Colleen's Birthday

Colleen is 29!  I definitely feel like she is the "older, more mature friend" in the relationship, but alas, she is 3 years younger than I.  God brought some pretty special people in the world during the month of February, and Colleen Manion O'Laughlin is one of them.  In case you don't know, Brian and Colleen take entertaining to the extreme.  Visit their blog and read about their Thanksgiving party they threw for 20 of their closest friends.  Besides them being a ridiculous blend of Martha Stewart and Paula Deen (without the Southern accent), they're just downright great people.  So, how would they celebrate a birthday in true O'Laughlin style...Read on, my friends, read on... 

 

Brian took Colleen out to a fabulous dinner, and I arrived as a surprise with the dessert--a cake B ordered from a local bakery.  Scrumptious-delicioso doesn't do this one justice. YUM!

The weekend of celebration began with a Chicken Bus...It can only get better from here!

The bus, complete with a horn that sounds like a Cock-a-doodle-do!

The hostesses with the mostesses posing before our dive bar crawl.

In keeping with the "chicken" theme, Colleen and Brian had a basket full of eggs.  At various points in the evening, each rider had to draw an egg and do whatever task was inside!

First stop, the Boss!  When Brian called and told them he was bringing about 20 people, they said, "No, Don't come.  Too many!"

Russ had to wear oven mitts the entire time we were at the Boss, according to his egg.

Amanda's egg said she had to be blind-folded during our visit to Boss.  Trey is leading her through the parking lot.

Trellis (from Atlanta who went to the same middle school as Joey and now lives and works in Saipan...small world!) sang some Boyz II Men in our private room.

You know Brian had to sing some tunes!

2nd Stop, the Manic Inn

That's right, it's a cafe, boutique, AND bar!  I think this concept should be trademarked.  This is such a GREAT idea.

They sell sexy dresses.  Don't these guys look FABULOUS?!  They also have other precious clothes.

They sell awesome shoes, jewelry, and adorable purses!  Why hasn't anyone in the mainland thought of this concept...mixing drinking, eating, and shopping in a quaint setting?!

Joey's task from his egg was to wear flippers during our time in Manic Inn.  Doesn't he look so cool?!

Adam and my eggs said we had to have one of Colleen's favorite drinks.  All the February birthdays shared one together!  Happy Birthday to US!

In keeping with the Raider tradition, our third bar was D' Pirates.  But, alas, it was closed.  So...

we got to go to the Flame Tree Lounge instead.  Just wait to you see the inside...

Colleen at the entrance.

Artificial flowers covered the entire ceiling, but the disco ball shown brightly!

And we all know that a bar is incomplete without its picture of dualing stallions

Rolls of toilet paper helped seal the crack between the wall and the air conditioner.  I'm sure this meets building code.  TIS!

Ben's egg told him to wear flippers during our time at Flame Tree, and he did such a great job!

Wearing a snorkel and mask was the egg prize that Peter won!  We all really enjoyed the experience at the hole in the wall that is the Flame Tree.  Scuba Steve ordered a beer that had to be opened with a bottle opener, but the bar tenders at the Flame Tree Lounge didn't have a bottle opener.  Why would you?  At a bar, I mean.  One that serves bottled drinks that is.

4th, Utopia

Utopia spelled out in lights!

The girls get their groove on on the dance floor!

One of the regulars, affixed with a man-bag/shoulder-wearing-fanny-pack, watching us.

Nicole's egg asked her to wear a dress.  Brian and Colleen were hoping that a male participant would draw this one!

Adam and Trellis pose with some of the "bar maids" during their game of pool.

The workers had such a good time while we were at Utopia, they followed us out to the parking lot to tell us goodbye!

The Islander Club is number 5.

Daniel's egg said to wear oven mitts, and Eileen drew the snorkel and mask one.  Don't they look so cute?!

Islander Club has it's own stripper's pole.  Trey, as well as many others, got busy!

Daniel gives two thumbs up for his dart performance!

Joey takes aim...

and gets his (almost) first bulls-eye!  He gives the obligatory "hang loose" sign for the photo.

My first time at darts...not too shabby!

Final stop of the evening...Charlie's.

Scuba Steve's egg told him to buy me a drink.

Eileen got behind the bar at Charlie's to put her bartending skills to use.  The people at Charlie's were awesome!

The decorations were awesome too. 

The History Channel was on, showing a documentary on the St. Louis Arch.  Colleen went to college in St. Louis.  How appropriate!

Again, check out the awesome decor?!

Charlie's has their own dart accessory container, complete with some awesome trophies!

Why wouldn't you have a Mobil Oil can split in half and be using it as a grill?

Which gas pump is the greater decoration?  Mobilgas?

Sinclair?

Your guess is as good as ours!

Charlie's even uses coconuts to create decorations!

Charlie's also sells Genuine Ford Parts!

And, they support Jeff Gordon Racing, #24 in the program, #1 in our hearts!

Our driver who made the entire night possible.

The Crew at the end of the Chicken Bus Extravaganza!  What a wonderful memory of Saipan!

Our Dive-Bar-Pub-Crawl-Chicken-Bus-A-Palooza was definitely a night to remember.  Joey and I (and many of our friends for that matter) had never been inside many of these establishments.  Although, after our visits, we will definitely be returning to all of them (except for maybe Flame Tree).  In three of them, we were the only patrons present.  It begs us to ask the question, "How do these kinds of places survive in Saipan, especially in this economy?  And, what must this place have been like during the garment factory heyday?"  Overall, the evening provided us with a fabulous social and intellectual experience.  Leave it to the O's!