I Do Stuff…

Landhuis Misje - Westpunt, Curaçao

Got up at a reasonable hour this morning and smoked a cigar on the balcony with a cup of coffee and my book. Ah what a beautiful setting to combine some of my favorite things in the world. Today the last of our guests arrived on the afternoon flight. Nancy and I spent most of the day just lounging around and relaxing. We were staying so long we didn’t feel the need to pack everyday with activities, in fact just relaxing was well worth the price of admission. We walked around the hotel grounds and had lunch at the beach bar. All afternoon we kept running into family as they did their own thing.

Friday night was the big rehearsal dinner at Landhuis Misje just up the street from the hotel. We gathered in the hotel lobby at 6:30 for our 7pm reservation, car pooled the entire party over to the restaurant in a few cars. The place has gotten rave reviews on Trip Advisor and people have traveled from the city 45 minutes away to eat here. Because of our group size we had the entire place to ourselves which was rather nice.

The restaurant only has mostly picnic benches for seating which is very cool but a little awkward when you are trying to have a formal rehearsal dinner. With a wedding on the beach in a tropical paradise, I should expect as much. The wait staff was incredible and the food was outstanding. All the rave reviews on Trip Advisor are accurate. All night food kept coming and coming. Fortunately there was a 45 minute break between the last of the appetizers and the main course. Some notable items where the curry chicken with cocoanut rice, ribs, pasta dish with an incredible sauce and the rib-eye steak. Not to be understated, everything was exceptional.

a motley crew

A few hours after we arrived everyone was full and some a little tipsy from the wine. We posed for some last minute photos, include some with Graciela and the rest of the staff. As much as I would like to say the night was over, it was back to the Christoffel Sunset Lounge. We closed the night out with cigars for the smokers and more drinks for everyone else. We should have gotten to bed early, tomorrow is the big day, but decided to just enjoy the evening.  It was well after midnight before we turned in for a restful nights sleep.

love is all you need

After only a few hours of sleep the night before, to bed at 11pm and up at 3am, it was time to officially start our wedding/honeymoon with a 6am flight from Dulles to Miami. We wanted to arrive in Curaçao at a reasonable hour so that meant leaving real early. We spent the night at Greg and Maggie to help cut on our driving time and took a cab to the airport to avoid the parking fee. There is something about my face that scares security and again I was pulled aside for their “special” scanner. A note, a simple sheet of paper can defeat the scanner, billions spent on something that a 1¢ piece of paper can defeat.

For the entire flight down to Miami I slept. The last few days have been rather busy as I was working full time, getting last minute items for the trip, doing school work and working ahead on what I could for my classes. When we left I was a little nervous, once in the air all that went away. If I forgot something it was to late now and I actually felt good, I could finally start to relax.

Nancy carrying her dress

When we arrived in Miami we had a two hour layover before the final leg to Curaçao. In Miami we caught up with my mom, Norman, dad, Pat, Matt, Bobby and Tracy. Each group left from a different airport, but Miami is the only jumping off point in the US. Nancy and I stocked up on some duty free booze and cigarettes for the long weekend.  I got a nice 15 year old bottle of scoth and Nancy picked up a carton of cigarettes for just $32!  With all the family in Curaçao partying for several days, we would need to stock up.

Another two and half hour flight and we arrived in Willemstad. First thing we noticed was the heat and humidity, it hits you immediately off the plan. The weather just started to turn cool at home and here in Curaçao it was 90 plus everyday with over 70% humidity to wrap you like a warm blanket. We got our rental car and what a piece of shit that was. It was over 10 years old with 65,000 miles, scratches on all panels and even a couple of dings, one of which was on the roof. We took Bobby and Tracy to the hotel and in less than an hour we arrived at Westpunt and the Kura Hulanda Lodge and Beach Club at the far end of the island.

Upon our arrival we were warmly created by the front desk, Janis the hotel manager and William who was another big muckety muck. They were happy to see us and assured us everything was setup and ready to go for our wedding on Saturday. We all chatted for several minutes and it was like they had known us for years.  It was a good feeling to know they were going to take care of us while down there and what an important day it was for Nancy and I.  They offered us a tour of the property but we wanted to check out the room and unwind after 10 hours of travel and little sleep.

a nice view of the ocean

When we walked into the room we were both shocked and impressed. We splurged on the suite which had a great view of the ocean from our balcony. There of course was the bedroom and a separate family room with tv, dining table, and a smartly designed kitchenette with everything we would need. We quickly unpacked and headed down to the bar for a welcome drink. Slowly everyone else started to gather at the bar and mingle. Carla and Aron arrived on Wednesday and spent the night downtown before coming to the countryside. There was a managers happy hour at 6 in the library, so we went to that and enjoyed some free drinks. At the happy hour meet the owner of the hotel, he was in town preparing for the queens arrival in November. He is a nuclear engineer with all sorts of investments around the world, smart guy.

Not having an actual meal all day we enjoyed a nice meal over looking the water. Everyone’s meal was fantastic and worth the long day of travel. Cigars called those of us that smoke and the Christoffel Sunset Lounge was the perfect setting to relax and enjoy a cigar. We spent many nights in that lounge smoking, drinking, and talking. Just about this time the entire crew from Wisconsin arrived and we continued the party for a few more hours. By the end of the night a few people ended up in the pool, including Nancy and Matt who jumped in fully dressed.

After a long day and some partying, it was time for bed.

Well after ten days in Curaçao Nancy and I are finally home after our wedding and honeymoon. It was wonderful that so many family members could make it down and share our wedding. We took a ton of pictures and I have a lot of stories to tell. Over the next week I will be making posts for each day we were down there so stay tune.

They still have these?

Photo Gallery

Getting married can be a bit of a hassle.  We have contracted for everything so in fact planning our wedding was rather easy.  We just had to flat rate and everything was taken care of: flowers, setup, food, drinks, reception, etc.  For us the legalities of getting married have been a thorn in our side.  Our plan is to get legally married in Curacao and have that marriage then recognized by the United States.  If we wanted to get married in Virginia all Nancy and I have to do is show ID that we are of age, sign a piece of paper and done.  There is a ton more paper work needed to be marrying in Curacao as a non-local.  The short story is we needed to travel to Raleigh for the day to get some paper work.

It was with short notice that this trip materialized but we made the most of it.  The government doesn’t work on the weekend so we decided to travel down on Sunday and get an early start on Monday for the paperwork.  We contacted Saundra about crashing at her place on Sunday night and it wasn’t a problem.  We left around noon on Sunday and made it down in about 4 hours, including stops for food and such.  We spend all night hanging out and Nancy and I put together a home cooked meal for Saundra as a thank you for letting us stay.

Come Monday morning we got an early start for the hour drive into downtown Raleigh.  First stop was the vital records office and in less than 5 minutes we got what we needed.  I barely had a chance to park the car and Nancy was already walking out of the office with the document in hand.  Next stop was the Secretary of State to get the document apostilled.  Here we ran into an unfriendly clerk and she told us we could pickup the document after 1:30pm, so much for getting out of dodge early.  In case this happened we had a backup plan in place if we needed to stay in the city for a while.

The Pit - Raleigh, NC

First stop was the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science (floor map).  They are expanding the museum and it looks to double the overall size of the exhibit hall.  There will be a sky bridge connecting the wings with a giant sphere housing something in it.  This new section will not be open till sometime in 2012 but I look forward to coming back.  What we did see comprised four floors of great exhibits including forest and mining formations in the state.  There appears all forms of life that develop in the unique ecology of North Carolina.  What I found most fascinating was the Nature’s Explorer which include items from when the museum first opened.

All that walking and we worked up and appetite for one of the cities better known places to get BBQ.  The Pit is famous for being on many tv shows over the years for their perfectly cooked pork.  We sat at the bar and had a full course of BBQ and a few beers to wash it down.  Their selection of draft beer is pretty standard, but the porter that I had with my banana bread pudding was a perfect match.  The dark and roasted flavor of the beer complimented the sweetness of the dessert.  It was great sharing that experience with Nancy.  We both agreed the BBQ was tasty and well priced.

headed down river in my boat

After having lunch we headed back to the Secretary of State to check the status of our document and thankfully it was ready to go.  We decided to stay for a few more hours and visited the North Carolina Museum of History.  I was expecting it to be a museum dedicated to North Carolinian history and that is exactly what it was.  Honestly though half the time I forgot that it was focused on just the states history, the exhibits are well balanced and focus on the contributions North Carolina has made to a wide range important events in history.  It is hard to compete with the might of the Smithsonian, but they did very well.  We saw exhibits about the early history of the state, all wars the US has been in and of course an entire wing dedicated to furniture which the state is still known for.  I don’t know how the state does it but both the Natural Science and History museums where free to the public.

After some shopping at the history museum for some pottery we headed home, but not before calling a to go order for some ribs and chicken from The Pit.  Not getting to the city often it was hard to pass up an opportunity for such good BBQ.  I must say it was good to finally get home and have all the required documents in hand.  Later in the week I shipped them to Curacao for $55, but they got there overnight at least.

wave that flag

Last weekend we (Nancy, my dad, Pat, Matt and I) went to Wisconsin for the high school graduation of my cousin David’s oldest son, Andy.  It was going to be a giant party at the park across from Rose’s house as we would need all the space we could get.  We flew out on Friday morning to Milwaukee and from there we drove across the state to La Crosse.  On Sunday we would head back to Madison to visit more family and catch the plane out of Milwaukee on Monday.

I couldn’t wait for the long four day weekend in Wisconsin.  I was looking forward to introducing Nancy to the rest of the family and for her to see were I spent many summers, a few Thanksgivings, and Christmases thrown in for good measure.  Once we landed in Milwaukee the first thing we noticed was the severe temperature drop.  We just left temps approaching 100 degrees in DC and Milwaukee was a brisk 60 and cloudy.  When we got to Rose’s house a few hours later everyone kept apologizing for such cold weather.  I was loving it, I could have used a sweet shirt, but I was not going to complain about the cool weather.  I didn’t complain about the cool temps in San Francisco either.

After getting the rental car it took about three hours to reach  La Crosse.  We arrived at Rose’s house and walked right into a party.  We were offered something to drink and gladly took up the offer.  Not 10 minutes after we arrived others started showing up to welcome us back to Wisconsin.  In no time the house was filled with guests and everyone was having a great time.  Some of these guys I have not seen in five years so it was great to catch up with everyone.  Nancy, Matt and I spent most of our time outside on the deck, even thought it was drizzling.  It was just great to be outside enjoying the company.  Eventually we got the fire pit going and enjoyed a toasty fire with our drinks.  We did eat as well, someone brought authentic German potato salad and it brought back memories.  That and the brats and locally made hotdogs and I was in heaven.  Even had a few local brews from the New Glarus Brewing Company, the Spotted Cow was taste.  Late into the night we bullshitted.

The sleeping arrangements at Rose’s house are limited so us kids shacked up at David and Teresa’s house just down the street.  David came back to pickup us up so we wouldn’t have to stumble, I mean walk in the dark.  On the way back we got lost so we stopped by The Ridge to get some directions.

Five years ago, the last time I was in Wisconsin, turned into an epic and memorable trip.  Not only for me but for my entire family as well.  It was Mike and Roses 40th wedding anniversary so I went up to help celebrate.  After a welcoming house party we headed to The Ridge for a few more drinking.  I really wanted some scotch but they didn’t have any so I got tequila instead.  This was my fatal mistake, Jose and I just don’t get along.  Every five years I need to challenge that friendship and this trip was that time.  I remember my cousin Kenny and I sitting at the bar just knocking back the drinks.  Needless to say the next day, not just the morning but all day, I was feeling rough.  I pretty much missed the ceremony and party afterwards.  I felt so bad, I was ashamed I drank so much.  My family took it all in stride and they have never let me forget about that night.

park where the graduation was held

Nancy has heard the stories over the years from different family members so as we drove to David’s house she wanted to see the now infamous bar.  The place looks exactly like I remember it five years ago.  We bellied up to the bar in the same spot and ordered a round.  For a mere $10 we got four drinks, including the Spotted Cow.  After the round we finally found our way back to the house and headed to the basement for a night cap.  By now it was late and we were all exhausted so to bed we went.

The next morning I woke up and was feeling great, no hangover this time.  All morning we did was we could to help get ready for the party.  From what I heard 200+ people from all over Wisconsin were showing up for this party.  Teresa’s family is rather large and four of the kids were graduating at the same time so they rolled the parties all in one.  The party was held at the local park which has ample space to accommodate this large crowd.  We spend the afternoon mingling with family, drinking a little, and stuffing our faces with pork BBQ.  A friend of David’s spent Friday roasting and entire pig for the party and it was awesome

By late afternoon most of our family was off at church or…..doing something else and it eventually was just Nancy, Matt, my cousin Kenny and I left at the party.  Not knowing anyone else we headed to Rose’s house for a private party, we cracked open some beers and enjoyed the view from the deck.  Ever since I was a kid the view has been the same, an panoramic view of green fields and farms with a blue sky and white fluffy clouds as far as the eye can see.  I was happy Nancy got to see this fond memory of my childhood.  It was amazing but as darkness approached more people migrated to the deck, by 8pm it was full.  We talked, drank, and eventually got the fire pit out to make some s’mores.  Afterwards imagine if you can, 10 drunks walking from Rose’s house to The Ridge.  It was a crazy site seeing us all walking down the street.  At The Ridge we had another couple of rounds and called it a night.

Statue of Ssgt. Raymond P. Olson.

Sunday, our last day in La Crosse.  Teresa cooked a great breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits which kept us going most of the afternoon.  After we got a tour of the local fire station.  David is a volunteer firefighter and is very proud of his work and the new station they have on the ridge.  Saying our goodbyes to David and Teresa, Rose and Mike, and finally Marvin we headed for Madison through the rolling hills of the back country.  Highway driving might be faster but it certainly lacks the stunning beauty of the state.  On our way we stopped in Coon Valley to visit their recently completed war memorial.  The memorial lists all those from the local area that have fought for our nation starting with World War I.  I got to see my Dad’s name engraved in marble.

When we arrived in Madison we visited with Pat’s sister Eillen and her husband Gerry who cooked a wonderful meal for us weary road warriors.  Same pattern as the previous two days: drinks, food, and then more drinks outside.  It must have been well after 10pm before we called it a night.  There was no spare bedrooms at Gerry and Eillen’s so Kenny and Patti, who live in Madison, offered their place to Nancy and I for the night.  Their kids started summer camp so the four of us had a few more drinks and talked late into the night before catching some zzz.

The next morning was very low key, which I loved.  In their living room is a high square table that Kenny, Nancy and I sat at all morning talking, getting a little work done and generally just shooting the shit till 11am.  Precisely on time my Dad pulls up in the rental and we head towards Milwaukee to catch our flight.  It was a short drive and we made it to the airport in no time, got through security (even with my refusal to use the millimeter wave machine and have some dude feel my junk) and waited for our flight.

Finally got home about 7pm and Nancy and I just relaxed the rest of the evening.  It was a long day of travel and after three days of drinking our bodies craved rest and relaxation.  I only wish we took off Tuesday so we could recover properly from our little adventure up north.  It was great seeing everyone up there for the weekend and we are looking forward to seeing most of my Wisconsin family at our wedding were we will tear it up in a foreign country.