Monday, December 26, 2005
We were both up early this morning, which is unusual for Sharon. She even got her sweats on and went for a walk around the park. The wind was blowing pretty hard this morning and not expected to get any better anytime soon. By the time she got back it was still early for her to be up. She had decided during her walk that she was going to invite Henry and Arlene over to have pasties for Supper tonight. This will be our last full day with them until we get to Quartzsite.
Henry and Arlene were moving back into Catalina this morning. I went over to the office to see if I could download my Homestead Sitebuilder with a different connection. It took about 25 minutes and when it was finished downloading it told me I couldn't use that version, I would have to download the Classic version. I folded up my tent and returned to the motorhome.
We had trouble with our phone this morning because we haven't been downloading the current software for it. We lost all our service and Verizon told Sharon that she would have to perform some procedures to get it up and running again. After she got it up and running we thought our problems with being cut off would solve themselves. We'll see tonight when I try to download another version of the sitebuilder. Sharon started making the pasties later this morning and because she had to bake the 8 separately, we wouldn't be able to go to the pool until 2 this afternoon. That was okay because the wind was probably cooling off the pool a few degrees anyway.
When we finally got over there I took 2 steps into the water and retreated hastily. It was a little nippy and I wasn't having any of it. I could hear the cat calls coming from the pool as I headed for the Hot Tub. They rolled off me like water over a duck's back. I waited for the skeptics in the hot tub. For all the cat-calling they sure didn't last long in the pool.
After we got home Henry and Arlene came over about three and we started the cocktail hour(s). We had a few nectars before the Pasties were hot enough to eat. A Pasty is Meat, Potatoes and Onions, salt and pepper rolled up in a buttery crust and baked in the oven. They are quite good and filling.
After Dinner we sat down to play Dominoes for awhile and by 9 o'clock I logged on to the Homestead site to download my sitebuilder. No Luck. I kept getting cut off again just like last night. But this time it seemed like the problem is Homestead and not Verizon.
Henry and Arlene stayed til about 11 and when they left Sharon and I crashed and burned and went to bed. We had killed off at least a case of beer before we caved in. Shameful behavior to say the least, but it was fun.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
It was moving day today. We were both up and packing early and we were ready to roll at about 9. I had to dump our tanks again this morning so we'd have an ample amount of room to stay for a week without a dump at Indian Waters. We got everything ready and I decided to try one more time to get my Sitebuilder downloaded from over at the office. It took about 20 minutes to get everything up and working again. I had to cut off the final initialization but it felt like it was now working again. We'll see when I log on tonight and try to publish. Homestead Tech Support was absolutely no help again as usual. They did nothing but acerbate the problem.
We left Catalina without seeing Henry and Arlene but we'll see them tomorrow morning for Breakfast at the casino. While we were driving to Indian Waters Sharon called Bob and Bonnie Barr to see if our appointment at the casino tomorrow was still on. It was one of the first times we got through to them. Usually we play phone tag with them. No matter, we got through and they were still on for Breakfast.
We arrived at Indian Waters and went to the office to register and the rumor was true. No more holding tank dumps for free. However, the staff was very friendly which we heard was just the opposite. We actually picked out our own site, which was a change from last year, and it took us very little time to get settled and set up.
Sharon decided she would do laundry and I settled in to print up the Newsletter. By the time I got done I was looking for my address list and found out it had been corrupted. I had lost all my recently updated addresses. I tried to figure out who should be on the list but I know I'm missing someone. Oh well, they'll have to let me know.
After I updated my website information I decided to log on to the Internet and see if my Homestead Sitebuilder was working properly. It was, and 8 minutes later my website was running and the "Journal" was updated, along with the "Where are we now" map.
As I sit here typing (12/28/05) I'm watching 3 Hot Air Balloons launching from about a mile away. They are drifting almost over our campground as they go from west to east. They're moving pretty quickly so they must have a pretty good wind today although we can't feel it on the ground yet. We saw a couple of balloons in the air yesterday, but they didn't seem to be moving so we wondered if they were tethered or not.
I was also waiting for a couple of phone calls. One from my sister would be an update about my mother, and the second from Phil and Joyce Bach from Martinez, California who would be arriving today. I got the call from my sister, but Phil and Joyce never called so I called them and left a message. Phil called back later and said that Joyce was taking a nap and had had a couple of bad days. We interpreted that to mean she wasn't feeling well and I just got over a cold and sure didn't want another one.
After Supper we decided that we'd go and do some shopping at Wal-Mart since we had a few things to pick up anyway. We were back in time to take in a little TV. A couple of show that Sharon had not seen in the Fall.
I sent a couple of e-mails at 9 trying to get addresses and then let Sharon have the computer so she could read her newspaper. I watched David Letterman and we both went to the sack about 10:30. We were lucky to make it that long.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
We were off to Thousand Trails early to pick up Phil an Joyce this morning. We had planned to go to the Agua Caliente Casino, with a group this morning, for Breakfast. We would meet Bob and Bonnie Barr (friends from home) and Henry and Arlene LeDuc (friends from Canada). We all knew that the price was no deal anymore but the food is really good so sometimes you just have to adapt.
After Breakfast, we headed for home and discovered a leak underneath the motorhome. It was a freshwater leak and I wondered if it was the result of my overfilling the water tank a few days ago. I had forgotten the water was on and went to the pool. I decided to just let it go and see if it would stop itself. It wasn't hurting anything for the time being. So I went inside and into my comfortable recliner. I settled in to that baby and took myself a nice nap to rest my Breakfast.
By mid-afternoon we had decided to go "shopping" at the 99¢ store we had found the other day. When we got there we found a surprise waiting for us. They had groceries, fresh produce, canned goods, frozen foods and all the other "dollar" stuff that the dollar stores usually have. We really didn't find much to buy since we had just done our shopping at the Supercenter. Had we known about this place earlier we probably could have picked up quite a few things there.
We snacked for supper tonight and decided that we wanted to go to the Flea Market at the Riverside County Fairgrounds. It's mostly Mexican-American vendors and consequently Mexican shoppers but we always enjoy seeing the varied items that we can't see at other Flea Markets. It was quite a bit bigger than what we remembered from a couple of years ago. We made it through the whole place in about an hour and a half and when we left we went to Phil and Joyce's at Thousand Trails. We talked for awhile and then decided to play some Dominoes. We played with Double Nines and it turned into a Marathon game. We didn't finish until 10:30 which was late for Me and the Mrs.
After we got home, Sharon logged on and read her newspaper before we sauntered to the sheets.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Sharon sent Henry and Arlene an e-mail last night to see if there was a package, in the mail, at the clubhouse for us. Henry called back at 8:30 this morning saying he had it for us. I told him we would be over to Catalina some time today to pick it up.
Our leak in the fresh water tank continues today although the amount of water under the motorhome is less than yesterday. With any luck at all, I may have filled up the compartment that the tank is in and now its slowly dripping dry.
We were ready to head out to Catalina by 10 this morning, but we decided to hold off until after noon. We'd eat lunch at home and then take a leisurely drive to pick up my Christmas present from Jennifer afterwards. (Club Gitmo T-Shirt)
Sharon made "Andy's Steaks" for lunch and they were very good. We brought them from home and they resided in the freezer until now. We can't get them out here so we always take a box from home when we leave. We also take Becco's Sausage along with us because we can't get anything like that out here either. The sausage has been long gone though, and we've only been out here for a month.
After lunch we took off for Catalina Spa which is about 30 miles down the road from where we're at right now in Indio. Henry was working his wood projects when we arrived but he quickly put them down and we stood around talking for awhile. We talked about going to the Fantasy Casino for their buffet which we have a 50% coupon for. We didn't make any definite plans however because tomorrow is Friday and a fish day. Phil and Joyce don't eat fish at all so we probably will wait until next week. Although Henry and Arlene are going to the Rose parade in Pasadena on Monday so they won't be available til later on in the week.
When we came home we came by way of the 1000 Palms Canyon Road. We went to the canyons a couple of years ago and it was very educational. It's like an oasis in the middle of the desert with tall palm trees surrounding a water hole. There were dozens of cars in the parking lot when we went by.
When we arrived home it was about 3 o'clock and a little late to tackle the Icemaker. I think I'll defrost the freezer tomorrow and get that baby out so I can take a look at it and see if there's anything obvious that I can fix.
We had Chicken Strips and twice baked potatoes for supper tonight along with a salad. We prepared for Supper with a couple of Bloody Mary's to warm up our gastric juices. After Dinner se settled in to watch the TV for a few hours tonight. But with our shows coming on starting at 5 it was a long night to say the least. We were ready for bed by way of TV fatigue by the time 10 came around.
Friday, December 30, 2005
I was up late this morning relatively speaking since I'm usually up around 6:30 and watching FoxNews. By 6, Fox and Friends is over with out here so I'll have to wait until I get home for that show again.
As soon as Sharon got up and I finished Breakfast and I tackled the Icemaker. Phil had told me how to get it out and it took about 10 minutes to remove the 4 mounting screws and get it on the table. I inspected it very closely and could not find a problem with the mechanism. The "ice mold" is overfilling and it may be beyond my ability to fix it. Directions that I gleaned from the Family Motor Coach Magazine said that sometimes it's just easier to replace the icemaker than to try and fix it. I didn't want to give up on it that easily but it may just be the most practical solution. I have no intention of replacing it at this time however. Ice cube trays will have to suffice for now. I completely removed the mechanism and put it in a compartment outside for the time being.
We really didn't have anything else to do today and Sharon informed me that she is on vacation. I don't know what she meant by that, because she always finds something to do anyway.
By this time it was time for lunch and Sharon scared up some Egg Salad Sandwiches for us. They were very good and should have been my reward for fixing the icemaker, even though they weren't. She takes good care of me anyway even if I don't measure up.
The rest of the afternoon was spent watching my Christmas present from Sharon. The Seinfeld episodes from the first 2 seasons. We only managed to get through the first disc out of 4. But now I'll also have something to look forward to.
Sharon whipped up BBQued Chicken Wings for Supper tonight. They were good but not up to her usual fine standards. They didn't have much residual BBQ Sauce on them by the time they got done cooking. I didn't complain however, since I know better than that. The wings were accompanied by a Salad and a bottle of vino to wash them down. It was all quite delicious.
We settled in to watch "Meet the Fockers" on tape tonight. It was pretty good. It took us to around 10 and the bewitching hour. It wasn't long after that we went to bed. Sharon didn't even get around to her online rag (paper) tonight.
Saturday, December 31, 2005NEW YEAR'S EVE
This was the original "do nothing" day for us. We got up with nothing to do, we stayed up with nothing to do, and we continued with nothing to do all day. In fact we had so much "nothing" to do today we even had to go out for supper because Sharon didn't want to cook.
I was on the Internet today looking for a new Icemaker but had no luck what-so-ever. For some reason I just couldn't find a new unit. We may have to check at Quartzsite next month. If you can't find it at Quartzsite, it don't exist.
Our fresh water tank continued to leak today and we've got a 3 foot circle of water underneath the tank. It just seems impossible for the tank to be cracked since its only leaking that small amount. But it doesn't seem to want to stop so I can come to no other conclusion. I don't intend to do anything about it until we get back home, however.
By mid-afternoon we had finished watching the first DVD of the 4-DVD set of Seinfeld's first two seasons. I had taken a little nap and Sharon was actually outside sitting in the sun and trying to read before she came in and tried to take a nap. We were both pretty bored with having nothing to do. But we'll survive this little dead spot in our winter schedule.
We had to go shopping this afternoon to pick up some supplies for our snack for the New Year's Eve party tonight. And as long as we were out we stopped at In-and-Out Burger for Supper. In-and Out Burger is rather unique. They only make Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers and Double-Doubles. The Double-Double is 2 pieces of meat and 2 pieces of cheese with lettuce, tomato, onions and Thousand Island Dressing. Its very good and only $2.75. The franchise started in Southern California and this is almost the only place where we find them.
Sharon took off for church tonight..........late. She had too many things to do to get there on time. She was fiddling with her snack when she finally noticed the time and flew out of here. It's a good thing the church is close.
When she got back we left for Thousand Trails to Phil and Joyce's park for the New Year's Eve party. They had four tables full of snacks and I think we tried them all before we were done, or at least gave them a giant try. We lasted until midnight but we were on our way home shortly after that. Man, we don't do late-night very good anymore. I think we were home by 12:15. I decided to teetotal tonight since I heard on the radio there would be an alcohol check lane set up around here tonight. I didn't think it would be wise to have my license suspended 2500 miles from home.
Sunday, January 1, 2006HAPPY NEW YEAR
I woke up this morning feeling pretty good even though I slept til 8:30. I think I was just catching up on sleep that I've missed over the past few days. I was waiting until Sharon got up to see how she felt, but surprisingly she was just fine and drinking coffee instead of her usual "post New Year's Eve" Coca Cola.
We really didn't have anything to do today except take down our Christmas Decorations which would take about a half hour at the most. We also had to some shopping for Dinner that we would take care of later today.
Sharon picked up a Sunday newspaper today and we found references to the Balloon Festival and Polo Matches coming up next weekend. Apparently they had the first one last year but we never heard anything about it. They're expecting to have 50 Race Balloons and 8 special design craft on hand for the festivities. Than between the ascensions they plan to have polo matches during the day. It should be quite different from anything we've witnessed.
Just after lunch we took off to do our grocery shopping for tonight's Dinner and decided that we'd check out the Eldorado Polo Club for next weekend. We managed to find it without any trouble and the place is absolutely huge. I counted about 6 polo fields and each one is about 300 X 100 yards in size and they're all laid out side by side. I was wondering how they would have enough room to fly 60 balloons at the same time. I don't think they have to worry.
We went to the grocery store and picked up a couple of staples to go with our Lasagna, including Garlic Bread, Lettuce and wine. Although when we got home we started dipping our beaks in Egg Nog and Captain Morgan. It was quite tasty until we ran out of Egg Nog, but by that time Sharon had our Dinner on the table and it scent was exquisite. The taste, of course, was right up to her usual fine standards.
Today we made phone calls to all our kids and wished them a Happy New Year. We also made a couple of other calls for the same purpose to friends. We checked in with Phil and Joyce to see about going to the Fantasy Springs Casino tomorrow for lunch. I think we'll be waiting to see if it's going to rain tomorrow to see if the plan will come to fruition.
We watched TV tonight and there were a couple of new shows on tonight along with a couple of repeats. By next week we should be back on schedule to see new shows for this year.
Sharon logged on and read her newspaper tonight before she finally folded up her tent. When she went to bed I followed like a trained lapdog.
