Well, we survived the weekend after having 24 people here, a mixture of men and women and two big dogs. This was a group of friends from San Diego and was the second time they have taken the same weekend 2 years running.. Adam and Tim were married here last year when it was still legal in California for same sex couples to marry. And they said it would never last!!!

Karen was her inimitable self .... last year French Maid with no knickers .. this year, Vegas Showgirl all tits, feathers, sequins and see throughs, not necessarily in that order. She decended the staircase looking like Bette Midler posing for the cameras. Unlucky for us our camera isn't working but there will be pictures once I figure out how to post them onto the blog. We ended up with her very luxurious black and red feather boa. Not quite sure what we are going to do with it. I heard talk of a mermaid in a wheelchair for next year. (Another Bette Midler). I suggested 'Hush, hush, sweet Charlotte' so we could push her down the stairs in a wheelchair but nobody thought that was a good idea!!!! Any suggestion would be gratefully received.

It wasn't a quiet weekend by any means ... (see posting for LSI weekend). I was concerned about the neighbouring hotel complaining about the noise. I got out of bed 3am Saturday as is my wont .. and there was still a crowd sitting in and around the spa (all loud and probably drunk lesbians) I wasn't prepared to find out .... anyway, later Saturday night someone came to the front gate, didn't call the office but banged on the front gate. I forget what was happening at the time but I expect somebody was getting flogged on the St. Andrew's cross or something. Stuart heard the banging (on the gate), and there stood a man with torch (flashlight) a la CSI style wanting to know if everything is OK. Stuart said, yes, everythings fine, thank you. The man said, 'oh, is it an initiation?' To which Stuart replied 'something like that' and off he went. Sunday brought us another 'neighbour' asking to speak to Andrew, the owner. Oh Lordie here we go again I thought.
By the time Stuart put on shorts and made it to the gate, there was no-one there. We're going to get a reputation with the neighbours if we're not careful!!!!! Our pool man made a strange comment upon seeing women here he said, 'oh, I see you have women here'! Duh!!! 'I'm not offended' .. what did he mean by that??


To cut a very long story short, after 10 weeks of giving Wells Fargo Bank all the information they wanted and more, 3 years tax returns for our individual taxes, 2 years for the hotel they turned us down for a refi on the hotel after 9 years of never missing a mortage payment and keeping our head above water. Their reason????? They have a policy of not lending to clothing optional hotels!!!!! Of course, we have nothing in writing but that's what the loan officer told us yesterday. I have spoken to the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and they seem to think we have a Federal case against the bank. We are waiting a reply from the Small Business Association. Who knows. You know the bank is going to deny everything. Someone at Wells Fargo is being a moral guardian of something. Watch this space!!!!

One last thing ... the furniture around the pool was moved .. the barbeque was moved ... I want you all to read 'Eva Moves the Furniture' by Margot Livesey. I dare you not to be moved yourselves!!!!