COASTAL CRUISERS CHRISTMAS PARTY DECEMBER 9, 2006
A great evening complete with good people, excellent food and service, and outstanding raffle prizes. Our bartender was Heidi again and she really earned her keep by running up and down those stairs a few hundred times with our drinks. The E&C General Manager, Clint Boodoosingh, even pitched in to speed up the dinner presentation.
CC members present were: Rod McD & Kim, Greg VanT & Julie-Ann, Dan M & Marie, Marcin C & Ania, Jeff S & Becky, Craig J & Anjuli, Bill W & Willy, Jan H & Angelika, Brad R & Sarah, Greg B & Petra, Kim R & Brenda, Bruce D & Melina, Gary B & Marie-Shantell, Paul K, Steve T, Matt R, Garr C, Gary T, Phil S, Drew E, Rob Millson, Craig E, Traci D, Norm F, Mike McT, Steve S, and Martin S.
Guests attending were: Ricki, daughter of the late Brad Ried, Renatta & Rick (old time CC members), and Bruce Lowen from Calgary. We collected about $675 which helped with the $1500 dinner tab, and the club treasury paid the rest.
Norm F sacrificed Brian Adam’s tour of Kalamazooo to collect his big bet from Traci, who incidentally had to pay $35 for partner Rojo in the hotel. Norm is off again in January to play a gig in New York. He brought the 2007 Cruiser calendars and anyone who ordered one should pick it up real soon or else it may be sold as there is a great demand for them. Contact Rob Millson to arrange pickup, or show up at the January 11 CC meeting. Last year Rob Millson, somewhat drunk, beat The Scalp at snooker. Scalp, humiliated, waited all year for the rematch but lost again last night to the completely sober Red Reefer. It’s on again for next year. Jeff S fired up the yellow chaos remote-controlled FJ40 and managed to bruise a few ankles before the battery ran down. Steve T sprained his back loading the heavy gasoline power generator into his vehicle, but is expected to recover. Word has it that was only the second time he was ever seen actually working, the first being at Cruiser Days when he changed his dad’s tire in the boiling sun. Several members slipped out occasionally to twist a blunt during the evening. Most of the crowd was gone by midnight except the hard-core partiers who, it is rumored, carried on until 5:00 a.m. at the hotel before finally passing out.
The raffle was a huge success. Many thanks to G&S Cruiser Parts for donating the Pindle Ball hitch, and Steve T for the front axle spindle overhaul kit. We had spent about $1400 on prizes that retailed at over $2000 but were mostly purchased on sale over the last few months. We sold around $1450 in tickets, so we broke even on the raffle. Ricki pulled out the first winner. The top winners were happy Marcin C who took the r/c FJ40 and horseshoe-ass Jan H who walked off with the generator, safety harness, and DeWalt brad nailer. Lucky Mike McT took the pro creeper, the B&D drill/toolbox combo, camouflage tarp, 24-inch calipers, and tiny paddle in case he finds himself up the creek. Brad Reid scored the 8 inch bench grinder, Paul Steinblock the plunge router and metal work station, Craig E the Sawzall and the deWalt sander, Greg B the rolling service cart, the LED headlamp, and the metal meter rule, Bruce Davie the battery tester, and Phil S the pindle ball hitch, and Dan M with the front axle spindle kit.
Other prizes were Matt R the laptop soft case and vise grip pliers set, Greg V the multi-tool, Garr C the other vise grip set, Drew E the splitter axe, Craig J the drill, and finally, Steve T who found a misplaced coffee machine under the table. Also, thanks Steve T for bringing the free 4 WD magazines for us.
After the raffle, people started to drift off and the party wound down for another Christmas. Out in the damp foggy parking lot, while the security man slept soundly and the car thieves lurked in the shadows, loud clanking oil-burning cruisers rattled to life, their rocker arms shattering the eerie silence. Meanwhile, in the nearby great river ancient sturgeons, oblivious to our seasonal celebrations, stalked the river bottom just as they have done for thousands of years. MERRY CHRISTMAS COASTAL CRUISERS!
~Bill
The talk late in the night about the raffel prizes was that it wouldn't hurt to have some prizes that were geared towards the fairer sex.I really don't think that the party could be improved in any way.
ken thing!
