SOLD! - The End of an Era

November 26, 2013
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

At long last, we officially sold our condo, located in the Zona Romantica section of Puerto Vallarta, just two days before the Thanksgiving holiday!   As new construction in the busy resort town boomed, our well-located but older property, dubbed Casita Encantada for rental purposes, had languished on the real estate market for almost two years.  We were beginning to despair of ever being able to move on from that snap decision we made back in 2005.  It was a highly rentable, charming little condo with lots of great memories attached to it, but since moving back back to the US in 2007, it no longer fit our lifestyle.  It had become a bit of a challenge to manage from afar, to say the least.  It was time to move on.

Casita Encantada

Happy Birthday, Scott!

November 24, 2013
Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort, Calistoga, CA

Although Scott (obviously) celebrates a birthday every year, it was an unusual occasion this year as it was the first time that Caroline can remember that Scott's birthday did not fall on our near the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Typically, Scott's birthday gets 'celebrated' at the annual casino night we go to with the friends we celebrate Thanksgiving with in Lake Tahoe every year.  In other words, poor Scott's birthday usually falls by the way side, being swept aside in favor of other traditional holiday activities.

It's been a stressful time for us this fall.  Following Nestle's many reorganizations over the summer and Scott's recent promotion to Finance Manager, Scott has been spending more time  than ever at the office.  Add to that that we have been jumping through paperwork hoops trying to close on our Puerto Vallarta condo - yes, we finally found a buyer! - which is scheduled for today (fingers crossed!) and will be leaving to drive up to Lake Tahoe tomorrow morning for the Thanksgiving holiday, where Scott will spend the day working remotely amidst the pre-holiday chaos and there just wasn't much time to plan (or energy to participate in) a birthday fete.

Desperately needing some relaxation (and a massage sure wouldn't hurt either), we decided to book a couple's mudbath and massage at an old favorite, the Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort up in Calistoga.  Easy. Relaxing. Enjoyable.  We've been going to the Golden Haven, known for their restorative mudbaths, for well over twelve years now, so there were no surprises and no guesswork involved.  It was a beautiful, sunny weekend and the grape vines were ablaze with fall color, only adding to the enjoyment of the weekend.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  Happy birthday, Scott!

Posing in the cutouts simulating the couple's mudbath experience