Full Tilt Boogie

Most people think this is a reference to the 1997 Quentin Tarantino movie of the same name. Not so! It's all about Janis - Joplin that is - who spent the summer of 1970 touring with the Full Tilt Boogie Band. We are into Summer in New Zealand as you can see from the photo of our beautiful Pohutukawa trees in full bloom. And, like Janis, we are ramped up full tilt with cruise ships, punters and shoppers.

As expected, Prince's Wharf is going non-stop. Tyler and his latenight crew are really adding an 8th day to our week, with Saturday latenight sales totalling up another day's worth of revenue. They have been going since September non-stop, and even though the wear and tear are beginning to show, they amp it up every weekend for yet another party. I know he will be so happy when Ashley gets back after the 1st of the year.

We didn't know what to expect at Newmarket, but have been very happy with our increased shopper traffic. We are in the middle of the high fashion district, and the last-minute shoppers are discovering us and our vast array of Mexican beers. Manager Davey has found us some "piccolos" which are individual servings of champagne - a favourite among the well-heeled Newmarket shoppers. We have a regular crew of school boys who hang out and play cards in the afternoon - which prompted our cook Butters to come up with the idea of "High School Happy Hour." That will probably include mince (ground beef) tacos since that's what they all ask for.

Conor is head honcho for the new digital menu board install at PW. We had hoped to have it done before Christmas, but it's pretty tough to get anyone to work right now. It's their Christmas and summertime all rolled into the next 3 months. Kids are out of school and most people don't go back to work until January 15. So, he's working on putting together our big media launch - back of busses and radio - which will begin Jan 28. Jen's here for Christmas and touching up our training videos, and generally keeping Conor out of trouble.

Mike's little sister Emily joined us in November and is keeping busy hopping back and forth between PW and Newmarket. We love having her smiling face and awesome barista skills! With Jen, Emily and the boys, we will have a full house for Christmas Day. Our meat man dropped of some fowl thing with feet and head and eyes all intact, but JB promises me he can make it into Christmas dinner!

Christmas in New Zealand 

Wannabe Gestapo Took My Air and Water!

Well I started this blog story on the airplane as we were headed towards Southern Cal. for Thanksgiving (I’m a little pissed because the friendly Federal Homeland Security Nazi took my sealed water bottle), I tried to finish the story on the plane ride back to Auckland, tired and torn between the US and NZ, but now the jet-lag seems to be gone, the vacation is over and life is back to normal, I can finish.

While spending 6 days in Bend, I found out that a lot more people are reading our blog than I ever expected, so I decided I’d write more than once a year. This my recollection of the trip back home.

We stopped off in Hawaii for the first four days in order to break up the journey from way down under. It proved to be a great idea, good on you CB. Getting to Hawaii only took 8 hours and the flight wasn’t very full, so I had some room to move. Since Hawaii is always 82, warm and relaxing, we caught up on some sleep, saw a hooker detained by a local officials, had a drink at Buzz’s Steakhouse, dinner at Alan Wong’s, shopped at Nordstrom’s Rack, swam in warm water and generally did nothing.

Once we transitioned back into the US (God, everything is SO MUCH bigger here), got use to our drab looking money and all that change (NZ has eliminated the penny and the nickel from circulation), we headed to Bend. Our plane was held up in SF for 2 extra hours and sad to say we didn’t know one person that was on the flight. Times have changed; we used to know at least half of the flight. David and Paula Day we flying back from New York City, so they waited around, stuffed (US meaning) us in their car and we all drove home to BT, talking non-stop.

After getting a good nights sleep (thanks to John & Kitten turning on the heat in our house), in our really big bed, it was off to Broken Top (that’s our unofficial office in Bend because they have a local phone and internet access) and later driving around Bend to see all changes that have happened in the last 2 years. Andy is the new GM, yea to the powers that be for hiring him because he carries the soul of Broken Top. If he survives the transition, I believe the club will survive.

Everything in Bend has changed. Cindy and I agreed it felt like there were more changes in the last 2 years than in the last 35 years. Most of the changes have made the city look better, the turn-circles are working (I never thought they would work and then I moved to a country that uses them everywhere), the parkway works for now (I was against putting it through the middle of town, I still thinks it’s butt ugly and should have been put out East), there are plenty of options for food, beverage and shopping, and it still is a casual unpretentious town, but growing really fast.

I got to play golf at the new Fazio course at Pronghorn, Unbelievable, Perfect, Really playable and a Joy. The company wasn’t bad either. John Aspell had to leave after 9 to attend a wedding (Kitten made him) and Pink and the “Dude” and I played 21 holes before it got dark. Our lovely wives joined use for dinner at Pronghorn (thanks Pink) as we reminisced about how things used to be. I also got to play the Bend CC with Jim Schell, losing the front by 5/3 and winning the back by 5/3. All that work and no blood and we managed to lose John and Gino before we even started, but that’s another story.

I also got to visit with my attorney (law suit - thanks Julie), my accountant (taxes - thanks Dan) and my realtor (leasing or selling “Old Mexicali” - thanks Chef). Carla is still alive and well, Susan still gives a great hair cut and Dr. Boni was nowhere to be seen. I finally got in a visit with Geno, before leaving. I got to have lunch with my motorcycle buddies and told them I’d ride with them for a few days when they are on their January NZ ride.

Kitten and John threw a great coming home party, it was good to see everyone, we had a wonderful dinner at BT, saw Marty and Peggy at Guiseppe’s and around every corner was an old employee of mine saying hi.

After a quick 5 days in Bend we arrived in LA, picked up a rental car, immediately drove to the first In & Out Burger we could find (God they are good) and proceeded down the 405/5 at 85 mph. After living in NZ, seeing that many headlights in my rear view mirror was a trip. We had a very cool ocean view condo in Carlsbad and the weather was wonderful. Cindy’s family all showed up, my great brother-in-laws were all along for the ride, and we had a great time.

Thanksgiving was shared by about 20 family members and 4 young Marines from Camp Pendleton. Dinner with these fine young men reminded me that our politicians only ask young men to go to war, because old guys know its all bullshit and they wouldn’t go. It was great to be around such strong representatives of our country. Peace be with you.

We played our usual Friday after Thanksgiving golf match and the un-audited results put me in last place. It took a concerted effort to eat all the food and drink all the beer before hading to the Palm Desert. The family did a good job.

Saturday we packed up and headed for Milo and Marianne’s. They made their guest house available, they took us golfing, they feed us, we got to visit with more of CB’s family, shop in more stores and enjoy the true essence of gated communities. Auntie Lois took the family out to dinner, I took Milo for six bucks on his new golf course, Marianne and I reflected on our long, long friendship and we just enjoyed our last few days in America with friends and family.
Going through security at LAX was a joke! A bunch of “wannabe Gestapo”, George Bush “Patriot Act hugging”, “be afraid, I’ve got your back”, I couldn’t get a real job bureaucrat; took my motorcycle flat-tire compressed air canister as hazardous material. This is a 2 inch canister of compressed air. Boy, do I feel safer but $20 poorer. The crap we put up with to travel these days is all a smoke-screen to make us feel secure, while not providing real security, costing a ton and invading our personal freedoms.

We’re back in Auckland, our home these days, and reflecting on the trip. I miss my friends, three weeks was not enough time, I really miss my friends, our Bend home is really us, Bend is bigger than I like but BT is like ‘old Bend”, the experience in NZ is the greatest thing I’ve ever been involved in, through thick and thin our family sticks together, Titirangi is one of the great golf courses in the world, In & Out Burgers are the best burgers in the world, the golf courses I got to play on vacation were perfect, life is really different after living in another country for a while, our Auckland house is so, so cool, I got lucky the day I joined CB’s family, Mexicali Fresh is in the right place at the right time, Tyler and Conor are the right guys for the right job, 3 more years and CB and I are back to what we do best; travel, life is good and I really miss my friends back in the USA.

Thanks to the Day’s, Aspell’s, Fain’s, the Dude, Dana, Bill, Joy, Jill, Debbie, Terry, all my brother-in law’s, Gerry and Scott (thanks bro’s), the Marianne and Milo, Auntie Lois, Mark and Kay and most of all, TK and CJK for giving us the confidence to go away and thanks to everyone for your support .in the crazy venture.

We hope you all come down soon and visit. The next few months could be interesting and I’ll try and keep you up to date with my prospective of the journey.
JB

Poem to Our Marines

This is the poem Dad read at our Thanksgiving celebration

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."