The former owners of Club Amnesty—OC’s biggest and most popular swing club until a potent combination of prudery and paperwork spelled its demise—have gotten back to the nightlife activities they missed most when they were running the club. Robin shares the not-so-juicy details. (The words “action” and “balls” are involved, but it’s not what you think.)
It feels so good to have our lives back! Ever since we closed Amnesty, we’ve been able to watch movies and spend time with our friends. Gary’s dad was in town recently, and we spent a great afternoon at Hurricanes in Huntington Beach, watching the sun set just off of Main Street.
Afterward, we went to a little hole-in-the-wall place just off 17th Street and played some pool. I can’t remember the name of the place, but it wasn’t too crowded. We took turns winning, as well as picking great music on the Internet jukebox in the corner. We got the whole bar singing and dancing to the music.
As the night got later, and with the help of a few beers, we were singing louder and louder, and the pool balls were getting harder and harder to get into the tiny holes. We figured it was time to get a nice, hot cup of coffee for the ride home.
Most of the time, though, we’re homebodies. Just kind of boring! It’s nice to not have all the responsibility we had before. I make dinner for Gary and me every night. If I’m in a good mood, I’ll make his favorite (bangers and mash), but usually, I’m more inclined to make one of my favorites, like a good lasagna or pasta, since I am Italian.
We haven’t gone out much since the club closed. We’ve caught some movies and have gone to a party here and there, but for the most part, we cozy up and fight over what movie we’re going to watch: Gary’s action-adventure favorites or my favorite, Somewhere in Time.
My grandkids just visited for a week, and I was so disappointed when Costco said they were out of cookie dough. I love making chocolate-chip cookies for the kids.
• Hurricanes Bar N Grill, 200 Main St., Huntington Beach, (714) 374-0500; www.hurricanesbargrill.com.
