Mar 27th – Tues
We got to the laundry room reasonably early and had no problem getting enough washers. I sent Terry back to the rig as it doesn’t take two of us to watch clothes wash & dry. He was supposed to come back in time to help hang & fold but that didn’t happen! I got back just as Gloria was arriving for a visit so I unloaded the truck and sat down for a chat. Dennis got here shortly after and we all enjoyed sitting outside chatting. Stephanie was walking by and joined us.
We and Dennis & Gloria hadn’t eaten breakfast so at 11:20 we went to the courtyard for lunch. Ernie & Dianne and Floyd & Diana sat with us for a while and then headed to Fiesta for a jam session.
We put away laundry and made the bed before Terry decided we should go back to the casino. We did so and returned their money before they decided to charge us interest! We just got back when Ron said we were all invited to Mike & Susie’s for happy hour. I had put out a couple of small steaks to thaw so it was easy to make dinner when we got back and we were in time to watch DWTS.
Mar 28th – Wed
I made pancakes for breakfast for a change and then we went shopping – printer ink at WalMart and groceries at Fry’s. We had artichokes for a late lunch and boiled some baby backs for dinner. We were about to go listen to music in the courtyard when Dennis & Gloria drove by and asked us to come over for a drink which sounded better to us as it would have been hot in the courtyard if you weren’t lucky enough to get a seat in the shade.
Friends of Dennis & Gloria – Craig & Caroline – came by at 5 to pick D&G up to go to dinner. We were partway through a second drink so they joined us. We started to walk home and saw Vern who had a problem with his satellite yesterday. Terry asked if he got it working which led to more conversation, an introduction to his wife Darlene and an offer of a drink – which surprisingly enough we accepted!! I helped Darlene with some features of their Garmin GPS which she hadn’t discovered, we all talked non-stop and we were on our second drink with them when Dennis & Gloria and Craig & Caroline walked by on their way to our place after finishing their dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. Since we hadn’t had dinner yet they went back to play cards and we headed home to eat. When we called later (8:30), Craig & Caroline had left without playing cards and Dennis had just kicked back and decided he was “in for the night” so we all called it a day.
Mar 29th – Thurs
Dennis & Gloria came over for cantaloupe and jelly biscuits for breakfast. Very large, sweet cantaloupes are selling for 99 cents each at Frys. After breakfast I put a large pork roast in the crock pot for pulled pork tomorrow.
We made a trip to Total Wines to stock up on scotch & vodka since the price is so reasonable – a lot cheaper than WA state for sure. We stopped at a WalMart for an elusive little battery – sold out – and some heavy thread which I used to mend a folding chair when we got back.
Ron & Terri asked if we wanted to join them for a final trip this season to Eastern Super Buffet so after a drink we all went for dinner. I didn’t overeat for a change but didn’t feel too well when we got back. Terry went to bed early while I stayed up to pull the pork roast apart.
The weather is getting quite hot.
Mar 30th – Fri
I had an unusually restless night with several trips to the bathroom so I didn’t get up until nearly 10 this morning and still felt sluggish then. I made oatmeal for breakfast hoping it would settle my “innards” but it didn’t help much. We and Ron & Terri are having a big farewell party tonight so we made a trip for ice and fresh buns – and Terry stood in line for a lottery ticket!!
We set up for the party keeping in mind that it would be HOT. We put up our end screen and fashioned an end screen for Ron & Terri’s awning so we could sit in the shade beside both rigs.
We definitely needed the shade as we started about 3. It was kind of fun going back & forth between the 2 groups of people rather than having one huge circle of chairs and being able to talk only to a couple of people on either side. I still felt pretty puny and didn’t even have one drink and very little to eat all evening.
When the sun went down, we all moved to our site and lit a couple of buddy burners. People dwindled fairly rapidly and the remaining diehards got a warning to keep the noise down about 10:30 which ended the party.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Mar 24th to 26th - Mesa
Mar 24th – Sat
After a breakfast of cinnamon rolls we went to visit Ernie & Dianne. They have had so much company that we haven’t seen them much since we came back. Next we went to Valle del Oro (another Cal-Am park) to cheer Dennis on in the Pinewood Derby. For those who don’t know – including us until a few weeks ago – pinewood derby race cars are little wooden cars made by each contestant. They start with a standard kit and customize as much as possible and still stay at 5 ounces or less and still conform to certain rules.
The setup in the ballroom at VDO was great. There was a 6 lane metal track that starts about 6 feet high, goes down in a steep angle and then levels out for about 25 feet. A laser timer at the finishing line provides immediate times & placement which show on 3 large screens. Each car runs on each lane and the winners are calculated by averaging all 6 times. Chairs were placed around the track with short, decorative parking meters delineating “the pit”. Contestants pay $5 to enter and everyone gets free hot dogs, chips and pop for lunch. We didn’t stay for the entire race but saw Dennis’ car in several heats.
We had a bit of down time before going to Good Life to join Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne for happy hour(s). It was hot today but Don & Joanne’s site had some shade from a neighbor and from the sun shade attached to their awning so we could sit outside. We left about 7 and went to TGI Friday for a nice dinner. We had a gift certificate for quite a while and decided this was a good time to use it.
Mar 25th – Sun
After lazing around with coffee & a couple of leftover cinnamon rolls, I got a burst of energy and did some cleaning. At 11 we drove out to join Ernie & Dianne and their friends Floyd & Diana at Filly’s. We enjoyed cold beer, tender chicken strips, music, dancing and good friends. It was hot but we had an umbrella to shade at least our heads.
We stopped for a few groceries on the way back and then joined Ron & Terri for a drink and to meet a golfing friend of theirs. Our back yard neighbor Olivia beckoned me over and gave us jello shots in syringes!
This morning we got a phone call from Ron & Diane who we met in Desert Hot Springs. They are staying here and wanted to get together so we settled on 4 this afternoon. A few minutes before 4 Ron called again and said they were listening to karaoke in the courtyard asked if we could join them there for a while.
When the music ended shortly after 5, we invited them over for BBQ hamburgers for dinner. It was just getting dark when we finished eating so out came the buddy burner and bucket light. A neighbor down the street – Alice - who we hadn’t met yet came in to see the buddy burner close up. She was followed shortly by her husband Warren so we pulled more chairs into the circle for them and Ron & Terri.
Mar 26th – Mon
After a lazy morning we decided to go to a casino. At Lone Butte casino we actually both had good luck on the same visit and came out $100 ahead.
We were supposed to go to Larry & Julie’s for dinner today but Julie was sick so we invited Ron & Terri over for a salmon dinner that we had been promising to make. We were having a drink before dinner when Ernie & Dianne and Floyd & Diana stopped by for a visit. After dinner we showed Ron & Terri pictures & videos from Maui and then we all watched most of Dancing With the Stars.
After a breakfast of cinnamon rolls we went to visit Ernie & Dianne. They have had so much company that we haven’t seen them much since we came back. Next we went to Valle del Oro (another Cal-Am park) to cheer Dennis on in the Pinewood Derby. For those who don’t know – including us until a few weeks ago – pinewood derby race cars are little wooden cars made by each contestant. They start with a standard kit and customize as much as possible and still stay at 5 ounces or less and still conform to certain rules.
The setup in the ballroom at VDO was great. There was a 6 lane metal track that starts about 6 feet high, goes down in a steep angle and then levels out for about 25 feet. A laser timer at the finishing line provides immediate times & placement which show on 3 large screens. Each car runs on each lane and the winners are calculated by averaging all 6 times. Chairs were placed around the track with short, decorative parking meters delineating “the pit”. Contestants pay $5 to enter and everyone gets free hot dogs, chips and pop for lunch. We didn’t stay for the entire race but saw Dennis’ car in several heats.
We had a bit of down time before going to Good Life to join Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne for happy hour(s). It was hot today but Don & Joanne’s site had some shade from a neighbor and from the sun shade attached to their awning so we could sit outside. We left about 7 and went to TGI Friday for a nice dinner. We had a gift certificate for quite a while and decided this was a good time to use it.
Mar 25th – Sun
After lazing around with coffee & a couple of leftover cinnamon rolls, I got a burst of energy and did some cleaning. At 11 we drove out to join Ernie & Dianne and their friends Floyd & Diana at Filly’s. We enjoyed cold beer, tender chicken strips, music, dancing and good friends. It was hot but we had an umbrella to shade at least our heads.
We stopped for a few groceries on the way back and then joined Ron & Terri for a drink and to meet a golfing friend of theirs. Our back yard neighbor Olivia beckoned me over and gave us jello shots in syringes!
This morning we got a phone call from Ron & Diane who we met in Desert Hot Springs. They are staying here and wanted to get together so we settled on 4 this afternoon. A few minutes before 4 Ron called again and said they were listening to karaoke in the courtyard asked if we could join them there for a while.
When the music ended shortly after 5, we invited them over for BBQ hamburgers for dinner. It was just getting dark when we finished eating so out came the buddy burner and bucket light. A neighbor down the street – Alice - who we hadn’t met yet came in to see the buddy burner close up. She was followed shortly by her husband Warren so we pulled more chairs into the circle for them and Ron & Terri.
Mar 26th – Mon
After a lazy morning we decided to go to a casino. At Lone Butte casino we actually both had good luck on the same visit and came out $100 ahead.
We were supposed to go to Larry & Julie’s for dinner today but Julie was sick so we invited Ron & Terri over for a salmon dinner that we had been promising to make. We were having a drink before dinner when Ernie & Dianne and Floyd & Diana stopped by for a visit. After dinner we showed Ron & Terri pictures & videos from Maui and then we all watched most of Dancing With the Stars.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Mar 21st to 23rd - Mesa
Mar 21st – Wed
Terry & the guys had an early tee time at Desert Sands and the women had a tee time an hour later to start on the back nine and play just 9 holes. I enjoyed the course and played quite well except for one “fall apart” hole. We waited just a short time for the guys to finish and then we all – Ron & Terri, Bob & Sandy and Mike & Susie - went for breakfast at the Waffle House. We had just ordered when the power went off. They cook almost everything on a gas grill so we got to eat with grilled Texas toast substituting for regular toast. We had a new waitress who managed to mix up almost everything!
Terry & I then did a bit of shopping. Pat & Rick and Don & Joanne had gone hiking and arrived home at the same time as us. Pat & Joanne did laundry while I caught up the blog and the guys goofed off. Joanne wanted to eat at the grill but I messed things up by thinking that the grill was open until 7. We arrived there just before 6 and it was closing. Luckily, we had planned on making pork chops on the BBQ for everyone so we changed to plan B.
Pat wanted to watch Survivor so we downed dinner and she & I came inside to watch TV while the others stayed outside and watched a different show. The weather was gorgeous today with a nice cool down for sleeping.
Mar 22nd – Thurs
Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne packed up this morning for a long drive across the street to Good Life RV park. They could use Passport America for only 7 days here but Good Life is also a Cal-Am park that takes Passport America so they moved for 3 more days. After a slow morning, we went out for a late breakfast at the Hoosier Café. We stopped for a couple of grocery items and had a lazy afternoon.
At 3:15 we went to Mike & Susie’s for happy hour/dinner to say goodbye to Bob & Sandi who are leaving on Sunday. We went at 3:15 because we didn’t look at the calendar earlier to see that it started at 3!! It’s a good thing that I had my food contribution ready.
There was a large group with quite a few people that we didn’t know or knew only by sight. I chatted a long time with Fran & Gordon who stayed here a few weeks a couple of years ago and who are in the site beside Dennis & Gloria.
Terry’s eyes were really watering all evening (allergies??) so he went to bed when we got home shortly after 8. I was reading when Robin called to ask us over for a drink but I knew Terry wasn’t going anywhere and I was ready to pack it in for the night.
Mar 23rd – Fri
We left at 8:30 with Ron & Terri to go to the RV Rally being held at Phoenix International Raceway – 42 miles from here. Bob & Sandi and Mike & Susie followed in Bob’s jeep. In the parking lot we met Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne. As we were buying tickets, Tim & Kim arrived. A non-helpful “traffic director” told us to hop on the shuttle to go to the exhibits. Unfortunately, the shuttle made a huge loop around the RV parking area first and by the time it made 2 more stops there were no seats left. It took us over 20 minutes to get back to where we started which turned out to be a 5 minute walk to the exhibits! But the shuttle waited for traffic to clear and finally took us all the way in.
We split up to go through the huge vendor tent and to explore some of the RVs on display. We met up at 1 to eat but everyone was done so we headed out to have a real lunch somewhere instead of fighting bees over a mediocre sandwich. We, Ron & Terri, Bob & Sandi and Mike & Susie ended up at a Carlos O’Brien restaurant where we washed down chips & salsa and good lunches with cold beer.
I was just settling down to read – or maybe nap – when Terry came back from a little bike ride to say that Dennis & Gloria wanted us to come over for a drink. While we were there I mentioned that we met their neighbors last night. The site beside Dennis & Gloria has had short term renters all year and they finally got tired of going over to introduce themselves only to never see the people again. Gordon & Fran were out getting propane in their motor home so when they returned they joined us at Dennis & Gloria’s.
We headed home at 6 and quickly ate a light, leftover dinner. As I was cleaning up, Dianne stopped by for a few minutes. A quick change of clothes and we were off to the wrap-up dance of the season. The band North Star played and we had a good time as usual.
Terry & the guys had an early tee time at Desert Sands and the women had a tee time an hour later to start on the back nine and play just 9 holes. I enjoyed the course and played quite well except for one “fall apart” hole. We waited just a short time for the guys to finish and then we all – Ron & Terri, Bob & Sandy and Mike & Susie - went for breakfast at the Waffle House. We had just ordered when the power went off. They cook almost everything on a gas grill so we got to eat with grilled Texas toast substituting for regular toast. We had a new waitress who managed to mix up almost everything!
Terry & I then did a bit of shopping. Pat & Rick and Don & Joanne had gone hiking and arrived home at the same time as us. Pat & Joanne did laundry while I caught up the blog and the guys goofed off. Joanne wanted to eat at the grill but I messed things up by thinking that the grill was open until 7. We arrived there just before 6 and it was closing. Luckily, we had planned on making pork chops on the BBQ for everyone so we changed to plan B.
Pat wanted to watch Survivor so we downed dinner and she & I came inside to watch TV while the others stayed outside and watched a different show. The weather was gorgeous today with a nice cool down for sleeping.
Mar 22nd – Thurs
Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne packed up this morning for a long drive across the street to Good Life RV park. They could use Passport America for only 7 days here but Good Life is also a Cal-Am park that takes Passport America so they moved for 3 more days. After a slow morning, we went out for a late breakfast at the Hoosier Café. We stopped for a couple of grocery items and had a lazy afternoon.
At 3:15 we went to Mike & Susie’s for happy hour/dinner to say goodbye to Bob & Sandi who are leaving on Sunday. We went at 3:15 because we didn’t look at the calendar earlier to see that it started at 3!! It’s a good thing that I had my food contribution ready.
There was a large group with quite a few people that we didn’t know or knew only by sight. I chatted a long time with Fran & Gordon who stayed here a few weeks a couple of years ago and who are in the site beside Dennis & Gloria.
Terry’s eyes were really watering all evening (allergies??) so he went to bed when we got home shortly after 8. I was reading when Robin called to ask us over for a drink but I knew Terry wasn’t going anywhere and I was ready to pack it in for the night.
Mar 23rd – Fri
We left at 8:30 with Ron & Terri to go to the RV Rally being held at Phoenix International Raceway – 42 miles from here. Bob & Sandi and Mike & Susie followed in Bob’s jeep. In the parking lot we met Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne. As we were buying tickets, Tim & Kim arrived. A non-helpful “traffic director” told us to hop on the shuttle to go to the exhibits. Unfortunately, the shuttle made a huge loop around the RV parking area first and by the time it made 2 more stops there were no seats left. It took us over 20 minutes to get back to where we started which turned out to be a 5 minute walk to the exhibits! But the shuttle waited for traffic to clear and finally took us all the way in.
We split up to go through the huge vendor tent and to explore some of the RVs on display. We met up at 1 to eat but everyone was done so we headed out to have a real lunch somewhere instead of fighting bees over a mediocre sandwich. We, Ron & Terri, Bob & Sandi and Mike & Susie ended up at a Carlos O’Brien restaurant where we washed down chips & salsa and good lunches with cold beer.
I was just settling down to read – or maybe nap – when Terry came back from a little bike ride to say that Dennis & Gloria wanted us to come over for a drink. While we were there I mentioned that we met their neighbors last night. The site beside Dennis & Gloria has had short term renters all year and they finally got tired of going over to introduce themselves only to never see the people again. Gordon & Fran were out getting propane in their motor home so when they returned they joined us at Dennis & Gloria’s.
We headed home at 6 and quickly ate a light, leftover dinner. As I was cleaning up, Dianne stopped by for a few minutes. A quick change of clothes and we were off to the wrap-up dance of the season. The band North Star played and we had a good time as usual.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Mar 18th to 20th - Mesa
Mar 18th – Sun
The darn weather forecasters were correct about the storm. We had wind all night and rain started about 3 am. Joanne took the opportunity to go to the sewing room and work on a quilt that she has with her. Terry & I and Pat went to a couple of casinos. The first one (Casino Arizona) gobbled our money which is why we tried another one (Lone Butte). Pat recouped some of her modest losses and Terry covered our second “allowances” and a bit from the first casino.
We had to get back in time to go to Organ Stop Pizza. Unfortunately, there were so many people seated and in line to order that we decided it wasn’t worth staying. So we went to the Eastern Super Buffet and all enjoyed a great dinner.
Mar 19th – Mon
I got going early and sorted out the laundry. We were at the laundry room by 8 and all finished putting everything away by 10. We and Rick & Pat checked out the Country Store in the ballroom – Joanne had already been there.
We and Pat & Rick went shopping -WalMart, Hobby Lobby for more wax – and I got a haircut at Great Clips. We also went to Subway for lunch. Terry & I went to Dennis & Gloria’s for a happy hour to say goodbye to Rick & Vi who are leaving tomorrow. We were a little late getting to Don & Joanne’s for dinner – luckily we just missed the happy hour part! They and Rick & Pat had been sitting outside for drinks but were happy to move inside when we got there as it was cooling down quickly.
Mar 20th – Tues
Rick & Don went to get their trucks washed first thing this morning. Then we, Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne loaded our bicycles into our truck & Rick’s truck and went to Tempe Town Lake. We parked in a different spot than last time – Terry missed one turn! – but it was a better spot as we could ride all around the lake before going for lunch. We actually went past the end of the lake to extend the ride a bit and then went into town to the same Irish pub/restaurant as last time.
The weather was lovely and we sat outside to have a great lunch. Then we walked up & back down a few blocks of Mill Street to window shop and settle lunch. It was a very short ride back to the trucks.
We unloaded the bikes, cleaned up, I returned a glass & visited Dennis & Gloria and Terry fueled up & had the truck washed. Then we all got in our truck to go have dinner with friends Tim & Kim who live in Scottsdale.
Kim made posole (southwest pork & hominy “soup”) served with crushed tortilla chips, avocado, chopped cabbage, cilantro, jalapenos and sour cream to add to your taste. She also made (heated) tamales which we topped with the guacamole left over from eating with chips before dinner! Joanne brought a salad and Pat looked after dessert. We again had a wonderful time with great friends.
The darn weather forecasters were correct about the storm. We had wind all night and rain started about 3 am. Joanne took the opportunity to go to the sewing room and work on a quilt that she has with her. Terry & I and Pat went to a couple of casinos. The first one (Casino Arizona) gobbled our money which is why we tried another one (Lone Butte). Pat recouped some of her modest losses and Terry covered our second “allowances” and a bit from the first casino.
We had to get back in time to go to Organ Stop Pizza. Unfortunately, there were so many people seated and in line to order that we decided it wasn’t worth staying. So we went to the Eastern Super Buffet and all enjoyed a great dinner.
Mar 19th – Mon
I got going early and sorted out the laundry. We were at the laundry room by 8 and all finished putting everything away by 10. We and Rick & Pat checked out the Country Store in the ballroom – Joanne had already been there.
We and Pat & Rick went shopping -WalMart, Hobby Lobby for more wax – and I got a haircut at Great Clips. We also went to Subway for lunch. Terry & I went to Dennis & Gloria’s for a happy hour to say goodbye to Rick & Vi who are leaving tomorrow. We were a little late getting to Don & Joanne’s for dinner – luckily we just missed the happy hour part! They and Rick & Pat had been sitting outside for drinks but were happy to move inside when we got there as it was cooling down quickly.
Mar 20th – Tues
Rick & Don went to get their trucks washed first thing this morning. Then we, Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne loaded our bicycles into our truck & Rick’s truck and went to Tempe Town Lake. We parked in a different spot than last time – Terry missed one turn! – but it was a better spot as we could ride all around the lake before going for lunch. We actually went past the end of the lake to extend the ride a bit and then went into town to the same Irish pub/restaurant as last time.
The weather was lovely and we sat outside to have a great lunch. Then we walked up & back down a few blocks of Mill Street to window shop and settle lunch. It was a very short ride back to the trucks.
We unloaded the bikes, cleaned up, I returned a glass & visited Dennis & Gloria and Terry fueled up & had the truck washed. Then we all got in our truck to go have dinner with friends Tim & Kim who live in Scottsdale.
Kim made posole (southwest pork & hominy “soup”) served with crushed tortilla chips, avocado, chopped cabbage, cilantro, jalapenos and sour cream to add to your taste. She also made (heated) tamales which we topped with the guacamole left over from eating with chips before dinner! Joanne brought a salad and Pat looked after dessert. We again had a wonderful time with great friends.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Mar 15th to 17th - Mesa
Mar 15th – Thurs
Terry left early to play golf with Ron. I played 9 holes with Sandy, Susie & Terri. The pace was really slow so the game was not as much fun as it could have been. Later we found out that the guys had a similar problem. The slow games were more frustrating because Gloria was trying to save us seats at the grand opening of the Rancho’s pool & courtyard.
I stopped to order chicken strips for Terry & I to take out for lunch. Terri came back and said the Rancho’s pool area was a madhouse so we joined Ron & Terri and ate at the grill before checking out the grand opening. It turned out that the park was providing hot dog & chips along with wine, beer & lemonade. If you weren’t lucky enough to be under an umbrella, it was VERY hot so we only stayed for about an hour to chat & listen to Curtis sing.
When we got back to our site, Don & Joanne (friends of my cousin Pat) had arrived and started to set up. Very shortly, Pat & Rick arrived also – both couples are staying for 5 days and we got them sites across the street from us.
We all put on swimsuits and headed for the pool to cool off. We dried off in the sun for a while and then moved to the courtyard to listen to music. Van Arlen was supposed to play from 3 to 5 but it was his last performance so he kept playing until 5:30.
We all changed and got into our truck to go to Fat Willy’s for dinner. The service there was a little slow and when we got back we were surprised to see some visitors sitting around a couple of buddy burners at our site. Terry had told some people to come over without thinking about us going out for dinner so they just went ahead without us!
Mar 16th – Fri
We went out for breakfast with Pat & Rick. We went all the way down Main to Micky D’s where for the first time I was a little disappointed in my meal. We stopped at a couple of stores on the way home.
Then it was time for all of us to take a bike ride to show Don & Joanne around the park. We stopped at the bocce courts and played a game to 10 points which the guys won. We each did our own thing for lunch. Don & Joanne and Rick & Pat headed for the pool to enjoy the sunshine while Terry & I joined Larry & Julie in the courtyard to listen to music.
Ron & Terri joined us for a drink before dinner. Pat & Joanne made dinner which we ate outside in perfect weather. Just as we finished eating, Dennis & Gloria came over to visit for a while.
Mar 17th – HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY
We had a lazy morning before going to Mike & Susie’s to watch the St. Patrick’s parade go right past their place. It was a surprisingly large parade with the requisite clowns (kitchen band), marchers (Drillettes), “horses” (medieval group with jousting) and lots of candy thrown to the people watching.
After the parade, the guys (Terry, Rick & Don) went to do “manly” shopping while Pat, Joanne & I walked first to an amazing fabric store and then to a grocery store. Yes, we had a vehicle available but the stores were close by, we all like to walk and it was a gorgeous day.
When we returned, we got books to exchange at the library and decided to have lunch at the grill until we saw that the regular grill was closed due to a hamburger fry after the parade. We exchanged books and came back for a snacky lunch. Terry had called my phone so I called back and found that they were having hamburgers at the grill! I thought we needed to buy advance tickets but they just walked up & bought tickets.
Terry helped some neighbors (Leonard & Mary and Jack & Judy) make buddy burners. I had put a pork roast in the crock pot for a shared dinner with Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne. I baked sweet potatoes and Pat made a salad for a super easy dinner which this time we ate inside as a promised storm is moving in. I introduced them to the “magic” 3-2-1 cake and we had an early evening.
Terry left early to play golf with Ron. I played 9 holes with Sandy, Susie & Terri. The pace was really slow so the game was not as much fun as it could have been. Later we found out that the guys had a similar problem. The slow games were more frustrating because Gloria was trying to save us seats at the grand opening of the Rancho’s pool & courtyard.
I stopped to order chicken strips for Terry & I to take out for lunch. Terri came back and said the Rancho’s pool area was a madhouse so we joined Ron & Terri and ate at the grill before checking out the grand opening. It turned out that the park was providing hot dog & chips along with wine, beer & lemonade. If you weren’t lucky enough to be under an umbrella, it was VERY hot so we only stayed for about an hour to chat & listen to Curtis sing.
When we got back to our site, Don & Joanne (friends of my cousin Pat) had arrived and started to set up. Very shortly, Pat & Rick arrived also – both couples are staying for 5 days and we got them sites across the street from us.
We all put on swimsuits and headed for the pool to cool off. We dried off in the sun for a while and then moved to the courtyard to listen to music. Van Arlen was supposed to play from 3 to 5 but it was his last performance so he kept playing until 5:30.
We all changed and got into our truck to go to Fat Willy’s for dinner. The service there was a little slow and when we got back we were surprised to see some visitors sitting around a couple of buddy burners at our site. Terry had told some people to come over without thinking about us going out for dinner so they just went ahead without us!
Mar 16th – Fri
We went out for breakfast with Pat & Rick. We went all the way down Main to Micky D’s where for the first time I was a little disappointed in my meal. We stopped at a couple of stores on the way home.
Then it was time for all of us to take a bike ride to show Don & Joanne around the park. We stopped at the bocce courts and played a game to 10 points which the guys won. We each did our own thing for lunch. Don & Joanne and Rick & Pat headed for the pool to enjoy the sunshine while Terry & I joined Larry & Julie in the courtyard to listen to music.
Ron & Terri joined us for a drink before dinner. Pat & Joanne made dinner which we ate outside in perfect weather. Just as we finished eating, Dennis & Gloria came over to visit for a while.
Mar 17th – HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY
We had a lazy morning before going to Mike & Susie’s to watch the St. Patrick’s parade go right past their place. It was a surprisingly large parade with the requisite clowns (kitchen band), marchers (Drillettes), “horses” (medieval group with jousting) and lots of candy thrown to the people watching.
After the parade, the guys (Terry, Rick & Don) went to do “manly” shopping while Pat, Joanne & I walked first to an amazing fabric store and then to a grocery store. Yes, we had a vehicle available but the stores were close by, we all like to walk and it was a gorgeous day.
When we returned, we got books to exchange at the library and decided to have lunch at the grill until we saw that the regular grill was closed due to a hamburger fry after the parade. We exchanged books and came back for a snacky lunch. Terry had called my phone so I called back and found that they were having hamburgers at the grill! I thought we needed to buy advance tickets but they just walked up & bought tickets.
Terry helped some neighbors (Leonard & Mary and Jack & Judy) make buddy burners. I had put a pork roast in the crock pot for a shared dinner with Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne. I baked sweet potatoes and Pat made a salad for a super easy dinner which this time we ate inside as a promised storm is moving in. I introduced them to the “magic” 3-2-1 cake and we had an early evening.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Mar 12th to 14th - Mesa
Mar 12th – Mon
News flash!!! I caught up posting pictures to Google this morning!! It goes a lot quicker with our new 4G Mifi but still takes a lot of time to add captions and upload.
Pender & Donna stopped by to look at our 5th wheel and chat for a while. We went to WalMart for a few groceries before going to the courtyard to have a late lunch. There was Karaoke at 3 but we didn’t want to stay so rode around a bit on our bikes. We stopped to talk to Dan & Carol who were packing to leave at the end of the week. We saw that Neil & Robin were home when went by their place so we stopped for a nice visit with them.
I made strawberry shortcake for dinner and then we went to line dance lessons. We learned a couple of new, easy dances and stumbled around trying to learn the Wooden Nickel after the regular line dance lessons.
Mar 13th – Tues
Terry started cleaning the 5th wheel this morning so I felt I should help. Terry scrubbed off all the bugs from the front cap and I got to work on stubborn tar spots on the lower part of the front. We quit by late morning as it got too warm.
After lunch we sat outside enjoying music & sunshine – and people who stopped by to chat. Stephanie stopped on her way to the pool which was nice as we haven’t seen much of her. Susie came by on her new bike and stayed a while. Ernie & Dianne had been for long walk and came by to see if we were home.
At 3 we went down the street for a block party with nearly 40 people. We took appies and drinks and met a lot of “neighbors” – too many to remember all at one time. When it ended at 5, we move the party to our site as Dennis & Gloria had called and asked if we could get together for a drink. They had played in a bocce ball tournament and needed to decompress. We were joined by Ron & Terry, Jack & Judy (neighbors behind us) and Larry & Julie. Several people drank quite a bit too much but I won’t name them – I’ll just say I wasn’t included this time!
Mar 14th – Wed
I was a bit surprised that Terry go up and going on cleaning the rig this morning. I chose to sit in the sun with my coffee and then did some cleaning inside before making a nice breakfast which we enjoyed outside.
We made a trip to Lowe’s to find something to support the sun shade that we made for the end of our awning. We had 8 foot poles that were hard to store so Terry had cut them in half with the intention of finding a way to splice them together when we needed them. Well, we used them yesterday evening with a temporary fix and knew we had to do something. We ended up with a metal closet rod that telescopes from 4 to 8 feet for the top and a dowel to use with the cut pole on the bottom – good results.
We went to the courtyard at 4 with Ron & Terri and Ernie & Dianne to listen to a very enjoyable duo - Wayne & Deb – singing. We hurried home for a quick dinner and then went to Ernie & Dianne’s to play Canasta until 11:30. I think Dianne & I have a masochistic streak as the guys beat us again – but not as badly this time – and we talked about a rematch!
News flash!!! I caught up posting pictures to Google this morning!! It goes a lot quicker with our new 4G Mifi but still takes a lot of time to add captions and upload.
Pender & Donna stopped by to look at our 5th wheel and chat for a while. We went to WalMart for a few groceries before going to the courtyard to have a late lunch. There was Karaoke at 3 but we didn’t want to stay so rode around a bit on our bikes. We stopped to talk to Dan & Carol who were packing to leave at the end of the week. We saw that Neil & Robin were home when went by their place so we stopped for a nice visit with them.
I made strawberry shortcake for dinner and then we went to line dance lessons. We learned a couple of new, easy dances and stumbled around trying to learn the Wooden Nickel after the regular line dance lessons.
Mar 13th – Tues
Terry started cleaning the 5th wheel this morning so I felt I should help. Terry scrubbed off all the bugs from the front cap and I got to work on stubborn tar spots on the lower part of the front. We quit by late morning as it got too warm.
After lunch we sat outside enjoying music & sunshine – and people who stopped by to chat. Stephanie stopped on her way to the pool which was nice as we haven’t seen much of her. Susie came by on her new bike and stayed a while. Ernie & Dianne had been for long walk and came by to see if we were home.
At 3 we went down the street for a block party with nearly 40 people. We took appies and drinks and met a lot of “neighbors” – too many to remember all at one time. When it ended at 5, we move the party to our site as Dennis & Gloria had called and asked if we could get together for a drink. They had played in a bocce ball tournament and needed to decompress. We were joined by Ron & Terry, Jack & Judy (neighbors behind us) and Larry & Julie. Several people drank quite a bit too much but I won’t name them – I’ll just say I wasn’t included this time!
Mar 14th – Wed
I was a bit surprised that Terry go up and going on cleaning the rig this morning. I chose to sit in the sun with my coffee and then did some cleaning inside before making a nice breakfast which we enjoyed outside.
We made a trip to Lowe’s to find something to support the sun shade that we made for the end of our awning. We had 8 foot poles that were hard to store so Terry had cut them in half with the intention of finding a way to splice them together when we needed them. Well, we used them yesterday evening with a temporary fix and knew we had to do something. We ended up with a metal closet rod that telescopes from 4 to 8 feet for the top and a dowel to use with the cut pole on the bottom – good results.
We went to the courtyard at 4 with Ron & Terri and Ernie & Dianne to listen to a very enjoyable duo - Wayne & Deb – singing. We hurried home for a quick dinner and then went to Ernie & Dianne’s to play Canasta until 11:30. I think Dianne & I have a masochistic streak as the guys beat us again – but not as badly this time – and we talked about a rematch!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Mar 9th to 11th - Mesa
Mar 9th – Fri
We loaded our bikes and Ron & Terri’s bikes into the truck and joined Dennis & Gloria and Rick & Vi for an outing. We drove to Tempe, rode our bikes part way around Tempe Town Lake, stopped for lunch at an Irish pub & restaurant in Tempe and then rode the rest of the way around the lake. We actually rode further than we needed to as no one would stop to look at a map! Oh well, it was beautiful day for a ride (around 8 miles) and a good lunch.
Just before 5 we went to the courtyard where Larry & Julie were holding chairs for us to listen to music from 5 to 7. This is unusually late but there was a shuffleboard tournament and the players got to enjoy the music too.
Julie invited us to dinner and we were happy to accept her invitation. She had already fried pork chops and it didn’t take her long to add potatoes, stuffing, gravy and asparagus.
Mar 10th – Sat
We got to the laundromat fairly early and beat the crowd. When the laundry was done, we rode around the park to check out the patio sales – didn’t find anything that we had to buy. We stopped to see Rick & Vi and ended up having a beer with them.
Then it was time for some shopping. We started at Costco where we also had lunch and then picked up groceries at Safeway. We had lots of time to relax outside in the sunshine before I made dinner.
At 7 we went to a dance here at the park. We sat with Larry & Julie and at a table next to us were Dennis & Gloria, Ron & Terri, Ernie & Dianne and Mike & Susie. The band was good and we danced to nearly every song. Ron Smith gave us a private line dance lesson when the band took a break. It is a cha cha and we got a chance to try it later. I did fine but Terry struggled a bit. We will have to practice.
Mar 11th – Sun
We went to the Mesa Marketplace this morning with the intention of having breakfast there before we shopped. When we saw the long line for breakfast, we decided to shop first. As we came back down the aisle where breakfast is served, the line was much shorter so we fueled up and continued shopping. We had a list of items we needed and found all but one. On the way back we detoured to a Spencer’s store for a new toy for Terry.
I did some cleaning and dinner prep as we were having company for dinner. Terry puttered around and visited with people walking by. At 4, Rick & Vi came for dinner. We spent the evening outside – drinks & an appy, dinner, then sitting around a buddy burner. Mike & Susie dropped by on their way home and stayed for a while to enjoy the buddy burner – and the company of course!
We loaded our bikes and Ron & Terri’s bikes into the truck and joined Dennis & Gloria and Rick & Vi for an outing. We drove to Tempe, rode our bikes part way around Tempe Town Lake, stopped for lunch at an Irish pub & restaurant in Tempe and then rode the rest of the way around the lake. We actually rode further than we needed to as no one would stop to look at a map! Oh well, it was beautiful day for a ride (around 8 miles) and a good lunch.
Just before 5 we went to the courtyard where Larry & Julie were holding chairs for us to listen to music from 5 to 7. This is unusually late but there was a shuffleboard tournament and the players got to enjoy the music too.
Julie invited us to dinner and we were happy to accept her invitation. She had already fried pork chops and it didn’t take her long to add potatoes, stuffing, gravy and asparagus.
Mar 10th – Sat
We got to the laundromat fairly early and beat the crowd. When the laundry was done, we rode around the park to check out the patio sales – didn’t find anything that we had to buy. We stopped to see Rick & Vi and ended up having a beer with them.
Then it was time for some shopping. We started at Costco where we also had lunch and then picked up groceries at Safeway. We had lots of time to relax outside in the sunshine before I made dinner.
At 7 we went to a dance here at the park. We sat with Larry & Julie and at a table next to us were Dennis & Gloria, Ron & Terri, Ernie & Dianne and Mike & Susie. The band was good and we danced to nearly every song. Ron Smith gave us a private line dance lesson when the band took a break. It is a cha cha and we got a chance to try it later. I did fine but Terry struggled a bit. We will have to practice.
Mar 11th – Sun
We went to the Mesa Marketplace this morning with the intention of having breakfast there before we shopped. When we saw the long line for breakfast, we decided to shop first. As we came back down the aisle where breakfast is served, the line was much shorter so we fueled up and continued shopping. We had a list of items we needed and found all but one. On the way back we detoured to a Spencer’s store for a new toy for Terry.
I did some cleaning and dinner prep as we were having company for dinner. Terry puttered around and visited with people walking by. At 4, Rick & Vi came for dinner. We spent the evening outside – drinks & an appy, dinner, then sitting around a buddy burner. Mike & Susie dropped by on their way home and stayed for a while to enjoy the buddy burner – and the company of course!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Mar 5th to 8th - Mesa
Mar 5th – Mon
Terry was not feeling very well when he had to get up at 6:30 to play golf with Ron! I felt pretty smug as I cuddled into the blankets after he left.
I had a lovely morning doing all sorts of chores & errands - went to the office to pay for our stay, got a couple of gallons of filtered water, got tickets for dances, checked out the Country Store in the ballroom, caught up the blog and waded through emails.
Terry was starving when he got back so we went to the courtyard to have lunch. We were joined by Ron & Terri who ate and Dennis & Gloria who just stopped by to visit. By the time we finished eating, it was late enough to hang around and listen to music from 3 to 5. We had a nice chat with Rick & Vi who were at the party last night. Terry eventually had a red beer but I stuck to water!
The evening was pretty quiet with a very light dinner and TV.
Mar 6th – Tues
It was nice to sleep in and then enjoy our coffee this morning. After breakfast we went to see Larry & Julie and then decided we wanted our bikes for more running around so we unloaded them and carried on. Ernie & Dianne weren’t home so it was on to Dennis & Gloria’s where we admired his Pinewood Derby car and chatted for a while.
Terry figured he could face Total Wines today and for some reason had run out of Scotch so a trip was necessary. We stopped for a burger, filled up with diesel, robbed an ATM and ran the truck through an awesome carwash. When we drove back into the park, Ernie & Dianne were heading to the courtyard to get a table so we unloaded the truck and joined them to listen to music again. It was quite hot sitting in the sun but a bit of wind and cooler weather is forecast so we enjoyed it.
Julie gave us a ticket to the Variety show tonight which was sold out. We had no luck getting another ticket so I went by myself. Actually, Larry picked me up in his golf cart as Julie was in the show and already at the hall. So many people wanted to go to the show that they had it last night as well with a full house each night. All the entertainment is by people in the park and it is amazing how many talented & hard working people are here. The show really kept moving with non-stop acts for 2 1/2 hours which included a 15 minute intermission so we could stand and get circulation back into our legs & butt.
Mar 7th – Wed
Ron had signed Terry up for a golf tournament this morning and Terri needed the car so Terry drove which left me at home which was wonderful. I puttered around doing all sorts of things and not much of anything – my favorite way to spend a few hours sometimes. I walked to Albertsons for a couple of grocery items, visited the library to exchange books, worked – and played – on the computer, did some dinner prep and read a book.
Terry & Ron did not win anything in the golfing part or the drawing part of the tournament. We took it easy until Ernie & Dianne came over for dinner & cards. Dianne & I could not get any cards that we needed and the guys won 2 games of Canasta.
Mar 8th – Thurs
We had to move to our desired site this morning so had coffee and started putting things away. I saw a car go by slowly and about ½ hour later the same car stopped and the guy asked if we were leaving as he was coming into this site. Turns out he was the guy in the site we were moving to so about 20 minutes later we swapped sites. He had originally paid for a week and when he wanted to stay longer he had to move – kind of crazy!
I joined Suzie, Sandy and Terri for 9 holes of golf at Royal Palms at 11:24. It is a short course but nicely maintained and with some nasty water hazards. We came back to our rig and were joined by Dennis & Gloria for frozen daiquiris. It was a little cool in the shade and a tad hot in the shade – just about perfect.
At 4 we packed up our booze bag and a snack and went to join a group at the bocce ball courts for happy hour. We played a game with Dennis & Gloria, ate some food and played a second game. It cooled down as soon as the sun disappeared so we headed for home. Leftovers for dinner and TV filled the evening.
Terry was not feeling very well when he had to get up at 6:30 to play golf with Ron! I felt pretty smug as I cuddled into the blankets after he left.
I had a lovely morning doing all sorts of chores & errands - went to the office to pay for our stay, got a couple of gallons of filtered water, got tickets for dances, checked out the Country Store in the ballroom, caught up the blog and waded through emails.
Terry was starving when he got back so we went to the courtyard to have lunch. We were joined by Ron & Terri who ate and Dennis & Gloria who just stopped by to visit. By the time we finished eating, it was late enough to hang around and listen to music from 3 to 5. We had a nice chat with Rick & Vi who were at the party last night. Terry eventually had a red beer but I stuck to water!
The evening was pretty quiet with a very light dinner and TV.
Mar 6th – Tues
It was nice to sleep in and then enjoy our coffee this morning. After breakfast we went to see Larry & Julie and then decided we wanted our bikes for more running around so we unloaded them and carried on. Ernie & Dianne weren’t home so it was on to Dennis & Gloria’s where we admired his Pinewood Derby car and chatted for a while.
Terry figured he could face Total Wines today and for some reason had run out of Scotch so a trip was necessary. We stopped for a burger, filled up with diesel, robbed an ATM and ran the truck through an awesome carwash. When we drove back into the park, Ernie & Dianne were heading to the courtyard to get a table so we unloaded the truck and joined them to listen to music again. It was quite hot sitting in the sun but a bit of wind and cooler weather is forecast so we enjoyed it.
Julie gave us a ticket to the Variety show tonight which was sold out. We had no luck getting another ticket so I went by myself. Actually, Larry picked me up in his golf cart as Julie was in the show and already at the hall. So many people wanted to go to the show that they had it last night as well with a full house each night. All the entertainment is by people in the park and it is amazing how many talented & hard working people are here. The show really kept moving with non-stop acts for 2 1/2 hours which included a 15 minute intermission so we could stand and get circulation back into our legs & butt.
Mar 7th – Wed
Ron had signed Terry up for a golf tournament this morning and Terri needed the car so Terry drove which left me at home which was wonderful. I puttered around doing all sorts of things and not much of anything – my favorite way to spend a few hours sometimes. I walked to Albertsons for a couple of grocery items, visited the library to exchange books, worked – and played – on the computer, did some dinner prep and read a book.
Terry & Ron did not win anything in the golfing part or the drawing part of the tournament. We took it easy until Ernie & Dianne came over for dinner & cards. Dianne & I could not get any cards that we needed and the guys won 2 games of Canasta.
Mar 8th – Thurs
We had to move to our desired site this morning so had coffee and started putting things away. I saw a car go by slowly and about ½ hour later the same car stopped and the guy asked if we were leaving as he was coming into this site. Turns out he was the guy in the site we were moving to so about 20 minutes later we swapped sites. He had originally paid for a week and when he wanted to stay longer he had to move – kind of crazy!
I joined Suzie, Sandy and Terri for 9 holes of golf at Royal Palms at 11:24. It is a short course but nicely maintained and with some nasty water hazards. We came back to our rig and were joined by Dennis & Gloria for frozen daiquiris. It was a little cool in the shade and a tad hot in the shade – just about perfect.
At 4 we packed up our booze bag and a snack and went to join a group at the bocce ball courts for happy hour. We played a game with Dennis & Gloria, ate some food and played a second game. It cooled down as soon as the sun disappeared so we headed for home. Leftovers for dinner and TV filled the evening.
Monday, March 05, 2012
Mar 1st to 4th - DHS, Yuma, Mesa
Mar 1st – Thurs
When we went to Fantasy Springs casino with Moe & Trish, I found out that on the 1st I would get $30 free play. Since the wind was still blowing like mad, we went back to the casino where I spent my free play and more. Terry didn’t do well either but it kept us out of the wind for quite a while. We used points on our cards for lunch there, stopped at a grocery stop and then filled up with diesel - $4.39 - on the way back.
Larry called to ask if we could come over and take a picture of them with a beautiful flower arrangement sent by their dentist. Of course we had to have a drink with them.
At 5 we went to Moe & Trish’s for dinner. Lynn and Louise were also there. More fun, laughter and good food was enjoyed by all.
Mar 2nd – Fri
Larry & Barb got up early to say goodbye, Debbie hurried over in her dressing gown and we waited a few minutes for Jim to throw on some clothes to come see us off. We are heading back to Mesa with a stop to dry camp at the Quechan casino and go to Algodones. My cousin Pat and her husband Rick are joining us but weren’t there when we arrived in a howling wind. The parking area was quite full but we found a spot and then parked our truck next to us to save the spot for Rick & Pat. I made sandwiches for lunch, Rick & Pat arrived and we immediately left for Alogodones. Rick had to pick up some eye glasses and I talked to a guy about getting glasses for me. Unfortunately they are closed tomorrow so I couldn’t get them. The dentist office was typically late with my 2:30 cleaning appointment. We stopped at the Purple Pharmacy for liquor and had a short wait to cross the border. Friends Don & Joanne (from Logan Lake where Pat & Rick live) had arrived while we were gone so it was time for happy hour.
Pat brought shrimp back from Mexico and had us all over for dinner with the highlight being battered shrimp and her special dipping sauce. We had just finished eating when I noticed lights on their fridge were blinking. The “diagnosis” was a battery no longer holding a charge so Don hooked his generator up to Pat & Rick’s 5th wheel for the rest of the evening and the guys decided Rick should switch to 6 volt batteries.
Of course we and Pat had to go to the casino. Some time ago I had mentioned to Pat that a certain slot machine was fun to play and I found her winning money on it after a while. I could not win on anything and Pat eventually lost her money. Terry was having fun so Pat & I hung around for another hour or so until he eventually lost his allowance.
Mar 3rd – Sat
Rick & Pat joined us for breakfast at the casino. We had enough points on our cards to pay for our buffets. When we finished eating, we had about 20 minutes before we were due back to meet up with Don & Joanne so we each took $10 to gamble. It took us about half an hour to leave but I cashed in a ticket for $110!
I took Pat & Joanne in our truck to shop at Kohl’s & Ross while the guys went with Rick to get batteries. We met up at the Flea Market and had lunch before shopping a bit there. We found a Wizard card game (we left ours with Skip & Kathy) and splurged on a Pegs & Jokers game. We all went to Bealls for more shopping. While we were there, Ron called and said there was someone in “our” RV site beside them and they weren’t leaving until the 8th. I called the park and discovered that things were messed up and we didn’t have a reservation even though $250 hit our credit card! Luckily, the lady who made our reservation was there and remembered the transaction. She did some research and called back later to say they were very sorry but we would have to stay in another site for 4 days and then move to the one we wanted for the rest of the month. We’ll put this under the “stuff happens” column.
The wind died down to a breeze so we all got chairs out to enjoy a drink and then put together a group dinner and ate outside. After dinner we all went to the casino. I started with $20 at the machine that treated me well this morning and cashed out $120 after I started losing my winnings. The rest of the evening didn’t go so well but I still walked out with $100 after paying for some purchases earlier in the day with my first winnings. Terry didn’t have my luck.
Mar 4th – Sun
We gave goodbye hugs to Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne and were on the road to Mesa shortly after 8. We stopped for a breakfast sandwich in Gila Bend and pulled into Val Vista Villages RV Resort at noon – lost an hour going to Arizona. Within a few minutes we got hello hugs from Steph, Gloria, Dianne and Ernie. We parked in our temporary site, set up and I vacuumed up dust from the recent winds. We went to the courtyard hoping to get lunch but the grill wasn’t open. Gloria and her daughter Julie were at the pool and just going for another round of drinks so they included us. Of course we had to reciprocate with drinks!
We came back to make a dish for happy hour(s) at 3 and just got back when Larry & Julie stopped by. As soon as the Crispy Green Beans were done, we all went to Ron & Terri’s for the get together – along with about 20 other people.
I’m not even sure what time we came back with Larry & Julie. I made 3-2-1 cake and ice cream for all of us for dessert and we crashed about 10.
When we went to Fantasy Springs casino with Moe & Trish, I found out that on the 1st I would get $30 free play. Since the wind was still blowing like mad, we went back to the casino where I spent my free play and more. Terry didn’t do well either but it kept us out of the wind for quite a while. We used points on our cards for lunch there, stopped at a grocery stop and then filled up with diesel - $4.39 - on the way back.
Larry called to ask if we could come over and take a picture of them with a beautiful flower arrangement sent by their dentist. Of course we had to have a drink with them.
At 5 we went to Moe & Trish’s for dinner. Lynn and Louise were also there. More fun, laughter and good food was enjoyed by all.
Mar 2nd – Fri
Larry & Barb got up early to say goodbye, Debbie hurried over in her dressing gown and we waited a few minutes for Jim to throw on some clothes to come see us off. We are heading back to Mesa with a stop to dry camp at the Quechan casino and go to Algodones. My cousin Pat and her husband Rick are joining us but weren’t there when we arrived in a howling wind. The parking area was quite full but we found a spot and then parked our truck next to us to save the spot for Rick & Pat. I made sandwiches for lunch, Rick & Pat arrived and we immediately left for Alogodones. Rick had to pick up some eye glasses and I talked to a guy about getting glasses for me. Unfortunately they are closed tomorrow so I couldn’t get them. The dentist office was typically late with my 2:30 cleaning appointment. We stopped at the Purple Pharmacy for liquor and had a short wait to cross the border. Friends Don & Joanne (from Logan Lake where Pat & Rick live) had arrived while we were gone so it was time for happy hour.
Pat brought shrimp back from Mexico and had us all over for dinner with the highlight being battered shrimp and her special dipping sauce. We had just finished eating when I noticed lights on their fridge were blinking. The “diagnosis” was a battery no longer holding a charge so Don hooked his generator up to Pat & Rick’s 5th wheel for the rest of the evening and the guys decided Rick should switch to 6 volt batteries.
Of course we and Pat had to go to the casino. Some time ago I had mentioned to Pat that a certain slot machine was fun to play and I found her winning money on it after a while. I could not win on anything and Pat eventually lost her money. Terry was having fun so Pat & I hung around for another hour or so until he eventually lost his allowance.
Mar 3rd – Sat
Rick & Pat joined us for breakfast at the casino. We had enough points on our cards to pay for our buffets. When we finished eating, we had about 20 minutes before we were due back to meet up with Don & Joanne so we each took $10 to gamble. It took us about half an hour to leave but I cashed in a ticket for $110!
I took Pat & Joanne in our truck to shop at Kohl’s & Ross while the guys went with Rick to get batteries. We met up at the Flea Market and had lunch before shopping a bit there. We found a Wizard card game (we left ours with Skip & Kathy) and splurged on a Pegs & Jokers game. We all went to Bealls for more shopping. While we were there, Ron called and said there was someone in “our” RV site beside them and they weren’t leaving until the 8th. I called the park and discovered that things were messed up and we didn’t have a reservation even though $250 hit our credit card! Luckily, the lady who made our reservation was there and remembered the transaction. She did some research and called back later to say they were very sorry but we would have to stay in another site for 4 days and then move to the one we wanted for the rest of the month. We’ll put this under the “stuff happens” column.
The wind died down to a breeze so we all got chairs out to enjoy a drink and then put together a group dinner and ate outside. After dinner we all went to the casino. I started with $20 at the machine that treated me well this morning and cashed out $120 after I started losing my winnings. The rest of the evening didn’t go so well but I still walked out with $100 after paying for some purchases earlier in the day with my first winnings. Terry didn’t have my luck.
Mar 4th – Sun
We gave goodbye hugs to Rick & Pat and Don & Joanne and were on the road to Mesa shortly after 8. We stopped for a breakfast sandwich in Gila Bend and pulled into Val Vista Villages RV Resort at noon – lost an hour going to Arizona. Within a few minutes we got hello hugs from Steph, Gloria, Dianne and Ernie. We parked in our temporary site, set up and I vacuumed up dust from the recent winds. We went to the courtyard hoping to get lunch but the grill wasn’t open. Gloria and her daughter Julie were at the pool and just going for another round of drinks so they included us. Of course we had to reciprocate with drinks!
We came back to make a dish for happy hour(s) at 3 and just got back when Larry & Julie stopped by. As soon as the Crispy Green Beans were done, we all went to Ron & Terri’s for the get together – along with about 20 other people.
I’m not even sure what time we came back with Larry & Julie. I made 3-2-1 cake and ice cream for all of us for dessert and we crashed about 10.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Feb 27th to 29th - DHS
Feb 27th – Mon
Nothing but coffee, computer games, reading, a bit of cleaning and breakfast this morning. At 1 we picked up Moe & Trish to go to the Fantasy Springs casino where you get $50 free play once you play $20 with a new players’ club card. Unfortunately we found out when we got there that they changed it to $30 free play the first day and another $30 a few days later. Trish and I hung around together for a while as I showed her how some machines work – and I won a few dollars.
It was too early to go for dinner when we all ran out of money so stopped at a Big Lots looking for a crock pot and then went to Spotlight 29 Casino which is really close. Trish won a few dollars which Moe immediately put in his pocket to cover some of their losses. It was happy hour time at the bar so we enjoyed a couple of drinks before leaving the casino. Trish had the largest glasses of wine that I have ever seen served in a bar.
We went for dinner at the Elephant Bar. Terry made a bet with Trish that she wouldn’t retire this year and he lost so dinner was on us and Trish got to choose the restaurant which turned out to be a wonderful choice.
There was a wait when we arrived so we found a table in the bar and took advantage of the last 10 minutes of happy hour to have another drink. We were lucky to be seated for dinner in a secluded booth rather than in the noisy, rather crowded center area. Terry ordered an appetizer combo which was as wonderful as all of our dinners. After we got our meals, Trish & I agreed that we should have split a dinner as neither of us could eat all the food, especially after the appetizers. It was a super day with great friends.
Feb 28th – Tues
It was nasty, cold and windy for ladies’ golf this morning. A lot of women wimped out – I almost did! – and players were shifted around to end up with foursomes as much as possible. We played a “total putts” format with 2 teams of 2 in each foursome. Midway through the 3rd hole I developed a “who cares” attitude which didn’t do much for my game!
When I was done about 11, we went to the Sidewinder Café for breakfast. Cliff & Pauline were there with Pauline’s brother and his wife. When we went to leave, we found out that Cliff had paid for our meals – sneaky brat!!
We started packing stuff up and washed our big mat. One side is quite stained and we couldn’t find anything that would clean it so Trish had us try some awning cleaner. It didn’t work either so we walked back to return it and to check out their new chairs. They ordered 4 chairs like ours yesterday morning and they were delivered before they were up & about this morning. Of course we had to go in and chat for a bit which also called for an early start to happy hour.
Then we just relaxed and had dinner.
Feb 29th – Wed
It was Terry’s turn to golf in the wind which started when he was on the 3rd hole. I had just started to make breakfast at 10 when Larry dropped by. Terry called the Elks club to see if he could get our new membership cards and found that they were at the bar for us to pick up. I suggested that Larry & Barb join us there for lunch. I put the breakfast things away and we settled for a dish of cantaloupe so we didn’t ruin our appetite for lunch.
We had a very nice and inexpensive lunch at the Elks. Naturally we had to start with Bloody Marys to wash down the complementary tortilla crisps.
After lunch we had time to do the laundry. We hit a good time with plenty of washers & dryers available. We had put everything away when Moe stopped on his way to Russ & Judy’s where he & Trish were joining us, Larry & Barb and Gilbert & Grace for dinner. Trish is having a problem with her feet so she arrived after an appointment with a podiatrist.
Since laughter is good for you, we all should be in good shape as we talked & laughed for hours. Oh yeah, we fit in a nice dinner too.
The wind continued all day & evening and into the night!
Nothing but coffee, computer games, reading, a bit of cleaning and breakfast this morning. At 1 we picked up Moe & Trish to go to the Fantasy Springs casino where you get $50 free play once you play $20 with a new players’ club card. Unfortunately we found out when we got there that they changed it to $30 free play the first day and another $30 a few days later. Trish and I hung around together for a while as I showed her how some machines work – and I won a few dollars.
It was too early to go for dinner when we all ran out of money so stopped at a Big Lots looking for a crock pot and then went to Spotlight 29 Casino which is really close. Trish won a few dollars which Moe immediately put in his pocket to cover some of their losses. It was happy hour time at the bar so we enjoyed a couple of drinks before leaving the casino. Trish had the largest glasses of wine that I have ever seen served in a bar.
We went for dinner at the Elephant Bar. Terry made a bet with Trish that she wouldn’t retire this year and he lost so dinner was on us and Trish got to choose the restaurant which turned out to be a wonderful choice.
There was a wait when we arrived so we found a table in the bar and took advantage of the last 10 minutes of happy hour to have another drink. We were lucky to be seated for dinner in a secluded booth rather than in the noisy, rather crowded center area. Terry ordered an appetizer combo which was as wonderful as all of our dinners. After we got our meals, Trish & I agreed that we should have split a dinner as neither of us could eat all the food, especially after the appetizers. It was a super day with great friends.
Feb 28th – Tues
It was nasty, cold and windy for ladies’ golf this morning. A lot of women wimped out – I almost did! – and players were shifted around to end up with foursomes as much as possible. We played a “total putts” format with 2 teams of 2 in each foursome. Midway through the 3rd hole I developed a “who cares” attitude which didn’t do much for my game!
When I was done about 11, we went to the Sidewinder Café for breakfast. Cliff & Pauline were there with Pauline’s brother and his wife. When we went to leave, we found out that Cliff had paid for our meals – sneaky brat!!
We started packing stuff up and washed our big mat. One side is quite stained and we couldn’t find anything that would clean it so Trish had us try some awning cleaner. It didn’t work either so we walked back to return it and to check out their new chairs. They ordered 4 chairs like ours yesterday morning and they were delivered before they were up & about this morning. Of course we had to go in and chat for a bit which also called for an early start to happy hour.
Then we just relaxed and had dinner.
Feb 29th – Wed
It was Terry’s turn to golf in the wind which started when he was on the 3rd hole. I had just started to make breakfast at 10 when Larry dropped by. Terry called the Elks club to see if he could get our new membership cards and found that they were at the bar for us to pick up. I suggested that Larry & Barb join us there for lunch. I put the breakfast things away and we settled for a dish of cantaloupe so we didn’t ruin our appetite for lunch.
We had a very nice and inexpensive lunch at the Elks. Naturally we had to start with Bloody Marys to wash down the complementary tortilla crisps.
After lunch we had time to do the laundry. We hit a good time with plenty of washers & dryers available. We had put everything away when Moe stopped on his way to Russ & Judy’s where he & Trish were joining us, Larry & Barb and Gilbert & Grace for dinner. Trish is having a problem with her feet so she arrived after an appointment with a podiatrist.
Since laughter is good for you, we all should be in good shape as we talked & laughed for hours. Oh yeah, we fit in a nice dinner too.
The wind continued all day & evening and into the night!
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