Residents of Unit 8A gathered on March 8 for “Living the Dream,” a celebration of eight years of monthly Unit Happy Hours. (Photo by Steve Weiss)
Janelle Authur
On March 8, 40-plus residents of Unit 8A celebrated eight years of monthly Happy Hours with a casual and light-hearted “Living the Dream”-themed party in the Sol Ballroom.
The first residents of Unit 8A gathered at the Bistro for the initial Happy Hour in March 2016, starting a monthly tradition that has continued uninterrupted for eight years. Happy Hour moved from the Bistro to the Ranch House as the Unit grew, then to patios and driveways during COVID-19. In year three, the Unit started a new tradition—an annual celebration marking another year of Happy Hours.
The year eight “Living the Dream” theme was an easy choice, reflecting that the Ranch is a place where Unit 8A residents can fulfill dreams and discover and share new ones. Guests were invited to dress as they would doing their favorite “Living the Dream” activity. Outfits ran the gamut—sports and exercise attire, aprons for bakers, artists, and crafters, logos on shirts for auto enthusiasts, wine lovers, and game players, and cowboy hats and boots for Western dancers.
During Happy Hour, guests posed for photos against a cloud backdrop with “dream” props, played Jenga, Solo Cup Putting, and bean bag toss, and watched a slideshow of Unit highlights from years three to six.
Keeping with the casual theme, dinner was a taco bar with cupcakes for dessert. Throughout dinner, guests reminisced while watching the traditional annual slide show featuring Unit residents and events, from year eight.
Table centerpieces were a backdrop for the evening’s theme. Hurricanes were filled with a variety of items representing different dream categories, including golf, games, crafts, social, travel, healthy living, and fitness. Items ranged from golf balls and tees to pottery and gardening tools, spools of thread, seed packets, wine corks, show tickets, postcards, maps, tennis balls, dominoes, Mah Jongg tiles, Bingo cards, billiards chalk, dice, and playing cards.
Event Committee members Denise Doepke and Janelle Authur hosted a “How Well Do You Know Your Dream” trivia game after dinner. Four of the seven tables tied with a perfect score. Table mates Mary Jo Stastny, Ernie and Kathy Nedder, and JoAnn and Curt Kamada won the tie breaker and prize, blue stress balls.
Next came the “Let’s Make a Deal” raffle drawing. Committee members and prize presenters Kate Thomsen and Judie Townsend brought the house down in laughter with their square rhinestone glasses and model costumes, blowing horns when a raffle winner selected a “Zonk” vs. a nice prize.
Committee member Sherry Weiss awarded the final prizes—items created and donated by Unit 8A residents. Sherry Weiss baked a cake, Kate Thomsen created a black glass plate, Lani Warren a holiday wreath, Kim Stover a blue and white glass vase, Madoka Knight a pottery vase, Terri Vossekuil a glass bumble bee plant decoration, and Unit 8A logo designer Sheila Davidson and embroiderer Dian Gowen donated a back pillow with the Unit’s logo.
On to year nine!