This past weekend I met a nice charming Midwest mother & her daughter while working as the TEA CUP bartender at Hamburger Marys. The daughter was in her early 20’s and had just moved here from Chicago. The Mom was in her 40’s and here for a college daughter visit.

    They shared a disturbing story that happened to them the day before at a beach bar on the causeway. They were sitting at the bar when a guy walked up to them and started to chit chat.

    The Mom told me he was OK looking with a dark tan and in his late 30’s. Then all of a sudden the conversation went creepy scary. He said the he wanted to show them a photo of him as ‘a child smoking a cigarette next to a cig machine’ He took out his phone and started to scroll past dozens of naked photos of himself.  Then he started to talk about how good he was at anal sex. The two ladies turned away from him.

    Then the guy grabbed the girl by her hair and turned her back around. Reached down and grabbed her hand. The then placed her hand on a gun he had in his pants and said, “The three of us need to go to my place right now!”

    The terrified Mom turned to the couple sitting next to her and said, “Excuse me, I don’t know you but I have never been more scared than I am right now.” The husband of the neighboring couple stood up and in a very loud voice told the bartender that they need the manager here right now.

    He then walked over between the ladies and the man with a gun. The guy with the gun got up called them dirty named and walked out. The ladies did the right thing.

    If you’re ever in a creepy situation open your mouth and tell somebody right away. I am so glad they were here to tell me the story the next day. Who knows what could have happened if they left with that guy.

    In the early 1980’s & 1990’s, the Tampa Police would often raid the area Gay bars for drugs or whatever.  Usually they would raid them all the same night. The year 1994, there was a fall season police raid going down at the Howard Ave Station Club and others. A person was just walking towards the club and saw the police with many police cars raid and with a TV camera crews right behind. He ran to a pay telephone booth (LOL) and called our friend, Jack, a bartender at a different club.

    Jack quickly ran and locked all the doors to the Metropolis Club on Kennedy Blvd. Then…. told all the customers inside to get behind the bar and down on the floor. A raid was possibly going to happen! Then it happened. He was worried that the police might shoot the doors open.

    You can just imagine what a crazy party was going on the floor behind the bar!!! The police arrived and were pounding on the door to open it right now! Everybody remained very quiet the police finally gave up and left after 2 1/2 hours.

    The club was saved. No liquor violations or arrests.  Everybody still laughs this was the “Night the lights went out in Tampa.” LOL

    Our beautiful niece, Miss Meagan and her future military husband, Chris, met and live in Savannah, the proclaimed “Hostess City of the South.” They chose a Savannah River boat for their wedding. It was on the beautiful Georgia Queen paddle wheel boat http://www.savannahriverboat.com/ . The wedding theme was “1920’s Prohibition.” The guests all dressed in ’20’s period flapper” outfits. Our outfits came from La France  https://www.facebook.com/lafranceybor in GaYBOR of course!

    The beautiful Southern Bride wore a traditional white wedding dress for the ceremony with handmade lace veil from Sheila in Minnesota. Later she then changed into a b/w flapper dress for the reception/dinner. We were asked to bring our gold frame for some fun photos.

    Our new nephew Chris is an U.S. Army Ranger with a fun sense of humor. Our niece told us to be prepared for a Wild Wedding service but nothing could have prepared us for what happened next!!!!! The ceremony was performed by the army base Chaplin. In the service where he said “Does any body object to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace”, a, person in the audience stood up and said “Meagan you can do so much better than Chris….”

    Just then the groom pulls out a gun from his tuxedo and shoots the guy! The family and friends were all in shock! We were docked next to the busy River Walk with the many hotels, restaurants on the shoreline. Fake blood shot out of his chest and back as he fell to the floor. The groomsmen dragged the guy out by his arms down the bridal center isle! The bride then pulled a flask from her garter belt, both toasted each other and took a drink. Then the wedding proceeded. LOL!!! ( The wedding couple had this all rehearsed &  filmed. We will be sure to share the video with our readers soon).

      A cocktail hour followed the wedding then a dinner all onboard the boat. The Night of surprises was not over yet! The couple 1st dance started. The groom walked down one side and the bride down the other side. They stopped and met in the center of the boats dance floor. The bride unwrapped her rose bridal bouquet then roses all fell on the floor. The groom picked up one rose as they danced the Tango!!! Later, we were told that they were at dance classes practicing for months. Encore… Encore!

    It was like a scene out of a movie!!!  Who knew they could dance so well together. Under a sky full of stars the boat re-docked with the Savannah River Walk as a back drop. It was truly one of most beautiful and fun wedding we have ever been to.

    Congratulation to the new niece/nephew married couple Meagan & Chris!!!

1st Dance

    One year before 9-11 we were in Las Vegas for the New Years Gift Show with our friends Chuck & George. We decided to take an afternoon off and visit the wondrous humongous Hoover Dam. Before 9-11 you could take the hard hat tours and go deep inside the workings of the massive dam.

    We all had our hat on and headed into Hoover Dam. Our tour guide took our group of 8 people into the inner dam facilities.  As we made our way thru the famous dam with many tunnels it was very interesting.

    We were told that the concrete is still curing. There was small leaks of water actually coming thru.

    Finally we were at the very base of the gigantic mother dam just above the winding Colorado River. All of a sudden very loud sirens went off.

    Our tour guide and the workers all started to run every where. We didn’t know what to do and just looked at each other …. what was going on? After about 4 minutes the sirens  that echoed the rivers lower canyon chamber stopped and our guide re-appeared.

    Of course we all asked what just happened.Our hard of hearing ears and wondrous white faces.

    Our guide actually said…. “That was the dam’s emergency warning system to evacuate the dam.  I knew you couldn’t keep up with us so we just left you here.”

    Hmmmmm, You really can’t make this up!

    20 years we were called pioneers living in a rough and changing downtown neighborhood. One day there was a car parked in front of our home. There was no license plate and the car was there for over 4 weeks. We had called code enforcement and nothing happened. then we called the police and said that it might be a stolen car.

     The police came out and ran the vehicle id # and it was not stolen. We asked the police how to get rid of the un-welcomed, abandoned, parked on the street, parked in front of our house car. They laughed and said there was nothing they could do and it was not their problem. The police left and we simply opened the car door. Put the car in neutral and pushed it into the street then locked the door. Different police officers came out and the car was towed away.

     Guess it became their problem…. OOOpps

On August 4, 1956,  Elvis Presley performed at The Florida Armory in Tampa. This was the center for entertainment located on Howard Ave in South Tampa. Elvis was staying at the Floridan Hotel, in downtown Tampa. After the show he wanted to relax so Elvis grabbed his guitar and went for a walk down Franklin Street. One block away he found “The Hub Liquor and Package Lounge” Bar.  Elvis went inside played his guitar for the locals and said had a Great Time!  In the 1990’s the church who owned the build did not renew the lease to The Hub. In the middle of the night a group picked up the unique horse shoe shaped bar and moved it to Its current location at 719 N. Franklin St. Today the building is still empty. In one window is a decal that say “The Hub.”

Actual photo taken Aug 5, 1956 in Tampa. Ann Rowe & Elvis Presley

The Hub decal in window.

    One sure thing in GaYBOR District is that a visit to G.BAR is always a GREAT time. Especially for all the wonderful & unique people that party at G.BAR. One night in 2008 at G.BAR we bumped into artist Jermey Gloff.  He specializes in performance and visual art. Jeremy divides his time between living in Tampa & NYC.

     On this night there was 2 large bus loads of a summer camping group of Religous fanatics from Georgia rallying outside of the club. With blow horns, white hankies waving and signs they were telling us all that we are going to hell. Jermey said watch this… off to his car he went with a cameraman. What happened next has been viewed by 34,610 people world wide. We just plain LOVE YOU Jeremy Gloff!!! Here is the video of what happened…..

    One Sunday afternoon we were at Hamburger Mary’s in GaYBOR. This time we were sitting in a different booth. All of a sudden we noticed what looked like the Virgin Mary on the wall. The same day we shot a video and posted it in facebook. This went viral across America and even made the Daily News in the UK. AOL News, local news TV stations and CBS Morning Show too.

    The next day Manager Melanie Minyon tried to wipe it away. The Mary at Mary’s didn’t go away. Thousands of people have come to Hamburger Mary’s Tampa  to witness the super natural vision that is bright & clear!

    Today 3 years later it is still there.  Here is the Video…. what do you think?

 

    In the late 1980s I was working as a Real Estate broker/salesperson in South Tampa. One day a call came into the office. The person owned a house close to the Prestigious Palma Ceia Country Club. I went to meet with the owners to get a listing.  It was an upper end listing for the time. I then recognized the person. He was the retired owner of a local company. We were joking about his company, Tampa happenings in general and laughing. Just as I was leaving he stopped me and dropped an unexpected boom.

    He looked me straight in the eyes and in a very serious voice said, “Just so we are clear. If you bring a “N ” word to this home I will not open the door and pull the listing. I will not allow a ‘N word’ to live next to my neighbors.”

    WOW, I didn’t say a word but thought, ” What about a fag then.”

    Back at the office we all talked it over and decided to cross that bridge when and if it happened. The next week there was a showing of the property. It was an elderly white country club member with her interior decorator. They loved it and made an offer the next day. She then sent over her black handy man to inspect the house. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. The closing for the property was held at another Country Club members title office.

    I had told her to bring a certified check to the closing. At the closing Mrs. New home buyer showed up with a small personal check book with kitty cats on the checks. I asked her where was the certified check and she smiled that she was way too busy to get one.

    The owner of the title company just smiled and said, “That will be fine.” That was my 1st 6 figure check I had ever seen on a small personal check. The company owner and his wife retired to a beach home.

    WOW, what a look at racism and old money in Tampa.