[Van]

I too gave benefit of the doubt at first which is why I nicely asked if I am interpreting something incorrectly. Internet can come off much different than we mean things in person. But"calling a thing a thing"....And Fatty's remark??
The rest of the band-wagon?

Macy-come on I know you are intelligent and level headed.

I get the "why" it was done, (as Tim pointed out) but it wasn't necessary.

[RGondaRoad]

Medi I'm still your "friend" but it makes me a bit sick to my stomach to learn that your nice breakfast at Jus Natural was consumed with gossip and talk about me and my yard - please tell me though if someone told you where it was (other than those gathered who do not actually "know") where it is? I'm really still wondering if you guys were "peaking" into the right yard, lol!

As stated in another thread, I look at people's homes and yards too but with the curiousity that comes with a beautiful piece of architecture or "what would it be like to live there" not from bad-mindedness which I think we can all agree this is EXACTLY where it came from. And oh, by the way, Medi didn't divulge details of a conversation just a little background as to where this bizarre thread started.

Tim, I know you don't like me but I have to tell you that my comment about "hotel central" was not at all meant to disrespect anyone who stays in a hotel (most prefer that for vacation, I don't-and guess what, its fun to visit my friends staying at hotels, hanging by their pool etc. Last winter anyone with a shower was game, lol.) it was meant as a "description" as to living in a yard that's in the middle of lots of resorts and activity. Truly - no disrespect and if it seemed like that I apologize. I do have to say that a lot of what I say you seem to take very personally and I'm sorry for that...but I can't sensor myself for fear of pissing you or anyone else off (no one else here does, lol). When I say I "live" there for three months I know that word "live" ticks some people off and I use it because a friend of mine who "lives" in a rented apartment in a yard further north and I once had this discussion - what do you "do" here for months? Well...live! I live my day to day like I do in Bodega but in a foreign country without the hustle and bustle of my "regular" life, allowing me to experience new things around the country I love - every year for umpteen years. I "live" somewhere that when I run out of toilet paper, I have to go buy it. I "live" somewhere that when there's no water coming out of the tap I have to figure stuff out to be able to brush my teeth and flush my toilet. My landlord put that pool in just a little over 10 years ago (he's had that yard since the late 60's early 70's - it has some cool Negril history. My friend was living in the yard at the time - one guy, one jackhammer, three years) when he was fixing up his house to move his family in. So, we're lucky to have a landlord like that, lol! And it did come in handy during the water shortage. I know many others who stay long term who refer to their "stay" as "living" on island for the "season".

I've written quite a bit about my yard. I'm sure folks are curious about it, where it is, what its called what it looks like. I've written quite a bit about my "yard" in Bodega too but there is one thing I will not post and that is the front of my house here in Bodega (just insisted it get taken off of Google Street Maps actually) and I won't ever post the name of my yard nor any identifying features of where its located. (Tick-tock, waiting for one of the "breakfast club" to do that? I sure hope not. I'm no celebrity and its not important or newsworthy to post something like that. One of the regular posters on this board knows exactly what yard I live in and she has had the decency not to name it publicly). Why? Because I'm protecting my privacy as well as those of the people that live there all year 'round. So if its a game to "find" where that is, well, I can't help it, I give up it seems so "childish". I don't think I EVER represented the place in any manner other than what it is...I don't know what the Breakfast Club thought it was - one of those in attendance I'd invited over last winter (she didn't take me up on it, we were doing different things with different peeps) and another actually KNOWS my dear friend and yard-mate so she could've just made a call and if it was convenient, maybe even had gotten a tour of not just the yard but the wonderful caves that circle the property.

Now, isn't there anything better to talk about, really???? The belly flop event looked like great fun, I've been taking such great solace and enjoyment in reading about Liz's trip and Jeannie's AMAZING trip to Antigua and Montserrat. Maybe we should all flip the tape.

[RGondaRoad]

"How many people living up in Redground have a pool to suck water from to flush with when the water stops flowing?"

More than you know, apparently, lol! Have you been up to Redground recently? I mean past Ragabones, out to where lots of folks live up in the hills - there are some nice homes being built in housing schemes there, lovely neighborhoods and then out where my friends live (Jamaican) in the woods up on the hills, they have gorgeous pieces of property, acres with fruit trees and large grand homes. Home they built with their own hands. I know lots of people who live in Redground, in all sorts of "yards". So - what was your point? Oh yeah, pools. Addressed above.

[oldtimer]

"just insisted it get taken off of Google Street Maps actually"....me to.My property has one of my grand daughters standing in my yard .I want it blanked out.How do you do that ?

[RGondaRoad]

OT, you send them a nasty note, lol. They have a thing on the Google Maps street thing that allows you to tell them to take you off of it. Hub did it in all caps, lol. I wish I would have seen that car go by, I would have had a towel ready to sling at it.

[all+smiles]

I wish I had rastagirl's tall walls.
one morning i woke up at 6:15am to a man staring into my window.
after i yelled "wtf", he ran off.
when i first bought my house, i wanted the grates gone, now i want fancier grates.

[RGondaRoad]

allsmiles - yikes! Just so you know, the walls are not THAT high and used to be lower. Lots of changes to that property in the past 5 or 6 years that way - changes with the times.

My godson just finished walling in his property on Summerset. That and grating all the windows on all the houses - its called smart. Not "compound". Most of my neighbors have walls and gates now. Sad not to see the sea but understandable for sure.

Cap - nice!!!! I'd like to drop in there on a parachute.

[BrenJaLee]

Oh my goodness. I think I'm glad I didn't have wifi access at my hotel. I'm so sorry all of this has gotten blown way out of proportion. First of all, this was not a major topic of conversation at our breakfast. At least, not to my recollection. We had sooooooo much fun and lots of laughs and incredible food and RG's yaard location might have been a blip in the conversation.

For my part of it, I recall saying that I am bummed that I've never been able to meet you RG. That we've been in Negril at the same time on many occasions but that we've never had the chance to get together. I mentioned that after we spent so much time working together on the map and how instrumental you were in getting that first map done back in 2006 that I'd always wanted to meet you. I mean, we really put in some countless hours on that project! And I STILL want to meet you someday so we can have a drink of all that hard work we put in.

I can't speak for anyone else but I, personally, was curious to see the location of your yaard simply because I've heard you talk about it so much that it's kind of nice to see a little picture in your mind when someone talks about something. And yes, you've described it many times so I've tried to kind of picture what it was like so, if in fact we did see the right location, it only helps me to have a little bit of a visual when you talk about it. But as you said, we really couldn't see much besides a wall and a gate. LOL. Similar to that picture I tried to have in my brain before I came to Negril that first time. After working tirelessly on the graphic design for the map having never seen the place, it certainly was NOTHING like I had pictured in my mind. And I'll never forget my first question as we were walking to our room at Rondel... "which way is the beach"! HA HA. Seems like such a stupid question now.

Anyway, I know there is back history between others in this thread and that can always lead to more "heated" reactions and comments. I'm sad to get the impression that some people may think our wonderful breakfast was some big negative bitch session when it was nothing of the kind. I'm sorry anything negative has come out of such a fantastic morning. I had a wonderful day meeting some wonderful new friends. I promise to post photos of the stunning yard at Jus Natural from our little tour as soon as I have a chance to download everything off my camera.

And RG... I truly do hope we have the chance to meet someday

[rootswoman]

Really nice post Brenda - I had a feeling this was blown out of proportion. I am glad you shed some light.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures!

[oldtimer]

you know rootswoman I was thinking the same thing.