Not wanting to be late for Steve Kirby’s latest Club event, a Hotel Sunday Brunch on the water that includes a display of our classic Healeys, I left Glendale before 10:00am. The traffic was fairly light as I headed south on the I-5, transitioning to the 710 South and finally ending up in the Port of Long Beach. Besides Steve, I was the fifth car to arrive, so I missed out on a parking spot by the hotel entrance.
Being in the reserved parking area meant I was able to meet the arriving members, get their names, and in some cases finally put a face with a name. After about 40 minutes of standing and conversing in the parking area we headed for the waterside patio to join the early arrivals: George and Kathy McHarris, Dan and Larraine Burrola, Flavio Montoro, and George Merino, whose cars were parked at the entrance. Members and spouses/partners out in the parking lot included Steve Kirby, Kirk Preston and Suzanne Lun, Stan and Pearl Haveriland, Chuck Lakowski, Jay and Katy Miller, Bob and Shari Bolling, Terry and Linda Morgan, John Hummer and Alice Johnson, Mike Biss and Anna Johansson, and Mike’s brother Tom. This group was driving four “big” Healeys, four Jensen Healeys, a modern ‘Vette, and ‘horrors’, an SUV! Out on the patio we were spread out at four tables under umbrellas, with views of the Queen Mary and across the water the Shoreline Village. The hotel had arranged a Prix Fixe menu for our brunch and all the choices were delicious.
As we ate, drank and got to know new friends, we were entertained by a trio playing light Cuban Jazz for the crowd. All- in-all, it was an enjoyable time. Something new for the club and worth repeating.