MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Sheila - Been to Jamaica 6 times and getting ready to go again in 11 days. I know where all the good shopping is.
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Jo ......Do you prefer street shopping?
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Doesn't matter. I can do both.
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I was never in Jamaica. 11 Days and counting..............
how long is your trip?
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We are going on a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Conquest sailing out of Galveston.
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Happy For You Jo. Hugs
Good Night
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Sheila - That is way too cool. Thanks for the laugh.
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mur has a room also wants to meet the girls... got his speedo packed already!!!3jays 0 -
3jaysmom - hehehehehehe! I can always use a good laugh. They are cute - where did you find them?
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I'm one week out from 2MX / DIEP recon. I went through HELL the entire months of January and February getting it approved to be done. In the path process they found not only 2 areas of DCIS but one area of invasive DC (but thankfully no lypmh node involvement). To make this happen, I changed medical groups 3/1.
So, today, I get a call from my original surgeon wanting to know if I've made a decision about surgery yet. Idiots.
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sorry for all the stress NotAfraid...glad you finally got the approvals! You will meet idiots and saints alike. Big hugs
I'll be in Jamaica within 3 hours (supersonic helicopter)
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Go see my OD tomorrow for regular visit.
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Okay, I'm going to get the chopper to just fly me to the ship so I can join you ladies for a midnight toast! Wow, 10,000 posts - that's a lotta talking!
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Time for the midnight buffet. Eat up ladies, there are no calories on this fantasy cruise.
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mmmm....mmmmm....I'm starving! Look at this beautiful spread! I have no idea what I'm looking at, but it looks edible AND calorie-free!
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I don't know if you'll want to hear my saga unfold (and if not, just skip on ahead.) Well, I asked the ship's concierge where would be a good place to do some reggae dancing, and I got directions to the "Lively-Up" club, right in Kingston. Jo and Seyla decided they might stay on and just do their shopping tomorrow, so we all got in a taxi and headed to the club. When we got there, I noticed a few more of you had also found your way over. Now, Kingston is rough, a ghetto. There is no way I would go there alone, but since there were a bunch of us, it seemed o.k.
The club was super crowded, and the music was like the "classic hits" of every top reggae artist from the golden age of reggae, Marley, Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, some Israel Vibration The drinks were expensive but, luckily, a few of our dance partners didn't mind buying a round for all of us. I decided to stick with Malibu and Coke for the night. Even tho' I had changed into some capri's and a slinky tank top, the club was so hot the three of us needed to go out for some cool air.
Outside, there was a guy with dreadlocks leaning against the club. As I walked past, he spoke out to me. (I love the Jamaican accent, so you will have to imgine that.) He said he saw us dancing in the club, but that this club was for "duppies," and would we like to go to and hear some real Jamaican sounds? You know what Ian Fleming always said, (and he spent a lot of time in Jamaica,) "You only live twice." We had lived before having B/C, and it was time to live again, so we said YES! For some reason, the honest, open face of this man, along with our alcohol-fueled invinceability made it seem that everything would work out just fine.
This guy, who introduced himself as Horatio, had a beat up Hyundai but considering he even had a car, he must have been better off than many. He drove for several miles til we came to two small storefronts, whose whitewashed exteriors had grown dull and gray in their longevity. I think he said we were in Trenchtown. Between the two building was a narrow alleyway. I didn't really know if we should go down the alley, but Seyla gave me a bada$$ look as if to say, "Let's Do It." As we proceeded onward, I could hear the strains of some reggae rhythms, Don't ask me what this club was called. I could vaguely recognize that at some point letters of the club's name had been painted above the red door, but the only one I could still make out was an "N."
Horatio held the door open for us, in a show of fine manners, and we entered another world. It was dark inside, and the people were darker. This was not a tourist sanctioned disco, my friends. This was not a "duppy" club (which I later found out meant a ghost, or spirit, or sometimes a derogatory term for those of pale complexion) We sat down at a table, the three of us glowing faintly. The air was smokey, smokey and sweet.
Horatio had gone to get some Red Stripes (and my Malibu & Coke,) when two dreads approached our table. Half drowned out by the music, one of them asked if we would like to do some "skanking." "Did he just call us skanky?" Seyla asked with a semi p.o.'d look on her face. Jo, who up to this point had been quite demure, explained, "It's a kind of dancing," with her infinite wisdom of having been to Jamaica 6 times previously. Well, I loved the Gregory Isaacs song, "Night Nurse" that was coming thru' the speakers, so I was half out of my chair to dance when Horatio returned with the drinks. After several "Hey, Mon's," he introduced the other two as Mikey and Neville.
Neville, Horatio & Mikey
Having properly made the acquaintance of everyone, we all danced to a couple songs. Back at the table, the guys asked us how we liked Jamaica so far? We replied positively, babbling tourist bits and pieces, like, "lush beauty" (and honestly, BarbA did not cross my mind) and "turquoise water," "sugary sand," and so on. Since we had had the Captain's dinner on the ship, I expressed regret over not having had a true Jamaican meal, but told them how much I liked the Jamaican food I have had in the U.S. "I just love the spices and the herbs," I said. Lots of nodding and laughs on that one.
I had noticed there was a small stage in the club. I asked if this was a venue for live music. Mikey replied that it was and actually, Eek-A-Mouse would be playing at midnight. No way! This is a legendary Jamaican artist that had been doing d.j./rap style of singing since the late 70's. (No, not like American rap music, but it's a kind of talk-style of rap that Jamaicans call 'toasting") Besides that, the guy has a 6' 6" mutant abomination presence on stage. The fact that we stumbled into this was just too un-freakin'-credible!
Eek-A-Mouse Ganja Smuggling
We had been in the club for almost two hours. The smoke wasn't even bothering me any more, or more properly it might be described as "feeling irie." Just when I didn't think I could get any "Irie-er," my mind was totally blown when Toots Hibberd came onstage for the encore of Eeek's show. I knew my fantasy of hearing him do "Funky Kingston" IN Kingston was about to come true. Pinch me, I'm dreaming. (Next time, don't take that literally, Jo!)After that, it gets a little foggier, and I remember Seyla and Jo dragging me out of Horatio's rattletrap vehicle and me skipping up the gangplank. (Those that know me, know I would be skipping at SOME POINT on this Fantasy Cruise!) Girls, you can fill in the blanks for me tomorrow.
I know most of you will find my tale hard to believe, as hard as I find it myself and I was there, some things are just "truther than strange" and I just can't make this stuff up!
The sea air has cleared my head now and it's time to embark on the "moonlight cruise" back to the home port. The midnight buffet is just what I need. H&S76, better late than never!
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Here we are, getting back to the home port in the wee hours. It is very fortunate that my mind has such a thin membrane between fiction and reality. I feel like I really was on a cruise today, only all of you (and my bank account) knows otherwise.
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What a yarn ye have spun, O Elimar! Is it fact or fiction? Either way, we are now irie-ized and isn't that a nice place to be after everything a BC patient has been through!
Thanks for the fantastical trip!
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elimar: didn't it happen? i swear i wuz right beside ya gal! my 1st wedding anniversary was spent in /dunns river, and we made friends of some locals, went to the same kinda bar, and had the same kinda experience!! we skipped the ghanga feilds the next day, though, THAT i was too chicken to do.. thanks for te "irie" time!!!! 3jays
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Well, what a bummer for me.
I have spent the ENTIRE time in the bathroom.
Ya'll didn't tell me I could get seasick.
I hear all of you laughing about some reggae excursion. What did I miss?!?! Tell me now cos you might not remember in the morning.
I haven't eaten a thing. I feel like s*@t !!!!
All I've had since arriving on board has been several Margaritas, lost count. (and some sort of an appetizer, what was that stuff??) And let me tell you, they are not as enjoyable coming back up.
Maybe I'll be able to join you for breakfast, or brunch - maybe.
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Hey, i have a couple of long days at work and look what happens! 10,000 posts! WOW!
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Meece, I am a licensed scuba diver too!!! While they were off partying and building hangovers, weren't we off doing a night dive?!?!?!
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Barbe, I did a night dive too...........straight under the covers!!!!!!
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We sure were. Like any smart divers, we acquired the services of a local to guide us into unfamiliar waters. With the full moon shining (Weird it was 2 weeks early this month) the shallower water took on a the appearance of a fantasy world, even more than it usually does. But as we went deeper and had to use our lights, the beauty of the ocean was amazing. No ganja, not even any alcohol, but we certainly felt exhilarated when we finished. There is nothing like the Caribbean for beautiful diving.
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Eli - Whew! What a night that was. Had a great time even though that club was erie. Glad I was with you gals. Maybe we should take it easy today and recoup. I hear we are going to set sail again tonight. Hmmmm! I wonder where we are going next?
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Ladies so I missed all the excitement. I had a massage then took a nap and was late for the Captains dinner but ran into Antonio so went to his cabin for a private dinner and romance. But please don't tell Melanie.
Will today be just as busy?????? 0 -
I am so bummed I missed the fun night - but too many martinis and I passed out in my cabin. I don't even remember the captain's dinner - although I woke up in a red evening gown this morning.
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That was a whirlwind cruise, ladies. Alas, all good things must come to an end (unless you're still at Seyla's villa!) but we'll always have the memories. To those who couldn't make the cruise (which depended on when we hit 10,000 posts,) don't worry, there will be other celebrations. The next BIG one will be when the thread turns 2 YEARS OLD on Aug. 22, so mark that on your calendar. It's already on mine.
Now, feeling a little renewed, we have to put aside the birthday cake and get back to the bread and butter of this thread...giving support to our B/C sisters, answering questions when we can, sharing the latest B/C breakthroughs that we might hear of, and of course finding a way to laugh daily in spite of B/C because there is just too much craziness in life not to.
NotAfraid, just couldn't switch gears yesterday to say, Good job at lining up the DIEP. Sorry it couldn't be managed in a straighforward way, but your persistence paid off and you worked it out. Be thinking of you next week, and check in with us when you can.
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NotAfraid welcome this is a great place for support. Glad you got everything worked out and keep us posted on your progress.
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Elimar - very cool and Congrats on the 1000 posts!!!!!! Loved the adventure!
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