Our First Week and a Half

So we finally made it to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. GTMO. It seems so surreal, us being here. Can this really be something I said yes to? What was I thinking?

My first thought as the plane lands is, "SHIT!" What have I done. But wait, I look out the plane's window and all I can see is the sea. Only it is unlike the sea I know. It is a blue, green, purple color. Not green or brown. It is absolutely breath taking.

Then we step off the plane and the heat and smell hit me. First of all, GTMO is as hot as Texas in August. Thank GOD I have lost 100+ pounds because I would be miserable. But since I have lost the weight I am actually okay with the heat. Then there is the smell. You know that part of the zoo that is tropical, the birds and the bugs are usually housed somewhere around that part. Anyway, that smell is what GTMO smells like. Alan tells me all of the islands he visited smell the same. It is an odd smell. No cow or horse manure here. No smog, just jungle, well sort of a jungle.

The other thing that I noticed as I was making my way to our new house was the landscape. It is just like the Wichita Mountains, only throw in a palm and banana tree every once in awhile. Okay then we head onto our new digs. Can I just say I was very surpirized and I promise to post pictures soon.

A few days pass we get the kids enrolled in school, the house stocked and things are finally flowing okay. That and we get a chance to spend time with Alan. Then the weekend comes and we go exploring. First we go to a beach called Kittery Beach. It is only about five miles from the house, but since the speed limit on the paved roads is 25mph and the fact that the beach is located down a very dust winding dirt path it takes us about 20 min. But we finally get there. We pull up and sitting to the right of us is a huge Marine lookout tower and signs everywhere that say we can't go beyond the beach, nor can we take pictures of the surroundings, only the beach and sea. More than intimidating. The ocean is literally ten different shades of blue and green and the beach, well the beach is actually rocks and coral of every imaginable size and shape. The "sand" is black. I say sand in the loosest sense as this sand is more like small pebbles.

So we leave Kittery and head to Windmill beach which is supposed to be one of the great beaches. Same thing here. Only no Marine lookout. No instead there are restricted areas everywhere and Camp 4 of the prison is overlooking us. That is right my friends, THE prison. The one Obama wants to close down. Yep it overlooks the sea and Windmill beach. Again there isn't much of a beach. It is mostly rocks and coral. But it is less crashing sea and all, so we get in. The water is not what we expected. It is piss warm. Not luke warm and not hot. It is piss warm. For all those of you who pee in pools you'll know what I mean...

So that was last weekend. The kids started school Monday and can I tell you, it is a bit bizarre to me. Of course I am a mom who pokes her head into everything and needs to be involved. So being told that I really shouldn't come to eat with the kids and that NO they don't need room mothers yet, well it put me off. I was ready to yank them out and home school. But I do want them to meet some little folks and make some friends so I restrained myself and the kids have had a marvelous first week.

Madie was named student of the week for her class and she is in love with her teacher, Mrs. Figueroa. She hails from Puetro Rico. Adam, well he was the one nervous and not happy about starting school. But in true Adam form he knows everyone by sight, forget names, and he has made a tone of friends. In fact he is outside right now playing with "that Brown Boy." It took me three days to figure out that the brown boy's name is Elijah. Needless to say he is thriving.

Maegan and I are starting to get out there. I have made a few connections and I hope that by joining both the cooking and book clubs I will make friends fast. Maegan on the other hand, is stuck. I am hoping that by becoming a member of the PTO(parent teacher organization) I will meet other moms with kids Maeg's age. In the meantime we play our hearts out.

I will post some pictures as soon as I figure it out. Until then enjoy the one picture I loaded. It is a picture of our adventures this morning. This is out at Cable beach. As you can see not much beach but what beauty. I send you all my love....