Saturday, July 19th – Part Two
It’s STILL my birthday!

We caught back up to the group who assumed we’d chickened out because we’d only been gone 15 minutes (apparently they were under the impression that we were going to take time to get to know our nude neighbors, but boy were they wrong). It was time to get ready and catch the boat for our Sunset Snorkeling Adventure! We rushed and ran to the dock to take celebrating my birthday in style up one more notch! The water was beautiful and the boys running the boat were of model quality (at least that’s what I’m assuming by the number of photos Mike and Jed took of them). As we were getting to the protected reef, the water got a bit rougher and by the time we anchored, there were white foamy waves on the water where we’d be snorkeling.

Though it was beautiful, once we got into the water we were thrown around as much as one might be thrown about in that wavepool from hell at Typhoon Lagoon – so yes, a little rough is a mild description. I wasn’t feeling so hot and by the time I got back onto the boat after being in the water for an hour, I felt pretty horrible. Mike G. had thrown up in the water (which apparently brings the most beautiful fish very close – just a tip) and then on the boat several more times. Hope was feeling nauseated and looked glassy eyed. I decided to lie down on Frank’s lap to try the trip back with my eyes closed to ward off the yacks. After having my head down for a few minutes a strong wave of nausea came over me and Frank sent me down to the bathroom in the boat…. Not a great recommendation. If I felt sick before going downstairs in to the fecal mater capital of everywhere and everything, the smell of the debris covered room only made it worse. I hadn’t even closed the door before my full and flavorful lunch from Caroline’s shot out and then again, because apparently the margarita and fries I consumed were also offensive to my fragile belly. 4 rounds of yacking later I emerged, white and clammy. While I was below deck, Mike G. and Hope had set up a sickbay of sorts in the center most area of the boat that they now welcomed me into with open arms. The truly sad part of this is that there was a delicious menagerie of complimentary beverages for the trip back that the three of us couldn’t participate in (but don’t worry, that didn’t stop Frank, Jed, and Mike M. from sampling them thoroughly).

We watched bitterly as the boys drank and congratulated themselves and we sipped on plastic cups of water. As we were about to park the boat, Mike G. had one more round in him and having already christened the other three sides of the boat, tossed the last bits of his shrimp-filled lettuce wrap off the final side of the boat – he’s thorough!

We got back to the house and I decided that I wasn’t feeling up to going out and getting crazy so we decided to put on our pajamas and spend the night in. The boys had bought fish and steak earlier in the weekend to grill but the idea of eating what I’d just thrown up (did I mention that I had a blackened mahi mahi sandwich for lunch?) was not something I was prepared to do so we ordered Papa John’s. The gang surprised me with a delicious strawberry-and-cream-filled cake that after a bit I was even able to eat a bite of – my birthday wish came true!

That’s how you ring in a 30th birthday with style!

Don’t get jealous – one more day of excitement to come!