Week 4: Reunitin' In MV

Hi My Name Is Ryanne Saunders

And I Am From:

And This Is All About My Fourth Week On 

The Vineyard 

Martha's Vineyard

:)

Geography is not my best subject, and ironically, student assisting in an elementary class last year..

I was looking on the U.S. map for Massachusetts in a fourth grade class, which is probably when I should have learned where Massachusetts is the first time,

And I realized Massachusetts is on the other side of the country. 

2,378 miles from Ogden, Utah to MV

Now I do deserve some credit because I knew when I got this job off of the coast of Massachusetts that it would be East of Utah..

 but I was honestly more than a little surprised 

(I admit this is embarrassing)

to find just how far away this recently acquired summer job of mine would be.

In that Fourth Grade class looking at a map of where I was about to go, I felt nervous but excited.

It's true no matter what state, if I had been going to Colorado for example, away from home is away from home.

 But 2,000 Miles away was a little bit daunting.. 

What will happen when I miss my mom?

Super cool graffiti in Vineyard Haven

Well I definitely have missed my mom. 

So when I heard that Grandma Pat, Ma, & Da were coming to visit me for five days I was 

FLIPPING OUT

My grandma is beautiful.
 Her favorite thing to say is Love You More so of course we took a picture with this cute sign we found at a little shop in Aquinnah

In front of Ryan Family Amusements bc Da's name is Ryan

My grandma was telling her doctor where she was about to go before they came, and he said that he used to be a bar tender out here but in Nantucket. 

He began reminiscing about the more-than-likely wild times he had as a young bartender in Nantucket and ended his rant from the past with

"Maybe she doesn't want you to visit her.."

Couldn't have been farther from the truth but then again..

 I haven't been doing anything that I feel my parents would be interrupting with their good morals and care for my safety.. yet ;)

So Monday when I was chillin' in my room and heard 

"Juliet"

I looked out and what I saw was better than any Romeo

I took them straight to the Pub.

Chandler, Rachel, Pheobe, Monica, Ross, and Joey have their favorite Cafe,

Barney, Ted, Marshall, Lily, and Robbin have their favorite bar,

 Miki, Chancey, and I have:

Our Pub

The Newes Of America Pub

We don't drink coffee there, or alcohol, but we do eat delicious food and rhubarb pie.

So I had to take my fam there.

We all had fish 'n chips, and grandma had a lobster roll in honor of being next to the ocean.

And MV is known for Lobster Rolls 

MMMMmmm now I am hungry.. 

After I showed them the pub, we of course went to the Scoop Shack where Miki was working.

We got delicious homemade ice cream (Sea salt caramel truffle. It's the best flavor)

I almost forgot, I took them to the top of the dock and showed them from afar my lighthouse, the clock tower, and the island across the way. It was lovely weather that night, but coming from 100 degree dry Utah weather they were a little chilly at 70

That night I was able to sleep at their hotel on the couch in my grandmas room.. holy cow it was like heaven.

Why?

1. My mattress here at my island home is not a mattress but a cloth bed no thicker then two inches. So a couch of cushy pillows, and cushions of extreme comfort were enough to make me sleep for a week.

2. Right where I live, out my window, it is where all of the night time happenings are. Drinking like I have mentioned before.. drinking means taxi lights, not to mention the streetlights, and the quarterdeck restaurant open until two, bright lights across the street. So a pitch black room was very welcoming.

3. The silence. The hustle of the night EVERY night is very loud. There are cops, fights, people being arrested, random belches I can hear easily while I am trying to sleep, yelling, and even the sound of a classy gentleman peeing right outside my window at 3 am after drinking 

"one too many." 

As much as I am complaining, some of these things are endearing in a way, and overtime I have gotten almost used to it all. 

Needless to say... 

That couch, the dark, and the silence made for the greatest night's sleep I have ever had 

Without a doubt. 

The next day was Tuesday and I didn't work until 6 PM so we got to experience a lot of the island.

Among these things were seeing:

The oldest carousel in America

They do this interesting thing with little metal rings coming out of a slot where you reach your hand out every time you pass it and take out as many as you can and put the rings on a spike on the horses head. Its a game of, who can get the most rings.

The "Gingerbread Houses" in Oak Bluffs.. not Oaks Bluff

An awesome old Methodist church

I haven't played the piano in a month and I couldn't help myself.

No one was there so I went to the piano and played hymns that I have rearranged. Some people walked in, a woman and her kids. They were super young. After listening to the songs for a moment the woman began to leave, I learned later what the kids were saying.
Mom why do we have to leave? I don't want to go. She's playing the piano. Why we leavin?
I don't think that average five year olds have the attention span to really care all that much about piano, but I do think that five year olds recognize the Holy Spirit that was coming from those hymns. Not from me, but the reverent music. Sadly, the kids were forced to leave even though they wanted to stay. I understand a little bit what Matthew 18:3 means
"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

There was another couple that had come in, and as I was leaving they gave me some very kind compliments. It truly made my day. They said they were there on vacation, heard me playing from outside and had to come listen. They thanked me for the music, and even said
 "please don't stop, you are incredible!"

Thank you mom for making me play the piano. They should have been thanking you. 

The Jaws Bridge/State beach

It's called state beach, but it's better known for the Jaws bridge. Jaws was filmed on this island so it's a huge deal, and a big tradition is to jump off the Jaws Bridge, so we did!



There are two signs that say no jumping or diving off the bridge, but everyone does because..
It's THEE Jaws bridge

right after we jumped off a bridge ;)

The Path To Paradise

and

 a tour of My (Edgartown) Lighthouse

with me da

In the lighthouse

My mom was in heaven, she loves lighthouses 

I was laughing at the boys at the top of the lighthouse that were singing "colors of the wind" because they were watching my hair blow in the wind like Pocahontas and they didn't think I could hear them talking about it and singing at the top of the lighthouse.

I Love You More

Up those stairs is my apartment :)

The next day I had to work, but early in the morning before work we went on a nature walk to the same trail that Miki, Chancey and I went on the week before.

I worked the rest of the day until five, they went to South beach while I was working, then came to The Scoop Shack for some Ice Cream of course.

Restocking = attic adventures took place
SpIdy

After work, we walked across the street and went on a Sailing sunset ride.

It was great to just be with them, but an added bonus to be doing something like sailing.

Captain Robert

After that, dinner at the Seafood Shanty where Miki and I got courageous and ate clams, squid, scallops, and other random foods from the sea.

The next day fortunately, Chancey, Miki, and I had the entire morning off because we all worked that night. Which meant all of us could go to two of my favorite places on MV.

Aquinnah and Menemsha 

Aquinnah a.k.a. Gay Head Lighthouse was super awesome.

The lighthouse was being moved so we couldn't get super close to it, but the cliffs in that place are incredible.

Also: The cutest gift shop with the best prices was discovered that morning.. I want to buy the entire store.

After we scoped the cliffs, we got on another bus and headed to arguably my new favorite place/town on the island.



Menemsha.


Cutest little fisherman's town ever. It's small, its fishy, but lovely.



There are a couple of fish markets right on the dock where you can purchase a seafood meal so fresh, it is still alive when you walk in the door and pick out what you want.


Literally, my parents each got to pick out which lobster they wanted...
and it was in a tank..
alive.

Ray Jerky. Appetizing 

We had a hilarious time trying to find all of the meat, it was a new experience that we couldn't pass up because how often do we get to eat fresh lobster in Utah?



As we were doing so.. we noticed a few things you don't find in your lobster on a cruise ship or at Red Lobster.
 A lot of green stuff in the middle, and in my mothers lobster, a lot of red stuff.

Later we learned, my dad knew exactly what the red stuff was.. he just didn't say anything to protect my mom from the truth.
That look says it all^^

The green stuff was a mystery to all..
and when Chancey googled what it was.. she tried without success to convince us that she couldn't find anything online..
 and finally confessed that she knew exactly what the green stuff was and that it happened to be..
 Pancreas fluid.
Yum.

Fresh seafood or nah?

When a fisherman was walking by my mom being the curious human she is, had to know what the red stuff was.
He said:
"It's edible... it is called.. lobster roe."
I think he was trying to avoid any other further conversation.. but we all looked confused and finally..
"That lobster was spawning."
Nice way of saying what my mom had to confirm..
"So my lobster is female and these are her eggs..?"

...

"Yes."


Yum.

Fresh seafood or nah?

...



Nah. 

Surprisingly, the meat I did eat that was egg and pancreas free was delicious.

The trick to being able to eat it, was getting over the mountain of mental insecurity being provided by Leslie.. my mom.

Verbal:

"I think yours was a boy Ryan, it's bigger."
"Awww poor things. They were just alive fifteen minutes ago."
"What is this red stuff?"
"Ryan there is way more green stuff in yours than there is in mine."
"Why does only mine have red stuff?"
"What is that green stuff."
"This lobster was dark green and black when it was alive and it's red now"

Actions:

*makes mustache on face using lobster legs
*pulls tail off making noises of disgust

*makes carcass of lobster walk around in the air
*makes lobster talk like it's not her lunch

ft. Another look that says it all 

Post Talking To The Fisherman:

"Maybe they shouldn't have killed mine she'd have made tons more little lobsters for them."
"Does every single one of these lobster eggs become a full grown lobster usually?"

Mind Over Matter 

Or in this case.

 Mind over Mom's commentary

;) Love you Mommy

YUM

FRESH SEAFOOD OR NAH

...

After Menemsha we had to work, but I didn't have to work until an hour later then the other two so I had a nice chat with my parents and grandma under and on top of the dock.
I missed them.

The bottom of the dock. 

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the Cafe then we only had enough time for short goodbyes before they were off to catch a plane, and I was off to work.

"See you in four weeks!!!"

 I honestly don't remember what happened Saturday or Sunday..

Must not have been important.

But I am so grateful I was able to see them and spend some time with them.

Family is a wonderful thing I am realizing now more then ever.

Until next time

GBWYTWMA

xoxo