Calypso Grill, Smith's Cove, Rings, and the Christmas BBQ

The madness that was a day and a half in New York now seems like an eternity ago!
The week following, I was wrecked! On the Tuesday night (I'm having to think back now!) we were invited over the road to Justin and Cara's, friends of ours who have moved into the new part of our estate, for dinner. On the Thursday, Jill spent the afternoon with some of the girls on the beach, topping up her tan. Dec's girlfiend Regina was due to fly home to Ireland on the Saturday, so we all went out for dinner on Friday night to Calypso Grill, a really nice restaurant down in West Bay, on the North Sound, in a small cove where the waves lap against the edge of the restaurant. Quite nice!
Afterwards we all went do the Ritz where we met up with a few more people, downed some of their legendary mojitos, took some naff shots by the huge Christmas tree in the lobby, and then all headed to the Next Level night club where we danced until the death (take note of the rather drunken photos on Flickr!).
Nursing bad hangovers on Saturday morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed to meet Dec and Regina in the Triple Crown for brunch (which went down an absolute treat). The weather looked good so we said we'd head to the beach. Dec and reg suggested Smith's Cove (check out Orlando Bloom's new film Haven for a good view of Smith's Cove), so we grabbed our gear and headed down. A few phone calls later, there was a big crowd of us on the beach, snorkelling and playing football (dont worry, I didnt embarass myself by partaking!). Myself, Murph, and Jimmy bailed out for an hour to go to the pub to watch the second half of the Leinster-Ulster game (awful match by the way). On the way back we picked up a couple of slabs of beer, whilst the guys on the beach ordered pizza to be delivered to our picnic table by the shore! We then just had a few relaxing beers over pizza, listening to music and playing charades etc whilst the sun went down.
Last weekend was the annual Jazz Festival, with Natalie Cole headling on the Saturday night. We had orinally planned to get tickets, but Tim and Lainey, two of our friends, have an apartment that overlooks where the stage was, so we all went round to their son Saturday night, and sat out the back drinking wine, and watching the gig. Lovely evening, but was shattered by midnight, so early night for myself and Jill.
On Sunday we just chilled out by the pool, and then met up with Gavin and Linda in Cracked Conch, a restaurant over in West Bay that overlooks the sea, that only reopened last week after being closed for two years following the Hurricane. It is also a famous dive spot, with a dive shop in the restaurant. Divers walk through the restaurant in their gear to get into the sea, very unusual!
This week was a bit mad again, and marked the real start of Christmas.
Monday night we all went to see Borat, which finally opened in the cinema here only last week.
Verdict: some very very funny sketches, some duds. A bit like an episode of Da Ali G Show.
Wednesday, I went to the Police Commisioner's Ball up in the Ritz as a guest of Digicel. Jill had decided not to come earlier in the week, but changed her mind on Wednesday, too late to get another ticket, but the less said by me about all that the better!
The ball was surreal, a 200 euro a ticket Debs! It kicked off with a champagne reception at 6:30, and was nearly empty by 10:30. Sure enough, our table was the last to leave at 12:30, when I snuck off home. The rest of the lads went on til 3!
On Thursday, Island Companies, who owna bih shopping mall of jewelery stores and duty free stores in George Town, had a "Rotary After Hours", something they do every Christmas. Rotary members are invited down to the mall, which is fenced off, and they have free bars dotted all over the place serving beer, wine, and champagne, with musical entertainment, whilst you shop for duty free stuff at up to half price. Not a bad way to shop!
The place was rammed, so whilst Jill was looking at jewelery, I was able to meet up with some of the lads and have a few beers. Class!
Sure enough, we ended up buying our wedding bands, not what I was expecting to do on a Thursday evening in December, but we found the perfect rings, at am amazing prices, so why not?
Finally, that brings me on to last night, when we hosted a Christmas barbecue in the pool area by our house. About 25 people came over. We had fairy lights around the pool house, with christmas music blasting from the laptop, as I cooked up Burgers, Chicken, Sausages, etc on the bug gas barbecue. We had four huge coolers full of ice, beer, and wine, and went through 4 black sacks of empties! Jill bailed to bed around 2:30, leaving a core group of ten of us to sing until 5 this morning. Again, there are worst things to do on a Friday night in December!
Today is overcast, so the tans wont be great for when we go home on Wednesday, either will the livers! Three more days in work and then we're on a plane home to spend two weeks back in Ireland. Cant wait.
We fly back into Dublin at 4pm next Thursday. Jill's mum is picking her up. I'm going up yo my mum's where my sister Jen is going to meet us with the two boys, Kalvin, and Gavin. We're going out for dinner that night with the rest of the family, and Jill is heading down to Athy with her mum.
On the Friday, myself and Graham are going wedding suit shopping, and then I'm planning to go up to the Step Inn to see the lads (I am including the ladies in that definition) on Friday night for a few pints. Jill and her mum will be heading to Clifden on Friday, followed by myself early Saturay for Gail and Ross's wedding, which will be brilliant. We're all staying down on the Sunday night, and then we drive back to Athy to meet the bishop to go through our planned wedding service. I am staying in my sister Jen's on the Monday night, and then we go for out tastings in the Heritage on the Tuesday, and staying in Athy with Joyce and Robert that night.
I am back up in Dublin on the Wednesday, and off to see Christy Moore with the lads on Thursday night. On Friday myself, Jill, Hubb, and Louise are going to see Snow Patrol in the Point, and then Saturday I'm sure will be spent somewhere in town etc.
Sunday is Christmas Eve, and we'll both be back down in Athy for this, staying on Christmas Day aswell.
We're back in Dublin on Stephen's Day for Christmas dinner with my family, and then I fly out on the first flight on the 27th, with Hubb and Louise in toe. Jill flys out the next day, and that will be Christmas!
Hope to see as many of you as possible over the Christmas. I'll be back on my old mobile, as will Jill. Talk to you all in a few days, in person!
Rafter