DECEMBER 8- ON DECEMBER 8TH SUNCOAST MUSTANG CELEBRATED OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY AT MAINLAND'S CLUB HOUSE. AS USUAL WE HAD OUTSTANDING FOOD AND DRINKS FROM MIKES CATERING INCLUDING BRUCHETTA, SHRIMP COCKTAIL, GARLIC KNOTS, PULLED PORK, BAKED ZITI, CHICKEN SONOMA, WINGS, AND TIRAMISU. AFTER DINNER THE EMPHASIS OF THE NIGHT TURNED TO FUN AND GAMES.
FIRST, WE HONORED LONG DISTANCE CLUB MEMBER ANGUS REID WHO TRAVELED ALL THE WAY FROM ENGLAND TO JOIN IN ALL THE FUN. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED ABOUT ANGUS IS THAT EVERY TIME HE COMES OVER FROM ENGLAND WE END UP HAVING LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE POUND AND WHAT IT IS WORTH. SO AFTER MANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS MYSTERIOUS POUND, I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. IF THIS POUND IS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM, I FIGURED I OUGHT TO GET HIM ONE. THE ONLY POUND I KNOW OF IS A POUND OF CHOCOLATE. SO I WENT OUT AND GOT HIM A POUND OF CHOCOLATE. IM NOT SURE IF IT IS THE SAME, BUT IT IS A POUND.
SECONDLY, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIM NOT UNDERSTANDING THINGS THAT GO ON IN OUR COUNTRY, JUST AS I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS POUND IS SUCH A BIG THING IN HIS COUNTRY. ALSO, I REALIZED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH QUITE A FEW AIRPORTS ON HIS WAY HOME TO ENGLAND. WITH ALL THE STRANGE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN AMERICAN AIRPORTS, I WAS CONCERNED THAT HE MAY GET TANGLED UP IN A FEW THINGS THAT HE MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND. FOR EXAMPLE, THE RECENT MIX UP THAT SENATOR DANIEL CRAIG HAD IN THE BATHROOM STALL AT HIS AIRPORT. SO WE MADE HIM A MODIFIED ROLL DOWN SCREEN TO STICK ON THE BATHROOM STALL WALL WHENEVER HE NEEDED IT.
THE THEME OF THE GAMES FOR THE NIGHT WAS RACING. THE FIRST RACE INVOLVED THREE TEAMS, 2 GIRLS, 3 BOYS, AND A COUPLE. THEY EACH HAD IDENTICAL GIFTS IN FRONT OF THEM TO UNWRAP. THE ONE TO UNWRAP IT FIRST WOULD WIN THE PRIZE AND EACH TEAM PICKED A PERSON FROM THE CROWD AT RANDOM TO SHARE IN THEIR WINNINGS. AS USUAL, TO MAKE IT A BIT MORE CHALLENGING, WE ADDED A FEW TWISTS. FOR EACH TEAM, ONE MEMBER COULD USE THEIR RIGHT HAND, THE OTHER MEMBER COULD USE THEIR LEFT. AND TO FURTHER COMPLICATE MATTERS, WE MADE THEM PUT OVEN MITTS ON THE HANDS THEY COULD USE. IT WAS QUIET A SIGHT TO WATCH AS THEY UNWRAPPED THEIR GIFTS, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A BOX, INSIDE OF A BOX, INSIDE OF A BOX, WITH THE FINAL BOX HOLDING NOTHING BUT LUMPS OF COAL. THE WOMEN'S TEAM PROVED TO BE THE BEST, AND FOR BEING SUCH GREAT SPORTS THEY EACH WON 25$ GIFT CERTIFICATES TO LOCAL RESTAURANTS.
THE SECOND GAME WAS A SIMPLE HORSE RACE. EACH TABLE PICKED A VOLUNTEER TO RUN THE RACE AND WE ALL TOOK TURNS TO ROLL THE DICE TO SEE WHICH PERSON WOULD MOVE AND HOW FAR THEY WOULD GO. CHECK OUT THE PICTURES TO SEE THE SIZE OF THOSE DICE. DENISE MOODY LED HER TABLE TO VICTORY. OF COURSE DURING ALL THE GAMES, WE RANDOMLY MIXED IN SOME SURPRISE GIFTS AND ENVELOPES CONTAINING OTHER GIFT CARDS SO THERE WERE QUITE A FEW BIG WINNERS FOR THE NIGHT.
THE THIRD AND FINAL GAME WAS THE GIFT EXCHANGE. EVERYBODY WHO BROUGHT A GIFT SAT IN A CIRCLE AND PASSED THEIR GIFTS AROUND FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT, AS WE READ A MODIFIED CHRISTMAS STORY ABOUT A NASCAR RACE. WHEN THE STORY ENDED, THEY GOT TO KEEP THE GIFT THAT THEY HAD.
THE WHOLE EVENT WAS JUST AWESOME. THE FOOD WAS OUTSTANDING AND IT WAS GREAT TO GET EVERYONE TOGETHER AND JUST SIT BACK AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. WE HAD ALMOST 60 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. MY SPECIAL THANKS GO OUT TO EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED AND AN EVEN GREATER THANKS TO ALL THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES TO HELP MAKE THESE CHRISTMAS PARTIES EVENTS POSSIBLE, LET ALONE SO MUCH FUN.
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DECEMBER 14- Our club’s main charity, Toys for Tots, received lots of gifts from us this year. A large number of members brought gifts to the Holiday Dinner or to one of the “collection sites”. On Friday, December 14th, we were able to fill our cars with many great gifts for needy kids. In addition to the individual members’ donations, Lucy and Jim Carroll and Bill Dellert each purchased about $150 worth of toys, using funds from the club’s treasury.
The turnout of cars was the largest ever. We assembled at Wayne’s shop to caravan over to Brandon, where WQYK’s Randy and Dave were holding their annual toy drive marathon. We left as one large group, but were quickly broken up into small groups, because of heavy rush-hour traffic and those “wonderful” traffic lights. Once on the Gandy Bridge, traffic really slowed because construction in Tampa allowed only one lane of cars to proceed. We continued on; keeping in touch via our cell phones, as it started to sprinkle, then rain, then pour. The rain got so heavy that Randy and Dave had to close up their open air broadcast and they made an appeal to SMC members not to come because the weather was so bad. Most of us continued however, since the traffic was so sluggish and eventually the rain did slow up. As we began arriving at Toys ‘R Us in Brandon, the rain had stopped and the Marines were happy to see us and collect our toys. Randy Price was still there, and though he was off the air, he warmly greeted all the club members who braved the weather. Randy, along with many others, admired our “fleet” of Mustangs of various styles and years.
Once all the toys were unloaded, we said our good-byes and proceeded to the nearby Smokey Bones Restaurant, where we enjoyed each other’s company and a great meal.
Thanks to all the club members who brought gifts and those who went or attempted to go. This event is getting better each year. It is nice to donate to a great cause and great to get our Mustangs on the road and assembled at one location (even with the rain). The cars looked great, even as the rain drops bubbled up on their beautiful paint jobs. If you weren’t able to be a part of this event, we hope you can participate next year. Written by Bill Dellert