Sunday, November 30, 2014

11/30/2014 We’ve Got New Wheels!

(Arizona City, AZ)

We’ve got new wheels!  Bob has been perusing Craig’s List and Ebay and the local for sale ads for a few weeks now and we finally added four more tires to our fleet.

We got a golf cart!

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As it turned out we didn’t even have to go out of the park to find one.  Our friend Lawrence and his wife Elaine had his and hers golf carts and decided they didn’t need two after all.  The price is exactly what we wanted to pay so as soon as we heard it was for sale we told him we’d take it.

So Bob is one happy camper.  Me?  Well, its ok,  I know me, now that we have this thing I’ll never walk again.  I guess I’m just going to have to make up my mind that I’m not going to fall into that trap.   Who am I kidding?  As sure as my name is Snookie I know I’ll never walk this park again.  No!  I will!  I will!  Oh, no I won’t.  I must!  This is going to be a real battle.

Friday, November 28, 2014

11/28/2014 Black Friday Shopping

(Arizona City, AZ)

I am so not a Black Friday shopper.  Of course my friend Bonnie and I had great plans of getting up early and hitting the stores by eight for the early bird specials but that didn’t happen.  See, I told you I wasn’t a Black Friday shopper.  We moseyed on into town around ten.  First stop was Kohl’s.  The parking lot didn’t seem terribly crowded and we thought, “Wow, this is going to be a piece of cake.  In, out, on to the next store!”  NOT!  There must have a fleet of buses around back that we didn’t see.  Oh Em Gee, where did these people come from?

Bonnie and I decided to go our separate ways as she had pre-teens to shop for and I didn’t.  First stop for me was the Ladies Department.  I stood at the perimeter and looked in at all the people standing shoulder to shoulder and decided I’d come back to that department.  Next on my list was the men’s department.  Hmmm…going in there would be like taking my life in my hands.  I decided I’d come back to that department.  Big & Tall, only a handful of people in this section and I have two sons who fall into this department.  I found what I wanted and made my way back to the toy department.  This wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be but I didn’t find what I wanted.  Little girls department was next and while it was crowded I wasn’t intimidated.  Everyone looked calm and I wasn’t hearing any screams of “I saw it first, give it to me!”  I quickly found a couple of outfits for our granddaughter, on sale no less, and I slipped quietly back out to the aisle way.

Ahhh,,,the aisle way.  Why do retailers insist on putting rack after rack of merchandise in the middle of the aisle?  There’s a gazillion shoppers and a bazillion shopping carts and we’re all vying for space in the aisle dodging racks of bear claw slippers,  the latest in kitchen gadgets and celebrity perfumes by the dozens.  I mean really!  If I want bear claw slippers I’ll go to the shoe department.  If I just have to have the newest perfume by the latest celebrity who thought she could come up with a better smelling perfume than Estee Lauder then I’ll go to the perfume department.  Leave the aisle space alone!  Every square inch of it is needed on Black Friday.

I was finally done all I needed to get in this store.  I called Bonnie to see how far along she was and she too was done.  We agreed to meet at the registers.  We got there at the same time from opposite ends of the store and we noticed that the registers were all roped off and a pretty big guy from the store was directing the check out traffic.  We started following the line of those waiting to fork over their cash and we walked and we walked and we walked some more before we finally got to the end of the line.  This is going to take forever we said!  We debated on putting our stuff back (read that as walking away from our carts)  and going home or waiting it out. We decided to wait it out.  After all, we had hit some good sales, the people in our immediate area were all laughing and talking with each other so we thought the time would pass quickly.  And it did.  We probably waited about 35 minutes in line but we joined in on the conversations around us and it wasn’t bad at all.  And we got Kohl’s cash!

Our bags stashed in the back of the car we sat in the front seats and decided where to go next.  Home.  Let’s go home.  This isn’t fun.  We’ll shop again next week when everyone will be at work or at school.

I’m so not a Black Friday Shopper!



 

Thursday, November 27, 2014

11/22-11/27/2014 Big Birthday Party & Thanksgiving 2014

(Arizona City, AZ )

We had a big birthday for one our fellow residents, Jane S. on Sunday.  It was supposed to be a surprise but she found out.  I know that because she stood in front of line dancing class and invited everyone to her Surprise Birthday Party!

Birthday girl Jane….

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When Quail Runners are invited to a party we show up!

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Well over a hundred people, no, make that friends showed up.  Twenty pizzas were delivered, all kinds.  Everyone stayed until nearly dark and a good time was had by all.  Happy birthday Jane!

Thanksgiving time already.  I bought a turkey though we won’t be cooking it on Thursday.  We’ll have a neighborhood dinner in January or February when Bob will deep fry it.

I’ve been busy collecting “boxes” for the Christmas gifts I’ll be wrapping soon.  Last year I sent grandson Derek some Sonic gift cards and put them in an empty Dial soap box.  Hey, they fit!  They thought I had sent him some soap and all had a big laugh over it.  In their Christmas card I wrote a note and asked, “Who will get the soap box this year?”  So I’m wrapping something in an empty Progresso Bread Crumbs canister, a box that four sticks of butter came in.  a Stove Top box, a paper towel tube and plastic box that cherry tomatoes came in and a jar that beets came in.  Should be lots of laughs around the tree this year.

We had Thanksgiving dinner in the Carnaval Room this year with the many residents in the park.

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I’m not a great fan of these holiday dinners.  Once we get back into our park model we’ll host dinners at our place.  There’s more and more of that going on here in Quail Run.

I’m going shopping Friday!  I know, I know, but the sales are just too good!

 

Friday, November 21, 2014

11/21/2014 It’s a Surprise Party!

(Casa Grande, AZ)

Today we had a surprise birthday party for Bonnie Larson.

Her mom contacted the other Bonnie a couple of weeks ago and said that she wanted Bonnie to have a birthday luncheon with her friends, on her.

Bonnie and I got the guest list together, selected a restaurant, I made the invitation and printed them and now today is the day.  Today we surprise our friend Bonnie.

It was decided we would tell Bonnie L. that I had to be in town earlier and would meet them for lunch and some shopping afterwards.  The two Bonnie’s came into town together.

We decided to have the luncheon at BeDillion’s a nice restaurant in Casa Grande.

The girls start to arrive.

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Diane, Diane & Sandy
 
Soon we were all settled in a private room waiting for them to arrive.  I had texted Bonnie that we were all there and waiting.  Actually, all but two of the invitees were present.

She was here and she was surprised!

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We surprised her even more with the gift we gave her.

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Oh yes, she was surprised!

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And very happy!

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Yep, we got her a new laptop.  Her computer was so old and so slow and she kept saying, “I have to get a new computer” but never seemed to follow through on that.  Well, we took care of it with a new Chromebook.

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It felt so good to do this for our friend.

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We didn’t order it and didn’t even know they could do this, but the restaurant provided a birthday cake for Bonnie.

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I knew I was going to make a Shutterfly book as a remembrance of the day so while they were chit-chatting over dessert I went outside to take pictures of the grounds.

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What an amazing day!  A couple of surprises for our friend. An absolutely delicious lunch, a good time with good friends.  A simply perfect afternoon.

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Sandy, Mavis, Diane E, Bonnie L. Bonnie M. Diane L. Julie, Snookie

Thursday, November 20, 2014

11/16-11/20/2014 Food Drive and Bikers

(Arizona City, AZ)

We are having delightful weather.  High 80’s, low 90’s and of course no humidity to speak of.

On Tuesday we had our first food drive for Carl’s Food Shelf at a local church here in Arizona City.

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This is a food bank that relies heavily on Quail Run for donations.  Quail Runners, being a very generous group of people  give and give some more, every single month.

I rode with Sandy, who started this with her late husband Carl, and Helen.

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The park is split up into three sections for pick up.  Two other couples, Jeff & Linda and Dave & Shirley plus ride along Roger all have designated streets that they collect from.  When all the bags set out in front of the RV’s and park models are collected, we all head to  the church.

This months pickup was especially good and Sandy is jumping for joy!

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When we got to the church this is the table that donations are put on and wait there to be put away.  It’s empty.

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But it sure didn’t take long for us to fill it up!

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Take notice its another table…..we filled the first ones to overflowing!

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Gosh I love these people in this community!

As the food collection was going on the Quail Run Bikers were gathering for their weekly run in the desert.

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They’ll ride nearly all day and stop and have lunch somewhere.  This group will even grow more after the first of the year.

And they’re off…..

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Bob has played golf this week and I’ve done some more Christmas shopping.  The sales are getting really good now and I can’t stop shopping!  This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.  This is why I shopped early and gave the kids a bunch of the gifts already.  Oh well, woe is me, they’ll just have to endure opening more gifts because I do love buying for them.

Friday night we went back to Tumbleweed’s with Steve & Jodee and were also joined by neighbors Randy & Kim.  Once again, the food was good, the music was good and a good time was had by all.



 

Saturday, November 15, 2014

11/9-11/15/2014 A Busy Week

(Arizona City, AZ)

This is the last week that Kenny & Sean are here as our renters arrive on the 15th.

Most of the days Kenny & Sean soaked up the rays around the pool. 

On the 11th I took part in the Veteran’s Day program.  I was asked to recite a poem.

 Freedom Is Not Free

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
   
I thought ... how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilot's planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers graves?
No ... Freedom is not Free.
 
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands ...
With interrupted lives.
 
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington ...
No ... Freedom is not Free!
 
~ Kelly Strong© 1981 ~
 
A Soldier's Grave....Freedom Isn't Free.
 

I was honored to be asked to read this poem.  Only people who have served our country are asked to participate in the program.

Afterwards, Kenny and I went to the Ostrich Farm.  Sean didn’t want to go so he stayed back to watch TV.

These are pictures from our day.

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Ladies horseshoes got underway for this winter season.

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My first games was in the pits.  No pun intended.  By the time I played my third game I found my spot.  Now I just have to hope that it doesn’t rain.  Confused?  Well, my sweet spot for horseshoes was marked by some bird poop on the cement.   As long as that spot stays there I’m ok.

Kenny & Sean pulled out early Friday morning heading east to Florida.  We hope we showed them a good time.

Friday night Bob & I and several of our friends went to the Tumbleweed Bar for a fish fry dinner.  Both Bonnie’s went.

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Steve and Jodee.  This couple is new to Quail Run this year and they are parked right across the street from us.  We have hit it off with this couple and find them lots of fun to be with.

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Entertainment for the evening was Bunky, a singer in these parts who has quite a following.

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A busy week   A fun week.  Just another week in the lives of these fulltime RV’ers.