First things first, I called the east coast to wish my dad a Happy Birthday a day late only to find out that Delaware was in the middle of a snow storm and since he couldn't do anything anyway and it was dark and dreary,,,,well, he was still in bed! It was time for me to get this week started so I'll try later tonight.
Today the decorating started for the luau we'll have this coming Saturday.
It's starting to come together,,,,just starting though, a long way to go.
And the ladies in the park continue to make the tissue flowers.
The doors opened at 4:30 and at precisely five o'clock we served a spaghetti dinner to over 100 people. This was a sit down dinner and we served everyone at their seats. We had candles lit that were stuck into wine bottles and red table cloths and the tables were scattered every which way around the room. We call this restaurant style now. No more straight rows of tables like a cafeteria. The residents really seem to enjoy this and they love being served at their tables! We've gotten so good at this now that it doesn't take us long at all to get everyone served their meals.
A half hour into the dinner Johnny Bencomo took to the stage.
Johnny comes from Tombstone and I had been hearing his name a lot lately so I called the other resorts to get a number for him. He told me his very, very reasonable rate and when I asked him how long of a show that would get me he answered this way, "Snookie, as long as I'm playing, they'll stay." That didn't really answer my question but I went with it.
Johnny plays an eighteen string guitar! He has a play list of 797 songs and can sound like anyone he wants to. To say he was fantastic would be an understatement. Not only does he play this guitar like nobody's business, for each song he tells the story behind it. Why it was written, who it was written for. Some of stories just kept you on the edge of your seat, he's a great story teller!
Now keep in mind that the winter residents have been seated in some type of Medieval torture contraption metal folding chairs since 4:30. At 7:30 (!) the first one got out of his chair! I was standing in the back of the room with Jeannie and said, "Look Jeannie, its like they are under a spell, like they are mesmerized, they haven't moved out of their chairs!" And they didn't. Not until 8 - 8:15 did people start getting up and walking around, leaning up against the wall for a while, sitting back down with a groan. At 8:30 they just couldn't take anymore and started leaving. At nine there were 32 of us left and we didn't want it to end but our butts just couldn't take anymore. We finally called it a night.
I asked this wizard of the guitar if he would come back next year and he assured me he would love to. He said we are a great audience and he enjoyed himself. We agreed that he would come in on a Sunday afternoon around 2 and would play until 6 when we'll take a break for a pizza party and then he'll play into the night. Of course everyone will be instructed to bring their own lawn chairs and coolers. He said he'll bring his motor home so that he won't have to drive back to Tombstone. Yep, Johnny Bencomo will be back in Quail Run next year! And we can't wait!
By the time I got home it was after midnight on the east coast, so still no Happy Birthday to my dad.
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