WWW Winter Trip Report

[pixiedust]

Ok, so I never do a trip report - Jake asked me if I'd give it a try at Hedo and here is my attempt - I'm NO writer so I apologize ahead of time for my writing style.

I'll go in order as much as possible...

Friday November 30th.. (got my dates mixed up)

Wake up at 3:40 AM actually in time to get a shower, wash and dry my hair AND put on makeup before the car meets us at 5 AM (he was actually there at 4:50 AM - nice guy) The makeup thing is about a FIRST for me as I usually have to pack up until 1 AM and have just a few hours sleep and don't WANT to get up - I am NOT an early riser naturally - ask Randy...

Randy starts taking bags out to the car - wait - let me weigh the BIG one on the bathroom scale - OH NO - 50.5 pounds - quick - open suitcase - take out hairspray, spritz, and shampoo - put in smaller suitcase that was under the allotted weight - put back on scale - 49.5 lbs - YES!! NO overweight luggage charge!! woo hoo! I do a happy dance...

In the car we zoom to BWI airport - about a 45 minute drive from Annandale - no traffic thank GOD! We're dropped off at about 10 minutes to 6 AM - are the 2nd couple in line at the AJ desk and get everything loaded and onboard. Then we head over to the security and they practically wave us through without so much as a glance at our carryons or anything - they were too busy talking amonst themselves - I guess terrorists don't arrive at 6 AM to fly to Jamaica (though I don't even think they checked where we were going).

Now the long wait - Randy gets breakfast at the only place for food in the BWI airport lounge - not too bad. He has to smoke and can't find a place so goes outside and then back in through security again. We are finally on our way - I booked our seats online in the front of the plane so we could get RIGHT out when we land - this can backfire as they tend to put a lot of families with screaming kids in the front too but we were ok. There was a group with the same t-shirts going to Grand Lido (a real estate company - nice Christmas bonus if you ask me...) and they took up most of the plane with us. We land and are AMAZED by the speed with which we get thru to immigration - are the first in line - oops - I forgot to fill out one little section on both cards (I really need to ch-ch-change my name legally but after 6 years WTF..) - back in line - the lady in immigration asks us for our hotel confirmation - I have to go into my bag to get it - have NEVER been asked for that before! I bend over to put it away and the lady asks where I've gone since she can't see me.. (that was pretty funny) We see Partymon and Nancy in Immigration and give hellos - woo hoo - we are almost there! It's been far too LONG after cancelling at the last minute last year... Customs goes well - they wave us thru with no checks - the Christmas gifts for the kids are safe - we come out and are looking for TimAir - can't even see the desk - this is an ALL NEW airport to us - with A/C and eveything- wow! I see the man and grab him from TimAir and tell him we need to checkin at the SuperClubs desk. We do that - they don't even take anything or have us fill anything out - (the real estate group are in there - this is the last we see of them) - and we're off to the curb to wait for the TimAir van to the small airport - short wait and he's there - I remind Randy that he's now on Jamaica time - we're off to the TimAir terminal - yippee!! Get there, pay and a short restroom break and we're going to our plane - wait - they now have a security check at the small plane area! We go thru that - there is another old couple with us - they're nice - on their 4th or 5th trip to Grand Lido this year (he smells like an old man though but hey... I guess Randy will when he's an old man too... ;D ;D ) I decide that I've NEVER take pics of our trip in Jamaica and dig out our digital camera

walking to the plane (backsides of old couple flying with us):



here is a pic of Randy at the plane:


Curtis flying the plane:


cool pic from the air (we're getting there...)


and lastly - I think I got the beach just before we landed at Negril airstrip:




We've arrived!!! I'll post this as part 1 - was a really nice, uneventful trip to this point!! WooHoo - couldn't ask for more...

Colleen

PS. Please stand by - we're having technical difficulties with the pics - I'll have to upload to Photobucket...give me a few mins...

[pixiedust]

Part II

Ok, so we land and get the van over to Hedo II with no real event. We're the only ones there (we were eating after having gotten our room and changed before the people who were on the bus began to arrive that I noticed)

I was hungry and was beginning to feel bad so we got our room - (I asked for H-Block and got H-Block - we booked GVN) and then came back up to the main dining room to get a bite to eat before taking a nappy. (we were both pretty pooped) We did just that and ran into Cher and Rick who invited us to sit down with them. Very soon we REALLY appreciated our trip at Cher told of the horror that was their trip to get to Hedo - mechanical problems sidelined them at the airport over night - they had been supposed to get there the day BEFORE and had only JUST arrived! What an awful trip that was for them! Anyway, we ate and then left to get a nappy before dinner (I know but we were HUNGRY). We stopped at the spa first so that I could sign up for a massage the next day - my legs were killing me - we got the Hedonistic Delights and I took a copy of our confirmation with us so they gave us the credit the next day - booked with Tenisha since Roz was not working - Randy decides to get reflexology. We went back to the room and off to lala land for a few hours - I woke up around 7 pm or so and started dressing for dinner - not worried about what that night's theme was since we'd just arrived. We were very pleased to realize it was LOBSTER night - woo hoo! The food was great - we were pleasantly pleased. There was no place to sit but then we spotted a table that was empty near to the stage (nothing on it but tableware) - we walked up and were about to sit down and a couple comes over and says it was their table - they then ask us to join them (as we were hovering with our plate) They were from Boston with our group - Eileen and Chuck - said this was not their first trip to Hedo. We chatted and watched the show. After the show was over, we decided to leave - we went to the Piano bar for a while and ended up meeting Jodi and Scott - they were new to our group - we chatted with them until about 3 or 4 in the morning and left the main dining room into a downpour - we were soaked when we got back to our rooms but just changed our clothes and went to sleep.

The on Saturday the 1st we got up and got some breakfast (we STILL had not made the beach yet - do you believe it??) and went for our massages - AHHH...that was JUST what I needed - Tenisha had a bad ankle from a car accident too and she did a really good job of rubbing mine - it felt much less stiff after she was done - she really knows her stuff - nevertheless, I make an appointment with Roz for Monday when she is back and we go to get some lunch now..(it's been a rough trip so far... ) After lunch we went back for another nappy and that was the end of us until dinner... (I think)

The days sort of go the same way so I won't bore you with all of them. We made it to dinner the next night and ate quietly by ourselves at the back of the dining room. Then we met Ardian and Carol (some new friends and new to Hedo and WWW) they are a young couple who are very nice - he's a lot of fun - he is from (you'll have to wait until I remember or Randy wakes up) [he's from Albania] and she is from Virginia near to Roanoke or Richmond. He is a cell phone guy that tests the lines but an outside contractor (the guy who says "can you hear me?? good" and is traveling a lot - he fit in quickly at Hedo. Jodi and Scott came up and we all chatted for a while - Carol and Ardian were tired as they'd just come in that day so they went in for the night and Scott, Jodi, Randy and I went to the Piano bar. Everyone was there - including Anita - (whom I had never met in person and was very pleased to meet) I believe that this was their last night. Everyone seems to gather outside of the Piano bar - no smoking inside (which I am glad about but will probably not be too popular for saying) we met Mike and Tammi and Nick and Tina and Rupe and Patty and Gary and Georgette and Quintin and Kris (who we found out were getting married on Thursday - it was a week of weddings!) and Bernie (he said Elaine was on the bottom of the Hot Tub) and Jim and Janie (whew!) it was another late night but we really had a great time and hopped into bed sometime around 4 AM!

Sunday the 2nd

Randy wanted to watch the Redskins game (this really was the only TV we watched - it was the first game after Sean Taylor died) so after breakfast we went to the beach briefly and then back to the room to watch the game. The game was not on since the cable seems to go thru NYC so we watched the Philadelphia game in order to see the score of the Redskins game. Both teams lost. This gave me time to wrap the gifts for the kids for the welcome party at 6 PM and putter around the room. I was a bit impatient about missing the beach but we were in Jamaica and I was just happy to be there for the most part so we were good. We made the welcome party for once and then proceeded to have a great time with the Mini-skirt theme for the evening. Ardian had dressed in a mini skirt and we were goofing around with them.

Monday - FINALLY AN OMELET FROM CHARLIE MURRAY!!! I got a big hug too and another MASSAGE - this time with Roz - woo hoo!

Beach time - and I finally got my raft blown up but forgot to bring a marker to the beach so I asked Randy to carry it back to the room. Some friends of ours room was broken into so we thought it was probably not a bad idea that the raft was in front of the door of the room. Sports night - I wore my Redskin jersey and nothing else to dinner and wondered where else I could do that!

Here is a pic from dinner of Randy and me



We had dinner at Munasan with Carol and Ardian and Jodi and Scott - it was fun! The food was pretty good too!

Our chef:



Then there was the pool bash jack and jill party for the happy couple. I have some pics but need to get them cleared first before posting. There was sexy pole dancing and tipping (that went to charity). Even the bride and groom got into the act. It was a lot of fun.

Tuesday

We got breakfast and headed on down to the catamaran cruise with Ardian and Carol. That was a lot of fun. Here are a few pics of that - STFU John led the way for the cliff jumping - here is the cliff (we also ate here on Thursday night on an offsite dinner arranged by Hank and Debbie - was nice - we ate dinner at a table with Mike and Shellee - food was good but nothing special - Pirates Cove - we enjoyed the different company though - it was fun this trip to meet new friends - or even people we've seen but not spoken to - that made the trip more special)

Island just outside of Hedo:



Randy really likes this castle on the way to Pirates Cove:



Pirates Cove - where they cliff jump:



Rasta Ralphie:


While we were on the boat the police came up - Steve gave them some juice and water to drink and we went on our way and they did too:





That night was the PJ party - I wore a really nice PJ outfit - every year I bring something and I think I'm too fat to wear it - I just wore it this year - I know I'm overweight but it's not news to anyone else who sees me either - was rather liberating this year - I believe that I enjoyed myself more that I've ever done worrying about everyone else who is cute and thin and not "measuring up" in my own eyes. The disco got hot and we finally left outside because of it. There was a very cute blonde who stopped the disco with her pole dance. Was pretty good for a while but then I realized that she only had a few moves. Still, she was very cute in her outfit and I don't think anyone minded since they were ALL watching...

We walked outside the disco to some chairs (what used to be the ice rink Georgette later told me) and a nice breeze - it was not hot this trip - in fact, that night we walked down the beach to the nude beach benches and it got cold sitting there and chatting. That was a first for me - there was not the humidity at night that there usually is.

A few more hi-lights - we went on a shopping trip into Negril - they will arrange it at the front desk for $10 each - Scott and Jodi went with us - we got coffee and t-shirts and things quite a lot cheaper than the gift shop at Hedo (of course they didn't have Hedo shirts there). The biggest eye opener for me was walking into the gift shop and getting a load of the prices in there! We didn't do much shopping there - plus we really do have stuff from Jamaica so we didn't need to buy for ourselves (except coffee). The coffee in town was quite a bit cheaper too - $16 each for the beans compared to $30+ at the gift shop at Hedo that I saw.

We had a few weddings - I only saw one and took quite a few pics for the bride and groom who had their camera stolen. They set up the arch on the point - it was beautiful:





Then we went out to the lighthouse to take some pics and I got to see the green flash for the first time. There was a Jamaican man behind me talking me thru it - was incredible but it's only for a split second that you see it so you have to pay attention. I wonder if being up at the point near to Rick's made a difference too. Here is the lighthouse:



Sun just going down - before green flash and I lost my battery altogether on my camera (a first for me at Hedo - I never take this many pics)



We got to have another lobster night and eat dinner with Hazel, Jake, Georgette, Gary and Eileen on Friday night - they rescued us as there was literally NO place to sit and we got there pretty early for dinner too - was a nice dinner - we were getting tired out by then from all the partying that we're not used to and the late nights.

We left on Saturday. It was pretty uneventful - we need to make sure we leave the resort earlier - after standing in line to check-in we didn't have much time - plus the flight was full and neither we nor Ardian and Carol got seats together. I at least had an aisle seat across from poor Randy who was squeezed into the middle seat. We were pretty beat and got into our house to VERY happy puppies at about midnight after the driver picked us up from BWI. It had snowed the day before (that's pretty rude when you've been in beautiful weather all week).

I may post a few more pics if I get permission.

Hedo Hugs,

Colleen

PS. Ok Jake, I hope I've done my civic duty to the board for this one! You've got the first (and maybe last) trip report I've ever done.

[edie2u]

You saw old friends and made lots of new ones! Sounds like a great trip!

[pixiedust]

I'm not done yet, had to take a break - will be more soon.... ;D

[Just Mike]

Tammi and I very much enjoyed meeting you and Randy and spending some time with you. Sheesh, only took us 3 years to finally meet, huh? As far as being "too big for your pj outfit" or whatever you said...don't believe it guys...she was "SMOKIN' HOT!!!!

Mike

[Merlot Joe]

Nice trip report .


Joe.

[innit Geezer]

Super report and pictures Colleen. Thanks!

[DT]

Nice report and pics.

[Tex]

Cool.

[Irish Stu]

Great trip report. Love the pictures.

Simon

[pixiedust]

I thought this would serve twofold - help maybe with the DIF some of us might be having and serve as a reminder to us all of the common denominator that has brought us all together in the first place. (and lastly that Jake asked me to do it - and I think he thought I wouldn't - though I didn't think I would either so we're even )

I may have a few pics with people in them to post as I get ok's from everyone I've emailed. Until I do, I'll have to wait on those - maybe this weekend. I have a very cute pic of Jake with our Mike's Tammi at the Jack and Jill party I'm waiting for a release on (among others).

Mike, We were very glad to finally spend some time with you two as well. I think one of the reasons that we had such a great time was that we were able to spend time with so many different people at different times on our trip and I know we both came away feeling the better for it! You two are awesome - and Tammi's just the cutest thing (or one of them - there are a just a few more) to come out of Carolina in years!! (and her husband isn't too bad either). We're coming down your way sooner or later to scout things out so be warned!

Meeting Joe and Denice was also another hilight of our trip - one that I meant to do and in my opinion waited too late to get some real actual time to really chat together this trip - same with Debbie and Hank - one of my purposes was to seek out and make sure I met everyone who was there from this board - I did but found that we just didn't somehow seem to have enough time! I gotta tell ya that all in all - this WWW Winter group is pretty darn awesome - you just need to mingle some more and you find more and more fascinating people to hang with... and none of them disappointed me upon meeting them - they were just as wonderful as I thought they might be.

We stepped out of our "comfort zone" this trip - there were many people who we already do know but were able to spend some time with many we didn't know very well and we had an absolute ball! I'm sure that missing last year also helped us both appreciate our trip that much more as well. I have lots of fun memories to reflect on until the next time!

Hugs to everyone!

Colleen

[jo]

Great pictures, Colleen (you are a hot mama!).

Thanks for sharing your memories with us,

JO

[Just Mike]

Colleen, feel free to go ahead and post the pic of Jake and Tammi(assuming it's okay with Jake).

Had to mention something you brought up. We got to spend quite a bit of time in the pool with Joe/Denice and they are just awesome! Some fun folks that anyone would be lucky to call friends. (even if that bastard did make fun of my girly woowoo drink and wouldnt eat any goldschlager jello shots).

Colleen, come on down, you'll love our weather down here.

Mike

[Merlot Joe]

mikentammi said:

Had to mention something you brought up. We got to spend quite a bit of time in the pool with Joe/Denice and they are just awesome! Some fun folks that anyone would be lucky to call friends. (even if that bastard did make fun of my girly woowoo drink and wouldnt eat any goldschlager jello shots).


Mike

Mike thanks for the kind words, Denice and I really appreciate it. We enjoyed spending time with you and Tammi, we have made some great friends over that past four years at the WWWW.

The jello shot are great, but I tried on piece of that goldschlager and yuk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Joe.

[Merlot Joe]

pixiedust said:

Meeting Joe and Denice was also another hilight of our trip - one that I meant to do and in my opinion waited too late to get some real actual time to really chat together this trip - Colleen

Colleen if we all make it again next year, let's plan to sit down and have a nice chat. We would really enjoy that.

Joe

[bigdog8088]

Jello Shots..Ohh ya..I remember them..Kinda looked like a dried up Jelly fish in a tube...with gold flecks...I do remember seein the HO sucking on a tube...lol...All week..
It was a great Trip...One of the Best....It was a real treat to have spent it with all of ya...

[pixiedust]

I totally agree with BigDog that it was one of the best trips we've had yet! I DID have the goldfleck stuff and it was yucky! I had some other shots too (I forgot about the shots at the pool!!)

Joe, it would be our pleasure to chat at the next WWWW we connect to - I'm not sure about this one coming up this year for a number of reasons (though I got a quote already as you saw - wishful thinking). I had so many questions I wanted to ask you about your vineyards and when presented with the opportunity I of course forgot them all... (typical blonde ya know!) it could have been the alcohol and we'll blame it on that for now

Jo, you're very kind remarks are definitely appreciated. I think my point above was less that I was uncomfortable about being large but more that I actually just felt so comfortable this trip (and I have to say I'm probably the largest I've been in my life) to actually say the heck with things and I'd bought a few things that DID fit and I WORE 'em dammit! Georgette was a source of inspiration for me - she had on a very sexy number one night and told me it was lingere she'd gotten - so I thought towards the end of the trip and I was running out of things to wear (for once I almost didn't have enough with me to wear - that's a first too - I ALWAYS overpack) - what the heck - I'll wear mine to dinner....and I did and felt just FINE!

A few more pics:

School Girl night with Randy:


Here is the really CUTE pic of Jake and Tammi at the Jack n' Jill party (I think they both look adorable - but Tammi has ya beat Jake! ):

[Just Mike]

Damn, she's a hottie!

gives credence to the term...."Marrying UP"

Mike(who thinks all the ladies look better with curves, Colleen)

[PattyD]

bigdog8088 said:

Jello Shots..Ohh ya..I remember them..Kinda looked like a dried up Jelly fish in a tube...with gold flecks...I do remember seein the HO sucking on a tube...lol...All week..
It was a great Trip...One of the Best....It was a real treat to have spent it with all of ya...

I will chime in hear & agree it was a great trip ( of course we were missing a few that I wish had been there )
thanks for the jello shots Mike & Tammi I do remember drinking them however after the gift exchange I thought I only had ONE drink with Christy but I lost a few hours there.... I apologize to anyone that I was rude too, I hope I had a good time..