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.

Todd Wright

On Saturday, November 14th we said goodbye to our dear friend Todd. Stuart wasn't able to attend the funeral but I drove in with our friend Tony. It never is a happy occasion but I think it was made worse by fact there was a schism .. a split, between Todds family and Coy's. They went their way after the funeral and we went ours. How sad we couldn't all be together. I thought by now all the old prejudices were behind us but apparently not. Jordan was the one who told me about Todd's father, Dick and apparently dick by name and dick by nature. He couldn't bare being in the same room as a load of faggots. Well DICK your favorite son was a faggot and you need to get over it.

We have just ended one of the busiest two weeks we can remember thanks to Gay Pride and Leather Pride. We are fortunate to have guests who want to come back year after year and we love them!!! You make owning an hotel a real pleasure and we look forward to seeing you. You know who you are. Here's our list of some of our favorite guests staying over the period: Thom Harrison, Al (San Francisco), Al & DJ (Pheonix), The Two Bob's (Renton, WA), Chris & Brent (British Columbia), Ken & Mark, (Sacramento & Modesto), Jack & Roger (San Francisco), Horst & Robert (New Jersey), Bob Evans (Montebello CA), Jeff & Don (San Diego) to name just a few. We love you guys. Please keep coming back!!!

The week leading up to Pride and the week between Gay Pride and Leather Pride were both extremly busy. We had visitors from overseas, Portugal, Germany, Britain, Australia, New Zealand ... Not one person we wouldn't want to come back. Some of the tattoos were impressive especially the German Lutheran with the opening words of Genisis tattooed in Hebrew across his chest!!! Impressive chest too! Not to mention the Reverend from St Pauls in London with his miriad of piercings. Now I know what they have under their cassocks!!!

This coming Saturday 11/14, is our friend, Todd Wright's funeral :( Of course it had to be on a Saturday on one of our busiest weekends of the year. Good going Todd!!!! Both of us can't attend so I am going and will be taking Tony with me. Coy called me to see if Tommy would let him have the reception after the funeral at the house in North Hollywood. Without hesitation, Tommy agreed. Kudos to Tommy!!!! So, if any of you remember Todd and are able to either go to the funeral service or to the reception after, call me and I will give directions.

NINE YEARS!!!!!! WOWEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Well folks, today, October 31st, is our 9th anniversary of moving to Palm Springs and becoming inn-keepers. We're still here and nobody is more suprised than we are. There was a fellow inn-keeper at the time who was known to have said of us 'I'll give them 6 months. They don't know anything about running an hotel'. Well, guess what? He's long gone and we're still here.