Dec 27th to 29th - Mesa

Dec 27^th – Thurs

We had a restless night, finally fell back to sleep and woke up at 8:45!  Oh well, we had nothing pressing to do but it was a good day to sort through accumulated paperwork and clean it up.  I even put captions on pictures in Picasa.

At 3 we made hot chocolate and went to listen to music in the courtyard.  When we got there we found it had been moved inside as it was raining a bit when the band was setting up and of course they don’t want their equipment to get wet.  It was nice having it inside as a group did quite a bit of line dancing and we joined in on the ones we knew.  Then we had a quiet dinner and watched TV.

Dec 28^th – Fri

We had a pretty lazy morning before we went to pick up Ron & Terri at the airport at 11:30.  Terry had tried to turn on their power and start the fridge but the electricity would not come on.  He checked the power post with our plug and it worked OK so he left it until Ron got back.

Once we dropped them off, we went out for lunch and then picked up some groceries.  We had invited Ron & Terri for dinner so I put baby backs on to boil.  A new neighbor arrived about 2 and Ron asked Terry if he would help him park.  Don & Debbie had to wait 45 minutes for a ranger to lead them to their spot and it took a LONG time for Terry & Jamie to help Don park across the street from us.  We were going to listen to music but it was 4 o’clock before things settled down so Terry cooked the ribs in the daylight and I put them in the crock pot to keep warm.

At 5 Ron & Terri arrived with a big bottle of wine and we proceeded to have a very nice dinner and evening.  It is so nice to have some friends back on the street!

Dec 29^th – Sat

We were having coffee and thinking about actually doing something when Dennis & Gloria stopped by to chat.  They had their laundry in the washers and Gloria left to put everything in dryers and came back.  They were just leaving when Stephanie knocked on the door.  She stayed to tell us about their trip over Christmas to Tucson.  We had suggested some places for them to go and she told us all about their great trip.

Next we headed to the Mesa Marketplace and stopped for a burger on the way.  I needed a shoe horn which I got along with a couple of other items.  It was a nice day for a walk all around the market.  We stopped at a flea market on Main Street where I found a couple of small plates to replace one I broke a couple of weeks ago.  OK, I bought a spare!!

When we got back to the park, a new neighbor was parking beside us so we pulled our truck into another spot until they were done.  We hadn’t seen Larry & Julie for a while so we got on our bikes and went to see them.  Julie’s friend Nancy was there so we had a drink and visited with them for a while.  We stopped to see Jerry & Becky and discovered that Becky got sick and was in bed all day today.  They were going to leave tomorrow but extended their stay until Jan 6^th.

Back at our rig, I had just made a drink and some snacks when my sister Marg called to say that my Dad passed away late this afternoon.  He had been going seriously downhill for a few days and went into the hospital on Thursday.  Luckily the admitting doctor had treated him several times and agreed with my sister’s request for no aggressive life support measures.  Dad has lived with my sister for 10 years which is not in the town where we grew up.  We will not have a service until the spring when we will bury his ashes beside my Mom in Pemberton B.C.

Dec 24th to 26th - Mesa

Dec 24^th – Mon

We went to the office to pay our utility bill and for January through March.  We picked up an activity calendar for January and bought tickets for a breakfast.  We made a trip to Fry’s for a few groceries and had to drive around the entire parking lot for an empty spot.  Strangely, it was not as crowded in the store as the parking lot would have indicated.

After I made lunch, we did laundry.  We took it easy before having an early dinner and then went to a casino which was not any nicer to us than the last one!

Dec 25^th – Tues – MERRY CHRISTMAS

I woke about 7 to the sound of the garbage truck emptying cans in the park.  We didn’t put our trash out last night so I threw on some clothes and took out ours, the neighbors who have left, Moe & Trish’s and Brad & Clare’s as they aren’t here.  Then I turned on the furnace and crawled back into bed while it warmed up.  We were still watching TV in bed when Jamie knocked on the door at 8:30 with a gift.

I made dough for a new cookie recipe and put it in the fridge.  I was getting ready to put cinnamon rolls in the oven when Gloria called to ask if we wanted to join them for breakfast at IHOP so I put the rolls in the fridge and they picked us up just after 10.  IHOP was jammed and we had to wait ½ hour for a table but the cooks were turning out the food in good time.

When we got back, I baked the new cookies and they did not turn out well so I baked up the last of the shortbread cookies that were also in the fridge.

My contribution for dinner was mashed potatoes so I got them ready and put them in the crock pot on “warm” – for anyone who hasn’t tried this, it works very well and gets rid of one last minute chore for turkey dinner.  If your crock pot does not have a “warm” setting, don’t leave them too long on “low” or they will get crusty on the edges.

Just after 3 we headed to Ernie & Dianne’s and were joined shortly by Dennis & Gloria.  We were talking about teaching Dennis & Gloria to play Wizard when Fred & Grace arrived so we all just sat around talking and having a drink.

It was definitely too cool to eat outside at 5:15 so the guys put up a table in the Arizona room and the ladies had the table in the dining area.  We continued with the segregated chat groups after doing the dishes and then had dessert which no one “needed”.  Next, Ernie set up a large round table in the AZ room and we played LCR which is a simple dice game.

Dennis & Gloria and Fred & Grace had shortly after 9 so we played Ponytail Canasta with Ernie & Dianne.  The ladies were pretty lucky – OK, quite a bit of skill is also involved!! – and we won the game.

Dec 26^th – Wed

Terry slept late while I was working/playing on the computer.  It was cold again last night so had to crank up the furnace before getting up.  After a very late breakfast, we ran a few errands – Fry’s, WalMart & Garden Ridge.

Dianne sent some leftover turkey home with me yesterday and said I could use it for enchiladas again.  They will have company starting tomorrow so I invited them and Dennis & Gloria over for dinner today.  We set up the large round folding table in the living room and squeezed 6 chairs around it for drinks, dinner & cards.

Gloria brought back the brownies & ice cream that I took to her house for dessert one night and that did not get used as we were all too full.  After a couple of games of Wizard after dinner, we had dessert and then played more Wizard.  We started pretty early so it wasn’t too late when everyone left.

Dec 21st to 23rd - Mesa

Dec 21^st – Fri

We had another lazy morning and a late breakfast.  We went out for a few groceries and when we got back we found that Moe had borrowed our chairs & table already instead of waiting for Terry to help him.  We went to Ernie & Dianne’s to help set up the wireless feature of their new printer.  Their wifi hotspot has not worked wirelessly so we got ours to set up the printer and then went with them to Verizon to figure out the hotspot problem.  They have an older version and the Verizon tech thought they might need a software update.  It was going to take a while so we went next door to The Good Egg for coffee and a light lunch.  We tried the hotspot on the way home and it worked but was SLOW.

At 3 we went to Moe & Trish’s for a pizza & wings party.  Also there were Larry & Julie, Jamie & Lorraine, Dennis & Gloria, Ernie & Dianne, Chuck & Echo, Bruce and Jerry & Becky.  As usual, when it cooled down we got out a couple of buddy burners.

Dec 22^nd – Sat

We rode our bikes around to visit – Larry & Julie (with a steak bone for Bandit) and Mike & Susie – and just to ride.  We dug out a couple of suitcases for Moe to chose from since he discovered that he didn’t bring his along and he was packing for their trip to Hawaii.

Late in the afternoon, Moe & Trish came over with a drink to chat for a while.  I put dinner together while we visited.

We went to a dance at 7.  It wasn’t sold out so there was lots of dancing room but the band wasn’t very good. 

Dec 23^rd – Sun

We got up at 5:45 to take Moe & Trish to the airport..  There was frost on the windshield which needed a squirt of washer fluid to melt.  When we got back, we turned on the furnace and crawled back into bed.

We have noticed a slight water leak by the kitchen cabinet and in the past few weeks a corner of carpet has remained damp.  It is right by the hot water tank but you can’t see anything from outside so today Terry decided to take a panel off the cabinet.  After getting the panel part way off and determining that it was not going to come off completely, I looked in our bar cupboard and saw some screws to take a couple of boards off in there.  But once the boards were off we could not see any water on the bit of floor that was visible.  A small amount of water was dripping outside so Terry thought it would be worthwhile to take out the leveling board on that side and maybe all the water would leak outside.  We certainly did not want to hook up to move the rig off the board so Terry jacked up the wheel & pulled out the board.  Then we had to make a trip to Home Depot to replace molding which broke a long time ago.  Have to wait & see what happens.

We went to Dennis & Gloria’s for an “Olive Garden” dinner – soup, salad & breadsticks.  The soup recipe, salad dressing and breadsticks were from the restaurant and the result was a very good dinner.  Ernie & Dianne were also there and we played Ponytail Canasta after eating.  We played 2 games and each team won a game.  It was nice enough to eat & play cards outside with a couple of heaters but we were getting cold at the end.

Dec 18th to 20th - Mesa

Dec 18^th – Tues

We waited for the furnace to warm up the rig before getting up and being lazy some more.  We went to the Walking Stick Casino to pass some time before we picked up Mike & Susie at the airport.  We spent a couple of hours there and lost $2!!  Of course, as it usually works, we started winning when we had to leave.

Mike & Susie’s plane was delayed so we made a few loops around the airport before they called to say they had landed.  Of course, just at that point, a security guard had us make another loop.

We hadn’t eaten so we headed to the courtyard grill just before 3 for a burger.  Curtis was entertaining but I left to finish up some baking and left Terry to dance.  Moe & Trish came back with Terry when the music finished at 5 and we chatted with them a bit.

Last week the line dance instructors told us to come early to lessons so we could learn a dance called the Wooden Nickel.  We got there at 6:15 and there were already about 6 people there learning another dance.  We worked on the Wooden Nickel until 7 when the regular class started.  We reviewed 3 dances and learned another so we are really confused now!

Dec 19^th – Wed

I finished my candy making and put together some more goodie plates.  Terry started up a couple of cars belonging to friends who are away for a month or so to make sure they would start and to charge the batteries a bit.  After a late breakfast, we delivered goodies and then headed back to the casino.  Unfortunately, the luck that we had just before we left yesterday was not with us today!

We left the casino about 4 and kind of forgot about rush hour traffic which turned out to be not too bad.  We stopped at Fry’s for a couple of items and ended up buying steaks for dinner.  Terry got the BBQ going as soon as we got back and managed to grill mostly in the daylight.  Then we had a lazy evening of TV & reading.

Dec 20^th – Thurs

We went to Moe & Trish’s to see if they needed anything from Costco and met their friends Chuck & Echo who are staying here through January.  Trish gave us her 2 item shopping list and we went to Costco.  After checking out, we had lunch at the snack bar there.  We stopped at Fry’s for some items not available at Costco and headed back.

I set up my sewing machine to mend a pair of Terry’s jeans and to shorten 2 new pairs of jeans for me.  Terry was bored so he headed to the courtyard to listen to music.  At 4:15 Trish popped in to say happy hour was at their house.  Just as I was leaving, Terry came back so he changed clothes and joined us.  At 4:45 we all went to the Arizona Opry which is a dinner show.  It is also known as Barleen’s and we went a couple of times last year.  Dianne makes reservations in the spring to get good tables and tonight there were 12 in our group at adjoining tables.  The dinner & show were wonderful as usual.

Dec 15th to 17th - Mesa

Dec 15^th – Sat

We had a lot more rain last night and a bit of wind today.  After buying more groceries, I did some baking and candy making.  I had to kick Terry off the computer to work on emails & the blog.

We invited Dennis & Gloria over for dinner and cards.  We played 2 games of ponytail canasta – the guys whipped us on the first game but the ladies struggled back to win the second game.

Dec 16^th – Sun

I did more baking and Terry played his favorite computer game before he & Moe returned Dennis’ heater from Ernie’s.  The weather forecast is for nicer weather so Terry put the awning & chairs back out.  He didn’t feel like squeezing the chairs into the storage compartment so we have been carrying them in the back seat of the truck to keep them out of the rain & wind.

There has been a gap between the arms & back on Terry’s recliner so we decided today was the day to figure out what was wrong.  After pulling out the solid row of staples holding the cover in the back, we saw that the LONG staples holding a board across the back to the end grain of a board on the side were put in too close to the edge and the side board had split which let the whole bottom pull apart about 2 inches.  Terry managed to snip off the ends of the staples and we got a couple of long screws from Moe to make the repair.  Unfortunately, the staples for our electric staple gun had come out of the box and were in tiny pieces in the bottom of a bag.  So we had to make a trip to Home Depot before we got it all back together.

Trish invited us for dinner but first they came to our place for a drink and a game of canasta which the ladies won.  Then we went to their place for dinner but returned to our rig for another game of cards – which was close but won by the ladies.  We set up a square table in the living room area which is nicer for playing cards than sitting 2 people on each side of the rectangular dining table with one end against the wall.

Dec 17^th – Mon

I put together goodie plates & cards to be delivered to friends.  After we dropped them all off, we had to stop at a grocery store as I have to bake for us and a few more plates. 

When we returned, I made lunch and then did more baking & candy making – 2 batches of peanut brittle and shortbread cookies in the fridge to be baked tomorrow.

At 4:20 we headed to the ballroom for a Christmas dinner & entertainment.  The doors were supposed to open at 4:30 and by the time they actually opened at 4:45 there was a long line of people waiting in the hallway.  Dinner was roast pork, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls & cake for dessert.  We took our booze bag so we could have a drink with dinner as did most other diners.

At 6:30 it was time for the entertainment which was a high school orchestra called the Starlight Serenade consisting totally of stringed instruments (violins, violas, cellos and others I don’t know) and one piano.   About 15 musicians set up on the stage with the larger instruments, chairs & music stands and when they were ready to begin an additional 45 musicians streamed in the two doors and filled the sides and front of the ballroom.  The music was varied and recognized by most people.  It was a superb show lasting just under an hour.  The students have to commit to an extra hour each morning for the first half of the school year to practice.  The 45 strolling musicians have to memorize all the songs.

We hung around a bit after dinner as the incredibly poised young people chatted with the audience and then had a quiet evening.

Dec 11th to 14th - Mesa

Dec 11^th – Tues

I went shopping with Trish so Moe & Terry took the opportunity to go for a late breakfast at the Wild Berry.  Trish had a pair of shoes that she ordered to return and the store was at the Scottsdale Fashion Center.  It is a very large, upscale shopping center and we enjoyed wandering through several stores and having lunch.  On the way back, we stopped at a WalMart to get a printer for Trish.

When we got back, Terry & Moe were at the courtyard listening to North Star so I went to join them and Trish got ambitious and did laundry.  I made an easy dinner with the taco meat that I put in the freezer yesterday when we went out for lunch instead.

We went to line dance lessons at 7 and did the 3 dances that we learned last week and then had enough time to start on a new dance.  Terry had a difficult time with the quick turns on the last dance so we will have to practice.

Dec 12^th – Wed

I made a couple of different mustard sauces to take to dinner tomorrow and decided that I did not like the dry mustard that I got at a swap meet in Texas so we headed out to find something different.  We spoke with Moe as we were getting in the truck and he said that the new printer did not have a power cord even though it didn’t look as if the box had been opened.  We decided to have a look and as we were pulling the printer out of the box it was upside down and Moe spotted a piece of cardboard that he had not seen before.  It turned out to be a box inside where the ink cartridges are to be installed and it contained the cables.  So we helped them set up the printer as it can be used wirelessly and requires a bit more setup.  It is a very nice HP machine that prints, copies, scans & faxes for $69.

We continued on our shopping trip, had a quick burger first and found the few items we were looking for.  We didn’t have too long before we made a drink and went to the courtyard.  We thought a guy named Mo was to sing but he was sick and was replaced by a couple who also entertain on cruise ships and were nice to listen to.

After dinner, Trish asked us to join them on a bike ride to see Christmas lights in our park.  We had to stop and put air in Moe’s tire this time and then Terry & Moe headed back when his tire lost air right away.  Trish & I continued around the rest of the park and I took pictures of some of the larger displays.  There are a lot of really nice decorations.

Dec 13^th – Thurs

I made another sauce with the different ground mustard and was happier with the taste.   I walked to the post office looking for yesterday’s ads but a lady took the last one just as I arrived so I got a gallon of water which was my other errand in that area.  Next I walked to Albertsons for butter so I could make shortbread cookies which I did when I got back.  In the meantime, Terry was cussing at his favorite computer game after putting up the awning in anticipation of wind tonight.

I made a late breakfast and then baked my cookies.  Terry took Moe and his bike to a bicycle shop to get both his tires fixed.  Moe rode across a gravel lot last night before we went to see the lights and that is a no-no around here as there are wicked little thorns hiding in dirt & gravel.

At 3:00 we went to Ernie & Dianne’s for dinner and a gift exchange.  Also there were Dennis & Gloria, Moe & Trish, Garry & Steph, Lawrence and Sandi and Dave & Sandi.  After a great dinner made by Dianne, we had a “Chinese” gift exchange where you can steal gifts that have already been opened.  The gift that Terry bought - a battery operated wine bottle opener - was the most desired gift.  I was the next to last person to select a gift so I stole the one I wanted – little forks, spoons & knives for appetizers that Trish bought when we were shopping together.

The weather has continued cool but we were able to stay outside in Ernie & Dianne’s carport with Dennis’ tall propane heater taking off the chill after dinner.  Dianne brought out her repeating snowman to entertain all of us “kids”.

Dec 14^th – Fri

We played around with music on the computer and on our MP3 player which we haven’t used much.  We have a little speaker but the sound wasn’t very loud even with new batteries.

After a late breakfast we went grocery shopping at WINCO.  I have decided that I don’t like the store as much as the one in Spokane.  We stopped at WalMart for a couple of items before heading back.

A short time later we went to an afternoon dance (4 to 6) here at the park.  We sat with Mel & Wanda and their new neighbors Ralph & Elsie.  The band was Arizona Bop Cats which played mostly rock & roll which generally is not our favorite for dancing.  Obviously other people agreed with us as the floor was empty for a lot of songs – but it was enjoyable listening.

Neil & Robin popped in for a while as they were waiting for the weekly poker game to begin and suggested that Terry should play poker.  I came home and ate dinner that I had in the crock pot.  I was just finishing when Moe & Trish asked me to come over for a drink as they and Ernie & Dianne had just returned from a movie and were going to order a pizza.  I left a note for Terry and he joined us when he was knocked out of the poker game – he did fairly well.

Dec 8th to 10th - Mesa

Dec 8^th – Sat – Mesa

Moe & Trish asked us to join them for a bike ride to Wild Berry restaurant for breakfast.  As we were leaving, we passed Gord & Ron and asked if they wanted to join us.  One voice said “yes” but we weren’t sure if he meant it.  When we arrived at the Wild Berry (after stopping for air for Trish’s bike), Gord was waiting for us and had put in his name for a table for 5.  We had good breakfasts and stopped at a vegetable market across the street before riding home.  We had to ride up & down a couple of streets to reach 5 miles on the odometer so it isn’t a long ride but lots of fun.

We went with Moe & Trish to WalMart as Terry was looking for more rope lights and Trish wanted an odometer for her bike.  We ended up getting decent (we hope) headlight & taillight sets for our bikes but no rope lights.

We had an early dinner and were just finishing when Trish came over with a glass of wine.  Moe was napping & resting a sore knee and she wanted to visit.  Then we were off to a dance here in the park.  Moe & Trish ended up not going because of Moe’s knee.  The band was not our favorite but played danceable music and there was enough room to dance.

Dec 9^th – Sun

We played golf with Moe & Trish, Ernie & Dianne and Bruce & Ann.  We originally made tee times for 8:30 but someone mentioned yesterday that the weather was going to cool off a lot so I changed the tee times to 11:24 and the weather at that time turned out to be perfect.  I had a good game but Terry struggled a lot. 

Trish put chili in the crock pot before going golfing and invited all the golfers plus Dennis & Gloria for an early dinner.  We set up tables & chairs in the vacant site between us and Moe & Trish as the sun would be there the longest.  I made a couple of pans of cornbread while we were setting up & having a drink.  Trish added a yummy salad so we had another great dinner.  After eating most of us put on long pants & jackets, we got out a couple of buddy burners and a blanket for Ann who was still wearing capris.  When it got too cold, most of us moved into Moe & Trish’s to finish our last drink.

Dec 10^th – Mon

Terry had to get up at 3:00 am to put up the awning as it got really windy.  He had to take off rope lights, bucket light, the shade on the end and undo the tie downs so he was cold when he came back to bed.

It was cool enough this morning to wear long pants & jackets to play bocce ball at 10.  At the end of the second game I was in the sunny end and finally took off my jacket.  I was starting to make lunch when Trish came over and said they were going to the courtyard for lunch so I put away what I was making and we joined them.

We bought a small battery-powered lamp at Big Lots but it didn’t throw enough light so we took it back and bought food for a food bank box in the Activity Center.  We then had some time to read and play computer games before going to Dennis & Gloria’s for dinner.

Moe & Trish also came to D & G’s for a good dinner.  Unfortunately, we played Ponytail Canasta after dinner.  Obviously the guys won both games!!

Dec 5th to 7th - Mesa

Dec 5^th – Wed – Mesa

We took advantage of a slack day to go shopping.  Terry saw a pair of shorts when we were shopping on Sunday but they didn’t have the shirt to go with them in the right size.  So we found another IZOD outlet store closer to us in Mesa where he found the shorts and a couple of shirts.  We continued walking around the small mall and I got a pair of shorts and 2 pairs of pants since the weather is cooling off a bit.  We stopped for lunch before coming back.

We went to the library to get rid of some books and make room for ones that other people gave me.  I started working on a jigsaw puzzle and Terry went to see who was playing in the courtyard.  He wasn’t interested in staying so he went home.  When I started walking back, Terry was coming to get me as we were going to dinner at Bob & Sandi’s at 4.

Before dinner, we and Sandi went and looked at a couple of nearby park models that are having Arizona rooms constructed.  Two of the park models are built without living rooms with the intention that the AZ room will provide the living room.  That leaves a lot of room for a kitchen & dining area and makes for a very comfortable home.  One unit is on a corner and has a golf cart garage in the side of the AZ room.

We had a lovely evening with drinks and dinner outside and then we moved in when it cooled off to continue the gabfest. 

Dec 6^th – Thurs

Terry picked up Ernie, Chris & Bruce to go golfing this morning so I went to the weekly coffee & doughnuts meeting.  Not too much news.  After the short meeting, I walked to Julie’s to see if everything was set for the Christmas parade this evening.  I helped tweak a couple of items on the golf cart and then stopped to work on a jigsaw puzzle before coming back.  When I was at the meeting, Gloria needed more money on her laundry card but the office wasn’t open yet.  I gave her my keys and told her where my card was in the rig so she could get her clothes in the dryers.  She couldn’t find me after the meeting so she left a note on the door saying my keys were at her place.  I walked over to get them, came back and made some lunch.

I had picked up a map of the parade route for Bruce & Ann so I went to deliver it.  While I was chatting with Ann, the guys returned from golf & lunch.  Before we knew it, it was time to line up for the parade.  I went to Julie’s while Terry got a group together to watch the parade from an empty site at the end of our street.  Julie had to make a stop at our place so I could change into black jeans to match her & Judi!  Sometime I will post a picture of us in our elf vests & hats!

The parade started at 5:00, wound around the park and ended in front of the clubhouse.  We were the 4^th entry so we joined Terry at Ernie & Dianne’s to watch the rest of the entries.  Then we lined up for dinner (chips & dip, chili, cornbread, dessert) and entertainment (a trio of cowboy singers).

Dec 7^th – Fri

We rode our bikes to Julie’s to return my elf hat & vest and visited with her for a while.  We walked to fill 3 gallon jugs with water.  Next we went to Big Lots for decorations for our tiny Christmas tree and ended up with $4 worth of garland and $40 of other items!!  After a chat with Moe & Trish, I made lunch for us and then made an appetizer for later today. 

We came back from a short bike ride to find Moe & Trish and Ernie & Dianne sitting in the sun enjoying a drink so I set my oven to preheat and we joined them.  I put crispy green beans in the oven and took a timer back with me so I could finish a drink.  Then we were off to Dennis & Gloria’s for a happy hour(s) gathering to say goodbye to their son Chris.  He went golfing with their friend Craig today and they didn’t show up until quite a while after the 4 o’clock start time of happy hour.  There were quite a few people and as usual we all had a good time.  It cools off quite a bit these days so Dennis got out his propane patio heater to convince Trish to stay a while longer.  Several guys had a tough time starting it until Terry found the propane hose NOT connected to the tank and then discovered that the tank was empty.  Dennis got the tank from the BBQ and we all warmed up until we finally left at 9.

Decc 2nd to 4th - Mesa

Dec 2^nd – Sun – Mesa

Four couples golfed at Desert Sands this morning – us, Ernie & Dianne, Moe & Trish and Brad & Clare.  We wore light jackets at first but it warmed up quickly.  We came back to the park to drop off our clubs and for Brad to quickly walk his dogs.  Then we all went to a Denney’s for breakfast/lunch.

We and Moe & Trish continued on to Arizona Mills shopping center to see a sand sculpture that contains Santa’s chair for the season.   Trish picked a ticket from a tree of sharing and shopped for clothes for a 12 year old boy.  Even though the ticket asked only for clothes, Moe figured the boy should have a toy so he got a remote control vehicle and then paid as much for batteries as for the car!  We walked around the entire huge mall and ended up with a couple of pairs of shorts for Moe and a pair of shoes for Terry.  We had to replenish our energy with ice cream from DQ!

When we got back, I put some garlic in the oven to roast and we had a drink at Moe & Trish’s.  Then they came to our place where I made a pot of cheddar & broccoli soup from a mix and we ate it with the roasted garlic spread on fresh bread that we bought on the way home.

We taught Moe & Trish to play Ponytail Canasta and the ladies ended up winning what started out to be a very lopsided game in the guys favor.

Dec 3^rd – Mon

When we had our mail forwarded last week, we had a surprise from the Mesa police department – a good picture of Terry driving his truck too quickly in a school zone!  So we spent 4 hours today completing an online defensive driving course so the ticket would not result in points on his driver’s license.  The fine was slightly reduced also.  BORING!!!

We went to listen to music in the courtyard and danced a bit.  I had put pork chops & potatoes in the crock pot but had lots of time to join Dennis, Gloria & Chris at Bruce & Ann’s for a drink before dinner.  We met their neighbor Jim and saw his 5^th wheel which is the same model as ours and a couple of years older.

Dec 4^th – Tues

We went to the activity office to get a ticket for Terry to the Christmas parade dinner.  Julie received a ticket for me since I will be in the parade on her golf cart.  The table was full and there were only 2 tickets left so we decided to wait and see if they added more tables.  We went to Julie’s to get fabric to sew elf vests for me, Julie & Judi.  I had used an unwanted T-shirt to make a pattern and got the rest of the details from Julie.

I was using 72” felt and could cut the vests in one piece with just the shoulder seams to sew.  But Julie wanted a “collar” added with points cut into the collar and the bottom of the vests so that took longer than the initial cutting & sewing.  I finished in time to make lunch and Terry was able to get dinner tickets next to our table.

I lost track of time and was a bit late for my 2:30 appointment for a haircut.  Terry had left for the courtyard when I got back so I changed my shirt, gelled my hair and joined him to listen to Curtis sing.  We left just before 5, picked up Bruce, Ann and Jim and headed to the Chinese buffet for dinner with Dennis, Gloria & Chris and Brad & Clare.

Terry had called several times for a dinner reservation but kept getting a busy signal or a message saying no one was available to answer the phone.  The ten of us showed up anyhow and found the restaurant closed with a sign saying they would reopen soon!  Dennis talked to someone on his phone who knew of another buffet back towards the RV park.  We found the place and it turned out to have food that looked almost exactly like the place that was closed.  We all ate too much and couldn’t hang around too long as we wanted to get back for line dance lessons.

We were 12 minutes late and missed most of the first of three new dances.  But we had done a similar dance previously and will pick it up next week.

Nov 29th to Dec 1st - Mesa

Nov 29^th – Thurs – Mesa

We took Bob & Darlene to the Mesa Gateway airport at 9 and then stopped for a few groceries on the way back.  I baked a crust for a fruit pizza while I was making breakfast for lunch.  I let the crust cool while I sorted & spot treated laundry and then finished making the pizza.

We took the laundry over, put it in washers and walked back.  I worked on the blog and then headed back to the laundry room with a book so I could read while the clothes dried.  Terry made a quick trip to WalMart to buy rope lights and was back in time to help with the dried clothes.

At 4:30 we went to Moe & Trish’s for the first stop in a progressive dinner.  Gloria actually made the appetizers and served them at Moe & Trish’s place.  At 5:30 or so we headed to Ernie & Dianne’s for the salad course – and more drinks.  Then it was on to Dennis & Gloria’s for the main course – which was made by Trish.  The locations for appies and the main course were switched as Dennis & Gloria have room for 8 to eat inside at a table and we knew it would be getting cold by then.  Of course the last stop was at our place for dessert and chocolate martinis.  The think the martinis should have been the dessert – but the fruit pizza was really good if I do say so myself!  Terry bought a snowman that repeats what you say as it jiggles up & down and the goofy little thing provided lots of laughs.

Nov 30^th – Fri

We played bocce ball this morning and Terry & I happened to get on the same team and on the same end – 8 people on the court.  We played terribly!!  Oh well, our opponents had a good day.

We went to the courtyard grill for lunch with Moe & Trish.  Terry put out our rope lights and I read for a while.  We made a quick trip to nearby Albertson’s to buy a birthday card and then headed to the 60th birthday party for Joyce.

The party was organized by Joyce’s sister Sandy and started at 4:30 at the bocce court.  Sandy did a wonderful job of decorating and organizing food.  We knew a few people there and met some new friends.  The party was breaking up at 6:30 when we had to leave to attend another gathering right next door at Joe & Stella’s as they are leaving tomorrow.  When we arrived, there was a large group sitting around 3 buddy burners.  Of course we were among the last people to leave and were ready to hit the sack.

Dec 1^st – Sat

Joe & Stella pulled out about 9:30 and parked in the street to hook up their car.  Trish & I hugged them goodbye and went shopping at Big Lots with Dianne.  Trish & Dianne were both looking for a repeating snowman but only one of the two that we found worked and Dianne happened to pick it up.  We all bought a few more items and came back to find Terry, Moe & Brian relaxing on our patio.

It wasn’t too much later that we, Moe & Trish, Ernie & Dianne and Brad & Clare loaded into 2 cars and went to Filly’s for lunch and to listen to a band outside.   We joined Dennis, Gloria and their son Chris at a table.  At the next table was a larger group from our park that included Julie who started the whole outing.  After eating, we danced once and weren’t too impressed with the band.  Umbrellas didn’t shade the whole table so it was quite hot.  Moe & Trish wanted to leave early and we were happy to return with them rather than wait and join Ernie & Dianne.

We stopped at another Big Lots and found the repeating snowmen – one for Trish and Terry picked up one for Joyce. 

We were ready to watch golf on TV, catnap & read.  About 4:30 we decided to go for a bike ride but first I put on long pants & a light jacket.  We stopped at Moe & Trish’s for a few minutes as they were out putting some lights in front of their motorhome.  We went around the corner and down 3^rd street where Dennis, Gloria & Chris were examining the grapefruit tree in front of their park model.  Of course they invited us to join them for a drink and of course we said yes.  So then it was time for a light dinner and more TV.

Nov 25th to 28th - Mesa

Nov 25^th – Sun – Mesa

We golfed in 2 groups this morning – Terry, Ron, Bob & Clay and Brad, Clare, Trish & me.  Trish tore up the course on the front 9 but that didn’t leave her any room for improvement on the back 9!  Terry shot his best game of the year (76).  We didn’t stop for lunch so we got back shortly before noon.

I made sandwiches for us and made Terry eat even though he was involved in setting up for a Grey Cup party at our place.  Ron & Terri came up with the plan and our place was the location as we have an outside TV.  We don’t get Canadian programs but the guys ran a cable across the street from Brian’s satellite dish.  They protected the cable with boards that were secured to the road with duct tape and marked with caution triangles.  Terri printed invitations and there was assigned seating for 26 guests in the 4 rows of chairs on our site.  Food was brought at the beginning and then at half time.  Of course a score “pool” provided lots of fun and decent wins for each quarter ($40) and at the end ($80) which was won by Trish to continue her great day.

We started out searching for shade and ended up with everyone going home for long pants and light jackets.  Many hands made short work of cleaning up after the game.  A group moved across the street to a propane fireplace but we stayed home and I called sister Marg for a nice long chat.

Nov 26^th – Mon

We played bocce ball at 10 and were paired with Dennis & Gloria.  We had a couple of really good games which Dennis & I managed to win.  Next we headed out for a few groceries, came back and I put together turkey enchiladas for dinner.

Moe came with us on our next trip to look for rope lights at Big Lots.  None there so we checked KMart next door and then another Big Lots – still no luck.

We didn’t have too much time to waste before taking the turkey enchiladas to Dennis & Gloria’s where Ernie & Dianne joined us for dinner.  Gary & Dianne were there having a drink when we arrived so we got to chat with them for a while.  We actually baked the enchiladas at Gloria’s and she added a salad and dessert for a filling dinner.

We played Ponytail Canasta after dinner but had to take time-outs to watch the actual dancing on DWTS.  The women won 2 hard-fought games.

Nov 27^th – Tues

I went to Julie’s this morning to help her & Judi sew a “Santa costume” for her golf cart to enter the Christmas parade.  We had to be creative to make the material from 3 throws be enough for a hat covering the top of the cart.  It appears as if I will be an elf riding on the cart and throwing candy to the parade watchers!  We pretty much got the hat done and called it quits about 1.

We went to the courtyard to listen to North Star and do a little dancing.  We headed home and immediately started dinner so Terry could BBQ steaks in the daylight.  We watched the finale of DWTS and called it a day.

Nov 28^th – Wed

Four couples played golf this morning – us, Ernie & Dianne, Moe & Trish and Bob & Darlene.  Our tee times were shortly after 9 so we didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn.  It was another lovely day to be on the golf course.

All but Bob & Darlene went to the courtyard for lunch and then Terry & I and Moe stayed to listen to April Walker who is a good singer and entertained from 3 to 5.  Trish & Dianne caught some rays by the pool and Ernie worked on their park model which is right across from the clubhouse so he can hear the music as he works.

Bob & Darlene are leaving tomorrow for a month so Darlene wanted to clean up some food from her fridge & freezer.  She asked if she could make appies and bring them to our place to use our tables & chairs outside.  Darlene included a tossed “chef” salad, Dianne brought devilled eggs and Trish made mini quiches so we had dinner.  We ended up with 16 people and, after eating, 3 buddy burners to light our circle of friends.  As people were leaving, Brad said he didn’t know that “hanging out” could be so much fun.

Nov 22nd to 24th - Mesa

Nov 22^nd – Thurs – Mesa

At 9 I went to the ballroom and helped Gloria decorate & set our table for dinner.   Then we had a nice relaxing morning until we went for Thanksgiving dinner at 1.  At the table with us were Dennis & Gloria, Ernie & Dianne and Moe & Trish.  Jerry & Erika were going to join us but they will not be able to come here this year as Jerry is having some health issues – we will miss them.  We had a nice turkey dinner alongside many “neighbors” filling the ballroom.

We didn’t have anything else planned so we went to a casino.  We eventually lost our allowance but we played for quite a while.  Back at the rig we watched TV and had a light supper.

Nov 23^rd – Fri

Moe & Trish joined us for some shopping this morning.  We went to Garden Ridge, World Market, BevMo and  Total Wine before stopping for a quick lunch.  Then we shopped at WalMart (mostly for Trish) and came home to put everything away.

We went to listen to music in the courtyard from 3 to 5 and Gloria asked if we wanted to join them at Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  Sounded good as I didn’t have anything planned.  Moe & Trish also came along with Trish as the designated driver in our truck again.  It was a good thing that Gloria knew where the restaurant was located as they forgot to turn on their outside lighting.  We had another wonderful dinner and brought home leftovers.

Nov 24^th – Sat

We rode our bikes to say Happy Birthday to Bill but he wasn’t home.  We went past Neal & Judi’s to accept an invitation to brunch and chatted with Judi for a bit.  We had to come back to our place as I forgot Bandit’s treat and our next stop was Larry & Julie’s where we got to say hello to Ed & Millie across the street.  Ron came by on his bike as we were leaving and we mentioned that Bill was a “cowboy action shooter”.  Ron also shoots so he came back with us to meet Bill and we finally wished him a Happy Birthday.

We had a breakfast burrito for lunch and Terry took some tables to Dennis & Gloria’s.  We went to the Rancho’s pool area to clean tables for a farewell party for Bob & Liz.  By the time we finished, people were arriving early to get seats in the shade so I waited while Terry went home to get our booze bag.  Robin & Liz passed around large trays of jello shooters and the band North Star was playing.  We had to leave before Curtis took a turn at entertaining.

The reason we had to leave early was to head to our second party of the day at Dennis & Gloria’s.  It was an un-birthday party for Dennis as he didn’t want a birthday party!  So 16 of us celebrated good friends instead of a birthday!  Ernie & Dianne brought their guitars to play & sing for us after dinner.  Bruce surprised us all by bringing his guitar and doing some singing of his own.  We didn’t make it a late night as several of us are golfing tomorrow morning.

Nov 18th to 21st - Mesa

Nov 18^th – Sun – Mesa

I worked on the cards for Trish & Moe before calling Marg.  I was still on the phone with her when Trish came by with some paperwork that needed to be copied so she & Moe sat outside and chatted with Terry until I was done.  We got the copying & cards done and then we all went out for a late breakfast at Mickey D’s where Terry loves the biscuits & gravy.

We did laundry even though it could have waited a day or two.  Mondays at the laundry room are often busy and who knows if we will have time to do it tomorrow anyhow.  I walked back while the clothes were washing and made devilled eggs for later.  Terry turned on the TV outside and let it lull him to sleep very quickly.

We didn’t have too much time after putting away the laundry before we went to the bocce courts for another heavy appy gathering of 35 people.  Gloria did the work reserving the court and giving “invitations” to people since most of us can’t remember times & days!!  We had a good time eating & playing bocce ball.  It definitely cooled off about 6 and the propane firepit felt good.

We went to Ernie & Dianne’s to play Ponytail Canasta.  By 1:00, the guys won the first 2 games and the women finally won one.

Nov 19^th – Mon

We were a little slow to get going today.  After coffee we went to Costco to order contacts.  Luckily I put my prescription in my pocket as the last person I dealt with at Costco had entered the expiration year as 2012 instead of 2013.  We made a stop at Best Buy and then came home to put away purchases from Costco and to make lunch.  When we were driving back we saw a group of bicyclists with safety vests and realized that we forgot about the Monday morning bike ride!  Before lunch we took a quick tour through the Country Store in the ballroom but didn’t have to buy anything. 

When we were at the ballroom, Chris asked Terry if he had a brother in the park as he had seen someone that looked a lot like Terry.  Just as we were finishing lunch, Chris came by and told us the site number of the lookalike so we had to get on our bikes to see for ourselves.  The guy wasn’t home so we stopped to chat with Neal & Judi and then went to see Dan & Carol’s recently purchased home in Ranchos which is the area of the park with larger manufactured homes.  They showed us the place and we sat and talked with them for a while which gave them a break from working.  We made another loop by the lookalike’s MH but still not there.  Karaoke was just starting in the courtyard so we stopped and had a beer with Larry & Julie and Larry & Suz who we met at the dance on Saturday.

We couldn’t stay long (some of the singers weren’t great) as we had to join Dennis & Gloria and Ernie & Dianne at Moe & Trish’s for happy hour.  Then we all went for dinner at the Eastern Super Buffet which lives up to the name all the time.  Back at the park, we sat outside with Dennis & Gloria – then joined by Joe & Stella – to watch DWTS.  It had cooled off a lot so I got jackets & blankets for Gloria & me.

Nov 20^th – Tues

Terry golfed at Dobson Ranch this morning and I first worked on the computer while the freezers were defrosting and then puttered around doing anything I pleased including reading.  Terry and the other golfers had stopped for lunch so I didn’t have to come up with anything for him to eat.

We went to the courtyard to listen to Curtis sing.  He had some problems with his sound system so he entertained us past 5.

I added a salad to a couple of leftovers for an easy dinner and we went to line dance lessons.  It was moved to Fiesta so we got a ride with Moe & Trish instead of riding our bikes in the dark.  We had a busy enough day that we were ready to crash when we got back.

Nov 21^st – Wed

We joined a large group of people (120) in the ballroom just before 11 for a Poker Run here in the park.  We picked up colored ribbons to divide us into 5 groups and then we travelled by bicycles and golf carts to 5 stations in the park where we learned about the facilities and had to perform tasks such as a hole-in-one at the miniature golf course, rolling a bocce ball through chair legs and hitting a target in shuffleboard.  When all members of the group completed the task, we each got an envelope with a playing card to make a poker hand.  We returned to the ballroom for hot dogs, potato salad, chips and a brownie for lunch.  We also each received a ticket for a glass of beer.  The first place poker hand was a flush and the winner received $70.  Reduced amounts of money were paid to the next 4 best hands.

Trish joined us for a trip to Fry’s for groceries and diesel.  It was not as crowded as I thought it would be but my list wasn’t arranged too well and I kept back-tracking.  I put away the groceries and started to make a cheesecake for tomorrow.  I figured there wouldn’t be enough time in the morning to bake and chill the cheesecake.  It was still in the oven at 3 so Terry went to the courtyard and saved a chair for me to listen to music.

We left the courtyard right at 5 and went to Brian & Bev’s for dinner.  Bev is from Newfoundland and makes a seafood dish called cioppino which I would describe as seafood stew or soup.  She also made scalloped cod, some sautéed seafood and dessert.  Also at dinner were Moe & Trish, Bob & Darlene, Ron & Terri, Brad & Clare, Joe & Stella and Jamie.  The group had a lot of fun after we ate and we were rather loud.  Luckily the immediate neighbors were part of the loud crowd.

Nov 15th to 17th - Mesa

Nov 15^th – Thurs – Mesa

Trish, Clare & Ann joined me in our truck for a golf game at Dreamland this morning.  The 9 hole executive course is in good shape, I only wish I had played better.  After our game, we had breakfast at the Itsy Bitsy diner at the golf course.  Four other friends – Darlene, Terri, Susie & Sandy - played right behind us and also stopped to eat.

Terry was also playing golf so I took advantage of his absence to vacuum and do other miscellaneous cleaning.  I finally remembered to do a backup of the computer but it would not finish correctly.  So then I spent time searching for solutions in google, doing “check disks” and more backups with errors.  I was not a happy camper!

Terry didn’t get back until after 2 and I was still messing with the computer.  He went to listen to music in the courtyard and I said I would join him when I was done.  But I still was not done when he got back after 5.  I was waitng for a longer version of chkdsk to finish, the backup still had errors and I quit.  Dinner & TV filled the rest of the evening.

Nov 16^th – Fri

We played bocce ball this morning and then went to a Hobo Carnival.  Everyone got an envelope with play money and raffle tickets.  There was an area set up with games to win more money that you could then use at an auction.  We didn’t have breakfast so we started out getting a hot dog, beans, chips & pop for lunch.  The games were sponsored by different businesses so you were supposed to get information at the same time you were winning money.  At 2:30 the auction started.  Even though everyone was told not to pool money, not many people listened and you couldn’t get anything at the auction with a paltry $20,000!  Some items were raffled and there actually weren’t a lot of items that we wanted.  Terry finally ended up with a socket set – not really needed! – but it was a fun few hours.

We went grocery shopping, relaxed a while and had dinner.  We chatted with Brian & Bev for a short time and then we all went next door to Bob & Darlene’s to join a gathering to say farewell to Mike & Susie as they are going home to Minnesota for a month.  The group ended up quite large with 4 buddy burners providing light and some heat.

Nov 17^th – Sat

We took Mike & Susie to the airport at 8 this morning and then got on our bikes to check out patio sales in the park.  It took us a long time to ride all the streets as we chatted with friends as much as we looked at items for sale.  We bought a buddy burner tin for Lou & Margaret, a collapsible wash bucket, a book and a handheld GPS – maybe we will do some geo-caching.

We were starving when we finished just after 11 so we went for breakfast at a new restaurant that was advertising at the Hobo Carnival yesterday.  We will not go back and were happy that we had a 2-for-1 coupon to help pay for a mediocre lunch – they stopped serving breakfast at 11!

We went over to see what Dennis & Gloria were up to and ended up coming back to get our bikes so we could all ride over to view Mike & Susie’s old park model which the RV park has for sale.  Then of course we had to sit outside and have a drink with Dennis & Gloria.

Trish emailed some documents relating to her appendix operation that she needed me to print so I did that and then we worked on a “business” card for them.  Their picture on the card did not print correctly so I had to dig around to find out how to clean the print heads and then it was still marginal so we decided to leave it until they found a more recent picture of themselves.

After dinner we went to a dance where the Needham Twins were playing.  They are very good musicians and the dance was a lot of fun.  It ended at 10 so we didn’t go to anyone’s place afterwards.

Nov 12th to 14th - Mesa

Nov 12^th – Mon – Mesa

Dennis & Gloria picked us up at 6:30 for the trip to Algodones today.  We met up with Moe & Trish and Ernie & Dianne for breakfast in Gila Bend and then stopped at Quechan Casino to use the restrooms before driving the short remaining distance and walking into Mexico.

We arrived around 11 and did not have dentist appointments until noon so we went to an optical store for glasses for me, Dianne & Gloria.  Dianne & I had eye exams as well but Gloria had a recent prescription and was just getting reading glasses.  My dentist appointment was the first one and we were right down to the wire on time when we arrived.  Oops – sort of forgot that not much runs on time in Mexico and had to wait 30 minutes.  I just had my teeth cleaned and a couple of x-rays to see if there was anything serious with a tooth that is sometimes sensitive but nothing showed up on the x-rays.  Terry was getting a discolored tooth replaced on his partial that the same office had added not too long ago.  Moe, Trish & Dianne were all getting their teeth cleaned.  We had time to join Larry & Julie and Bill & Lauri for a margarita at an outdoor bar.   And we all fit in a little shopping between looking after eyes & teeth.

We had to go back to pick up my glasses and then back to the dentist to get Terry’s repaired partial which took a while to slowly grind down to the right size.  I went to pay for us both but the receptionist said Terry’s work was free because they had done the work originally.  When she told me it was $20 for my cleaning, I reminded her that I had 2 x-rays as well and she said in that case it would be $30!  We joined the other 6 of our group in another bar/restaurant.  They were getting ready to leave after drinks & nachos but kept us company – with a drink! – while we had some nachos.

We all checked into our rooms at Quechan Casino and then did a bit of gambling.  We went for dinner at slightly different times in 2 groups and were surprised to find that there is no longer a buffet at the casino.  Terry & I were the last to give up losing at the slot machines and quit at 10.

Nov 13^th – Tues

We all took our time at getting up & moving this morning.  Terry & I actually woke at 5:30 and had a couple cups of coffee from the Keurig pot in the room before moving too fast.  Dennis & Gloria found us at the slots and we went to breakfast with them.  Ernie & Dianne came in before we finished eating.  Moe & Trish wandered down just a bit later.

We went back to the slots and convinced Dennis & Gloria to get a player’s card and the $10 free play for new members.  I pointed Dennis towards a machine that I like and he cashed in $39.  Gloria had fun at another machine and ended up $12 ahead.  The winner for the day was Trish who cashed out $120 at a machine that Gloria wanted to play but it would not accept free play.

We went to our rooms to pick up our stuff and were heading back at 10:40.  Dennis stopped for gas in Gila Bend and we got candy bars & water.  Trish phoned as we were getting back on the freeway and said they were in a McDonalds in Gila Bend.  Traffic was good and we got back about 2:30. 

We made a drink and went to listen to North Star in the courtyard.  After dinner we went to line dance lessons for an hour which made me miss DWTS.

Nov 14^th – Wed

We walked to the office to get Hobo bucks on some tickets that we bought quite a while ago.  More about Hobo bucks in a couple of days.  We came back to get our bikes and rode all over the place – post office for an envelope, got 3 gallons of water, post office again, Bill & Lauri’s, past Julie & Larry’s but Julie was at bocce ball, post office again when they called and said I owed more postage, left some business cards at Pender & Donna’s, past Julie’s again, past Larry & Norma’s new park model and then finally home for breakfast at noon.  Then we had to make another trip to wish Bill & Lauri a Happy Anniversary.

I enjoyed sitting outside reading while Terry played computer games and then wandered around visiting neighbors.  I stayed to work on the blog when Terry went to the courtyard early to get a chair to listen to music.  I joined him there after waiting for a backup on the computer.  We left at 4:15 to go to dinner at Moe & Trish’s.  Dennis & Gloria and Ernie & Dianne were also there and we had a great dinner with great friends.  We put on light jackets to sit around the buddy burner after dinner.