Name that Tune

The Eagle does a little United Way fundraiser every year called Name That Tune. Our resident DJ, Ronnie Choy, puts it together, and it's a lot of fun. Last year, my partner Dennis Hardin and I were the champs. But he was "busy" this year. So I'm back with one of my former partners, ole Lutzy.

The semifinals were today. Bob and I were the big winners and now are one of four teams competing in tomorrow's finals. Here are some pics Jaime took today.


Bidding for a $5 audience assist.


No whammies!


We're the Captain & D'Neil.


Not such a good day for The Bald and the Beautiful.

From one extreme...

I started my Tuesday evening at 5:30, with the most civilized, sweet bunch of ladies you could ever care to meet.


These are the Oil Secretaries. Back in the day, there were 400 of them. Then someone shot J.R. These days, they get about 20 at a meeting. They asked me to speak to their bimonthly gathering at Larkspur. Such nice ladies. So genteel. So easy to please.


Then there's this.

As soon as I finished with the Oil Ladies, I headed to Chester's. Several months ago I'd been the Official Witness to a bet between Bonnie and Carrie. Bonnie bet that there would be fewer than 100 people at her roast. Carrie bet there would be way, way more. The loser was to buy a steak dinner for the winner.


Care to guess who won?


Jaime came to chapperone, but by the time I got there, the debauchery was in full swing.


Here, Bonnie and I economize by allowing the pond-side breeze on Chester's patio to blow our hair all model-y.


Final course before.


Ugh. Final course after.

Tomatoriffic

When we got home tonight, Lexi and I went to check on our tomatoes. (She's very proud of telling people, "We grew them!"

We were quite surprised to find ALL THIS. There is salsa in our immediate future.

TCI

That stands for The Crystal Image, Crystal's photo studio. She opened her first one in Cherokee but recently moved the biz and herself to Lawrence. On Saturday, she had an open house, and Kerri and I went to check it out.

Here's The Crystal's image, caught outside the swank new office.


It's in one of those fancy strip malls in the new part of town that didn't exist when I lived in Lawrence.


Here's Kerri browsing in the lobby, which is done up in Crystal's signature orange.


Look! Lexi and I are a prop shamelessly used to sell photos! We're into it.


We were all very proud of Crystal. But she was proud of this. She encouraged me to take a photo and strongly advised that I post it on the blog.


Afterward, we dined.


And posed.

Lawrence

After the open house, Kerri and I walked Mass St. It was odd being back in Lawrence. Haven't been there in five years and had a little trouble remembering my way around.

I love Lawrence, but as I told Crystal, I don't think I could live there. I want to leave it in the early 90s like I remember it. Plus, that town feels tailor-made for 20 year olds, which I ain't.

So many sights still look so familiar. But those sidewalks and corners aren't mine anymore. I just borrowed them back when the kids borrowing them now were 3 years old.

Here's one corner I was happy to give back. The Buckle on Mass. Worked there for two years in college, after two years in Dodge. I get seizures when I get too close but was able to suffer through for this shot.


The Mad Greek. It's still there. I miss the flaming cheese.


The Kansan got Rudy's carryout three times a week. It made me fat.


The Granasty.

The built-in DVD player

Worth every penny.

Every. Single. Penny.

Like the friggin' olden days

You might wonder why I'm posting so much today. You see, my sister doesn't have cable. It's like 1882 around here.


Mom, relegated to sewing by dim lamplight, nothing but her glass of ale to warm her belly.


Me, whittling away the hours just pondering an apple, trying desperately to establish contact with outside society.