Diary for third qtr 2005
Diary for third qtr 2005
07/05/05 Diary
A lot of the same this weekend. Friday night at Busters, Saturday night at the Observation Bar, Sunday afternoon at Chris and Lisa on the queen Mary, Sunday night at Hamburger Marys (now called Choices), home Monday afternoon.
Scott was able to take an afternoon Amtrak train from Simi Valley and arrived in Long Beach early enough for us to have dinner on the boat before going to Busters. Busters was packed as usual, so we had to sit at the bar until a table was available. We had fun though.
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We went to the Marine store for some supplies Saturday morning, then did some boat cleanup. I never did get around to replacing the corroded railing parts that I had planned.
Saturday night we went to the Observation Bar. Our friends from Arcadia were there, and invited us to join them. Most of the regular James King followers were there as well. I did a lot of dancing. We left about midnight.
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Sunday was our usual afternoon at the Observation Bar with Chris and Lisa. Our friend from Illinois, John and his girl friend Beata were staying at the QM and were also in the OB. We had a ball, and toasted the queen when she blew her horn at six o’clock.
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We were a little late getting to Hamburger Marys. Their name was changed to Choices because they are no longer a Hamburger Marys Franchise. I hope that means that their food will improve.
We had to wait an hour before Scott could sing. He sang a patriotic song and the whole room joined in. I stuck a flag in my bra and held it so everyone could salute it. It was going to be a long wait before Scott would be able to sing again, so we left early.
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John P and Beata came over Monday morning. We had a bloody Mary and then went for a little cruise around the Harbor.
I had to get home for a BBQ that afternoon, so I drove Scott to the Union Station to catch the Amtrak train back to Simi Valley, and I went home.
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07/12/05 Diary
We went to our first Blues Cruise of the year Friday night, and it was a ball. I saw a few of my friends from last year, but Ruby was missing. I haven’t seen her in quite a while. The band was as good as ever, and they all welcomed me back.
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We spent most of Saturday cleaning the boat. The Canvas had been removed by the people who are replacing it, so the boat looked pretty naked. The top should be back on this week.
We met Michelle at the Observation Bar Saturday night. James King was doing Elvis, so all of the regulars were there. We had fun dancing, and talking, and drinking.
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Sunday afternoon was our usual trip to listen, and dance to Chris and Lisa. Michelle joined us there later. There was a couple of guys there that I haven’t seen before that Danced with Michelle quite a bit. Lisa seemed to know the one named Dan. He acted nuts, but Michelle handled the situation well.
Katt and some of the cast of the play they presenting on the QM came into the Observation Bar later, and we had a ball dancing. Katt sang a couple of songs with Chris and Lisa providing the accompaniment. Scott and I are going to go see their play this next Sunday.
There was an event in the Queen Mary park that finished at the same time as when we left, so there was a jam of people trying to get out. It took us a half hour to clear the gate, so we decided to have dinner at the Reef. We split a Prime Rib dinner which was delicious and the best deal in town.
We packed up the boat and left for home about nine o’clock, which was late for Scott when he has to be up at five on a school day.
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07/19/05 Diary
It was a rather quiet weekend, but we got a lot done on the boat. The tops had been installed on the upper and stern decks by the Canvas company by Friday when I got there.
I made a light dinner when Scott arrived Friday night, then we went to Busters.
Busters was busy but we found a table near the band right in front. I had one Martini, then switched to a virgin strawberry drink. Scott had his usual Sam Adams. We danced some, and had a good time, but I was tired and so we left during the Bands first break. We got back to the boat before midnight.
Saturday was a work day. The bases for the bridge railing were coming apart from corrosion. The bases were made from chromed zinc, and I wanted to replace them with stainless fittings. We managed to get that done fairly quickly, then did the same thing to the fittings on the port main deck rail. The jobs took most of the day.
We were both kind of tired after dinner, so we decided to not go out Saturday night. Scott had brought a DVD of the movie Titanic, and I wanted to watch it again, so that's what we did. Drank wine, watched Titanic, and I cried at the appropriate times, and had more wine. We got to bed after midnight.
Scott wanted to practice taking the boat in and out of the slip while we still had a whole double slip to our selves, so thats what we did Sunday morning. He did well but needs more practice.
We decided to go to the Blue Cafe for lunch and the Mama's Boys as a change from the Observation Bar Sunday afternoon.
The Blue Cafe was jammed with bikers. There must have been one hundred bikes lined up on the promenade in front of the place, and nowhere to sit on the patio or the inside tables near the front door. We found a table in the back of the room, and had lunch.
There was still nowhere to sit on the patio after lunch, so we went upstairs and played some pool. I won one game and Scott won one. Neither of us were very sharp with the sticks, but it was fun.
We found a couple of seats on the patio when we went downstairs. I was able to exhibit myself dancing in front of the band for a while, then went back to the boat for a nap and dinner.
I made some Goulash for dinner, then we packed up and Scott drove my car to the Fly away lot where he got his car and we went to our respective homes.
07/28/05 Diary
It was a Busters Weekend.
Scott’s Mother’s Birthday was Friday and he stayed home for that, but Michelle was able to get out. She picked me up and we went to the Observation Bar. There was a keyboard and a singer doing soft Jazz. They were OK, but too slow and too soft for my taste, so we left after one drink.
We went to Busters and were able to get a table fairly close to the band. We had a good time and danced a bit without getting hit on by any drunks or anything. We stayed until their midnight break.
Scott came down Saturday.
We got to Busters a little late Saturday night so we had to sit in the back of the bar until the band took a break, then we moved up to a good seat for the rest of the night. The band was great, and did all our favorite songs. We danced until they took their last break. I was really tired so we went home to the boat.
Sunday was a work day. Scot sanded and painted the white woodwork on the bridge deck, and I did the bottom of the dingy with antifouling paint.
I will be moving the boat to a temporary slip next week while they install a new dock where I am now. My dingy is on a float now but I don’t know if I will be able to keep it in the temporary slip, or my new slip, so I may have to just keep the dingy in the water.
We went home Sunday night.
Tuesday is KARIOKE night at the Lodge and we planed to go there, but our friend Naomi told us that she was going to the Moon Shadows for KARIOKE Tuesday night instead, so we went there.
Boot’s who used to run the KARIOKE at the old Queen Mary Club does the KARIOKE at Moon Shadows. We had a good time, and it wasn’t as crowded as the Lodge, so Scott and Naomi were able to sing quite a bit.
08/04/05 Diary
Party, party, party. The Blues Cruise Friday, Robins Victory party Saturday, then Chris and Lisa with Katt and her troupe Sunday. We moved the boat to the temporary dock Monday, and finally headed home Tuesday. Wednesday was a get well day.
I had decided Thursday to go to the Blues Cruise, and sent an e-mail to the Mama's Boys to reserve two tickets. When we got there at seven thirty Friday, there were no tickets available. It was a full boat. Luckily there was a lady that had some tickets that she couldn't use, so we got those and got abort just in time.
My old friend Ruby was abroad. I haven't seen her for almost a year. we had a pleasant exchange of hello’s, but didn't talk again for the rest of the voyage.
We had a good time, and the weather was perfect.
Robyn's party celebrating the successful completion of her GRS was Saturday night. I spent Saturday afternoon making a double pot of my World Famous Chili which would be enough for twenty five helpings. Robyn had sent us directions to her place in Huntington Beach, but we decided to go down the Pacific Coast Highway instead of the Freeway route on the directions, so we called to get revised directions, and had no problem finding her house, but were a little late.
The house and patio were filled with Robyn's friends. Everyone was delightful, and beautiful. I was dressed casual in shorts because it was warm. I had brought a bottle of Champagne and I sucked on that which was fine until it suddenly hit me and I got wasted just as we were ready to leave. Luckily Scott hadn't had too much to drink so he was able to drive us home safely.
The only down side to the evening was that my camera quit on me after three shots, so I don't have any good pictures. I was able to get a couple of pictures from the others that were taking pictures. What was also frustrating was that the Camera started working again Sunday.
I had a Champaign hangover Sunday morning. We went to the Observation Bar Sunday afternoon to get well. Chris and Lisa were playing their wonderful music as always.
We were surprised when Katt and the rest of the cast of Androceles and the Lion came into the room after their afternoon performance. Katt is always fun, and the other members of the cast are delightful.
We did our salute to the Queen when she did her six o'clock horn, then went back to the boat. Katt rode back to the boat with us. I made a steak dinner for the three of us. We took her home then stopped at Choices (formerly Hamburger Marys) for a short time.
We moved the boat to our new temporary dock Monday morning, then spent the rest of the day trying to get things straitened out, and did some Laundry. WE had dinner at the Reef And went back to the boat to watch a movie.
Tuesday, we drove to the Fly Away Lot to get Scott’s car, then we had lunch at the Aero Squadron and went home.
08/09/05 Diary
It was a short weekend. Scott is driving bus for the Ventura County Fair, and wasn't able to get to Long Beach until Saturday noon, and had to leave early Sunday evening. I stayed until Monday afternoon.
The boat is in a temporary slip next to the Work Yard where they are preparing the new concrete docks. It is not a very pleasant view, and it is noisy when they start the machinery.
We went to the Observation Bar Saturday night. The LA Lions were playing. They did a better job playing a few slow songs so Scott and I could dance. There was a nice crowd there. We had a good time.
We spent our usual Sunday afternoon listening and dancing to Chris and Lisa on the QM.
I made Spaghetti for dinner. I took Scott to the Transit Mall for his train, then went back to the boat for the evening.
08/18/05 Diary
It was a Saturday to Tuesday weekend, with a few pleasant new experiences.
Scott called the Observation Bar hen we were trying to decide where to go Saturday night, they said that it was going to be Jimmy something and Long Shot. We thought it was the Keyboard and Singer duo that was boring the last time they played so we decided to go to Busters.
We got to Busters expecting to see the Flyer band playing, but it was a Blues group with poor amplifiers. We couldn’t hear any of their vocals from our position in the side room, so we had one drink and left to go to the QM anyway.
We were pleasantly surprised by the good lively music being played by the group on the stage. It turned out to be Jimmy Rascal and Long Shot, and Jimmy is well known to be a Bi-SAXual Jazz Saxophonist. He can play two saxophones, playing two parts of a tune at the same time. They were a kick, and we had a ball. We stayed until they quit, and the bar closed.
Sunday afternoon was the usual Chris and Lisa. Chris’ adorable old aunts were there. They enjoyed dancing and I danced with them. It was a great afternoon.
Sunday night we went to Choices for KARIOKE. There wasn’t as many people as usual, so Scott was able to sing three songs. We left early though, because we were tired.
We took the boat out for gas and to pump the holding tanks. Gas at the fuel dock was $3.30/Gallon. The boat burns a gallon/mile at cruising speed so I have to be selective about taking it for any lengthy cruises.
We were kind of at a lose as to what to do Monday night, so we thought we would try a new place that just opened in the Pike called the Mai Tai Lounge. We took the shuttle that runs from the marina the few blocks to the complex with the Mai Tai and Bubba Gump Shrimp.
The Mai Tai is a very nice place with comfortable lounge chairs, a patio with Tiki Torches, and a band that entertains every night of the week. It was really pleasant, and I had one too many drinks. Scott had to help me back to the boat, and I literally crashed once I got into the cabin.
We went home Tuesday afternoon.
08/24/05 Diary
Sorry I am late for the previous weekend report. I have been busy on a number of projects and just got behind the timeline. I have been drinking too much again as well, so it takes me a couple of days to get back into the grove after a long weekend. I have been spending more time on the boat then at home lately.
We went to Busters on Friday the 19th. The Flyer Band had just returned from a vacation, so practically every one of their Friends were there, but we managed to get a seat at the bar..
It got pretty wild after a short while, and the drunks were elbowing us at our bar seats trying to order drinks. We finally got a table and were able to relax for a while. We left at the midnight break.
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James King was back to the Observation Bar Saturday, and we went there for some Elvis. There were a few Fans of James there and we sat next to them.
Katt came a little later, and sat with us. we had a nice party. I gave Katt a ride to Belmont shore about midnight, then went back to the boat.
Sunday was our usual Chris and Lisa at the Observation Bar. Katt and some of the other cast of Androcles and the Lion came up to the OB and joined the party. We had a ball dancing and acting crazy.
Scott and I went to the Reef for dinner after the music stopped at six. I took him to the Train after dinner then went back to the boat for the evening. I came home Monday
Tuesday night is KARIOKE at the Lodge, and I met Scott and Naomi there. Scott did his usual great job singing, including his usual serenade to me. We sang Backup to Naomi’s Leroy Brown.
08/30/Diary
A relatively quiet weekend.
I didn’t want to drive much so we went to the Observation Bar for Elvis Friday night.
It turned out to be fun though. I was tired, but managed to loosen up once I got there.
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We worked on the boat Saturday, and one of our 30 minute jobs took us a few hours to complete.
I didn’t feel like going out, so we stayed home on the boat to watch the movie “Sound of Music”. Scott’s Father was the Music Editor on that Movie, as well as most of the Fox Movies of that era. The Sound of Music was the pinnacle of a long career as a music editor for Fox, Universal, and others.
The last performance of the “Androcles and the Lion” was Sunday, so Scott and I went to see it to support them. It was a lot of fun.
We went to the Observation Bar after the play, and a few of the cast joined us for a short while before their Cast Party that was at Katt’s place.
Scott had an appointment early Monday morning and had to go home Sunday night, so I took him to the Metro and went back to the boat for the evening. I went home Monday afternoon.
Jennifer was playing at Charlie O’s Wednesday night. Scott and I went there for a couple of sets. Jennifer playing is excelent, and her singing is very good also.
No pictures from this outing.
It has been almost a month since I have written anything in my diary. A lot has happened, but I have just been too busy to write anything, and I lost the pictures from some of the weekends because the camera memory failed. I will just relate the happenings for those first three weeks and weekends.
I moved the boat back to the new Z dock on Labor day weekend. I was told that I could move it back on Labor day, but it turned out that we were able to move Saturday, so I did. Then we spent the rest of the weekend organizing the dock box, and partying. We had a welcome home dock party on Labor day, and got wasted.
.The weekend of the tenth was going to be a Family reunion in Wisconsin to honor my aunt who was having her one hundredth birthday. There was also going to be a Bruce Wisconsin high school reunion that weekend, so I definitely had to go to Wisconsin.
I flew to Minneapolis on the seventh, and stayed that night in a hotel in downtown. I went to a place called the Gay Nineties that night. It had been about fifteen years since the last time I was there. It is a large place with several bars on two levels. That Wednesday night only three of them on the lower level were open. A Gay Bar and dance floor, a dining room, bar and drag show stage, and a quiet bar. The upper level is open on weekends and had a large drag show theater, a piano bar, and another bar.
An amusing thing happened to me the last time I was there. I was in Minneapolis on a business trip in guy mode, but had brought some fem. clothes, makeup and wig with me. I dressed in slacks and a fem. blouse with a jacket over it for the trip down the hotel elevator and went to the Gay Nineties. I went into the Men's room to put on my makeup and wig, and while I was doing that, a farmer/tourist type guy walked in. He stopped, looked at me, looked at the urinals, looked back at me with my makeup and wig on, then bolted out the door. I didn't see him again that evening.
This night I had a couple of drinks in the room with the drag show stage and watched the girls do their lip synching dance for dollars. I was pretty tired so I didn't stay long.
I drove to my sisters house in Ladysmith Wisconsin the next day. My Mother, and my sister from Las Vegas was there, and my third sister from Madison came Friday. It was the first time in over thirty years that all four of us were there with my mother. My mother is in a nursing home in Ladysmith, and has dementia. She is in good physical condition, but doesn't know where she is sometimes.
BTW, I had to stay in guy mode for the entire visit. My mother knew of my need to be a woman when I was young, but doesn't seem to remember that. My oldest sister also knew, but didn't bring that up during my stay.
The Family reunion started Saturday afternoon at a lodge owned by one of my cousins daughters. My sisters stayed at the Lodge for the weekend, but my High school reunion was Saturday night forty miles away in Ladysmith, so I went to the school reunion and stayed at my sisters house that night.
I hadn't seen any of my High school friends in many years, and didn't recognize any of them. We were all wearing name tags so the ritual would be to look at the name tag, then greet them. I was surprised at how old they all looked. There were a few of my old girl friends that reminded me that we dated. I wish I could have been there as Marianne, because I would have been the youngest looking, Best dressed, and I think the prettiest girl there.
The main event for the Family reunion was Sunday afternoon. We celebrated by Aunts one hundredth birthday. There was over one hundred family and friends there.
My youngest sister and I left later in the afternoon, and drove to her North woods Cabin about 150 miles away. Its a beautiful place on a lake. we stayed a couple of days then I drove back to Minneapolis and she went home to Madison.
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I went back to the Gay Nineties Tuesday night for a short while, but didn't stay for the drag show. I flew home Wednesday night.
09/16/05
I got a late start driving to the boat Friday night, the sixteenth, and Scott was waiting for me. I guess he missed me ;-)
We went to Busters Saturday night, and to the Queen Mary Sunday afternoon for Katt's singing in the main lounge and Chris and Lisa in the Observation Bar. I lost the pictures I took that weekend because the memory card failed.
I bought a radio control airplane when I was in Minneapolis, and Scott and I are learning to fly it. We flew it four times and crashed it four times,but we are inproving.
09/23/06
We hope to go to Avalon next week so we spent most of last weekend getting the boat ready. The Mechanic seems to have fixed the oil leak in the port engine, and the canvas guy has completed the railing cover on the upper deck. I topped off the fuel tanks at $3.80 a gallon :-O
We did get out Saturday night to listen and Dance to James King as Elvis.
Scott went home Sunday night. I practiced flying the plane Monday morning, and did pretty good after a few crashes. I went home Monday noon.
September 05 Diary
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