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| May, 2012 - CA |
May 28 - 31, 2012 - AZ
Monday, May 28. It's Memorial Day and I want to thank all those who are now or have served our country in the military. They made huge sacrifices in their lives so we could have our freedom.
Our day started out real nice with a Skype conversation with Ben, Jill, and Charlotte. It sure does help to stay in touch and actually see them now and then. I just want to reach out and hug them all. Charlotte has become much more proficient at crawling and pulling herself up on the furniture.
Not much got done around here today, as we were both tired and lazy. We have decided to move our bedroom into the small bedroom so we have more living space for computing, guitar playing, sewing, and guests. We don't spend a lot of time in the bedroom so we're going to give it a try. We did move the computer table into our bedroom and attempted to relocate the internet modem and wireless router but learned that we didn't have enough cable to do the job. While doing that, Mike came up with a different plan so we put that on the back burner.
Tuesday, May 29. I worked really hard today. Mike had to take the car in for service this morning, so I thought I would get started on the room switch-around. By the time he got home, I had the bookshelf switched and the bed in the new room,and the window covers had been switched. By then, it was time to have a bite to eat and take a nap.
We had only been asleep a short time when the doorbell rang. I got up and went to both doors but nobody was at either of them. I did see a service truck next door so can only assume that they went to the wrong house first.
There was no getting back to sleep so I worked on getting the closets switched. I think it's going to work out well. The bedroom is uncluttered and I think it will be quieter on that side of the house - the AC and furnace won't be heard as well. Poor Frisco is unsure of what's going on again, he just sits and watches my every move.
Wednesday, May 30. Another busy day... After my walk this morning, I headed down to the pool for water exercise - boy, did that feel good. It was nice to see the usual group of gals and get in a great workout.
Back to the project. Things are getting organized and put away and looking pretty darned good. Mike's project for the day was to make another attempt at getting the "service engine" light to go out on the motor home. Another can of Seafoam treatment and some premium gas to top it off didn't do the trick, so we dropped it off at a nearby garage to have them check it out. Mo money, mo money, mo money, in the endless pit called an RV. I shouldn't complain, as the Bravo has been good to us.
We're getting back into our retirement lifestyle, Jan and Jim came over for happy hour, some snacks, and a good chat. I hadn't planned anything for dinner, so a grilled cheese in front of the TV was enough dinner for us.
Thursday, May 31.. Here it is, the last day of May and it's going to top 105 degrees again. I met up with Jan this morning and wedwelled 1.5 loops around the park and then I rose my bike once around with Mike. He continued in for another loop andI headed back home.
After my shower, I took off for Costco to stock up on staples and Superstition Ranch Market for produce. That is the only place I know of where you can walk out with 3 bags full of groceries and only send $20.00. The don't carry a lot of organics but it's all fresh and probably comes from the same place as most produce in the grocery stores.
Mike wanted to replace some of his shirts and shorts so we went shopping for that stuff this afternoon and stopped at In N Out burger for late lunch. I just woke up from a nap.
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May 21 - 27, 2012 - AZ
Monday, May 21.. As we were driving home from California last week, I was experiencing some blurred vision, so the next time I drove I switched to my sunglasses and it seemed better. When I mentioned it to Mike he said to get them checked right away, but I just shrugged him off. Last night when we were watching the eclipse, I thought the palm trees were looking blurry. This morning, I called the optometrist and they had an appointment available today. My eyes are healthy, just changing with age and I'm starting to develop a cataract - no need for alarm - just another age related body change. Yuck!
Mike woke up early this morning with some serious stomach problems and we' re blaming it on Dos Gringo's. He has felt better throughout the day but has been under the weather and not felt much like putting anything in it.
I went back to Best Buy to switch the white microwave for a black one and they tried to charge me an additional $30.00 as the sale ended yesterday. They were decent about it and I got it for the sale price.
Tomorrow is carpet cleaning day so little by little I've been getting ready for that. Hopefully, there won't be another one in the future as I would like to pull it out and replace the carpet like we did in the living/dining rooms.
Right now, I'm sitting on the patio enjoying the slightly cooler temps, it's dropped down below 90 and there is a slight breeze. Not bad!
Wednesday, May 23. Yesterday was cleaning day, Stanley Steamer for the carpets, and Rose's Maid Service for the rest of the house. Mike has been waiting for the maintenance light to come on in the car and it did on Monday while I was out and about. So he spent 3-4 hours at the Honda dealer getting it taken care of. Funny, it sure seems to run better after getting new fluids and everything adjusted that needed adjusting.
This morning, we went to pick Bob and Penny up at their hotel near the airport. Penny had a business trip to LA so they combined that with some vacation time there and then flew here last night. After dropping off their luggage at the house, we went to LoLo's Chicken and Waffles for lunch.
I chose a Rachael Ray recipe for dinner: Tuscan Grilled Tuna Steaks and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms - we all pitched in and it all turned out yummy!
Thursday, May 24.. We were up and off to the Grand Canyon after Penny went for a run, Bob worked out, and we all went for a walk. It seems strange not to have Frisco around, he is spending the next few days with Princess Caroline, Danny and Ariana. The Lady and the Tramp are together again.
The drive north was uneventful and we sure had some interesting conversations and as always, plenty of good laughs. We stopped st Grandma's Kitchen in Flagstaff for lunch - their soup and salad bar was delicious, served with warm homemade bread and great service.
We got to the visitors center and headed for the rim to observe the spectacular giant hole in the ground with the teeny ribbon of river flowing through it. We hopped on the free shuttle and stopped off at every other viewpoint along the western side of the canyon. Our motel reservations were back in Flagstaff, it almost 9:00 when we checked in, hauled our luggage to the room and then headed for the restaurant where they were serving until 10:00. Our friendly waitress was great and we all opted for their special turkey dinner and a bedtime *bleep*tail.
It was a full day of touring with delightful company. Pictures to follow, as I have not figured out now to add them when using the iPad.
Friday, May 25.. We awoke to a cool 55 degrees this morning, a shock to my system after the heat we have been experiencing in Mesa. The drive to Sedona is gorgeous, through hilly Pine forest and then red rock formations as you get closer to Sedona.
We did some shopping and had some lunch before heading back home. Penny is a dedicated Costco shopper, so we made a run to get steaks for dinner. After dinner, we watched a stand-up comedy show with Jake Johannson - some good, clean comedy.
Saturday, May 26. It was a nice, cool morning for our walks. Frisco is staying with Ariana another day, so we decided to check out the light rail and go inti Phoenix for the day. I thought for sure that we could find some entertainment but there really isn't much going on this weekend.
We drove to the transfer station on the east side of Mesa and headed for the Ro-Ro neighborhood, an arts district area of the city that has been in a major rejuvenation process for the last 5 years. It had been an area of boarded up buildings and crack houses. There wasn't much open and would require quite a bit of walking, so we hopped back on the train and headed to Mill Avenue in Tempe. We checked out a few shops and had a snack at an outdoor patio where we could people watch and enjoy the beautiful day.
On the way back home, I was in the lead to board the train when the door closed behind me before Mike, Bob, or Penny could board. I had a section to myself until the next stop when a couple of homeless guys got on with their bikes. They were just hanging out together when the bike next to me fell down. Toothless black guy came over to pick the bike up, asked me to hold his grocery bag with a bottle of booze, then picked up his bike and apologized. I was getting a little freaked because he kept wanting to converse but then left me alone. I got off at the end of the line and waited for the rest of our group near a hot dog stand by the transfer station. Thanks to cell phones, I could stay in touch with Mike. It was a scary experience and I don't think I would feel comfortable riding the train by myself, although I'm sure I could learn about city ways and precautions while traveling alone.
We went to Vito's Italian Restaurant for dinner and had a yummy meal with plenty left over for tomorrow night's dinner.
Sunday, May 27. Bob and Penny fly out later this afternoon but before they left, we had brunch at our house with Monica, Nan, and Dale. Monica hasn't seen them since our family reunion in 2003 and it was long before that for Nan. As always, we had great food and plenty of good conversation. The weather was so nice that we were able to sit out on the patio.
Pat called and we had a nice long conversation this evening. It was warmer there today than it was here.
I was relieved to hear that Bob and Penny got back home safely. It was a really nice time and I really enjoy having visitors but they wore us old folks out.
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May 14 - 20, 2012 - CA, AZ
Monday, May 14. It felt just like a normal Monday for us this morning until we started securing things to get ready to drive. As usual, it was 10:30 before we took off but we made good time (considering we're cruising at about 57 mph) and didn't have to deal with a lot of traffic.
We had both forgotten how long it takes to get from I-5 to our night's stop on the east side of Bakersfield. There is about 35 miles of two-way highway driving with lots of stop lights along the way. Bakersfield Palms RV park is our resting place for the night - I think it is the 3rd time we have stopped here on our travels - and we didn't remember the railroad track that runs right along the park. Hope we get some sleep tonight.
Jill was a real sweetheart and texted 2 photos of Charlotte today. She's off on a new adventure tomorrow - her first day at daycare. I'm praying that it goes well for all of them.
Tuesday, May 15 Bakersfield, CA to Quartzite, AZ. What a long day. We started out by 9:30 stopped around 6:00, with a couple of refueling stops. Our original plan was to stop for the night at Needles but we needed gas and it was almost $5/gallon on the California side. The plan changed to getting gas in AZ at $3.75 and continue on to Quartzite - reducing the length of the drive tomorrow. There is nothing in Quartzite and were in the middle of the overnight lot all by ourselves. My campground directory said the rate was 50% off but the registration info said $32. I put a check in the envelope for $16 with an explanation - well see if we hear anything when the office opens in the morning.
Again, the Bravo didn't let us down, but it got pretty close to overheating at one point. Mike nursed it along, shut off the dash AC and ran the generator and the roof AC to cool us down. We also plugged in a fan and that kept it pretty comfortable.
We heard from Ben that Charlotte did well on her 1st day at daycare. She eve took a good nap in the afternoon. I felt really relieved when I heard that news. Jill has been great about sending photos. I miss her already and am getting teary just thinking about her now.
Wednesday, May 16. We were all screwed up on the time zone last night, ended up changing the clocks ahead and this morning realized that it wasn't necessary. Arizona is the same as California in the summer and the same as Colorado in the winter - always in the Mountain Time Zone but doesn't observe daylight savings time. Because of our confusion, we were on the road by 7:30 instead of 8:30 as we thought.
We pulled up in front of our house at 10:30 and started the long process of unloading. We've really got it down now, so it wasn't too bad in spite of the heat - about 102 degrees at 4:00. By then, we had done all we were going to do today. Jan and Jim brought over a couple of beers and we had a nice little chat with them.
It's really quiet around here, most of the winter people have gone and the pool is not open either - it had to be emptied because of some disaster. We're disappointed, as we have been looking forward to a swim.
I was surprised to see that all of my plants survived the winter and are looking good. That really makes me happy that I chose plants that would make it without supplemental water.
Friday, May 18.. We had a great Skype visit with Jill and Charlotte yesterday afternoon. She really lit up when she saw her grandpa - I got a little smile.
I was awake at the crack of dawn this morning, 4:45 - I really don't like that, but I sure can't lay in bed. It was still pretty cool when I walked Frisco and I was full of energy when I got back home. I started to clean up the weeds in the yard and even did some pruning while the last 2 loads of laundry were finishing.
The Bravo is unloaded and cleaned, the laundry is done, and today is the day to get the Emissions test done. Unfortunately, the "Service Engine Soon" light is on, so Mike had to get some treatment for the gas, then we filled it and drove, in hopes that the light would go out. Darn! We ended up going back home and are hoping to have better luck this afternoon.
Jan and Jim had us over for dinner last night and they fixed chipotle chicken breast, roasted sweet potatoes, edamame, and fruit salad - yum! Yum! And I didn't have to cook. It sure is nice to have lots of friends. In fact, we have plans with Nan and Dale on Sunday. We will see Allan and Sharon on Monday - still haven't met their puppies that they got just after we left in November - and they will be taking off for the summer next Friday.
Sunday, May 20.. What a whirlwind this week has been from tucking away the RV to organizing the house, to connecting with friends, to grocery shopping and yard work. Yesterday I worked on cleaning the patio and carport in the hopes that getting rid of the dust on the outside will keep the inside clean-not sure if that is sensible logic, but I hope so. At least we won't be tracking as much in on our feet.
I was making popcorn yesterday afternoon when I saw a puff of smoke comings out the top of the microwave. It melted the top center of the door and the inside frame. We took it back to Best Buy and were glad that we had the warranty so they just switched it out. Got it home and regretted that I chose the white model-all of our other appliances are black. So guess what we are doing again tomorrow. Sometimes I wonder how I can be so stupid.
I did some pruning on the Palo Verde tree this morning, after giving it a good soak. It was looking pretty trashy and bush-like, it's looking much better now.
We met up with Nan and Dale at Dos Gringos for lunch and a drink. It was nice to see them again.
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May 7 - 13, 2012 - CA
Monday, May 7. Next week's section title will no longer be written from "CA". This is our last week here and I have mixed emotions about it; looking forward to getting back to our retirement lifestyle but dreading that we won't be seeing Charlotte for a couple of months. She is going to change so quickly during that time - could even be walking by early July when I come back for a couple of weeks.
We got a lot done today - disconnected the Bravo to fill up on propane, stocked up on groceries, and got one of our roof vent covers cleaned. That was a job that has been on the list since we got here, they became covered with dust when a dust storm rolled through Mesa last fall. The roof vents come with a cover that is operated by a turn handle on the inside. On top of that is a Max-Air vent cover that allows you to have the vents open, even in the rain - those covers had to be removed in order to get to the regular cover that was dirty. Unfortunately, one of the bolts couldn't be removed because it is stripped, thus the kitchen vent couldn't be cleaned. Mike will have to cut the bold and replace it with one that works. Always something.
In the evening, we sat outdoors and enjoyed the weather while having a *bleep*tail and grilling chicken. It was a nice day, overall.
Tuesday, May 8. Charlotte was a bit out of sorts this morning, as her regular nap schedule was "off" for the past 3 days. It took a bit of story reading, rocking, and calming by both of us to get her down for her morning nap. When I put her in her high chair to feed her some solids about 2-hours later, she couldn't keep her eyes open and went down for her afternoon nap quite willingly. After that, she was her usual silly energetic self and we really had fun playing around.
Friday, May 11. Oh my, the thought came to me when I was getting ready this morning that this is our last day of being granny nannies for Charlotte - at least for this time around. I refuse to think that we won't be spending blocks of time with her in the future, perhaps not playing this role, but she is going to be a big part of our lives.
The weather is expected to be nice today, so will will have to do something fun with her, even if it is a walk to the neighborhood park to play and watch the other kids - maybe even a picnic. Whatever we do, she's going to be loaded with kisses.
Yesterday was a nice day, we got some house cleaning done and it felt good to relax. I was even lazy about dinner and had frozen pizza - the California Kitchen brand is pretty darned good.
Naturally, I spent time on the computer - found an Ancestry app for the iPad and then had to upload my family tree record. The crappy wifi in this park made for 4 failed attempts. I'm trying it one more time and if that doesn't work, I will take my PC to Ben's and use his wireless.
Sunday, May 13.. Happy Mother's Day! But then for me, it's a sad one too.
We headed in to have brunch with the family at Absinthe, a very nice restaurant in Hayes Valley. The food was delightful and little Charlotte was well behaved and sat there having Cheerios, eggs, and toast with us. She got a little impatient towards the end but really was good.
While she napped, we took care of travel arrangements for the end of June when I will come back to fill in for the daycare providers while they are closed for vacation. I'm glad that only about 7 weeks will pass before I will be able to see her again.
The hard part was saying goodbye, looking up and seeing the 3 of them waving to us from the window just broke my heart. Dang - too bad we can't just all move into one big house together.
On the way home from brunch, Jill was telling me that she read that rents in the city have increased 20% over the last year and that an efficiency apartment can go for $1500/month - that is just crazy - they should stay where they are where rent controls dictate that it can only go up 10% a year and their landlady hasn't raised their rent a lot in the last 8 years.
We now have to look forward to frequent visits and Skype or Facetime phone calls - I sure don't Charlotte to forget us.
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May 1 - 6, 2012 - CA
Thursday, May 3. Liquid sunshine is the order of the day, so we planned to just stay inside and do little or nothing. It turns out that we both spent a lot of time on the computer - imagine that. I've been trying to organize my user names and passwords so bought an app for the iPad and have been putting in those that we use most often. The wireless connection at Marin Park is not very good, so it took quite a while. We did end up figuring out how to synchronize it will both iPhones and Mike's Mac. Yay!
The last 2 days with Charlotte have been so much fun. She is squirming and creeping along the floor - can get where she wants to go, but it's hard work for her because she hasn't quite figured out the crawling thing. Her little knees are red from the activity. She's changing so quickly - her hair is coming in dark brown and is getting longer and thicker as the days go by - how beautiful! It really accents those gorgeous blue eyes.
Team Casey for the Brain Tumor Walk on Saturday has exceeded it's goal of $1,000 although neither Mike or I have reached our personal goal. Regardless, we appreciate the generosity of our family and friends for this worthwhile cause. The weather is predicted to be very nice for the event.
Saturday, May 5. Team Casey raised a total of $1595.00. Many thanks to everyone that sponsored us. This was the first event of this type that Mike and I have done and we both feel that it was very rewarding, but also quite emotional. As we stood looking around the crowd of people gathered at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park, I was overcome with a sad, sad, feeling, much like how I felt when I visited The Wall in Washington, D.C. The realization that every one of those people (183 teams in all) have either suffered themselves or lost loved ones to brain tumors - it was just overwhelming. And that doesn't come close to those we love that we have lost to other forms of cancers. Sad, Sad, Sad!
The weather was gorgeous and we were comfortable walking in t-shirts. The aroma of Eucalyptus and evergreens was delightful. We didn't make it all of the way to the end of the walk for several reasons; Jill had to work at 2:00, Charlotte was awake the entire time and was getting cranky and tired, and Mike was feeling like he had enough too. Fortunately, the car was parked near Spreckel�??s Lake where we decided to give it up.
We headed back home to get a nap in (not sure if 10 minutes counts as a nap) before getting ready for our night on the town with Ben and Jill.
Ben called an Zuni Cafe, a restaurant that has been in business on Market Street since 1979, they offer a menu that changes twice daily. Naturally, we started at the bar with fancy schmancy *bleep*tails and watched as the bartender displayed his skills.
Once seated at our table, Ben and Jill convinced us to try oysters in the half shell - nope, in all of our 64 years, we have never tried them before and they are rookies too. Our waiter suggested that we sample 3 different varieties from Drakes Bay (just north of San Francisco), Washington, and British Columbia and he described their flavors to us. Not bad! I will definitely try them again and kind of feel it may be a taste that is acquired over time.
Our menu choices varied from the Chicken for Two (Ben and Jill), Beef Rib Steak (Mike), and Sea Bass (Me). All were delicious and were enjoyed with a nice bottle of wine and good conversation at our table that faced the windows on busy Market Street. We passed on the dessert because there was talk of a stop at Bob�??s for fresh out-of-the-fryer donuts before we headed home.
We tried to hail a taxi as we walked in the direction of our next stop, Bourbon and Branch, a speakeasy that has been in operation since prohibition. We walked a long way before finally getting a cab that was available. If you have a reservation (we didn�??t), you give the attendant at the door a password to get in. The Library is open to customers without a reservation and the décor was very much like it had been in the past. We all chose to have Whiskey Old Fashioned and that is exactly what it was - whiskey and some flavoring. Again, the bartender demonstrated his skills as each was mixed individually. It wasn�??t quite as hard to find a cab to go home, but none of them prefer to go as far as Outer Richmond, but our driver was nice and took the fare anyway. Mike was happy that he finally got a chance to ride in a Prius.
Sunday, May 6. I offered to let Ben and Jill sleep in again, so I was greeted by Charlotte at 6:30 this morning. She is so mellow and sweet in the morning and we played quietly in our bed for close to an hour before it was time to give her some breakfast. We headed home shortly after that, as we were both tired and they had a busy day ahead of them.
A night on the town really tires us out these days but it was so much fun and we have to do it more often. We lazed around all day, getting in a couple of short walks and lots of reading and relaxing. By 4:00 this afternoon, I had to turn on the AC as it was over 80 degrees in the motor home. That is the first time that it has run since we arrived here in November.
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Created on 05/01/2012 12:43 PM by bridge
Updated on 05/31/2012 06:40 PM by bridge
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