MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

jo1955

Beautiful picture Sheila.

Sandeeonherown

Jo _ I might have problems with my definition of ;nice jeans...they are nice because they have a pacth from everyone I love on them....but they are not ;neat and tidy jeans..will have to find a pari that fits@

jo1955

Sandee - I found this outfit for you -  this should work for dinner.

sheila888

Just rented this villa has 8 bedrooms. We have it until Saturday.

jo1955

Sheila - Where are we now?  That does not look familiar.  Want to see what kind of shopping there is.

sheila888

Its actually in Ocho Rios Jamaica. Let me find out about shopping.

jo1955

Sheila -  Been to Jamaica 6 times and getting ready to go again in 11 days.  I know where all the good shopping is.  

sheila888

Jo ......Do you prefer street shopping?

jo1955

Doesn't matter.  I can do both.

sheila888

I was never in Jamaica.  11 Days and counting..............

how long is your trip?

jo1955

We are going on a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Conquest sailing out of Galveston.  

sheila888

Happy For You Jo. Hugs

Good Night

jo1955

Sheila - That is way too cool.  Thanks for the laugh.

3jaysmom

mur has a room also wants to meet the girls... got his speedo packed already!!!3jays

jo1955

3jaysmom - hehehehehehe!  I can always use a good laugh.  They are cute - where did you find them?

NotAfraid

I'm one week out from 2MX / DIEP recon.  I went through HELL the entire months of January and February  getting it approved to be done.  In the path process they found not only 2 areas of DCIS but one area of invasive DC (but thankfully no lypmh node involvement). To make this happen, I changed medical groups 3/1. 

So, today, I get a call from my original surgeon wanting to know if I've made a decision about surgery yet.  Idiots.

annettek

sorry for all the stress NotAfraid...glad you finally got the approvals! You will meet idiots and saints alike. Big hugs

I'll be in Jamaica within 3 hours (supersonic helicopter)

lynniea

Go see my OD tomorrow for regular visit.

heartnsoul76

Okay, I'm going to get the chopper to just fly me to the ship so I can join you ladies for a midnight toast! Wow, 10,000 posts - that's a lotta talking! 

Meece

Time for the midnight buffet.  Eat up ladies, there are no calories on this fantasy cruise.

heartnsoul76

mmmm....mmmmm....I'm starving! Look at this beautiful spread! I have no idea what I'm looking at, but it looks edible AND calorie-free!

 

elimar86861

I don't know if you'll want to hear my saga unfold (and if not, just skip on ahead.)  Well, I asked the ship's concierge where would be a good place to do some reggae dancing, and I got directions to the "Lively-Up" club, right in Kingston.  Jo and Seyla decided they might stay on and just do their shopping tomorrow, so we all got in a taxi and headed to the club.  When we got there, I noticed a few more of you had also found your way over.  Now, Kingston is rough, a ghetto.  There is no way I would go there alone, but since there were a bunch of us, it seemed o.k.

                            

The club was super crowded, and the music was like the "classic hits" of every top reggae artist from the golden age of reggae, Marley, Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, some Israel Vibration  The drinks were expensive but, luckily, a few of our dance partners didn't mind buying a round for all of us.  I decided to stick with Malibu and Coke for the night. Even tho' I had changed into some capri's and a slinky tank top, the club was so hot the three of us needed to go out for some cool air.

Outside, there was a guy with dreadlocks leaning against the club.  As I walked past, he spoke out to me.  (I love the Jamaican accent, so you will have to imgine that.)   He said he saw us dancing in the club, but that this club was for "duppies,"  and would we like to go to and hear some real Jamaican sounds?  You know what Ian Fleming always said, (and he spent a lot of time in Jamaica,) "You only live twice."  We had lived before having B/C, and it was time to live again, so we said YES!   For some reason, the honest, open face of this man, along with our alcohol-fueled invinceability made it seem that everything would work out just fine.

This guy, who introduced himself as Horatio, had a  beat up Hyundai but considering he even had a car, he must have been better off than many.  He drove for several miles til we came to two small  storefronts, whose whitewashed exteriors had grown dull and gray in their longevity.  I think he said we were in Trenchtown.  Between the two building was a narrow alleyway.  I didn't really know if we should go down the alley, but Seyla gave me a bada$$ look as if to say, "Let's Do It." As we proceeded onward, I could hear the strains of some reggae rhythms,  Don't ask me what this club was called.  I could vaguely recognize that at some point letters of the club's name had been painted above the red door, but the only one I could still make out was an "N."

Horatio held the door open for us, in a show of fine manners, and we entered another world.  It was dark inside, and the people were darker.  This was not a tourist sanctioned disco, my friends.  This was not a "duppy" club (which I later found out meant a ghost, or  spirit, or sometimes a derogatory term for those of pale complexion)  We sat down at a table, the three of us glowing faintly. The air was smokey, smokey and sweet.

Horatio had gone to get some Red Stripes (and my Malibu & Coke,) when two dreads approached our table.  Half drowned out by the music, one of them asked if we would like to do some "skanking."  "Did he just call us skanky?" Seyla asked with a semi p.o.'d look on her face.  Jo, who up to this point had been quite demure, explained, "It's a kind of dancing," with her infinite wisdom of having been to Jamaica 6 times previously.  Well, I loved the Gregory Isaacs song, "Night Nurse" that was coming thru' the speakers, so I was half out of my chair to dance when Horatio returned with the drinks.  After several "Hey, Mon's," he introduced the other two as Mikey and Neville.

                          

                                                          Neville, Horatio & Mikey

Having properly made the acquaintance of everyone, we all danced to a couple songs.  Back at the table, the guys asked us how we liked Jamaica so far?  We replied positively, babbling tourist bits and pieces, like, "lush beauty" (and honestly, BarbA did not cross my mind) and "turquoise water," "sugary sand," and so on.  Since we had had the Captain's dinner on the ship, I expressed regret over not having had a true Jamaican meal, but told them how much I liked the Jamaican food I have had in the U.S.  "I just love the spices and the herbs," I said.  Lots of nodding and laughs on that one.

I had noticed there was a small stage in the club.  I asked if this was a venue for live music.  Mikey replied that it was and actually, Eek-A-Mouse would be playing at midnight.  No way!   This is a legendary Jamaican artist that had been doing d.j./rap style of singing since the late 70's.  (No, not like American rap music, but it's a kind of talk-style of rap that Jamaicans call 'toasting")  Besides that, the guy has a 6' 6" mutant abomination presence on stage. The fact that we stumbled into this was just too un-freakin'-credible! 

                                 
                                             Eek-A-Mouse Ganja Smuggling

We had been in the club for almost two hours.  The smoke wasn't even bothering me any more, or more properly it might be described as "feeling irie."  Just when I didn't think I could get any "Irie-er," my mind was totally blown when Toots Hibberd came onstage for the encore of Eeek's show.  I knew my fantasy of hearing him do "Funky Kingston" IN Kingston was about to come true.  Pinch me, I'm dreaming.  (Next time, don't take that literally, Jo!)

                                 

                                                     Toots - Funky Kingston

After that, it gets a little foggier, and I remember Seyla and Jo dragging me out of Horatio's rattletrap vehicle and me skipping up the gangplank.  (Those that know me, know I would be skipping at SOME POINT on this Fantasy Cruise!)  Girls, you can fill in the blanks for me tomorrow.

I know most of you will find my tale hard to believe, as hard as I find it myself and I was there, some things are just "truther than strange" and I just can't make this stuff up!

                     

The sea air has cleared my head now and it's time to embark on the "moonlight cruise" back to the home port. The midnight buffet is just what I need.  H&S76, better late than never! 

elimar86861

Here we are, getting back to the home port in the wee hours.  It is very fortunate that my mind has such a thin membrane between fiction and reality.  I feel like I really was on a cruise today, only all of you (and my bank account) knows otherwise.

                      

heartnsoul76

What a yarn ye have spun, O Elimar! Is it fact or fiction? Either way, we are now irie-ized and isn't that a nice place to be after everything a BC patient has been through!

Thanks for the fantastical trip! 

3jaysmom

elimar: didn't it happen? i swear i wuz right beside ya gal! my 1st wedding anniversary was  spent in /dunns river, and we made friends of some locals, went to the same kinda bar, and had the same kinda experience!!  we skipped the ghanga feilds the next day, though, THAT i was too chicken to do.. thanks for te "irie" time!!!!   3jays

Valjean

Well, what a bummer for me.

I have spent the ENTIRE time in the bathroom.

Ya'll didn't tell me I could get seasick.

I hear all of you laughing about some reggae excursion. What did I miss?!?! Tell me now cos you might not remember in the morning.

I haven't eaten a thing. I feel like s*@t !!!!

All I've had since arriving on board has been several Margaritas, lost count. (and some sort of an appetizer, what was that stuff??) And let me tell you, they are not as enjoyable coming back up.

Maybe I'll be able to join you for breakfast, or brunch - maybe.

NativeMainer

Hey, i have a couple of long days at work and look what happens!  10,000 posts!  WOW! 

barbe1958

Meece, I am a licensed scuba diver too!!! While they were off partying and building hangovers, weren't we off doing a night dive?!?!?!

chrissyb

Barbe, I did a night dive too...........straight under the covers!!!!!!

Meece

We sure were.  Like any smart divers, we acquired the services of a local to guide us into unfamiliar waters.  With the full moon shining (Weird it was 2 weeks early this month) the shallower water took on a the appearance of a fantasy world, even more than it usually does.  But as we went deeper and had to use our lights, the beauty of the ocean was amazing.  No ganja, not even any alcohol, but we certainly felt exhilarated when we finished.  There is nothing like the Caribbean for beautiful diving.