Preachers are not often invited to a number of things among which are Super Bowl Parties.
The last Super Bowl Party B. J. and I were invited to was in 1991. We were in a condominium on the beach in Boca Raton, Florida on Super Bowl Sunday waiting to embark the next day on a cruise to the Bahamas.
There were signs all over the condominium inviting the guests to a poolside Super Bowl Party.
B. J. and I had planned to go out into the nightlife of Boca Raton, find a nice restaurant near the water, enjoy a nice dinner and talk about our cruise. That it was Super Bowl Sunday just was not strong on our minds right then.
However, before we could execute our plans, our phone rang. An excited voice on the other end blurted out, “Hey, we are having a big poolside Super Bowl Party. Come on down!”
I looked at B. J. and B. J. looked at me and we kind of shrugged. “Well, do you want to go to the Super Bowl Party?” I asked.
“Well, it’s up to you,” she replied reluctantly.
So, we opted for the Super Bowl Party and rode the elevator down from our tenth floor condo to the pool and the festivities. The “partying down” had already begun.
We were welcomed with back pats, handshakes and cheer galore that went on for a few minutes. Boy, were they glad we had joined the party.
Then we were invited up to the bar where the bartender asked with a polite smile, “What’s your pleasure, Scotch on the rocks, Tequila, wine, beer, you name it.”
“Oh, we will have cokes,” thank you.
“Coke? Man this is Super Bowl Sunday come on let your hair down.”
“No thank you, cokes will be just fine.”
We could sense a kind quietness settling over the group next to the bar.
A somewhat subdued conversation continued. “Where are you from,” someone asked.
“We’re from Georgia,” I answered.
“What kind of work do you do?” asked a woman that apparently had been hitting the spirits pretty hard.
“I’m a Methodist minister,” I said proudly.
The subdued conversation became a hush. Their spirits dried considerably.
We talked with some of the group a little longer, and then, seeing that we were cramping their style and were not fun any more, we took our cokes, found a table at the far end of the pool next to the beach, and ordered a hamburger and coke refills. We would observe the Super Bowl festivities from afar.
Well, this year, B. J. and I again watched the Super Bowl all by ourselves. Nevertheless, we would not be denied our Super Bowl 45 party even if we had to do it the day after.
We saddled Big Red early Monday morning and reined him across the causeway to Jekyll Island where we celebrated with a fantabulous fundelicious breakfast in the Grand Dining Room of the Super Jekyll Island Club.
Following breakfast, we gave Big Red his head for a fun run around Jekyll. He loved it. Our belated Super Bowl celebration had gotten off to a good start. However, the day was still young.
Leaving Jekyll, I spurred Big Red south on I-95 toward Jacksonville where B. J. got in a short but intensive shopping spree even though it was raining. We shopped until lunch and then enjoyed a delicious lunch before pointing Big Red toward St. Simons Island.
B. J. and I love parties and we love to invite friends over for cookouts. Everyone is welcome but we do not have room for everyone at one time so we divide our parties up.
Later, on the afternoon after Super Bowl 45, we invited a group of friends over for a steak-out cookout. We cut up, carried on, laughed, and talked about the game, discussed some tentative travel plans for the summer, and the steaks were great!
Nope, this preacher and B. J. would not be deprived of our merriment. We had our Super Bowl Party, even if it was a day late.