Birthdays in our family are sort of floating dates. We’ve been known to celebrate a birthday everything from a month early to weeks late. Lowe’s twelfth got the week late treatment. Despite best laid plans, we had neither his main gift, nor the eggs to make his cake with.
A couple of days ago we had walked into the store near the dock and saw that they had a couple dozen eggs in the fridge there. We were on our way somewhere else, so we decided to come back to them. Later we were down the road a mile or so when we popped into another small shop and saw probably twenty cartons of eggs. Feeling secure that there were plenty of eggs around, we left those and decided to just grab them from the store closer to the boat. It will come as no surprise, I’m sure, that when we arrived at the store the eggs were gone.
The next day, wanting to finally celebrate a birthday, I set off to another store a mile or so up into the island.
I walked into that store and immediately asked about eggs. Nope.
For those that have never shopped on a small island, this picture will give you a good idea of what to expect. There are always a couple boxes of cereal, loads of canned tuna, a couple of canned vegetables, and… nope, that’s about it. There’s often a large freezer as well. You open the cover on that and really have no idea what you are looking at. Usually, it consists of some extremely freezer burnt bags of “chicken parts” and something a dark red color that may or may not be the liver of some random animal.
Right now, on Aitutaki, there are no fruits, no vegetables, no eggs, and no real guess as to when they may see those again. For us that’s merely a short-term inconvenience, for the locals it’s a fact of life. Honestly, I don’t know how long our family would last with this being our everyday grocery selection.
Anyway, after striking out there I decided I’d work my way back across the island to the store we’d seen the twenty cartons of eggs at the day before. It was a beautiful walk. Up on the hill were some lovely little farms that would have left you questioning if you were really on an island.
When I arrived at the store I walked over to the cooler to grab the eggs and, no surprise, I suppose, it was empty. I tried another store next door (by store I mean small shop with maybe one ten-foot long shelf in the middle of the room), but struck out there, too. The owner suggested yet another store a few hundred yards further down the road. I walked down there and didn’t see anything at first, but upon investigating a dark back corner I discovered a cooler with two racks of eggs. Success.
I grabbed a dozen and proudly went to pay. I blurted out, “Oh man, I’m so happy to finally find eggs. I’ve walked the entire island looking for these.”
The old lady, who had been on the phone when I first came in, looked down at the eggs on the counter and cried, “Oh, no, I’m so sorry! These aren’t for sale. These are reserved for so-and-so and they were supposed to pick them up already. I’m so sorry.”
Defeated. “Oh, no, really? It’s my boy’s birthday and we really just needed three eggs for his birthday cake. I understand though, eggs are hard to get ahold of right now.”
“You just need three? Oh, here, let me get you three. I’ll just tell them the eggs broke.”
Thank you. Thank you. We chatted a minute and then I looked over at a box that was sitting behind the counter that had a bunch of nice looking lettuce. “Any chance that’s for sale?”
It wasn’t, but she gave me a bag full anyway. Sweet lady.
I’d walked about three miles now and had another mile to go to get back to the boat. That was a lot of work for a couple of eggs. I couldn’t have been happier when a truck stopped in the road as he passed me and asked if I was headed to the dock. I climbed in gratefully and then we sat right there in the middle of the road while he slowly rolled a cigarette and introduced himself. A couple of cars stopped alongside of us to chat as well, all of them friends. It’s a small-town island after all.
In the end the cake was turned into cupcakes, and they didn’t really rise the way they should, but it didn’t matter so long as we had something to slather a bunch of frosting on top of and stick some candles into.
Pink candy sprinkles. You learn to roll with whatever you’ve got.
The birthday boy. Another great year we all got to spend with an awesome kid. Thanks for keeping us laughing, Lowe.
Lowe got a gift from Ouest, a card from us, and a promise that our gift was ordered, and we’d try to cross paths with it sometime soon. When you live on a boat, sometimes that’s the best that you can offer.
We enjoyed our short time in Aitutaki, but it was time to move on—westward we go.
17 Comments on “12YO”
Happy Birthday Lowe!!! What a Dad won’t do for his boy…..lol Love the pics of the kids diving…..Take care!!
Uncle Tobys rolled oats. I dont thing theyll be selling those in the states any time soon! Great pics! Diving with whales is the holy grail of diving in my book! Im digging it!
Schmevin! Not sure how i came up with MaSchmevinrilyn. Lol
Happy Birthday Lowe!!! Can’t believe you’re 12 already.
Happiest of birthdays, Lowe. What a fine young man!!!
At the store – at least they had toilet paper. Something that many of us had trouble finding early in the pandemic. Be thankful for small favors. LOL
Happy Birthday Lowe!
It’s Janine and Gary here from HighFive.
Pat where did you get your outboard from?
Yamaha dealer in Puerto Vallarta. Google Map this place (IMEMSA YAMAHA PTO VALLARTA) and give them a call. They are in a new location in town that isn’t showing on maps yet.
Happy 12th Birthday, Lowe! You seem a wonderful fellow and a joy to your family! Have a fantastic year!
Happy another year, Lowe!
Happy Birthday, Lowe! It’s been fun traveling along with your family as you grow up! Hope you have a wonderful year of amazing new adventures 😊
Happiest of Birthdays, Lowe. I know you appreciate what wonderful parents you have. Such a sweet story. And many of us have (unwanted) Dollar Stores on every corner!!
A lovely story and pictures. Best wishes to you all.
You don’t need the eggs to make a cake 🎂.
My wife was on weight watchers and she learned that they can be replaced with diet soda .
I am a dutch oven cook and that’s what I use for cakes and pancakes and also bread .
Mountain dew for lite colored ones and
Diet coke for dark.
Butter cake and diet orange makes dream sickle.
Happy birthday Lowe, almost a teenager!
The openness and light on this boat are amazing. I’m so jealous. I remember when Ali didn’t know how to cook. These many years later you are still going strong. Kudos. Now making cupcakes from ether! You guys are so inspiring. + +
Happy 12th Birthday to Lowe! Seems like the other day when Ali was expecting that second Bumfuzzle baby. Now he’s half grown! I love seeing the world through your family’s eyes.
You may have gotten a ton of “cake” ideas but this one does not have milk or eggs. I always loved it. Old time, prairie recipe that I got from my mother-in-law.
Wacky Cake:
3 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
6 TBSP cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP vinegar
3/4 cup veg oil
2 cups warm water
Mix dry into bowl. Make three depressions in dry and add in vanilla, vinegar and oil into each hole. Pour the 2 cups warm water over and stir by hand until well mixed.
Bake 400 for 20 minutes. Makes approx 26 cupcakes. (Or can make a 9×13 cake-360 degree for 30 min)
(Vinegar and the soda made it rise. Hope this helps when you don’t have eggs or milk! Enjoy!!
Happy Birthday Lowe!