TOMORROW is MIMOSA!!! Irvine will be sunny and in the 60's! No rain!

I had a wonderful visit yesterday morning with Don and Diana, who arrived at Crowne Plaza Irvine late Thursday afternoon. It was great seeing them. I was at work, so our time together was more brief than I would have liked. They look super and Diana is feeling great!

Today, Olivia and Suzanne arrive! Fantastic!

I have something humorous to share. The Irvine Police Dept. have their annual holiday party at our hotel this evening. Despite the fact that they are in law enforcement, they are quite the wild bunch. I wonder if any of them have ever tried pole dancing!

Too bad the police dept. didn't stick around for Pole Dancing Lessons from Suzette. :banana:

You all have a great time at your get-together tomorrow.

The champagne is chilling! We managed to fit all 12 bottles into our refrigerator.

Funny about the Irvine PD - I have a co-worker who is retired from that department. I will have to ask him about those wild parties!

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

Dena

I wonder if they can pole dance with handcuffs? LOL

Yes, we enjoyed our brief visit with Denise. She is really taking good care of us and what a beautiful hotel.

The weather is breaking now and the sun is shining after having a little rain yesterday. We had a great time though. We had dinner last night at the Chart House in Newport and watched all the decorated boats sailing in and out of the harbor getting ready for the annual boat parade. What a fabulous evening.

I think we are headed up to Long Beach today and will probably go to the Queen Mary. Can you imagine a ship without balconies? LOL

Really looking forward to seeing everybody tomorrow.

The Irvine PD holiday party is tonight, Beth. So, Suzette will arrive just in time!

Thanks so much for all your help, Dena! I really appreciate it!

Hi Don and Diana! So happy to hear you are enjoying your stay. It's really a pleasure to have you, Olivia, and Suzanne, as my guests! You picked a very festive time to visit my hotel. Don, I have a feeling you are very much going to be in the pole dancing w/handcuffs mix tonight! We may need to stop by and "observe."

Alan and I are really anticipating a wonderful time tomorrow!

Don & Diana - great to hear you are enjoying your stay in California. Speaking of a ship without balconies. . .Tom & I slept overnight on the Queen Mary for my 20th class reunion (just a few years ago, of course :D ) which was held on the ship. For years I thought that TEENY, TINY little inside stateroom was what cruising was all about. I've never been on a newer ship's inside stateroom, but this one had to be less than 100 sf, if even that. Then I got on the RSSC Navigator (balcony cabin) and saw what cruising was really all about!!!!!!! You brought back memories.

Dena - Thanks for getting our bubbly all ready. Can't wait to see you again and to meet Grant! Be ready with lots of questions about your PG trip in just a few days!!! I'll be happy to answer any you have.

Denise - A huge thanks to you for all you've done to put this great day together for all of us. Really looking forward to seeing you & Alan again!!!

I also can't wait to hear about any pole dancing reports from Suzette (unless we read about it in the paper first LOL!!!)

Everyone else - it will be wonderful to see those of you I've already met and those of you I've yet to meet!!!!! See you all soon!!!!!!

Yes, I a gree with everyone - lot's of excitement about tomorrow - AND don't forget your Travel Items Gift Exchange things!

Oh, yes, the Newport Harbor boat parade! Back when we lived in Irvine, we used to own a sailboat that we kept in Newport Harbor, and every year we'd deck it all out in Christmas lights and participate in the parade. Wow, that brings back memories.

I actually met my husband Charlie on Newport Harbor, on a sailboat. It was a blind date, a friend of mine was dating a friend of his, and we made arrangements to go out on Charlie's parent's sailboat, with him and his friend, for an evening sail. They brought the sailboat into the guest slip at the Ancient Mariner restaurant and picked us up there. I'll never forget watching this tall, handsome man standing at the bow of this sailboat as they pulled into the slip. I turned to my friend and said, "Vicki, I'm going to marry that guy." Exactly three years to the day later, I did. That was back in 1981.

We got our own sailboat a few years later, and did the Christmas parade thing every year until we sold our boat and then moved up to Thousand Oaks in 1998. I would make up trays of appetizers and serve Baileys on the rocks, and we'd invite a bunch of friends to go out with us. We'd sit on the bow all bundled up and watch all the other lit-up boats bopping around the harbor, all waving at each other as we passed.

Wow, thanks for the little sail through memory lane!

Well from one of the East Coast contingent, Y'all have a great time tomorrow. Think of us here in the NE with the cold and snow.

Have a wonderful time from another EC contingent...Andi and Doug

Snowy and cold today...

Thanks!!

Sunny and almost 70 today! Brilliant!

Not too late to reconsider, Andi and Arlene. We'll wait at Vessia's until you arrive!

Actually, I am bringing my camera phone. Sending IM Photos to Karen. Hopefully, they will be postable. Todd may have to be the techie on it since that technology is not my best.

Off to Vessia's shortly. Just charging the camera battery for the digitals to post later for the rest of you!!!

I am ready to post pictures! Kathy said she would instant message some to me during the party!

Looking forward to the pictures and hearing about all the fun. Have a wonderful time LCT'rs.

I am so, so upset. I can't go to MIMOSA afterall. My car died yesterday. There is so much wrong with it that it will just be wiser for us to get a new one (it's a '98 and lots of miles on it). My car is unsafe to drive in its present condition - especially up to Orange County. On top of that, today is the only possible day for Tom & I to go car shopping together until next weekend.

I'm sure going to miss seeing all of you. I know you are going to have the best time. Please have some fun and lots of mimosas for me too. (I need one NOW!!) I'll be with you in spirit and will wait to see lots of pictures!!!

Have fun,

You will be missed terribly, Cyndi!!!! I know we will get together, again, soon!

Cyndi, how terrible about your car. And that you have to miss the brunch. Mimosa drinking is certainly more fun than car shopping.
Tonight you & Tom should head straight to the liquor cabinet! You will definitely need something by then.

What time does the limo trip and/or port pick up begin? I'm ready for pictures.