Good stories

My first landlord and her husband - they are continentals, but they did EVERYTHING to make us welcome - I don't know what we would have done without Chris and Chantelle - Robbie, the local, who was in the National Guard that lived next door - he had my husband over untold times for a few beers and a few laughs with him and his buddies - and Robbie's uncle, a retired police officer who knew at the time we were looking for a house but insisted that no matter what anyone said, please let him know which house it was - he was born and raised on island and knew everyone and every builder and could weed out the good from the bad.....we told him we would certainly utilize his services and pay him accordingly, but no way would he have taken a dime.....he just didn't want us to get in over our heads......and he didn't know us from anyone, but always was willing to help if it was needed and gave us his phone number - there was a house being built across the street and he said some of the workers weren't exactly nice people, and if there was one bit of trouble for us to call and he would see that it got taken care of. I have no doubt he would have.......Ric and Linda J, who had been there a little while before us - God bless them, they kept us sane, too.....and the really nice man that owned the gas station right in front of Plaza Extra West - I don't know his name, but I filled my car up and had forgotten my wallet - I guess since I was in there all the time he figured I'd be back eventually - and he sent me on my way and said to stop back by whenever I could (I made a BEELINE for the house and got my money!).....Always polite, ran a very clean store, and kept the riff-raff away.......Yep, there's a lot of good people on St. Croix.

Oh my gosh - I almost forgot Mr. Nixon at the Kmart pharmacy, and Leon - both of whom were so welcoming - Nixon and my husband played golf together a couple of times....and Nixon helped my husband learn to speak Island to some degree (although he did laugh that the only name any of the customers ever called my husband by was White Boy)!

I'll probably get accused of lying or sticking my head in the sand but here goes:

1. The bank teller who called me at home to report she had found my wallet in the parking lot at Havensight. When I picked it up, there was everything in it including all the cash & CC.

2. The amazing people at the Humane Society who work so hard to provide kind, loving care to the animals.

3. The nurses & others at the Hospital who were so gentle to a scared patient (me.)

4. The Nana Baby Home where children in difficult situations are taken care of.

5. The total stranger who, when he saw me stuck on wet, rainy Donkey Hill, jumped in my car, got it turned around ON Donkey Hill & BACKED me all the way up while I hid my eyes. (I wish people would not pause halfway up that hill which kills the momentum of the drivers behind them.)

6. My neighbor who got my stuck hurricane shutters closed for me during the last scare a few years back & redrilled the bolt holes.

7. A co-worker who, when I was only here for about a month came to my house, jump-started my car because my battery was dead & followed me to the place where I replaced it because he was afraid I would stall out.

8. A dry place to stay by my boss when I lost all during Hurricane Marilyn & I had only worked there a few months at that time.

9. Zach at Gourmet Gallery in Havensight who, when I mistakenly didn't have enough cash & didn't have my CC's with me, gave me the groceries which I paid for the next day (I was over $10.00 short.)

10. Unfailingly courteous drivers who let me out every single morning from my rather "blind" corner to the main road.

11. The kindness of so many strangers during the aftermath of Marilyn even though nearly everyone lost so much during that time including shoppers who would let you take the last gallon of water, etc.

12. The taxi man who stopped traffic in both directions on Pollyberg Hill because there was an iguana parked in the center of the road that seemed to enjoy resting there. He finally managed to shoo him to the side.

13. While occasionally there are jerks who try to push to the front of lines, more often than not people will ask you to go in front of them if you just have a few items & they have more.

14. The guy at Office Max who put together my rolling chair even though he didn't have to & did it with a smile.

There are tons more but those are the day-to-day happenings for the most part and are not unusual in my experience.

hmm well the husband and wife that run the free meal place in f'sted, JT and Angie at villa morales, the mechanic guy across from the school bus storage area over by f'sted,stacey white and his girlfriend also of f'sted, the cab driver johnny who will pick you up anywhere at any time but you have to remind him wheres he's taking you cause he forgets while he's driving,irma at sandcastles, the 7th day adventist mechanic guy over in mon bijou, the woman that runs the lavallee inn bar, tim at carambola beach bar, diana and her husband at off the wall, cindy from cara and her husband dave, drinking with those 2 is called hangin with the holcombs and they are 2 of the nicest most down to earth people you will ever meet, the woman that runs the pig bar,joseph the guy that does my yard and buys my vehicles when i get tired of them and ships them home to st lucia, celo the tile guy is cool. aj the fence guy is great but hard to understand, really the list of great nice people here goes on and on all three of the hanleys are nice,oh and i'm house sitting for my father right now in omaha for a month and we had a "blizzard of the decade" yesterday and it's now snowing again and expecting 5 or 6 more inches

ok...all the girls that used to work with my husband at Beeston Hill Clinic.
The guy who has a marine engine business over by Annally Farms (Brian?)
Deuce who used to do auto work for us for a bottle of whisky

Dave and Sarah, John and Suzanne - great friends
Mr Minton - math teacher extraordinaire at Country Day.

Natasha's friends at Country Day and assorted parents.
Too many people to mention within the Real estate world on StX.
Andy - car mechanic and drag racer.
Paul hess and Casey Canton - great vets.
and the list goes on.......

is paul the crazy vet? i think he's the one that told my partner when he asked what kind of dog we found that it was a queen louise terrier, and casey is so cool,he's our cat guy, he was out canoeing or kayaking or whatever you do in a boat once during a tropical storm and his people were looking for him and i saw him and told him to call home, and i play cards with dean from the complex and he's been on the island forever and my friend randy is a math teacher at the complex as well, wow the list of cool good people goes on

Our first landlord, Allan, who took 2 days off work to help us get our cars out of customs and licensed, a PO box after the lady at the Post Office wanted to put us on a waiting list, and took us to his bank and introduced us to his banker. Real kindness from a native Crucian to us.

the guy at the hardware store who when he asked if he could help us I told him I needed a tape measure but wanted to look around first. When we finally got over to the area that held the tape measures, he was wainting for us with the glass doors unlocked. When I told him that I wanted the cheapest one, he then locked the doors and led me to the front of the store where they had a cheap tool bin. He dug through it until he found just what I needed. He didn't have to do this, I would have bought the least expensive one in the cabinet. I was very impressed!

Thanks everyone for your responses. It is nice to see that there are quite a few good people and to hear about them. I am sorry to see Island Ed go, hate to see anyone go and I enjoyed reading his posts.

god i hate omaha

Is that a bump hala? or did you just not know where to vent. and just teasing 🙂

This message was posted earlier, under a different topic, but I think it relates here also.

One of the reasons we have chosen STX as our "paradise" to move to is the warmth we felt from the people that we met there. On our first visit we were directed to Villa Morales to eat dinner. It was a Saturday night and the place was a little busy J.T. the owner was more than willing to speak with us and make us feel right at home. Before we left we told him we'd be back the next day. but he said they were closed except for thur. fri. and sat.

INSTEAD, he invited us, two strangers he had just met, to attend a christening party they were having at the beach the next day for his niece. Reluctantly the next day we walked by the area where the party was taking place. As we did, they came running out to greet us and introduced us to all their family and friends. We met people who worked for Innovative, people who worked in the hospital, in the courts, in the restaurant (Villa Morales). And everyone, EVERYONE WE MET, treated us as new found FRIENDS!!!

We fell in love with St Croix that day, BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE, and how they treated us, complete strangers, who became friends in one afternoon.

JT and Angie are warm, wonderful, loving people. I love going into Villa Morales. If you go in there with a friendly attitude, you will be treated like family.

The Sunday morning coffee club at Tropcial Java in F'sted. We all kind of wander in on Sunday mornings, grab coffee, sit around outside gabbing, some people read the paper, some look at the housing magazne, some bring books, but it is a great, friendly crowd.

Tyson, the first cab driver we met on island back when we were still vacationers. He cracked open coconuts for us and gave us our first taste of fresh coconut meat, and coconut juice over ice. (Minue the gin)

The police officer who came when my house in little Princess was broken into. Several months later when we moved to F'sted, I saw that officer, and he said "I saw you moved into the pink property down there. I'm looking out for you."

The good friends who have rallied around our carlessness to take me grocery shopping, and out to do laundry, and to run other errands. Joanna from this board who actually emailed me and offered to take me shopping even though we had never met before.

AJ at Sand Castle who is probably the most generous, warm-hearted person I have ever met in my life and who has never failed to be there for myself or my partner whenever we need her.