My Short Stories 5A: February 2017

Monday, 6 February 2017

My Recent Book Review by Pacific Book Review

Here is the link to my author web site --> www.anneshier.com. Visit the REVIEWS page on my author web site to see the link which contains the book review of "My Short Stories (Book Two)", then click on it, and read the review.

Saturday, 4 February 2017

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (8) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 8 – Friday January 20, 2017:

Today was all about getting packed up and getting ourselves checked out of our hotel so that we could go to the airport and fly home. Somehow, it turned out to be much less complicated than our trip to Punta Cana. We only had to make sure we got checked out by 9:45 am, as per the tour operator’s instructions on Day 1 of this week. Then, we had to verify that we each had e-tickets for our flights with the booking reference on it.

These days, an air traveler doesn’t have to have a physical ticket to present upon arriving at the airport. You only have to have the booking reference in order to prove that a ticket exists for you so that the boarding pass can be printed. The boarding pass is what allows a passenger to get on the aircraft on a particular flight on a particular date and time. It contains the passenger’s name (exactly matching what is on his/her passport), the airline’s name (Air Transat), the flight number (TS655) and the date and time of the flight.

Once we had our e-tickets in hand, we only had to wait for our prearranged ride to the airport, which would arrive at our hotel by 10:45 am. It would pick up all the people checking out that day and flying home. Even though our flight would not be leaving till about 2:30 pm, the same rules apply for all departing passengers: you must check in within about three hours of departure – the sooner the better. This is done for security reasons, but it also helps the passengers to not feel so stressed out. There are lots of steps to go through before boarding the plane and they must all be followed scrupulously. You just have to accept that this is the way things are done and will be done from now on. It’s for the sake of everyone’s safety and that means the rules are a good thing.

The flight home, when it finally left Punta Cana, was smooth and uneventful and we landed in Toronto at Pearson International Airport (Terminal 3) by about 7:00 pm. There is a one-hour difference between Punta Cana time and Toronto time and the flight takes four and a half hours, provided there aren’t any delays.

Then, of course, when we landed we had to go through several steps again. We had to show our passports and our completed personal declarations stating our identification information. Then, we had to go through border control security, hand in our completed declarations of goods / money being brought into Canada, pick up our baggage, and go home.

The main challenge we faced had to do with Dave’s inability to walk far. We had arranged for a wheelchair and pusher when we debarked from the plane, then we had to wait for a ride (via electric car) to a wheelchair area, then take another ride on another wheelchair to the security area, hand in our declarations of goods / money, go the baggage area, retrieve all the baggage including Dave’s walker, which we’d had to check in at Punta Cana, and then get the car and go home.

Another challenge was that Brent had to retrieve the car from his workplace where it was parked close to the airport, come back in the car and pick us up at the doors exiting Terminal 3. So, he took a taxi to his workplace to get the car, but this only took him about fifteen or twenty minutes. Once we were all piled into the car with our baggage, we just wanted to get out of the airport and onto the highway.

Brent was driving so he decided to take Hwy. 407 home. This was the quickest route. He was going to drop me off first at Finch subway station at Yonge and Finch so that I could take the subway home. All I’d had to do before we left the airport was to change into my long pants from my shorts. I didn’t put my boots on though because I didn’t think I would be outside much if at all. I would just board the subway, ride to Davisville station, and take the bus right to my front door – very easy.

After that, Brent was going to take Dave to his place in Whitby, then get onto Hwy. 412 north and then Hwy. 407 again in order to get himself and James to Brent’s place in Janetville.

I’d say that this trip, though not perfect, was pretty damn good from start to finish and I would do it again in a minute. Perhaps next year, Dave and I will go to Punta Cana again by ourselves – I don’t know. But, I do know that I’ll be going back there again sometime in the near future. If Brent and James want to join us a couple of years from now too, no problem. They are more than welcome.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (7) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 7 – Thursday January 20, 2017:

This morning, I had a third opportunity to sleep in, which really means Dave and I didn’t have to get up very early. Still, I was awake just after 8:00 am, and I woke Dave just before 9:00 am. After breakfast, we came back to our room and changed into our swimsuits. Our intention was just to lounge by the pool and swim a little while Brent and James played at the “Bavaro Adventure Park” all day today.

To tell you the truth, I was more than ready to just “gear down”; I had been so busy for the last three days, I was pooped from all the unusual activity – not that I minded, however. After we’d spent a couple of hours at and in the pool, Dave wanted to go back to our room to rest. He asked me for my key card, but I told him that I didn’t want to give it to him; he should have remembered his own. So, he left (in a huff) while I stayed at the pool, reading my book. Later, we both found out that neither of our key cards worked any longer and we were confused as to why.

When we saw Brent and James later in the afternoon, apparently, the same thing had happened to them. Brent told me that he thought there must have been some confusion about our check-out date – that the maids thought, for some strange reason, that we were checking out today instead of tomorrow. I have no idea how they got that idea.

I guess it was about 4:00 pm when we all decided we had to go to the beach. After all, you don’t come to a place like the Dominican Republic and not swim in the ocean, at least once! So, we spent a couple of hours at the very large beach area nearby. It must stretch for a few miles in each direction! James and I swam out to the buoy line (the area cordoned off for safe swimming). Still, the waves were pretty big and I believe the tide was high at this time of day. James stayed in the water for quite a while and had a grand old time playing in the surf after I got out of the water. Dave and I left before Brent and James around 6:30 pm because they wanted to play football (catching and throwing) on the beach. Meanwhile, Dave and I went back to our room to change back into our clothes and then went to eat dinner at the buffet, as usual.

However, when we got back to our room after dinner, I started to feel ill and lay down on my bed to try and relax. Soon though, I had to get up and run to the washroom where I experienced nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Thank God, it didn’t last long though. I then took a quick shower to refresh myself – the second one I’d taken today. After that, for some curious reason, I felt better. I had to rinse my pants out because of the vomiting, but there was only a tiny amount of it on my pants, so the rinsing was easy to do. I hung up all my wet stuff – towel, bathing suit, and wet pants - on the balcony railing so that I could pack my completely dry clothing tomorrow morning except for the towel, which belongs to the hotel. We have to check out of here by 9:45 am, and we’re getting a ride to the airport at 10:45 am. Our Air Transat flight leaves at around 2:00 pm (local time) and we will be back in Toronto by around 6:00 pm (Toronto time). We will lose one hour on the way home to Toronto.

We’ve had a great time here in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for the past week and we will definitely be back here again sometime in the future. I have no idea when that will happen or who’s paying for the next trip, but we will be back. I loved it here and I know that Dave, Brent and James loved it as well. It was so much better than our vacation three years ago in Jamaica! In fact, I don’t think we could compare that vacation with this one. There is a world of difference between them! We are so happy that we spent our vacation this year at this brand new resort: the “Luxury Bahia Principe Fantasia”. There are other hotels in this resort, but this resort is outstanding overall.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (6) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 6 – Wednesday January 18, 2017:

This morning, about 7:45 am, I am supposed to go on the Monkey Land adventure. I’m very curious to see what this one is about. At the very least, I will be playing with some mothers and their babies, whom, I think, will be on leashes with their trainers. These monkeys are supposed to be very tame and do not bite people; we’ll see how they actually behave. This will be my last adventure on this trip to the Dominican Republic. Brent, Dave and James are going on the Dune Buggies adventure this morning about 11:00 am and will be back after I get back.

As it turned out, the Monkey Land adventure was very interesting. The monkey colony is comprised of several mothers and their eight babies (one per mother per year) and only one father whose job is to impregnate the mothers when they’re in season. The babies are very tiny, only one pound! But, they are so nimble and agile and friendly. Apparently, both mothers and babies have been acclimatized to be around people. They are not on leashes at all and their trainers only tell visitors to the colony what they can and cannot do around the monkeys. The monkeys climbed all over the trees and ran along the fences that lined the pathways and cheerfully jumped onto our shoulders, arms and heads. They are so small, particularly the babies, and I was amazed that I just loved being around them. The mothers are only two pounds, so they are also small, but of course, bigger than their offspring. In fact, a mother can carry a baby on her back while travelling around on the tree branches. I’ve seen this in my “Planet Earth” DVD video series at home and now I know for sure that it’s true.

I was reminded of my TV video DVD series “Private Practice” in which Dr. Violet Turner talks to Dr. Cooper Freedman (her BFF) about wanting him to travel with her to Costa Rica and “touch monkeys” as their main vacation activity. Today, I did just that – I "touched monkeys” during my vacation in the Dominican Republic! So, when I watch that particular episode again, I will remember, with fondness, how much I loved touching these mother and baby monkeys. I didn’t buy anything afterward though because I didn’t have any more money since I’d given what I could to Brent. Pictures of the people (families) and monkeys were taken by the tour operator, but I couldn’t buy any with me in them, so I guess I will have to do this adventure again on a future trip to the Dominican Republic, with pleasure!

This all took place in the jungles of the mountains, similar to where I was when I was on the Caribbean VIP Safari on Monday. This time, we visited another homestead and saw a similar presentation of the products produced by the Dominicans: cocoa, coffee, vanilla, paprika, oregano, “Mama Juana”, and so on (there are others, as well). Still, I found the presentation interesting because it was a totally different homestead, built on the mountainside, with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance and of the zip-line adventure, which was close by. We also had a different tour guide, Patrice (a.k.a. “PJ”) and he was a real goofball!

Of course, there was a fair bit of driving to be done, starting from the tour meeting place at the Texaco station where we met other trucks with other people wanting to do the Monkey Land adventure only, or the Monkey Land and the zip-line adventure together. And, after the Monkey Land adventure was over for our group, we had to drive to the homestead situated on the mountainside. Finally, we had to drive back to the tour meeting place and reverse the re-arrangement of people we’d done this morning. The tour guides and drivers are all used to this and keep records of who’s doing what adventure(s) and what resorts/hotels each passenger must be returned to afterwards.

Today was rather long, but not nearly as long as the Caribbean VIP Safari had been – not by a long shot. So, although we were still in the same trucks and had the same kind of rickety rides to and from the adventure(s), the net effect was not felt as greatly as it was the other day, as far as I was concerned. By the time I got back to my resort/hotel, I was tired, but not totally exhausted. As a result, instead of napping, I got changed (after lunch at the buffet) into my swimsuit and went over to the pool to sunbathe and swim until Brent, James, and Dave got back from their Dune Buggies adventure.

As it happened for them, it was not the adventure they were expecting. The Dune Buggies each had a driver’s seat that could not be adjusted to the driver’s height. Brent found this very uncomfortable for driving. Also, the line of Dune Buggies had to keep stopping to allow for public traffic to pass. Speed was not allowed by these Dune Buggies as a result, and that fact took something away from the excitement of the adventure. Neither Dave nor James was enamoured of this adventure any more than Brent was.

After dinner, Dave and I came back to our room, and I checked in on Brent and James who had decided to have a late room-service lunch instead of a regular dinner with us at the buffet. Tomorrow, Brent and James are going to the “Bavaro and they will keep themselves busy most of the day with various activities of their own choosing. They can get a ride back to the resort/hotel whenever they want. We should see them by around 4:00 pm after they return.

Meanwhile, Dave and I may decide to go to the beach by ourselves after breakfast tomorrow. The only impediment is that I must go to the Punta Cana main building to pay the balance of my Swimming with the Dolphins adventure, which is $75.00 USD, and I can then get my two CDs and my video of my own participation in this adventure. Some of the pictures of me and the dolphin and of me and the other animals turned out really well. Alternatively, Dave and I could elect to wait till Brent and James return and go to the beach later in the afternoon. One way or another, we have to make it to the beach tomorrow since that is our last full day here. We must fly home on Friday.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (5) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 5 – Tuesday January 17, 2017:

Brent, James, and/or Dave aren’t planning on doing any adventures together today, but they may be going to the beach. None of us has been to the beach yet; my turn is coming tomorrow afternoon after Swimming with the Dolphins is over for me. Dave may elect to come with me then, or he may decide to go with Brent and James earlier. He’ll make up his mind tomorrow morning. On the other hand, Brent and James may be going to play tennis instead tomorrow morning. They’ll make up their minds tomorrow morning and, hopefully, tell Dave beforehand what their plans are. They forgot to do that (conveniently) on Monday morning after I’d left, leaving Dave wondering why they didn’t knock on our door to tell him anything.

I may have to babysit James tomorrow because Brent says he’s going out tomorrow evening. This will be the first time I will have babysat this week – we’ve all been too busy to think about doing any other evening activities. If I’m required, I’m planning to stay with James at least till he’s sound asleep and then, if Brent isn’t back yet, I may elect to come back to my room to go to sleep if I’m tired, or I can stay with James and sleep on their couch until Brent gets home. Of course, I still have one more adventure to do on Wednesday: the Monkey Land adventure, and I don’t want to go there unprepared or without enough sleep. So, I’ll see how I can make that work best for me tomorrow night.

The Swimming with the Dolphins adventure is one I’ve really been looking forward to participating in. Dave has done this adventure twice in his past visits to this island. At about 8:00 am, or shortly afterward, I was picked up by a driver of a colourful bus labelled “Swimming with Dolphins in the Ocean”. There were other people in this bus from other resorts and hotels. It took about fifteen to twenty minutes to get to the “Bavaro Adventure Park” where this adventure is located.

I had to go through a number of steps along with other people: first, I had to register by showing my ticket for this activity; second, I walked through a well-marked sandy trail in the bush to an area where I had my picture taken with some parrots and macaws; third, I walked over to the locker area and got ready by shedding all clothing except my swimsuit underneath and my shoes – everything else went into the locker and the key went around my neck; fourth, I got a life jacket and put it on over my suit; fifth, I was directed over to an area where the participants all saw a brief video about the activities we’d be doing (individually) with the dolphin; sixth, I was directed over to another area where I had my picture taken with a fur seal planting a kiss on my cheek (you’d have to see this to believe it!); and sixth, the group of twelve people I was assigned to walked over a long boardwalk built on top of the ocean to the area where the sea creatures were kept. The sea creatures included: sharks, stingrays, and dolphins. Each type of sea creature is kept in its own area of water cordoned off by wire fences. Of these, we did not touch any sharks. We only touched the stingray momentarily, individually, to see what it felt like. These stingrays are toothless and could not harm us.

I was assigned a partner named Paula, a very nice Portuguese girl who did not speak much English. However, we got on very well. She was going to be with me when it came our turn as a pair to do the dolphin activities, individually, that the operator first showed us and described to us. The trainer was the girl in charge of controlling the dolphins’ actions with each person. There were two female dolphins that took turns doing the tricks, but I don’t remember their names. All I know is that the trainer instructed them with her body language and a whistle and rewarded them with fish intermittently after each successful set of tricks. Of course, before we did these activities with the dolphins in the ocean, we had to leave our shoes in a big box on the boardwalk and then get into the water with them.

There were five different activities that we had to do in pairs, as individuals: first, out in the open water, hold my arms over my head and the dolphin would then jump high over my head between my arms; second, out in the open water, hold my right arm out at shoulder height while facing right, the dolphin would then swim by me and I would hold her dorsal fin with both hands (the dorsal fin is on top of her body) and she would swim fast, dragging me over the surface of the water for a few seconds; third, hold my hands out in front of me with one hand over the other at shoulder height, the dolphin would then swim up to me and kiss my left cheek for a few seconds and then I would return the kiss on her nose; fourth, out in the open water, hold my hands and arms out at shoulder level and the dolphin would swim up with her side fins extended, which I would then grasp and shake (like shaking hands) for a few seconds; and, fifth, out in the open water, hold my left arm out at shoulder height while facing left, the dolphin would then swim up to me on her back and I would grasp her side fins and she would swim fast on her back this time, dragging me over the surface of the water for a few seconds.

All twelve of us had a chance to do this in pairs as individuals, and it was a real hoot watching the others do these things, as well as doing them ourselves. I had never before experienced anything like this before in my life! And, I loved it! After we were all done some fifty minutes later, we got out of the water and walked back to where our shoes had been put (in a big box on the boardwalk), retrieved them and then headed back to shore. Because we’d been in salt water, we had to take a brief shower in fresh water on shore and then dry off, head over to our lockers, and retrieve our clothes. We then turned in our life jackets and locker keys. I headed to the washroom nearby, did my business there and then got dried off and dressed (only by putting my clothes back on over my swimsuit). After this, our group all had time to shop a little in the souvenir shop or sit in the open air bar if we wanted to.

Before we left the adventure park, we were to see a live bird show involving the parrots and macaws and their trainer, followed by a live sea lion show and his/her trainer. It was all very interesting and I would love to do this adventure in the future when I visit the Dominican Republic again.

Before leaving the adventure park, right after the adventure was over and I was showered, dried off and re-dressed, I went to see the pictures that the cameraman took of me, individually, during my own activities with the dolphin. I couldn’t decide which photos to get, so I bought two CDs and a video, which would include all the photos taken today and there were a fair number of them. The package of photos cost me $125.00 USD, which I did not have on me, so I ended up paying a $50.00 USD deposit. The package would then be delivered to me on Thursday morning at my resort/hotel and I would have to pay another $75.00 USD for the rest of the package. I think it’s money well-spent though; if I ever do this particular adventure again, I won’t have to get the whole package again – maybe just some individual photos.

Anyway, we left the adventure park at about 12:40 pm (it was supposed to leave at 12:20 pm) and the driver of the bus proceeded to drop off each couple at their particular resort/hotel. I was the last one dropped off and it was almost 2:00 pm before I got back. I was tired, but exhilarated. I couldn’t wait to tell Brent and James and Dave about my morning with the dolphins. Brent and James had done this activity yesterday and they had told me they loved it. Now I know why.

The rest of the day was spent by the kids’ pool where James was playing, and then resting in my room. I’d also had a late lunch due to my late arrival back at the resort/hotel. Later, Dave, Brent, James and I all had dinner together at the Larimar buffet, which we’ve learned to like more since arriving here. Finally, when we returned to our rooms, I spent a little bit of time with Brent and James before retiring with Dave back to our room for the night. I am really bushed today, but I had an awful lot of fun – it was definitely worth it.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (4) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 4 – Monday January 16, 2017:

This morning, I got up at 6:00 am after a wake-up call, had a much-needed shower and then got ready for embarking on my first adventure: the Caribbean VIP Safari. I knew I’d be busy all day and would not be able to go swimming or to the beach. Still, I was looking forward to this new experience. I went for breakfast at the Larimar buffet at just after 7:00 am and, while I was waiting for the buffet to open at 7:15 am, I met some Americans who were planning to go on the Dune Buggies adventure this morning. I did not book this one for myself, but Brent, James, and Dave are planning on doing it on Wednesday afternoon.

My own adventure started with me being picked up at the front of the main building and being taken to a meeting place (a Texaco station) a short distance away where passengers who speak the same language were grouped together. There were about seventy-two passengers altogether in three trucks. The trucks looked like open-air jeeps, each big enough to hold twenty-four passengers, the tour guide, and a driver. I was put with twenty-two other passengers who all speak English. This was done so that our tour guide could talk to us and we’d all understand what he was saying to us.

After this re-arrangement was complete, the three full trucks took off for a nearby mountain range, about an hour away. What I remember most about the mountain range is that the roads are extremely bumpy and unpaved, which I would have expected. This country is still much undeveloped. In the mountains, poor people live on their own homemade homesteads and support themselves by farming: either raising animals such as cows, or reaping naturally-growing crops from the land. It is a jungle-like landscape with some of the land cleared for farming where needed. We stopped after a while at a homestead specifically used by the “Bavaro Runners” company (which runs the Safari adventure) for showing the passengers what this "typical homestead" was doing to support itself.

The women who lives there has a cute baby daughter named Sofia, and she picks raw coffee beans and raw cocoa seeds (nuts), dries them in the sun, roasts them over an open fire, and then grounds them up. The ground coffee can then be used to make hot liquid coffee to drink. The ground cocoa seeds can be used to make liquid hot chocolate to drink. The processing of the cocoa is a bit simplistic, because other things are added to enhance the flavour, like molasses (derived from sugar cane) and vanilla (dark or white). All of the ingredients for making a hot chocolate drink are available to the homesteader from the land.

There are other things to be had, as well: paprika, oregano, coconut oil, coconut butter, and something called “Mama Juana”, Dominican rum. These things are made by the homesteader and sold to the visiting passengers when they stop here. If the homesteader didn’t do this, there wouldn’t be any way she could make an adequate living from the land. Today, I bought some coconut oil for Dave because he has very dry skin and this oil is supposed to help alleviate dry skin, and can also be used to make getting a suntan much easier. I also bought some coconut butter for myself so that I can alleviate my own skin conditions and help get a suntan.

After a while, we left the homestead and headed down the mountain and back out onto the country two-lane highway. The road is still very bumpy, even on the flatlands, and this bumpiness seemed to jostle almost every bone in my body. I didn’t mind at first; it was very refreshing to enjoy the sunshine today and to feel the breeze on my face as the truck sped along the highway. We were headed toward the Chavon (I think I spelt it right) River for the next part of the adventure.

At this point, we all got off the trucks and proceeded down to the shoreline to board this strange looking boat. It was a thatched hut, big enough to hold eighty to ninety people and was supported on the water by three big white pontoons on the bottom. This boat would be where we would have a hot lunch along with something alcoholic or non-alcoholic to drink as we motored down the river. The whole trip would take an hour and a half. It was very enjoyable to be on this boat. I bought myself two necklaces and two pairs of earrings from local vendors later at the dock area. I really didn’t need two of each piece of jewellery, but I bought them anyway, thinking I was helping the natives a little.

After the boat trip was over, we headed back out the way we’d come in and passed through the city of Higuey, which has a population of 300,000. Although it certainly is not the largest city in the Dominican Republic, it showed us a cross-section of very poor and very rich people’s dwellings. It made me sad that the people of the Dominican Republic are largely poor, yet have a great attitude towards tourists like us. They welcome foreigners into their country because they know that we are good for their economy. Otherwise, they would be even poorer.

The final thing we did today was to visit a sugarcane plantation, which also included a small cigar factory. What this visit amounted to was tasting sugarcane harvested right from the plant itself. I thought it tasted like sweet wood – not something you could eat, but sweet. This is used to make molasses and then sugar as the sweetener we’ve come to know and use regularly. As for the cigar factory, I tuned out of the presentation somewhat because only a few of the men present even smoke cigars and were thus interested; none of the women there were interested at all.

Finally, after everyone had visited the bathroom again (we’d had our first chance at relief at the homesteader’s place in the mountains), we were anxious to leave and reach the tour meeting place to reverse the re-arrangement of this morning, and then each be dropped off at our respective hotels. By this time, I was truly exhausted and was sure I would not have any energy to do anything but eat dinner with Brent, James and Dave, take my daily meds, get myself ready for Swimming with the Dolphins tomorrow morning at 8:00 am after breakfast, and thus be prepared to go on my own second adventure. This one would only take about three hours, so I am looking forward to it very much.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (3) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 3 – Sunday January 15, 2017:

Today, we will be looking to have our breakfast buffet in a dining tent, one that Dave has identified as a closer place for meals, and maybe better. Brent and James had lunch there yesterday and said that the food was hot and good. Dave, I think, had talked to a resort employee and was told that this red and white tent that we can see from our room is a tent used for buffets during the day.

Also, Brent tells me that he and James are planning to watch NFL football on TV pretty much all day. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers are each playing their individual playoff games and neither Brent nor James wants to miss these NFL playoff games that involve their two favourite teams. So, other than at breakfast, I’m not sure how much we’re going to see them today. Other than that, they are planning to be busy doing some adventures of their own, just like me, and the week will be sure to fly by extremely quickly for all of us.

Today, as I promised myself, after breakfast, I proceeded to spray my upper body and legs with the sunscreen I’d bought yesterday and I’m real glad I did. I also went swimming, but made sure the sunscreen was refreshed after each dip. Brent and James joined Dave and I at the pool and we all had our dips in the pool. Then Brent and Dave went to book some more adventures for Brent and James to do together this week. Meanwhile, I stayed at the pool with James. I threw and caught the football with James in the pool. At first, we were just fooling around, and then we decided to make a competition out of it. We wanted to see who could catch the ball the most times before it hit the water. I surprised myself by keeping up with James fairly well. We were never more than five points apart – one point per successful catch. At the end, we were even at one hundred points apiece and then I fumbled the last catch and he was successful at his, so he won the “shootout” so to speak. That activity was a lot of fun for both of us.

Then Brent and Dave came back and suggested we all go to the lunch buffet, again in the red and white tent nearby. So, James and I went to get changed out of our swim suits and then we all went to lunch. It was quite nice. Dave ate like it was the last supper, but I also had a good lunch and so did Brent and James. Those two left and went to play tennis for a while, I think. But, Dave and I were tired and we went back to our room to rest. I didn’t think I was all that tired, not like I was yesterday afternoon, but I did sleep a little and so did Dave of course.

Later that evening, as it was getting dark, Dave and I decided to go for dinner. We were all supposed to go to a French a-la-carte restaurant tonight, but missed our reservation time, maybe on purpose. So, we ended up going to the Garden Circus building nearby, which, as we found out, also had an a-la-carte menu in the evenings. We didn’t have a reservation, but the girl at the reservation podium felt sorry for Dave who uses his walker and let us come in for dinner anyway. Meanwhile, Brent and James planned on going to the sports bar in the main building, where the first (Larimar) buffet is, to watch at least the first NFL playoff game, but they said they were planning to return to their room for the second game and I was to join them there. I haven’t done that yet, but that depends on when they get back.

Tomorrow morning (early), I am going on my own very first adventure: the Caribbean VIP Safari, which Brent and James did not sign up for. They are going, instead, on the Swimming with the Dolphins adventure tomorrow, which I am going to on Tuesday morning. So, we’ll both be going (Brent and James, and I) only they will go one day earlier than me. They also planned to go on the Dune Buggies adventure with Dave, but I can’t remember what day they picked for that one. And, I think they also wanted to do one more adventure, only they haven’t booked it yet, either because they don’t know which one they want or if they even want one more.

Tomorrow’s adventure for me will be an all-day thing and I won’t get back in time to do any swimming in the pool or go to the beach. I’m afraid that the beach will have to wait till Tuesday afternoon after my Swimming with the Dolphins adventure. All I know is that I am having a blast here this week, so far. Brent and James and Dave tell me it’s the same for them. The food is pretty good, though it takes some getting used to. The drinks – that is, alcoholic drinks - can be had pretty much any time and any place you want – it’s an open bar during the daytime and into the evening if you want. There are lots of things to do to keep yourself and your group occupied, so boredom is never an issue. At this point, I kind of wish we could stay a little longer – like ten days – but that is impossible. We have to fly back on Friday January 20^th, but I’m sure we will have zero regrets, no matter what else happens this week.

One more thing – Dave’s 72^nd birthday is on Thursday January 19^th. He says he already has his birthday present – this trip – but Brent and I might plan something else, like a birthday cake, if that’s possible.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (2) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 2 – Saturday January 14, 2017:

Today, after breakfast, I have to meet with one of the hotel personnel / tour operator so that I can arrange our transportation to the airport next Friday, the day we’ll depart. It’s really a matter of logistics. We need transportation to the airport and, since we’ve already paid for it beforehand, we just have to make sure we have the ride we need when we need it. Other than that, we have some restaurant visits planned this week to inject variety and fun into our dinners here and, now that they are booked, we can relax and begin to enjoy our altogether too short time here.

So, when we all got up, at about 8:00 am, even though I woke up twice last night, I still managed to get a good night’s sleep. Brent also felt rested, and he really needed his sleep. Brent and James got busy very early doing a zip-line adventure. I couldn’t figure out how Brent managed to book and pay for this adventure so quickly. After all, we had just arrived at this resort. I found out later he booked it through another tour operator (not Transat). Dave and I told each other we’d go out to the pool, but Dave snoozed in his bed all morning, so I went out on my own and sat by the pool. When I got too hot, I went in for a dip and then decided to go to the pool bar and order a drink – a virgin Pina Colada drink (we’d been told by a tour operator not to drink Dominican rum because we could get really sick). I stayed for two drinks then got out of the pool and sat in my deck chair and read my book “The Girl on the Train”. Dave never did come down to the pool; he is still recovering from our trip here yesterday and is resting accordingly.

However, before even considering going to the pool, I had to go to the meeting requested by our tour operator, Raul, to arrange our departure time next Friday. He also gave us some much-needed information on the adventures we could sign up for. Since I knew I wanted to go on at least three adventures this week, I signed up for them right away. Later on, in the afternoon, I went back to Raul and paid for them; it cost me almost $360.00 USD, which sounds like a lot, but I have a feeling I’ll get real value for my money. The three adventures are: the Caribbean VIP Safari (an all-day tour of a nearby mountainous region and a city region, and includes lunch on a house-boat, which sails down a river); then there’s Swimming with the Dolphins, which I have never done, but Dave tells me it’s real hoot (he did it before on another trip here); and finally there’s Monkey Land, which is about having fun with small, but tame monkeys in an animal-friendly environment.

So, most of my morning was taken up with logistics and signing up for adventures. After I’d spent two or three hours at and in the pool, I felt like I had taken enough sun and decided to go back to our room and rest. I ended up taking a two-hour nap! As it happened, I had taken quite a bit of sun today. Brent warned me later on at dinner not to go out and sunbathe again (either in the pool or out) without putting on sunscreen, and he is absolutely right! I knew the sun here could do some real damage because the sun’s rays are so direct, but still, it crept up on me and I only realized after I’d had my nap that I’d gotten some first degree burns on my chest and arms! It sure didn’t take long for that to happen!

After our first a-la-carte dinner in an Italian restaurant on the resort, El Paradiso, at 6:45 pm, I walked with Dave over to the convenience store nearby and purchased a spray bottle of sunscreen, SPF 50. At one time, I would’ve thought this was too strong an SPF factor for me, but not anymore. No one who is white and from Canada, like me, can take their skin for granted in a country with a warm southern climate like the Dominican Republic. The sun is much more direct here because the Dominican Republic is much closer to the equator where the sun shines constantly and with strength. It doesn’t take long for the sun to damage your skin.

Tomorrow, I’ll do more swimming and sunbathing of course, but first, I’ll definitely spray my upper body, in particular, in the expectation that not doing so will injure my skin further and make my stay on this island miserable this week and I do not want that under any circumstances.

My Adventures in the Dominican Republic in 2017 (1) - by Anne Shier

(In the city of Punta Cana, D.R.)

DAY 1 – Friday January 13, 2017:

Today was an exercise in perseverance, tolerance, and a challenge of the ability to adapt extremely quickly to changing circumstances. It was a day in which I got almost no sleep from the time I woke up Thursday morning just after 8:00 am so that I could go to the chiropractor till the time I started writing this journal. It is now after 8:00 pm on Friday night and we’ve just finished eating our first dinner at this brand new resort called the “Luxury Bahia Principe Fantasia” in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and it is so new, guests have only been registering here for the last two months!

I have been up about thirty-six hours now and I never thought I would ever say that and mean it. But, Brent was up even longer than that. He had worked sixteen grueling hours on Wednesday just so that he could get Thursday off and prepare for our trip. He was the one who would drive us all to Pearson International Airport, then drop his car off at his workplace nearby, and then grab a ride from a buddy at work so that he could get back to the airport. As a result, Dave, Brent, James, and I were about to embark on an adventure that I’m sure will not be equaled anytime soon.

It’s not that this resort in the Dominican is so remarkable; it’s just that we are only human and that today somehow, we had decided for ourselves that we were going to do whatever it took to go on this adventure-of-a-lifetime and enjoy it no matter what. As it turned out, the plane trip took about five hours, including the time zone change of one hour; then the trip through Punta Cana International Airport seemed to take forever because we had to keep showing our passports as well as our declarations to border officials. Then, to top it all off, the bus trip to the resort also seemed to take forever. We sat in the bus in the crowded parking lot waiting and waiting and waiting for God knows how long for God knows who – missing passengers , no doubt. I was so tired by this time, I finally dozed off once the bus started moving and dreamt that I was still on the plane and that we hadn’t landed yet and, not only that, we weren’t going to land anytime soon.

About twelve hours after Brent had picked me up at Homewood Suites in Ajax - as we’d arranged for just after 4:00 am - we finally arrived in Punta Cana by plane at just after 1:00 pm, went through the border control at the airport, picked up our baggage, and made it to the resort around 2:00 pm. Then, we had to wait and wait and wait at the resort for someone to check us into our hotel rooms there. We weren’t sure we were going to get the two conjoined rooms that we’d so fervently insisted on, but in the end, it didn’t matter. Brent and James are just down the hall a little from Dave and me. We like the look of the resort; we like our hotel rooms; and we sort of liked the buffet dinner tonight, or would’ve if we’d been a little less fatigued.

Anyway, we are all here now ready to enjoy the various swimming pools, the beach, and any activities that we may feel inclined to sign up for. Brent and James are, for sure, going to be very busy on their own, while Dave and I are probably going to lounge a lot by the pools and beach this week. Brent also plans to be busy late at night and that’s where I come in. I will look after James while Brent is out on the town, so to speak. I don‘t care what he’s up to on or off the resort as long as he doesn’t get himself into trouble with the law. He’s his own person and he will have to be responsible for himself. I am merely the loving grandmother who has volunteered to look after James late at night while Brent is out. It’s a labour of love, which I certainly do not mind doing for him and James.

So, tomorrow morning is the true beginning of our vacation here in Punta Cana at the “Luxury Bahia Principe Fantasia” resort and we plan on making it the best vacation we’ve ever had or ever will have!

The Beginning of New Year 2017 (6) - by Anne Shier

(At Brent's Home in Janetville, Ontario)

DAY 6 – Friday January 6, 2017:

This is the last full day I’ll be spending at Brent’s home for a while. Tomorrow morning, I am going home and getting myself ready for our trip a week from today, Friday January 13, 2017. I can hardly wait!

Today, James and I slept in again because we both went to bed late last night. Brent, of course, had crashed about 9:30 pm, so he missed most of the Gold Medal game between Canada and the US. That was quite a game and something I’m sure I wouldn’t normally see except at the NHL Stanley Cup finals. The game ended in overtime and a shootout and the US won the shootout, so they won the gold.

James and I had breakfast, and then I washed the dishes. James had gotten dressed when he got up and I got dressed after doing the dishes. Then, I took off for the convenience store, which was about fifteen minutes away, to get some bread and syrup. James’ friend, Jayden, had come over to play video games with him for the afternoon. I warmed up the leftover pizza from Brent’s birthday feast. There was just enough for James, Jayden, and me for a sort of late lunch.

Brent is planning on going out tonight and he wants me to make dinner for James and me, so I thought I would make pancakes and bacon for dinner. Brent says he doesn’t care what I make for dinner – it’s our choice.

I have yet to call Johnson Unifund to obtain a tenant’s home insurance policy for my apartment’s contents, so if I don’t do it today, I will have to do it early next week, but I am going to do it as soon as I can.

I will have to get my hair cut and dyed, see Dr. Ching on Monday morning with Dave, do some laundry, and then pack my suitcase by Thursday. On Thursday, I have to see Jason, my chiropractor, in the morning and later that day, check into Homewood Suites in Ajax since that is where I’ll be picked up by Brent and James and Dave for our trip to the airport very early on Friday morning. That location is easier for them to pick me up at than York Mills station since the subway doesn’t run that early in the morning.

The Beginning of New Year 2017 (5) - by Anne Shier

(At Brent's Home in Janetville, Ontario)

DAY 5 – Thursday January 5, 2017:

This week, I would like to ensure that I have up-to-date tenant’s home insurance via Johnson Unifund if possible since Johnson was my insurer when I owned my house in Ajax, Ontario.

Today, Brent went to work for his usual 7:00 am start and James and I slept in till 10:00 am; when we were both up, I made breakfast. James had four Eggo waffles today. I guess he was really hungry or maybe on another growing spurt. All I had was one cinnamon and raisin bagel. Then, I decided to bake the cake that I’d promised Brent last night. The cake mix was in his cupboard and it was easy enough to assemble the ingredients and do the baking – the cake turned out just perfect! At least, Brent has a birthday cake this year.

After breakfast, James finished his book report on the book he’d just finished. Then, he took a shower and got dressed. Then, James played his football video game on the PS4. After I finished baking Brent’s birthday cake, I took my own shower and got dressed. I then spent part of the afternoon playing “World Geography” and “Trivia Quiz” on my smart phone.

Then, I discovered a Google Music app on my smart phone that had the old rock ‘n roll hits that I used to love in the past, so I also spent part of the afternoon playing the old hits. I have lots of music CDs that I’ve bought, as well as my own stored rock ‘n roll music on my laptop, but this is much better. Also, I ordered a classical music CD and three DVDs from the Amazon web site: the Amazon app was visible on my smart phone. You see – I’ve used my smart phone so little till now that I’d forgotten which apps I’d downloaded previously. And, there are absolutely tons to be obtained. Most are free for the taking, so if I want them, I can have them.

I’m definitely taking my smart phone with me to the Dominican Republic. I’m also taking my notebook computer with me; it’s much easier to type my daily travel journals on it than on a smart phone. Both devices will keep me busy while we’re down there for the week.

Brent, James and I watched the Gold Medal game of the IIHFWorld Junior Hockey Championship between Canada and the US. However, James only watched the first half and I was the only one who watched the whole thing. Brent crashed on the couch soon after it started and so he only saw a tiny bit of the game.

The Beginning of New Year 2017 (4) - by Anne Shier

(At Brent's Home in Janetville, Ontario)

DAY 4 – Wednesday January 4, 2017:

It’s Brent’s thirty-third birthday today, but he has to go to work regardless. However, we are planning to have a nice birthday feast together tonight when he gets home from work and James and I will be chipping in to pay for it. It’s supposed to be pizza and wings and they tell me it’s something they enjoy eating very much on a regular basis.

Today has been a very cold and windy day. Brent was going to work till 5:00 pm (2 hours of overtime), but changed his mind and left work a little earlier. At first, it was doubtful whether the delivery driver for “Tony’s Best” would be willing to deliver our order, or any order for that matter, the roads were so icy. But, Brent persuaded the restaurant owners that if he paid the driver $100.00, which would include a handsome $20.00 tip because it’s his birthday today, he hoped that the driver would finally say that he would deliver our dinner to us. Brent doesn’t even have to pay for much of it; James and I are paying for most of it. That’s what he gets for having his birthday in the coldest month of the year.

We didn’t do much today except to have a late breakfast and a late lunch. James played some football video games on the PS4 and I read my book and then played “World Geography” and “Trivia Quiz” on my recently-purchased smart phone, games, which I had also played last night. In fact, I’m now really into these two games, which is saying a lot since I don’t usually like playing games on the computer except for “Solitaire”. In fact, I’d almost forgotten that I even had a smart phone. I was using it a lot during“Rio 2016” last summer for getting final Olympic results and during my trip to the UK and Europe in the fall so that I could take pictures with the phone’s camera. But, I’ve never used it as a phone believe it or not, however, that will change the next time I take a trip overseas. I would just have to purchase a travel package from Rogers before leaving Canada for the time that I’m away.

In the early afternoon, James talked me into taking a short walk outside. We were supposed to explore along the shoreline to see if anyone was building a skating rink nearby. Brent wanted to know this because he wants to help with building the rink so that he and James can use it during the winter. However, all James and I did was walk along Coleman Lane to Coleman Crescent (the main road) and then continued walking over to Jayden’s to see if he and James could play together today at Jayden’s house. But, Jayden wasn’t home. Maybe tomorrow, he and James will be able to get together to play.

I did do some necessary banking first thing this morning and sent Brent some money I owed him for the futon mattress he’d bought for me. I also paid off an old MBNA bill; however, I noticed that this old bill did not contain any of the costs of our trip down south. So, I am expecting a rather hefty bill later this month that will include those costs and I want to catch up on paying off that trip as soon as possible. I am trying my best to keep up with the costs of the trips that I’ve taken or will take and with the Authorhouse expenses for the two book reviews I’d ordered at the end of the summer.

Today, Dave called me and verified that he was at the Travel Plus office to pick up our airline tickets and the papers for the travel health insurance for Brent and James that I have now paid for. Katina had also made the two necessary changes to Brent’s and James’ names so that they now match those in their passports. As of today, we are only nine days away from departing to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and are extremely excited at the prospect! I’m sure it’ll be the trip of a lifetime that we will remember long afterwards.

The birthday feast that Brent ordered from “Tony’s Best” was really quite nice. There was a meat-lover’s pizza (extra-large), chicken wings with honey garlic sauce, cheesy garlic bread, potato wedges, and a large bottle of ice tea. There was more than enough food for all of us. After dinner, we watched some TV – the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, as well as some other shows. I saw some rather amusing, if not edgy, cartoons called “Teletoons at Night”, no doubt meant for adults or children who are at least fourteen years of age.

The Beginning of New Year 2017 (3) - by Anne Shier

(At Brent's Home in Janetville, Ontario)

DAY 3 – Tuesday January 3, 2017:

Today, we all slept in till 11:30 am. As usual, I did not sleep well, nevertheless, I had a comfortable night due to the new futon mattress he just bought for me (but, I paid for it). Brent had worked late last night and didn’t get home until 10:45 pm. James and I had spent a quiet day together yesterday. I had made him breakfast and later on lunch and then a very simple dinner.

Brent had some errands to run for himself today, so while James was still asleep, I went downstairs and made myself a coffee. Then, I got James up at noon and I went to get washed and dressed. James got dressed too and went downstairs to start reading his book for homework since he had to finish it this week. After breakfast, I phoned Dr. Ching’s office to arrange an appointment for Dave to see Dr. Ching at the same time as my appointment time next Monday. This is something we ordinarily do when either of us has to go see Dr. Ching. We would then meet at the doctor’s office. Then, I phoned Katina at Travel Plus to make an important change to our names because all of our names on our individual airline tickets have to match those in our passports. I think this is some kind of security measure to ensure that the person flying that day at that time on that airplane is the person whose passport is being presented upon check-in. All I know is that it is a requirement that the names on the tickets match the names in the passports exactly.

Once we get to the airport, very early on January 13, 2017, we’ll just have to print our boarding passes, check our luggage in (one bag each), and go through security for the carry-on baggage we’ll have. It’s all a very streamlined process and largely automated. Even our baggage tags can be printed out at the airport. This upcoming trip is getting to be very exciting and I feel I have to do my part to make sure it’s a resounding success, which it will be if everything is done correctly and properly beforehand.

Now, Dave can go pick up our airline tickets and travel health insurance papers for Brent and James from Katina at the Travel Plus office and then, we’ll be good to go. I have to make sure I have all the travel insurance papers for Dave, Brent, and James, as well as my own OTIP health card for my own travel insurance in my baggage upon departure for the Dominican Republic. Travel insurance includes health insurance while out of the country on a trip as well as cancellation insurance in case, for some unforeseen reason, one or more of us cannot go on this trip.

The rest of this day has been pretty quiet. I’ve been reading my own book and drinking my second coffee, and James is making good progress in reading his book. I made James a grilled cheese sandwich again for lunch today. Brent came home later on with fresh groceries he bought and with a new printer that he needed for printing computer documents, namely the permission letter he needs to create for Tori to sign. With good luck and preparation, this trip will be everything we expect it to be.

For dinner, Brent made his marinated pork chops on the barbeque using his own marinade recipe and we ate them with rice and mixed vegetables. It was a delicious meal.

The Beginning of New Year 2017 (3) - by Anne Shier

(At Brent's Home in Janetville, Ontario)

DAY 3 – Tuesday January 3, 2017:

Once we get to the airport, very early on January 13, 2017, we’ll just have to print our boarding passes, check our luggage in (one bag each), and go through security for the carry-on baggage we’ll have. It’s all a very streamlined process and largely auto-mated. Even our baggage tags can be printed out at the airport. This upcoming trip is getting to be very exciting and I feel I have to do my part to make sure it’s a resound-ing success, which it will be if everything is done correctly and properly beforehand.

For dinner, Brent made his marinated pork chops on the barbeque using his own marinade recipe and we ate them with rice and mixed vegetables. It was a delicious meal.

The Beginning of New Year 2017 (2) - by Anne Shier

(At Brent's Home in Janetville, Ontario)

DAY 2 – Monday January 2, 2017:

Today, Brent went to work for a 9:00 am start, which is later than his usual 7:00 am start. Meanwhile, James and I slept in until about 10:00 am and then I made him a breakfast of toaster waffles with butter and syrup. I made myself my usual coffee and some toast with jam. After breakfast, I took a quick shower and got dressed. I knew I had to call Katina today at Travel Plus to tell her that Brent and James both need travel health insurance, which I had neglected to get when I booked this trip in November. Katina wasn’t in the office since her office was closed today, but I was still able to call her cell phone. She promised me that she would do this task for me first thing tomorrow morning. She knows how imperative it is for travelers to have health coverage while out of the country.

James had his assigned tasks to do at the same time. He had to read his book, at least a third of it this morning. It was homework assigned by his teacher and his dad wanted him to do it today. Brent also wanted him to take out the recyclables from the bin in the kitchen and bring them all outside, sort them, and put them into the correct bins by the lane behind the house. On Wednesdays, the garbage and the recyclables are collected from the main road for the neighbourhood, so they bring theirs to the main road then for collection.

Later on, in the early afternoon, I made a grilled cheese sandwich for James and gave him some orange juice to drink with it. I ate some yogurt and, for dessert, we each had a Passion-Flakey pastry. We were thinking of going for a walk across the now-frozen lake later on after James played some of his video games, but I had started reading my book and fell asleep upstairs on my bed. I don’t usually sleep well at night, so napping during the day has become important to me lately.

This week, I would like to apply online to the Toronto District School Board’s web site for supply teaching on the Secondary Panel. The TDSB head office had told me to apply in January 2017. If I do enough supply teaching this year, a maximum of fifty days usually, then I can make about ten thousand dollars extra without impacting my pension payments. That’s money I could use for travelling in the future and for using to publish a new book or publicize my existing two books. Everything costs money, as we all know, so I always want to make sure I’m not spending money I don’t have and that I always a reserve stored in TFSA Mutual Funds for the things I’m planning on doing. That’s tax-free money that can grow and keep me going during rough times should there be any in the future.

I guess the only concern I have about working in 2017 is getting enough sleep the night before a supply teaching job. It’s been a struggle for me lately to get the sleep I need, mostly due to arthritic pain. However, I do try daily to get my self-assigned tasks done in the afternoons so that I can relax in the mornings and the evenings while at home.

I’ve decided to write about my Christmas holidays that I spent up here at Brent’s place as well as about this week’s activities while I’m babysitting James. So, I spent some time this morning and afternoon writing in my daily journal.

Brent called me this afternoon to see how we were and everything’s fine. I asked him what I should make for dinner for James and me since he is working late tonight, so he suggested making soup and/or toasted tomato and bacon sandwiches. It’s not that he doesn’t have enough food here; he just has to go grocery shopping to get refills of certain things, like milk and English muffins, for example. Anyway, Brent’s got the day off tomorrow (because he’s working late tonight) and he decided to get ready for our trip next week by getting a necessary letter of permission from Tori to take James down to the Dominican Republic for the week of January 13 to 20, 2017. This is imperative so that, at the Canadian border, the officers don’t think that James is being kidnapped by Brent. (Don’t laugh – this kind of activity sometimes happens between divorced / separated parents who share children). A letter of permission would ensure that there would be no hassle at the border when Brent took James out of Canada for our vacation with Dave and me.

In fact, Tori had to do the same thing recently when she and Jeff took James and a family friend down to Darien Lake, a resort in Ohio, USA. As long as there was letter of permission from Brent and a current passport for James, no problem. We all need passports these days, even if we’re only going to the USA. Although it wasn’t always like that, it’s been that way since the events of 9/11 and that’s to assure the US government that they are not letting in criminals or terrorists into their country and I can’t say I blame them.