Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Another busy week and fun with friends

I had a quiet weekend, which was just what I wanted. I did go to Happy Hour but otherwise stayed home and worked on the jigsaw puzzle, my stitching, and knitting. There was a bit of housework done and some laundry, but for the most part I relaxed.

I'd gotten a couple of hours of stitching done on Saturday, when I realized I'd started two rows over from where I ought to have done, so spent the evening watching the Four Nations hockey and un-stitching the work I'd done earlier. Canada lost to the USA, and as result were in a battle to reach the final, and needed to win in regulation over Finland on Monday. They did win that game and would play in the final on Thursday evening in Boston. I was thrilled when they won in overtime. Go Canada Go!

I managed to re-do my work on Sunday and a little bit more. There wasn't anything to watch on television (or at least nothing I was interested in), so decided to go to bed early and read. That didn't last, as I decided to get up and work on the puzzle. Shortly after 11 p.m. I finished. It had been on the table well over a week, so I was ready to have it done. The photos were from that afternoon, and the second I took the following morning. J had lent me two puzzles, so I quickly put away this one and started the second one. 

Three of us went shopping Monday to some chain stores, Beall's, Ross Dress for Less, and Marshalls. L did very well, coming home from Beall's with a two pairs of pants and four tops - all $9.99 or less. I picked up a pair of shorts for Eli, and a wallet for D. The wallet is the same brand as the purse I picked up for her at Burlington's last week, and is meant for a Christmas gift. Eli can give her the wallet. D picked up a pair of sunglasses at Beall's. Both Ross and Marshalls were a bust, so we decided to go to lunch. 

We ate the Patio, just down the block from the park. I had an Oriental chicken salad, while the other two had shrimp and salmon rolls. We were all invited out to dinner that evening at H's so wanted something light. I'll admit the salad was a good size - I ate all the vegetables and left some chicken behind.

We met for dinner after Happy Hour at H's place. Have I mentioned her previously? She has an outdoor kitchen in her shed, a full sized stove and fridge, as well as her washing machine. Wonderful food comes out of that kitchen. She's known for her banana bread, brownies, tres Leches cake and many more goodies. We had pork loin, scalloped potatoes, and mixed veg for dinner and creme brulee for dessert. She didn't make the dessert, she said, because she was too busy. It was all delicious.

Six of us went thrifting on Tuesday, a full van load of women descending on the stores. I picked up a James A. Michener book to read on the way home, a bathing suit for Eli, a pair of jean capris to replace the ones I sacrificed to the paint party, and a pretty top. The adult granddaughter of one of the ladies cleaned up. She left the van with several bags of clothing - apparently she does this each year, arrives with an almost empty suitcase and returns home with a full one. We had lunch at the Black Bear Diner before heading back to the park. 

I walked down to Food City on Wednesday morning, as I had run out of fresh vegetables. The prices are so amazing to me; a head of lettuce for $0.99, two bunches of green onions for $1, a pound of baby carrots for just $1.69 and a red pepper for $0.50! I also bought tomatoes, so, if nothing else I have salad fixings for the next week. Back at the unit, I mixed up and cooked a meatloaf for dinner and sandwiches. It had just come out of the oven, when L arrived and invited me to the Canada Snowbird Association (CSA) presentation at the Quechan Casino (informally known as the Q). 

We left just before noon (Yuma time /11 a.m. California time). Q is across the border in California and the presentation started at noon. There were speakers from the CSA and from Medipac, the travel insurance company. It was a really interesting program, as I had no real knowledge of either. 

But it got better! After a 20 minute intermission, we were entertained by Michelle Wright (a Canadian country singer) and a comedian whose name I have forgotten. He was entertaining, but it was Michelle's performance that was wonderful. She mentioned she's been in the business for 43 years. Unaccompanied by nothing but her guitar, her voice is still amazing. She sang a variety of her material, as well as Anne Murray's Snowbird. Fitting for the crowd, and most everyone knew the words and sang along.

I had planned to housework and some stitching on Thursday, and did get the house vacuumed, dishes washed and dried, and the bathroom cleaned. However, L called just after lunch to say she and her stepdaughter K were going to Green Trees (a discount grocery store), and would I like to go with them. I had picked up some protein bars on our last trip, and really liked them, so said yes. Well, it wasn't only a trip to Green Trees - we also visited Target, Discount Tire for a free tire check (air and tread), In and Out Burger for lunch for the two of them, and then to Green Trees. I had eaten at lunch so had a drink and shared L's fries. On our way back to the park, we stopped at Food City. We stayed in the car while K ran in for one item.

This was the sign at Target - I haven't had any issues finding eggs at Walmart and Food City, so I assume Target uses different supplies.

By the time we arrived back at the park, Happy Hour was underway. There, I was invited to ride along for a trip to Los Algodones, across the Mexican border on Friday. I thanked A for the offer, but declined. I was ready for a quiet day of puttering around the unit.

And that is exactly what I did on Friday. I worked on the jigsaw puzzle, I sat outside in the sun and read for a bit of time, I finished knitting my hanging kitchen towel, and did some stitching. I did go to Happy Hour and before coming back to the unit, I helped several of the women decorate the clubhouse for the Heritage Dinner. 

Today, I'll be baking the shortbread for the dinner - it is so much better when it is fresh. L's husband, G plays the bag pipes, and she has informed he, he will be piping me in to the clubhouse with my contribution. Wish me luck, hopefully I won't trip on the threshold! The meal should be very good, as there are a wide variety of dishes being prepared. 

Beyond that, I don't plan to do much else for the weekend, as it is shaping up to be a busy week next week. I have something scheduled for every day AND I have to pack too. :(

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Painting, a birthday, and more windy weather

I think I'm going to need a vacation when I get home from this vacation. It has been another full week of fun and a bit of work.

Our garage sale visits on Saturday were productive, with a number of useful items purchased by J and L. I picked up a mug to leave at the clubhouse for coffee/tea - coffee hour is on Thursdays and I always forget to bring a mug with me, and a cross stitch magazine. I spent a whopping $1.50. The RV park we visited had 1200 lots, two clubhouses, five pools, several hot tubs, as well as pickle ball, tennis and shuffleboard courts. Far too big for me, and the monthly lease costs are approximately $800 USD per month. Too rich for my blood.

In comparison, the park I am in has 59 lots, a clubhouse and a 15 man hot tub. It is a mix of park models, house trailers, and RV's. As a Co-op, and with few amenities, the lot lease is only $125 US per month. That includes cable television, WiFi, and water. I should note the water is not potable. There are many places to buy water. I walk about 4-5 blocks to Desert Water, where I can refill two of my gallon jugs for a mere 50 cents. Walmart and Food City sell these for about $1.50 each. I go through about 3/4's of a gallon each day, more if I'm doing much cooking.

This weekend, many of the residents were busy with painting the perimeter fence. I helped some on Friday, took the day off on Saturday, and then jumped in on Sunday to paint the fence at three lots. I finished the second coat of the third fence on Monday morning. There are some residents who chose not to do the work themselves, so the park will be charging them a fee for the work. The last lot that I finished on Tuesday morning, was one of the latter. On the other hand, there were several people in their 80's out there putting in more than their fair share of work. My painting partner on Sunday turned 79 this week. As a renter, I wasn't expected to help but I know everyone was eager to get it finished. Those who weren't able to paint provided supplies for lunch every day, and it was prepped and put it out for the workers at the clubhouse. 

Tuesday was thrifting day, with L and A. We hit up three thrift stores, where I found a couple of pieces of clothing, another set of knitting needles and a book of crocheted dishcloth patterns. One can never have enough patterns, right? Then we headed off to the mall, where I picked up my first Christmas gift. It is a pretty pink purse for my daughter. We had lunch at In and Out burger, a restaurant I've never been too. It was good and very reasonably priced. The Wednesday photos were from that trip. I certainly know where I need to go if I should need any bathroom aids as I age! The tree was in the The Palms mall area; an oleander, which I've learned is toxic, but so pretty!

The wind picked up that day and there was a lot of sand in the air. Happy hour was held in the enclosed area beside the clubhouse, and even there the wind felt cool. It was noisy overnight, as there are items hanging on the side of the park model that bang. It had calmed down slightly overnight, but I decided to forgo my walk in the morning, and caught up on some housework. I'd vacuumed the prior morning, so washed the floors. I also put together a casserole from leftovers in the fridge. Time is ticking down, and I want to use up as much as possible. 

By Thursday, the wind had died down, but it was cloudy and cooler, just 17C (63F) at noon. I went to the clubhouse for coffee (in my case tea) and goodies in the morning. There were sign up sheets circulated for the Heritage dinner (Feb 22 - I was already signed up), for the women's luncheon (Feb 26), and St. Patrick's Day (I won't be here for that.) In fact, I have less than two weeks remaining here! Time does fly when one is having fun. That evening, I went to dinner at Olive Garden with the birthday gal L, and her husband G, and their park neighbour D. L and D were both nurses and worked together in their community in British Columbia.

I've spent the afternoons stitching on my cross-stitch project. I think I started it a couple of years ago, and I've a long way to go. 

I'm also reading a John Sanford novel, Bad Blood. If you've read his novels, it is about one of his characters, Virgil Flowers, an agent of the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and his investigation into several murders in a small rural area in Minnesota.

Friday was a quiet day, with nothing major on the agenda. After a walk to Desert Water, I worked on my jigsaw puzzle, did some stitching, and finished my book. It appears I will not be able to watch the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling, as it is only being broadcast in Canada (boo!) I have to keep an eye on the scores on-line and watch the news for highlights.

I have no plans for the weekend and I'm ready for a quiet couple of days. Perhaps time will slow down a bit, and my last two weeks will last longer. A girl can hope, right?

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny