I guess I didn’t post yesterday, funny, I don’t remember NOT posting!
Yesterday I had a dental cleaning. I used to have a young pretty dental hygienist, But in the 10 years I’ve known her, although she’s stayed pretty, she’s gotten older, had a few kids and grown up before my eyes. She doesn’t work there any more, apparently and now I have a grueling tough hygienist. She did a good job though.

Today I expect to be busy at work. As is always. I’m having a small go-around with my boss who doesn’t want to pay me for my travel time. “When you’re sitting at the airport, waiting on a plane, you’re not working”.
Ha!

The lot uncleared

The lot cleared

My first neighbor

It was a good weekend, Saturday beach and Sunday diving, plus last night we had guests over for dinner and cigars! The house lot is cleared, and construction will begin soon.

Today I have to meet my builder at the bank, where he signs a contract with them and gets a check to start construction of my house. It’s taken years but it will finally start.
Wish me luck!

I’m having a hard time coming up with topics for my blog lately. I’ve been putting a new studio in at work. I’ve been going to the beach at lunch. and I’ve been having a great time with the OI Girl in the evenings and weekends.
When I’m not at the computer, I think of all kinds of good stuff to write here, but when I’m here, I achieve a perfectly blank mind.

People talk about love but they mean sex, like in songs.

The exception is “make love” which means sex, but love and sex aren’t the same thing

I made it through the OI Girls birthday Saturday, I ended up getting her some earrings and a necklace. And a purse and lipgloss and a travel jewelry box. And we had a fancy dinner. It was cloudy Saturday so no beach, Sunday was sunny though.
It was an OK weekend, but too short.

Tomorrow’s the OI Girls birthday. I haven’t got a present yet. Any ideas? She wants dinner at this fancy restaurant, The Lighthouse. We’re going there, but that doesn’t let me off the hook, gift-wise.
I’m glad it’s Friday, too.

I’m trying to get my house built. I keep having one more hoop to jump through. There seems to be a problem with this insurance that I need, it seems overly expensive and something seems amiss.
And now the bank is playing games – again. They approved the loan and now apparently they want me to re-write the application, using more of my money and less of theirs. When they said that I pulled out their policy and quoted it to them, which states we do it the way we were doing it. They said they’d get back to me.
Neverending bullcrap.

On the shortwave this morning, the news was that Fidel Castro announced he’d be officially giving up power. Now the US is crowing about how much it will cost to “rebuild Cuba”.
Cuba doesn’t need rebuilding. And if it does, who says it’s the US’s job to do it? For years and years, the US has been poisoning everything it touches. Not being Americanized is one of Cuba’s greatest blessings. I’m not saying anything about Castro, just that not having US influence is a good thing that should be maintained.

It seems to me that Americans think every country wants to be like America. That is a great falsehood. The only people telling Americans that every country wants to be like the USA is other Americans. Believe me, other countries DO NOT want to be like the US.
I’m an American, but I’ve lived outside the US for over 10 years. Americans seem the least able to grasp the concept of a different culture. They seem to think everywhere is like the US. Go to the post office here and wait 5 minutes, you will see an American confused by the mail slots, one says “Cayman Islands Mail” the other says “Foreign Mail”. The American can’t decide where to put their mail, because they think they’re not a foreigner in another country. “I’m not a foreigner, I’m American, which slot am I supposed to use?” You will see this, virtually every time you go to the post office. Where’s the Starbucks?

The US economy sucks even when Americans think it’s good. I was working two full time jobs for 10 years before I moved here. I was so broke from taxes all I ate were beans and noodles and shit. Then I see the lady at the grocery store with jewelry and steaks and a BMW pull out a wad of food stamps.

The US health care is among the worst on the planet. Many countries have a longer adult life span and lower infant mortality rate than the US.

When I go back for a visit, it is worse than many of the “third world” countries I have visited. It is filthy dirty, everyone is in debt, maxing out credit cards and suing each other.

The US is going to destroy Cuba by going in there and building McDonalds and Wal-Marts.