Typical Weekend, Part 2

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Stephanie and I awoke at 5:30 am. My darling wife, hands me a cup of blue mountain coffee ten minutes later and I go for my morning exercise and swim. I do my exercise routine with two pound weights;(I do 100 jumping jacks, arms out; 100 jumping jacks, arms up; 100 twists (Chubby Checker Style); run in place (200); and 35 push-ups); stretching and then two laps of the pool, other pool exercises; some other fun stuff and some more stretching. Thirty minutes and I am done and feeling rejuvenated.

When I return, Stephanie had gone out and bought the morning newspaper. I am pleased that the Gleaner has published my most recent letter to the editor. I make the point that the Government should do better at supporting rather than frustrating the initiatives of their citizens, i.e. the Coconut Vendor (Jelly Man) on Norman Manley Road is being put out of business. I check my e-mail and several people who read my letter to the Editor are already congratulating and encouraging me. I hope it helps to keep the Jelly man in business.

Stephanie has become a wonderful Jamaican cook. For breakfast, she serves me achee and salt fish with dashine, yellow yam, boiled bananas, carrot juice with condensed milk and more coffee. As we are leaving for the golf course at 7 AM, I discover that I have left my garment bag by the bar at Constant Springs golf course the night before, so Stephanie drops me off and then goes to retrieve my bag. We hope the bag is still there as it contains my favorite golf shoes and other personal items. It was safely “put up” and we are very grateful.

When I arrive at Caymanas at 7:30 am, I proceed to hit balls on the range for 15 minutes with my caddy (Garth) guiding me and we meet my foursome (Steve, Peter and Errol) on the first tee and we are off at 8:00 am. My putting has been tentative so I have not been winning. While “Match play” is preferred in the United States; in Jamaica, we always play medal. In other words, one bad hole will bury you. But today, I make 7 pars and 11 bogies, nothing worse that a bogy and I win the match. I pump my fist when I drop the last putt and yell “yes!!!” I am constantly fantasizing that I am playing on the PGA tour as I walk down fairways with my personal caddy in tow. What I win is barely enough to pay the bar tab.

Stephanie has been at the pool, reading her book and joined my foursome for lunch at Noon on the veranda. I have curry goat and rice with a beer. She has stew peas and a glass of chardonnay. The waitresses like her very much and cater to all her requests. Stephanie now plays golf and if we did not have other plans, we would have played together in the afternoon.

We get home just in time to shower and dress to meet the bus that will transport us to a grand Villa in Ocho Rios for Dr. Dainia Baugh’s birthday party at 2:30 pm. We join the other 20 people on the bus for the two hour ride watching a movie. Most people order apple matinees from the “stewardess” on the bus. My preference is proof rum and coconut water. Stephanie stays with wine.

We arrive at the Cary Island Villa at 5:00 pm and we are all impressed with the grandeur of the place. We walk down to the ocean and cross a bridge that leads to a small island with pick nick facilities where we took a nap before rejoining the celebrants. The DJ and music is fantastic and we start dancing right away. I ask for my current favorite song by Taurus Riley (She’s Royal, she’s my Queen. I want her in my life. She’s a cutie. She is one of a kind. She doesn’t need make up for she is a natural beauty. I never met anyone so divine.) This is an ode to my wife.

They actually serve Johnny Walker Blue and whatever else one could desire to drink. The food is spectacular, particularly the fettuccine Alfredo, mackerel rundown and the Solomon Grundy. The party is fabulous. We particularly enjoyed our time with John Junor and his wife Urla and daughter-in-law. We get back to the dance floor and dance to socca music for an hour without stopping. Stephanie and I love dancing. She even learned some new moves. We drink some coconut water (without the proof rum this time) and went down to the pool to take another nap on the lawn chairs with the sweet music in the background. Within a half hour, we are back on the dance floor. The music stops, we sing happy birthday, extend congratulations and give Dainia a Champaign toast as she cuts her cake.

The first bus departs at 10:30 pm and we collapse in our seats exhausted and immediately fall asleep. Two hour later, we are awakened when the bus driver turns on the overhead lights and announce that we are back in the parking lot of the Heart Institute of the Caribbean. We get home at 1:00 am and remind ourselves that we must attend the funeral of our friend’s father on Sunday at 10:00 am.