Post #2685 by Alnshely on Mon, Jun 24, 2002 9:47 PM

A BIG ALOHA to all the card carrying Tiki Centralites who attended the Tiki event of the century!

It was great to see and meet up with Weird Uncle, The Mysterious Miss Monaloa, Migg, Frenchy, Mateo, THE Fabulous Tiki Bob, King Kukulele, FloraTina, Mr. Smiley, Cary, Mary Margaret,Trader Pup, Otto, Doe, and Vander Vegas, C.C., Anne, and the adorable Catalina, Sven, Shag, Charlie, Baxter, Sarah, Crazy Al, Uncle Artie, Markus, Biff, Martin, Rebecca, Tiki Mike, Alice, Beach Bum Berry, Bosko, Truues, Phil, Bamboo Ben, Holden, Gretchen, Rich, Shawna, the Professor and Maryanne there on Caliente soil!

The Tiki Oasis weekend was the most outrageous fun we have had in many a moon. It sure beats the Hell out of getting kicked out of Vegas! I just want to thank everyone who turned out and went to great lengths to have a Tiki-riffic time! Everyone I met seemed to be getting into the spirit of the event with a no holds barred type of zeal. I felt truly welcome by all and was ecstatic about all the new friends we made.

The sing-along in our room (the infamous Room 135) was the most unexpected, spur of the moment party we have ever thrown, and I think that is really the best type of all. I've never had so much fun in a hotel room, (Sorry, Al. I love you, but you just can't compete with a room full of Tiki freaks and the spontaneous live entertainment of King Kukalele, Weird Uncle, and Cary on Bongos, etc.) They played the ukes and bongos with reckless abandon!

We got a few photos of the sing along on the digital cam, so we will be sure to post them somewhere where you can all see them and check out how crazy you look after too many Waikikians.

Floratina, I am dying to see the video!

Migg, you were so gracious to remember us and bring your guests over!

The impromptu slide show of someone's parent's 1961 trip to Hawaii was an unexpected visual treat.

Incidentally, whomever brought their ice bucket over to use as a rasp instrument for the jam session, I returned it to the front desk on Sunday. So, you should not be charged for it! The "Shopping List" had me a little shook, I must say. I did not take my usual "complimentary" washcloth on this trip.

Overall the staff at the Caliente Tropics was great! Ulla at the front desk, was a bit too Gestapo-esque for my taste, but otherwise we were met with pleasant hospitality.

This trip to Palm Springs was definitely up there in my Top Ten Weekends List. I was also thrilled to relieve the thrift stores of the desert of a ridiculous amount of vintage Hawaiian vinyl.

Lastly, if any of you have somehow misplaced your Official Tiki Central Membership Card, not to worry. Your complimentary Mai Tai or Fogcutter is not lost. Just be sure to mention the password, "HAWAIIAN EYE, HAWAIIAN EEEYYYEEE, HAWAIIAN EEEYYYEEE!!!!" the next time you visit Al & Shelley's Lagoon Room in Exotic Oceanside, CA.

Until then, may all your Mai Tai's be good ones!

Mahalo,
Shelley

[ Edited by: Alnshely on 2002-06-24 21:50 ]