Merry Christmas!!!!

A very quiet Christmas this year here at Chaps Inn. Things start picking up for the New Year tomorrow, Dec 26th (Boxing day to Brits, Canadians and Australians). Bill is with us from Fresno, CA and we are expecting a lot of regulars to celebrate New Year. Stuart and I will probably be in bed before midnight! Sad, isn't it????

I still havn't taken picture of the decking. We had to have the skimmer replaced because someone shoved a spike down into the skimmer causing a big hole $200 thank you very much. The decking people paid for it to be replaced but not accepting responsibility!

We are getting ready to visit Peter Fiske and friends at Peters home for Christmas dinner. Serving at 4pm so we'll be there bearing gifts of wine, cookies and bread and butter pudding!!!! Looking forward to it.

End of the World party is cancelled!!

Sorry to say the End of the World party (which we have been looking forward to for years) has been cancelled. It is so tight with the decking being finished we thought it wise to cancel.

WE ARE STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS 12/20/2012

If any of you want to drop by tomorrow for a glass or two please do, you'll be more than welcome. You can help us put the place back together! Actually that should all be done by 5.00pm today.

I don't know if I mentioned this in a previous blog but when dealing with contractors make sure you know exactly what they mean when they tell you  the job will take 48 hours (or whatever). Don't automatically assume the job will be completed in 2 days ... it could be 6 x 8 hours days or 12 x 4 hour days Get the picture? LOL

Incidentally, the decking is looking spectacular. I'll be ready with whip in hand for the first person to drag a sun bed and scrape our new surface!!!

Thanks to all those who sent us Christmas cards. They'll all be displayed in the office. We havn't sent any this year. Nothing unusual about that!

I have set up a Twitter account for Chaps so you will be able to follow us on Twitter @chapsinfo but you know me ... if it's anything like the blog ..... there's nothing on it yet!!

 

.The picture above is of the Camillia situated between numbers 2 & 3. It's called "Yuletide". How appropriate!.

 

 

I'm B a c k!

I did say I was going to be away for a while and I was! A quick visit to Jolly olde England to see the family and visit some very old friends. What a trip ... a real roller coaster ride.

I discovered I went to school with a murderer and rapist, a one Paul Taylor whom I used to share a desk with in maths and history. He's one of the reasons I didn't do too well in maths .. too much of a diversion!!!! I always wondered what happened to him and now I know. It took 33 years to track him down after the murder and you can bet he thought he'd got away with it. Now I know what happened to him and where he is: incarcerated for the next 18+ years!!! At least 3 additional rapes and serioucharges of sexual assult and more women likely to step forward. Boy oh boy and him from a (I thought) respectable family! You never know. He should've stayed gay!!!!! Maybe that's the problem!

Things have been happening here - the place is a mess as I knew it would be. The pool and spa are empty, the major work on the decking is finished.

Glad to be back. Looking forward to our 'End of the Year Party' Dec 20th providing we are in a good enough shape to host.

Computer Failure!!!

Our computer crashed. Hard drive gone and with it all our pictures, my Ina Garden recipe index not to mention 2,500 names and addresses of our guests!! itunes I know is recoverable. Thank goodness I backed up Quickbooks last week so there shouldn't be too much to re-input if that's a word!! We do have this second computer outside for guests to use coming in a bit handy now.

Lovely guests again.  My goodness, 50% full tonight on a Wednesday at the end of November. Unfortunately we say goodbye to Kevin from Australia tomorrow who has been with us for 28 nights. Frank from Toronto leaves us leaves us on Friday after 15 nights. How time flies. We had to say goodbye to Tom from Carmichael, CA  today after 5 nights and not to mention the Muellers from Sacramento ...and, of course, David from West Vancouver.

The weather here today was a dream ..... 82f, 28c. Perfect. Clear skies not a breath of wind. Gorgeous.

I am flying to England to see the aged parents on Sunday Dec. 2nd getting back here Friday Dec 14th. in time for Christmas and our EWP (end of the world party) Dec 20th 2.00pm. Don't expect too much on the blog before then! Whilst I am away the decking is being re-surfaced yet again for the 4th time in 12 years  ....  and room 10 is being remodeled. You'll  have to wait and see but it does include a new sink/wetbar and a paint job!! Once again .. it's a good thing we're billionaires!!!!

And now it's Thanksgiving (again!).

It's been a strange week between Leather Pride and Thanksgiving. I developed a cough and felt sick for a few day's then Stuart developed an ear infection. Then he had an alergic reaction to something or other. I had to drive to LA Monday morning still feeling groggy and leaving Stuart behind also feeling under the weather to cope with an 80% full hotel for a few days. Anyway, I'm back now and Stuart went to the Eisenhower Urgent Care Facility this afternoon and after a nap is feeling MUCH better. All ready for Thanksgiving

We're not full (yet). Thanksgiving is a strange holiday for us. Sometimes we're full, other times not. Looks like this year is one of those 'other times'!! but still only 3 rooms to go. We live in hope and expectation!!

We met with our dear friends Jennifer and Dianna for brunch on Sunday. We hadn't seen them for 3 years but it was just like yesterday. We wanted to take them to Escena but they arrived at 1pm instead of 12 (they HAD to stop off at the outlet mall). By the time we got there the place was mobbed. As soon as we saw the number of cars parked on the street, we knew it was a waste of time. Anyhow, we went to good old Billy Reeds and had a great time. Those girls were our close neighbours when we lived in North Hollywood and we love them!!

We had posted a note on the gate to say we would be home by 2pm. We were (just) and there were about 12 people waiting for us. A part from Dennis, AJ and Peter, we had Sarge, Don and Lou, Scott, Mike and John and others! I was quite the afternoon with lots of goings on, especially around the spa area with Scott entertaining one of our guests if you know what I mean, ahem!!!! LOL. Mike made a comment that the spa might look like egg drop soup!!! It didn't!!!

So, Thanksgiving is going to be just Stuart and myself this year. Just as well considering Stuart is still not feeling well. We're having Duck! Not your traditional Thanksgiving meal but there again, we're not Americans!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Don't eat too much Ha Ha!!!

Soorry!!!!!!

3 weeks! 3 weeks! How can it be 3 weeks since my last posting? Time flies as they say. Full, full, full over the Leather Pride weekend. Stuart and I went to the contest ... arrived after all the hoopla of waving the flag and all that hand on heart stuff and we left before the contest began. We were given an award again this year, same as last year but with 2013 on it! At least we didn't have to go on stage to collect it. They delivered it to the front gate together with our t-shirts and other stuff!! For those of you who don't know, the Barracks lost it's liquor license but they were open for the Leather Sunday beer bust but only selling soft drinks and water!!! Wow! I nearly forgot ... Mr. Tool Shed won the contest. The Tool Shed is going to have to expand thanks to The Barracks demise!!!

It really is a family gathering party weekend with most of our regular visitors. Unfortunately the 2 Bobs from Renton WA wern't able to be with us. Bob K caught whooping cough so we're glad they decided to stay away. They'll be back in April and have booked already for 2013 Leather Pride. Most people booked for both Gay and Leather Prides before they went home. We've only got 2 rooms available for Gay Pride and the same for Leather Pride. Book early to ensure disappointment!!!!
LOL!

Happy Pride!!!!!

Well, here we are, another Pride weekend coming up as we sail into the silly season which will continue until Thanksgiving.!! Packed to the rafters - I knew we should've built that second floor. (Maybe not!).

All decked out for the weekend which starts Thursday with the arrival of Chris from Vancouver (welcome back). We are also looking forward to seeing all our regular Gay Pride visitors - Don & Jeff from San Diego, Rodger, Jack, Gary and Al from San Francisco, Kevin from Australia, Pete and Chris from England not to mention Alfredo from Italy!!!! Most are staying through Leather Pride Weekend. Mmmmm  I think there is room for a couple of more flags!!!

Tomorrow (October 31st), is our 12th anniversary of moving to Palm Springs! Nobody is more suprised than we are. Who knew we'd still be around after so long. A certain owner of another gay hotel gave us six months ("they don't know anything about running an hotel" he said). Well guess what? He's gone and we're still here!!! I suppose we might have learnt something over the years. Whooo Hoooo. Good for us and a big thank you for everybody who has helped us through