Hauʻoli Lā Hānau - Mai Tai's, Alex O'Loughlin and Another Birthday in Hawaii

Birthday morning on our rooms 9th floor deck at Aston Waikiki Sunset Motel 

My husband Mark does not really care about birthdays.   He does not particularly like celebrating his own birthday.  It's just another day to him.  But that is not me.  I love birthdays.   When the first day of November roles around I get very excited.   That's because I don't only celebrate the day I was born.  I celebrate the entire month.  I usually jokingly label my photo's The Never Ending Birthday Celebration every year.   Mark humors me and always goes along with my celebration month.  He even goes out his way to make it special because he knows how much it means to me.  Two years ago when I turned 65 he took me to Hawaii so I could climb Diamond Head  on the my birthday.  Hawaii has almost become our second home.   We have traveled there four times in the past six yeas.  It was such a thrill to stand on top of Diamond Head and take my photo on my 65th birthday.   Now thanks to Mark,  two years later I found myself back in Waikiki for another birthday. 

We woke up early and the weather did not look good.  Each morning when I woke up on this trip I looked out of the huge window and in our room to check the weather.  And most mornings there was beautiful sunshine.  On my birthday I woke up and  looked outside to see a very dismal cloud cover.

Oh well.  I was not going to let it ruin my birthday.  We  had already had seven perfect days in the Never Ending Birthday celebration.  So I was not going  to get upset over a cloudy possibly rainy day.  We were not planning on climbing Diamond Head this year anyway.   But within the hour the sun started to appear and burn away all of the clouds.

So I showered and got dressed in my Hawaiian shirt and prepared for the days adventures.

My shirt almost matches that beautiful blue sky.

The first order of the day was a huge birthday breakfast.  We love the breakfasts in Hawaii.  I am not usually a breakfast person.  But when I get out on the islands I love their huge breakfasts.   We usually eat at one of two places near our hotel, either Cheeseburger in Paradise or LuLu's.   Both serve huge delicious breakfasts.  But I wanted something different on my birthday.  So I told Mark and our friend Gillian, who was with us on this trip, I wanted to walk down Kalakaua Avenue to the Maui Brewing Company for breakfast. It was a good walk from our hotel to the brewery but I had seen photos of their breakfast and new it would be worth the journey.

And I was correct. This was the best breakfast I had eaten on the entire trip. I had Banana Brûlée pancakes with macadamia nuts. The banana's had a crunchy sugar coating. The macadamia nuts were sweet and delicious. And the maple syrup was infused with an IPA beer from the brewery. The IPA was not to strong to take away from the syrups sweetness, it just addressed it perfectly. This was a great start to my birthday.

Now that's a happy breakfast face.

We had turned in our rental the car the previous day so we could not drive any place outside of Waikiki. So my plans for my birthday were nothing like the previous year when we climbed Diamond Head. I had a few things in my head I wanted to do though. The big breakfast at Maui Brewing was the first thing and I was able to check it off as accomplished. My next goal was a birthday Mai Tai at the Hula Grill at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort. In my opinion they make the best Mai Tai's in Waikiki. Later that evening I wanted to go to Arancino di Mare for an Italian meal. It's Hawaii, why not Italian? And finally I wanted to end the day at late night happy hour at Cheeseburger in Paradise. So nothing extravagant was planned. It was our last day in Waikiki. We were flying home the next day. So this plan was perfect in my opinion.

 
We left the brewery and walked towards Honolulu but we never actually got outside of Waikiki. We, or rather I had a major distraction. We did take some time for goofy photos. That should be of no surprise to anyone. I saw a tattoo parlor and thought it might have been fun to get a tattoo for my birthday while in Hawaii, but I really had not budgeted for that. So instead I just too silly photos outside of the parlor.

G

I saw a tall condominium where I told Gillian that Mark and  I could by our dream home.    Gillian basically said dream on and let me know when you hit the lottery.   I'll move with you.

 I still think one of the corner units by the upper pool would be an excellent investment.  Maybe I can convince Mark this by my next birthday?

I then saw an interesting statue.  It was not a memorial or religious symbol so I did not feel wrong for taking a funny photo with it.

We then saw a pretty park and decided to cross the street and look at the flowers and trees in the park.  As we entered the park we saw some white trailers in a circle.  On closer look we realized they were dressing rooms and crew trailers for the TV show Magnum P.I.   There were also signs directing you the from the trailers to the filming area for the show.   We decided to follow the signs and maybe get a chance to see them filming a scene from the show.   But here is the story.   Every time Mark and I have gone to Hawaii I have always joked about running into Alex O'Loughlin who plays McGarrett on Hawaii Five 0   I am a huge fan of the show and have watched every episode since it started telecasting ten years ago.   And Alex is a real fantasy for me.   But each year we have not run into him or any of the crew filming his show.  I like Magnum P.I.   But it's not Hawaii Five 0.  So seeing the trailers and maybe the cast would be fun but not the major thrill of Hawaii Five 0 or Alex.

We followed the signs to the Outrigger Reef Hotel.  This hotel has another one of our favorite bars with one of the best beach views in Waikiki.   When we got to the hotel lobby it appeared the film crew was leaving.  Then we saw two aids walking with Chi McBride from Hawaii Five 0!

trailers 

Chi McBride from Hawaii Five 0

I just stopped in my tracks and stared.  So they were filming Hawaii Five 0 even though I only saw production trilers for Magnum P.I.   My first thought was it's my birthday and I am going to see Alex O'Loughlin.   But we never saw him.  Apparently Chi was the last actor to leave the set that afternoon.  So we continued on to the Reef Bar at the hotel.   We did ask the bartender about the filming and he said it was not unusual to see it going  on if you worked in Waikiki daily.   Gillian told the bartender that I needed a drink.  She said it's his birthday and I had just missed seeing Alex.    The bartender laughed and asked me if it really was my birthday and I said yes.   He mixed a mai tai and passed it across the bar to me.  He said, "Here you go.  Happy birthday! Compliments of the house!" 

Chilling my brow with a mai tai

I jokingly told him I needed to chill.  Being this close to Alex had me over heated.   He laughed.  Before leaving we decided to toast Hawaii Five 0 with a a Kona Big Wave.  Kona is one of the beers that has product placement on the show regularly.   The bartender then asked if we wanted one more.  He said to stick around.  Alex might be returning.   We laughed and thanked him but we needed to move on.  Their mai tai was good at the Reef Bar but it could not compare to my favorite at the other Outrigger Hotel's Hula Bar farther down the street.   And having one there was my original plan for the day.

We thanked the bartender, tipped him well for his kindness and left the hotel.  As we walked through the lobby we saw several big cars pull up in front on the driveway and we saw a lot of people getting out of them and heading into the hotel.  It was the production crew returning!  I was a bit preoccupied and looking all around when Gillian and Mark started yelling at me to turn around.  They kept saying turn around, look behind you.  And I turned and there was Alex, McGarrett in the flesh.  He just walked past me.    Wow...this was a birthday present. 

He was surrounded with production crew and they were trying to get him out to the filming location on the beach.   He did wave and acknowledge some of the fans in the lobby.   Mark and Gillian are both saying to me "Where's your phone!   Get a photo!"   Well I was just too excited.  I did get my phone out and was trying to open  the camera but I was all thumbs and he was gone before I could get a photo.  But I didn't care.  After six years and four visits I finally got to see a filming of the show.  And it was on my birthday. 

We left the hotel and headed back to Kalakaua Avenue. We did some window shopping at the high end stores that line the avenue. Then we eventually ended up at the Outrigger Hotel where the Hula Bar is located. You can try mai tai's all day, up and down Kalakaua Ave and you will not find one better than the one they make at the Hula Bar in my opinion. And after four visits in the six years I will admit I have tried them all. It was getting late in the afternoon. By the time we reached the Hula Bar we were getting hungry and also needed something cool due to the heat of the afternoon. I remembered how Gillian had mentioned my birthday earlier I was given a free mai tai. So I decided to try it one more time. I mentioned my birthday to the bartender and voila! There was a complimentary mai tai sitting in from of me. And it had a smiling face on the glass as if to say Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Larry! (Happy Birthday Larry).

I 

I did need some lunch.  I'd had two mai tai's and a beer on an empty stomach so far today.  So I ordered shrimp taco's at the bar.   They were an excellent fusion of Hawaiian and Mexican food. 

And then I ordered one more mai tai because they are so good here.

So this had been a three umbrella day... so far. 

After lunch we returned to our hotel.  We all needed to rest for a while.  We had done a lot of walking and I had done a bit of drinking. 

After napping and showering Mark and I were ready to head out for my birthday dinner.   We picked an Italian restaurant near our hotel.  It something different from our standard Hawaiian vacation meals.   We have several inexpensive Hawaiian shirts we have bought as souvenirs over the years.  But on our last day we always save our dress Hawaiian shirts to wear.   So we dressed up and headed out with Gillian to Arancino di Mare for an Italian dinner. 

It was the perfect ending to a very special birthday.   But it still wasn't quite over.   We decided to stop in to Cheeseburger In Paradise for their late night happy hour.   It was near our hotel and had become our night cap stop on several nights.  We had gotten to know the two evening bartenders, Andrew and Jacob very well.   When we walked in Jacob laughed and told Mark and I that we had gone more Hawaiian than him.   They are required to wear Hawaiian shirts and accessories while they are working.  He said "Look at you two.  The shirts, the kukui nut leis, and Larry you even have on the Makau fish hook necklace.   I feel like I dressed down tonight."    I used my birthday excuse once more to see what would happen.   I told him we dressed up for my birthday dinner.   He laughed.  Then I told him I had been drinking free mai tai's all day.   He said " but I bet you haven't had a birthday shot yet have you? "   Gillian and Mark both laughed and told him that I had already had enough free drinks for one day.   And then he asked me again if I wanted a birthday shot.  And of course I said "Hell yes!"  Jacob then made me a shot he called Hawaiian Gummy Bears and toasted my birthday.

We ended up all smiles by the end of the night at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

And still the night was not over.

Jacob the bartender

Andrew the bartender

We had learned from the bartender Andrew on a previous night that he was from Perry Hall, Maryland.  Perry Hall is only about ten minutes from where Mark and I live.  It was another one of those small world stories.  After I finished my shot that Jacob had made for me, Andrew pointed to another man at the end of the bar.  He was a local regular at the bar.  Andrew told us that he was from Edgewood, Maryland and I should go say hello to him.   So still in the happy birthday spirit I walked down to the end of the bar and said rather loudly "Hey Edgewood.  How are you doing?"   The guy looked at me like I was crazy and asked how in the hell did I know Edgewood, Md.  I told her I had worked there for quite a few years at the US Army base.    He laughed and bought me one last drink.  And then we took a photo together.  But you know what they say on the internet.  Photo or it didn't happen.

Making friends with Marylanders in Hawaii.

Finally back in our hotel room.   From the cloud cover in the morning, to the sunshine in the afternoon, to the darkness of night.  

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Larry.   Happy birthday Larry.   If you have to get old, this is the way to do it.  

The birthday is over.   One last shaka "hangin loose" salute before the lights go out.  And yes the lights did go out.  We had a sign on our door telling us the hotel was to lose power at 11:30 pm until approx 4 am. for emergency maintenance.   And they left us a little survival kit.

Old Friends/Bookends

My birthday is next week.  I start celebrating the weekend before my actual birthday.  I call it the never ending birthday celebration each year.  As I have grown older it's become very important to me.  I have lost so many friends and family over the years that I really want to celebrate each year that I am still here.  Last year I turned sixty five and I did not want to celebrate at all.  I dreaded that birthday for an entire year.  I did not intend to have a never ending celebration that year.  But my dear husband Mark took me to Hawaii for my birthday last year and I spent the actual birthday climbing Diamond Head in Honolulu.   That was one great way to spend a never ending birthday celebration.  This year I had almost forgotten about my birthday.  I have not been in the best of moods and kind of down about any number of things the past few months.  So the birthday creeped up on me and until my "peapod" dear friend Ona Payne texted me last week about what I wanted to do for my birthday, I really had not thought about it and was off guard that it was so close.  That is what best friends are for.    I have had many best friends over the years.  It seems each decade brings its changes and new friends are made and some are lost.  But true best friends still stay with you in your heart even if they have moved out of your life and on to their own individual journeys.  For my birthday this year I am not planning any trips to Hawaii.  I'm not climbing any mountains.  I am going to take time to remember and reflect on my best friends. 

I am thinking tonight about three ladies.  Three true best friends.  Growing up church was the center of my life.  My best friends were my friends from church.  There was Jill O'Dell and her brothers Jack and Keith.  There was Bobby Smith.  And any number of other good friends who attended the Young Peoples Legion at The Salvation Army in Havre de Grace, Md.  This was our church and our church family.  We were all close.  At times we were best of friends.  At other times we had falling outs and arguments.  It was all typical kids stuff.  We were raised in a very strict church.  And we tested the bounds of that strictness at every opportunity.   I still talk with Jill on Facebook.  And I still love her like a sister.  I know her brother has been ill recently and we have talked about it on occasion and I have promised to pray for him from time to time.   I still talk with Bobby Smith on occasion also.  Although I have to admit I talk more with his nieces and nephews now than I do with Bob.  But I still feel that family dynamic with them from the years past.   These friendships were so important back then and I am so happy to be connected with these people today through Facebook. 

I mentioned three ladies just above.  These ladies would be Penny Williams, Judy Keithley Hopps, and Bonnie Hurlbut.  The four of us had a unique, special and bizarre bond at times.  As a unit we were four very close friends.  On individuals we had unique relationships with each other.  I can't speak for any of them.  We all had our separate and individual bonds.  But I can speak of my personal bond to them.   We shared dreams.  We shared plans.  And we thought we would always be together in one way or another.  We went through good times and sad times together.  We were there when we lost grandparents and parents.  We were there when life threw it's curves at us in our young lives.  But turning sixty six next week I find it only seems like yesterday that we were getting into trouble and laughing and crying together.

Judy, Penny, Bonnie and I sang together in a contemporary religious music group in our church.  My sister Shelley was in the group.  So was my cousin Frank.  Frank played the drums.  Shelley's best friend Diane played the piano.  Judy, Penny, Bonnie and I were the older members of the group.  I don't remember how well we sang but I remember all of the rehearsals and all of those old songs we sang.  It was the best of times. 

I had a terrible car accident when I was 19.  I totaled a 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.  It was identical to the photo above.  Judy and Penny were in the car with me.  Penny was knocked unconscious.  Judy ended up with stitches down the front of her face.  I lost some teeth and had stitches above my eye and my upper lip.  We traveled by ambulance to a hospital  Judy rode in the back with Penny who was unconscious.  I rode in the front with the ambulance driver.  I still can see Judy drawing a peace sign in the fog on the window between the back and the back front window where I was sitting.   We all cried that day and were afraid.  At one time we thought we had lost Penny.  But fortunately it was not that serious.  But we were terrified.   Luckily for her, Bonnie was not with us that day. 

We all talked about renting a big house and moving in together in some sort of commune.  We had lots of ideas and lots of dreams.  This never happened.  But it was a plan.  We even had the house picked out that we wanted to rent.  We had lots of ideas that never came to fruition and probably for the best but maybe not?

Bonnie is another story.  I loved her dearly.  We went to high school together.  We shared our hall way lockers together.    We had a unique bond.  When I got home from school  each day I would call her and we would watch Dark Shadows together over the phone.   I can't explain our friendship.  It was just special.  My father had drinking problems at times and I would go to Bonnie's house to spend the night to avoid dealing with his drinking.  The first time I stayed there it was odd.  Her mother was asleep already.  But Bonnie told me I could use the couch at their house.  When her mother woke up the next morning she found me down there on her couch.  All she said was "Larry what are you doing on my couch?"  She wasn't angry and never questioned me about being there.  She was just surprised.  She told me I could stay there anytime I needed to.  Her mother used to bake cakes for my family and send them to our house over the Christmas holidays.  When I got married and my first daughter was born Bonnie was right there.  She loved Katie almost like it was her own child.  She always said Katie was her little Shirley Temple because of her curly hair.    One time I bought one of those huge wall units that had shelves and a space for your TV.   I don't know why I bought it for because I could not put anything together and this unit came in a big box with lots of screws, bolts and pieces.  I called Bonnie at 11:00 that night frustrated with not being able to get the thing together.  She immediately came over to my house, brought her tools, and we spent the entire night until the early morning hours putting that unit together.   We laughed at times.  We cried at times.  And like all friendships we too eventually grew apart as our life paths moved on. 

Bonnie was not in the car accident that Judy, Penny and I survived.  But she did die in a car accident just before she turned fifty.   When I got the news I was distraught.  I miss her to this day.

The four of us were close.  We all moved on in our individual lives.   Judy is in Texas.  Penny is in Colorado.  I am still in Baltimore. But our memories are still with us.   We all knew each others families.  And we learned from each other parents and grandparents. 

 Penny and I were nursery class students together at Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  Her mother was the Young Peoples Sargent Major at The Salvation Army. She was my greatest spiritual teacher.  Most of what I learned about faith and religion came from her mother.  My grandmother was our Bible School teacher and our Sunday School teacher.  I can still remember as a pre schooler sitting at a table that only had three legs in Vacation Bible School.  Dear old Miss Maggie McMullen held the end of the table up with her trembling skinny little legs as my grandmother taught us the lesson.  And when we went to color our Bible Story pictures our crayons would roll off the table when Miss Maggie's leg would slip. 

Judy's  mother Margarette and her grandmother "Nanny" taught me life lessons that I will carry with me to my last days.  They were two ladies living alone bringing up a family.  They worked hard, they struggled and they survived with dignity.  I still wish I could go back to their old home and have Nanny tell me "Sit down.  Here's a comic book."   Then I would wait for Judy to come downstairs so we could go out for the day.  If it wasn't a comic book it would be a cat she would hand me.  She loved her cats. 

I miss those days.  I miss my friends.  But they are all still in my heart.  So on this birthday week I call out Judy, Penny, and Bonnie.  I know you all can still feel that bond and that love where ever we all are today.

Turning 65 on Diamond Head

Diamond Head overlooking Waikiki

I turned 65 November 2017.  It was not a joyous thought.  Turning 65 bothered me very much.  I started thinking about it and dreading it November 2016 when I turned 64.   Birthdays had not bothered me in many years.  The last birthday that I dreaded was my 30th.  I honestly thought I was getting old and was over the hill.  Thirty seemed so ancient.   After that birthday I was fine.  Turning 34 was easy.  Turning 40 never bothered.   But turning 65 was a jagged little pill to swallow.   

My daughters wanted to do something special for my birthday.  But I told them I did not want to do anything.  I was not wanting to celebrate this birthday.  I just wanted the day to pass and get it over with.  No thoughts, no party hats, just a quiet day to not thing about the dreaded 65.  Then my husband Mark asked me "What can we do to celebrate your birthday?"   I told him the same thing.  I did not want to do anything.  Maybe sit at home, turn on Turner Classic Movies and have a bottle, not glass, of wine.  But Mark knows my heart.  He knows my love of travel.   He said to me let's go somewhere.  Name the place and I will make it happen.   We talked about Italy as a possibility and a few other places.  And then Mark said "What about Hawaii."   And my eyes lit up!  There is no place either of us have enjoyed more than Hawaii.   

Ashton Waikiki Circle Hotel

So in mid November we found ourselves at the Ashton Waikiki Circle Hotel right on the beach in Waikiki.  We saw the hotel on our two previous trips to Waikiki and it had always caught our interest.  It's one of the older hotels on the strip but it's a fun hotel.  The round shape of the hotel gives the rooms an interesting shape and also great views from any angle.  Although our room was in the back we could still see the beach from an angle on our deck.   It was an affordable and interesting choice.

Shaka brah - cruising in our rented convertible 

We rented a convertible car and with the top down we enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air driving around the island.  And not once did I think about the dreaded birthday.  We drove up into the mountains, explored historic graveyards, and explored secluded beaches.  

We spent our evenings dining and drinking local Hawaiian brewed beers.  

I even got to give the one fingered salute to a certain politician who shall remain nameless on this blog.  

Where Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster embraced in waves in the movie From Here To Eternity

Two days before my birthday we explored the beaches on the north shore of Hawaii.  It's the winter season when the waves are tall so it was great fun to watch the big waves at Waimea and the other beaches.   We got to see the famous beach where Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster embraced in the surf.   I even got to take this 65 year old body for a nude dip on one of the north shore beaches.  You can thank me later  for not posting photos.

My plan was to climb Diamond Head on my birthday.  I thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate.  I had climbed Diamond Head three years earlier and knew it was a good hike.  So I did not want to wear myself out the day before and not be able to enjoy the hike on my birthday.  While we at the Maui Brewery Company, one of our favorite bars in Waikiki, the bar tender told us about Manoa Falls.  He said it was between Waikiki and Honolulu and had an easy trail and was very worth seeing.  Manoa Falls is located in Manoa Valley in the rain forest between Honolulu and Waikiki.  The falls is 150 feet high and empties into a small pool of water.  Since the area around the waterfall is considered a rain forest it is prone to heavy rainfall often raining daily.  We were told it was a beginner trail so we should not have problem.  So we decided why not?  We wanted to see the falls and it sounded like an easy hike.  So it should not interfere with out plans to hike Diamond Head the following day,

Manoa Falls - Oahu

The falls were beautiful.  And yes it does rain in that area every day.   And no the trail was not a beginners trail!  The first half of the hike was not difficult.  The trail was paved and wide for the most part.  But the second half was another story.  The trail narrowed and the tropical plants grew taller and thicker.  We ended up climbing wet slippery rock formations and sliding in muddy trails.  It was quite a journey.  It was a lot more than I had expected.  But it also was not an advanced or dangerous trail.  We were tired the next day, but we both agreed the climb up Diamond Head would happen.

Mark  and I on the trail to Manoa Falls

The next day was the big day.  And also it was our final day on Oahu.  So no matter how tired we were from our many days of walking and swimming this the day we had to climb Diamond Head.   

Field below Diamond Head as we begin our hike

We arrived at Diamond Head the next morning.  I was now officially 65 and it was time to finish the planned celebration.  The volcano seems impressive from the bottom.  But the hike is not difficult.  The hike up Diamond Head is only about 45 minutes.  It was much shorter than the  hike to Manoa Falls the previous day.  The path is wide and well paved with hand rails and  benches to stop and rest if you need them. 

Mark on the trail to the top of  Diamond Head

It's an easy climb but with heat and humidity on Oahu it is a bit tiresome.  There are wonderful views as you climb the base of the mountain.  When you get near the top there are steps you have to climb a set of steps so it best to know this in advance.  There are 74 four steps that lead to a tunnel.  

I survived the 74 steps and then made it through the tunnel

After leaving the tunnel you still are not at the peak of Diamond Head.  Once you leave the tunnel you see another set of steps.  99 steps this time.  You can hear the sighs and the voices saying "Oh no" as you leave the tunnel.  But it's really not that bad.  

The final 99 steps to reach the top of Diamond Head

Mark on top of Diamond Head with the volcano caldera behind him

And we made it. We climbed the trail, steps, and walked through the tunnel.   I turned 65 and I climbed Diamond Head.  And it was worth it.  I spent the dreaded day not thinking about the age, not   dreading the moment.  I realized once more, just as I did turning 30, that age does not define you.  It would have been a lot easier at 30 than at 65 to climb Diamond Head.  But it would not have been a major accomplishment at 30.  And I would have not appreciated the experience as much.  We are going back to Hawaii again this coming November.  I do not know if we will climb Diamond Head again or not.  I may just save that for turning 70.

Happy to be 65 on the top of Diamond Head

(Thank you Mark for making all of this happen.  You will never really understand how much I appreciated this.)

Now I'm 64

Summer 1967. The summer of love they called it. It was my 15th summer. Sqt. Pepper was the number one record. I bought it the first week it was released in the record department at Sear's at Price's Corner in Wilmington Delaware. I played it a lot that summer and got to know each lyric personally. But I usually skipped over the song When I'm 64. I didn't really relate to it. It sounded kind of old fashioned and very different from the other songs on the album. My mother was 40 that year. My father was 45. So 64 was not something that meant anything to me. It didn't even seem like a distant future. It was just part of the title of a song I skipped over.

I'm 64 today.  It's still not one of my all time favorite songs.  But I do understand it now.  How did Paul McCartney in his 20's understand?  The genius of The Beatles.  Only I didn't quite see the genius of the song at 15.  

Seeing Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits In Concert - Two Old Men Shaking Hands

.  

Two friends of Mark's very kindly gave us two tickets to see Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits in concert.  The concert was at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland.  Neither Mark nor his friends knew that this had a very special meaning to me.   Fifty years ago this month I bought my very first record album.   I had bought many singles but at the age of 13 I had never bought an album.  My birthday is in November and I always asked for money instead of gifts for my birthday as a teen.   I received enough money to buy two albums for this birthday.  So what did I buy?  People who know me they will probably guess The Beatles first and then maybe The Rolling Stones second.  And they will be wrong. The first album I bought was The Best of Herman's Hermits.  I still had enough money from my birthday to buy a second album.  For this I chose The Beatles VI.  

I loved these albums.  I played them many many times over and over.  Today Paul McCartney still tours to stadiums filled with fans.  Ringo Starr still tours large concert halls.  Peter Noone is singing at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland.  Like everyone else time has treated us all differently.

I was a big fan of Herman's Hermits.  They were not as cool as The Beatles or as rough as The Rolling Stones.  But Peter Noone and his band came to my turntable in my room so many times and brought me so much joy.  I never would have thought that fifty years later in another November I would be sitting at a small table right next to stage listening to Peter Noone sing all those familiar songs that  I memorized back in my room as a teen.  I knew Peter was five years older than me.  I learned this fact in Gloria Staver's 16 Magazine back in 1965.

During the concert Peter mentioned his birthday was November 5.  So he had just turned 18 when I bought his greatest hits at age 13.  But tonight we were two old men in a small tavern setting sharing our 63rd or 68th birthdays.  The concert was great fun.  Peter's voice at 68 was actually much better than it had been at 18.  He had fun playing with the audience and making jokes about all the old people in the hall.  I am sure he was amused at all the older ladies in the audience still wearing Herman tee shirts and still acting like giggling school girls. 

He finished the show with a very high energy version of I'm Henry The Eighth I Am.  He had the audience sing along and spell out the H E N R Y for the chorus.  And then it was all over and he prepared to leave the stage.  But as all fans expect the star came back for one last song.  He came back to finish the show with There's A Kind Of Hush.  All the ladies sighed.  All the men clapped.  And this old fan just smiled and was glad to have relived the age thirteen once more for an hour.  As Peter left the stage he passed directly by our table as we were seated right at the very end of stage.  He had walked around the stage waving to the ladies.  He was telling everyone goodbye and then he reached out and shook my hand.  Of course he had no idea that fifty years ago this month I had bought my first album and that it was his album.  But for me it was a great moment.  Fifty years later celebrating our birthdays together in small concert hall. Two old men shaking hands. Take that Paul McCartney.  As much as I love The Beatles this could never have happened at one of your stadium concerts.  And so I am kind of glad now that fifty years ago I bought Peter's album first.