Saturday
How can this thing possibly live up to the expectations we have put on it? Mild distress has set in a few times during the week. What the hell are we doing? Why are we dropping several large on a trip we can’t really afford and don’t really need to take? What if everyone is completely different from their board identities and we feel awkward or out of place? Or worse, irritated or uncomfortable? As the time draws closer, though, the excitement grows and the trepidation wanes. If you thought the traffic here was stupid leading up to departure, well, the pm’s and emails and facebook chats were insane!

Then Patty starts the Joe and Manda thread and it strangely feels like we’ve already joined the party long distance. Then it’s really close and we want things to start to slow down. Don’t get here too fast and be over with in a blur. Slow down, man, soon come. We’re going to ride in from Mo Bay with Marley and Ninja and Tizzy and (maybe) Tizzy’s boyfriend and we have all been going nuts the last couple of days as people drop off the board to travel and pop up again in paradise. Very funny go round at 4:20 on 4/20. Are we there yet?

Travel goes smoothly and before you know it we’re sitting at the Groovy Grouper with Chicken’s son, waiting on the gang. First Red Stripe, nice and easy, we got a long night ahead and I haven’t eaten yet. Second Red Stripe, boom. Third Red Stripe is going quick when a tiny platinum blond with HUGE luggage shows up, smiling and arms wide open! I don’t know how she gets around with those things!

We fell right in with Tiz. We had an incredible conversation about how we all ended up sitting at that bar at that moment that was more like a chat you would have with a close family member then it was a meet and greet with a digital acquaintance. It set the stage for much amused observation of our dear Tizzy throughout the week and put both of us in Tizzy’s corner for, well, I’m thinking forever.

I’m into my fourth beer and Tiz is deep into her tale of woe that will be gone when suddenly at the rail to our side appears the Queen of Negril, Marley!! Cinderella? Red Riding Hood? Appropriate we say, she is like a fairy tale character both inside and out. Later in the week she would prove to be our Fairy GodMother…Where’s Ninja? Pulling the luggage with a million watt smile!

Chicken shows up and swaps out with his son, we’ve got the King of the road driving the Queen of Negril and her cohorts to the promised land. Negril soon come…