Now that the title has your attention, I must confess the pictures in this post will be a LOT like reality TV... ya know? Mostly staged, *Disclaimer* All of these lovely young ladies are NOT married, the Casablanca is NOT in its own county (I'm still waiting to hear back from the state of Texas on that one), and these girls are NOT middle aged women who wrote in to HBO and said "hey lest put our backstabbing, over priced, alcoholic, suburban ways on your network" But here are a few "domestic" themed pictures my friends Emily, Kelcie, and Lydia snapped during "As Time Goes By"!
(Little Miss Kelcie has been slaving in front of a hot stove all day!)
(Miss Lydia is expecting 'Two for Tea')
(Miss Emily Rain, model much?!)
("We might not have 2 television sets, but we have a High Fidelity in the Kitchen")
("Hotter than the 4th of July")
But our Delightful Domestics grow restless! Who wants to be stuck in a hot kitchen all day? So they load up in the family's new SECOND Sedan and head off to the local Drive-In.
(This will be a postcard soon)
(Kelcie, Caleb, & Andrew)
(Kelcie, Caleb, Lydia)
(Disa, Kelcie, and Corey)
And now some Domestic pictures from the Casablanca Vault (HA! You just thought Disney could use that line!)
(Miss Brandi )
"By The Sea"
(Staged by Mick J, Photographed by Carter W, Model Brandi E)
Thus ends our reel of highlights in the day of an adverage housewife in Casablanca County...
Six months of planning and I fumbled on the movie portion of the evening. As planned I was showing the 1943 black and white classic "Casablanca" for the first movie...
Now as wonderful and timeless a classic as it is, when you have a Drive -In theater filled with mostly 18 and under... black and white, 1940's heart breaking love story's isn't exactly what the crowd demands... So after about 10 minuets I took Casablanca out of the project and put on our second feature for the night "The Birdcage"
Now a lot of you are provably thinking "WHAT DOES BIRDCAGE HAVE TO DO WITH THE 50'S?!"
And the correct answer would be nothing! The scene where Robin Williams says "YOU ARE FOSSE, FOSSE, FOSSE, MARSHA GRAHAM, MARSHA GRAHAM, MARSHA GRAHAM, MADONNA, MADONNA, MADONNA!" Has become a huge inside joke with the cast and thats what they wanted to watch. The beautiful thing about the Drive-In is you really don't have to watch the movie, its more about being together with good friends and enjoying summer. So people ate, played board games, and a few of us made our way back into the lounge to toy with the piano again.
(Landon and Kelcie)
(Miss Emily)
(Miss Michelle)
Friend Michelle even composed a song to commemorate the evenings events and our growing friendship.
Here are the words...
"As Time Goes By,
Mickey you and I become good friends.
Wish I didn't live so far away
Mickey I would stay much longer than I do.
I do, I do
Mickey My friend!"
Wasn't that nice of her?! This song was the climax to a wonderful evening not to long after the guests started to depart group by group...
(Miss Logan)
(The steadfast Casablanca regulars Kayla, Pam, and Brannon)
After most of the guest departed there were 4 of us left, Michael, Dorthy, Cynthia, and Myself. we sat out in the Drive-In under the stars chatting about my red neck neighbors, historic parts of Missouri, theater you name it! But as the clock drew closer to midnight Dorothy and Cynthia loaded up and headed for home. Micheal and I stayed up talking until it was 1:30am before exchanging goodbyes and thank you's! Then I went through the yard and house turning off the lights one by one and when I pulled the chain on the last light bulb "As Time Goes By" was over...
* * *
I know iv said it a million times on the blog here, BUT Id again like to thank Michael for coming, I'd like to thank Chris Pantry, Debra West, and Nick Drummond for making the effort to attempt to come (You'll get here someday!), I'd like to thank all the people who attended and dressed up! I'd like to thank all our entries in the photo contest (the winners will be revealed later this week) A Special thanks to all of you super nice people who sent things to add to the party, and Also all of you blog readers in general for listening to me whine about house work and party prep for the last 6 months! You readers make this blog what it is! Without you guys, i'd just be a 20 yr old smart mouth writing about a shack way out in the country you people are the Magic that is The Casablanca Hotel and Resort.
This brings me to my final topic of the day, During the party my friends and fellow Thespians....YES I SAID THESPIANS were in awe that Michael had made the long trip to come and be a part of the party.
They'd ask "Well why is he here exactly?
Me: "He reads my blog and I read his"
Them: " Wow people must really like you if they follow your stories about this place"
Me: "They do, im not sure why haha, but they do!"
Them "well that's cool... I love how you can turn what other people see as nothing into something spectacular"
Me: "Yup because sooner of later, 'Everyone Goes to Mick's'
So dear readers I ask you What do you "like" about Everyone Goes to Mick's? What makes you read and comment?
Well dear readers,
The day was coming to a close, but the party was FAR from over. With the flamingo games finished It still wasn't quite time to start showing movies on the Drive-In, so a few of us moved into the Casablanca's 'lounge" for an impromptu piano recital from a few of our guests!
****for better watching of the videos with out the "play list juke box" scroll down and look in the right side bar and pause the music.****
The first to fearlessly pic the piano to pieces, was friend Corey! ( He is playing the part of Sam in Pirates) and he plays a mean "Maple Leaf Rag" So without further adieu ( and please pardon the out of tune piano) Corey!
Wasn't that great?! Corey then played the evenings theme song "As Time Goes By" which is also the theme to the 1943 movie "Casablanca"
Well once Corey got things started everyone who had an idea of what they were doing took a turn on the piano...
however somewhere in the transfer from camera to computer a few preformaces were lost! So we'll cut right to friend Michelle playing a little later setting a more 'classical' mood for the evening!
All I can say is it was worth every bit of that $35 to have the house filled with music (and to have people who actually know how to play piano!) In just a few minuets the movies would begin, but everyone was having so much fun we listened to piano a while longer!
(Lydia, Jen, Wes, and Lee kicking it in the den!)
But even music of the 'parlor variety' couldnt keep these kids from parking it in the Drive-In to watch the evenings movies....
which you will have to tune in for tomorrow for the finale part 7 of 7!
As the Golden hour passed over the Casablanca and its party guests with movie time just out of daylights reach... the stakes were higher than ever before with only ONE gold flamingo left! The remaining competitors rolled up their pants, pushed up their princess sleeves, and prepared to shake it like there was no tomorrow. In the minuets leading up to the contest, my friend Lee comes to me and says "Exactly how does one do the twist?"
I reply " Oh its the simplest dance known to man, You wipe your butt with an imaginary towel and stomp a cigarette with your foot." (This made Michael and a few other guest laugh out loud, is it not a good representation of the dance?! Haha) Lee spent almost all of his time trying to master the dance.
As you can see it paid off! He wanted that last golden flamingo so bad it was hysterical, so Twisted until you;d think he'd pull something. Here are some more candid photos taken during the festivites!
("Come on baby lets do the twist!")
("Take me by my little hand, and move like this!")
(Everyone waiting as the judges review Twisting Scores)
(teeming with anticipation!)
(Our camera man Zack does a little taunting)
(Our Winners Victorious of the 2010 Golden Flamingo Games!)
Coming up tomorrow movies and a little night music....
Blogger and I are having issues... so to keep you nice people from rioting, enjoy this 1952 Disney Cartoon about 'a little house, on a little hill way out in the country' and tell me it doesnt remind you of our very own Casablanca Hotel & Resort!
Well readers, after our half time show, the perfect time of day settled upon the Casablanca... what I like to call "The Golden Hour" just before the sun goes down, the days heat breaks, and twilight creeps over the hill. However it was no where near time to start showing movies on the Drive-In... so we played some more records, and the merriment continued!
(Emily & Andrew take a pause that refreshes!)
(Brannon, Pam, & Kayla lounge about)
(Landon may or may not have had an accident because greatness of the next Golden Flamingo Contest)
The Hokey Pokey....
As you can see it was a pretty close competition, but Landon came in second all because of his vanity,
However he and Lydia worked out a custody agreement about their flamingo Lydia: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Landon:" Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays (and alternating Sundays) *Note* the contest and death match were so close, Landon was later rewarded with his very own golden flamingo.
A special thanks to our lovely Hokey Pokey dance judge, Dorothy!
Here's a few shots snapped during the Hokey Pokey...
("You put your right foot in, You put your right foot out...")
("You do the Hokey Pokey, and you turn yourself around")
("THAT'S WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT!")
Tune in tomorrow to see the final Golden Flamingo winner in the "Twist" Competition!
With the winner of the Hula Hoop contest victorious, I have to share with you that Wes wanted a Gold Flamingo soooooo bad ( Its all he talked about for a week) and I was really happy he won. everyone headed back into the Drive-In to enjoy themselves. We had cut the cake and not friend Michelle Insisted We open Presents!
Now upon arrival Micheal said to me "I have something for you!" to which I said "Fantastic I have something for you too!" Well Michael's gift beat mine by a mile :)
He presented me with this lamp, which may or may not remember when he posted on about it on his blog "Cul-de-sac Shack" I flipped over, Thank You Michael, I love it! In exchange I gifted him a little planter, and a set of Official Casablanca Pink Flamingo's to take back to the Shack. (There are now 22 official Pink Flamingo's in the Flamingo Drive-in)
Friend Michelle gave to me this FINE piece of art work, she made herself :) his name is Pete, and he is a Lackey Original that I will treasure forever, Thanks Michelle!
Friend Zack (AKA The Pirate King) presented me with a bag of inside jokes, Including a picture of a Giraffe that says "OMG Giraffe!", a very special birthday card, and 2 bags of animal crackers! To explain the extent of the jokes would be hard so to put it simply, these gifts are priceless. Thank You Zack!
I would also like to thank Amber VonFelts again! Your records were fantastic for the party, and if you listen closely during the hula hoop contest you can hear "The Chipmunk Song" playing that's one of yours!
As well as Roxanne over at Cheatvalor for the wonderful picture and print table cloth she sent. We had a green lantern that went perfectly with it, thank you so much!
My Mother, had a brilliant idea, before the party she gave me this huge frame with a large picture mat that makes an 8X10 size. She even had letters cut out to say "As Time Goes By At Mick's Place" and explained that everyone could sign it and once I printed the group picture I could hang it out at the Casablanca. MARVELOUS IDEA MOM! Except.... for the fact she wrote "Happy 20th birthday! Mickey, you are my "Mickster" make your dreams come true! Love always Mom & Dad." Which is touching, shall we all heave a collective sigh? Alright now that we've sighed... Mom sorta messed up her marvelous plan, because at the party 'Mokey see- Monkey do' and 18 signatures later everyone has written Happy Brithday...AND ITS NOT MY BIRTHDAY! Thank You Mom, I love you.
Only 3 people knew what the party really was, Michael, Michelle, and My good friend Dorothy. Leaving the following comments...
"Congrats on 5 years of the Casablanca- Michael"
"To a beautiful man, and his beautiful house - Michelle"
"Always a good time at Mick's Place - Dorothy"
(If you good readers would like me to post all the comments that were written on the picture let me know in a comment and I'll do it sometime!)
Even with birthday wishes I love it it! And will be hanging it in my room at the house in town. But mom had another surprise for me...
This metal sign will soon be hanging above the front steps at the C.H&R...were Legit now! Thank you Mom <3! As we wrapped up the unwrapping of the presents the Olympians grew restless... So we threw together a halftime show.
Please note the Giraffe and Hindenburg are both pieces of inside jokes.
Lydia (blue polka dotted dress) played the role of Mary Magdalene In the production of Jesus Christ Superstar I was in earlier this year, and Emily (blue flowered dress) played the role of one of the angels. My friend Dorothy (who is singing and rocking in a lawn chair behind them) was also in the production, I was her escort up and down the set every night!
With the impromptu half time show over everyone continued to lounge about as the days heat FINALLY started to break and evening's cool breezes crept upon us. Huzzah for candid pictures of people in lawn chairs!
(Left, The Missouri Michael of Cul-de-sac Shack, Right Cynthia Lewis)
