Finally it stopped raining!!!!

It has poured with rain here in Palm Springs since last Monday. We have had, in one week, more than the average rainfall for an entire year!!!! I know, boo hoo poor us compared to the rest of the country and Europe (not to mention Haiti), this was nothing but ... when it's pouring with rain in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, nobody wants to visit .. not so good for business.

I drove in to LA Monday morning before the rain started. I got as far as Banning when the skies opened. The freeway wasn't bad, just the usual idiots still driving at 80mph without lights. But when I exited onto Lankershim Blvd., all the junctions on the surface streets were flooded and I mean FLOODED. Freaked me out I can tell you. When I finally got to work (after many u-turns and diversions) I arrived a nervous wreck!! Phyllis made me a cup of tea and Jackie offered me one of her tranquilisers!!! Never again!!! Tommy wanted to go for our regular Monday Indian but I wanted to stay home so we had a take-out and watched Taking Woodstock (five *****'s)anyway, he drove to the restaurant (Bollywood!)because I didn't want to drive. It was still bucketing down! Anyhow, today is a lovely clear blue sky day with a dusting of snow on the mountain. Very pictureque.

We had a note from our credit card processor than someone was claiming that he never stayed here when we know he did. Trying to stiff us for $600+. I filled in all the paper work, sent off copies of his registration form and signed credit card receipt and then wrote to him cancelling his reservation for this coming November. Yesterday we got a phone call from a friend of his to tell us he had died!! Excuse me .. he wasn't dead when he stayed with us so why dispure our charge?? How very rude!!! He wasn't a nice man, he was the one who got into a row with another guests for making anti sematic remarks!!! We knew he was going in to hospital for heart surgery and apparently he died whilst under the knife. This is the third person we knew who went into hospital for an operation and never came out. Right .. America has the finest health care in the world!! Give me 'socialized medicine' any day!!

Just another day

Marty & Jordy were here for Sunday night for the 15 party. Well, they're still here and today is Wednesday. Somebody (who will remain nameless), filled their gas tank with diesel ... phutt phutt phutttt... cough cough and it died. Had to be towed to the local garage who did what they do when somebody does that .. apparently it's not that rare. Their misfortune, our gain of an extra 3 nights.

Weather lovely wish you were here. Or .. weather here, wish you were lovely.
I just wanted to add, my dear cousin Barrie would have been 63 on Jan 11th had he still been around. I miss him and Gordon in Toronto and my dear Auntie Peg in London. Wish you were lovely!!!!

A New Year!!

Well, here we are, January 12th almost halfway through the month. Where do I begin? Christmas day ... just the two of us but I was sick and spent most of the day in bed. New Years Eve .... we were both in bed by 11pm!!! We havn't seen the New Year in for about 7 years!!! We were busy for the New Year. Not so for Christmas. A very good goodbye to 2009. Two more of our regular guests have bought a house here so we won't be seeing much of them in the future. We have lost count of the number of people who used to stay with us, moved here or bought property. They move here and we never see them again. We think of them as friends but apparently they think of us as just Inn keepers. I think I'll start a list sometime. I see people at the gym and I don't remember if I know them from seeing them at the gym or if they stayed with us.

Moving on ... I have hesitated telling this story but we had trannies staying here for one night between Christmas and the New Year which does not do our reputation any good at all! It started off with a phone call enquiring about a room for the night. Two guys arrived and were let in by a guest who was leaving the premises(hint to guests .... don't let anyone in unless you KNOW they are staying here). They were in the office when I glanced up and saw a woman walking towards the office. I asked .. ' you do know this is a gay mans hotel'? 'Oh yes, she's a trannie' came the reply. Mmmmm what difference does that make? Most trannies are straight arn't they? Later, Miss thing came in to the office and said to Stuart, 'I've been a naughty girl, will you spank me??? To which Stuart replied ... certainly NOT.
What else, oh a 15 association gathering Sunday afternoon. The propane gas tank for the grill caught fire so there was no barbeque. Quick acting by Stuart extinquished the fire. About 25 men were here for the afternoon.

Hello there Jim,
Just to say a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you, mom and nuns!
We hope you have a good break from work and keep out of the cold. Having said that, we are freezing our asses off here in PS, high winds from the north are causing havoc with our Christmas decorations! We decided against the 6ft lighted palm trees this year but so far, two nodding dear are down and one santa smashed!!! and I don't mean drunk!!!!

Tony and John had their 2nd annual Christmas party last Sunday. We went for an hour and dragged Dennis & AJ with us. Mike and John were invited but didn't show. John (Tony's John) knocked a bowl of nuts onto the carpet and swept them up with his hands. He didn't exactly put them back in the bowl but I noticed he didn't throw them in the trash either! Second thing to go was the glass dish of green beans, smashed onto the kitchen floor!! I don't know what happened to them or the glass or why he was so nervous. Probably couldn't cope with us professional party givers!!

Mike and Johns new house is really lovely but we are so sorry to lose them as tenants. No doubt they will want to have you over while you are here. It's very close, only 2 or 3 minutes in the car.

We are looking forward to seeing you again. Don has also booked for a month during the time you are here. Nothing from Dean!!!!! I expect he's a Helios convert now, (which is for sale).
Lots of love,
Ian & Stuart

Meeting Helen

Tonight we picked Helen up from the Chase Hotel downtown, brought her back here to see the Christmas lights and then we went to dinner at Cafe Scandia. For those of you who don't know, Helen stayed with us for 5 months when we first moved to Palm Springs in 2000. She was our very first guest to arrive and our last to leave. She arrived the week after we moved in and she left on the Tuesday before we became Chaps Inn on Good Friday 2001. She is from Nu Joyzee and is now 102!!! Yes, one hundred and two years old and still visiting Palm Springs almost every year since 1976. She flies out here by herself (first class of course). She is an inspiration to us all. She still goes gambling at the casino but has given up her beloved evening Manhattans due to diabetes. I think if I were ever live to be 102, screw the diabetes and give me a Manhattan.

You would never believe how this small frail old lady can eat!!! Soup, salad and lamb chops AND she ate her fair share of chocolate cake. Screw the diabetes!!! She has outlived most of her relatives, her dear niece Mitzi died last year. Mitzi was 85!!!

We know how to throw a party!!!!

Hello, It's been a while, very remiss me I know!!!!
Yesterday, December 15th, Tommy and I held our annual Christmas party at 'the house'. None of us can remember how many years we have been doing this but at least 6. It was a wonderful party with the usual huge amount of food. The house looked lovely, both inside and out. The lights on the outside of the house were all blue this year, It's a pitty my cameras is still not working!!

A few years ago somebody asked Stuart and I what is the secret of a good party. Well, there is no secret. It is all down to the guests and friends who are invited. I want to thank my favorites for showing up year after year, Frank & Jenny, Jordan, James, John, Matthew, Dominic, Jackie, Phyllis and John Cameron. Didn't attend .. Scott, Jennifer & Dianna, neighbours Gale & Darryl. Couldn't attend, John and Angela because they were on their way to London for the holidays. Well, you missed a great party and it was even warm enough to be outside. What a contrast from last week, cold and raining.

I must say my mulled wine was a hit thank you Delia Smith. Tommy made some kind of meatless meatballs made from stuffing, chopped brocolli, egg and cheese. So trailer park and white trashville you wouldn't believe but they were delish!!!
Same time next year, December 14th. Hope you can make it.

This has been the strangest few days as far a guests are concerned. A lovely couple from New York city in for 9 days. People in from Canada for a week but we have one guest who has the very bad habit of saying the wrong thing to the wrong people at the wrong time!!!! Here we were, Thursday night and he starts spouting on about the Washington Post and it's support of Israel and Jews this that and the other and we nearly had WWIII on our doorstep. One of the boys from NYC is Jewish but it was his boyfriend who hit the roof. He accused our NYC guys of having had a little too much alcohol and they don't drink.

Then, the next day he announced his opposition the the Pope (3 cheers for that) he almost caused another war!! He leaves tomorrow and we are very pleased for that. Now, we all know, when we are in polite society one keeps ones political affiliation, religious beliefs or other thought to ones self. Lets keep it that way, please.