Highlights: (Big Apple, Body surfing, Leverick Bay and Mocko Jumbies, Sinking Dinghy Race, Frozen T Shirt Contest)

Lowlights: ER visit

Day 6 (Big Apple and ER visit day)

Back to Tortola today to set up shop at Big Apple so we get up early and repack. Taking the last ferry, we head over the trail, stop at SD to say hey to Mic and grab one of the drinks Connie and Lance left on the board. Thanks ya'll. Taxi to the ferry to WE. RD picks us up, we hit the Chinese spot, go by Island Surf to pick up toys for rugrats. We eat and settle in for the night (or so we thought). Habit of mine is always checking on the kids several times before I totally settle in for sleep (especially since Bad sleeps like a sumo wrestler and, has fallen out of bed more times than I can remember. I look in their bedroom expecting to hear snores, but, instead look directly into Day's sad eyes. Turns out he's had a stomachache for a little while, but didn't want to wake me up. Wake up RD, throw some clothes on Day and Bad Bad and pile in the car for the ride to the hospital. I'm very worried for several reasons: Day who rarely gets sick is in a lot of pain, we're 1500 miles away from home, and we're going to a hospital I know nothing about. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

They take us right away, put Day in a bed, put in a piece just in case he has to be hydrated. Doctor talks to us and Day, runs some tests and gives him some medicine that he says will make Day feel better. Finally Day goes to sleep. Doctor wants to observe him for a while, so we settle in for the long haul. RD goes to get us some food and Bad and I settle in for the wait. I check on Day from time to time and around 6 a.m. the doctor said we could leave. He says he thinks Day had an attack of gastritis and he should not have any spicy food for a while. Back to Big Aple, RD goes to work and the rugrats and I just relax cause we're so tired. Day says he's not tired, but eventually crashes. Later in the afternoon, water is very rough, so it's time for school work (rugrats go back to school in two weeks). Rugrats work for a while, we have dinner and all turn in for the night.

Day 7 ("Body surfing day")

Water is less rough today, so we decide to take the boggie boards and hit the water. Ummm, not cold at all with enough waves that we spend a lot of time laughing and doing what we called "body surfing". Dinner and bed. Rugrats and I are off to VG tomorrow. RD and I stay up laughing and talking most of the night.

Day 8 (VG, Leverick Bay and Mocko Jumbies Day)

Uhhh, I'm tired. RD keeps telling me to get up while I call him names I won't repeat. Finally, he grabs my legs, and, literally, drags me out of bed. Load up and head to Roadtown. We're taking Smith's 10 a.m. ferry. We sit on top checking out the scenery. At VG, we take a taxi with driver Das. He points out the different points of interest, the new post office, the primary school and the police station. Leverick is just as beautiful as all the pictures I've seen. We check in and get driven up to the room which has two big beds, fridge, internet and a small TV (we never did turn it on). The room is very warm, so that means we're headed to the pool. Boys grab towels from reception and spend hours in the pool. I head to the bar to get the heads up about tonight and the Mocko Jumbies. BBQ at 6:30 with live music. Now, the most important question, is the bar open yet? By the way, I highly recommend the mango daiquiri. Day and Bad don't look like they're thinking about lunch, but it's time. I hit the pantry, grab some sandwiches and drinks. Finally, it's time for quiet time before dinner.

Quiet time is grandma's time to recharge her batteries. When I told my daughter I was gonna take the boys for two weeks, she looked at me and laughed. Yes, I told her I made the decision during one of those moments when I lost my mind. She laughed again, and said she thought so. Sooo, since Grandma is not a spring chicken anymore (of course Day and Bad think I am), I take quiet time, where we all just chill and do nothing. After a few hours, we head back downstairs, and I just make the end of happy hour. Another mango daiquiri (alas no alcohol) cause I am on grandma duty. Rugrats back in the pool again and a couple walk by telling the boys they're going to turn into prunes. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

People start arriving for dinner and I notice, most of them are dressed nicely. Ladies in nice summer dresses, men in nice slacks. Good thing, I cleaned up nice and put on my tie-dyed jeans, hello kitty pink heel earrings and tank top. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I ask for dinner at 7:00 even though I don't think the rugrats are thinking about dinner. Finally, I tell them they have to eat, they come out of the pool, halfheartedly throw some food in their mouth, and go back in the pool. Around 10, Bad says he's sleepy. That's my cue so we head to the room, they hit the shower, and Bad is fast asleep 5 minutes after he goes to bed. Day and I talk for a while, then we head to bed.

Day 9 (The End of Pirate for the Day Day) <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duel.gif" alt="" />

We pack up, call Das and we're off to the ferry. We're kinda early, so the boys play their video games while I people watch. Speedy's comes in, people get off and then we see people get on. O.K. I tell Bad and Day, let's board so we can sit on top where we sat on the trip over. Shortly after, the ferry leaves. O.K. now the light bulb comes on. I look at Day and say "Uh, I hope this is the right ferry and it goes back to Roadtown. He looked at me like he wanted to say "huh? i'm just kid, if she doesn't know, how am I supposed to know"? I scramble for the schedule and figure out we're O.K. Day just looks at me. LOL. Back in RT, I stop by and say hey to Joe Hodge, and visit Kenny's Tees, to pick up a shirt for my baby grandson and to pick up two more pirate bandanas. At the start of the trip, we only had one bandana, so we each took a turn being pirate for the day. LOL Now we can all be pirates every day. Lunch at Pussers where we had Bang Bang Shrimp (yummy). RD comes from work, we grab dinner at (where else) the Chinese restaurant). Off to bed.

Day 10 (Sinking Dinghy, Anything Floats and Frozen T Shirt Day)

Grandma thought the rugrats would get a kick out of the Sinking Dinghy contest at the Pub so we grab a table and wait for things to start. What a blast watching the races. I keep hearing the announcer say something about a frozen t shirt contest. Well, I know what a wet t-shirt contest is (and no I've never been in one ) so I figured a frozen t-shirt contest was a frozen t-shirt that you had to put on. I laughed to myself thinking about a cooler with all these t-shirts on hangers or maybe just laid out, waiting for contests like this. To be sure, I ask the announcer who says you just have to put on the frozen t-shirt. I laugh and tell him I'm from NYC, I can definitely do that. He says o.k. and signs me up. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Finally, it's time for the contest. The announcer tells me to go to the first finger of the pier. I walk over and immediately notice, they're a lot of young people sitting on the same dock in swim suits. O.K. I look up and see Day waving at me, I smile and wave back. Even with all the noise, I can hear people laughing so the start must be close. The announcer says "bring out the t-shirts", and these two guys bring out buckets, reach in and hand us a frozen t-shirt. Huh?? One of the contestants was Superwoman who says "you know you have to get in the water, don't you"? Uh no. The next thing I know the announcer says go and everyone jumps in the water. Everyone that is except me who still has on her belt and cell phone. Umm, why do I hear people laughing again? I take off my belt and phone, kick of my sandals and jump in the water. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Trick is you have to get the knots out and put the shirt on to win the contest. I look at the youngsters, and notice them beating the dock with the shirts, so I do the same. Supergirl and now Wonderwoman keep egging me on, while I'm talking to myself, the shirt and the concrete dock. I hear 1st place, 2nd place, and I'm on the last knot which of course is the hardest. I finally get it out, pull the t-shirt over my head and with it halfway on my body, raise my hands like a prizefighter and hear 3rd place. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" />

O.K. next problem. I walked to the dock, but how do I get out of the water? I suck at dinghies, so can you imagine me getting back up on the dock. One of the young girls, braces her arms and pulls herself up the dock, so I'm gonna do the same thing. Not!! Uh Oh. Two guys standing there offer to help me out and grab my wrists. Uh, it's not working. after a few more tries, another guy comes over and just grabs my legs and they get me on the dock. I've never been so embarassed I think to myself, tell them thanks, uhh just let me lay on the dock for a minute, until one of them, says let me help you up, so you can fix your clothes. Uh oh, my top. I didn't even look down, I just pulled it up. O.K. I tell you that's my last frozen t-shirt contest. LOL. Wet as a rat, I walk back to the table. Day laughs and says Grandma when you thought I was waving at you, I was giving you the sign that you had to go in the water. Then Day and Bad burst out laughing again. I wonder what they'll say when the teacher asks them to tell the class what they did this summer. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

The announcer calls my name (NYC) and gives me the 3rd place envelope which contains a certiicate for dinner for two and a drink at the Pub. Hey, that's way cool. I tell the rugrats the RD will never let me in the car now. I call him and tell him to make sure he brings a towel and no, don't ask me why. He picks us up, looks at me and just shakes his head. I jump in the shower while dinner is in the oven. Uh, I cut my foot sometime when I jumped in the water but I can't see the cut, so I have no choice but to ask him to do the honors. I figured this would be a good time to tell him what happened. In all the years I've known him, I have never seen him laugh so hard. To my credit, I wait until he finishes putting the bandage on before I tell him to shut up. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> Good night Irene.

Part 3 (the end) soon come!!