Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

I always thought I would take Joy on a European River Cruise for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. That has been my "plan A" for a long time. Then there is plan B, Kiribati style. When I knew we would be here for our big 25th day, I started to develop a new plan in my mind. Gary Morgan had told me of a uninhabited Island with a good deep water approach (very rare) that he used to take his family to. Spending a couple of days on the sailboat, anchored next to a small deserted island in the Central Pacific Ocean with my Bride Beautiful, sounded romantic and doable. Sure seemed to fit with my passion for boats and water and our current situation.

Now we all know things out here can be unpredictable. It just so happens that the sailboat has not been working and I have zero hours running the boat as of 2 weeks prior to the big day. I know for a fact that Joy would not even get on the boat unless she was confident of it and me as the skipper.  Zero hours would not cut it!

What to do?  On to Plan C:  I had an idea to take Joy to the main island and go to the north part that is very remote. The tyranny of the urgent kept me from serious planning. (Things like trying to get our composting toilet to compost and 12 volt power system running and other such mundane things.) I am now only eight days away and need to finalize a plan!
Now comes Plan D.  No plan. Heres how it works. Hit me with a first time ever bladder infection. Then two days later knock me flat on my back for five days with Swine Flu (or its equal), then add in acute Erythema Nodosum and Erythema Multiforme Hypersensitivity reaction with associated arthralgia's and fever and HA and then add a GI bug and you just arrived at your 25th Wedding Anniversary with no Plan!

But God is good! He gave me an understanding wife. A family came to visit us at 6AM on our big day to give us gifts and to eat with us. Then, word had gotten out about our anniversary and a cake was purchased for us by the Kauma SDA High School faculty and hand carried on the plane from Tarawa to the school where a small celebration was held in our honor.  Joy made a delicious spaghetti with homemade sauce, a staff member brought 'cabbage' for a salad, and we had guests for dinner.  Joy ate the last remains of our Hershey chocolate bar.  Notice the smile on the photo!

By the way, the mice here don't need to plan. The local people believe if they kill one, many more will come and eat way more food and chew way more holes! I understand the cats here think differently than the humans on this issue. If I were a cat,  I think I would eat some mice and blame some humans and see what happens!