Apr 3rd to 5th - Mesa to Las Vegas

Apr 3rd – Tues
We did some more packing up and chatted with Leonard & Mary and Ron & Rea before doing some grocery shopping. We had lunch in the courtyard with Jim & Deb and Dennis & Gloria. We paid our electric bill on the way back to our site and finished up packing up & cleaning. Deb & I took some old lettuce to feed the tortoises then joined the guys at the courtyard to listen to music.
We invited Jim & Deb and Larry & Julie over for Frito pie for dinner. Ernie & Dianne went home from the courtyard, ate dinner and came to see us before we got around to eating. We had finished dinner when Mike & Susie joined us so we had lots of goodbye hugs when everyone left!

Apr 4th – Wed
More goodbye hugs and we headed for Las Vegas at 8:30. There was one freeway slowdown due to an accident but otherwise the drive was uneventful. We stopped for fuel & breakfast/lunch near Kingman which took more than we expected and we parked beside Ron & Terri at Main St. Station RV park at 2:45. We set up, walked to Main St. Station casino to register and Ron & Terri joined us there.
We all spent the rest of the evening & quite a bit of the night at Freemont Street. We tried very hard to “corrupt” Ron & Terri and got them started on their own collection of players’ cards. Terri won money on a couple of slot machines and tucked it away - for future gambling? We had a nice dinner, watched shows on the overhead roof/screen and listened to a loud Western band. I’m not sure what time Ron & Terri left us but we got home about midnight.

Apr 5th – Thurs
Terry & I went for breakfast while Ron & Terri went grocery shopping. Ron wanted to check out the pawn shop that you see on TV on Pawn Stars. Even thought it is only just over a mile from where we are staying we took the truck. We were glad that we did when we saw the line of people to get in, decided we weren’t going to wait and carried on down the Strip.
We parked at Mandalay Bay where Terry showed Ron & Terri a slot machine that he likes (Alice) and won $110. We took the tram to the Luxor and then walked to New York New York. Ron & Terri went off to have lunch while Terry & I gambled and I finally won some money.
We continued wandering & gambling and finally took the tram back to Mandalay Bay to get our truck.
Traffic was slow going back on the Strip and there was still a line at the pawn shop. I invited Ron & Terri for dinner so we relaxed a bit, had dinner, put on long pants & jackets (it cooled down and was windy) and went back to Freemont Street. We watched a couple of overhead light & sound shows, gambled away the rest of our winnings and got back shortly after 11.

Mar 31st to Apr 2nd - Mesa

Mar 31st – Sat
We finished the clean up from the party last night and I tried to figure out who owned some serving pieces. Then we went to a furniture store to meet Billy and deliver a chair to their RV park as it wouldn’t fit in his small vehicle. We chatted with them for a bit and stopped for a late breakfast on the way home. I am still not at 100% but feeling better.
I made chili for a potluck later today and Terry spent time on the computer and then watched a movie on TV. We had a drink with Ron & Terri before going to the farewell potluck for Dave & Glo at 5:30. They are moving to another Cal-Am park (VDO) hoping it will be a better spot with less pollen & dust to aggravate Dave’s allergies.
Ron & Terri were sitting outside having a quiet after dinner drink when we came home so they and Dennis & Gloria joined us on our patio for chocolate martinis & such.

Apr 1st – Sun
We gave goodbye hugs to Ron & Terri this morning even though we will be seeing them soon in Pahrump. We were watching TV when Stephanie stopped by to return our ice bucket and ask if we wanted some leftover ham & potato salad. It sounded good for lunch so we said sure and she returned with it shortly. A bit later Terry got bored so we went for a last visit to the Mesa Marketplace. We bought a couple of small items including a business card organizer for Julie. We delivered it and some serving dishes from the party on Friday when we got back.
When we got back to our site about 4, Jim & Debbie from Desert Hot Springs had arrived and set up beside us. They are here for a few days to see us, the park and Debbie’s brother. We had time to sit outside and have a drink with them before we went to Dennis & Gloria’s for dinner. It was windy but pleasantly warm.
Ernie & Dianne were also at Dennis & Gloria’s. After dinner we played Ponytail Canasta – 2 close games with the guys winning the first and the ladies winning the second.

Apr 2nd – Mon
I had time for a phone call to sister Marg before Jim & Deb stopped by on their way to register. We went to the office with them and then gave them a tour of the facilities. We came back for the truck and continued the tour to the farther parts of the park. We hadn’t had breakfast so I made an early lunch of pulled pork chimichangas and then sorted out the laundry. Terry dropped me off at the laundry room, went for diesel & propane and was back to help with the hanging & folding.
By 1:45 we were ready to go on a Poker Run here in the park. 63 people on bicycles and golf carts were divided into 5 groups. We went to 5 locations in the park to perform some task and get cards sealed in envelopes. We had to shoot pool, sing karaoke, hit golf balls into a net, use an exercise machine for 5 minutes and tour a park model. Part of the purpose of the poker run is to introduce people to features in the park.
We all came back to the BBQ area of the main pool where the activity director Camille was cooking hot dogs. After eating, we all opened our envelopes to see what kind of poker hand we got. The best hand ($60) was a straight and the next 4 winners had 3 of a kind.
We were going to move to the courtyard and listen to music but all the seats were in the sun so a group - Ernie & Dianne, Garry & Steph and Dennis & Gloria - came back to our place. Dennis & Gloria were still here when Jim & Deb got back from playing golf with her brother Garth and his wife Sandi who also came back with them and they all joined us. Light jackets and a buddy burner were comfortable after the sun went down.

Mar 27th to 30th - Mesa

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

Feb 24th to 26th - DHS

Feb 24th – Fri
Today was the Can-Am (Canadian-American) golf tournament. I played for the Canadian team just to keep things interesting! Neither one of us did particularly well on the course but I won a few dollars from the putting contest. There were 71 Americans and 72 Canadians and the Canadians barely beat the Americans again. Since there were so many teams, lunch was originally – optimistically - scheduled for 2:00 with the last group teeing off at 11:45. Play slowed down a bit, the MC droned on too long and lunch was served about 3:30 so it was a good thing that we came home and had a light breakfast when we finished golfing at 10. I helped dish up plates again – ham, au gratin potatoes, peas & carrots, coleslaw and a roll followed by apple crisp & ice cream for dessert.
We were ready to kick back and relax for the rest of the evening. Of course Terry needed some dinner a bit later!

Feb 25th – Sat
We were enjoying our morning coffee when Doreen stopped by to invite us for happy hour. She asked why we didn’t go for pancake breakfast as Gilbert & Grace were cooking. Of course we had forgotten but had 20 minutes to get there before they stopped serving. We chatted with Grace, Gilbert, Laraine & Dave while we were eating.
We went out for groceries & diesel. Fuel prices have been going up quickly lately – as I am sure they are everywhere – and the lowest diesel was $4.27.
We couldn’t accept Doreen’s invitation this morning as we were already invited to Jim & Debbie’s for happy hour & dinner. Also there were Ted & Maureen, Gloria & Jerome, Paul & Jodie and Eldon & Elaine. Dinner was BBQ hot dogs & brats with salads – yummy when prepared & eaten outside. Bob & Diane stopped by later after they went by walking their dog.
The weather was wonderful and allowed us to sit out quite late enjoying Jim’s buddy burner and Ted’s bucket light.

Feb 26th – Sun
I made a nice breakfast to sustain us through a golf game with Russ & Judy at 10:48. I had a good game, probably my best since we’ve been here. Too bad Terry couldn’t say the same!
We had a bit of down time with Terry playing computer games and me doing some cleaning, dinner prep and reading. Moe & Trish dropped by for a short chat.
We had Cliff & Pauline over for dinner and cards. The guys got the cards this time and beat the women at Ponytail Canasta. Then we all enjoyed a “3-2-1 cake & ice cream” for dessert.

Feb 19th to 23rd - DHS

Feb 19th – Sun
We did something new this morning – we went to church!!! Actually, Larry & Barb were renewing their wedding vows as they are celebrating their 50th anniversary this week and the vows were taken at the weekly service here in the park. Then we joined them and a large group of their friends for lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Some of the lunch guests were people that Barb went to school with. They still live near them in Washington and they socialize regularly. Bob & Janet winter in Yuma, Bill & Nadine in Casa Grande, and Jim & Penny in Green Valley.
After lunch we stopped for a couple of items at Costco and then went to Russ & Judy’s (they also went to school with Barb & the others) for drinks and lots of laughs.
It took our table a long time to get food at the restaurant so lunch was late. This made it easy to have only artichokes and then dessert for dinner.

Feb 20th – Mon
Larry made 4 tee times for this morning and asked us to join the group. Russ used playing cards to determine who played together and he ended up with 3 women – me, Nadine & Laraine. It was a bit cool first thing in the morning but ended up just perfect. We waited until all the groups finished, took our clubs back to the rig and went to Russ & Judy’s for coffee with Bob & Janet and Bill & Nadine.
We had time for a sandwich and a bit of down time before we went to Ted & Maureen’s for happy hour(s) to celebrate Ted’s 65th birthday.

Feb 21st – Tues
I golfed at 7:45 today with the ladies’ club. I did OK and ended up winning money again for second low net in the first flight.
In the afternoon we went to visit John & Mary Ann. They were having company for dinner but we were early enough to have a couple of drinks with them before Mary Ann had to continue with dinner prep.
We had a quiet evening with dinner & TV.

Feb 22nd – Wed
It was Terry’s turn for golf at 8:16 this morning so I did laundry early. I still had to wait for washers at 7:30 and then wait for dryers. I was done before Terry got back so I could read for a while.
We went for a drive and ended up at the Spa Casino. We both won some money on our first machines. I kept enough to cover my “allowance” but Terry ended up putting all of his back in – a true gambler!!
We were a little late getting back to go for dinner at Jim & Debbie’s. I loaded Picasa on their computer and then helped them make some personal cards. They have a wireless printer and it wouldn’t print the whole page of cards so we printed a few on our printer but then our color ink ran out. We had a nice dinner and visit with them.

Feb 23rd – Thurs
We had a lazy morning and were just ready to go see Moe & Trish when they knocked on our door. They arrived late yesterday from Mesa. We chatted with them here, then went to their place for a bit and then we all went to lunch in Desert Hot Springs. We went to an RV parts & supply place before coming back.
On the way back to our rig, we stopped at Eldon & Elaine’s so Terry could see their new trailer. Most trailers have the bedroom in the front but their bedroom is in the back and up a couple of steps which allows for storage underneath like a 5th wheel. Of course we had to have a drink with them and visit for a while. It was nice to sit outside for a change. It was a little breezy to keep us cooled down.
We had a light dinner and then went to a dance here in the park which was well attended again. After the dance we helped move the tables for lunch tomorrow.

Feb 16th to 18th - DHS

Feb 16th – Thurs
We had a lazy morning and then went to see if Cliff has more information about his shoulder. He is still waiting to hear from a surgeon as the CAT scan showed a broken bone. They invited us over for happy hour & dinner.
I had time to finally get out my sewing machine and shorten the sleeves on my jacket and mend an older jacket that I carry in my golf bag. At 4:30 we joined Bob & Doreen, Terry & Eileen and Jim & Swinelle at Cliff & Pauline’s. Pauline made 2 types of chili for a very nice dinner after we sat & had drinks and chatted for a while. I don’t remember if I mentioned that they opened up their park model so they have lots of room for 2 tables for dinner.
After everyone else left by 9:00, we played Sequence with Cliff & Pauline. The games went a long time but the women got a few more Jacks and won 4 games before we called it a night.

Feb 17th – Fri
We both played fairly early in the scramble, brought our clubs back and checked email before going back for lunch which was baked potatoes with tons of toppings. The wind had come up a bit while we played but it was still quite warm.
My arm bothers me a bit when I golf so with that and increasing wind we didn’t want to play another round of golf. Nothing to do but hit a casino again! We went to Morongo where they were giving away $500 in free play – 10 each hour. A guy right beside us received $500!! – but not us! We had dinner at the buffet which was really good for $10.95 each. It was bedtime by the time we got back.

Feb 18th – Sat
After breakfast we walked up to see if we could get a tee time. There was a twosome at a time about 25 minutes away so we said we would join them even though we didn’t recognize the name. We had time to come back to get our clubs, change shoes and get back to the course with time to practice a bit on the putting green.
We will not sign up again with a couple that we don’t know! The guy was SOOOO slow and the lady was a new, bad golfer. Luckily they had a cart or it would have been more painful. There was a group of 5 (who we knew) behind us – very unusual on this course – and Phyllis asked in jest when we were on the 3rd tee box if they could play through. I felt a lot better when the whole course bogged down on the 4th hole so we had to wait on every remaining hole. Terry actually had the best score since we have been here – and possibly me as well.
Gilbert & Grace were behind us and asked us to come over for a beer. Steve & Phyllis joined us and a bit later Dave & Laraine.
Next we walked over to Cliff & Pauline’s to see if they wanted to go to see Terry Fator (ventriloquist) – if we could get tickets at the door since the show was sold out. We had talked about it previously but had made no decision. We had to have a drink with them as we tried to decide. We ended up coming back for the truck, picked up Cliff & Pauline and went for Chinese food first. We drove through 2 full parking lots at the Fantasy Springs Casino and ended up finding an event parking lot. We managed to get 4 tickets at less than face value but not together.
The event venue leaves a lot to be desired. It is like a basketball court with “bleachers” on the sides and folding chairs on the floor. We were about a third of the way back on the floor and Cliff & Pauline were almost to the back on the floor. Luckily there are big screens on each side as it is too far from the stage to see details. We saw a Fator DVD a few times so were familiar with some of the material but new puppets were a lot of fun. The show was about 1 ½ hours which was plenty for the hard chairs.
We didn’t even stay to gamble!

Feb 13th to 15th - DHS

Feb 13th – Mon
Games on the computer, reading, email and a short visit with Debbie took up the morning. Then we went to visit our good friends from Bellevue – Bob & Sue – who are staying for the month of Feb in a condo in Rancho Mirage. We talked non-stop and went out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
Bob & Sue visited us here last year and saw our buddy burner and bucket light. We were delighted to hear that Bob made both items for their kids and he had a great time doing so. The recipients were duly impressed!

Feb 14th – Tues
We played in a Valentine’s tournament this morning with Larry & Barb and Jim & Debbie. It was an alternate shot format with 3 couples in each group. There was a light breeze & cooler temperatures which called for slightly warmer clothes. None of our group did particularly well golfing but luckily we enjoy each other and had a good time anyhow.
We all came back to our place for hot rum, etc and then went back to the activity hall for a great lunch at 1:00. There are some very talented cooks in this park and it is amazing what comes out of the kitchen for these events.
We saw Cliff when we went for lunch and he had his arm in a sling. He fell when he was playing tennis and needs more tests to see if there are broken bones in his shoulder.

Feb 15th – Wed
Terry played in the men’s club golf this morning at 7:35. It turned out to be a good time as the wind didn’t come up until 9. We went to check on Cliff but they weren’t home so we came back and hung around until just before noon when we went to the hall for an owner’s appreciation lunch. Lunch was chicken, beans, coleslaw, rolls and pop. We kind of had to eat & run as tickets were issued in ½ hour increments so everyone wouldn’t get there at once and only 200 people can be seated in the hall. Everyone was hoping for good weather so we could eat outside but it was too cool & breezy.
Due to the just mentioned weather, we headed for a casino after lunch. Didn’t do so well but it gave us something to do. I was making dinner (perogies & onions) when the power went out. Of course we still had our battery operated lights & propane stove so we were OK but when it appeared the power wasn’t coming back on immediately, Terry got out the generator. Larry called just a bit later. They don’t have a generator and their batteries aren’t charging so I invited them over for dinner. Perogies were new to them but they are not picky eaters and both enjoyed the meal.
I made our new favorite dessert – 3-2-1 cake with ice cream. If anyone wants the recipe, send an email or a comment on the blog.

Feb 10th to 12th - DHS

Feb 10th – Fri
We had a lovely morning for the golf scramble and were looking for shade when we were finished. We came back to the rig where I caught up the blog and checked email before we returned to join the rest of the golfers for lunch.
We ran some errands and then basically had a lazy afternoon and evening. The wind that was forecast came up late in the evening.

Feb 11th – Sat
My wind chimes probably drove the neighbors crazy last night as it was very windy. We went to the activity hall for a pancake breakfast before doing some shopping. We went to GolfSmith to redeem 2 $10 coupons that we received in a golf tournament. I needed a glove and Terry finally found a driver that he was convinced he had to have. We found a dumpster with cardboard boxes for buddy burners and picked up a few groceries on the way home.
The wind was still blowing like crazy but we decided to go ahead with our buddy burner workshop. We set up tables, chairs and the propane stove before Jim & Debbie, Ted & Maureen, Jerome & Gloria and Bob & Janine showed up about 1. The “off side” of the 5th wheel has a storage shed at the back and a hedge along the side (as all the sites here have) so it was somewhat sheltered from the wind. The guys were cutting cardboard on the tailgate of the truck and pressed the gravel into the dirt as they walked so we got sandblasted every once in a while when a gust of wind swirled past the truck. Oh well, we washed the grit out of our mouths with beer and carried on!
Everyone brought drinks & snacks. The sun moved away and it got cool about 4 so everyone headed for home. We had an early dinner and as quiet an evening as the wind allowed.

Feb 12th – Sun
I think the wind is making sure that we stick to our decision to not come back to Desert Hot Springs next year! We were being lazy when Larry knocked on the door and asked if we wanted to go to the COD with them as it usually is not windy in that part of the valley. We quickly said yes and walked to their site to join them.
Barb got the visors that she wanted and Larry got a red shirt for the Valentine golf tournament this week. We stopped for a burger and then made a few stops looking for Chinese BBQ pork that Barb was sure she had seen at a grocery store – no luck. We had a drink with Larry & Barb before heading back to our rig to sort out clothes to do laundry. The laundry room was empty when we got there so it didn’t take long to finish. Then we relaxed for another quiet evening – except for the wind.

Feb 6th to 9th - DHS

Feb 6th – Mon
After a nice breakfast we headed to the Augustine Casino, one of the 6 in the area that we have not visited this year. I started right out by winning a bit and continued to cover Terry’s losses as well as my allowance. We received $2 vouchers for food and had a great late lunch of burger combos (burger, fries & drink) for $4.50 each – hard to beat.
On the way back we stopped at a WalMart for a few items. Dinner was artichokes.

Feb 7th – Tues
I played golf with the ladies’ club this morning – ended up winning $5 for 2nd low net in the 1st flight. I made an early lunch and then we went to The Alley – import & gift store – in Palm Springs. We are looking for a hummingbird feeder as the string came undone when Terry hung it up and it broke. No feeders but we got a shaker for our chocolate martinis.
We were heading back and made a turn that took us past the Spa Casino so we had to stop! I did OK again and we ended up $115 ahead – finally! Terry did contribute to the winnings right at the end since I told him he had to stop before he lost what he had won!
We were home just in time for Terry to BBQ steaks in daylight. I went to the “Dress a Child” project at 7 – starts at 6:30! – and worked for an hour.

Feb 8th – Wed
On our way to a casino this morning, we stopped at Big Lots to get a hummingbird feeder. The casino didn’t treat us as nicely as the last time so we went to the last of the 6 nearby casinos – Fantasy Springs – since it was on the way home. No luck there either.
When we drove in, the road past our site was blocked with tow trucks, a pickup and a car. Terry walked up to see what was going on – someone lost his front wheel when he was turning into his driveway – and Jim across the street asked us to join them and a group of people for happy hour.
When it got dark, Terry brought over a buddy burner so now we have a buddy burner “workshop” happening on Saturday so everyone can make one. The bucket light was also a hit but people can make them on their own.
Dinner was late followed shortly by going to bed!

Feb 9th – Thurs
We walked to the activity center for lunch tickets and tried to pick up the mail but it was being sorted. Then we did some shopping – hair goop at Sally’s Beauty Supplies, buddy burner tins at Goodwill after looking at a few other stores. We ran into Pauline & Eileen in Big Lots.
We stopped for a burger for lunch and picked up some 3-in-1 oil for the hair clippers at a local hardware store. We went back for the mail and saw Gilbert on the way back. He invited us for happy hour so we sat outside to read & watch TV until then.
There was a fairly large group at Grace & Gilbert’s – Cliff & Pauline, Bob & Doreen, Terry & Eileen, Jim & Swinelle and us of course. I left at 6 to make dinner and called Terry when it was ready. We just had time to gobble it down and put on our dancing shoes to head to a dance here in the park.
The dance was sold out so the floor was crowded. After the music finished, we chatted with Don & Doreen who were seated beside us so we were the last to leave.

Feb 3rd to 5th - DHS

Feb 3rd – Fri
We played in the golf scramble this morning with perfect weather. Wind had been forecast but we were happy that it didn’t show up. I had quite a bit of time before lunch so I posted the blog and read a newspaper before going back to join Terry for the lunch that is included with the scramble. I chatted with a couple from Kelowna – Neil & Bev – before lunch.
Cliff saw Terry earlier and asked if we wanted to play golf in the afternoon so we joined him and Terry C. at 1:30 to hack our way around the course. Actually, I got the best score which said more for the guys’ bad scores than a good one for me.
At 4:30 we went to Larry & Barb’s for happy hour. We were joined by Bob & Cheryl who were across the street from Larry & Barb. We ate enough appies to spoil our appetite but not enough to be dinner so I threw something together when we got back.

Feb 4th – Sat
We went to the COD this morning. It is a weekly outdoor market held at the College of the Desert. We had a sandwich there for an early lunch and then continued on to a BevMo store looking for chocolate martini mix which they had. Costco was right next door so we picked up a few items there and also stopped at Trader Joe’s. We bought a bottle of Scotch for Larry so we delivered it when we got back and had a drink with them. We dropped in on Neil & Bev and chatted with them for quite a while before heading home for dinner.
There was a night golf tournament with glow balls but we forgot to sign up. About 7:30 we walked to the last green to see how it was all going. There were 4 glow sticks marking the edge of each green, a flashing marker on the flag and a glow circle lighting the cup. It was a best ball format with each team getting 5 glow balls and 2 sets of flashing lights to put on their carts or bags so other golfers knew where they were. Each golfer had a lighted rope “necklace”. It was fun seeing the lights moving on the fairway and then hearing a ball being hit and finally seeing the lighted ball rolling somewhere. There were still some teams teeing off so we wandered to #1 tee as well. There was a bar set up in the activity center so we had a drink with friends that played golf. Everyone thought it would be cold and bundled up but the weather cooperated again and there was no wind so it was very pleasant.

Feb 5th – Sun
After breakfast I sorted clothes and we went to the laundry room. It is very small and was busy but enough washers were available after a few minutes wait. We passed some time working on a puzzle, didn’t have to wait for dryers and finished the necessary chore just after noon.
Terry played a game on the computer, I read a while and then Judy dropped by for a short visit. We went to see Larry & Barb and asked them to come over for appies & drinks and to watch the Super Bowl which started about 3:30. It was an interesting game to watch as the score was close. None of us were cheering for either team but we enjoyed watching, eating & drinking.
When the game was over, we turned on America’s Funniest Videos and watched that for 1 ½ hours before Larry & Barb left. Clean up, ice cream for “dinner” and to bed to watch TV.

Jan 31st to Feb 2nd - DHS

Jan 31st – Tues
I had an 8:48 tee time for golf with the ladies. We played a game called NOSE which means you only count holes that start with those letters – Nine, One, Six, Seven & Eight. Unfortunately, my worst holes were 1 & 6. When I got home, Terry was just starting to wash the truck & take out the hitch in preparation to haul furniture so I worked on the computer.
Next was a trip for lunch & groceries. It was still early in the afternoon so we stopped at the Spa Casino downtown – and donated more money! It was a bit of a mess for a while as the computer went down so when you pushed the “cash out” button, a message came on the screen saying a manual payout was needed. The slot employees were running like mad and then you had to take a receipt to the cashier to be paid. It probably slowed the bleeding!
We checked with Cliff & Pauline and they hadn’t made a decision on furniture so we settled in for a quiet evening.

Feb 1st – Wed
Today was Terry’s turn for golf with “3 clubs and a putter”. He had an early tee time and I was just finished with the blog, email and putting a pork shoulder in the crock pot when he got back. We walked to Cliff & Pauline’s and found that Cliff was still on the golf course. We had coffee with Pauline and examined their overgrown yard.
We were just ready to leave and get furniture when Terry C. showed up to work on the satellite dish again even though Cliff wanted to hire a Shaw tech to get things working. After trying unsuccessfully to get a TV signal, we all went for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in DHS. We continued on to Revivals where Cliff & Pauline bought the couch & loveseat that they looked at previously. Both pieces fit in the truck by turning one upside down on the other which made the loading & unloading a challenge. Sliding glass doors had to be removed to get them in the park model and then they were finally in. Terry thinks he is getting old!!
We positioned the furniture – subject to future rearrangement – and I headed home to pull pork as Jim & Debbie were coming for dinner. We talked nonstop over drinks, dinner & more drinks.
When we drove back from getting the furniture, the sky was really dusty looking to the west and it got very windy which lasted into the night.

Feb 2nd – Thurs
We played golf this morning with Larry & Barb. The forecast was for wind starting in the afternoon and a slight breeze came up as we were finishing. Larry & Barb came over for pulled pork sandwiches for lunch which we ate outside in the lovely sunshine.
We walked to Cliff & Pauline’s to see how their satellite dish hookup & activation was going. Jim had a Shaw tech come out so Cliff had him come to their place which was a good thing as it took a long time to activate the receiver.
We went to DHS for a bit of shopping and then went to Cliff & Pauline’s for dinner. We were joined by Terry & Eileen. Eileen has been suffering from a cold or sinus infection so they left shortly after dinner. We played Ponytail Canasta and the ladies won again after the guys were ahead for a couple of hands.

Jan 28th to 30th - DHS

Jan 28th – Sat
I sorted through meat in the freezer that needs to be eaten and found a large package of chuck steak that would work great in the crockpot with cocktail onions & mushroom soup. After breakfast we went for a “walk & talk” and also signed up for next week’s golf. Russ & Carol told us about some yard/rummage sales down Dillon Road a bit so we went to check them out. They were pretty picked over by that time and we didn’t find anything interesting.
Next on the agenda was laundry and we hit a good time at the laundry room. On the way back we stopped and asked Gilbert & Grace over for dinner & cards. Gilbert was helping Cliff put down wood flooring but Grace said they would be happy to join us.
Before we played Canasta, we showed pictures of our Maui trip. The last time we played Canasta, the guys were very lucky with wild cards. This time Grace & I managed to win even though we didn’t get our canasta in 7s (5000 points!) twice.

Jan 29th – Sun
We had no plans for today so that translates into a casino trip. We went to Casino 29 and were there for several hours before losing our allowances – and then some!
We went to examine the new floor at Cliff & Pauline’s and ran into Russ & Judy as we were leaving so we joined them for a drink. Terry just had time to snack on some chips before he went to play Texas Hold’em. I read a book and warmed up leftovers for dinner. When Terry got back – didn’t win anything – he warmed up leftovers for his dinner.

Jan 30th – Mon
Terry got out bikes out this morning and we went riding to see people. We chatted for a while with Larry & Barb. Larry has conjunctivitis (pink eye?) and spent a lot of time yesterday getting to see a doctor and getting some medication. He said he was feeling better. We picked up our forwarded mail and went through it. We went back & forth a couple of times to Cliff & Pauline’s motor home and their recently purchased park model but we didn’t find them at either place.
Just after we got back, Cliff came over to ask if we could pick up some furniture when they buy it. We invited them over for dinner which is why we were trying to find them in the first place. Cliff & Terry C. were installing and setting up a satellite dish for Cliff so they were a little later coming over than they thought they could but – who cares! After drinks, appies & dinner we taught them Ponytail Canasta. We were very even through 3 hands, Pauline & I pulled away by catching the guys without their 7’s and we ended up winning.

Jan 25th to 27th - DHS

Jan 25th – Wed
Terry played golf with the men’s club at 7:45 this morning and I enjoyed a bit of lazy time in bed before getting up to putter around and do the large blog entry for yesterday & Monday. I had just finished the blog when Terry got back – not a great game - and I made breakfast. I had a couple different partial loaves of bread and some thin buns in the cupboard when we went to Maui and none of them had mold! So I could actually make some meals without going to the grocery store.
We went for a walk which took us a long time to actually get anywhere as we kept stopping to talk to people. We ended up having a beer with Russ & Judy and then going next door to see Cliff & Pauline’s park model that they purchased while we were away. Actually, Terry was needed to help put up a beam where they opened up a wall so our timing was good.
I helped Judy & Laraine dip strawberries in chocolate while Terry worked at Cliff’s. Grace joined us women for a drink and then she & I went to pay for a golf tournament and stopped to see Bob & Doreen’s just purchased park model on the way. On the way back, we chatted for a while with Larry & Barb.
Back at Cliff & Pauline’s park model, I helped Terry C. put up some furring strips before we all stopped work due to lack of light. I actually had enough ingredients in the cupboard & freezer to make dinner then we dropped in on Larry & Barb for a chat & a drink.

Jan 26th – Thurs
Terry realized last night that his phone was no longer on his belt so he went to Cliff’s new place and crawled underneath again to recover it. Then he stayed to help with the construction. I went to the park kitchen to help Barb with lunch prep. Along with Laraine, we chopped coleslaw and made individual jello desserts for 160+ people. Terry had returned just before me so we got in the dirty truck and went shopping. First I checked at the hair salon and could go back in 15 minutes for a haircut. I have used this stylist previously and she did her usual good job. Then we went to WalMart, grabbed a burger for lunch and got groceries. We looked for a pink shirt for Terry for tomorrow’s golf tournament but no luck.
I took a couple of small loads of clothes to the laundry room and went next door to the kitchen to pull pork while the clothes were washing. There were 5 of us in the kitchen so we made short work of the job & cleanup.
Since we had a late lunch, we had a small dinner and then went to a dance here at the park. Matt Jenkins lives in the park and plays at the dances. He plays very danceable music and there was full house with a crowded dance floor. We were joined by Gilbert & Grace, Dave & Laraine and Russ & Judy so we had a lot of fun.

Jan 27th – Fri
We played in the Rally for the Cure golf tournament this morning at 8:24. Three teams play together in an alternate shot format. 2 of the par 3’s are KPs – one for women and one for men – so the alternate shot is waived for those holes. Make sense?! It is just for fun and to raise money so we didn’t even keep score.
When we finished, I got my good bread knife and we went to the kitchen to slice 15 dozen buns for lunch. Then we went to Leon & Marilyn’s for a drink along with Ronald & Diane who were the others in our golf group. It was back to the kitchen for me where the lunch prep was in full swing. The menu was pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, chips & a pickle slice with individual servings of jello mixed with Cool Whip and topped with a chocolate dipped strawberry for dessert. About 1:30 the “assembly line” started with Barb & Laraine assembling & cutting sandwiches, Mary & I putting the sandwiches on a plate and adding chips and Judy & Grace adding coleslaw & pickles. Phyllis was the “runner” getting whatever was needed and placing opened buns in place for Laraine & Barb. We had about 10 people serving the plates to 176 diners.
There were many items being raffled and auctioned so we didn’t finish until nearly 4. Luckily we were not on the cleanup committee! We went to see Jim & Debbie who just bought a new 5th wheel. Of course they had to pour us a drink and we visited for an hour before coming home and settling in for the rest of evening.

Jan 23rd to 24th - Maui to Palm Springs

Jan 23rd & 24th – Mon & Tues
Kathy & I made a large breakfast before Terry went golfing with Skip & Kathy, Pat & Donna, Dean and Lance. I went shopping with Debbie and Claudine. We went to Savers (like Goodwill) which Claudine loves and to Ross before stopping for a few groceries. Back at Claudine’s condo, we helped put food & suitcases where they belonged as Claudine & Lance and Pat & Donna moved to a different unit this morning and it hadn’t been cleaned yet.
We had just relaxed with snacks and a drink when the golfers arrived and joined us for a couple of drinks.
We had leftovers from last night but decided to thaw some steaks to go with rice fried with lots of veggies, garlic toast and sautéed mushrooms & onions for a great dinner. I had packed in the morning so we just had to finish a few items to be ready to head to the airport about 8. Luckily there was no wait to check our bags because by the time we went through security and walked the long halls to the departure gate, our plane was boarding. Yep, we were on the red eye back to Seattle.
The flight was long and uncomfortably warm with a couple of “beverage services” to break the boredom a bit. Terry slept on & off and I read most of the time. There wasn’t much turbulence but it was a little bouncy when we landed at 6:00 am PST in Seattle. We took the train to our departure terminal where we got coffee and a bagel for me. We had a 3 hour layover so Terry took a nap on a row of seats at the departure gate and I read some more.
We were a few minutes late leaving for an uneventful flight back to Palm Springs. This time it was cool enough in the plane to leave our light jackets on – better than too warm. It was very windy when we hard landed in Palm Springs. Stairs were set up at the rear door of the plane in addition to the jetway so we got off quickly only to wait & wait for the bags to arrive.
Larry picked us up and then we went to Smart & Final to get Barb who was grocery shopping. She is in charge of the luncheon on Friday for a golf tournament so she had 2 carts of groceries and was just ready to check out. We helped them unload the groceries and put them in fridges in the park kitchen and then we took them for a late lunch at Carl’s Jr. since neither we nor they even had breakfast.
We opened up the rig, reset the satellite dish, unpacked bags, downloaded pictures to the computer and hit the recliners. After a bit I put captions on pictures, we watched all the videos we took on the zip line trips and then I made a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. It was quite early (7:30?) when we decided to watch TV in bed and it didn’t take too long for both of us to fall asleep. Terry had many catnaps – not too refreshing – since we first started our trip back but I was operating on no sleep.

Jan 20th to 22nd - Maui

Jan 20th - Fri
We lazed around and had a nice breakfast. Terry & Skip went zip-lining again with some of our group who weren’t here for the first trip. They went later than we did the first time and it wasn’t cold. Kathy & I had Skip drop us off at a shopping center. We shopped, had a lovely, leisurely snack & drink at Longhi’s bar and then walked back 2 miles to the condo - it took us 45 minutes. It was quite hot and parts of the road were in full sunlight.
We changed into swimsuits and hit the pool to cool off. We had time to sunbathe (Kathy) and read (me) before the guys got back as they stopped for a drink.
We met “the entire group” (13 of us) for dinner at Café au Lei to celebrate Terry‘s birthday. We sat at adjoining tables with the women at one table and the men at the other. The women were noisier than the men until after a couple of drinks and then the men got a little rowdy. When we got back I tried without success to get a red wine stain out of Terry’s new T-shirt before we all crashed.

Jan 21st - Sat
We had some fruit for breakfast and then met “the group” for lunch & then golf at The Dunes. We had 12 players and we grouped 4 guys, 4 women and a mixed foursome of us and Lance & Claudine. It was very windy for the entire game. Our group didn’t do very well but we had fun - sometimes!! We all gathered for a couple of drinks and then carried on to Fred’s for Mexican food.
We got back about 8:40 and we all went to bed! A full day wears out the senior citizens!

Jan 22nd - Sun
We started by meeting 4 others for breakfast at a nice restaurant with an ocean view. We made a quick grocery store stop and came back to the condo where Kathy & I did some food prep for the 9 guests we were having over for dinner and the guys watched a golf tournament on TV. There was quite a bit of frozen meat so we figured having people over was a good way to use some up. We also took time to watch turtles & whales.
Just after golf finished and a football game started, our guests started arriving. Most of the guys watched football and the ladies enjoyed the lanai, whale watching and taking pictures of the sunset. Dinner was quite good if I do say so myself!
After the last guests left we played a game of Wizard and Kathy won!!!!

Jan 19th - Maui

Jan 19th - Thurs
We left just after 8 to go on a snorkeling boat trip. The departure point was not very far away but it was a good thing that we left early as the road was closed due to a bad car accident and we had a slight detour. Then we had to wind our way through a huge, beautiful hotel resort to the beach. There were 11 people from the group that we know here.
The large catamaran had been out for an early morning run and we watched the guests unload which was a little unnerving as we realized we had to get on the same way. The captain timed the waves and brought the boat near the sandy shore so the passengers could climb down 2 parallel sets of stairs into the surf and then wade ashore. Since we had to walk the opposite way through the breaking waves, an employee passed out small garbage bags to keep our towels, etc dry as we loaded.
We started by lining up the 60 or so passengers into 2 single file lines and waded into the water. When a larger wave came in, the employees had everyone back up while it cleared and then move forward again. I expressed my concern about losing a contact in the procedure but even though I lost my footing trying to move quickly, an employee kept me from going down completely.
We all moved to the cabin for a short safety talk and continental breakfast as we moved to Molokini crater. We all got snorkel equipment and had to wait just a bit to get a good site to tie up. Some brave people jumped off the side of the catamaran but most of us climbed down the stairs, put on flippers and eased into the clear, clear water. An employee did a reef tour and identified fish for those who wanted to join her. In 45 minutes we all reboarded and had a snack as the captain moved to the other side of the crater so we could snorkel in a different area without having to swim all the way over. This was a good thing as Terry & I were both getting leg cramps from the flippers. After this snorkel session of another 40 minutes, lunch was served and the bar opened - unlimited maitais and beer included in the price. We then moved to Turtle Town, saw a couple of whales on the way but not many turtles.
The captain unloaded us at an alternate beach with smaller waves and we just walked off the stairs into a foot or so of water. Passenger vans were waiting to take us back to the hotel and our cars.
Back at the condo, we all showered to get the salt off and Kathy & I started getting everything ready for our pupu party. At 4, everyone started arriving and we ended up with 15 people counting us & Skip & Kathy. We had a great time drinking, eating, talking, laughing & taking pictures. Everyone left about 8, we cleaned up and then played a game of Wizard before calling it a night. Kathy is determined to win a game of Wizard before we leave!!

Jan 16th to 18th - Maui

Jan 16th - Mon
We had lots of time for coffee & breakfast before heading to the middle of the island to play golf at Kahili GC. The guys even picked up some cleaning & groceries while Kathy & I cleaned up breakfast dishes and I posted my blog.
Our tee time was 10:56 and the sun was very hot. Shade & water were necessities. The group ahead of us was kind of slow and Terry & I hit our usual share of bad shots but other than that it was fun.
More friends of Skip & Kathy’s arrived today so we stopped for a drink with Lance & Claudine, Ken & Cheryl, Pat & Donna and Jessica. Back at the condo we made a great steak dinner and then played a game of Wizard.

Jan 17th - Tues
We went for breakfast this morning and tried an island specialty called Loco Moko. It is a patty of sticky rice, a hamburger patty, brown onion gravy and an over-easy egg on top. I had the mini (one of each) and Terry & Skip had the normal order with 2 of each. I would order it again.
At 10:30 we joined 6 others (Pat & Donna, Jim & Carol, Dean & Debbie) for golf at the nearby Wailea Blue GC. Terry & I did not have good games. I think part of my problem was playing 18 holes 2 days in a row as I am not used to it and just wear out. The golfers and 3 more people - Lance, Claudine & Jessica - had a couple of drinks at the golf course bar and then we all went to Jim & Carol’s hotel room for another drink before walking to Longhi’s restaurant for dinner. It was very expensive for the small servings of good, tastefully presented food. We were going to play Yahtzee when we got back but made the mistake of sitting around first which let Terry fall asleep.

Jan 18th - Wed
Skip & Kathy looked after some business on the computer & phone while I got breakfast ready to the point where Skip could make his special French toast. Then it was off to do a bit of shopping at a mall and then the grocery store. The whole group will be coming here tomorrow for pupus & drinks so we made a list of food and have to get the ingredients.
Before we went to Safeway, we had to stop for a drink at Longhi’s bar at the mall. When we got back and unpacked the groceries we had cheese, salami & crackers for “lunch”. Then Kathy & I put together some appies. The guys finally went to the beach with boogie boards and braved the waves. The boards were too small and Skip dragged on the sand when he tried to ride a wave into the beach. Kathy & I were ready to go to the pool when the guys came back so we all took a short swim to cool off.
We played Yahtzee and Wizard while cooking dinner and relaxed with some TV before going to bed early. It is amazing how tiring a lazy day can be!

Jan 13th to 15th - Maui

Jan 13th - Fri
The guys were kind of subdued today so it was a good thing that we didn’t have much planned. At 10, Skip & Kathy and Terry & I went to look at a condo that they considered when they were looking for a place to rent here. The rent was VERY high so they wanted to see what you got for your money. We saw a 3 bedroom unit on the 5th floor facing the ocean but you couldn’t even see the beach and you had to walk past other buildings in the complex quite a ways to get to the beach. Prices in that large complex are from $800 to $4000 PER DAY!
Then we all enjoyed whale watching and people watching from the patio. The patio/balcony on this 3rd floor unit goes all across the width of the living/dining room and has sliding glass doors & screens that disappear into 4 foot sections on both sides of the room. The whales are very active and we can see them spouting & breaching all day. Kathy & I went for a walk on the beach and found that the water was cooler than we expected by seeing the number of people in the water and the length of time they stayed in.
At 3 we went to a restaurant at a nearby golf course to have a drink and pupus - appetizers to most people. We played 3 games of Wizard (card game) when we got back and then made a nice late dinner.

Jan 14th - Sat
We went on a road trip to Lehaina today. We are staying on the southwest coast (Makena) and Lehaina is on the northwest coast. We actually drove past Lehaina and did some sightseeing first. Kathy’s brother Dave told her about a place for great hamburgers so we drove all over town looking for a parking spot and then found the restaurant - The Cool Cat Café. Dave was right, the burgers were great. We felt the need to walk and settle lunch so we first checked out a huge banyan tree in a park across from the restaurant and then walked & shopped down and back up the main street.
We stopped at a grocery store for a few items and then played more Wizard before making a late, light dinner. The whales were active again and interrupted the card games many times. Larry wanted to play another game of Wizard after dinner and we ended up going to bed after midnight.
The temperature here has been in the low 80’s but with quite high humidity so Kathy & I take turns mopping our brows. A slight breeze is welcome and does not feel at all cool.
I have to make a correction. What I have been calling a patio is really a lanai!

Jan 15th - Sun
Kathy thought Sunday deserved a nice breakfast so we did potatoes, bacon, eggs & toast. We were just enjoying the view & whales when a housekeeper came and was going to vacuum so we all grabbed a beer - Kathy’s orders! - and went for a walk on the beach to get out of his way. He was still finishing up when we got back so we went to the pool area for a short while.
We had cheese & crackers and such for “lunch” and played another game of Wizard. Skip & Terry took Larry to the airport at 2:30 and picked up a few groceries - again - on the way back. We played a new card game “3 to 13” while the ribs were cooking. After dinner we played Yahtzee with me winning 3 games out of 4 - just had to include that bit of info. It rained a bit before we went to bed.

Jan 10th to 12th - Maui HI

Jan 10th - Tues
Yes, I know there is a gap before this entry but things weren’t all that exciting and I am not going to fill in the pieces.
Our plane left at 7 this morning on the first leg of our trip to Maui. We had a stop in San Francisco on the way to Seattle. Alaska Air changed their flights after we made our reservations so we had a 5 ½ hour layover in Seattle instead of 3 hours. We talked to someone at the Alaska service desk and got permission to use the “Boardroom” (VIP lounge) while we were waiting. We had coffee, salad & soup there and then had fish & chips in the concourse shortly before we left for Maui at 5.
We had good weather and a tail wind so we landed early, got our bags and were picked up by Terry’s brother Skip and his wife Kathy who asked us to join them here. We didn’t stay up too late as we had a long day and were dealing with a 2 hour time change.

Jan 11th - Wed
It’s a good thing that our internal clocks were still 2 hours ahead as we had an 8 o’clock tee time this morning. We were joined by 4 friends of Skip & Kathy’s. Just as we got to the golf course, it started to rain lightly which produced a beautiful rainbow. The rain stopped after a couple of holes. The course was tough but we had a great time and then we all went to the restaurant at the golf course for a nice lunch.
We stopped at a couple of stores looking for dill weed - no luck! - and came back to the lovely condo on the beach where we are staying. We relaxed on the patio and watched the ocean before our golfing friends joined us for a drink. We had a late dinner and called it a day.

Jan 12th - Thurs
We had enough time for a nice breakfast before heading out for another adventure. We joined 5 members of the family who joined us for golf to go zip lining. We drove over an hour to get there and ended up at an elevation of 4200 feet. The web site suggested wearing long pants and the cool weather at that height almost made us wish that we had taken their advice.
Our group of 13 people got fitted with harnesses and walked less than ½ mile to the first zip line which was short but a good introduction to the whole process. A short walk brought us to the second line (across the same gully) which had a much steeper drop off. The third line was a little longer and fast enough that the fence behind the landing area was padded in case you didn’t get stopped quick enough. At each line, there was one employee at each end to hook you to the line and to stop and unhook you at the other end. The fourth line was longer yet and required the employee at the finish to stop you with a wood block on the cable. Then we had to cross the gully on a narrow suspension bridge to the final line which is unique in the zip line companies on Maui and is called the pendulum. You go very fast across the gully, past the landing dock and up the line which is fastened very high on a large tree. Some people actually hit the block on the end of the cable just before the tree. Gravity takes you back down past the landing dock again and part way back over the gully. After a pause, you head back to the landing dock. The employee grabs the feet of taller riders and has shorter riders grab a long pole to stop them and direct them to a rolling ladder to unhook and climb down. Whew!! A van picked us up for a short ride back to where we started and we got rid of our harnesses and helmets. The whole adventure was wonderful!
We stopped in Paia for lunch, stopped at a couple more stores, finally found dill weed and came home. We had time for a drink on the patio before Skip & Terry left for the airport to pick up their friend Larry who lives on the Big Island. Terry, Skip & Larry were teenage friends so they had a lot of fun reminiscing - which requires quite a bit of alcohol to keep the throats lubricated! We had a late dinner and the guys finally called it quits at 1:30

Jan 4th to 6th - Desert Hot Springs

Jan 4th – Wed
This was the quietest day that we have had for a long time. I called to wish sister Marg a Happy Birthday and chatted for quite a while. Terry nearly wore out the mouse playing games on the computer. After lunch we went shopping for a few groceries and I am still looking for some blouses - no luck. One more birthday call, this time to Ernie.
We sat outside watching TV & reading until it got too dark for reading for me and then too cool for Terry. Dinner & more TV & reading took up the rest of the evening.

Jan 5th – Thurs
I wanted to go to the outlet stores down Hwy 10 a ways so I suggested that I drop Terry off at the nearby casino and shop by myself. All I did was get totally discouraged by the lack of anything that I wanted and the fact that anything I liked did not fit. Time for a diet!!??
I went back to the casino, found Terry and we proceeded to lose our allowances. We stopped for a hamburger for a late lunch. When we got back, we saw that Larry & Barb were just parking so we gave them some time to set up and went over to say hi. They were going to Russ & Judy’s so we didn’t stay long.
At 4:30 I went to the laundry room and asked Terry to start dinner at 5:30 by turning the heat on under a pan of chicken thighs & Yoshida sauce. I said he had to watch it and turn it way down once it boiled. When I got back, I could smell the burned odor as soon as I got out of the truck. The chicken was fine but the stove was a burned, sticky mess. The extra bad news was I finally really cleaned the stove top about 2 weeks ago!

Jan 6th – Fri
Terry’s scramble tee time was 8:18 so he left about 7:45. I got to stay in bed for a while as my tee time was 9:38. Luckily I went up about ½ hour early as my group was second up on the 1st tee. The tee times at the end of the scramble overlapped some other times and we were encouraged to play as quickly as possible without affecting our games. A sunny day and great golfing partners made for a wonderful game even though we ended up 2 over. Lunch at 12:30 was a good hamburger & all the trimmings.
We were driving out when we saw Larry & Barb were home so we stopped to tell them that we made a tee time for tomorrow. We visited a bit and ended up inviting them over for drinks & dinner. We made a quick trip for groceries and I put a pork loin in the crock pot. Cliff & Pauline had just set up across the wash so we had to go say hi and have a beer with them and Terry & Eileen.
After dinner, we all went to the hall for a “Show & Dance”. A trio played mostly horns and presented a “musical revue of songs that shaped our lives” for the first hour and then some dance music for 40 minutes after a break. The dance music was OK but not exactly our cup of tea.

Dec 31st to Jan 3rd - Mesa to Desert Hot Springs CA

Dec 31st – Sat
We left at 11:40 to go to Filly’s as the band North Star is playing from 1 to 5. We wanted to get a table for a group but ended up with only 8 seats as there were a lot of people there already. We could have grabbed a table on the upper level but we wanted to be closer to the dance floor & band. Ernie & Dianne, Larry & Julie and Neal & Judy joined us. I think about 80% of the people there were from our park as the band leader Steve Stairs lives in the park and we were all there to support him.
We left at 3 and stopped at a couple of stores looking for steaks for dinner tomorrow. We had leftovers for dinner and at 8:30 went to Fiesta community center for a New Year’s Eve gathering. When we got there, a few tables of people were playing cards and some musicians were just setting up so we decided to go to a casino instead. It took us until midnight to finally lose our allowances. We saw quite a few fireworks on the drive home.

Jan 1st – Sun
We didn’t have much to do to get ready to leave so we finished up and then went for a walk to say goodbye to a few people that we didn’t see yesterday. After we pulled in the slides we checked tire pressure and had to get out the pump to top up the 5th wheel tires. We told everyone that we would leave at 10 and we pulled out at 9:59.
Traffic was light so the drive was easy. We stopped for diesel at a truck stop just before Quartzsite and paid less than our last fill in Mesa - $3.76. When we got to Clem & Marlene’s, they were working on a bathroom remodel in their garage and were happy to drop what they were doing to get us parked. We sat the rest of the afternoon to catch up on everything and then I made a nice steak dinner but used their BBQ, dishes and – best of all – dishwasher!

Jan 2nd – Mon
Marlene made a very good breakfast. We watched the Rose Bowl parade during and after breakfast until it ended at 11. We stopped at Spotlight 29 casino on the way to our RV park where Terry lost his allowance and I came out $10 ahead.
There were 2 rigs in line to check in but it didn’t take long to get our paperwork done. The “parkers” were all busy and since we had been here before we were told to go ahead and park ourselves which we prefer. The sites here are narrow but we could park a long ways back and put the electric post between 2 slides which leaves us lots of room to park the truck and enough space for chairs in front of the outside TV.
After setting up we took a walk to see who was here. We ended up having a drink with Terry & Eileen. We didn’t have lunch so I was starting an early dinner when Gilbert & Grace came over. When they visited us in Mesa they said they would make us dinner when we arrived but they weren’t home the couple of times we walked past their place. They told us to come over in ½ hour so we used the time to get the local channels changed on our satellite.
We had a nice dinner and then taught Gilbert & Grace to play Ponytail Canasta. Unfortunately for Grace & I, the guys were lucky with cards and won every hand.

Jan 3rd – Tues
Terry borrowed a rake from Gilbert to smooth out the rocks before putting down our mat. He put out chairs, etc and then we washed the outside of the windows. We back up to a wash so our rear blind will be open most of the time which requires a clean window. A neighbor across the road – Alice - dropped by to introduce herself.
After breakfast we went to sign up for the golf scramble on Friday and buy a punch card for golfing. We made a tee time for 1 and stopped to see Leon & Marilyn who bought a park model last March. We had a beer with them and then hurried back to get our clubs.
The golf course is in mediocre shape but the weather was wonderful so it was nice to play. Once again we didn’t have lunch so we sat outside watching TV and I made a salad to tide us over until dinner. We asked some neighbors over but it didn’t work for them so they will come over tomorrow.