The After Party

The party at the Moose was delightful....but some don't know when enough is enough....like almost everyone in attendance. So someone said we ought to go to O'Malleys.

Since there was drinking involved at the first party, we all caravaned over to O Malley Pub in stealth fashion. We all went really fast with the lights out. That way it is harder for the CRPD to notice.

O'Malley's is a lot like the Moose party except the ceilings are lower, its smokier and you have to pay for the drinks.

It appears one of the ladies was wishing she had worn a cleavage dress as she was spotted modifyingg her dress to conform with the others.

Big Jacks Party

Every year Big Jack hosts a Christmas party at the Elks club. Its always the Wednesday before Christmas and it starts at noon. I have been on the invited guest list for some time. I think its the two cars I sold to Jack that endears him to me. Or maybe its the fact that I am his insurance agent and I protect him so well. For whatever reason I am honored.

I have seen the guest list change over the years. When I first came to this party, the likes of Demmy Battin, Westy Ralston, Don Wehr, Dean Smith and Leo Wilson were always at the holiday table. They don't come anymore. Probably because they are buried in a Roland Wilbert Vault. That was Jacks business until he turned it over to his son. I spect its a bittersweet for him.

Now the guest list is varied some. Jack has moved to the Gulag and some of his fellow residents are included in the mix....I know Bubbu is one for sure.

Phil is the server de jour. Phil (Short for Phyllis) goes back to the days of the Flame Room/ Micado and before that "Me and Lees Lounge" in the Lindale Shopping center before it became an enclosed mall....but thats a whole different story. She just comes out of retirement for this event. I don't need to give her my order because she knows what I want.

Carl the Barrister is there...so is the Puzzler, Billy's GodFather....There is Max the former Potentate, Francis L., Billy's Iron Lung mechanic, and of course Bubba, Nick and Donnie Boy...all insurance underwriters with more initials behind their name than me.

This diverse group includes Joe B, the electric parts peddler, Levi aka Mr. Utility, Kenny the HushPuppy man, Doctor H, Harry the tooth fairy.......the list goes on.....

I used to be the youngest one on the invited guest list. Now I'm the second youngest....Jacks grandson, Scott was in attendance.

Why is this such a great luncheon? Other than the great straight up Martinis....its because big Jack picks up the tab....to paraphrase Westy, "Jacks got a heart as big as a slop bucket."

Bloggers note: Its too bad the majority of the people in this blog will not be able to see this because they don't have a computer. Will someone please print this and send it to them in the mail.

Cleavage Night

Once a year Randy throws a party at Christmastime for some of his best customers and some of his favorite customers. A lot of times they are one in the same. Anyway the Who's Who of Moosedum attends. It's as predictable as Detroit's Devils night or Beggar's night for the kids at Halloween and is sort of a cross between the two.....I call it Cleavage Night. Two of Randy's favorite things.

Billy's God parents were invited this year and Carol called me to ask what was suitable attire for the affair. Without missing a breath, I advised her to find a pushup bra and wear some top with a Vee neck or otherwise plunging neckline.... of course she showed up with a turtle neck sweater over another sweater. Must be the school marm in her...but why did she ask?

The Moose Christmas party is the equivalent of Oscar night in LA. Same fancy cars, fancy gowns...only no red carpet or commentary by Melissa Rivers. We drove up in a Mercedes S600 but there was no valet and this carpet was a sheet of ice. The food buffet was put together by Phil of the Diner on First and it rivaled any buffet you would find at any of the upper crust country clubs that are dominant in Cedar Rapids. I took hundreds of pictures and sadly did not get a shot of the buffet. I was too busy shooting pics of the party theme.

Absent patrons of note were Cheryl, Tracie and Diana...all venerable cleavage people. Their absence was sorely missed.

Maybe they were drinking Tom & Jerrys at Elmcrust.

Breakfast at the House of Billy

Billy loves his cat clock which he got from his dad many years ago. I think it was one of the first gift items Otto received by redeeming the Raliegh coupons.

Billy loves football and he has upgraded the cat clock in his room to the FootBall version. His favorite team is still the Iowa Buckeyes even though they had a rather disappointing season. Billy is not a quitter.

Yesterday morning I stopped over at the von Crippes around breakfast time. You see they make the best "Swedish" pancakes and I am usually invited to join them for a cake or two.

Well, yesterday, one of Priscilla's pancakes took on a life of its own. It was a cross between the virgin Mary and the face on the cat clock.

Billy is no ones dummy and he can recognize an opportunity. I now have the coveted pancake. Watch for it soon on Ebay.

The T ycoon

Its not often that Mr. G invites me to any of his social events......in fact this is the first legitimate invitation I have received. Well of course I have been invited to his Saturday Game Day Buckeye Parties.....but they are usually the games that are not on TV at his house and he is sitting in some bar with satellite TV with that smug look on his face. Mr. G is not very techy. He is sans computer and cellphone. He does have a wired phone with a 30 ft extension cord which allows him to be mobile in his house. It was from this very device that I got the invite. (Don't call him from 10 - 11 am weekdays because he doesn't want to be interrupted while The View is on.)

So when he called me about the reopening of the Tycoon for cocktail hour, I felt honored. Little did I know it was also his Christmas party all wrapped in one event....at least that is what he told me.

He had Uncle Tony cater the event with wings that would usually go for 25 cents per each. Felicia was our server for the event.

You see the Tycoon is where the wags would go for cocktails after work when the Fox finally closed its doors for the last time. The Fox is short for the Fox and Hounds which had long been an institution in downtown Cedar Rapids. It is where I met my second wife Rosie. I was driving a fire engine red Triumph TR-6 and it was parked in the loading zone right in front of the joint and the Dragon restaurant was just that and not a gay bar....but I digress. I think thats a whole other post...stay tuned.

Anyway, returning to the Tyke is like looking into an open grave...if I can paraphrase Bob S. And when I stepped into the "institution" last night it all came back. You see its been at least three years since I set foot in the place, yet it seemed like yesterday...well really not like yesterday, because yesterday the weather people prevented me from going outside....but you know what I mean.

The smells were the same. Tim was behind the bar and asked me what I wanted. I responded with "the regular" and he remembered the formula. Tim is still the same. He may have added a pound or two....but so did I and it appears that his barber may have passed away a few months ago...but like I say its like an open grave....nothing really changes. There were the Tycoon babes...albeit not as many as the past...but babes are always apart of the "Coon".

Mikie was there for the first shift sitting in his signature bar stool, ringing the ashtray with his expended Camel cigarette butts and using the quarters he receives in change as a counting system for the drinks. David was not at his assigned table. Instead he was at the host's table and he was missing his mom's 100th birthday party for this event....now thats dedication.

The undercover cops showed up for the second shift. Jimbo (not his real name), the entertainer showed up. Mr Popcorn showed up. The Schled showed up. Czar Nicholas was there. Barrister Henry was there with his traction devices. It was almost as much fun as one of Mr G's home parties, I imagine.

A trip to the Tyke would not be complete with out a visit to the men's room. You see there is a new contraband amongst the youth of Cedar Rapids. It used to be fashionable to rip off the hood ornament of Cadillacs and other luxury cars and wear them around your neck. Now the status symbol is to have Hand Sanitizer dispensers prominently displayed in your home. A quick check in the mens' room confirmed that the Tyke's was safe and secure. Be sure to use some of that stuff after flicking the urinal handle....like I said some things just don't change.

It wasn't long before a Tycoon babe worked her way over to the table to wish our host a Merry Christmas.

Thanks Greg...A great party.