Enjoying the Warmup

It's nice to be able to get outside again and sit and enjoy the warming temperatures. It has been a couple weeks now since the winter weather chased us inside. As part of the activities we want to enjoy again, we are going to schedule a hike to the White Mountains and begin getting in shape again for the coming season. Also, we have a hike already scheduled for when Patty and her family come to visit over Spring Break at the end of March. Our plan is to climb the trail up the mountain in Yarnell to visit the site where the 19 firemen (Granite Mountain Hotshots) perished in the forest fire on June 30, 2013. That, as you may recall, was the subject of the movie "Only the Brave" which depicts the story of that tragedy. It is a seven mile hike, round trip, and we will need to be in great shape as the climb is fairly steep. Our first attempt last summer resulted in our turning around and giving up the attempt after about a mile as the heat was just too much for us.

We also plan to increase our activities at the rec center by playing more miniature golf and more use of the fitness equipment. We have a tentative schedule to play this Sunday with George and Cheryl at the miniature golf course following church services. As long as it takes its time getting to the 90's, we will be fine with the schedule we have in mind...

Oscar Night

Last night was the annual Oscars Show for the awards for movies made in 2018. I can't help but comment on the changes in just the last two years. A big stink was made then about the lack of African American nominees and blacks receiving recognition. It has gone full circle now, with the show being flooded with African American winners and nominees. I ask the question: Where did all the blacks suddenly come from? Also, do you think they are now getting preferential treatment? I think it's great that they are getting recognition, but all of them stir the racist pot in their acceptance speeches and I don't like that. Just my opinion. Overall, I thought it was a very good show and I am happy with the results - even though I don't know much of anything about the movies that were nominated.

We are getting close to the end of February. There really isn't much time left for us to prepare things for our trip to Jackson for this summer. I hope it all works out and we can pull it all together. We have to get the repairs done on our RV and make sure all is OK with Josie's work before we can finalize the details...

Baby Shower

Last night was the opportunity for me to meet Josie's co-workers and also get my first look at the Sun City Florists flower shop where she works. It was the baby shower for the owners' daughter who is having a baby boy in April. It was a well planned and executed shower where there were lots of gifts and food. We also played a few fun games before eating and having the presents opened by the guest of honor. These shots are just a sample of the ones we took during the evening.

These are photos of the shop that I took prior to the start of all the activities:

The shop is a lot larger than I expected and very nicely appointed with flowers and gifts of all kinds.

These are shots of the food line and all the guests going through the line:

The food was spread over the entire work area in the rear of the shop. There was plenty of food to choose from and the desserts were terrific.

The following shot is of the young couple who were the guests of honor. That is the mother and the female owner (Wanda) of the shop in the photo with the couple:

They are visiting from Oregon and leave to return home (with a loaded vehicle of gifts) on Monday. It was an excellent affair and an education for me about the people and the shop.

Today is a day of rest for us as we have no plans other than to begin enjoying the improved weather...

Beautiful Skies Again

The nice thing about seeing a storm clear out is the resulting skies that occur. After two days of ugly, stormy weather, the storm ended late yesterday and we were able to get a couple nice shots around our home. This one is right after the skies cleared:

And this one at sunset:

We now have a cloudless sky for today and the temperatures are on the way up.

There is a baby shower at Josie's shop today which will take place after they close. The goal is to close the shop early at around 2 PM and have the shower inside the shop. I will wait to hear from Josie and then meet her there. It is certainly unusual to have such an occasion at any place of business. I guess it makes it a lot easier to accommodate all the folks when you don't have to arrange for special locations. It is the owner's daughter that is expecting (a boy) and everyone has been asked to wear blue. I will try to get some shots of the event and show them tomorrow...

Better Days Ahead

It rained all day yesterday with some strong winds, thunder and lightening and hail thrown in. It also rained during the night last night and again this morning. There was also a new record temperature set. The previous "low" high temperature was 54 on this date. The new record is now 51! It's hard to believe that this is February 22 and Spring Training has started in the Cactus League.

I heard this morning - and saw footage to prove it - that Flagstaff had over 39 inches of snow since Wednesday night. All of the towns along the Mogollon Rim have set new records for snowfall for this date and for February. The rest of the country gets to enjoy a taste of what we had in Arizona for the next week. Our temperatures are forecast to climb, steadily, until we once again reach the 70's on Tuesday. Bring it on!!

Josie is off today and we get to attend a baby shower at her shop tomorrow. The owners' daughter is expecting a baby soon and the whole shop will be at the shower. I finally get to meet everybody that Josie works with in a relaxed environment...

Powerful Winter Storm

The biggest storm of the season for Arizona arrived during the night. Fortunately, we will only see rain here, but they are expecting up to two feet of snow in the Flagstaff area and all along the Rim. It is the latest of strong winter weather fronts that have been lined up for weeks now and are passing through. I have finally seen a forecasted high temperature that is above 70 for the first time since the February 1st or 2nd. It will be next week, but at least we are heading in the right direction.

Josie was called into work yesterday but only stayed about three hours. It was kind of a joke, as there wasn't much that she had to do. We suspect that the owners are getting weary of the grind of owning the shop and are quietly searching for buyers. Only a guess. The shop could use some new technology and a few other upgrades but it is, basically, a very good shop. The location in Sun City certainly works well.

We'll keep the faith for better days ahead...

Hard Freeze

We had a hard freeze warning last night and we took a couple of our potted plants and moved them under cover. It's a good thing we did - there was frost on just about everything this morning. Here it is, the end of February and we still have freezing temperatures - in Phoenix, Arizona! There is still more cold weather on its way and tonight and tomorrow it will include rain here and snow at the higher elevations. Actually, I heard that Flagstaff is expected to receive up to 2 feet of snow.

We were in the grocery store this morning on Josie's day off when her phone rang. The owner of the shop, Wanda, called and asked if Josie could come in to work today. So much for her day off. She accommodates everybody and I hope she gets rewarded someday for her efforts.

The cold weather has had very little impact on the number of golfers we see. They are still playing. all bundled up and with jackets. It's hard to believe that their games aren't impacted by all the extra clothing. Oh, well. I can remember myself playing in Washington during weather like this and thinking nothing of it. If I had guys to play with I might even join them someday...

February Snow Moon

Last night was the special night for what is termed "The February Snow Moon". Generally, we don't get a chance to see these things or we have cloud cover to ruin the views. This time, we got it right"

I say we got right, but to get the full effect of the large moon, we needed to be up very early in the morning. It wasn't that big a deal to lose sleep over but it was definitely a sight to see.

We are bracing ourselves for another freeze warning tonight. Actually, we went down to 33-34 last night but tonight is suppose to be even colder. It is amazing that this month has seen such cold weather when the normal for this time of the year is 71 every day. We haven't seen 70 since the first of the month and will not see it the rest of February the way we are going as the forecast is for the mid to high 50's each day. Hang in there as the saying goes...

Down Time

It was more like a day to catch our breath yesterday. Josie had just come off of a six day marathon work week at the flower shop and was happy to just sit, crochet and watch some TV on her only day off before going back to work today. We did go to Fry's to pick up a couple prescription refills and that was it for our outside activities. She will enter a period of slow business now at the shop until at least Easter.

The visit by Patty and her family during Spring Break at the end of March was finalized yesterday. She and the boys will come early and Mark will follow a few days later to spend the March 22 - March 30 time frame here in Arizona. It should be nice weather by then. We plan lots of fun activities for their visit.

The forecast continues to have only cold, wet and cloudy days. Can't wait for March to roll around so we can get rid of these awful February winter days...

Patio Sealed

This morning, our landscaper came to spread the sealer on our patio; This is the final step in the process of rebuilding our patio floor. It is suppose to retain the color of the blocks and provide a long term protection against discoloration. This is the view as it was completed this morning:

We should be set for awhile before needing any more services from our landscaper.

Josie had to work again today - sixth consecutive day - and will (hopefully) be home a little early. The owners thanked everybody yesterday for providing the best Valentine's Day result in a long, long time. They had very few complaints and the work went out on time and very smoothly. I would like to think that Josie had a lot to do with the improved performance.

The weekend looks cool dreary, as mentioned yesterday, and we will just have to make the best of the "not-so-good" forecast...

Taxes Miracle

I couldn't believe it yesterday when I received the email from my bank that a direct deposit was made of my 2018 tax refund! This is absolutely the quickest turnaround - 1 week - for a refund that I have ever experienced. No matter what else is said about the Tax process and changes, I am a believer. After all of the warnings about tax refunds being delayed as a result of the government shutdown, I was preparing for at least a month wait for the refund. Unbelievable!

Valentine's Day at the shop was another new experience for Josie. They were very busy but she actually returned home on time at 5 PM. So, another Valentine's Day holiday is in the books. This makes 30+ of those holidays that she has worked since becoming a Florist. They are all a little bit different. Of course, working these holidays is a lot different as an employee than as an owner. We don't miss the headaches, but miss the financial benefit.

We are still looking for some great Arizona winter weather. There is nothing but cold (50-60 degree high temps) in the forecast and lots more clouds and more rain. No place in the country has escaped the winter wrath this year...

Happy Valentines Day

Valentine's Day started just like all of the others do - Josie leaves for work very early and will not be home until late. She left before 7 AM this morning. The shop where she works does not have the super large volume of business that some other locations have, but it is certainly enough to keep the whole staff super busy. We will both be happy when it is over. Our celebration for Valentines Day will occur over the weekend after all is quiet once again.

The decision on our refrigerator issue is that we will just move forward with things as they are. The problem, as mentioned, is only intermittent and is not a performance issue. The noise that comes from the icemaker is not constant and one that cannot be recreated for the service people. The only way we could prove that there is any abnormal sound is to record it - impossible, as we cannot reproduce the sound and don't know when to expect the noise. We otherwise love the refrigerator.

I go to the Labs this morning to have some blood taken as a check on the high cholesterol and blood sugar counts from my physical. I expect them to be normal, as the results used for my physical were taken after a huge meal the night before that was full of cholesterol and we had lots of other sweets. I hope so anyway...

All is Quiet

The only event from yesterday worth mentioning is the update on our refrigerator problem. I went to Home Depot to discuss options with them and it was a very short discussion. It seems that they have no say in whether a product gets returned until after the Samsung warranty expires in one year. At that time, the 3 yr protection package that we purchased kicks-in and they can swap out a unit. During the first year, it is solely Samsung who makes the determination. So, I called Samsung once again (third time) to have them come out to address the problem. I expect to hear from them today to set an appointment. It really isn't a serious problem as it doesn't effect the performance at all, but is an annoying, loud sound that is coming from the icemaker. We'll see how far it goes.

One more day before Valentine's Day and Josie is beginning to drag. The days are long this week and she is looking forward to Saturday when she can get some down time. The Valentine's holiday is not the same in Sun City as in most other locations. The older population seems to take an "I'll pass on this one" attitude. Mother's Day will be the giant holiday in this neck of the woods. That one will kick off our summer plans, so we look on that one in a different way...

Tax Riddle Solved

I figured out what the problem is with our taxes this year. Everybody, of course, has the same problem. The combination of lower tax withholdings on your paycheck and the removal of many allowable deductions has resulted in the shortfall that everybody is experiencing. Based on the reactions I saw on TV this morning, the country is not at all happy with the changes. It will probably take a year or two of the new rules to create a new comfort level. It would have been nicer if the withholdings were reduced and the deductions remained allowable.

We are still trying to decide on a course of action - if any - to take with our new refrigerator. As mentioned previously, we have had a loud noise coming from the icemaker since day one. We otherwise love the refrigerator, and even with the replacement of the icemaker with a new one, the noise remains. The decision is whether or not to keep it, or replace it under the 90 day return warranty. That would mean acquiring a different model which most likely would cost more money. Decisions, decisions....

RV Show

We went to the La Mesa RV show at the Glendale Stadium yesterday. This particular show was the biggest that they ever held as almost all of their inventory from their two stores (Phoenix & Mesa) was there. Normally, they have a representation of their inventory but this time they prepared for the busiest time of the year for RV purchases.

Our goal was to see any new equipment available and to size up opportunities to replace our current RV before it becomes a cash cow. Reluctantly, we accepted the fact that a new replacement just isn't in the cards without our winning the lottery or enjoying a huge cash windfall from somewhere. The outcome was a decision to do what we needed to do to bring our RV up-to-date with the required fixes. It will be a lot less money and will allow us to get another couple years or so use from our present investment. It has served us well so far for 11 years.

The forecast for this next seven day period shows no temperature reaching 70 or higher on any day. I know that weather differs from year to year but we would sure like to see some sunny days in the 70's this winter. When we look around the country though, we are not bad off compared to many...

Tax Vibes

As I filed our taxes yesterday, I was hearing uncertainty about the whole tax process this year. Josie heard a segment on TV where it was suggested that perhaps this not be the year you should file early.  First of all, this entire Trump administration has been filled with uncertainty so why should taxes be any different. Secondly, I always file early so that I can get my refunds earlier. Note: I can't remember the last time I had to fork over more money at tax time. If there are going to be changes in the tax laws at this point, there will be lots and lots of people caught with early filing - not just me. It will be interesting to see - if that should happen - how effectively the government responds to going after money from citizens who have already spent their refunds. I'll take my chances.

It was kind of late yesterday by the time we finished our errands so we rescheduled the RV show visit for today. There are actually two shows that we know about in the area  one at the Glendale Stadium which is the big one, and another at the Mariners Stadium in Peoria. We may try to visit both to see if there are any major differences. We are still up in the air about Jackson this summer and if there is any way we can make a switch on our RV's, we will try. The thought of spending lots of unnecessary money to repair problems on our current RV is not sitting well with me. Time will tell...

Taxes Done

Just when I thought I would have to wait for more documents, the sources came through yesterday with email copies. I was, therefore, able to wrap up our taxes for 2018 this morning. I have to tell you though, if you haven't yet done your taxes, you will not like the new laws. I hate them, and I have to wonder who they help. Unless you don't itemize your deductions and take the standard deduction, you will be paying more this year. We are getting closer to having a flat tax. More and more deductions are being eliminated. Who is kidding who about who is helped with this new tax law? Fortunately, we will still get a refund but it was a lot tougher than before.

Josie is off now for the rest of the weekend so we plan to do some fun stuff. Perhaps a round of golf and a visit to the big RV show that is at the stadium this weekend. Hmm....

Brakes on Taxes

I didn't get very far into our taxes yesterday. I realized that I was still missing some important data - namely, a summary from our rental agent for the first part of the year and an interest summary from our bank we had with the old house. As I recall, it took some extra time last year to get the rental summary. At any rate, I don't like the new tax changes. First of all, the doubling of the standard deduction has the software wanting to have me file without itemizing deductions. As I began to get into the deductions, I discovered that much of what I am used to deducting has disappeared. I will be amazed if we get anything back that is anything near what we got last year as a result of the new tax laws. Thanks, Trump!

We have another cold spell going through today and tomorrow. Just when we think we are past the freezing danger, we get another one. It will be interesting to see how our plants respond to this latest freeze. We will not see the 70's during the day for at least the next week. The high for today will be 57. Where is the AZ Desert weather?

We almost always see coyotes walking along the golf course. Yesterday, one walked right through our yard like he was a pet dog. Late yesterday afternoon, Josie jumped up off  her chair and yelled that there was a coyote chasing a rabbit on our neighbor's yard. We don't know if he eventually caught it or not, but there are lots of little bunnies running around our area...

Tax Time Again

I received the last of the document yesterday that I needed to begin our 2018 taxes. That means the fun begins today and I am especially motivated to get them done early this year as a result of the government shutdown. The word from Washington is that there may be delays in processing tax refunds. It will most likely take a good part of the rest of this week to complete them, but I expect to have them done by Friday. The rules have changed this year so I hope there is no serious impact on my anticipated refund.

We had more rain yesterday and more expected today. There have been some nice sunsets during these weather changes and a couple of the shots are below from last evening:

There is always something special about an Arizona sunset...

Forgettable Super Bowl

There isn't one thing that will remembered from yesterday's Super Bowl except that it was the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history. The Rams offense missed the plane to Atlanta and the Patriots did nothing spectacular to deserve the win, 13-3. It was terrible - including the half time show and the ads - and was the worse Super Bowl game ever.

On the other hand, the Phoenix Open golf tournament ended - in the rain - with enough drama to satisfy any fan. Rickie Fowler won after nearly blowing the tournament with an ugly triple bogie on the back none. It was a very emotional scene to see him pull out the victory in front of his grandfather who was responsible for encouraging him to play golf when Rickie was young. He is a class guy and I am so happy to see him win.

It's back to normal again as we start another week with cooler than normal temperatures and more rain on the way...

Washed Out

The rains came as expected today and we had to reschedule our golf match. It appears that, as a result of work schedules and traveling commitments, we will not play until early March. There is a possibility that we could play during the week sometime if Josie's schedule cooperates and she feels like using up some energy.

We get to enjoy the Super Bowl today and most of the money is on the Patriots. I don't want them to win, but the important thing is that it is a good game and not a rout.

The Phoenix Open wraps up today and Rickie Fowler has a 4 shot lead going into this final round. I hope he hangs on to win as he is a class individual and a fan favorite. The rain probably will not be a factor, but the ground may be a little soggy which could play a part in today's results.

So much for now...

Happy February

February 1 has lots of significance and memories for me. It was on February 1, 1967 (52 years ago) that Patty's mother was involved in an auto accident on her way home from work that changed our lives forever. It was nearly five years later when it eventually took her life. I was blessed that Patty survived and has been such a joy in my life.

It was also on February 1, 1999 (20 years ago), when I quit the ugly smoking habit forever. As a heavy smoker for about 40 years, I feel like I have salvaged my own life and given myself a chance to live a lot longer. I hope so.

We have a golf outing scheduled for tomorrow at our Rec Center miniature golf course with George and Cheryl. It appears that, based on this morning's forecast for tomorrow, that we will probably reschedule that outing for next Sunday, if possible. There is a 70% chance of rain for the mid-day hours that would wash out our game.

The Phoenix Open Golf tournament is this weekend and the weather has been OK but not special. The golf has been fun to watch so far, but the rain possibilities for tomorrow may put a damper on play.

Also this weekend, of course, is the Super Bowl tomorrow. I sure hope that the Rams win, but I don't hold much hope that they will beat the Patriots. I certainly will not bet on the outcome...