boom shah kah lah kah!

Hey, I just couldn't resist myself!

Tonight, I had dinner and a movie - not in that order - with... Sandy!

Just me and her.

No Barbara or Carolyn.

So you know what that meant, right?

Sandy talked!!!

She's rather soft spoken, which means she usually goes unheard over the nonstop babble of mi other two amigas.

That's a shame, because Sandy has something to say, and it's well-thought.

I'm so glad she joined me, first for "Nope", then at Chili's for two hours afterward!

That was right place, right time, as this odometer reading of 2 2 3 8 3 8 confirms!

That's when I was parked back in my own driveway again.

No, that mileage reading isn't a palindrome or anything of that nature, but ya gotta admit that it is kinda sorta cool, right?

And look at these gorgeous brake lights!

How wonderful they are!

I do hope folks driving behind me appreciate them!

And, hey, guess what else on this 8th day of the 8th month?

I completed my A*List trio with this fourth viewing of "Nope"!

Sandy very much liked it, too, and agreed that it definitely was not horror.

She has zero affinity for that genre, so it meant a lot that she confirmed that the movie with the horse named "Lucky" was definitely science fiction and definitely good!

The other two movies seen at AMC were "Easter Sunday" (seen solo on Friday and talked about with Alicia, Tom, Jenny, and Fred at the cinema) and "Bullet Train" (which I wrote about a couple of days ago).

So, again, two new movies and a "Nope"!

And look what I have now!

It's the King of Rock'n'Roll in "Viva Las Vegas"!

My, oh, my, Las Vegas was such a different-looking place back in 1964.

So much less glitz and a lot more desert.

But I do love this musical, with lots of burlesque and a 23-year-old Ann-Margret, and have seen it several times.

And what is the name of the race car driver that the 29-year-old Elvis was playing?

Lucky!

So, I got "lucky" twice today!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

(smile!)

rx: meat loaf aday

I was so proud of myself this morning.

Even though the high was forecast to only be in the mid-40's, I got out of bed AND LEFT MY WARM(ISH) HOUSE to get into my cold car.

Sure, I was bundled up, wearing a classy-looking sweater top, jeans, and thick socks.

I had even figured out how to wear the infinity-scarf that Cathy of CA gave me...

see the Periodic Table?

(smile!) 

And what was the impetus for me to forsake my warm bed and to be out in the cold?

Why , oh, why, when I despise that particular type of weather most of all?

That's because I had my second lesson (of a series of six) with the nutritionist at the Savannah VA.

Today, the four of us students at the Healthy Cooking Kitchen class were told about various foods to use as the breakfast meal.

Elizabeth Carley had told us last week (which was about snacks) that she would be serving Avocado Toast for us!

I've heard of it, but had never had it.

And, guess what?

It isn't just avocado on bread!

Boiled egg, a few bits of avocado, and a dollop of salsa, too.

It was really quite tasty, though I doubt I'll be buying an avocado any time soon.

Besides being pricey, they're difficult to cut.

So... what else is of note?

(Hmm... maybe that's a musical pun to lighten the mood... it can stay.)

Marvin (Michael) Lee Aday is dead.

The rock and roll station was talking about it on my way to the VA Center.

Apparently he died last night, with his wife by his side.

I can only hope he got his wish that the event would occur while he slept.

He was 74 years old, which makes him a contemporary of my friend Carolyn.

October will make nine years since I saw him perform, from less than 100 feet away, while in Las Vegas for my birthday55 celebration.

Attending the concert wasn't a planned event for me.

I had not even known he was in town until I was in Nevada.

However, the ticket to his show was gratis from Diamond Resorts, just for me spending sixty minutes with their sales crew - I mean, "owner update" staff - at Polo Towers.

(They gave me VISA gift cards, too, that fueled the rest of my stay that fall break.)

I'm so very fortunate to have that experience in my memory!

Even at 66 years old, the man was a powerhouse...

Wow.

Even all these years later, I can still see him pouncing along on the stage, giving every song every inch of his 6-foot frame...

Wow.

What a dream come true for me...

and totally serendipitous.

i thank You, God.

Now, here are the lyrics to one of the songs he sang to me that night.

Yes, I said "to me", just as Tom Jones did with "Sex Bomb" in 2007.

From my main man, it was "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth", one of my favorites on "Bat Out Of Hell".

Fun fact: Jim Steinman was writing a Peter Pan musical, which morphed into that album.

Todd Rundgren financed it, as none of the record companies had balls enough to do so.

It took four years before it was released into the world in 1977.

Meat Loaf was thirty years old.

Just for the record, yes, I would have offered my throat to the wolf with the red roses.

(smile)

*****

You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)

(spoken word, no music)

him: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
her: Will he offer me his mouth?
him: Yes.
her: Will he offer me his teeth?
him: Yes.
her: Will he offer me his jaws?
him: Yes.
her: Will he offer me his hunger?
him: Yes.
her: Again. Will he offer me his hunger?
him: YES.
her: And will he starve without me?
him: YES.
her: And does he love me?
him: Yes.
her: Yes.
him: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
her: Yes.
him: I bet you say that to all the boys.

(end of spoken word, music begins)

It was a hot summer night
and the beach was burning
There was fog crawling over the sand
When I listen to your heart
I hear the whole world turning
I see the shooting stars
falling through your trembling hands

You were licking your lips
and your lipstick shining
I was dying just to ask for a taste
We were lying together
in a silver lining
By the light of the moon
You know there's not another moment
Not another moment
Not another moment to waste

You hold me so close
that my knees grow weak
But my soul is flying
high above the ground

I'm trying to speak
but no matter what I do
I just can't seem
to make any sound

And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh - it must have been
when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
and I swear it's true
I was just about to say I love you
(love you)
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh - it must have been
when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
and I swear it's true
I was just about to say I love you
(love you)

Now my body is shaking
like a wave on the water
And I guess that I'm beginning to grin
Oooh, we're finally alone
and we can do what we want to
The night is young
And no one's gonna know where
no one's gonna know where
No one's gonna know where you've been

You were licking your lips
and your lipstick shining
I was dying just to ask for a taste
We were lying together
in a silver lining
By the light of the moon
You know there's not another moment to waste

And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh - it must have been
when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
and I swear it's true
I was just about to say I love you
(love you)

Then you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

Then you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

Then you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

Then you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

Then you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

Whoa, you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

Whoa, you took the words right out of my mouth
(must have been while you were kissing me)

You took the words right out of my mouth

(clap clap)
Oh - it must have been
when you were kissing me

(clap clap)
You took the words right out of my mouth

(clap clap)
Oh - it must have been
when you were kissing me

(clap clap)
You took the words right out of my mouth

(clap clap)
Oh - it must have been
when you were kissing me

dogs and dancers and dino

My last day in Vegas and I still had money to burn,
thanks to Diamond Resorts!
Off I headed to Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile
after polishing off the Hard Rock doggie bag!
I had two shows to attend before I left town,
and my first goal was to exchange my two groupons
for actual tickets - done!
I even had time for a beaver shot of the redhead -
the physicist greatly appreciated that!

I had a bit of time before the first show,
so I bopped around under the blue 'sky',
enjoying the memories of my 2013 trip.
Look, there's the Salsa Cantina, by the redhead -
good margaritas were had there one night!
A little farther down was Blondie's, where I had lunch before another show!
Good times for sure that October!

Then it was time to head back to the V Theatre
for the 4 PM Gregory Popovich's Comedy Pet Theater!
I had so enjoyed it five years ago -
all the talented dogs and cats, even a duck!
Would the Red Skelton-style skits still shine?
They did!
As did the juggling and all the animal antics!
Plus, they have added a silks aerialist - hooray!

Now what to do before the evening show?
Well, first, I located the Saxe Theatre.
Along the way, I had seen Lobster ME -
what was that all about?
Great eats on the cheap, that's what!
I had a lobster taco and a grilled shrimp taco -
and they even gave me free chips and cheese!
Plus, since it was Taco Tuesday,
I ate for less - perfect, with no leftovers!

I walked around a bit more, watching for the Rainstorm on the Miracle Mile, but my timing was off.
That's okay, I'd wait until after Vegas! The Show!
And look what I found inside the Saxe -
a replica of the famous Las Vegas sign!
Magnificent! Pretty nice photo of me, too!
(smile!)

As for the show, it was a superb variety act!
Feathered dancers! Glittery singers!
Dino and Frank and Sammy Davis, Jr.!
Tom Jones! Elvis! Gladys Knight with her Pips!
And songs turned into skits - "The Candy Man"
had girls throwing treats! "The Devil In Disguise"
had brides in fluffy white become red-clad sirens!
"What's New Pussycat" - pretty obvious,yes?
Then came the acrobats and the wry juggler!
What a magnificent show!

Now for a little dessert for my taste buds!
Over to the Ben & Jerry's I strolled, getting my
coconut almond fudge chip cone just in time
for the 9 PM Rainstorm - very nice!
Then outside, into the heat and the crowds
on the sidewalk, and what did I see?
The Fountains at the Bellagio were doing their
9:30 PM dance, moving to the music in my head!

Back into the cool of Planet Hollywood,
retracing my steps along the Miracle Mile,
heading south down The Strip.
Then, while I was traversing a side street
via the glass walkway, I saw shining brightly
the purple lights of my Las Vegas home in May of 2010, October of 2013, and on this 2018 summer trip:
Polo Towers.

Now to bed I go.
I'm checked in for my 11:30 AM flight tomorrow, my bags are packed, and I've placed my call to Bell Trans for the shuttle to pick me up around 8:30 AM.
Here's hoping for on-time flights and "Isle Of Dogs" still on the in-flight movie list!
(smile)
i thank You, God, for this blessed birthday trip!

between an m&m and a hard rock

Woohoo! Here I am, off to do battle!
The evil beasts of Diamond Resorts awaited me
in their lair at the top of the building.
The goons at Polo Towers had nagged me into an
"owner update" meeting - misnomer for a sales pitch
to get more of my money -
so I was there to get paid.
And I did - $150 of VISA cards -
and an iPad, too.
Thanks, Jeff Galloway.
Now, to have fun at their expense!

My first stop was M&Ms World!
Ms. Green was looking out from the top floor,
toward the mountains to the west,
but I chose the view to the north!
Ah, the sweet and dark smell of the chocolate
was so intoxicating!

Ms. Green even came out for a visit!
Right place, right time!
i thank You, God!
After hobnobbing with her by the race car,
I made sure to get some smashed pennies
to mark the occasion, with one for Tony -
these are his favorite candies!

Then I was off to experience the 4-D film,
"I Lost My M In Vegas!"
What's that fourth dimension?
The rushing air and other special effects
off the screen and around the viewers!
I enjoyed it so much that I saw it twice!

I had passed by the ID tag machine's
bright yellow bulk several times,
but something made me stop for a
closer look at its wares.
Then, I truly saw it - the Elvis M&M dogtag!!!
It even had purple highlights!!!

I had it engrave a special message -
FAUSTINA
60TH BDAY
- just for me!
Now, it's on my key ring that Mama gave me for
my 19th birthday, along with my real USN dogtag.
Those are both 41 years old, by the way.
(smile!)

Next stop?
Well, smelling all that chocolatey goodness
really worked up a powerful thirst.
Fortunately, the Coca-Cola Store was just
a few doors down!
Ahhhhhh!!! Nothing quite as thirst-slaking
as an ice-cold Coca-Cola ICEE -
the taste that refreshes!
(smile!)

***** H * E * L * L * O **** G * O * R * G * E * O * U * S *****
Thanks, T-Mobile! I appreciate that!
(smile!)

By the time I finished my exploration of the Showcase Mall, it was not only five o'clock somewhere,
it was five o'clock in Vegas, baby!
Time for a very late slunch and a libation!
Over to the Hard Rock Cafe with my bad self!
What a book to have been seated by The Killers
and the Panic! At The Disco -
they're both Las Vegas bands that made it big!

Eric was the best waiter on this trip!
He encouraged me to take in the sights while my food was being prepared and that's what I did, too.
The guitar had belonged to Paul Stanley of KISS -
so I had to send the photo to my ex!
"I've never seen that one. It's like half of a Flying V fused with half of a shrunken Explorer. Weird!"
Woohoo! That meant he loved it!

I loved all the memorabilia that had belonged
to Elvis Presley!
The turquoise and brown patterned shirt that
screamed 1970's style really made me smile,
reminding me of some of the shirts my brother
Smitty wore in high school.
These dragon-embroidered pants, though,
were what I most liked.
I sure would love to have a pair of these,
especially with Elvis in them!
(smile!)

Oh, and look at my gorgeous food!
The Southwest flatbread, sans cheese,
flanked on the left by the generous portion of
side salad and lemon vinaigrette,
with the Apple Cobbler - no ice cream, thanks! -
taking up the right side.
So good to have dessert along with the meal!
Thanks, Eric!

Nice entertainment accompanied my dining pleasure!
Here was Kool & The Gang, encouraging me to "Get Down On It", which I did, all while enjoying a pure smorgasbord of music videos!
There was Garbage with "Special", the Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla", some "Breathe Me" by Sia, Muddy Waters and his "Mannish Boy", Green Day going "Bang Bang", and the Cure telling me it was "Just Like Heaven".
My, oh, my, how had they known?

I even took a bit of that heaven - in the form of flatbread and cobbler - away with me for breakfast tomorrow.
Now, I'm settled in from the heat of the sidewalks, chilled Guinness Stout at my side, for a bit of "Sex In The City" - and sweet dreams of Mr. Big later.
(smile)
What a great day this has been, and all at no cost to me!
i thank You, God!

faces with elvis

Here is the young man I spent
every night with before bed,
to ensure my dreams would be
the sweetest!
Yes, even though he was on
the stage and I was on the
dance floor there at Roxy's
Lounge, we both knew we were
in tune with each other.
Victor Trevino, Jr.,
33 years old...
"You Can Leave Your Hat On" -
the bed, the floor, anywhere!
(smile!)

Much as I love Victor, this here is the hunka-hunka-burnin-love that has inflamed my thoughts ever since
I first saw him in 2016.
He was the headliner in the evening show on March 11th and I swear...
I swooned in my fifth-row seat.
I had to put on my glasses to convince myself he was not Elvis.
Ryan Pelton, 44 years old now, was in the elevator because he had forgotten something he needed for the show in Vegas... and he took my heart with him that night.

I had never met this ETA before, but I've grown to really enjoy him.
Not only is he good as The King of Rock and Roll, but he also does a simply fabulous "Queen of Rock and Roll" - you know I'm talkin' 'bout Sir Elton John!
That versatility meant that he was featured in a show every day in this Las Vegas Elvis Festival.
Four headliner shows in four days.
Good thing that Dwight Icenhower was only 37, or he'd not have enough energy for all that and guest songs at Roxy's at night!

Nope, your eyes are not playing tricks on you!
I was definitely in the right place, right time for a truly unique encounter with the man famous as "The Black Elvis", having claimed that title in Memphis in 2003.
He's also incredible as The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, and sang "I Feel Good" just the way I like my "Happy Song"!
Robert Washington will celebrate his 60th on August 16th - hope it's wonderful, like mine has been!

Here I am with the youngest entertainer of the festival, a man who is a third of my age.
I'm being absolutely serious.
Taylor Rodriguez will be 21 years old in the middle of December.
No wonder that he told me he was missing his family in Virginia!
My guess is he didn't need much make-up to portray Elvis of that same age, but maybe a little bit when he portrayed Ritchie Valens (who died at 18).
He was excellent in his three shows - so much energy and freshness!

I was there, two years ago in Brunswick, when this Brazilian won the competition.
Later that same year he was crowned King.
Now, he was a headliner in two shows and was present at Roxy's every night - such a delight!
He's also quite a treat as Engelbert Humperdinck - maybe it's those "Spanish Eyes"?
Whoever he is portraying, 37-year-old Diogo "Di" Light is one of the sweetest guys ever!

This fellow has a singing wife - Stephi - who was given some solo show time.
He referred to them as "Beauty & The Dork" during his Buddy Holly songs - lol!
I'd never seen Dean Z, but he has quite a following, as I waited over an hour for this photo.
No real surprise, though.
This charismatic 40-year-old has been doing Elvis' moves since he was a toddler and first saw him on a tv special in 1981!

Yes, I realize that he does not look like Elvis... but just listen to his voice and watch his movements.
Ted Torres is on the same level of overall talent as Ryan Pelton.
He sings, acts on stage and in film, writes, and composes.
He was first lured to the Elvis world when he saw "Jailhouse Rock" at 12 years old and is in his early 40's now, near as I can tell.
With his musical and theatre background, he really does put on an excellent show!

Don't let the black hair on his head fool you - he's at least my age!
He paid tribute to Sir Tom Jones
and is credited with encouraging other ETAs to give voice to other artists at the Elvis shows.
Former ETA Irv Cass, winner of the Ultimate title in 1999, has been serving as the emcee for Sherry Management's Elvis Festivals.
He was one of those featured in the 2001 "Almost Elvis" film and can be seen promoting it here.

So, what on Earth is this about?
Well, the Elvis Tribute Artist from England showed up for the one show he was in and didn't hang around for photos afterward.
However, Ben Portsmouth did do something none of the others did: he gave out scarves!
This white one was literally thrown directly at me as he performed "I love You So" -
Thank you, my 40-year-old sir!
I'm glad you enjoyed my dancing to your music on the stage!

Oh, and isn't my new purse gorgeous?
I had decided to buy a travel bag for my clothes, as my carry-on started shredding its wheels while I was in the Savannah airport. Oh, no!!!
I didn't trust that 17-year-old piece of luggage to get me to Sam's Town on public transportation. Instead, I had brought my clothes in the plastic bag from the Qdoba in the ATL airport.
(No one at Sam's Town even batted an eyelash at that. LOL!)
None of the vendors at the Las Vegas Elvis Festival had a carry-on bag with Elvis decor, sadly.
However, one had this lovely large purse, complete with the man's signature...
and crisp black-and-white photographs of the man in 1956...
just like the ones taken by Alfred Wertheimer...
the ones I had visited three times during their stay at the Jepson Center.
Woohoo! To paraphrase James Brown, mama's got a brand-new bag!

i thank You, God, for these talented people and for this glorious music and for allowing me to be here to dance, dance, dance!

elvis and vegas, baby! day 3

Holy moly, Miss Molly! This has certainly been a different Elvis Festival for me!
This day began at 1 PM in the big room with Jukebox LIVE! What made it special?
The lucky seven ETAs entertaining lucky us!
This was a "celebration of music legends" show where I was treated to see Elvis Tribute Artists paying tribute to other jukebox heroes.
Jukebox LIVE featured Dean Z‘s tribute to Buddy Holly, Dwight Icenhower‘s tribute to Sir Elton John, Robert Washington‘s tribute to James Brown, Irv Cass‘ tribute to Tom Jones, Diogo "Di" Light‘s tribute to Engelbert Humperdinck, and Taylor Rodriguez‘ tribute to Ritchie Valens!
What about Elvis? Oh, no worries, Ted Torres took care of representing the King in this musical feast!


Even the Everly Brothers, Phil and Don, had their moment in the limelight again to riff on each other and share the music, thanks to Dean Z and Ted Torres!
Kudos to the Change of Habit tribute band for keeping up with the tune changes!

After giving my tootsies a rest - and hobnobbing with the guys at the mid-afternoon Meet'n'Greet - it was time for a little dinner and then...
the 8 PM headliner at Sam's Town Live!

This show, THAT"S THE WAY, took a look at the different eras of Elvis’ musical career.
It started with Victor Trevino Jr.’s dynamic portrayal of Elvis in the 1950’s - sah-weet!
Images of the King World Champion "Di" Light performed music from the ’68 Comeback Special - ooh la la! Love the black leather! I'd only ever seen him in the white jumpsuit at the Georgia Elvis Fest!
The show finished up with Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist and Images of the King World Champion Ben Portsmouth, a British ETA. His performance focused on Elvis’ concert years, when he was "taking care of business in a flash", from 1969 until his death in 1977.
The Change of Habit tribute band were taking care of business, too, as they rocked steady,
all night long!
(smile!)

But was the party over after the concert?
Absolutely not!
It just changed venues, over to Roxy's Lounge!
(smile!)
Victor Trevino Jr & The Gamblers and some of the other ETAs were over there for “Elvis Tribute Unhinged”! That show not only featured music from Elvis but also some of the best party songs of all time!
I am so glad I decided to stay over here at Sam's Town instead of bouncing back and forth to The Strip! That would have been exhausting, plus I know I would have felt that I'd missed out on all of this late night fun.
It's my birthday party, y'all, and I'm living it up, living it up, oh, yeah!
(smile)

i thank You, God!

elvis and vegas, baby! day 2

One clarification, please, before I get started!
I misspoke when I was talking about the location of the shows.
The afterhours revelries will, indeed, be at Roxy's Lounge.
However, the headliners are all at Sam's Town Live, shown here.
Yes, my seat is still at Table 30!
(smile!)

It certainly got my motor revved for the evening performance!!!
Yes, indeed, 8 PM found me back at Table 30 for the SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL smorgasbord, served up fresh by Sam's Town Live!
No, not of food, but of music from throughout Elvis' career!
This was headlined by three of the most dynamic, energetic and full Elvis entertainers! This time, they came as they were, not in Elvis costume, but simply as themselves - that was different! The show starred Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Dean Z; Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Dwight Icenhower (seen last night, too!); and Images of the King World Champion Robert Washington. They are all different ages - and ethnicities - which I greatly liked. Why? It proved that Elvis is the King and still lives... in all of us!
(smile)

Then, I polished off the night at Roxy's!
This free show, Back to Sun Records,
ran on into the wee small hours!!!
Victor Trevino Jr & The Gamblers were back for
another round, as were some of the other ETAs.
They all joined together for a fantastic night
of rockabilly hits!
Sweet dreams for me!
(smile!)

elvis and vegas, baby! day 1

Let the games begin!
As I said, I opted to stay at Sam's Town for the four days - and three long nights! - of the Elvis Festival, as I don't want to chance missing a single moment!
All of the late-night events will be held right here, at Roxy's Lounge, a fairly intimate setting for sure!
I plan to get up and dance every night, just as I did tonight!

Tonight's show was the "68 COMEBACK", presenting the chapter in Elvis’ life from the King’s enlistment to his return to musical dominance in 1968.
This concert starred two Images of the King World Champion Elvis entertainers: Dwight Icenhower and Ryan Pelton, who may well be my very favorite of all, ever.
In 2016, Graceland named Dwight the “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” while Ryan is the star of the Elvis inspired movie “The Identical.”
The show was backed, of course, by the Change of Habit tribute band, just like the competitions at the Georgia Elvis Fest.
The show was held in the huge concert hall, Sam's Town Live, as will be all six of the headliners, as well as the special film.

See this view?
That's from my vantage point in Seat 4 at Table 30!
I had deliberately chosen this seat because it was the farthest right, last one in the last row, up-against-the-curtains chair.
That allowed me to get up and dance during the shows!
I know the ETA's really appreciated that because I would see them watching me. (smile)
This first show was patterned exactly after the 1958 tv

special, "Singer Presents...Elvis", even including the Christmas gift idea commercials that Singer aired!
That was almost fifty years ago - wow!
In accordance with that show's format, this began with Dwight singing some of the songs from 1956.
Then, Ryan came out, in uniform, to perform those tunes from Elvis' military days!
Don't give me the "G.I. Blues", "Teddybear"! (smile)

Then, during Dwight's return to the stage,
we had a big surprise in store...
but, wait a minute!
Watch this video of Elvis singing "Little Egypt" in
the 1964 film, "Roustabout".
That 34-year-old woman is Wilda Taylor...
And that's her, 50 years later, dancing on this stage!
Wow! She knew Elvis when he was just 29 years old!

Then it was time for my man of the elevator, the one
and only Ryan Pelton, clad in black leather as I'd
seen him in Brunswick - ooh la la!
And what was that tune he was crooning?
What was his sweet message in those sexy duds?
He says he "Can't Help Falling In Love"... with me...
as I slow dance solo, at the back of the room, accompanied by an older couple.
Right place, right time.

I kept right on dancing, too, this time with Dwight
in the black leather for the jam session.
What I liked most about this portion of the show
was the camaraderie between these men, as they joked
and strummed and broke into song - "Are You Lonesome
Tonight", "Blue Christmas", "One Night With You" -
that felt so realistic and natural!

There followed some commercials from Singer for turntables and radios, then several gospel numbers, including "Peace In The Valley" -
I very much like that one.
For the grand finale, featuring
"If I Can Dream", both Ryan and Dwight were on stage, together!
Double vision of delightfulness, foretelling of doubly sweet dreams for me later!
Hallelujah!
i thank You, God!

Afterwards, we were all kicking
it at Roxy's Lounge for the
"Rock Viva Las Vegas" show!
That featured an extraordinary
33-year-old entertainer, Victor Trevino Jr., backed by The Gamblers, as well as some of the other ETAs.
I danced a couple of songs with this thin, tall, black dude in a fedora - that was such fun!
I did a lot of solo dancing, too!

Dwight Icenhower did a few numbers, too!
First, though, he had a special message from Ryan Pelton, for me.
(Hey, I know the elevator man meant it for me, you hear?)
Ryan regretted that he would not be able to join us, but he was overbooked and had another gig and had to leave.
Sounds like my schedule sometimes!
Then Dwight sang "Crocodile Rock" and other Elton songs for my dancing pleasure!

Rock on, into the wee hours, my fine folks, but this East Coast chica is starting to flag.
When the band took a set break, I took that opportunity to grab this photo with Di Light, then to exit, stage right.
He had been on Roxy's stage, too, singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" in those painted-on jeans!
I look forward to seeing him perform in the two shows on Saturday...
and maybe here at Roxy's again before that!
Long live the spirit and the music of The King of Rock 'n' Roll!