Update: Furbabies, FBI Report's, Visa's, Preparations for the Move, and To Do List

Our Family Relocation Update:

Since my life has become a series of lists I thought I would do this blog update in a list form. Plus, with everything that is going on around here it is honestly a much quicker way for me to update. :-) 

FurBabies – Done, on January 20, 2015:

• We got both Sasha and Zoey Bear their Rabies Shots 65 days prior to flying (over 60 days was required, per USDA for Ecuador.)
• Also, during that visit we had to get them both their Da2ppcv+L Injections (required at least 21 days prior to leaving, per USDA for Ecuador.)
• Since Zoey Bear is on Trifexis she didn't need a buggies check. She will get hers during the last visit. However, we did have Sasha get a precautionary check done during her rabies/injection visit. That way if something was found we would have time to get her treated. She was good, no buggies.

We are on track for the Furbabies to Move to Ecuador.

FurBabies – To Do...Our appointment is on March 19, 2015:

• Parasite Check if not on HeartWorm medicine (within 21 days of leaving, per USDA for Ecuador.)
• Flea Treatment for Sasha. Zoey is on Trifexis, so she gets to skip this (within 21 days of leaving, per USDA for Ecuador.)
• Dade City Animal Clinic will then sign the Health Certificate, fill out the proper new English/Spanish Combo Form for Ecuador (there is a new form, I am adding the image of it, as reference.) *Verify that this is the form you need. I am detailing our personal journey and everyone's process may not be exactly the same.
• Once the Furbabies get their clean bill of health...all of the paperwork will be overnighted to the USDA office in Gainesville, Florida. (It will be sent out by 1pm, the USDA has a 24 hour turn around, and they will overnight it back for us to pick by Tuesday the 24^th March.
• Our flight leaves on March 26^th at 9:30pm. If your thinking we are waiting until the last minute to get the USDA part done, your wrong. That is the crazy part of the process. Ecuador wants you to have it done with 21 days of arrival and American Airlines wants the USDA Health Certificate within 10 days of flying.
• Once we have the USDA Health Certificate in hand we will be making 5 full sets of copies of all the documents. We will show the original to customs and the airlines. If they need a copy of the paperwork I will already have copies made for them (Thanks, Brenda for that advice.) Also, it will be a while before we have a home printer therefore I want to have extra copies for our records and/or future Veterinarian visits.  
• At least 48 hours before our flight, we have to fax American Airlines their required documents.
• Also, we have to send AGROCALIDAD in Ecuador an email 48 hours before arrival with the flight info so they know we are bringing dogs, that way someone will be there to approve the Furbabies paperwork, since we arrive at 3:22am. (Thanks, Patricia for that info) Here are the AGROCALIDAD email addresses to send your info to. Be sure to send your info to all of these addresses:

julio.mejia@agrocalidad.gob.ec

allan.sotomayor@agrocalidad.gob.ec


stanlin.sanchez@agrocalidad.gov.ec


direccion@agrocalidad.gob.ec

Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs
from the United States of America to Ecuador
Page1

Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs
from the United States of America to Ecuador
Page 2

FBI Report:

As many of you know, Dan researched the internet and came across a list of approved FBI Background and Fingerprint channelers. Many people have told us that we are getting scammed and that Fieldprint Fingerprinting and Reports in Homosassa Springs, Florida will not work. So far, the U.S. State Department has Aposilled them and they are in Ecuador finishing up the Visa process. Once we have more info, I'll post an update. 

We are hoping everything works out and that we get a call notifying us that we are a go to pick up our Visa's in Miami on or around the 20^th of March.

Packing:

This is crazy! What goes! What sells! What gets donated! We are flying out on March 26, 2015, via American Airlines First Class which allows us each to check 3 bags weighting up to 70lbs each. We are really trying to only take 9 pieces of check luggage (we are using plastic tubs/bins, taped, and secured with luggage straps, of course measured to meet the airlines guidelines) and our 2 carry on bags each (again, within the size limits.)  We plan to leave nothing behind. Shhhh....This is a secret, I think we are going to end up with 2-3 extra 50lbs checked pieces of luggage :-D

Shopping for the Move:

We have been buying our must have items and items that our good friend Nancy has been recommending to us.  Here are a few of the items that we are bring down with us:  Craft Project Supplies, Coffee Grinder, Rfid protectors, Extra Stylus's for our Kindle Fires, 100% Cotton Fabric, Bedding, Towels, Chili Powder, Nutella, Tea Bags, Lotions, Sunscreen, Bug Spray, Maple Extract, Electric Blankets, Shoes, Slippers, Sea Salt, Cooking Oil Sprayer, OOMA, Strong VPN, and such.

Some new clothing in smaller sizes are on order as are shoes. We should have everything here in time to pack it up and fly out.

.

Still To Do:

Sell the car, Setup the OOMA, Setup the Strong VPN, Setup Our Life Insurance Policies, Cancel Our Cable, Cancel Our Electric, Cancel Our Car Insurance, Pick-Up Our Prescriptions, See Our Doctor's One Last Time and Get Our Records, Put in a Change of Address to My Sisters, Last Veterinarian Visit with the Furbabies, Back to the Veterinarian's Office to Pick-Up Our Health Certificates for the FurBabies, DMV for Dan, Drop off our Computers for Updates, Groom the FurBabies, Pick Up Our Visa's, Car Rental, and Go to the Airport. I'm sure I'm forgetting LOTS of things that need to get done. I don't have my list in front of me. If you can think of anything I have forgotten please leave a comment so I can add it to my crazy To Do list.  Thanks in Advance.

Website Review: Heather's Favorite Website That She Just Had to Share With Everyone

I have been using ebates since February 15, 2010.  I was referred to the website by a friend and it was the best referral that I have ever gotten.  I thought it would be a great thing to share since many of our new friends in Ecuador buy stuff online and have friends and family mule stuff down to them.  The refunds can be sent to you via a check or you can opt to have it be sent to your PayPal account.  I just switched over to PayPal refunds since mail down to Ecuador is questionable.  I'm attaching my account pages and my most recent check so you can see that I honestly do get refunds.  This is not a scam.  I'm not pushing it on anyone.  This is simply a share to our family, friends, and blog readers.  I am adding a referral link off to the side with my refunds to date so you can see that it works.  If anyone wants more info leave a comment and I will try to help if I can.  Enjoy saving money.  I have saved the most money on Black Fridays.

 

Thanks, Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, Florida...We Just Love You! *Twitter*

As many of you know...Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach is one of Dan and I's Favorite Places. We have been there many times together and apart during our lives.  Dan was a surfer (a good one) and I was a surfer (I tried to be a good one) in our youth.  Therefore, it was no debating we were going to visit the shop after our Mini-Honeymoon Cruise.  It was so Cool, Fun, Exciting, and Sweet to see them respond on their Ron Jon Surf Shop Twitter Page Congratulating Us on Our Wedding!  

I'm doing a Happy Dance :-)   

Our Ron Jon Surf Shop Twitter Wish <3 

Review: Olive Tree Restaurant in Crystal River, Florida *Updated*

The Bowen Knot - Shamrock Rating:

Olive Tree Restaurant 

Crystal River, Florida

The Front of Olive Tree

Before, I begin this review let me say that we are generally positive people.  With that said, the food and most of the time the service is NOT GOOD in our area of Florida.  We are constantly searching for good meal.

Upon entering the Olive Tree Restaurant we were greeted and told to sit anywhere we liked. Heather headed into a smaller room that was apart from the main restaurant.  We found a quiet table in the back and sat down.

As we were getting seated, the hostess was chasing us with a giant "traveling" sign with specials on it.  The sign was placed right next to our table and it remained there during our entire meal.  Kind of odd and annoying.

Our Third Wheel on Our Date

We asked, our waitress Debbie, if the full menu was available and she stated anytime that the place was open.  Then in the next breath she said of course some things like grits would obviously not be served other than breakfast time.  Huh.

I don't drink fluids during meals due to a surgery.  Every time I tell a waitperson I don't want anything to drink they act weird and constantly ask me time and time again if I want something to drink. This was no exception.

Heather ordered a bacon cheeseburger (medium-rare) with onion rings and I ordered a patty melt on marbled rye (she never asked how I wanted mine cooked) with onion rings.  When Heather said she wanted to substitute the fries for onion rings , Debbie was again confused.  We then looked around the restaurant and it was filled with typical tacky Florida decor.  Murals, LED Christmas lights, and dirty ugly tapestries covering sound proofing panels.  These sound proofing boards were gross, ugly, and dirty.  Many restaurants in the area have these same boards up.

OMGosh They Have Another 3rd Wheel :-)

Dan

The food arrived.  Heather's food and mine were incorrect.  Her cheeseburger lacked the bacon and mine lacked the sliced tomato and lettuce we paid extra for.  Heather gave me some of her toppings so I could start eating.  We waited for the waitress to show back up, but she didn't.  We waited over 10 minutes before we even decided to just go ahead and eat.  Heather's ice tea glass was never refilled and it was empty for most of the meal.

Heather's Meal

Heather liked her burger and thought the onion rings were great.  She was a bit upset that the waitress never checked on us and she never offered to refill her drink until we had already paid and were standing up to leave.

Dan's Meal

My patty melt was slimy with grease. The bread was a sponge that soaked up the grease and it was dripping off the sandwich. Gross. 

Baklava

We both ate half of the meals and decided to split a dessert.  The place is labeled as a Greek Restaurant so we decided to share a piece of Baklava.  It was super tiny and a bit heavy on the nutmeg/cinnamon.  But, all in all tasty. 

Candy's Meal

We also ordered a BLT with coleslaw and a piece of Baklava for Candy to take to work tonight.  I just talked to her to get her food review.

"It was on rye, it was dry (I added mayo), and it had lots of bacon.  The coleslaw was only 2 bites (tiny).  The Baklava needed the nuts to be a little less chopped, otherwise it was yummy.  I would eat there in a heartbeat."

A Baklava on the House

Once Heather pointed out to our waitress, Debbie, that some mistakes were made during the meal she said she was sorry and offered us a Baklava on the house.  That was a nice way to turn the experience around.

Unfortunately, about an hour after eating, I ended up throwing up my entire meal.  And then at around 4:00am Heather was sick in the bathroom :-( Their was just way to much grease in our meals.

Details: The Bowen Knot - Shamrock Rating System

We have decided to create a "Bowen Knot - Shamrock Rating System" of rating things.  We will be giving the restaurants, hotels, and other services we use our own ratings.  We wanted to establish our own rating system to better explain our experiences.

One Shamrock: This indicates the worst service possible. If awarded, it means we would never EVER use the service again. If it was a food establishment the food was barely editable.  This means a complete fail with little to no redeeming features.  We will never go there ever again.

Two Shamrocks: This is a service that we might consider using again to give it a second chance. But, the experience that we had would normally cause us to award one shamrock if not for some key redeeming features. If it was a food establishment the food was okay, but still sub-par. We didn't like the food. Serious room for improvement exists.

Three Shamrocks: Normal middle of the road service. We might have had some bad or some good but they were offset somewhat. This is service we would use again but we will look for a better provider. If it was a food establishment the food was good. We like it and will return. There might be room for things to get better but it is still a decent meal.

Four Shamrocks: Great service. This is a definitive repeat for us. We like a lot about the service and recommend it. If it was a food establishment the food was excellent. We liked it a lot. We like the place enough to return frequently. There are very few detractors.

Five Shamrocks: Outstanding service. This is service that treats us above and beyond what we think we deserve. We consider this what we would want to find all the time and what we hope all service providers would want to obtain. If it was a food establishment the food was perfect. No issues whatsoever. We loved it and would eat there everyday.

Great Resources #2: Expat-Blog.com and Ecuadorexpatbloggers.blogspot.com/

Here is a great resource and information website about Ecuador:

http://www.expat-blog.com/en/destination/south-america/ecuador/

-----   AND  -----

Ecuador Expat Bloggers: Thanks for adding The Bowen Knot to your list :-)

Keeping track of all of us bloggers out there that are about to move to Ecuador or those that are writing about their adventures in Ecuador.  Making and keeping friends who have made the lead from their country of origin.  Amazing Resource. 

http://ecuadorexpatbloggers.blogspot.com/

Great Resource: Journeyman Jack In Ecuador

ALL YOU NEED IN ECUADOR!!!

Please, call Jack Abercrombie if your flying into Ecuador via the Quito Airport.  He is a trustworthy English Speaking Driver who can help with your airport pick up and/or transfer to and from your Hotel.  Also, if your looking for a Great Tour Guide around the City of Quito or around Ecuador. Jack can tell you where the safest and right neighborhoods are in Quito.  I highly recommend Jack when you first arrive in Ecuador.  He is a Wonderful and Honest Man.

Journeyman Jack's FaceBook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/JourneymanJackinEcuador?pnref=story

Journeyman Jack's in Ecuador Blog:  http://journeymanjackinecuador.blogspot.com/ 

Journeyman Jack's in Ecuador Website:  http://journeymanjack.com/

Our Carnival Liberty Mini-Honeymoon Cruise Review: Friday, January 16, 2015 - Day 6 - Disembarkation and Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, FL (Picture Heavy Post)

We woke up at 5:45an, and were able to watch the ship sail into Port Canaveral via the ships dedicated webcam channel(s).   At 6:00am, room service brought our last breakfast on board. We had plenty of time to got ready and finish packing. The ships rules state that all guests must vacate their staterooms no later than 8:30am. This allows them enough time to get the ship ready for the next weeks cruise guests.  Once we had double checked our stateroom for any left over forgotten items we headed upstairs to get a picture of our port arrival and then we found a comfortable and quiet seat in the library. We were able to relax and play games while waiting for our disembarkation number to be called, we were #21 of 35+ (note: they do not call numbers in order...truly no pattern.)  Having cruised before I knew that I wanted to beat the crowds and find a good location to sit with our carry on luggage.  I thought we would be stuck waiting until at least 10:00am. SHOCKED!!!! We were called at about 9:00am. That was the fastest I have ever been called. I had warned Dan that the process was normally much longer.

Debarkation was really painless. They called us at 9:00am, off the ship at 9:10am, baggage at 9:20am, customs at 9:30am, shuttle to the truck at 9:35am, dropped off at the truck at 9:45am, and loaded up and on our way to Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, FL before 10:00am.

Before taking this cruise, I had 29 VIFP Club points and was a Gold Level Member.  I am still a long way from the next level and to be honest I may never reach it since we were so unhappy with many areas of our cruise (see my next post for details.)

For several reasons Cocoa Beach, FL holds a big spot in Dan and I's heart.  Dan lived there are a teen, he surfed daily there, he was a Minuteman Football player at Cocoa Beach High School.  I used to attempt to surf there as a teen, I spent many Spring Breaks there. again as a teen.  We went on a Great Weekend getaway when we were about 20 years old and we were MARRIED there on the beach, last year on March 17, 2014.

Cocoa Beach, Florida Welcome Sign

Ron Jon Surf Shop

"The Original Location, not the Original Building.

Ron Jon Surf Shops Famous Logo/Image

Dan's New Shirt #1 (front)

Dan's New Shirt #1 (back)

Dan's New Shirt #2 (front)

Dan's New New Shirt #2 (back)

Here is a break down of how we managed to sail on a tight budget.  Our money is seriously tied up in our upcoming move to Ecuador.  If you are looking for an affordable vacation here it is.  Now we had many issues...But, we didn't spend much money.

In Cabin Phone Call

(From Nassau, Bahamas to Mom in Hernando, FL)

$5.97

Pixils Photo Gallery

(Elegant Dinner Photo, Professional Photo, and Our Custom Christmas Ornament)

$46.93

Jardins Cafe Bar

(2 Fancy Coffees,1 OMGosh Yummy Dessert, and Tip)

$14.00

The Fun Shop On Board the Ship

(2 for 1 Glass Dolphins)

$15.00

Service Gratuity

(Total Tips)

$120.00

Danielle & Emma's Bags

(Purchased in Nassau, Bahama's at the Straw Market)

$30.00

2 each Bottled Waters

(Purchased in Nassau, Bahama's $1.00 each plus tax)

$2.16

6 days of Parking and Transport To and From the Ship for 2 Passengers

$8.95 per day x's 6 days = $53.70 + Tax ($3.48) 

$57.18

Florida Turnpike Round Trip Tolls with the SUNPASS

$12.70

Gas for the Truck

4 hours and 29 minutes 

268.11 miles

$44.04

Driver Tips

$10.00

Cruise Rate for Both of Us 

(Wedding & Christmas Gift from Mom)

$446.00 (Cruise Fare) + $177.12 (Cruise Government Taxes and Fees) 

$623.12

6 each Chocolate Covered "Tuxedo" Strawberries delivered to our Stateroom 

(Ordered by Mom)

$12.00

Happy Honeymoon Cabin Decorations

(Ordered by Mom)

$30.00

Ron Jon Surf Shop

2 Men's Shirts

$39.81

Grand Total for Everything:  $1062.91

   

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

WARNING!!!!  

STOP READING HERE IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF OUR MINI-HONEYMOON!!!  

ALSO, YOU WILL WANT TO SKIP OUR NEXT POST!!!

In Our Next Post:  I will be addressing the issues we had during the booking process, the cruise, and our complaint letter to the CEO of Carnival Cruise Line.