Day Four (Tuesday, April 10th)

Her Royal Highness, PRINCESS, has arrived.

But she needs a little beauty rest.

Finally, someone to talk to. Sort of. She'll be more coherent after she's had a nap.

Before she arrived I took to the beach. I read a whole book start to finish. Brilliant. Generally, I'm more about taking trips than taking vacations (that's what we did as a family) but today is going to be a lazy day on the beach.

I want to go waterskiing but decide to wait for Teri. Last time I waterskied was with Teri in New Hampshire and the boat was in need of a tune up so my Dad had to kick me out of the boat (get rid if excess weight) so that it would run properly for my sister's ski. And the boat simply didn't have the power to pull me. Needless to say, I need to (re) prove my waterskiing prowess.

Vendors approach tourists and try to sell you just about anything. If you even make the slightest bit of eye contact with them and don't buy something they get poutty very quickly. Some woman is selling nuts and she cracks them and puts them up to my mouth. Yeah, um, she is definitely in my personal space. I tell her I am allergic and she runs off. Too bad I can't also be allergic to ice cream, massages, sarongs, t-shirts and all the other goods available on Surin Beach.

The Tsunami happened right here where I'm reading. Much to my surprise, it's kinda hard to tell that it happened. I mean, go to downtown Manhattan near the World Trade Center and you can tell something happened. Go to New Orleans -- you get it. I am kind of curious if there's any sort of, I dunno, memorial? Part of me wants to take pause for the disaster in some way but end up doing that in my head.

Before Teri and I go out, I get a work related phone call (it was arranged at my suggestion). Having this phone call could potentially put my mind at ease for the rest of the trip so I decide it's worth the break in the mode of vacation to take it.

Day Four, Second Shift

Whoah. Just got back from my night out in Patong with my sis and her slightly insane pals.

Needless to say, I was a little out of my element. Let's just say the evening involved ping pong balls, cigarettes, bananas, darts and balloons and well, I'll leave it at that.