During the last 5-or-so months of living like a hobo, I stopped cutting my hair.
My cousin Andrew and I made a Bother-Mothers Pact to NOT cut our hair for as long as we could stand it.
I arrived in Cayman on Monday and met with my new Employers early the next day. The wind and heat did not improve the coif, and so I arrived looking like a damned Orangutan. I also sweat through my shirt whilst still buttoning it up. I know; Ew.
Without a Mother here fussing over it, it stopped being funny, so now it looks like this :
Brother Annow Wins.
Oh, yes, there's been fresh fruit and swimming and beach walks and holding hands and all that crap, too, but I'm trying to stick to just the important stuff.
My cousin Andrew, one of the 4 people who read this, sent this to me upon hearing of my troubles with the lawn mower.
Andrew, along with a few others, has seen me react poorly in the face of adversity.
If the cause of my problem is small, or if there is something small in the general area in which I'm experiencing frustration, I throw it. Most often, I throw it AT something else.
If the cause of my trouble is too large to throw, I stomp on it. My favorite way to stomp is a high-jump-flying-double-stomp-with-scream.
Someday, when stomping is given Olympic Status, not even the mean Russian judge will be avle to give my high-jump-flying-double-stomp-with-scream any less than a perfect 10. I'm that good. I'm like Mike Tyson and Mary Lou Retton had a kid born for nothing more than stomping. HARD!!!
Though my first instincts were to give my newly-broken mower the boot treatment, I was able to resist. Just barely.
This vid makes me happy I did.... Scot and Marla might be posting it on collegehumor.com as we speak.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Griffith, my supervisor is at Lunch. All Day."
That wasn't funny. I'm pretty exhausted, so you'll have to forgive the even-lamer-than-usual jokes that are coming up.
Tying up all of the loose ends that remain is the basis for the titular lame joke. Weather, Hours of Operation, Customer Service Reps at Utility Companies, Lawn Mowers, and Carmax are all doing their best to send me over the edge.
I leave Monday morning for Cayman. We bought the ticket on Thursday after getting the news on Tuesday, and I've been FREAKING OUT every day since.
I've been chipping away at my three-page-list since, and the easiest things have proven to be the most challening. The pull-starter came out of the mower halfway through the job, so I had to use my neighbor's mower without permission. The Post Office closed ten minutes early today, so I couldn't change addresses or get Kristi's passport renewal docs. Carmax just took two Elements in, so they could only offer me '86 Pinto money for my gorgeous 2005 Honda (see Craigslist for details on just HOW gorgeous....)
Lots of little losing battles have made the voices in my head Angry about this War.
...and now it's raining Cats and Dogs outside, destroying any chance of my "To Do" list getting "To Done" today.
I've been away from my wife for the better part of almost 6 months. I get to see her in 2 days. My elation at this fact comes and goes in short burts in between the machine-gun spray of To Do List disappointments, and this is what bugs me the most. Grrrrr...
My scowl was just momentarily erased. In my haste, I referred to the elation coming in "shorts bursts" instead of the intended "short bursts." Remember, no matter how bad things get, we can always laugh at pee jokes.
I have gotten to spend some marvelous time with some marvelous people, though, and that has also helped my mood.
I'll be back in 2 weeks for the wedding of Dr. Bryan Hughes, and I keep telling myself that I'll fix all of this garbage then.
We'll see.
I'll be scrambling around tomorrow and flying on Monday.... My next post will be from Cayman, and I promise I won't still be bitching about Verizon witholding the Unlock Codes for my Treo. I hope.
Training on how to hide money begins on Tuesday of next week. Yeah, I know...
SO, I have to sell the car, get my crap out of Laura's house, and sneak more stuff into my Parents' basement while they're out running errands.
I've been away from Kristi for the last 5 months, excepting of course the four-weeks-in-three-visits we've spent together. Almost half a year apart has SUCKED, and I'm happy to see it come to a close.
I'm worried that my Eggo-eating, Beer-Drinking, and Pants-NOT-Wearing habits are going to be "up for discussion," but at this point, I'm alright with it.
I've polished off all of the rolls that Grandma sent home with me, and it's time to start talking about Reggae Music again....
The Singjay is a type of hybridized Reggae vocalist. The genre is named for their unique style, part singer and part DJ.
Combining elements of the raspy "chat" we discussed earlier with traditional Roots-style sung vocals, Singjays cover a very broad range of musical territory.
Singjays are usually very conscious, singing of equal rights and justice, ganja, love, as well as praise to Haile Selassie. (More on Rastafarianism later.)
Though they reference a lot of the same topics as Roots and Kulcha singers do, Singjays often take a more militant stance in their music. For instance, instead of urging the listener to resist the fruits of Babylon, a Singjay would call for the active participation of the listener in the destruction of Babylon.
Controversial statements regarding homosexuality have made many Singjays popular targets for GLAAD and similar groups. Though coarse, I still find their stance to be significantly less offensive than those made every day by the Falwells, Hannitys, and Limbaughs who hatred enjoys mainstream media coverage.
This is perhaps the only smudge on the genre's brilliance, but also seems to be the only fact reported by American music critics. Focusing so feverishly on such a tiny, tiny detail within the genre is wholly unfair. American hip hop artists use of much worse and more ferquest epithets is rarely mentioned by the same critics.
Anyway, allow me to step off of the soap box and onto the toes of the brilliant artists who I'll accidentally omit from the following list:
Some of my favorites include Sizzla Kalonji, Capleton, Buju Banton, Chuck Fenda, Turbulence, and many others.
Here are some video clips that I feel will help understand the genre:
Here's Capleton performing his huge hit "Jah Jah City." The video is admittedly a little silly, but it's a good example of the genre. Listen for very melodic singing and for the throaty chat. Singjays will often use very different vocal textures for different sections within a song. There is plenty of that technique here.
Marvelous, right?
Another of our favorites is Sizzla, who has released more than 40 albums... and he's only like 30 years old....
This is his live performance at the VO 25th Anniversary concert in Miami (the same one at which Elephant Man danced with the little girl - posted below.... scroll on down....)
Sizzla makes crowds go insane... I'm both eager and terrified to see him perform.
Here's another Sizzla clip in which he takes a little more delicate approach to the song. "Thank U Mama" was a big hit in Jamaica, and the video has some of the best production I've seen come from the Jamaican scene...
So sweet... I always check priceline for trips to Jamaica after watching that video.... I want to take a bath by the road... I want to ride the bus with a drum... I want to dance around in a rushing river..... but instead I make some Eggos and pout.
One more? Oh, alright...
Chuck Fenda's "I Swear" was a huge hit on the "5th Element" riddim. This song features both melodic singing and rough chat, so it's a good representation of Singjay vocal performance.
Alright, that's enough for today.
My work permit had better come through soon.... I'm running out of Reggae to blather on and one about....
Laura and I took the drive out to Louisiana, Mo, this weekend to visit Grandma Mary Ellen. It was a marvelous time, and we were incredibly sad to leave. Grandma's cooking and conversation were absolute perfection.
She sent us home with homemade cherry pie and her incredible dinner rolls, which I did my best to finish before we arrived home.
We attended Sunday services at Calument Presbyterian Church, which celebrated it's One-Hundred-and-Fiftieth Anniversary a couple of weeks ago.
Some of the founding members were Griffiths, which got me excited about geneology... I wonder what the Georgetown library in Cayman will have in the way of birth records from Eastern Missouri?
It was while on the road to Louisiana that Laura asked if I was done with the (insert overly dramatic yawn here) Reggae posts.
I informed her that while I am NOT done with the Reggae posts, I AM done NOT peeing in the sink at her house.... so there.
I bought some nightcrawlers at the vend-a-bait machine outside a Vandalia gas station, which are currently night-crawling around under the seat of her car. I can't wait for her to meet her new friends on the way to work tomorrow.
Anyway, I should get word on my Work Permit by mid-week, and the posts will be much sunnier from there on. Approved or Denied, I'm going straight to Cayman once I hear from them. I'm not sure they're hip to the plan, but they'll be my host whether I'm working with a permit or drinking rum as a "legal dependant." I'm fine either way...
Triple. Dog. Dare.
I mean it, I'm good at sitting down, and I'm good at drinking rum. I've practiced.
**note** - If any of the fine members of the Cayman Work Permit Board read this, it's just another lame stab at "humor," or "humour" as you guys spell it.... I meant all that stuff in my application about culture and eagerness... I'd also like to do some volunteering... Uh, yeah... I'll do that.... No problem, I'm Great with children.
....and here's a picture of a stuffed pig that my Uncle Eddie got in Korea....
See? Hilarious... children love this stuff.
SO, just approve me. I'll be happy, Kristi will be happy, Laura will be happy to regain control of her guest room... plus my work ethic is downright FEVERISH by Caribbean standards....
C'mon. Please.
Anyway, here's something else:
Kristi has an incredible friend from Ireland named Leah Bryans. Leah has a neighbor back home named Caiomhe, which is pronounced "Kee-VA." (You know, in Gaelic... like how 'Siobahn' is pronounced "Shavon" and 'Dublin' is pronounced "Gypsies Stole My Digital Camera.")
Leah sent this picture of Caiomhe to us, and we are in agreement that it is possibly the greatest picture on Earth.
...and with that, I'll leave you...
More on Reggae, nightcrawlers, and Ben 'n Jerry's Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream later...
Modern Dancehall is a very intricate, exciting genre that defies categorization. The easiest way to explain it to a non-listener would be as the "Hip Hop" of Jamaica.
Dancehall retains the melodic, sing-song flow of it's roots, but the subject matter is decidedly more contemporary. While some artists still call out dance moves, most rely on the "Three G's" of dancehall for their lyrical content. Guns, Girls, and Ganja.
One refreshing difference between American Hip-Hop and Dancehall is the rarity of references to personal wealth. This is mostly because very few Danchehall D.J.s have earned anything close to what even modestly succesful rappers in America make. Though the money may not be there, I personally feel that the creative output of even modestly-succesful Dancehall D.J.s eclipses even the most succesful American Rappers. Hard.
The output of the Dancehall scene is in staggering contrast to that of the American scene. Few D.J.s release full albums, relying instead on constant streams of singles, usually on 7" vinyl. Some release almost 75-100 per year.....
Imagine if Kanye West released song every 3 days... Maybe that's a bad example... he talks about himself enough, I think.
Anyway, I'll post some clips to avoid getting into capillary-like minutiae that no one cares about except me.
Here's Bounty Killer, a.k.a. The Warlord, on his incredible track "Sufferah." This Concious track is a bit of a departure from his normal "Three G's" material. You may recognize BK's powerful baritone from the American Hit by No Doubt, "Hey Baby." He was the guest artist towards the end of the track.
One D.J. that still calls out dance moves is the Energy God "Elephant Man." Kristi and I have seen Ele live, and it truly wears you out - even if you're not dancing along. Frenetic tempos, machine-gun-blast vocal delivery, and a very enthusiastic crowd make it an intense and incredible experience.... especially when you're the only two white folks in the room.
"Pon di River" was a huge hit AND dance move in Jamaica. Here's Ele in Miami at the VP Records 25th Anniversary show:
You saw the crowd, right? Imagine Kristi and I cowering in the back....
Our favorite D.J. has to by the incredible slack genius, Vybz Kartel. His dense vocal texture, wicked wordplay, and unbelievable versatility make him impossible not to admire. His subject matter is occasionally a little much for our delicate ears, but his genius cannot be denied.... He's like Michael Jackson in Jamaica, without the... uh, you know... pedophilia.
Anyway, since he's our fave deejay, he gets two clips. First, the toungue-twisting "Gun Session."
..and his smash hit "Emergency," which decries the Governmental Corruption and Violence in Kingston.
This a very Michael Jackson-like mini-movie-style video, but was WAY cutting edge for Dancehall.
One not-too-subtle stab at the Jamaican Governmental Structure sponsorship of violence goes:
Mr. Bruce, Mr. P.G., this is just a couple questions from Addy the D.J. Question : Kingston make no A.K. Question : So how them come inna J.A. Who own the Docks and the Airport, the Wharf and the Plane?
Obviosuly, I Americanized the prose, but you get the message.
Anyway, Dancehall isn't for everybody, but it sure is for me.... Nothing helps me rid myself of aggresion and hostility like pumping these increidlbe tracks. I'm still not tough, but it makes me feel better.
Alright, more Reggae coverage to come.... one my work permit comes I'll go back to taking pictures of Ghost Crabs and Fruit trees and you won't have to hear any more about my musical obsession.....
I'm Zafari, strong as can be, and I update my blog with regularity.
Ann and David will get that one.
Anyway, the new car tags for which I registered have not yet arrived, so I guess I'm Legally not supposed to be driving my car right now. It did kind of irk me that I had to pay $25 bucks to buy a one-year tag for a car that I will be using for about one week, give or take.... but I can't sell it with an expired tag, so I had no choice.
SO, I'm stuck at Laura's house, waiting for the mail to bring me two small "keep me out of jail" stickers, and decided not to make you wait a full week to roll your eyes at my un-funny jokes.
Brace yourselves.... more reggae stuff coming up.
The role that Soundsystem Yard Parties (discussed a couple of posts ago) played in the evolution of different Reggae Styles cannot be overstated. Rainy tropical weather put out many "backayard fyah" and so Soundsystem operators began taking their operations indoors.
The formation of these Dancehalls spawned a completely new reggae sub-genre that was named for the place where it was played - Dancehall.
The term "D.J." (or "deejay") in Jamaica refers to a vocalist that sings or rhymes over a track. What Americans call D.J.s are referred to as "Selectors," (pron. 'Selectas') because they select the tunes over which the D.J. will rhyme, or as they say, "chat." At first, D.J. chat was limited to announcing song titles and calling out dance moves. This evolved into singing alog with tracks and eventually performing over instrumental tracks, creating original songs on-the-spot.
The "chat" still had a very melodious flow, but was not true singing. Here's a short clip of early Dancehall artist "Nicodemus" chatting at a Soundsystem Yard Party.
Dancehall Deejays were "chatting" over bass-and-drum heavy tracks in the mid-70's, long before the "invention" of hip-hop in New York City.
Upon analyzing the geneology of hip-hop, a very clear line can be traced from Kingston to the Jamaican Immigrant neighborhoods in NYC to Harlem street parties in which young men started chatting, or as they called it, "rapping" over bass-and-drum heavy instrumental tracks. Late-70's Dancehall sounds almost identical to early hip-hop, the only real difference being vocabulary and accent.
Here are some clips of artists that were crucial to the emergence of Dancehall reggae:
The famous, albino Dancehall D.J. "Yellowman" performing at Reggae Sunsplash in 1982:
- a quick aside - After spending 3-4 nights per week for the last 4 years playing in bars, witnessing countless fights and a couple all-out brawls, I never so much as bumped another man in a bar. We've dealt with all kinds of drunken shitheads, but I'm just not wired for physical violence.
The closest my streak ever came to being broken was at the King Yellowman show at the Grand Emporium a couple of years ago. I held up an extremely rare "Yellowman and Fathead" LP for Yellow to sign, which he did after showing it to all of the members of his band. He later told me that even he didn't have his own copy of that album.
After signing it, he held it out to me, and before I could reach it, this Bumbaclot Jamaican snatched it from his hand. I reacted poorly, but effectively, grabbing him by the front of his jacket and holding my fist to his face - 50's comic book style. (See? Not a fighter, no no.)
After demading the return of my album in no uncertain terms, he reluctantly capitulated, though I think it was due more to my rabid frothing than my intimidating physique. Either way, the album was safe and Kristi had, if possible, even less respect for me than ever before....
Anyway, here's Super Cat, an artist at who's concert I have not embarassed myself. Yet.
...and finally, Dancehall Singer "Barrington Levy," known as the "Mellow Canary" for his laid back style and the soaring putiry of his upper vocal range.
Marvelous, huh?
Modern Dancehall has followed an evolutionary arc similar to that of Modern Hip-Hop, retaining it's melodious, sing-song sound. I'll have a full post for you this week on Modern Dancehall.
Until then, picture me looking really tough in a room full of dancing Jamaicans....
Yes, yes... I know it's been a while, especially considering that the only two items on my schedule are: (in no particular order)
- Waiting for my Work Permit to be Approved
and
- Waiting for the Sweet Release of Death.
I've been trying to keep busy by drinking until I forget to kill myself. And napping. And doing my best to polish off the 60 pack of Eggo Waffles that my mom bought at Costco to stifle my sister's complaints that I'm "eating all of her food."
Well, the joke is on her, because I'm using her syrup.
Anyway, here we go.
Culture. Culture is the contemporary equivalent of the "Roots Reggae" we discussed earlier. The terms are used interchangeably, which is accurate and accepted. Modern Culture music is the logical extension of the movement with which Bob Marley was associated so many years ago.
Culture is melodic music, usually played at a relaxed tempo. The syncopated rhythms and bubbling bass lines make as danceable as it is "head-nod-able..."
The lyrical focus is very positive, focusing on Rastafarianism, Cleanliness, Civil Rights, Love, Ganja, and Peace. (More on rastafarianism later...) Culture's sound has changed very little since Marley's heyday. Updates have been limited almost exclusively to technological advances in instruments and recording techniques. Form and Content have stayed very constant, and the genre has remained very pure. The lack of real commerical success outside of the Caribbean has been the principal factor in this, and believe it has most certainly benefitted the genre.
There are incredibly gifted musicians in the Culture scene now, including Richie Spice, Jah Cure, Marlon Asher, and Tarrus Riley... there are dozens more, of course, but I don't want to look like I'm showing off by rattling down a list of fifty guys you'll never hear about ever again.
SO, I'm eating all of Laura's syrup and butter, and here are some video clips of these artists to give you a feel for the soul and sound of "Culture Reggae."
Here's Tarrus Riley's video for the Smash Hit "She's Royal" which has become the summer anthem for girls all over the Caribbean (including Kristi, who honks the horn and sings loudly whenever this track gets played in Cayman....)
Incredible, right?
Here's one of our favorites, Richie Spice, performing the amazing "Earth A Run Red," which was one of the biggest reggae tunes of 2005.
....and finally, Jah Cure's "Longing For," a HUGE hit on the "Drop Leaf" riddim.
Alright, that's probably enough for now.... Stay tuned for more on riddims, Singjays, Dancehall, Rastafarianism, and me falling down the stairs.
Reggae Music is much more than Bob Marley and Marijuana. Reggae has a very intricate history, rich with cultural influences from all over the world. I'll give a brief, very abridged history:
In the 1950’s, Jamaica was pumping the sounds of American R’n’B music. On clear nights, Jamaican radio towers could pick up the signals coming from New Orleans and Florida. The sounds of Doo-Wop, R&B, emerging Rock n' Roll, and Gospel influenced the traditional Calypso sound, creating popular new sounds.
"Ska" was one of the first of these new styles. It maintained a quick tempo, and was unique for its syncopated up-beat played by the guitar. Prince Buster is considered the first to create this and play it for the masses with his sound system.
Here's a short clip of Jamaican Superstar Jimmy Cliff playing a soundsystem party in the heyday of Ska:
The "Sound System" is a portable sound system (usually on the backs of a truck) to play this music for block parties and outside gatherings. Because many Jamaicans did not have access to personal radios, these sound systems were the only way to hear new music, and thus became very significant social gatherings.
By the mid-60’s, a new form of music was evolving and taking over popularity in Jamaica called Rock Steady. With this style, the beat was slowed down and the emphasis was shifted to vocals. This slowed down tempo also left more room for the bass line to leave holes in its rhythm, as opposed to the walking lines heard in ska. This is the stage that Bob Marley and the Wailers first made an appearance, along with The Melodians, John Holt, The Heptones, and many others.
Here's an example of the Rocksteady sound: "Crying Over You" by the incredible Ken Boothe.
I know, I know.... by FAR the most exciting video clip ever.... I kind of like it, though. Anyway...
The 70’s saw the creation and international success of Roots Reggae. This is the sub-genre most often thought of when Reggae is mentioned. With this style, the tempo was slowed down even more, and the electric bass was lower and more prominent in the mix. Along with this change in musical approach was the increased intensity and depth of the lyrical content. Influenced by suffering, corrupt politicians and police, and the religion of Rastafari, the lyrics of Roots music ranged from powerful protest music to beautiful spiritual music. It had a passion that moved (and still moves) people around the globe.
Bob Marley is synonymous with Roots Reggae, so here's another Wailers clip: Africa Unite Live from Santa Barbara.
So, now you have an idea... I'm crazy for Reggae but am in no way an expert. There is still much studying, listening, and dancing left to do!
Stay tuned for more on modern Reggae, Rastafarianism, Dubplate Culture, and anything else I can get into while the stanking house is NOT selling...
I've been completely obsessed with Reggae Music for years.
I first heard "Stir It Up" on a trip to Cayman in 1992.
Here's a clip of the Wailers playing it on the old BBC program "The Old Grey Whistle Test":
The beautiful simplicity and infectiously bouncing bass hypnotized me. Immediately upon our return to KC I bought Bob Marley and the Wailers' incredible "Babylon By Bus," which remains one of my very favorite albums to this day.
I followed that up with "Legend," "Catch a Fire," and several other Wailers recordings. I started buying albums by Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who along with Marley founded the Wailers, and loved everything I heard.
I kept listening to Bob all through college (doesn't everyone?) Pretty much all of the Reggae that I heard was from the 70's, and it never occurred to me to check out new stuff.
I also got into collecting vinyl records in college, and read some articles about how all of the current Jamaican singles are (still to this day) pressed into 7" 45 rpm records and distributed for radio play. I thought it would be cool to try to find some when we were back in Cayman.
So, in 2002, we were down visiting for Thanksgiving, and I started looking for records.
I found a place called "Tha Flava," and its proprietor Chuck Taylor was very patient and helpful in educating me on all of the different styles and artists. I bought about 50 records on the first visit, and about 150 over the next two visits. Chuck would also email me mp3's of new artists to check out since Kansas City's reggae scene left a little to be desired.
A year later Hurricane Ivan flooded "Tha Flava" and prompted Chuck Taylor to move to New York City, and we've since lost contact with one another.
In my desperate search for new reggae records, I found an online store called "Ernie B's Reggae," (ebreggae.com). A very user-friendly menu and incredibly low prices made this my new favorite website, and I spent what now seems like way too much money there... However, they'd get the very latest stuff right form Jamaica, so I was hearing exactly what was burning up Jamaican Dancehalls. Best Buy's "World Music" section really couldn't compete, you know?
I can neither confirm nor deny Limewire's replacement of Ernie B's as my primary source of new Reggae music.... anyway....
I'll profile some of the different genres and styles of Reggae Music, along with supplemental information that will hopefully enhance understanding and enjoying the music I've come to love (and obsess, as you'll soon see) about.
Today is our 6th wedding anniversary, which somehow makes me even Less happy to be camping out in Blue Springs....
Kristi's parents are visiting her down in Cayman, so they're celebrating with dinner at The Lighthouse at Breakers, the greatest restaurant on the planet.
I'm celebrating with D'Bronx, the greatest pizza on the planet... though the setting may not be quite as spectacular....
Cheers to the Monty Python fans who picked that one up....
Anyway, this gorgeous gem is a "Keith Mango," and was the final mango of 2007 for me...
Zelma Lee, our friend and matriarch of Whistling Duck farms on North Side, has set aside a few for Kristi as they ripen.
Zelma Lee explained the old technique that farmers use for surviving late-season storms: When a big storm threatens to prematurely end the growing season of any of their staple crops, the entire farm staff flies into action. They pick anything that looks like it would ripen within the next 2-3 weeks, and store it inside in baskets. Much will skip "ripe" and move directly to "rotten," but some will riped almost as nicely as if they were left in the field.
In this case, it was mangoes. Several late-season mangoes, like the Keith, were just approaching readiness as Hurricane Dean set it's eye on a path toward the Cayman Islands. Though Dean cut south at the last second, North Side and East End dealt with very high winds and rough sea, the salty spray from which settles on and kills foliage.
The very very few remaining mangoes are in extremely high demand, and the incredible Zelma Lee has set several aside for Kristi.
The Keith is sweet and firm, with very little fiber... it has a round, honey-sweet flavor, and will keep me dreaming of mangoes until next April.
Since I've been hiding out at my sister's house in Blue Springs, I've found very little on which to report. Cinnamon Bread? Sonic Drinks? Court TV? I doubt my accounts of these staples of my daily routine would be inspirational enough to bookmark....
BUT, Kristi, while listening to me scream about some awesome new Reggae track I found, suggested that I write about Reggae music. It's from the Caribbean, so it would keep with the theme we've developed here.... probably more than the Waffle House pictures, even.....
SO, stay tuned for several posts about Reggae Music and Culture.... that's the "Completely Different" "Something" to which the title of the posts refers.... Me droning on and on about mangoes is decidedly 'NOT' different....
I promise the Reggae Stuff will be more entertaining and informative than tales of my daily Route 44 drink concoction. (Any other Vanilla-Diet-Grape-Coke-with-four-limes-and-four-cherries fans out there???? HOLLA!!!)
Well, shucks.... I am excrutiatingly UN-occupied these days, and trying to come up with stuff to do is giving me Brain Bubbles.
I had my Doctors Visit today. It went well, if "well" entails getting both Urine and Blood on yourself.
The Caymanian Work Permit requires a Chest Xray, Urinalysis, VDRL, and HIV tests. They don't ask if I've ever killed anyone or if I've ever burned down a building, which are definitely things that I would ask if I was letting someone work in my country. No, no, they just want to know if I smoke or carry diseases. Well, their decision, they can deal with the consequences.
***NOTE - If anyone from the Caymanian Work Permit Board is among the 6 or 7 people that ever see this, that last paragraph was my sad attempt at "humor." I haven't killed anyone or burned down a building, but I'll do both if you deny me. HARD!!!
Anyway, to prevent any mixup with the, um... specimen, I was instructed to write my name on the side of the plastic cup. They should have specified the order in which the writing and peeing should occur, especially since the cups don't have lids.
The bleeding was my fault... I ripped the cotton ball off early, so we'll call it even.... I guess.
My incredible friend, Dr. Bryan Hughes, was extremely helpful and made me feel like a princess. I MEAN PRINCE!!! A PRINCE!!!!
So, the test results should be in and the work permit should be mailed off by the weekend.... That will make me happy.
Other exciting points this week were:
Getting a Ten O'Clock Waffle from Waffle House on Sunday night with sister Carly and her friend, Alexandra.
Lunch at Bua Thai with Ben Hooper, another incredible friend who peer pressures me into ordering my Garlic Pepper Tofu "Thai Hot." I cry like Nora watching the Hallmark Hall of Fame, but still can't stop myself from ordering.
The sweet Thai lady even sliced up a habanero from her garden for us to add to our meals. I can't tell if she did this because she likes us or hates us... either way, I thnk it's better that I ate it AFTER my tests were run...
Pricing dumpsters to clear a brush pile behind the house.
Yes, I know, my life is so exciting that no one even notices the fact that I'm not writing about Cayman or mangoes or the sea.... right.
Okay, enough. Check back soon updates on folding laundry, making peanut butter sandwiches, and Sonic drinks.
