12/31/07 Goodbye 2007!!!!

Today is an all work day for the Activities staff. We started our workday at ten this morning with a meeting to learn all that had to be done today in order to get ready for the New Year's Eve party tonight. We have lots to do!

Before we made our way to the Cantina to get started on food preparations we took the time to sing Happy Birthday to Pam, one of our own. Pam is on our Activities team and she and her husband Lee have become a couple that Bob and I really like to hang out with.

Assignments in hand we made our way to the party site. Tons of food had to be made. Shelly and I made twelve cheese balls.

Pam dipped pretzel rods in chocolate then dipped them in crushed candy canes, coconut or nuts.

Carol cutting vegetables for the veggie trays.

Bonnie, busy at work filling tortillas.

The other Bob from Delaware and Buddy sawing kabob skewers in half for the fruit kabobs.

Meanwhile, the guys were setting up tables and chairs and getting the Carnaval Room ready for this evening's event. Noisemakers and hats were distributed making the tables look festive.

Balloons and confetti were loaded into big plastic bags and and hung from the ceiling to be released at the stroke of midnight.

Throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon food was made. Finger sandwiches, Swedish meatballs, egg rolls, quiche and list just goes on and on. There was so much food!

By mid afternoon things were under control and our neighbor Darlene took me to Walmart's for a few last minute things and to get my nails done. It's hell without wheels but I have to say our neighbors have been very kind in offering to take us where we need to go or to even lend us their cars if we want/need them.

We relaxed during the late afternoon as we had to be back at "work" at seven thirty to set the food out and make any last minute dishes.

As soon as we reached the kitchen area we saw that things were in full swing. We pitched in with taking dishes and setting them out in the Carnaval Room.

Everyone was given the opportunity to have their pictures taken in front of two canvas backdrops that a few of the ladies here in the park painted with desert scenes. Below are samples. The first one is with our friends Lee and Pam and us in front of a desert mountain.
This one is a nighttime scene, just the two of us.

There was a large turnout for the party and they were ready to dance! Carol Powers, the DJ who played for us, had everyone on the dance floor at one time or another. She played a wide variety of music from the 40's on up. The fact that she had a lot of line dancers in the room didn't escape her and she didn't disappoint us.

She ended the evening with having everyone get on the floor and hold hands in a large circle. She and her husband joined us for the last song when we stood and sang along with Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA". Everyone thought it was a great way to usher in 2008.

This was one fun party.

So here it is time to say goodbye to 2007. The year that marks our first full year on the road. What a year its been. We've made some wonderful friends, seen some fantastic sights, learned a lot of new things, and got to see a good portion of the USA.

A good year and a truly awesome journey.