The 1998 Aloha Party at the yacht club in Sausalito

There were flowers. There were hula girls and grass skirts. There were loud Hawaiian shirts, paper and real leis, colourful food, and even a beach on the deck. And, of course, there were lots of loud, happy, enthusiastic WELLfolk. It was a shining moment in the time-honoured tradition of WELL Office Parties…..

“just back… great decorations and fashion, and pina coladas.” — Alex Buck (apb)

“Nice party! I have to admit, though, that my old body is suffering some from that pogo-ridin’…” — Robin O’Donnell (ode)

“What a heavenly event.” — Brian Zisk (zisk)

“glad I was able to make it to this one… had a great relaxing time => good eats, great company, unique music…” — Seline Szkupinski Quiroga (latiny)

The Incriminating Evidence…

The Decorating Committee

“I won a prize … for… um… I think it was for “Best Hawaiian outfit older than the person wearing it.” My two-piece beach wrap — a wrap-around skirt slit up nearly to my belly button with a matching bolero-style cap-sleeved blouse that knotted between my boobs, black-background Hawaiian floral “silky” material — dates back to the mid-’40’s. So, yes, it is older than I am, though not by much.”
— (peoples)

What’s a luau without a beach?

“It was a good one…though I arrived very late, looking like a haole just off the plane from the mainland. (jimkent) and I had the pleasure of disposing of 300 pounds of sand that looked and felt very much like Poipu Beach or the Napali Coast beach sand. Jim said that Buck had said that as soon as we got it off the tarp, it would fall thru the cracks in the deck. I, being used to northern Minnesota sand left by glaciers, didn’t believe the plan would work. Sure enough, though, Buck was right! The sand made a delicious sound as it slid down thru the deck to whatever was below. A few drags of the welcome mat and the remaining grains were gone.”
— (esoft)

Food

“And thanks to (pbs) for serving as Barbecue King under trying cicumstances. The bbq was funky, and first thing he had to deal with was a grease fire on the catch-tray below the gas jets. Then it turned out there were zero bbq implements, and he was trying to turn over chicken thighs with a plastic fork. He done good.”
— (peoples)

The Lei Makers

Getting Lei’d

“… we had hundreds of mini-carnations that we beheaded and strung into flower garlands. I also brought a bunch of clippings from my rose-scented geranium, so we added the rose-scented leaves into the leis, thus adding a strong floral fragrance to the garlands.
And kudos to (goodston) for thinking to use the unopened flower buds for a lovely but subtle all-green lei. It was gorgeous!”
— (peoples)

“… (latiny) had a splendid ’50s tapa cloth print Hawaiian dress on. A strapless number with “bones” in the bodice so it stands up by itself even if you’re not wearin’ it. And a matching little bolero jacket. I was deeply impressed.”
— (peoples)

Of Bubblewrap and Pogo-sticks…

“[Award for] Best pogo-sticking: Vita (czexan’s daughter), (flanagan) and (ode)”
— (mec)

“I had a swimmingly great time.”
— (flanagan)

“Boy, what I wouldn’t give for an embarrassing photo of myself to send to my friends just to show them I’m not as socially inept as they think!!”
— (ode)

The eye-bending Hawaiian Shirt and Hula Contest

Oh, Those Hawaiian Shirts!

“Don’t forget “Most Gawd-awful Yet Wonderful Aloha Shirt” [award] to (pbs) who looked lovely in Caribbean-motif garb.
— (ode)
“It was the “let’s limbo” written on it that really made it something special.”
— (goodston)

“Oh, did anyone mention the wonderful aloha shirted hula line!”
— (goodston)

The staff parties down!

gail

“The photo of Maria in her rubber skin-diving gloves could probably fetch big bucks from “Rubber Fetish” magazine: the pose is unintentionally suggestive.
Or maybe I just have a twisted mind.”
— (jayson)

“I can’t wait for the one of (camilow) in the grass skirt hoisting a drink with [a] little umbrella.”
— (nanlev)

… and there was much reveling

For information about the next WELL gathering (this year’s Annual Picnic!) please come on by the WELLcome conference — we hope to see you there!

All credit for the photography is gratefully given to (jayson) and the photos here are used with his permission. All quotes are taken with permission from the Aloha WOP topic in the party conference, party 111.