Friday evening

I was going to write a really nice blog from my artistic side tonight and share a few cool photos of what we did tonight.  But my upload feature isn't working. My kindle won't connect to the internet and my sister's ipad won't download the pictures.


It has been that kind of day.  I started out at work with my software program crashing several times, my internet connection to my client popping in and out and even my excel file froze. 


I think that there is something in the air today that is stopping technology.  So I will wait until tomorrow to share with you the fabulously inspiring evening.

Inside the Resort Riu Negril, Jamaica

I figured I'd share a little bit from our time within the all inclusive resort.  Dale was in pain from what we figure was a pinched nerve in his lower back.  He traveled for the most part with a wheel chair because walking was so painful.  It was good that we had the wheel chair because there was a great amount of space from one end of the resort to the other. 



Riu Negril

In place of going on an excursion, Dale had an hour massage.  There was a full spa and salon on site.  Several people had their hair or beards braided.

Paperwork at the Salon

They had nice pools. The online information said that it had a whirlpool and I was a bit disappointed.  They didn't have a heated pool, they had benches and jets along the side of the regular pool. 




Poolside

There were two large pools ready to swim in, play in and one of them had a bar in it so that all people needed to do was to get a little wet to get their drink.


Look MOM!

Mom, Nikki, and Grandma were up on the steps trying to take photos with their cell phones.  They would snap a shot but with the delay of the cell phone when they looked at it they felt like they had missed what they wanted to catch. I kept hearing, "Missed it one more time!"


Future cliff jumper?

At one point, I got the father to turn around and toss her up with me taking the picture.  He tosses her 2-3 times and I got over 15 frontal shots of her jumping and splashing down into the water.  Then I got their e-mail and uploaded the pictures onto the cloud for them so they could download as many as they wanted.



Wave runners & kayaks for rent

They had a rental area with wave runners, kayaks, and paddle boats.  There was plenty to do including tons of beach chairs for laying around and doing nothing.


Paddle boats too

They had a few solicitors that walked the beaches too.  Legal cigarettes, illegal smokes, and "whatever you needed" was the offer they would make.  The few times that I was on the beach I was always with other people.  I must say that seeing these guys and hearing them make their offers as they walked along the beaches made the hair stand up on the back of my head.

cigarette sales?

They watched the beach area and they were careful not to come onto the property when resort workers were close by an area.  

Ya Mon! Let's Jump!

This was one stop that several of us stayed on the catamaran.  A few people went to the restaurant to get some food.  Some went to the gift shop to go shopping.  But I saw all the people standing around the edge and said to myself, "I have a good view from here. Why ruin it." I put the 300mm zoom lens on the camera, turned the camera onto continuous shoot and tried to watch for my co-workers jumping.  I missed a couple of jumps but here I am sharing some of the shots that I got.


Rick's café



Cross your feet and cover...well



Sister's having second thoughts



Brave-heart



Kevin's brave



Brian's Brave

Michelle is brave too

But I dare say, that I am not that brave.  I jumped in at the Dolphin swim from a standard dock and got enough water up my nose and it took me long enough to resurface.  I can't imagine the depth they sunk to and swimming up to the top.  There was a time in high school that I considered being on the diving team because I loved diving.  That was a great many years ago!

View from the Ocean

I know it is normally "Ocean View" but not today.  Today I am sharing the view from the catamaran otherwise known as the view from the Ocean.




Jamaican Castle

While on the catamaran, we rode for quite some time around the edge of the island.  It was obvious that the resorts, villas and tourist attractions littered the edge of the island.  The buildings were unique one looked like a castle and a few looked like an old amusement park.  

? Old Amusement Park ?

My favorite view was how the ocean broke against the caves.  The rocks so strong and solid being beaten continually by the waves yet standing strong. 


Hidden Caves

The resort sunset on the cliffs has built a special platform for diving into the ocean.  I can't imagine what their insurance must be. WAIT! This is Jamaica! (Jump at your own risk.)


Sunset on the Cliff's Resort

I had to wonder about these hut looking buildings.  Do they make up a resort for foreigners?  I was intrigued.  Although the big hotels are very nice, there would be something to be said about having a smaller, quaint villa to stay in while on the island.

Traditional Jamaican Villas

Omiyage - Souvenir

My mother and I started a combined collection years ago of commemorative spoons. They are getting more and more difficult to find.

I had a challenge finding them in Jamaica. I remembered to ask at Dolphin Cove. They had three to choose from. I bought two because they were so different and cute.

This case should hold 50 spoons. The top three rows are US states and the bottom two rows are International travels. I got a lot of them on the Mediteranian cruise.  I think that I'd better buy a new case. It is a bit overpacked.   My Jamaica spoons don't have a place to hang. They are just leaning off to the side. 

I also need to make a list so that I remember which ones I already have!

So long ol friend

In the late 1980's to early 1990's, I purchased an HP laser printer. It cost nearly $1000 and it was the top of the line. When everyone else had matrix printers, I invested in a laser printer. For a few years I ran a small business where I made wedding invitations, programs, business cards, and etc.

A few years later, print shops dropped their prices and not far behind that you could start ordering through online companies.  I made a little extra money nights and weekends.

That expensive little printer is still going strong today with a few small exceptions. A safety lever in the hatch is broken. That means every time I change the cartridge I need to manipulate it back into place.  Annoying but workable.

My toner cartridge was getting low so I decided to be proactive and get the replacement.  They are no longer selling the cartridges that I use. I could take it into a specialty shop and have it refilled.

For along time, I have wanted a scanner/copier. I decided to give in and purchase a new printer, scanner, copier, fax and with new technology, it is WiFi too. So I can print from my living room with the printer in the spare bedroom.

I am giving HP a big thumbs up.  You made me a printer that lasted about 25 years!  I decided to give you another shot. My new printer is also an HP.

(More Jamaica tomorrow!)

Snorkeling

When snorkeling, be prepared to look funny

I am not sure how these photos will download.  I have been having problems with the uploading part of my program.  I need to upload to the cloud, then download to my tablet, then upload to the blogger.  I hope they aren't too fuzzy for you.


Co-workers out snorkeling

One of the stops with the catamaran ride was near a reef to go snorkeling. That was something that I was not expecting when I got on the catamaran.  I wished that I had purchased an underwater camera.  For one thing, I don't see very well without my glasses.  But I thought that I'd give it a try anyways. 


Training class

 For safety sake, they put the life jacket under your arms so that it will hold you up near the top as you are floating on the top.  It also helps you resist doing a 10-15 foot dive with the snorkel on.


Oops the snorkel is off!

I made it down into the water and tried several times.  I am a bit claustrophobic and it took me a while to get the panic under control.  The mask continued to leak on me.  They checked the tightness and said it was okay.  I can't help but wonder if I didn't have my hair pulled back enough and it was getting in the way.



One more time!

I will need to plan better next time.  But as long I was in the ocean with a life preserver on, I did a little extra swimming.  After all, it was a beautiful day for swimming!

Swimming at the base of the catamaran.