NEW YEAR , NEW RESOLUTIONS.

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New year 2010 started out as usual with me getting up at 6am. We were supposed to ride to Bog Walk to a brunch. Start time I was told, 6.15am. So I headed out from home at about 6.15am, to meet the rest at the riders somewhere on the road.

It was a nice easy ride up Hope Road in the cool, crisp, morning air. Of course, Fun and Thrills members are never on time so I never saw any sign of them until I got to Liguenea. There they all were standing around as if they weren't going anywhere. Then I was told they were waiting for Michael who had gone to pick up some girl. Why wasn’t I surprised, after all, he is constantly replenishing his harem so why should New Year 2010 be any different? 

After a long wait I suggested that we start riding and they could catch up. No one agreed with me. A stark reminder of why I don’t join organizations as I hate to wait and besides the will of the majority is rarely my will. But it was a new year, so we waited and waited and waited.
Finally we got on our way, anticipating a wonderful ride through the scenic Bog Walk gorge then a delicious breakfast. The gorge did not disappoint as it was as beautiful, refreshing and cool as ever and not that much traffic was around.

Of course it wasn’t known specifically where we were actually going, for Charles, the confused was the organizer and whereas he had told me Bog Walk he had told others Linstead. It turned out that we went to neither place but instead rode past both to get to Charlemount.

At Charlemount we went into the wrong plaza, used the bathroom facilities and got up the hopes of a restaurateur that some 25 persons were going to patronize him for breakfast, before we were informed that we were in the wrong place. So what’s new?

We eventually found the right place, but guess what they had no plan to have food before 

1pm. So when we arrived at around 10am they were rushing to get us some breakfast. My annoyance only diminished when we were provided with a domino table. Spy and Fatman against Betty and me..

Long live woman power for after they got a straight 6 love, Spy took off only to be replaced by Winston. They got a straight 3 love (so Fatman got 9 love for the New year) before the blessed call that the food was ready saved the day. The mackerel tasted ok but was full of bones.

In the meantime, I learnt how coconuts were picked from tall trees without them all bursting. It’s simple really but I just did not know. What the climber does is to go up in the tree with a long rope and a knife. He then attaches the rope to the stem of the bunch of coconuts, cuts the stem and gently lowers the entire bunch to someone on the ground. 

Brilliant. The coconuts were great.

In the meantime, they had rushed some jerk chicken to supplement the breakfast, but it was awful. No seasoning.

After we returned to Kingston we had to start cooking for our Fun and Thrills Christmas party. Every one was assigned food or drinks to bring and would you believe they wanted me to cook curried goat? Curried goat is something I only cook after psyching up my mind for weeks before! So I did roasted chicken and I hear poor Winston Chin You had to spend about four hours seasoning the goat at the last minute.

The party was at Howie’s house and went very well. Ample food drinks and David did slide presentation of our past rides. It must have inspired many persons as on our Saturday ride 15 people turned up. Howie didn’t however. "Too much party last night.!"

On Saturday morning I left my home 6 am and arrived at the headquarters at 6.35am. Would you believe we did not start riding out until after 7 am? `Another day of waiting and waiting.

Then came the cass cass, another reminder of why I don't join organisations.

Apparently Charles had asked Michelle to organise the food as he was going to go to the children's home to get the kids organized to take them for a ride in Hope Gardens as we had promised at the Christmas party. Unfortunately, that plan was only communicated to a few persons and I certainly did not hear. When Charles and Chuck rode out I rode behind them. When we got to Papine I noticed that they did not go through the market but as I was heading to Annie’s to buy breakfast, I turned off. I was not at all curious about where Charles and Chuck were going as they often marched to their own drum beat, like the time they rode to Hellshire and then just jumped into the van and headed back to Kingston without saying anything to anyone. So I headed to Annie's to buy breakfast. The others arrived shortly after.

While we were there we were shocked to see Chuck riding into the plaza with the kids in tow, a most dangerous thing since we should not be taking the responsibility of carrying them on the road.

After we bought breakfast, Tara, Desiree, Patrick and I rode up to the children’s home and were told that the riders had not yet returned. We rode into Hope Gardens and saw Charles, Chuck and the kids riding around and joined them only to be met with a tirade from Charles about us not helping him with the kids.

Actually when the idea of taking the kids for rides on Saturdays came up, I figured a roster would have been drawn up setting out which group would do it each Saturday as I certainly could not see the sense in fifteen or sixteen adults taking five or six kids for a ride. This was not done hence the haphazard affair.

We, along with David rode around with the kids while Charles ranted, then they changed the route and we lost them so we headed to breakfast When he arrived for breakfast it was another round of ranting and raving about how no one had come to help he and Chuck with the kids. Eventually, they finally came to the realization that the thing had to be better organized, thus a roster was drawn up,

Shaggy is my favourite entertainer but when I got an invitation about midday to go to his wonderful concert, I declined for I really can't take crowds and the long lines. I guess I am happy to just listen to his music and admire him from afar. Anyway i had seen him on stage before and besides I wanted to wake up early for my Sunday morning ride.

Sunday morning I was up by 5.45 and rearing to go as we were scheduled to ride up to Jacks hill at 6.30 am. I hurried to get ready then I recalled my daughter asking me the day before what my new year's resolution was and telling her I had none.

So, I made one. 

I decided there and then that I would never rush again to meet fun and thrills riders as they have no respect for time. So I took my time and departed at 6.16am. It was cool and nice and since the designated meeting place was Widcombe, uphill all the way, I decided it would be a leisurely ride for me, ear plugs in, music playing and whatever time I got there would be fine with me. I only rode a little faster when I got to Bob Marley’s museum and saw a young man running behind me. I decided that no runner would overtake me, so I stepped on it and when he turned off, resumed my leisurely pace.

Got to the designated meeting place at 2 minutes to seven and saw no one so decided to ride up to Tavistock and head back home as that would have been enough exercise for one day. When I got to the stream in the road, I saw Jerry Maffood and he rode past me and said the others were coming behind him. When they caught up Michael claimed they were late because they had been waiting on me but that was obviously untrue since the meeting place should have been Widcombe, not his home and besides no one called to find out if I was on my way. Howie also came up with the same lame story but by then I had decided that I had outgrown Fun and Thrills.

When we got to the first rest stop, Mafood said he was going ahead and Chuck and I joined him. Chuck only rode a few yards before dismounting and saying g he was going to push is bicycle all the way up. When I told him that he would be breaking Alair's record he jumped back on.

By then Jerry had thundered ahead and I struggled to keep up with him. I finally saw him at the intersection of Jack's hill, road and Cherry Gardens. By then, riding at my own pace while enjoying some wonderful music through my earphones.(there is a great gospel DJ called DJ Nicholas, I must check out his stuff and download some). I decided that since it was a new year, I was going to resume riding by myself again, at my own pace, when I felt like, and spend more time enjoying some great music. I told him I was heading home for I had had enough uphill riding for one day and besides I was having people over for dinner and I would have enough time to do all I needed to and get some rest before they arrived.

The ride down was wonderful as the roads in Cherry Gardens are really smooth like Long \Mountain and it was downhill all the way. Got back at 8am.

Another great ride.

New Year’s resolutions;

No more waiting on anyone to go riding as will now be riding by myself when I feel like and go wherever I feel like.

No more Wednesday rides but will do Long Mountain and Beverley Hills on a Saturday morning and cut out Annie’s greasy breakfast. For although I love the salt fish fritters (which really have no salt fish!) they are full of oil and therefore do my high cholesterol no good.

Will continue riding with Fun and Thrills when they are going out of town to places I have never been or been to recently.