Birthdays: What Goes Around Comes Around

Our Seminole Campground neighbor, Nancy, had a birthday last Saturday. I won't say how old she is. I will say she is expecting a monthly payout from the government now. 

Nancy's birthday began quietly. Except for a small bunch of balloons quietly placed at her motorhome's doorstep, nothing happened...  Until 3 p.m.

As is customary with this group, Mark's golf cart would transformed into a Royal Carriage around 3 p.m.  This time it would be decorated in all pink.  Nancy looks good in pink.

The Birthday Queen must wear a crown.  Luckily, Linda found one during a lunch outing last week. It would be a perfect fit for the Birthday Gal!

For the longest time, our Birthday Queen wore her crown backward, but it didn't seem to cause bad luck.

The Royal Carriage parade route goes through the entire campground with the Birthday Queen perched on the rear facing seat.  The usual, Carriage chauffeur, Janie, uses a heavy hand on the rubber bulb horn and shouts "It's Nancy's Birthday" as the pink ballooned golf cart bounces merrily by all the innocent bystanders.  Some wave and call out birthday wishes.  Most simply stare in bewilderment.

A stop at the campground office prompts a microphoned singing of "Happy Birthday To You"  --  mostly off key.
Humiliation heaped upon embarrassment.
Nancy kept her chin up even though her cheeks were bright red.

On the right edge of the photo you can Dale approaching, microphone in hand, for the Happy Birthday sing-along.
Linda, on the front seat, blows a steady goose-like "honk" while everybody else sings.
Cheryl, rear seat, knows Nancy's embarrassment, as she had a birthday two weeks ago.
 

Janie (on the left) has another little surprise for our birthday girl.
 



An inflatable "Old Zone" walker was presented to the Birthday Queen.

I took this picture to show the Seminole Campground name.
I couldn't resist the added caption to the "Bottom" of the photo.
Nobody laughs harder, longer or with more enthusiasm than Janie.



Queen Nancy and her court.
Front row, left to right, Janie, Queen Nancy and Louise.
Rear, left to right, Linda, Chery and me.



Queen Nancy with her court jesters.
Left to right, Rick, Mark, Russ, Dale, Ken, Wayne and Fran.
She wanted to have more guys in the photo but we ran out of $5 bills.

The elongated birthday kiss from hubby.
Awww, stop it already or get a room.

As usual the birthday ends with calorie consumption. Tonight it's cake and ice cream 'round the campfire.

Two days later, on my 39th birthday, I found this outside our coach at as Wayne and I took the dogs  for their morning walk.



This was the scene outside our coach on the morning of my birthday.
Meanwhile, Janie and Mark are sitting quietly on the seat of their golf cart, across the street -- snickering.
Our neighbor Brad, opened his door, in his bathrobe, and sang his loud rendition of "Happy Birthday" to me. 
Oh joy. What a group.

I survived the initial round of birthday humiliation from my new friends.  Holding my breath, I agreed a day trip to the beach would be a nice thing so off we went, of course,  with lunch loaded. It's always about the food...

We're at Barefoot Beach Preserve in Collier County.
The beach was very nice and clean and we had a beautiful day -- low 80's and plenty of sunshine.

The only bad thing about our day to the beach today will be the Red Tide Condition.
We were all bothered by coughing, sneezing and slight headache.

Barefoot Beach

That's Wayne on the boardwalk.

 

Russ and Cheryl must leave Wednesday morning and go home to Ohio. 
This is a farewell visit to the beach with them.  We're all sad to see them leave.
 

Louise working hard on her tan.

Linda anointing herself with sunscreen.
Dale sits gracefully in his beach chair...looking for something to eat, no doubt.
I took this picture to show him I can see up his pants legs.

Pretty much the whole gang.

Janie, Mark and me.
No, I will NOT wear a swimsuit.

Russ nearly caught himself a girlfriend...
Yeah Russ.... like we won't be telling Cheryl. 
Cheryl..... oh Cheryl....

Russ wearing his "shark teeth"

Wayne and I would need to leave earlier than the others so we came alone in our car. By the time we got home, I was feeling tired from the red tide condition.  We made an early supper and sat down to eat just seconds before we heard banging on the door.  Uh oh... the Royal Carriage had come for me.

The Birthday Queen must be crowned. 
Because I have "hat hair" already, I cannot come out with a bare head.
The Queen must also wear leis. They itch.

 Janie perched behind the wheel and ready to roll.
Joyce (in pink shirt in the background) is my Royal Photographer
With iced tea in hand, I prepare myself for whatever they do to me.

This time the Birthday Queen (me) must stand, iced tea in hand, and wave to the throngs of her dedicated public, who will, I am sure, be lined up 10 deep along the roadside just waiting for glimpse of this royal motorcade.



Because I didn't appear to be humiliated enough, Janie took an extra lap or two around the campground, horn honking. All this after a very loud public loudspeaker "Happy Birthday" singing.  I wanted to crawl under the dirt but kept a brave face.

The Birthday Queen is assisted off the royal carriage.

Dale and Linda. Dale is wearing the Birthday Queen Crown.

After the humiliation of the Royal Carriage ride all around the campground, I was anxious to enjoy the birthday cake I was sure I'd receive fireside, in early evening.  This gang of hoodlums, however, did not get a birthday cake for me.  No, they got birthday pies!  Who gets birthday PIES?  Furthermore, they would wait until nearly 9 o'clock to light the campfire fire.   Too late for me.

Stubbornly, I stayed inside and insisted they eat birthday pies without me.  To my dismay, they ate my entire coconut cream birthday pie, leaving just a small piece each of peach and chocolate cream pie. 

I think I'm being repaid for that prank last week.....

Happy Birthday to Nancy, Happy Birthday to Me and Goodbye to Cheryl and Russ .... till next year.