It was not long before  Seleni and Madison came along and wanted to share our toys. They played with the hula hoops and the float rings and were very eager to have us pull them around the pool. As soon as Dennis worked out that the shallow fountain pool was warmer than the big pool kiddy rides stopped and lounge time was on. Looking back, I should have have stayed there and not volunteered to go to the store.

They say bad things happen in three’s well I can vouch for that one. Before our road trip, Dennis came upstairs to cook a chicken carcass for soup, got busy didn’t notice that the water had boiled away. Not long after I suffered from severe burnt toast and later in the afternoon I got my freak accident out of the way for 2012 [and hopefully longer].

Dennis and I were going to pick up smokes for Paul at the store and while driving there I turned to the side at the wrong time, Denis hit a bump and before I could stop it from happening I got spat out of the cart and onto the dirt road. It was pretty funny till I tried to get up and discovered my right foot was likely sprained. I also got my left finger and now I cannot do peace signs or flip anyone the bird for a while.  The silver lining to this dark storm cloud was…. when Paul found out he kissed my sore finger better and immediately proceeded to make sure I had food in front of me and ordered shrimp Quesadilla. He knows me so well good food = tacogirl. Back at our lounge chairs, Dennis did a finger kiss to my knee and asked if Paul had kissed my booboo’s. He said “that is the first thing you do when a girl gets hurt”. I told him he is going to make someone a great boyfriend one day. I cannot even claim party foul on my golf cart accident, while I did have a white rum and cranberry juice in the cart with me, I was no where near drunk or even tipsy for that matter – chalking it up to centrifugal acceleration force and a dumb@ss accident

This unfortunate incident left me researching how stunt men do it. My first Google search was ‘how to fall out of a moving golf cart’ I was not surprised that turned up some interesting stuff including a video of John falling out of a golf cart. I instantly got sidetracked watching videos of Jackass boys and their golf cart antics, this left me thankful that Johnny Knoxville or Bam Margera were not driving or my injuries would have been way worse. I wonder if the golf cart company charged for extra insurance when Johnny Knoxville was in San Pedro.

I also found some interesting stats on golf cart occupant ejections from Technology Associates Engineering experts website. Based on CPSC statistics, roughly 40% of golf cart accidents involve a person falling out of the car, and many of these accidents involve young children. In addition to ejection accidents, approximately 10% of golf cart accidents involve a rollover and statistics indicate that such accidents are roughly twice as likely to lead to injuries requiring a hospital stay as non-rollover accidents.

Passenger Ejections – One common scenario for a passenger ejection accident occurs when a cart, traveling near its maximum speed, is turned sharply to the left. During a sharp left turn, centrifugal acceleration forces tend to force the passenger to his right, which can lead to ejection. Sharp turns are less likely to lead to a driver ejection because the driver has the steering wheel to hold onto and can always anticipate when he is about to initiate a turn.

Golf carts are typically designed with rectangular or semicircular bars that rise up from each side of the car’s bench seat and are designed to serve as both handholds and hip restraints. One of the deficiencies of this design is that the location of the handhold (i.e. at the outboard edge of the seat) is also the fulcrum about which an ejected passenger will tend to rotate. Therefore, this type of handhold, even when used, does not provide the passenger sufficient leverage to prevent ejection. Another possible deficiency is that the side restraint is often not large enough to prevent ejections.

And so ends my story of how I grounded myself on Sunday funday driving along the north Ambergris Caye road with Dennis. I would like to remind everyone to be careful when driving golf carts around town, especially if you have kids on them and pay attention to the laws of gravity . Off to make our morning juice and ice my foot.

[p.s. tech troubles with file names on camera, one pic not showing in order.]

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I can hear the wind howling now and  looks like we will get rain sometime today. Before leaving on our errand run, I got g-chatting Mary  about live streaming on cell phones and how it all works. I love tech talk and she is one of my geek friends, always has great ideas and cool tech toys to play with.

I was planning to stream while we were in town doing our errands this morning but I did not find a location I was happy with so I decided to leave it out for today and work on organizing a really cool live stream for late tomorrow afternoon [5pm ish]. I will know in the morning if I can pull it off, I have to go see if the wifi at the place I want to do it at is strong enough. I am loving my LG Thrive Android phone, super handy to have a smart phone in Belize -pocket sized computer. IT also works well with my Digicell pay as you go phone option 

While walking back home, it started to get really warm so Dick and I agreed we would have to do some beach time later on. Zac ended up joining us and we decided to go snap some pictures. When we got to Banana Beach and Banyan Bay resort area there were kids surfing, that caught my attention. Right away I knew what today’s photo’s were going to be, it’s not often you see anyone surfing in Belize.

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I have been busy this morning blogging Saga and in process of organizing our first live cam shout out. Christy Poppe  is in the final waiting stages to get on a plane for Belize. Coming to Ambergris Caye is a special occasion, it will be Christy’s first time out of the country.  I told Sue we should give her friend Christy a group Hello.  [along with my cousin,  Direct Abundance Heather and anyone who tunes in to our realtime live cam that day]

Today’s Belize webcam view – Clouds in the sky look like a water color painting and the barrier reef is coming in clear today. While working at my desk, saw tiny people walking on the dock, later on a kayak  docking and a speed boat going by. I leave cam open and flip back and forth between it and work. I am hoping to see dolphins on day, seen a few different birds fly by.

View Live stream on – Storm Chasers Belize Webcam – taco cam page.

I just caught kayak docking and a boat going by – hoping to see dolphins.

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North of the Bridge
Grand Caribe – has a great swim up pool bar on the ocean – largest pool in Belize. [food available]
Palapa bar – second story view over the caribbean sea and will serve you buckets of beer in inner tubes tied to the dock if you desire. [food available]

Town
Wayo’s Beach bar – Walk the beach just north of town Boca Del Rio area friendly neighborhood place with internet connection. [food available]
BC’s – right in town on the beach [minute walk from Tropic Air], often a first or last stop for those arriving back in paradise or going home and wanting a last Belikin and some people watching by the Caribbean Sea. [food available]

South of town
Crazy Canucks at Exotic Caye Resort nice stretch of beach and great Sunday afternoon Jam. Anyone know if they are still doing Sunday Barbecue?

Catamaran Beach bar at Caribbean Villas Hotel, great beach, water sports place so can catch hobies wind/kite surfing sometimes and San Pedro Sailing club has kids optimist dinghy training and races every Sunday worth checking out. [Sunday Barbecue]

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I will leave you with a brief update from Forrest regarding the National Championship Regatta story & results and their delay. I know he meant for it to go to press only but I found it amusing and wanted to share it with you. It has been interesting to hear different peoples versions of what they did during the power and water outage, or how it affected them.

An ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT power outage in San Pedro that began early Sunday Morning and lasted until Monday afternoon prevented us from collecting all the information we needed from various sources to promptly provide you with what you may need to tell the story of the regatta. I lost a day and a half.  I am just getting it all in now and should have something decent for you very shortly.

Best, Forrest Jones, Press Officer, San Pedro Sailing Club

Forrest's Hobie

2011 Belize Optimist Class National Championship Regatta For sailors age 8 – 14.

Regatta Date: Saturday, November 12, 2011
Regatta Location: Caribbean Villas Hotel, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Qualifying Races 38 Children from around Belize were selected by their trainers and invited to sail in the National Championship Regatta . Each race consisted of two laps around a regulation Olympic triangular course.

With only 19 boats available, the 38 divided up into two groups and the finals consisted of 5 races.

The spreadsheet PDF below shows how each skipper finished in all five races. The worst finish for each skipper is tossed out, so only his or her best 4 races count. Any examination of the Finals spreadsheet will tell a story of determination and endurance. After surviving a qualifier, the sailors dueled one another for 5 more races. They sailed under grey skies, in chop, and in the face of gusting, variable, winds that became very strong for the last two races. Some skippers who placed well in the early races encountered fatigue, faced difficulty concentrating in the late going, and lost their edge.

Heart is what all of these sailors showed the crowd, and at the end of the day, 4 of them showed endurance as well as especially fine seamanship and sailing skills: Although he finished out of the trophy places, Sea Scout Joshua Potts, skippering boat 25, missed 3rd place by only 1 point, while outdistancing his nearest competitor for 4th by a full 11 points. It was another Sea Scout, Joshua McKenzie, in boat 25, who edged Josh Potts out to win the 3rd place trophy. Only 4 points separated Joshua McKenzie from the Second Place finisher, San Pedro Permit team leader David Puc in boat 3, Palo Alto.

The Belize National Champion The Belize Optimist Class 2011 National Champion sailed to a very quiet and very efficient racing-clinic victory. His final score was 2 points less than perfect, and that is no mean feat. His coaches say, “Hmmm…. He was our dark horse.” So, Belize, meet your National Champion: Alexander Rhaburn, age 11, of Holy Cross Anglican School, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. Alexander sailed to victory in boat 23 sponsored by San Pedro Weather .com. In his best 4 races he took a very convincing 3 Firsts and a Third.

A photo of Alexander and one of him after winning the last race below. For visuals, we have relied on spectators to post their photos and videos on the San Pedro Sailing Club Facebook page. As of 8:45 am, Tuesday, Nov. 15, the photos that appear on that page are those posted by Amanda Syme and by professional photographer Jose Luis Zapata (610-4267). Courtesy would require that you ask Luis’ permission to use his. Rebecca Coutant of San Pedro Scoop gave permission the photo of the fleet below. For 69 more photos, go to amateur photographer Peter Jones’ facebook page, who gave me permission to use them, knowing that I would release them to the press.

Respectfully submitted,
Forrest Jones, Press Officer, San Pedro Sailing Club

San Pedro Belize Optimist Regatta data pdf

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As a public service, please do what you do so well when you provide the public this kind of information in a way that prevents mishaps.  Nineteen of them is a whole lot more than usual!

In other news….
As you may deduce from above, the mainland is promising to bring 12 boats to the Nationals, adding to our newly augmented fleet of 7.  Therefore, we will have 19 boats racing each other throughout the day. Very colorful.  Instead of giving you a brief recap of what our skippers did this weekend, I invite you to watch it on Youtube video posted above. The video, courtesy of Michael Davis Photography, will win hearts.  The young lady with one of Michael’s cameras mounted in her boat for much of the video is Samantha Velasquez, age 12, of Holy Cross Anglican School.

Respectfully submitted,  Forrest Jones; Press Officer, San Pedro Sailing Club [610-4550]

Formal Notice from Port Authority to Mariners regarding the Optimist National Championship Regatta this Saturday.

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This is a sad day for me as it is my last aquafit class in San Pedro. My classes have been the most wonderful thing  I have done in my life. Laurie has been a good friend for pushing me  years ago and giving me the confidence to teach aquafit. Over the years I have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my class. It has been very  rewarding to see and hear how my class changed peoples lives for the better both emotionally and physically.

Exercising in water gives one mental and physical well being. We share laughter, celebrate our accomplishments and help each other get through hard times. I have incorporated my 30 years of training in Ballet, step, dance aerobics, tai bo, into my classes to give every one the best work out possible.

Teaching my class and  the company of everyone who takes it has kept me happy and healthy during a very difficult year. Giving  happiness to other people is receiving and water aerobics does exactly that.  When newer students understand the exercises we can talk and laugh during class.

Eileen my prize pupil is taking over my class. She  is a new woman and the ideal person to teach aquafit.  Eileen has changed her shape and lost 35 lb with no pain, no sweating and still enjoys beer and ice cream in her diet.  She, like most of the class has given inspiration and confidence to all of us. I have done my best to give inspiration and good health to all of you and I know Eileen will do the same.

I love you all and will continue on my inspiring water work where ever life takes me. Thank for for your caring and support.

Madame aka Maureen.

Remember you reap what you sow.

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It is very chilly this morning, enough to be wearing a jacket in the house, I can see how a fireplace could be very handy here at this time of year. I opted for stretching at home and extra hot shower over the pool this morning.

I am still working on the piece I am writing, feels like have hit word count 50 times by now as I rearrange and expand on what I  have already written.

I will leave you with Belize Sailing News courtesy of  Forrest Jones, Press Officer, San Pedro Sailing Club.

Youth Sunday Sailboat Race Results; October 16, 2011

Place    Skipper                          Boat Sponsor
1st         Mitchell Sersland       Palapa Bar and Grill
2nd       Beverly Medrano       Sanpedroweather.com
3rd        Morgaine Jones         Caribbean Villas
4th        Zulema Ayala              Ambergris Lakes Villas

The tale of Sunday’s races was one of coping with a wind that kept changing direction radically and in unaccustomed directions, 45 degrees or more towards or away from the South. When it shifts so as to point the boat away from the buoy, there is nothing one can do. Young skippers try to correct by pointing their boats back on the course they had before the shift.  That results in sailing too directly into the wind and stalling.  The skippers who best understood this did the best on Sunday, but even some of them stalled when trying to round buoys.  None the less, it was excellent practice and experience for all.

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The Sunday races have a purpose beyond themselves.  The 2011 Belize Optimist National Championship Regatta will be held here in San Pedro on November 12.  The races now are preparing our student sailors for that.  This past Sunday, we had twelve students race in 3 qualifying heats. In them the the skippers named above earned places in the day’s final race.  And yes, the  three Velasquez children who made it to the final are a brother and his sisters.

Sunday’s (Oct. 9) Optimist races were exercises in handling light wind. All 12 young skippers experienced the important effect on speed of patience, weight distribution, and raising the center board when it’s appropriate while going down wind in these conditions. They will be ready if the winds are light during the Nationals.  Photos of last Sunday’s efforts, and announcement of the Nationals below.  The nationals will decide which young skippers Belize ought to send to one or more international Optimist regattas. That of course will depend on funding, but some of the venues in 2012 are not too far away.  Optiworld.org optimist international sailing event calendar.

Youth Sunday Saiboat Race Results from, Oct. 9, 2011
Place         Skipper                       Boat Sponsor
1st          Mitch Sersland              Palapa Bar
2nd         Kevin Velasquez            Caribbean Villas
3rd         Samantha Velasquez      San Pedro Weather.com
4th         Blanca Velasquez           Ambergris Lake Villas

Belize Sailing news from:  Forrest Jones, Press Officer, San Pedro Sailing Club.

The 2011 Belize Optimist National
Championship

Saturday 12th November 2011
San Pedro Sailing Club, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

NOTICE OF RACE

1. RULES

1.1. The regatta will be governed by the ‘rules’ as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012.

2. CHANGES TO RACING RULES

The Racing Rules will be changed in the Sailing Instructions in accordance with Rule 86, Changes to the Racing
Rules, as follows:

2.1. Boats failing to finish within 20 minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored
DNF, “Did Not Finish”.

3. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY

3.1. The 2011 Belize Optimist National Championship is open to all boats of the Optimist class that have all valid
measurement certificates.

3.2. The 2011 Belize Optimist Open Championship event is open to all competitors whether Belizean National,
Resident or Non Resident.

3.3. These Championships incorporate the Belizean representative selection trials. The trials are only open to
Belizean Nationals or Residents.

3.12. All entries must be submitted to the Commodore of the San Pedro sailing club by Wednesday 16th November

2011. Late entries may be considered on a case by case basis.

4. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

4.1. Saturday 12th November 2011,

Registration
09:00
Sailors Briefing
09:15
Race 1
10:00
Race 2
11:00
Race 3
12:00
Lunch
1:00
Race 4
1:45
Race 5
2:45
Prize Giving will be as soon as possible after racing is complete.

4.2. At the discretion of the Race Committee the day’s schedule of racing may be altered to suit changes in
circumstances.

5. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

5.1. The Sailing Instructions will be available upon registration and from the San Pedro sailing club’s Facebook
page.

6. RACING AREA

6.1. The races will be held on the waters off Caribbean Villas Beach, San Pedro.

7. COURSES TO BE SAILED

7.1. The course will be a traditional Olympic triangle consisting of a windward mark, a wing mark and a bottom
mark. Details of the course will form part of the sailing instructions.

7.2 The start and finish line will be placed at the “bottom” marker.

7.3 The number of laps per race will be determined before the start of each race.

8. FORMAT

8.1. All boats will race together in the same fleet.

8.2. Each registered competitor will be allocated 1 boat and will remain with that boat for each of the 5 races.

9. SCORING

9.1. A boat’s score will be based on their finishing position.

9.2. Four races to count with the worst score being discarded.

9.3 Lowest score wins.

10. PRIZES

10.1 The following trophies will be awarded

1st Belize National Championship
2nd Belize National Championship
3rd Belize National Championship
1st Female Competitor
1st Team
2nd Team

11. FURTHER INFORMATION

Andrew Milner : andrew_milner@ymail.com
Phone: +501-632-4101

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Just back from class going to have some of my homemade granola with banana slices and coconut water then enjoy a private float. Since a bubble bath is not an option right now,  our pool is my next best place to process my thoughts and try to get motivated to walk to town.

Pool was fantastic, I am anything but motivated to leave the house though – so much  crazy energy swirling around so many right now.

If I missed adding you to the Sunday breakfast at El Divino and pool party at Banana Beach invite please do not take it personally and feel free to count yourself in.

Banana Beach pool

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