Garnering an invitation due to a rightfully insistent daughter with hopes of getting a peak at the fascinating Fitzwaller residence, the Thirsty Fathers paid a visit to see the sight for themselves and test their shuffleboard acumen. One cannot say enough about the zeal in which the Fitzwallers go about their decorating. The full Halloween monty of spooky decor outside included a trio of deranged children, a lifelike prisoner with head buried in the blocks, and a witch impaled halfway up a telephone pole, the apparent victim of a hasty broom departure. With thousands of trick-or-treaters expected once again, the Fitzwallers do not disappoint. They embody seasonal spirit taken beyond the nth degree. Their completist approach to the season will be best evidenced when the hired hearses arrive outside on Halloween night. Nice touch, eh? As we walked up the steps, we truly did not realize what was soon in store for us inside the doors. It is truly an understatement, in a series of understatements, to say that the every square foot of the house has been given its due. Each room has been treated with careful, tasteful thematic design to provide a wondrously entertaining feast for the senses. The Marilyn washroom, the tiki porch with boat bar, the thatch-roofed patio by the pool complete with peerless vintage GE fridge, the slave figurined living room, the vintage jukeboxes, the marvelous kitchen ….. Wow! Nothing I can say will be enough. After the proper tour of the ground floor, complete with mixed drinks served up by the gracious hosts in halloween glasses, it was time to head downstairs. “it’s just a basement,” Steve warned, as if to apologize for some lack of finish. Let’s just say that if this is lack of finish, then we all haven’t even started yet. The Selco table sat famously next to the Rock-o-la jukebox, under gloriously festive lighting, and poised for play. As the pucks began to be thrown, a fine compliment of tasty appetizers began to arrive. It was as if we had walked into a dream landscape where needs were filled before they even occurred to us. It became apparent that Steve had a keen knowledge of this unique table and led the night with his sharp shooting. The Good King Lebold, arriving late to the dance, was fully awed by the spectacle and, like us, did not want to leave. However, it was time to say goodbye to the eccentric carnival and return to the real world outside. We thanked Steve, Neen, and Kim for their immeasurable hospitality and cycled away, truly stunned by the experience. We chose the Hall of Records as our next stop and tried to decompress over $3 pints of cream ale and an afro-beat DJ. Certainly, the bar of unique experience had been raised by the night’s festivities. Even the prospect of Suit Night bravely subjected to an unsuspecting Rumpus Room seemed a pale novelty act when compared to the Fitzwaller Circus tent. Needless to say, Fitzwaller’s is our new favorite bar. Even if we don’t get to visit that often.