Post #451057 by pablus on Fri, May 1, 2009 12:58 PM

So I was having my bi-annual haircut yesterday morning at the cheapest place in town.

I just need to wear hats more probably, but I digress.

As the loquacious snipper with the Nu Yawk accent did his work on my wispy locks, he mentioned something about living in Ft. Lauderdale.

"Did you ever go to the Mai Kai?"

He looked surprised - "yeh.. yeh.. I been to the Mai Kai. Used ta werk thea." (I'll leave the accent behind now that you've got the idea.)

He went on to tell me the stories of Kern Mattei the first and how he knew "little Kern" when he was just a boy and his relationship with Dave Levy and mentioned everyone we revere as the "old guard" and then started talking about Mr. Thornton.

He told stories of the celebrities who showed up. He talked about the girls, the dancers. Everything you'd want to know about the 70s Mai Kai.

It was my best haircut ever. He went on and on and then at the end of the cut, reached into his little drawer behind the chair and pulled out a card from his employment days at the Mai Kai. It was in pristine condition but a little yellowed, and he gave it to me. Tony Pedrero - Captain. He told me to hand it to Dave and tell him Tony said "Aloha."

I think I might have shed a manly tear, or it could have been the talc he was throwing around that got in my eyes, but it was quite serendipitous.

If you haven't read one of my first posts to Tiki Central - check this one out. It's about my first trip to the Mai Kai in 2003 and how I got there.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=5542&forum=1

[ Edited by: pablus 2009-05-01 13:27 ]