Life is easier, Life is harder

We are sitting here at Emerald Bay Marina on our boat. We have a small mental list of chores that we need to complete before we head off to George Town, only 8 miles away. So, what's the problem? Well to tell you the truth, this place is just too comfortable! I can see that we will have to pry ourselves away from here, against our wills, schizophrenic like, and get back on course. The little voices are just driving me crazy.
Let me try to draw you a picture; I wake up at about 8:30 because although the clubhouse opens at 8:00, it takes them a half hour to brew coffee (I'm going to talk to the manager about the work ethic in this place). They use Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. My sleep attire is gym shorts and a t-shirt, so the only thing I need to put on is a pair of sandals, and sunglasses, and I'm off to the clubhouse for my mourning coffee. I'm in the door at 8:32, and I hang around for at least 2 cups, check my emails, usually there are none (come guys throw me a bone here). I then meander back to the boat. Marie will be making herself a cafe latte, the kids are still asleep.

This is the clubhouse at Emerald Bay Marina (Sandals)

The library is on the ground floor.

This is the front desk.

This is the bar. On Mondays they have "Happier hour" with hors d'oeuvers and rum punch.

The billiard room.

This is the upstairs lounge.

Another hour goes by depending on whether or not it is a school day. The kids actually fake sleeping to avoid school, as Marie doesn't force them to get up at any certain time to start. Even when she does try to wake them they snap back at her disrespectfully, I guess figuring they can always blame their behavior on their semiconscious state should repercussions ensue. Now, since they cannot start school on empty stomachs, they request the most elaborate breakfasts they can think of in other to further delay their already less than classical education.

I bake a fresh loaf of bread every couple of days.

Almost everything is made from scratch.

Chocolate chip pancakes.

At about 11:30, with crumbs still hanging off of everyone's lips, Marie starts school, and I get to work on the boat. It is always a challenge to gather everything it takes to accomplish even the simplest of tasks, all the pieces, tools, and materials, sometimes it this step alone takes an hour.

Eva and Hadrian about to start a school day.

I have learned through the years not to bite off more than I can chew, but lately this "life lesson" has taken on new meaning. For example, yesterday the task I set before myself was to tie a new line to the anchor. I was able accomplish this in a timely manner, and I was quite happy with myself as I had done all that I had set out to do.

Here's an example of my projects, this is a theft deterrent devise for the outboards.

I had to move the BBQ back a bit so that the bimini top would not catch fire.

Even Mirador looks happy at the marina.

At about 2:00 everyone starts talking about lunch. I try to keep lunch simple, if left-overs are available then that's the fare. If not, then P & J sandwiches or mac-n-cheese. After lunch, Marie can only squeeze a bit more schooling in before the resistance is just overbearing, and she lets the kids go to the clubhouse to watch TV and play on the internet, or we go to the beach.

As usual Eva and Hadrian prevail and head for the beach.

The sun begins to set at about 5:30. At about this time you will notice that everyone's right hand is occupied holding a drink. I will usually make "Pina Coladas", Eva's favorite. We enjoy socializing with all the other cruisers before heading in for dinner. If we were back in Miami I would be sponsoring parties dockside like nobodies business, but out here I just don't have the resources.
But wait there are two parts to the title of this article. Okay, lets touch on the "harder". The little comforts that we never give a second thought to back home become matters of strife. Last week we found ourselves a the end of some of our supplies. We had no fresh meats or produce, and some other staples were dwindling. We are 8 miles from the market at George Town, where you get to pay about twice as much for half as much, but it's a $100 cab ride. How can you justify a $100 cab ride? How can you afford a $100 cab ride? That would be one hell of chicken! You better lick your fingers after that chicken! So, for over a week we lived off of only canned goods, ramen noodles, and other dry goods. I am pretty creative in the kitchen, but oh Lord does it ever take a toll on the crews morale. As Napoleon once said "an army marches on its stomach". 
Being out here is a revelation of life itself, of how real it can get. If you over look something out here there will be consequences. Most of our societies thin sheltering layer is peeled back. It's like living life in stereo, the lows are lower, but the highs are higher (I didn't write that). It's like the difference between riding through the Smokey Mountains in a car or riding down that same road road in a motorcycle. It's the difference between throwing a bullet, and shooting a bullet. Alright, alright I'm running away with this, but you get what I'm saying, right?