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April 2011
April 25 - 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27. Happy Birthday to Me!

It's been a great week, mostly just hanging around home but enjoying my walks, bike rides, and just chatting with folks.

On Monday, we took the motorhome in to Camping World for an oil change and learned that we would have to leave it there for a few days, as they are really backed up because of a special they have been offering and the fact that folks are getting ready to travel for the summer. No problem - we aren't going anywhere for a while.

On Monday night, Mike went to his guitar lesson, I rode my bike with the group in the park. After our ride, we sat around our patio having a beer.

It's getting more and more difficult to get a brisk walk in around here because we always meet up with so many people and stop to chat. I'm not complaining, I enjoy every minute of it, as does Frisco.

I spent lots of time on the phone today, thanks to all of my family calling to wish me a Happy Birthday. Tonight, we went to Organ Stop Pizza and celebrated with Nan, Dale, and Monica, Jan and Jim, and Allan and Sharon. It was a great 63rd birthday.

Friday, April 29. Congratulations to my sister-in-law, Julie on her retirement today. It's so great when you can get out of the workforce at a young and healthy age. I wish her the best.

For 3 days now, I have had a serious sore throat. I thought that it could be blamed on the high winds that we had on Sunday and Monday, stirring up the dust and causing allergy symptoms. In spite of eating Esberitox (the BEST immune booster around), gargling with salt water, saline rinses, and sucking on Vitamin C drops, it seems to be getting worse. I'm off to the doctor to get checked out this afternoon. The diagnosis is allergies - no change in what I've been doing, other than some samples of Singulair to see if it helps.

I did feel good enough to go to the TGIF for Barb and Thom's last pork loin dinner (they are moving). The dinner was great, sampled some yummy sauerkraut salad and Jerry made delicious cream puffs the we were fortunate to get the last of, so Mike and I shared. As usual, we sat around and gabbed for a couple of hours after, always a good time.


April 18 - 24, 2011
Monday, April 18. What a beautiful Monday, starting with a nice conversation with Ben before I even went out for my walk. When I did go for my walk, I met up with Linda and her 2 dogs, so we all walked together and had a nice conversation. I quickly changed into my bathing suit and headed to the pool for water exercises - always a good workout with a fun bunch of women.

I got a little laundry done, worked on an embroidered paper card, fixed a nice green salad with chicken for dinner, and then rode my bike with some of the neighbors this evening.

We've had to turn on the AC the last couple of days, as it has gotten above the 90 degree mark, usually around 2:00 in the afternoon. Fortunately, by the time we go to bed, it has cooled down enough to shut it off.

Tuesday, April 19. Had a nice walk with Linda again this morning, then headed out to do some grocery shopping. Now that I am getting used to having a house and some storage space, it seems like I buy way too much stuff - or maybe I should say that I spend way too much money. Soon, we will be back in the motorhome where I have to be much more conservative, plus get most everything that I currently have in the house packed in there.

We had appointments to have our teeth cleaned today, then I had the prep work done to get 2 new crowns. My old fillings are starting to deteriorate, so little by little, I am having them fixed. The Novocaine really put me down today, I really wasn't feeling very good when I got back home. I took a little nap, then had an Advil, then drank a glass of wine, then it was time for bed - before 8:00. Yuck!

Wednesday, April 20. On my walk this morning, at one of Frisco's favorite potty spots, I found a set of keys lying on the ground. I thought they might belong to Linda because I know she walks her dogs in that spot, they weren't hers, but they did know that they belonged to Jerry, as they had been looking for them for quite a while this morning. Jerry was delighted when I showed up at her house with the keys in had.

I went to water exercises and there were 12 women there this morning. We filled up the 3-4' section of the pool and, as usual, Annie led us on a great workout.

I'm determined to use up that huge bag of carrots that I bought at Costco last week, so I proceeded to make a batch of carrot/raisin muffins. Unfortunately, I only used 4 of the carrots but the muffins are yummy and healthy.

Mike and I went to the pool for a while this afternoon. It's getting pretty hot, so about an hour is plenty of time to be in the sun.

Tonight, after a nice dinner of beef tenderloin with mushrooms and a salad, I rode my bike a few times around the park with Lily. We had the streets to ourselves tonight, as all of the other riders had something else going on. I think I'm sleeping a little bit better these days - maybe the exercise is helping.

Thursday, April 21. Happy Birthday, Penny! Today was a busy day and it just flew right by.

We scheduled a check-up on the air conditioner this morning and that all checked out fine, needed filters and a recharge. It is an 11-year old unit and the average lifetime in Arizona is about 10 years, so we will probably be looking at an upgrade in the not too distant future. Guess we had better start saving - it will be a $7,000 expense.

Luis, the RV mechanic that was recommended by some friends of ours (he works full time at an RV place but picks up side jobs), met Mike at our RV storage to check out the broken window crank on the bedroom window. He told us that we have the option of replacing the broken part (about $35), but he had a more simple and inexpensive remedy for it - to put a screw through the mechanism - and that keeps it tight so the crank works and it closes all of the way. His charge was $20. A year ago we had the other side window fixed for about $300. We're glad we got to meet Luis, have seen some of his other work (he repaired a dent in the side of Thom's motorhome, and installed new flooring in the kitchen), and will definitely call him in the future. We also learned that he does home repairs and remodeling - another great resource for that kind of stuff. Thanks to Thom and Barb!

Jim came over this afternoon to hang out with Mike and share some music. I took off and ran some errands.

Friday, April 22. I was sitting here having coffee, chatting on Facebook with my cousin, Jo, when I heard my phone let me know that I had received a text message. It was from Ben, telling me that he felt the baby kick for the first time last night! My eyes welled up with tears of happiness - and they are doing it again right now. I feel so happy for them and can't wait to meet the little one!

It was a busy day for the Bridge's. We picked Dale up at his house and then headed to Mike's house in Sun Lakes (the way southern part of the city). Mike recently bought a motorhome and wanted some help with how things operate, so the guys hung out there while I went shopping. I was hoping to find some garage or estate sales, but there were no signs for sales, so I went to Ikea instead. I bought a few little trinkets, but my big purchase was some solar lights for the patio. They are a string of cute little lanterns and I hope they work out.

This evening, we went to Fort McDowell Adventures with Jan and Jim. Mike and Jim's guitar instructor at the Mesa Arts Center was playing there and they wanted to hear his music and show him support. The place is located 4 miles back in the desert and is a really pretty setting. A huge courtyard is surrounded by stucco buildings, a small restaurant, stage for music, fire pits for roasing wienies and marshmallows, and another huge fire circle where Yavapai Indians tell stories. It is also a place where you can take a horse drawn wagon ride or go on a trail ride through the desert.

We had a nice time, enjoyed Miles' music, but felt the wienie roast was definitely lacking. Since we were all still hungry when we left there, we stopped for pizza before heading back home. It was an enjoyable evening with friends.

Sunday, April 24. Happy Easter!

Yesterday was a pretty laid-back kind of day for us. We were both feeling a little tired from being out until 10:30 - now that really sounds like we're getting old.

I strung the solar lights on the patio and then waited until it got dark to check them out. They really do throw a good amount of light, certainly not enough to read by. I may just consider a couple of their solar table lamps in the future, though.

Easter Sunday was spent with Nan, Dale, Monica, and Mike. We had a nice time, enjoying the beautiful, breezy day in the back yard near the pool (it's still pretty cold, about 65 degrees). The ham dinner with all of the other complements was delicious, as usual. Good food, good friends, good conversation - you can't get much better than that.
April 11 - 17, 2011
Monday, April 11. First thing this morning, we headed to the eye doctor's office. I walked Frisco while Mike went in to have his contact removed. There was no contact on his eye - hmmmm! We both swore that we could see it and he thought that he could feel it. Who knows when it might have fallen out. He is relieved that he had it checked, will give it a rest today and then try again in a day or two.

I brought the motorhome to our house and worked on doing some cleaning. I got the front surfaces all vacuumed and wiped down. Mike repaired the broken handle on one of the storage compartments. He also made appointments for an oil change and is researching the parts we need to repair the bedroom tipout window. A few hours of working on it was enough and we tucked it back in the storage spot. It sure is convenient having it right here. Frisco seems quite happy to sit in the passenger seat, but then also seems worried about what might be going on.

Tuesday, April 12. I restrung the broken day/night shade for the motorhome this morning. What an easy project and $$$ saving one at that - it would have cost me $80.00 to send it out for repair, the part only cost $24 and my time - well, I have a lot more of that than I have of $$$.

I learned that Monica had the day off today, so I invited her to come and join us at the pool for a while this afternoon. I mixed up a batch of spiked Lemonade and we headed down there. There were only 2 other people there, so we basically had the pool to ourselves. What a nice and relaxing time - so great to spend time with Monica again. She joined us for dinner so we got to enjoy her company for even longer.

Thursday, April 14. Not much going on, house cleaning, laundry, that kind of stuff.

Mike had his follow-up doctor visit yesterday (he went at 9:45 but his appointment wasn't until 2:45). All went well, he is in good shape with the exception of the COPD and meds are keeping that under control. Good news!!!

Today was "go to Costco" day. We filled up on gas and stocked up on groceries. Mike ordered a pair of glasses so he would have an extra pair on hand.

I have been riding bikes in the evening with some of the other Brentwood folks - it's like a biker gang cruising around at low speeds with flashing headlights and "toot toot" horns. Funny, but enjoyable and getting a few miles in.

Friday, March 15. I had to have my blood tested this morning, as a follow-up to the cholesterol medication that I started taking. From there, I headed to the post office to mail our Tervis Tumblers in for replacement. They are guaranteed for life and will be replaced whenever they start to show wear, develop leaks, or just look bad. So for the cost of shipping ($10), I will get new insulated glasses. This time, I won't be stacking them in the cupboard, as they all had developed lines across the middle.

On my way to my appointment, I passed a sign for an estate sale, so had to go back there. What a beautiful house, in a beautiful location (Val Vista Lakes) and it was a house full of nice things. They were priced way too high - used items that seemed to be priced higher than you could find them in stores. I might return on Sunday when the prices are all drastically reduced, but then there usually isn't a lot left either.

We went to the TGIF this evening and had another excellent meal. I took Maple Dill Carrots that are usually a big hit - an easy and yummy recipe. I bought a huge bag of carrots yesterday, thinking I would use over half of them tonight, but I still have a huge bag of carrots. Hmmmm, carrot cake, carrot salad - maybe I will have to pass some off to others. Anyway, we sat around after dinner and the guitar guys went home to get their instruments to entertain us for a couple of hours. Had a nice time. The attendance has dropped drastically since many of the snow birds have already headed back home.

Saturday, April 16. After my walk this morning, I watered plants and staked the 2 Palo Verde trees. One of them has grown so fast and was so full of leaves and flowers that the branches were sagging to the ground. I knew they would be growing fast, but that was a total surprise. I'm still undecided as to whether I should put in some irrigation or not. Now I'm thinking that I might just cut back on the water they are getting and let them survive on their own. Everything I have planted is drought tolerant and should be well established by now. I hope that is the right decision.

Nan, Dale, and Mike came by this evening and we headed to Lo-Lo's for chicken and waffles. They had never been there and wanted to try it out. We arrived about 7:30 to learn that it would be a 45 minute wait - they had several large groups to seat. Not bad, it was a nice evening and we could be patient. Forty-five minutes later, Dale went to check on the status and was told that as soon as a certain group of people left, we would be seated at that table. We waited and waited and they didn't leave. Finally, a little after 9:00, we got a table. Dinner was great, in spite of the wait and the unorganized wait staff. We all decided that maybe late on a Saturday night wasn't a good time to go there, but we all would return again for that yummy, crispy, tender and juicy chicken and the yummy sides.

Sunday, April 17. Jim and Jan invited us to join them this afternoon at the Monastery, to have a beer and listen a band that they had seen last week and really liked. The band that played today wasn't that band but they were still good. The Monastery is a place that has outdoor grills, volleyball nets, and a stage for music. We had a fun time and a good burger and were back home by about 5:00 - perfect for us old farts.
April 4 - 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 5. Yesterday, we got from Ogalalla, NE to Grants, NM, another uneventful day of driving. We did see lots of snow when we drove south along I-25 on the eastern side of Denver. By the time we hit New Mexico, it was gone. Yes, it was beautiful but I sure wouldn't want to live in it.

Today's drive was also uneventful (exactly what we wish for when driving thousands of miles). Our total trip was 3,400 miles - right now I'm feeling exhausted.

We got everything put back in its place and the laundry done before going to pick up Frisco at Ariana's house. He was a good boy and it sure sounds like he and Princess Carolyn had lots of fun together. It sure is great to have him with us once again.

Wednesday, April 6. It felt so good this morning when I awoke in my own bed, in my own house, and with my own little dog by my side, eager for his morning treatment of endless pets. It also felt great that we didn't have to rush to get on the road. Home Sweet Home.

I spent most of the morning, after an enjoyable walk in the warm Arizona sunshine, on the computer. While I was gone, my Facebook account was hacked and the hackers were posing as me in the Chat room, asking for $$$ to be sent because I was held up at gunpoint in London while traveling. Seems I had heard that one before. In fact, last summer we got the exact same email request from a friend. Facebook actually locked my account while they investigated the problem and I was finally able to get back into it today, after changing passwords on several accounts. Such a hassle - and I'm sure it is very difficult to find the nasty perpetrators of cyber crime.

We went and got the road grime washed off the car and then it started to rain. Right now (about 5:00 pm) it is pouring out there.

Thursday, April 7. Gee, it's good to be back home again. After all those years of living in the RV, it is nice to be grounded.

Today's project was to move the motorhome to a different storage spot that is a north/south orientation so it will be a bit more shaded. We were totally surprised when it started right up and purred like a kitten. We have not been good about starting it up regularly, running water, and the generator. The steps, jacks, and slide-out worked as they should. We drove it around the park a few times to get the motor nice and warm and then tucked it away again.

I took down the day/night shade in the bedroom as it needs to be restrung. After doing some research and looking at the cost of having it done, I decided I'm going to learn to do it myself. The repair kit comes with good instructions and I've restrung mini-blinds before. I can do this.

Our park now has an evening biking activity - I rode with 5 other residents tonight - it was fun and a good way to get some much needed exercise. Hopefully, Mike will be able to pick up a bike soon, so he can join us.

Friday, April 8. Congratulations Pat and Roger on your purchase of a motorhome. I can't wait to see it and hope that we can do some RVing trips in the future!

Allan and Sharon came by today, as we were planning on checking out a new restaurant for lunch. Mike suggested Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles in Scottsdale, a place that we had heard about on Check Please, Arizona. It was well worth it, the best fried chicken I've had in ages; seasoned just right with a crispy outside and tender and juicy inside. It was served with a waffle that was also quite tasty. We ordered some sides to share; collard greens, green beans, and sweet, sweet potatoes. Service was great, the place entertaining and clean - we will definitely go again, just not real often because of the type of food.

Saturday, April 9. It's cold! The thermometer says it is 45 degrees outside and it is raining. Oh, well, at least I don't have to manually water my plants today.

Sunday, April 10. Happy Birthday, Susan! It's a much nicer day here, although its still pretty cool - a high of near 70 is expected and there is a crisp breeze.

After spending all day yesterday indoors, it feels good to be enjoying the outdoors again today. I noticed the finches have totally devoured the niger seeds from the feeder - they must have been real hungry yesterday. The Hedgehog Cactus is starting to bloom - such pretty blossoms. Other things in the yard are going crazy too - the Lantana and Ruellia that the rabbits ate to nubs is growing and blooming. I think I can remove the wire cages from them now. Also, one of the Palo Verde trees is so full of leaves and blossoms that it is hanging over from the added weight. I think a trip to Home Depot is in order as they need to be staked.

I also measured for irrigation and drip hoses today. I think I'd better get started on that project before it gets too warm. They are talking about getting to the 90s again later this week. I welcome that, but don't want to be doing lots of physical outdoor work in those temps.

We didn't have anything going on today but ended up having a busy and social day. We stopped at Jan and Jim's this afternoon as Mike wanted to share some music with Jim. We had a beer and sat around talking for awhile, then Jim invited us to a birthday party for Jan this evening at Sue's house. At 4:00, we headed there and they had a great Mexican food feast with about 25 guests. After eating, Paul and Jim got out their guitars and entertained us. What a nice place we chose to live.

When we got back home, Mike had a terrible time getting his contact lens out - it was stuck to his eye. After over an hour of using drops and several unsuccessful tries, he called the eye doctor. She assured him that this can happen and he should put some drops in, go to bed, and come to the office in the morning. Scary stuff!
April 1 - 3, 2011
Friday, April 1. Happy 44th Anniversary, Rita and Denny!

Today we said goodbye to Casey with a sad but beautiful service at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Mankato, followed by lunch. Pat's family had to get back home to their menagerie, so we hugged and wished them safe travels, then gathered with Lois' family at their home. Such a wonderful and friendly group. If you would like to get a feel for the kind of person Casey was, check out Casey Quinn - My story about surviving cancer. We kept hearing about how one person can endure so much, yet always have a beautiful and genuine smile on his face. My heart goes out to Dennis and Lois, they lost their only grandson a year ago and now their only son.

Sunday, April 3. On Saturday, after saying goodbye to some of Lois' family that stayed at our hotel, we gathered at Lois and Dennis' home with his side of the family, helped to get thank you cards ready for mailing. It was a beautiful day and we checked out the back yard for evidence of spring - the koi in the pond were coming to the surface and tulips were poking out of the ground. The tree that they planted in Owen's honor is starting to bud.

In the evening, we all went to Grizzly's for a bite to eat and had a taste of good old northern Walleye.

Created on 04/02/2011 07:39 AM by bridge
Updated on 04/30/2011 01:13 PM by bridge
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