Happy Birthday Glen….”55″….Finally an Old Man

We met Glen and Kathy last year.  They are from Canada.  They’ve become good friends, even coming by McNabb to bring our golf cart down last fall.  This year he is finally considered  “Senior”.  Finally legal to camp in our “55”+ park….lol…He has been “whining” for quite awhile,  cause Kathy got 5 Birthday Cakes one year.  So couple of us decided to each get him a cake.  I went to HEB, on Sunday.  Who do you think I seen?  That darn Glen!!!!  He had to come and buy his own cake……lol….So I went over to the party supplies and bought 3 pkgs.  of sparkler candles and one big Star Sparkler Candle.

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I also bought a blue badge that said “Birthday Boy”.   Then I went back to the Bakery aisle and picked out a small blue  cake with frosted balloons.  I snuck out the store and put my purchases in the truck, turned around, and guess who was parked in front of me……”GLEN”…..So at home I finished my pot of spaghetti.  Bud’s Cathy (we have 3 of them) also bought him a cake.  It was decorated with confetti colors, very pretty.  fb_img_1487604855694

At 4pm we all gathered at Kathy and Glen’s.  Over 25 people came to celebrate.   So the drinks started flowing.

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 Glen’s Kathy, barefoot and passing out those drinks

 Finally the food began.  We had cabbage rolls, meatballs, spaghetti, different salads, barbequed ribs, crackers and cheese, veggies and dip.   So so many good things.  Finally Bud’s Cathy and I went to get her cake at her house.  Took them to our house to light the candles and get them ready for Glen.20170219_175548 Well,  ALL WENT WELL UNTIL BUD’S CATHY TURNED FAST…………..OMG……….

The cake went flllyyyying through the air.   I heard it “PLOP”    UPSIDE DOWN on our mat.   We were dying in laughter, bent over,  had to sit down to NOT PEE THE PANTS…..Our ribs hurt, Cathy’s face was RED AS A STRAWBERRY….”WHAT CAN WE DO NOW”……I went and got 2 big knifes…..Stuck them under the cake and plopped the cake back onto the cardboard.  With the knifes, I wiped up big chunks of the frosting and threw it back on the cake.  What a mess.  Finally we composed our self, and tried to lite the sparklers, but now its to windy.  So we took the cakes over and told Glen to close his eyes.   Everyone was dying with laughter.  Glen opened his eyes and cracked up.  Everyone was rolling with laughter as Bud’s Cathy was explaining what happened.  Lol….

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Glen saying “WHAT THE FUCk”….

We tried again to lite the candles, but they just wouldn’t lite.  Finally Rich put our cake in the smoker to guard it from the wind.   That worked.  We finally was able to lite20170219_180624

……”ALL 55 CANDLES”…….20170219_180707

Glen blew out all his candles and we all sang Happy Birthday to him.  Everyone even ate the dump cake…..lol…We called it Organic Dump cake laced with a touch of grass and…..???   He had a great time that nite.  A Really Nice Party……He got a wee bit drunk, but that’s Glen…..Now this was Sunday.  Monday was Presidents Day.  Many of us decided to take the day off and go the Progresso.  I went up to the office early that morning to get a few things done, and we all took off by 11.  We rode with Ron and Theresa.  They hadn’t been to Progresso yet, so this would be fun showing them around.  Around 11 of us went in 3 different cars.  We met at Arturo’s for dinner.  Its a nice Mexican Restaurant on the main st. of Progresso.  Walked on down the street looking at all the vendors.  Of course their was the purchase of alcohol.  It is so much cheaper their.  Some went over to RED PANTY BARTheresa, Ron and I just walked around checking out all the stores.  The store I bought my pots, and then ended up at the Pharmacy were we buy our drugs.  I introduced them to Jasmine.  She is the girl who works the Pharmacy as well as working for the Dentist next door who made my teeth.  She is their interpreter.  They were amazed at the cheap prices for the drugs that are sold in the States as prescription.  Well of course they loaded up.

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We looked at all the hammock’s and macramé chairs they have for sale.  We met the rest at the bar, and finally walked up the street to Pancho’sGuess what that is?….lol….Another Bar…….Theresa and I went shopping in the store while they had more drinks.  We walked up to the 3rd floor.  Their was some Beautiful Pots up their.  The floor was filled from front to back and stacked.  Also saddles, blankets and all the leather gear.  We went back down to the bar, and this is what we found…..16831888_10154748485066321_5285052301937266720_n

Typical isn’t it….Glen got his Margarita, in fact Rich talked them into a FREE one.   Glen made sure he wore his Birthday Boy Badge……Finally the sun was starting to go down.  The advice that is always given………GET OUT BEFORE DARK………lol….So we finally left, crossed the border, they had to pay liquor tax of course.  But it also seemed the Border guards were much more thorough in checking what we had.  They seemed rude and actually went through our bags.  Now that’s a first…..So what’s up with that……

“TRUMP” and his Immagration Laws?

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…….Glen, Kathy, Rich, and Ron….THE OFFICAL PARTIERS…….

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLEN”

 

 

 

 

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Our Ladies Style Show and Super Bowl

We just finished our 1st Style Show at the park with 3 different Awesome stores with 15 of our ladies modeling.  I surely can’t show you all 15, but these were my favorites.  These Ladies modeled from Lionels Western Wear in Weslaco.  They wore their fashions from their head including jewelry, down to her shoes and boots.   Such Beautiful and colorful items.  lionels-1

This all first started when I was invited to another park last year for their Ladies Fashion Show.  Our friends from McNabb, Jan and Bob Shuster are at Paradise park.  I attended with Jan and thought how beautiful it was, but thought Eastgate could never do anything like that, as we are so much smaller, and don’t have that kind of cash flow…..For that matter, nor could I…..I certainly don’t have the experience to know how to put together something so elegant as theirs.  As an Event last year, we went to beautiful Villa De Cortez in Weslaco for lunch.  20170217_150029.jpg

Sandra from Lionels Western Wear, which was one of the stores at Paradise Park,  came and modeled several items.  It was so much fun.  After our lunch several of us went down the street to her store shopping.   We were so Impressed.  I talked with Sandra as how to do a style show at the Villa De Cortez.   She said I should call her this past fall when we all arrived.

 

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My Friend Cicily Mahoney

This fall, after we all arrived, I realized the Ladies Luncheon was having a hard time come up with entertainment.  So I mentioned to Linda and Cheryl about the Fashion Show.   They were so excited.  So we contacted Sandra and set a date.  Several weeks before, Linda and Cheryl made appointments at all 3 stores for fittings.  We not only had Lionels Western Wear, also Wells of Weslaco and Bec’s of McAllen.  Those 2 girls worked so hard transporting all 15 girls to 3 different stores for fittings.  Each store had 5 ladies model 2 different outfits.  The day of, The stores arrived and set up their close racks in Lila’s mobile trailer right next to the hall.  That become the dressing rooms.  Each store had 1 room for their 5 girls to change.  20170215_193139.jpg

They were all so elegant and full of fun as they modeled.  Nancy was demonstrating her imaginary gun concealed in the pocket built into her purse.  20170203_153659.jpg

Pat was just so cool in her red flowing Poncho with black boots and her Cowboy hat.   20170203_134500.jpg

Of course we had Frances looking so beautiful in a black and white top. Her outfit was from Bec’s in McAllen.   All the ladies wore beautiful exquisite jewelry and shoes.  Sandra’s store is full of gorgeous Jewelry.   The show was just fabulous. lionels-5

A huge Thank You to Linda and Cheryl for all their work and of course the ladies from the 3 stores that traveled to bring this fabulous show to our park…..Many of the ladies are planning  fun shopping days.   20170203_120501.jpg

The hall was decorated in bright bold colors.  The girls made bright paper tissue flowers and suspended them from the ceiling.  They purchased bright colored table clothes and bought flowers from Progresso Mexico as centers pieces.   The luncheon tables were filled with so much awesome food.  Everyone brought a dish to share…..lionels-4

So See We Can Do a Style Show….It May Have Not Been Elegant as Some Are…..But

…….We Did It The Eastgate Way……

And we had a BLAST

It was so much fun and everyone so enjoyed it.  So next event was Super Bowl.  We left the flowers up in the ceiling, but I saved all the tables cloths for our Potato Bake next month.  Finally the Super Bowl was decided.  Falcons and Patriots.   Red and Blue.  My 2 favorite colors.  This year was so much easier to plan.  I wrote notes and saved grocery lists from last year.  I have learned if you write a plan when you begin and a summary when your done of good things and recommendations for change, it is so much easier the following year.  So it was much easier.  The menu this year was Brisket, Lil Smokies, Shrimp, Nachos and Cheese, Crackers, sausage and cheese, Veggies and dip, Soda and half barrel of beer. We asked for everyone to bring a snack to share.   Rich bought the briskets at Sams and found a new caterings service/bar that would smoke and season them.   They were fabulous.  20170205_172621.jpg

I found a cool looking inflatable ice tray for the table in the shape of a football stadium for the shrimp and veggies.  During the season I’ve been collecting things for door prizes.  I ended up with 25 items.

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…..2 white boards with all the prizes listed….my placemats and centerpieces…..

 

Top prize from Joe Shannon was a Garmin Fitness Tracker bracelet.  I had a fishing rod from Johnnys True Value, Yankee Candle for Quips and Quotes, and many many good gift certificates as well as other things.   It was grand.  Of course they went through not only the half barrel but another half of a half barrel.  I made center pieces of footballs from brown paper and Megaphones in Red and Blue.  It really looked nice. 20170205_155141.jpg

………And What A Game…….I don’t understand football but I did watch the last half.  It was sure an exciting game.  I didn’t take to many pictures that night, as it was such a busy evening.  We went up by noon to decorate and set up.  By 8 pm my feet were dead.  We left around 11 when the hall was finally cleaned up again

…..Back to Normal for another DAY…..20170209_082653.jpg

I will finish with a new picture of our pots in place in the Entrance of our Park.  I coated them with couple of coats of concrete sealer in hopes it will protect the pots from the harsh summer months.  The pots came from Progresso Mexico.  Bought them and had a Mexican wheel them across the border, straight to the truck.  He even put them in the back and put down cardboard for protection.  All for $48 for both including a $10 tip.   What a Deal……… So now the girls planted them with petunias, and they are

………BEAUTIFUL…….. 

Winterfest at South Padre Island on The Gulf

Winterfest is held every year on the island.  It is an all day music festival of 5 musical groups that are playing in the Valley for the winter.  Last year we went and the weather was so cold.  They had it in the indoor water park at Schlitterbahn.  It was still cold   They had patio heaters running but it didn’t help.  I usually get a pair of tickets free as its one of the perks with the job.  Rick from Schlitterbahn came up and gave me my bundle of tickets to sell in the park.  He is the manager or chairperson for Winterfest.  As the date came closer we realized it would be warmer weather.  We decided to spend the nite at Schlitterbahn.  They were running a special of $59  for a nite.   Great way to spend the evening.  Finally the day came and the weather turned out to be beautiful.  It was a little chilly but sunshine blue sky and no clouds.  We met some friends their.  Ron and Theresa Fisher our friends from AdventurelandS met us their, and Alice and Tom met us also.  20170125_115012.jpg

We enjoyed watching and listening to the bands at the Outdoor Water Park.  It was a beautiful outdoor Tropical setting.  We were served a Shrimp or Chicken Basket from Shrimp Haus.  Then we decided to take a walk to the crossover bridge that took us to the beach on the Gulf.20170125_115134.jpg

This is the bridge view from the concert area.  The water park of course is drained right now for the winter.  We took a walk up the stairs behind the stage area to get to the bridge.

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From the top of the stairs we had a great view of the Concert area.  Onward we went, all 5 of us, as Tom stayed back.  He can’t walk that far.   We crossed over the bridge and the boardwalk extended a long distance ahead stopping at the beach with the ocean lapping on the sand…..20170125_133033.jpg

What a beautiful view it was.  Left to Right.  Alice from Maryland, Theresa and Ron from Nebraska, and Rich.  Were all Eastgate folks…..lol….We headed on down the boardwalk to the Gulf.  20170125_133548.jpg

It was a beautiful day, a little windy and beautiful blue sky.  The sand was so pretty and the sea gulls were flying around enjoying the wind and the waves.

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The view up the beach to the hotels was so beautiful.  The haze in the air made the hotels look so magical.  People were just walking and enjoying the sun, water and the sounds of the waves lapping on the beach.  Rich found a chair that someone carried down from the Water Park….lol….received_1354518004569754.jpeg

Theresa snapped this picture.  One of the few pictures that I allow of me…..lol….

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We walked back up to the Concert   This is the view from the top of the bridge over the drained Water Park.  20170125_115045.jpg

We went back to our seats by Tom.  This was the view of Schlitterbahn Water Park from our table.   We stayed for the rest of the performances.  20170207_075654.jpg

This is John Sager.  He is a performer from Branson.  Very Popular in the Valley.  He is an Awesome singer and has won many Awards.  The last performers were the Port Isabel Mariachi Band.   They were awesome also.  Wonderful musicians and singers and only High School.  They played last year also.  We all finally left, and stopped at the Schlitterbahn Resort to check in.  Alice and Tom and us were staying the nite, and Theresa and Ron heading home.  But not before we had supper together.  We headed to Louie’s Backyard.

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Its a really cool restaurant on the Bay side of the Island.  Most everyone had the Sea Food Buffet.  Of course I don’t like fish so I had Prime Rib.  After a great dinner and conversation we all left.20170125_182519.jpg

Outside was a Catamaran taking off with a party group.  The music was blaring and laughter in the air.  Such a beautiful Sunset.  The lights on the boat were so pretty as it went floating by.  Finally we said goodbye to Theresa and Ron as they were driving back to Harlingen.  Tom and Alice and us went back to the hotel to enjoy a peaceful evening in our hotel room.  In the morning we headed back to Harlingen 20170124_140710.jpg

We have been doing crafts on Tues.  This is our latest one.   I’ve been trying to do things cheaply and using recycle.  These are water bottle made into Whirlygigs.  They are colored with permanent markers.

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This is the finished product.  Really easy and very cute.  Great project for kids….lol

or Seniors????