June 25 - 30, 2012 - AZ, CA
Monday, June 25.. I heard little voices coming from Charlotte's room and just couldn't wait to see her. She just stared at me for a bit, then a little smile formed, and she reached out to me and started squirming (one of her signs of excitement) - and big old tears formed in my eyes. What a great way to start the day!
Jill doesn't work on Monday so we headed for the zoo and rode the calliope and checked out the petting zoo. Charlotte was a little unsure of the ride, although she was definitely interested in checking it all out. She loved the animals.
She has changed so much in the last 6 weeks, improved coordination, jabbers all of the time, pulling up, squatting, and going from standing to sitting. She loves to eat and is good at it too; likes jus about everything she is given.
Wednesday, June 27.. Charlotte is napping, Ben and Jill are off to work, and I'm just taking advantage of the quiet. I think we will go for a walk to the library this morning when she wakes up. The weather has been awesome; sunny and almost 70 degrees-perfect for open windows and walks wearing only a light jacket. It was a little cool last night when Ben and I walked Ruby as we were going into the wind from the ocean. Anyway, it feels quite refreshing after the heat of Arizona.
We headed for the library, only to find that it doesn't open until noon. That's not going to work so we just went for a nice long walk around the neighborhood. This afternoon, we were playing on the couch and she was kind of climbing all over me, she moved her face to mine and planted 3 big kisses right in my cheek. She knows how to make her grandma cry tears of happiness.
Ben and I baked a Cuban Banana Bread from Maida Heatter Cake book. The recipes are a bit more complicated than some, but are tried and true. When Jill got home, she brought us some Tres Leches cake that she had made the night before for a birthday at work. Yum, Yum!
Friday, June 29. Congratulations and best wishes to my dear friend on her retirement yesterday! I'm looking forward to hanging out together more.
The last 2 days have been busy, busy, busy. Jill and I took Charlotte to the Discovery Museum in Sausolito yesterday. What a fun place with so many things to do. We went to the Tot Spot and explored the wetlands where they had wobbly water-filled ponds with lily pads. She was quite curious and willing to check out the unknown, even crawled through a tunnel by herself. She also walked on different textured floors and was able to climb and walk along the padded walls.
Ben's workplace, Flickerbox, had an open office party last night to celebrate their new location. They had local taco truck provide the food. Unfortunately, we could only stay a short time as Jill had a client coming in for a haircut and Charlotte needed to get to bed on time. We only stayed along enough to meet some of his co-workers and have a quick taco that was delicious. We drove by the salon, Jill hopped out and I took Charlotte home to bed.
Today we hung around the house until sbout 4:00 when it was time for the cleaning lady to come and then Charlotte and I went to the nearby library. This was a new experience for her too and I think she liked it. The library was recently renovated and is quite nice. About a half-hour was long enough there, so we headed to the park for some playground time.
Saturday, June 30. Jill had an opening at the salon this morning, so I went in for a much needed haircut. When I arrived, the salon was bustling with activity, as they were in the midst of doing a wedding party that included the bride, 4 attendants, and the mother of the groom. They were all having a great time.
When Charlotte went down for her nap, Ben and I took one too. Not long after we all woke up, Jill got home and we walked to Oyabi Restaurant for sushi. It was the first that I have had in a long time and was very tasty except for the mackerel that we tried and no me of us liked it as it was salty and had a weird texture.
Back home, we made Chocolate Chip cookies and attempted to watch Sherlock Holmes and none of us were much interested in that.
|
June 18 - 24, 2012 - AZ
Wednesday, June 20. The last 3 days have been busy and lots of fun. Our long-time friends, Mary and Lance, came for a visit. The last time we saw them was at their home in Oxnard, CA a little more than a year ago. We had planned to go see them while we were in San Francisco but it didn't work out, as they were caring for their geriatric dog, Garbo, who passed away about 6 weeks ago. They are now without pets and have the freedom to do some traveling. As always, we welcomed them with open arms and have been having a great time.
On Monday, it was late afternoon before we could pick up a certified check for the Miata at the credit union so we decided to pick it up tomorrow. Mary and Lance expressed an interest in going with us to Tucson to get it. It seems like the Bridge's always have some kind of adventure going on when they visit us. The last time was in 2007 when we were living at the RV park in Pacifica and it was the day that we got Frisco, so we picked him up and traipsed with him all around the city. We had a nice dinner together and lots of good conversation to catch up on the last year and a half since we had we had all been together.
Tuesday was the day to pick up our new cruiser, a 1991 Mazda Miata, Special Edition for that year (number 1485 of 4000 built). Because it is a Special Edition, it came with AC, cruise control, tan leather interior, electric windows, a glass rear window and the original owner opted to get the ABS brake package and the hard top. It has been very gently used with only 67,000 miles on it. There are a few little dings in the paint and a couple of dimples, but it is really clean, clean, clean.
Before we could pick the car up, we went to the Tohono Chul Park Tearoom for lunch and to browse the gardens, gift shop, and plant sale area. Many thanks to Sharon and Allen for the great recommendation. Mary had requested that we visit a place where she could shop for succulents but I was the only one to purchase a plant, she will be doing her shopping in my yard.
The car transaction went quickly and we were on the road, taking the scenic route through Florence to get back home. It hugged the road and purred like a kitten all the way home. I think Mike's months of research and looking paid off.
Today was a lazy day, it was nearly 11:00 before we even had any breakfast. Later in the afternoon, we went to downtown Mesa and browsed the SunDust Art Gallery. I stumbled on a really nice watercolor of some barrel cactus in the bargain basement for $25 - my first southwestern art. We all agreed it that the colors would look really nice in our living room.
From there, we went to Lo-Lo's in Scottsdale for chicken and waffles since Lance told us that he really likes fried chicken. As usual, that was really tasty.
Thursday, June 21. It was a nice, relaxing morning and we all slept in for a while. I fixed a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, and banana bread and we sat around the table talking until it was time for Mary and Lance to get on the road. We all decided that since we are only a day's drive apart, we will try to connect more often. It so great being with long-time friends, you are just plain comfortable being together and it always turns out to be a good time.
Mike took care of getting the Miata licensed this afternoon, starting with an emissions inspection. It passed with flying colors and other than waiting in a long line at the DMV, he got that project crossed off the list.
After dinner, we took a drive out through the Tonto National Forest and watched the sun go down. I think we will be quite happy with our little car.
Sunday, June 24. Well, I was wide awake at 4:00 this morning, the sun was rising and I heard the clock chime. What woke me up was thinking if I was wrong about leaving for San Francisco on Monday when I got an email to check in for my flight last night. That can only be done 24 hours before the flight, so I must be leaving on Sunday instead. Sure enough, I checked my email and I need to be ready to leave today. No problem, I had nothing going on today, so what can be better than going to visit Ben, Jill, and Charlotte again.
I got a text from Ben at about 6:45 asking if I was awake. I was just leaving to walk with Frisco, so called him back when I got back home and we had a Facetime conversation. Charlotte was having her breakfast and was quite happy, as usual - except when her face gets washed. Her crawling and walking along the furniture skills have improved greatly since we left there 6 weeks ago. Can't wait to hang out!
Its a good thing that I watered all of the plants yesterday, probably won't have time to do it today. I also had to go to Home Depot to find a pot for Jan's plant that broke last week and I got that taken care of.
We didn't do much yesterday except have our neighbor, Arlene over for dinner. She is fun to talk to and enjoys getting out of the house now and then.
Mike fixed a yummy breakfast this morning and we took a little drive through the national forest. I'm so glad that we can easily escape the city in just a few minutes. As we drove near the Lower Salt River, there was a bustle of activity as it is a popular boating and tubing spot.
We both got in a little nap before I had to get to the airport. What a piece of cake. I arrived way too early and then the flight was delayed about 20 minutes because the passenger compartment was too hot - like 120 degrees too hot. They got it cooled down and we were on our way. Ben picked me up in Oakland and it was about 11:15 by the time we got to his house, chatted with Jill for a bit and we all hit the sack.
|
 |
June 11 - 17, 2012 - AZ
Tuesday, June 12. Where did yesterday go? I did a couple of loads of laundry, watered some plants, vacuumed, talked on the phone, and then later on we went to see Jan and Jim's new RV. They just bought a brand new 40' Montana 5th Wheel - wow! What a beauty - complete with full-size fridge, an island kitchen, tall, tall ceilings, and nice decor. Some of their neighbors played a practical joke on them by putting "No Parking" signs in front of their house. Unfortunately, Jan didn't take it as a joke and got pretty stressed about it.
This morning wasn't fun at all, especially for Mike. As I've written earlier that he broke a tooth and also that we are going to the dental school for our treatments. He called yesterday about the broken tooth and was told to be at the school by 7:30 in the morning and if he was one of the first 5 patients to arrive, they would check it out. They did see him but they were unable to treat him. The tooth that broke (last tooth on his top left side) had a cavity above the crown and that cavity is also spreading to the wisdom tooth next to it. When he had his first 2 wisdom teeth removed at age 20-something, he got very ill and never went back to have the other 2 extracted. Well, now he's going to have to have that one taken out too. The extraction is beyond the scope of the students at the school and he now has an appointment for oral surgery next week on Thursday. Talk about stress! The good thing is that he has no pain from the tooth that broke but they told him that it probably won't be long before he gets pain from that wisdom tooth. Poor Mike.
I went to Costco this afternoon and stocked up on meat - the freezer will be running more efficiently now as it has something in it to keep cold. Cost-wise, I think this approach makes sense. I'm so used to stocking up the motor home's teeny fridge, that this one always is empty. No more.
Wednesday, June 13. By 10:30 this morning, we were finished with projects and ready to lounge around and read. That became kind of boring, so we decided to head to the pool to enjoy some water therapy. We rode our bikes and found a shady spot to park them in - the other day when we were checking out Jim and Jan's new rig, the seat and handlebars were to hot to touch when it came time to leave. The thermometer on the wall read 120 degrees - I don't think so, although the expected high today is 107. The pool felt cool and refreshing and when you were not actually in the water, the air felt cool too. I actually had some goose bumps on my arms for a bit. It was comfortable sitting around until you dried off a bit.
Friday, June 15. Yesterday, I had an appointment with an Endocrinologist to check if I'm getting the appropriate thyroid medication. After many changes to my prescription over the last 3 years (going from a prescription drug to a natural form that was no longer available, to a compounded pig thyroid, and back to the prescription drug, but several dose adjustments), I sometimes feel all out of whack and wanted to have it check by a pro. This morning, I went for blood tests and had to drive way to East Mesa where I could get in before 9:30 am - all other early morning appointments close to our house were already taken.
We made it to the pool again yesterday, this time we went at 5:30 and it wasn't long and the entire pool was covered in shade, making it somewhat cool to be in there. After the TGIF dinner tonight, several folks were going to meet there but we just felt like going home and being with Frisco.
Speaking of Frisco, he seems to be pouting more when we leave him and then getting overly excited when we get back home. Perhaps it is an adjustment for him, since he wasn't left alone too much over the last 6 months. Guess we have to work on his behavior again and give him some extra TLC.
Sunday, June 17.. Not much to write about yesterday, although we did meet up with Nan and Dale at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill and learned that we really don't love it all that much. I had read that ther are weekly car shows at Mesa Riverview, so we thought that might be a fun thing to check out, after having a bite to eat and after it cools down a little bit. Unfortunately, a dust storm came up and scared all of the car folks away. Will have to try to catch it another time.
I learned a bit about the summer monsoons around here tonight, that they start to build up with dust storms at this time of year and are followed by heavy rains later in the summer. The buildup of clouds tonight made for a beautiful sunset but also brought wind that toppled one of Jan's plants that I am caring for in her absence. No damage, just a mess to clean up.
Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads out there. Mike heard from both of our sons and even got to watch Charlotte eating strawberries. I missed out on that video call because I was at the grocery store.
Mike spotted a 1991 Miata Special Edition on Craigslist today that he had to follow up on. Well, guess what - we drove to Tucson, drove it, and we are going to be the proud new owners. It was just as advertised, a cream puff with low miles, a hardtop, tonneau cover, and several add-ons that were optional that year. Happy Fathers Day to Mike!
|
June 4 - 10, 2012 - AZ
Tuesday, May 5. Where does the time go? Yesterday just flew by. I walked in the morning and then did some more pruning on the Palo Verde trees. They are looking much better now, more tree-like than bush-like. It probably isn't the best time for that but I think that if I give them water, they might not be too stressed. I also tackled the overgrown Prickly Pear - it is way out of control. I did manage to get several teeny thorns in my hands but not too bad. The large thorns that are visible can be avoided, it's the teeny little fuzzy ones that cause a problem.
Mike helped Dale with a project this morning, so I went to Ikea to browse around. I bought some heavy cardboard boxes to store crafts and small items on the bookshelf. I think it will look nice and tidy up some loose ends.
We had dentist appointments this afternoon, we are starting at the ATSU Dental School and hope that is going to work out ok. The initial visit was $69 each and includes all X-rays, the exam and consultation where we talk about a plan of action for the future. I felt comfortable and it was nice to see students greeting patients in a friendly and personal manner, as they were repeat patients. There were plenty of instructors around supervising and guiding when needed. Appointment times are longer as it is a teaching clinic.
We went to pick up the motor home after learning that the AC compressor is shot and will cost $1000 to repair. We decided to put that off until next month and just donated $400 for the "service engine" sensors today. There has been a lot of talk in our household about whether or not we should keep it. The jury is still out on that one.
At 5:00, Jan and Jim picked us up and we went for dinner at Silkes, where we met up with Bruce and Carmen and Don and Jackie. I'm not sure if I would go back there again-I would only consider the food to be ok. We did have a nice time, lots of laughs, and plenty of good conversation.
Thursday, June 7. Those darned Bickersons showed up at our house yesterday - they haven't been around for a long time.
We picked up the motorhome and Mike took it to get it smogged - it failed the first time because of a loose gas cap, so he replaced it and then it passed. It is tucked away for the time being.
We started this morning out with a walk and a bike ride and then I did some trimming on the prickly pear - what a beast. I have been picking tiny cactus hairs from my hands all day, in spite of wearing nice, heavy leather gloves. I'm thinking of getting rid of it and putting something different in there. Jan and I saw a gorgeous rubber tree when we were out at garage sales last week. Might just do that.
The motorhome is legal to drive in Arizona again - here we thought we would have that taken care of the same week we got back home, but not this time. And it ended up costing us about $800 bucks considering a full tank of gas, additive, the sensor repair, and the licensing fee.
Mike has been shopping for Miatas again, so we went to look at one this evening. It was a very nice little red one, a 1997 with low miles, well cared for, but we left there thinking that we should keep on looking. Some of the older ones are going for under $5,000 so we're thinking we could afford it.
After that, we went to a Mexican restaurant that our friend Karen recommended - Rancho de Tia Rosa. Its not far from our house and the food was absolutely delicious and the margarita really hit the spot too. Thanks, Karen!
Saturday, June 9. Last night, as we sat eating our dinner, Mike put his hand to his lips and pulled out the top half of a molar. He thinks it is a tooth that had a root canal, it definitely had a crown and a lot of filling. He has no pain, so thankfully it is not an emergency situation. Since we are in the process of getting our dental works done at a school, we will have to see if they can get him in quickly or if they can treat him at all. More and more we remark on how our bodies are starting to show age.
Just got back from our visit with Paul, who had an brain aneurism on January 11. It was quite the sobering experience, guess we have to appreciate what we have evey day. He sure isn't the Paul that we saw last November. My heart just aches for Karen and the rest of his family.
We played some drum corps music and he seemed to perk up a bit and when I asked if he liked it, I got a teeny squeeze as I was holding his right fingertips. They gave him the respiratory treatment and he seemed to wake up more. Karen asked us to watch for signs of seizure but we saw none. We also read some of the words from his friends on the Caring Bridge website to him, updated him on Pat and Rogers's retirement, and Mike told him the latest Apple news. He seemed to like having the drapes opened and when Mike got close to his face and said, "Hey Buddy, it's nice to see you again", his eyes opened wider.
Like I said, a sobering experience - we all need to consider that this could happen to any of us and we all should have our wishes in writing and made clear to our loved ones.
Sunday, June 10. I was under the weather all day today with a mysterious urinary tract infection - called my doctor at 7:45 and finally got a call back from her 2 hours later. She called in a prescription for Cipro and by bedtime I was feeling a bit better. Now, I will be feeling crappy from the antibiotics for the next several days. Ho Hum!
|
June 1 - 3, 2012 - AZ
Friday, June 1. The month of June has started out to be hot, hot, hot - today the temps reached record levels of 112 degrees. We were out doing some shopping and it definitely felt hot but we were ok since we didn't have to linger in it for long.
We went to the TGIF here in the park in the evening and took the car instead of walking as we usually try to do. It was nice to see many of the folks that we haven't seen in the last 6 months. After dinner, several of us decided to go hang out at the pool and that was a nice time too. Unfortunately, I must have moved in a way that pinched a nerve in my right shoulder and that has been feeling crappy ever since.
Sunday, June 3 Yesterday, we had a Skype conversation with Ben and Charlotte while she was having her lunch. She does get excited when she sees us and is all smiley and squirms around like she does when she's happy. We really did't do much the rest of the day, just lounged around the house and had a nice dinner in the evening.
I dragged out the hose and cleaned the screens and front of the house this morning, the only side that I didn't clean last week. I'm convinced that keeping the outside clean helps to keep the dusty smell from the inside - and we can really see out the windows again.
One of these days, I'm going to have to prune one of the prickly pear cactus in the yard that has gone nuts - it has gone from a 3 foot tall stem to about 4-feet by 4-feet. The neighbor told me that just before we got back here it was entirely covered with blossoms. That's going to be fun - I might just have to replace it with something else - I didn't know it would get so out of hand. Whoever said things don't grow in the desert.
Nan and Dale invited us over for Easter dinner - they bought a big ham and then had only 3 people to share it with, so decided to put it off. We got in their pool for the first time ever, they keep it a little cooler than the one in our community, but it felt nice and refreshing. We tried to get Frisco to join us but he stayed as far away as he could. Now, if it's a puddle on the ground or a river or stream he would be right in it.
|
Created on 06/04/2012 09:13 AM by bridge
Updated on 07/01/2012 09:32 PM by bridge
|
|
|
