The invitation had been issued..... Johnny loves to entertain....more than this it was Thanksgiving and the holidays are about love, family, friends and consuming massive amounts of lovingly prepared food and watching football.
Its also the opening day at the race track....gawd knows Johnny LOVES his hawses...cept when they arent treatin daddy good. More on THAT later!
It wasn't a tuff decision to make the drive from Biloxi to Nawlins to spend the day with Johnny, Cheyenne, and the gang. What were the options?? Staying at home with my sisters and demon spawn nephew... nursing a martini whilst my sister's cretan boyfriend and my knuckle-dragging EX boyfriend )cretan's brother) had belch contests and deep-fried some poor turkey within an inch of being a recognizable foodstuff. Nahhhhh...Johnny won out!
This was my first public outing with da man...we met at his place and I watched as he began the process that is Johnny Angel getting dressed. I assumed all this was for his "public" I had NO idea at this time that this is a everyday thing for him. You gotta give Johnny snaps for fashion choices..and BOLD ones at that. I hung out with his adorable and incredibly cool son Cheyenne, who was sweet enough to try and teach me how to use MY digital camera...what can I say the kid is a genius and I am a .....blonde Mississippi redneck at best.
Johnny emerged sometime after I turned totally silver yet before Cheyenne headed off to his senior year of college. I then witnessed the age old father/son ritual of chasing the kiddo down to do his hair. Cheyenne emerged grumbling from the room, newly coiffed only to muss his 'do' back up as soon as daddy had his back turned....I bit my cheek to keep from laughing and didnt blow the kid's cover. A gal has gotta have her priorities straight..afterall, he HAD schooled me on the cam. I also figured if this genius is going to be running the country someday when I'm old, sagging and on the verge of Happy Haven Retirement Community, I better be nice to him...maybe it'll get me a room with a view and extra tapioca pudding on Tuesdays.
We departed for the track in Johnny's GORGEOUS gold 1942 Plymouth sedan. I marveled at how well this guy handles this ancient old gal ( not ME the car ya'll!) , the shifting alone is beyond me...but then again doing anything other than driving, switching cd's, and applying cosmetic at the same time is beyond this chick. Now this car AND Johnny attract ALOT of attention..I was about to find this out....we get to the track and Johnny parks in freakin Siberia so noone would be around his car.
I tried not to look like' country mouse' as I watched him strut forth and lead Cheyenne and I forth. I listened raptly as he explained the finer points of picking hawses and betting to Cheyenne. I watched with amusement the two of them discussing the racing form and eyeing the hawses in the show area. I did what I do best....fetched drinks, coke for the kiddo, martini for me and bloody mary for Johnny (guess that was breakfast). That actually set the theme for the day......I fetched.....we drank.
Now I am convinced that Cheyenne has his own personal telephone line to God because that kiddo can PICK horses. He was winning allll day long. So much so by the end of the daypeople were coming up to Johnny and asking "Pssst! Whats the kid betting?" "Who's the kid like for this race?" It was an amazing sight to behold.
Now, people...I must admit....all day with the martinis I was LIT! I can tell you....I remember leaving the track...I vaguely remember climbing the stairs to Johnny's house anything after that gets a little fuzzy. BUT I have the pictures to piece it together....nahhh, I'm kidding.
Johnny had Copeland's cater our holiday meal....my contribution was an Italian cassata cake. For those of you who have never experienced this creation....its a heavenly concoction of sponge cake layered with cheese/dried fruit/hazelnut filling topped off with a mocha frosting and all heavily laced with rum.
Johnny is an excellent host, he combines the right mixture of conversation, music, fine wines and atmosphere..... and my favorite touch....the angel candles in the fireplace. All in all a wonderful day punctuated by lots of laughter and the charming company of two handsome hepcats...what more can a gal ask??? Pretty close to perfect for this gal.
