It's All In The Presentation

It's another wonderful day in sunny California, which makes me appreciate NOT having huge hurricane-like storms hitting my house like this one in Florida.  YIKES!!  I don't think I could stand the stress.  

When traveling in my big RV back east, following Barbara and Tom Westerfield, we hit several big storms that scared me to death.  The wind and water was so bad it pulled my electric hose (which was attached to the rig) ... right on down the gutter.  

My slides were pulled in and we were rocking and rolling as I sat on the couch with the puppies, calling Barbara every ten minutes.  Should we head to the tornado shelter???  I do not EVER want to experience that again.  I think it happened at least three times on that trip!  Let's face it, I'm a wimp when it coms to storms!!!

Back to sunny California, it's HOT once again.  I was pretty tired from Bingo, so I tried to sneak in a nap to prepare for the impending MEETING.  I truly try to miss all of these go-to-another-Elks-Lodge meetings.  I'm not a social butterfly.  I've been extremely shy all my life ... a sit in the corner kind of gal.

Only lately have I forced myself to actually talk to people I don't know.  So to try and gather up some brave, I had my favorite lunch.  Chicken pot pie.  It's all in the presentation, don't you think?  I mean really, of they served this to you in a restaurant, you would probably say NOPE ... not today.  

I on the other hand, do not care what it looks like if it tastes good.  I admit, the nasty slimy Cooper ball sitting on the table did not whet my appetite.  Still, it was quite tasty and gave me the strength to pay a couple of bills.  

Truly, I debated even going to the meeting when I found out our ER (president guy) was sick with strep throat.  He said he got his flu shot AND his Cvd shot two days ago and got sick as could be.  I decided I should drive myself in my virus-free truck just to be sure.  It was a long 90 minute drive up into the mountains.

I have driven this route many MANY times in my past motorcycle life as Miss Patty Chance will attest.  I snuck past the big accident where two cars ran over the bank and parked in the first little town of Jamestown.  I'm happy to say nothing has changed up there, though a few businesses have left the country.  

That's when I discovered this is not an easy location to find.  I followed my GPS on the scenic route, having missed the first switchback turn.  I found the building at the top of a very high mountain and parked for a few minutes, gearing up my SOCIAL personality.  It all went downhill from there.  Well not exactly, but the secretary did not make a reservation for me.  Come to find out, she did not make a reservation for THREE of us.  

This is a small lodge with beautiful accommodations for about 60 folks.  As I walked in, our Treasurer motioned me over as he had saved a seat for me.  Nice.  Especially since at these functions, the women sit at one table and chat while the men sit at another.  I always seem to go against the grain as I sat down at the MENS table.  You want to know what they talk about?  I can't tell you ... but it involves alcohol.

In no time, dinner was served.  We had a lovely salad and a REAL Hawaiian dinner roll ... YUM.  Someone mentioned as they set our plates of food down ... it's all in the presentation.  This is it ... corn and smoked half a chicken.  It may not be pretty, but that corn was DELICIOUS ... as was the chicken, cooked to perfection.  

The problem was how to eat it without using your fingers, while ensconced in a long sleeve jacket and white blouse.  Some came home on my lap, but the rest in a nice to-go box.  

Time for the lodge meeting.  As I've mentioned in the past, the Elks lodge is all about tradition, pomp and circumstance.  The order of things is the same at every lodge ... except here.  Tradition got thrown out the window.  I like that ... I was having a good time, but I could hear the rumbling of "what the heck?"

They got through everything, even if it was out of order.  Who cares was my thought.  

At long last the meeting was over and I of course, headed straight for the door.  I mentioned I was hoping I could find my way out, and a nice gentleman said I could follow his car.  YAY!  The bad part is due to my bionic eyes, I don't see all that well at night.  In the ocean scuba diving (which is why I have different eyes) I can see great.  On a dark country road with no white lines to follow?  Not so much.

The good news is I know the roads pretty well, kept my lights on high beam every chance I could, and made it home in one piece.  It's going to be a quick morning with a doctor's visit (which won't be quick at all I'm sure) before my first day of playing secretary.  I'l let you know how that turns out!!!