gettin my groove on "TRIP report" boardie bash style--april21-may11,2013

after our snorkeling trip, we have to stop for gas....

a fishing boat pulling in the nets
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we dock behind burger king and roger pulls the gas tank out of the boat and walks to get the gas
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trying salvage a ship
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a look up the river
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sea birds and pelicans
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our boat of peeps
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on our way back home we pass these places

canoe bar
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i guess this place is closed
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mi yard
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swordfish
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I got pics of all the same palces on the way back, then the dolphins, then we come upon these fisherman
the fish was taller than the boys trying to hold it up
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looks like a great relaxing station to chill
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back to catcha falling star and the place I did most of my jumping later in the stay
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we jump off all these cliffs, and a look at the real lighthouse
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after our snorkel trip, we head to catcha gardens, have a few beers and chill with old and new friends...I love these people....

on to seastar for lunch, at about 4pm....I have the seastar burger and share some poutine in rina and larry, a canadian specialty...we would call it gravy, cheese fries....lol

after eating, we all head to hi-lo downtown for supplies...i get a couple 6 packs of red stripe, some wata and juices, say goodbyes and grab a route taxi to fun holiday

i walk from fun holiday to yellowbird for the famous 2 for 1 drinks

my 1st ever drinks at the yellowbird, 2 dirty bananas...
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beginning of the 2nd sunset with the party boat passing by
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finish the drinks and walk to my old hangout, bourbon beach...I'll just say bourbon beach does not have the same vibe as it did last time, Kevin leaving has made a big difference...they need him back...nothing bad happened, just not the same folks around and a different vibe
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and the last pic of day 2..a nice sunset pic
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nothing happening at bb tonight, so I head back to fun holiday...it is next door to roots bamboo, which has yellowman and jamaica michael jackson tonight....

i eat a few snacks from the room, then sit on the deck with a few guests and the security and can hear the music very clear...and not as loud as usual, really just right from our deck....subs and beers from my cooler end a good day with a full moon....

Sounds like a Great end to a night

Groove. I agree 100% with your assessment of bourbon. It's a shame, because thanksgiving and New Years we spent a lot of time there. Hell we stayed there over New Years and 2 nights at the end of our New Years trip.

It wasn't an awful experience this time around. It just wasn't that good of an experience. Maybe it's just going through some growing pains? I hope anyway.

I'll give it another try in August.

flip, we share many of the same ideas...

on to day 3 tuesday, april 23....one of the reasons I am early was the rock robster returns party, which is tonight at 3 dives....

I chat with my wife on facebook every night while waiting on her arrival...last night she cracked me up...1st we all got sunburned from our snorkel trip on oour back and on the backs of our legs...Janet had been chatting with rina and rina told them they were off to bed after the long day and all worn out...she asked me what I was gonna do, and I told her i had already done it, was chillin on the deck listening to the music from roots...she responded with a "well get your sleep now, I arrive tomoorrow and ain't no 9 oclock bedtime" She told Rina she was bringing sun block for her and 5 hour energy for all of us...hehehe...

I have been coughing my head off, and it is terrible at night
I take my morning walk again to wild parrot from fun holiday...
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fisherman cleaning the morning catch
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from various spots on the beach
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I need some lunch, consider fun holiday, but decide that if they couldnt have me a cold red stripe when I need it, then Im not gonna chance a meal....
So I head down the beach, trying to decide what I want...somewhere down the beach, it hit me...box lunch, and the only one I could think of was Fatties...have eaten at fatties many times and not disappointed....got a 300ja box of brown stew chicken, with rice and peas.
I am going to take time to say that we came in way under budget..the hotel and everything like that, already planned and shopped around early...so I budgeted for meals, excursions, drinks, subs, taxis, and etc...then I threw in a little padding and we agreed that would be it....well, I was very conscious of the budget and made sure to cut back early so we could splurge later since we would have a cushion...I like the box lunches anyway...so I ate more than 10 of them this trip and mix in a couple days of patties for lunch, snacks in the room, red stripe out of the cooler in certain situations and using the route taxi system when possible..we added 4 more days at the end and still came in a little under the budget of the original trip .walked across the street to bourbon beach and ate my lunch there...then I walk back towards home, stopping for a couple 2 for 1 drinks at.....guess where
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yep, the yellow bird....

got my jamaica phone from kingsley, and it had a little time on it he said, tried to call my driver a couple of times and couldnt get it to go through...

so I route taxi my way to 3 dives--400J, gave him 500, and someone hit some buttons on my phone and I had no minutes...like a true jamaican, I am told...a phone but no minutes...lol...

tonight I get to meet Rock Robster as he is throwing a party for his return and is mixing it in with the web cast, a pre-boardie bash party to kick off the week...He paid the band a likke extra to start ealy and play later and it was on...

3 dives is known for the jerk chicken, but tonight they were cleaning out the freezer of lobster, as season was out, and wanted to empty the supply...lobster special on tap...

pics of xtabi, I love this place and take pics of it every time I am around it
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I like these shots of the colorful things on sale in the shop across the street
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lobster dinner minus one lobster..lol
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getting the party started
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jim and donna
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add rina in with jim and donna
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bea getting in the groove
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our old friend, gary cooper
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beginning of the sunset
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bea getting her groove on
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rob and rob (rock robster)
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bnewb and beachgirl
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hello dolly

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larry and rick---two good ole biker boyz from canada
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add in sweet sweet carolyn
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interested couple in jesse and dang on the right and add in rina on the left
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a shot of the party
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and the sunset and last pic of the day
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we party at 3 dives....I tell jim and donna I was gonna share a taxi back to the beach with them... a little later they are ready, party still going strong...never mind, I'm staying...larry, rina and my group leave an hour later, but party still going strong...I tell rock robster I am sharing a taxi to the beach with him, ok he says....well about midnight and the only ones left are dang and jesse, rob, lisa, rock rob, bea, myself, and a couple more....we decide to move the party to eddie's debar, keep it in the family...so some ride and some walk to debar...we are the only ones there, and we start all over again....30 minutes into the gig, a van pulls in and I hear....oh, thats groove, theres rob and lisa, there is....and now joing the party is......WPYOGI stef and drew....1st time meeting these 2 and i now have some new friends....i also got to meet chicken the driver.....i will have more fun with him later....we party until I don't know when, then catch a ride back to fun holiday...

tomorrow is moving day and the much anticipated arrival of my sweet, beautiful wife, Janet...

Great job on the trip report groove , I`m loving it.

Waiting very impatiently for more .........

I have been having trouble with this next part...it has been written and erased many times...I am just gonna tell it like it happened....

On with the trip report...

Today is moving day for me, and it is the arrival of my wife, Janet...It is actually moving day for all of us, we will reunite at white sands...We didn't know anything about white sands, because we never stayed on this end ofthe beach...my friend got a deal from work, and we all decided to stay here...

I get up at my regular time, and take my morning walk on the beach. I decide to walk towards town, find my driver if I can and arrange my move. I am successful at doing all of this. I walk back to Fun Holiday and then to White Sands to go ahead and try to check in....No problem...Room is ready, U can check in when you get ready to... I walk back to F.H., gather my things, call my driver and I am off...I get checked in, no problem....Janet and I are staying beachside, and Our friends are staying in 2 rooms on the garden side...we knew the rooms on garden side were bigger, but we chose to be closer to the beach...The office at W.S. is on the garden side, I get my key and we drive to the beach side, unload all my luggage, about 5 minutes, and then I head to town for supplys. I tell my driver what I need and he takes me to the fruit stand for soem pineapples, to the china man store for 2 cases of red stripe, wata, and juices, thru the Burger King drive thru for a bag of ice, and a box lunch 300ja at king fisherman outside whistling bird...ate here about 6 times this trip....

well, we pull into the beach side at white sands...there is a spot about the length of a bus then there are some flower pots blocking the drive, an area just big enuff for a driver to park and unload the guest...that is what everyone i asked thought it was for...so here we go....my driver grabs a handful of stuff, I grab lunch and ice and we go to the room...I stay in the room, he goes to get the beer, and brings it back...I pay him and he is off...it takes about 5 minutes, max from start to finish...I close my door, open my door to the veranda, becasue the room is still hot, and I hear some yelling...I look out and it is my driver and someone, and it is getting louder...I head out and as I round the corner of the building (I am upstairs), I hear a lot of jibberish that I can't understand, and see my driver and this guy and lady on a golf cart. .the guy is sitting there, saying something on occasion, but the lady is shooting birds, saying f$^* you, and get the fook out of here, steadily showing the middle finger...driver is yelling, golfcart man is yelling, lady is screaming....a bumb***** here, a f u there, blah blah blah, I yell what is going on, I am told to stay out of it, mind my business by golf cart man...that is my driver and he was just unloading my things....I dont care who he is, he cant park here, you park across the road and bring the things across....(although this wasnt said, it is expected to cross the busy road with no cross walk with your stuff instead of parking in what appeared to everyone I surveyed that week as a loading zone, about 3 people..hehehe) as golf cart man is yelling at me, the 2 others are really getting loud, f. u., and something about your mother, and the golf cart man turns his attention backto the driver...one or two more exchanges, golf cart man said something, driver gets to his car, yells at me that he will not pick me up again at this property, and I yelled back to him that you dont have to worry about me calling you back to this property....driver left, golf cart drove off, and i go back to my room, baffled at what just happened...
all this and it is about 12 oclock, but wait, it gets even better/...I eat my lunch, my sub, have a drink and get ready for Janet...I see Rina and Larry head by my room to the beach, they had just checked in.
Okay I needed to take some info back to the office, and I wanted to report what I had witnessed...In my opinion, it was uncalled for...well as I cross the road and get half way to the office, here comes the golf cart, the man was alone...I tried to stop him to find out what was going on and he passed right on by me...at this point I didnt know who he was, at first I thought he was a guest, then as it escalated, I realized he was with the property...he drove a piece, then whipped it around and came back...i asked him what happened, he said something I didnt understand, I said excuse me, then he something else. I said I don't know exactly what happened but it got out of hand..then he said it clear...GO FOOK YOURSELF!!!!thats what i thought he said the 1st time...who the fook are you? I am the fooking owner...before I could respond, he continued, I can't believe you come to a foriegn country and disrespect the locals like this...we don't need your type here, get your things and get off the property...I said something, he said something and then he was off....I am now very upset, i walk into the office, and the lady ata the desk asked me what is wrong before I could say a word.....I tell a piece of the story and I burst into tears...not like me, but here is what is running through my mind...wtf....i was just checking in...my wife will be here in less than an hour, and she has no where to stay...i dont mind moving, but my friends all just checked in...3 rooms total...6 nights each...

so she calls frances out...he hears me out, and this time I will say that Frances was the nicest man I may have met...he did all he could to make me happy, and didnt really kiss my azz to do it....free steak and lobster all week would not have changed what happened...come to find out, frances tells me this is the owner and his daughter ...that is even worse in my opinion...frances tells me to go to my room, and he will be there in a likkle while...well, he comes to my room and here it is...the owner is upset at the driver as some disrespectful things were said...I ask about loading bags across the road, he said that is what we have henry for, he will get your bags...i didnt know about henry, i was just checking in..he said that would normally okay, but we were there a long time, and the owner couldnt get his golfcart by...no we were not there long, and how would i know there rules, even if he says the driver should have....frances, says he understands, blah blah...so here is the deal...u can get a full refund, your friends can get a full refund and we will part that way...or you can stay and just avoid the owner if at all possible....so Janet gets there, automatically thinks I am at fault...then she talks to a worker who saw the whole thing, and it was explained to here just like I said....the driver adn the owners daughter both said some ugly things...but I didnt...but really, I didnt have a chance to say much...so now she wants to move...they can't talk to you like that....but I had been thinking and here was my plan...no need for her to suffer..she was just getting here...so were our friends....so, lets stay tonight and if we decide, lets move in the morning...so that's what we did....


sorry about the ramble.....but the story had to be told...good thing I didnt do an onsite trip report, or according to my notes, I probably would have been banned for some of the things I was gonna say about the incident....

alot of people on here like white sands, and it is a nice property, and I am not gonna trash the place or say things that are not true, but I am gonna say how I and MY Group were treated...

we have been vacationing for 25 years. we have been to negril 4 times now and have stayed at Grand Pineapple, Negril Beach Club (motel part, not condos) Blue cave castle with no air, Legends, Catcha, Fun Holiday, Sheilds, BarB Barn....have had no wata, no hot water, no pressure, no current, a/c out, slow service....etc....we are not hard to please, use maid service about every 3 days, and usually take care of ourselves.....**** happpens, u won't hear us complain or trash a place on here about things they can not control...but service and how i am treated will get reported, from my point of view...

Now on to a better vibe....Janets arrival and her 1st meeting with our old friends...

janets trip was a great one...she met up with Katho and they shared a pre arranged ride to Negril with Kingsley...I will take this time to say that we love us some Katho...she is so sweet...at this point, I had yet to meet her, but that will come later...anyway, they made a stop or two for red stripes, and Janet had a buzz when she got there...hell, I was sober and freaking at this point...so off to the beach


the reunion of Janet and Rina

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the 1st child to receive Janets and Rinas kindness
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Janet and long lost bro Larry
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selling fruits and nuts
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horses join the party
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then a dog also joins
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how many legs are there is this picture?
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Wow, Groove thanks for your honesty. We were just about to book the villa for our son's graduation trip next spring, kind of thinking twice after reading this.

Love the report and your pic's man.

Jamb

The special at white sands was 2 for 1 rum punches and I had the cooler full of ice cold red stripe, so we were all having a blast...Janet says this was one of her most fun beach days of the trip, and she didnt get there until about 3pm...Great company always makes for great times....

Our friend Ali shows up and plays a few tunes for us, while his partner sings....
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rasta monkey shows up on the horse
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carolyn and the dog
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wanna share?
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Janet Rasmarko and Ali
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Rasta monkey and the musician...larry gave him some guitar strings and he got several other things from us, along with some $$$$
he played several tunes for us....works very hard to make a few bucks despite his missing leg...pretty good musician too
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and the last pic of the day
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The drinks were flowin, the subs were rollin, the sun was beatin, and most had not eaten....that meant we were getting past the buzzed stage and entering the drunk stage...hehehe, and we were....gary and steph and arrived at wild parrot and called to say they were heading down...they met up with us and we all partied together...
I don't know how long this lasted because not more pics to help with the memory...no sun set pic...I remember walking to larry and rinas room with Janet and Rina arm in arm, laughing and giggling and having a great time....we enjoy their room and veranda for quite awhile until?????i do remember their room being much larger than ours...

anyway we head to our room, I remember being hungry, Janet wanted to go to bourbon beach to see our old friends and eat jerk chicken, my notes say we walked to bourbon beach and it was dead, walked back up the beach and we ate trash can chicken from delta, same as I did earlier...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jambarney

Wow, Groove thanks for your honesty. We were just about to book the villa for our son's graduation trip next spring, kind of thinking twice after reading this.

Love the report and your pic's man.

Jamb

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loved meeting you and your lovely wife, and had some fun times with you...the villas were very impressive, as the blandys were staying there, and we got to hang there some...the private pool is great....I will give you all the info you want, if u need it...pm me...

Thanks Groove for the TR! I wondered what had happened at WS...

It was such a pleasure meeting all of you, wish we could have spent more time together but you were all soooooooo busy :) And for all who haven't had the pleasure of meeting your lovely wife yet, she really is one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever met...

Hey,there's no crying in baseball(Jk);)

Loving this report! Sorry about your bad experience though...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by STRIPER

Hey,there's no crying in baseball(Jk);)

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I'll take that, my wife asked me last night if I realized that I admitted that I was reduced to tears and it was gonna be read by millions, or at least 20 people....

well, it happened so i'm telling it...it was more because my wife had sent me to paradise for 3 days and when she was to arrive, it was suppose to be all set up...she was not to worry about exchange $$$, getting supplies, etc...all to be taken care of.....now an hour before her arrival, I don't know where she is gonna stay, and what about my friends?....it all worked out, but during the heat of the moment, I lost it...it was that or go turn that golfcart over, which I thought about doing...I turned 50 in april, who knows what would have happened if I was still 49....georgia redneck might have come out...j/k....lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2nutz4travel

Thanks Groove for the TR! I wondered what had happened at WS...

It was such a pleasure meeting all of you, wish we could have spent more time together but you were all soooooooo busy :) And for all who haven't had the pleasure of meeting your lovely wife yet, she really is one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever met...

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It was great meeting you guys as well....and I thank you again for the word up on the pub crawl, best time ever....I was wondering how to recognize people from the board, but you made it easy for me...saw a 2nutz t shirt first, then the 2 nutz bag....lol...we love you guys....

and yes, she will thank you for the compliment...i get that alot....what about me? i'm sweet, nice, kind....yeah right...lol...not many of my friends use those words to describe me...everyone loves janet, for great reason, I'm one of those that you either get or you don't...and i'm ok with that, no need of being phony just to be liked...cuz i try to like everyone, i like the group, the more the merrier type of thing....

glad to have met you guys, and hope to see you again...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kaycee

Loving this report! Sorry about your bad experience though...

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thanks Kaycee, it's all good,...my wife read your trip report and loved your pics...one of her favorite people that she has yet to meet....and she almost booked me at pure gardens for those 1st 3 days, because of your report....

they must be doing good business to afford cursing and throwing out all those paid up guests

Dude for real thank you, we were thinking white sands for our first night.. And now that's out!! Pure was my next.. But I want a balcony for baking subs and chilling out and AC for sleeping cuz I won't have it any other places were gonna stay.. So iam thinking fun holiday...

This report is so wonderful. Just loved your cliff tour by boat - awesome. I chatted that 3 Dives party on the webcast and had a blast with all the "finger" boardies. It was great to see all of you parade by once in a while. Like your pictures, you are truly capturing the beach vibe. Sorry about your bump in the road, but you sound like the recovery was swift. Looking forward to more.

Enjoying your report/pictures ~ it's helping me to get in "gear" for our upcoming trip :o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by groove16

thanks Kaycee, it's all good,...my wife read your trip report and loved your pics...one of her favorite people that she has yet to meet....and she almost booked me at pure gardens for those 1st 3 days, because of your report....

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Aww:) really? Hopefully one day we can meet! I try not to stay at the same place twice but the deal they have is irrestible!

Oh Groove REAL MEN CRY~~ LOVE ya man!.......and your wife is a SWEETIE!

Yeah what they said! I'm digging yours reports And sometimes (too often) ill try to lighten it up by being a wise as# ,keep on keepen on!

Good report, I would have grabbed my suitcase and been outa there, I never liked anything about that place or the owner!!

hey striper, its cool cuz, I'm a smart azz as well, doesn't bother me a bit...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by poolguywindsor

Good report, I would have grabbed my suitcase and been outa there, I never liked anything about that place or the owner!!

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thanks dave, the owner is a piece of .... work, IMO....I partied a little with Ben and Jackie this trip, u have left ur trail in many places, my friend...

I played softball in detroit a few years back...we went across the border to canada to a casino and some clubs...would that have been windsor, maybe?

got to the border, my buddy left his id in the room, and not only could he not get into canada, they wouldnt let him back in usa until we got his id, and then they ran all kind of checks before letting him go....took several hours to clear...

the Journey continues...

we get up the next morning, and Janet and I decide we are not staying in this small room, and are gonna try to get everyone to move...I call the place that I am moving to in 5 days, Shields, and they can take all of us at a great rate...So we meet at breakfast and find out Rina can't get a refund cuz she didnt pay for her room...she got a free 6 nights from her work or something....that is the reason we stayed at white sands in the 1st place...so we could all be together...well, if we can get a room in the same building, we will bite our tongue and stay her, so we can all be together...Frances was able to accomadate us and we made the move...Henry toted my bags, and I got everything sttled while Janet set up on the beach...so I have gone against everything that I wanted to do, take my $$$$ and spend it elsewhere, flipping a golf cart over on the way...j/k....but I sacrificed for the group...and i guess i am glad i did, not anything to do with white sands as we had a couple more instances go bad, but because once we did move and split up, we didnt spend very much time together....

While Henry moves my stuff, I'm not doing much to make this move, it is on W.S., although all of the workers at everyplace we stay love us, especially my wife...I enjoy my subs while I wait, and then after getting settled, I head to the beach to join my wife...It is very hot...Gary and Steph had just passed by and were heading to Alfreds for lunch, she said...so we walked down to join them...

when we get there, we see other familiar faces
Lisa, steph, and gary
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I am trying to hide behind a pole...and a leaf.....hehehe
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at Alfreds, we meet up with bella bea, rock robster, rob, lisa, dawn, the blandy's and their guests, along with gary/steph

we ordered fish and chips, which are very good at alfreds...

everyone to the water
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We head back to ws and Janet wants to lay in the sun for a little longer... I go to room, hang with my friends, and then we are get ready to head to Canoe bar for the thursday night webcast...we meet smokin kevin, babalou, rasta stan and betty, big roy, gary/steph, dawn, and our group, plus many that I didnt know...
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rob doing what rob does
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looking through the goodie gift bags
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rock robster, rina, larry, bea,
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rasta stan, beach girl dawn
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group shot
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view from canoe bar behind my head
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the sweetest woman in the world
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the band playing by the sea
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rock robster, i see dang and jesse, and connie
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connie from c & d country bar
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the view from canoe bar
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the sunset, missed the one yesterday....I like this shot
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and the last pic of the night as rasta monkey appears again
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we stay at canoe until dark thirty, and then several of us move to bourbon beach to listen to live reggae music...Janet wins a ticket to the saturday night show, but we are doing seastar saturday night, so maybe afterwards....

we stay about an hour, then head back to ws, have a nightcap on the veranda, and chill....tommorrow is the boardie bash....

Keep it comin' groove! Ya know we luv you to - you are one crazy $$$ :)

So far so good groove. Looks like the boardie bash is next.