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.

Nov 10th to 11th - Mesa

Nov 10^th – Sat - Mesa

We loaded Moe & Trish and Dennis & Gloria into the truck and went to the Art & Craft fair in Fountain Hills.  We arrived just as it opened at 10 and got a close parking spot.  The weather was quite cool & breezy so all of us except Moe were wearing long pants and light jackets which felt good most of the time we were there.

There were a huge number of vendors in their individual “tents” and a lot of very nice, unique things for sale.  We all found items to buy and ended up at the beer garden for lunch.  Moe had 2 winning tickets for a raffle that was held while we were eating.  Trish ended up with the prizes – a limited edition “doll” (?!) and a $25 gift certificate to a ladies’ wear store.

Moe & Trish came in for a drink when we returned.  We went out to see how to hang our new name sign and Joe & Stella came over and then they came in for a drink.  They left at 5 so we had just enough time to make & eat dinner and head to the ballroom for a dance that opened for seating at 6:30.

The band played mainly 50’s & 60’s music, tables did not infringe on the dance floor and we had a great time.  The band started playing a bit late at 7:15 but did not take a break until the end at 10.  We joined some people after the dance at the fire pit by the pool but left pretty quickly when Terry accidentally dumped a drink on my legs which made it very cold.

 

Nov 11^th – Sun

After jelly biscuits for breakfast, we helped Mike & Susie move some outdoor furniture to their new home.  Actually, Terri & I visited with Susie while Terry, Bob & Darlene helped Mike!  Next we went to Home Depot to get hooks & a chain to hang our new sign.  We stopped at Fry’s on the way home for a few groceries and some cash from the ATM.  We put up both new signs – name & a “Little House on the Chevy” one to replace the old sign that won’t wash clean any more.  Terry wanted to go out for lunch so we went to Arby’s and then went to the Swap Meet on Main.  I found what I was looking for – plates to match my Corelle pattern.  I wanted at least one plate but bought all 4 since they were only $1 each.  And then I spotted a 15/16”, deep socket that we unsuccessfully looked for several times.  A stop at Big Lots finished our shopping.

We walked to Dennis & Gloria’s to see the painting that they bought yesterday.  Of course we had to stay and chat and have a drink.  As we were walking home, we passed Moe & Trish who were also going to check out the painting.  I sorted out the laundry and we went and put the clothes in the washers.  Back home, I did some dinner prep before going back to put the clothes in the dryer.  Terry came over in time to hang the shirts and drive back.  After dinner I called brother Bob to wish him a Happy Birthday.

I am posting only 2 days on this entry as we are going to Algodones Mexico tomorrow and coming back probably on Tuesday.  This way I won’t have to worry about catching up right away.

Nov 7th to 9th - Mesa

Nov 7^th- Wed – Mesa

We got on our bikes about 9:30 to see if Dennis & Gloria were running bocce ball this morning.  They will be looking after it on Monday & Friday so we rode over to see Julie.  To our surprise, she was dressed and heading to play bocce ball.  I gave Bandit his treat and we carried on.  We rode past the bocce courts and they were still giving out numbers so we decided to play after all.  It got quite hot at the end of the second game but we had fun.

I made lunch when we got back just before noon.  When Terry put his kickstand down at Julie’s, it broke right in half so we went to WalMart for a new one and to get a bicycle bell for me since mine quit working.  We got a couple of other items and then stopped to get the truck washed.

We put our suits on and headed to the pool with a drink in hand.  The music in the courtyard started shortly after we got there so Terry went to sit with Julie & Larry but I stayed out by the pool with Dennis & Gloria and some others.  You can hear the music in the pool area.

We came home for dinner and I finished reading a book during the commercials in Survivor.  Terry had too much sun & fun and fell asleep in his chair shortly after the show finished!!

Nov 8^th – Thurs

We both played golf today but not at the same course.  7 men went to Las Colinas and 8 women went to Royal Palms where they put a league with 4 groups in front of us even though we had tee times.  So we walked to the eighth hole and played 8 & 9. By then, the other groups had left and we teed off on 1.  I did not have a good game – just a nice walk with good friends!

Some of the women went shopping after they dropped off their clubs but I didn’t join them.  Instead I enjoyed my time alone on the computer, at the library, reading and putting dinner in the crock pot.

We went to listen to music in the courtyard at 3.  There were a couple of little rain showers but not enough to head for cover.  We left halfway through and went to Dennis & Gloria’s for happy hour.  Also there were Moe & Trish, Bruce & Ann, Gary & Dianne and Lyle & Carol.  It was nice to have part of dinner ready when we got home.

Nov 9^th – Fri

We got ambitious this morning and scrubbed our patio mat.  I started with some carpet cleaner in a spray bottle and a small scrub brush.  It was working well but Joe took pity on me and brought over a bucket of soapy water (Dawn dish soap) and a long handled wash brush.  It worked quite well and I just used my spray for some tough spots.  After we hosed it off, Terry moved the truck and we flipped the mat over to wash the other side which turned out to be stained and didn’t come clean.  By now we had an audience as Moe & Trish and Ernie & Dianne were waiting for us to join them to go to the Marketplace which we did after we quickly finished up.  We followed them in our truck since 6 people in Ernie’s car wouldn’t leave much room for purchases.

We walked all the aisles at the swap meet and we all bought a few items.  It was 1 by the time we finished so we went to In ‘N Out for burgers.  Everyone needed things at Costco so we headed there next.  There were lots of cars in the parking lot but no lines at the checkouts for a change.

Moe & Trish invited us over for a drink and we were joined by Joe & Stella and then Dennis & Gloria.  It cooled off a lot today so at 5 we were ready to head in and warm up.  I turned some leftovers into soup for dinner – you would be proud of me, Pat! – and we had a quiet evening.  I found out that the reason my sister Marg didn’t answer her phone on Wed evening was that she is now playing pickleball in addition to badminton.

Nov 3rd to 6th - Mesa

Nov 3^rd – Sat - Mesa

After enjoying our morning coffee, I put a roast in the crock pot and then we cleaned up Ernie & Dianne’s driveway & hosed all the dust off the siding, table & chairs.  Dennis & Gloria stopped by and we took them to see Neal & Judi’s fan in their carport.  Neal & Judi weren’t home so we just checked it out and rode past Mike & Susie’s.  We followed them in their car to their new home in the Ranchos area of the park so we could see it.  They are having some warranty work & flooring done so won’t be moving in for a couple of weeks.

I made breakfast for lunch and then Moe & Trish & Dennis & Gloria came over and we discussed upcoming trips.  We had a bit of down time before we walked over to welcome Ernie & Dianne who we had invited for dinner.  We invited people over after dinner to say hi to E&D and ended up with quite a group who pretty much cleaned up the brownies that I made for dessert.

Nov 4^th – Sun

We played golf with Ron & Terri, Bob & Darlene and Brad & Clare.  The ladies followed the men again and did a great job of keeping up with them.  Too bad my golf game didn’t keep up with the last game at the same course.  Terry wore his new plaid shorts (!!) and did very well so he figured he will keep & wear them!  We all headed to the same sports bar that we went to last week but it was jammed with people watching sports (go figure!) so we went to Red Robin instead.

At 4 we gathered at Brad & Clare’s for appies & drinks – us, Ron & Terri, Bob & Darlene, Joe & Stella, Bev, Wolf & Barbara and Jim & Carolyn.  During a conversation, Brad discovered that he & Clare recently met and exchanged email addresses with Jim’s son.  Small world at work again!

We had just finished eating leftovers for dinner when a few people dropped by to continue partying at our place.

Nov 5^th – Mon

We went on the breakfast bike ride this morning with about 18 other people.  We rode about 12 miles and ate at the Giant Burger at Lindsey & Broadway and which does serve breakfast, not just burgers.  When we got back we went to the Country Store in the ballroom and also put money on our laundry card.

Yes, laundry again.  This time we made a quick trip to Albertsons for a few groceries while the clothes were in the washers.

Before we did the laundry, Dennis & Gloria stopped on their way home from bocce ball to chat with us and Moe & Trish who were passing time while their motor home was being washed & waxed. 

Terry helped Moe put things back when his rig was done and I got to read & relax for a while.  Then it was time to change clothes and go to Moe & Trish’s for a drink before going to dinner with them and Dennis & Gloria.  Someone opened his mouth and let the cat out of the bag so the dinner was a celebration of our 35^th wedding anniversary.  We went to Carrabba’s which is an Italian restaurant and had a great time.  Trish was the designated driver and drove our truck since it holds 6.

When we got back from dinner, we joined a group at Bob & Darlene’s for more fun.  Talk about filling up a day.

Nov 6^th – Tues

This morning we, Dennis & Gloria, Ron & Terri, Ernie & Dianne, Moe & Trish and Bob & Darlene went to Saguaro Lake where we rented a pontoon boat for 5 hours.  We all packed lunches & beverages and most of us wore bathing suits under our clothes.  We pulled away from the dock just before 11 in absolutely wonderful sunny weather.  We motored slowly along the shore of the narrow, winding lake.  We stopped at what from a distance appeared to be a sandy beach but which turned out to be rocky and strewn with rubbish once we went through weeds to get there.  When we left, Moe took over the driving from Dennis and shortly after we tied up at a dock where there were picnic tables & restrooms.  We all ate our lunches and reluctantly used the grubby restrooms. 

The scenery was gorgeous with still water, lots of saguaro cacti on the hillsides and little birds ducking under the water as we passed.  There were only a few other boaters on the lake.  Moe drove for a bit more and thought the motor wasn’t responding right and Dennis agreed when he drove again.  They stopped the boat and Moe climbed down the ladder by the engine and discovered lots of weeds still wrapped around the prop.  The boat ran much more smoothly once he pulled all the weeds out.

Part way back Moe wanted to go swimming so we just stopped and drifted a while.  The water was fairly cool but Moe, Darlene, Bob, Trish, Ron and I went swimming.  After the initial shock of cold water, it was really nice.

We actually got back to the dock nearly an hour before our 5 hour limit.  We all had enough sun, food & drink and we all had a wonderful time.  I went shopping with Trish for a few groceries, we had dinner and OD’d on presidential election results on TV.

Oct 31st to Nov 2nd - Mesa

Oct 31^st – Wed – Mesa

Terry followed Moe to the car wash so Moe could leave his car for detailing.  They stopped for breakfast on the way back so I didn’t have to cook – just made toast & PB and fruit for me.  Trish came over with a book for me to read and we ended up going through the only 2 cookbooks that I own – Costco’s.

Dennis & Gloria stopped as they were riding by on their bikes and mentioned that they were looking for something to hang on their walls.  They had never been to Garden Ridge so we picked them up and went there – no luck – and then went to Home Goods which they had also not known about – no luck their either.

We ate dinner early and then went to the Halloween dance.   As I mentioned before, our “costumes” were just T-shirts and we were amazed at the number and variety of ambitious costumes.  Gloria & I had the same distinct T-shirt and we sat together.  The band was North Star who we really enjoy so we danced a lot.  People were disappointed when they couldn’t get tickets so the activity office crammed in more tables which made the dance floor a little smaller and very crowded with dancers.  We had a great time.

Nov 1^st – Thurs

Terry went golfing this morning and I was nearly late for coffee & doughnuts as I forgot about it until I was getting dressed.  Then I went shopping at Bealls & Khols where I never have enough time to browse when Terry is with me.  I ended with a stop at WalMart for groceries.  I still had time to read when I got back.

Terry & I went for a bike ride to see Bill and find out how Lauri was doing as she was hospitalized for her breathing problem.  He was not home so we went to Neal & Judi’s as we figured they would know about Lauri.  They had just finished cleaning up after rearranging some landscaping to allow them to park their new golf cart.  We were checking everything out when Bill came by.  He had been at the hospital and said Lauri will be there at least until Saturday.  A specialist had finally been called in and he said her lungs are a mess and probably have been getting worse for some time.  Lauri was moved from the active care ward of the COPD facility for continued rest & monitoring.

When we were returning, we saw Susie who was just coming to our street so we all sat in the shade to chat.  Before long we were joined by Terri and then Darlene came over to show off all her purchases from the Izod outlet store.  By the time we finished expanding the circle and adding chairs from our neighbors, there were 15 friends having drinks & enjoying each other’s company.  I was just getting things out to make dinner when Moe came back and invited us for dinner as they had a crock pot of spaghetti sauce ready.  By the time the last people left, it was 7:30 when we got to Moe & Trish’s for a lovely dinner.

Nov 2^nd – Fri

Terry & Moe went shopping – for squirt guns!! – to use at the pool party this afternoon.  They had to go to several stores and stopped for breakfast as well so I had time for blogs, emails & reading.  When they got back with their toys they had to terrorize the neighbors as they tried them out.

The pool party started at 3 but people were lining up to get in so we went over about 2:15 and joined the line to get in at 2:30.  The weather was perfect – plenty warm but not so hot that you  couldn’t enjoy sitting in the sun.  Of course we had to get in the pool often to cool off and to use the squirt guns to shoot at everyone sitting around the pool.  In fact, you didn’t always have to get in the pool to cool off.  A few games were played and a band provided music.  The new activity director –Jenn - was a very good sport and jumped in the pool a couple of times after she got wet by being squirted with guns.

The pool party ended at 6 and we came back for dinner.  Terry had been inviting people over for an after dinner gathering but Darlene came by and said it was time for everyone to meet at their place.  So after we ate, we went across the road.  Some of our friends went to another pool party out of the park and joined us at Bob & Darlene’s along with 2 couples that arrived on our street this afternoon.  Wolf & Barbara are friends of Joe & Stella who will be here just a few days.  Brad & Clare are booked for a month.  I came home about 9 and the gathering broke up just before 10.