Jeanie's Fab Five

Good Afternoon!
  Sorry I have been a mystery blogger for the last couple days.  This time of the year always proves to be a busy one, and this year is living up to history for sure!  I titled this post "Jeanie's Fab Five" to share some Fabulous events, milestones and other exciting things that have occurred over the few days I've been away.  Translation- I'm getting you in the know!

1)  Brain Tumor Benefit at the Turnpike:
 Last Saturday marked the Riders for Rohan's first (and hopefully annual) benefit event.  The night consisted of various raffles, a silent auction, some food, live music and inexpensive and thirst-quenching drinks (haha).  Our turn out was truly remarkable, and we raised a total of $7000 for the National Brain Tumor Society!!  I couldn't be more thrilled with the turn out, the large amount of money raised  and the teamwork that went into planning for this event!  I am also so thankful for my friends and family who donated items, attended, or assisted in making this night  so .... EPIC!!!
 

Lauren and I <3

Specifically my oldest friend, Lauren Goodman, got a babysitter and attended.  Lauren lost her grandmother to brain cancer and has always been very supportive of my efforts.  Although we don't see each other that often, when we do it is like we are still 10 years old again and diving for crabs down the cape!  We had a ball dancing and singing along to a few country cover songs, and she was even lucky enough to win a massage raffle item!

Lauren, Katie, Will and me in my blue shift dress !!!

I was also so  happy to see my best friend, Katie and her fiance Andrew, my brother Will, Mark and my old friend Tim.  Tim and I went to high school together, and participated in many events at our church.  Although we talk all the time using social media and text messaging, we have not  been face to face in years, and it was great to reconnect.

Tim and I

 Thanks so much for coming!
2) Brain Tumor Breakfast and the Start of Brain Tumor Awareness Month at School:
  Right after Sarah's surgery I had "Grey Matters" bracelets made to raise funds and show support among the school community.  The bracelets were a HUGE success, and an integral part of my fundraising last year.  We decided to get them made again this year, with a slightly different, neon green color scheme.

 Today, May 1st, was our first day of sales at all three school lunches. To begin Brain Tumor Awareness Month with a bang,  Sarah and I also hosted a breakfast  for the faculty this morning. A bang is an understatement,  because we raised a total of $214.75 between the bracelets and the breakfast... in one day!!  I am so overwhelmed by everyone's support and generosity.  Not to mention, the breakfast was delicious.  I made a french toast casserole that is by no means healthy, but it sure is good!  I will post the recipe soon.
3)  Middle School Track
  Last week, marked the start of a busy, but fun season:  middle school track.  The past three years I have coached the middle school track program.  It is great to see your students in a more physical light, but it definitely affects my own workout regime!  Since track began, my cardio has been dwindling;  but I determined to get back on track!  All in all, I love seeing  past students, and meeting new kids while at track.  It is also rewarding to see kids trying something new, and perhaps something they will stick with for life.
4)  Katie's Shower:
  The plans are well underway for Katie's shower this weekend.  I am so excited to see her in her gorgeous Lilly dress, and spend time with girls I have not seen in years.  I am also very excited that my blue shift dress (seen above in benefit photos), which was spilled on at the benefit, is now stainless!  I worked some Pinterest magic on the stain, and it is no longer.  SCORE!  I will not say much more about the shower, because Katie often reads my blog, but it will be very fun, creative and up her alley!
5)  Professional Status:
The last of the fab five items is VERY close to my heart.  Today, May 1st 2013, I received professional status at my school.  For those of you unfamiliar with public education, teachers work their first three years as non-professional teachers or "not tenured".  After three years of positive observations, work ethic and overall performance, you can achieve professional status.  Since I have been teaching for six years, I have come close to tenure before, while teaching at my past district;  but was laid off and forced to find a new placement before the three years and one day time period.  This means I had to start over. I am so thrilled to be considered a "professional" teacher, even though I know I am far from that.  I learn something new from my students and colleagues every day, and that is one perk of my job.  I want to publicly thanks all my fellow teacher friends for helping me in some way, shape, or form to get to this place.  I would not be the teacher I am today without all of you.  So, THANKS!!!!

As you can see this week has been BUSY.  OH I almost forgot,  I also wrote a guest post for a blog I love to read, Southern Belle Living Well.  The blogger, Avery, is a high school student with amazing writing skills, maturity and a fantastic head on her shoulders.  She too was having a busy week and was seeking guest posts.  I volunteered and my piece on "perfect pack-ables" will be on her blog soon, so stay tuned!
xoxo,
Jeanie
ps.  What's the "fab five" for you week thus far? 

A day in Negril, Jamaica

  I want to start this post by saying .. if you have not been to Seven Mile Beach YOU MUST GO!!! I am not a conosuir by any extent, but I have traveled all over the Caribbean, and this was the prettiest most happening beach I have been to! 

Mark ... on the way to 7 Mile Beach

  The cab ride from Mo Bay  took  a bit over an hour.  The driver first quoted us $180 USD, but after the week went on we got the trip for $120.  I love bargaining in Jamaica!  Our driver acted as a tour guide as he took us toward the west coast of the island.  We traveled through what looked like the countryside and learned all sorts of facts about Jamaica.  Such as…

  -Jamaica has 14 Parishes and each city has a parish.  These Parishes  run off donations and offer “kindegarten” for children ages 3 to 5 for a small fee. 

-We also learned that Jamaica has not welfare system or housing assistance, so people MUST work.  Many people who do not have work or full time work are forced to pedal goods in their time off.  Because of this, you do not need a license or permits to sell goods on the side of the road etc.

  

  After arriving in Negril we saw a series of American looking hotels (large and luxurious) as well as some smaller, more Caribbean styled, hotels.  I love stying in smaller paces like that, but not during my first time in a country.  We got dropped off in Margaritaville Negrill, which was perfect.  They have chairs and security that watches your items for a small tip.You do not need to eat or drink there, but it is of course suggested.  The chairs were located at a great spot on the beach, so we set up shop and started walking.  We walked for a solid hour and passed by all types of resorts, smaller hotels, shops, bars and restaurant.  The beach was truly pristine, and one of the better beaches I ave ever been to.  Mark and I walked and walked and grabbed a few drinks at Margaritaville  and headed into the water.  The water was so clear and the sand very smooth.  I was in heaven!

Largest Sting Ray I have ever seen in nature, about 3.5 feet across.  He was just hanging out while I swam!

 

  For lunch we at at The Treetop Hotel and Bar.   We dined on fresh fish fingers and a Caribbean lobster with herbed butter sauce.  The lunch was delicious and filled with Caribbean flare.  At around 3pm it started to rain, so we packed up shop and headed to Rick’s Café to cliff jump and watch the Sunset.

 This was a small hotel with a bar built around a tree and into the ocean.  Talk about "on" the water dining!

  Rick’s is a must-see if headed to Jamaica any time soon.  It is a restaurant built into a 35 foot jumping cliff.  The restaurant boasts great views of the west end of Jamaica, as well as a top notch sunset spot.  Unfortunately the clouds did not nullified the views and sunset we were promised, but I’m sure they would’ve been incredible.  As for the jumping, Mark jumped and I did not!  Jumping from a platform surrounded by jagged rock is not for me; although I know I should have because there are no guarantees I will have the opportunity again.  Oh well!

  We departed ricks around 5:45 and headed back to Mo Bay. 

On the whole this day was PERFECT and I would recommend going for sure!

Back to reality:

  I’m blogging from 35,000 feet, and it feels great!  Of course this won’t be posted until later tonight when my normal Internet service resumes, but it still feels good.  As much as I love vacation, it is also good to return to the comforts of routine. 

  Yesterday was a bittersweet day, like most last days of vacation tend to be.  Although I am so thankful for our law enforcement officials for finding both marathon bombing suspects and holding one in custody, it was a difficult week to be away from the ones you love.  Many of my friends and family live right in Boston, as Mark and I did when we were younger (Mark full-time me a frequent visitor).  I wanted to ensure that everybody, especially those who were close to me were safe and sound.  As gorgeous as Jamaica was, you couldn’t avoid the story.  CNN, other resort guests, cab drivers and local people alike were talking about it, and sharing their versions; while the whole time I longed to be back in my city with my loved ones and friends.

  We were determined to “pass the time” yesterday, although the weather wasn’t always cooperative.  Mark played a few rounds of beach volleyball, his primary exercise for the week.I tried to read, listen to music, take walks, talk to others etc.  We grabbed lunch around 12:30 and soon after the rain came.  We played cards to pass the time, and eventually packed up our stuff and became instantly glued to CNN.  Although the newscasts were repetitive and at some points ridiculous, it was comforting to see our city on tv, and to know that progress was being made.  It is silly to be worrying from so far, I know; but we both were.

 

   Right before dinner we discovered the second suspect had been found and was in police custody.  It felt like a boulder had bee lifted from my chest!We went to dinner eagerly!  I dined on a grilled salmon dish served over steamed baby spinach and mixed veggies.  The fish was great, as were the cold and hot appetizer options.  Mark and I decided to celebrate our last night of vacation by taking a plate of desserts up to the room and  eating them, while watching a movie.  We dined on German Chocolate Cake, Fruit Tart and Chocolate Cake Balls while watching …… A sweet ending to a blissful vacation!

 

Attention all MA readers!!!!

Good Morning!
  I am reaching out to my Massachusetts blog followers today, in hopes that you folks will be interested in supporting my Grey Matters Campaign this weekend.

 This Saturday 4/27 the Riders for Rohan are hosting a benefit night at The Turnpike Cafe in Canton, Ma.  The benefit night runs from 6pm until whenever and will offer live music, light food items, fantastic raffle and silent auction opportunities and a boatload of fun!  More importantly, all proceeds from the event will go directly to the National Brain Tumor Society, providing necessary funds for research and support for people affected.

Some of the FABULOUS prizes you could win in our raffle/ silent auction include....
-Restaurant gift cards for area restaurants like The Halfway Cafe, Rick's Cafe, J.P. Licks, The Flying Bridge, Pasta Bene and many more!
- 2 White water rafting passes for Northern Outdoors in The Forks, ME (Kennebec river)
- A $100 Camping giftcard for Normandy Camping Resort in Foxboro, Ma and some camping gear from Campnor
-Free beer ever month for a YEAR!
-Designer handbag/ clutch
-Yoga passes
-A taco party for 20 of your closest friends (via Qdoba)
- Free burritos for a year @ Qdoba
- Four hours of limo service and a gift card to a providence restaurant
- Massage, salon(s), and skin care products and gift cards
-Hand- Knit baby sweater and blanket
-Golf club
and many many more!  Thanks so much to those who donated.

Come, have a drink and a bite, and enjoy the night with THE RIDERS FOR ROHAN!!!
Thanks so much,
xoxo
Jeanie

Catamaran Cruise to Doctor's Cave and Margaritaville

  Our hotel offers  motorized water sports for a small fee.  From day one, my Mom was looking for a half day catamaran snorkeling trip.  Lucky for us, the hotel offers one at a fair price, and since its Jamaica, the price is always negotiable!  The afternoon cruise left, which was a perfect activity after a long day in the sun.  Mark was eager to get on the water because he loves it, and he hates to sit still on the beach. However, I LOVE to sit and read; but usually I cave and play all kinds of activities with him!

  We ended up going on the cruise which stopped at the Doctor’s Cave beach reef and at Margaritaville Montego Bay.  Mark and I were in this area the day before, but it was till fun to visit again.  I have very few pictures from the boat ride itself, because we had a wet ride!  The wind was high and so wasn’t the surf.  This made the ride damp and entertaining.  In fact, it reminded me a lot of last April when Mark and I sailed the BVI with friends.  Good times! 

  While snorkeling, we saw a bunch of small fish such as angel fish, tiger fish and few rainbow and parrot fish.  These species were not nearly as large as we have seen in other areas, but they were still very fun to see and feed.  After about an hour of snorkeling, we headed over to Margaritaville. 

We ordered a few appetizers and drinks and ate quickly.  Mark and I were eager to use the water toys we had seen the day before.  After eating we headed out there.  We decided to use the large inflatable slide, which looked like fun.  We found out shortly that it was fun, but hard work to get up to the top.  The inflatable mountain had rope rungs to put your arms and feet in.  Lots of upper body strength was a necessity!

Marko!

Wahoo!

Here goes nothing!

  The boat ride back was much smoother and less crowded.  Many of the girls we went with had a dance party on the back, which allotted for MUCH more room on the front for viewing the sunset from the sea.  It was a LOVELY night.

Hidden Mark!

  The boat trip tired us out so much we grabbed a light dinner and headed to bed before nine.  Losers I know!  A few drinks in the sun really takes a toll on you!

xoxo,

Jeanie

Deep Sea Fishing

 As I previously mentioned, Mark and I went Deep Sea Fishing on Monday and it was incredible to be out on the open water, Caribbean style! The boat, a 37’ Luhrs, departed from Doctor’s Cave Beach, a gorgeous , crystal clear beach in the heart of Montego Bay.  The beach is well-known for its clear water, because it is mineral water mixed with the salt water of the Caribbean Sea.  It is said to be one of the top 10 beaches in the world.  Very cool.

  We were picked up at 7:45 and headed right over to the docks.  It was cool seeing all the school kids in their uniforms wating for the bus.  Here in Jamaica, many kids go to school in sessions.  Session one is from 7:30 to 12 and session 2 is from 1:00 to 3:30.  There is also a charge for education here, because you need to buy uniforms and books.  Very interesting.

   Our captain informed us that we did not need to travel  for hours, like we do at home, to catch the largest fish.  In Jamaica, there is a trench called the “Caribbean Trench” that drops the sea floor from 1000 feet to u to 12,000 about 8 minutes after the shoreline. This is quick considering we’d be driving for hours off the Cape!  The long and short of it is, we didn’t catch any fish; but we had an absolute ball and got to see the Jamaican coastline from the ocean.  We are happy we did it.

St. James Parish ( Montego Bay) from the water.

  After fishing, we headed over the Margaritaville for Lunch and  drinks.  I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, which was very good! 

Water Toys!!!

Delicious@

After lunch we headed back to meet up with my mom, and veg out by the pool/ beach for the second half of the day.  Mark also took out the Hobie Cat, a small catamaran.  The hotel includes non-motorized water-sports  in the all inclusive package, so I have a feeling these hobie cat trips will be daily!.  Mark likes to sail on Hobies, and did so in Mexico as well.  Since our hotel is protected by a large reef and private island (owned by Sandals Montego Bay) there is some wind, but not a tremendous amount of wake; just perfect for sailing these smaller boats.  Mark had a ball out there, and I joined him for a second ride.

Dinner at Mo Bay Steakhouse and DayTwo in Paradise:

  The Mo Bay Steakhouse was lovely, or at least I thought so.  My Mom and Mark both ordered the land and sea skewers and thought they were “okay”.   However, I ordered a filet of sea bass served with seasonal veggies and LOVED every last bite!  The meal was also served with a plated appetizer of tempura veggies, which I had never tried before.  They were good, and rather sinful! 

  Earlier in the day, The three of us watched a destination wedding take place, and the reception happened to be at the steakhouse.  It was heartwarming to see the bride and groom with their families and friends.  The ceremony was also very island-esque, with tropical and bright flowers, loose flowing dresses, and the beach on the horizon.  We have talked to and seen a few destination weddings since we have been here.  I guess I have mixed views.  I would love to go away with my family and friends and have a simple  and fun wedding, but I feel horrible about the associated costs.  Not to mention, what if important people in your life don’t have the means or time off to attend?  Food for thought I guess, but I sure do love the laid back, island vibe!

   The night wrapped up at the sports bar again for a gin rummy tournament.  Mark and I always play while on vacation,  and we are trying to get my Mom into the game.  This time Mark won, but we were neck and neck for a while.

Boston..again

 I write again, a second time this week, to pay tribute to my city, my part-time home for a few years, and ultimately to the state of Massachusetts.  Before my Mom departed Jamaica, our April vacation island home,  she made a great point.  She said she was afraid to come here to the island, to travel alone and at night, but after the recent happenings in our own fearless city, one can never be so sure.

  All I know is this:  hold you family, children, pets and friends close today simply because they are with you and unharmed.  Pray for those who were affected on Monday, and for the the injured police officer and his family affected again last night.  We must unite as a human race to fight off violence of all kinds, especially violent episodes at undeserving as this those of this past week.
  I am in some ways thankful that I am not in school this week. Although I would love to see each and everyone one of my students and colleagues to ensure that they are safe and well, I'm not sure how I would do with their innocent, relevant questions.
How would I ease their anxieties?  In a place where I preach acceptance, kindness and equality for all.  How would I defend my views now?  How would I field questions from close to 90 eleven and twelve year olds regarding the recent attacks on Boston, their home cite as well ?   How could I tell them that it is okay to be angry, sad, hopeful, but to sit and wait for justice to take its course?  Will it take it's course?
  I guess these are answers I will never know.

Source: Alexandani.com

xoxo,

Jeanie