Our last days in AZ and our night-mare trip home

The Monday after Easter, we did a little shopping, continued to organize stuff to pack in the car and went out to Dubs for our last burger/beer get-together with Bz, Joyce, Mac, Tim and Kathy M. Kathy came over for a visit after we ate dinner.
Tuesday afternoon I played bridge with my little ladies at the center. We had four tables and I won 2nd! Had great cards that day and it yielded me $1.25! Tuesday night I insisted we stay home and eat some of the food we had left over from the winter. It was a very strange meal indeed! However, we couldn't begin to eat up everything! After dinner we went to Bz and Joyce as we needed to get in one last evening of great Wiper/Jensen rummy. We women are NEVER very lucky at that game!
Wednesday night Mac picked us & Wipers up for our last "Sour Dough" pizza night. We should have eaten at home as we still had plenty of food, but...we prefer the pizza!
Thursday morning we were all packed, did last-minute chores, and we on the road to Utah at 9 a.m. We intentionally left a little late to avoid some of the heaviest traffic. We drove as far as Cedar City, UT. The drive was beautiful, except for the last 40 miles over a couple of passes--one at 9,000 plus and another at 10,000 feet and snow was piled high on the sides of the roads in many places. NOT my favorite part of the trip. It was 87 when we left Mesa at 9 a.m. and about 40 when we got to Utah. I don't think the abrupt change in climate was good for me!
Friday we took our time driving to Sandy, UT, to see Lois as she worked until 5 p.m. We actually took back roads and stopped to see some great petroglyphs. We had thought of driving through Bryce Canyon National Park, but when we realized that we had to go BACK over that same 40 mile stretch of road that I said I never wanted to travel over again, we scrubbed that idea...next time, maybe!
We took Lois and Chris to a great Mexican restaurant in down-town SL City...I swear it was the tastiest Mexican I have ever eaten. Had a fun visit with Chris too.
Saturday we woke to at least 4-6" of heavy, wet snow! We drank coffee and visited until the streets cleared off a bit, then we went to a ski rental shop for a very delicious lunch. When we pulled up there, I was afraid Lois was expecting us to rent skis and hit the slopes that day! Then we shopped at a very interesting gift store (huge)...Saturday night Lois had a dinner party for about 5-6 of her closest neighbor friends. It was so fun to meet her friends. We had a really good time.
Sunday, despite the COLD weather and ice chunks frozen to our windshield, we hit the road for a marathon day of driving. I wasn't feeling the best so Gary drove all the way to Glendive, MT. It was well over 850 miles. We had dinner and hit the rack...that is after listening to the announcement that Osama Bin Laden had been killed!
The last day of our trip was when the real misery hit! We decided in our infinite wisdom that we wouldn't need to stop for gas until we got to Williston as that would be a great place to take a short break. UNFORTUNATELY, when we got to Williston (with 25 miles of gas left) we were surprised to learn that the city had been without power for more than 2 days...that meant there were only 2 stations in town pumping gas and the lines were ungodly long. Thanks for a friend, Kelly, in Williston, she directed me to the station that was a bit off the main drag and our wait there was only 2 hours. We had about fumes left when we pulled into the station! Our plans for arriving home early afternoon were dashed by this time. We stopped in Stanley for a quick lunch and short visit with Gary Nelson at the bank as we wanted to share in his joy at the death of UBL. Needless to say, he was happy about that! We got home about 5:30 and managed to unpack the car. I was feeling worse and worse as the day wore on; I called the Botno Clinic and scheduled an appt. with Dr. Jessica for 11 on Tuesday.
However, by 12:30 a.m. I realized that if I didn't go to emergency, I would probably pass out from lack of oxygen. I couldn't get my breath...my asthma had kicked in big time. It is the first time in my life I have ever been taken to ER...pretty good record for an old dame! Anyway, I expected a shot, some meds, and I'd be on my way. My doctor had other plan for me..that included two nights in the hospital, nebulizer treatments every 2 hours, many doses of steroids (that started with a very painful shot in my arm that made me very nauseous, hot, cold and ready to tear my arm off from the pain!) I always brag about my high threshold for pain, but I'll think twice before I do that again. By 4 a.m. I was tucked into my hospital bed and Gary was on his way back home. I was poked and prodded every couple of hours the whole time I was there, but felt fortunate to get out today (Wednesday). I did manage to unpack a few boxes when I got home. but vowed to save much of the work until I am breathing a little better. I encountered all my worst asthma triggers on the way home...dust (from cleaning the condo...plus the air pollution in Mesa/Phoenix is the 2nd worst in the nation) perfume from the blankets in the motels, and COLD in Salt Lake City so now I am the proud owner of a nebulizer and I have enough treatments for about 2 years...hoping that I can stave off another emergency room late night visit. It is GOOD to be home!

Eat, eat, eat

These past few days have not turned out like I planned. Had hoped to eat up some odds and ends from our cupboards and frig, but instead we found ourselves going out nearly every day! Wednesday I had my hair cut after I went for a walk. I spent quite a bit of time cleaning cupboards, closets, etc. in preparation for our trip home. Thursday I did more of the same and got lots crossed off my list of things to do. Thursday & Friday I made it back to the pool. Friday night we took Tim & Mac to Saguaro Lake for the fish fry. They came in when we got home and we played some card games.
Saturday afternoon Gary & I played our last round of golf for this season. It was beautiful on the course and we were able to play in a 2-some; felt like we had the course almost to ourselves. I think I had my best round all year. Saturday night we drove up to Apache Junction to a western bar to meet Gordy & Peggy for one last dinner with them.
Sunday morning we went to church at 10; we came home, changed clothes, and drove over to Billy & Geraldine Siercks for Easter dinner. Jackie, Vince, Kayla and Mychal were there too. We had a wonderful meal and great visit. We played about 8 games of pinochle before heading home about 10p.m. It was a very nice day!

Time is flying by!

I've been so busy that I've forgotten all about my blog this past 10 days. (That's not all I've forgotten!) Anyway, last week the weather was perfect. I think I made it to the pool every morning. Monday night we had burgers as usual; Kathy M. joined us this week. Tuesday I played bridge (and won a quarter!); Wednesday morning Mac & Tim picked us up and we drove to Tuscon to see Tom & Sandy Olson's home and have lunch with them. We ate at a very authentic Mexican restaurant, Lupe's, and were home late afternoon. Bz was along too, but Joyce was home sick. Tom has an absolutely beautiful home in Tuscon. It was fun to see them.
Wednesday we golfed with Dorine and Roger, went out for pizza and then played some cards that evening. Our car had a dead battery so Mac came to the rescue and brought over a battery charger to get us going again! It was beautiful on the golf course. Friday was a quiet day; we grocery shopped and mostly relaxed.
Saturday we had Gordy & Peggy over for happy hour and snax and then took them to Little Chicago for supper. Sunday we had Bz, Joyce, Mac and Tim here for brunch at noon. In the afternoon, Joyce and I went to Stein Mart and did a little shopping. We played cards with Bz & Joyce at our condo until about 10 Sunday night so it was a full day.
Monday morning Betty Bossart came down from Fountain Hills; she joined Dorine & I in a round of golf. The weather was perfect again! We met Kathy M. and Lu Nermyr for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Then we came back to our condo and played bridge until almost 6 p.m. Kathy & Betty joined us this week at our burger night. We had lots of laughs from their stories!
Tuesday I played bridge (had terrible cards this week); Gary & I did a little shopping and I started knitting yet another felted bag in the evening. I've been walking this week instead of going to the pool as I haven't had time for the pool activities! Time is getting short and we're trying to get in so many "last minute" events!

Weekend

Saturday it rained about 1/2 inch. We made use of the inclement weather (!) to do some shopping. Saturday afternoon we went to church and were pleasantly surprised that many snow-birds have left so there is room to park and sit in the comfortable pews! Saturday night we watched a great movie "Simon Birch." It is one of the best we've seen this winter. A real tear-jerker too!
Sunday we had a lazy morning. In the afternoon we drove to Phoenix to visit Billy & Geraldine Siercks. We played 12 games of pinochle...5 regular games (women 3, men 2) and 7 games of race-horse pinochle (women 4, men 3). Geraldine had a great meal prepared for us--as usual! We didn't get home until 11 p.m. Very late for us!

Sioux fall!

It was back to the pool for me every morning this week. The weather was perfect after such a hot weekend in Palm Springs. Tuesday afternoon I played bridge. We just had a 4-some this week, but it was fun anyway. Wednesday was cleaning and cooking day; I actually made dinner for us! Thursday afternoon we went with Bz & Joyce to O'Sullivans to watch the Sioux get beat in their first (and last) game of the Frozen Four. It was an exciting game, but they came out on the short end. It wasn't for lack of trying! After the game, we went to Wipers and played our usual 2 games of rummy. Friday was a pretty lazy day. Gary drove me over to the Yarn Shop for my last purchase of the season. I now have a pretty good supply...it should last me until we get home at least. We spent a quiet night at home Friday night.

Palm Springs and more

Finally on Monday, the 28th, I got back into my routine of going to the pool in the mornings. Monday night we did our weekly burger and beer at Dubs and went to Wipers for a visit afterward. Tuesday evening we had neighbors in for some pinochle card games and Wednesday night we were invited to Mac's for some great home-made lemon pie that a gal from Grand Forks (Audrey) had made for us.
Thursday morning we were on the road to Palm Springs by 8:30 a.m. The traffic was pretty heavy getting out of town...otherwise, the drive over was uneventful. We stopped at Audrey's first and got situated. Then we headed to Cathedral City to see the cousins. It was HOT! We had great hors d'oeuvres and drinks (mostly ice water) at Nadine's. Everyone had arrived by the time we got there.
Friday morning we girls met at Stein Mart and spent a few hours shopping. It was 103 degrees! I think I was a near candidate for a heat stroke by noon. We met Cal & Julie at the Kona Grill and enjoyed a leisurely lunch in air conditioning! Then we drove over to see the RV park where they have been staying. In the evening we all met at Pete & Mona's for a dinner that Judie had prepared.
Saturday morning we were up and out early as we wanted to shop at the swap meet at College of the Desert. It was another 103 degree day! Needless to say, we had to shop FAST in order to get out of there before we melted. We did manage to find quite a few things that we really needed!
At noon we met Cal and Julie at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. After lunch, Julie rode with us to Nadine's and we met Danny & Maxine there so the four of us had a relaxing afternoon of bridge...except that Julie & I got beat!! That evening we were at Pete's again for another great meal that Mona had prepared.
Sunday morning we were up early and went to church with Audrey, Hank and Joyce (Audrey's sister). After church Hank took us to lunch at Esconsa Country Club. It is an absolutely beautiful golf course and club house. In the afternoon Gary & I went by ourselves to a "Musical Tribute to our Troops" at the Palm Spring Air Museum. Ariana Savales (daughter of Kojak) was the only name that we recognized, but the program was lots of fun! After that, we drove over to Nadines and Les & Kay Vea took all of us to a very nice Chinese restaurant for our last meal together. We had a great time looking at old family pictures and reading some letters that our parents had written each other years ago. It was a fun evening of memories!
We got back to Audrey's early so I taught them how to play "Farkle" before we hit the rack. The heat had subsided by Sunday (thankfully) so we weren't quite as exhausted as we were Fri/Sat.
Monday morning we were on the road home by 9:00. We took a longer, more scenic route through Yuma and by the Salton Sea. The roads on this route were much better and the views were much more interesting than taking HWY 10...however, it was about 100 miles further. We had lunch in Yuma at Olive Garden. We got home just in time for our weekly burger. Afterwards we stopped at Bz & Joyce's and had a couple games of rummy.

Sioux-per week!

Can't believe I'm a week behind in my postings...I'll will blame it on the crud I struggled with for several days. Sunday we didn't even get to church; I was coughing so much that no one would have wanted me to sit near them.
Monday I stayed quiet too--except Monday night we met the ND gang at Dubs; Katie & her family were down too so got to see them. Tuesday I played bridge (didn't win anything!) and then we were invited to McFarlens for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails about 4:30. Had a great visit with Katie and family. Wednesday at noon I drove over to Faith's (Dad's cousin) to see her AZ park model in Mesa. She showed me around, then we drove to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. After lunch we did a little shopping before I came home.
Thursday I picked Katie & Ryan up and took them to lunch at the Kona Grill in San Tan shopping center; afterwards we wandered around in and out of several stores and mostly did some browsing. It was nice to have some time with them.
Friday noon we were invited to Nick & JoAnn Perrin's park model at Venture Out in Mesa. We had a great brunch; Kathy Marcil came too. We visited most of the afternoon. Friday night we came home and watched the movie "Sleepers." It was a very disturbing movie about young boys who are put in juvenile detention centers.
Saturday morning we headed over to O'Sullivans to watch an early Sioux hockey game; we won 6-0! Gene and Beth joined us there. Afterwards we came back to our condo and played cards until it was time for our golf game. We managed to play 9 holes (badly!) and then had some snacks and drinks before going out for Sour Dough Pizza. We played a few more hands of cards before bed time.
Sunday we had a leisurely morning; we had a big brunch and then went to church at noon. After church we headed right to the "Swap Meet" on Baseline. Gary & I only stayed 45 minutes as we didn't want to miss the hockey game at O'Sullivans. It was another great game! The Sioux won 6-1 against Denver and are now headed to the Frozen Four in a couple of weeks! A great way to spend the afternoon! Gene & Beth headed back to Surprise after the game and we came home and had a quiet evening.

St. Patrick's Day and the CRUD!

Wednesday morning I went to the pool early; I spent the remainder of the morning cleaning, doing laundry, etc. Wednesday evening Joyce & Bz came to play cards. We girls really were lucky; we won 3 out of 4 games! We played until midnight--which is very late for us.
Thursday morning I woke with a barking hack. I skipped the pool and lazed around the house all day. We were invited to Wipers for corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The meal was delicious! We stayed for one game of rummy and were home by 9. I continued to struggle with my cough.
Friday I woke feeling really terrible. I ached all over and my cough/asthma had worsened. I had a fever all day. I didn't even get dressed or comb my hair. It was a miserable, long day. Friday night we were invited to Gordy and Peggy's for supper; Gary had to go without me. I lay in bed and listened to the Sioux hockey game. It was a nail-biter, but the Sioux managed to hang on to win 4-3.
Saturday morning I was up early (I coughed through the night) and we were at FirstCare by 8 a.m. when they opened. I got my prednisone, Pulmicort, and Z pack so I should snap out of this crud by tomorrow. I really took it easy the rest of the day. Knitting, eating, and the most strenuous thing I did was listen to the Sioux hockey game...it went into double overtime before they pulled it out! The game lasted 4 hours! I'm exhausted from all that excitement!

Sun/Mon/Tues

Sunday morning we made it to church about 45 minutes early so we could get a place to sit; it was already about 3/4th full! I think people must camp out in the parking lot Saturday nights to get their favorite seats. Sunday evening we were invited to Mac & Tim's for a delicious pork loin dinner. They are quite the chefs! We played some "Greed" with Mac, but were home early.
Monday and Tuesday mornings I was up bright and early so I had the paper read, my coffee drunk, and I was at the pool by 8 a.m. The mornings are getting nicer all the time. Monday night was our usual hamburger and beer night at Dubs. We had 13 at our table this week again. Kathy M. and Bob Dunbar joined us as well as some other UND folks that we've met along the way. The conversation is always lively at this gathering! When we got home, we watched a very dark movie "American Beauty" with Kevin Spacey. It was a very disturbing film of three disfunctional families.
Tuesday afternoon (Ides of March) I walked over to play bridge only to find that they had mixed up the sign-up sheet for this week (I wasn't there last week) and my name got left off the list. Is that a sign they don't want me? So, I walked back home and Gary & I went to see "The King's Speech." It was thoroughly enjoyable--more fun than playing bridge! Later in the afternoon I finished my small felted purse...#4 so far this winter.

Go Sioux!

Thursday, Friday and Saturday I managed to get to the pool before any other activities. The weather has warmed up considerably so the water and air really feel nice. Thursday I did some laundry, we grocery shopped, and stayed close to home in the evening. We watched "Secretariat" and really liked that movie.
Friday and Saturday nights we went to O'Sullivans for more Sioux hockey. They are in the play-offs for their conference and they played Michigan Tech. Mac, Tim, Bz & Joyce joined us Friday night. The game wasn't very exciting as the Sioux won 8-0. Saturday night we met JoAnn & Nick Perrin, Kathy Marcil and Connie (Morwood) (sorority sisters) so we got in quite a bit of yakking while watching the game. This one was lots more exciting as the Sioux were behind 1-0 for quite awhile and then managed to score 2 quick goals and finally a third one in the open net in the last minute. There were lots of Sioux fans there so it was pretty loud! We cheer like they can hear us in GF! Now it's on to Mpls. next week and two more wins are necessary to make it to the Frozen Four!

The first 10 days of March

I knew if I waited more than 2 or 3 days to jot down our events I would forget...and I was right. Last Wednesday night we drove over to McFarlens and played a few games of "golf" with Mac and Tim. Thursday morning I picked Terri Hauge up at 9:30 and we drove to SanTan shopping mall; I took her to "Total Wine" to see the 8,000 different wine labels. It's an unbelievable store! We did get some shopping done and Dorine joined us for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory at Superstition Springs Mall. I got home in time to play a round of golf. It was such a beautiful afternoon. We were paired up with a young couple from Denver and really enjoyed the game with them. Our scores weren't too terrible!
Friday we cleaned house, did laundry and stayed pretty close to home. Saturday we packed, went to church at 4:00 p.m. and watched the movie "Double Jeopardy." It was really good. I had seen it before, but only remembered a few scenes (as usual).
Sunday morning (our 47th anniversary) we were up at 6:00 and on the road before 8:00. We picked Gene & Beth up in Surprise and drove to Las Vegas. We stopped for lunch in Boulder City.
We checked in to the Encore hotel about 3, got our bearings and headed to an Italian Restaurant to meet Dylan and Amy. After dinner, Amy gave us a great walking tour of many of the sites in Vegas. We watched a couple of water shows at the Bellagio and were in and out of several casinos as she knew so many things that she thought we should see. We were pretty bushed when we collapsed back at our hotel about midnight. It was a great evening.
Monday morning we were out bright and early. We continued to tour casinos; one of our favorites was Caesars. Monday evening we had tickets to "Le Reve" at the Wynne hotel. It was a Cirque du soleil performance and it was sensational. After the show, we ate at "The Buffet" in the hotel.
Tuesday morning we headed downtown to see the "old" original casinos. It was Mardi Gras and there were lots of people around. We had lunch at the Fremont Hotel. We enjoyed this walking tour also. We did play the slots here and there; no one won big. I figure I came out even! Tuesday night we took in "Jersey Boys" at the Palazzoo Hotel. It's the musical story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. We loved it! After the show, we wandered though the hotel and ate in one of the restaurants.
By Wednesday morning, we were ready to leave the "ding, ding, ding" noise behind and head home. We took a "scenic" drive at the Hoover Dam so we could get a good view of the new bridge that connects AZ and NV. What an awesome sight! We stopped for lunch at a "Cracker Barrel" at Kingman. We dropped Gene & Beth off about 5, took a little break and headed for Mesa. We got home about 7 p.m...tired, but glad that we had gone!

February ends!

Can't believe how fast this 28 day month went by! Sunday we went early to church and the main church was completely full 25 minutes before the service was to start; we managed to find chairs in the smaller chapel. We're always amazed at the attendance every week! It's really a challenge to get there early enough to be seated.
Early in the afternoon we went to O'Sullivans again to watch the Sioux; they defeated Bemidji 5-1 so they are still #1 in the WCHA so we're looking forward to more play-off games in March. Skip and Char joined us the last period. We visited with other Sioux fans and met one of Gary's classmate's ex-husbands...another coincidence!
Sunday night we watched the movie "Brothers"; it was a good movie with a very disturbing story.
Monday we were up bright and early as we had to get to Scottsdale to meet the Odlands for breakfast at the Chaparral Suites. We got there about 9:30 and visited until after 11. Then Mary Ann, Kari and I went shopping while Ed & Gary headed to a spring training baseball game in Mesa; they saw the Cubs play the Brewers. Gary thinks watching baseball is no more exciting than watching paint dry. They had a good time tho and got quite a bit a sun. We girls had lunch with Kathy Marcil at a cute little outdoor restaurant in Scottsdale. We shopped until 5 and then met a large group of Lambda Chis at Dubs for our weekly burger and beer. I think there were 12 of us at one table. The guys seemed to have a good time reminiscing. We went to Bz & Joyce's for a short visit after dinner.
Tuesday morning was beautiful; I made it to the pool and was bawled out by my pool buddies for missing so many days. The air really has warmed up so I stayed a full hour. Tuesday afternoon was my weekly bridge game. My cards were pretty good today and I was very surprised to learn that I had won FIRST! Another $1.25 for my piggy bank! Tuesday night we ate at home (rare occasion!) and watched Robert DeNiro in "Everything's Fine." We both enjoyed it.

Another week gone!

I decided I'd better write in my blog tonight before I forget all about what went on this week. It was another cool week...so NO morning trips to the pool. That meant that I forced myself to take a long walk most every day instead. I much prefer time in the pool, however! Tuesday afternoon I played bridge...it was a "mediocre" day for cards, but I enjoyed it. After bridge we were invited to Zwak's motor home in View Point for a cocktail/pizza party. All the couples there were Lake Metigoshe residents. We had a fun evening.
Wednesday I started to knit another bag to "felt." I got a good start on it; early in the evening Faye called to say they wanted to come for a last evening of 6-handed pinochle before they left AZ. We had 3 games; guys-2, girls-1. Darn! Zwaks and Bernsteins were leaving on Thursday.
Thursday after my walk, I decided it was time to clean house and do laundry. I think we were home alone all day so it was a day of R&R (and knitting.) Friday morning John and Terri Hauge came for coffee. About 11 Terri & I headed for the pool and actually got some sun and had a great visit. It was so good to see them and hear news from home. Friday afternoon I ran to Stein Mart to check out the bargains and found a couple of things. Friday night I had Mac and Tim here for a chicken dinner. I haven't forgotten completely how to cook yet!
Saturday morning I dashed to "Great Clips" for a much-needed haircut. Spent the rest of the morning trying to make my hair not look like it had just been cut! We picked Terri & John up about 1 and headed for O'Sullivans to watch the Sioux vs. Bemidji State. Terri and I detoured to the yarn shop before the game started so we could get some more supplies. The game was great! 5-1 Sioux! I was sitting at a long table with a large group of Sioux fans. The lady across the table from me finally asked me what my name was and we discovered that we were in the same pledge class at UND more than 50 years ago! What a small world! We had a great visit! I reminded her that I had even been to her wedding. She did look familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I had seen her until she asked me who I was...
We got home by 6 and spent the evening watching the movie "Precious." It was a very dark movie...sad!

The weekend--our winter

Saturday the skies looked pretty black when Faye & I left for the Mesa Arts Center in the afternoon. We saw "Menopause-the Musical" and really enjoyed it. We were surprised to see Eunice Ketterling and Pat Skarperud sitting directly in front of us. Once again we were reminded what a small world this is! We laughed through the whole production. When it was over, we realized that the black clouds had arrived and we got soaked running to our car. After the play, we four were invited to Bob & Vivian Dunbar's in Leisure World. They have an absolutely beautiful home. We had drinks and hors d'oeuvres before going to have dinner at a German restaurant near them. It was a fun evening.
Sunday morning we went to church. This time we got the comical priest. However, the church was packed again and people were standing along all sides and in the back. We lucked out and got a place to sit on a marble-cold-slab! It started raining shortly after we got home from church so we stayed inside until the storm passed. When the sun came out, we made a dash to the mall for a few things we needed.
Monday it was too cold to go to the pool. I finished my second bag and "felted" it in the washing machine. Now it smells like wet sheep in our condo as it takes quite awhile for it to dry. I did make it out for a long walk as it warmed up enough to do that in the afternoon. Monday night we met Bz & Joyce, Faye & Dave, and Val & Wayne at Dubs for the weekly burger. Afterwards we all went to Bz's for a game of Jensen rummy. Guys won!

Never a dull moment

Wednesday morning I made it to the pool. In the afternoon Val & Wayne Zwak came for coffee before our tee time at 3. We played the back 9 and really enjoyed it. After golf, Faye & Dave came here for a drink before we all went to "Organ Stop Pizza" for supper. It is definitely a tourist-destination! After pizza, we came back to our condo and played one game of 6-handed pinochle. (women won!)
Thursday we did laundry, cleaned house, ironed, etc. I skipped the pool this morning. We were invited to Mac & Tim's for dinner Thursday night. They served us a delicious rib meal with appetizers and dessert. It's the first time we've been there since losing Kathy and it's still so hard to believe she is gone.
Friday morning Faye came over and we went in search of a yarn shop. After several attempts at finding one that hadn't closed, we did locate a great store on Main near Country Club Drive. We spent a couple of hours there and bought quite a bit of yarn. We came back in time to meet Dave & Gary for lunch. Later in the afternoon we went to their motor home and played pinochle and golf-the card game. We were home early so I had time to do some more knitting on my bag.

A new week

Sunday morning I did a little more food preparation; about 3 p.m. Bernsteins and Siercks arrived for our second 6-handed pinochle duel. We played 6 games and each won 3. The cards were phenomenal...some games only lasted 3 hands! Faye and I served beef and chicken enchiladas. I must say they were delicious!
Monday & Tuesday I made it back to the pool. The sun is finally getting some warmth to it...even at 8:30 in the morning. Monday afternoon I went by myself to Superstition Springs Shopping Center to get a few things I needed. Monday night we met Wipers, Bernsteins, Mac & Tim and several other Bowbells couples at Dubs for our weekly burger. Afterwards we went to Wipers for a visit. Faye & Dave stopped at our place for a couple of games of pinochle before they went home.
Tuesday was my bridge afternoon. I don't think I've ever had such worthless cards; I didn't play one hand all afternoon. Tuesday night we watched "Road to Perdition" with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. It is a bloody movie about the Mafia in the 30's. I really worked on my #2 felted bag; I'm about half done already. We had a pretty quiet day!

The end of week 2--February

We were a little out of our routine this week as Wednesday became our cleaning/laundry/shopping day. Other than those activities, we didn't do anything special. I finished my first "felted" bag project and was very pleased how it turned out. My addiction to knitting is getting worse! We watched the movie "First Do No Harm." It was a riveting story (true) about a child with seizures and a revolutionary treatment that the parents had to struggle to convince the doctor that they wanted to try. Great story!
Thursday afternoon we drove to Surprise (over 60 miles) to Gene & Beth's. We had time for a visit before heading to the AZ Broadway Theater in Peoria to see "My Fair Lady." It was superb! I hated to see it end. The dinner was okay--but nothing great! We visited until about 1 a.m.--very late for us!
Friday morning Beth prepared a wonderful brunch. After eating, we took time to go to a fantastic yarn shop near their condo. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I bought a couple more colors of wool for my second felted bag project. We got back from our shopping just in time to hit the golf course. We 4 played 9 holes; it was a weather-perfect afternoon and the golf wasn't too bad either! On our way back (driving through rush hour Friday traffic) Faye called and asked us to stop at their motor home for cocktails. We got back to our condo about 6:30--had a quick dinner and went to bed pretty early.
Saturday morning we went to the grocery store and I spent a couple of hours doing some cooking. We made it to church (a long hour and 15 minutes today) and afterwards headed to O'Sullivans to watch the Sioux hockey game. We met Mac, Tim, Bernsteins and Zwaks there. The Sioux won both games this weekend. There were lots of UND folks there--a big group of Metigoshe Skinautiques were having a little reunion. After the game, Zwaks and Bernsteins stopped at our condo and we played a great game of 6-handed pinochle...women lost again! It was another late night!

Super Weekend!

Friday was our work day, as usual. We cleaned our condo, grocery shopped and did some planning for our super bowl party menu. Friday evening we were invited to Faye & Dave's motor home for supper and some card games. Pat Kersten is staying with them so we had a few good games of "golf."
Saturday Gary & I did some cooking. I was running short of my yarn so we made a wild goose chase to Jo-Ann's and had so much trouble remembering where it was that we were a little late for church. That meant we had to stand through the whole service. Woe is me when I am the reason that we're lost and late! I'll be more careful with Gretta, our Garmin, next time! We actually stayed home Saturday night without any company.
Sunday our Super Bowl company started showing up about 1 p.m. We had 13 people (including us)...Mac and Tim, Kathy Marcil, Pat Kersten, Skip, Char & Steve Shirley, Julie & Cal (surprised us when they arrived in Mesa) and Faye & Dave. We were pretty crammed in our living room around the TV, but I think everyone had a good time and I know everyone had plenty to eat! The last of the company left about 9 p.m. and I finished cleaning up the mess and hit the rack. The hi-lite of the day for me wasn't the game or the commercials, it was winning the big pool at the end ($40.00!!!)
Monday morning I was up bright and early so I could be ready for our outing to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior, AZ. Gary & Sandra Nordmark picked us up about 10:30. Faye, Dave & Pat followed us out there. We took about a 2 hour hike around the trails to see the wide variety of plants (mostly kinds of cacti) and some very pretty birds. However, it was not the peak season as they have had two hard frosts out there so we saw some limp and dead leaves here and there. We had lunch at the Mexican restaurant (authentic) in Superior before heading back to Mesa. We stopped over at Faye & Dave's motor home so the Nordmarks could see where they are parked. We barely made it home in time to meet the Wipers and Mac & Tim for our regular Monday night burger and beer at Dub's. Afterwards we went to Wipers for a couple of games of rummy...women-1, men-1. We were too tired to play off the tie!
Tuesday I finally got back into my routine of going to the pool. It was finally warm enough to want to walk over there! The water felt wonderful after missing it for a week. In the afternoon I played bridge. I really had boo-booed this week as I had signed my name TWICE in the list of who wanted to play and that made us one person SHORT! Oh, did I feel stupid! And to top it off, I was in the money as I won 4th place (50 cents). I apologized profusely to all the women for my dumb mistake. I hope they let me play again next week! Tuesday evening we stayed HOME!
We need a little R&R after our very busy past few days.

Brrr-February comes in with a blast!

We can hardly believe that it has dipped before 32 every day this month...so far! We're not complaining, but a little surprised. The natives are really complaining and the farmers are very worried about their peach blossoms, orange blossoms and all the other vegetation in this valley. It's definitely not good for them! The only difference it made for me is that I didn't go to the pool again all week. I'm sure it was pretty quiet there even tho the water is nice and warm...getting in and out is hard on us old folks.
Tuesday despite the cold Gary went with Joyce and Bz to the horse races in Phoenix. Bz is charging me babysitting fees for taking Gary off my hands for a whole day. I had bridge in the afternoon, and wonder of all wonders, I got first place out of 5 tables! My winnings ($1.25) really beat Gary's take-home prize from the track. Guess he's not ready for that scene. He enjoyed it despite his lack of luck. Tuesday night I drove over to Wipers for another evening of rummy with their friends (The Brusters) from Bowbells. I swear there is no one left in that town!
Wednesday morning we left early for Scottsdale as Kathy Marcil had invited me to sit in with her cancer support group that she moderates at her doctor's office. It was a very emotional experience and great to see the service that Kathy is providing for those women as they are struggling with their chemo and trying to face their fears. After the session, we took Kathy to the Olive Garden for lunch. We actually stayed home Wednesday night.
Thursday we drove out to San Tan Village to check out a store called "Total Wine." We've never seen such a selection of spirits anywhere like what they had to offer. We also stopped at Sam's Club. We got home in time to drive up to the RV park where Faye & Dave are staying to pick them up for pizza at Vito's. We met Mac, Tim, Joyce, Bz and her sister so there was a big group of us there. Afterwards we stopped at Joyce and Bz as they wanted Faye & Dave to see their house. We played pinochle with F & D until after midnight when we got back to their motor home. One of our latest nights all winter. I think we each won 2 games so it wasn't one-sided like it usually is!

January comes to an end

We had a relatively uneventful last few days of the month. Thursday and Friday I went to the pool in the mornings. I got some laundry and cleaning done Friday morning. In the afternoon afternoon Gary & Sandra Nordmark drove over from Fountain Hills for a visit. We showed them around our complex and went to "Sour Dough Pizza" for supper.
Gary took me to a JoAnn's store Saturday morning so I could get more knitting supplies. Saturday afternoon we went to church. Sunday we made a trip to the grocery store as I actually prepared a meal for the two of us Sunday night (probably one of the few since we got here). I began another knitting project over the weekend (a felted bag) and had to unravel and make it 3 times before I got it going right. Good thing I didn't have a lot of other things to do! We watched a couple of movies "Beat Drums" and "The Pianist" while I was struggling with my knitting.
Monday I hit the pool again. Our telephone and computer service was down so spent some time (frustrating) on the phone later in the day and finally got it working. We sure miss it when it isn't available! Monday night we met Mac, Tim and the Wipers at Dubs (as usual) and went back to Wipers for cards...until after 11:30! I'm pretty sure that's the latest we've stayed out since we got here!
The COLD is moving in this week! It may freeze here!

Are you ready for some football?

Sunday was a day to watch football...two games! That's two more than I've watched all year. We had Gary's former boss Gordy and his friend Peggy over for the afternoon and supper while we watched the play-offs. At least this year I know who will be in the Super Bowl!
Monday I made it to the pool and then drove to Superstition Springs Mall to meet my cousin Faith for lunch. We did a little shopping...my first since I got here! I really miss Kathy as she was my best shopping buddy! It just isn't the same to shop without her. Our Monday night ritual of hamburgers and beer with Wipers continues followed by some competitive card games and dessert at our place. We always enjoy the friendly battle and it seems that Joyce and I are very unlucky!
Tuesday I hit the pool again before my afternoon bridge game. My lack of cards (and luck) continued, but it's fun anyway. However, I really miss my bridge player friends from the lake... Tuesday night we played cards with neighbors so we've gotten lots of hours in around the game table.
Wednesday I skipped the pool (I slept in)! Most of the day I sat on the couch, watched a movie (Presumed Innocent) and knit! I'm about finished with the doll outfit and this time the sweater looks like it might fit Jackie (Morgan's doll.)
We met Gary's best friend from Minto HS, Ed Stoltman, for supper at Coco's Restaurant. Afterwards we came to our condo for a visit. He and Gary had a great time reminiscing about former classmates, neighbors and teachers. He is renting a place at Apache Wells so he's pretty close to us. He lost his wife 2 years ago to cancer. It was so nice to see him down here.

20-21-22

I barely have time to make entries in my blog these days. I did continue to sneeze and wipe my eyes for a couple more days. I don't know what is causing my allergies, but I'm hoping the worst is over. By Saturday it seemed that I was back to some kind of "normal." Thursday afternoon we drove to Phoenix to Billy and Geraldine's. They had invited us, Bernsteins, and Gary & Sandra Nordmark for an evening of visiting and a great meal. Seems all we do is eat and talk! We were home before 10--which is late in our village.
I did make it to the pool both Thursday and Friday mornings; Friday it was 42 degrees when I walked over so the warm pool really felt good. Friday night Gary & I went to O'Sullivans Irish Pub in Mesa to watch the Sioux vs. UN-Omaha. It was a terrible showing for the Sioux...score at the end was 8-4; worst defeat they've suffered in their own arena.
Saturday morning we spent grocery shopping...we drove to 4 different locations in search of the grocery store "Bashas" only to find that the first 3 had been closed. We must have been 15 miles from home by the time we found one that was still open. This area is so depressed with so many empty store fronts...including Bashas! I don't think we'll bother to go there again! In the afternoon we went to church and then to O'Sullivans again to see if the Sioux could redeem themselves. We met Gary & Sandra Nordmark there. The game Saturday night was a real thriller and we won 4-2! It was quite a different game from Friday night...thank goodness!
We were home before 9 as the game time was 6:00 AZ time.

End of week 2

Monday morning I didn't make it to the pool as I actually slept in! I did manage a walk tho as the sun was shining and the temps were perfect for that. Monday evening Bz and Joyce picked us up and we make our weekly trek to "Dubs" for hamburgers and beer followed by an evening of rummy games at our house. Tuesday I did go to the pool and played bridge at the center in the afternoon. The cards didn't improve much from last Tuesday, but I did enjoy it. I have been busy knitting for Morgan's doll, Jackie, so the rest of the day I worked on a pair of pants for her. I like to think I'm beginning to understand how to read patterns; this project actually looks like the picture!
Wednesday I had some kind of allergy attack and spent much of the day sneezing and blowing my nose. I skipped the pool and went for a long walk. In the afternoon, Gary & I hit the golf course for the first time. It is such a beautiful course and fun as it isn't too long. For our first attempt, we were pretty satisfied! I continued my knitting and almost finished the project I'm working on.

The end of the weekend

Saturday night was quiet on the home front. I watched the movie "Becoming Jane" about Jane Austen; Gary listened to the UND Sioux vs. Gophers hockey game over the Internet. The Sioux won tonight (but they lost last night--darn!!) The movie wasn't very good so I'm glad Gary didn't waste his time on that!
Sunday morning I did some cooking; in the afternoon Billy & Geraldine Siercks and Faye & Dave Bernstein came for some competitive pinochle card games and supper. We played 5 games (six-handed) and the men won 3 and the women 2. We women worked hard to get those 2 wins. The cards weren't going our way! We had a great time and I think everyone got enough to eat. I'm sure we were the last ones up in the neighborhood as they didn't leave until midnight! Hope we didn't keep any of the neighbors awake! Talked to Anne and she told me that both Kutter and Brody had won gold medals at the ski races in Assissippi, Manitoba, over the weekend. Sounded like it was cold up there (surprise) but they had a really good time!

Time flies!

I made it to the pool every morning this week...except I take the weekends off. My pool buddies do the same. It's always worthwhile as I learn where to eat, where not to eat, where to shop for bargains, who is having health problems and a wide variety of other tidbits. Wednesday afternoon we were invited to Gordy and Peggy's golf club for an afternoon social. Gordy was Gary's boss at IDS over 35 years ago, but we have always maintained a friendship with them. He has a new significant other since his wife Audrey passed away a few years ago. We really enjoy Peggy too. It was fun catching up with them and news of their families.
Thursday we drove to the Chocolate Factory on Camelback Rd. in Scottsdale to meet our friends from Crazy Horse, AZ, for lunch. We visited them there last year...they're only 3 miles from the Mexican border. They have given up going in to Mexico for any reason now as the situation at the border towns is anything but safe! It was great to see them again and the lunch was great too! We did some shopping on our way home. It's hard to find time for that some days! Thursday evening we had neighbors over for a few fun card games.
Friday afternoon, Gary's brother Gene and wife Beth came over; we had tickets for the stage play "Chicago." It was really enjoyable! The costumes and dancing were great and we all loved the music. We ate at Ruby Tuesdays before the play. We came home and visited until quite late. We had so much catching up to do with them. They stayed overnight. This morning after brunch we made a trip to Cosco for more groceries. They went back to Surprise after our shopping and we managed to make it to church at 4 p.m. Once again, the churches were packed with standing room only. We managed to get ushered into a pew...luckily! Parking is such a problem at the church too. It was a beautiful afternoon...perfect temperature at 74 degrees. We had a quiet evening at home. I spent more of the time knitting the sweater for Morgan's doll. So far it looks like it will be big for the doll and too small for Morgan! I'm enjoying TRYING to read knitting patterns!

A new week

I made up my mind that Monday would be the day I start my new routine...the pool had to be first! It was quite chilly (42 degrees--above zero) when I walked to the pool. However, the 91 degree water was worth the brisk walk. The pool was steaming and we must have looked like some old wrinkled bodies boiling away to anyone who passed by. I felt so good after my walk and water exercise. It gave me energy to tackle more technology challenges that we had been putting off.
Our first project was to hook up and activate our new Sirius FM radio that we got for Christmas. I almost convinced Gary to just pay someone at Best Buy to do it for us, but when he found out what they charged, he decided that we could do it ourselves. I get a real anxious feeling when I'm doing something that is way above my pay grade...anything that involves reading a series of directions written by someone in India who already knows how these things work falls into that category. He worked on the stringing wires in the car and I got on the computer to activate our license. Wonder of all wonders, we got it to work! Next, we debated if we should go buy a new TV for our ROKU or try one more time to get it to play on the current TV that is in our living room. One call to Cox communications solved our problems and we now can watch movies on demand from Netflix as well as get our DVD player to work. We were on a roll! Now that we have both our Nook ereaders working, we should be set for the rest of the winter. I've toyed with the idea of getting a new cell phone, but I think I'd be pushing my luck to get yet one more gadget to work. Enough is enough!
Monday evening Joyce and Bz (pronounced beez) Wiper picked us up and we went to Dubs for a hamburger and beer. It's a popular restaurant only a couple of blocks away and a very crowded place on Mondays for retirees as they have some half-price specials! We had a nice visit with them and they stopped in afterwards for a couple great games of rummy. Unfortunately, the guys won both of them!
Tuesday I made it to the pool again; it was equally as cold today as it was yesterday. I must say it's invigorating to walk home in the chilly air after a swim in a nice warm pool. After lunch I played my first afternoon of bridge with the ladies at the club...I didn't play well, I might add, but it was fun to see so many familiar faces again. I didn't remember any names; I've pretty much given up on that effort and I just smile and say hello. Tonight we watched a terrible movie about a wedding; it was so bad that I can't even remember the title; I know I won't be recommending it to anyone! It did warm up this afternoon to the high 60's and the sun felt really good!

The weekend

Saturday morning we attacked the new phone that had been charging overnight and believe it or not, it worked! We now can have friends leave us a message if we're not here! We are convinced that the other phone was really faulty and it certainly wasn't our lack of "techniness" that caused the problem. However, our next effort was to hook up our "ROKU" so we could watch movies on demand from Netflix. Well, needless to say, that didn't work either. A call to COX communications is in order...or we may just buy another TV and hook it up to that! We did get in a nice walk around SV East. The weather is about perfect...in the 60's.
Sunday morning we went to church only to find that both churches were filled to the brim. The perfume and warm air about knocked me out (I'm convinced that old ladies have no sense of smell--thus the heavy doses of perfume!) so we ended up sitting on temporary chairs in the courtyard where we could almost hear what was going on. The air was wonderful tho! I can't believe how many people try to pack in to both of the church services. We saw 3 people from our Westhope parish of St. Andrews. It made it seem almost like home!
About noon Kathy Marcil came for brunch. We hadn't seen her since last March and it took until 5 p.m. to hear all the newest "Kathy" stories. Her life may be disorganized, but it sure is interesting! She seems to be doing well since her bout with cancer 2 years ago. Thank God for that!

Another day of organizing

This morning we were up bright and early and headed to the "Bottineau" breakfast at BJ's Restaurant in Mesa. Greta, the woman in our Garmin, had the wrong address so we had to rely on our memories to find the place. (We had been there a few times last year--but that was last year!) Fortunately, we happened upon it just in time to join about 30 other folks from the Bottineau area wintering in AZ for a visit and breakfast. Yes, the talk was about shoulder surgeries, MS, cancer, etc. Not too surprising, I guess!
The rest of the morning we spent tidying up our condo. It wasn't as clean as last year so it took awhile to get it clean. My mother would approve now! The afternoon was spent in near hysterics trying to get our new phone with the answering machine working. We laughed so hard each time we tried to record a message, only to find that it wouldn't work. We followed the directions carefully--and, time after time we got the same results. Isn't that a sign of insanity? When you do the same thing over and over expecting different results??? Well, we had to finally admit that the damn thing didn't work so our mission after we ate tonight was to return it to Walmart and try yet another brand. Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to tackle a second phone. Yippee!

December, 2010...the brrr and the blur

The last part of December was very cold, stormy and hectic. We were scheduled to go to North Carolina on the 20th for Christmas with Scott, Lisa, Evan and Morgan. We arrived at the airport in Minot at 9 a.m. only to be told 5 hours later that our flight into Minot had been canceled as it was snowing too much for the planes to land. We were very disappointed as we drove home in very stormy conditions and we had been rescheduled to fly out of Grand Forks 2 days later. Tuesday we drove to Grand Forks, stayed at the Fairfield Inn that night so we wouldn't miss our flight on Wednesday, and caught our flight the next morning. We made our connections and arrived at RDU (Raleigh/Durum) on time. Scott and family were waiting for us. It was so great to see all of them again. Scott had just flown in from Dubai as his flight from Iraq home had been diverted there due to the storm across Europe at the time. We were all happy to be there!

Christmas Eve was very sad for us as we got a call that Kathy McFarlen had passed away from her lung, liver and spine cancer--just 3 weeks to the day from when she was diagnosed. We were devastated! The day after Christmas, Lillington received about 7" of heavy, wet snow. The kids were ecstatic and so were Izzy & Dexter. We spent 3 days inside working on 2-1,000 piece puzzles...Lisa spent part of that time wiping ice chunks off the dogs. It was a fun time just to be together! One night we ate at the Crab Shack and that was a treat for us to have Dungeness crab...something we don't see where we live! Christmas Day we deep-fried (rather, Scott did) a whole turkey. It was a great treat and we served that with all the "fixins" as they say in the South! We flew back to GF on the 29th, met Brett for breakfast and drove back to the lake that afternoon.

We spent Thursday unpacking from that trip and packing the car for the trip South. Anne & Brent & kids met us at the A-Frame Thursday night and treated us to a great last dinner in ND. We left Friday morning despite the warnings that the roads were snow-covered and icy in spots. We headed to Bismarck, then west and south to Spearfish, SD. We lucked out and had great roads the whole way. We spent the night in Spearfish at the Fairfield Inn. It was New Year's Eve, but we were both in bed by 9 p.m.--exhausted!

Saturday we managed to drive to Castle Rock, CO, to McFarlens. It didn't seem like New Year's Day at all. It was so hard to be there without Kathy. We turned in early that night also. Sunday we went to church with Mac and spent the afternoon with all the kids making last-minute arrangements for Kathy's service on Monday. That evening Claudia & Bob Sladic had all of us over for a great Italian meal and an enjoyable visit.
Monday morning we were at the church shortly after 9. Kathy's service was beautiful. The music was awesome! Katie, Ryan and I gave the eulogies at the end of the service. That was one of the hardest things I've ever been asked to do. The church was packed and there wasn't a dry eye by the time the service was over. A great lunch was served before the grave-side service. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Castle Rock. After the burial, we went back to Mac's and celebrated Kathy's life with more good food and drink. We were so thankful we were able to get to CO for the service.
Tuesday morning we left for Albuquerque. Once again the roads were perfect! We arrived at Danny and Maxine's about 4 p.m. We had a great visit with them. Scott and Gretchen joined us for dinner. We left Albuquerque Wednesday morning and drove to Mesa. We arrived here in the late afternoon. After unpacking the car, we headed for the grocery store to "stock up" on the essentials as our cupboards were bare. We collapsed into bed about 9 p.m.
Wednesday we continued unpacking and putting things away and made another run to the grocery store and Superstition Mall. Gosh, it was good to get back there!
(to the mall, I mean) I don't think Gary shared my enthusiasm! Wednesday night we played cards with some neighbors. However, it never gets very late and that is fortunate as I am bushed by night!