You know, at 63, we just don’t have that many nights out. At least the drinking, raucous revels. Not because we don’t like it, but the next day is just too hard. So I can’t tell you about something wild and crazy, but I can tell you about a completely special night for many reasons. A surprise party for a best friend on a yacht in Morro Bay…and more.
We were on the road again – and I won’t detail the drive that involved ignoring the engine warning sign, backtracking to rent a car at the Bakersfield airport, and turning a three-hour drive into a six-hour drive. I won’t mention that my husband should have listened to me. Oops! Anyhow, we were on the road to the coast from hot, dry, dusty Bakersfield to cool, refreshing Morro Bay.
Morro Bay is a small town on California’s central coast and it’s dominated by this huge rock in the bay that is beloved by almost everyone but me.
You can see that it dominates the landscape. But that coastal air was so refreshing and exhilarating that I didn’t care about the rock. We saw a seal that seemed to be in a blissful state of meditation.
We saw fascinating pelicans. I really like these pterodactyl-like birds.
And finally, we found the yacht – the Papagallo II.
When we moved to Bakersfield in 1979, the first couple we met, Wendy Wayne and Gene Tackett, became our closest friends. We’ve done so much together over the years, watched each others’ children grow up, shared joy and sadness. We had a common bond in that all four of us had been Peace Corps volunteers – Wendy in Kenya, Gene in India, and my husband and I in Morocco.
This evening was a surprise birthday party for Gene that Wendy organized. This is the first very special aspect of this night out since Wendy had just come through a huge battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She was terribly sick and it took a while to find out what was wrong even, she completed chemo and went into remission, she relapsed, and then she had a stem-cell transplant. That transplant was an arduous experience but it saved her life. So far, all systems are go. Wendy was well enough to plan this party.
I should mention that when Wendy was ill, our boat was rocked almost to sinking. I’ve never been hit like that in my 63 years, and I don’t ever want to be again. My whole family was devastated. Besides being a friend, Wendy is a pillar of the community and just about the most loving, giving person ever. So this night was special.
Wendy arrived first while Gene was parking the car, and we were ready for the surprise.
We ate, drank, danced, drank, talked, and the boat chugged on – for all we knew, we were going around in circles. It didn’t matter. Everyone was having a super-charged excellent time.
That’s me inside the boat with a friend from Palm Springs. People came from all over for this party.
Me outside the boat with that dang rock. There was a cool fog bank in the distance, but it didn’t affect us.
And there was a sunset.
There were good friends – here’s Gene with my former principal John Hefner, a fantastic man.
And here’s another thing that made this night special and did indeed rock our socks. We got to meet the newest member of Gene’s family, Little Loretta. Wendy and Gene’s son Benji and his wife Amy had their first baby and named her after Gene’s mom.
We probably could have had a more exciting night, or a night with more thrills, but this night couldn’t be beat. Everyone had a magical time. The boat, the company, the food and the wine, Wendy’s recovery, Little Loretta, the great guests, whatever it was, people are talking about it still four months later.
So that’s the night that rocked my socks. But if you want a different kind of night, we could mention the American Idol’s concert. I prefer to think of it as the Adam Lambert concert. Woohoo – did that ever rock my socks!
Inside the Staples Center
Inside the Staples Center with three of my grandkids, a friend, and my Adam Lambert shirt. Had to buy it. I’ll never wear it. But I’m a Glambert.
OK, that was just for fun and so we could hold our collective breath for a moment at the sheer awesomeness of Adam Lambert, person as beautiful inside as he is outside.
The stand-out evening of the year was Gene’s surprise party. An homage to strength, spirit, love, courage, recovery, family and friends. Couldn’t ask for anything more.
