Mid-Week Party Time

Tuesday was Guy Buffet's 66th Birthday, and Lahaina Galleries hosted a Party themed Show for him on Wednesday, at their Wailea Gallery. Anne had mentioned it during the course of her stint as my "Driver" on Wednesday, and after she'd left (as she was working that evening) I got to thinking - and most all of you know how "dangerous" that can be - and got the crazy notion that it would be fun to "pop in." Having known Guy since the early Eighties and being involved in his Shows from extravagant ones at the Meridian Hotel in Newport Beach, numerous Gallery events, and knowing him also as a Family Friend, it was just too much to pass up the opportunity.

And of course, the motivation didn't stop there. Co-incidentally I'd also had the good fortune to have traveled to Europe several times, which included trips to France, in particular Paris and Nice, with both Anne Wall and Bonnie Nelson (and yes, on separate occasions). So, after a bit of mulling things over, I summoned up the courage (mind you, this is without the aid of Alcohol or illegal substances) to give Bonnie a call (and Bonnie for those of you who don't know was the Companies VP of Finance until earlier this year, having resigned her position to pursue a career as a Writer and Philanthropist), and ask if she'd be interested in going to the show, in that I needed a ride, and knew it would be common ground. Well, she couldn't resist and readily agreed. She picked me up shortly after 5:00pm, and to the surprise of many... we were among the first there just in time for Sunset.

Here's a picture that says way more than 1,000 words could ever convey. To put it in perspective - There's yours truly, a 19 year and 9 month Employee of Lahaina Galleries as the Operations Coordinator, standing next to Jim Killett, Owner. Next is Guy, the Artist / Guest of Honor, and on the end is Michael Azevedo, General Manager for the Company during the '80's and early '90's. Not in the picture are Nancy Killett, and Michael's wonderful wife, Diana, who happened to be LGI's CFO also in the 80's and 90's. Nancy was back in Arkansas, having caught the flu and was unable to fly. Diana, who managed to be the inspiration behind all those brilliant smiles, currently manages the Ulapalakua Ranch Store.

Here's Guy blowing out the candles on his cake - being cheered on by Gallery Director Anne Wall (AKA Nana). The evening was fairly well attended and Jim was quite pleased to see several "RED DOTS" scattered throughout the Gallery. Among the other Artist's who showed up to support Guy (as well as to foster their own Sales when possible) were Dario Campanile, The Twins (Alessio & Marcello Bugagiar), and Sue Perry along with husband Terry (another side note, their Son Spencer worked for the Company, back in the late '80's as part of our Display crew).

Anyway, it was good to see them all, as I consider each of them as Friends after all our years and shows together. They've also all been very generous to the Kidz (Carl, Kelly and Amanda). As anyone who knows Lahaina Galleries realizes, we're all just "ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY." So, it was good to be there, I was fortunate to have Bonnie chauffeur me there and home, and everyone seemed to keep their sense of humor throughout the evening... It was good to get out, as I had little idea what was in store for me in the days to follow...

"All you've got to do is own up to your ignorance honestly, and you'll find people who are eager to fill your head with information." – Walt Disney