February 1st--Today I feel awful...my stomach was queazy during the night....but, We still have to go to town, do laundry, pick up hardware for the interior doors and find seashells ...
no breakfast for me, I'll just have chamomile tea, which always makes me feel better.......can't I just stay at Bo Atabey and sleep all day in the tent, until I feel better???!!!! No, I still have to go to work.... Do I get to collect sick pay?????....
W.A.P.A. is in the area....I wonder what they are doing......do they have a METER,
are they at Bo Atabey??!!!!!
While I'm at work Bob heads to the house and gets a flat tire in the driveway at Bo Atabey, this is NOT where you want a flat....just great!!!!
First, no horn, now no spare!!!!
Late in the day the phone rings, Chris our electrician is on the other end, calling from Bo Atabey, saying he has the lights and the ceiling fans on high.....
WOO~HOO we've got construction power......Finally, it only took two years, two months and 13 days since we applied for power!!!!!!
Pick up some Sierra Nevada ......lets celebrate....not Me, I'm sick maybe another time!!!
February 2nd--Last night our first inebriated house guest falls in a hole near the house!!!!
I hope he is O.K.!!!
Today I finish staining two doors, Bob returns the rented generator.....
We don't need it anymore.......
WOO~HOO We've got power!!!!!!
Tonight We eat at Cafe Concordia.....I still feel awful, but I love this place, there are three cats that live here, they are just adorable......
Tonight, after returning home from Cafe Concordia, We actually get to sit on the settee, in the greatroom, with lights, ceiling fans and MUSIC like REAL people!!!!!!.....
Woo Hoo...we've got power, B-A-B-Y!!!!!
February 3rd-- Bob acid washes the kitchen floor, before heading out to Maho Bay for breakfast, then We are off to Gooseneck a.k.a. Voyages building....It seems the weather the whole time we've been here has been exceptionally cooler that normal, especially here on the Coral Bay side of the island.....
Where are my thermal shirts!!!!
After work (Super Bowl Sunday) We head to Pastory Gardens, but the place is packed.....
there is no place to sit....so We head to town to the Beach Bar....
Picture Below: (left) We've got power!!!!! (middle) Our meter....its a beautiful thing!!!!
(right) Maho Bay Pavillion, a bowl full of Maple syrup shared by sugar-high-birds lovin' it!!!!!!!!!!!




February 4th--It's Marley Monday on WSTX....
We start bright and early priming the walls in the greatroom. Graham is cutting and planing wood jambs for the interior doorways (the rough openings are suppose to be large enough for 32" doors but are not) Jose is pointing the west shower and Leonardo is mixing mud and cleaning up the job site........
On a lighter note..... it's movie night at Skinny's.
February 5th--We are up early and are off to St Thomas.....no Deli Grotto breakfast for me...
My stomach is still feeling poopy.
Home Depot finally has grills and tiki torch oil in stock.....January is considered 'out of season'....just like in the States, but we're in the tropics....whatever....
We pick up teak plugs at the boat yard, paint and primer at Paint Depot, a propane tank at the hardware store...
We did purchase a grill and propane tank last winter while We were here... when it was time for us to leave, Lucas wanted to buy our grill in the worst way...... so here We are purchasing another......
While We are on St Thomas you know I had to have my coffee fix from 'Bad Ass Coffee' this will make me feel better!!!...... We also head over to Budget Rental to get the jeep serviced and are back on St John by 4:00 p.m.
February 6th-- Today would have been Robert Nesta Marley's 63rd birthday.....
Wherever you are Original Rude Boy..... Happy Birthday !!!!
I prime railings while Bob heads over to Paradise Lumber and picks up the 'filled' propane tank.....after work We are off to Starfish Market..... no eating out tonight...finally We will have a home 'grilled' meal......



February 7th--Today ROCKS!!!! No more heading down the hill, first thing in the morning, to fat belly deli for our 'good morning coffee'.....Bob can just turn the burner of the grill on.....with coffee in hand I start painting the kitchen walls before heading down to Gooseneck ...............life IS good.
Inner Visions is playing tonight at Sputniks ......
February 8th-- Today is laundry day, that means We get to have breakfast at Deli Grotto.... today starts out fantastic until We pick up our clean and dry laundry at the laundromat....... Ladies......... you can keep reading, maybe you can relate
none~the~less this situation gets VERY embarrassing........ Guys, this little story isn't for you, would you care, nor understand.....if you guys are sports fan and it is that time of the night ....put on the T.V. and turn on P.T.I. (Pardon the Interruption) on ESPN and watch Tony and Wilbon.....
Ladies.....My freakin' unmentionable (bra) is wedged/jammed behind the drum of the dryer..... and I can't get it out.......finally, the lady in charge of the laundromat, has to help, at this point my unmentionable is totally shredded, worthless and in the trash it goes......normally, this wouldn't be a problem......but, I have a history with this sort of thing happening to me.....
Let me set the scene: my house, Connecticut, ANY given laundry day and a dog name Buddha, my grandson.... Buddha the American bulldog...........
this guy L-O-V-E-S electronics, fine Italian leather and laundry baskets....it makes no difference whether the laundry is dirty or clean.........you have to keep the basket with clothes out of his reach.....or, down the hall this thief goes and under the bed...yes, another bra or any article of clothing bites the dust......so, I've saved my best bra, at this point the only one I have left and this is what happens!!!!???? I'm guessing Buddha's spirit is alive and well here on the island of St John.....Ladies, don't let this happen to you.....hand wash and line dry ONLY!!!!!!
I digress..............
On to work We head.....
We continue to prime and paint the walls after work....
February 9th-- Today is Saturday, there are NO workers here today......We have our 'good morning coffee' and the whole house to ourselves....
Santos took the 12' ladder........How will Bob finish priming and painting the 17 1/2 foot ceilings....I guess that is his problem....but he keeps cursing me out because I'm the one that wanted them that high.....
Today is the first day that I get to wash my hair with REAL hot water...did I mention that we have power, a toilet and a shower?!!???
While I stay behind at work Bob heads to the house to sand and stain the greatroom french door....now ALL the upper windows and doors are stained, one coat down, two to go!!
After work we head to the Beach Bar for a quick bite, St John Spice (for black voodoo grilling spice) and to Starfish Market..... just like going to the grocery stores, on weekends, in Connecticut, there are few choices of meats left on the shelves....
The St John Arts Festival starts today....
Picture Below: (left) HOT water for our 'good morning coffee'
(middle) Gray plaster and white primed walls gone..
(right) St John Arts Festival starts this week.



February 10th--Before heading to work, Bob is up bright and early painting..... I run out of 'castleton mist' paint.....
Oh drats.... guess It is back to Paint Depot.....
February 11th--Now that We haven't the 12~foot ladder anymore, Santos took it back, Bob does his best using the 8~footer that he purchased. Home Depot had two 12~footers when We were there last time, but both were broken.....
maybe they'll get more in next trip over to St Thomas....
Graham starts to hang interior doors that he custom made to fit openings.....Like I've mention before, the blueprints call for all interior doors to be 32" the door openings are large enough for 30" door......so WHY did We pay for blueprints and WHY didn't anybody read/follow them!!??....the poor house continues to looks like one big afterthought.....
Its movie night at Skinnys...
NO movie for us!!!! After cooking out, We head over to Maho Bay Pavillion........
That's where Inner Visions is performing!!!
February 12th-- We are off to town, first stop is Deli Grotto...We need breakfast, then to Paradise Lumber (Jose and Leonardo need LOTS of cement) then Starfish Market....have I mention We have power, that means a "REAL' refrigerator and We get to take 'REAL' showers!!! W00~HOO....
Bob and Leonardo move the refrigerator out of the east bedroom and into the kitchen.
Leonardo leaves at 1:00 p.m. Bob and I continue to stain, prime and paint.
February 13th-- The Gentlemen from Plantation View pay us a visit at work. We are not happy with their windows and doors. There are too many man hours on our part, planing, sanding, scraping, plus some windows and doors came without hinges, screws and screens. We feel the windows and doors lacked quality because 1) The Plantation View shop was being relocated and 2) We ordered the doors and windows unfinished, so why should anyone care if there is excessive amounts of glue and silicone left on the product!!?? The Company representative did not have time to look at the pictures taken of problems and did not have time to go to the house and go over the discrepancies. He made excuses and claimed not to have received a detailed list of missing parts which leads us to believe they have no sincerity in correcting problems and compensating us for additional costs incurred
due to the poor Quality Control of Plantation View. He was also in a hurry to catch a ferry to St Thomas and never once asked what Plantation View could do take care of us.
February 14th--Happy Valentines Day!!!!
Today We play hooky from work, Bob puts the west bathroom counter together, while I wash a load of clothes, My washer is hooked up now....
WOO~HOO!! We HAVE power!!!!!!!
We are off to Cruz Bay to pick up hardware that was ordered from Mark Hansens, Inner Visions will be performing at the Arts Festival and then We head over to Starfish Market.....
Tonight Inner Visions will be peforming at Sputniks as well...
Scotti and Linda, the nice couple We met last year at the Arts Festival in Cruz Bay, will be arriving Sunday, they LOVE Reggae and Inner Visions!!!
Picture Below: (left and middle) Inner Visions performing at the Arts Festival.
(right) Future St Johnian musicians and dancers watching
Inner Visions perform.......too cute!!!!
Hey, Ras Paul.....they've got the 'groove'....




February 15th-- Today it cost us $250.00 for Graham to install two handles on one french door..........Y~I~K~E~S !!!!
While at work, I met a couple, that has been following the Bo Atabey building blog.....they are also building on St John....on Bordeaux Mountain, unlike us, they've had great luck with their builder.....rub it in!!!!
Bob and I are not playing well with each other......this situation that We now find ourselves in, is finally getting to us.....
When We leave St John in March Bo Atabey is suppose to be ready for the rental market.......and it won't be, thanks to Roy, so much still has to be done and some has to be done over, thanks again, Roy......................
We also face the realization that we could end up loosing both houses.....
I have my music playing....and at this moment Bob Marley's 'Chances are'....is playing......
what a night...I also call Ryan, only to find out he forgot to take Fluff for her check~up.....
Holy crap !!!! This indeed is a very bad night......my poor cat!!!!! Get me out of here!!!!
Bob lights the copper tiki torch (in the east shower window opening) every night....I walk over to it....tonight it looks especially beautiful......
'Chances are' Bob Marley is singing 'I see years of bright tomorrow'....'chances are we'll have to win'..... at this moment.....if any song can set the tone of how I am feeling....Kodos to Bob Marley's 'Chances are'............
By now you all know that I am a BIG Bob Marley fan, the only thing that is going on in my mind is.........that
......I just had an epiphany....maybe....we are having all this bad luck because we are building on the WRONG island...maybe.....We are suppose to be building on the island of Jamaica!!!! Or.... maybe..... we are building on the WRONG continent....We are suppose to be building in Africa!!!!!!!
Me...also.... think maybe.....Me just had one too many rum drinks!!
February 16th--Today We prime walls and clean the east bedroom ceiling, as best we can of dried up plaster slop, before heading to work......there is not much happening at work...so Bob heads up the hill to finish priming the east bedroom...Scotty e~mails us with his February itinerary ..............I have so many people to e~mail back.... but I keep getting knocked off line......at this point I give up!!!!!!!!
February 17th--Scotty and Linda from Kansas arrive today. Bob is up early to prime more of the east bedroom and we head to Donkey Diner before work....Jeff and Ruth, friends of ours, that are staying at Cinnamon Bay stop by work to check it out ...there is not much happening here at work again today... so we head up the hill and show them our simple house Bo Atabey....then to Cafe Concordia for dinner.....Jeffs treat!!!!
February 18th-- Up bright and early......don't seem to have HOT water coming from the shower......which makes for a very FAST shower....have to ask Tim, the plumber about that.... no Deli Grotto for breakfast today, We have to get over to St Thomas, there, I can get my 'Bad Ass' coffee fix......Maybe we'll see Scotty and Linda while on St Thomas.....We get what we need at Home and Paint Depot.....I also apply for a Cost~u~less card.....
February 19th--Bob cleans more plaster off the east bathroom ceiling and starts priming the walls...Graham is putting hardware on doors, Leonardo and Jose acid wash the east shower wall then start the footing for a small stone retaining wall.....to fill in the hole that someone fell in.........
Bob and I head down the hill to feed Whiny and check e~mails and guess what....Scotty and Linda got snowed in.... the airport closed down (unlike Dorothy and Todo) they are still in Kansas !!!!
Picture below: Mischievous Monkey mural on the wall of Paint Depot....Check out what this little guy painted blue and red.....too cute!!!




February 20th--Bob heads up the hill while I'm at work....Today he'll paint the second coat on the east bedroom walls......The peak is a b!+@#!!!! to get to...who wanted the 17 1/2 foot ceilings anyway!!!!!
February 21st-- Before heading to work, Bob acid washes the east bathroom floor.....why did we think that the thinset would come off, neither will the primer or paint...WHY did we purchase paint paper to put on the floor!!
Leonardo and Jose build the retaining wall under the east shower......it is VERY cute for something that eventually will get buried.....
Bob plants a palm, where the hole once was...
tonight after dinner we will head down to Sputnik
to see Inner Visions perform.
Gene and Eileen will be there, they own Blue Caribe a rental Villa, on the other side of Coral Harbour...Scotty and Linda will also be there....it ends up being a LONG night.....We are up way past my bed time....
February 22nd...Today starts out as a very sad day, First things first, we have a meeting with the lawyer and head down the hill to feed whiny cat.....Linda and Scotty stop to see the house....Scotty is an architect in Kansas...I can imagine what he is thinking...yet he is kind!!!!!
After work we head to Cruz Bay town, to pick up provisions..While we are in town, we can run in Deli Grotto and pick up sanwiches...for later SMART !!!!!
February 23rd....Getting up bright and early on weekends is getting very old.....Today our tent gets evicted from the west bedroom....it is time to prime in here...We also get a birds~eye~view of the 8 tuff miles finish line/ball field below......
I stay at work while Bob heads back up the hill to continue priming more of the bedroom walls...we'll keep the tent down....how bad can the mosquitoes get ???.....
Picture below: (left) I Spy the 8~Tuff Miles finish line/ball field from Bo Atabey. (middle) This hole in the ground kept growing and growing.....(right) What hole ??!!??





February 24th--Another morning of painting before heading to work....At work there is not much happening ....so Bob leaves me behind, heads up the hill and continues painting the west bedroom.......
February 25th-- Today I will start the second coat of stain (ceytol 2) on the west bedroom windows.....but....my phone rings at 7:45 a.m. it is Ryan.... I'm thinking that he is returning my phone call....no, there is a crisis....he just finished walking his dog... the cats are ready for breakfast, except Fluffy....she is not responding and won't move....Ryan called the emergency number......he was told to wait and take Fluff to her own Veterinarian........at this point I feel totally helpless....Ryan will call back when he is at the Vet....
I talk to the Vet....the words...dehydrated/blood protein/no temperature...obviously something awful is going on with my girl...... more blood work will be done....for now she is on an I.V......The Vet calls later in the day Fluffs temperature is up to 94 it should be at 99 degrees...
February 26th--I continue to stain the second coat on the windows...
We pick up bags of mortar mix from Moses....I will do anything to keep myself busy, later, I talk to the Vet....Fluffy isn't eating and is doing better on the I.V......she has a Kidney infection which is VERY bad for a normal cat but, because Fluff is diabetic it can be much worse, so I have to be prepared ....He will call back tomorrow....
Graham attaches the posts to the deck, Jose and Leonardo plaster the back wall and Santos installs the kitchen and two bathroom sconces.....We are off to run errands, gotta feed Whiny and head back to the house and continue staining between rain drops.........
I talk to Ryan, late in the day, to tell him he won't be picking up Fluff today....
Picture below: (left) If the person your painting with slops paint on the floor.....don't paint in bare feet (middle) The prep wall (right) Plaster being applied.



February 27th--Bob and I continue the second coat of sikkin cetol 23 stain on the window and door openings..... trying hard NOT to get in Grahams way.. while Graham fits the wood that he magically cut cockeyed for the railings, the posts are not square nor plumb, which takes twice as long and makes it more difficult ...Leonardo continues chipping off concrete around the pool deck and Jose is plastering the 80' wall, Bob and I leave to pick up eight more bags of mortar mix from Moses, Bob wants to stop at Pastory Gardens for a quick snack....the person next to me is having what appears to be a VERY spicy bloody mary...it looks great..... I'll have what he's drinking!!! Ryan calls me up and wants to know when he can pick up 'HIS' cat....I tell him what is going on with Fluff.....he thinks that he has 'failed' me.....which only makes it more difficult...
Dr Foster does call late in the day...Fluff is not doing any better nor worse....
February 28th--Today Bob starts unpacking furniture, that has been downstairs in boxes since last October....We are due for a visit from Amy...Graham is still cutting and fitting wood for the railings, Leonardo continues chipping concrete and Jose finishes plastering the retaining wall...what a transformation..... Dr Foster leaves a message, saying that Fluffy is eating a little when hand fed a little and she'll eat alot when hand fed alot....this brings tears to my eyes...I keep thinking positive...
Tonight we have dinner at Cafe Concordia with Scotty and Linda, then head over to Sputniks to see Inner Visions last performance before they head out on tour.................Inner Visions is selling their new CD 'Finally Captured LIVE' we purchase three............
February 29th--Today I prime the railing, Graham is still butchering more wood (as he calls it)....Jose is plastering the wall by the stairs........and the best....Leonardo starts taking apart the pool steps..........
Today I talk with Dr Foster Fluffy is doing O.K.....not great....better than when she first arrived four days ago....at this point she could have brain damage, kidney damage and/or be blind.... it is still to early to tell.......I ask him if someone there can PLEASE give my girl a hug for me....
Below the pool steps NOT on the blue prints....ignoring them DID make them go away......
Leonardo takes care of this eyesore with a trusty sledge hammer......this is time and money WELL spent.......
Picture below: (left) 7:54 AM... (middle) 11:06 AM... (right) 12:28 PM .....




Bo Atabey
Sixteen................



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