Jamaican High Mon

I am still on a high, not from Gunga or any other Wacky -To-Backey Jamaican thingy. I am on a high from being in paradise. I forgot how beauteous it was there. It was absolutely a fantasy vacation. I loved every second of it. It took us almost 20 years to go back, and I can not believe it took us that long. When we were there in the eighties, Sandals was basically just beginning. Jamaica AND Sandals have come a long way and, so have Rob and I . Going to a tropical Island Vacation in your early 30's is way different than going when you are 55. I am sure that made a giant difference. The country seemed much more adapted to tourism . For example, we flew into Jamaica 20 years ago on a small 20 seater plane to a building that was barely standing with armored guards and young beautiful women handing out shots of Rum. There were Jamaican small boys begging for money and random people selling Red Stripe Beer in the parking lot of the Airport. On the way to the resort we drove through basically a jungles on dirt roads, and we had to stop at one point for a cow to cross.

This time the airport was very efficient and very built up. There was a greeter from Sandals stationed, and a relaxation area that provided beer and soft drinks. We were on an independently owned bus, but our whole trip traveled over highways. It was a long trip by plane , bus, and automobile....but it was well worth the travel because as soon as you hit the resort, your vacation begins. I have never been so pampered in my life. I think THAT is what makes the resort so special. You are pampered.
The place is so beautiful. The water is gorgeous, the food is awesome, and the people are great. Anyone that does not have a great vacation at a Sandals resort, will not have a great vacation ever. These people get it. They really know how to make your stay with them special. I sort of think I was afraid to go back, cause it was so great the first time. You never seem to reach the same high you did with your fist experience. It was that, and more. We waited way too long for us to go back. I am just so glad we finally did.

My Birthday Month

I decided when I am 100 years old. I will ask Abe to go out and buy me a pack of cigarettes. By then they will probably be on the down low, like pot. And so expensive....my guess $10 a cigarette, $200 a pack. I just think if you live that long you deserve to do whatever you want. Abe will be 46 and Sam 44. Do you think they will do that for their old granny. Maybe I should put some in the freezer now. Will they hold up for that many years?

Any who I had a great B-day. Drank too much wine and watched old videos at my sister's place. Had cake with Rob's family and had my two Grand babies with me. Late at night had Cornersburg Pizza. I think that is one of the closest that I'll get to perfection ....by great birthday standards.

Weddings

There are so many programs on TV now about planning weddings, choosing the right dress, Bridesilla, all of them are easy to get sucked into. When you are planning a wedding, it takes over your life...you need to make decisions, plan ahead, find venues, music, food, church, drink...it's all overwhelming. It just seems to take a life of its own....this wedding, and it becomes a part of your life, for the year or so that you are getting the whole thing together. Everyone feels like they are so important, the wedding revolves around them. Even though that person may be a distant cousin of a family member who actually met either one of the happy couple 10 years ago, yet they are so close to everyone in the family, and will be offended if they don't have just the right seat.
Personally I feel that the couple have the last say on everything. It is their wedding, they will only do it once...(hopefully) and they should do exactly what they want. I don't care who is paying for anything...the wedding couple have the say.
I really think that Rob and I had the wedding that we really wanted. If the old bags had something to say, I think we ignored them. They were pretty good about the whole thing actually. We just had a great time, and so did parents.
Any who, we are going to Ohio for a wedding. How fun! I am driving with Abe, Sam, Bri, and Jake. We are going to see Grandma, she needs to meet Sam. She is going to absolutely love it, and so are we. Then the Big Fat Griff/Alanna wedding. I am so looking forward to that.

Happy 4th.!

We got Abe......... We got Lincoln .......

Happy 4th. Of July from ALLEN clan of true patriots.

In the words of Jeanie Allen, well now we have a Lincoln... and Bri and Jake have Abe.

We have had several folks from my era that have passed away. Ed McMahan, who was the right hand man of Johnny Carson for so many years. I couldn't wait to be old enough to stay up late and watch that show. He was also involved with a 70's-80's Star Search, that maybe younger people than me know about more than the Tonight Show. Farrah Fawcett, who definitely defined the 70's , not only with her role on Charlie's Angels, but her hairstyle and actually her style in general, certainly her poster was in every adolescents bedroom . We all wanted to look and dress like her. Michael Jackson passed the same day as Farrah, and I was sorta ticked off at the hoopla. For sure we all must give him accolades for all his accomplishments in the music industry. He started out with his brothers as a youngster, so you either grew up with him, or watched him grow over the years. He certainly had talent especially with initiating new trends, breaking barriers in music , and breaking boundaries in dancing, music, and clothes. He was known all over the world.
I can't stand it any more, the last ten or so years of his life he was an absolute freak. He went from this sweet little boy from a large family to this creepy man who wore masks and wigs, and talked like his voice box was going to break if he spoke. He hung out with some questionable people,eg. movie stars like Liz Taylor , Liza ( maybe he was trying to figure out why he was so " F"d up, by being with people that grew up in entertainment like him.) and children, like McCauley Culkin, Carlton from Fresh Prince( he was in a Pepsi or Coke commercial with Michael as a young child), even Sean Lennon hung out with Jackson. Then all the creepy surgeries, and all the face/color of his skin changes. Let's not even talk about being in the Iron Lung time frame. What's up with that?
He turned 50 years old, and it's not eccentric to act that way, it's freaking weird. I know the man has had lots of issues growing up, but man you got lots of money, get a therapist. He is not someone that I would like to pay homage to .....he freaked out. My guess no one told him he was Wacko-Jacko cause they wanted his money, sorta like Anna-Nicole, although she had no talent to speak of, Michael did, for sure. Here we are talking about how great he was.....I'm thinking not so much in the last 10-15 years. So it really makes me look at a person's life, do you want all that fame and money? At what costs? To be with people that just tell you what you want to hear, and could care less about you or your well-being. To me he was a freak....who had talent at one time. Very sad.
The bottom line is, he was sort of queer, his family is probly going to make the most of his death. I predict tours of, what the hell is his place called? Wonderland, or Neverland , I don't know. It's right up there with Graceland, and people are still making $ off Elvis. Isn't this a sad take on our society?