Sept 26th to 28th - Mesa

Sept 26^th – Fri – Mesa

After a mostly lazy morning – catching up the blog does not count as lazy! - I finally made a very late breakfast. Then we returned the external wifi to Best Buy as our new computer is working so much better. We stopped at Frys on the way back to get some chicken for lunch tomorrow when we float the river. Howard stopped by to borrow our air pump as they bought float tubes for tomorrow.

We went to music in the ballroom at 3. When the band – Wild Rose - started to play they counted 22 people attending but a lot more arrived shortly after. The music was good for listening and for dancing (for us!). A couple of electric slides got a lot of dancers on the floor.

We just got back when Joe stopped by to use our printer. Unfortunately the “wifi” printer didn't show up and we ended up having to connect it with a cable and reinstall it. That meant we had to dig through too much stuff in a couple of baskets – first Terry unsuccessfully and then I found what we needed in the place he had just looked! But he did remember where the installation disk was stored!

Jerry & Becky called to say they were going to the hot tub so we joined them there just after 7:30. We kind of missed dinner so we had pie & ice cream when we got back.

Nasty weather is predicted for tomorrow so we and Jerry & Becky made an executive decision to move the float trip to Sunday. We each notified some of the people and unfortunately some can't make it on Sunday.

Sept 27^th – Sat

Jerry called at 9 to see if we wanted to go to breakfast with them. We weren't dressed yet but we said we would be ready in 20 minutes and they picked us up. We went to Red Mountain Cafe for a good breakfast. Then we went to the Mesa Marketplace for the first time this season. Two rows are fully open, the third one has lots of vendors and there are a few open stalls in the 4^th row. Of course we had to walk it all. We stopped at Culver's on the way back for frozen custard which is rich ice cream.

We saw that Bruce & Ann had arrived so we walked over to welcome them. They were just getting ready to have a very late lunch so we left them to eat and then come to visit us. A HUGE storm changed those plans as each time the rain & wind let up a bit and they were going to walk over, it would start in earnest again. Ann finally called to say that Bruce was “very relaxed” and they were just going to stay home and rest.

This is the tail end of monsoon season and it is going out with a bang! We had to hustle to get our awning up, chairs folded and small tables & float tubes tucked under the rig. There were lots of pictures on the local news of storm damage.

Sept 28^th – Sun

Jerry and Chief called to cancel this morning so our reduced group of 6 – us, Howard & Gina, Larry and Charlie left at 8:30 for the float trip. Unfortunately, 6 miles from our destination, the road was closed and we had to scrap the float trip for today.

We talked to Howard & Gina about playing golf instead so they rode their bikes over after they unloaded their truck. In the meantime I had called Desert Sands golf course and found that they were closed for over seeding until Oct 10^th. So we ended up going to the casino!

Howard & Gina had purchased the “$50 slot play for $25” coupons at Ft. McDowell casino. We introduced them to slots that we like and we all went out separate ways for a while. We met up to have lunch and then gambled some more.

When we got back, we joined them at the pool and found Larry & Julie and Bruce & Ann already there. Dinner was quite easy as I heated up the chicken strips that we were going to eat for lunch on the river.

Sept 22nd to 25th - Mesa

Sept 22^nd – Mon – Mesa

I REALLY need to get more disciplined about entering the blog. Darned if I can remember most of what we did today after I caught up the blog!

I do know that we went to the pool and Howard & Gina were there. When we were all sufficiently pruny, we came home to change and then rode the bikes back to their place so we could check out their 5^th wheel and have a drink. The layout of their Mobile Suites is very similar to ours. We ended up having several drinks – Howard shared a very nice bottle of Scotch with Terry – and some snacks that ended up being dinner!

Sept 23^rd – Tues

We didn't have much going on today so after coffee, etc we went to the casino. When we got back, Terry went to check the mail and talked to Chief. A big group was going to Organ Stop pizza so we went to find Howard & Gina to see if they wanted to join us. There were in the pool but wanted to go so we gave them barely ½ hour to get home & change and we picked them up.

We arrived in time to join the group & listen to part of the first set of music. Then we stayed for part of the second music set.

It still wasn't late so of course Howard & Gina had to come in to see our 5^th wheel and have a drink(s).

Sept 24^th – Wed

We did laundry this morning. When the clothes were washing we walked over to talk to Beth and then went to the office to put money on the laundry card. While I was putting clothes in the dryers, Terry went back for a couple of empty water jugs and returned sunglasses to Howard. So we got a tiny bit of exercise!

Larry came over to pay us for a step stool that we found for them and said he had moved Julie's crystal from the china cabinet but he couldn't put the cabinet in his car. So we went and got the cabinet, put it in their park model and visited for a bit.

We made a trip to WalMart to get a frame to replace the one with the picture of me & my halibut which fell off the wall. We had a light late breakfast there as well. Then we had a lazy couple of hours before going to music in the ballroom.

A new singer – Dakota – provided very danceable music. He has a very nice voice, a county look and a bit of a “performer” set up rather than just a bunch of speakers. We did a few line dances in addition to 2-steps & waltzes. Bob & Bobbie (line dance instructors) arrived late today in the park and came to the ballroom to have a bit to eat. It was very nice to have Bobbie lead us in a couple of line dances. We went to Roosters again and will not be going again. A lot of our group has been getting disillusioned with the place so unless we hear of changes we won't be going back. Jerry & Becky, Beth and Charlie & Pat dropped by for a drink afterwards.

Sept 25^th – Thurs

We started with coffee & doughnuts and not much new in the way of information about construction projects. Everything is moving along – some things slower than others.

Terry dug out & inflated our float tubes in preparation for float trip on the Salt River on Saturday. On the way back from getting a haircut, I stopped at Patti's to pick up her tube as she cannot go and is lending her tube to Beth. Of course I had to visit for a bit.

I made a late breakfast/early lunch before we went to do a bit of shopping. We returned the external wifi connection that we were going to use on our old computer and got some groceries. When we got back we were in time to join a group in the Fiesta pool.

Now it was time for some dinner prep as we invited Howard & Gina over for baby backs for dinner. They brought salad, dessert & wine so it was easy for me. We had our usual great time with them.

Sept 19th to 21st - Mesa

Sept 19^th – Fri – Mesa

We have had an “idiot light” showing on the motorcycle that indicates a problem with the power steering unit so Terry took the motorcycle to the CanAm dealer in Chandler. Jerry, Larry & Bill followed him and then they all went to the VA – Jerry for medications, Larry for hearing aid batteries, Terry to finally sign up and Bill just for the heck of it.

Terry got a phone call from the CanAm dealer saying it would cost a lot to replace the power steering unit and they needed Terry to come in a pay for the unit before they would order it. Their attitude kind of ticked him off so we went and picked up the bike and brought it back. It still drives just fine but presumably the steering could fail any time. We stopped for a burger on the way back.

We went to Music in the Ballroom at 3. Music was provided by Rick Mancini who does a good job. Terry was still wound up so we didn't dance much. When it finished at 5, we came back for the truck, picked up Patti and drove to the Rancho's gate where we parked the truck and walked across Main Street to Roosters. Curtis bought pizzas this time and we left fairly early as the music was blasting louder & louder from the speakers.

Sept 20^th – Sat

Terry found another CanAm dealer in Mesa so we took the truck to see if they could help us with the motorcycle. The service employees were very nice & knowledgeable and said they could look at it as soon as Terry could bring it in. We hustled back, Terry took the bike and I did alterations on a couple of tops.

Terry called and said there was indeed a problem with the power steering unit and I needed to come pick him up. The dealer has to make some phone calls next week to get more info. We stopped at Frys for groceries on the way back, came back, put everything away and had a late lunch. We took the non-working ice maker to Camping World but they are still closed from being flooded and might not reopen until until Nov 1^st. We had stopped by Jerry & Becky's and Jerry needed a door latch so he came with us. We stopped at the Montana dealer where we buy parts but their service department is not open on Saturday right now.

We lazed around the rest of the afternoon. Julie called about 4:30 and asked us to come over for dinner. She would have called earlier but she thought we weren't home since the motorcycle wasn't parked in front. Jerry & Becky were also there and we had a nice dinner & evening.

Sept 21^st – Sun

The usual morning – coffee, computer games, TV and then breakfast. We went to Best Buy to try to figure out what to do with our new computer. It is really slow and we get TONS of ads every time we get on the internet. The Geek Squad guy said we probably had viruses and we could buy a support contract from them for $249 to get it cleaned up. We didn't spend much more than that on the computer! So we bought an external wifi for our old computer – only catch is we have to download a driver from the internet to install the wifi!! We figured we could do that on the new computer and move it over on a flash drive. We stopped at WalMart for printer ink and found a folding step stool for Julie.

When we got back, I decided to try a free virus checker on the new computer. I had used Adaware years ago so I downloaded it (actually SpyHunter) and started the scan. When it finished the scan after at least 3 hours, we found we had to purchase the software to remove the 781 “threats”. But it seemed like a good idea so we went ahead and purchased it and removed all the junk. A fairly quick trial showed the computer running much faster without all the mega annoying pop-up ads.

We were sort of planning to go to Filly's to listen to Holly compete in a singing competition but it was so late by the time that we finished with the computer that we had dinner at home. We found fillets marked down at Fry's again – super good.

Sept 14th to 18th - Mesa

Sept 14^th – Sun – Mesa

After putting laundry in the washers we walked back to the rig and I made breakfast. We went back to put laundry in the dryers and got a couple gallons of water which we took back to the rig to get a little more exercise! In short order the laundry was done and the bed was made.

Since we got a bit of work done this morning, we headed to the casino. We played slots for several hours before Terry finally lost his allowance and I didn't even lose all of mine. Actually I did lose my allowance but Terry was doing well at that point so I increased my “stake” and recovered most of my previous losses.

I had baby backs thawing so I boiled them up while we had a salad. Terry did an awesome job on the BBQ for another great dinner. We went to check in with Larry & Julie to see if Julie bought a ceiling fan which Terry would install. She didn't make a decision but she pretty much has the picture wall in the bedroom planned out.

Sept 15^th – Mon

It's a good thing we got the laundry done yesterday as the water was off for hours today. Workers demolishing the old courtyard & fitness center keep hitting old water lines that no one knows about.

I needed to do a bit of shopping so we went to JoAnn Fabrics, Bealls and Frys. The rest of the day was basically lazy.

Sept 16^th - Tues

After breakfast we went to Verizon to see if we could find out why our data usage is so high compared to previous months. We decided to change our phone plan and up our data allowance so our bill barely changes. Then we got a new wifi unit called a Jetpack which will “run faster and jump higher”!

We continued on to Power Square to visit a large kitchen store. In a weak moment after he won money in Las Vegas, Terry insisted that I order a Nu Wave cooktop when it was shown on an informercial on TV. I delayed the delivery until we were back in Mesa and have enjoyed using it with the 2 fry pans & one large, shallow pot that came with it. I used it outside to boil ribs on Sunday which was great as it kept all the heat & steam out of the rig. It is induction cooking so “special” pots are needed. Actually, as long as a magnet sticks to the pot it will work on the cooktop but had looked in other stores with no luck. A lady working in the kitchen store was very knowledgeable & helpful and I ended up with a big stock pot and a medium saucepan.

We stopped at Larry & Julie's and Terry helped her hang the last, large picture in their bedroom.

Sept 17^th – Wed

After a lazy couple of hours this morning we went to Five N Diner for breakfast since we still had a “buy one, get one” coupon from last season. They have good food. From there we went to the bank to sign a new signature card and then across the street to WalMart for some groceries.

When we came out of WalMart it was pouring rain. Raindrops were bouncing up from the pavement. Terry ran to the truck and I walked since I was wearing slip-on Crocs which immediately were wet & slippery. Terry was just as wet as I was! As we drove home we saw small rivers running down all the streets.

Larry & Julie stopped by with a drink about 2:30 on their way to “music in the courtyard (MCY)” which is being held in the ballroom until the new courtyard is done. They forgot their name badges so we walked over while they went home to get the badges. Of course it started to rain again just then but we stood in a carport behind us until it let up in a few minutes.

Guilty Pleasures provided the music and the park provided free wings. We danced a bit and had our usual good time with good friends.

We came back to drop off our booze bag and Patti came by to take us and Larry & Julie to Roosters for karaoke night. Of course we don't sing but there were lots of good & “not as good” singers. Again we did a bit of dancing.

Sept 18^th – Thurs

We went to coffee & doughnuts this morning and sat with Howard & Gina who just got back. I found a new recipe for pork tenderloin in the crock pot so after I got it going I made a late breakfast. We were waiting for someone to look at the toy hauler for warranty repairs so we just hung around until he showed up shortly after 2.

Luckily Terry went with him and I stayed home because Jerry & Becky showed up with drinks in hand. They just got back today. After Terry got back, Bill & Beth arrived and then Larry & Julie showed up in their golf cart. We had a great time catching up and getting the social scene under way. Bill & Beth left for a while to water the dog and grab a bite to eat. I made some snacks for a light dinner for the rest of us. We all had a great time!! It will be nice when it cools down enough to sit outside.

Sept 10th to 13th - Mesa

Sept 10^th – Wed – Mesa

We helped Larry & Julie move more stuff. They had packed up items that they didn't want from their new park model so we unloaded that into the old place and then refilled the boxes with mostly kitchen items and took them to the new home. We left them to unpack at their leisure.

We picked up a couple of good looking filets yesterday so we had a great dinner today. We ate early as we didn't have lunch so Terry was able to BBQ in the daylight!

Sept 11^th – Thurs

We went to coffee & doughnuts this morning where they had a couple of moments of silence in honor of the people killed & injured when airplanes hit the World Trade towers in New York.

UPS delivered the parts to convert our satellite dish to SWM so after we checked it all out we had to go shopping for cables, etc. We went to the Montana dealer for adhesive for the roof, Radio Shack for cables & connectors and Kmart for a caulk gun. Good thing they are all reasonably close by.

Larry & Julie dropped in for a drink(s) after taking Larry to minor emergency. He had not been feeling really well and had no appetite. The doctor found his heartbeat at 51 bpm and after an EKG he adjusted some medication which they had to pick up at WalMart. Unfortunately the prescription was called into the wrong WalMart so they had to go to 2.

Sept 12^th – Fri

Terry was up early to install the SWM system. It involved several trips to the roof, much testing & redoing connections but we finally got it done about 5 hours later partly due to waiting for phone calls to be returned by Wineguard. 

Our ice maker quit (!!!!) so we took the motorcycle to Camping World to see what kind of warranty it had. Unfortunately the store was closed due to water damage from the floods last Monday and will be closed at least another week. This is the brand new store that just opened last spring. We stopped at the dealer where we got our toy hauler and arranged to have some warranty work done on it.

Shabby Shack came to Julie's to buy some of the furniture that she no longer needs. We found them at the old place preparing to take a couple of large end tables. We came back to our rig to get the truck, went to Julie's old place to load a square dining table & 4 swivel chairs, and went to the new place. There we found the sliding door removed so the couch could be taken out and Julie had hired the 2 young, strong guys from Shabby Shack to return to the old place and bring over the huge couch before replacing the door. Good idea!!

Now we had to decide where to place the big, heavy couch and then bring in the table & chairs. We all relaxed and decided the table was too big so we went back to the old place to get a round, drop leaf table that had been used outside. It is perfect with the swivel chairs but Julie will have to paint it black.

Now it was time to really relax with a drink. Chris stopped by to cool off and we had a nice chat with him.

We definitely didn't feel like cooking so we decided to get Papa Murphy's pizza as I was sure we had coupons from last year that don't expire until the end of the month. Terry had sucked down 3 drinks to my 1 ½ so I drove to pick up the pizza which was a great choice. We were home and Terry was snoozing in his chair before 7:00.

Larry is feeling much better.

Sept 13^th – Sat

The installer arrived shortly after 8 to connect our Genies (DVRs to non DirecTV people!). He discovered fairly soon that he needed something that he doesn't normally carry for the bedroom TV as it is cabled in a non-standard method. But he arranged to pick it up later and continued to set up the Genie on the living room TV and he connected the bedroom receiver to the living room TV so he could program it also.

Terry went to Larry & Julie's just in time (10) to help Bill & Rick take the bed from the new home to Rick's place. Then they went to Julie's old place to take apart the head & footboards on the massive bed frame in order to bring that bed to the new place! I went to visit with Julie while this was happening.

The guys put the bed together and were missing one piece. Larry went back to the old house and couldn't find it so Terry & I went over on the bike. Still couldn't find it so I asked Terry to drive the route they took when the bed was on the truck. He said it was the way we just came but went that way again and he finally spotted the flat piece of metal on the street a block from the new house. The bed ended up oriented differently than originally planned and now Julie has an entire wall to decorate with paintings.

The DirecTV guy came back about 2:30 to finish the installation. Terry is a happy camper!!

Larry & Julie took us to dinner at the China Buffet. We all ate too much as usual but I have learned not to pig out too bad!

Sept 6th to 9th - Mesa

Sept 6^th – Sat – Mesa

We went to another coffee & doughnuts this morning. It used to be held in the Ranchos community center but that was converted to a fiber arts center so coffee is now in the ballroom and we thought we would just check it out. It is a much different format from the Thursday coffee and there is more time to chat with others at your table. Right now there are round tables in the ballroom which is nice for talking to others but they take too much room when more people return to VVV.

Terry was antsy since we had no definite plans after coffee so we ended up getting an online coupon - $40 slot play & breakfast for $25 – and went to Ft McDowell casino. We had lunch when we got there and proceeded to donate money!

We went by Larry & Julie's when we got back and they had just arrived so Larry made us a drink. Neil & Robin and Terri & Ken (Robin's sis & her husband) came by and then they went to pick up KFC for dinner for all of us which we had at our place since we have more seating than anyone else. We were ready to hit the sack shortly after everyone left.

Sept 7^th – Sun

It was extremely hot today so we were very lazy. We took the bike to Alberstons for a few groceries. At 5 we went to Al & Linda's for a pot luck dinner. They provided burgers & hot dogs. Their site has shade from neighbors & a sun shade but we were all overheated after dinner so most of us went home to change and went to the pool.

The pool was lovely! There was another super moon and we stayed quite a while.

Sept 8^th – Mon

We had a HUGE monsoon rain storm last night and into the morning. We woke at 2:00 when the rain & wind started and Terry watched out the window for a while until he figured the awning was OK in the wind. Rain was coming off the awning in a stream that arced out rather than just falling down. We didn't sleep too well for the rest of the night. There was such a huge clap & rumble of thunder at one point that we both jumped.

Local TV had nothing but coverage of the rain storm and widespread flooding in the entire Phoenix area. Julie came by after she went to the sales office to get a key for the park model that they bought just before they left in the spring. The patch we put on the vent cover didn't do a bit of good with the rain! They tried a couple of different things during the night and managed to keep most of the water off the bed.

We went to inspect their new park model and I took pictures of some furniture that Julie wants to sell. The park was pumping water out of the catch pond that is also the horseshoe pit so Julie had waterfront property!

We went back to pick up Larry and they took us to lunch at Fat Willy's before going to Shabby Shack which is a second hand store that buys furniture. Unfortunately they were closed due to the flooding. Their parking lot was a small lake and we saw buckets & garbage cans catching leaks when we peeked in the door.

We all decided earlier that Larry & Julie should take bedding and a few necessities to the new place and stay there. We turned on the AC earlier so it was nice & cool. The “necessities” included ice & booze so we had a drink to christen the new place. Back home for a light dinner, computer games & TV.

Sept 9^th – Tues

I rolled a bunch of coins to take to the bank before making a late breakfast and putting a roast in the crock pot. Then we went to run a couple of errands.

We went to the bank with the coins and to sign a new signature card as we received a request to do that. We forgot to take the letter with us and the new employee couldn't figure out what was needed so we will go back another time. We stopped at the Montana dealer to get a replacement for a screen door latch that broke. We also got a panel for the screen door that allows you to push a spring loaded “button” to open the screen rather than sliding the panel to the side to access the latch. We have one on the toy hauler and got to like it.

We had some fun installing the new latch as it was just a tiny bit different from the old one. We eventually got everything figured out and went over to see how Larry & Julie were doing.

After they finished a very late lunch, we decided to go back to Shabby Shack. We were walking back to our rig to get the camera & the truck when Bill & Lauri drove up so we had to visit with them for a while. At Shabby Shack, Julie made an appointment with the owner to come out Friday to buy some stuff she wants to get rid of. Then we went to 2 WalMarts on an unsuccessful hunt for an ice maker for Julie and finally ended up at Fry's to get one there. It was more expensive than WalMart but at least they had one. We dropped them off, came back to put some groceries in the fridge and to get some ice for Julie. Then we returned to their place for a drink.

We saw Beth ride by on her bike but she didn't hear Terry whistle. Then she stopped to check Brian & Bev's park model so Terry got her to come see Larry & Julie. She phoned Bill and suddenly we had a party! We finally came home for dinner.

Sept 3rd to 5th - Mesa

Sept 2^nd – Tues – Mesa

Terry took the truck across the street for an oil change & a new fuel filter this morning. When we came back from the casino on Sunday, a light came on indicating a problem with “stabilitrack” system on the transmission and the lights showing which gear you were in didn't work. When he took the truck in, he could barely make it across the road when traffic cleared so obviously he had them look at that also. The bad news was a malfunctioning transmission communication module. The worse news was the price of the module and the repair place having to get someone in to reprogram everything. So we didn't get the truck back today.

We thought a couple that we met in Keystone was staying here so we stopped to see them. Turned out they had worked in Keystone at the same park as Chief & Debra but it was not the couple that we expected as there were 2 Barbs working there. Oh well, now we have 2 more friends – Rick & Barb Osgood. They are replacing the carpet in their motor home so we will see how it turns out and maybe do something in our 5^th wheel.

Sept 3^rd – Wed

Terry took the bike to check on the progress on the truck and came back to get me so he wouldn't “have to walk all the way over to get it”. We paid the ransom and got the truck and then moved the toy hauler its new home in the storage area.

I boiled ribs for dinner Friday outside on the propane stove so it wouldn't heat up the inside any more than it already was. I had to do them in 2 batches so it takes a while.

I didn't have to make dinner tonight as we attended a steak fry here in the park. It was well attended and music was provided by Guilty Pleasures so we were able to dance a bit. We even remembered some line dances with help from Jill.

After it was over at 7, we joined a group at newly reopened Roosters which is a bar across Main Street from the Ranchos gate. We got a ride with Bonnie so we could enjoy a few drinks as Bonnie was the DD. They had karaoke with some good singers including Curtis and Holly. There is also a decent sized dance floor which we used a few times. Previously Roosters was a “biker bar” and a little grungy so we will have to wait and see how it turns out.

Sept 4^th – Thurs

We started the day with the weekly coffee & doughnuts in the ballroom at 8:30. We went to the beauty salon to make an appointment for Terri B next month.

Then we went to Larry & Julie's place to sweep the leaves & seeds out of their patio/driveway. We took the tarps off everything that was covered and moved their patio furniture from the living room back outside. A vent cover came unlatched and we couldn't fix it so we found a garbage bag & tape to cover the opening on the inside to try to keep dust out. Just hope it doesn't rain! We turned on the AC so the place will be cooled down when they arrive tomorrow.

Now it was time to do laundry. Got everything loaded in the truck and discovered that the main laundry room was closed on the 3^rd, 4^th & 5^th to clean the floors. We came back to the rig to get quarters for the other laundry and also got our bathing suits as the laundry in Fiesta is right beside the pool. Rick & Barb were in the pool along with their neighbor Kerry so we got to visit with them.

Sept 5^th – Fri

Bill Cross picked us up at 6:45 to golf at Greenfield Lakes and Bonnie joined us to make a foursome. We all golfed about the same – great shots spoiled by ugly shots. We finished just after 10 and went to the Duchess for breakfast/lunch. The rest of the VVV group joined us there to make a table of 10. This golf group has been going to the Duchess all summer and has a great server – Jill – who gives everyone a bad time and must hug everyone when they leave.

We made a trip to Albertsons for a few groceries and I did some dinner prep. As I mentioned, Larry & Julie were supposed to arrive today but we got a text message about 3:30 saying they had just settled into their room in Las Vegas. We obviously got our wires crossed with the date but Neil & Robin and Joe came for baby backs for dinner anyhow.

Aug 29th to Sept 1st - Mesa

Aug 29^th – Fri – Mesa

Terry got up early to fix the bicycle tires before it got too hot. After coffee, I started cleaning the toy hauler – fridge, shower, floors, etc. I left the door on the freezer open and put microfiber clothes in the bottom to soak up water – easiest way ever to defrost a freezer. While the freezer was self-defrosting, I made breakfast.

I caught up the blog – always fun when I have not kept up. We decided to get a Genie (DVR) for our TVs so I spent quite a while on the phone setting it up to be installed tomorrow. Terry was so happy to get it organized that we had an early drink.

We ended up going to our favorite Chinese buffet for dinner.

Aug 30^th – Sat

We got going reasonably early to wash the toy hauler – always a fun job! After we had breakfast, the DirecTV installer arrived to hook up our Genie but it didn't get done as we don't have the correct satellite dish. He rescheduled the installation and gave us the part we needed to change the dish. We need to get a knowledgeable person to do the fix so we went to Camping World. Of course they could not do anything until Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday but they gave us a phone number for an independent contractor that they do use. Unfortunately we just got to leave a message there.

We stopped at Kmart to stand in line to pay for a couple of items. A bit later we went out for a burger for a late lunch and picked up a few groceries at Safeway. They included our favorite individual fruit pies which became dinner later.

Aug 31^st – Sun

After breakfast we went to run an errand and ended up at the casino! I didn't donate any money but Terry left his allowance so he can pick it up another day!

Later in the afternoon, we rode the motorcycle all around the park to check everything out. We went into Larry & Julie's to make sure they wouldn't have any surprises when they arrive in a few days. We stopped at Robin & Neil's new-to-them park model and were just in time to help Robin & Joe decide on a color to repaint an accent wall in the living room. Neil very cleverly got out of town for a week or so and avoided the decorating decisions. We had a beer with them before continuing our tour of the park.

Then the usual computer stuff, dinner & TV for the evening.

Sept 1^st – Mon

There was a pot luck lunch today at the park and I had forgotten to plan a dish so I made some cornmeal muffins. The park provided fried chicken and everyone else brought too much yummy stuff. After we ate and the tables were cleared, we played bingo for some little prizes that Lynn & Nelda scrounged up. Our table had a lot of fun! There were at least 50 people for lunch which is a good turnout this early in the season.

I had a pork tenderloin in the fridge that I forgot to put in the crock pot so I went through my recipes and we made a trip to Albertsons for ingredients. We left our helmets so we could carry the entire shopping list back in the motorcycle. Then I decided that we had a lot for dinner so I called Patti and she joined us for an enjoyable evening.