Visiting Elvis

Okay. I agreed to tell you all about our visit to see the Elvis impersonator. He was characterized as an older Elvis. He said he (Elvis) was 75 years old this year. Not sure if he actually was or not.

The show was held at a campground/restaurant area out in the boondocks. We got there at dusk. It was about a mile into the jungle on a twisty dirt road, and no lights, no houses, except a couple of roads off to the right where someone probably lived. The road ended up at the campground/restaurant area. The camp was located on a winding river, with spanish moss hanging down from tree branches, canoes nearby, and a medium-sized covered touring boat with wooden seats at the dock. Sounds like a great place to go back to during the day, or to camp. However, I don't think I would like to walk around there at night. Seemed like a good place for alligators, snakes and things that go bump in the night, which is just like our next door neighbor described it to us. The parking lot was not paved and quite large. Very close to the water. We walked up to the restaurant - probably 100 people there. All this in the jungle. All packed in. We arrived late, and sat at the long cafeteria style table reserved for us: one of five couples.

Our table touched the stage. Carol was seated next to the stage, her sister, Patti, was across from her. I was next to Carol, with Paul next to me. So we were very very close to all the action. Unless Carol got up and got on the stage, and made room, it was impossible for me or anyone in our row to leave, or get in, as it was the only way we could get up to use the Ladies/Men's Room. There were skinny rows around the perimeter which made an aisle that the Elvis guy could get by and venture into the audience. Those were behind Patti, and the others. Not us. Our chairs exactly touched the people behind us. Of course, there was an intermission. . . so we weren't as disabled as it seemed, and lots of exits, windows, etc. So there wasn't a fire hazard. Interesting note: There was a real palm tree growing up through the roof. It had white lights strung around it for effect. Wonder what happened when it rained?

The Elvis guy was an old Elvis. He had on a spangly white jumpsuit, with a white cape, and a black wig. He switched to a bright red outfit after the intermission that was all glittery also. You could tell he had a good time doing this. And he didn't have a bad voice. He had all the mannerisms of Elvis, but not the bump and grinds. Perhaps he was too old. His assistant was a lady he called Priscilla. . .(get it?) probably his real wife. She worked on the stage seated at a table fiddling with knobs, etc. But, as Paul said, he was not the most entertaining part. The fun was watching the audience (the ladies) pretend he was the real thing. These were old gals, not young spring chickens, getting up and being awarded one of his scarves for being sung to. Our table being so close was used several times. I didn't, nor did Carol, want to get up with him. Too shy. But Carol's sister, Patti, was awarded a scarf when Elvis serenaded her.

Remember I said the aisles were quite narrow. Also Elvis didn't stay on the stage all the time, but would take the mike and walk go around the room, and yet his voice was still being broadcast from the stage, so if you weren't watching, it seemed like Elvis was up there, on the stage, when he was actually in another part of the room. I hadn't seen Patti slip out to use the Little Girls' Room, but she did. Elvis was singing on the stage, I thought, but everyone started laughing, and looking behind us, when I looked around, there was Patti. . . who was behind an unaware singing Elvis, in the skinny aisle. She had gone to the LGR, and was trying to get back to her seat. She couldn't get past him because the aisle wasn't wide enough to pass him, so she decided to get into the act. Elvis didn't know she was there, so she quietly moved up to him, as he was singing, and slowly slipped her arms around him, and rested her head on his back, closed her eyes and had a big smile spread across her face. . .just like she was in Seventh Heaven with the real Elvis. This of course was something Elvis didn't plan on. We laughed so hard. . .the tears just came down. As I said, the audience was half the fun. And he was a good sport.

So that was our venture into the world of Elvis and the jungle. On the way out of the "jungle", we noted a traffic light, right there at the entrance to the road. So we weren't so far away from civilization as it seemed. Everyone had a good time.