hmmmmmmm rambeling

James Street is a mad house the day before Heroes Day, as always worth the 10 minute diversion, as always at least 1 person was our waiter last night (was in STL), was at the rental car company (3 miles away I drove directly here and you are on a bike?) and 5 people are nice enough to tell us we are lost we need the highway. You gather that traffic moves very slow down James Street.

Never would have thought but you can use a 20 gauge wire to jump start a car, my car was the jump starter and let me tell you 20 gauge gets real hot real quick.

I've listened but still got caught,,,, used a credit card at a jewelery store around 3:00 p.m. on 11/20 and at a Restaurant around 9:00 p.m., by 10:00 p.m. on 11/20 charges in the thousands were being placed to Radio Shacks and Best Buys in New York, Dallas, Miami and L.A.. I will say that at the jewelery store I swiped my card, they did not see the security code. Fraud Alert is a good thing to activate on your card, I would rather go ahead and approve a few transactions that have been held versus proving thousands of dollars worth that I did not make.

The Sea giveth and taketh away, low sand early in the week was given back in the storm waves Friday, some walls that were there early in the week were gone in the same surge that brought back much sand. Resort owners are resiliant, "I had been thinking about making a change anyway". If your palm tree is uprooted and salt water sprayed during a surge immediately beginning hosing it with fresh water, you will probably save it.

Dry, dry in the hills. I know that seems funny with the daily rains we received, but they had suffered a dry spell that left a lot of dead vegeatation on the ground which had caused some fires on the orchard type farms. Funny that at a time of the year that limes have been in short supply, they were plentiful and darn near small orange size and juicy visa versa oranges were hard to come by. The veggie markets on the little lane east of the round a bout on Sav Road have been moved up accross from the Patti store on that lane.

What to say about the fish market, yes a lot of guys were moved - guys I know that had huts on the sea side of the bridge for years, and the new market is going to be quite a marvel with cleaning tables and under roof, but I guess my mind wandered to what the toll would be for the fishermen. That said on the up river side of the bridge the fish business is booming, where I had often picked up lobster is now a heavy traffic market most of the day.

Green Island over to Grange Hill and back Delve Bridge to Spring Hill had me witness some tough tough mashed up roads. In some cases I wonder about starting over versus repair.

Election is in conversation often, theirs not ours.

I have a new carving for my village, much smaller but even more intricate, very refined from ironwood, I was told to expect some little people and animal scenes in Feb.

Now my source would have me belive that what I am getting ready to share is true. As we sat on the balcony our last night in our conversation turned to a common friend who has about 40 she goats and how they were having 2 and sometimes 3 kids at a time, I made the observation that our friend was now carrying 2 or 3 rams but it seemed that the male goats were getting special treatment which took the whole goat story in a new to me direction,,,,,, turn small children away,,,,,, as The Rasta's wife explained that goat was essential to all celebrations, weddings, burials, holidays she explained that the male goat was much more prized than the female for it's taste and of course as I took another sip of my drink I had to ask why and of course without mincing words she explained it is because they "piss themselves". Yes ladies and gentleman the reason that male goat is so much better is that because they piss on themselves and over their lifetime that taste permeates the meat,,,,,,, I was in awe and tearfully laughing as I thought about the coffee scene for "The Bucket List", so folks the next time you order goat be sure to ask if it's male or female or maybe not.

As always much need in the schools, even business owners and I talked about this year the teachers were coming begging in larger numbers than ever before. Jamaicans because of the tourist dollars follow the US economy closer than some of us do.

I noticed a funny time thing having to take a stop in ATL (MBJ-ATL-STL). Because we did customs in ATL much of our layover time was taken up in customs and when we hit STL we just walked out of the airport. End result, total time into door at MBJ and out of door at STL was not that much differant than a direct charter. Additionally the electronic ticketing at Delta in MBJ makes the transition so much smoother, none of that hitting a line at MBJ, drag bag stop drag bag stop drag bag stop,,,,

On a similiar note, make sure you are on the 1st floor of your sleep park and fly hotel or that they have elevators if you are on the 2nd. Bags up stairs and back down is no way to start a trip.

Funny, my cousin bought a car for a friend in Jamaica a couple years ago. Now every trip in seems like another auto repair adventure. One day I pulled into the parking lot of my Cuz's resort and his car had a flat,,,, no problem, pull it off I know where to get tyre repair,,,,,, problem the flat was beyond ice slick and the other rear had a blem from surface to rim,,,,, here we go, the guy that mounts tires does not sell tires, the guy that sells tires does not mount, neither balances,,,,,, down the road tire buying means 3 stops,,,,, ahhhhhhh

stopped at a car wash, Heroes Day, dad son daughter working, daughter comes over to get me a cold drink out of the frig, smart beautifal maybe 15 years old, during conversation I observe "it's a holiday, looks like the whole family is working except mom" and she comes back with "momma just had a new baby so she is staying home with her baby and my baby" and my heart breaks, at 15 she is a mother. so many opportunities may never be realized. By the way I pay double time on holidays, the father was trying to give the money back and I explained holiday pay.

Had never really considered it, we have had foreign exchange students in the past, a guy that I have watched grow up is taking exams, as we drove to school one day I asked what are your plans next and he says college hopefully in the states and I get to thinking I have read somewhere that 30%+ of our US university population is foreign students, our goverment is pretty liberal with our aid to foreign students, my kids did not qualify for aid because we make to much, we have way to much room and quiet in our home with a highly rated JUCO right down the road, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I now know more than I did a week ago about Jamaican realtors and attorneys, taxes, insurance, jamaican plumbing and electrical, window doors and cess pits,,,,, I'll keep you posted. I know this sounds like a drunk tourist that blinded by the sea and palm trees visits a time share but,,,,, the investment opportunity alone just looks to good to ecape my mind. A few years earlier than we were thinking about, but a beautifal neighborhood with homes much nicer than what mine would be and one neighbor that I have much respect for and a house on 1/2 acre with 90 degrees of the bluest sea you can imagine bringing a smile to our eyes every time we gaze out,,,,,,,

If you love Jamaica let me see your hands,,,,,,