Something New, Something Disappointing, Something Great

Park Place RV  Park

On Friday, Feb. 10^th, I woke up feeling a bit rushed. It was on me, the only one in control of my time. 😊 I’d planned to be up ‘for sure’ by 7:15, thinking I would have plenty of time to be to the clubhouse at 8. It started out good, with a wash and fast walk with Gibbs and then a couple of mouthfuls of my yogourt. I next looked at the clock and it was 7:45 so I grabbed my water bottle and left. Bill was readying for the field since he got up and followed soon after.

Good morning
Remember the 'blue' dot?
How about a yellow one?

It’s a gorgeous sunny, clear sky day with once again, a slight breeze only. It was below 40F/4.4C so that felt a bit chilly. The high was forecast for 70F/21C so a pretty nice day coming our way. The winds were less, between 5 – 10 mph which wasn’t too bad. My eagerness to be at the clubhouse was a bit disguised, as I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at the exercise class I was attending. 😊 Yup, an exercise class. Me.

Wednesday evening, I used Rosy, my air fryer,
to roast some store bought pumpkin seeds that I spiced
What a yummy snack!

A regular rv’er’s daughter is here for February and has 3 different class-types on offer, Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Patti said the Friday class, which is mostly stretching/yoga-type moves (standing though), might help me with the trapezius muscle ache I’ve been experiencing so I thought I’d give it a try. Let’s get those kinks out!

It was a 45-minute class ending in a slow stretch out and I enjoyed it as much as any class of this type can be enjoyed by a non-exertive person. 😊 I feel loosened up and I feel that I’m doing something good for myself and plan to attend Monday’s class as well. I was pretty hot and sweaty when I walked home at 9. That is the ‘something new’ in my title.

this was a fun puzzle but I'm sad about the missing piece

I had some steel cut oatmeal and walked back with my tea to work on the puzzle. It was early and quiet, although Susan was working on the other table for part of the time. At 10:45, I pushed my chair in with the puzzle finished sooner than I expected. The ‘something disappointing’ in my title was that a piece is missing. ☹ I’m bummed, it’s such a pretty picture.

Gibbs and I walked around the block
and I noticed the 'strange' load we saw yesterday
was still in the lot but the cab was now hooked up

I will leave it out until tomorrow and take it home for my sisters to work on. The ladies should have theirs done too and maybe we can work on the next one together again. Bill and I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the Suite. I dusted and vacuumed and he attacked the bathroom. It looks much better and was long overdue. We had toasted buns with bacon for lunch and then we went outside together for the afternoon. I sat in the sun with my book, Green Lights is indeed much better now that the story has started. 😊

Do you see what I see?
Not only the sun behind late afternoon
clouds
The blue dot has returned
I have my own theory

The sun was gorgeous and I kept moving my chair to stay in it as long as possible while Bill busied himself cleaning some of the truck mirrors and windows and Gibbs sat either in my chair with me, in his bed or in the shade under my chair. That is the ‘something great’ I referred to. I’ve missed sun-sitting. ♥ We came in around 3:30 (I ran out of sun) and I made a tea before taking Gibbs for our walk around the block. We met Carol Ann and Kobus so Gibbs got his lovin’ from both of them.

The burgers were great but we're both glad
that this is the last of the small buns.
Yes, I had a bun tonight again.

For supper, grilled bacon cheeseburgers, I’ve yet to decide if I’m having another bun today. LOL it’s really hard getting back into the low carbs thing again. We finished the Jello for dessert and watched Fire Country after loading the dishwasher. This was a great day – except for the missing piece.

A picture from our first year, Feb. 10, 2017
Silent Valley RV Park, Banning, CA
a different 'little bum' on my lap here
I love our memories. 💗
good night!

Thank you for coming by! Your comments are important to us.

A Bit of Shopping, Some Disappointment That I Can Live With

Pilot Knob RV Resort, Winterhaven, CA

On Wednesday, Dec. 8^th, we knew we wanted to go into Yuma for a bit of shopping. It was looking like a lovely day when Gibbs and I went out at 7. 

There will be a sunrise soon

Waiting for it

And the sun popped over Pilot Knob Mountain

These are stores we love and the first time perusing around is always fun. I was doing Christmas cards today so needed international stamps so on the list first was the Post Office. Next because we wanted cash for a trip to Los Algodones, we stopped at CVS. They have the AllPoints ATM machines that don’t charge us for withdrawing cash from our RBC US account. Not all CVS have them, we don’t think, but many do.

It's a sign we look for when we need cash
unless we are in a store that also offers 'cash back'
there seems to be more and more of these

After doing that, we went to Fry’s grocery store for a bit of stock up. There were a few things on the list and we found everything. 😊 I’m going to give a new yogourt a try. I’ve never found anything with a higher fat content than 6% down here so am always disappointed in the taste. 

I'll try it when mine is gone 😏

I like the flavoured yogourts but prefer to bypass them because of the sugar content in them. This one isn’t clear how much fat but it looks like 12%? We’ll see what it tastes like. I’m almost out of my 11% from home so had to find something.

Our house sitter can get up on the backs of
the chairs now on his own 

We wanted to stop at the mall where Harbor Freight is, Bill had his eye on something in there. It’s a pretty good store for the guys and sometimes I like poking through it as well. They have great offers and often ‘free’ stuff. Who doesn’t like free? I didn’t go in today because right beside it was the .99¢ Store. That’s what it’s called and everything ends in .99¢ but many items are no more than that. That's where I went and I found some canned goods, Christmas cards and a couple of other food items.

A walk around the park shows those of you
who camp here just how empty it is right now
Lots of open sites but they could be reserved

Bill made one more stop at his Hobby store and then we headed home. At the office, he had a delivery already so that was good timing. 😊 I felt tired but believe it was just hunger since we’d both only eaten yogourt earlier and it was noon hour already. Gibbs looked after the house for us and did a great job. We agreed on sandwiches for lunch, so Bill had egg salad and I had a meat, cheese, lettuce wrap. It was very filling with my coffee.

We each took Gibbs out for walks through the course of the day and at one point I walked up to the puzzle room while my sweeties dozed inside. The pool has been covered both times I’ve looked and the puzzle room door was locked. ☹ I asked in the office about both to discover that they will uncover the pool if a guest wants to use it. (?) Something about keeping the dust out. Strange but ok.

Our little Charlie Chaplin imitator ♥

Secondly, the puzzle room is ‘under repair’, since the roof was leaking but all the puzzles are in there so when he suggested that other campers use a table in the clubhouse, it didn’t much make sense. Did I bring a puzzle with me? Crap! A disappointment settled over me and I’m thinking that some of the reasons why I love coming here are just going down the tube. No mention of how long the room will take but the manager didn’t seem too concerned.  

Lots of cards for the mail
Decorating will be next

I walked back deflated, but at least I’ll have the pool so he better get used to uncovering it and covering it back up just for me! 😊 Back home, I finished writing Christmas cards and we agreed that we have addressed all that we’d planned on sending. That’s a good job done. For supper, it was a ‘bagged meal’. We’d bought a roasted chicken at Fry’s and I opened a bag of Bacon Caesar salad to go along with it. Nice and easy and leftovers.

Savoury roasted chicken
I reheated it in the microwave, in the open bag
for 3 minutes = perfect

I threw this salad together 😂
Open the bags and mix

Bill isn’t keen on the chickens (chicken in general) so I appreciated that he agreed on it to help me out with supper. Happy wife, happy life, right? 

I enjoyed the meal plus
the simplicity of it

After Bill did dishes, I fed Gibbs and took him for a short jaunt while I snapped photos of the pretty sky over the fence. This was a nice day and we are happy to be settled here for the time being. We planned our day tomorrow as we watched a couple of our television programs. It was a quiet evening together. 💖

A gorgeous sky out there tonight!

But try as I might, I couldn't capture the sliver of
the waxing moon with Venus
It was so clear in reality.
Good night y'all!

Thank you for popping by!

Laundry Day, In and Out, Mobile Wash, New Friends, Swimming and Blog

Bill and I were up within 15 minutes of each other on Tuesday, Feb. 6^th. I was dressed and, on my way, out the door when he was crawling out of bed. The sun was just beginning its ascent over the distant mountain ranges. I toured the lanes again, hoping to get a mile in at least and ended up at the clubhouse laundry to check availability.

All 6 are available

When I returned I suggested we get up there right away as the washers would all be empty. Things were already in the truck so Bill drove me up and helped load the washers before coming back home. I always take my book and was able to sit inside waiting for it to complete its cycle. After moving things to the dryers, I went outside to the patio chairs in the sun.

It became very busy after that and I was so glad we hustled when we did. Bill returned 10 minutes before things were finished and helped me fold. It is nice to have that job done and all put away before 9:30. Now we can relax and hope for the best as far as our RV wash. Beto’s crew is expected around 11 am. We each had a bowl of cereal and then took our books and my laptop outside. We picked things up off the floor, again, and this involved moving our dining chairs outside, the coffee table to the kitchen area and shoes and slippers put away.

What a gorgeous day! We tried not to pay attention to the time but soon enough I saw Bill checking his watch and it was close to 11:30. We are patient people and we’ve listened to all the jokes about ‘Mexican time’ so figured what can we do but wait? We’d decided that we weren’t going to call them again. We read our books and waited until just after 1. Because of the heat outdoors, Bill had the a/c running indoors and all windows closed. Considerate, thinking of them working on the carpets.

By this time, I was getting frustrated and Bill said to go change and walk up to the pool. We agreed that if they didn’t show by 3 pm, he would lock the Suite up and join me. Up at the pool, it was quiet which surprises me on such a hot day. As usual, it was beautiful and refreshing and I did my noodle floating thing as more and more people arrived.

I like how the sun reflects on these units

At 2:35 I looked up from my reclining position and saw my sweetie setting his stuff on the lounge chair beside me. Enough is enough, he said. He wasn’t waiting any longer, Beto’s just lost $80 and we gained $80. Mind you, our Suite is still dirty and our carpets did not get cleaned. We’ll get it done down the road. We met another couple at the pool, Rick and Jackie and exchanged ‘business’ cards. They are from Vancouver, Washington.

This is an interesting camper

I was happy to see that Kevin and Barb arrived at the pool while Bill was there too. Bill wanted to meet them. I didn’t get to talk to them too much but Bill and Kevin chatted for a while over at the hot tub. I made sure before I left to ask for their last name. I wanted to find them on Facebook as a way of keeping in touch with them. They don’t have cards to share.

the Shuffle Board court is large
and you would be very comfy on the sidelines too

Back at the Suite, we saw no signs of Beto’s ever having been here and they do have our phone # anyway. We have neighbours beside us again. Bill and Judy from Vancouver, Washington. Too funny. We talked to ‘neighbour’ Bill for a while before lighting the barbecue for supper. It was Burger night and I haven’t allowed myself to have a burger on a bun for quite a while. Tonight is the night, I’m hungry for it.

Here we are, enjoying the pool and the weather
on Feb. 6th

Bill had a double bacon, cheeseburger and mine was a single but we loaded them up with lettuce, pickles, tomato, onion, mustard and mayo. Every bite was delicious. Guess what tonight is? TUESDAY! And our regular shows are all on and starting at 6 pm MT. We are looking forward to an enjoyable television evening together.

Now that is a homemade Ultimate burger
yes, there is  1/4 pounder in there

With dishes cleaned up, I downloaded the few pictures I took today and posted my blog. It has been a good day with us tossing today’s Jello out, ready for a new batch. I hope you’ve enjoyed yours!

Thank you for stopping by. By the way, if you are at all interested, my 5 sisters and I share a Wordpress blog called Sunflower Girls. You can read my latest ‘once in a blue moon’ post here.

Seesaw on the House Selling Wheel

So, just to bring you up to date on how our house is showing I thought I'd write a short post.

Sign went up Thursday, Jan. 21

 From my last post, we signed Wednesday, had photos taken on Thursday and listed our house on Friday. On Saturday, Jan. 23 it was available to be viewed by everyone on the Multiple Listing Service, commonly known here as mls. Here it is if your are interested in taking a peek into our 'current' sticks and bricks. 


https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/16517262/76-METCALFE-Crescent-LONDON-Ontario-N6E1H9

Friday night we got a call for 2 showings on Monday. Saturday night we got a call for a showing on Sunday. Monday, I nipped home from work to pick the dog up, straighten a few things and brought him back to work with me for 2 and a half hours.

Monday night we had an offer come in that sounded really nice and they let us pick the closing date. We accepted and left it with our agent to send back by 6 pm on Tuesday. Our closing date of choice was Apr. 25th. We were both so tickled that an offer came so quickly. 

Bill couldn't sleep, I got 7 hours.

Tuesday morning we got a call from our agent before she sent our acceptance in advising us that the 'prospective buyers' had changed their mind. They found a house next door and were doing a private deal. You want to say "now I've heard everything!" but we probably haven't. Talk about a let down after the previous night's premature high.

Tuesday we had 4 more showings so after lunch Clemson got another trip to our place of employment. We're glad he is so small and not a barker as he snuggles up in his bed in the backseat of the car, we bring the car into the truck bay and everyone is happy. After 2 showings and a no show we had an unexpected knock on the door from an agent to bring a young couple through with their parents. What?? Obviously a total kerfluffle in communication but they were pleasant and apologetic so we scooted out. We do, after all, want to sell our house! 

Clemson appears not bothered by all the fuss!

Wednesday was another busy day starting at 8 am so we pretended it was Take Your Kid to Work Day and packed Clem up for the whole enchilada of 8 hours. Don't worry, he gets treats, water and jaunts out for piddles and leg stretches. He even got to spend the lunch period with me!

Our agent called with another offer coming in, this one from the young couple we met the previous night. The deal looked good. The price was too low but the closing date being another end of April date inspired us to counter offer closer to our asking price. Sensing that it would spark a seesaw effect between us, we were still encouraged that they seemed really interested in the house. By 9 pm we had an acceptance ready for signing. Of course this all with conditions of house inspection and financing. We couldn't help but get excited, again, even though we try to reign it in. The 5th of February is when things will close if all goes well!

Bill had a lousy night's sleep, I got 7 hours.

Thursday, because of our signed offer we didn't expect any more showings but because of our previous 'wake up call' when a request came in for an evening showing, we said yes. May as well have someone on the back burner if they are interested enough to come through in these circumstances. It just might mean a trip out to a fast food joint for supper tonight since it is over the supper hour.

It has certainly been a busy week. Basically, we just shrug our shoulders, pleased with how busy it is, meaning we've priced it right. 

I usually like to include pictures related to my post but I don't really have any today. Well, wait a minute! I can end with these from my half hour lunch break with the pooch.

Dog nap

`Thanks Mom for bringing me to work today

We trust your fingers and toes are crossed for us? 

In the midst of all of this, the weather was perfect, the roads were dry and our rv dealer, CanAm was not busy so we took the Mobile Suite in for some work now instead of waiting until April The solar panels for one are being installed, the dishwasher pump and a few minor warranty fixes. 

One of the few remaining times we will see this happen

Thanks for reading, comments are always welcome!

Walking - Day Five

Another few days and another discovery or two.

Now I said that I have a couple of options each day, which way to walk. There is no snow on the sidewalk now..........yet, so depending on my mood I will make a choice. Again on the flat route, I pass a couple of bus stops. I've never had need to take a city bus but once in my life and that was many moons ago bb (before Bill) in the dead of winter in -32C (not kidding!) temps. Don't care to do it again but I would if I had to.

It wasn't long into my new treks that I started to notice a pizza box, Tim Hortons' cups, water bottles at this one particular stop. I shouldn't worry about increasing garbage around a stop that probably has the same patrons day in and day out. If they don't care what they are walking in, why do I?

But I do. It is all I can do to NOT bring a garbage bag with me and clean up the area. Except I'd need to bring a rake along as well. Come on people!!! Today I took a picture, I'm so disgusted that it just keeps piling up, worse every day. Now food is added to the pile, gum and cigarette packets.

The stop is in front of a small strip mall with a Service Ontario depot, hair salon, aquarium store and restaurant among the businesses. Granted it isn't 'their' mess or concern but wouldn't you think a city this large OR a business owner in this space would feel inclined to help clean up the area?

At least  chaining a garbage can to this sign would seem like a good start, don't you think? How difficult would it be to replace a garbage bag on occasion?

Now I'm ranting, but all this whining/discussing/meeting about what we can do to improve bus service, city streets etc. etc. for the 'poor' riders this sure doesn't make me think we/they deserve it. This is a main thoroughfare, a 4 lane street that runs directly through the city from the east to the west, the street our hospital is on with close access to the 401 series highways. So, yes visitors come through here all the time. I'm so proud.....NOT!

The picture hardly does my rant justice but it is really gross.

Just a side note, many of these people ride the bus by choice not necessarily need but the garbage buildup isn't because they are of any particular class. (Actually they have NO class in my opinion) The ones tossing garbage can afford to eat pizza and Tim Hortons but obviously have no pride in their city.

I have a solution to this but it means that the multi-millionaire dollar conglomerate would need to take on an extra task. Since 85% of the garbage is Timmys' cast offs, how about they start to offer a .25 refund off your next cup IF you return the cup? Everybody loves a savings and perhaps there wouldn't be so many left on the streetside. Someone would gratefully gather them up and return them, not for reuse but for the environment, T.H. can recycle the cardboard, and another cuppa is sold!

I found this little tidbit article just before hitting publish:

Tim Hortons Locations Ditch     Porcelain Mugs In Favour Of Disposable Cups.

                                  Its Cups are The Most Recognizable Litter in Canada

Odds are,  if you look into a garbage can anywhere in Canada, you’ll see at least one Tim Hortons cup. 

I guess that would be better than under our feet?? Or not!

Thanks for listening and reading. Maybe when I'm retired I'll go clean up this area. LOL