(Arizona City, AZ)
Bob is still busy going through every compartment in the truck and every single box and bag in the basement looking for things we no longer need and can be put out for the Quail Run yard sale we’ll have next month.
I took the afternoon to have lunch and go window shopping with my friend Bonnie.
We went into the Old Town part of Casa Grande to the Cook E Jar Bakery & Café. I have passed this place dozens of times over the past few years but had never been inside. I had often heard they had very good food and that it was reasonably priced. Bonnie had heard the same thing and suggested we try it.
So today was the day we each had our first meal from this bakery and restaurant combination.
We got there just after noon and the main dining room was full so we sat in the front part of the café, in fact at the table you see on the left in the picture below.
Bonnie ordered a salad that was big enough to feed three people and I had a delicious BLT. I wanted the albacore tuna sandwich but it was made with salad dressing and not mayo which is a no-no in my book.
It seemed strange to be eating in a restaurant called Cook E Jar because back in the 70’s one of Philly’s most popular bands was called Cook E Jarr and the Crumbs. Today, that Cook E Jarr is a well known lounge lizard in Vegas. I’ve seen Jarr many times in Delaware and Wildwood, NJ bars. It brought back many good memories.
After our most satisfying lunch Bonnie and I walked up and down the main boulevard checking out all the shops. They are all second hand and antique shops but you can find the most amazing things if you look hard enough. Neither one of us bought anything but it was fun browsing.
Next was errand running for Bonnie. It seemed no matter what we were doing we shared laughs and had good woman to woman talk. Bonnie is one woman I am so glad to call friend.
Bob has gathered lots of stuff for us to try to sell at the yard sale. Let’s hope it all goes.
Tomorrow….the new mattress comes!
(Arizona City, AZ)
I meant to tell you yesterday what else I learned about the Mattress Discounters that I mentioned last week. Yes, they do take the leftover models from stores all around the country but they also sell refurbished (sprayed with Lysol?) mattresses and some of these stores aren’t so forthcoming with that information. For instance, there is a sixty day period in which one has to decide if the mattress is everything they hoped it would be. At least that’s the way it is for Sleep America. If someone who buys a mattress from them says, “No, this mattress isn’t working for me/us” then they get to trade it in for a different model. The one they had for 60 days then gets sold to a mattress discounter and re-sold. Are you told its used? In some stores yes, in others, maybe not, so that is something definitely to ask about.
Today I started looking for and calling upholstery businesses that we could get this piece of dense foam from and having it covered. I found a place in Tucson that said he had exactly what we needed and could certainly cut it to whatever size we needed for the sum of $75.00. He assured me he had sturdy fabric to cover it in which would add another $75.00 to the total. To be honest $150 was more than what I anticipated paying.
I decided that we have so many talented sewing ladies in this park that I would ask around and see if someone would help me make a cover. Shirley, the first one I asked said that she would be glad to help me and even suggested using Velcro as the closure so that the material could easily be removed and cleaned. A good idea I think.
It’s all falling into place after all.
Our cold spell is a thing of the past now and our days are starting to warm up. We’re in the 70’s now and people are spending afternoons around the pool again.
Life is good!
(Arizona City, AZ)
Mattress shopping has been going in between Cancer Dance prep, the Talent Show and just general life living. A store here, a store there, and a decision has finally been made. I thought more shopping was going to take place, possibly in Phoenix or Tucson because the pickings were so slim in Casa Grande. That wasn’t the case.
I had to go into town this morning to pick up a few things (beer and Pepsi’s) and stopped by Sleep America to place the order for what was decided on. I can’t take the pain anymore and Bob can’t take the moaning and groaning another night.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Serta mattress was marked down considerably, even more so than President Day Sale prices. It seems as though the new mattress year starts in the spring. This is the month the new colors for mattress coverings are debuted. This years colors are black and white and gray and white. Who knew? Even more….who cares? So the blue and white mattress, which is now soooo last season, was marked down from just a few dollars under twelve hundred to $874. This made The Queen of Cheap very happy! Of course the box spring isn’t needed so that was deducted and trust me, that isn’t whole lot. The bedframe wasn’t needed either because we have a platform built in so that was also deducted. Then the saleslady deducted even more because you guessed it, I asked if there was a military discount and there was! So the Serta king sized plush mattress is going to be $674.00 and a final cost after delivery charge and that darn sales tax (which we are still NOT used to) of $789.00. The delivery and tax totaled a hundred and sixteen bucks! They can deliver it tomorrow!
I feel good that our RV manufacturer is going to be paying more than half of it.
So I’m sitting there while Chris, the saleslady, is writing it up and I’m just half listening as she said all the specifics out loud as she was typing. Our name, billing address, delivery address, Serta Perfect Sleeper, Burnley Falls (the model) king size, 76 x 80, yada, yada, yada,. WAIT! 76 x 80? 76 x 80?????? Oh this can’t be. I told her stop, that I had to call home. Bob answered and I blurted out, “Go measure the platform between the wall and the built in nightstand, call me back as soon as you have it.” He did. The news wasn’t what I wanted. The available space was 74 inches. RV king sized mattresses are only 74 inches wide, not the standard 76. What are we going to do now?
I asked when the next delivery date would be and she said Friday. Ok, Friday is good, change it to then. We needed time to make some phone calls and decide what we were going to do.
Stayed tuned for the rest of the story.
(Arizona City, AZ)
Once again the residents of Quail Run gave their all to entertain the residents here in our park. Oh, what a show they put on. It truly astounds me that we have such an abundance of talent in such a small community.
Keith Paddick was our emcee for the evening. In between acts he threw some very good one liners out and told some stories that brought lots of laughs.
Lawrence is our resident DJ usually but tonight he did the singing.
Jackie played the accordion for us and I have to say, I am in awe of anyone who can play this instrument and even more so when they play it as well as Jackie does. I just can’t imagine playing the keys, the buttons and moving it at all the same time.
This is my friend Diane. She told us a story about Phoenix traffic. Yes, you read that right, Phoenix traffic. Her timing was perfect, each pause perfect and emphasis spot on. She had us rolling!
There were several other acts in between these. Banjo players, singers, duets, piano players, all very good.
The last act of the night was Four Friends. These guitar players and singers are part of what is known as the Quail Run Band but for this performance they were Four Friends. As usual, they were excellent!
Once again, another great night being entertained by our own friends.
(Arizona City, AZ)
We had a nice day today, still not “Arizona warm” but at least it was sunny.
This evening is the Cancer Survivor Dance here in the park. We weren’t able to attend because if you can’t dance and its hard metal chairs to sit on with an out of whack back, then really, what’s the point?
But still, I had to go up and take pictures of the set up with the luminaries around the pool.
The setting up of the boards that the luminaries will sit on. They used to sit right on the ground but they were then too low to be really looked at it.
Filling the bags with sand and placing candles inside.
Anyone who wanted to decorate a luminary in honor of someone they lost to cancer or to celebrate a survivor was able to so.
Lining them up around the pool.
Some of them were just beautiful, others funny, others sad, lots with names of people who still enjoy their days in our park.
All done, just waiting for dusk to be lit.
A half dozen of us met back here at 6:15 with grill lighters in hand to get all 103 luminaries lit.
We were all holding our breath in hopes that Janet C. wouldn’t lose her balance or take a step back.
All done.
There is no charge to attend the dance but the hat is passed, the luminaries are $5.00 a piece and the quilting ladies made a quilt to be raffled off. All totaled, $2,000.00 was raised. After expenses a very nice sum of money was given to the Helping Hands group in our park, Helping Hands are the ladies that make the chemo caps, little teddy bears for children who are cancer patients, padded covers for seat belts to protect “ports” and several other items.
I think this is the most looked forward to dance all year. For some reason it seems to be the most fun of all of them. I think its because we get to celebrate with so many survivors.
(Arizona City, AZ)
It’s been COLD here in the desert! People aren’t out and about, everyone seems to be hangin’ around at home. We’re running the fireplace 24/7 it seems. Spring cannot arrive soon enough for us! We aren’t alone though, it seems like people all over the country are smacked with strange weather.
Friday dawned bright and a little warmer than what it has been. It is still light jacket or sweatshirt weather but that’s ok…..it’s warmer. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make out with my back still bothering me somewhat but it turned out fine because Shirley K. had a ball retriever on the end of her golf club. No bending,
Today is our first day that we get to play in the Friday morning mini golf sessions. The sessions last for three weeks. As I told you all before our mini golf court has been re-carpeted.
What a difference it makes!
Mini golf is done differently this year than it has been done in the past. In years past, for the most part, it was straight, standard, mini golf with a few “different games” thrown in. For instance, we might use ping pong balls instead of golf balls. This year, a new couple are leading the mini golf and every game is different. I understand we missed the game where everyone had to putt sitting down. I hear that one was tons of laughs.
This week, after we all made our first putt, the one who was furthest away went next and it went on that way all through the game. It certainly kept us on our toes as to who was going next.
Bob waiting for his turn.
As I said earlier, the new carpeting made a world of difference. On nine wholes I scored a never before obtained ,,,,drum roll please,,,,,,,,28! I truly expect it to be a one time thing. Bob also had a good day, not as good as mine….but a good day.
This afternoon it warmed up nicely but we hear it isn’t going to last.
(Arizona City, AZ)
Brrrrrr,,,,a cold front came through the desert last night and it looks like its going to hang around for the next week or so.
I went into town today to start shopping for a new mattress. I want to see what’s out there and what the choices will be. It’s been quite awhile since a new mattress has been on the shopping list and I got a bit of sticker shock! There are three mattress stores in Casa Grande, American Sleeper, a store I had not heard of before but it carried brand names that are household words. There is also Ashley Furniture and a mattress liquidator outlet. At first I was a little put off the idea of liquidator thinking it would be no name mattresses made out of horsehair but I was surprised to find Serta, Beauty Rest, Sterns & Foster and a few other brand names I knew. Curious, I just had to ask how this whole liquidation thing works and why these brand name mattresses were in liquidation to begin with. Well, it turns out, its nothing more than the “line” name changing or the fabric covering changing. Serta might have 47 sets of a certain line left in stores all over the country and will pick them up when they deliver the “new” line (different fabric) and sell them to liquidators to get rid of them. They are brand new, still in the plastic wrap, still covered under warranty just not the current line that the manufacturer is selling. The prices were in line with the other stores but they are willing to deal. Something this Queen of Cheap will keep in mind when the time comes.
Of course they were all touting their President Day Sales but when isn’t there a mattress sale?
I wrote to DRV, our RV manufacturer, about how this mattress has failed so miserably in a short amount of time once before. I got an answer of, “Yeah, you’ll have to go buy a new one, most people do.” Today I got thinking about that answer and it just didn’t sit well with me. So I wrote another email. Now here’s the funny part. The very first guy I ever dealt with is named Greg who gave me the answer above. A month ago I wrote to him and he passed my email on to the appropriate person, another man with the same first name. When I addressed my email today I picked the second Greg when I thought I was clicking on the first Greg’s address in my email list. With me here? So I get this answer from Greg # 2 saying this is the first he’s heard about our failing mattress and to give him more details. Hmmmm…..maybe there is hope after all. So I sent off an email with my concerns and he wrote back right away to send pictures. Pictures? How will I show a sagging mattress? It’s a wonder what you can do with a broom stick, a four foot level and a camera. I took the pictures which clearly showed the sagginess and wrote explanations of each one. The next morning I had an answer. They are writing us a check. Now Greg made the “mistake” of asking if the offer was acceptable. Uh. No. I’m going to plead my case for more money. I figure all he can say is no. In that case, I’ll take what he offered and smile rather than laugh all the way to the bank.
After a stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things I hightailed it back home to settle in for an evening of TV and Words With Friends on the computer.
