January 1st 2018

Another year flying by. No bad news with all of the celebrations so perhaps 2018 maybe off to a good start and stay that way. My hope is we all have a wonderful, healthy, fun-filled, enjoyable 2018.

 

Wow is time flying. But Jackie and I are having the time of our lives.

“2017 YEAR IN REVIEW”

2017 was our third year of retirement and it was spectacular. We did so many amazing things and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Some big events happened and some, one in a life time events happened. I will list a TOP 10  and not in any particular order:

NUMBER 1

November

Has to be the birth of Atticus our third grandchild and another boy. It is amazing to see a little baby grow up. For us to discover his personality quirks and mostly for the pleasure of being called Papa or Grammy from their little excited faces. Another very cute boy hitting the world.

NUMBER 2

September

Our Sturgeon fishing trip. Fred with his brother Mel and I with my brother Alfred on a motor home trip to BC  to catch Sturgeon in the Fraser River which is an experience I will never forget. We caught 17 HUGE Sturgeon with the bulk of them 8 ft and 300 pounds each. This trip was one of those once in a life time adventures.

NUMBER 3

June/July

Our Europe trip with Alan & MaryAnn. Driving in the UK on the wrong side road, visiting Jackie’s relatives, staying in Paris ( my most hated city I have been to ) and enjoying the amazing but expensive Switzerland. It was a wonderful trip.

NUMBER 4 

October

The purchase of our RV lot. Lot’s of work ahead which I enjoy. We absolutely love this place and I am sure we will have loads of fun with our kids and grand kids here with the swimming pool, basketball court, swimming pond with slides and pier and a great 9 hole golf course that Jackie and I have free memberships to for a couple of years. Big money being spent coming up,with two huge decks, 12 x 16 Gazebo, a bunkie, landscaping and am looking forward to the fun of it all.

NUMBER 5 

February

I guess I better put my 60th Birthday down as a big event. It allows me a paycheck from the government and a lot more great deals to be had on just about everything. Plus the fact I was gifted a VEST ! That was a once in a lifetime event I hope.!!

NUMBER 6 

March

Our girls visit to Phoenix for their birthday. I dislike AEROPLAN’s  new structure with such limited flights and no directs so I cashed in all of my points and flew Jessica, Penny, August, Victoria, Corey and Jackson down for the girls 34th birthday. A wonderful fun filled time.

NUMBER 7

Feb/March

Visits in Arizona from friends and family. We had a wonderful time with our immediate family and a great time with friends that came for a visit

NUMBER 8

April

My Mom’s 85th birthday in April

NUMBER 9 

All months.

Parties, get together’s, friends, family , camping trips

 

NUMBER 10 

over many months

My numerous fishing trips-

ONE MORE FOR GOOD MEASURE

Over months

Our many golfing adventures. Marked off my bucket list of golfing over 100 games in one year. Practice doesn’t make perfect. LOL

There were many more. As I said it was a wonderful year and am looking forward to seeing what 2018 brings us. I do know I may have a few less fishing or camping trips as I have lots on the plate but will attempt to NOT let that happen.

I have on my agenda so far :

1. Build a 20 x 22 garage for Jessica
2. Stain the outside of Alfred’s house and garage
3. Build a 8 x 12 Bunkie
4. Build a 8 x 16 and 14 x 16 deck at our RV lot
5. Build 2 -10 x 10 garden sheds at Fred’s Rv lot
6. Build a deck at Fred’s lot
7. Landscape and decorate our RV lot
8. Golf more often on our RV lot course and Speargrass
9. Continue to golf with my Men’s league at Turner and at least 10 games there if not more
10. Check to see if my Marshaling job will be viable
11. MAKE TIME FOR FISHING and GOLF.

AND MOST OF ALL, MAKE SURE TO ENJOY EACH DAY NO MATTER WHAT WE ARE DOING. PLAY AND EXPERIENCE LIFE NO MATTER HOW BUSY IT SEEMS SOME TIMES.

Tickets are all booked for Mesa. We have a family get together on the 7th in Edmonton and then the  next day I head. Looking forward to the nice temperatures as this time of year Mesa is between 17 and 25 each day. Cool evenings but wonderful days. The pool will keep me exercised and the heater will be on in the main pool for a while. It’s been too long not golfing so I will get a few practice rounds in before my men’s league. I have a few home repairs to do and a few items from Amazon to arrive in Mesa that I need for our lot and truck. I will make a auto wrecker run with Fred to see about a new bumper and fascia. Lots to do there. The cold has land locked me and I don’t like that. LOL

Watching the Canadian count down to midnight it had to be the worst I have ever seen with Nenshi manually counting down. Flip back to Ryan quick in NYC. We need to do a lot better job. LOL

Thought of the Day 

What do you call a person who on Monday’s after a holiday are happy. Retired !

January 2-4th

Watched a few Junior Hockey games. Exercise daily. Finish off my year budget. Go grocery shopping. Watch a bit of TV. More exercise.Drink lots of water. Bed. News watching. Laughing at Jackie’s funny comments. Talking on the phone to people. Deck research. Tool research. Bunkie research. Water plants. Nap. Look at calendar to see HOW many more days I am here. Love the sudden temperature change. Knowing some great things are happening for friends that will make 2018 great. Looking at old pictures. Research on medical stuff. Checking blood pressure two to three times a day. Watching a movie. Watching all of the people think it is summer and next week will be sick as they didn’t keep warm. Found out Lowe’s Building bought the Craftsman name and will carry the whole line. Discovered Canadian Tire bought Sport chek and Nevada Bob’s to compliment their purchase of Marks. Watch the Trump and Trudeau governments carry on with their stupidity.

There are a lot of good things about living in a condo but there are a few drawbacks. Today the plumber was in the gym fixing a water leak. Turns out the neighbor’s sink overflowed and water wrecked the ceiling. The reason for the overflow is a blocked drain. Condo’s should NEVER have garburators in them as people don’t have a clue how to use them. They put potato skins etc down them and expect them to mush it up enough not to have a blockage. Even just filling your sink full and running hot water down in one flush helps but people don’t do that. Talking to the plumber he was just at a condo where the parking space had 8 ft of water in it with a broken main.  Keeps things interesting.

Beautiful day with the sun shining and above zero. More gym time. Watched the news and as usual the chaos in the States if nothing else is entertaining.

Went for a visit to see Peter as I am leaving in a couple of days. I hate hospitals. I don’t feel safe in them with all of the illness, flu and bugs. I am constantly using hand wipes to feel better. Thanks MaryAnn. LOL  Peter was joking today which was good but his health is getting worse each visit. He is very weak and unable to sit up himself. I like the fact he can still tease the nurses. I am sure he doesn’t feel any pain. It isn’t easy on Jackie to see him wither away but it has to be comforting for Peter to have the daily visits.

I am going to draw up an Advanced Medical Care Directive for myself very soon. I see some of the elderly in these places and I am positive if they were of sound mind and body they would not want to have their life extended. I only hope I am of my wits enough to know to put a end to my misery. No fluids for a week and a person can succumb.

Getting ready for the big Canada Junior game tonight and shocked that the USA got knocked out.

Great game by Canada. Now only one more to win which will be a tough one but the guys are looking good.

Great game by the Flames with a decisive win over the Kings.

Lucky win in the shoot out by Edmonton. You know how we as Canadians don’t really care for Celine Dion. I have that same feeling about Connor McDavid. Good player but the most over talked about and over rated player in the league. Give a good player his ice time they also would be able to get a few points. Some good moves the odd time but if I was Edmonton I would say he needs to be traded if the team ever wants to be a winning team.

Thought of the Day 

I think the Edmonton coach needs to talk to this team to appease their fears. NO ONE EVER DROWNS IN SWEAT. As a team they may win a little more often. So much wasted talent.

January 5th 

They say time flies and I am sure everyone would agree with that. Today marks the 8th year of our loss of our Dad , Jesse Willard.

I know everyone that has lost someone close to them knows how it feels. It is really sad that somehow when a person leaves us they are gone forever on this earth,except for our memories. My memories of my Dad are amazing. He would always take the last spot, or not go somewhere if it meant someone else could go. Seemingly shy and quiet then get him talking at a workplace and he could talk your ears off. Always smiling or laughing and never grumpy. I remember the numerous camping trips we took and the fun we had. I remember the fun of sitting in a boat for hours with him fishing, having a ham & cheese sandwich and root beer. The string tied to a tooth to pull it. The haircuts one style only though. The poultices he would make for wounds for us. This man was the most gentle, quiet, giving, unselfish, loving person I have known. He is still one of the smartest guys I know. Mechanic, machinist, welder, carpenter, plumber, inventor he did it all and did it very well. He built his own homes, one without any power tools,and he ran a service station. He could play guitar and the violin. Other kids may have had a parent drive them to hockey for a bit each week, but my Dad spent countless hours on my cars every week. I mean countless hours. You just don’t realize how much one does for you. I could phone Dad and get an answer from him on any problem I was running into with electrical, car, plumbing etc. He always had an answer or if not a suggestion to help. He could figure out how many yards of cement or gravel one needed in his head.This is a man that never swore, rarely drank, and never a man to anger.I am so grateful to have his violin sitting in our living room as a reminder of him everyday. I miss my Dad as I am sure most people do losing a parent but I do have to say it is one thing to lose a parent but it is another to lose a Super Dad. He was amazing and was a huge factor in how I am today as a person. Lucky enough to inherit a few of his personality traits and skills and extremely lucky to be able to work with, play with and learn from him my whole life.  8 years and I can still see him as plain as day in my memories and laugh when I think of his infectious laugh and playful humor. Love you Dad!

Jessica & Penny were coming to town for new Tattoo’s so we headed over to Tor’s to help babysit Jackson, August and Atticus. Three kids one being a baby sure can keep a person busy. Atticus cried a little more than normal as he was a constipated a bit but he is a cute kid. The most amazing thing happened though. Jackie laid Atticus down on a blanket on the floor to  help move his legs a bit to feel better. She then put him on his tummy. First his strength in lifting his head was amazing but this guy only about 5 weeks old actually was able to roll himself over. That is early !! Played games with Jackson and August. August was quite tired and had a real long nap which is good for him. I worked on Tor’s ice maker to see if I could get it to work. They make every thing now to hi-tech with module controls etc to actually be able to fix anything.

Then the Sweden Canada game.

An exciting game that ended right. Especially when you consider we had a real goal called back.  Nice to be calling it Canada’s game again. Our record of 17 golds with Russia next at 13 and the next best at 4 wins is quite amazing. We are hockey !! Fun game to watch.

Thought of the Day 

 Going to a repair shop whose sign outside of the building says ” We can repair anything ” then walking up to the doors to a sign saying ” Please knock as the doorbell is broke”

January 6th-9th

I have being trying to exercise and control the calories a bit after Christmas but it has being hard lately.Today meeting Alan & MaryAnn for lunch and a get together with Peter. Tonight we are meeting Audrey & Michael for supper and then tomorrow heading to Edmonton for a chili and potato salad ( my favorite) meal as a welcome home party for Kayla. This all after Chicago Deep Pizza for the Junior game.

For those that don’t know what a good pizza is order Chicago. Who wants a pizza that is a 1/4 thick of dough ( flat bread) and no cheese or condiments on it. Chicago is 2 inches thick of delicious !!

Fun lunch with Alan & MaryAnn at Ricky’s. Great food and fun conversation about a lot of things. Always fun with lots of laughs.

Excellent supper at the Keg with Audrey & Michael. Audrey was very clever at booking online and getting us in. When we left the entrance was packed with people waiting for a table which was probably a 1 hour wait or more. I had my usual Caeser drink and Sirloin steak. Nothing better than a Keg Steak. It was a fun night talking about a lot of different things and trying to raise the the ire up a bit. LOL  Between British, Catholics, Trump and Neanderthal’s we had lots of things to talk about and lots of good quips coming and going that included a nice visit looking at some old pictures with Audrey.

This is one that I need the Huggett’s/ Craven’s  to guess who this is. I couldn’t. What I can say is this child sure loved his milk. LOL  Fun to find old pictures of people .

Another picture and I loved is this one. Alan in this picture looks identical to a 1980 porn star ( or so I am told) I can just hear the music now. I think we should get him to grow it again. LOL

Had a nice drive to Edmonton for Kayla’s home coming get together.  A fairly large group and some I haven’t seen for quite awhile so it was nice. Cousins, second cousins and aunts all there. Funny story here. Darlene had sent an invite for the party to us and said she was having chili at our get together. I assumed which we all know is not a good thing that she was going to make Grandma’s potato salad to go with it. It is the perfect combo. I was disappointed we didn’t get it only because I was looking forward to it so much. I will make it in Arizona this winter.

A fun gathering.

A good drive getting home and made sure I had everything to head in the morning .

The new system at the airports today is fantastic. I checked in at home the night before and then at the airport using the Westjet kiosk I rechecked in using my passport. This avoids the lineup at the gate for passport verification.  I hadn’t done this before but at the suggestion from the Westjet clerk it is a super idea that I will do each time.  The new Declaration form kiosk also is a time saver, fast effective and easy to use. It takes a picture on the form that is handed to the agent. The new system works slick. The agent knew I had driven down in November and stated “so you are driving back in spring”.

Our plane was a little late in taking off ( and again on the runaway in Phoenix we had to sit) which happens. But a good flight and the 3 hour ride seems to take no time at all.

‘MY RANT”

This is a threefold based on my last airplane experience.

1)First SICK people, STAY at home. I hate the sneezing and coughing on a plane. We are all breathing used air over and air again. If your sick, and have to fly, take any medicine you need NOT to cough or blow your nose etc. Better yet take even more medicine and go to sleep. It is not fair to the other 100 passengers on the plane. 

2) Old people, handicapped people, short people( except MaryAnn as she is fastest traveler I have seen),WAIT until everyone  has left the plane even if you are in the first row. The speed of moving everyone off the plane is affected by a old person moving at a sloth pace, by short people having to ask for someone of standard height to help them or some confused person not knowing which overhead cabinet they put their own suitcase in. After the plane is unloaded by the bulk of the people then speed isn’t as important and if you are slow you are not holding up a 100 others.

3) Buy the right sized suitcase. If you have to jam and slam yours in IT IS NOT THE RIGHT SIZE. Your second personal bag shouldn’t be so huge it is hitting everyone as you walk down the aisle way.

“BUT THAT IS JUST ME ! “

Arrived and the SuperShuttle  was wonderful.On time and a good ride for a reasonable price. Jeep started up even with all of the dust on it. Got to love the desert. Picked up groceries, stopped at the car wash and had a quick supper. At home fixed up a few things, moved the heater out and cleaned up a bit.

Had a wonderful sleep in the quiet dark cool desert. Love it compared to Calgary. Up in the morning as Jackie my smoothie maker isn’t here and had a quick breakfast. Cleaned a few more things.  Moved a few things then it was off to my first golf game in 6 weeks.

I LOVE ARIZONA.  It hit 27 degrees today. The warm sun felt so nice. The weather channel had said risk of rain so I had my jacket etc but it was just sun.

I sweated in the sun and it felt so good.  I was a little rusty. Funny how normally it is the short game or putts but I struggled on the drives mostly due to trying to keep from slicing. I ended up with a 84 but on a tight course I would have been much higher. Hopefully tomorrow on a tight course I get control of it. But it didn’t matter the score as I was in basking in the warm sun, enjoying myself and moving !!

Made myself a wonderful T Bone steak, salad and garlic toast supper. Fixed a few more things up and then relaxed. Love it here .

Thought of the Day 

It is winter here in Arizona and you know what that means. 

Absolutely nothing. It is still 70 degrees outside

January 10th

Sandy had texted me stating he would pick me up at 7am for our men’s league at Whirlwind. It is very nice of Sandy as he drives us most days which is much appreciated. I then receive another text that the time is 6:40. If anyone knows me that for me is considered very early as I would need to be up 6am. But being dedicated to golf it is a burden I must bare. I was ready and outside and wouldn’t you know it  Sandy arrives right at 7 am. I laughed to myself. I checked the weather and it was supposed to be cooler today and chance of rain so I prepared. Turns out cooler but only 14 degrees and then warmed to 18 degrees in the afternoon and sunny which was wonderful. My playing partners were again a fun group and we even won some money. I was happy and unhappy with my golf. I ended up with a 89 , didn’t slice or lose one ball off the tee but had 5 three putts. The greens were like lightning and I just didn’t adjust quick enough. It is early in the season and hopefully by next week i will have my feel back . I was very happy with the drives. Another fun fun day in paradise.

Cooled down when I got home so between being tired and cool out I relaxed. Love it.

Everything I cleaned is dirty again including the Jeep with the winds and rain last night.

Another great night with the Oiler’s losing and the Flames winning. It is getting close to time to send another congratulatory message to the Oiler fans. LOL

Thought of the Day 

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

January 11th

“Mercury Forecast”    Current- Calgary -27 wc -35, Edmonton -27 wc -33, Mesa 12 feels like 11

The cold this year just doesn’t want to quit for Alberta. The entire province is cold. Today is supposed to reach 18 degrees and sunny then back into our mid 20’s for the next 7 days.

The day turned out a way better than they expected again. Sitting in the backyard after getting a bunch of stuff done it was 23 degrees and sunny. First thing was to re-wipe the outdoor kitchen and table with chairs as the wind and rain with the dust in the air caused havoc. I put out all of patio lights, took all  of the cushions and put them outside on the patio, washed the deck and pergola to get rid of some bird poop and hung our metal Mesa decoration. Getting closer to being all done. Funny how working outside in the warmth is so enjoyable. I had a healthy breakfast and a few cranberry/gingerales to keep hydrated. I then washed the Jeep and used Amorall on all of the plastic. Took off the Freedom tops and cleaned it up a bit again. I parked it in full sun to work on it and it was wonderful. Funny how fast a day goes when you have things to do and enjoy. Met and talked to the bulk of our neighbors.  Visited the office to get details on the neighbors plight as they cant come anymore due to health and want to sell at any price if they could get an offer. Hopefully they will finally get everything cleared up.

I think I will buy a plastic owl to try to keep the quail away from our pergola.

Nothing like a pork chop and potato supper while sitting outside in the warmth. Set or up my TV on the outdoor kitchen and my Magic HD Stick pull sin 60 channels. All in HIGH DEF. Amazing. I am bringing one home for my motor home.

First of Amazon packages arrived. Extra Camo bits, a grey water bib to allow grey water to run continuously after I fix up a cap cover and a new switch for my Ryobi tablesaw.

Thought of the Day 

My favorite part of winter is watching it on TV from Arizona 

January 12th 

“Mercury Forecast   ”    Calgary -20   Mesa 22 degrees 

Another beautiful morning in Mesa. It is a little cool outside in the shade to have my breakfast at the table but in the sun in the backyard it is wonderful. The mornings are starting around 9 am at 10 degrees and by noon are hitting 20 degrees.

I moved pillows and stuff around in the morning trying to find a place for everything. I have it in spots but when Jackie arrives it most likely will be moved.

Off to golf this morning. Funny thing happened as I was partnered up with a gentleman that I played with last year and we remembered each other. A nice guy from Ontario who’s career was teaching sales courses. I had a lot of fun bending him a bit. French guy with the name Michelle so when he got excited he got excited. We had a lot of fun and playing the devils advocate is very fun. LOL

I was a little disappointed in my performance today. But as one always knows each day is a different experience. Michelle could hit the ball a mile and had 5 pars from the start in a row. Then he finally came back to reality. I scored quite well but it was a struggle on most holes. I pulled, I sliced, I shanked and I three putted but still a great score. Some days are just odd.

Sat in the back yard again and enjoyed while watching CTV news and sorry but smiling as i see the road conditions and accidents.

A Flame convincing win and a very lucky win for the Oilers. I was so hoping the Oilers would lose to the worst team. Oilers are third worse !  But with 6 wins in row the Flames have moved into second place. Nice but the divisions are so close it every night the ranking can change.

Talked to Jackie again on Duo. It is amazing as I had a $400 Koodo bill last time I was here as we used the phone but with Duo it is video and free. I don’t understand the why’s but love it as not only can you talk, you see the person. I don’t use the messenger system as Jackie and I’s phone are connected. I have used Skype , Hangouts, am aware of Facetime but no app is as simple and effective as Duo.

Thought of the day 

I wonder if I ordered a pizza at 11:45 pm on New Years Eve and it arrives at 12:15 am could I pretend to be mad ” I ordered this dam pizza last year and it is just arriving ? !!  if they would give me a free pizza ? 

January 13th -14th

Washed the Jeep as desert sand settled on it.  I put the roof back on it as Fred & Terry were going to be picked up at the airport in the evening and it cools down a fair bit when the sun sets. Having said that we were 1 degree from setting the all time record high with it hitting 78 degrees today. Beautiful !  I fixed the back fence. I whipped to Home Depot and picked up some plants for the planter pots. Geraniums, palm tree and some cactus for the Mexican planter. I had potting soil from last year and went about getting everything set up.  Looks good.  Everything is set up now so all ready for Jackie to come and customize it. LOL

Set up the TV outside on the outdoor kitchen and hooked up my Magic stick. Wow 60 channels can thru in high definition.  I was excited then when I started to surf thru them every channel had 20 year old TV shows or movies on them. LOL  It was like going back to the 80’s except with a clear picture. Some old great shows though. I will give it another look later. Fed the rabbits some carrots. Cleared off some visa bills. Checked Koodo to see if our new plan to keep the expenses down worked. Sat in the sun for about an hour until I could feel the warmth a bit too much.

I filled up with gas. Half price. Normal fill for the Jeep is $50 in Alberta. Today $28 bucks. Got to love that.  Booked a tee time for Monday at Viewpoint which I will give it a try.

Headed out to pick up Fred & Terry at the airport. Their plane landed right on time . Easy into the airport and back again. Stopped at Safeway for them pick some groceries and I measured my blood pressure. Only received a fair instead of good as my diastolic number was 85 and you need to be under 80. I only adjusted as per my doctor my dose down by 2 mg so I will continue to check. I am comfortable with 124/85 but would prefer the 124/79.

Stopped at Fred & Terry’s for a couple of beer and a quick visit.

Everyone has their personal likes and beliefs. Fred has been a Chevy man for ever. Keith had been a Ford man. Today being the accepting world we are, Keith is driving a Chevy 3/4 ton and Fred just bought a Ford 1 ton. It is a crazy world. It is an upside down world.

Some of you may notice the black bar across his face. It takes time to let certain things sink in that you are now a proud Ford owner. Once he admits this he can come out to the world wearing a blue oval and unmasking his face. LOL

I have always been Chevy / Dodge with only one Ford on my record. Nice truck but for some reason Jackie continued to like putting HUGE dents in it. Then I started to hear a rod bearing going a little loose and Dad said sell it quick before a motor overhaul. I traded it for a Chevy Blazer right away. So the Ford/Chev/Dodge world saga goes on. Everyone has their favorite and everyone has experienced the good and bad of each brand. Not much difference between all three really.

Today I own a GM Enclave, a GM 8.1 Workhorse motor home, a Dodge Dakota , and a Dodge Jeep Wrangler so I am split. Good and bad about each.

Thought of the Day `

There are a lot of jokes about each brand. 

With Ford they are at least honest and they circled the problem. ( explanation- the blue oval circle around Ford) Fix Or Repair Daily or Found Off Road Dead

With Chevy most people like them as they help with a lot of exercise in all of the walking you have to do. Chevy, Chevy your the best. Drive a mile walk the rest.

With Dodge, they made as a girly truck.

Dropped off Fred & Terry at the Enterprise Car rental spot. They used Costco for the rental and said they saved a bundle. I might have to try that next time I need one.  They got upgraded and received a Jeep Patriot the exact color of my Jeep.

I worked around the house a bit, sat in the sun and fixed a few things.

Fred picked me up on the golf cart and we went to his house. This was the temperature in the backyard as we were playing cards.

Well the unbelievable happened. Shocked !!  Terry, Fred and I played crib for a bit. The first game Fred skunks Terry and I. Skunked. The second game Fred skunks myself and wins again. The third game Fred wins. I have never seen such poor cards for so many games. Getting skunked is rare but two times in a row is unbelievable. I will need to go back to Kim as my middle name until I earn Crib back again.

Fred and Terry cooked an amazing ham supper with all of trimmings. Great meal. Fred bought a huge ham that at home would have been $30 and here he got it for $12. Huge piece of meat and good meat.

We decided to play Dice next. First game I win ! Yes I am back. Then the next Terry wins. The next Fred wins. Luck wasn’t on my side this night.

But the gin & tonics were great and to think I used to think of them as a panty remover drink.

I had a phone call this morning but before I could answer it they hung up. They didn’t leave a message. It was the General Consulate of the Republic of China calling according to call display. I assumed they must have have found a relative of mine with the name KIM and were trying to get  a hold of me.

Thought of the Day 

It’s not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game, according to losers and their parents.

January 15th

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 23 degrees   Calgary -4 degrees

Good weather for a bit for Calgary which is nice to see for them.

Got up a little earlier today and made a egg, ham and toast breakfast. Good !!  Finished off my BOM for both my decks and did the estimates on the pricing based on current box store pricing. I am going to be asking for a favor to see if I can get better pricing as I know the markups. Watched the news which everyday is full of TRUMP news. Besides saying stupid things he can’t scratch his butt without being reported on. I am positive though he really is meaning well and since he took over there have been some amazing changes.

Readied myself for golf and headed to the golf course. Ok I like the Viewpoint Golf course but I hate shotgun starts and they are just so disorganized it is frightening. I got hooked up with three 70 year olds from near Chicago. All retired UPS workers and talk about great pensions. $2500 a month for 25 yrs at 57 . At 30 years of service they are retiring with $4000 a month pensions. Sick !! I laughed to myself when I first saw my group as two of them had their shorts pulled up to their arm pits and walked a bit odd. As a foursome we had a fun time. They were OK golfers and didn’t take the game too serious yet followed all of the rules. I had a GREAT game perhaps as there was no pressure.As seniors they wanted to play the white tees where I prefer the blue as the white can get the odd drive into trouble.  I ended up with a 79 but should have been at least 4 less except for some very difficult pin placements that were hard to putt.

Nothing better than being outside in 23 degrees in the sun having fun. I really enjoyed the day.

I picked up a few things for tomorrow as I plan to to re-tile the back a/c cover. For some reason I lost a few tiles off it and fixing it is always harder than the first time. I am going to PL them on this time and re-grout. A few hours to get done.

Thought of the Day

 PGA say 80% of the golfers playing if they kept a true record would never achieve a handicap of 18 or less. I love it that I am at least in the 20% but would love to get into the 10% of golfers.

January 16th-17th

“Mercury Forecast” Calgary  3 degrees Mesa 22 degrees

It was a get a little work done day. I watched the morning news and had a wonderful breakfast. I then worked with Fred as he moved and installed a new plug in the front of his house for his golf cart after we made a Home Depot run. He got a little dirty having to crawl under the unit to reach the wires but the plug turned out great and makes charging the cart a lot easier. We then installed my missing tiles in the back. Looks good as new again with just a quick grouting session to be done when I fit it in. We then moved my patio lights to make them look better which I am happy with. Later in the evening I turned them on and they don’t effect my sensor. Then on the cart again and we looked at Dan & Jan’s backyard as we are going to help them install a new railing and blind system in the back. Move the garden shed and we should be set to go after ordering all of the materials from Mobile Depot. Should be a fun project. Looked at and will work at a faux beam in Fred’s home that will be a little tricky . Always something to do. LOL

Watched a great movie about Aliens which was fun. Only had two beer with Fred today as I had to be up at for a 7 am pickup in the morning and the movie didn’t end until 11:30pm.

Sandy as usual was right on time to the second which is amazing. I had three fun guys today to play with. One from Waskesiu , one from Brooks and one from Edmonton. Fun group and pretty good golfers. I golfed wonderfully the first complete nine  holes with a 39 but lost it on a few holes to score 50 on the second nine. Sucks when the drives and other shots just seem to leave you. Add the odd 3 putts and the score is indicative of a  lousy 9 holes. Not complaining but kept our team out of the money. Golf is a funny game but I love it.

Came home to a surprise on my doorstep. I have received two beautiful beer glasses from someone. This someone is 100% unknown as the package and info sheet only say third party billed. SO WHO ever sent this to me please let me know who and why so I can thank you properly as they are first class glasses with a logo that is raised not just printed on them. Awesome glasses.  Respond under comments or let me know so I can thank you. I tried every which way to figure who but it impossible. Reveal yourself.

Thought of the Day 

We may have the saying wrong for years. It is better to receive than give. LOL  Who were trying to fool ?

January 18th -19th

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 23 degrees Calgary 4 degrees

The sun is a wonderful thing. Birds singing and warmth while outside is great. I took my Jeep to the garage to have the a/c recharged. The last charge lasted two years. In Calgary this cost me $150. At a $2000K fix I will  not fix it and recharge it and be a way ahead of the game. Down here after looking around I had it done for $43.00. We get so ripped off in Canada on certain things. COLD air blasting now and hopefully will last another two years. I had Fred drop off my Jeep at 8 am and then went for breakfast. Wild Berry’s a Greek owned restaurant was amazing. The owner would greet every lady at the entrance, grab a hold of their hand and personally escort them to their table all the time being very friendly including ribbing the husband. Plus excellent food.  Made a quick stop at Campers World to pick up a gasket for my motor home as the toilet ball seal wasn’t holding water and on a RV it is the water that is the gasses stop.  After Camper’s World we headed to the Grand Design RV dealer to look at the model Fred is buying for his lake lot. Beautiful unit. They make them so fancy now. The pricing after taxes and exchange is very little difference.  The one great thing about this dealership is their own LIFETIME warranty on all major components for as long as you own the unit. Pretty Nice. ! This showroom was excellent. It is setup inside a huge warehouse where a lot of units are placed as if in a campground with firepit, a river, moon in the sky , trees picnic tables etc. Awesome way to show and display. Then we headed to Harbour Freight. I now have everything I need from down here to complete my deck and be somewhat organized in doing so. Love my new Camo Hidden Deck tool which is going to work perfect.

Headed over and helped Fred with Dan’s aluminum frame for his roller blinds. Went up fairly easy and now only the blinds left to install when they get them. Interesting that Dan Hagel is the cousin of one of our Calgary long term lumber industry guys Michael Hagel. Small world. Had a few beer on Dan’s deck with the neighbors and headed home.

Fred & Terry along with myself decided tonight was a Fat Willy’s night. I had an wonderful Chicken Stir Fry. Need to eat healthy with not having Diet Pepsi anymore and the additional beer.

Cleaned the toilet, showers and swept the floors and emptied all of the garbage this morning. Looked a the windows to spray Windex but decided to leave that for another day.

A good news bad news day. Jackie had to cancel her flight as Peter finally was assigned a room and is moving on Monday. I am hoping she will be able to come Thursday to Sunday of next week after getting him settled in. Talked to my brother for his birthday and my Mom has been in the hospital the last few days and was just released last night. It is funny dealing with old people  as they are set in their ways, stubborn, and don’t do themselves any favors. My Dad when in the hospital had eating issues, Peter if he would eat would be 50% better off and now my Mom with a imbalance of needed chemicals, vitamins etc is caused by being a fussy eater and not eating properly causing the body to “hiccup”. Take that and add doctors changing drugs especially when dealing with water pills it is scary.

One sure needs to remember to live life while you can in reasonable health before the mind and body gives out. People get old due to inactivity, incorrect eating habits, and negativity, away faster than others that do a lot of right things.

Went over to Fred & Terry’s for supper. A great BBQ burger supper. After eating and a few drinks we decided to play a few crib games.

I can’t believe what happened. I don’t think any of us counted exactly how many games we played but at least 8 games. Here is the sad part. Terry wins 6 games, Larry wins 2 games, Fred wins 0 and was skunked. The cards and luck must have run out. I can say Terry was pretty happy. Us not so much. In fact I am beginning to hate crib. LOL

Very fun night.

Thought of the Day 

Isn’t it funny if your throat get sore you swallow every 5 minutes to make sure it still is sore.

January 20th

My UBER driver picked me up and drove me to the worksite. A lot of thinking on how to make a faux beam and have it look great and have everyone happy with the design and coloring. We finally made a decision and headed to the Depot to pick up the material. At the Depot due to design challenges and costing we just about changed our minds again. It ended up we are enlarging a current beam for looks and making it a brown barn wood beam.

Got all of the materials home and started. This was about 10 am when we started. Again due to sizing of material, making a 45 degree cut 19ft long with thin material etc we struggled to find a solution. Then Fred made a suggestion that would make our job a lot easier and look just as good if not better considering the complexity of the situation. Even with our modified system working with material upside down and not even on both sides can cause issues. We finished at 4 pm and the beam looks GREAT.  I will take a picture tomorrow after the new light is installed. A full day but a fun day.

Jeff & Wendy found a great deal for a men’s league at Serenity Golf. Unfortunately for me it doesn’t work. I have two years of FREE golf at our RV lot, I have potential free or heavily discounted golf at Heatherglen and I have my retainer  fee at Turner Valley.  For the cost of the men’s league I can golf 100 times if I choose at TV instead of  the 20 times. For a public golfing   event though I love this deal with it’s meal, drink and prize deals. Once money or prizes are introduced golf becomes a little more cumbersome as every rule has to be followed to be fair to everyone playing including any of Irish decent that plays the mulligan rule. LOL

First day that it is cooler than 70 degrees as a cold front moves through. I had to wear a light jacket especially while in the golf cart.

Thought of the Day 

What consumes your mind, controls your life !!

January 21st -22nd

“Mercury Forecast”   Mesa  13 degrees  and sunny Calgary  5 degrees

The cold front is still moving through. While sunny it feels cold out with the breeze. Odd how everyone stays in the house when the temp drops just a bit. Well I guess most of are quite old and they don’t have extension cords long enough for their electric blankets. BRAINY IDEA. I need to invent a battery powered warming vest for these guys. LOL

I had no plans today so will just relax and enjoy. Pool tonight as the water is so warm.

Booked a tee time for Monday at Western Skies.

Cleaned up the house a bit. Walked around the park looking at sites and checked our mailbox. Took supper out of the freezer. Watched golf and HGTV a bit.

I had a video call with Jessica & August and a call from Jackie & Jackson. Great kids that are so funny. Jackson was very proud to show me his card he made for me. Sweet personality.

Had a golf game with three retired railway guys. They golfed a lot but were just a little old to great. I had good scoring game but I wasn’t happy with it. Drives with me trying not to slice just weren’t working. I scored an 82 but if on a tight course would have been a lot higher. Gets annoying not being able to cure this.

Up this morning to get ready and it was cold. It was 37 degrees at 9 am. The cold front will be gone tomorrow with it hitting 72 but todays high required my light golf jacket. Went to bed a little late and got up a little early so felt tired today.

Thought of the Day

Yes it is Sunday. Yes I am in sweats and was lazy today. I feel like a NDP’er wanting to conserve so much energy. Monday another day.

January 23rd

A very productive day. First thing was a trip to the auto wreckers. Quite a ways away we arrive tools in hand to find what we needed. Arriving there they charge $2.00 entrance fee per person. The clerk then said they don’t allow sandals in their yard. It is 70 degrees out. You enter at your own risk. Fred and I switch shoes. Me size 11 him size 9. So I checked the yard although not thoroughly and they didn’t have what I wanted. Since we were on the opposite site of town we decided to buy a cheap pair of runners and head to the next wrecker. Stopped at Walmart and for $9.98 bought the best pair of runners I have ever had. Awesome. Next lot had a lot of Dakota’s but to find a good bumper wasn’t easy. Finally found one on a 2001 Dakota and we worked on getting it off. Turns out the design changed  a bit but a 1998 to 2004 parts are interchangeable.  We managed to get a bumper, fascia c/w fog lights for $60.00. Even grabbed a few pieces of weatherstripping I needed. We checked every Dakota and not one of them had the console lid I needed. Another time. Great find though and only requires a quick paint job to make perfect. Fred will haul it home for me to install in April.

Next project was to install shade blinds at Dan & Jan Hagel’s place. This took no time at all and every thing worked out perfect. The blinds not only give them privacy but shade also.

On to the next project. Fred worked on finishing off putting up the new light on the new beam we put up.  The lights and beam look fantastic. A total different look than before and a wonderful overall look. Awesome !!

Then Terry heads to pickle ball and Fred & I to the Rova meeting which is the group of residents that deal with management. Basically like a Home Owner Association with no power though.Fred and I arrive about 5 minutes late and the 1000 seat hall is packed. We go to check in and the lady states ” Good luck finding a seat” Fred & I look at one another and leave the building. You know when you get 1000 old people the whining and complaining will be wanting extra security, extra lights on the streets, and lights on homes etc. What do they think they buy insurance for. How much can someone steal from a vacation home really ? Who wants the bright street lights blinding you thru the window when you are trying to sleep.  One bicycle gets stolen and the world is ending. So we head back to look at our good work and a few beers on us in our admiration. A good day !!

Peter is getting used to his new home. Out of bed for the first time in 2 months is a great thing. Hopefully now out of hospital he will be motivated to get up a bit more. This was the first time as I said in 2 months so hopefully with a little more persuasion more occurrences will happen. This new home has large birds for the tenants to visit and a nice atrium. Peter always liked birds.

Still no one claiming ownership of the beer glasses I received.

Two comments from old friends on my blog today but they don’t show up unless you click on recent comments. I will need to spent some time to decipher the coding again of WordPress.

 

Thought of the Day 

Life is too short to worry about the stupid stuff. Life happens and you just carry on with the bad or good things. A bike can easily be replaced or better yet a new one due to insurance. Relax. I am sure NO ONE has been mugged in the park.

January 24th 

“Mercury Forecast ” Calgary  plus 4  degrees  Mesa plus 24 degrees

Just a wonderful morning this am to head to the golf course. Sandy as usual was right on time for our pickup. Odd as at 7 am it is still quite dark out.

Checked in and had our breakfast of champions, shot a few at the driving range and putted a few on the greens. I was ready and wanted to do well as I was playing with Bob today as my partner.

Golf is a funny game. It ended up being my worse game of 2018 so far score wise yet the golf wasn’t that bad. I only sliced on one hole losing my ball but where I struggled was from horrible putting. Whirlwind greens are fast and most have a lot of slope and curves on them. I shot a 95 with only one slice which usually doesn’t happen. Numerous 3 putts and missed chances. Drive good, score well, but not today with the putting.

It is the game of golf but it I do like it much better if I score well. Chalk it up to handicap maintenance.

Our team did win one leg but had to split it with another team. But at least some money.

Fun game, fun guys to play with and a wonderful day with a brisket lunch. Life is Good !

It must be time now to fire everyone don’t you think. 5-0 to the Sabre’s.

 

Thought of the Day 

Real golfers don’t miss putts, they get robbed.

January 25th

“Mercury Forecast” Mesa 25 degrees Calgary  -7 degrees

Another wonderful sunny day in paradise.  Up this morning and did my usual things like make breakfast and watch the news.  Outside a warm a sunny day happening. Today Fred,Dan and I head to Home Depot and private yards like the Mobile Depot  for a visit.  Mesa is so different in what they stock it is amazing. White deck railings are a special order. Mobile Depot aluminium product looked cheap. When I priced it out it was close to $550 which is not much less than the $600 quoted by the local installer. At the Home Depot we found a product called steel fencing which will work excellent but again no white. We special ordered the white and it is less than $300 for us to complete the job with a strong powder coated steel product. Great find. The only difference and perhaps even better  is the fact the product we bought doesn’t have a larger handrail capping. This works great for us and is stronger and will be fairly easy to install.

After out escapade Fred & I had  a bite to eat and then started to play crib with a beer in the heat. I have to say I have NEVER  seen ANYONE in my life with the luck of the Irish like Fred. He couldn’t lose. He just kept winning and throwing in the odd skunk. Terry joined us a little later and Fred just kept winning. I think it ended up and there most likely were more games but 7 wins Fred 1 win for myself and no wins for Terry. It was Fred’s night for sure. Before and after a wonderful Beef Dip supper( wonderful tasting with potato salad) we carried on playing Dice. I was lucky enough to win one game only. Terry had  a win and Fred had a win if not two. I am sure he must be pulling cards and dice from his sleeve as he killed us tonight. All I can say is NEXT time hopefully.

A fun day. I got to bug Corey and Wendy about getting old and a lot of Oiler fans on how their team sucks. I should have waited until after the game tonight but I am confident the Flames will win. The Oiler’s will be coming at us after their abysmal performance against the 30th place team though.

Another gift from an anonymous person. This time a Flames beer cozy. Again no way to trace who it is from. This gift is from a person that I think doesn’t drink beer as  the cozy is made for a 20 oz can which is very rare and not bought too often as 99 % of the beer  is 12 oz cans. This will be great for a other drinks like Gatorade or water bottle though so will work out good. And it has a great logo on it.

REVEAL YOURSELF

Thought of the Day 

Life consists in not holding good cards but playing those you hold well.

January 26th-27th

What another sunny hot day. Can’t be/ Close to 80 degrees today and over 80 degrees (26 c )for the rest of the week.

Got ready, listened to the news. Shook my head. And relaxed and then readied to go golfing. I was over at Bob’s & Pat’s place before golf when Pat come home and Bob after a long night celebrating Robbie Burns Day. The scotch are trying to make this day a party day just like St Patty’s Day. For a double birthday celebration it appeared Bob may have suffered a hangover as he completely forgot the ladies name that phoned. It was quite funny. Later after golfing one of Bob’s guys gave his golf score as Bob records them. The guy asks Bob if he needed to write it down but Bob assured him it was ok. I had to pipe up. ” Bob, what was the ladies name that phoned this morning ? ” I had a good laugh at the reaction Bob had . Quite funny !

I golfed with three nice Saskatchewan boys. Merv one of them is a shorter slight guy most likely around 70 that hits that ball a mile. I had to pump up the volume a bit to out distance him on shots. Only one drive for me with a slice so I should have scored very well but I couldn’t putt again taking 3 putts and the odd poor chip shot ending up with 85. Not a good score but still a wonderful sunny day, golfing, and three fun guys to play with.  Life is good.

Speaking of Life is Good. Being the sandwich generation is odd. We have kids and grand kids that have needs and parents that have needs. My Mom was just hospitalized again with a stroke after just getting over the flu and pneumonia and Jackie’s Dad has been moved into a care home. Both of them early to mid 80’s. Remember as I have said numerous times don’t keep working for the almighty buck as life is too short to waste it working for a living. If we take 80 as the age of starting to have health issues and we all will, and you work until 65 that gives you only 15 summers of healthy enjoyment. 

Had Fred pick me up at 9 am today and we worked until 5 pm. We installed a new vanity in Fred’s bathroom that looks wonderful. Larger, lots of counter space and deluxe looking. Doing a simple project always takes longer than one thinks. We had to remove the old vanity, install new laminate flooring, remove baseboards and re-install, remove sliding closet door to allow the vanity to squeeze in the bathroom, re-plumb the P-trap, paint behind and beside the vanity, cut out a portion of the vanity bottom as the plumbing comes from the floor versus the wall,install new a new set of fancy taps, trip to lumberyard to pick up stuff, and misc other duties. Looks fantastic and only a small portion left to tile around it. Fred also will add box extensions on the power boxes for the thickness of the tile. A good day of work that is always enjoyable. Should finish tomorrow am.

Jackie is arriving tomorrow so tonight was clean up night. Washed all of clothes and bed sheets, sweep the floors, dumped the garbage, emptied the dishwasher and a little general cleanup. Looking forward to seeing her as this is the longest in 38 years we have been apart.

Our job list is getting shorter. I want to paint my new bumper for the Dakota and polish the fog lenses. I still need to find a center console lid cover as this truck has the option that most didn’t choose and I haven’t found one yet. I will build a carry case for my new framing nailer to protect it.

Thought of the Day 

Did you know 75% of retirees are astounded they ever had time to go to work they are so busy now.

January 28th- 30th

“Mercury Forecast”  Mesa 26 Calgary  4

We are on track to breaking heat records for the next 5 days. Over 80 degrees approaching 85 which on any day can be a record.

Worked with Fred tiling around the vanity. Everything worked out nicely. The tiles which Terry picked up look fantastic and the cut very nice. Using the metal edging around the tiles always looks great and makes the border easier. The tiling took a while as it is in a tight spot and small room so working in there added to the difficulty. We got all of the tiles done and worked on setting the mirror in place level. The way they put hangers on mirrors always is fun to make it level as you only get one chance to drill a hole and plug it. We did it perfectly. A couple of pieces of molding under the pocket doors and another job completed for that day. Fred & Terry were going to complete the caulking, grouting and painting the next day. I whipped off to Safeway to pick up a few things that I knew Jackie would want for herself before heading to pick her up. Her flight was right on time and the cell lot worked perfect again. I had the freedom tops off as it was 82 degrees at 5:30 pm when I picked her up. Sunday flights are great as no traffic with the airport drive only taking 20 minutes. Fred & Terry so kindly asked us for supper on Jackie’s arrival. I texted Fred when we were leaving the airport and surprised him how fast we arrived. An amazing supper with roasted potatoes, chicken breasts, salad and carrots. Fred is a great cook to cook the breast so perfectly considering the size of these things. It seems every chicken breast in Arizona is Dolly Parton sized. Meat thermometer is a must along with patience to have a cooked one but not black outside. Ours was perfect. Very nice of them to have us over as Jackie just getting off the plane and not settled in loved it. A few drinks, wonderful supper and great company in the warmth how can you go wrong. In our discussions we fixed all of the worlds problems.

Jackie & I had a golf game set up in Viewpoint in the afternoon shotgun. We were paired up with two 80 year old local guys which turned out to be a lot of fun. The one guy was a little wobbly on his feet but both of them were pretty good golfers. They started playing off the white tees but switched to the reds half way. I played the blue tees. My drives for the first few holes were off until I again figured out what I was doing. Then great drives. Jackie golfed extremely well considering it was her first game this year and she didn’t golf a lot last year. She ended up with a score of 103 . The guys were a little slow and we fell behind but after a few holes we picked up the pace and were right on the balance of the holes. Get Jackie talking to a couple of old guys can take a while to get her into the cart. LOL

Fred & Terry saved a table and met us at Fat Willy’s for Burger Night. Love these burgers. They are an 8 ounce burger that is always great tasting. Jugs of beer ( that is what they call them) the perfect companion.

“Memories”

Jeff & I arrive on the deck at the Turner Valley Golf Club after a round and it was hot outside. The deck was full of guys that had just finished golfing. The young good looking waitress comes to get our order. I innocently ask ” Do you have jugs ? ”  The whole deck bursts out laughing. I learned quick to say “Pitcher”  

 

We all had a great meal. I won’t mention Jackie didn’t have a burger. Sitting on the patio in the sun enjoying the food, beer and conversation is what retirement is meant to be. Another wonderful day in our paradise.

Smoothies for breakfast which are always great to have. Lazed around a bit then headed to the pool for exercise and warmth. The pool renovation on the main pool is fantastic with new tiles, and awesome new lounge chairs. New clock and paint on the fence so the place looks first class. Sat out long enough to feel wonderful but not enough to sunburn.

Plan today is a relax only day. At 82 degrees the temperature is just perfect. Not hot or cold just the perfect temperature.

We have billiards tonight that we may go to.

I hate the stock market dropping at the end of the month. We have our RRSP withdrawal that comes out at the beginning of each month and  when the principal is lower due to a selloff at that time it is more difficult to make that up. Well any sell off hurts but for my numbers each month being based on the 1st day it looks bad and it is lost money.

Funny listening to old people. In the pool this vocal lady talking to visitors was going on and on about the park. They raised the fees again this year which caused her to raise her voice. ( duh every year they have gone up and every year they will continue to go up. It is called inflation and profit protection). They charge for trash pickup when we are are only here for 5 months. ( In Regina where she is from they don’t stop charging monthly utilities when you aren’t there !) One of these days when I start hearing this negativity and complaining I am just  to going to say ” Leave the park NOW if you don’t like. If you love the park shut up complaining”  One caveat to this is JABBA as most everyone hasn’t had a good experience with them. Jackie then due to her HR background says to me ” Larry, you have to understand these people have left work that consumed them for years and now to feel engaged they need stimulation from conversation based on circumstances they can’t control. They all have health issues to talk about and the weather is boring as it is 82 degrees everyday so let them have their perceived engagement”  I guess I will just tune it out. Sitting in a 90 degree pool, in the 82 degree full sun, with no real issues though, why complain ?

Complaining isn’t conversation !

Thought of the Day 

Isn’t it a magical place how everything you forgot is remembered in your  bedroom while sleeping

January 31st

“Mercury Forecast”   Mesa 26 degrees Calgary -12 degrees 

The first time playing billiards since March of last year. Things went semi ok. My partner was a wonderful pool player who helped us out a lot. We ended up with a 2-4 record but had fun doing it and only had one game out of reach. In that game the other team just about ran the table on their first turn after a very nice break. Some good pool players in the group. Hopefully as the season wears on some of the angle shots will get better for me. Fun night !

Whirlwind Golf league today which I love. A wonderful group of about 40 guys from all over the place but the bulk of them from Saskatoon. Today I was paired with two guys from Thunder Bay ( a doctor) and my neighbor Bob which is odd as he has been my partner two weeks in a row. Rarely do you play with the same guys. Our team golf was not the greatest today. Especially putting as everyone struggled with putts. We didn’t win any money. But I was very happy only having one ball end up in the desert from the drive. If i throttle back and only hit at 3/4 speed I can control it a lot more and still get good distance. Ended up with a 84 that included a hole with a triple boogie on it. Darn !  Great guys, fun group, amazing course and beautiful weather.

Came home with a broken sandal that I wear for causal wear. Checking the internet I found the SAS sandals i wear on Amazon for $176.00 usd. Checked SAS direct and they where $176.00 usd. Phoned SAS Calgary and was quoted $228 cdn. Phoned SAS Mesa and received a price with stock of $168.00 usd. I drove over to get my size 13 Wide Bravo Sandal. In stock !. As usual I wanted to see what kind of deal I could make. The clerk says they have sale coming up soon but will give me the price today if I buy them now. Paid $148 usd so made a sweetheart of a deal.

My last pair lasted until today which is 10 years old. Pay a little more but between the cushion sole with arch support and real leather they last a long time. Well worth the money. Made in the USA.

Jackie spent all day cleaning and polishing the house. I guess she thought my living here by myself now for 5 weeks between November and Jan it wasn’t a speck and span as she liked.

Thought of the Day 

In anything price is what you pay.  But value is what get. Which is more important  to you.?