Days of Doreese

Isla Mujeres 2009 ~~ Day 1

2009-05-16T20:20:00.001-07:00

It's been quite a while since I've done any updating to my blog.....winter ended, we went to Mexico, my dad is doing well, and spring has finally arrived! Time just flies by like always. For many years, I have posted detailed trip reports on various message boards, about our holidays to Mexico. I will post them here as well, a permanent spot for me to look back and dream a little when the snow starts to fall again........and one of these days, I will post some highlights of the Chicas Only holiday from October '08!

Isla Mujeres 2009

“Pinch Me….am I really here!?!”

Well, I’m a little slower than usual getting this trip report started…..life just gets in the way sometimes! I was tempted to skip a report this year, but decided that after doing these for 10 years, it might be bad luck to stop. So, here goes…not a lot of detail as I did not take any notes at all. Hope you enjoy a little of our fun….

We flew with Alaska Airlines….used our Alaska miles and got our flights for a grand total of $204 for the both of us, Canada to Cancun return…awesome! We did have to stay overnight in Seattle on both legs but we always enjoy our short visits there and get in some shopping too.

Our flights were on time and we landed in Cancun…a bit of a wait at immigration, but that meant that we didn’t have to wait for luggage. Another wait as we have to load our suitcases into the x-ray machine and then….green light…woohoo! Now, we’re really here! Outside in the warmth, the AGI Tours driver is waving a card with our name and after a short wait for him to fetch the van, we are off. ( http://www.agitours.com/ )No wait for the ferry as it is there and we just make it on…whew….sorry that Vince is out of focus…he must have been giggling with glee….

As we disembark on the new dock, I notice that there is no click clack sound of the suitcase wheels…kind of missed that! As soon as we reach Rueda Medina, I take in the sights, sounds and smells….we’re home again. We quickly find a maletero to take all of our bags…hey, we’re here for a month, but I really do have to learn how to pack less! We are staying at Xbulu-Ha
( http://sites.google.com/site/hotelxbuluha/Home ) for our first few days and then moving to our home-away-from-home at Casita William, Villa Makax Townhomes
( http://www.villamakax.com/ocean.htm ). I’ll post photos of our room in a later report…I highly recommend Xbulu-Ha….clean rooms, convenient location and exceptional staff.

Super quick, we toss the travel clothes and get into our comfy Isla attire. Although it’s not really our favourite restaurant, it is our tradition since our first Isla stay in 2003, to have our first meal at Rolandi’s. So, there is no discussion about ‘where shall we eat’, as our feet lead the way to Hidalgo. It’s not overly busy and we find a table right on the street. Vino blanco for me, cerveza for Vince and a Hawaii pizza for two…..ahhhh, we’re here!

The service is, as usual…okay….the food is, as usual…okay…the fact that we are on Isla enjoying it….Priceless! It’s amazing how quickly we can get into the ‘Isla vibe’….there must be something in the air.

Tummies satisfied, we meander down to CoMoNo’s to see if Lee and Chen are there tonight….no luck, so we walk a few feet, feeling the magnetic pull of Miguel’s Pom Pom Margs, as I call them. Deadly but so sweet and yummy!

It’s great to see Miguel again…he puts on his game face, assuring me that he will not be telling Vince all about the fun that the Isla Bomba girls had here in October. Thank you Miguel! Whew! Not that we did anything that we shouldn’t have, right chicas?! We didn’t do anything like this did we?

That’s why they’re two for one! No sooner do we get settled slurping away, when we see Kathryn and Bruce ( http://www.kathrynstravel.com/ ). And after another drink, or maybe 2, who comes along, but dear Cuzin Frank! He’s pulling his suitcase, having just arrived, and on his way to Los Arcos. Awww, c’mon back and join us Frank. Sure enough, in just a few short minutes, he is back…guess he just couldn’t pass up on some fun! And what fun we had!

It was a great way to start off our holiday! Back to our room much later, where we quickly fall asleep, dreaming of more fun to come….

What have we been up to?.....

2009-02-01T08:46:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been a little while since my last post...sometimes life just gets in the way of doing fun stuff!

What we've been up to...

...suffering through what seems like a long, snowy winter...

...enjoying the cold instead of fighting it...skating in the sunshine at Silver Star www.skisilverstar.com

...realizing that we do live in a beautiful and scenic part of Canada...that's valley fog that we got above when we were at Silver Star

....celebrating our middle son Jason's 20th birthday..

...and of course, a lot of our time is spent hoping that my dad will make a full recovery from his esophageal cancer surgery. It was only 2 months ago, but it seems like 2 years ago....a long and bumpy road. Dad had his esophagus stretched for the second time this past Thursday. He was unable to eat or drink any fluid by mouth. He is still on his tube feeding but has now lost a total of 20 pounds. Luckily, his mental clarity is much improved. Today, he can eat soft foods and liquids...I am almost envious of his diet of ice cream and pudding! He is having his esophagus stretched again this Thursday in hopes that it won't be back to the size of a pen refill again. The 'connection' site does not have very good blood flow so the tissue is not healing well and staying stretched. They will continue to do these stretches in hopes that he won't have to have a surgical procedure to correct it. We just don't want Dad to have general anesthesia again if we can help it. There's the concern of mental deteriorations that comes with that but also the chance of more heart attacks. So, we'll keep hoping that the stretches will help so he can have some freedom from the tube feeding and enjoy eating a more normal diet and gaining back some weight. Here's a great photo of him from Jason's birthday on Jan.27....

...and in between all of that, we continue to plan for our holiday to Mexico. We are scheduled to leave in just 11 more days! Yikes! Haven't even begun to pack so it will be a last minute dash to get ready....all depending on how stable my Dad is. For his sake and my mom's, I hope he is doing much better after this next procedure. They deserve a holiday too!

So, that's our life in a nutshell lately.....thank you to all of our good friends who continue to be so kind and supportive for the past few months...we so appreciate it!

Let's hope the sun keeps shining on this road of life that we are on!...

2009-01-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

Speaking of shoveling......Snow, Snow, Go Away!

This winter seems to be going on forever and it's only January! December was filled with record-breaking low temps....-28C, and now we are having snow, snow and more snow. I can't remember a winter like this in quite a few years. Sure wish it was white sand that we were looking at instead of white snow, even if it is pretty and pristine.

A view from our home...

A few days ago our son Jason went snowshoeing on some nearby hills....

His view....

One good thing about all this snow...it means the water reservoirs will be full and we can water the lawn this summer. But, I'd still rather not be shoveling! Oh yeah, that's what hubbies and kids are for! Get back at it boys!

How many more sleeps until Isla Mujeres????

2009-01-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Canadian Junior Hockey Team Wins GOLD Again!!!

Every Canadian eats, drinks and sleeps Hockey at this time of year. Once the snow shoveling is done, there's nothing better than curling up by the fire and watching a great hockey game. As kids, we all grew up skating on the local ponds and lakes. I did figure skating for a few years and Vince was a hockey player in his waaaay younger days! :) As teens growing up in a relatively small town, the exciting thing to do on the weekend was to head to our local arena and support our first rate hockey team. Those were the days when Ken Holland was a player with the 'Vernon Vikings'. Little did we know then that he would grow up to be the GM of the Detroit Red Wings!

So, it's been an exciting few days while we watched our junior team inch closer to the medal round. These young players play with such energy and for the most part, it's all about the sport and not about hitting the other guy. On Saturday, we were on the edge of our seats as Canada and Russia battled it out with Canada winning in a shoot out. Tonight was exciting too, but not quite as stressful as we beat Sweden with a resounding score of 5-1. That gives Canada the gold medal for the 5th Year in a Row!!!

Way to go Canada! Congratulations!!!

Ok, back to shoveling snow......

2008-12-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2009!

We wish you a very happy and healthy 2009!!

Doreese y Bince

2008-12-28T12:55:00.000-08:00

With the chaos of Christmas over and the snow falling once again, it's time to start dreaming of Mexico 2009. In 6 short weeks, we'll be on our way to Isla Mujeres. Can't wait! This winter has been too long already!

What are your holiday plans for 2009?

Doreese y Bince....Isla dreamin'

2008-12-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

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Merry Christmas Daddy!

Well, it’s been a VERY long 4 weeks! As I write this, my Dad is finally on his way home…something that we thought wasn’t going to happen. It’s the best Christmas present!

First of all, my family and I send a heartfelt thank you to all of you who were so kind and supportive…the emails and postings meant more to us than you will ever know. We are forever grateful to all of you!

Dad has a long history with cancer…..one testicle removed in 1968…surgery, chemo and radiation….one kidney removed in 1991…surgery only. In October 2008 he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer…very early stage. The surgery is very difficult but radiation alone was not an option due to Dad’s previous radiation therapy in 1968.

Dad had surgery for esophageal cancer on Wednesday Nov.26. During the operation, they remove the esophagus and ‘stretch’ the stomach up to attach to the remaining part of the esophagus. When they did this in Dad’s case, his spleen began to bleed….scar tissue from radiation treatments for testicular cancer in 1968. He required 8 pints of blood. The spleen is very important in helping to fight infections…something that Dad would experience in the days to come.

After a very long wait (8+ hours) we saw Dad in the SCCU (Surgical Cardiac Care Unit). He was coherent but in a lot of pain. He can’t tolerate morphine so we made sure they were giving him other meds. On Friday, his one kidney began going into renal failure and his blood pressure was too high. There was also fluid in the lungs. We had a few moments with him and said things that we all wanted to say and then let the doctors take over to put in the central line. I think Dad knew he was in trouble. When they put in the ‘central line’ (one intravenous line to administer all meds and take blood etc), Dad’s lungs filled with fluid, and he panicked when he couldn’t breathe and they ended up putting him on a ventilator. During this, he also suffered a heart attack and they had to shock it into rhythm. He was transferred to ICU where he remained for the next 11 days.

There are far too many details to post of what happened over the next week and longer….another heart attack, E-Coli infection, C-Difficil infection, renal failure, lung failure, unstable blood pressure and heart rates…either too low or too high, chest drains for chest cavity fluid etc etc. Dad was on every machine that you can imagine. He slept through it all while Mom and I sat by his bedside for hours every day. It was emotionally and mentally draining. It was also something that we knew Dad did not want and we informed the doctors that we wanted no heroic efforts…although I think we were already in that territory.

On Saturday, Dec.6, the ventilator was removed and Dad spoke to us for the first time. Daddy was back! He told us how much he loved us and how he could never thank us for all that we had done for him. That would be the last coherent statement that we would hear from him in quite a few days. Since Dad had been resting for so long, he was well-recovered from his surgery. This was a good thing, but it also meant that he was anxious to get up and move around. Not possible with all the things that were still connected to him. The ICU nurses had to sedate him and this is where the next week of trouble began. Dad can’t tolerate morphine or any other kind of drug that affects the central nervous system. The nurses were giving him anti-psychotics and anti-depressants (often used for elderly patients with age-related confusion) as well as sleeping pills….he slipped into a drug-induced dementia. This was more difficult for us to go through than him being on a ventilator. It was like someone had taken all of his thoughts and experiences of the last 77 years, thrown them in a blender and now it was all coming out, all mixed up. We couldn’t convince the doctors that he wouldn’t come out of this fog until they stopped the meds. They agreed, but they couldn’t keep him under control at night when we weren’t there.

On Tuesday, Dec.16, Dad was transferred via ambulance to our local hospital. He was in a private room with 1 to 1 monitoring. His last med was on Monday night. He was still very confused. We needed at least 72 hours with no meds to see if he would improve mentally. The next week passed with Mom spending most of her days and all of her evenings and nights at the hospital. There was not enough staff to offer the 1 to 1 every night, so Mom slept in his room to help him. We knew that we had to keep him off the meds or he would never get back to ‘himself’. It’s been so hard on my Mom. They grew up together in Copenhagen and have been married for 54 years...there's nothing that they won't do for each other.

Today, Tuesday, Dec.23, Dad is on his way home. Yes, he is still a little more confused than what he was pre-surgery, but he has a lot more coherence each day. More forgetful than he was before, as well. He is still on a feeding tube at night but is starting to eat more regular food. Mom has said that she doesn’t need home care assistance, but I think she may find that it is more than she can handle, long term. Time will tell. During the holidays, all of us will be helping out…thank goodness we only live 5 minutes apart.

I’m not sure how much turkey Dad will have tomorrow on Christmas Eve and I know he can’t dance around the candle-lit Christmas tree in our Danish tradition, but he’s alive and he’s home with his family. That’s what Christmas is all about!

Isla Chicas 2008

2008-11-24T22:09:00.000-08:00

Now that we have the beginnings of Isla Chicas 2008....the room and a Roca Mar update....it's time to get on with the FUN stuff! During a wonderful day at the new and improved Zama's, I coerced the chicas into joining me in a long tradition....the beach back photo! They were a willing bunch, so it was easy to get them settled in a secluded spot while I ran back and forth, setting the camera timer and running back into the line-up. Lots of giggles! So, here they are....Isla Chicas 2008!!

Lots of fun yet to come but.....Doreese's blog will have to go on a bit of a holiday.....my dad is having surgery for esophageal cancer on Wednesday, November 26. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.....

Roca Mar Update as of Nov.1/08

2008-11-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

Roca Mar Update as of Nov.1/08 -- Update Jan 09--see bottom of post....

I took a morning walk past our first favourite place to stay….the Roca Mar. We began staying here in 2003….loved the funkiness of the place and the fact that ‘Ino’ was there to watch over it all. Miss him….we have a lot of wonderful memories from the Roca Mar.

Anyway, Roca Mar was sold earlier this year and has been undergoing a major renovation. One that was sorely needed. It is a beautiful location and I am so happy to see the restoration taking place instead of it being bulldozed for some 6 story condo building! Once the work is done, it will be a prime location to stay….although much pricier than in the past I’m sure!

Here are some photos that I took on November 1st…there were a lot of workers there so I’m sure a lot of progress has been made since then. Tentative opening date is for some time in December. We shall see! M & J's is currently located on Hidalgo....search them out for a delicious breakfast.

It will be exciting to see the finished project!

UPDATE--Jan 2009

The Roca Mar is finished and looks amazing! There is some information here...

http://www.isla-mujeres.net/hotelrocamar/

and you can see the new photos at Kathryn's Travel...

http://www.kathrynstravel.com/Rocamar_IslaMujeres.html

Isla Mujeres Chicas Only October 2008 -- The Room

2008-11-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

What a crazy FUN holiday this was!!! Somehow, a bunch of little pieces fell together and a group of chicas ended up on Isla Mujeres at the same time. No hubbies or boyfriends in sight...woohoo! Let the 'Sisterhood of the Travelling Bra' begin!

So, where to stay? Girls travelling alone need a safe, secure place to stay. Not to mention, convenient location, clean and Cheap! We needed to budget wisely so we would have more pesos for pompom margs!

Maria Leticia was quickly chosen and with help from Chris on Isla Mujeres, the reservations were made. I was very happy with my room, and for the price it couldn't be beat. I would definitely recommend this location for anyone. It's a very popular place and has many regulars that stay there for long holidays. We were lucky to get in as it was low season. Their website is http://www.isla-mujeres.net/rentals/marialeticia/home.htm

Here is a little tour of my room and the location of Maria Leticia....

There was always lots of water pressure....the light in the bathroom was very dim though....I had to use a little flashlight in there sometimes!

Great views from the balcony!

On the second night I closed this heavy wooden door....it kept out any noise and gave added security as well.

Watch out for all the wires!

The metal security gate closes and locks at night....we had to wake up a night watchman several times...poor guy!

A little video of the room...

Dancing With The Stars!

2008-11-18T00:32:00.000-08:00

The countdown is on!

We are big fans of Dancing with the Stars...I know, I know, it's TV fluff, but tell me....who doesn't wish that they could do some of those dances! Next time I'm on Isla and that salsa music comes on I just want to get up and shake it like Brooke or Julianne....I'm shaking twice as much stuff so it should be twice as good, right?! :)

Today was the semi-final and it's down to Lance, Cody, Warren and Brooke. So who is going to take home the coveted disco ball trophy?

My thoughts.....

Cody---cute kid but doesn't have a lot of flexibility...love Julianne....think he might be going home tomorrow

Warren---not a big fan of this guy....I think his dancing is sloppy, but he is light on his feet. I'm not sure that he deserves to be in the final as his content is seriously lacking, compared to the others

Lance---talk about coming from behind! He has been doing great on the last few dances! I've really enjoyed their originality. The judges were tough on them from the start, but they have worked so hard. I really like Lacey too. I'm leaning towards the trophy for them...depends on what they do next week

Brooke---kind of like Kristi of last year....front runner from the start. Derek creates some very tough choreography. Their routines are more difficult than the rest of the dancers, but maybe they should tone it down a bit and be a little more perfect in their technique instead. She's definitely a natural talent.

If you're watching...make sure you vote for your favourite! Who do you think will win?

Bond is Back!

2008-11-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

We went to see the new Bond movie last night...Quantum of Solace...what an action packed movie that was! I still find the plots a little confusing...the usual bad guy doing bad stuff and the good guy doing bad stuff for a good reason.... but there was definitely a lot of on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments to make up for it. It was interesting that it was a continuation of the last Bond....I don't remember Bond movies being like that before.

Daniel Craig is a superb Bond....I can't believe that I was so upset the day that they said Pierce wouldn't be back again as Bond...uh, Pierce who?

The fluff is gone, even the martinis are different in this one...just 2 hours of action!

Who is your favourite Bond?

Holiday Smiles!

2008-11-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed if you smile more when you're on a holiday? Or laugh a LOT? I know I do! My recent holiday to Isla Mujeres was an all-girls holiday. What a FANTASTIC holiday it was! Of course it was different not sharing Isla time with hubby, but how often do you get a group of women together like this.....most of us have met on Isla Mujeres or have only met on message boards. We were together for hours every day and night...and never tired of each others' company. My cheeks were sore for days after I came home from all the laughing! This photo was taken at Casa Sirena...we were lucky enough to be invited to a happy hour get-together there. The margaritas were awesome and the company even greater. Just look at all the smiles!! That's what holidays are all about.....

A sunrise goodbye....

2008-11-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed the most beautiful sunrise when I had to leave Isla Mujeres on the 6am ferry on Nov.2. Seeing that made me smile, but it certainly didn't make it any easier to leave!

Twilight is finished

2008-11-12T22:56:00.000-08:00

I started reading Twilight during the girls only Isla Mujeres holiday in late October. I just finished it....enjoyed it. It may be a 'teen' book, but for light reading on the beach, it was great. I'm looking forward to the movie....bought tickets for the show on Nov.21, and I'm also starting the second book in the series, New Moon.

What book have you recently read and enjoyed?

2008-11-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

A little more about us.....

Vince and I both have busy full-time jobs that we enjoy....Vince with the Ministry of Health as an Environmental Health Officer and I am an Office Manager at a private company. Our youngest son is in grade 9, middle son is in second year university striving for a degree in Physics and our oldest is out on his own and working hard. Each day is filled from start to finish so.....

....We love our Mexico holidays......it all started back in 1999, when we took our first holiday to Mexico and stayed for 2 wonderful weeks at the all-inclusive Iberostar Tucan resort, just south of Playa del Carmen. One look at that gorgeous blue ocean and we were in love!

We had already been on several holidays to California and loved relaxing and wine-tasting in Santa Barbara, but Mexico was a whole new adventure. We had no sooner returned from our 1st Iberostar visit when we began planning the next holiday. We returned to the Iberostar Tucan again in 2000 and then tried a new Iberostar in 2001, the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar. It was during a visit to the Iberostar in 2002 that we took a day trip to Isla Mujeres, a small island just off the mainland near Cancun. Wow....now this is a relaxing place! We added Isla Mujeres to our holiday list!

Over the next few years, our holidays were shared between the Iberostar and Isla Mujeres. In some ways they are the complete opposite of each other, but they both offer us the relaxation and fun that we look for on our holidays. We've also enjoyed sharing these special places with our sons.

We are lucky to be able to go to Mexico for 3-4 weeks each February and then we also try to go again in August for our wedding anniversary. Mexico holidays are cheaper and way more fun than marriage counselling!

So, this blog will be a lot about...planning for Mexico and being in Mexico....our favourite home away from home!

2008-11-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Time to join the blogging world!

My first post in my first blog! It feels GOOD!

What will this blog be about?...hmmmm.....daily life with hubby, 3 sons, 3 cats, a full-time job and.....dreaming of our next holiday to Mexico!