Second Quarter 2004 Diary
Second Quarter 2004 Diary
04/05/04
This weekend was better than the previous one. Scott is still missing, but I had fun anyway.
I went shopping at the Lakewood Mall Saturday afternoon, and stocked up on panty hose at J.C. Penny's then bought a pair of white shorts, a red sweater, and a black sheath at Robinson-May. The sweater has a deep V-neck that lets me show some cleavage. The sheath turned out to be a little tight even though it was a size 16 which is my dress size now.
I stopped at Ripples after shopping. The band is so great, I don't understand why it doesn't attract a bigger crowd. I stayed for two sets and then went back to the boat for dinner about eight o'clock Dinner was some left over I took home from a prime rib dinner at Tailors Thursday night. I usually order the large cut of steak then save half to take home.
I got to the Observation Bar about ten o'clock, and it was crowded. I sat with my friend Mary. Mary is an ex-Nun that has a thing for James, AKA Elvis. She is very disappointed that they have replaced him with Bands on Saturdays. The Lost Boys was playing again Saturday night. They are OK, but they don't play as many fast dancing numbers as I would like.
. There was a girl that I had met at the SRO in San Diego a while ago, that was there with her Boy Friend. The BF didn't like fast dances so she was my partner for those. I kept active enough that I didn't need to drink very much. Coffee is all that Mary drinks, and I had two martini's and then coffee the rest of the night. I left about one o'clock.
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I did a couple of boat repair jobs from my to-do list Sunday morning.
. Chris, the guitar player who was the lead on the LA Stars when they played at the Observation Bar prior to 9/11 was scheduled to play there Sunday afternoon from two to six o'clock , and I wanted to be there promptly at two, so I had lunch, put on my new red sweater and Wonder Bra to show some cleavage, and got there on time to get a seat at the bar. WHAT A BALL!
. It was Chris and Lisa the girl singer from the band he plays with at Runaway Bay on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He has a KARIOKE type of machine similar to the one James uses to provide the backup music. Chris' voice is similar to Rod Stewart, and Lisa looks and sings great and also plays the Saxophone. My friend from San Diego and her BF were there. Mary came in later, and there was a good crowd of regulars from the days when Chris' LA Stars played there. Everyone was dancing and we all had a great time.
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I had a lot of complements about my "outfit", and Chris told me that he thought I was a "really smooth lady".
I wish they could have stayed there and played longer. I reluctantly went back to the boat. I called Scott to give him a report on the afternoon, and then took a nap. I didn't wake up until about eight o'clock, then started packing and getting ready to go home.
. It was too late to go to Spagittini's for dinner and Jazz, so I decided to have dinner at the Cafe D' Entoile in West Hollywood. The traffic reports said that the 405 Freeway was jammed, so I took the 710, but it was jammed also, so it was almost ten o'clock by the time I got to WeHo. The town was very busy, and my usual parking places were all filled, and the Pavilions Parking Lot had a bitch security guard that told me she would have me towed if I parked there, so I went to a pay lot a couple of blocks from the Cafe D'.
It is so nice to go to a place where everyone knows you, and they are saying "Hi Marianne" , and "nice outfit Marianne" ( I was still wearing my cleavage). I had a very nice sea bass dinner, and then finally found my way home about midnight.
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04/11/04
I needed to be home for Easter today, so I just spent Friday and Saturday in Long Beach. It was kind of a nothing two days.
I had an interesting experience Thursday. I haven’t had a haircut since Zina moved to New Orleans last year, and it was getting pretty scraggly, so I went to Layla’s hair stylist Thursday afternoon. It was my first time in a regular Hair Salon as Marianne. Lani, the Hair Stylist thought it would be a shame to cut my long hair, but agreed to cut about two inches off the back, but taper it down to longer in the front to soften my jaw line. It turned out great, but it’s harder to hide the feminine style when I need to look like a man. My room mate is not pleased.
I went to the boat early Friday, opened it up and then went shopping...I wanted a new black sheath in a little larger size than the one I bought last week, and I need a new purse. I didn’t find the dress, but I did get a new red purse. I wore my own hair all day.
I went to the Observation Bar Friday night. There was suppose to be a new Jazz Band playing there, but they were on a dinner break when I arrived about ten o’clock, and they didn’t show up until after eleven. Almost everyone had left by the time they started playing. Evon had left for the night as well, and his assistant, Jun isn’t as generous with the drinks. I left after one set, and went back to the boat.
. Saturday was foggy and cold, and I spent the day inside watching the Masters golf tournament on TV. I had planned to go to Ripples later, but lost track of time and didn’t think about it until seven o’clock, so I decided to just pack up and go to the Cafe D’ Entoile for dinner, then stop at the Lodge later.
The Cafe was crowded, but I found a seat at the bar. I had a drink and an order of Pasta Pompadoro at the bar. I didn’t know any one there except the staff, so I left after eating, and headed for the Lodge in North Hollywood.
There was a good crowd there already at nine thirty. I haven’t been there in several months. I saw several old friends that asked me where I have been keeping myself. I told them that I had a steady boy friend that keeps me busy, but he is on the disabled list at the present time.
I didn’t want to drink any more alcohol, and the DJ was playing the music that I hate. It’s all a 4/4 loud drum beat and no melody. I left about eleven o’clock and went home
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04/19/04
The Grand Pricks, sorry, I mean the Grand Prix race was this weekend, so it was nutsville. There were so many drunks staggering around that I had to weave the car through them to get out and into the Marina. The race course is about 100 yards from my boat so you can imagine the noise from those race cars. I used to get a General Admission ticket to watch the practice and qualifying runs on Friday before the crowd got there, But this year they were only selling Friday-Saturday Tickets for $30 instead of the $15 Friday only ticket. I don't enjoy the sight of cars whipping past you at 200 MPH enough for two days or three days of that.
I did get to the Marina Friday afternoon though. I fixed by wobbly entry stairs to the Salon, and a few other minor repairs. I did another closet, and storage container purge to make room for new stuff. I had about ten purses that I never use, so I bagged them to give to someone. I brought some summer outfits from home, and checked them out to see if they still fit. One was too big so I bagged that. two other dresses have ties in the back to fit my slim waist, so they are still OK. I especially wanted some of my white shoes on the boat, and I brought several of those down and found a place to store them in the space formerly occupied by the purses.
James King (AKA Elvis) was performing Friday night in the Observation Bar on the Queen Mary. I got there about nine thirty, and got my favorite seat at the bar. There was a good crowd, but only the couples were dancing to the slower tunes. That's one of the times I miss my Scott, (you can probably guess when the other times are. ;-) . There was some single girls there, but no one else was dancing. I tried to start it off like I usually can do, but I couldn't coax anyone out, so I just danced alone and did my exhibitionist thing.
I had a very nice conversation with Evon on the Promenade during his last break of the evening, then went back to the boat.
. It was raining Saturday morning, but the race cars were running anyway, Just not as fast. I wanted to go to the Robinson-May one day sale for the Early Bird specials that ended at one o'clock, and managed to get there a little after noon. I bought a pair of white slacks, a white jacket, and a pair of denim short-shorts. I also found a nice pair of ear rings at 60% off. I went back to the boat for lunch before going to Ripples.
I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend Katt singing at Ripples when I got there. She had the Obsessions' Cal, on the Keyboard, and a tall, handsome Bass player, Kevin as her combo. She said that it's not clear if she will be a regular on Saturdays or not. I like Carolynn and the Obsessions, but I like Katt as well. Both are outstanding. Maybe some alternating or merging of the two would work.
BTW: Katt is the DJ on the KJAZZ radio station 88.1 FM from nine am to one PM on weekdays, as well as being an accomplished Jazz singer.
It was Ripples 25th anniversary, and they had a little Mexican buffet on the patio, so I had my dinner there before heading back to the boat. I had planned to go to the Cafe D' for dinner, and maybe stop at the Lodge before going home that night, but I decided instead to spend the night at the boat, and go to the Observation Bar. I did not want to stay there during Sunday's big race when everything gets crazy, so my plan was to leave before noon.
The Observation Bar was crowded with race fans as well as the usual Mexican Cruise people that stay on the QM over night then go on the Carnival ship that sails on Sunday. Both groups were well into their cups when I got there. I lucked out, and got my usual seat at the bar.
I had been wearing my natural hair all day, and had complements, so I left my wig off that night as well. I realize now that my friends were being nice, and I really didn't look that good. It was OK, but my gray hair makes me look older. Maybe I should have it colored.
The music Saturday night was a Latin duo of Guitar and Drums. they were good to listen to, but you can't dance to it. They did play some popular dance music in the second set, and some girls got on the dance floor, and I joined them for one dance. .
The Nazi son of a Dutch whore from last year was there, and he came over to me when I got off the dance floor and tried to talk to me. Last year he hassled me so bad that I started crying, and Evon kicked him out when he wouldn't stop. I told Evon that he was back and he recognized him. When the asshole came over to me, Evon called him aside and told him to leave me alone, or he would be ejected again. The Bastard went back to his table, which was right behind me. I was so upset on seeing him again that I couldn't stay, so I left and went home to the boat.
I left Long Beach a little after noon. I had to stop at the Robinson-May on my way home to exchange the White slacks I had bought Saturday because it had an ink stain on it. Luckily they still had one pair in my size left. The traffic going home on the I-5 was horrible, and it took me two hours. No Accidents, just too many cars.
Next weekend should be much better. Scott is getting his cast off this week, and hopefully will be able to come to the boat. My friend John from Illinois is coming to town this weekend and is having a birthday party on the QM. Chris and some of the members of the LA Stars Band will be there Sunday afternoon as well. I made a reservation for a cabin on the QM so Scott and I can stay there Sunday night after the party.
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04/27/04
What a weekend! Scott finally was able to get out, and come to the boat, and John's Birthday party on Sunday was a blast!
Scott had his cast off Thursday, but he can't walk on the foot yet. He has a "boot" on the foot and still has to use crutches. He can't drive yet either, so his parents took him to the Simi Valley Amtrak station Saturday morning, and I picked him up at the Union Station in LA.
It was tricky for him to get down the dock and into the boat with crutches, but he made it. I think he was happy to see me after a month apart. Every time I went to the bed room for something, I would hear a THUMP-THUMP-THUMP behind me as Scott was following me, hopping on his good foot with passion in his eyes. I laughed so hard I could hardly speak. I called him Thumper the rest of the day.
We went to Ripples for Jazz a little after five. Katt was singing, accompanied by Louis on the Keyboard. There were only a few people there at five o'clock. I wish I knew how to get a bigger crowd to spend their Saturday afternoons there. The Music is great, the bartender is nice, and the venue is good. There is plenty of parking in the beach lot across the street after five o'clock. I think that Ripples has to do more advertising for the Jazz on Saturday afternoons.
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We had a steak dinner on the boat about eight, then went to the Queen Mary Observation Bar about Ten. James King, AKA Elvis was performing. There was a good crowd there.
The Queen Mary Hotel has been pretty well booked on Saturday nights since the Carnival Cruise Line facility next to the QM was opened. The seven day Mexican Riviera Cruise leaves Sunday, so there are a lot of passengers that come into Long Beach Friday or Saturday, and stay on the ship. It's a short walk to the Cruise Terminal and their baggage is transferred for them..
Scott couldn't dance of course, but I did, and we managed to dance a slow one together. He propped himself against a wall, we embraced, and I just kind of moved my butt around. We couldn't drink too much, because there was still the perilous trip back to the dock and onto the boat, but we had fun.
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John P's Birthday party was scheduled to start at two o'clock Sunday afternoon in the Observation Ban on the QM.
We had a QM Hotel room reservation for Sunday night and checked in about three. I had booked a handicap inside cabin, but the Cabin they assigned was way in the front of the ship, and poor Scott was a basket case by the time he hobbled down there on his crutches, so I called the desk and told them that we needed a cabin near an elevator towards the bow. All they had was a first class cabin for an extra $40, so I told them we would have to take that. It turned out to be one of the best cabins on the ship. Our Cabin, M007 is a model first class cabin. Click here for a Web page that shows it. .
We finally got up to The Observation Bar about four o'clock. There were about a half dozen of John's friends at the bar drinking Champaign, complements of the ship's Sunday Champaign Brunch, and a nice tip that John gave the bartenders. I had a couple glasses of the bubbly, then switched to a Martini, and Scott had some beer.
I guess I need to explain who John is. He used to live and work in the LA Area, and spent a lot of time at the Queen Mary, which is where I and my friends met him. He moved to Illinois a few years ago, but still comes here for business, and he loves to party here. He gets a little wild at times, but he is fun to be around.
By five o'clock the party had grown to about a dozen of us, and we were dancing to Chris and Lisa's music. The live music stopped at six, and John told us that dinner would be in the Promenade Cafe at seven o'clock. Scott and I went to our cabin to freshen up and change our outfits. I knew that everyone else would stay casual, but Scott and I would be coming back to the Observation Bar after dinner, so he put on a white shirt and sport Jacket, and I put on my red dress with the long skirt. We were the last ones to get to the dinner party.
Wine was already on the table, there was no fixed menu, and everyone ordered from the regular restaurant menu. Scott and I had salmon. It was a nice group, with lots of joking, and story telling. I didn't realize until I looked at the pictures that I took that the girl sitting next to Scott was putting the moves on him. One of the other girls had asked me earlier if Scott was my son, and when I told her "no, he is my boy friend", and she said "well you go girl! It's good to see older women with young boy friends". Meow.
The party broke up after dinner. Scott and I went to the Observation Bar for a while then went to our Cabin. I had bought a bottle of Champaign for John, and forgot to give it to him earlier, so I took it to his cabin figuring he could use a night cap. I knocked, and when he opened the door I just handed it to him without a word, and went back to my cabin.
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We didn't get out and about for breakfast until about ten o'clock. We had breakfast in the Promenade Cafe, then packed, left the ship, and went to my boat. We took the boat out for a short trip to pump out the holding tanks, then had lunch. We rested for a while and sat on the back porch. . It was one of the hottest days on record for that date. It was over 100 degrees in the valleys.
We packed up and left the boat about eight. We stopped at the Money Tree in Toluca Lake for dinner, then I took Scott to his home in Simi Valley. I met his mother for the first time. I asked Scott the next day if his mother had commented about me, and he said she hadn't. He had already told her that I was a bit older them him, so she wasn't surprised about that, even though I must have looked like hell after three days of parties.
05/04/04
My wardrobe has been depleted since I have been getting rid of my fat clothes, and I didn't have hardly anything to wear for the hot spell we had last week and weekend. I went shopping Saturday morning, but didn't find anything suitable. I had a couple of light Spanish type skirt and blouse outfits in storage, so I wore the red one Sunday afternoon and the black one Sunday night even though they were a little too big.
Scott took the train from Simi Valley to Glendale Saturday afternoon where I picked him up and we drove to Long Beach. We had a drink on the boat then we went to Ripples to listen to Katt sing Jazz for a couple of hours.
I grilled a salmon for dinner on the boat. We had planned to go to the Observation Bar after dinner, but I realized that I had a little too much to drink to do any driving, and Scott couldn't drive with his bad foot, so we stayed on the boat and went to bed early.
Sunday morning Scott noticed that the fresh water pump was operating too often, and we found that a fitting on the water heater was leaking, so we spent the morning fixing that.
Chris and Lisa was performing at the Observation Bar Sunday afternoon, so I put on my red outfit and we drove over to the Queen Mary to spend some time there. I danced and Scott took pictures. It was fun
It cooled off a bit at night and there was a pleasant balmy ocean breeze, so we decided to stay on the boat Sunday night, and go home Monday afternoon. We had dinner at the Yardhouse Restaurant in the Shoreline Marina Village.
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Monday morning we slept in, and had a late breakfast, so it was pretty late in the afternoon by the time we got all packed up and ready to go. Our original plan was to have lunch at the Cafe D' Entoile, but we were so late that I just drove Scott home to Simi Valley, and came home in time for dinner.
05/10/04
Scott and I went to the boat Friday, and went home Saturday night. Both of us needed to be home Sunday for Mothers Day. Scott would be going to dinner with his mother. My daughters would be doing things for their mother Saturday and Sunday, but I had the duty to cook dinner Sunday night.
Scott took the Amtrak from Simi Valley to Glendale where I picked him up and drove to Long Beach. His foot was feeling good enough for him to wear a shoe instead of the support boot, and he was able to walk on it a little. He was depressed because his Doctor said that there seems to be a growth on the bad foot that could be a tumor, and he will need a MRI to take a better look at it.
Friday afternoon we took the boat out for a little spin, then just relaxed in the sun. We had dinner at the reef. The Matri D' asked where we had been, and told us he had missed seeing us there. It’s nice to be missed.
We went to the Observation Bar after dinner. The Lost Boys Band was playing. There was a good group. Scott was able to stand enough to dance with me for a little while. We left fairly early though, because we were both tired.
The plan for Saturday was to do laundry, go shopping, go to Ripples, have dinner at the Money Tree, then go to the Lodge before driving Scott home. We slept late and didn't have breakfast until ten o'clock, so by the time I got two loads of laundry done it was time for lunch, and we decided to skip the shopping trip. I have to get shopping for spring and summer outfits.
Katt was singing, with Louis on the Keyboard at Ripples. We stayed for a set, then went back to the boat to pack up to leave, and go to dinner in Toluca Lake.
We got to the Money Tree about eight thirty. We had a Salmon dinner, and listened to some Jazz, before going to the Lodge.
There wasn't many people at the Lodge when we got there at ten o'clock, but some of my favorite girl friends were there. We staked out a table on the wall, had a drink and visited. The place was pretty packed by the time we had our second drink. It was Scott's first time there and he was impressed with the place, the people, and the party atmosphere.
We left about midnight. I took Scott to Simi Valley, then drove home.
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05/17/04
It was a nice three day weekend.
I picked Scott up at the Glendale Amtrak Station Friday at noon, and we drove to the Lakewood Mall for lunch and to do some shopping. Scott doesn't need the crutches any more, but his foot still bothers him, and has a problem walking any distance, so we checked out a wheel Chair at the mall so he could get around easier.
We had lunch in the Mall food court, and then went to the Robinson -May store to see what they had for their Spring sale. I needed a new skirt and some tops to go with it, and I found a nice black and white skirt on sale. I bought one black, and two white tops to go with it. While I was searching for tops, I found a black sheath in my size that went with the Karen Scott jacket that I had, and I bought that too. I turned out to be a good shopping trip, because all five pieces cost me less than $100.
We got to the boat about four o'clock, and I stowed all the food and party stuff that I had brought from home, then we relaxed with a cocktail. I cooked a dinner of filet mignon steak, baked potato and BBQ beans.
I dressed in the skirt and black top that I had bought earlier, and we went to the Observation Bar on the Queen Mary. James King was doing his Elvis thing in the bar. I danced some of the slow ones with Scott and boogied alone to the others. We had a good time, and didn't drink too much. I had two Martinis, and Scott had two beers. we left a little after midnight, and had our night cap on the boat.
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The plan for Saturday was to do some boat repair, then go to Ripples around five o'clock. The anchor winch switch had corroded, and needed to be replaced. When we checked the power wires to the switch we found that there was no voltage, so we needed to trace the wires back to their source. It first looked like the wires went to the bridge. I took all my clothes out of the closet so I could remove the cable cover to the bridge. The winch wires weren't there, so I put the cover back with great difficulty and swearing.
After my swearing at the stubborn wire cover had died down, Scott noticed that the main bilge pump was running continuously. We had lunch then opened the cabin flooring to get at the Pump, and saw that the pump switch needed to be replaced, so we did that. By this time it was almost five o'clock, and we needed to get cleaned up to go to Ripples.
We parked in the beach lot across the street from Ripples, and could hear Katt singing from there. What a voice! Brian, the bar tender brought us our usual drinks as soon as we sat down (Brian likes Scott ;-)). Sierra Nevada Beer for Scott and a Gin Martini for me. We stayed for a set, had a couple drinks then went back to the boat for dinner.
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I made spaghetti for dinner. That's one of Scott's favorite foods.
It was cool enough to wear a jacket, so I wore my new sheath dress and jacket to the Observation Bar Saturday night. James (AKA Elvis) was performing again. The bar was full, but we found a table close enough to see the dance floor. It was a lively crowd, and I had plenty of single girls to dance with when James did Mustang Sally and other fast songs. Scott was able to do some of the slow dances with me.
Both of us were pretty tired after a full day of working on the boat, and all the drinks were starting to get to me, so we left about midnight. I was so tired that I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.
We were both feeling horny Sunday morning, and it was almost ten o'clock by the time we took care of that and had breakfast.
We went to the Marine store for head treatment, and stopped to get some gas so we could take the boat out that morning. I get ten gallons of gas for the boat at a service stations when I can. Fuel at the boat gas dock is fifty cents higher, so I save $5.
When we had the engine hatches open to check fluids before taking it out, I looked for the elusive Anchor winch wires, and spotted a wire that looked like it might be it. The wire was connected to the battery supply to the Port engine which comes from the Main battery switch. We turned the power on, and Scott checked the Winch switch. The power was there! That's the second time we have thought there was a circuit problem that turned out to be just a switch that needed to be on! The electrical system on my boat was modified by the previous owner, and there are no schematics for the changes that were made. I realized that the engines were running every time I had used the winch in the past, so that is why it hadn't occurred to me that the engine battery switch was involved.
We took the boat out for a little run, then got cleaned up to go to the Observation Bar for Sunday afternoon music by Chris and Lisa. They play from two to six every Sunday. We arrived about four, and stayed until they quit at six. It is a nice relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. BTW, I look a little different, because I am not wearing my usual hair. I decide to go all natural Sunday afternoon and evening.
I needed to get home at a decent hour Sunday night, and I had to take Scott home, so the plan was to stop somewhere for dinner on the way to Simi Valley. We packed up, closed the boat and were on our way by eight o'clock. Scott is into KARIOKE, and had never been to Paolis, so I thought that would be a good place for dinner. He loved it, and he would have stayed singing all night. It was well after ten by the time we left, and he managed to get three or four songs in.
I took Scott home and got myself home before midnight.
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05/25/04
The Long Beach Pride Festival was last weekend. There was some good entertainment, and we had fun..
I picked Scott up at the Van Nuys fly away parking lot Saturday morning, and we went straight to the boat. Access and parking in the Marina was a little complicated, so we just stayed there the whole weekend.
We cleaned the boat after lunch, then went to the festival. Scott still has a sore foot, and moves rather slowly, so we stayed close to the entry gate that afternoon. The main stage and the country western stages are there
I cooked some catfish, red beans and rice for dinner, and we went back to the festival. This time I drove the car to the other end of the parking lot near an entrance to the festival grounds so we could check out the dance tent that was there. I danced a little, and Scott was hit on by a very drunk lady that asked him if I was his mother :-( . We went back to the boat a little before the ten o'clock closing time, and finished the night with cocktails on the fan tail.
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I had my usual Pride Festival open house and invited friends to drop by. The parade was scheduled on Sunday for eleven thirty, and I expected Valerie and her friends about then. They arrived at the gate about noon, and we all had some beer and a nice visit. later, I drove the one block down the parking lot to the handicap gate near the main stage, so Scott wouldn't have so far to walk.
We went to the section of the festival across Shoreline Drive where they had a KARIOKE tent and the coffee tent. Scott sang at the KARIOKE. The Coffee tent had chairs set up so you can relax and we listened to a very good girls band.
We went to the Dance tent next. It was crazy! There were a lot of very drunk people having fun. I danced with several of them. Scott took pictures and kept his eye on me.
We went back to the boat for a rest and dinner. After dinner we spent some time in the Country Western tent watching the line dancers, then went to the Main Stage where we just missed The main performer for the evening, Sheena Easton. We stayed for a little while longer than went back to the boat. We were both so beat that we fell asleep as soon as we got into bed.
Monday morning, we repaired the anchor winch, then ran the boat for a little while to lubricate the engines. We packed up and left about one o'clock, and went to the Cafe D' Etoile in West Hollywood for lunch. I got Scott back to his car in Van Nuys about four o'clock and went home.
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06/01/04
The monthly Marina bulletin said that no guest parking passes would be issued on Memorial Day weekend due to the large number of boat owners that were expected, so I told the guests that I had invited to my Sunday boat party that they would have to park in the pay area of the Marina. When I arrived Saturday morning I found that the ticket machines for the pay parking were not operating. There was also a Jehovah Witness convention across the street and the Marina green was being used as an overflow parking lot for them. One of my dock neighbors told me that they were issuing one guest pass per boat, so I went to the Marina Office to get a pass, but they wouldn't give me one without my boat owners ID.
Scott arrived soon after I did, and parked with my spare owners pass. We had lunch and cleaned the boat, then went to Ripples for some of Katt's Jazz. She was accompanied by Louis on the keyboard, and also had a guitar player. Katt was great as usual, and we had fun.
I BBQ'd some steaks for dinner, then we went to the Observation Bar on the Queen Mary. We thought it was going to be the Lost Boys Band for dancing, but it turned out to be a Spanish duo playing Guitar and Drums. They are interesting to listen to, but neither of us could dance to the music they played. We would have left and gone to the Lodge or someplace where there was danceable music, but I don't like driving on Holiday weekends when the DUI road blocks are being used. We stayed at the Observation Bar until midnight then went home to the boat.
Sunday morning we started preparing for the guests that were to start arriving for the party at one o'clock. I took the boat to the fuel dock where I filled the main tank and added some to the auxiliary tank. BTW; Gas at the dock is $2.99/gallon with the Vessel Assist discount. It has always been about fifty cents higher than regular gas stations. I get 10 gallons in Jerry cans from car pumps for the boat when I can.
My guests started arriving soon after one o'clock. There was Valerie, Sherryl and Michael, Naomi and Ted, Ruby, Scott, and Katt and her friend Bradley from Ripples. It was a great group!
The plan was to go for a little harbor tour on the boat about four o'clock, so I started serving hamburgers and sandwiches as the guests arrived. Everyone got aquatinted, and the conversation was lively. Having a nice mix of people of differing occupations and sexual and/or gender orientation really contributed to making it very interesting.
We left the dock at four and I headed for Alamitos bay for a tour of the nice homes along the water front in Naples and Belmont Shore. Everything went well until I got into the harbor . The starboard engine quit again. How embarrassing! It always seems to want to do that when I have guests on board, and when we are going very slow in a no-wake zone. I turned the boat around to leave the area on my good port engine. Scott took the helm and I went to the engine compartment to see if I could get the starboard engine started again. Sometimes it will start if I shoot some carburetor cleaner into it, but that didn't help. Ted suggested that the engine might be flooded and to not pump any more gas into it. We tried that and it worked. With a sigh of relief we headed back to the Marina and our dock, and got back with no further problems. I don't know how many times I have had the mechanic down to check those engines and they never find anything wrong. Their only advice is to run the boat more. I would love to do that, but I can't afford too many outings at one gallon per mile and three dollars per gallon.
I had a martini after we were safely tied to the dock. Everyone had a few more drinks and some food. The last guest left around eight o'clock, and Scott and I had a hamburger and cleaned up the party stuff a bit.
We were ready to call it a night when Evon, my bartender friend from the Observation bar called and asked if he could stop by after work. I told him of course he could and he was there in about twenty minutes. We sat on the back porch and talked for a while, then he left about midnight and we finally went to bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, It had been a long, eventful, and fun day. .
Monday morning we had breakfast then closed the boat and left about nine o'clock. I had to be home Monday morning because one of my daughters and her family was coming to watch the Memorial day parade and I was on duty to make lunch.
BTW; most of the pictures I took on the boat are out of focus. I only ended up with three that are worth publishing. The camera was either in the wrong mode, or I was not holding it steady due to the boat motion. I don't think it was because the captain was drinking. I apologize for not getting good pictures of all my friends.
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06/07/04
I was in a funky mood all last week. Nothing seemed to go right, and I was arguing with my medical insurance people, my room mate, and my doctor. By the end of the week I needed a change of scenery, but I didn't have the ambition to go anywhere. Finally I decided Saturday morning that I would go to San Diego for the Girls Night Out at the SRO Lounge.
I called Scott and told him what I wanted to do, and we decided to meet at the boat because I needed to pack some of my stuff there. Scott wanted to take the Amtrak Surf Liner down, but I wanted to drive, because I didn't know where I could catch the train and safely leave my car.. I got to the boat about an hour before he did, but it took me another hour after he got there to get ready. We started at one o'clock and got to our motel in Old town at three.
We went to Little Italy for dinner after relaxing for a while in our room with drinks from the cooler I brought. I stuffed my self with an outrageously large Lasagna, then went back to the room for a nap, and to get ready for the SRO.
We took a cab to the Lounge and got there about nine o'clock. We were there early, but there were a few girls there. We got the last two seats at the bar. The SRO Serves a wicked double martini and I had two doubles, then I took a rest with diet cokes.
My camera auto focus wasn't working right, and I tried several different settings, but the pictures were still fuzzy. I figured that it was a mechanical failure with some missing gear teeth on the focus servo, so I tried using the zoom to get past the bad spot, and was able to get a few good shots.
We had a good time and stayed until last call. The bar tender complemented me on my patience while waiting to be served, and made me a free double double for a night cap, and he called a cab for us. We waited outside for the cab, and I realized that I was very drunk so I propped myself against the building. Scott helped me into the cab, and up the stairs to our room when we got back to the Motel. I started laughing when we got into the room and actually fell off the bed when I tried to get my cloths off. Scott helped me get undressed and into bed.
Checkout time at the motel was eleven o'clock and we just made it by the time we were able to get up, showered, packed, and get my makeup on. There was a Marathon in progress that ran right past the Motel. It took us a while to get out of the area, and find somewhere to have breakfast. I was very hung over, so Scott drove us back to Long Beach.
We unpacked when we got back to the boat, then drove to the Queen Mary to listen to Chris and Lisa in the Observation Bar. I pulled up to the hotel entrance to leave Scott off while I found a parking place. There was one security person at the entrance. He asked us where we were going and Scott told him the Observation Bar. He asked us if we had a ticket, and I said we don't need a ticket to go to the Observation Bar. He said that we did, because the Observation Bar is part of the Museum! I told him I wanted to talk to his Supervisor. He just stood there in my car door and said we needed a ticket. Scott told him that we have been coming there for years and never needed a ticket to get into the Observation Bar, or the restaurants. Scott also wanted to exchange a DVD he bought in one of the ships gift shops, and told the kid that he needed to do that. Then he let Scott get out of the car and go up the elevator.
.I drove to a parking place and walked back to the entrance. I started for the elevators and the kid asked me if I was going to the Observation Bar. I said yes, and he said you can't go there without a ticket. With that I lost it! I yelled at him "you better get someone down here that knows what the hell he is doing". The elevator arrived as the kid was dialing the phone. I got in and went up to the Promenade Deck, got Scott out of the shop and we went into the Observation Bar. I told Evon what had happened, and said you don't have anyone here in the Bar because the stupid Security is turning people away! Evon called Tim the Manager and told him what had happened, and what I said about the small number of people there. Evon bought us a drink and we sat down waiting for the Security people to come in and eject us. No one ever came!
BTW: I never did find out what ticket we were suppose to have. The tickets for the tour are sold on the Promenade Deck, and you have to go where we went to get one.
We were able to relax after a while and enjoyed the music. We danced the slow ones I danced the fast ones and our friend Mary, who is also a regular danced using Scott's cane as a baton.
We had a good time until Chris and Lisa quit at six o'clock. Scott took Mary out to the fore deck to show her some of the machinery, and so we would be there when the six o'clock ships horn goes off right near you. What a blast!
We went down the hall to the Promenade Cafe for dinner. and Scott and I had an excellent blackened Salmon. Mary had a vegetable plate.
We left the ship after dinner and went back to the boat to clean up a few loose ends, then went home.
I managed to get a few pictures that were in focus during the weekend, but had to delete most of the others. I sent the camera back to the Canon Repair Facility in Illinois, so I'm back to a film camera for a couple of weeks.
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06/15/04
It was a nice weekend with friends.
I got to the boat Friday morning and did the swabbing and cleaning up the mess we left last week. Scott arrived after a miserable three hour Friday afternoon drive. I revived him with a cold one, and some TLC. We did s little boat maintenance then just relaxed for a while.
I made a dinner of steaks and fries, then got dressed to go to the Madison for desert and to listen to the Jazz Band that was suppose to be there. The band had been let go a week ago and all they had was a piano playing dinner music. We had a drink and left.
The Sky Room is only a couple of blocks from the Madison. I called them to find out if they had a band and they said they did, so we decided to go there. The Sky Room is at the top of the old Breakers Hotel, which is now condo's for the rich elderly. It is very upscale and they are very security conscious. You need to get past the doorman, then the elevator operators take you to the top with no stops at any of the condo floors. It helps if you have a reservation, even for the bar. I had given them my name when I called, so we were seated at the bar with no problem. The Jazz band was very good and played some music that Scott and I were able to dance to. We stayed until they closed at midnight.
Saturday morning we checked the fuel filters on the starboard engine that we had problems with a couple of weeks ago, and they looked fine. We took the boat out for a little test run, and the starboard engine ran fine, but the port engine is still a little sluggish.
Ruby called when we got back and asked us to join her for a drink at the Outback Steak House near the Marina. I was expecting Naomi and Ted to be coming down to go with us to Ripples later, so I called Naomi to find out when she thought she would arrive. It sounded like it would take about another hour for them to get there so Scott and I went over to see Ruby. We were only there for a half hour when Naomi called me to say she was in the boat Parking lot, so we hustled back there.
We went to Ripples to listen to Katt's Jazz. We had a great time and stayed until she quit at eight. We went to Buster's Long Board Restaurant in the Alamitos Marina for dinner. The food was good. There was a band playing in the bar room, and it was packed. Normally there is a cover charge, but they had stopped charging by the time we finished dinner, and we went in there for a while. There is a small dance floor that was full, so I just danced a little where we were standing. I had left my car with the Valet, and he came into the Bar room to announce that anyone that had their car in the Valet lot should pick up their keys, so I did that and we left.
It was hard crawling out of bed Sunday morning. Breakfast was about ten o'clock. The plan for the day was to go to the inaugural Mama's Boys Blues at the dock party that will be every Sunday afternoon from one to six.
Ruby got to the marina about one thirty and we drove to the Alamitos marina. The blues party is held on the Star line boat that has the Blues cruises. The difference was that the boat wasn't going to leave the dock, and it was free. they make their money on Drinks, food and tips. Food is do it yourself on a grill. They sell the hamburger and hot dog makings.
There were a lot of the old Blues Cafe crowd there. One of them was Bernard Hubert who was the Executive Chef at Sir Winstons on the QM. He said that he and three top Queen Mary Executives had been laid off as part of a restructuring and cost cutting plan. I told him of my experience last Sunday with the security keeping customers out of the Observation Bar, and they are going broke if that is part of their plan.
.We went next door to Busters for a little lunch after the first break, Then came back and stayed until the Mama's Boys quit at six o'clock. I danced a little with Scott, then a very drunk lady grabbed him and tried dancing with him. He managed to break free, and the boat people escorted the drunk off the boat. It was funny.
I made a spaghetti dinner for us when we got back to the boat, then we packed up and went home
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 at Ripples Saturday |
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06/29/04
Sorry that I have been silent for a couple of weeks. My room mate had foot surgery on the 18th, and I have been her nurse and go-fer, so I didn't get out at all the weekend of the 19th. I was able to spend last weekend on the boat because one of my daughters did the duty.
I managed to get out the night of the 16th for Jennifer Leitham's trio at Spazios. I took some pictures but didn't get them developed until yesterday, so I am late reporting about that night also. My digital camera is at the Canon Factory repair facility in Illinois. I have been trying to contact someone there since last week to find out why they want to charge me $150 to fix it when it's on warranty. I don't think I will ever buy another Canon digital camera again.
Anyway, enough crabbing. I had a birthday yesterday, and I had fun celebrating last weekend.
Jennifer's performance at Spazios was outstanding! She was all aglow because she had just returned from a Jazz Festival in Kansas where she was the Headliner and was treated royally there. Scott and I had a nice dinner. Naomi and Ted joined us for desert and to enjoy Jennifer. We stayed for two sets, and Jennifer joined us during the first break to tell us about her experience in Kansas.
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My youngest daughter gave me a birthday gift of taking over the nursing duty so I could enjoy the weekend on the boat. Scott had the weekend off as well so we enjoyed it together.
We went to Ripples Saturday afternoon to hear Katt sing. She was great! She had her keyboard player accompanying her. I think his name is Otto, but I am not sure. we left Ripples about six o'clock, because we had dinner reservations for Sir Winstons on the Queen Mary at eight o'clock, and wanted to get there about seven thirty to spend some time in the Sir Winstons Bar.
I did some cosmetic repair, and changed my outfit and hair. We arrived at Sir Winstons on time and checked in with the Hostess. I told her we wanted a window table, and we would be waiting in the bar until one was ready. I haven't been to the Sir Winstons Bar since the night I first met Scott last October. Alan, the bartender filled me in on what has changed since then. There is new management, a new Executive Chef, (my friend Bernard Hubert was let go), and the menu and presentation was changed.
I ordered their signature special, the Swordfish, and Scott had the Chicken. Prior to the change in management, the waiters would serve the entrees covered, then lifted the covers on all the plates at the table simultaneously, but now they just bring your plate when its ready. It's not a special presentation anymore. The fish was good, but the side dishes were a little under cooked. They still have the sorbet after the appetizer, and the chocolate covered strawberries after the entree, and the view of the Harbor is spectacular. I think it is still a good restaurant, but I don't think its the best in Long Beach any more. It's no longer "special".
We went to the Observation Bar after dinner. They had a guitar player with electronic backup. There were a lot of people dancing to his country style playing and singing. There was a Cajun Festival in the events park next to the Queen Mary, and I think many of the dancers were from that group.
We danced a few dances, but I wasn't feeling all that great so we left. You know that I am not feeling good when I have only one Martini and leave while there is danceable music.
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I had a rough night. I couldn't sleep. I had acid reflux, sweats and upset stomach. I don't know if it was the fish at Sir Winstons, or the four glasses of wine and the two Martinis I had during the day. I wasn't feeling very good Sunday morning. I had a little breakfast and felt better but I still didn't feel like going to the Mama's Boys "Dock and Rock" gig at the Alamitos Marina Sunday afternoon.
Ruby called about noon to see if I was going to the Mama's Boys thing, and I agreed reluctantly. She came to the boat about one o'clock, and we drove over to Alamitos. Ruby went to the Dock where the band was playing on the Star Cruise boat, and Scott and I went to Busters for some lunch. I felt better after some food, and we joined Ruby.
There were a lot of old Blues Cafe regulars at the party. Debra, Stacey, and Gina all greeted me with a hug, and I danced with them. I managed to have a couple of drinks without getting sick, and felt better when we left at Five, but I was too tired to stay any later.
We made some stops for groceries on the way back to the boat, and I BBQ'd some steak for dinner. We rested for a while then went home.
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