We decided yesterday to take a look at some properties that we know were "hot" areas not that long ago. One area in particular - in Tonopah, AZ - was super hot in the early 2000's. In fact, I sold a five acre parcel there for $90,000 in 2005 or 2006. That same property today is selling for around $28,000. The real estate market downturn hit that area very hard, and it still hasn't recovered. There are now many, many similar properties available whereas before you were lucky to find an acre that would be available for less than $25,000. The problem with that area though is that it is not near anything. The nearest grocery store is in Buckeye, AZ which is a good 25 miles away.
From there, we went to a town called Salome. It also was hit hard by the downturn and is even further away from real civilization. The net of our day traveling to these areas was that there are lots of choices for properties, at affordable prices, if you don't mind living in remote areas. Unfortunately, we are not ready to make that kind of choice or commitment. So, our exploring will continue.
It was not a good day for my football teams. The Seahawks lost a close one (25-20) to New Orleans, and the Cardinals lost to the unpredictable Carolina Panthers, 30-20. Next week is another chance to show how good (or bad) they are as the Seahawks play Buffalo and the Cards play the 49er's.
Today, I have an appointment to get bloodwork done for my physical which is scheduled for the 11th. It will be a busy week for appointments, plus Josie starts back to work on Wednesday.
Happy Halloween everybody...
Monday, October 31, 2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Weekend Fun Stuff
One of the stops we made the other day while out on our whirlwind drive was a visit to the place where lived for one year in Goodyear - Cotton Lane RV Park. It is - or was - the sister park to the Pioneer where we are now staying. It has changed dramatically since we lived there in 2003-04. It was our home just before buying the home in Sun City Grand. Anyway, while we were driving through the park the other day, we saw a couple manufactured homes that were being set up on golf course lots that we walked through out of curiosity. The park has a new policy where manufactured homes can be placed along the golf course lots and it has turned out to be a beautiful location. We took the information and decided to visit the CAVCO sales location that is in Surprise to see the other models. We did that yesterday.
We saw some pretty nice homes at reasonable prices yesterday. If a person owns property, it is an excellent option. As you may or may not know, buying some property somewhere has been an option that we have been looking at for some time. This experience at Cotton Lane and the visit to CAVCO has rekindled our interest in finding property. We will continue to keep this option open and try to locate some property that might satisfy our goals. Of course, the home we presently own in Glendale would have to be sold - someday - at a price higher than we paid in order for all of this to happen. We sure have fun looking into these kinds of options though.
Yesterday was also a day to watch some football and to watch the Cubs game last night. Unfortunately, the Cubs are having a problem getting their game together and now trail 3-1 in the Series. They have a long road to hoe, but I haven't given up on them yet.
Today, the Seahawks play the New Orleans Saints. That is on the (TV) schedule, along with game 5 of the World series...
We saw some pretty nice homes at reasonable prices yesterday. If a person owns property, it is an excellent option. As you may or may not know, buying some property somewhere has been an option that we have been looking at for some time. This experience at Cotton Lane and the visit to CAVCO has rekindled our interest in finding property. We will continue to keep this option open and try to locate some property that might satisfy our goals. Of course, the home we presently own in Glendale would have to be sold - someday - at a price higher than we paid in order for all of this to happen. We sure have fun looking into these kinds of options though.
Yesterday was also a day to watch some football and to watch the Cubs game last night. Unfortunately, the Cubs are having a problem getting their game together and now trail 3-1 in the Series. They have a long road to hoe, but I haven't given up on them yet.
Today, the Seahawks play the New Orleans Saints. That is on the (TV) schedule, along with game 5 of the World series...
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Whirlwind Day
Yesterday was the complete opposite from the day before. Instead of relaxing around the RV, we were out and about for most of the day.
The day started with my appointment at the Audiologist Office where some changes were made to the programs in my hearing aid. So far, they seem to have helped tremendously. Our next stop was at a glasses repair shop where I wanted to get some plastic for the glasses I wear to stop the reaction I get from the medal arms on my glasses. There is a "green" line in my hair from the oxidation or something wearing off the glasses. Anyway, They were closed due to a personal family situation. The next stop was at our storage unit where we returned our suitcases from our Chicago trip and also added a few more items. NOTE: our goal is still to totally eliminate that storage unit asap. We are tired of spending the money for that nonsense.
Our next stop for the day was at Camping World where we hoped to get another "matching" outdoor carpet for our space. No such luck. It looks like they are sold out of the one we purchased, so we will have to make due with the one we have. Next up was a stop at Costco to get a bite for lunch. We did accomplish that, but only after dropping about $50 for items that we normally get at Costco at a better price than other stores. Anyway, we filled our gas tank while there and, so far, we are getting better than 27 mpg on our new Escape.
The last stop of the day was at the Ford dealership where we purchased our vehicle. We had been looking all over for the right sunshade for our Escape and all the Ford dealers that we stopped at along the way were out of them for our model. We did find it at this dealership. It was then time to go home, which we did, and arrived home in time to watch the World Series game. We are hoping that the Cubs find their bats before losing this series to the Indians as they are now down 2-1 in games. Both losses have been shutouts. "Go Cubbies" before it is too late. Game four is tonight...
The day started with my appointment at the Audiologist Office where some changes were made to the programs in my hearing aid. So far, they seem to have helped tremendously. Our next stop was at a glasses repair shop where I wanted to get some plastic for the glasses I wear to stop the reaction I get from the medal arms on my glasses. There is a "green" line in my hair from the oxidation or something wearing off the glasses. Anyway, They were closed due to a personal family situation. The next stop was at our storage unit where we returned our suitcases from our Chicago trip and also added a few more items. NOTE: our goal is still to totally eliminate that storage unit asap. We are tired of spending the money for that nonsense.
Our next stop for the day was at Camping World where we hoped to get another "matching" outdoor carpet for our space. No such luck. It looks like they are sold out of the one we purchased, so we will have to make due with the one we have. Next up was a stop at Costco to get a bite for lunch. We did accomplish that, but only after dropping about $50 for items that we normally get at Costco at a better price than other stores. Anyway, we filled our gas tank while there and, so far, we are getting better than 27 mpg on our new Escape.
The last stop of the day was at the Ford dealership where we purchased our vehicle. We had been looking all over for the right sunshade for our Escape and all the Ford dealers that we stopped at along the way were out of them for our model. We did find it at this dealership. It was then time to go home, which we did, and arrived home in time to watch the World Series game. We are hoping that the Cubs find their bats before losing this series to the Indians as they are now down 2-1 in games. Both losses have been shutouts. "Go Cubbies" before it is too late. Game four is tonight...
Friday, October 28, 2016
Zero Miles Day
For the first time that we can remember over the last 4 or 5 months, we drove nowhere. It was nice to sit around, read, watch a little TV, fetch the mail and just do nothing. That all changes beginning today. Actually, it isn't so bad today either. I have an appointment with my Audiologist at 10 AM to get my hearing aid programs adjusted. Josie may want to stop at a store or two while we are out, but there is no other pressing appointment.
One thing we enjoyed yesterday was cooking a couple burgers on our grill for the first time since we returned back to AZ. Our site is getting to the "near completion" stage as you can see from the photo below:
It will never rival the nice setup we had at Lake Pleasant, but we will also not be paying the Lake Pleasant prices again - probably. Besides, we are enjoying the convenience here at Pioneer and, at less than half the cost, isn't a bad alternative.
We are anxious to watch game 3 of the World Series tonight and are keeping our fingers crossed and rooting for the Cubs...
One thing we enjoyed yesterday was cooking a couple burgers on our grill for the first time since we returned back to AZ. Our site is getting to the "near completion" stage as you can see from the photo below:
It will never rival the nice setup we had at Lake Pleasant, but we will also not be paying the Lake Pleasant prices again - probably. Besides, we are enjoying the convenience here at Pioneer and, at less than half the cost, isn't a bad alternative.
We are anxious to watch game 3 of the World Series tonight and are keeping our fingers crossed and rooting for the Cubs...
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Lining Up Appointments
Now that we are back in the RV for the season, it is time to schedule the necessary appointments that we have targeted. Josie already had her first yesterday where she saw her Neurologist for the first time since returning. He prescribed some medication for her hip issues and also made a stab at helping her with her tongue issues that are still a problem.
I have scheduled appointments with my Audiologist (tomorrow) to get the programs synchronized for my hearing aids, my Doctor for a physical, the Detailer for our RV to get it washed and waxed and I have my truck appointment for next week (11/2). Phew. We will be busy as Josie also begins work on November 1.
Another project that we started yesterday was counting the money from our big brass bucket of change that we have been accumulating over the last several years. We are starting a "Bowl Fund" for our trip to wherever Austin is going to play this year in his final college football game. Patty and her family are going - certainly - and we also will be there.
We will be enjoying some free time over the next couple of days before we finally get back into the swing of our seasonal activities...
I have scheduled appointments with my Audiologist (tomorrow) to get the programs synchronized for my hearing aids, my Doctor for a physical, the Detailer for our RV to get it washed and waxed and I have my truck appointment for next week (11/2). Phew. We will be busy as Josie also begins work on November 1.
Another project that we started yesterday was counting the money from our big brass bucket of change that we have been accumulating over the last several years. We are starting a "Bowl Fund" for our trip to wherever Austin is going to play this year in his final college football game. Patty and her family are going - certainly - and we also will be there.
We will be enjoying some free time over the next couple of days before we finally get back into the swing of our seasonal activities...
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Final Day for Naperville Visit
Before describing the big event of the day, I wanted to share a photo of Mike who is the only one missing from all the photos we took during the week. He has been working and going to school so has not been around the house very much. I happen to catch him eating a meal before heading out:
One of the best and nicest Outlet Malls is very close to the O'Hare airport in Chicago. We wanted to go there on the way to the airport to do some shopping - particularly at the Nike Outlet store where I picked up my favorite sweat suit several years ago. The Fashion Outlets is the kind of place where you can spend hours. We went there in the late afternoon to shop and then have dinner before going to the airport for our flight.
It was a huge disappointment as the Nike Outlet Store didn't have anywhere near the selection of quality outfits as they did before. In fact, the entire mall looked like a ghost town:
It made us wonder how these stores can remain open with such little business. All of them are big name stores and carry merchandise that is - mostly - too expensive for us. For one of the rare occasions of shopping at these malls, we left with zero purchases.
Our final activity before heading to our flight was dinner at one of the many restaurants that are next to the Mall. The one we chose was the Park Tavern. Patty and Josie had a salad and I had the Glazed Salmon. Mine was forgettable, but the girls enjoyed their salads. Our nice waiter took this shot which is the final one of the week:
The flight was uneventful and arrived in Phoenix a little bit early at 11;20 PM local time. It was another of the Frontier Airlines low-end, basic flights that was very uncomfortable. We are glad to be finished with Frontier - for now, at least.
We had a fabulous time visiting with Patty, Mark and the boys. We will definitely plan for a longer stay the next time. Thank you Patty and Mark and family - we love you all...
One of the best and nicest Outlet Malls is very close to the O'Hare airport in Chicago. We wanted to go there on the way to the airport to do some shopping - particularly at the Nike Outlet store where I picked up my favorite sweat suit several years ago. The Fashion Outlets is the kind of place where you can spend hours. We went there in the late afternoon to shop and then have dinner before going to the airport for our flight.
It was a huge disappointment as the Nike Outlet Store didn't have anywhere near the selection of quality outfits as they did before. In fact, the entire mall looked like a ghost town:
It made us wonder how these stores can remain open with such little business. All of them are big name stores and carry merchandise that is - mostly - too expensive for us. For one of the rare occasions of shopping at these malls, we left with zero purchases.
Our final activity before heading to our flight was dinner at one of the many restaurants that are next to the Mall. The one we chose was the Park Tavern. Patty and Josie had a salad and I had the Glazed Salmon. Mine was forgettable, but the girls enjoyed their salads. Our nice waiter took this shot which is the final one of the week:
The flight was uneventful and arrived in Phoenix a little bit early at 11;20 PM local time. It was another of the Frontier Airlines low-end, basic flights that was very uncomfortable. We are glad to be finished with Frontier - for now, at least.
We had a fabulous time visiting with Patty, Mark and the boys. We will definitely plan for a longer stay the next time. Thank you Patty and Mark and family - we love you all...
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Almost Over
Yesterday was one where we (Patty, Josie, myself) went around to a few stores to get some things that we can easily get here in the Chicago area. There were visits to: Costco - to get some unique items for Josie such as feet warmers for her to use at work this winter: Sephora (Patty's work) - to get some nice fragrances for Josie and I to use over the next year: Jewel/Osco Drugs for Josie and I to get our flu shots for the season.
I also wanted to post this photo of the Captains' meeting in the center of the field for the coin toss before the start of Austin's game on Saturday. The photo I took was from the other side and had little of the detail that this one shows. So, here is the best shot:
We took a couple other photos yesterday. The first one is of the sunrise over the golf course that Josie took early in the AM:
This final shot is of Oakley who we will surely miss when we leave:
The final day is today. We said our goodbyes to Mark this morning who left for work already. We will say goodbye to Mike and the twins later today. Our flight isn't until 9:55 PM tonight so we plan to make a stop at a terrific Outlet Mall this afternoon that is near the airport and one where we have visited before that has great stores. It is kind of sad that our wonderful trip is winding down...
I also wanted to post this photo of the Captains' meeting in the center of the field for the coin toss before the start of Austin's game on Saturday. The photo I took was from the other side and had little of the detail that this one shows. So, here is the best shot:
We took a couple other photos yesterday. The first one is of the sunrise over the golf course that Josie took early in the AM:
This final shot is of Oakley who we will surely miss when we leave:
The final day is today. We said our goodbyes to Mark this morning who left for work already. We will say goodbye to Mike and the twins later today. Our flight isn't until 9:55 PM tonight so we plan to make a stop at a terrific Outlet Mall this afternoon that is near the airport and one where we have visited before that has great stores. It is kind of sad that our wonderful trip is winding down...
Monday, October 24, 2016
Travel Day and Home
We all met for breakfast in the hotel in Kalamazoo at 8:30 and were on the road by 9:15. With the extra hour gained going home while going through the time zone change, we arrived home at 10:30. The twins enjoyed the drive home, as you can see:
It was a day of sitting around and watching some football on TV. Josie took some nice shots of the outside before we sat on the porch in the sun for part of the day:
This shot is out the back while she standing on the deck:
It was a nice, cool day.
The big game on TV was on late - 7:30 PM - between the Seahawks and the Cardinals. We watched the first half before going to bed. We are glad we went to bed. The game was a ho-hum game that ended up a tie (6-6) after both teams missed opportunities to win. Neither the Cardinals nor the Seahawks looked like champions last night.
We will do some shopping today while Mark is attending a training class for the day and the boys are in school. We talked about staying over another couple days, but the cost ($200) to change the tickets was steep, and we decided to save the money for our bowl trip at the end of the year to watch Austin's final game. We are certainly anxious now to find out where he will play...
It was a day of sitting around and watching some football on TV. Josie took some nice shots of the outside before we sat on the porch in the sun for part of the day:
This shot is out the back while she standing on the deck:
It was a nice, cool day.
The big game on TV was on late - 7:30 PM - between the Seahawks and the Cardinals. We watched the first half before going to bed. We are glad we went to bed. The game was a ho-hum game that ended up a tie (6-6) after both teams missed opportunities to win. Neither the Cardinals nor the Seahawks looked like champions last night.
We will do some shopping today while Mark is attending a training class for the day and the boys are in school. We talked about staying over another couple days, but the cost ($200) to change the tickets was steep, and we decided to save the money for our bowl trip at the end of the year to watch Austin's final game. We are certainly anxious now to find out where he will play...
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Still Undefeated
Our drive to Kalamazoo from Naperville was almost 3 hours. It was near 11 AM when we got to the campus store to buy some apparel and check out the new WMU Bronco goods. From there, we went to the tailgate party for the next several hours waiting for game time. The tailgating party has grown into a major gathering of all the players' parents and families. We took lots of pictures, some of which are below:
It was a heck of a party and Patty won the "peoples choice" award for her chili in the chili contest. It was the second consecutive year she won a prize for her chili. There were 9 contestants this year.
Following the tailgating party, we walked into the stadium for the game. The crowd was a lot bigger than the last time we were here. Of course, winning changes everything. Here is a shot of the crowd:
Below is the captains meeting at the middle of the field for the coin toss. Austin, one of the captains, is #23:
The game did not disappoint. Following are a couple shots of Austin during the game:
The Broncos won, 45-31 to remain undefeated and will surely move up in the national rankings from #20.
It was off to dinner with Austin and the family following the game:
What a terrific day and fantastic win for WMU. We see no reason why they shouldn't go the rest of the season undefeated. Talk has now started about bowl games and the real prize for WMU could be the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day. Wherever it is, we all plan to go. Go Broncos!!
We stayed in town last night and, following breakfast here at the hotel, will head home...
It was a heck of a party and Patty won the "peoples choice" award for her chili in the chili contest. It was the second consecutive year she won a prize for her chili. There were 9 contestants this year.
Following the tailgating party, we walked into the stadium for the game. The crowd was a lot bigger than the last time we were here. Of course, winning changes everything. Here is a shot of the crowd:
Below is the captains meeting at the middle of the field for the coin toss. Austin, one of the captains, is #23:
The game did not disappoint. Following are a couple shots of Austin during the game:
The Broncos won, 45-31 to remain undefeated and will surely move up in the national rankings from #20.
It was off to dinner with Austin and the family following the game:
What a terrific day and fantastic win for WMU. We see no reason why they shouldn't go the rest of the season undefeated. Talk has now started about bowl games and the real prize for WMU could be the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day. Wherever it is, we all plan to go. Go Broncos!!
We stayed in town last night and, following breakfast here at the hotel, will head home...
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Great Lunch and Start of Football
Yesterday was the start of the football fun. It actually started with a great lunch at the new burger place in Naperville - Empire. It was one of the best burgers I have ever had and we each had a different variety. This is what the restaurant looks like from the outside:
And as we sat at our table on the rooftop level:
The burgers were special. This is just one of the ones we ordered:
We each ordered a different one and they were all excellent.
From there, we went to the football game at Waubonsie Valley High School where Brandon and Jordan were to play their final game of the season. They were on the Sophomore team this year and the team did not have a great season. This is the pre-game coin toss where Brandon (#8) was one of the co-captains:
He played in all but a few of the plays on both offense and defense and scored his team's only touchdown in a 17-7 loss.
Even though the game didn't turn out the way we hoped, the girls had a great time and were warm, for the most part, throughout the game:
The big game is today. We will leave at around 7:15 AM to drive to Kalamazoo for the weekend. Since it is a late game, we will stay the night tonight and have dinner and visit with Austin following the game. The trip home on Sunday is expected to be a happy one as we anticipate Austin's team will win number 8 this year to stay undefeated. Go Broncos!!
And as we sat at our table on the rooftop level:
The burgers were special. This is just one of the ones we ordered:
We each ordered a different one and they were all excellent.
From there, we went to the football game at Waubonsie Valley High School where Brandon and Jordan were to play their final game of the season. They were on the Sophomore team this year and the team did not have a great season. This is the pre-game coin toss where Brandon (#8) was one of the co-captains:
He played in all but a few of the plays on both offense and defense and scored his team's only touchdown in a 17-7 loss.
Even though the game didn't turn out the way we hoped, the girls had a great time and were warm, for the most part, throughout the game:
The big game is today. We will leave at around 7:15 AM to drive to Kalamazoo for the weekend. Since it is a late game, we will stay the night tonight and have dinner and visit with Austin following the game. The trip home on Sunday is expected to be a happy one as we anticipate Austin's team will win number 8 this year to stay undefeated. Go Broncos!!
Friday, October 21, 2016
Relaxing in Naperville
Yesterday was more of a relaxing and adjusting to the marathon day we had on Wednesday. There was a trip to a unique grocery store - Mariano's - where Patty had to get her ingredients for the chili she is making (today) for the "tailgating" competition on Saturday at the football game. The store is a specialty store, similar to AJ's in AZ, but a lot more. There are all kinds of "bars" located throughout the store where you can sample items and decide from several choices. They even had a grill where they would prepare the meat that you purchased - for free. It is quite a store.
Of course, last night we watched the Bears play the Packers on Thursday Night Football and the Cubs beat the LA Dodgers to get within one win of the World Series. It was a very good day to get ready for the days ahead where we will be going to the twins' final high school football game of the season - tonight - and to a great, new hamburger restaurant in town for a late lunch before the game.
We are getting close to our weekend trip to Kalamazoo for the big game. Bring it on!!
Of course, last night we watched the Bears play the Packers on Thursday Night Football and the Cubs beat the LA Dodgers to get within one win of the World Series. It was a very good day to get ready for the days ahead where we will be going to the twins' final high school football game of the season - tonight - and to a great, new hamburger restaurant in town for a late lunch before the game.
We are getting close to our weekend trip to Kalamazoo for the big game. Bring it on!!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Made it to Chicago
Our plane left Phoenix for Chicago on schedule at 6 AM yesterday. The flight was 45 minutes early and we landed in Chicago at 10:50 local time. Of course, Patty had just left her house to pick us up, so we got our baggage and waited outside on the curb for her. It worked out fine. The big news about the flight other than being early is the lousy airplane that Frontier Airlines flies these days. Just when you think that the airlines can't get any worse, they build lousy planes like the one we flew on yesterday and nickel and dime you to death even more than before. These photos below are of the ridiculous seats that are now provided on the planes:
That is clearly "cheap" material. There was no padding on the seats whatsoever. The shot below is of the tiny pull own tray where snacks and beverages are served. Actually, everything is charged except water of which you are served one, tiny plastic cup with a little ice:
It was the worst flight I can ever remember.
It is great to be here and visiting with Patty and Mark and family. Below are the first of many shots to be taken over the next week. Starting with some snacks and beverages in the kitchen:
And we can't end this post without a shot of Oakley on the front step between the nice flower pots and pumpkins for Halloween:
and, finally, a shot of the nice Fall colors in the neighborhood:
Hopefully, we will get lots of shots of the boys along the way this week.
We have a busy schedule planned for the week - lots of football, including the weekend in Kalamazoo to watch Austin's game against Eastern Michigan - not to mention the Chilli Cookoff at the tailgate party where Patty has to defend her title from last year when she won the Judges Choice award.
Lots of fun ahead...
That is clearly "cheap" material. There was no padding on the seats whatsoever. The shot below is of the tiny pull own tray where snacks and beverages are served. Actually, everything is charged except water of which you are served one, tiny plastic cup with a little ice:
It was the worst flight I can ever remember.
It is great to be here and visiting with Patty and Mark and family. Below are the first of many shots to be taken over the next week. Starting with some snacks and beverages in the kitchen:
And we can't end this post without a shot of Oakley on the front step between the nice flower pots and pumpkins for Halloween:
and, finally, a shot of the nice Fall colors in the neighborhood:
Hopefully, we will get lots of shots of the boys along the way this week.
We have a busy schedule planned for the week - lots of football, including the weekend in Kalamazoo to watch Austin's game against Eastern Michigan - not to mention the Chilli Cookoff at the tailgate party where Patty has to defend her title from last year when she won the Judges Choice award.
Lots of fun ahead...
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Set For Chicago
Josie did laundry and I went to my Audiologist to pick up my new earpiece for one of my hearing aids. While there, my Audiologist adjusted the programs in my hearing aids and I hope they are OK for the week I'll be in Chicago. My first impression is that the programs she put in are very different from the ones I had previously. We'll see how they work. The truck is closed up and ready to sit for a week and all of the outside stuff is done except for turning off the water and gas which I will do just before leaving.
We are leaving at around 3 AM in the morning, so this is being written the night before. I hope I have enough time in the AM to finish it before we leave. If you see this early, I made it...
P.S. I made it - It is 2:20 AM....
We are leaving at around 3 AM in the morning, so this is being written the night before. I hope I have enough time in the AM to finish it before we leave. If you see this early, I made it...
P.S. I made it - It is 2:20 AM....
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Truck Service and Party
I went for my scheduled truck service appointment on schedule at 9:45 AM yesterday. The oil change and paint protection service took almost 3.5 hours. The real shocker for me was the discovery that the right front wheel cap was missing and it cost $92 to replace. It was obviously stolen by someone as it takes a tool to remove and it wouldn't just "pop" off by itself. I was disappointed with the service taking so long.
While I was at the dealership with the truck, Josie's gathering with her work crew for a "welcome back" celebration actually turned out to be a birthday party for Josie. She was surprised at the nice gesture by her coworkers and she spent the afternoon visiting with everybody:
She will actually start back to work around November 1.
I was up at 5:30 AM this morning to print out our boarding passes for our flight tomorrow AM. We are all checked in and ready to go. Now, we just have to pack our bags and get everything else ready to go. The excitement is building for our trip...
While I was at the dealership with the truck, Josie's gathering with her work crew for a "welcome back" celebration actually turned out to be a birthday party for Josie. She was surprised at the nice gesture by her coworkers and she spent the afternoon visiting with everybody:
She will actually start back to work around November 1.
I was up at 5:30 AM this morning to print out our boarding passes for our flight tomorrow AM. We are all checked in and ready to go. Now, we just have to pack our bags and get everything else ready to go. The excitement is building for our trip...
Monday, October 17, 2016
More Football
Most of the interest yesterday was in watching some good football games on TV. Of course, Josie had little interest in that activity, so she went to Fry's to discuss food options for her visit to the flower shop today. She will take some prepared sandwiches and drinks to her shop today and have a "I'm back" reunion with the crew.
The football games were really good yesterday. My Seahawks were not televised locally, so I followed that game on my phone. What a game!. The Seahawks pulled out the game (26-24) late in the fourth quarter to go 4-1. They beat a very good Atlanta team that had won 4 in a row. The locally televised game was between the Packers and the Cowboys, and the Cowboys showed that they are for real this year, beating Green Bay 30-16. Oh well, it's a long season.
I have an appointment for my truck this morning to get an oil change and a "treatment" for the paint to keep the paint protected. That was part of the deal for the truck. I also want to meet with the service manager to discuss the other problems we've had and arrange for another service when we return from Chicago.
We have today and tomorrow to get things together for our trip. I reserved our seats for the flight yesterday and pre-paid for one checked bag each for the trip. Our parking at the airport is prepaid, so we should be ready to go...
The football games were really good yesterday. My Seahawks were not televised locally, so I followed that game on my phone. What a game!. The Seahawks pulled out the game (26-24) late in the fourth quarter to go 4-1. They beat a very good Atlanta team that had won 4 in a row. The locally televised game was between the Packers and the Cowboys, and the Cowboys showed that they are for real this year, beating Green Bay 30-16. Oh well, it's a long season.
I have an appointment for my truck this morning to get an oil change and a "treatment" for the paint to keep the paint protected. That was part of the deal for the truck. I also want to meet with the service manager to discuss the other problems we've had and arrange for another service when we return from Chicago.
We have today and tomorrow to get things together for our trip. I reserved our seats for the flight yesterday and pre-paid for one checked bag each for the trip. Our parking at the airport is prepaid, so we should be ready to go...
Sunday, October 16, 2016
RV Fixes
The main activity during the day yesterday morning was to go to the local RV dealer and pick up a couple parts to do some fixes on our RV. Our second awning needed a new strap and a couple of the storage compartment doors needed new latches. The Arizona heat plays havoc with plastic latches, and the awning strap also deteriorated from the sun exposure. Anyway, Little Dealer - Little Prices had the parts available and that is taken care of now.
I also watched Austin's WMU team go to 7-0 with a romp over Akron, 41-0. They are such a pleasure to watch this year and I look forward to the new football rankings to come out this week. Last week, they were ranked #24, and they will surely rise in the rankings this week. We are really excited to be going to his next game - next Saturday in Kalamazoo.
We had a very nice dinner with George and Cheryl at a restaurant called Times Square. It was an Italian food restaurant and very good. We got caught up on our families and what we all have been doing over the last 4 or 5 months and enjoyed our visit. Below is a shot that our friendly waitress took of us at our table:
Not much is planned for today except that Josie needs to order some food that she can take into the flower shop for lunch tomorrow. She is returning to the shop tomorrow - not to work, but to enjoy some welcome-back conversation with her work crew. She probably won't start back to "work" until after we return from Chicago...
I also watched Austin's WMU team go to 7-0 with a romp over Akron, 41-0. They are such a pleasure to watch this year and I look forward to the new football rankings to come out this week. Last week, they were ranked #24, and they will surely rise in the rankings this week. We are really excited to be going to his next game - next Saturday in Kalamazoo.
We had a very nice dinner with George and Cheryl at a restaurant called Times Square. It was an Italian food restaurant and very good. We got caught up on our families and what we all have been doing over the last 4 or 5 months and enjoyed our visit. Below is a shot that our friendly waitress took of us at our table:
Not much is planned for today except that Josie needs to order some food that she can take into the flower shop for lunch tomorrow. She is returning to the shop tomorrow - not to work, but to enjoy some welcome-back conversation with her work crew. She probably won't start back to "work" until after we return from Chicago...
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Our Low Key Day
Yesterday was the kind of day we have been looking forward to for the last several months. No appointments, no meetings, no must-do activities. We stayed around the RV most of the day - reading and taking a walk around the park to see changes. Late in the day we walked over to see the new park model that is by the office. It is smaller than our RV and is not anything we would ever consider as a home.
There are about six homes that are for sale in the park and we went to each of those to check them out. The biggest thing about looking at those was that we got to meet the neighbors that live next to the homes that were for sale. They were very nice folks, but all of them are in their 80's and reminded us of Happy Trails in Surprise. This is a similar situation where most residents have lived here for years and have grown old with their homes. I suppose that all 55+ neighborhoods are the same, except for new ones that are opening. We haven't found any of those recently.
Our day today includes a dinner with George and Cheryl. We look forward to seeing them and catching up on the last five or six months...
There are about six homes that are for sale in the park and we went to each of those to check them out. The biggest thing about looking at those was that we got to meet the neighbors that live next to the homes that were for sale. They were very nice folks, but all of them are in their 80's and reminded us of Happy Trails in Surprise. This is a similar situation where most residents have lived here for years and have grown old with their homes. I suppose that all 55+ neighborhoods are the same, except for new ones that are opening. We haven't found any of those recently.
Our day today includes a dinner with George and Cheryl. We look forward to seeing them and catching up on the last five or six months...
Friday, October 14, 2016
Shake Down
The main objective for yesterday was to make sure there were no problems with our new car. We drove to Sam's Club - first visit since our return to the area - and a couple other places to make sure all is well. It is. The vehicle drives like a new car and has no apparent flaws or concerns.
We also tried to figure out when Josie should return to work. The shop might need her before we leave for Chicago to work a day or two which is OK. Otherwise, she will start after the 1st of November. She is anxious to see her friends and coworkers who are also anxious for her return. No matter what, Josie will go into the shop on Monday and take the gifts that she brought home from Wyoming and maybe even take a couple pizzas for lunch as a treat for them.
We scheduled a dinner with George and Cheryl which will be tomorrow night at a new restaurant for us - Times Square - in Phoenix, near Peoria. We look forward to seeing them again and visiting to catch up on activities over the last four months or so.
Today will be low key day to organize things for our trip next week to Chicago and to make sure we have everything we need for our visit with Patty and her family...
We also tried to figure out when Josie should return to work. The shop might need her before we leave for Chicago to work a day or two which is OK. Otherwise, she will start after the 1st of November. She is anxious to see her friends and coworkers who are also anxious for her return. No matter what, Josie will go into the shop on Monday and take the gifts that she brought home from Wyoming and maybe even take a couple pizzas for lunch as a treat for them.
We scheduled a dinner with George and Cheryl which will be tomorrow night at a new restaurant for us - Times Square - in Phoenix, near Peoria. We look forward to seeing them again and visiting to catch up on activities over the last four months or so.
Today will be low key day to organize things for our trip next week to Chicago and to make sure we have everything we need for our visit with Patty and her family...
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Great Anniversary
As soon as we are able to get a good photo of my father, I will send it to the cemetery and the person who is responsible for caring for his gravesite will attach the photo to the headstone on special days, such as Memorial Day, that honor those troops who are buried there. I will have to find a way to duplicate this "rub" for my brother, George. I presented a nice gift to her for her effort to fill in this gap in my life. It was an emotional lunch, and very rewarding to me.
Following lunch, Josie and I went to a Ford dealer - Surprise Ford - to look at a vehicle I had seen advertised online. We have been discussing adding another vehicle so that Josie could economically commute to work without adding more mileage to our truck. We have 18,000 + miles on the truck since we purchased it in December. That is way too much mileage, and I am also concerned because of the problems we have had so far with the vehicle. We got an excellent deal on a 2015 Ford Escape, pictured below:
The car has only 12,000 miles on it, and the Sales Manager gave us a particularly good deal since it was the first car sold by the dealership for the day.
What a memorable anniversary...
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Truck Damage Appraisal
My appointment for the truck damage appraisal was for 10 AM yesterday. When I arrived at the location in Anthem, the receptionist had no idea who I was, nor did she have any information for my appointment. Wonderful. Eventually, after about 20 minutes, they found some information on the appointment which was made over one month ago.
The appraisal didn't take very long and the assessed damage was not that great - $1092. If you look at the damage you wouldn't think that it would cost half that amount. Of course, the whole vehicle collision market is a scam anyway. It is a way for companies to get outrageous money from insurance companies to fatten their profits - and raise insurance premiums. Fortunately, I don't have to pay any of the repair costs as it wasn't my fault.
Josie and I then went and got haircuts which is something we had to do before our scheduled trip to Chicago. We have a week to go before that trip that we are looking forward to.
We will meet for lunch today with one of Josie's friends, Terri Veatch, who is the person that visited my father's grave in the Netherlands this summer and obtained all the information for us, including a photo of his grave. We owe her a huge thank-you for her efforts to do that for us on her own time.
It looks like we are getting closer to getting out of the 90's. Our forecast shows a steady drop each day until next week when we hope to say goodbye to the 90's...
The appraisal didn't take very long and the assessed damage was not that great - $1092. If you look at the damage you wouldn't think that it would cost half that amount. Of course, the whole vehicle collision market is a scam anyway. It is a way for companies to get outrageous money from insurance companies to fatten their profits - and raise insurance premiums. Fortunately, I don't have to pay any of the repair costs as it wasn't my fault.
Josie and I then went and got haircuts which is something we had to do before our scheduled trip to Chicago. We have a week to go before that trip that we are looking forward to.
We will meet for lunch today with one of Josie's friends, Terri Veatch, who is the person that visited my father's grave in the Netherlands this summer and obtained all the information for us, including a photo of his grave. We owe her a huge thank-you for her efforts to do that for us on her own time.
It looks like we are getting closer to getting out of the 90's. Our forecast shows a steady drop each day until next week when we hope to say goodbye to the 90's...
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Errands in Surprise
Our schedule yesterday took us to Surprise for an appointment and other errands. We were astonished at the progress made on the road improvements at Grand Ave and Bell Rd in Surprise where the overpass is well along in its construction. The 4+ months we were gone have made a big difference in the progress and it will be a huge improvement to the area.
My appointment at the Audiologist lasted 1.5 hours which was a unexpected. I had my annual hearing test - slightly worse than last year, but not by much. I was shown the new technology in hearing aids which is waterproof and sealed receivers and rechargeable batteries. Of course. the costs keep going up as a new set for me would run $5800. Sheesh! Not only that, but Medicare nor insurance covers them. I will need to win the lottery to get a new pair. I also had to send in one of the hearing aids back to the factory to get a new earpiece made as mine was damaged from internal wax. I will get that back in about one week.
We went to the TNT Car Wash in Surprise and had the truck cleaned. It had a lot of dirt from the trip south and we also had a coffee spot removed from the floor. We are set to go again with a clean vehicle.
Our final chore was to visit a couple locations to try to get an inexpensive table and chairs for our outside. We found some, and have that problem solved. We'll have some photos when we get everything set up.
Today we will get the truck appraised for the damage received when we were rear-ended in Jackson. I don't see any major work to be done but we will find out today...
My appointment at the Audiologist lasted 1.5 hours which was a unexpected. I had my annual hearing test - slightly worse than last year, but not by much. I was shown the new technology in hearing aids which is waterproof and sealed receivers and rechargeable batteries. Of course. the costs keep going up as a new set for me would run $5800. Sheesh! Not only that, but Medicare nor insurance covers them. I will need to win the lottery to get a new pair. I also had to send in one of the hearing aids back to the factory to get a new earpiece made as mine was damaged from internal wax. I will get that back in about one week.
We went to the TNT Car Wash in Surprise and had the truck cleaned. It had a lot of dirt from the trip south and we also had a coffee spot removed from the floor. We are set to go again with a clean vehicle.
Our final chore was to visit a couple locations to try to get an inexpensive table and chairs for our outside. We found some, and have that problem solved. We'll have some photos when we get everything set up.
Today we will get the truck appraised for the damage received when we were rear-ended in Jackson. I don't see any major work to be done but we will find out today...
Monday, October 10, 2016
Attention to Outside
A big part of our setup at the site is outside. That is, having a place to enjoy sitting outside with a table, chairs and shade. Our original thought was to get our table and chairs from storage and set those up outside the rear portion of our RV. We went to our storage unit alright, but the table and chairs were scattered in the unit and it would have required emptying a lot of stuff to get to them. We decided to just take the grill and a few other things we needed from the storage and look for an inexpensive table and chairs set. Also, the table we had at Lake Pleasant was a bit too large for our needs at our new site. It will take some time to get everything set up the way we want.
Today, we plan to go to Surprise where I have an Audiology appointment and Josie wants to get her hair cut. We also need to get the truck washed and there is a decent carwash in Surprise. That appears to be the plan for the day.
We were happy to see the balloons in the sky this morning. It has been over 4 months since we've seen them flying in this area:
Have a great day everyone...
Today, we plan to go to Surprise where I have an Audiology appointment and Josie wants to get her hair cut. We also need to get the truck washed and there is a decent carwash in Surprise. That appears to be the plan for the day.
We were happy to see the balloons in the sky this morning. It has been over 4 months since we've seen them flying in this area:
Have a great day everyone...
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Getting Set Up and Going 6-0
We finally began the process of settling in for the next several months. No more "foolish" 500 mile trips. The only place we went yesterday was to Walmart to get some things. We will have to make a trip to our storage to get our grill and the table and chairs so we can have those to use while here. That appears to be on today's agenda.
There are a couple appointments that have been scheduled already. I have an appointment with my Audiologist for tomorrow, and we have to take the truck in on Tuesday for the appraisal for the rear-end damage we received in Jackson.
The big news from yesterday was that WMU (Western Michigan University) - Austin's team - won again to go 6-0 for the season. Once again, Austin played a huge role on special teams and was again praised by the announcers of the game for his stellar play. They will most certainly rise in the AP College Football poll this week. What a fun year to be watching college football. I'm sure that Austin is happy about the progress made by his team over the last 4 seasons. What a way to go out. I think we should start saving money to go to his bowl game this year which should be a good one if their quality play continues...
There are a couple appointments that have been scheduled already. I have an appointment with my Audiologist for tomorrow, and we have to take the truck in on Tuesday for the appraisal for the rear-end damage we received in Jackson.
The big news from yesterday was that WMU (Western Michigan University) - Austin's team - won again to go 6-0 for the season. Once again, Austin played a huge role on special teams and was again praised by the announcers of the game for his stellar play. They will most certainly rise in the AP College Football poll this week. What a fun year to be watching college football. I'm sure that Austin is happy about the progress made by his team over the last 4 seasons. What a way to go out. I think we should start saving money to go to his bowl game this year which should be a good one if their quality play continues...
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Foolish Trip
While discussing a plan for the day yesterday, we got caught up in some pictures of the Fall colors on TV. They were in the Flagstaff area, but we remembered an area in the White Mountains - between Show Low and Greer - that had some of the prettiest Fall scenery anywhere. We decided to go.
The trip turned out to be a foolish one. Not so much for the distance from here - a couple hundred miles - but for following up five days of travel from Wyoming with another long drive on our first full day at home. Another reason was that we didn't get started on the drive until 11 AM!
There was also a stop along the way at an old favorite of ours - HonDah Casino - in Show Low where we spent a couple of anniversaries over the years:
Those stays were also during the peak of the Fall colors, so we knew that the timing was right for them. We only stopped for a short time to spend $20 each on the slots. After about 45 minutes, we left with $43. A win is a win.
We finally arrived at our destination after 4 PM and were, basically, disappointed. We did get some good pictures of the Fall colors but they were almost entirely yellow from the many Aspens in the area:
That particular area is beautiful anyway - even without the Fall colors.
We headed home and didn't arrive here until 9 PM last night. Like I said - it was a foolish trip to take so soon after getting home from the summer season, even though we both enjoyed the day...
The trip turned out to be a foolish one. Not so much for the distance from here - a couple hundred miles - but for following up five days of travel from Wyoming with another long drive on our first full day at home. Another reason was that we didn't get started on the drive until 11 AM!
There was also a stop along the way at an old favorite of ours - HonDah Casino - in Show Low where we spent a couple of anniversaries over the years:
Those stays were also during the peak of the Fall colors, so we knew that the timing was right for them. We only stopped for a short time to spend $20 each on the slots. After about 45 minutes, we left with $43. A win is a win.
We finally arrived at our destination after 4 PM and were, basically, disappointed. We did get some good pictures of the Fall colors but they were almost entirely yellow from the many Aspens in the area:
That particular area is beautiful anyway - even without the Fall colors.
We headed home and didn't arrive here until 9 PM last night. Like I said - it was a foolish trip to take so soon after getting home from the summer season, even though we both enjoyed the day...
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