We’re tired. All three of us. We’ve been on the go quite a bit lately.
I decided that I would put the crock pot back in use today and made a pork roast with sauerkraut. Come to find out it was one of Marvin’s favorites.
Bob played cards in the evening and Marv and I talked about everything under the sun until he returned.
A nice relaxing day that was needed by all.
Marv has one more day with us and we have something special planned for him.
Our friend Marvin eats all his meals in restaurants and has ever since early summer last year I would guess. When his wife had some medical issues and went to live with their daughter our buddy wanted no parts of cooking so he went out for a late breakfast and then again at dinner. It was just easier for him and if it works well then its ok. Bob and I couldn’t do it. We had been out to eat every night since he got here and we needed an at home meal. It was time for Marvin to have an at home meal too.
So late Sunday morning I put a roast with all the trimmings in the crock pot. Marv came over around one and he and Bob went out to take care of some of the errands Bob had to do.
I made up some mashed potatoes, green beans and muffins to go with our roast and Marvin ate with gusto! I think he really, REALLY, enjoyed his meal with us.
Marv called it an early night and went back to his hotel room to watch some TV. We did the same thing.
Winter residents here in Quail Run just had the best time last week with our Senior Olympics.
These Olympic events just don’t magically happen. There’s meetings, and contacting residents, meetings, finding equipment, meetings, lunch planning and prep, meetings, writing of scripts, meetings, tons of typing, meetings, well you get the idea. Did I mention there was a meeting or 87?
A lot of people are involved in this week along event and dare I say a lot of WORK?
I’m using this post to say THANK YOU!
Kathy Weyers and Bonnie Murtha organized the Olympic Parade to start the festivities off. They found out who was in the park, meaning what state they hailed from and then made all the appropriate signs for the represented states, they made arrangements for the golf cart to lead the parade, they set the route this years parade would take and generally organized the masses at parade time.
Bonnie and Kathy……
THANK YOU!
The Opening Ceremonies,,,,many thanks to Bob and Nel Archer for organizing this part of the Olympics. You two did a fantastic job!
Nel and Bob…..
THANK YOU!
The Chairwomen….Janet Carstenson, Carol Winters, Barbara Trube, Nel Archer and Activities Liaison Betty Vermeer. These women put in countless hours,,,you know, going to meetings etc.. Ladies, once again, you did an outstanding job.
Nel, Barb, Janet, Carol and Betty…..
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Of course we can’t leave out those who made the ceremony skits so fun the game coordinators themselves and those made the luncheon so nice. To all of you……
THANK YOU!
We had our last events today but the weather was working against us. Well, at least against me.
Just after the start of this morning’s activities the wind really kicked up. Big. Time. I was doing the Frisbee throw all of my three tries landed in the yard to my right. Bob fared a little better than me because he did this one before I arrived and the wind wasn’t nearly as bad. I’m sure you have figured out that there were no medals for this event with our names on them. Lest you get the wrong idea, the medals aren’t really engraved with our names.
We both had darts next and while we stuck all of our darts on the board they didn’t stick in the high number regions. Nope, no medals here either.
Bob was done his events but I still had one to go. The Basketball Throw. I haven’t even seen a basketball since last winter’s Olympics let alone throw one. I took my four practice balls, got only one in and then took my six throws that count. I got two out of six. It was the wind! I swear it was. I was throwing into the wind and it just blocked the ball from going in. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!
We were back at the house by eleven to wait for Marv and he was right on time. Our Olympic Luncheon wasn’t until 12:30 but we got up there a little early so that we could get seats that would afford us a good view of all the goings on.
Bob and Marv in front of the window.
Special friends…..
The cake, all cut up and ready to go. This cake was sooooo good!
Last minute prep taking place. Al and Guy did all the cooking of the hamburgers and hot dogs.
Wendy Fury, activities coordinator, welcomes the crowd before we have lunch.
The lunch that was served was very good and a huge thank you goes out to the Activities Staff for all they did.
After the last hot dog was eaten, the last crumbs of cake consumed and dishes cleared it was time for the ceremony to begin. Those who didn’t attend the luncheon came in and found seats wherever they could.
Carol Winters brings in our country’s flag.
I couldn’t get a shot of Canada’s flag being brought in, sorry Canada.
This is what we all worked played for this past week.
Janet Carstensen welcomed everyone, introduced all the chairwomen of the group and then each of the game coordinators.
After singing the national anthems for the US and Canada it was time to…..
Let the awarding of the medals begin!
Basketball Free Throw, Bean Bag Toss, Bridge, Cribbage and Darts were all awarded and neither one of our names were called.
Then came Dominoes! We play Mexican Train here in Quail Run. Yep, my name was called! I took Gold in this event by getting the lowest score of the 25 participants.
Don’t ask what I’m doing in this picture, I don’t have a clue. The only thing I can think of is that I’m fluffing my hair, but I’m not even sure about that because it didn’t need it.
Me and Peg Moberg who took Bronze. The silver medal winner wasn’t at the ceremony.
Next came Euchre, Frisbee Throw and Horseshoes, once again, no medals for either one of us.
Ladder Golf was announced next and Bob took a medal. He didn’t know he had placed in the medal range and when the coordinators happened to mention it to me I asked them not to tell him. I had heard him say several times that this was the first year he didn’t earn a medal and I wanted him to be surprised. He was, when his name was called for the Bronze medal placement.
Mini Golf and Ping Pong medals were called and we didn’t hear our names for those events. I sure wasn’t surprised about that one!
Pokeno medal winners were called next and I heard my name being called. I had placed for Bronze.
I didn’t even get all the way to my seat and my name was called again. Oh yeah, medal # 3! This time for Women’s Pool. I would have had silver except when I shot the eight ball in the cue ball followed it. Stupid cue ball!
Putting and Shuffleboard didn’t have us standing on the Olympic podium. One, because we didn’t putt well and the other we didn’t even play.
So the Quinn’s took home four medals this year. One gold and three bronze. Not a bad year, not bad at all.
Special recognition was given to Jerry Weissinger by awarding him a gold medal for his tireless training for the Olympics each year when delivering our newspapers to our doorsteps every morning from where they lay when the newspaper delivery person throws them. Jerry has been the one to light and extinguish our Olympic flame since Quail Run started the Olympics.
When the flame had gone out Janet ended the ceremony with “We declare the 2011 Quail Run Senior Olympics closed.”
At this point everyone went home and Marv and Bob went to the Moose Club for Happy Hour.
Around 4p.m. they returned and Bob ran in the door yelling, “Get your camera.” Of course it is always close at hand and I didn’t even ask why, I just grabbed it and ran.
What I saw when I went outside took my breath away. Two perfectly formed rainbows. Rainbows that went from ground to ground if you know what I mean. Rainbows so big that I couldn’t get the whole thing in the viewfinder. So vibrant that none of us could believe the colors. And it lasted a long, long time.
We banged on doors and sides of rigs to get people out so they wouldn’t miss this.
And when we went out for dinner 15 minutes laters…..it was still there.
After a mediocre dinner at a local diner we came back to the park in time for karaoke night. Not many were in attendance and that was a real shame because we had a ball!
Hollywood Nights will never sound the same again.
Al Winters got up and sang a song to his wife although the title of that song escapes me as I type this. Al, not really a singer, did a pretty good job.
He even got a little “dance” in there too.
Three of us went up to be his “backup group”.
Just another fun day in Quail Run.
This has been one busy day!
Morning brought the Bean Bag Toss….
From the Bean Bag Toss we went to Mini Golf. This was the first time we played this year, that should tell you our medal count!
We went back to the 5th wheel to wait for Marv and we took him up with us while we were in the putting event. He just loved it! He met some fellow Michigander’s and as is usual here, everyone was so friendly towards him.
I told him that we wanted him to come over earlier the next day and conversation went like this.
Me: Marv, we need you to come over earlier tomorrow, somewhere between 11 and 11:30 as we are having a closing ceremony tomorrow and its going to be nice and we want you to be there.
Marv: (Somewhat puzzled expression) Ok, I’ll come earlier.
Marv: (Fifteen minutes later) Snookie, I don’t know em’.
Me: You don’t know who Marv?
Marv: The funeral we’re going to tomorrow, I don’t em’, should I really go?
Me: WHAT? WHAT funeral? We’re not going to a funeral.
Marv: You know, the closing ceremony we’re going to.
Oh. My. Gosh. This dear sweet man thought we were going to a funeral and we were going for the casket to be closed. I quickly explained the closing ceremony was the end of our Olympic week and the medals would be awarded and the Olympic flame would be put out.
After I explained that I had to walk away. I had a good laugh over that one.
We went to the Moose Club for dinner and had delicious shrimp. I had breaded, Marv had coconut shrimp and Bob had the tilapia fish. We each had a crab cake and it was the first time Marv had ever had one! I just found that so surprising. He didn’t like it. He no sooner got the words out and Bob and I were reaching for it. (It was served on a separate plate) We split it between the two of us. I don’t know where they got them from but they were pretty good. Granted, it wasn’t like we were on the Eastern Shore eating fresh crab but it was good all the same.
After dinner we came back to the park and went to the Carnaval Room for the dance going on. My friend Marvin is very smooth on his feet. He had a great time. He really seems to be having a good time with us.
The only event we had today was my Ping Pong game. I really should practice more than a two minute volley before the game counts. You can take that to mean there is not a medal with my name on it.
We were catching up on the news on TV when the phone rang. It was Jeannie, from the office. She was calling to let us know that Marvin arrived. Oh yes, he arrived all right, in his Caddy, not his truck with his 5th wheel attached to it! We were stunned! No, that’s too mild, we were FLABBERGASTED! She went on to tell me that he was in the office looking for a cabin or something to rent. She sent him to our site. Bob and I quickly assessed the situation and said that we would somehow have to make this work and have him stay with us. I don’t know about you but I need a little more time to prepare for a guest staying a week. Seven minutes just doesn’t cut it.
When he drove up we didn’t know what to say. Of course we found our voices and welcomed him. Bob then brought up the lack of 5th wheel and Marv said he should have picked up that he wasn’t in the truck when he said he was getting 22 miles to the gallon and the fact that he made it in three and a half days from Florida. This sweet 86 year old drove 800 miles the first day and repeated that the second day and then stopped just shy of Tucson the third day logging in 600 miles. We told him that he was welcome to stay with us but he wouldn’t hear of it. He was determined to stay in a hotel. I called the ones closest to us and they each wanted $55.00 a night and Marv wasn’t comfortable with that. Bob got online and went directly to the websites for the hotel and with discounts Marv was entitled to we got the Days Inn down to $35.00 a night which suited him better. Of course getting that price online was one thing, getting it at the counter proved to be altogether different.
After visiting for awhile we went with Marv to the hotel to get him checked in and I had to be somewhat persuasive to get the counter lady to accept the price we got online. She finally agreed and arrangements were made for Marv to stay six nights.
We went to Chris’ Diner for dinner and we got caught up on each other’s lives since we saw him last in September. Since Vi, his wife, is staying with their daughter for medical reasons, Marv was all alone in his house in Michigan. His daughter encouraged him to go to Florida as he has done for years rather than endure the cold Michigan winter. i don’t think it took much persuasion for him to pack his suitcase. This was something new for Marv, living out of a suitcase and living in hotel/motels. He doesn’t like it. He wishes now he had his 5th wheel. His own bed, his own bathroom, just the familiarity of his usual winter home. I can understand this.
We also found out the reason for this trip was twofold. It wasn’t only to visit with us, his sister is flying in from St. George, Utah on February 23rd. They will spend a few days with her friends and then drive back to St, George for a week or so then she will drive back to Michigan with him. I think its a good thing he likes to drive!
After our delicious dinner he dropped us off at our place and said he would be over in the early afternoon since we had some events to finish up in the morning.
Its so great to be with our friend Marvin again!
Since we don’t play Cribbage or Euchre we are free of any Olympic obligations today. Its kinda nice to have a break right in the middle.
Marvin called today he was far as Fort Stockton when he called and thought he could make it in all the way but Bob told him to slow down a bit and rest because he would be getting here in the dark and after the office closed.
Bob did ask him if he wanted the sun on the door side or on the back side so that we knew what site to ask for. There are two on our street that are empty and we would like to have him close by. Marv said it didn’t matter to him. (Remember this.)
The new season of Survivor started tonight and I was so looking forward to it. Makes me wonder now why I completely forgot it was on and went and did laundry instead. I heard it was so good too!
