Feb 21st to 22nd - Mesa

Feb 21^st – Friday

We took the toy hauler into the RV dealer this morning to get a small repair – we had been waiting for the part.  We dropped it off and went back about 3 hours later to pick it up.  The large motor home that was beside us in the storage area is gone so parking was easier when we got back.

I finished up a couple of appies and we went to a farewell party at the bocce court at 3.  Bruce & Ann, Moe & Trish and Vic & Jackie are leaving soon so Darlene arranged the gathering.  We played bocce before & after eating and turned on a couple of propane heaters when it cooled off.  It was another great time with good friends.

Feb 22^nd – Sat

After a lazy morning, we went to Costco for a few items and also had lunch.  We stopped at WalMart and were back just a bit late for the 1-3 music in the courtyard with Ricki Ricci who turned out to be a competent entertainer.  We joined Larry & Barb and their friends Bill & Nadine and Larry & Cheryl (visiting from Casa Grande) to chat when music was done.

I had thawed steaks and we ate early enough for Terry to BBQ in daylight.  Then we went to the usual Saturday night dance.  We were at a different table than usual and met some nice people.  We did a lot of line dancing which was good as we otherwise wouldn’t have danced to a lot of the songs.  The band was “8 Tracks” and played rock & roll which is not our favorite.

We are leaving tomorrow morning for a few days with Larry & Barb in Palm Springs so the blog will not be updated until we get back.

Feb 18th to 20th - Mesa

Feb 18^th – Tues

Terry went golfing this morning and the laundry turned into a big job for me.  I loaded everything up and then could not find a parking spot at – or near – the laundry so I came back.  I went to get some money put on my laundry card and walked to the laundry to see if there were machines available.  The wood carvers use the old workshop which is right beside the laundry so the number of parked cars does not always indicate how busy the laundry room is.  Sure enough, there were lots of washers available and now there was a parking spot on the street.

I hurried back, parked the truck and listened to a lady who lives on the other side of the street complain to her neighbor about the nerve of people parking on her street!  I quickly got the clothes in the washers and took the truck home again.  Another walk back to the laundry to wait to put everything in dryers.  I brought back some items that I hang to dry and noticed an empty parking spot so again I took the truck over.  Finally – everything dry, loaded in the truck and put away!

Terry got home about 2:30 and had not eaten lunch so we went to the courtyard to eat & listen to music.  It was hot and I was sitting in the sun so I headed back home to get cooled off before going to line dance lessons.

Line dancing was held at the smaller Fiesta ballroom due to a Variety Show in the main ballroom.  Luckily there were not as many people as usual but a review of 3 dances and learning 2 new ones (one “energetic”) produced a lot of body heat to add to the warm room.

Feb 19^th – Wed

It took me quite a while to figure out how to access my gmail.  Everything wanted to take me to Google+ which was absolutely not what I wanted.  I don’t even know how I got to my mail and cleaned up all the junk.

We actually rode our bicycles to watch playoffs for the bocce tournament.  Dennis was playing but his team lost the first game.  I made breakfast for lunch when we got back.  As I was cooking, Dianne dropped by with her 2 grandkids.  She was keeping them entertained while the guys watched Olympic hockey.  Dennis & Gloria stopped by for a visit.

Don & Susan picked us up to go to dinner at China City.  This was their first visit and we were lucky enough to attack a new batch of yummy crab legs.  Susan made Blueberry Tea before we walked home from their place.

Feb 20^th – Thurs

Terry received a GPS bracket for the motorcycle and installed it with the help of Moe’s metric Allen wrenches.  Guess that is one more item now on our shopping list.  We interrupted alterations on a pair of pants to watch the end of the women’s Olympic hockey game.  Terri came over to borrow a mixer and watched the last bit as well.

I browsed through recipes and we went grocery shopping for ingredients to make appies for tomorrow.  I stayed home to make one appy and then got engrossed in a book while Terry went to the courtyard for music & dancing.

We went to the Canada Day party at 4:30.  Only Canadians may attend but only one half of a couple has to be Canadian so Terry gets to go too.  A different province organizes the party each year – this year was the Maritime provinces.  There is a parade of flags to begin along with a Mountie and a bagpiper and both national anthems.  Then we all got down to the job of having a ton of fun with the dinner, dance, door prizes & a 50/50 draw.  North Star provided the music.

Feb 15th to 17th - Mesa

Feb 15^th – Sat

We had an uneventful morning which is nice for a change.  Terry finally went to the courtyard to listen to Bill Keys but I was still in “hibernate” mode and stayed home.

Julie asked us months ago if we would pick up their daughter Natalie and friends Terry & Tina at the airport this afternoon.  Tina travels with big suitcases and they couldn’t fit 3 people & luggage in their car.  Terry picked up Larry & Julie to go to the airport for the slightly late 4:00 arrival, dropped them all off and came back for the motorcycle & me.

We went to Larry & Julie’s for snacks and a drink and then all went to Bill & Laurie’s condo for dinner.  Also there were Neil & Robin and Bill & Laurie’s son Parrish.

Feb 16^th – Sun

There were only 4 tee times for couples’ golf this morning.  We had to start a little earlier to allow a tournament to start behind us.  We were with Bob & Gail as the last group to tee off at 8:01.  We all met at an IHop for breakfast/lunch and found a waiting time of at least an hour.  So I called the Good Egg which was nearby and they said we could be seated in 20 to 30 minutes.  It turned out to take longer but we finally got to eat.  We apparently hit the “after church” and “holiday” crowd.

We rode the bike to Dave & Sandy’s so Dave could take a little test drive but they weren’t home.  We chatted with other people and swung by again – still not home.   

Feb 17^th – Mon

We started the productive part of our day with a trip to WalMart for groceries.  While I put things away and made breakfast, Terry puttered with the motorcycle.   Then he ran errands/visited and got lunch at the courtyard while I put together a batch of rolls and did other prep work for dinner.

Dinner today was a Progressive Dinner with Duane & Sue (appetizers), Moe & Trish (salad) and Dennis & Gloria (dessert).  So we did the main course which was Pork Chops & Cabbage – a dish which takes lots of chopping, boiling, sautéing & frying before assembling to cook for 2 hours.  The weather was wonderful and we were still looking for shade when we started at 5 with the appetizers.  Only the cooks ended up inside for short periods of time.  The dessert course included Chocolate Martinis to wrap up a super meal.

Feb 11th to 14th - Mesa

Feb 11^th – Tues

We prepared & filed our tax return online before having breakfast for lunch.  It was time to vacuum under everything so Terry got involved moving furniture.

Terry went to the courtyard to listen to music and I stayed home to do a few more computer things and to read.  We had an early dinner so we could get to line dance lessons at 6:15.  Today was the last of a 4 week set so we reviewed the four dances that we learned and we actually had learned them fairly well.

Feb 12^th – Wed

We had our now usual lazy start with coffee & CC.  We took the motorcycle to run several errands around the park which ended up taking quite a while as we had to visit everywhere we went.  Then we did some shopping – fabric store, swim wear store & groceries. 

At the courtyard – music by John & Susie – we did some line dancing and enjoyed the fabulous weather.  We picked up Larry & Barb and joined a group for dinner at China City buffet.  Chuck & Echo put the group together and ended up with about 18 people.

Larry & Barb came over for coffee when we got back and we watched some Olympic games coverage.  A few minutes after they left, Jerry & Becky stopped since our door was open.  They had been to the Legion and wanted to continue the party so we had a drink with them and watched more of the Olympics.

Feb 13^th – Thurs

Terry put together a motorcycle ride to South Mountain today.  Nine bikes and 13 riders left our site at 11 and headed west.  We all stopped at a Subway to pick up sandwiches which we ate when we got to the top of the mountain.  There is a rock shelter just down from the parking lot so we all sat in the shade of the building to eat lunch and take pictures.

Bob & Claudia had to be back by 2 so they left with a couple of others to hit the freeway back.  The rest of us took Broadway which ended up being way too many red lights.  We joined Ralph & Elsie for a drink at their place.

At 3:30 we went with Larry & Barb to the Botanical Gardens which has Chichuly glass installations right now.  Joe & Stella put this outing together and we think after the fact that we counted 20 people.  We walked around looking at and taking pictures of a lot of the glass “sculptures” and the gardens in the daylight, had a sandwich and then walked around looking at the rest as the lights came on in & around the glass.  We were also able to take pictures of some of the glass that we saw in the daylight.  There was nearly a full moon (tomorrow night) which I got into some pictures.

We had a drink with Larry & Barb when we got back and left early as had been a long day.

Feb 14^th - Fri

We picked up Don & Susan for a trip to Ft. McDowell casino this morning.  We checked in to get coupons and started out with breakfast.  Once again I did not do very well and Terry hung in for a while longer.  I think Don was the only one not to spend his whole allowance.

It was hot enough inside when we got back to turn on the AC so I could have a shower and be able to dry off.  Terry went to check the mailbox and ended up at the courtyard for a while.

We went to a Valentine’s dinner/dance here at the park.  Doors opened at 5, salad & dessert were on the tables and dinner was served at the tables.  North Star provided music for the dance which was from 6 to 9.  The dance floor was filled for every song.

Feb 8th to 10th - Mesa

Feb 8^th – Sat

We sorted out a few pounds of coins and took them to the bank after I called and asked if they took unrolled coins.  Turns out they don’t have a coin sorter and would help count by hand!  So I got coin rollers to do it myself.

We stopped at Costco for a few items – very busy on a weekend day.  Terry went to the courtyard for a bit while I made devilled eggs and then relaxed.

We went to a Happy Hour at Peter & Barb’s at 4.  They were parked on our street and had to move so they asked some “old” friends and new friends to their new site which is not far away.  It was a great gathering with lots of good appies.

We left at 6:30 for a dance.  We dance a lot and like to get seats on the dance floor end of the table so we can get out easier.  We were at a different table than usual but we ended up with a table full of friends.  Lots of line dancing, lots of fun!

Feb 9^th – Sun

We had 7 tee times this morning and 29 people (28 in red shirts!) for lunch at Red Robin.  A new server took over our group and was a little overwhelmed.  A lot of the group discussed going to the pool and all jumping in together to see if the water would go over the top.  Yes, we have fun by sometimes being silly.

We relaxed for a while before joining people on one of the couch sitting areas.  Unfortunately we didn’t stay long enough and Terry needed another activity we went to Lone Butte casino.  This will probably be our last visit there as there are few penny slots and a lot of them have 80 or 90 cent minimum bets which eat up an allowance pretty fast.  Terry played a lot longer than I did as I get impatient trying to find a machine where I can play for less.

Feb 10^th – Mon

I got up early to boil 3 large racks of baby back ribs.  There were too many to cook in one batch so I knew it would take a while.

Ralph came by on his CanAm to show Terry a couple of modifications that he did.  The back rest for the driver does not leave enough room for me as a passenger but he had a great bracket to hold a GPS which Terry had to order while I was making a very late breakfast.

Our “Second Annual Rib Fest” was today at Rancho’s entertainment area beside the pool.  We went over in the morning to put up “private party” signs and check the number of chairs.  We took the truck to carry the BBQ and the rest of our stuff then Terry drove back and rode over on the motorcycle which was put to good use as Terry ran several passengers on errands for forgotten items.  Bruce, Terry, Dennis & Ron finished cooking ribs in the kitchen area of the patio and Trish & Jackie brought theirs over already done – 18 racks of ribs for 54 people.  With all the other good food there were quite a few ribs left over.  The project with Gloria that I mentioned a week or so ago was making more bibs as the guest list expanded quite a bit this year.

We had a large band – Ernie & Dianne and 5 friends.  Duane joined them for a few songs.  When they were finished, Bruce set up and played for a couple of hours with Duane.

Feb 4th to 7th - Mesa

Feb 4^th – Tues

After a lazy morning, we went to Steve’s Cycle and ordered helmets and a Bluetooth “intercom” system.  We stopped for a late lunch at Little Mesa Café on the way back.

Terry went to listen to music in the courtyard and called me at 4 to see if I was joining him – he needed his light jacket!  I went over and caught the last 45 minutes of music.

At 6:30 we went to line dance lessons and got a bit of a workout.  Since we didn’t eat dinner, we had dessert when we got back – so much for the exercise!

Feb 5^th – Wed

Terry picked Ron up at 8 for golf and I enjoyed being lazy and reading in bed for a while.  Then I puttered around and actually got a couple of little projects done that have been on my plate for a while.  I walked to Albertsons for a couple of grocery items and put dinner in the crockpot.

Terry got back from golf just in time to head to the ballroom to listen to music.  “Music in the Courtyard” was moved to the ballroom as there were a few drops of rain and dark clouds at decision time.  North Star was playing so the place was packed and a lot of people danced.  We did quite a few line dances even without the leadership of the better line dancers.

We chatted with a group around a firepit after music ended and then came back for dinner & TV.

Feb 6^th – Thurs

We took the laundry over this morning and thought the laundry room would be packed as there was only one parking spot left.  It turns out that some of the vehicles belonged to wood carvers who now use the old wood shop.  The washers were all in use but we got the 4 that we needed within a few minutes.

We had lunch before going to pick up the helmets.  The intercom system was still being installed so we came back to the park and joined friends at the bocce court.  We played one game – Sue & I beat Terry & Chuck – and then went back for the helmets which were now ready.

We joined Moe & Trish for dinner at Dennis & Gloria’s.  I never get tired of saying “great food and wonderful friends”.  We played a card game that involves money (Arizona Rummy?) and it was Trish’s turn not to win a hand.

Feb 7^th – Fri

We spent quite a bit of time this morning trying out the helmets/intercom.  The settings were a little difficult to change using the voice menu so we connected to a web site, plugged the controllers into the USB port and downloaded the changes through the web site – very nice.  A couple of times friends knocked at the door and were surprised when Terry opened the door wearing his helmet.

I made an early lunch before we went to run a couple of errands – propane, groceries at 2 different stores.  I made an appy for later and read while Terry took the motorcycle around the park to visit people.  We went over for the last hour of music and found the courtyard packed so we joined a group by the pool.

Larry & Barb had HH at their place so that is where we went next.  The last people finally formed a small circle which called for a buddy burner until nearly 10.

Jan 31st to Feb 3rd - Mesa

Jan 31^st – Fri

I caught up on the blog this morning while Terry got his Candy Crush fix.  Moe stopped in to chat for a while.  The wind came up so Terry put up Dave & Phyllis’ awning and ours.  I cooked some veggies in preparation for a casserole on Sunday and finally made a late breakfast.

We went shopping for baby back ribs for a future party.  We thought we did OK at Albertson’s where “buy 1 get 3 free” worked out to $2/lb.  When we put the ribs in Larry & Julie’s freezer, Julie said ribs at Fry’s were $1.99/lb!

Darlene organized a birthday party for Grace so I made chicken pillows as my “heavy” appy.  They took longer to put together than I thought and I had to bake 2 pans so we arrived a little later than the 3:00 start time and found everyone already eating.  It was fairly cool and the park needed the folding chairs that we were using so we wrapped it up shortly after 5.

Trish suggested a game of pool so several went to play.  I dropped in to kibitz and was talked into joining Trish, Sue & Vi for a couple of games.  If I am going to do this again I better do some practicing!!!

Feb 1^st – Sat

We had a lazy morning and finally ran some errands.  Our ice maker quit – again! – so we took it back to Camping World.  They no longer carry the small size but they were willing to give us full credit for the one we bought 4 ½ months ago and we paid the difference for the larger size.  We went to Garden Ridge for a few items, had a burger for lunch, dropped items off at the toy hauler and rearranged the closet for the larger ice maker.

When Terry was carrying in the ice maker, we heard a clunking sound as it was tilted.  We didn’t want to start out with something wrong so he took it back.  He forgot the basket & scoop so I phoned and he had to come back to pick them up.  Finally he returned with another ice maker and when he lifted it out of the truck it made a similar clunking sound!!  We decided it must be OK so Terry cut a piece of wood in half and got the ice maker situated.  The guy at Camping World said to plug it in but not start the ice making process for a couple of days so we won’t know how it works right away.

We went to Harry & Cathy’s for dinner before going to a dance.  Also there were Bob & Gail and Jerry & Becky.  We had a delicious lasagna dinner, moved inside to chat for a while and then all but Harry & Cathy went to the dance.  Cathy has an abscessed tooth but gamely carried through with the dinner plans.

Feb 2^nd – Sun

Darlene organized a golf group for this morning and Terry & I played with Larry & Barb.  It was very cool to start and only slightly warm when we finished.  We stopped for a quick burger on the way back.

We went to a Super Bowl party at Brian & Bev’s.  It was organized by Brian & Ron – they are getting very good at football parties.  The TV, chairs & heaters were set up in B&B’s carport.  They added a huge tarp on the side & a bit across the front to hold in the heat.  People brought appies and then another group brought dinner dishes for half time.  There were tables & chairs set up at Larry & Suz’s (right across the street) for serving & eating dinner.

There were more people supporting the Seahawks but everyone would have liked a closer game.

Feb 3^rd – Mon

We printed more personal cards this morning which I made harder than usual by first partially separating a few sheets of cards and then getting the bright idea of putting a picture of us on the motorcycle on the back of some cards.  We went to Dennis & Gloria’s where I helped Gloria with a project and the guys watched us.

We went to get new motorcycle helmets but forgot the store is closed on Monday.  Luckily it is not far away.  We continued on to WalMart for some groceries.  We also got some foam-core board to make a grid for playing a new card game – Cross Cribbage.

We had Dennis & Gloria over for dinner and to play Cross Cribbage which we were all learning.  The guys used their usual luck – OK, and a bit of skill! – to pull off a resounding win.