January 4th 2018
I'm quite impressed with my self. I've done three blogs and filled out two forms and put the right date on each of them! I will admit I caught the 2017 in the first blog of the year when I previewed it. Back in the olden times when people wrote cheques to pay their bills it seems I would always have one or two sent back because they were a year old. Now with auto this, and auto that and of course the lovely Lisa making sure that Casa Lisa is flying straight. She's a Gal with a plan! I'm just along for the ride!
Speaking of rides. 2017 was a typical year in the lives of the lovely Lisa and myself. Lets start with the losses. We lost Halloween. For the first time in our relationship the lovely Lisa and I were too ill to do Halloween. I had pnuemonia and the lovely Lisa had bronchitis. Halloween is our favorite holiday. I was sick for about six weeks.
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| Creepy the Clown |
We were saddened with the passing of Uncle Paul Garden Gnome. A kind man who lived an ecentric lifestyle. He was always good to the lovely Lisa and I and he will be missed.
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| Uncle Paul Garden Gnome |
We had a busy travel year with two trips back east to New Jersey the first time to celebrate Papa Dawgs 80th birthday. We flew into Newark, picked up the rental car and made the two hour drive up to Montague NJ where Papa Dawg lives with his girlfriend Joan. We call her Saint Joan of Montague for putting up with Papa Dawg! I know that people feel the same way about the lovely Lisa and I, but I don't see it. We had a nice visit with Uncle Paul Garden Gnome and said we would see him again before we left. We never did and we never saw him again.
We had a great time at Papa Dawgs 80th ten or so of Papa Dawgs friends. When you get to 80 your peer group shrinks dramatically. The lovely Lisa did the catering and Joan of Montague was the picture of the perfect hostess.
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| Papa Dawg 80 years old and still rockin! |
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Saint Joan of Montague
The lovely Lisa and I took the train into Manhattan where we stayed with Cousin Squidly at his place in Mid Town Manhattan. three minutes from Central Park and ten minutes from Times Square. We were tourists of the first degree. Staten Island ferry, Little Italy, 911 memorial and of course Times Square.
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| The Statue of Lisa |
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| The Statue of Liberty |
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| Cousin Squidly |
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| A beach feast at Cape May |
From there we hooked up with the Deckers and had a family reunion in Cape May the southern most point of the Jersey Show. Almost everyone was there. Uncle Charlie and Auntie Janice, Dr Dan and Liz with Julia, Papa Dawg left the confines of Montague because Saint Joan of Montague was in Florida taking care of her son Joe, and Cousin Squidly and Laura The Blade as well as Bro Steve and his friend Paul showed up for the weekend. Big fun at Cape May.
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| On the beach with Papa Dawg |
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| Uncle Charlie and Dr Dan boogie boarding and scaring the crap out of Julia |
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| On the porch with Auntie Janice and Uncle Charlie |
I have my whole year out of order. I should have started with my 60th birthday bash at the Heritage Grill. Lots of people, lots of fun, lots of music.
Then in May the lovely Lisa and I joined the Murray-Devlin Alaska Cruise. A great time with wonderful people.
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| Squatch, Stuser, Karen. Meaghan, Bobbi, Bob and the lovely Lisa |
We went on Holland America for the second time and I would recommend them to any one. There were lots of activities on board and plenty of time on shore. The time at sea at the Hubbard Glacier was amazing. The first week in May and the weather was fantastic. We all got together for team trivia and won a couple of times and we met every night in the dining room were the food was beautiful and the service first class. Besides the two Gala Nights we all dressed for dinner every night. The Ladies were all beautiful and all the Gentlemen looked dapper in jackets and ties. I wore one to dinner every night and even kept it on while dancing up a storm.
On a Thursday night we got a call from Dr Dan "I'm marrying Liz next Tuesday at Spanish Banks...Can you make it? The lovely Lisa took the day off, we got Mama Lee into a handidart and down to Spanish Banks where a JP completed the ceremony that binds two people together witnessed by a small group of family, friends and a couple of bikers in spandex who stopped for no apparent reason. It was a perfect day. Bro Steve and I played our guitars and Jon an old friend of the family sang a Dutch wedding song. We had a reception at a joint on the harbor. We have a new sister in law and couldn't be happier about it. I don't know if she'll read this but if you do Liz, welcome to the family.
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| Dr Dan and Liz |
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| Wedding Music at Spanish Banks |
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| Joan, Liz, Dr Dan, the lovely Lisa, Jon and Mama Lee in the middle |
Then the summer got really busy. The first thing was the phone call from Papa Dawg telling us that Uncle Paul Garden Gnome had terminal cancer. They said he had only six or eight months. So we booked a trip back to New Jersey for American Thanksgiving with Papa Dawg and Joan of Montague and to say goodbye to Uncle Paul Garden Gnome.
Then we swung right into wedding number two. My daughter Jennifer and her husband Christian were married in Puerto Vallarta nine years ago. They decided to renew their vows in the catholic church this summer. I put on my fire retardant underwear so as not to burst into flames! The ceremony was pretty quick for a catholic thing. The reception was held in a different church hall that had no air conditioning. I was melting so I changed out of my suit and put on shorts and a Hawaiin shirt. My daughter lost her mind. "We haven't finished taking pictures yet. You still have to dance with me!" She said in a voice that made me feel sorry for Christian. It was a really good reception Jennifer had hired a Mariaci band for Christian the DJ was hot but not as hot as that room. As soon as the speeches were done and the DJ was playing. Every one was dancing.... outside on the lawn with the doors open. Christian's Mother and his brother Mario were here from Mexico and a whole flock of McDonalds descended on the west coast from Ontario. I can't find my pictures from Jen's wedding. You will just have to take my word that it happened. Same with Squatchapalisa XV.
The next weekend was Squatchapalisa XV. Fifty pounds of meat was turned on a spit till perfection. Bill Taylor set up a kickass PA and I have to tell you I was in awe of the talent my friends have. The music went late. The potluck dishes were amazing and around 100 like minded souls filled the yard, the house and both decks were filled with peace and love. That's because our party was a 60's theme. Such a good time.
Three weeks later we were in Vegas with our friends Andy and Mary. The highlights were the Collective Soul Concert on Freemont Street. The pool with the shark tank water slide at the Golden Nugget and the Heart Attack Grill.
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| Mary and Andy |
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| The pool and shark tahk at the Golden nugget |
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| The lovely Lisa through the shark tank |
All the times I went to Vegas I would take a picture of the outside of the Heart Attack Grill but we never went in. This time we did. What a blast. Hospital gowns on entry and everything on the menu is bad for you. It was as good a burger as I have ever had. I had a single 1/2 pound of burger. Andy had a double it was as big as his head! The waitresses are all dressed in sexy nurse costumes and if you don't finish your burger you get paddled. There was a line up of guys waiting to get spanked by the cutey pie Nurses! The noise and energy in the place is amazing. When goofy homemade videos of his staff doing burger things aren't playing, they turn down the volume so people can do Kareoke. If you weigh more than 350 pounds you eat for free. You go up on stage onto the giant scale and it shows up in giant numbers above your head. While we were there two 400 pounders got free burgers. I felt tiny at 295!
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| Our little person waitress was a real sweetie |
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| Dinner for four? |
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| See, big as his head |
Our last trip was for Thanksgiving in New Jersey with Papa Dawg and Joan of Montague. Like I said earlier They had given Uncle Paul Garden Gnome 6 - 8 months. He never made it two. We hung out in Montague with Joan and Papa Dawg for a couple of days then drove down to Bergenfeld to see Uncle Pauls kids and his ex wife. We looked at old pictures and talked about old times. I had met Kurt before but was meeting Brett and Opal for the first time. A couple of hours later we were back in Montague for Thanksgiving. Just the four of us and a really big ham. I sat around playing guitar with Papa Dawg for a day or two then we took a bite out of the big apple! Okay, maybe just a nibble..
We were running out of time. We had only two full days left. We drove down to Uncle Charlies place in Bridgewater and got up early to catch the train into Penn Station Cousin Squidly was working so we were left to our own devices. We did all the Christmas windows at Saks and Macy's rode the train out to Flushing Queens for chinese dumplings. Then after Rockefeller Center we met up with Squidly and his girl Julia. We went to a pizza joint that is famous but who's name I can't remember. The pizza was great the conversation was good and Julia was charming. What's she doing with Squidly? lol! I'm kidding. Cousin Squidly is a great kid. Not that he's a kid anymore. He is however still great.
That was the last trip of the year
It's been interesting around here too. The lovely Lisa and I took up Kayaking and with Bro Steve and Michelle with one L we spent many sunny days paddling on the local rivers. We are both looking forward to the spring.
Gramma Lisa has both the Grandkids skiing. We buy them passes and gear up on Cypress Mountain for the last few years. They are both naturals and just love the time they get to spend with Gramma Lisa.
We had visits from a couple of Black Bears and a regular invasion of Raccoons. The hummingbirds were humming and a coyote was hanging around for a week or so.
In sports the Blue Jays were sucking, the Lions played like a bunch of pussies, the Canuckle heads were knuckleheads, The Raptors were the Craptors once they got to the playoffs and the Seahawks went out without a Squawk. What I'm trying to say is find out who I'm supporting and go for the other guys!
Christmas was Christmas. 28 for dinner. After dinner song circle and turkey everything for a week.
I can't even begin to list the Jams and Open Mics I went to, nor would you want me to. I played with some amazing musicians and made some good friends.
And Oh yeah, I found Jesus.......He was at a party in Deep Cove
With a little luck and a lot of love for each other I'm sure that 2018 will be the best year ever!
That's all I've got
Till next time
Peace Out Y'all
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