Well, we’ve certainly had a mixed bag of all sorts these past two days, including stunning sunsets and beautifully coloured skies, thunderstorms and torrential rain overnight and early this morning, with lightening flashing across the night sky and thunder rumbling across the anchorage, all a tad disconcerting as we had not been in this anchorage during a storm before, coupled with Elaine’s nephew and his wife moving from South Africa to Ireland, the news that the STV (Special Tourist Visa) has been extended for another year, which will give us the additional 90 days we need in Thailand before our departure, receiving the sad news of the death of one of the cruisers we met on the Indonesian Rally, may she rest in peace, and a wonderful 80th birthday celebration for Elaine’s mom, all while fighting off the fatigue, headaches and sore arms from our 2nd COVID-19 shot, the latter forcing Elaine to spend all of yesterday in bed and then she still needed a nap this afternoon, while Roy soldiered on, fighting through it and keeping himself busy with the next stages of our lithium battery solution, replacing the engine starter relay on the starboard engine, topping up the battery water and running the watermaker. We did, however, both enjoy a much needed nice long walk along the Chalong Pier to the Village Market, where we fortunately found a hardware store that had all the bits and bobs we’ve been struggling to get.
In between all this activity, we also enjoyed a nice long video chat to Keenan and Brooke and to Elaine’s brother and sister-in-law.
The highlight of the day, though, was the 80th Birthday celebrations arranged for Elaine’s mom. Besides numerous birthday phone calls, a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her sister and brother-in-law and a variety of gifts from her friends, her day started with opening all the cards and presents gathered ahead of time from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren scattered around the world and delivered to her by Elaine’s sister, Dianne. Then, since Dianne and Elaine had also arranged a suite at the Buurendal Hotel as a gift on behalf of the entire family to be followed by a birthday dinner party, the small group of revellers, Elaine’s folks, Dianne, our cousin Anthony, and our aunt and uncle (the birthday girl’s sister and brother-in-law), gathered in the hotel lounge for what they thought were pre-dinner drinks, but in fact, it was a surprise Zoom meeting for the birthday girl with all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. What a laugh it turned out to be and, without a doubt, a cat’s choir who sang Happy Birthday to her, but having everyone “together” made for a very special celebration indeed.
Happy 80th Birthday Mommy!
