Meringue Seeds and Vicks Vapour Rub

I went for a swim this morning and got jellyfish stings on my shoulders and face. Huh. Never happened before. Somebody said that urine will relieve the sting, but at my age I’m way beyond the golden shower thing.

And so it goes – I’m experiencing a weird time-flow here the last few days. Maybe the polar vortex is causing perturbations in the time-spliff continuum. Maybe I’m just settled into a deep Negril groove. Maybe this is all just a dream and I’ll wake up in my big comfy bed with Bea lying beside me and find myself still up in Shrunken Bullocks.

Afternoons meld into sunsets which transition into evening, moon, stars, sand under my feet. A good group of friends, loosely made plans - sometimes partially executed. A constant ebb and flow – lots of laughs.

We were all sitting around and I stopped a beach vendor who was carrying a big hoop over his shoulder with a pharmacopoeia of herbs tied to it in little plastic bags. I purchased a small bag of meringue seeds and passed them around to the group. It was a taste experience and now everybody should be good to go for the rest of their time here because meringue seeds are supposed to be a cure for whatever ails you. No excuses from here on in.

At one point a few of us ended up at Sunnyside. We reminisced with Maureen about the old times at For Real. The loss of the For Real bar is one of my life’s big heartbreaks. We talked Maureen into putting on ‘Strength of a Woman’, her favorite Shaggy tune. Maureen danced, we all sang and for a few moments we were sitting around the old For Real. It was sweet.

There was a likkle rain shower in late afternoon. It produced two rainbows. We all stood out and watched the sunset which was glorious. Then the moon came out, directly above and almost full. It bathed the beach in a soft light that cast tight moon shadows around our feet. I had a couple of meringue seeds left so I asked Odeon, the bar man, if he wanted them. He accepted them immediately, saying he would take them later – just before he went to meet his girlfriend. Yes, meringue seeds are good for that too.

Speaking of which, Shrek talked with one of the beach ‘rasta-tutes’. You’ve probably seen him cruising up and down the beach, very tall, slim, well-muscled, long dreads. And this guy is dark, dark, dark. He’s also kind of scary looking, piercing eyes. The girls in our crew call him the Stallion.

Shrek asked him how business was. The dude said business was really good. Shrek then pressed him, asking him how many tourist women he actually hooks up with. The dude figured he’d had 1,500 in over the last two years, oftentimes three on one day. Even factoring in a large dollop of male bravado, that’s pretty impressive. It’s amazing what a handful of meringue seeds and a tub of Vick’s Vapour Rub can do.

Later, we saw Michael Jackson at Bourbon Beach, he still has the moves, which is good considering he’s been dead for quite a few years.

I don’t have any specific plans for today, except to go into town and replenish the constantly dwindling money supply. Thing is, I don’t recall spending the half of it. Maybe it got sucked up in the Polar Vortex.

Likkle more . . . .