We’ll find news where it really matters. For example, Starfish Market. The store has new, Bauhaus-like streamlined, modern-looking baskets and the reason we deem this news is because they really suck. They are more narrow than your regular grocery store basket and the reason that’s a problem is because you can’t fit a six pack in these baskets any other way but the long way thus limiting you to one unless you did what I did which was stack two on top of each other. And you know what happened? The little froo-froo Design Within Reach plastic handle BROKE. Yes. Right there in the aisle with frozen French fries and trash bags. Run in, run out capacity has been seriously compromised and we are dangerously close to having to become cart people and we ARE NOT cart people. A good Starfish story tomorrow.
Your On-StJohn production crew has it rough. Imagine spending an hour on a nearly empty beach waiting for just the right wave to hit a bottle of Island Summer Ale. Such hard assignments.
Usvi-on-line forum poster Liamsaunt spotted us shooting video this day, and didn’t come up and say “hi”. How can we buy you a beer if you don’t say hello to us!
We loved reading all those responses to this weekend’s Pop Quiz asking how you discovered St. John. Everybody’s got a great story, but did you notice the one common denominator? Those who get hooked on St. John get hooked AFTER ONE TRIP. Not even the best crack dealer has a conversion rate like that. More Pop Quiz’s to come.
Hey Beach Break fans. A little help here. On-StJohn.com has given you 27 Beach Breaks taking you to a total of 25 beaches since the series began. We have a couple beaches left, but a little input would be appreciated, because unless global warming picks up the pace, there aren’t that many beaches left on St. John to visit (and Dear Mr. Gore: those polar ice caps are covering up some prime real estate.)
We’ll get you off St. John and to some nearby beaches in the next few weeks, but if we’re missing some St. John favorites, chime in. Without more Beach Breaks, our open tab at the Tap Room is going to expire!
The chirping of tree frogs was drowned out by the droning of generators across St. John last night after a massive power outage hit both St. John and St. Thomas. At 4:02 pm, there was an explosion at one of the largest generating units on St. Thomas that “catapulted the island-district into a complete blackout”, to quote the Gov‘s office. Five students, working as interns at the plant, were treated for burns.
Power was finally restored on St. John at about 11:30 last night, making for what was the longest power outage in about a year.
Villas with generators kept the lights on and the beer cold. Folks at villas without one found out first hand why there are all those flashlights scattered about.
POP QUIZ: Been on St. John when there was a power outage? How did you handle it? Did the management company let you know what was going on? Did your beer get warm?
You’ve probably heard the tale that says Lovango Cay got its name for its place in Caribbean history as an island brothel (love, and go.) Lovango sits just northwest of St. John, along with Congo Cay (a bird sanctuary) and Carval Rock. Here’s a beach on the north side of Lovango. The opening shot is from the top of Lovango looking out at Congo with Jost van Dyke in the distance. Some fine real estate for sale on Lovango too, but it ain’t cheap. A beach on LovangoCay, below!
We hear the Cooper Island Beach Club is for sale. The There’s about a dozen beach side cottages included, on Manchioneel Bay, said to be Jimmy Buffet’s inspiration for Cheeseburger in Paradise. Here’s what travel site wheretostay.com says about Cooper Island Beach Resort: “There are no roads, no traffic, no nightclubs, discos or casinos. The population of the island is about nine people, consisting of a local family of three, and the six or so staff of the Beach Club.”
Can’t buy? Here’s a list of BVI resorts where you can just visit. Including Necker Island, Richard Branson’s island resort (you gotta check out that Website), where rates start at $320,000 per week. Yes you read that right. Three hundred and twenty thousand dollars a week. (But you do get the whole island to yourself.)
Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m guessing the wedding cake isn’t a guy thing. But for all you gals, here’s the cake from Woody’s co-owner Todd’s and bride Christy’s wedding. Five tiers. Five different flavors. The cake was made by Seamus Mulcare at St. John Cakes. Even the guys had to have been impressed with this.
The Texaco station served up its last tank of gas last week, and is now surrounded by this beautiful fence and sheet metal wall. Very attractive, huh? Your federal government tax dollars are paying for this roundabout project, which will take at least a couple of years to complete. In the meantime, here’s a look at the beginning of what will no doubt be an ugly mess for awhile.
Yes please, bring your laptop! (Heaven forbid you fully check out.) You can get online faster now than you could even a year or two ago. But, leave your hometown expectations behind. News of St. John recently reported that as many as 40 percent of villas now offer some kind of Wi-Fi connection. That is unquestionably great news, but in reality, here’s what you can expect:
Ackley Communications just informed its customers they were being upgraded from a 2.5 megabit download speed to 3.8 megabits. Choice Communications, which is the dominant broadband provider on St. John offers a basic package that is 1.9 megabits down, with their most popular service giving 2.6 megabits down. Those numbers are in a perfect world on a perfect day, and we’ve never had a connection even close that good. (Compare those top speed downloads to a typical stateside service, say Comcast, which provides as much as 12 megabits downstream.)
In reality, the very, very best you can expect is something about 30 percent as fast as you’re probably used to. But that’s still a whole lot better than it was a couple of years ago. So go ahead. Let work ruin an otherwise perfect week.
We loved reading all those responses to this weekend’s Pop Quiz asking how you discovered St. John. Everybody’s got a great story, but did you notice the one common denominator? Those who get hooked on St. John get hooked AFTER ONE TRIP. Not even the best crack dealer has a conversion rate like that. More Pop Quiz’s to come.
Hey Beach Break fans. A little help here. On-StJohn.com has given you 27 Beach Breaks taking you to a total of 25 beaches since the series began. We have a couple beaches left, but a little input would be appreciated, because unless global warming picks up the pace, there aren’t that many beaches left on St. John to visit (and Dear Mr. Gore: those polar ice caps are covering up some prime real estate.)
We hear the 
Yes please, bring your laptop! (Heaven forbid you fully check out.) You can get online faster now than you could even a year or two ago. But, leave your hometown expectations behind. 
