Hello again and welcome back to our Feb 2012 edition. It's a pretty full-on issue too!
We have some sport, some more sport, some sport watching, some travel, some more travel, some beach time. We even had a visitor pop in.
We hope you enjoy our account of February. We certainly enjoyed being part of it.
School Sports Day
For some strange reason, the school persists on holding the Sport's day on a Saturday morning. It just happens to clash with swimming, rugby and whatever other activities might be planned for the day.
Anyway, gripe over.
Sam and Jake were both there and enjoyed the various races & Michelle even went in the parents relay - luckily the reds won!
Kids TriathlonSam & Jake participated in the kids tri - Sam was in the older group and had to do the longer distance so she did it as a team - the swim of course which was a piece of cake! Jake bravely decided to do the whole thing on his own - he did really well going hard in all disciplines but had to take a couple of wee breaks to catch his breath in the run - he was shattered at the end as you can see from the pic! Great job!
Sam and Michelle do KingstonSam has been trying hard to be selected to represent Cayman for CARIFTA (the Caribbean champs - Carifta stands for Caribbean Free Trade Association) for swimming - last month she made one qualifying time in 50m Free, which was fantastic but unfortunately so did a number of other girls in the same age group and only two are allowed to race per event. The club decided they would take a group to a swim meet in Jamaica so Sam and Michelle decided to go - there was a choice of two swim meets but the club only went to one. Michelle was a bit quick off the mark and booked the tickets to the first one before the club had made the final decision - of course, it turned out they had decided to go to the other one so Sam and Michelle were on their own! So off to Kingston went Coach, Manager and support crew, Michelle, and star swimmer representing Stingray Swim Club of Cayman, Sam. They had a great time, all the Jamaicans were very friendly and Sam swam very well making two qualifying times in 50m and 100m Free, as well as almost all PBs which is great as it was only her second time swimming in a 50m pool. See video of one of Sam's swims at the end of this issue.
It was a very busy weekend but they managed a couple of half days to relax - one of which they took the opportunity to visit Bob Marley's House in Kingston, now a museum - it was very interesting and had loads of cool photos. They found out that his birthday was on Waitangi Day! On the Sunday afternoon they went for a walk and ended up at a nearby park where they had a number of bands playing in memory of Bob Marley, since it was the anniversary of his birthday the next day - there were even clowns there - it was great.
The entire Stingray Swim team....
More pics from Jamaica:
Across Island Relay
While Michelle and Sam where living it up in Jamaica, Jake and Dave stayed home to guard the fort. On the Sunday morning, the Cross Island relay was being held. Dave was running the last of six 4 mile legs for his team, the Six Pack. The team was made up of mainly Hubbies from the girls team (that Michelle would normally run in). Only two of them had run for more than 30 minutes at one time in the last Five years. So, over a few beers one night, the boys decided it was time to show the girlies who was boss in the running stakes. And boy did they show them, for the first two legs anyway! We should point out that most of the girls, if not all, are fairly regular runners.
While Michelle and Sam where living it up in Jamaica, Jake and Dave stayed home to guard the fort. On the Sunday morning, the Cross Island relay was being held. Dave was running the last of six 4 mile legs for his team, the Six Pack. The team was made up of mainly Hubbies from the girls team (that Michelle would normally run in). Only two of them had run for more than 30 minutes at one time in the last Five years. So, over a few beers one night, the boys decided it was time to show the girlies who was boss in the running stakes. And boy did they show them, for the first two legs anyway! We should point out that most of the girls, if not all, are fairly regular runners.
By the time Dave took the baton, the girls had about a five minute lead. There was going to be no glorious victory for the boys this year (especially with Ricochet Rabbit Lisa running the last leg for the girls. Although, to their credit, the boys got out there and had a good crack.
Maybe next year!
Maybe next year!
Only a few more steps to go!
Team Six Pack - less Robbo, who was taken away by the medics and given a Jaeger shot. He's OK now.Waitangi Day in Cayman
Waitangi days in Cayman have been a little haphazard in recent years. This year a couple of the kiwis organised a 'do' at the Lonestar in George Town. It was quite a good turn out. Some new faces and also a few old ones. But it was good to have a laugh and talk about things "NZ".
The girls get into the swing of things
The Rangi Ruru Girls were out...
Jake the Muss?
And the winner of the best dressed is....
Waitangi Day pics:
VISITOR REPORT
(The pic above might have spoiled the surprise...)
One Saturday night in early February a visitor popped in to stay for a bit. Hinu is a mate of Dave's from his Army days. Hinu and Dave hadn't caught up in quite a few years so it was very cool that she just happened to be passing by and took the time to come and stay.
Here's her story:
Winter Visit to Cayman Island (they really need to look up the meaning of the word “winter”…)
Gidday!!
After reading all about the adventures of the Bailey's in the BVI and Cayman Island, it's a bit of a hoot to actually get to write for the Bailey Blog!
Oh my gosh, what an amazing place to visit! I’d just spent 2 weeks at Daytona Beach on a course, and was really looking forward to chilling out on a tropical island, and catching up with Dave and family.
Day 1 saw Jake off to soccer, and DB out on a 4 mile (imperial measurements? What the…) relay across the island. Keeping in mind it’s supposed to be winter there, I stood at the finish line watching and sweating as if I was doing the run, in the blistering heat! THAT’S NOT WINTER!!! Holy moly, soooo hot!
Then off to DB’s touch practice, which I played as well and at least felt like I earned the sweat-up.Then off to collect my wayward luggage which had managed to go on a little side-trip without me.And by now it had started bucketing down (but was still hot!) so again keeping dry was a problem dodging thumbnail sized raindrops! How does one stay dry on a tropical island?!Then off to one of Dave’s mates places for a BBQ and the Super Bowl.Then finally sleep time… phew!
Michelle and Sam arrived back during the night, having been in Jamaica for a swim meet – way to go Sam :) Was awesome to finally meet them! And I couldn’t believe how close Jamaica was either. No wonder they were playing reggae nearly everywhere on the island – jah rule yea mon :)
Michelle and I had a rather nasty experience that saw us both gagging at 8.00am one morning due to a bit of a mishap with one very VERY rotten egg. OMG even just writing this brings back the gag reflex! Truly one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever encountered lol!)
[[To explain: Jake had found a lone hen's egg sitting out in the rain a day or so before. The fact that it was sitting out in the rain didn't bode well for it's future as a fluffy critter. He'd had it wrapped up in a towel sitting on the kitchen bench (counter). Despite Jake's specific warnings, Michelle inadvertaintly picked up the towel, sending young egg hurtling towards the tiled floor. Unfortunately the egg didn't survive the impact...Ed]]
Mudslide - the National Drink of Cayman
Over the next 3 days I played the tourist role to the hilt, with happy-snapping sightseeing trips all over the island. The 2 highlights though were playing with stingrays – they’re so cool (poor Steve Irwin)! And swimming with TWO dolphins! That was the ultimate, they’re amazing creatures and so cool to be up close and personal with them. Both activities you MUST do when you visit :)
I managed to get a bit of a jog in most mornings, taking 30mins for the jog, then 40mins to stop sweating in the heat… did I mention it was supposed to be winter? It was Waitangi Day while I was there too, and met a whole heap of kiwis at the Lone Star (see Dave’s pix). It was so awesome to hear everyone’s stories about how they ended up on Cayman Island. So I had a fantastic time! It was awesome to catch up with Dave & Michelle, thanks for being such great hosts! Thanks Jake for the use of your room :) Thanks Sam for putting up with Jake in your room :)
Then it was off to Las Vegas for the 7’s! What an amazing city. You really do have to see it to believe it. It has a magic of its own that can’t be conveyed through tv or movies. And the 7’s was hilarious, such a quaint stadium, no where near Hong Kong or Wellington standards, but they’re got the right vibe, so it should go off in a few years time. Couldn’t believe we ran into Tama Robson at the 7’s function either, such a small world! Oh and then there was the “Las Vegas Maori Rugby Club” (I’ve got the t-shirt to prove it!) pai rawa atu! Neat alright those Maori, they were really hard case - way to represent J I’m sure Dave’s got a full write up of the 7’s, so I’ll leave it at that. Thanks again to the Baileys for a wonderful time! :)
Slummin it....
Las Vegas Travel ReportDave met up with a few of the BVI crew in Las Vegas for the IRB Sevens a few weeks back. In fact there were about 27 of them all up, so a pretty decent crew. Hinu's plan was to fly back home after staying in Cayman for a few days. When she realised that Dave and Co were heading to Vegas on the same day she changed her plans and headed to Vegas as well.
So, at a very early hour the 'Cayman Crew' arrived at the airport and prepared for departure. Departure preparation involved several amber ales. Some might say that drinking beer before 8am is not right, but as that guy Jimmy Buffett points out, "It's 5 O'Clock somewhere...".
In fact the in-flight entertainment involved a few beers as well. After a short fight, they arrived in Miami for a three hour stopover. Three hours wasn't enough time to go shopping in, and was too long to be sitting in the departure lounge, so off to Chilli's Bar it was for some Chilli and beer - although they forgot to order the chilli.
They then had to rush to their flight to Vegas - somehow time had slipped away...
A longer flight this time. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the plane ran out of beers and the Cayman Crew (Plus one) all dozed off for a nana nap.
They arrived in Vegas at about 6 pm local time, checked into the hotel and then headed out for... some touristy stuff. Yes, OK, they had beers as well. A quick tour of a few of the hotels soon had Hinu wide eyed and oooh-ing and aaah-ing. In fact she was oohing and aahing all weekend!
They managed to get tickets to the "Blue Men Show" which was a pretty good show really.
The Bellagio fountains were in full force.
Some of the Vegas lights during a Vegas night
Hinu and Dave with one of the Bue Men.
By that stage it was getting fairly late, but the rest of the crew (from BVI) were arriving, so it was back to the hotel for the unofficial reception. Dave caught up with the BVI boys and Hinu met them for the first time. The beers flowed, the bar tabs got bigger and security were on high alert.
The first night was a long one, but a lot of fun.
Simon and Dave catch up over a couple of quiets
Love this shot....
Roger the late-night barman explaining that guests shouldn't be on this side of the bar...
Friday was Golf day for those that wanted to play. Dave did a quick whirlwind shop before heading out to Day one of the Rugby. Hinu did a quick wander around the town, checking out the pool and other sights before she took off on a Helicopter to the Grand Canyon and didn't reappear until much later...
Something about an upset stomach/dodgy kebab...
After the rugby it was back to town for a few more quiets. Dave met another Kiwi on the bus back into town. It turned out that she was the sister of another of Dave's Army mates, Rick Fraser.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Planet Hollywood Casino...
A couple of Tourists
'Fats' wanted to get a picture with Dave and Simon
Saturday was the main day for the BVI crew. After much forethought and planning, a truckload of Purple (and one Red) Pimp Suits were delivered to the hotel. Each member of the crew put their uniform on and together they headed for the Sevens turning heads as they went.
In true Pimp Fashion, a couple of stretch Limos were put on and they headed out in style.
The Pimp Crew heading off to the Sevens...
The Pimps were popular. Mr. Jones was looking for a good time....
Pimpin....
This chick plays Simba's Mother in the Lion King. Grrrr......
A quick stop for a punt in Venice
Classy!
A good day was had by all at the sevens. The dressing up thing is still catching on, but there were some pretty amazing outfits. The Pimps were the largets and most noticeable group there, with lots of people wanting to get their photos taken with a pimp.
Rob McKenzie, another product of Waimate appeared out of no-where on day Two of the Sevens. Dave and Macka had a good catch-up and a few laughs. Small world!
A couple of Waimos meet up in Vegas. That's Rob McKenzie in the middle
Speaking of small worlds. Tama Robson, an Army mate from a wee while back makes an appearance as well!
Yes, there was actually some rugby watched....
View from the Hotel....
Nocturnal activities continued in pretty much the same vein all weekend and usually with the same result. Some bleary eyed tourists staggering around looking for breakfast...or their room.
Nocturnal activities continued in pretty much the same vein all weekend and usually with the same result. Some bleary eyed tourists staggering around looking for breakfast...or their room.
The Rugby was great - although maybe the final result wasn't. NZ lost to Samoa on the final whistle and the Samoans in the crowd went nuts...and there were a lot of them! Vegas was great too. Dave had been there last Easter with the family, so this time it was interesting experiencing the other side of Vegas...or at least the night life, of which there is plenty. You never lack for something to do at night in Vegas. Always a great time.
A few of the crew went to the Sevens After Party. There were quite a few of the players there, but not many Kiwi players. Still, it was a good night and everyone went home with a skin full in preparation for the early morning departures!
A few of the crew went to the Sevens After Party. There were quite a few of the players there, but not many Kiwi players. Still, it was a good night and everyone went home with a skin full in preparation for the early morning departures!
Dave was up at stupid o'clock on Monday morning to catch a 4 am ride to the Airport. Sleep seemed to be a thing of the past on this trip. The other Cayman Crew members did the same...although Hinu was the lucky one as she was heading to L.A. and didn't leave until about lunchtime, so got to catch a few extra zzzzz. The Cayman crew made it to the airport and were all asleep on the plane before it even took off...
All in all an awesome trip. It was great to catch up with the BVI boys and and other folk from the past and have a few laughs. Maybe this could become an annual event...
The rest of the Vegas pics can be seen here:
Sam's Belated Birthday Party
Well, it was only 2 months late! This is the first time we decided to have Sam's party after her birthday and separate from Jake's - she wanted a sleepover so days to choose from were limited and for some reason we kept having something to go to every Sat night, meaning putting off Sam's party again! Finally, we decided on a night that suited us and low and behold the school wanted their choir to participate in the Cayman Arts Festival and Sam and her friends were asked to be in the choir. Sam was very upset - she really doesn't like choir and couldn't believe it was going to be on her birthday (well party day). However, if she didn't have it that night she would have to wait another 3 weeks for another free night and that didn't go down well either. So it was decided that the girls would make the choir event part of the party - a couple of them met beforehand and played in the pool, then they all had a quick bite of pizza before heading off to the Festival. Afterwards, they watched a movie and ate lots, then slept over. The next day they had pancakes, went for a swim and had waterfights, then had ice cream cake for morning tea - Sam was happy she finally got her party and had a great time!
Well, it was only 2 months late! This is the first time we decided to have Sam's party after her birthday and separate from Jake's - she wanted a sleepover so days to choose from were limited and for some reason we kept having something to go to every Sat night, meaning putting off Sam's party again! Finally, we decided on a night that suited us and low and behold the school wanted their choir to participate in the Cayman Arts Festival and Sam and her friends were asked to be in the choir. Sam was very upset - she really doesn't like choir and couldn't believe it was going to be on her birthday (well party day). However, if she didn't have it that night she would have to wait another 3 weeks for another free night and that didn't go down well either. So it was decided that the girls would make the choir event part of the party - a couple of them met beforehand and played in the pool, then they all had a quick bite of pizza before heading off to the Festival. Afterwards, they watched a movie and ate lots, then slept over. The next day they had pancakes, went for a swim and had waterfights, then had ice cream cake for morning tea - Sam was happy she finally got her party and had a great time!
They managed to polish off half the icecream cake between 5 of them!
Beach Time (for a change)
In the winter we often spend every second sunday (well, most second Sundays) at the beach relaxing in the sun or under the umbrella with a cold one while the kids do what kids do. Last Sunday was no different, although the beach was quite busy for a change...and really hot.So, away we went...relaxing...until the sun going down signalled it was time to head home. All the bitey things come out for a while then.
The following Wednesday was Ash Wednesday - a public holiday in Cayman. So after a morning of running, relaxing by the pool and general laziness we headed back to the beach. A few more of us would be there today and this would be a sightly more organised afternoon at the beach. Not quite as organised as the Generator and Mud Slides days but pretty organised al the same.
BBQs were transported down (albeit small ones) and we had a couple of Chefs at hand to keep us all well nourished.
While we were relaxing and contemplating life, we spotted a bride walking across the beach. Upon closer inspection we found that a wedding was about to happen. On even closer inspection it appeared that the Groom was about 12 years old...or maybe he had just sunk into the sand more than the Bride. Anyway, they did their bit amongst the wafting aroma of our BBQs and then departed to somewhere less warm.
Just along from us at the beach, a 12 year old from Alabama marries his sister...
One of the Novice Chef's turned up with his new portable beach BBQ. Very nice...until he proceeded to cook a can of Baked Beans on it...
The typical english beach BBQ fare...
Our little beach gathering
Chef Dan provides us with the next course, some BBQ tenderloin and blue cheese.... standard fare for us these days.
For those in NZ - stop in at the Glenavy Tavern (Waitaki Bridge) and say Hi to Dan's brother who runs the place. If you tell him Dan from Cayman sent you, you'll be looked after real well.
Michelle suffers through another stressful day...
The end of another nice day...
More pics from February:
More pics from February:
Fort Lauderdale
Well, since Michelle had done Jamaica, and Dave had done Las Vegas, it was only fair that they both did Fort Lauderdale. They actually went to play Touch in the Annual Ruggerfest tournament. Thankfully Mick and Lisa took the kids for the weekend, which made life so much easier.
Michelle flew over to Miami early on the Friday morning to do some shopping. Our mate Robbo decided he would do some shopping with Michelle too. Dave sat Robbo down and explained that shopping with Michelle just doesn't happen. No-one can shop with Michelle. Robbo was adamant, and away he went. When Dave arrived on Friday night, all he had to do was look at Robbo. Robbo was a defeated man... "Never again" he says. Dave didn't even have to say "I told you so".... but he did anyway!
The team finally assembled in a Steak House (Longhorn?) on the Friday night and had some red meat and liquid carbs. Then about half of the team popped across to the ever popular Hooters bar. Dave and a few of the others had spent some time here on the ast trip and they just wanted to say Hi to their friends.
After dinner aperitifs at Hooters
Most of the Cayman Pirates enjoy some team bondingThe first game was to be at 10 am so we all mounted our wagons and headed off in the genera direction with the GPS lady in charge. Trouble was, the GPS lady had no idea where we were supposed to be. One car made it to the ground in time to start the game. The other continued to do circuits of Ft Lauderdale until eventaully finding the place at half time. It was 1 all at half time, so a good effort by the half team.
After a few rusty moves and dropped balls, the Cayman Team came away with a 3 - 3 draw from that game. The second game was much closer...and ended in a 3 - 3 draw as well.
Pre-match warm up routineThe third match was up against a fairly organised bunch who pulled away at the end and we went down 3 - 1.
Time for a change in tactics. Out came the beers and ciders and in the next game, a knock out, we won 3 - 1. That put us into the play-off for 3rd and 4th. We cleaned them up 5 - 1. Not bad for a mixed team playing in an open tournament.
More below (can't seem to get rid of this massive gap!)
Sat night it was off to the Rugby party at America's Back yard. They had a fairly large variety of drinks and most were sampled by the Cayman team.
Sunday was more shopping (yay....) and then back to the airport (via an Irish Pub) for the flight back to Cayman. We got in at Midnight so there were a few tired people the next day.
Another successful tour though!
More pics from Fort Lauderdale:
Next month:
- Swim Meet results
- St Paddies Day (and associated activities)
- A flash party for the rich and famous (and us).
- Probaby not much travel...
- and whatever else comes along....
But don't forget........
Video of one of Sam's races in Jamaica:
Video of one of Sam's races in Jamaica:
