Week of February 01 thru February 07, 2011

Tuesday February 01, 2011

Leslie called early this morning to say the blizzard has began at home. District 150 cancelled all classes today so she has a free day. Jerry Twedell also called this morning and told us the dire weather forecast for home. I just pray no one looses power as the temperatures are also going to drop tonight. Here, the day was a little cooler but still a beautiful day. Late this afternoon the winds started picking up and that made the temperature feel cooler.

We went over to Walmart this morning to pick up a few things. From there we stopped at Del Taco and had lunch. It just kills me that this taco joint plays all 50's music. It just doesn't seem fitting.

While we were out, I picked up a beautiful orchid and took it and a card over to Paul and Lora to thank them for the wonderful oranges they have been supplying us since we arrived. They were both napping but I guess I woke Paul and left the flower and card with him. Later Lora came over to thank me for the flower and I walked back over to their place with her and as I was standing in their dining room, I saw Tucker out on our patio. I could not believe he was out again so I told Lora I needed to come back and put him back in the house. A little later I went outside and there Tucker was AGAIN on the patio! Am I going crazy?? HOW is he getting out. Larry said he was getting out through a little slide up by the door knob. I thought he was pretty smart to figure out how to slide it open and then to get his body through and drop probably four feet to the patio. I told Larry when I caught him doing that, I was going to take a video and put it on You Tube. Later we found him out again and when I looked at the screen, sure enough, the little slide was open so I know that has to be how he is escaping! ONE SMART CAT I'm thinking! So now we are going to have to figure out how to nip that in the Bud!

We have been watching the blizzard on TV and thinking how lucky we are to be here but worry about our friends and family a lot! Cathy Henkins posted pictures of the snow accumulation at her place down at Lake of the Ozark! Unbelievable as she said they probably already had 15 inches of snow by early this afternoon. Chicago is predicting over 2 foot and Peoria somewhere between 18 and 20 inches. It's even worse because they are having high winds along with the snow.

Wednesday February 02, 2011

Debby called and said the roads are almost impassable. They had to go to Molly and Katie's to help shovel their drive as Katie had to go to work at the hospital this morning. While they were out, they went by our house and dug out the outside vent for the furnace, We were so happy they thought of that because when we had snow in November or December the snow plugged the outside pipe and the furnace quite running. Debby said the roads are horrible and the police are riding the snowplows as they can't get anywhere in their vehicles. What a mess it must be. Taylor sent many pictures of the snow at her house so sounds like the entire Midwest is snowed in. I'm glad we are here but feel so bad for everyone at home!

After we talked to several people, we went to get lunch at Applebee's. had a hamburger and will have to say it was one of the best I have had for a long while. I rarely order hamburgers there. After we ate, we went to Beall's outlet which was just up on Main street. When we got there, the store was closed as they had a bad water leak. We left our water hooked up last night but surprised we did not have a frozen hose as it got down in the 20's last night.

It was pretty cool here today and the wind was horrible all day. We drove down to Tempe to find the Lite Rail Station. We checked around there to try to find more information about how the bus that leaves from Superstition Mall connects with the Lite Rail. We could not find any information so went to the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. They gave us a lot of information and a book with schedules and which buses run from here to the Lite Rail. I am wanting to figure out how to catch the bus here by the RV Resort to the Lite Rail so I can ride it to Char's in downtown Phoenix. It's such a long drive if Larry takes me and I hate to take the car and him be here the whole time I'm gone without transportation. Anyway I think I know how to connect now so plan to give it a try soon.

We came back to Staples and made some copies of a pattern Larry has for his carving. Came home and was freezing to death. I sure would not want to be living in this motor home in Illinois right now, The furnace runs and 5 minutes later it is getting cold in here again. Not much insulation I don't think!!

So this was our excitement for today. Larry did fill our water tank and then unhooked the water hose as I think it is to be colder yet tonight. The forecast is from 17 to 25 degrees tonight so good chance we could have frozen water.

Thursday February 03, 2011

Went to my painting class this morning but am not feeling well. I assume now I truly have a cold. I have had so much congestion in my head since we got here and according to the doctor at home, I have a sinus infection. I need to go to a doctor here to find out WHAT I really do have as it does not seem to get better. We painted a Tuscan Scene today and it went fine until the end when I just didn't feel like finishing. It seems after a whole day of painting just wipes me out and especially today when I'm not feeling the best anyway. I came home, we went to Native New Yorker for the famous wings. Jerry and Jan called before we went into restraruant for dinner. Jerry was teasing us about sending out wool blankets. Today they would probably have felt good as the wind was just bitter! I chugged down three MGD's, 10 wings and came home and went to bed.

Friday February 04, 2011

I couldn't get myself going today. Still feel bad and just have an exhausted feeling. I either have a cold or a much more severe sinus infection. All I do is cough and blow my nose. Char is coming after work and we are going to eat and then she wants me to go home with her. Larry and I ran a quick errand over to Walmart for me to pick up some of my OTC meds. Came home and I laid down for an hour before Char came. We ended up eating at a Mexican restaurant named MiAmigo's. The food was fine but I just didn't feel much like eating. I did, however, force down a Margarita! Before we left the restaurant to come back home, I told Char I just didn't feel up to going to her place tonight. We came back from eating and Char stayed for coffee and we talked for an hour or so and she left. I immediately went to bed as my head feels like it's huge.

Saturday February 05, 2011

I slept until after 9:30 this morning. I was shocked as I NEVER sleep until 9:30 even when I have been out half the night--which I might add has been a LONG WHILE. It took me a long time to decide to get a shower and get dressed. We thought about going to Casa Grande to the 'Gourd Festival'. I have actually been thinking about going to a Gourd class that is taught over at our 'sister' RV Resort. They teach carving and painting on Gourds. Gourds are becoming kinda a big item lately. At home, my old Lamaze teacher(I DID SAY OLD) Bonnie Cox is really into doing many decorative things with Gourds. She is the state head of--- whatever they call it --Gourd Society of Illinois?? Larry carves here at Silveridge with a lady that does gourds as well. Since I couldn't get moving and Casa Grande is probably 40 miles, we opted to forget that idea for today. Larry suggested we go over to some Antique Shops in Phoenix. We found one of the shops and it was a joke so we tried to find some of the others but by the time we drove up and down the streets of Phoenix we were quite a distance away from the others and I was feeling worn out so we came home. Received a picture from Taylor regarding Addison's 'potty progress'. Let me just say that she successfully did her dirty job in the pot!@! Later I talked to Taylor and she said she wasn't sure if it was meant to happen or if it was just an accident. I have been promising Addy I'd send her money to pick out a new baby (doll) when she did the job in the potty.NOTHING is more exciting to Addison than ANOTHER new doll! Addy was very excited today that she did the job in the potty and had to get on the phone to tell me. I told Taylor I was going to wait for the next occurrence before I put the money in the mail! Yes, I am a rotten grandma but I don't want to make it toooo--- easy for her. She has been doing a great job on the wet business. She started preschool on Monday's and Friday's and Taylor has warned her that if she wets or has a dirty job in her pants at school, they will send her home. So far that has worked but she waits till she gets home for the dirty job. This is EXACTLY what her mother did when I was trying to potty train her. I really believe it was almost a year after she started wearing training pants before she did the dirty one on the pot! NOTHING I promised or came up with for a punishment made a difference with her!

Sunday February 06, 2011

We moved pretty slow again this morning. Around 1:00 we went to Olive Garden for lunch. We had kicked around going over to the Native New Yorker to watch the super bowl but frankly, I just wasn't into it. I could have sat there and drank beer all evening but probably would not have helped my illness --whatever it might be! Char had asked us to come over and go to one of the sports bars in Phoenix to watch the Superbowl but again I just wasn't feeling like a party so much. I feel bad as she has wanted to get together several times and I just can't get the energy to do it.

Monday February 07, 2011

Larry called the propane company this morning for a refill on our tank and they told us it would probably be Wednesday before they could get here. They said their driver was here in the resort today but didn't think they could contact him. The reading on the tank says we only have 1/4 tank of propane but it seems to never be right. They called back and said the driver would be here today. I was waiting to leave to see a doctor today and it was already noon. Larry told me to go ahead and he would wait for the propane delivery. I went to the East Valley Urgent Care over on Gilbert Avenue, which was about 8 miles down RT 60. It was a really great place and I loved the doctor. He checked me out and said I had a severe sinus infection. OH DUH! I told him I had been suffering with this since Thanksgiving, that I had seen my doctor at home and took almost an entire prescription of Amoxicillan (had to quite taking as it was causing SEVERE diahrah). He said I must be pretty tough to have suffer with this for so long. He gave me what he termed as 'kick ass' drugs and told me if I was not feeling better in 3 days to come back for something stronger. It was kinda a different set up as they gave me all my drugs there at the clinic(Cipro, Prednisone, narcotic cough syrup) for $30. Then he gave me a prescription for a nasal inhaler. I told him my doctor at home just gave me a prescription for it, which I am using so he told me to just fill it when I need it. I told them I had a drug plan and they offered to write a prescription for each but I figured with my deductibles it would cost at least $30, so I went ahead and took meds from the clinic. I have never had a clinic fill my prescriptions but at $10 apiece, it's probably pretty cheap, especially for those without a drug plan. The office visit they turned into my insurance.

I left the clinic to come home and is typical here, I have to drive 5 mph behind a SENIOR SNOWBIRD!@!@ I am a Senior but my gosh, my car goes much faster than 5 mph!! I think 80% of the accidents around here are because of the poke asses that have the rest of their lives to get to the frickin' grocery store or WHATEVER or WHEREVER they are going. It's their one big trip for the day so why not make it last all day HUH??? I hope I am NEVER that old -- which I will be -- but I hope either I quit driving or move it out so I'm not holding a 3 mile long line of traffic up. It really burns me because they make a right turn from the left hand lane, put their flicker on 2 miles before they are going to turn and then stop dead still in the middle of the road when they begin to turn into a street. The sirens are constant around here--SURPRISE! The other extreme --- the 'locals' who hate the snowbirds and ride their bumper or speed around them and cut them off, etc. It's just too bad that everyone is not a safe, courteous driver such as I --NOT!

When I got home, the propane guy had filled the tank. It only took 13 gal and it is a 20 gal tank. Regardless, it cost over $40. We just had it filled about 10 days ago and that bill was $34, I believe. Think how much we would be paying to heat this 'castle' if we were somewhere COLD! WOW --guess you can't take it with you!

Leslie called shortly after I got home from doctor. She wanted to know if I have a sewing machine as she is going to take a sewing class at ICC. She is loosing her mind since she graduated as she has no more Bradley classes and no more homework. The class she is teaching this year doesn't even require much prep time. Pete works so much that she is now finding she has a lot of time on her hands. I'm glad she is going to take the sewing class as she will be good at it. She loves to create things and is very good at it. She also needs to learn to hem her pants as every pair she buys are too long. While we were talking she said Pete still owes her a trip to Vegas that he promised her for graduation. She wanted to know if Larry and I would meet them there. Larry and I decided we would drive the motor home up for a week if they decide to come out. Otherwise, we have nothing to do with the 'animals' that we sooooo- adore! Well--ADORE--is a pretty strong word but regardless, they cannot be left for a week here alone. The temperature is to unpredictable to leave them here as it's either hot or cold in the motor home. Anyway, we are thinking Tucker is going to need Prozac soon!! He drives us crazy with his meowing. He wants out and I put him out on the leash, then he wants in and 5 minutes later, he wants out again! He is as frustrated as we are most of the time. His problem is, he wants out WITHOUT the aid of the leash! Anyway, we will see if Leslie and Pete decide to fly out to Vegas.

We went to get lunch and pick up groceries. I got a MUCH NEEDED haircut. I had not had a haircut since a week before we left for Arizona. Man it was really getting long! I normally get a haircut at home about every 3 weeks. The gal that cut my hair did a really nice job. I go to this walk-in joint next to Fry's where we grocery shop. It is something like Super Cuts or whatever the name and it cost me $10 for a cut. I pay $24 plus tip at home so I figure the odds are 50-50 whether I can deal with the cut as I always get a different gal each time. Last year just before we left to come home I walked into a Super Cuts over in Chandler and got a real BUZZ job! It was so bad and cut so short, it took almost 6 weeks for it to grow out to the point that Jennifer, my hairdresser at home, could get it back halfway to normal. My bangs were about 1/4 inch long when I walked out of that place. Soooo- you win a few and LOOSE a few I guess--WHAT do you expect for $10. RIGHT???

Well enough of my exciting life for this week. I will post my blog tomorrow so my near and DEAR Friend, Cathy, can be entertained for a few minutes reading it. She gets really 'antsy' when I go too long in between postings!!! She CANNOT have as boring a life as mine!

Once again, I have no idea WHY the spacing of my blog is so bad. I correct it on the draft and when I publish it everything looks different. Oh well if you can read it, I guess that's all that matters.