Wordy Wednesday - a trip review

My visit with friends, S and P, was wonderful. The drives there and back, not as much. On the way there, my windshield took a rock hit from a passing semi causing a decent sized chip. I'll be taking it into the auto glass shop to determine if the chip can be filled, or if I need to replace the entire windshield. On the way home, I ran into heavy rain about two hours from home. There a a lightning storm to the north as well. By the time I reached the turn-off to the secondary highway (about 45 minutes from home), the sun was breaking through. 

Our visit made up for all of that. I arrived about 5 p.m. on Thursday, and after a tour of their lovely home, and some catching up, we headed out to East Side Marios for dinner. I haven't been to that chain for a number of years and we all enjoyed our meals. After dinner, we stopped at Walmart while P ran in to pick up dog food for their shih tzu pup, Bop.  Back at the house we watched some television, before we all went to bed early. S takes a pain reliever around 8:30 p.m. and is ready for sleep by 9.

Despite the early bedtime, I slept in until 7:30 the next morning. I hadn't slept well the night prior and coupled with the long drive, I needed the extra sleep. After our breakfast (toast and tea/coffee), S and I did some laundry and tidied up the laundry room. They recently purchased a new washer and dryer. These things have more bells and whistles than some automobiles! The dryer had options for refresh and steam, as well as about 5 settings for heat levels. S changed the load between the two machines, I folded and hung the laundry the laundry, then P was responsible to put it away.

I had brought along some yarn for a crochet project, but quickly discovered it wasn't the appropriate weight. S and I went to Dollarama where I found what I needed, then the two of us went on a walk about through Home Depot and then Walmart. She and P are looking to replace the upper portion of their deck (floor and railings) so she was checking prices at HD. Let me just say, I'm grateful I'm not the one who will be buying! Over at Walart, I found a pair of outdoor cushions for our bench for $3 each, and two t-shirts and a pair of shorts for Eli, also on clearance. 

After lunch (leftovers) we watched television, and I crocheted, until about 4 p.m. when we took our cold drinks out to the front deck. P built it a few years ago because their back deck faces south and it gets very hot throughout the day. The afternoon temperature reached 28C (82F) - sitting in the shade of the house was pleasant. Bop thought so too.

That evening, P made us dinner, panko breaded chicken with roasted veg, and a garlic mayo sauce. Included in the vegetables were yellow tomatoes he grew in the garden. Oh my, were they delicious, as was the rest of the meal. 

On Saturday, S and I drove out to Ol' MacDonald's Resort near Erskine, Alberta. It's an amazing campground with beach access, several playgrounds, an arcade, movie theatre, a mini-golf course. In addition there is a small convenience store and restaurant. It pretty much has it all! There are group sites where families and friends can gather, with access to a dining area, a fire pit and close to showers and restrooms. It also hosts a farmer's markets on summer Saturdays. S has been a vendor selling teas for a couple of years. She was able to catch up with several people. I picked up a jar of slime for Eli and S bought coffee for P. We stopped at the restaurant for lunch, as P had recommended the burgers. Sadly, they are no longer made fresh so it was a bit of a miss.

We were back in Camrose about 3:30 p.m. just in time for a Happy hour on the front deck. P had made a decision we were going out for dinner again that evening. We went to a local restaurant owned and operated by a former cruise chef and his wife. I certainly wasn't disappointed with my salmon, rice and vegetables. After I had eaten, I headed off towards the ladies room but tried to go the front counter to pay for our meal first. That darned P - he saw where I was headed and got there first, though he did let me contribute the tip. I can thoroughly recommend the Monte Carlo for the food, the service, the ambience, and the reasonable prices.  

Sunday I was up early, packed and out the door by 8:30 a.m. I had thought I might stop at a landslide site about 90 minutes out but changed my mind once I was on the road. I did stop in Saskatoon at Michaels to pick up some DMC cotton. That was a bad idea because of the ctonstruction! But I eventually I made it out to the highway and headed for home. By this point it was beginning to rain, but lightly. That changed just over an hour later when it started coming down in sheets. Visibility was poor so I kept my speed a little lower than the limit. The best part of the rain is it cleared the front of my vehicle and windshield of the bugs. I arrived home just after 5 p.m. Bedtime came early that night too.

Many hands, light work and time to pack!

I normally start the week's post by Tuesday, but not this week. It is Thursday and I'm trying to remember what I did and what happened throughout the week. It's gone by so quickly! 

The weather has stayed hot, but not quite as excessive as it was last week. I stayed in most days, watching curling and enjoying the a/c. In addition, I had to stick around early in the week as the chairs were expected to be delivered on Tuesday. I was able to use the tracker and saw the truck had left Calexico about 9:30 a.m. California time (an hour behind us). The drive is only an hour, but I knew the truck would have other stops.

Since I cannot see the trucks from my end of the park, mid-afternoon I wandered down to S and L's to watch from their unit for a bit. By 4 (and time for the next curling game),  no truck had arrived. Around 6 p.m. I called Dome Hepot and they could only tell me that the delivery would likely be made the following day. Later I got a notification that the truck had returned to Calexico.

The truck did  finally arrive around noon on Wednesday. A huge semi pulled into our small park. L spotted him and ran out to tell that he wouldn't be able to turn around at the end of the park, due to the size of the trailer. As I walked down from my unit, one of the permanent residents G, came to assist. The driver pulled the pallet from the truck and dropped the chairs in front of our clubhouse. With the extra hands, we had the chairs off the pallet and into the clubhouse in short order. From there, L opened the boxes, I pulled out the chairs, removed the coverings and delivered the chairs to the patio where S sprayed them with the fabric protection. As she was finishing, J arrived and helped L break down the boxes and move the cardboard to the recycling bin, while I gathered the garbage. We had the whole process done in less than an hour.

That afternoon, I went to play Canasta, though I had my phone tuned into the curling. I was able to catch the last couple of ends. After that was done, we set up for Thursday's coffee hour. S, L and I were responsible for purchasing the goodies and I figured I'd take care of set-up. But, the rest of the Canasta crew stepped in and helped and again, everything was ready for the next morning in a short period of time. S and L ordered the apple fritters (a must have for this crew) and a dozen donuts that afternoon and picked them up early the next morning.

We had a good turn-out at coffee hour, with about 20 people in attendance. I had announced earlier that the old chairs were up for sale, and managed to get rid of fourteen of them, for a $1 a piece. There is still a good number of chairs available, some of which are in bad shape and will be trashed, while the rest will be donated to a local charity thrift store. 

After coffee, H and I started cleaning  the remaining cabinets. At 83, this woman is an Energizer bunny! While I sorted through items she had passed me from the cabinets, she scrubbed down the interiors and laid down leftover magazines. There were empty jugs that went to the recycling bin, while broken items were tossed. Other items went into a box for next year's garage sale, and still others were put in the proper containers out in the party shed. I left about 11 a.m., tired and ready to relax and watch more curling! H continued until about noon, and cleared and sorted out the drawers. I stopped by later with paper towels I'd picked up, and oh my, everything looks tidy and organized. I just need to borrow the label maker from the office to finish the task.

Friday, I was at the clubhouse just before 9:30 and folded up the chairs. I knew there was a group at exercise class from 9-9:30, so when they had finished we moved the chairs inside and hung them on the racks. Finally, I can say the sage of the chairs is over! Though I do need to get to Dome Hepot one more time to discuss an appropriate something something for the trouble in ordering and receiving the items. I'm hoping for a gift card of some amount that we can use next year for the flowers we plant in front of the clubhouse each year. 

At 11:30, H, S, D, and I met with many of the other women in the park for a lunch at the River City Grill. It doesn't look like much on the outside, slightly better on the inside, but the food was fantastic. I ordered an appetizer for my main, crab and salmon cakes, along with a side spinach salad. The salad had gorgonzola cheese, craisens, and walnuts, along with the spinach in a raspberry vinaigrette. The salmon/crab cakes were primarily salmon, but had some kick to them. The meal was a bit pricey, but very, very delicious. I don't eat out a lot and it was a treat.

My packing begins in earnest as I'm now just a week away from leaving. I'm sorting things out - items that were in the unit when I arrived in October, that I haven't used were boxed up and dropped off at a thrift store. Items I purchased for my family, t-shirts and shorts for Eli and craft items for my daughter are packed in a clear container. There are other items I purchased at thrift stores for use at home that will make their way into a tote as well. Something I wouldn't have thought about is clothing items that have elastic (mostly undies) which cannot be left behind as the elastic will be ruined by the high temperatures. I won't be taking a lot of the clothing home, but there are certain pieces I will want to take with me. My current knitting projects will be going with me too, though I'll leave the yarn I found here will stay behind. 

Another tote will carry my bedding - so I'll have clean bedding when I return next November. I'm told that most people cover their bed and bedding with an extra sheet. By fall everything will be covered in a layer of dust that blows in through any possible opening. I have an extra sheet to through over the bed, pads to place in the ceiling vents, and duct tape to close off the stove hood vent. Windows are covered in reflective insulation, bags of water are tucked into the drains, and the toilet, and lastly I'll put out several glass jugs of water throughout the unit. Last year, even with this last trick, the molding on the upper cabinets above the sink partially melted in the heat! 

So, I forsee a busy week ahead as I prepare to head north. There will be curling to watch as well, the playoffs of the Brier are in full swing, which along with my knitting will ensure it's not all work. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Improvement and a restful week

First off, the knee - thank you for the well wishes. J had been massaging the knee for me, but decided that the issue was likely a problem with my hip causing the knee issues. So on Monday she attacked my hip (or at least it felt that way) and in fact, worked on both sides. The muscles extending from the hip on down the left leg were incredibly tight and she located several balls of muscle that were worked out. On my right side, she also worked on the sciatic area. After the first massage I was walking with my knee brace and barely a limp. After a second massage, the improvement was even more noticeable. 

I still can't walk long distances (wandering the grocery store) or sit in the same position for prolonged periods as these activities tend to cause the knee to feel as if it has locked up. Besides icing the knee and hip, I have started doing light exercises to help improve the strength of my knee, both at home and at the clubhouse. We do chair exercises three times a week; they are helping too.

I did my laundry on the weekend as you could see by Wednesday's photo. S and L have been kind in letting me use their washing machine every week. Sometimes I hang the clothing on their umbrella rack at the back of their unit, but most times I bring it back and put it on the rack here.  With warm temperatures and a bit of wind, it usually only takes a couple of hours to dry. My neighbour H has given me permission to use her lines out back to hang sheets as my rack would not work well. 

Most units, especially those in the M section (I'm in R) have space for sheds. The washing machines are plumbed into the shed with cold water only and hooked up to power. My lot doesn't have the space for a shed, nor do I have ample power. Out back I don't have the space for a folding rack to be mounted on the RV. So everyone who passes by gets to see my clean laundry (at least it's not dirty, right?) It's been years since I line dried clothing and I should, but haven't yet, bring out the iron and ironing board as some things are pretty darned wrinkled!

I missed the snow moon at its fullest on Sunday evening but managed to get a decent photo of the sunset and the moon on Monday evening. One of my neighbours, who visits for about a week every month, mentioned that he and his wife appreciate the photos I've posted on FB, especially of the sunset. So these were for them.

The darn power and internet lines made it a bit difficult to capture a decent photo.

The park held it's annual general meeting of the shareholders on Tuesday. I was warned it could be a noisy affair, and it was, especially towards the end of the meeting. It was clear that some participants had not read the reports that were mailed out, or were making assumptions about certain things. I won't go into details - that wouldn't be fair to the residents but I will say it reminded me a bit of a reality television program with some clear alliances. :)

Wednesday, I went to the clubhouse for the morning chair exercises. In the afternoon, I played Canasta with our group of six. The guys beat the gals again, I think we're up the best of nine now, hoping to make a comeback. We'll have to win out the rest of the season at this rate. :)

On Thursday, J and her husband G put on a pancake breakfast for the park. In addition to pancakes, there was eggs, sausage, toast and fruit. The cost was $5 per person, with the proceeds going to the social club. We had a good crowd of 25 or so people, and the food was fresh and terrific! After breakfast I headed back to my unit to count the cash. I updated our spreadsheet and then settled in to watch the Olympics. I was able to catch a bit of the mixed doubles curling, as the Canada-Finland women's hockey game was postponed as several members of Finland's team have come down with norovirus. Finland is expected to play the USA on Saturday, assuming they can field enough players.

My brother and I were chatting one day and he mentioned a salad his daughter has introduced to them. It included roasted chickpeas, along with a variety of vegetables, feta, and tzatziki sauce. It sounded delicious, but I had no feta or tzatziki, and no way to roast the chickpeas.

This is my version. I put a little oil in a fry pan, added the chickpeas, paprika, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. I cooked them until the outside was slightly crispy (they tasted good right out of the pan!). I added them to a chopped salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, yellow pepper, red onion, and cheddar cheese, with a drizzle of Italian salad dressing. I didn't need all of the chickpeas for the meal, so I'll be enjoying the salad again later this week. 

I've been knitting lots too, and one of the residents has asked if I can teach them. Not sure I can teach but I can show him the basics. I throw my yarn; while I know the continental knitting technique I've never been able to consistently use it. My plan is to show him how to cast on, demonstrate the knit and purl stitches and tell him to watch some videos. He can decide which method he likes best. 

Today I plan to watch more of the Olympics and continue knitting on my project. I will do some light exercises for my legs as well. Gotta keep moving!

Have a great week ahead everyone.

Elko to Laughlin, Nevada

Today was a short day made longer by my mistake. However, the hotel at Elko was nice, clean, and quiet. Just what I needed for a good night's sleep. I'm fortunate, Jackie, that I can sleep pretty much anywhere. 

I was on my way back to Wells about 6:45 a.m. (local time). We had a bit of rain, not heavy, but enough to use my wipers until 10 minutes or so out of Wells. The GPS gave me a little grief, sometimes I need to listen to my guy, as it turned me in the wrong direction. Thankfully, Wells is a very small community and I was soon heading south on Highway 93. I took that highway to Ely (pronounced eelee). After a short drive on Highway 6, I turned off on the 318 south to the I-15. I stopped in Ely for fuel, as there is little to nothing on this highway for miles and miles and miles...you get the picture. There are signs just outside the community of Lund advising that "no gas for XXX miles". I'd hate to figure that out 100 or so miles down the road. Fuel was $3.29 at the Exxon and I grabbed a breakfast sandwich and coffee at the McDonalds across the street. There was a Carl's Jr. in the Exxon but I have no idea what they serve for breakfast so went with the familiar.

At the end of 318 (no town), I turned west on the I-15 which took me into Las Vegas. I followed signs for the 11, 93, and 95. Let me just say, I'm glad it was Sunday! The freeway was busy, and some drivers are less patient than others with vehicles with out of state plates. I did okay, only once needing to get into a left hand lane to avoid an exit. I arrived there at about 1:30 p.m. and was out the other side on Highway 95 about 2:15 p.m. Keep in mind, in my small town, a traffic jam is four cars arriving at the four way stop all heading to the school to drop off kids! Regina is a bit more congested, but I know the city having lived there for nearly 38 years.

Again there were some incredible views, but I only captured a few photos from the car. After Ely, I only made one stop at rest area about 20'ish miles for Laughlin. The drive out of Ely towards Vegas, and the drive into Laughlin from the highway were both spectacular. No real pull-offs though so you'll have to take my word for it. 

While at the rest area, I had arranged for a hotel in Laughlin. When I arrived about 3:45 p.m. or so,  I found the Pioneer Hotel and Casino along Casino Row. It's a dated property but sufficient for one night, and the price was right. 

When I left Elko in the morning, the temperature was 46F/9C; Laughlin was 92F/33C. As soon I got into the hotel room, I changed out of my jeans and put on a pair of capris. Once I was settled, laptop plugged in, toiletries on the counter, and a call to my daughter, I walked over to the Golden Nugget next door. There restaurant, Claim Jumper, had decent reviews. I concur, the food was plentiful, the one beer I had was cold, and it wasn't horribly busy for the time I was there. Here is a photo of the cheese bun I was served (separate from my meal) - I did NOT eat it all. You'll see no photo of my dinner, which were two fish tacos and a bowl of fruit. But the tacos were delicious and the fruit was refreshing. I needed the walk back to my hotel...and I could have used another three or four miles to wear off what I ate.

I'm settling in for the night, watching a bit of football or at least for background noise. No, my Jays did not win last night. :(  I expect I'll be in the clubhouse with the other Canadians watching the game Monday night.

The remaining drive is about 4 to 4 1/2 hours from Laughlin depending on whether I stop along the way. I'll pick up fuel in the morning before I head out, though the price looks daunting. The lowest I saw on the way in was about $4.25 a gallon. Oh well, needs must. 

I'll stop and pick up a few groceries items on my way to the park. The previous owner of the RV is aware of my ETA as well. I'm not how quickly I'll get the WiFI hooked up - there are other things more pressing like electricity, water, and propane. In any event I'll post as soon as I can, most likely on my phone as I have the data. Be prepared for multiple typos. :p

Thanks for following along!

Halifax - Day 1

Not surprisingly, D and I were awake by 6 a.m., though Eli slept through until 7. When everyone was up and dressed, we headed down to the breakfast room. The menu was the same every day we were there: scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, ham, cereal, muffins, bagels/bread for toasting, yogurt, and for those willing to wait a little longer, waffles. There was definitely something for everyone. 

When I set up the schedule for our trip (yes, there was a spreadsheet), I had planned a couple of activities/places to see, but of course with lots of free time. Our agenda for Day 1 was the Maritime museum and Pier 21 Museum of Immigration. We only made it to the first and walked part of the boardwalk on the waterfront. There was salt water taffy to buy and a playground for Eli to enjoy. I had warned D there would be a lot of walking, and there was and both she and Eli ended up early in the day with blisters. . D was able to switch out shoes, but Eli's blister was on the bottom of his foot. 

In addition to this area, there was a climbing apparatus with slides, and a large concrete whale tail to climb. It was the latter that caused Eli's blister. He tried to climb it wearing his shoes but wasn't able to make it to the top. Barefoot he basically walked up but when he slid down, he tried slowing himself down, resulting in the blister.

Off we went to find a drugstore, and while D ran in to get what she needed, I searched for a restaurant for lunch. Some distance from downtown, we found Willman's Fish and Chips. The business was originally opened in 1946 at the same location, though has had two other owners since. The latest owners have rebuilt in the same location, a corner lot in what seemed to be a mostly residential area. It was quiet, just one other family was dining while we were there, and I can confirm the food was delicious!

Back at the hotel we spent an hour or so at the pool. I should mention Halifax was under a heat warning for the first couple of days, with temperatures over 30C (86F) and the humidity was high. I didn't get in the pool that day, but D and Eli enjoyed the cool water. When we headed back to the room, I napped for nearly 90 minutes - I guess I was more tired than I realized. After my nap, we headed out to a nearby Dollarama to pick up some inexpensive beach towels - the ones at the hotel were no bigger than hand towels. 

On our way back, we stopped at a local pizzeria, Tomaso's, touted as the oldest pizzeria in Halifax. Originally opened in 1969 in downtown Halifax, the current owner moved to the Bedford Highway location. The restaurant has no air conditioning, so we chose to take our meal back to the hotel. We ordered a combo, including a pizza, garlic fingers, and a 2 litre bottle of pop/soda. There was more than enough food for two nights, plus a snack or two. 

While the day didn't pan out the way I had thought it might, we did have a good day. D would have liked to have spent more time at the Maritime museum, and Eli would have liked more time at the playground area at the waterfront. I was happy with my nap. :)

The weather improved the next day, and with proper footwear and bandages, it was a busy one. 

Saying good-bye, time to go home

The heritage dinner on Saturday was both interesting, and delicious. First off, I had no idea so many people where of Italian ancestry. (They're not, but there was certainly a lot of pasta dishes). I wimped out on bringing in my shortbread with the piper. L, G's wife, is originally from Scotland and happily did the honor. 

In addition, there was polish sausage, lazy cabbage rolls, chicken biryani, creamed corn, various salads, and desserts. The local resident who bakes provided carrot cake, and another I didn't recognize. I went home overfed and happy! Then on Sunday, we had a must-go dinner of the leftovers. I was very appreciative of the meals, as I was definitely getting low on groceries.

Monday morning, my landlady C drove me out to the Valley of the Names. Wednesday's photo of the roadrunner was taken as we were headed into the desert. It posed so nicely for me! Here are a few more of the photos I took on our trip.

I had to take this one for Eli - his full name is Elias!

The ocotillo had a single bloom on it. C said in April this area will be awash in colour. 

It is believed that the practice of writing one's name in rocks was started in WWII by soldiers at the Desert Training Center nearby. Later, others found the area and started adding to it. C told me it goes on for about 10 miles! We did not see all of it because the trail is not only rough, but tends to drop at steep angles - at a couple of points I feared the truck would flip on it's side. When C asked if I would like to turn around, I definitely said yes. 

A few of us went thrifting on Tuesday, and I mostly behaved myself. I did pick up a pretty top for $4 and a book for $0.50. We decided to go for lunch out at Paradise Casino, and then drove to Imperial Date Gardens so L and A could pick up dates. Back in the city, we stopped at one more thrift store before heading back to the park. The afternoon was hot! It reached 33C/91F. We started out Happy Hour under the gazebo, but the women soon made the move into the shade on the other side of the clubhouse. There was a wee bit of breeze so it was much more comfortable.

The group had set up a women's lunch on Wednesday at Mar Azul, a seafood restaurant. We met at the clubhouse at 11:15 a.m., eleven of us, and hopped in a couple of vehicles to go to the restaurant. The restaurant isn't large, and we were seated in the middle of it. It took a bit of time for everyone to get water, utensils and to peruse the menu. Meanwhile, some of us ordered drinks as well. I chose a Pacifico beer (a Mexican Pilsner) and it was a good choice. For my lunch I had two fish tacos, which were delicious! Two of the women ordered the garden salad with salmon, and when the portions came out, I think at least three or four people could have eaten just one order! The salads came in large bowls with two pieces of salmon on top! They both took a good portion home for dinner. 

Thursday was my last full day at the park. I had started packing early this week, and left the cleaning to be done that day. I went to coffee hour at 9 a.m. and gave a little speech to thank everyone for their hospitality. You'll likely chuckle at this, but I had practiced back at the unit a few times as I tend to get nervous in front of a crowd. In any event, it was well received.

Back at the unit, I did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and bathroom, stripped the bed (I'd sleep on the couch that night), washed dishes and the floors throughout, and finished my packing. Even though I would be spending a night at a hotel in Phoenix, I packed things to wear, and toiletries that are permitted on the airplane. My theory is, I don't want to re-open my suitcase unless absolutely necessary.

My next door neighbour had been volun-told by his wife that he would be driving me to Carl's Junior on Friday morning to meet the Desert Bus. The three of us headed out about 9 a.m. and had coffee together while I waited for the bus to arrive. It actually wasn't a bus, but a 9 passenger van (though that was a bit of stretch). There were two of us picked up in Yuma, five in the Foothills, and another 2 at Wellton. At Gila Bend, our rest stop, we played musical seats as many of the passengers had knee or hip issues and needed more leg room. I ended up sitting next to the exit door, happily as I was able to pull out my knitting and finish the dish cloth I'd started. 

At the Phoenix airport, our drop-off spot, I found the lower level for ground transportation and called the hotel for pick-up. Imagine my surprise when I learned I was at the VERY door I needed to be. The shuttle had actually just left the airport, but returned in about 20 minutes. Check-in was easy, and after dropping the bags in my room, I walked next door to the Waffle House for a late lunch. A burger and a sweet tea satisfied my appetite. 

I have the shuttle booked for 8:30 this morning. My flight isn't until 12:05 p.m. but I don't mind being there early, and the baggage drop-off should be open by 9 a.m. I've already checked in for the flight. I'm expecting to arrive in Calgary about 3:15 p.m. and my next flight to Regina departs around 6:30 p.m. That will give me plenty of time to get through customs, have a bite to eat, and find my gate. I'll be back in the city about 9 p.m. (local time). Then it will be a bit of a wait for luggage and a cab ride to my son's - I should walk through the door by 10 p.m. Wish me luck... as delays are quite normal with WestJet. 

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Christmas Past

Christmas week was definitely slower than the week prior. Thank goodness!

Besides the big day, I filled my time with packing for leaving today (to the city), reading, watching television, and making mini-quiche for our Christmas breakfast. D had errands to run on the 24th in the morning and also baked buns and set a pan of cinnamon buns for the next day's breakfast. 

That evening we dressed in our new Christmas pajamas and went for a drive around town to look at the Christmas lights. There were some pretty fantastic displays, no photos though. It was clear that at some point small inflatable snowman were purchased by many; we ought to have counted them up as we drove around as I'm sure they would have numbered in the dozens.

We had hoped that a bath and the drive would help Eli fall asleep that night. It did not, and D said it was nearly 11:30 before he dropped off. I wasn't far behind him - not sure why I couldn't sleep but I was up past midnight. This is what our Christmas morning looked like:

5:30 a.m. Eli is up and raring to go. His mom attempts to distract him with his stocking. That takes about 3 minutes for him to unwrap some small gifts. He does go downstairs to play with the cap gun in the stocking...for about 1 minute.

G'ma gives up and gets up at this point. We discuss whether we ought to have breakfast before opening gifts. Eli vetoes that idea, but I manage to put the cinnamon buns in the oven before he has his say.

5:45 a.m. Gift opening commences. We have a tradition in our family, that only one gift at a time can be opened. It must then be admired by all before the next gift is handed out. This extends the amount of time.

6:05 a.m. I check the cinnamon buns and give them another 10 minutes.

6:15 a.m. Gift opening continues. Eli opens a gift from Santa and finds Mario Bros. underwear. It is the only gift that disappoints him. G'ma and Momma get slippers from Santa; we are not disappointed. 

I pull the cinnamon buns out of the oven and put the mini quiche into warm up for 10 minutes.

6:25 a.m. Quiche are ready. D realizes that she forgot to put one present under the tree. (She didn't really but she wanted to prank Eli). It's the Nintendo Switch that he asked Santa to bring. Much joy is observed, at least until she has to start the process of making it work with the television. 

6:30 a.m. I sit down with a cup of tea, two mini-quiches and a cinnamon bun. Eli has a bowl of cereal and a pear due to his egg allergy. D doesn't eat until later.

The hilarity (for me, at least) continued for another hour or so while D set up a profile on-line, watched several videos on how to set up the Switch, tested it, and said a few HBO words. When the video game was finally passed to the small child, I did the dishes and she went up to bed where she napped for three hours. Eli and I hung out in my bedroom, where I watched the Great British Baking show. 

Christmas dinner was a sirloin tip roast done low and slow in the oven, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, and my daughter's favorite, Stove Top stuffing. The beef was so delicious - it's been some time since I've done a roast. There is enough left over for a sandwich or two for D. 

We were all in bed early that night! Eli slept for over 12 hours and woke just as D left the house to do a bit of Boxing Day shopping. There was a table on sale that we wanted for the office/craft room at Canadian Tire. I was just as happy to stay home with the kid and the cats.

Christmas was taken down and put away on Friday. While D likes the sparkle, there is a lot of it to deal with. I had brought in the tubs from the porch the day before, and we made quick work of dismantling the Christmas tree, and the other Christmas stuffies, Nativity set, green garland and such. We did leave up the snow flakes and blue and silver garland. So, still a little sparkle and winter themed.

This morning I will get the car packed with the Christmas gifts for my brother and his family, my bags - duffle with clothing, laptop, and knitting. There are a couple of errands to run in the city before I head for C's house. Hopefully I'll have everything done, so I can park the car in the garage, where it will stay for the next two months. Then it is just packing for Yuma, hanging out with my son, Saku (the cat) and Sage (the dog) before I fly out on Tuesday!

Have a great week ahead everyone! 

Huatulco, Mexico

As I mentioned in the last post, I did not have an excursion booked in this port - so there are fewer photos to share. I had never been to this port before and decided I would explore the port area, and knew there was a beach right off the pier.

I was awake about 5:30 that morning thinking I'd get up before we docked and perhaps catch the sunrise. Instead I thought 10 more minutes, and when I awoke next it was 6:40 a.m. and the ship was pulling into dock. When I checked the bridge cam, it appeared to be raining, so I decided to take it slow that morning. 

After a leisurely breakfast, again out on the deck, because if it has been raining, it had stopped by then. I headed up with my camera to take some photos of the port.

Even early in the morning, there were people relaxing on the beach.

This was shortly before the gangways were open for passengers to leave the ship. There is security at the end of the pier to ensure only passengers and crew of the cruise ships can walk the pier. There were local drivers with small golf carts assisting some passengers.

Off the pier was a marina which was busy the entire day. Catamarans and fishing boats were the first to head out to sea. If/when I return I'll look into a catamaran cruise around the area. Up on the hill is obviously a resort. They must have incredible views!

Several brown pelicans were waiting patiently for their breakfast. 

There were several restaurants and bars along the beach. The one on the left is where I had my lunch later that day.

I stopped at the stateroom to drop off my camera, and pick up my knitting and headed to Crooners bar for the Knitters and Knatters group. Interesting note - it wasn't unusual to see people grabbing their first drink of the day at 9:30 a.m - usually a Mimosa but occasionally a Margarita or other mixed drink. I assume these were passengers who had purchased the beverage package that allows up to 12 drinks per day - I guess trying to get their money's worth. 

There were four of us there that morning. Two weren't planning to leave the ship, one had an excursion booked for the afternoon, and I had decided to wait until the crowds leaving the ship that morning were well on their way. About 10:45 I left the group and headed back to the stateroom to drop the knitting, and to pick-up my wallet for the walk into town. I had already decided I would have a meal there at one of the cafes.

I ran into three of the solos/singles on the pier. Two of them had been off the ship by 8:30 and were heading back on-board after a little browsing in the shops. I think the other had an excursion. I wandered around a bit, but really had no shopping in mind. The vendors weren't as vocal and grabby as they had been in Colombia and I did go into a couple of interesting looking shops. 

There was nothing I couldn't live without so I carried on to look at the church. I've since learned that the Chapel of Santa Cruz is a popular wedding destination because of its location and views of the ocean and beach. There wasn't a wedding going on but there were many people wandering in and through the building. Hence, I only took a photo of part of the church.

I was walking past a cafe when a young man offered me a menu. I took it, and asked about WiFi - he assured me they had it and I agreed to take a table. As I entered the restaurant it was clear it was a local favorite as there were many families enjoying a meal there too. To start, I ordered a local beer, and later a plate of fish tacos. 

With WiFi, I was able to have a chat with D for twenty minutes while I waited for my food and watched the people around me. This is when I learned about Lady Spencer's arrival. I didn't hurry my meal as there were lots of tables and it was cool in the shade. 

Then it was time for a walk along the beach, and to get my feet in the Pacific ocean. It was quite busy with lots of families, so I didn't stay long. I was back onboard ship by 1 p.m. I spent the afternoon reading and taking more photos.

Across from the ship there were a number of resorts up on the hill. 

This is probably my favorite of the bunch. To the right there was one that is under construction and looked almost abandoned.

Further down the shoreline closer to the entrance from the ocean to the port was this group. I assume these are local families out for a day at the beach. 

This photo made me laugh. A pair of fishermen were clearly cleaning their catch and tossing bits into the water. That brown spot you see in the center by the boat is a brown pelican diving into the water to get a bite.

I did stay out for sail-away, and then headed back to my stateroom to clean up for the evening.  It was a laid back, quiet day on the Island Princess. I quite enjoyed my visit into the port area, and can see myself visiting again in the future. (I don't often say that about Mexican ports).

Funny thing, a couple of days later I received a message from a friend from grade school. She, her mother, and sister were in Huatulco when I was there and had seen the ship come in. Had she realized I was on board we would have gotten together for a visit. 

Next up - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico