Another lovely morning along the cliffs of Negril. Well into my second cup of coffee, and just finished a wonderful breakfast made by Teddy the Chef here at The Castle.
I'd planned to get home early Friday after work, attend to some last minute details and get to bed early. Of course that didn't happen.
I ended up working till about 7 PM, then made the plan-bashing step of the night and met up with some work friends. We wound up having an impromptu sort of sad makeshift payday Holiday Party.
After that it was early enough to get the "Last Boat Out of Hoboken", so dramatic. It sounds like movie from the 1940's, but it's what the boat dude announced several times before closing the gate.
I had been officially on vacation since seven so I decided to splurge on a taxi back to Brooklyn for me and drinking pal Gabi. For some reason she and I find ourselves stumbling out of Hoboken together from time to time. We get in the cab near the Trade Center and off to Brooklyn we go. OK, home by 11-ish sleep by midnite, taxi to airport 4 AM. No problem.
No sooner did we get in the cab when my phone started buzzing. It was "The Lerches" looking to meet up in Soho within the hour. I look over at my friend and say, "Blue Ribbon in Soho?" She responded, "oooh oysters . . ." So I halted driver, I think I may have actually even used the word "halt", and he detoured us a few blocks over to Sullivan at Houston.
We arrived first and the place was jam packed, as it should be because Blue Ribbon is awesome. We got some beers and put in for a table of four. It was great to see The Lerches so unexpectedly. They were in town for SantaCon, I hope they got the kiddo home before mid-day happy SantaCon turns into late-night drunken evil SantaCon
As usual Blue Ribbon did not disappoint in awesomeness. Papa Lerch ordered the big-grande raw-bar extravaganza, and a good time was had by all.
Gabi took off around midnight and "The Lerches" graciously paid for dinner, and we went to find a night cap bar. We ended up at a corner bar on Prince off of Broadway, but Mama Lerch was tired and I had to be on a plane in a few hours. We said our goodbyes and I got a slow R train back to Brooklyn. So slow that I hopped out at Atlantic Ave and grabbed in a limo home. I walked in the door at 2:30AM.
The driver was scheduled to pick my up at 3:30AM so I did what any overfed slightly buzzed person would do. I pounded a Red Bull, I got in the shower, I put my traveling clothes on, and fed Rosie the Cat.
Being a bit OCD on packing, was a big help in this situation. I had everything laid out and ready to go. I guess I know myself too well.
I must have slept in the car. I zombied through "Web-Check-In" and security and into my seat. It was a great trip, I slept all the way through.
I arrived in Sunny Jamaica around 9:45AM and was through the airport gauntlet before eleven. I waited for a couple I'd met on the immigration line who'd suggested we split a cab to Negril. We found a driver and they haggled the price, and away we went.
Our driver was the serious type. Straight-through, no stops, and he drove fast. Very good choice. It seems every year the trip gets shorter. Every year they finish a bridge, or re-route around a town, or improve the roads in general.
We dropped the nice Canadian folks off at one of the All-Inclusives just north of town. I was at The Castle right about noon.
The place looks great. Its a bright sunny day, wonderfully hap-hazard christmas decorating here and there. A lot of familiar faces. Ed "Ras-Walleye" and his lovely wife, and of course Petrona and Susan.
I did my normal arrival routine. Change clothes, unpack then I walk over to the store for supplies. I encountered Milly the Juice Lady on the way over, so I also came home with some orange/pineapple juice.
I don't know exactly what time, but I opened my second beer and realized I was exhausted so I "took a nap" expecting to be up for sunset. I woke up at 10PM. I guess I needed the sleep, and this tropical air is great for sleep.
Sunday I just stayed around The Castle reading and decompressing other than a short trip to the store and two sunset beers at the No-Limit bar. I did nothing.
Vinny
