November 28 - 30, 2011 - CA
Monday, November 28. It's been a nice, relaxing day. I spent part of the afternoon working on some craft projects. Yes, it is quite a challenge here in the motorhome but I did manage to pull out the sewing machine and found an spot on the dinette to work with it.
Mike took Frisco for a walk and discovered lots of bird activity, so he came back and got the camera. He did get some really good shots but then realized that the size setting was for web-sized pictures and he wasn't able to do with them what he wanted to. I thought they were great pictures, so have posted them here in the photo album.
Tuesday, November 29. I awoke to the sound of foghorns this morning. The weather reports have been telling us there will be heavy fog and high winds the next few days. I would guess that visibility is about 1/4 mile - sure hope that it clears before we have to leave for the city. I did some research and found a website that gives the traffic information on our route. I just wonder if they ever close the Golden Gate Bridge down?
There was no problem getting across the bridge and it was a good day with little Charlotte - we get big smiles when we greet her and she has periods where she just coo's and jabbers to who know what or whom. We were both kept busy today and were tired out by the time her parents got back home.
Wednesday, November 30. 2011 is almost over - it sure has flown by. It was a day off and we managed to sleep in for a while this morning and have a relaxing start to the day. In fact, it was almost 9:00 when I finally got dressed and was ready to take Frisco for a walk. And then it was noon before I got dressed and headed to Trader Joe's for groceries.
It was so nice when I got back home that we went for a long walk along the trails that flow through the marshland of the Corte Madera Natural Preserve.
When we got back home, I just had to find something to do outdoors, so I tried to patch up the leaky rain gutter on the motorhome that is causing some nasty streaks to form on the window that is beneath it. We'll see how it works. I then got buy on cleaning those nasty streaks off of the window - it's looking good. It was so warm that we had windows open and it felt so good to have the fresh air flowing through the house.
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November 21 - 27, 2011 - CA
Monday, November 21. I drove in to spend the morning with Jill and Charlotte just to make sure I have the routine down and know where to find things. Mike opted to stay at home. I was a little concerned about the traffic but it moved right along and only slowed down when approaching the bridge - no problem. The times that we will be coming and going should be good as we will avoid the rush hours and heavy traffic times.
Jill and I got a nice long walk in - Charlotte looks so cute all bundled up in her stroller and she loves it as long as you keep on moving. It was a beautiful, sunny morning with quite comfortable temperatures, even got a bit too warm when going up hills.
When I got back home I went to Trader Joe's to pick up the rest of the groceries that I needed for Thanksgiving. Boy, was that place hopping! The parking lot was jammed full and I was lucky to find a spot. Jill and Ben have most of the dinner covered so I am only making the cranberries and dinner rolls.
Tomorrow we start our new job as tag team Nannies - I think it's going to take both of us to do the job. The first few days might be a challenge but I think we will settle right in to the routine and love every minute of it.
Wednesday, November 23. We made it through the first 2 days of taking care of Charlotte without any hitches. I even managed to do some laundry yesterday and we got a walk in with her in the stroller and the dogs on leashes. Her fussy time on Tuesday was between 5 and 7 pm and today it was between 11 and 2. After her 5:00 feeding today, she was totally focused and happy for 2 hours straight, just talking to us and watching her toys.
Exhausted? Yes, but feeling good about where we are and what we are doing.
Thursday, November 24. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We have so much to be thankful for in this life - this year, we are especially thankful for Charlotte - a sweet little girl that will bring years of happiness to all of us.
Our morning was busy, as we prepared cranberries, sweet potatoes, and dinner rolls, and also had phone conversations with Pat, Mom, and several sisters and brothers. All of this was going on while we watched the Green Bay Packers pull off another win, for an 11-0 standing for this year. YEAH!!
We got to Ben and Jill's early in the afternoon and got involved with the bustle of cooking activities going on there. Jill's friend Leah and her brother Dane joined us for dinner. It was amazing that there was so much going on at the last minute but we pulled it off and sat down to a gorgeous table full of tasty delights. The turkey was superb, as were all of the dishes that complimented it - and the company and conversation were so enjoyable.
It was a very nice Thanksgiving for us - the only thing that could have made it better would have been to have Pat and his family with us.
Friday, November 25. Happy Birthday, Tracey!
We both slept in this morning and it sure did feel good.
I had 3 very nice phone conversations with Rita, my friend Pat, and also my friend Lucia from Ocala called to say they were visiting Sierra Vista, AZ and was hoping we could get together with them. I guess it won't be this time, even though they are coming as far as Riverside, CA but that is way too far to go for a short visit - darn! We sure would love to see her and John again. Another phone conversation left me feeling sad, as Jonnie informed me that Marty was slipping fast. She is sleeping all but about 2 hours a day and has been quite emotional the last couple of days. It is just so sad and I feel so bad for Jonnie, especially since she is dealing with this alone. My heart goes out to her.
It has been a lazy day with a little bit of shopping. We both needed a new mouse for our laptops and headed off to Best Buy this afternoon to get them. Since it was Black Friday, we kind of regretted the shopping experience but the lot was not full and there really weren't that many shoppers either. We also stopped at Ross and picked up some slippers so we would have an extra pair to leave at Ben and Jill's house.
Now, leftovers are warming in to oven for dinner - it smells really good in here right now.
Sunday, November 27. Happy Birthday to our dear friend, Rudy. I can't help but think back to the wonderful celebration we had with him in Switzerland (see journal from September 8-10, 2006).
Yesterday, Ben had to put in some extra hours at work and it was a regular work day for Jill, so we offered to watch Charlotte so they could spend Sunday together. It was a typical day with Charlotte, it seems like we are getting a schedule down and sticking to it pretty well. We stuck around for some of their homemade beef stew for dinner - yum! yum! yum!
We both managed to sleep in a little bit this morning - boy, did that feel good. When I pulled up the shades, I saw the sun rising off on the horizon and it was so pretty that I had to run to get the camera. Check It Out! It didn't take long before it disappeared behind the dark bank of clouds. The day turned out to be pretty nice.
I cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed - the first since we left home on the 16th - guess it need it. Mike took care of some chores too, like changing the water filter and emptying. While he was doing that, I took Frisco for a walk, stopping to chat with the managers for a while - they are nice folks and really have done a good job at this place. While I was gone, Mike decided to come join us but he went in the opposite direction that we did. When I got home, the doors were locked tight and he was nowhere to be found. I looked down the RR pathway but didn't spot him, so I dug out the hidden key to unlock the doors. Thank God we have a set of keys hidden - just for that reason, and it turned out that they a protective coating of dirt and grime on them, so I cleaned them up before putting them back in their spot. It wasn't long and Mike returned, and he just assumed that I had my keys and my phone with me - NOT. It all worked out, so no problem.
Broiled Salmon with Lemon and Garlic Sauce, a yummy salad, leftover dinner rolls and pumpkin pie for dinner - YUM!
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November 16 - 20, 2011 - AZ, CA
Wednesday, November 16. On The Road Again! After we finished loading the fridge and bathroom stuff in the RV, put away the outdoor furniture and locked up the house, we were ready to hit the road by 10:00 - not a bad start for the Bridge's, especially since we planned to go as far as Desert Hot Springs, about 288 miles.
The drive was uneventful and we pulled in to our site at Desert Pools Resort at about 3:00, it is one of our Western Horizons parks and I paid a total of $2.00 for the night. We have stayed in this area several times in the past but never at this park - I don't know why because it is very nice, with roomy sites and a nice view of the nearby mountains - rocky things with very little vegetation.
Friday, November 18. Starting out at about 9:30 yesterday morning, Mike got to get us through LA - it seems like the city never ends, although our timing was good and the traffic wasn�??t too outrageous. Once we got through the city, then it was the grapevine that is always stressful for me, although Mike wasn�??t bothered by it. This is a stretch of road that takes you through the Tejon Pass between Santa Clarita and Bakersfield with steep inclines and declines and lots of curves. Deep breath - we made it through with no problems. Mike continued to drive all the way to Coalinga where we stopped for the night at the Sommerville Almond Tree RV Park ($36). As I�??ve said before, there are very few RV parks along this stretch of I5 between Bakersfield and Sacramento and this is a nice little park with friendly staff.
A strange observation from Mike today was the number of hawks that he counted as road kill - a total of 11 were sighted along the roadside. We kept wondering why this might be, such a strange thing.
Today's drive was a short one and I took the first shift and got us to the junction with I580 that will take us the rest of the way to the coast. It was a comfortable drive, especially when the traffic all goes around us and we are left in the truck lane with lots of space between us and all of the big rigs. I think I followed the same semi for about 50 miles.
When Mike took over driving, he got to drive through heavy traffic and slow downs near Livermore and then again as we drove through Oakland. We now have to get used to all of the city drivers again - and these city drivers are different than those in other parts of the country. It's funny how that works.
We pulled into Marin Park, the place that we will call home for the next 6 months, and Mike got to unhook the car in the rain and we setup the motorhome in the rain. Welcome to the San Francisco Bay Area!
It wasn't long and we were headed to visit Jill and Charlotte. What a sweetie! She greeted us with big smiles and lots of cooing - she has changed so much since we last saw her when she was only a few days old. Her eyes are a beautiful blue that you don't really see in her pictures. They had a busy afternoon and she didn't get her usual sleep time, so she was a little bit fussy this evening.
It was freezing in the motorhome when we got back, so we ran the furnace for a little while, but we were ready for bed and don't leave the furnace running at night. The electric blanket was on, but for some reason, we just couldn't get warm through the night. I know I went to sleep some time after 1:00 but then some jerk in the RV park was driving by with his noisy diesel RV at about 5:00, waking us up.
Sunday, November 20. We spent most of the day yesterday with Ben and Charlotte just hanging out at their house. Jill started back to work today, doing the hair for a wedding party. It was hard for her, the longest she had been away from Charlotte since her birth. She has to get back in the swing of things as next week she starts doing full days at the salon. They are so relieved that we are here to be with their daughter and she doesn't have to be left with strangers - and we're glad that we can be here too.
We came back to the motorhome early and just as we parked the car, it started to rain. The rain has only let up for brief periods through most of the day today. We are nestled in and being quite lazy, even after getting 12 hours of good sleep.
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November 14 -15, 2011 - AZ
Tuesday, November 15. My father, Robert Ursino Sr. passed away on this day back in 1985 at the age of 72. May he rest in peace. Also I learned later today that a cousin of mine, Donna, passed away in Phoenix after suffering for about 3 years with Ovarian Cancer. I was sorry to hear that and it made me feel guilty that I didn't get back out to see her recently. You just can't do it all.
The last 2 days have been a bustle of activity with getting ready to roll. By the end of the day today had everything but the refrigerator loaded up and were able to enjoy happy hour with Chris and Norm. After they left, Connie stopped by to say goodbye. We will miss our little house and community with so many new found friends that really seem like old friends. So many times I think that I have no regrets about settling there, other than the distance from loved ones.
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November 7 - 13, 2011 - AZ
Tuesday, November 8. I don't know why I do these stupid things, like putting off a root canal for several months until it gets so bad that that I can no longer put it off. Today was the day that I realized I wasn't doing myself any favors after waking up again with a nasty, metallic taste in my mouth and a throbbing in my jaw. My dentist got me in right away and I walked out of there 2 hours later with a root canal, new temporary crown, a prescription for antibiotics, and a bill for $1,800 ($100 of it is for expediting the new crown). D-U-M!
Needless to say, nothing else got done today except for dropping the motorhome off at Camping World for an oil change, radiator flush, and a bath. We will pick it up again on Monday to get her packed up for the next 6 months. On the way home from there, we talked about whether or not we could go back to full-timing and both agreed that yes, we miss that lifestyle and we could do it again, but we like having a house too - guess we'll keep things the way they are now and continue to do our part-time full-timing.
Yesterday was a great hanging around the house day that was filled with laundry, some cleaning, some guitar practice, and baking liver treats for Frisco. This evening, we went to have *bleep*tails with Norm and Chris followed by burgers on the grill. Nice time!
Thursday, November 10. What a busy day it was for me. I'm not sure how the morning disappeared but when I finished with a few chores around the house, a chat with the neighbor, a walk with Frisco, some thrift store shopping and a trip to the grocery store, I realized it was already 2:30.
I then got busy in the kitchen making a batch of granola so we would have plenty for our trip and so we wouldn't run out right away after we got to SF. The homemade stuff is so much tastier than what you can buy in the store and before I started making it myself, I was buying it in bulk at Sprouts. Here is the recipe, Louie:
Lois's Granola Crunch
8 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds, toasted
1 cups pecans, toasted
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place oatmeal in large bowl.
3. In medium saucepan, heat oil, brown sugar and honey over medium heat, until thin, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add vanilla and salt.
6. Pour over oatmeal; add sunflower seeds, pecans and almonds and toss to combine.
7. Spread evenly on 2 baking sheets and bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
BE CAREFUL -- burns easily! Watch the last 5 minutes. Will be sticky until cool.
While the granola was baking, I cut up veggies to take to tomorrow night's TGIF pot luck, the last time we will be seeing some of our neighborhood friends for a while.
When that was done, I started a batch of Cream of Potato Soup for dinner. It is now 7:30 and I'm close to being ready for bed. Gotta put that off for a while though.
Saturday, November 12. I did very little today to prepare for vacating the house other than put the hummingbird feeders, patio lanterns and yard art away. I did get a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup going in the slow cooker.
We decided to go see Sharon and Allan one more time before leaving. Our plan to get together with them for lunch on Friday didn't work out. Their poor little dog, Alice, is struggling with health issues and they had to focus on caring for her. Both of their dogs are suffering from age-related problems, causing a lot of sadness in their lives. Our pets are so much a part of our families that it is so agonizing when they get old. This afternoon, we had a nice visit, got to see Ned and Alice one more time, and went to a nice Mexican Restaurant for lunch. Looking forward to spending time with our great friends when we get back to Arizona in the spring.
Sunday, October 13. We just got back from seeing our niece, Monica's new home in Chandler. It is a transitional (rental) place for her, but her very own home just the same, with a nice yard, plenty of room for Al Pacino (her cat) to roam and climb and enjoy, and a nice neighborhood. Congrats Monica!
The rest of the day was a mix of relaxing, bathing and grooming Frisco, walking, cooking, a little bit of visiting, and getting things organized to load into the motorhome tomorrow.
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November 1 - 6, 2011 - AZ
Wednesday, November 2. It's hard to believe that November is here already and overnight we had a cold front come through. The blinds were moving in the breeze and all of the wind chimes are making beautiful music this morning. I look out the front window at the golf course and the giant American flag is fully unfurled. That is one sight that I really enjoy in this place.
Monday was an R & R day for us, we took it easy and basically just laid around recovering from the weekend activities. We may be younger than Rudy and Sonja but they seem to have more stamina to keep busy than we do.
I had done some research on the internet about how to remove a car dent and 2 videos in particular. We thought it would be worth a try. The 1st method that we tried on Monday was to heat up the dent with a hair dryer for 1 minute and then immediately spray it with canned air for 10 seconds. A layer of ice forms and the temperature change is supposed to contract the metal and pop out the dent. It sounded like it was working, with the metal making creaking and groaning sounds, but it didn't work, although it appears to be a bit less deep.
Today, we tried the 2nd method that was similar. It involved heating the area with the hair dryer and follow that with an application of dry ice. Again, we could hear the metal creaking and groaning but no major popping out of the dent. I guess we may have to dish out the money to fix it, although I really hate to do that.
I invited the neighbor, Arlene, over for a *bleep*tail this afternoon. I was thinking she needed a rest, as she had been working in her flower beds all afternoon. She assured me that the break was quite welcome and we enjoyed our conversation.
Thursday, November 3. I was quite surprised this morning when I called to see how Marty and Jonnie were doing, to hear that Marty has been having some really good days. She totally enjoyed her favorite holiday, Halloween, and was able to pass out candy to the little ones. This was really good news!
When I got home, Ben called and we used Facetime on our iPhones, so I got to see Charlotte in a very happy mood - she was looking all around and making sweet little cooing sounds for me. Ben got to have a tour of our house and yard. I love it!
I walked to the RV parking lot and drove the motorhome over so it could get a new windshield today. The 2nd in a year, multiple cracks that started when we left this spring and ended up moving almost from corner to corner on the passenger side. We just didn't want to deal with it while we were on the road. Another project that can be checked off the list.
My intention was to get the bed made up and some items loaded for our upcoming trip. Earlier in the week, I bought a new mattress cover and when I put it on today, I realized that I bought the wrong size. The bed in the motorhome is supposed to be a queen size, but it is smaller than a standard queen. I opted for the cover that said on the package Full/Queen - it was short about 2" on the top and bottom and at least an inch on the sides.
Mike took the panel off of the rear door hatch on the Honda and we popped out the dent from my backing into the pickup truck boo-boo. We feel proud of the job we've done - it's not perfect but it is okay, especially with the magnetic teal ribbon that represents Ovarian Cancer (given to me by Marty) sitting just over that spot. It works for me and we saved $500.
Friday, November 4. Jan, Connie, and I headed out to Val Vista Lakes for community garage sales this morning. The only good buy I found was a couple of lightweight aluminum folding chairs for the RV for $5. After a while, we got hungry so stopped for a bite to eat and then headed back home.
Jan invited us for a Walleye dinner tonight, so I made a potato salad to take with us and a fruit salad for tomorrow night's Homecoming Party at the clubhouse.
A short nap and a long lounge in the tub almost made us late to get to Jan and Jim's. That sure felt good and since we are expected to get cooler weather the next week or so, I might just have to do it again a few times before we are confined to our tubless motorhome.
A nasty dust storm came through this afternoon, turning the skies a dull, dusty gray color and making it not too pleasant to breathe.
Dinner was nice, we had lots of good laughs and conversation.
Saturday, November 5. Take CPR class - check! Another task off the to-do list. Yeah! The Mesa Fire Department sure does offer some good services in our community. The class was good, giving us lots of information and even some hands-on experience in case we are ever in a situation that requires CPR - I sure hope not, but we will be somewhat prepared if it does. It has been years since either of us have taken this class, so a refresher was good. Now, I just hope we never have to use it.
It's chilly today, expected highs only 63 degrees - a little taste of what we will experience in California.
Tonight was our annual homecoming party at the clubhouse, to welcome back all of those summer travelers. The turnout was good and Albertson's fried chicken and everyone's side dish contributions made for a good dinner. Jerry and Judy of the Missouri Opry provided the entertainment. He is a multi-talented musician and singer, doing lots of tunes from country music legends of our time. We really enjoyed their show.
Sunday November 6. This afternoon, we met up with Nan, Dale, Monica, and Mike at O'Kelly's Bar to watch the Green Bay Packers play San Diego. First they were behind, then they tied, then they were way ahead, then in the last few seconds of the game, they intercepted the ball and ran like crazy, keeping the score at 45-38. Yeah! It was a fun afternoon.
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Created on 11/01/2011 08:56 PM by bridge
Updated on 11/30/2011 07:16 PM by bridge
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