Valentine's Day SURPRISE!

Three huge cheers for my lovely roomie who just got ENGAGED!  What's the boy like you want to know?  Well, he plays banjo, he buys cheesecake, and he snowplows our driveway - don't tell me there are more redeeming qualities than that (hahaha, oh yeah, and he adores her!!!). 

Naturally, I shared this exciting news with the kid I'm nannying, who will henceforth be called the ANK for Anonymous Nannied Kid,  after I found out.  Here's the conversation that followed...RIDICULOUS.

Katie: Guess what, my roomie got engaged yesterday!
ANK: Awe cool, can I go to the wedding?
Katie: Dude, actually you don't even know them.
ANK: Right, but I could go with YOU.
Katie: Ha, by that time I plan to have some special guy who is notably OLDER THAN SEVENTEEN in my life.
ANK: Katie, come ON, by then I'll be EIGHTEEN.
Katie: **smirks** You are absurd.

The good news? His mom smiled when I texted her the story.  The better news? I think that proves he doesn't mind having me at the house.  The best news? He gave up immediately and started trying to convince me (again) that I should date his cousin.  Did I mention this kid makes me laugh? ABSURD.

Goodbye muffintops (...hello Atkins)

What do you do when you're lifelong friends with a 5'10 Amazon Goddess?  Simple - you shake the hesitancy out of her, rally the troops, and break down the barriers so she can apply for cycle 19 of America's Next Top Model. Here's what's in the mix for my gorgeous girl Shan in the next 30 days!

• Carbs? Hahahahahahahahahaha, a thing of the past!
• Photo shoot. DUH
• Crazy long application - I give you question 52 of 72:  When was the last time you hit, punched, kicked, or threw something in anger? Please provide details.
• 3 minute video including her best runway walk - Break a leg!

 It can be done - wish us luck!

She had style, she had flair… she was there!

Less than two months back from my Caribbean escapade and already I’m bored with snow-less WI.  What would most single 20 something girls do in my situation? Go shopping.  Watch TV.  Get a puppy.  Since when do I ever fall into the mold?  Instead, I got a Jimmy.  

Welcome to the whirlwind life of KJ the Nanny.  I clean. I make dirt cake. I pretend like I don’t see the forgotten bag lunches piling up in the passenger seat of his car. I laugh a LOT.

Welcoming in the new Year

Puerto Rican New Year's tradition:  Fireworks & Firearms.  12 midnight - BOOM BOOM BOOM.  Stay weeeeeeeeeeell inside your house.

Commentary from the family!

Thoughts on the day:

• Mary:  We had a wonderful day at the rainforest and beach with family.  I'm happy because I finally got my pina colada!
• Dad:  Katie is too close to other cars on the mountain roads. It's scary!! She's a good driver, but you don't even have two feet on each side of you when you're driving down the road!
• Rick:  I'm packing.
• Katie:  Adjusting from living alone to having 5 people in my apartment gets stressful... but I'm sure glad everyone is here for Christmas!

Thoughts on Katie's Spanish:

• Mary: Crazy good.  She could be a translator anywhere.
• Dad:  Excelento  (hahaha,  I can only trust she's saying the right stuff!)
• Becky:  You can translate while other people are talking to you, that impresses me.
• Katie: Never good enough. (PS: Dad, it's excelente)

Thoughts on  Puerto Rico food:

• Mary: Most of it is great, but I don't like those sweet plantains.
• Roger: I like it a lot, it's all flavorful.  There wasn't anything I didn't like.  Had a great meal tonight - thanks Nana!
• Becky: Yum,  Trifongo. It all felt light, even the fried stuff didn't feel greasy.
• Rick: The desert stuff was great.  Pollo Tropical!
• Katie: Pleeeease remove me from deep fried everything and  take me back to the world of cheap and healthy produce!

Thoughts on Puerto Rican Driving:

• Mary:  You take your life  in  your hand every time you get in the car.
• Roger: No blinkers. 
• Becky: Everything's  optional - operational street lights, street signs, lines on the road, one direction roads.
• Rick: It seems natural - just go with the flow (...even if the flow is making a left hand turn from the right lane on a red  arrow)

Water FALL

Yesterday I was adventuring the north shore w/ mi hermano y cunada (my brother and my sister-in-law).  We hiked into a hidden cave, listened to the bats squeaking above us, took pictures, and agreed that it would be an insanely awesome childhood fort.  Later in the day we hit the beach, walked up on the lava and watched the waves crash into the shore, avoided hitting a humongous truck that was driving in our lane, honked the horn around every corner of the one lane/two directional switchback road up and down the mountains, and agreed that some days  are just not meant to be experienced  with parents.

Why no parents?? Because I fell off of a waterfall.  A high waterfall. First I jumped, that was excellent.  Then I went up to do it again so we could get good  pictures...  and I overstepped the "push off here" point and slipped on the stone.  **Life flashes before eyes**  Yes, Becky got pictures. No you don't get to see the scary ones.

Funny things you see on the PR highway

In No Particular Order: 

1. Volvo with dangling headlight (...yeah...that's my car we're talking about)
2. Car being towed down the highway, tied behind a different car with just a little yellow rope!
3. Flooding!
4. Fruit stands that sell coco frio
5. Random  horses and chickens (but sometimes those cross the road... no idea why!)
6. Nothing (as in no lines, no street lights, NO way to spot the pot holes!)
7. Street people asking for chavo aka $$$$$$
8. Cars parked  on the side of the road facing the "right" way... and the other way... intermitently
9. Road signs in Spanish a few miles away from road signs in English (Transito = One Way)
10. Stranded people with flat tires (ok, not so funny...I've been there).