Guirigay and Sweetie Pie’s PaRedux It’s all true and it never really happened…

We have a great time, beering and swimming and chatting. At some point Ninja comes up next to me and gets involved in some talk about. After a few moments he kind of elbows me a little. I look over and he looks down at his hand which is holding a bag. He kind of gives a little head turn and shirk, then adds a raised eyebrow and a turn of the eyes. He doesn’t say ANYTHING. He raises the bag, “Here.” That’s it. In the bag is a Red Stripe ball cap. With a bottle opener on the brim… Dude. Too Cool. Way Too Effing Cool. Thanks, you know I love it. I have a crap ton of cool ball caps and this quickly and easily slipped in as my No. 1. I had figured this was the last trip for my old straw hat. It was beat, the top was literally starting to come off. I thought about it for a moment and couldn’t think of anything more fitting than a sea burial in Negril. We decide for ecological purposes we won’t actually bury it at sea but I head out into the ocean wearing it one last time. I take several dives with it on. I come up from the last one and pull it off my head and thrust my fist through the crown. It has given it’s all and protected me through many adventures. I’m a little sad to see it go. I leave the sea and set it to rest on a front row lounger at Country Country. Not a bad way to go…

There is much laughing and swimming. A large group in the water and a large group around some loungers on the beach and a pretty constant changing of the guard in the two groups. I have a funny conversation in the sea with Booger about Gonjon, just amazing how his trip has played out. Booger may have said he knew there’d be a little Jizzness going on but he is clearly as astounded as all of us about how it’s all playing out. And speaking of Gonjon…

I’ve been wondering since he joined the board in May exactly how to pronounce his screen name. Is it a hard G like Gordon or a soft G like Gerry or a Spanish G like Geraldo? Is it an American J like John or a Spanish J like Juan or a French J like Jean Luc? GoneJohn? JohnJohn? HonJohn? JohnJuan or HonJuan? GoneJuan? I think I’ve settled on GoneJean…

At one point we get a terrific ocean front beer delivery from one of the finest serving wenches I’ve ever run across. This creates a madhouse. The St. Austi Girl is surrounded by a large group of thirst crazed beach bums at the waters edge. It is hilarious. I’m a little worried about evidence…

St. Austi Girl heads in with the first couple of deliveries, this got everyone fired up as you can see!
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The terrible turtle trio in the water
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The lovely ladies lounging
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It looked like it would rain most of the afternoon, then it did. It made for an incredible lighting effect.
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We eventually decide we’re all going to meet up over at Canoe for the webcast. Hubbity and us head back to SeaSplash to clean up. Naps, glorious Negril afternoon naps, come into play as the mid-afternoon storm rolls through. Later we grab a cab with Hubbity to the near West End. We have a great time at Canoe. A lot of boardies are in town and the place is crowded. Booper and GonJon (or was it Jizzness as usual?) show up in a water taxi. Coolest entrance anywhere, all week. It’s GonJon’s birthday and Booger is going to pull out all the stops. A great birthday cake with a single memorable and consumable candle is broken out. One poor baby, one happy GonJon…

Brasi has been underground since Tuesday. We connect and make plans to meet at SeaSplash. The rest of the bale has plans to burn down the West End tonight celebrating GonJon’s Earthday. We have another great meal at Canoe and offer our best wishes to the Man of the Day.

We spend the evening on the beach loungers at SeaSplash with Brasi and his Jamaican friend Lisa. Sweetie Pie loses her legs early and we gently settle her down for the night. Back to the beach and the conversation flows easily. Brasi is well in tune with the paradoxical nature of much of the runnings of Jamaica. We talk of many experiences and viewpoints. We talk about our meeting on this board and learning of our shared heritage. Clan MacLeod, Broheim! Brasi tells me that his Mom already loves me. “Of course, Brah, we’re family!” I say with a laugh. Well, we were blood. Now, though? Now we’re family.

This makes me happy! Welcome back to your report! lol
I laughed so many times already just on this one post

Oh and by the way, it's pronounced like Ganja with an N
Ganjan (I think it was just spelled wrong) LOL


My favorite quote of this entry was "One poor baby, one happy Gonjon"
Hahahahahahaha

With Daisy and Markus already at our departure day and the return to the rock imminent I think I need to wrap things up here quickly. It's mostly pics for Friday and Saturday. The last couple of days were kind of like adding the hardener to an epoxy, they really set the bond. It was a terrific time.

We moved slowly on Friday morning, a back and forth between our room and the restaurant and Hubbity's. Had a great breakfast of the smoked marlin benedict. For some reason my stomach was not in great shape this morning and I couldn't finish it but not because it didn't taste delicious. it did. We really did turtle things up and it took a while for us to get under way. Marley called and said to check at the desk at Catcha when we dropped Hubbity off, they might have a room. We get moving thinking we'll be fashionably late for the Boardie Bashment. When we get to Catcha we head up to the desk and Mauvette says they can put us up in Little Capri for the next two nights. They give us a nice deal. I believe we literally jumped up and down. Room's not ready but Pisces is so we move our stuff into Hubbity's house and grab a drink at the bar. Turtle it up again. When we finally get moving it is later than we had planned. Oh, well, always fun to walk into a rocking party. And it was...

SpottyCatz were on the prowl...
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Narley Minja were enjoying Rum Cake...
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Jim and Donna were spreading the love.
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They are just a great couple, such a pleasure to meet them and share a few minutes. I look forward to seeing these lovebirds again. Sweetie Pie just nailed this shot of Donna -
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Here is my lovely Scottish Lass -
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And her lucky husband in ALL his glory. Love this shot...
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Hubbity sneak into the surf for some smoochin'.
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And Sweetie Pie captures Katho being Katho...
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While I capture a picture of the picture taker capturing a picture of me...
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Jim is trying to give away a free stay at Seasplash with a boardie trivia contest. Who wins? Marley of course!
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And Markus is having fun...
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I'm suffering from a serious case of cankles and put my feet up on the deck.
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But the good times rage on all around me.
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The windows at Canoe are a great portrait spot. Sweetie Pie knew this on first sight and tried to capture a few there. Clarity starts whooping, "ME! ME! ME! Take my picture!" Well you all know what a little photo tramp she is... So she runs off and grabs Sir D Fun Lady's purple rasta hair and sun glasses and hollers, "Look at me I'm fabulous!" (Then, at the last minute she pulls out that freaking clown nose again) Marley of course deals with all her shenanigans with the typical grace you'd expect from the Queen of Negril... Well one with a clown standing next to her...

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I don't even know what Clarity is thinking here. What the hell were you thinking girl?
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The bash comes to a close and we're all headed back up to Catcha. We're so excited that we'll all be staying together these last couple of nights, Well, except for the Cali Cool Kids and St Austi Girl who are leaving tomorrow. We'll throw it down tonight though. We stop at Just Natural on the advice that they may be able to help my cankles. They do. Theresa is a savior. She did me right.

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We have an incredible evening at Catcha. I think I have the drop on Booger. I'm going to buy everyone's dinner tonight. I'm kind of smiling to myself that he'll have a hard time dodging this one. Apparently I'm wrong. Booper and Jizzness eat while we are taking our late afternoon constitutional. And when we call for our table they say, "Oh, we already ate, we'll just hang at the bar!" Powerful talisman, Boogs, but I will defeat it!

A great night at Ivans with what I am going to say had to be one of the all time great Ty and Kevin shows, although the entire bar was part of the act. Sandie, lawd almighty, the things you can do with a microphone! We send up Chinese lanterns and undertake a very long and hilarious group photo session including ALL the staff on duty. No one wants this night to end. Now it never has to.

Awesome time!!!

A great night at Ivans with what I am going to say had to be one of the all time great Ty and Kevin shows, although the entire bar was part of the act. Sandie, lawd almighty, the things you can do with a microphone.

That woman has mad skills.

LOVE love love all of these pictures! Wonderful update! It brings back all the amazing memories from our time together! We miss you guys!
P.S. I love my disguises lol - particularly the tiara and clown nose. haha! I think I'm going to pack one in my suitcase because the look really works for me :D

so my burning question Mr. Guirgay, is where is the photo of you in the trunks sweetie pie picked for you? Am I missing something? I love that you came back to finish what you started. Cankles and all. Were you drinking enough water to stay hydrated there?

Happy to see an update!

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Originally Posted by billndonna

Awesome time!!!

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It was, thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by booger

That woman has mad skills.

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Serious Sauce.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clarity

LOVE love love all of these pictures! Wonderful update! It brings back all the amazing memories from our time together! We miss you guys!
P.S. I love my disguises lol - particularly the tiara and clown nose. haha! I think I'm going to pack one in my suitcase because the look really works for me :D

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You should definitely bring the clown nose back with you, you worked it like a sexy Emmet Kelly. Ewww, WTF am I talking about? Still, bring the bulb! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by irieworld

so my burning question Mr. Guirgay, is where is the photo of you in the trunks sweetie pie picked for you? Am I missing something? I love that you came back to finish what you started. Cankles and all. Were you drinking enough water to stay hydrated there?

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It remains a burning question of mine, as well, Irie. It exists, I have not seen it and this worries me... I still haven't seen the photo of Ex-Patty at Pee Wees either...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sbeth

Happy to see an update!

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Thanks for hanging in there SBeth, and here we go...

So here we are, at the end of one story and the beginning of another. They are separated by mere moments and the lengthy span of eight months. They are the same story and entirely different. They are fleeting moments that will last forever, or at least a lifetime…

We live, each of us, in the pinch of an hourglass. All of our history has led to this moment and the vast expanse of our future lies ahead. Time and history pass through the pinch but we, forever, are stuck there. Sweetie Pie and I have found a group of folks whom we’re so very grateful to be able to say, “We can rely on in a pinch.” To paraphrase the classic Stealer’s Wheel, ”Clowns to the left of us, Jokers to the right, Here we are, Stuck in the middle with you.” Let’s be honest, though, there may be the occasional clown and joker right in our midst.

Saturday was a special day, a sacred day. It was spent almost entirely at Catcha in the company of angels. The blessed were about, Marley Madonna and Ninja the Archangel, St. Markus the Evangelist and Daisy and her weeping statue, The Ethereal Sweetness. Later in the day the Apostle Brasi would spend a long stretch and we were visited by Gerry the Resurrector, along with his sidekick SuzieQ. Coco and her husband arrived Saturday as well and we got to spend a little bit of time with them. Lovely folks.

I have never really planned to write a whole lot about Saturday. It was a very personal day for me. I know that’s kind of strange from someone who’s put a lot of personal stuff out there over the past year, especially about some of the folks I don’t want to talk about now, but that’s how I feel. I do have a few photos that I think give a little bit of a feel for the day…

All the cane fields on the island must be barren because this morning at my breakfast table I have all the sugar in Jamaica. Sweetie Pie and Sweetness! Quick, get me some insulin!
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This was a big chunk of the afternoon. The ladies set up shop at Ivans. Brasi in da house. Clown Robber Clarity actually tries to hold people up with a blender drink all day. It wasn't very effective on anyone but me, she took me for a benjamin. I'm so embarrassed...

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Sweetness captures Brasi and me hanging on the cliff edge, Marley is snorkeling behind us.

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Playing Ninja myself, I sneak up on Hubbity to find Markus sketching Sagi.

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Gerry the Resurrector stops by and literally raises the dead. I'm duly impressed, for a fool. I love this picture of Gerry.

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Sweetie Pie, Ninja and Marley look absolutely smashing.

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And we wrap it up together at Ivans, One last epic Ty and Kevin show. The last photo of the trip...

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We have our goodbyes, they have a strange feeling. The sadness of departure but also the joy of discovery. We know a future awaits us together. Daisy is an absolute mess...

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The gang is headed up to Seastar but we're staying in. Percy will be picking us up at 5am. Tears and hugs and foot shuffling ensue for no short period of time. Eventually we head up the path under the flower arch for our last time together. We move really pretty freaking slowly. At reception we pause, teetering on the edge of running through a whole other series of goodbyes. I want to, I want to never leave this place with these incredible people. "That's it!" I say, "Can't take it again. Go have fun. One Love!"

The reply, from each of them, in all it's simplicity captures the essence of the past week. It chokes me up thinking about it.

"One Love!"

Yeah man, good stuff! I actually missed the inital thread but read the entire thang last night... all caught up!

I clearly need some help from Flip on embedding the motion GIF's! :)

Thanks Guirigay! A great read!

Okay... the motion GIF is a little creepy, but I get it :)

All smiles with the latest update :)

So wishing I was heading there for December, but alas .... I've got another 4 months! You guys have a blast!!!

Nice .... See you soon 'pon the Rock.

Oh wow GG, somehow missed your November post, I thought you had long finished this thing LOLOL. Well that makes me feel better about mine.

This was awesome, I always enjoy your trip reports and LMAO most of the way through even when I'm confused.

Miss you and Sweetiepie SO damn much <3 <3 <3

we sure did have a good time didnt we

Thanks for taking us all the way through!

One of my favorite Nick Lowe tunes...

You nailed it Guirigay!! Amazing reflection of that awesome reach.....See you very soon My Friend!!

That was great. Little bits at a time with much anticipation between. Love your style and how you were gracious all the way through this report. Looking forward to encountering you along the cliffs and beaches of Negril. Thanks for taking us for a ride.