HOGFATHER'S "Almost Famous" DINNER THEATER

As many of you know, life for us is pretty much a feast or famine enterprise...and with the downward market turn in Real Estate, we had to do 'creative thinking' to come up with a way to start getting something 'coming in' the door after a time of so much 'going out'...AND it had to be something we could actually DO...AND it had to be DIFFERENT than what we've been doing for the past 25 years or more.

So, the IDEA of HOGFATHER'S "Almost Famous" DINNER THEATER was born of desperation and the limitations we have to go with it. That being our age and diminished energy levels because of it, Aunt Faye living with us and needing more care all the time, and having lot's of help from Wendy and Will...without totally shutting down their day jobs (for now hee hee)...soooo...

EVERY Friday and Saturday Night we throw a PARTY for all of those who want to come slum in Toledo, enjoy an authenic home made Dinner venue...and a Musical Show...all in a smoke free, fun environment. So far, we've been 'SOLD OUT" of our 50 - 60 Seats for every performance...except one...and even then, there was a decent showing.

Teaching OLD DOGS new TRICKS is a little slow and deliberate I fear, but we're getting the hang of it pretty Quickly...and we are the talk of the Central Coast right now. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going...but we are always biting our lips around Wednesday worrying that no one will come...but so far, so good...so we're encouraged to keep on...trucking on...and it has been a hell of a lot of FUN for two old GEEZERS and the CREW!

Obviously, we're so emersed in getting this off the ground and flying...(remember that desperation thang...) there hasn't been time for leisurly BLOGS or emails or much of anything else. There's a LOT MORE to it than it seems...TRUST ME!

Each week, we learn something new...things we need...things we don't need...things we need to track...things we need to tighten up on...things we need to do more of...it never ends....but the GOOD NEWS IS....we are NEVER BORED...and when the Weekend rolls around, we get to share in some of the best fun we've had in our lives...with our musicians...with the crowd...and with each other.

Without the amazing 'energy' of Wendy 'the wait staff queen' and Will 'the chef', we would have went BUST from DAY ONE...but add to that the help from Smokin' Pig John...the guy with ALL THE EXPERIENCE who we bought the business from....who comes down at least one night a week to help in "the Back of the House", give sage advice, and teach us those "new tricks"...and this might just be the most HAPPENING THING AROUND THESE PARTS...yep, we're "ALMOST FAMOUS".

So, pictures are worth a thousand words...and I love to write the words but it is time to get down to the Restaurant for 'balls to the walls' for the next three days..so just a cutline will have to do.

The smiling face belongs to Toledo's Mayor, Sharon...who brought in a Party of 16 last weekend...billing themselves the 'wild bunch' and The Class of 1961. I can dig it since I am from the Class of 1964...and probably just a 'tad' more wild than these long term Toledo-ites.




Now, that little lady sitting next to the handsome guy (my Grandson Tom) was having a very 'special evening' since the whole thing was billed as "Aunt Faye's Birthday Party" in honor of her turning "96" on the 20th of January. The Musical venue was "007 Barbershop Ensemble"
from the "Sweet Adeline's" National organization of BARBERSHOP...so we knew Aunt Faye would know EVERY SONG they had to sing.

I warned them that they might hear a very 'high pitched' but strong new voice coming out of the audience...but though Aunt Faye sang along...she doesn't have that power in her anymore, so it was pretty soft and sweet...and she LOVED IT. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to her...led by the Group...and they even gave her a special 'Shamrock' they made for her with "96" on it.

Faye only weighs about 123 pounds now, so has become that 'little old lady' finally...but she still has a pretty good appetite. I'm calling all the sources Aunt Opal gave me to get help in for Faye now as we don't dare leave her even for an hour now...so things are getting pretty dicey when we have to all be at the restaurant. The Logistics of Who Can Be here remind me of a military operation at times...and it is just getting to much for us to handle with everything else going on.

007 BARBERSHOP ENSEMBLE wowed the crowd and were 'angels to Faye'...



Grandson Tom, for the first time was able to come to the Theater...and enjoy a moment or two. His Grandfather who lives near Portland has had a couple of heart attacks recently, and then a stroke so he has been at his side as much as possible...and aside from that, he's been working at Fred Meyers and going to School, and doing lot's of Homework...so not much fun in this kid's life for a few months now...we need to change that pretty soon.

The sun has come out..and we had to take BOTH of the QUADS to Pat to repair for various reasons...but mostly due to abuse and neglect by various guests we've allowed to ride them. NEW RULE...only the family CAN RIDE THEM NOW...as WE KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE.

Tom and I are anxious to take the QUADS out on the trails and see what the 130 MPH winds and storms have done to the Back Country Trees on the Property. We've had hellacious storms this winter...records even...but inside this house...you can't hear or feel a thing. Hell, you can almost picture a cow flying by the window along with the bowing of the branches on the Big Trees...but within the house, there's not even the sound of a 'breeze' penetrating this place. Amazing!

Of course, the water tank froze at one point, and the Satellite's were laden with 'frozen snow' and wouldn't work...for a spell...but we've gotten better at this 'wilderness' thing over the past couple of winter seasons...and since Aunt Faye was over at Opals for a MONTH while we went to California, and got the Restaurant up and operational, and weathered the 'record storms'...it was not bad because Allen, I and Tom can be more flexible than when we have Faye...and we don't need a constant going 'fire' either...so everyone managed, including Aunt Faye who was in the valley a lot longer than she planned, and Aunt Opal who cared for Faye while she was in the valley for a lot longer than SHE PLANNED.

Strangers have to 'sit together' with other strangers at Hogfather's...and by the end of the evening, a lot of people who didn't know each other become friends...and linger on...often trading phone numbers and promises to return soon. We're trying to restore a feeling of communityto our community...and for now, it's been a big hit.



Here's the Birthday Girl getting her new 'necklas' from Paula Dahl, who owns one of the local Beauty Shops here and was a Toledo High School Graduate herself...a later class than '61 I might add. I had just shared a long story about Fayes history with the audience...which you can see at www.hogfatherspeaks.com in the Menu Archives for Sat. Jan. 27 and when you consider she was born two years before the Titantic sank...there's a lot of history she experienced first hand. I talked about how great of an influence this "Greater Generation" had on me growing up and even now...and glanced over to see a lot of tears falling from those old eyes. She was very 'touched' with the tribute...and Aunt Faye doesn't get 'touched' that easy as many of you know.