Dallas We are Here!

10/6-10/7

Instead of a hotel, which were in short supply, Michael and I stayed with an old friend of his Pat Gordon. Miss Pat is a wonderful lady, 85 with a mind like a steel trap. Witty, intelligent, charming, she immediately stole my heart. The fact that she makes a fabulous dirty martini also added to the attraction. She lives in a sprawling ranch style house in NE Dallas, having moved to the house with her late husband Stewart in 1966. Stewart died a few years ago. A Scottish-Canadian, he was a wonderful man according to Michael. It was clear Pat still adored him and cherished every moment she had with him.

Pat had a career as a nurse, and functioned as a Director of Nurses at several hospitals in Dallas. She has had the opportunity to travel all over the world as well. Now retired of course, she has many friends and is active in bridge clubs and service organizations. Her man of the moment is Shadow, a 7 yr old mix of Pekinese and Lhasa and something else. As Pat described him, his mom was a streetwalker and daddy was a traveling man. She lives for him.

Upon settling in, M and I went down to Cedar Springs St and to a coffee cafe to meet and greet the other HMC members and the TCC members (HMC=Heartland Men's Chorus and TCC=Turtle Creek Chorale, I am tired of typing the names.) It was not a a real organized welcome and although billed to begin at 6PM, by 7Pm few were there. Slowly the KC boys filtered in and the party began. Not really, pretty low key affair actually. M and I had promised to take Pat out and so we left early and went to a nice place that Pat likes to dine at called Natalie's. I was tired anyway and my well known lack of social skills was evident, so a quiet dinner was fine with me.

I do say the TCC boys were wonderful in their welcome. They went out of their way to make sure we were welcomed, entertained and appreciated. I never failed to mention that we were honored to be there and thanked them for their invitation.

On Sat, I had to be at the Meyerson Symphony Hall at 1 so there was time to go booze shopping! Dallas has a larger population than KC thus more drinkers, even though parts of the city and surrounding counties dry. There is a strip of liquor stores in Addison TX, just north of Dallas that makes up for the lack of liquor stores elsewhere It is an alcoholic's paradise.

We found all the wonderful things I wanted and could not find in KC:

Glayva:

A spiced scotch somewhat like drambuie but with a touch of citrus. Glayva uses an Islay scotch rather than a highland or Skye scotch. A sweet, yet strong aparatif or night cap. Real hard to find and about $30 a bottle.

Amarula Cream:

A Bailey's-like sweet cream from the African marula fruit. Unique flavor somewhat like Bailey's but with the unique fruit aftertaste. Hard to find as well but about $20/bottle. Good info website: Amarula

Finlandia Mango Vodka:

Not as hard to find and about $20/bottle. Great ice cold straight up or as I first had it; chop open a fresh coconut and add a bit of the mango vodka to the fresh coconut milk and drink from hull.

And one I have loved for years:

Flor di Cana Centenario Rum:

The pride of Nicaragua. More like a brandy than a rum. Smooth as silk. DO NOT combine with Coke, that is why God created Bacardi. Best in a brandy snifter. 12 years old about $50/bottle if you can even find it. I get it for $10 in Nicaragua The glorious 18yr old Centenario Gold is not imported. But I get it for about $18 in Managua!

I had to be at the center soon and Michael wanted to pick up more Glayva so "The Mercedes" dropped me off ceremoniously in front of the Meyerson. He roared away...
"She likes to make sure everyone knows it goes fast", I remarked to the others waiting, "ummm hummm she does!" was the reply.

Tomorrow: The Meyerson and our first combined rehearsal!