DeAnna worked at the Hilton on Jekyll Island. Billy Joel had stayed there for the weekend. She didn't know until he left. She was disappointed she didn't get to meet him.
Her and some friends had a party one night. She made a punch out of the kitchen sink. She had found the recipe in the bartenders book. Skip-And-Go-Naked, it was with 7 different types of liquor. Mixed with orange and pineapple juice, sweet and sour mix. AND TOP WITH BEER!!! Boy they partied like hell!!!!!
That following weekend they decided to take a friends sailboat out. The plan was to leave early that morning from Jekyll Island dock. Sail around the island to the other side. Then drop DeAnna off in front of the Hilton and they would all come up for drinks. DeAnna had left her car parked there she would drive over to another friends house just down the road to was gonna leave the back door unlocked so she could take a shower and head to work. She ran the bar and had the key to open up at 4:00 pm.
Well........... needless to say she didn't know about the wind. After all she moved here from Michigan and never sailed before. THERE WAS NO WIND THAT DAY!!!!!!!!
They barely moved to the conner of the island. The sun was kicking AND IT WAS HOT!!!!!!! She was drink a bit and felt so mellow and relaxed. By 2:30 pm she decided she had best swim into shore and jog the beach to the Hilton. She loved it though. She felt like she was in a movie like 10 where the girl jogged down the beach. She got to her friends house AND THE DOOR WAS LOCKED!!!!!!!! She didn't know what to do. Then she remembered the boat docks had a shower outside. So she drove there rinsed off then changed in the bathroom. AND JUST MADE IT THERE BY 4:00 pm. She set up bar and waited for them to show. It was getting dark and she wondered where they were. There car was parked there too. So they had to show up. The bar had all glass windows that over looked the ocean. The moon was full and just coming up on the ocean. Finally, at 9:00 pm they walked up the bar deck steps. They were rather tore up! She just laughed. They all had one drink then went home!
Through the winter months business was slow. She was told to close the bar at 11pm unless there was a crowd. Which there never was. So DeAnna would head to the bowling alley in Brunswick. The bar there had bands playing. One who was just like Jetheral Tull. Her and some of the other local bartenders would close that place down and head to Shoney's for breakfast. She met this girl Sandy and the two of them planned to go that weekend to Jacksonville Florida to see 38 Special.
So that weekend they headed out DeAnna was driving her pinto wagon. They bought some Tequila along the way with the worm in it. Sandy said she wanted the worm though. DeAnna never drank that type of Tequila before and took one look at the worm and said fine by her. Sandy said you would trip on the worm. They picked up a hitch hiker, Sandy said he was cute. And they all partied along the way. He had some pot he smoked with them. They had killed the bottle of Tequila and stopped to get another bottle. At the end of that bottle DeAnna said she wanted the worm.
When they got to Jacksonville, Danny the hitch hiker, wanted to go with them to the concert. But they were getting rather buzzed and was having a hard time finding the place in J-ville. They were coming around a big turn from one highway to another and DeAnna started laughing so hard. Asking Sandy when she was gonna get off on the worm. She was laughing so hard as she went around the turn and going a bit fast. It was like her leg was frozen to the petal and she couldn't slow down. They were yelling at her to slow down but she just kept laughing. Luckily they made it safe around the turn.
As they got downtown it was getting dark and it was hard to see. They were both telling her to turn this way and that way. And so she didn't know which way to turn. So she just turned the wheel finally and they were on the railroad tracks! The car was going bump-ity, bump-ity, bump down the tracks. She was laughing so hard and they were both yelling at her to get off the railroad tracks. They got to the next road over and she turned off the tracks. They had been riding around for hours they decided to skip the concert and they hit a bar. They partied there for awhile and Sandy met this guy. They all decided to hit another bar. They had stop at a Jiffy store to get some beer and snacks. The next thing she knew she was waking up and it was morning. Her and Sandy had fallen asleep in the parking lot. The guys were gone. So they headed back to Brunswick. WOW! What a night they said as they headed out. They felt like they were in a Cheech and Chong movie! DeAnna said she'd always remember that night. The first night she ever ate the worm!
A month later the Hilton got a new manager. AND HIRED ALL NEW EMPLOYEES!!!!!!!!! She couldn't believe it. They didn't even give anyone there a notice at all. She went to legal aid. She had three boys to feed and take care of. She couldn't believe they could just do that. But they said they didn't have to have any reason to fire everyone. It was legal. She didn't know what to do.
Since she had Friday night off her and some friends went to a bar on St Simons Island called Chances R. They had a southern rock band playing called Cross Fire. They were a great band. She really enjoyed their music. She was talking with the bartender as she ordered her next drink and kinda mentioned she had bar tended at the Hilton on Jekyll. And they just fired everyone just like that!
It just so happened that the girl she was talking to owned that bar. And said she needed help. So DeAnna started working that next night.
She worked there everynight and was loving. The place was always busy all the time. On the weekends the band played. One night someone was having a party after the bar closed. It was downtown Brunswick and she didn't know her way around. She had accidentally went up a one way road the wrong way. She had realized it as she got half way down the road. She didn't know if she should back up or just finish driving down it. She decided to go on down it. And when she got off the road there was a cop sitting there waiting for her. He said he seen her turn down it. She explained she didn't know it was a one way road. She was looking for someones place that she was heading to. But he didn't seem to want to hear it. Billy and Mike Gerranda the leader singer and guitar player came to bail her out of jail.
Her dad and grandparents were upset with her. Her dad acted like he disowned her. It hurt her feelings so much.
A few months later Chances R closed down. Another job she lost with no notice.
DeAnna got a job working at Sea Island Stables as a guide down to the beach. GOD IT WAS PARADISE!!!!!!!!!! Riding horses all day on the beach. They were allowed to wear shorts and a bathing suit under a t-shirt which they could then take off the t-shirt on the beach. What a sweet job! She got a really dark tan with really light, almost white, hair!
Every time of the day and everyday the beach looked different. One morning it was even so foggy you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. She felt like she was in a Sherlock Holmes movie. On the beach the tide was out and it felt so strange. You knew there was suppose to be water there. The sand was still wet. But you couldn't even see the ocean.
She was started to feel rather lonely. She had a fling one weekend night when she had went out with some friends. And ended up pregnant AGAIN!!!!! She was on the pill but didn't always take them. She never was with anyone so would often forget to take them. But here she goes again!!!! Another baby!!! She didn't understand it. Her best friends sister and husband had been trying for years to have a baby. They had good paying jobs. And had been married for years but still were unable to have a child. How could God be like this!!!! She just didn't understand it!!!!!!!