This Week Ahead: Seven Things
This coming week is a surprisingly busy one – the first week of October, the midst of the slow season. Who would have guessed? So, in an attempt to get just a step ahead of my arch-enemy procrastination, here is a list of seven things I plan to do this week.
A week that includes working with BelizeKids.org on our new Vision Center…
helping to get ready for the very first guests at Cayo Frances Farm & Fly (owned by my boyfriend Jeff) and…speaking of my boyfriend…MOVING! I am moving from “town” – or 1.5 miles south of the town center – to North Ambergris Caye. 7 miles north to be exact. Just north of Xtan Ha Resort.
Cha-cha-cha-changes. So here are few things I NEED to get done and a few I want to get done this very first week in October.
1. ORGANIZING Let me think of the skills that comes least easily to me…there is long distance running (dread), there is public speaking (no matter how many times I do it, I will quake with fear) and there is organizing. Clutter is my comfort zone. I like my stuff.
Look at the fun things I’ve gathered over the years – yesterday I found this gag gift from A&R!
And so the process of moving out of my comfortable piles of books, paintings, papers and…stuff, is going to require a serious amount of work. Not the kind of stuff that Pinterest is peppered with…the photos made to make all those with a home feel inadequate.
What!?! You don’t have a butler’s pantry!
Just look at what The Home Edit does. (All photos from Home Edit).
Or this BEFORE (which could have been taken in my closet if I had such a nice one)
And AFTER
I DO like the idea that seems so popular now – take “what brings you joy”. And clothes that i probably will not ever fit into again should be donated. I just hate parting with things. No, no…not in that “Hoarders: Buried Alive” kinda way.
I’ll make it happen.
It will just never look like this.
2. BIRDING Scoff…I know many of you want to. But since my trip to the Chiquibul this summer to watch the scarlet macaws in their native habitat…and hanging out with a few “birders’ on that trip…I’m starting to see what all the fuss is about.
Like earlier this week, I saw one of these. Thank you for the picture @jasontiesmanphotography
And then I spotted my first ducks on the island! Cute little blue winged teals.
Yesterday I came to a screaming halt when I saw this flock of white birds on a tiny caye behind Grand Caribe Resort.
This month, the Belize Audobon Society, is doing an urban birdwatch. I went a few years ago, and it was pretty great. I think I’m going to try to find a pair of binoculars to borrow for this year’s. I’m not ready for the khaki zip off pants yet…baby steps.
3. MOVIE NIGHT AT TRUCK STOP I can’t believe that I have gone an entire month with a waffle cone from Truck Stop. They are re-opening next week! And not only are they working on a new food container, but the bar is being doubled in size.
I love Wednesday movie night under the stars and I could really go for a bit of Indiana Jones. Just saying.
4. TRY A NEW RESTAURANT Restaurants are always popping up on this island. This week I want to try one of the new ones that are getting great reviews…one is Sabine’s Corner – Austrian Food. And the second is Italian – Ammore Pasta.
How hard can this be? Eat good food.
5. ENJOY THE RE-OPENING OF MY LUNCH SPOT Interesting that so many of my “to-dos” involve eating. Briana’s Deli on Back Street is my go-to lunch spot. Consistently delicious Belizean lunch specials.
A SERIOUS plate of rice and beans and stew chicken won’t have you thinking about dinner for HOURS…though it might have you thinking of a nap.
Briana’s has expanded her seating area. I’ll see you there.
6. WATCH THE WEATHER Hurricane Matthew is out in the Caribbean in a spot that would usually make our blood, in Belize, run cold.
This storm has already started moving north – directly north – as a POWERFUL Cat 4 towards Jamaica and Haiti and Cuba. Matthew, as we’ve seen over the last few days as he turned from a tropical storm to Category 5 in less than a day and a half, is one to keep an eye on.
It seems as though we will not be affected but this ugly storm is going to wreak havoc across the Caribbean. We only need to think back to the Category One, Earl, that passed over us two months ago to…
EVERYONE PLEASE BE SAFE.
7. LEARN TO MAKE CHICKEN & LOBSTER DIP Every party in Belize starts with a plate of cheese dip. But cheese dip can be made even MORE delicious with chicken or LOBSTER. Lobster dip from Annie’s Pastries may be my favorite way to eat the crustacean.
The Annie’s bicycle carts ride around the streets of town after about 4pm…ALWAYS stop them and ALWAYS get some chicken dip. $2bzd for one serving with chips.
Yesterday when I bought 5 containers, I figured it might be time to learn to make this on my own. Anyone with a good recipe, please help!
The best laid plan…often go awry. But at least this week I have a list. You can’t snap out of 43 years of procrastination all at once! Good grief. 🙂
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