Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

 

Oops, I neglected to set this up to post on Wednesday morning....I thought it was Tuesday. :)

More wind, curling, and knitting too

On Sunday, my phone buzzed with an alert about a wind advisory for Yuma, with high winds expected to last from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. the next day. I decided to make a trip to the grocery store on Monday morning. I'm glad I did, as the winds definitely picked up. My landlady had sent over several clamps that I used to hold the sheets on the outside furniture. This time around, I didn't find as much blown about the outdoor area. I spent the day in the house working on a jigsaw puzzle, reading, and watching television while listening the wind blow outside.

Tuesday was housework day. I've realized this is a habit from living with my son. His EDO's fall on Mondays, and I tended to wait until Tuesday to do a lot of housework (even on the weeks he wasn't home). I did laundry, vacuumed and washed floors, and scrubbed the bathtub. The clothes dried quickly as it was still quite breezy. Mid-afternoon I went out to the front to sit in the sun and read before walking over to Happy Hour. 

The Saskatchewan provincial curling playdowns started on Tuesday as well, and I was able to catch three of the draws (slept through the first one). Until recently, the men and women have had separate events, but this year, the two competitions are being held at the same time. Two men's draws a day and two women's. I set my alarm, just in case, so I'd be awake by 7 a.m. on Wednesday for the first game of the day. 

I had a couple of hours between the first and second draw so I went for a walk down to the Walmart Supercenter (the photo above is from that walk). It took me about 40 minutes to walk there. I'd run out of cotton yarn and figured it would be the closest place to find it. On the way back, I stopped at Albertson's (similar to Safeway in Canada) and picked up a few sale items, peppers, cucumber and bagels. I had planned to catch the bus back, but it passed by just as I left the store and the next one wasn't for an hour. So I walked back, stopping at Burger King for lunch - the thought of an original chicken sandwich was too tempting. :)

Back at the unit, I unloaded my bag and tuned into the curling. This game started well, but turned into a blow-out for the one team - I dozed off on the couch and woke up an hour later! I guess the fresh air from the morning, and the sunshine streaming in the windows put me to sleep. The third game started about 3 p.m. and again, it was turning into a rout by mid-game so I wandered over to visit the folks at Happy Hour. I did get asked why I hadn't made it to canasta that afternoon. 

Thursday was coffee hour at the clubhouse. I left the curling game before it ended; another lop-sided affair and joined several others for a chat. There were a few announcements: a potluck supper on February 4th, a pancake breakfast on the 6th, and the Heritage potluck on the 22nd. I've signed up for the two potlucks with "dessert" as my offering for the first and Scottish shortbread for the second. Since I don't have, nor need a full pantry, I think I'll pick up a brownie cake mix, and try to time it so I take it out of the oven shortly before the dinner. Who doesn't like chocolate after all? For the Heritage event, I've already bought sugar, butter, and flour and plan to use some of that up before hand. I get a craving for something sweet once in awhile too!

I was awake by 6:30 a.m. on Friday, and turned the heaters on in the unit. It was a mere 4C/39F outside and just 13C/55F inside. Just a little chilly. I went back to bed until 7 before heading to the living room to watch the curling. With the little heater it had warmed up to 17C/63F, and felt quite comfortable. 

While watching, I continued working on a knitted hanging dish towel that I had started on Thursday. It is meant to be a gift, along with a couple of dish cloths. It still needs to be blocked, and I will need to find/pick up a button for the tab. I'll check the thrift stores for buttons and pins, as I certainly didn't bring any with me. This is the yarn I picked up at Walmart, as I've finished the yarn I brought with me. Pretty soon, I'll have to start working on the cross stitch, though it is harder to do when I'm watching curling. I have to pay attention. :)

Later in the morning, I made a batch of shortbread dough and put in the fridge to chill. In addition, I cut up the last two corn tortillas to make chips for nachos. I didn't have the lime, but I baked them with a brush of oil and salt - they turned out delicious. When the shortbread was baked, I couldn't resist, and had three cookies with a tea. Yum! The rest were tucked into a container, because I could have eaten several more.

I was able to get about 30 minutes outdoors in the sun too, reading for part of it, and chatting with my daughter. Then it was time for game 3 of the day - I watched until mid-way through the game, went to Happy Hour for 45 minutes or so and returned home in time to watch the end. The playoff picture for the women was settled Friday evening, while the men had one final game on Saturday morning.

I'll be watching the final round robin game, and then have plans to go to an event at the Civic Center with a couple of the residents. It is Health fair from the sounds of it, and it could be very interesting. I'll let you know next week. :) Playoff curling will keep me entertained as well and I should have enough viewing time to finish a couple of dishcloths. If the wind isn't blowing (it wasn't on Friday), I must get out and sweep up the sand on the outdoor patio. 

Whatever your plans may be, have a great weekend and a wonderful week ahead!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

More fun in the sun

Goodness, I've been here for over two weeks already! The weather has been quite cool in the early morning, as low as 2C/36F one day, but generally around 6-7C/42-44F. Have I mentioned the furnace in this unit doesn't function? I do have two small electric heaters and when I wake up, I turn both on and climb back into bed for a bit. Usually I talk with my daughter, check the weather and the news before I get dressed for the day. A half hour usually is enough to warm it enough to be comfortable. 

I had planned to go to Art in the Park at the Gateway Park on Sunday but didn't realize the buses didn't run on Sundays. :( I almost wished I hadn't stayed home to watch curling on Saturday...almost. The entrance fee was a mere $1, with vendors and artists showcasing their work. I'm disappointed I missed it. On Monday, however, I planned to do nothing...and as I said to someone at Happy Hour, I think I got half of it done. 

L & S and I went out thrifting again on Tuesday (Senior's day). This time we went to Goodwill (I misspoke last post) and the Humane Society thrift store. I wanted a sweater for the cooler times of the day and lucked out. I found a pullover, as well as a pair of capris, and a new nightgown with pockets! At the Humane Society, I got a book and 1000 piece puzzle for just $1.50. I'll leave these latter items behind when I head home. 

L had suggested we go for lunch at the Black Bear Diner (Yuma Palms mall for any who are familiar). The food and the company was great! The portions were large and delicious. I had a crispy chicken wrap with a side salad, taking half the wrap home for dinner that evening. But S's Cobb salad was the star - it was so large that she ate about a 1/3 of it and took the rest home in two boxes for dinner for her and her husband. If you ever in Yuma, I highly recommend this restaurant. In addition to the great food, the prices were reasonable, and the service was good.

On Tuesday evening, I ran out outside to attempt to capture the full moon. It's definitely not a great photo!

I made up for a quiet Monday, when I did some shopping on Wednesday. First, I walked down to the water store to pick up a couple of one gallon jugs of drinking water. On my return, I washed the floors in the park model before walking to Walmart for some groceries. The backpack, I picked up in Bismarck in November, fits the water jugs perfectly. I had run out of some basics, milk, butter, and cheese and needed a few other items. Everything fit well in the bag and it makes it much easier to carry. It is a bit odd to get groceries in plastic bags, and lots of them, as the cashiers rarely put more than a few items in each. I'm using the bags as garbage bags - I may switch to self check-out to reduce the number of bags I use.

Wednesday afternoon was Canasta. Don't ask me how, but my partner and I won the game. It was a long game, nearly 90 minutes, partially because I don't understand the strategy and we likely could have won sooner, had I not messed up. I've learned that they are playing with a hybrid of rules, as each player brought something different to the game.

The Grand Slam of Curling event is being live streamed, as I discovered, so Thursday morning started off with a game while I enjoyed my breakfast. after that was over, I decided to try to find the canal walking paths , but was stymied to find a road closure that I wasn't certain I should go around. Apparently, I should have as that would have been the quickest route. In any event, I gave up and decided to treat myself to an iced coffee and a sausage McMuffin at McDonald's (another further 15 minute walk). 

My landlady, C, came over for a visit in the afternoon. Just to prove I'm multi-talented, I was able to chat with her, keep an eye on a curling game, and crochet. No, no I couldn't - as it turned out I'd made a mistake with the pattern. :) During dinner, I watched another match and started the dish cloth over again.

I glanced up at one point and saw this incredible sunset. It was cloudy for part of the day, and the colours were simply amazing.

Friday, the park's social club was holding their annual garage sale. I donated the dish cloths I'd made as I figure I'm benefiting from the activities provided while I'm here. Several of us met around 10 in the morning to organize the items for the sale. Ranging from furniture, to kitchen items, to blankets, sheets and pillow, to golf balls and golf clubs, a range of games and books, both men and women's clothing, and soooo much more. There is something for everyone (except small children).

The rest of the day was spent watching the Grand Slam of Curling, though I did take a break for Happy Hour. I'm working on the new puzzle as well, and started yet another dish cloth. Didn't like the pattern of the one I started the day prior. 

Today, I won't be attending the garage sale - I haven't room to bring things back. I'm told the early birds will start showing up about 7 a.m. (sale starts at 8). I'm hoping to avoid the traffic, and instead, I'll try fit in a walk between curling games, and enjoy the sunshine.

Have a great week ahead, everyone! 

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wind, sand, and fire

I could get used to this. Not only the lovely weather, but having the time to simply relax and do as I please. There are no big projects to be tackled and I'm a heck of a lot easier to clean up after than my daughter and grandson, or even the cleaning I do during my irregular visits to my son. Of course, I don't have nearly as much stuff with me as I have back home so there is less to put away.

This is my view from the couch. There is a jigsaw puzzle on the dining table so I've been eating on the tv tray (as well as using my laptop. To the right are two knitted dishcloths I've made up. The kitchen is compact but has everything I need. Down the hall to the right is the bathroom, and the last door you can see is the bedroom. It has an amazing amount of storage.

I will, however, be going home with more stuff. You know I can't resist thrift stores. So when I was invited to join two of the ladies, L & S, on Tuesday I jumped at the chance. We hit up three stores, Amberly's, Al, an the Goodwill and all three of us came away with treasures. I picked up a couple of t-shirts, a pair of shorts for Eli, a book, and a small plastic container. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts (new to me) for coffee but no doughnuts! From there, we went to Kneaders -  bakery and coffee shop - for sourdough bread, and then to J.C. Penney for their clearance sale. We all found a few items; in my case, two blouses. In total, I paid $10 for the four tops I purchased. 

The weather changed on Tuesday, windy, cloudy, and cooler temps. Wednesday's photo was taken after we returned from shopping. It got darker still, but there was no rain. The weather channel showed an air quality advisory as well due to dust in the air. I moved some of the outdoor furniture, in case it rained, and covered some with sheets provided by my landlords to, at least, keep some of the dust at bay. That night was incredibly noisy with things outside and the bathroom vent inside rattling and banging. I managed to sleep through some of it, but was wide awake at 3 a.m. I got up, made some tea, and after talking to my daughter about 5:30 (it's 6:30 a.m. at home), I went back to bed and slept for nearly 3 hours. 

The canasta group met Wednesday afternoon, and I sat watching the first game. It is nothing like what I remember playing with my Nan (grandmother) when I was a child. But, when the first game was over, three of the ladies stayed and walked me through a game. Let's just say I need to work on my strategy. We played another card game called 2500. It too is a strategic game, but one I caught onto much more quickly. By mid-game I was ahead, but by the end, I came in next to last. As one woman put it, without the right cards, strategy doesn't win the game.

The winds had died down, so I did a load of sheets before I headed to Happy Hour. When I went to hang them on the line I discovered the drying rack had been damaged in the wind. I didn't want to bother my landlord that evening, so hung them as best I could and planned to call in the morning. The sheets dried quickly and I brought them in after dinner. 

Thursday started off quite cool, around 43F (6C), though no wind. I washed a load of laundry and sent a text off to my landlady about the drying rack. I didn't hear back until after lunch, so I hung everything on hangers and hung them to dry - first on a rack outside and then indoors when the wind picked up.

Thursday morning the social club offers coffee/tea, pastries and other items for a $2 entry fee. I decided to go, and I'm glad I did. There was a large group,  and only three of us who are renting or visiting friends here. After we'd all had our fill, the social club chair brought a few things to our attention. There are a few events upcoming, including a "heritage" potluck in February which I subsequently learned that attendees are asked to bring a food item from our ethnic background. When I mentioned shortbread at Happy Hour, one of the residents offered to give me the flour I would need. I'll make a small batch as I'm assuming, like every other potluck I've been to, there will be mounds of food.

The wind had died down some on Friday morning, so I took a walk over to Walmart to pick up a few groceries. It's a short walk, just a few blocks, and I brought a backpack to carry the groceries. It means I can't over shop! I really didn't need a lot, but still came home missing an item, tea bags! I have a few left so will wait until later in the week to make another trip.

I spent the rest of the day watching curling. Yes, there is an event being held in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan that is being streamed on You-tube. I managed to catch two games before Happy Hour, the end of the third when I arrived home from there and then another later in the evening. One of the teams that played in the evening, had been on the ice since early in the morning, competing in all four draws. I was tired, just watching, I'm sure they were exhausted.

One of the women at Happy Hour asked if I wanted to join them in the morning for garage sales. I said no, because I'll be watching curling. Next week, the park is holding their own garage sale, and I've offered to help set up for it. 

So today is more curling, more knitting or crocheting (four dishcloths completed), and in between some time out side enjoying the sun. Have a great weekend everyone!

P.S. I normally don't post about the news, but the fires in California are heartbreaking. I understand at least ten people have been confirmed dead, and over 10,000 homes have been lost. L.A. and the surrounding area has had limited rain for many months, and the dry conditions and the gusts of Santa Anna winds are creating the perfect storm. And, it doesn't seem the fires will be under control any time soon. Personnel and equipment from both Canada and Mexico have been brought in to assist as well. 

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Settling in

What a difference a few days makes (and 2810 kms/1750 miles)! The weather here is quite lovely, cooling down to 8-10C/46-50F at night, and our daytime highs have been around 23-26C/74-79F. The skies are blue and bright, just like winter days at home.

I flew out of Regina early Tuesday morning, but it wasn't a direct flight, as I went through Vancouver, B.C. I ought to have waited a month or two to book a direct flight, but I'm not sure that would have provided any difference in costs. We were delayed out of Regina with a full flight of passengers causing a delay in boarding and then the requiring de-icing of the plane. I had about 75 minutes in Vancouver to get through security, customs, and to make my way to the gate. I made with about 5 minutes before pre-boarding was called after stopping for a sandwich at Tim Horton's. 

The flights were uneventful and we arrived about 20 minutes ahead of schedule in Phoenix. De-planing took some time as, again, it was a nearly full flight. I got lucky and my seat-mate and I had a empty middle seat between us. On the plane, it was announced that there might be a delay with our luggage due to some issue at the carousels. Initially, it appeared we were last in a long line of flights at carousel 3, however someone somewhere made a switch and our luggage came out the carousel right next to it. Even better, my luggage was within the first ten bags to come off the belt.

I texted my friends who were waiting for me in one of the parking lots and they came to pick me up at one of the exit doors. Great service! From there we drove to their rental in Apache Junction. Later, that evening, J drove K and I, and another lady, to a nearby community where they were have a line dancing party. I sat to watch, tapping my toes to the music, and chatting with others at the table as they came and went from the floor. J picked us up about 10 p.m. for the drive back to their rental. It had been a long day; I'd been up at 3:30 a.m. so fell into bed quickly after our return.

On New Year's Day, we left their place to head for Yuma and arrived at the rental around 3 p.m. We'd made a couple of stops, one at a rest area for a picnic and another at Dateland travel center. At the latter, we did a little shopping, then J and K shared a Date milkshake while I ate a date ice cream cone. To be honest, I didn't really notice the flavour in the ice cream. I had picked up a container of almond crusted date bars for later and those are delicious. They are nice sweet treat.

My landlords were waiting for us at the unit and proceeded to show us around the property. The place is lovely and the unit is well-equipped. After the tour, we sat around in the outdoor living area before heading to pick up a few basic groceries at Walmart. We looked for a Mexican restaurant for dinner that evening, my treat, but they weren't open. We ended up at Cracker Barrel, which was fine but not really what I had wanted. 

I was awake by 6 a.m. the following morning, but lay and read blogs (no comments) and FB until shortly after 7 when they began to stir. By 9 we were in the truck and on our way to Arizona Market, a flea market near the Yuma airport. The place was quiet, but got busier while we were there, and while there were empty spots there were plenty of vendors to visit. K got grapefruit at one place, while I picked up a huge head of lettuce and green onions at another. The prices were amazing, as I paid only $2.50 for my purchases. 

After lunch, we went to Food City, also within a few blocks of the park (easy walking distance) for a few more groceries, primarily fruit and veg. My landlady had mentioned they have better produce than Walmart and she wasn't wrong. I picked up some other basic items to put in the pantry for later.

For dinner, we drove to Los Charros for the Mexican food I'd been craving. The place was packed when we arrived, and the food was tasty with a reasonable price. It's too far for me to walk there but I noticed a few places close by, that I may check out at another time.

We all slept in on Friday morning, I didn't wake until almost 8 a.m. That's very late for me! We didn't rush, but left for the historic downtown Yuma shortly before 10 a.m. Like the market, it was quiet with few tourist around. We wandered through various places and checked out the windows of others. There is a lovely cafe I'd like to visit again someday, and a few shops with interesting art and gift ideas. I really don't plan to buy anything much as I've picked up hot sauce for my son, and vanilla for my daughter, but I'll want to find something for Eli.

Back at the unit, we made lunch, sat and visited for a bit before J and K left for Apache Junction. I attempted to sit out in the sun, but it was too strong for me for longer than 10 minutes. I'm fortunate I have the outside seating area as it is shaded, so I sat and read a book. 

About 4 p.m. I headed over to the pergola where many of the inhabitants meet for Happy Hour. Everyone I met was from Canada, except for Pat, who is has been coming to the park since 1989. I'm told she is the historian and she certainly had some interesting information to share. While there, I was convinced to join the canasta group that meet on Wednesday (I haven't played since I was a child), and was invited to go thrifting with my next door neighbour and her friend on Tuesday. There is cribbage on Thursday too, and coffee hour is held that morning in the clubhouse. I am certain I won't be bored. :) Of course, I have some crafts I want to work on while I'm here, so won't over schedule myself.

Today, I'm planning to do a load of laundry in the morning, but beyond that it is a time for rest and relaxation. There is a book I've started to finish, and the outdoor living area is calling my name.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Edit: It appears I gave the wrong impression, as I'm on my own here now. K & J were kind enough to drive me (the 3 plus hours) from Phoenix to Yuma. They stayed for a couple of days before heading back to Apache Junction. 

Friday Funny

 

Happy New Year!

 

Wishing all of my readers all the best in 2025!

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