Celebrate Eric

Eric Tognazzini's services are on Friday May 27th but Johnny's will also be hosting a celebration of life-birthday party on Wednesday June 1st at 5:30 pm. This year would have marked sixteen years of celebrating with Eric and we will miss him severely. It will be a wonderful opportunity to share your favorite Eric stories and pictures with friends. We will have some great food as well as cake and a slide show with some of our many memories with Eric.

Eric Tognazzini will be dearly missed

We have lost many loved ones and each heartbreak leads us to ask, will we ever be same without them? The loss of Eric Tognazzini is indescribable to the Johnny’s family. He has been a part of the woodwork since I bought the place sixteen and half years ago and I’m sure even long before then. He sat in the bar amongst the dust and the noise as we tore open walls and remodeled before we officially got our doors opened. He rode his bicycle to Johnny’s back in those days and we were always thrilled to see his smiling face. I believe it was the end of February or the beginning of March that first year when he told me that his birthday was June 1st. He reminded me about once every two weeks and by the time his birthday was in the two week stretch he told us daily. We had a grand fiesta in his honor and it began a tradition that lasted for sixteen years. As time went on he stopped reminding me and with all of my other obligations; and the onset of menopause, I almost missed a few. For his fifty fifth birthday we hired a hot tamale that was going to strip down to a bathing suit and fuss over him, which we knew would tickle him to no end. When the stripper failed to show up our some of his favorite girls; which included most of the bartending staff, and I did a little dance around him. We rubbed his head and kissed his cheeks and he squealed with delight. I think he relished our little show more than he would have enjoyed a hot skinny stranger. Eric loved being the center of attention and on his birthday he always was. I’m happy to say that the Johnny’s crew and clientele always made Eric a part of our family. We will miss him more than I can say and I assure you that his memory, his spirit, and the many Eric stories will linger on at Johnny’s forever. Our condolences go out to his entire family and especially to Kurt who cared for his brother in a way that many of us could only aspire to. We will be planning a special day to honor Eric at Johnny’s so look for the announcement on Facebook and at our website johnnysbarandgrill.com.

Boozefighters Spring National

I was honored that my friends the Boozefighters invited me to join them at the Spring National Event. It was held in Reno the last two years which was much easier to get to than Little Rock Arkansas but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. We were treated like royalty by Chapter 66 Bozzefighters and Boozettes. Flip was absolutely amazing. While being on the phone 24-7 making sure that the shuttles from the hotels to the club house were running smoothly he still managed to be at the beck and call of me, Dago and my sick pal Susie the entire time. Sue got food poisoning our first night in Arkansas and spent the entire time in our room sick as a dog.I felt terrible for her but there was nothing I could do besides supply her with ginger ale, saltine crackers, cheese and yogurt.
Dago was blown away by her 81st birthday party. She got so many presents that they had to ship them home for her. She was fawned over the entire time we were in Arkansas and I loved observing it. She is after all the oldest and quite possibly the only living original Boozette. We had a wonderful time and met lots of Boozefighters from as far away as England and Florida. The Boozefighters Motorcycle Club is the greatest bunch of people you could ever hope to meet and I am thrilled to have them as friends.
I'm so excited about July's Hollister Independence Weekend which promises to bring plenty of bikers to Hollister including my Boozefighters who are celebrating their 65th anniversary. Wino Willie would be proud to see how far his club has come. It is one of the oldest motorcycle clubs and is now international with chapters in Italy, France, and England. Boozefighters Up!

Arkansas here I come!

I'm headed to Little Rock Arkansas for the Boozefighters Spring National Convention.
I attended the National in Reno the past two years and had a ball and I debated traveling so far for this years extravaganza. The Boozefighters and Boozettes that I met in Reno from Arkansas made the invitation irresistable. They paid for my good buddy Dago's flight and room and we'll be celebrating her 81st birthday on Thursday. Dago was nice enough to let me bunk with her, even though me and a few Boozefighters woke her up at 4:00 am with a mini party last year. She's a real sport.
BFMC Chapter 66 has been so gracious already that I know they'll be treating us ladies like royalty. The Boozefighters are always so good to me and the entire Johnny's team and I love having the privleadge of hanging out with them and enjoying their company at the National. I promise to have lots of stories and pictures for you on my return. As always, Boozefighters Up!