just go and see what happens

Tomorrow I am going to post a story that is one of the most memorable happenings I have ever experienced....There are two other individuals involved....Don from Chilliwack and Jim, a Kiwi from New Zealand .....It is about something that happened when these two guys and myself decided to drive across the US line and go somewhere in the Washington area for a couple of days...We had no plans ...just go and see what happens.....I knew something interesting would probably happen as I had spent quite a lot of time in early 1957 travelling with Jim in New Zealand...he was such a character and usually the leader when it came to investigating opportunities for a little adventure...one might call him a professional party crasher .....On this occasion in September 57 Jim was visiting my folks home in Chilliwack . Both of these friends are passed on now and they both left me with unforgettable memories . We talked about it many times over the years and we all agreed that most people did not believe us....The last time I spoke with Jim on the phone he joked.... we've got to sign an affidavit or something because no one believed him....that was 20 years ago.... and the last time I had contact with him....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am checking back and trying to do some organization of the blogs I have written and I see I should have put the following post on the day after the above posting...I dunno....I see it posted away up further in March....well that is weird ...so here it is June 18, 2008 and I am putting in this post in its proper place.........

--------------------------------------------------------------

do you boys have a room here?

...We decided to go across the line for a few days and headed to Portland ....I was still 19 on the first part of September 1957...Don was 20 and a friend I had met in New Zealand at the first part of 1957...Jim was about 25 (he never did tell us his age) ......this guy was pretty cool dude... and we called him a professional party crasher...Jim could go anywhere he wanted on straight charisma, good looks ...and his gift of the gab(bull) call it whatever, it sure made for some interesting experiences....per example....While traveling in Jim's car he may say....hey where do you guys want to eat tonight....mumbles ... I don no....okay pick a place...(this would be a rural area...usually farms spaced well away from each other....) Okay Jim ...the next one....and he would pull into the drive...then with confidence and charm talk to the person answering the door and we would have supper there...no kidding...he could do that .....everyone behaved themselves ...we learned a little of the "con" from him....People in places like that are bored....a few interesting guys blow in and they are delighted to show off their digs....mind you this was in sleepy New Zealand a long time ago.....there is not enough trust around anymore...I don't think that could be done now on a consistent basis.....well back to Elvis....I borrowed dad's car..a nice 50 Chrysler and away we went....the next day we were in Portland and taking in a huge fire that was burning across the bay from us...then we jumped in the car and only drove a few blocks where we came upon a large crowd of teenagers milling about........I wound down the window an hollered ..hey bud what's the commotion..the reply was Elvis ..Elvis is in that hotel...oh ...oh yeah.....hey waddayaknow...we knew he had just been in Vancouver where an incident had occurred..he was run off the stage by excited fans.....So...you guys ...Elvis?......... what do ya think about that?........Jim says........do you want to meet him ...oh haw haw ..that's a good one..no no...keep going ...there ...turn in at the back.....so I did...are you nuts?.....no.. no ... lets go.....there's a door...Don and I just figured we will go with him but probably not get very far....so in we go smack in the middle of the lobby...the bellhops and counter clerks all looked at us....we just chilled and hung close to Jim as we started up a flight of stairs...I could feel eyes on the back of my neck...Hey.... how are ya..howdy back ....to a bellboy coming down the stairs.....Don, do you believe this.....jees no.....Jim I'm gonna faint......hey, with a smile ...talking through his teeth ...don't give up now, lets go...after a couple of flights we turn a corner and there he is........ The Man Himself...sitting backwards on a chair talking to two reporters and there were two city police men with them...oh boy..woah.....there was a bathroom right there and we all twigged at once and went in...jees .....now what.....there are cops...they are outside this door...ok, Jim says...lets go....so we file out ..one cop says.......do you boys have a room here?...he is puzzled...they are puzzled...we are goners.............Hey its okay Elvis says.... and quickly got up and waved the cops off...hey where are you all from.....Jim is introducing himself...I am in a coma..I can't believe how good looking this guy is.. .but I snap out of it and we got into conversation....where are we from. ba de ba.. ...Chill....aaaahh ... Vancouver..Canada....then it got going good....we talked about the Vancouver show and he said that he was really scared at that one......I asked him if he could ever get out and do stuff...he said no...he had tried though....He was trying to watch a ballgame in Memphis...with a disguise dark glasses etc...and it caused a riot when he was discovered...Jim told him he was from New Zealand ...then he said he would like to get on a relaxing boat and get away....I felt like asking him if he wanted to come home with us........anyway...after a time...we shook hands... said Ill see ya...and that was that...we didn't even ask for an autograph..it just didn't seem like the thing to do....so back to the car...again all the staff looking at us like ....what?...and into the car...wondering if that really happened....I reckon the only people that believed us were our mothers and ourselves....I don't even have a backup now...my two pals have passed on....I don't think Jim and Don ever knew why we had such a hassle free and respectful attitude from the hotel...I found out many years later in a book on Elvis that my daughter gave to me......that they thought we were Elvis's entourage...the guys that went with him everywhere....It turns out that on this tour, Cornel Parker (his manager) told Elvis to leave his pals at home....it was costing to much money to send them everywhere....if they had of been there we would not have made it out of the car.....in fact I am sure they would have taken care of us rather quickly....We ended that trip off with a look at the Oregon state fair...and that is the Elvis story....It was pretty well impossible to tell that story and have anyone believe it...so we didn't tell it much.