Poker and Birthday Party

Lori's birthday was Monday, the party was Friday. Sharon and John from Phoenix flew in and the "usual suspects" showed up for Barbecue: chicken wings, pork, beef, chicken and cornbread and the trimmings. Jason and Lori had new pool lights installed: L.E.D."s that are programmable and can rotate through a rainbow of colors as they mix and change. Very cool.

The party started on time and the schedule disintegrated from there. People had a really good time. I was the butler. Got them oiled up and tapered them off. I had most of the cleanup done before I left at midnight-that meant home at one a.m. I was on my feet too long. My lower cartilege -free back was aching. But the party was a great success and the kids were able to enjoy it, too. They should change the name of "Guitar Hero" to "So you think you can sing." The ladies who were trying to be "The Bangles" should have called themselves "The Dangles." Age is no barrier to having a good time, though.

As you can see above, the big winner of the first round was the Birthday Girl!

There has been no shortage of drama in the park. After our spontaneous Happy Hour at Chateau Latour, they were bedding down when they heard blood curdling screams and somebody was knocking on their door. They called 911. The biker chick next door claimed her husband/boyfriend was beating her. The scene drew four deputies and a fire engine/EMT unit. Not a mark on her. She evidently had taken some PCP and freaked. They were gone bright and early the next day. But Jeanne was just thrilled. She was in on it and had to complete a statement for the police.

I went to the police. As you all know, I do "strange" without batting an eyelash. But the folks who moved in next door last Saturday were "just wrong." Four men below age 30 from Michigan checked in in a toy hauler and a van from Michigan. Only two have been seen since.
No toys came out of the hauler save for two bikes and the men are seldom seen. They aren't here for the Florida sunshine. They seem to be memorizing things and one took off on the bike in black slacks and a white shirt and came back the next day in t-shirt and shorts. They back in so their license is hidden. They only leave at night. I spoke briefly to one and he said tremulously that the helicopters at the airport were "disturbing my psyche." The possibility of terrorism at the Superbowl was not even on my radar until these birds showed up. Tony originally had them pegged as gay but he is now freaking out. We laughed about Jack Bauer showing up, kicking the door in and finding them making love. (not his term) If they are innocent, no harm so far. If they are not, someone is forewarned.

Tony is becoming a pest. He is here four or five times a day-coffee in the morning and very generous glasses of wine in the evening and stopping after he walks his dogs and empties his garbage. I listen. I have sympathy-he has essentially lost everything in the downturn save his dogs and his Airstream. His goal is to become a well-paid Professional Photographer. General Contracting in South Florida is a non-starter right now. As he is going to Gillette, WY for the national Airstream Convention and a photography workshop in Jackson, he was angling for an invitation to park at my house. I had to disabuse him of this notion. I told him I was a recluse when I am in Wyoming and like it that way. Now he is working at at "why" and "how much?" of a recluse I am. "Because," and "none of your beeswax," are the answers to those questions. I am trying to be gentle but...