Everybody loves a Parade & so does Billy....

Last night was the long awaited Christmas Parade in downtown Cedar Rapids. Billy has been laying in anticipation of this event. After all, who doesn't like a parade.

We wanted to get a good vantage point so we started out at the Dublin. The usual wags were there and a table of extras were there from the Sip...I suspect The Sip had a bomb scare or something like that. We settled in for a little fortification before the parade, but the smoke was excruciating and Billy can not tolerate any more second hand smoke. Also there were bunches of little street urchins running around and taunting Billy.

We very swiftly exited the front door and rolled him into Zins. Zins is very Billy friendly because it is a no smoking facility and the staff is always happy to see us. They remembered us from our last visit and ushered us to the bar where we could get a view of the parade through the windows.

Lisa the Beverage Manager was busy cleaning the glassware while Mr Pizza gave specific instructions for the making of a "Funnie". It wasn't long and Billy was asking for a better look. We brought along an empty Schlitz case which was on the front porch of the von Crippe residence so that we could prop up the head end of the lung so Billy could see better.

We went outside only to run into Jeff and Anne his social workers, who had just completed dinner at Vins.

Billy loved all the lights and the and was noticeably excited when the entry with Oprah and a presidential candidate, whose name escapes me, went by in the Caddy convertible. Billy loves Oprah and all she stands for.

After the parade Billy was hungry and we decided to go to the Moose for the Friday night ribs only to be disappointed that they had been discontinued. It must of been antler night at the Moose because a lot of the patrons were so adorned. As we were perusing the menu Kenny appeared through the front door. This was an unusual sighting as Kenny is in the witness protection program...oooops I'm sorry if I outed him. I'm not too worried. Kenny doesn't stay in any one place for any length of time.



We stopped by the end booth to give birthday wishes to someone who was celebrating a little early and then united the Leo twins.

We never did get around to ordering any food, but Billy had accumulated lots of candy from the parade and he sustained himself on all the sweets for the ride home.

Zins...Cedar Rapids' Newest

There is a new restaurant in Cedar Rapids that we decided to visit. We are always looking for restaurants which are 'Billy friendly'. Zins seems to hit the mark. Valet Parking and no stairs or curbs to negotiate. We can pull the Hummer up to the front door, where one of the two valets will be happy to unload Billy and push him through the double doors. Where they park the Hummer will be easier than where to park the lung though. We predict it will be an unassuming spot in the corner near an electrical outlet or next to the maitre de station.

This was my second visit in as many days....maybe its the signature sausage thats served up with the drinks. Catherine was our barkeep for the evening and she was eager to keep us fortified with whatever potion was prescribed. I wonder if she knows about "Funnys"?

I asked Jimbo to join me there so we could catch up on things present and past. Jimbo is not his real name, its his entertainer name he uses when he is on stage. His birth certificate would have something like" James" listed. Jimbo is a techy guy and also known by the nickname of "Stuff" because he has so much stuff. We like to outdo each other in that arena. When we first sat down he hauls out his new LG Cell phone with 3 lines and numerous bells and whistles and lights and sirens and I sleekly pull out my new BlackBerry 8830 World Edition and trumped him. Nuff Said.

Its always more fun to talk about the past....because nothing beats the "good old days"...he reminisced about the days when he used to "hobble" and of hanging out in the neighborhood of Jeffrey Dahmer. From memory he took a cocktail napkin and drew a map that zeroed in on the Dahmer residence faster than Garmin StreetSmart could ever do. He told of dining with the infamous character,
but thats another story and Jeffrey is not around to corroborate.

As if they had some sixth sense, Billy's Godparents show up with their personal assistant Sylvia. The Puzzler continues to work his magic. It seems that they were at the nearby Museum of Art and just happened to stumble through the front doors.

Sylvia is a way trendy lady with manicured nails and designer eyewear. She is on the cutting edge of everything trendy and that is probably the reason she jet-setted to Vins. It is there that she is able to drink three glasses of wine at the same time without looking conspicuous.


Sylvia, is not to be confused with the Pasadena Sylvia in an earlier post. She is local. Since learning of Billy's plight she has taken on the challenge of protecting Billy from 'Lung to Grave' as she so eloquently states. She is the one who would insist that Billy have a blanket for warmth and modesty reasons. She is the one who would cover him with Life Insurance. She is the one who would manage his Social Security proceeds and the list goes on. It was Sylvia who thought Billy ought to have his designer puppy, Snatches.

Zins is not just all about libations. They pride themselves with offering an eclectic menu suitable for any palate. Sylvia chose the macaroni and cheese dish which was delightful. I t goes well with the Pinot Noirs that were paired for that entree. I was hoping for a toasted cheese sandwich or the like but having over-tipped the barkeep, I was out of dough, and went home hungry.

As I was departing, local celebrity Bruce Aune stopped by to quiz the Puzzler........... Could Jodi Huisentruit be far behind?