This and That

It's been a funny old year, we've had lots of guests and done all kinds of stuff.
Now that the year is entering the final phase, Anne and I both have our birthdays.
We got a bit out of sync and we celebrated my birthday first even though it is almost a month after Anne has her birthday.
As Barb and Leon were in town for a brief visit, Anne set up my birthday celebration at the Grill in Seal Beach.
She was aided and abetted by the very able conspirator Nicole, if the CIA need help with covert ops then these are the two go to guys(gals). I was completely hornswoggled by the event and had no clue that it was going to happen.

As I was the king for a day she even had a picture of two of my best friends set up for everyone to see!
Lots of the regular crowd were on hand to celebrate my passage into "Old Fartdom"
Barb and Leon, Randy, Kim, Heather, Eric, and Chris,  Ron, Mark, Gary, Kevin and Miriam, Steve Goode, and Girvan and Fiona. 
    Of course my brother Jimmy was there with his friend Mary just to put the tin hat on it.

For those of you unfamiliar with my brother Jimmy, he explains it thus, "We just had different mothers and different fathers, I grew up in Texas and he didn't"
Get the picture?
Not a word of warning was issued.
I have to tell these guys "Paybacks are a bitch"
One day your time will come!

 

My brother Jimmy!

 

Some of the gang.

 

More of the gang.

 

65!  Wow where did those years go?

So now we move on to Anne's birthday.
Smart lady that she is, she arranged it herself.
We went to Harvey's Steak House for the celebration.
It was a big group, Girvan and Fiona, Parker and Edit, Paul, Brent, Jeanne, Christine, and because Karen and Rory sent their regrets, Anne invited two of Jeanne's friends who happened to be there on the night to join our party. Oh, and of course yours truly.
There was a tribute band playing, the front man being  "Rod Stewart" and would you Adam and Eve it Ronnie Woods ( or was it Mick Jagger?) showed up to help them out with a couple of numbers.
Of course Anne had a theme "All Wigged Out to be 64" .  Not happy with just wearing a wig herself, she - ahem! - "gently persuaded" (as in demanding, in her best prison guard voice,   " PUT THESE ON!") some of the guests to participate.

Again for the benefit of those of you who have not had the opportunity to meet some of our friends, here is a picture of Parker and Edit . Yes he is tall, his head is sticking through the light fixture!

 

 

.

 

 And, Here being typically British (NOT), is Christine.

How Anne talked her in to wearing the wig I don't know.

 

 

Could that be a Rasta with the blonde chick? He looks kind of familiar, even though he's purposely trying to deflect recognition by doing an Ozzie impersonation. I think that he might have played a gig at the Hotel AmeriCain, the name will come to me, Clint something or another.

So we are now moving toward the end of this year and looking forward to another, it is going to be pretty momentous for me.
I plan to retire at the end of December 2014, I'll be 66 and will have been working for 50 years, I think that it is time to let a younger guy take up the challenge.
Leon has bought some woodworking equipment, so I think that I'll have him build me a rocking chair.

NAW!

In January I'm headed off to Vegas with my friend and colleague James Wilbourn. We are going to a motorcycle auction in a casino.
How dangerous could that be!!!!!!
We do not plan to buy a bike.
But we are taking the truck and ramps just in case.

Last time we went somewhere together we came back with and ancient Yamaha RZ 350, no not the Kenny Roberts model but close. OK, I know for you non-bikers that's TMFI.


Most of you know that I'm a Bud guy, but here is a beer that I found in the local market that s worth trying. On the label it states that it KOLSCH type beer. I thought "Yes I bet it is"
Nonetheless I tried it and it is a passable KOLSCH.
If you see it, give it a try.

CIAO more soon,

Norm