Wow! What a fun holiday weekend we had. It was packed with lots of laughs, exquisite meals, and family fun. I could write for hours about all the events and fun we had.

Fortunately Thanksgiving was smooth sailing with no mishaps, fires down below, or horrible heartburn. The meal was quite a production and truly a team effort. The galley down below is quite small, so I spent the majority of the day doing my best to STAY OUT OF THE WAY. I told everyone I was officially "on call" all day and would do whatever they need, which fortunately wasn't anything major. So, I kept the drinks full and enjoyed the smell of the roasting turkey. The bird turned out absolutely splendid (as you can see in the pictures), as did the side dishes. The salads, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, and desserts were a solid 11 on the 10 scale. Dick brought down some very special wine to accompany the food which brought "ooos" and "ahhhhs" as we ate. We ate dinner on deck and watched the over-sized moon rise on the horizon and twinkle on the water. It was a very special meal, one I will not forget.

As I indicated in prior posts, Dick is a huge USC fan, so we decided we would try and catch the second half of the ASU v. USC game after dinner. Chris whisked us across the bay in the dingy where we caught a cab into Ixtapa. After searching town for a bit we found a small little place where the game was being aired. We were lucky enough to sit outside and had a large television all to ourselves. Although the outcome of the game was a bit disappointing, I was so happy to be able to watch the game, especially with my Great Uncle Dick, in Mexico. We hope to enjoy many more ASU v. USC games together in the future...we'll get the Trojans next year!

Between meals, naps, and reading time, we snorkeled on the outer rocks, kayaked around the island, and spear-fished. The spear-fishing was quite good and provided a few nights of fresh fish. The highlight for me was getting a lobster and barbequing it for the group as an hor' durve. I served bite-sized pieces on tooth picks with a sprinkle of lime, a sprig of cilantro, and Julie's fire-roasted tomatillo sauce. It turned out really well and felt great to be able to provide such a tasty treat before dinner. Too bad I couldn't find one for everyone...my lungs aren't what they used to be. Thanksgiving week aboard Cisnecito was something I will not forget.