I'm Beat! The Party-Part One

It began as an idea bandied about by me, Vin and Jane last fall during one of Vin's visits to to the coast-my 50th would roll around in mid-May and might be a good excuse for a party. A few ideas were thrown out, the best one being not to schedule it for Mother's Day weekend. If people had to choose between me and their mother, I'm gonna lose everytime and rightfully so. We picked Saturday, May 14th, four days after my real birthday as the appointed date and I let the idea slowly simmer. I wanted it to be special- not as much for me but for my wife and friends who have kept me borderline sane and have been incredible influences on me. I wanted it to be something unique, something fun as hell and something they would remember forever.
My initial plan was to have live music and find a local venue like the Shrine Club to rent for the party. The band choice was simple-my local favorites, Scearce and Ketner, great guys and super talented musicians. I sent Dicky Scearce the required $100.00 deposit and told them the date and that the venue was still up in the air. Sometime during January, I had an epiphany-why not have the party at the Dockhouse on the Beaufort waterfront. It is a place I have spent a great chunk of time and never tire of- a white, woodplank bar and restaurant right on Taylor's Creek with a killer view of Carrot Island, home to a herd of outer banks wild ponies and the Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve. When the weather is nice, you can sit outside, listen to live music while the waitstaff force-feeds you adult beverages. You watch boats and ships from all over the world at the town docks and the people watching, especially on long holiday weekends is unparalled. It's the place where I fell in love with Beaufort back in the mid-1980's and made a solemn vow that one day I would live here. It happened much quicker that I ever thought-I imagined myself being able to do it at age 90, teetering down the boardwalk wearing shorts, black knee socks, black wing-tips and those sunglasses that look like snorkeling goggles, with people at the Dockhouse pointing and laughing at me. I wouldn't care. Beaufort, especially Front St. and the waterfront is a magical place.
Yes, the Dockhouse is where the party had to be-let's see if we could make it happen.