Patrick picked us up on the golfcart to take us to our new rental car.  He was still talking about how much he enjoyed his birthday cards.  I asked him if he had a good birthday and he said, “Much better than I expected!”  That is a great birthday to have, one that is much better than expected!!

Our new rental car is much nicer!  It is newer and all the windows work (except for Tessa’s).  It’s also 4 wheel drive which we think we will need when we go to the mountains.  We headed to Cabarete.  We were desperate for books and found out there is a bookstore there.  When we found it, after much searching, we discovered it was a used bookstore.  Oh well.  We at least found some books and we’re happy!  No more rereading the same books!!!!

It’s Patrick’s birthday today!!  We love Patrick! He really makes Ocean World Marina special.  He always has a smile, always there with the golfcart to give us a ride wherever we need to go.  Tessa and Tristan made him birthday cards.  Tristan drew the Ocean World logo on his and Tessa drew a picture of Patrick driving the golfcart.  They went up on their own to deliver the cards and they said Patrick loved them.  He laughed and laughed at the picture of him driving the golfcart and showed it to everyone.  Another boater here at the marina, bought him a birthday cake and people were calling him all day he said wishing him Happy Birthday. 

Brooks, another boater here, introduced us to his rental car guy.  William, the owner, promised us a better car for the same price or less.  Seeing how  our old car had 2 flats and the driver’s window wouldn’t roll down, it seemed easy enough.  Dan and Tristan went with him to see the cars and I stayed back to clean.  Later, Patrick stopped by and brought me a piece of his birthday cake.  He told me Dan and Tristan had already had a piece and he wanted to make sure I got some too!  He is so sweet!

It has been a sad few days.  My uncle passed away the other day.  We were lucky enough to get to see him at Christmas last year.  It was Tessa’s first time to meet him.  I feel bad for my dad and I am sorry I am not there.  My uncle was always very funny and that is how I will remember him.  I am really glad the kids got to meet him if only briefly. 

I was talking to Tom on Blue Heaven, the sportfishing boat that we had originally met in Rum Cay.  They just found out that a captain friend of theirs had been lost at sea delivering a sportfishing boat.  There had only been the owner and the captain on the boat coming from Texas to Florida, in a storm.  The owner went below, leaving the captain alone.  When he came back up, about 5 hours later, the captain was gone.  Very tragic!