Penguin Cake

Today we are celebrating the September and October birthdays at work. It was a perfect excuse for me to use the penguin cake pan that my mom gave me a while ago. It is a "cupcake" cake pan. The pan itself is made up of smaller, piece-sized sections. You bake the cake and then put the sections together to make the penguin. After you have decorated it, each section can be easily pulled apart to make a separate piece.

The cake recipe I used was a bit dense but it meant that the cake wasn't crumbly so that it was easier to get the pieces level after baking. For next time, I will probably use less almond flavoring or even try vanilla as the almond taste is pretty strong. Of course it is whole wheat as well since I don't have white flour in the house.

After the cake that one of the students brought for the ICCI shower, I really wanted to try decorating the cake by making little flowerettes using a special tip instead of smearing the frosting on. I experimented on little cupcakes to get the technique down and then set to doing the penguin. I still don't have the hang of getting the flowerettes close enough together the first try so I did have to do some "patching" to fill in spots. I also didn't produce consistently sized flowerettes but I think it looks pretty good for a first try!

There is a God

33Miles has a worship song, "There is a God". As I was baking this afternoon, I had on ITunes and had it on shuffle through all our music, and the ITune shuffler decided to play it.

The words hit me strong today. Here is just the first verse and the chorus.

FIRST VERSE:

There's a beauty to the dawn, a rhythm to the rain
A silence in the soul that I just can't explain
There's a breath of life I breathe, a beating in my heart
A magnificence, a scary sense of what lies past the stars
Beyond what we can see behind the mystery
I know that it could only be

CHORUS:

There is a God; this is the proof
That all around the evidence is speaking the truth
From the center of my soul to the edge of the universe
Creation is crying out believe it or not
There is a God

Through my faith journey over the past few years nothing has struck me so much as evidence of God as this life that wiggles, kicks, and continues to grow inside me. Yes, every finger, toe, eyelash, and hair can be explained through science and the specific cell signatures that grew out of the first merger of cells between Scott and I. Science has mapped out how I now have a 5 pound 10 ounce baby girl squirming inside me that started off as a mere collection of cells but faith gives me the wonder at what is happening. I choose not to divorce science and faith. I choose to see the wonders that can be explained through science as more evidence of a God who has created this world where two cells can combine and know what to do next to create a new human life.

Whenever she decides to join us, this baby girl will be a unique person. She will probably look a little like me, a little like Scott. and a little just like herself. She will probably act in some ways like me, someways like Scott, and someways just like herself. All of these things can be explained through the scientific mapping of her DNA but faith allows me to see the unique combination of everything that will make her HER as specific choices by a God who sees the path for her life.

This baby girl is a combination of the science that conducts the manual labor and the God that orchestrates the whole thing as he watches over her. She is the most powerful evidence in my life that there really is a God.

The problem with crying wolf

So once again the local news is full of coverage and everyone is in a tizzy about the possibility of Tropical Storm Richard forming to our south later tonight or tomorrow.  Whenever that happens invariably we have students asking us about classes being cancelled and generally everyone on edge.  The problem is that this is about the fifth week in a row that we have had some kind of storm warning, flood watch etc. and at some point it just feels not real.  That I suppose is the real danger you stop being so sensitive to the weather channel and all the hurricane websites and stop being completely prepared and then bang the storm really comes.  With Katie just three weeks from her due date tomorrow, we are still paying close attention but really just want the season to be over with and no excitement to come our direction.  Even if we get the storm it will likely only be a tropical storm which means no classes but also means no need to put up all the hurricane shutters etc.  So, we are once again we are on storm watch and hopefully this is just one more time of crying wolf and the real thing passes us by like TS Nicole and TS Paula did with just a slight glancing blow of rain and no more excitement than getting to see the warning flags flying in all the roundabouts. Meanwhile just because I am sick of the rain and to show how pretty the foliage here can get below is a shot of the side of Friends Hall our main classroom building and what we get to see every July and August when the trees here are in full bloom.

Thursday Morning Update

Looks like it has formed but to our south and is eventually headed west so just more rain unless it takes a weird turn.  Right now the center is just to the right of directly south of us.

Buccaneer's Feast

Tonight to celebrate Katie's 27th birthday we went to the Buccaneer's Feast at the Marriott Beach Resort. The dinner was on Seven Mile Beach at the Solana restaurant. It was a buffet style feast with Alaskan King Crab, BBQ ribs, a pasta station, sushi, tons of other hot dishes, and a lot of desserts.

After the meal, there was a pirate show with a DJ, fire dancing, and pirate sword fights. Katie made some new friends and we both enjoyed a great meal and a good time.

Happy Birthday Katie

The big birthday party is tomorrow at the Buccaneer feast over at the Marriott but today of course is the Big Two Seven for Katie.  Will post pictures of the feast and show this weekend.

Watching Paula

Late season storms are always a headache because they form to our south and give us little lead time.  TS Paula is now forming to our south and west and will be in our neighborhood all week.  No idea yet which way it may move so we are watching it closely.  As you can see Grand Cayman (which is directly to the right of the Saturday projected location) is in the outer loop but outside the watch cone.

Rum Point Harry Potter Morning

As today is a Longhorn-football-free day we went this morning up to Rum Point. We did bring our swimsuits but it was pretty windy so the normally glass smooth water was choppy. We decided just to enjoy the sun and read Harry Potter instead of getting in the water.

As we are working on recapturing the wonder that is Cayman, Scott took a bunch of pictures that normally the tourists take but we normally ignore when we go. It really is a pretty place and captures the typical Caribbean view.

Of course there is also the silly picture of Baby C now that she has grown so much! 4.5 weeks to go! When it is calm, we think that Rum Point will be a great place to bring her so that she can get used to the water.

Losing the Wonder

When we first arrived on Cayman, so many things that captured our attention. We were fascinated by the cow in the Ivan damaged building, enthralled by the chickens that crowd around your car at the grocery store, and interested in the crabs that would play "chicken" with the car as we were driving.

Now that we have been here three years, we have lost some of that wonder over the little things that make Cayman unique.

A few days ago, as we were heading home from the college, we saw a car with a white license plate (a tourist) parked in the middle of a field right in front of a bull covered in white birds. The tourists were taking pictures while the bull politely allowed them to. We'd passed that bull many times and the birds were just a part of the scene but we'd never thought of it as anything special. We'd lost that wonder at the little things that make Cayman, Cayman!

After dropping Scott off at work this morning, a white license plate car about 200 yards in front of me suddenly pulled to the side. I was going to stop to see if I could help but then I noticed the camera. Yet again a tourist had pointed out to me what we miss on our day to day trips through Cayman. She had stopped to take a picture of the newly erected, quite funny looking, goat farm that sits right along the bypass. Although we'd noticed it, we never thought anything of it. We've lost the wonder!

We need to work harder to notice the things that make this place special, the things that stand out to visitors as uniquely Cayman!

The Ritz Carlton

Although we have been on Cayman well over 3 years, we had yet to visit the only five star resort on the island, The Ritz Carlton.  We have students who work there and have driven past it literally hundreds of times as it sits right on Seven Mile Beach road, but had never gone in or been to an event there.  Last night we finally got to see what all the fuss is about as we attended a gala dinner put on by the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants which honored graduates of the two local colleges who got degrees in accounting. 

As we pulled up the long driveway into the Ritz our first question was parking but that was quickly answered by the valet who met us on the road and indicated that valet parking was a part of our tickets to the event.  Feeling very special, we pulled right up to the main entrance, handed our keys to the valet and headed in.  Employees of the resort pointed us in the right direction as we headed to where the dinner was being held.  The Ritz is a huge complex of several buildings on both sides of Seven Mile Beach road.  Our event was in the main resort on the land side of SMB road.  The dinner was in a huge ballroom and as the reception was going on we spent some time "exploring" the resort.  It was dark so we couldn't see the outside amenities but did get a chance to wander around inside and see the gallery.  The inside was very nice but not so much that it  blew us away.  The dinner was good and it was great to see several of our students recognized who had graduated last year with degrees in accounting.  Ironically, the keynote speaker was Don Seymour a local businessman who is a graduate of the University of Texas (yes I watched the game yesterday afternoon and we shall speak no more of it!).  We were both tired after the excitement of yesterday morning (about which you can read on the baby blog) and the adrenaline rush was wearing off so by 10 p.m. we were ready to skip the dancing part of the evening and just head home.  It was nice to see what at least part of the Ritz was all about.  A huge part of the Ritz's reputation is their service and we could definitely see that was deserved.  I am just not sure we could ever stomach paying 500 or more a night for a room no matter how good the service might be.  It was a fun evening though and certainly helped take our minds off the worry of earlier (and of course what turned out to be the real tragedy of the day, the Texas-OU game).

Cayman "Snow" Day

In Texas we used to get a lot of grief from our neighbors to the north when we would have a snow day at the first sign of some snow flurries or a little bit of ice. Today we learned just how different living 1300 miles south of DFW can be. Today we had a "snow" day.

All the public and private schools were closed. The government college stopped classes for the day. Govenrment programs such as NEPP were cancelled. ICCI closed down for the beginning part of the day. People didn't show up for their dentist's appointments (we were able to get in quickly!).

Yet the temperature was 86 degrees with a heat index of 99 degrees.There were no snow flurries, no ice. There was lots of rain and wind and we were on a tropical storm warning (complete with red flags with black squares) but nothing that would normally cause an entire country to shut down. Yes, there was some flooding. Yes, some roads were impassable. Yes, there were some wind gusts. No thunder. No lightning. No trees knocked down.

Some may ask, "what?!? A little rain shut everything down?!?" Yes, here in Cayman the rain and wind with the red nautical flags with the black squares threatening the possibility of another hurricane developing caused the country to go into "snow" day mode!

Lots of Rain and Wind Today

Lots of wind and rain today as the storm has seen its center move north of us but it is so large we are still in its rotation.  As you can see from the radar at left the storm completely covers the western caribbean.  We had to cancel classes last night because of flooding and today is 50/50.  The public schools have already announced they are closed today.  We are nice and dry inside and the winds are just a nuisance so far and not any real issue.  Our home is high enough that we don't have any problems unless there is a really high surge and this storm is not bringing that problem.

Tropical Storm Warning

All night long we have been getting rain from the system that is about to form Tropical Storm Nicole.  This morning we were officially put on tropical storm warning though the NHC site tracking map which I copied below shows the storm to our north.  We are the Island outlined in blue just below the center of the storm and to the right.  You can also see that the sister islands Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are under the same warning.  Right now it has stopped raining and we are hopeful that the flooding which usually comes with these storms will be limited.  The college again has Lake ICCI and too much more could flood our parking lot and lead to cancellation of classes.

40th Anniversary Dinner

Last night was the Fortieth Anniversary dinner for the college.  It wasn't lost on me that I am the same age as the college.  The dinner was held in the Governor's Ballroom at the Westin Causarina Resort on Seven Mile Beach.  There were 320 seats sold for the event and the room was packed by the time the event started.  There was a rain storm outside which drove the reception that had been planned for the lawn overlooking the beach inside but no one really noticed. 

There were graduates present from every decade and the Master of Ceremonies was the Hon. Anthony Eden who was actually a member of the very first class at ICCI in 1970.  He is the past Minister of Health and is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly.  The music for the evening was a jazz artist named Devon Edie who was incredible on the saxophone.  Our featured speaker was another early graduate of the institution Carlyle McLaughlin who after attending ICCI in the 70's and getting his Bachelor degree, went on to get his Masters in Accounting and CPA and became a Senior Partner with Ernst & Young as well as founding his own computer company.  In his speech he talked about all the roles he has had with ICCI suggesting that everyone in the room consider their roles at ICCI.  He came up with ten including scholarship recipient, student, graduate, ambassador (he was one of first ICCI students to go abroad for Masters), alumni, spouse of ICCI graduate, faculty member, Board of Trustees member, Donor, and Parent of ICCI graduate.  A Power Point of forty years of photographs was shown as were two videos, one made in the Seventies and one recently which really helped show how far and how wide and impact the college has had.

Today is a Family Fun Day out at the college with an open house and lots of kid related activities.  Tomorrow a couple of the local churches are doing services in honor of the college.  It really was a fantastic start to the weekend of events and we look forward to a great day today.  Before we head over to the college today we are going to an event out at Camana Bay called "Yeah Baby" which is an expo of merchants and schools of all things related to kids.

Cayman dog "walking"

On the return trip from Cafe del Sol (our local "Starbucks") where I was working on my Capstone Proposal, I saw Cayman's version of dog "walking" just as I was pulling into the Butterfield roundabout near the industrial district. I wish there had been a camera in the car as it would have made the most hilarious picture.

Riding into one of the busiest intersections on the island was a man on a bike, not an odd occurrence at all. Sitting right behind him on a piece of plywood about 2 ft by 3 ft was large yellow lab (or mutt with strong lab tendencies)! I couldn't see how the wood was attached to the bike but the lab was balanced on all fours on the wood happily being carried along. It had to be fairly secure because the dog didn't once teeter and did not seem at all concerned at his method of transportation.

Only in the Caribbean....

The Big 4-0!

Yesterday was Scott's 40th birthday. We had planned an evening of sunset and sushi and were pleasantly surprised when we also received a hotel stay at Sunshine Suites right behind our favorite sushi place.

ICCI has a visiting consultant this week as they prepare for accreditation. There was some confusing with getting a place for her to stay and the college ended up with a prepaid night at Sunshine Suites that wasn't being used. Kira, the Business Manager, graciously let Scott and I use it for his birthday!

After an afternoon of giving Gypsy lots of lovins in the other room while one person packed so that she couldn't tell we were leaving (she has been very needy lately), we set off to pretend we were in a far away land!

We've been to the little grill here (see Sunshine Grill Dinner) at the hotel but have never stayed in any of the rooms. Each room has a kitchen area with a big fridge, stovetop, sink, and a little dining table. It is set up nicely to allow visitors to do a bit of cooking for themselves to keep their costs down. Scott really liked the flat screen TV and watched some football while I got ready since it always takes me much longer!

After getting all dolled up we walked over to Yoshi's.

We get sushi ("fake" sushi lately) about twice a month but it is Scott's favorite on the island so he wanted to do it for his birthday. To make it more special than the normal takeout we get, he decided to go for the Love Boat. When we first arrived on the island, we used to go to Yoshi's all the time and each visit we would get the Love Boat. It is a "boat" (they used to use this really cool wooden boat for the sushi but we haven't seen it in a while) filled with sushi that comes with multiple courses. You get to enjoy miso soup, tempura, rice, teriyaki chicken, and, afterwards, mango or green tea icecream (we both always get the mango). It is A LOT of food (hence the reason we stopped getting it) but since we were in "vacation" mode we scarfed it all down! We did some substitutions for the sushi rolls so that they were all "fake" sushi and I could eat them but Scott really enjoyed getting to have nigiri and sashimi sushi (one is just cuts of the raw fish and the other is raw fish over rice). After packing up some of the leftovers so that Scott could eat his customary "midnight sushi" (usually eaten around 8 p.m. because we aren't night owls...), we headed back to the hotel.

With me 8 months pregnant and Scott exhausted from many weeks of running like crazy with work, we ended up crashing! We'd planned to change back into shorts and go walk on the beach right at sunset but when we got back to the room we were just too tired to go back out. We'd brought "Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban" to watch (I'm rereading the books and we are watching the movies as I finish each one). Only about an hour into the movie (which is the most inconsistent from the book of them all so far!) Scott just couldn't keep his eyes open. We had the "midnight sushi", tried to make it a bit further in the movie, and then decided to call it a night. Scott zonked out around 8:30! Aren't we just the happenin' couple!?! We are turning into my parents! :) It will just get worse when Baby C joins our family!

He needs to get a lot of sleep because this next week is going to be NUTS! He has visits from Ministers, meetings with the Education Council, a mock accreditation visit, and ICCI's 40th anniversary celebration on top of his regular responsibilities! After everything calms down, I'm sure that he will update everyone on all the events of this week.

The Right Place to Be

There are no less than three major hurricanes active today and fortunately not a one of them is in any way affecting us or appears as if it will.  Karl was nice enough to wait to form to the west of us while Igor and Julia didn't even knock on the door of the Caribbean the way Earl did before turning north.  The season is still barely over 1/2 way done but so far at least it has been another quiet one for us.  Knock on wood, lets hope that continues.  Fortieth Anniversary week is next week and we are finishing the first week of the fall term today.  With 225 students this is our biggest term since we got here.

Zachary Alexander's Baptism

Yesterday up in Naperville our nephew Zachary Alexander was baptised.  I am the Godfather and my cousin Chuck Hughes graciously stood in for me since I couldn't get up there for the ceremony.  It was good practice for Chuck as he will be Godfather to my daughter when she comes in a couple of months.  We really wish we could have been there.  Zach along with his parents Jo and Brent and his brother Nicholas were in our thoughts yesterday.  We send all our best wishes up north.  There was also a surprise 60th birthday party for my Mom who was there for the baptism.  Anyone who has pictures from either the baptism or the birthday party please email them down to us we would love to see them.  Thanks.

40th Anniversary of College

This month is the Fortieth Anniversary of the college.  We have a huge weekend of events the weekend of the 24th and the media blitz about it is on going.  This morning I was on TV talking about the anniversary and the upcoming events.

40th Anniversary TV Appearance

Football Season

As many of you already know, the first day of the college football season is celebrated as a holiday in the Cummings household a tradition begun by my beautiful wife some five years ago when she gave me a first day of football present the morning of the Texas-UNT opener in 2006.  This year I was presented with a small book that had the words to the Eyes of Texas and the sonogram photos of our little girl with various Longhorn and football related stickers strategically placed on the photos.  I got to watch the Texas game from the comfort of my own living room since it was on the main ESPN channel that we get.  The Horns were solid if unspectacular and it was good to see them win though they aren't nearly the team of the last two years that challenged for a national title.  With the youngster due in early November football this year really is taking a backseat to real life. 

We finished our summer term last week and have a week of administrative duties before we start the fall term on the 13th.  Late last week it looked like we might get our first storm of the season next week in Gaston but right now it is up in the air whether he will reform and if he does whether he will track our way.  If he had you know that Katie who is a huge Beauty and Beast fan would have been humming Gaston's song from the movie and play all the time.  Next week is our nephew Zachary Bernard's baptism and we want to send our love and thoughts up to Naperville to him and the whole Bernard family.

New Government Position

So I know I will get some grief from my brother and sister about the appellation before my name but here is the link to my appointment to the CINICO Board of Directors on the government web site.

CINICO Board

Earl well to east of us

A few folks have sent us emails about the latest hurricane which is battering the Eastern Caribbean, Earl.  Fortunately, he turned well to the north before entering the far northeast Caribbean and his track is up into the Atlantic.  The Cayman Islands being so far to the west, won't feel any of his fury which seems destined for the North Atlantic.  We are fortunate to be in the western Caribbean and hidden behind the huge mountains of Jamaica.  It doesn't mean we can't get hit (as we learn every couple of years), but it does mean we are better situated than the leeward and windward islands.  Earl waited a while to turn north and that has been bad news for the leeward islands who are getting battered by hurricane winds this morning.  Fiona is forming in Earl's wake but she also is projected to hit the eastern islands only before heading north.  September 15th is the height of hurricane season so we are just getting started with this year's storm season.

This past weekend Kathleen and I attended the graduation for the Tourism Apprenticeship program that ICCI works on in partnership with the other college in the Island UCCI and with the Department of Tourism. The Premier was the graduation speaker and it was held over at the Westin Casaurina Resort on Seven Mile. It gave Katie a chance to try out a dress for our own 40th Anniversary and gave us both a chance to see the Governor's Ballroom in action ahead of the ICCI 40th (as it will be in the same location). 

This is final exam week on campus so things will be intense enough for our students without any storms coming our way.  We continue to hit our projections for the fall each week and are on pace to have a huge class which is quite exciting.  To see the new building going up this fall and the large class will really give us a sense of accomplishment as we step away from the college for a few months and become new parents.  We feel like the college is in a good place and that we can leave for 6-8 weeks and know that everything will be fine.  It took a while to get to this place but with the staff now on hand and the strong foundation with the faculty and student body there is a real sense of stability in the college.  And of course, Saturday is the first day of college football season a national holiday in this household.  Texas takes on Rice to open the season and with the game on ESPN we don't have to go any further than our living room to catch the game.

Gypsy's Newest Friend

Just this afternoon Gypsy started to get very excited by something outside the window. She'd been playing with her lizard earlier so at first we thought that was all it was but when we realized that the lizard was sitting in the opposite direction of where she was looking, we started to look for a new friend.

Swerving in and out of the branches right in front of Gypsy was a snake! About two feet long he was happily exploring the branches for the lizards, snails, and other "friends" that keep Gypsy entertained. Gypsy found this new friend very fascinating!

It was hard to get a good picture through the window but this is the best that we got. The head and the tail are both off the side of the picture.

Fundraising for the College

With our 40th Anniversary this September, we are doing a lot of fund raising for the college.  Below is an article on some recent success we have had.  Of course the big goal is the new buildings for the campus.  We have now exceeded our available capacity in terms of classroom space and must expand.  We hope to break ground on our new third classroom building this fall and longer term the new Library/Conference Center is in the works if we can line up the donors.  We are also in need of more parking which is expensive down here to pave.  Lately I have spent a lot of time doing presentations to companies trying to line up funds for our library and various programs.  In these difficult economic times it is increasingly difficult to get companies to contribute monies to institutions such as ours.

Cayman Net News Article

Shooting Gallery

The storms seem to be coming off the coast of Africa in waves with both Danielle and now Earl swirling out in the Atlantic.  Current tracks have both staying out of the Caribbean and lets hope that stays the case.  The weather folks here tell us that several more storms are lining up in the Sahara so the shooting gallery that is hurricane alley is open for business.  It has been too hot down here to do much outside after 9:00 a.m. so besides morning walks and work, life is just one day after another as we count down to November.  It looks like our fall term may well have record enrollment at the pace we are on and that is keeping us busy with registrations and paper work.  We are also finishing up the institutional self study so we can file all our documents for the new grant of accreditation.  It seems just yesterday we were going through an accrediting visit and now we have another one next January or February since our current grant expires at the end of 2011 and is up for renewal.  This is also week ten of the term so we are both finishing up our summer term teaching assignments and will be taking off teaching for the fall so this is the last of our classroom work for several months.  And of course, football season is just two weeks away so that will help pass the time to November.

Sunshine Grill dinner

To celebrate Scott's appointment to the CINICO board and my completion of another quarter of DU classes, we went out to Sunshine Grill, one of the best burger places on the island.

New Responsibilities

On Tuesday I received an appointment letter from the Minister of Health indicating that the Governor in Cabinet had appointed me to a one year term as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company (CINICO).  This is the position we had mentioned a while back that I was up for but wasn't sure I would ultimately receive.  My experience as a lawyer and in the paramedical industry as well as my work in academia all played a role in this new position.  It doesn't affect my job as the Dean of ICCI or impact us in any way other than the new responsibilities that I will have as Chairman and the additional work it will involve.  It is an honor to have been nominated and a real honor to have been appointed.  Before any of you ask, it is a volunteer position and doesn't carry any salary or other benefits beyond the prestige of holding the position.  I am excited about the prospect and it is an opportunity to give back to the community in a significant way as CINICO insures all public servants and the most at risk segments of the population (this is effectively the public option company down here).  It is a new venture and along with the challenge of being the Dean and the incredible challenge of fatherhood means my life will be quite interesting.  How will I ever find time for Longhorn football???????

Gypsy is Lonely

Gypsy has been looking for friends all over the place. First there was her outside lizard who came to visit and spend time with her (see post below). Then earlier this weekend a few birds started coming around to pull off the leaves from the plant right in front of the window. They were pretty interesting but didn't stick around long.

She's taken to sleeping on a blanket in the downstairs guest room. We thought it was because the sun makes its way into there and warms up the room but now we think it is because she has found a "friend", someone who never talks about this "Baby C"!

Uncle Hank

A quick word on our Uncle Hank who is in the hospital this week. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and the entire Spetter family. Uncle Hank is 91 and is our oldest living relative on my Grandma Rita's side of the family. I remember fondly going to Uncle Hank's house and swimming in the above ground pool as a kid when I would visit them in Lyons, Illinois. As I think back I can remember him taking me as a 10 year old to a flea market one Saturday morning and telling me about his work in the newspaper business. He was always happy to have us come visit and never begrudged us his time. That was so important to us as kids knowing we had an Uncle who cared about us so much. He is loved by us all and we are all with him in spirit if not in person this week.  Get well soon Uncle Hank we all love you very much.

Cape Verde Season

Today is the beginning of the worst part of hurricane season known as Cape Verde season. It is named after the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Africa. The sand storms come off the Sahara cross the Cape Verde Islands and then move across the Atlantic.  While crossing the Atlantic they build circulation and then when they hit the warm waters of the Caribbean they become monsters.  This means heightened awareness of what is going on weather wise for the next 6-8 weeks.  With Katie being 28 weeks this Thursday we already have a plan in place to send her off island if a big storm is coming.  So far the season has been quiet in the our neck of the woods with all the storms turning north and into the Atlantic before entering the Caribbean.  Lets hope it stays that way.

TV Appearance

Here is the link to the television interview yesterday.

TV Appearance



Meanwhile, whatever you may think of his politics at least his taste in colleges is beyond question.

Gypsy's Friend

Lately a lizard has been coming around to "visit" Gypsy. He will parade across the ledge by the window flashing his different colors and enticing other lizards with his "chin flap". Gypsy loves to watch him and he likes to have the audience.

If Gypsy isn't around, he will perch and stare into the window. He will walk across the screen to make himself as visible as possible to the inside; he will do whatever he can to invite Gypsy to play.

This morning we noticed a large gecko that had made its way into our bedroom. Although we pointed it out to Gypsy, she found it terribly boring! Where were the flashy antics? Where were the bright colors? That lizard was a NORMAL lizard...she isn't into normal lizards.

Peering into the window

The normal lizard

Media Blitz and Calendar Watching

Over the past several weeks I have been doing media appearances on behalf of the college.  I have done a couple of radio appearances and a television appearance and with an average of one a week am definitely spending a lot of time getting free advertising for the college.  With our 40th anniversary next month, the new business building about to start construction and the fall term starting in a month there has been a lot to talk about.  It certainly has kept the weeks moving which has been a good thing.  I recently answered some emails asking me what I was up to with some combination of the following: "My life now is a calendar watch.  The questions each day seem to begin with what week are we, then quickly move to when is the next Dr. visit, how long is it to viability, how long until the lungs are developed, how many more days to November, and on and on."  The radio and TV appearances have been a good distraction from the overwhelming nature of getting ready to be parents and contemplating the calendar as it inexorably moves forward is both exciting and scary.  Katie is doing a great job of keeping the baby blog up to date so keep checking that for updates on little Baby C. 27 weeks this Thursday.

Virtual Baby Shower

This afternoon my sister Johanna threw Kathleen a virtual baby shower from her house in Naperville, Illinois. We attended via skype video link and were able to see and talk to all our relatives and friends who attended.  It was a surreal experience to attend a party from thousands of miles away, but we really felt like we were there.  The one big thing missing was not being able to eat all the great food they were having.  We hadn't seen Johanna and her kids Nicholas and Zachary in a couple of weeks and it was amazing to see how much they grow even when its only been a few weeks since we last saw them.  We also got to see our Great Aunt Mary and Uncle Hank and it was great to talk to them along with our cousins Chuck (with Twila and the kids Cory and Christie), Mary Kay, Sue and Eileen; and friends like Maryann Walsh.  The baby shower was centered around creating onesies for the baby.  We saw a longhorn onesie, a kittycat onesie, an airplane onesie, a Ms. November, a rainbow onesie and even a dinosaur one from Nicholas.  Little Zach made his presence known throughout and it was really nice to see and interact with everyone as they made the onesies. 

We want to really thank Jo and Brent for doing this and setting up such a wonderful afternoon and thanks to everyone who attended or who will be sending onesies as part of the broader baby shower in other places across America.  We wish we could be with you. 

Fifteen years ago....

It was the last week of July 1995 and on that Friday afternoon, I drove back to my Mom's house in San Antonio having completed the grueling two and a half day long Texas Bar Exam.  It would be three long months before I got my scores and found out I could practice as a lawyer.  The last Friday in July is always a reminder of that exam and the months of studying for it followed by the long months of waiting for the results.  To all the prospective lawyers in Texas heading home this afternoon I wish you good luck and a good nights sleep tonight.  I believe my first two days after the exam I woke up to eat once on the Saturday after but my first real memories aren't until the Sunday following, so sleep well. 

Cleaning out desk for Hurricane Season

Our desk is downstairs and during hurricane season, if a storm is on the way we move a lot of the electronic items and discs as well as other other materials upstairs into a plastic bin. I was going through the desk inventorying what we have in case we need to move it and came across a CD with some photographs. Upon putting it in the computer, I realized it was old photographs of the 2006 Rose Bowl National Championship game. I was having so much fun reliving the game and the festivities afterward that I figured I would post one of the shots. Here is a random Rose Bowl photo of my friend Gary and I after the game. We had gone to the game as my "bachelor party". I was five months from getting married at that point and he was not yet a Father. Here we are four plus years later and he has two kids while Katie and I are expecting our first. Wow has time flown or what?

East End Dinner

This evening we drove out to East End for a combination date night and celebratory dinner. We went to a restaurant we had not been to in a while, Portofino Wreck View, which sits on the northeast point of the Island. We were treated to a tremendous storm just as we entered East End. The wind picked up tremendously and the waves got huge crashing against the shore. We drove past the blow hole and saw a couple of very large explosions of water out of it. We are celebrating Scott's nomination to a possible government related position and if he gets it will let you know soon. It is a political position and in politics nothing is certain until the government officially announces the appointment. Still, it is quite an honor to even be nominated and so whether it happens or not, today was to celebrate that nomination. If it does happen it will not affect Scott's work or position at the college though it will mean extra work. We had to eat inside because of the wind and rain but sat next to a window and watched it all as we eat. It was a great evening and gave us a good chance to see the eastern end of the island for the first time in a couple of months.

Despicable Me and A La Kebob

This past weekend Katie and I decided to get in the car, fight through the rain and actually get out of the house. We headed over to Camana Bay which has really become a nice outdoor mall after its slow start of just having the Hollywood movie theatres and book store. Katie needed to work on some of her DU stuff so we went to Cafe Del Sol, a coffee shop, and sat in the back, me drinking a Latte and her a hot chocolate while we took advantage of their free wireless. After an hour or so of Masters work we headed over to A La Kebob and got some gyro's before heading back to Camana Bay to watch a movie. We had to choose between the new Twilight movie and Despicable Me. Katie is a huge Twilight fan and I figured we would be going to that film but surprisingly, Katie really wanted to see Despicable Me. We bought our tickets to the early afternoon showing and in addition to the movie got to experience what life will be like in a few years. The theatre was packed with parents taking their young kids to the movie. In front of us were some young girls dressed up like princesses out with their Mom and behind us a family with all three young kids seated in a row between Mom and Dad. Everywhere you looked were families. We even ran into one of our students bringing his young daughter and he said we were "too old to be at this movie" to which we replied "we were practicing for the future". The combination of rain plus it being an early showing probably played some role in the large number of young kids brought by their parents but it was still something of an eye opener to see that many youngsters with their parents.

After the movie we headed home so Katie could focus on getting her school work done. With assignments due every weekend for her classes, Saturday's and Sunday's have become class time. We are now in the fifth week of our summer quarter at ICCI. I did a radio appearance Monday on Radio Cayman talking about the 40th anniversary of the college and the changes at the institution over the past few years. We are both getting a little better at getting our morning walk in between the rain and might actually try some snorkeling if the weather allows. It is strange not having an off island trip in the works and knowing that we aren't going anywhere until we have a new family member. One thing we are working on now is making sure that as soon as our little one is born we get her properly registered and get her a US passport and social security number. She will be a dependent on my work permit so there is a ton of paperwork we have to have ready well before she comes.

Stormy weekend

While we aren't facing anything resembling a tropical storm, we are getting deluged by rain today and last night the storm knocked out our power for several hours. This morning as I look out our front window our parking lot is a lake and the waterfall off our roof is keeping Gypsy very focused. For about a year now we have kept our A/C at 82 degrees Fahrenheit so the loss of power last night and resulting heat didn't affect us that much. Interestingly enough even with the pregnancy Katie hasn't needed the A/C turned down so her body temperature doesn't seem to be fluctuating that much. We both sleep underneath covers at night and it is amazing how much our blood has thinned to where temperatures in the 70's now seem cold. The rainy season is now in full force here in the tropics and not a day goes by that we don't see some rain.

Katie in Texas

This weekend Kathleen is back in Texas to visit her family, do some maternity shopping and attend the wedding of a friend of hers. Gypsy and I are holding down the fort here in Cayman. Gypsy has to wonder what is going on as last weekend it was her and Kathleen alone in the house. She must think we are both nuts. This morning she yelled at me for an hour and I could just make out the words, "where is the girl boy, where is the girl?" While Katie has been gone we got our car window fixed so the plastic window is no more. We are into week four of our summer term and with the height of hurricane season approaching are stocking up. The baby blog is updated with all the info on our visit last week and obviously that will be our focus these next few months (and the rest of lives).

Round of 16

With the storm letting up just a bit I headed over to the sports bar yesterday and got to watch the USA-Ghana match with the ESPN feed. The USA was clearly outplayed and Ghana got a deserved goal in added extra time to win 2-1. I got to walk home in the rain and bemoan the lost opportunity. There were a ton of US fans in the bar and the atmosphere was great even in defeat. This week is week two of the summer term and on Thursday I head to Miami for the summer seminar then right after I get back Katie heads to Duncanville. In between on the sixth of July we have an appointment at which we may or may not find out the gender.

Rain and Tropical Sorm Alex

With the glass for our car window at least 5 days shipping away, now was about as in- convenient a time as possible for the first tropical storm of the season to make an appearance. While it is well to the south of us we are getting lashed by band after band of rain being sent out by TS Alex. We have a trash bag taped over the window and the tarp over the vehicle to keep out the water. At left is a photo of the driving rain and the tarp being blown around. The water runs off our roof through the drain visible on the right thus the seeming waterfall there. Unfortunately, with no driver side window, the car is undrivable as there is a huge blind spot for the driver because you cant see through the trash bag. We cant remove the bag because of the constant rain. That means we are trapped at home pending use of the college van which is having its radiator flushed or rides from co-workers.

This afternoon is the big USA-Ghana match, if the rain lets up we are going to the sportsbar to watch the US transmission and if we cant we will have to watch the Caribbean feed from FIFA at home. Either way it will be a tense afternoon of futbol as we watch the round of 16 match.

Car Window

Yesterday we learned just what happens when a weed whacker and a rock interact with a drivers side window. A lot of broken glass. We are driving around with a trash bag for a window and with rainy season in full force are holding our breath every time the rain starts. It may take a while to find the right size glass for our car and that is a concern. Fortunately the lawn service has agreed to pay for the damages so at least that is good.

USA 1 Algeria 0

The local TV stations here are apparently still back in the '50's in terms of satellite feeds. As a result they are only able to show one game at a time during the third phase of group play when two matches are played simultaneously. They have advertised for a month that we would see all 64 games live but apparently forget to notice that there are 8 games played simultaneously and if their third world set up cant get more than one satellite feed then they would have to show on tape delay one of the games even with two stations available to carry games. With so many Englanders on island there was no question which game they would carry live this morning at 9:00 a.m. local time and it wasn't the USA.

As a result, I got up early and headed over to the sportsbar that I normally find myself at on Saturdays in the fall to watch the Horns play. The bar was already open when I arrived around 8:45 and quickly filled with both American and English fans. They split the bar so on one side they had the US match playing with audio for it and on the other England with its audio. They also had the other game showing on one or two TVs on each side so you could follow your match but keep an eye on the other.

When England scored early on in their match it became clear that the US would have to win to advance. The Americans had a goal disallowed and missed a ton of chances. You could tell the mood in the bar was getting more and more depressed on the American side as the clock ticked down and chance after chance went awry. At the 90 minute mark it was still a scoreless draw and it looked like the US would crash out of the cup and we would all go home disappointed. The English fans were pretty clearly hoping for a US draw which would mean that they would top the group. So, while not exactly cheering for Algeria they were certainly not rooting on the Yanks. Then, in the 91st minute (into injury time) the Americans got a breakaway and Landon Donovan got a rebound goal and I swear you could hear the roar from the US fans in the bar throughout the island. It was incredible! The US 1-0 victory combined with England's 1 nil win over Slovenia meant both teams advance so no one left the bar sad but with the US now topping the group the American fans definitely left with a greater sense of elation not just at the last minute goal that saved them from elimination but at winning the group and hopefully avoiding Germany in the round of 16. With this win the US advance to play Saturday in the round of 16 and I will be right back at the same bar to watch the match hoping for a similar result.

World Cup 24x7

Down here it is World Cup time all the time with the international feed on both local channels and the signs everywhere with expats flying their national colors. The games are live early in the day then replayed later along with a one hour highlight show to wrap up the day. We were in Jamaica for the USA-England match but were home this morning as USA took on Slovenia. The ESPN feed is blacked out so we can only watch the Caribbean feed for the games on the local channels. After trailing 2-0 in the first half today, the Americans scored two goals in the second half and had a third potential game winning goal disallowed on an absolutely atrocious call by some America-hating-two-bit-third-world referee in over his head officiating a World Cup match (but we aren't bitter about it at all). The 2-2 draw today combined with the 1-1 draw with England mean the US is still alive to advance to the elimination rounds. The USA plays Algeria next week and must win by 2 goals to guarantee advancement to the round of 16.

Update: After Algeria and England play to an ugly nil-nil draw, all the US must do is beat Algeria by any scoreline to guarantee advancement. Good thing we don't work mornings as next Wednesday is the big match. National pride is a big deal down here for these few weeks so the US doing well is letting the Americans on the Island hold their heads high in conversation with our European co-workers.

Home from Jamaica

We are back on Cayman after a quick getaway weekend to Negril on the western coast of Jamaica. We stayed at a resort on the beach and did some snorkeling both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday evening we made a trip over to the famous Rick's Cafe to watch the cliff divers and take in a sunset. Pictured at left is us at the cafe. Pictured below is one of the cliff divers. Rick's was voted one of the top ten bars in the world and we got to see some incredibly high cliff diving. Unfortunately this is the rainy season and on the evening we went to Rick's there was a rainstorm which prevented us from seeing the spectacular sunset that the bar is famous for as well. The snorkel trips were a lot of fun as on both trips we saw new fish and reef creatures that we hadnt yet identified in our books and got to make new entries for a couple of star fish, a sea cucumber and a trumpetfish.

It is World Cup time and everywhere in Jamaica you could see evidence of the competition going on. On Saturday for the USA-England match it seemed like the whole country came to a halt to watch the match. In addition to the snorkeling we got in some quality beach time reading and swimming and generally had a very restful weekend. We had formal meals each of the three nights we were there and got to enjoy tapanaki the last night made right in front of us. Little Baby C does not like flying and Katie didn't enjoy the traveling portions of our trip on Friday and Monday. This week there are no classes at ICCI but we have evening work every day from the faculty meeting to new student orientation and then the seminar meeting. In just two weeks Scott heads to Miami for the summer seminar and meeting with two colleges about possible articulation agreements and then right after he gets back Katie is going back to Texas to do some maternity shopping and spend some family time with her parents and sisters.

Finishing out the Spring Term

This is the last week of our spring term at ICCI and we are both ready for our getaway to Jamaica. A few people have inquired whether we still planned to go over there and we keep reassuring everyone the violence you have been reading about is in Kingston which is a couple of hundred miles from Negril where we will be. It would be like not going to San Francisco because there are riots in LA. It has gotten terribly hot down here and with the El Nino effect not being as present as last year the hurricane forecast has been increased dramatically. We are getting everything in order so we are ready just in case but it really shouldn't get interesting until July and early August. We are both teaching this term so this week is being spent finishing those classes and getting ready for next term which begins on June 21. Hard to believe we have been here now for over three years. Will post pictures of our Negril trip next week when we get back.

Sunset House Snorkeling

This is Katie's last week on the job as Director of Admissions for ICCI so this morning we did the end of the month placement exams out at the college. The morning at the college used up a good part of our Saturday and Katie still needed to finish her last assignment for one of her Masters classes for the quarter. We didnt want to just hang around the house so this afternoon we decided to get out and while Katie worked on her homework sitting under a palm tree pagoda I did some snorkeling off Sunset House south of the George Town Harbor. I swam out to the mermaid to see if clearer skies would enable some better photographs of her. I was able to see her better though I had a number of issues with fogging of my goggles. The camera seemed to be getting some good shots and when I got home and put them on the computer I was very pleased to see that the shots had turned out much nicer than any others I had gotten of her previously. There was a lot of material in the water so the below shot has some particles that were like little clumps of sea dust in the water and showed up in the shot.

Yesterday was potentially the day we might have learned the gender of little Baby C. Unfortunately for us someone went into labor and the Doctor was called away causing our appointment to be reset for next Tuesday afternoon. Keep an eye on the baby blog for any updates and even if we dont learn the gender on Tuesday we should have some more ultrasound shots of the little one at 17 weeks.

A huge congratulations to our neice Kelsey who graduated from high school today. We are very proud of her and cant wait to see how she does up at Smith College in Massachusetts this fall. We also got to see some picture of our new nephew Zachary and he looks incredible. We have been keeping Jo, Brent, Nicholas and Zachary in our thoughts all week and send our love up to Naperville.

Crabbing

Last night as we drove home from the college on the bypass we constantly had to slow down or move to the right as the pickup trucks and crab hunters were out in force looking for catches. If it is late May and early June in Cayman that means one thing crab season. The crabs are everywhere and in the evening come out of their holes to find food. As you drive around at night you have to watch out for them to make sure you don't run one over and mess up a tire. It is also not at all uncommon for a car to suddenly stop in front of you, someone to jump out and grab a big one off the side of the road. Katie and I aren't in to the whole catch your food and take it home to cook thought that goes into the crabbing so we have yet to engage in this nighttime activity. With hurricane season starting in less than a week the crabbing is a reminder that the seasons down here have changed (even if the weather hasn't).

Welcome Zachary Alexander

Scott's sister Johanna gave birth last night to our newest nephew, Zachary Alexander. We are very happy for Jo, Brent and Nicholas and pass on our love and best wishes to our newest relative Zach.

Everyone back on Cayman

We are both back on Cayman after two weeks of various travels to Atlanta and the Bahamas. Katie enjoyed her sister vacation and is home now rested and relaxed. Ironically, we have three weeks of work to finish the spring term and then we head to Jamaica for our "baby moon". We have this flurry of travelling culminating in both of us going to the States in July (Scott to Miami and Katie to Duncanville) and then we are both on Island for the duration of the pregnancy.

Georgia on my mind

I am heading to Atlanta tomorrow for the spring seminar and on Monday Katie heads to Miami to get on the boat to the Bahamas with her sisters. Katie's appetite has returned somewhat and although she still faces a lot of bouts of dizziness she seems to be getting her footing back as we head into the second trimester. Between me being gone and her leaving before I return we were surprised to realize that this is the longest we will have been apart since we first started dating. thank goodness for email and skype.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to both our Mom's we love you very much. God willing this time next year will have a special meaning for us too.

Busy May and early June

In non-baby related updates, the past few weeks have been very busy at the college as we get deeper into the spring term. Scott is teaching 2 classes and Katie 1. In addition Katie is working part time as the Director of Admissions so she is back on campus in an office 20 hours a week. The arrangement is temporary and hopefully we have a new full time admissions person by the end of May but it has meant some strange work hours for us as Monday through Thursday we go in at 2 in the afternoon and work until 10:30 p.m.

The month of May is going to be a very busy one for us as we start this weekend with the annual board of trustee's meeting for the year. As this is the most important meeting of the year many of the board members from off Island fly in so we have extra work getting ready for it. Then next week Scott is in Atlanta for the spring seminar. He is flying up next Wednesday and will see his brother Kevin in the trip as Kevin is helping with the field trips. The following week Katie is in the Bahamas for her sister vacation with Mel and Stephanie and then we have the final two weeks of the spring term and getting ready for the summer quarter. We also have our "Baby moon" set for June 11-14 in Jamaica. Katie is calling it our baby moon since it is our last holiday together alone until the baby comes and that means last holiday together for a good long while (we hope). It has gotten really hot and humid down here and last week a massive infestation of mosquito's bloomed making it miserable to be outside. Most everyone is walking around with mosquito bites on their faces and arms. The news says that the rain we got a few weeks back enabled the mosquito's to lay their eggs and this is the result.

Dr. Visit today

We had our week 11 visit today and have updated the baby blog. Check it out!

Avoiding the Tax Man while ducking the rain

Sorry about the lack of updates, have been extremely busy and not much time to do them. The rainy season has come a little early this year as this week we have had rain three of the last four days and really heavy rain is scheduled for this weekend. As I write this we have had almost four hours of steady rain and these Saturday downpours have put a crimp in our plans to go baby shopping today and price various items at the two big baby stores on the Island. Thursday was tax day and as we continue to have combined income below the amount which qualifies for the foreign earned income exclusion we are avoiding the tax man altogether. The government down here is getting a lot of pressure from the UK to implement some kind of tax to pay for the budget deficit they have but the political will is strong here against direct taxes. Of course they still get their money from the bank and import duties as well as work permit fees

Katie keeps updating the baby blog so check there for updates on the pregnancy. Our next visit is this coming Friday the 23rd.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone. Unlike the secular United States, down here Easter is a two days off from work long weekend with tomorrow and Monday being National Holidays. We intend to spend some quality snorkeling time so long as Katie's nausea allows. Scott's Dad is on Island for some work at the college so it wont be all fun and games. Meanwhile, in non pregnancy related news, last Saturday/early Sunday the college got broken into and the kitchen canteen robbed. Our security alarm sounded and the police responded within a few minutes as did Scott when he got the call from the security centre. by the time everyone arrived the robbers had run off taking with them a small amount of cash and some corn nuts. It cost us more to repair the smashed window then they got so the loss was small compared to the psychological effect. There has been a string of robberies and shootings on the Island and the crime issue has gotten so big the Governor is stepping in with a special task force from the United Kingdom. Sadly ICCI is now another on the list of schools that have been broken into in the past year, fortunately for us the losses were minimal.

Katie has been struggling with all day morning sickness and has actually lost weight because she isn't eating as much with the nausea. We asked the doctor about it and he didn't seem concerned telling us it is OK so long as she continues to get the calories the baby needs first. He told us that many women lose weight the first trimester and easily gain it and more back in the second and third. It did mean the first late night run for Ginger Ale and saltines of the pregnancy.

First Ultrasound Picture

Here are the pictures from our first ultrasound.

We'll be doing updates on "Baby C" on the baby blog from here on out. You can find the link for that blog to the right of this page. It is "Baby Cummings' Journey".

Seven Weeks and One Day

Today we got confirmation of what we have suspected for two weeks, Katie is pregnant. The Doctor tells us that the baby is seven weeks and one day old based on the size etc. as calculated by the ultrasound machine. We got to listen to the heartbeat which was a strong 144 beats per minute and the baby is 10.7 mm in size. The due date is November 11. We have some ultrasound pictures but need to scan them in later and will post them later today or tomorrow. Will be a fun next seven and a half months.

Random bits and peices

The winter quarter finished yesterday and we are trying to close out all the paperwork for it while also getting all the registrations processed for the spring term that begins on March 29. We are doing well with our walking in the Grand Harbour area and are watching a bunch of houses go up in that neighborhood. The most populated part of the Island is the area know as West Bay and lately they have been having really bad gang problems with several shootings and a couple of murders. The island is not used to that kind of crime and it has everyone talking. It is also having the effect of getting people who have the ability to do so, moving to other parts of the Island and the Red Bay/Grand Harbour area that we live in is seeing that movement. This weekend Scott worked the career fair put on by the Chamber of Commerce and had a brief cameo on TV talking to people at the fair on the evening news.

As some of you already know, we are hoping that this week will bring some big news and will share that once we get confirmation from the doctor. Watch for an update next Friday.

Juvenile Hawksbill Turtle

Here is a video we took last summer of a juvenile hawksbill turtle. He was very playful and seemed to enjoy the attention.

Mastic Trail Parrot

Here is a video of one of the parrots we saw yesterday on our hike of the Mastic Trail. The load time is slow depending on your internet speed.