend is 50 next month. she has a disabled husband and doesn't like to leave him alone for a 10 hour shift. So, they hired me for Sundays only. However, everyone is going on vacation, etc. next month, so it's turning out to be more hours. It's really fun and my first day alone, yesterday, my bank came out perfect!! even tho I talked to everyone. FUN!!!
Looks like a big snow storm heading for the midwest, then AGAIN to the east coast.
Bob Mosely, who lives below us, is renting out his house and asked bob and i to manage it for him. This has turned out to be some fun and we are meeting lots of people.
Blues Cruise was here last week, docked in Cruz Bay and the bands got off the boat and almost every bar in Coral Bay and Cruz Bay was ROCKIN' with those blues men. Great music. So fun to see good live music for the cost of a couple of drinks. going again this Wed. to see the same band. It was great for tourism.

o.k. Lots happening. Attached a pic of Evan and me at the airport. He spent 2 weeks here. I think that this is better than 1 because we all got into our "sinc" and everything flowed. We had a great visit and he was of a great asset to Bob in finishing the floor downtown at the restaurant. I miss him. He is so dear. I think he has truly kicked the alcholol and is ready to move on. Hope he does well in school this semester.
We have harvested 6 tomatoes so far, two of which I have given away. They are so delicious!! Tomatoes take so long to get here. They are very "pithy" and not worth your time, much less the price. We buy only the cherry tomatoes, if we buy at all, so we are thrilled to have some of our own.
We are managing the neighbor's house below us. He has it rented out from mid Jan to April and he is paying us to clean and look after it while tenants are in it. There are two women in it now from Mass. who have no car. Can you imagine? Just think how "needy" they are!! We are doing our best to accomodate, but need to charge for some services as we don't live here for free either. It's quite an experience.
I met a new friend walking about a week ago in Privateer. We have walked together 2 other times. Annie is her name. She has 4 children 19-24. She is divorced and remarried to a guy who got in a car accident when he was 21 and suffered brain damage and has severe short term memory loss. She says she took him "as is". I wonder if he remembers having sex!! LOL Anyway, she is convinced I am the person who should come in to work at the Jolly Dog near Skinny's. She is working too many hours and needs some relief and the owner wants some "mature" help. Think I qualify?? I interview with the mgr. this Sat. Tiny continues to wake us at 4 a.m and then expects to be fed by 4:30. I let her out and go back to sleep.
Bob has just about finished the job downtown. We are waiting for the rest of the crew to finish so he can seal the floor. Pretty good money in this.
Nathan is quite stressed. The deal fell through. Apparantly, there were contingencies - last inspection, etc. The woman brought her fiance thru and he said too much work for the price: $60,000. Realtor put it on the market for $55,000 cash. We only have until March 8 when it will go into foreclosure. He moved completely out of the house last night and is staying with a friend until they can leave by week's end.
All for now.
Let's BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I promised myself and Marilynn I would do something here by this past Monday, so by island standards, this is not bad and I'm glad I waited because we have some really good news. Nathan got an offer on the house today - $60K, only $100,000 less than what he paid for it 6 years ago, but it allows him to go to FL without that hanging over his head. Hope everything works out for him. Talked to him 3 times today. I think he is real stressed. $700 worth of work to be done on the truck. He is supposed to leave for NJ with his buddy who is coming from NJ to help him pack up the heavy final stuff, but with this storm,who knows.

We went to the launch of a friend's boat that he built this past year. The guy is 80 and has been on STT/STJ for nearly 50 years and has built many boats. This is just a run about that they can easily go to Jost in. Lots of friends came and they had everyone up to the house and partied all afternoonh. It was like a christening and we were all witnesses. All 4 of these guys are boat builders from way back. The guy on the right is the builder of the boat we went to see being launched.
Some friends invited me to Miss Lucy's for brunch around Christmas. Here is a pic of us all in the sunshine. the man at the end of the table if an East End legend and is 94. We had a lot of fun.
Bob's job downtown is nearly finished. many trips to Cruz Bay!!
Evan starts school tonight taking Social sciences - mental health. he has most of the classes already under his belt. I think he really wants to get out and make money. If all goes well, looks like about 1 more year in school.

My garden is doing great!! We picked our first tomato the other day. I can't believe the taste!! Of course, we get really shitty tomatoes here and I have stopped buying any at all because you cut into them and they are so pithy, but mine was spectaculay. I have to cover them with plastic bags as they get bigger to keepthem from the birds. I now have 3 green ones in the bowl on the counter. i'm having to give away a lot of lettuce as I have so much and it will soon go to seed. I've been giving it away, but it just keeps growing. Some say I am competition for Josephine (greens on island-organic for 25 years) It was her very tiny tomato that caused me to have such great plants.
O.k. I'm yammering.
hope you guys are well in the snow, even those of you who are in FL
Let's hear from yu
luv,
b