Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
As the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end!” Colleen’s green card expired, and she had to return to reality: a fantastic husband, three kids, and four grandkids!
Before she took off, Colleen graced us with her presence at the Elks during Girls Night Out, where Iris decided to channel her inner ninja and attacked a dozen oysters. One moment, they were on the plate, and the next—poof!—they vanished faster than my willpower in front of a chocolate cake!
Someone likes their oysters.
We ordered a second dozen, and Iris took six home. I quickly devoured the remaining sea boogers, and of course, I sent a picture to my See Booger Partner, Vicky!
Delicious.
We took a group photo and had Sydney, Dad, Robin, and Nick join us today! The table was a hot spot for slings and arrows—great fun!
We are all here and awaiting Santa.
I told Nick how we “old folks” enjoyed his visits with us and that I was always the youngest in the crowd since Mom and Dad waited until they were married twenty years to have me.
Nick joined us this afternoon.
As we exited the Elks, we saw a menorah at the entrance.
We miss Marsha Brander!
There was a Hanukkah Bush in the other corner (a saying my father used to use).
The Elks tree is up and ready to greet guests!
Mary and Seymour the Elk look good together. Mary is the one with the red wrap!
Watch out, elks, she is dangerous!
We returned home and dropped off Colleen. She planned to take an Uber from our home to the airport, as we needed to be at the Legion before 4:00 p.m. to get a place to park!
We paid two dollars and had a place to park directly in front of the Legion. Luck was with us this evening.
We got to park right out front.
We walked around inside to see the decorations before going to the bar area, where we enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay.
Mary found herself daydreaming about the man in the shiny nylon uniform. Every time he walked by, she felt a flutter in her stomach, as if she were a little girl again. His confidence and charm were hard to ignore; they practically sparkled like the fabric he wore.
Note To Self: Get a nylon outfit!!
We walked around the facility.
Beep! Beep! An incoming photo. Emerson and Chuck had their picture taken and sent to Frameo and message devices.
Incoming… Emmerson and Chunk are all decorated!
We met Captain Dan, an old friend of Mary’s, and walked onto his boat, which was less than a stone’s throw from the Legion! We had wine and a comfortable seat, and the show continued!
The water was calm!
The water was so calm it looked like someone had spilled a giant bottle of baby oil in the bay. Just as I was about to comment on it, the boats started lining up, and there was the Grinch right up front—of course, he would show up to steal some holiday thunder! Looks like it was going to be a wild night!
The boats started early.
Captain Dan and Mary enjoyed the parade.
Mary and Captain Dan
The camera is never as good as the human eye but we got an eyeful for sure!
We saw them go around twice.
The sailboats take advantage of their masts to string lights all the way to the top! This one boat, in particular, had an incredible display—every inch was covered in colorful lights, twinkling like stars against the night sky. It was such a festive sight! The crew must have put in so much effort to make it stand out. I couldn’t help but smile at the creativity; it added to the magic of the evening as we anticipated the parade of boats to begin. It was shaping up to be a spectacular night!
This is what a mast is supposed to do!
The official American Legion Greeter was at her best, waving to everyone and offering them a drink! Her cheerful energy set the tone for the night, making everyone feel welcomed and ready to celebrate.
Mary waived at all the boats!
Several boats had spotlights flashing around and in the distance we could see 300 drones doing Christmas display in the sky!
A water train???
After a fun-filled evening, we were ready to go home! The night had been a whirlwind of laughter and good company, but as the excitement began to wind down, it was clear we were all feeling a bit tired. We gathered our things, shared a few last laughs, and made our way toward the exit, feeling grateful for the wonderful memories we had created with Captain Dan. It was the perfect end to a festive outing!
Time to go home.
We drove right home and then got a call! Colleen’s Uber driver did NOT show so she panicked and went next door to the Tong’s where they offered her a ride to the airport. It is wonderful to have such amazing neighbors.
Santa’s magic got her home!
