March 1st–2nd

” Mercury Forecast Mesa 85 degrees, Edmonton -1 degrees, Calgary -11 degrees”

The hottest day in 2022 so far. No complaints as it was wonderful.

First, is to again state how wonderful retirement is. I wish everyone could retire early and enjoy themselves. The saying life is short, is so real when I see what is happening with friends. The most important thing to remember is that the life expectancy of a Canadian male is only 82 years old. Wait until your 65 to retire and enjoy only 17 years if you are lucky. Plus, consider between 55 and 75 how much better physical shape you are in compared to 65 to 85. Money is the only concern that I can see people working longer for. Well, lack of. You can find a lot of pleasurable things to do that are cost effective. Take fishing, as it is really a zero-cost event (everyone already has the equipment) as you can walk down to a world class fishing spot on the Bow. Hiking, biking etc. I chose golf as my go to thing which is extremely expensive but is a time sensitive sport with aging. I will play as much as possible until I get to an age where I can’t.

I can honestly say these have been absolutely wonderful years.

My only regrets are two things. I wish I would have searched out a defined pension career as a youth and I wish I would have saved more money. Dollars are a big thing when retired as you have no way to replace any money spent. ie in simple math 8yrs x 50K spending is 400K worth of savings. 8 yrs x 100K a year spending is 800K worth of savings. It takes a lot of savings to last until one is a decent age. Defined pensions typically replace 70% of the income. CPP replaces 25% so a defined pension retiree typically sees very little difference working or retired. Jackie and I make up the 70% out of savings that depletes each year. We need to have assumed a correct death age not to run out of savings.

Having said all that you cannot be so worried about finances that it hinders your enjoyment. I have seen people spend 10K on a 2-week vacation and when they are presented with an opportunity to zip line while in an exotic place and it costs $300, they say no, it is too expensive. You may never get the chance again or never go back.

The TSX has been up and down like a new bride’s pants over the years. It is currently taking a hit but this has to be a long-haul investment. Money aside, worry aside, enjoy your time. I know we have. I always look at it like this. If I had waited to retire until 65 + 8 yrs it is like I would be 73. So all is good.

I had my men’s league golfing on Monday. Hot weather, cold golf. Our whole group except for one guy did not have a great game. I had 9- 3 putts and steady putters like Ron P experienced the same difficulty. I would get on the green in regulation and end up with a double bogie. It was horrible and I have no fix. Luckily it happened to everyone, and I still ended up putting money in my pocket. Three good game scores of an 82, 84, 85 and then one had to come back and bite hard. One of our group Ron S shot his best score ever at 76. With everyone struggling putting he had a hot hand that day.

Yep, my group waiting in the shade at a hole. This is what golf is like in Arizona. A Palm tree doesn’t provide the same shade and the leaf trees haven’t popped out yet.

A warm fun day with poor scoring but fun friendship and cold beer at the end of the round was the end to a perfect day.

This morning was Daisy’s first hair appointment away from her salon in Calgary. Sergi does a wonderful job as his parlor is in his basement and only takes one dog at a time. The “commercial” cutters usual leave a dog in a kennel with staging of cuts for 4 to 5 hours. Jackie found a place called Liza’s Doghouse. A small shop in a strip mall that only does two dogs at a time. The cutters, the building, the shop and the front desk people were all awesome. Picking up Daisy she was not stressed at all. 2 hours she was done and when I went in the shop there was Daisy playing with the shop dog running all over the place. I think she thought it was a doggie day care place. She looked great.

I was looking at this picture of Daisy’s beautiful haircut and my attention just keeps getting drawn to the amazingly defined calf muscle of mine.

We had nothing on our agenda as Fred & Terry had made alternate plans for Algodonas. I was not interested in going into Mexico but was looking forward to the drive. Maybe next year.

Later in the afternoon after Jeff & Wendy had all sunned up at the pool Jackie & I went over to their place. That is one thing we do not do any more. I used to love sun tanning but after Jackie had a mark burned off her nose and i had several spots frozen off the top of my head, we simply to do not see the value of a tan anymore. When we used to go on vacation, we wanted a dark tan to “show off” when we got home. Today we are in the sun every day so no need to bake also.

We went over to the Graces tonight. Besides the cold beer in a frosted mug which is awesome we started to play their “Made in Saskatchewan” card game called Queens. I was skeptical but I have to say this is one of best games playing with a partner for fun. Interesting concept (some RULES are a little odd but when created in the hay field one can forget certain things) but a quick game, a fun game, a thinking game, and a partner game. One of the best card games. Knowing it’s origin I am sure there are many different versions of it.

It was the girls against the guys. Here is where I will cut to the point.

Jeff & I are the KINGS of the QUEEN game. KINGS OF THE QUEEN GAME.

It was a little close there for a while, but we came on strong and finished them.

Besides WINNING which is always fun we were treated to a very good meal. Pasta with chicken and shrimp along with a Caeser salad. I am not a fish food fan but the shrimp were very good. Odd how they are butterfly cut open, but with the garlic and butter exceptional as was the pasta and salad. Always nice to have great meal cooked for you.

I ended the night playing God Save the Queen on my phone. I was trying to play the theme song from the King of Queens TV show but nobody would have recognized it.

A very nice day

Jackie and I headed out today to pick up all of the stuff for our 20 plus people wiener roast. 3 kinds of wieners, 3 kinds of buns, 3 kinds of baked beans, potato chips, condiments, utensils, desert, firewood and ingredients to make my potato salad. Total collected including our contribution was $126 with total spent $130. That is cutting it close. Everyone should be full and hopefully everyone will enjoy it. I will do all the prep work tomorrow, but Jackie will have a lot to do on Friday to be ready.

Thought of the Day

I don’t ever want my namesake Larry to hear this as he will get scared and run.

March 3rd

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 83 degrees Edmonton snow -10 degrees, Calgary -7 degrees”

What a day. Sitting outside for lunch it was warm enough that breathing the hot air felt weird. I like it !!

Jackie had her morning walk with Daisy at 7:30. I got up earlier than normal and readied her golf cart and clubs as she had a relatively early tee time today.

News, breakfast and at 9:30 I started my kitchen duty. First thing on the agenda I sliced and diced two large white onions as a condiment for the dogs. Then I sliced up and cut two bunches of green onions to be added to the potato salad. Shredded cheese added to a container. I then thinly sliced up a large bunch of radishes for the potato salad. Next was peeling and boiling 6.5 pounds of yellow potatoes. When they were fully cooked and for Potatoe Salad it is a fine art as over cooked they get mushy and under cooked, hard to bite into. I cubed them in about 3/4″ squares for the dish. I found the perfect bowl for these and moved on to making the dressing. I made a little extra as the odd time I found the salad dry and didn’t want this. Tomorrow Jackie just has to mix all of the ingredients together and wham one of the best tasting Potato Salad recipes there is. I like it as it is not mayo based as most are. Still egg based so temperature control is needed but not near as touchy as mayo based and in my opinion a way better tasting.

Took about 3 hours to get all of this done.

Worked a bit with Jackie getting the printer/scanner working and sat outside for a while with Daisy enjoying the heat.

We were invited along with our neighbor Ian, across the street, by ex-neighbors for a get together. Russ & Carol are very nice people. There are just certain people in the world that are extra kind, thoughtful and enjoyable to be around. It was nice to see them again and Ian and us enjoyed the gathering.

We got home and took Daisy for a walk. We ran into Tracy out walking enjoying the warmth and had a quick visit. It was quite dark out, but Jackie recognized the shadow. We walked past the Graces’s, but it appeared they must be out again. Most likely the pool. Porch light was on which makes it easier to get into the house seeing the lock and not tripping. I forgot ours tonight and it was dark getting in.

I loaded and organized chairs in the car. Stacked the firewood and will finish off some more stuff in the morning.

The finish to another day in paradise.

Thought of the Day

It is all fun and games until someone loses their weenie in the firepit

March 5th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 18 degrees, Edmonton -5 degrees, Calgary -3 degrees”

Amazing how 18 degrees feels cool but when you are 29 degrees the prior day, that is a big difference. It was overcast and breezy also which doesn’t help.

I loaded up the car with everything I could for the picnic, helped Jackie do few things and then loaded up for golf.

It was cool enough I had to wear a light golf jacket. My golfing partners today were Ron Payne, Kirk Fulton, Jeff Grace and myself. Getting to the results. We all ended up paying the sandbagger Kirk. Kirk had a great game, I had a good game, Ron had a good game and Jeff played the best he has played this year. It was the Jeff of old. The best and most consistent drives and wonderful iron shots, just the chips and putts that kept the score higher. With what Arizonians perceive as adverse weather conditions due to the temperature and breeze, the course was not as busy, and we finished in less than 4 hours.

Arriving at the firepit site Wendy had the fire going and reserved the spot and a bit later Jackie arrived with all of the picnic goodies. It was time for our Annual Viewpoint Golfers Weiner Roast as we only have three weeks left before we head home. This year we had 23 guests. This size of group is easily managed and is fun. I know I previously said what we are having but I will reiterate.

• Three different kinds of hot dogs. Jumbo beef, Ball Park and normal wieners. They like to add chicken to their wieners in the States, so we had to search.
• Three different kinds of buns. Poppy seed buns, regular hot dog and pretzel buns. Lesson learned though is not to buy Jumbo Dogs and use regular buns as it leaves no room for condiments.
• Diced onions, pickles, relish, mayo, yellow and Dijon mustard, ketchup and grated cheese for condiments.
• Homemade dressed Coleslaw
• My Grandma’s Homemade Potato Salad. This was a big hit as a few people asked for the recipe. It is my favorite.
• A 3-bean brown/black special mix that Jackie spiced up with honey and brown sugar
• Potatoe Chips
• Cucumber appy all fancied up.
• A huge jug of pre-mixed Paralyzers.
• Ice cream cups (that did not come with a wooden spoon, a Chinese conspiracy)

I can’t say for 100% certainty, but I believe everyone had lots to eat. I have always used a per person portioning ratio to determine the quantity needed as I always have disliked people needing to cut back to save some for the next guy. In my mind it is absolutely needed with a larger group as you can only cook so much at a time. I don’t mind leftovers at all. In this case everything worked out perfect.

Having to buy extra wood this year cut into the budget but it all still worked out. The fire was large, we had plenty of chairs, we had 12 wiener sticks, and everyone had plenty of their own drinks along. I am thinking along with a jug of Paralyzers we could bring a jug of Caesars for next year.

Only one incident happened at the roast that surprised and shocked me, enough I need to rant. LOL

MY RANT

I was surprised to discover two men of our group get pedicures. You notice how I italicized men in my sentence.

I have to take a stance and protect what is a very conniving, premediated and dangerous attack on the human male. It is so obvious and blatant yet dismissed and discounted as it keeps tearing apart our society. I don’t care if you believe in creation or evolution the male gender is the dominate one. Man was created first and received a partner in creation. Man was the larger, stronger, protector, hunter, more aggressive and assertive, food gatherer and the female was the childbearing, nurturing, caring, of the two and in both scenarios the same. That can’t be argued. Dominate but equal.

What is happening as the population is aging there are hormonal changes that take place. The biggest portion of the world’s population is over 50 years old. At this age the human race goes thru changes. Men’s testosterone levels drop at the same time as women’s estrogen drops allowing testosterone increases. Women begin to take on the male attributes of extra hair growth, girth increase and become much more aggressive and dominate. Marketers and women in general have recognized this and have a full out warfare on the male to promote the new feminine side and the ladies new found dominance. Every male that succumbs to the female pressure of reducing their manhood is a victim and prisoner of war. The male population needs to understand this. The slow erosion of masculinity is insidious.

A pedicure is one of the first steps. The human foot was created to carry the human body over all kinds of terrain. We all have a built-in protectionism system of all body functions, and the feet and hands are blessed with the capability of producing callouses. These callouses are our protection. Remove these and there can be all kinds of repercussions such as foot pain. sole pain, ankle pain, back pain, spine misalignment etc as we have altered the balance of nature. A callous is the signal of a great hunter, hard worker, food gatherer and protector of his family. IT IS MALE.

As the male population gets exploited and manipulated so called men are getting their chests shaved, waxing of the back, fancy haircuts, grooming products etc. all a conspiracy to reduce the significance of being male. Think of cologne. Why any man would wear this, as it was only created to cover up the natural male odor to eliminate the actions of uncontrollable urges when natural pheromones are released that woman would react to.

I will have difficulty not remembering the conservation of these males ” believing” it was their choice and that they actually liked it. Slow baby steps to being emasculated.

Do not fall for the propaganda, the feminists, and the female attack on males.

Unite men and protect your maleness.

BUT THAT IS JUST ME.

March 6th-7th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 18 degrees, Edmonton 1 degrees, Calgary 2 degrees”

A few days of cooler weather and then hot coming up. It is funny how we get spoiled by the 80 and then a cooler temperature hits and we think it is cool.

Jackie had her usual early morning walk but about a 1/2 hr later as Daisy let us sleep in a bit and the girls all don’t go walking on the weekend.

I was out of house and started working by 10 am and worked until about 5pm. It was a nice day to get a lot of little things done.

A trip to Home Depot with Fred to get a few supplies. Fred came along for a ride as he nothing on his plate today.

I then started in the back. I had to replace 5 slate tiles that worked loose. The Mastic seems to struggle adhering to the plywood substrate. I use a little extra Mastic and back buttered heavily. The structure was a plywood box to house the 12″ a/c vent pipe to the Arizona room. I finished off tiling and then grouted the tiles with new lines. It is a rustic slate look as the structure wasn’t built square so everything worked out prefect.

Then off to weed spraying. Spring is on the way as a few weeds were popping up everywhere. I picked a lot from under the palm and sprayed all around the yard. I then sprayed bug spray all around the house.

Then off the front to do some pre-leaving tree trimming. I took a lot off and they look wonderful. Mean trees with thorns up to 3 inches long. I now need to “paint” the trunks white which I will get done later this week.

It was a good day of work. Enjoyable even though a little hard on the back and shoulders and a longer workday. Nice that it was cooler though.

Jackie made a great leftover supper that was awesome.

First thing this morning Fred & I hauled my tree cutoffs to the dump. They would not take a can of paint. How dumb is that. Every dump needs a place for batteries, paint and gas disposal. With this a lot of stuff we don’t want in the regular dump ends up there.

Then off to my men’s group. Kirk, Denis and Jim today were my playing partners. Kirk won all of money again. It was an odd day as one hole with a jacket the next you had to take it off. It was a frustrating day of golf for me. I played quite well but could not PUTT. I even switched putters halfway trying to see if it made a difference. I had 47 putts today so you can figure out how many three putts that was. Yes, these greens are difficult, but I have played them now for years and have scored in the 70’s numerous times. Only once this year and many games low 90’s due to putting. Lots of the 81, 82 games that could have been lower if putts had dropped. Perhaps a new putter is needed, and I mean the instrument not the person.

Another great day in paradise, lost another buck or two, played golf albeit not well today and had fun so all is good.

I was going to head to the bar to watch the Battle, but it was cool out, and i decided to stay at home and watch it. I forced a bet with Keith and have high hopes of another win. After all we are the better team.

This morning when Jackie got back from her morning walk Daisy was tired. Besides being the cutest one she had the most friends. And she not only tells them what to do she loves bugging them.

She will for sure miss her friends here and the warmth. Every morning is an adventure for her.

A great win for the Flames to end the day. I am afraid another year of the Oilers not making the playoffs.

Thought of the Day

Losing. If at first, you don’t succeed, failure maybe your style

March 8th-9th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 73 degrees, Edmonton -8 degrees Calgary -8 degrees”

Being a desert, the days do start off cool. Cool enough that wearing pants to golf is a good option all the while knowing by the ninth hole it will be quite warm. Having said that I wore pants to golf on both days and was happy with my choice.

Today we were golfing at an elite course Las Sendas which by the way is owned by a gentleman from Calgary. He owns the course in Chestermere also. It is an expensive course at $150 each but Wendy was able with a Golf Canada card to get us 25% off which was excellent. With the courses so full you rarely see discounts on the top courses. Las Sendas is a top 10 Phoenix course.

I have played it a few times and I can say it is a wonderful course. Wide enough fairways, incredible greens and beautiful scenery overlooking the city and valley. The patio is exceptional for sunset views and 5 star food. The grill which is off to the side is the regular guys priced items with a steak sandwich at $20 versus the $50 at the Patio. Pat & Bob’s last meal with us was on this Patio at sunset which was fantastic.

The course was in tip top shape with exceptionally fast greens. The golfing was a lot of fun. Here is my take. Jeff had a decent game with some nice drives and great second shots. Wendy had a very good game with a few pars and Jackie had some great drives but poorer other shots. She had a headache, neck ache, stomach ache to deal with. I Had a decent game , missed to many putts and a couple of mean slices. They are coming back again. Always my nemesis that haunts me. Drive well and I can shoot high 70’s. Lost balls and penalties hurt so high 80’s or low 90’s.

Jeff & Wendy stayed for supper on the deck while Jackie & I headed home as Daisy was left alone. We always see evidence of misbehavior but no damage or mistakes. The Patio here though is a special treat place to go to on a warm night.

The first picture is of a Par 4 just below a beautiful Par 3 we played. The second picture is a take of the iconic Nipple Mountain.

A great day golfing at a nice course.

I had to get up earlier than normal as I was golfing today at Aguilla which is about 50 miles away but through city traffic. I have never golfed here before but will for sure again do so. I really liked the course. Not the “scenery” as some special courses have or elevations but a wonderful layout, super greens and nice to have the sides lined with brown grass instead of sand/rock desert. After our round our organizer wanted by show of hands to see how many players would want to play here again. Everyone put up their hands. Great pricing, great food, nice layout and a fun course to play. My burger did come a little pink but that is the way they do it down here.

I was playing with a guy from Waskesiu SK, Calgary and an Ontarian. A great group with two guys being single digit handicappers. I golfed fantastic for nine holes. Two eagles and long straight drives finishing the nine with a 38. Some years I do not get a single eagle all year long. Then reality hit again or should I say SLICES. Then I start to think too much and had trouble on the back nine holes. I would give anyone $100 instantly if they could tell me how to permanently fix this.

Having said that WE WON $70 bucks so all if good. Would have been better, could have been better. My slice has affected me too much the last few games. I loved the greens here as they were quick but true.

A golf course that is a way under rated as it is one nice track.

Back home on the #60 which is a busy highway. It was about 50 minutes to get home so not that bad at all which surprised me.

Sitting at home on my deck in the warmth liking my eagles, liking the course and having fun AND wishing someone could fix my slices. LOL

Thought of the Day

No thoughts only wishes

March 10th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 23 degrees, Edmonton -12 degrees, Calgary -6 degrees”

Wonderful day.

First thing on the agenda was checking out Ian’s golf cart. He has an electrical short in his wiring somewhere causing his fuse to blow. I started it up and took it up to Fred’s as he has all of the tools we need. Thought process was it had to be a wire rub, a connector issue or a faulty switch. First thing was to drop the headlight assembly to get a look at the connectors, check out the fixture and see more of the wiring. We tested the wiring where we had ends that we could find. The fuse connector was fine. The lamps all checked out. On the blue wire one of the connectors had a splice connector and bent at a 90 degree. We had no way to test to see if it was our issue. We removed the tape and quick ties and straightened up all of the wiring and ensured the connectors were all secure and tight. If it was mine, I would remove some of those wires with connectors and replace them with a solid run. Look up “connectors” in the dictionary and it will state ” instrument to connect to wire together with the potential to fail every time.”

After checking, rewire, connecting and quick ties we ran a test and the lights stayed on for 10 minutes with no issue. So, we started the reassembly and then turned them on and let it sit for about 45 minutes while we built a wall for an enclosure that Dwayne was building. We finished off the wall, siding and came back with the lights still working. Awesome!

First test drive around the block and to the mailbox including hitting a few bumps on purpose and still working great.

Next test drive is the one thousand block drive from 1800 block to 800 block with everything working perfectly. DONE ! Loose or tightly pulled connectors are always the weak point.

Ian was very generous and gave Fred a bottle of wine for his efforts. I told Fred do not open it until we see 100% if it is a perfect job as we may need to return it. If it fails again, I would change out the wires with the mickey mouse connectors that a supposed professional golf cart repair shop did and do it right. Doing it the cheap way that will work but not the 100% correct way is always asking for trouble.

We then whipped to the bank for Fred to cash a cheque. Charged $8 to cash a cheque. Crooks!

I came home and started painting the trees. A lot more branches to paint with their first coat so takes two coats and a bit more paint. I finished off both trees and like the looks and they are protected. Each year they require a coat. While I had the paint, I did Ian’s trees also. These are smaller ones so pretty easy other than being low to the ground.

Jackie was off golfing today and celebrating a hole in one by one of her group members.

I finished all up and sat down to watch the Players.

“Memories”

My adventure at the Players tournament is something I will never forget. JELD-WEN was a major sponsor so from Canada we took a few Home Hardware dealers down to it. I attended with Les Schwartz from Home Hardware Stettler AB. We stayed right at the resort on the course. We played a few courses around Jacksonville, visited the World Golf Hall of Fame and played both TPC courses. As a sponsor you are given a lot of special things and access. I even landed on the green on the 17th.

The last 3 finishing holes at TPC are punishing.

Another great day in paradise.

Thought of the Day

People wait for the big moment, the great event, and forget that happiness comes from building steadily on the small daily things of life.

March 11/12th

“Mercury Forecast- Mesa 23 degrees, Edmonton -2 degrees, Calgary 3 degrees”

Busy time with a lot of organizing, arranging and contacting.

1. Jackie & I along with two of our close neighbors were appointed to the Christmas Decoration committee. I do have say Jackie has been brilliant at helping get this all done. I created a new excel contact sheet for our block with names, unit numbers and emails. At our meeting which we had to move inside as it was early morning and too cold to be outside we came up with a theme and decoration idea. After a lot of research to find something different than any other block and keep costs down we decided on a red & white icicles for each home and a red/white double sided Noel sign. To get something two sided, longevity, as some have fabric strung over a cage, and a lot of blow ups we decided on a handmade Noel sign which is easily stored, should last as many years as we want them to, are different than any other street and when lite up will look very good. People still can continue on with their wreaths for the poles and Santa Bears as it will fit into the scheme. Getting a commitment and dollars is a task but think we are well on our way.
2. I have the May Long weekend camping done and finalized. The manager has given us a written approval even though he has not contacted us as of yet for deposit. I have the week after organized and done as we are staying at Waterton National Park for a week.
3. Organizing to the end of the month my golf groups outings each day.
4. Switched everything over to CIBC Mastercard from Capital One. Another long password to remember. LOL
5. Finalized a little earlier than normal our return to Canada for a couple of reasons and have booked our testing if needed.
6. Confirmed a Willard family campout in June where I am hoping we can get most of our group out. Darlene has taken the lead on this which is wonderful. If everyone’s scheduling allows it we should have Jim, Darlene, Kayla, Christain, Kari, Alfred, Mary , Graham, Abigail, Garrett, Jessica, Penny, Atticus, August, Corey, Victoria, Jackson, Mom along with Jackie and I. It would be so nice if sometime Cassie and family could make it. Brazeau Dam is a wonderful park in west central Alberta.

Today my golfing partners were Ron and Mike. Cutting to the chase I had to pay Mike. He was on fire for quite a while but then had a few off holes. Ron had his standard game. 80 years old and shooting mid 80’s. My slice killed me today AGAIN losing two balls which add up the score quickly. Good thing for enough pars to keep it in line but it sucks to have to work through that again. I found my solution with about three holes left that seemed to work. No matter what the score is, to be outside in the warmth, golfing and razzing friends it is a good day. We all look forward to the few drinks after to see who is paying who and to hear the tall stories of how great some shots were.

These guys make Arizona fun. We have a group of about 12 guys that constantly golf together and every day it is an adventure. Some real personalities, cards, teasers and harassers all done in good fun and enjoyed by everyone. I thoroughly enjoy each outing. I try to arrange the teams, so you play with different players as much as possible.

It was the Going Away Dance tonight with a band that we have seen before that are very good and is a fun thing to go to. At the beginning of this year though we decided not to attend these functions and wait until next year until Covid is done. Having said that though the park has done a wonderful job in limiting capacity at these functions. While just about everywhere in North America the restrictions have been eliminated including masking, people still aren’t comfortable enough yet to have it wide open especially when you consider Arizona is the third highest death rate in the USA. Too many old people and too many antivaxxers.

Jabba came today and WOW we are up to 3 mbps. I am paying for 10 mbps. Just a sad poor, poor service company.

The Players is struggling with weather unfortunately. It may go into Monday. The Waste Management and the Players are my two favorites to watch.

Leaving for the airport at 9:30 to pick up Amanda Keys who is coming for a visit which will be fun. We have arranged a golf game and supper get together on Sunday. She is golfing with her Mom, Jeff & Wendy , Ralph & Tracy and us and we are returning to the Key’s house where Fred is cooking us supper. Fred is a great chef so I am sure our supper which I know consists of Chili will be awesome. That brings up memories of a May long weekend where we had a chili cook off. Fred made AWESOME chili as his had moose meat in it besides the beef. Great chili.

We are having Ian over for supper tomorrow which will be nice. This is a brilliant man with a neat back story in his life. I always enjoy talking to him as I am sure I learn something new each time.

Jackie is up and at it early in the morning and off to the garage sale. She is using Fred’s golf cart to make the rounds.

Lots going on which is nice.

Thought of the Day

March 13th/14th

“Mercury forecast Mesa 28 degrees, Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 12 degrees”

Just amazing warm weather.

An easy pickup at the airport. First time in a long long time we had to go to Terminal 3 for a pickup. Everything worked out perfect. We sat in the cell lot until Amanda phoned and then whipped around and found her on the sidewalk. It was funny as Amanda is a wilderness survival camp style girl and when Fred said meet us at the north door Amanda’s response was “Dad I am new here I don’t where north is” (the overhead signs read North exit of South exit” LOL Amanda did not have a good experience with a hotel mix-up on her business trip . Nice to see her again.

Back at home I dry rubbed our pork loin with multiple spices. (secret) and readied the veggies for roasting.

We had a wonderful supper with Ian. Roasted root vegetable, spiced pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy along with carrot cake make for a nice supper. As I said prior, I love talking to Ian. He is a very intelligent gentleman and just a nice guy. Here is a guy that took the stock securities course after retiring. For anyone that is unfamiliar with this it is a very difficult course giving the person the knowledge on selling and buying stocks, bonds, ETF etc. We had a nice dinner, great conversation and nice evening.

Our fix on his golf cart was not permanent. Ian is leaving for home in a couple of days so we will look at it in the fall. It has to be a short in the switch.

We arranged a great golf outing for Amanda and our friends. Ralph & Tracy, Terry & Amanda, Jeff & Wendy and us along with Daisy tee’d off at noon on Viewpoint. It was just beautiful out. Hot with a slight breeze. Daisy was awesome again sitting the 4 hours plus just perfectly.

Our playing partners were Jeff & Wendy. As far as golfing goes here is my take. Jeff would have had a good game with pretty consistent drives, Wendy had a couple of pars and had some great shots and Jackie played very well breaking 100. As you know only 50% of all golfers do that. Great game for her. I played very well. Two great games in a row. Two eagles last game and four birdies this time. We ran out of birdie juice and only celebrated two of them. It was also only the second time this year I broke 80 on this course finishing with a 78. I did a lot of changes as my slice was starting to get to me. I backed off the speed of my driver and concentrated on a in to out swing path. Feels funny, hits are shorter but not one slice that caused me issues. It is enjoyable to golf like that but gets a little anxious as you don’t want to screw up the last few holes and wreck a good score. At 78 I even lost a ball over the green into the water so could have been even better.

After golf we whipped over to Fred’s for a great supper. Fred is a good chili maker. This time he had a hot chili and standard chili. He used his own home-grown peppers in the hot one and it was awesome.

After supper we started to play cards. Ok I did great at real golf but at card golf I LOST finishing in last place. Tracy was the winner. The card game GOLF is fun and enjoyable, but I may have to change my strategy on this also. LOL

Another fun filled day of golf and evening with friends in Arizona. We joked as Tracy had Covid some time ago (she is far past her contagious stage) that we were going to put her at the kid’s table. In Alberta now there is NO masking and no isolation or quarantine requirements even if you get Covid. It will take time for people to adjust to their new freedom. It is about time governments started using common sense. We just need the testing for our return to Canada to be gone. Omicron is quite contagious as we know numerous people that have be inflicted and everyone only had very very minor symptoms. In one case the husband got it and the wife didn’t and in the other the wife got it but not the husband. That is just odd how this thing works. We can’t let it rule our lives.

I am golfing again today and am wearing green. Newfoundland is the ONLY place in the world where St Patty’s Day is not on the 17th. Most won’t know this, but I am sure people will be bugging me about the green. Hopefully three good games in a row. LOL

Love the guys. We had 8 players today and 5 guys show up in support of our east coast rockers. Nice green shirts. Amazing. What a day as the weather was superb.

My partners today were Ron, Lloydminster, Ron, Saskatoon, and Russ Cold Lake AB. Another fun outing. Ron S played extremely well today. He drove well, putted well and had a good game. I did not lose any money so that is good. It was an ok day with a mid 80’s scored caused by one lost ball and a too many mistakes. I am still happy with my driving method as I had only one slice that didn’t hurt me. Wedges overshooting the greens or chip to far from the holes was the problem today. A peppermint tasting birdie juice was out quite often as we had 5 birdies.

Daisy had fun again with all of the guys coming over. I went a little extra tonight as it is my last hosting for the year and had shrimp, garlic sausage, cheese, and pickles. It was all chewed down so everyone liked it.

I am organizing up to the 25th and Ron P will look after the booking and tees after that. There are a couple of guys staying until mid-April but the most of us are the end of March/ April 1st .

Ten more days and we are off. It was a golf filled, social filled, excellent weather adventure winter that was awesome. Thoroughly enjoyable and I will miss the weather but hope Calgary can warm up quickly to get into summer. I already have a project as I need county approval for a special allowance that I will work on right away.

I am hoping for a great camping season. High gas pricing is a negative, but you just have to bite the bullet and don’t let that stop you.

Lots of plans to get done before leaving that I will work on coming up as I take off a couple of days away from golf.

Thought of the Day

Time is what we want most, but what we waste the most.

March 16th & 17th

” Mercury Forecast Mesa 28 degrees, Edmonton 7 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees”

Today was Princess Jackie’s crowning day. We headed off the dentist where I dropped her off and Daisy and I went to get cash for our caretaker fee over the summer. It wasn’t long before Jackie phoned as she had an issue with crown. Two things. The crown was ill fitted, so the dentist didn’t want to finish it. The dentist was closing for two weeks next week, and we are leaving. The dentist arranged for a new crown to be made by her supplier in town and would install it today if we could do delivery the Xray and mold and pick up the new crown. Odd but talk about going the extra mile to fix an error on the others part. It only took about 2 hrs max to make a new one and I dropped off Jackie again to get it installed. So needless to say, the bulk of the day was spent waiting but it was all good.

We came home and relaxed and then headed up to the Key’s place with the ladder. We had a wonderful afternoon sitting in the shade, sipping on a cold beer.

The Christmas decorations are close to be finalized which is good. Lots of work in the fall to get everything ready for December though. I figure 2 days installing clips and lights and 2 days painting and assembly of our boards.

ST PATTY’S DAY

Isn’t it amazing that a small nation had such an impact on the whole world? Irish Stew everyone’s fav and everyone knows about. Irish Whisky famous the world over. Guinness Beer is a favorite. Leprechaun’s a fairy tale and myth that everyone loves and the best-known thing St Paddy’s Day. Most do not realize it is actually a religious holiday, a day of obligation to attend church. Most like it for green beer and fun.

Fred & I have a tradition of going to Fat Willys deck and sitting down for a couple of big jugs of beer. Our plans are already set. Here are few past years celebrating.

I will add this years picture as soon possible. And this year we have a gathering at Ralph & Tracy’s where we are having wings and ribs.

Awesome parade this year. Bigger than ever and more participates.

Fred picked up Ralph, Jeff and I and we headed to Fat Willy’s bar. We got a perfect table half in the hot sun and some shade. We also were lucky enough (see what I did there) to get a super waitress. We had a blast on the deck with multiple jugs consumed and a special Irish shot that was close to 3 ozs. As usual lots of people around. You have to love the park on a special day.

Retired in 2014 so I am sure this is the 7th year for Fred & I on the deck. We missed last year and both the Graces and Keys rushed home as covid was taking hold in 2020. We have been joined by Jackie & Terry some years, we were joined by Mel for a couple of years and this is the first year for Jeff & Ralph. In 2020 when people panicked Jackie & I were here by ourselves. This year WAS SO NICE as masking, restrictions and paranoia have all left.

Plus this year we attended a party at Ralph & Tracy’s. I loved this. Guiness beer for those that wanted it, two different Irish shots, green Boler hats for all of the guys, decorations and great chicken wings and ribs with salads.

This was my FIRST ever party where I got to take home a goodie bag. Yes a green goodie bag for everyone. Tracy spend a lot of time putting stuff together for it. Very fun and a cool idea. Lots of alcohol consumed starting at noon but I awoke this morning feeling pretty good.

It was a very fun day. Lots of booze, loads of laughs and to take home a goodie bag was awesome.

Thought of the Day

Luckily, I now can go back to my real nationality today and forget my .00001% Irish roots. Dam drunks !

March 18th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 28 degrees, Edmonton 8 degrees, Calgary 9 degrees”

Checking out the weather I noticed in Calgary next week they have one day with a high of 18 degrees. That is sweet. Hopefully it lasts.

A good recovery today. A little sluggish but good. Breakfast, coffee and news to start the day.

Today is my second last day of golfing with my group. I had Doug from Saskatoon and Mike from Regina. It was a warm day today which I love. There are some days where things just don’t go right. That happened to everyone in my group. Not one person was close to their handicap. Much above it. I topped numerous balls today and struggled big time slicing again. Crazy. Good news though I putted very well. You just have to take it as a lesson in humility and realize the game of golf is very hard.

After golf gathering and said goodbye to few guys that are leaving. Fun season.

Thought of the Day

It is funny how hard it is to drink 8 glasses of water a day yet so easy with beer.

March 19th-20th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 23 degrees, Edmonton 4 degrees w/snowfall warning, Calgary 6 degrees”

Jackie has worked hard at getting a buy in and commitment from our group for our Christmas decorations and we have 25 out of 30 homes in.

I had a meeting with our caretakers and went over our needs and paid them for the year.

A slower day today. We went out for groceries and a quick stop at Harbour Freight during the day. I picked up an ATV winch to make loading my boat easier for me. For $49 it is more than worth it to save a back. I picked up a few mag bars for Fred and a moving blanket for the stuff in the back of the car. I did notice the shelves a little more empty than usual most likely due to supply issues. LOVE this store.

We are trying to fit a Fat Willys burger night in so we walked to the restaurant for a early supper. Wouldn’t you know it was packed. They had 5 groups on the wait list in front of us. There was some room inside but we decided to leave. I came home and BBQ’d some chicken breasts and roasted potatoes which is good as we need to use by some more food as our leave date is approaching fast. A very nice supper.

After supper Jeff & Wendy with Taylor dropped by for a visit. We played their card game Queens which I like. As I previously said there are some rules that should be changed to be reasonable and rationale. I think the rules would suggest to someone that it is a “made up game” Yet it is a very very fun game.

Jeff is the KING OF QUEENS as he killed us coming back from being in the negative to a masterful win. Queen of Spades, Jokers, deuces and lots of piles of cards.

It was a nice night listening to Taylor’s interesting life now in Vancouver. Taylor has come into her own as the shy young girl has become a strong assertive young lady. She seems very happy with life which is always nice to see. A nice evening.

I got up at 6:15 am as I was entered into a scramble tournament at Superstition Springs Golf course. It is a harder course with a fair amount of water.

This course is extremely organized. Carts were all identified and the Golf Genius app that keeps live scoring was awesome. The scramble was set up with no set number of drives required from each individual. What this does is allows the weaker golfer to have less stress trying to get typically four drives in and allows much lower scoring if you have a foursome that are all good golfers. This kind of format can have the low -15 to -18 scoring. Normal scrambles usually are -8 to minus 12.

My golfing partners I know very well their golfing prowess, with strengths and weaknesses. Before knowing the format, I was thinking a -8 to -12 score. With this format you get 4 good golfers together it can be -12 to -18 without the required drives.

Ron is a long straight hitter (bonus in scramble) and a good chipper & putter, Kirk is modest long but always in play and a great putter & chipper, Jim is a shorter hitter but always in play which is very important, and a good putter, decent chipper and I am a long hitter but can get in trouble. I will say NO ONE played lousy today. We all played reasonably well. I was very happy overall with my play. Not one slice and long hits with a few screwups thrown in. I kept track of the drives used to see how we would have made out if the format was “normal” and it ended up pretty even. I had 7 drives, Kirk 4 drives, Ron 5 drives and Jim had 2 drives. We could have used different drives in a lot of cases if the “normal” system was used. But we as a team had a HUGE issue. We missed, all four of us, birdie putts at least 14 times. Ending up with a Par or in 3 cases a Bogie. 4ft, 6ft, 8 ft , 12 ft away all four of us would miss. On one Par 5 which was 545 yards I drove great, then a second shot 8 ft off the green and we take a Par. It was actually quite funny.

UNBELIEVABLE but we ended up with 3 over. We couldn’t even win the horses ass or most honest trophy as we were second last. The winning team was -16. I was shocked at our success. Much, much weaker teams, teams with multiple ladies on them, teams with players using walkers etc. all beat us. Shameful !!

I have to say though it was one of the most fun golfing outings I have had this year. I like the team format, the course, and the playing partners and will put our embarrassing performance out of my mind.

A great lunch of mashed potato, chicken breast and veggies were awesome.

Another wonderful day in paradise. A little early for getting up though.

Thought of the Day

Expectations are always overvalued.

March 21st- 24th

Missed a few days as we were very busy. Weather has been beautiful every day.

Going by memory now so these three days will be short formed. Plus, the next days we will be on the road so no posting for a few days.

Monday was my last golf game in Arizona for this spring. The balance of the week is getting ready to leave.

Another wonderful fun experience golfing with the guys. A super game would have been nice but a few too many mistakes and the mid 80 game happened again. I WON a couple of bucks which was ok as knowing it was my last game this season I didn’t want to donate.

We had a blast on the course, and it moved quicker as there are already a lot fewer people in the park. From now to April 15th, it will be a mass exodus.

Mike was on fire for the first few holes so we got to enjoy a wee bit of birdie juice to help the golf game.

After golf Ron Payne hosted the 8 eight of us at Fat Willy’s. He has been coming here for a long time so has a little pull. Our waitress after stumbling at first was excellent. The wings and onion rings were awesome including the JUGS of beer.

After our LAST SUPPER for the season I went home and luckily Jackie agreed to come to Fat Willy’s for burger night. Jeff & Wendy hadn’t started supper yet as they normally eat very late so everything worked out perfect.

A fun time on the patio. FINALLY, Fat’s figured out they should have Caeser’s. Our waitress actually was the person to make them. I had to clarify the ingredients and they had everything correct. Great tasting but missing teh proper garnish and rimming. The waitress again went over and above and by the 4th drink I had my drink with celery and a salted rim/ Would have loved a seasoned rim but the salt works.

As usual the burgers were fantastic. Would like them to increase the of the burger or give a few more fries but with the quality of product and the special pricing no complaints. Lots of fun on the patio.

Jeff & Wendy came back to the house, and we started to play cards. We decided on the game of Queens with girls versus the boys. As I said before this is awesome and a lot of fun. I can’t remember the final scoring but they girls did win. The earth is slanted. Fun night.

Today was our going away block party held at our place. It was fantastic that Randy & Donna agreed to share our spacing to allow more shade and room for serving and eating. We set up the chairs and tables under their carport and out into the street and we set up all of the food on our tables and outdoor kitchen. We had like 95% of the block show up so we were full. The potluck selection is still being influenced by Covid but luckily between us and a couple of others we had plenty of food. We used up the last of our hamburger meat (2 pounds) by making a Sheperd’s Pie, and we had a great tasting large Chili, some great chicken fingers, balls, Deviled eggs and a multitude of other dishes. My only complaint on potlucks is that there is NEVER enough of them and in fact this time by my turn they were all gone. Darn.

Some very nice new people on our block.

We started to pack up for leaving. I knew from past experience it was a full two-day job. The list is numerous of everything that needs to be done. Fred helped me move the backyard furniture to the front which is about the only thing I that I need help with. A list but not complete by any stretch:

Move patio furniture from back deck to patio

Shut off and clear out bar fridge

Shutoff valve and clean BBQ

Empty garbage and recycle buns

Remove patio lights

Remove tiles from patio table and store in AZ room

Place patio chairs in AZ room along with patio heater.

Remove all decor items.

Tarp patio and back deck furniture.

Tarp outdoor kitchen

Install all sunscreens on AZ room windows

Throw away or giveaway all food items.

Cover furniture with sheets to protect from dust.

Trimmed the trees.

Packed my suitcase and essentials.

Load car and it is FULL.

Final stuff , breaker for hot water heater, turn a/c to 90 and shut off water.

Another fun season done. Even with Covid hanging over us we had a great time. I golfed more times than ever. We had great golf outings with jeff & Wendy. We had great outings with Ralph & Tracy along with Terry & Fred. Wonderful get togethers, game playing nights, and a lot of activity within our block.

It took a full two days PLUS to pack. I will say one thing. It is 85% easier and faster to close when I am alone. LOL Jackie had hours of visiting with neighbors while handing out block sheets, numerous phone calls, and stop by visits. The close may not be a “clean close” as hers but it would have been easier and faster.

Fred & Terry invited us for our last supper. How can you not like a roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and veggies along with homemade bread? Awesome. After supper we played the card game golf. I had a plan but will try a different plan next time as I wasn’t successful with my execution. Tonight, I wanted to get out as fast as possible with the least points. It was working until the ninth hole where I got burned. Next time I am going to try to keep the 12’s and 11 as it appears most people throw those out fast.

While this was happening, I even managed to fit in a tree trimming for one of the elderly neighbors, that Jackie committed me to doing. A huge 15ft grapefruit tree. I was lucky Fred helped me. I had to climb on the roof to reach the top and cut. My broken bicep means less strength in my left arm but hasn’t hurt me for years but reaching so far with a heavy edge trimmer it now hurts. Give it a day or two and I will be back to new. I should have had that bicep repaired though. Speaking of injuries Jackie is walking like she has a stick up her butt with her odd hip/leg pain. She will not have a comfortable drive back. Daisy loved all of the stop by visits today and is a little tentative as she can’t figure out what we are doing. She is making sure to stay close. LOL

I don’t think we will get everything done tonight so I am thinking we will need to come back here after testing. The only time that I can remember where I will be happy to be negative.

Thrown in the mix we finalized our Christmas program for this year. I order the $1700 bucks worth of icicle lights to be delivered to our full time neighbor. When I went order the plant does not accept a Canadian bill to address. Luckily our neighbor used his US American Express so everything should be set for an early delivery. That is paid for plus we gave cash to another neighbor as she is purchasing and painting the letters for us. I think finally our street will look good. Each unit is responsible for their lighting of the Noel sign but the combo of red/white icicle lights and the red & white Noel sign lighted up should look good as we will have 28 homes all done the same. Jackie has done a lot of work on this. I like projects but it is a big one to make sure 28 homes have the hung lights and the work involved in making them will be substantial. But fun at the same time.

I am looking forward to “turning” on the street Dec 1st and seeing how we did.

On the road again and based on few things I will post if I am able, or it will three days before I am up again. I will say I will glad to get some faster internet speeds.

We had great news as Corey got out of surgery and is feeling pretty good. Hopefully by tomorrow he and the medical team will know exactly the extent of success. He needs to be able to exist with no pain, no drugs and no risks of further injury. He is tough kid but anyone taking pain drugs needs to be monitored for long term use. Pain is one thing if it is unbearable, but a lot of people rely on “help” too much and it causes issues. People with just a slight headache, or muscle ache reach for a pill. I do know last time Corey had to be in unbearable pain and did exceptionally well. This time is easier as last time was multiple issues. The thought of pain like that makes me cringe.

Here he is a few hours out of surgery watching the Oilers. I am glad for a win for the Oilers just to make Corey happy. But not on the 26th.

First stop after Covid testing is our night stop at Cedar City. Should be a wonderful drive. The desert this time of year is beautiful.

March 25th to 29th

Three days in a row over 95 degrees in Mesa coming up. That is wonderful just as we are leaving. I would prefer to stay for another 3 weeks but we have insurance timing and some things to take care of in Calgary.

This is the coolest day of the next 3 days. Wonderful. You may also notice the a/c is on and set at 67 degrees plus the passenger side seat warmer is on. To explain Jackie has been having back issues lately and hopes the heat will help with the muscles. Also note audio off. The peace, quiet and enjoyment of driving not wrecked by music. By myself on a open highway music is good as it keeps you awake but it can cause a headache after a long day driving. Depending on the tunes it can make you sleepy or excited and cause extra stress for drivers.

I love the road system and drivers in Arizona. In fact overall in the states. Get away from Mesa with all of the old snowbirds, driving is fantastic. Their freeway speed is at least 120 kms per hour plus and this is on 5 or 6 lane x 2 wide roads. Great drivers. Looking forward to Salt Lake City as it is my mini Gran Prix race track. I love the HOV lane in and out and the speed of the cars. You know it is always busy.

On the I15 the speed limit is 80 mph in most areas. I bumped it up this year a bit as I saw fewer former bullied children driving black and whites and set my cruise at 90 mph. The intuitive cruise works absolutely wonderful so makes for a enjoyable easy drive. The Flex is a wonderful road vehicle. Low to the ground, wide tires and with the stance, corners amazing. Perhaps two or three real sharp corners I had to slow a bit, but other wise 90 mph is easy. I did hit the 100 plus speed a few times when making sure to get around a couple of slower cars/trucks where the occupant doesn’t understand the left lane is not meant to drive in, but pass. It is ok to drive in if you are not holding anyone up. Love the FLEX. One speedy hearse. I love the drive down and back. I enjoy the scenery, I enjoy the drive, the stops, the hotels and the new navigator.

I also always rear check not only for cops but other vehicles and I see this sports car catching me quick. I was doing 90 at the time and it flew past me like I was standing still so at least 120 mph or more. BUT as with all Japanese made engines the blue smoke out the tailpipes was very evident. I am sure a quart of oil will be needed next gas fill. The car was a nice looking Nissan GTR. High revs is the enemy of any mechanical device. My Acura started smoking with only about 50K on it.

We had a HUGE advantage of leaving a little earlier than April 1st. First we only had 10 cars in front of us at the border crossing, the hotels had plenty of rooms ( except for Helena) and the gas and hotel pricing was less expensive. The hotel we stayed at said they are fully booked the entire first week of April and the border guard said they will be ready for the onslaught of cars. I predict 2 to 3 hour waits at the border and difficulty in getting rooms if not pre-booked.

We watched the temp gauge go down every hour on our trip. The road side truck stop/ rest rooms are wonderful. I can say only second to England which are the best ever. England truck stops are full service and made available to both sides. This one in Montana was first class, clean, and Daisy even had her private run around area. Plus Jackie liked it being so nice compared to a lot of dirty stops there are. We need one of these on Hwy 2.

The further north we got, the closer to road the snow was, and the temperature kept dropping. What we didn’t like is the lack of highway cleanup. On our second drive day we counted over 22 deer/elk killed by vehicles laying in the ditch. Some huge animals. In one spot it was like a herd tried to cross as 4 dead all clumped together in one spot. I know in the future I will always plan to stop for the night before dusk as it could be extremely dangerous. We know of two Viewpoint residents when coming down in the fall that hit animals.

Our second night we stayed at an amazing hotel that we never have before. It was called Comfort Suites and it was amazing. Now it was $40 more but worth every penny as we had a huge room ( suite with couch 50 in tv etc) vinyl plank for dogs and king bed that was incredible and a full hot buffet breakfast. Loved it and will stay again. The first night at a Ramada which as I said was $40 less but not near the room. Jackie & I both agree there are certain things that shouldn’t be scrimped on and a good sleep in a wonderful bed and clean quiet room is more than worth it. Daisy does wreck one thing that I enjoy though and that is eating out at a restaurant so we brought in take out food, but it was still very good.

I was all ready with my papers and was disappointed I didn’t have to show them all but appreciative the border patrol was “normal” After crossing the border the 120kms felt sooooo slow I could doze off. Why we can’t raise our speed limit is beyond me. You all know where you have to stop when coming back to Canada. A gas stop and TIM’S was great. I love Tim’s and filled our need in Lethbridge.

At home we started to unpack. The worst part of any trip. It didn’t take that long and got just about everything put away.

Victoria did an awesome job in taking care of our plants along with Audrey checking in and putting some groceries in the fridge.

We sat down for supper and watched the Oscars. Some great looking dresses.

Ok here is my take on the Will chaos. I personally do not understand why he wasn’t thrown out of the room. How can the academy sit and condone violence. Chris is not going to lay charges which is very cordial of him. But Will needs to be slapped with a huge fine, kicked out of the academy and perhaps even take back his award. WE CANNOT ACCEPT this type of behavior. I never liked Jada ever but Will had definitely lost my respect. I have always had a disdain for foul language and anger and believe that individuals that do this are weak minded and in a lot of cases also tend to LOSE control of their emotions in a lot of circumstances. We will wait to see what happens to Will.

Jackie had a visit with her Mom, I put away the luggage in storage and fixed up a few things and we had a nice visit with Cor/Tor and Jackson. Daisy liked seeing Hazel her old playmate. That Jackson is getting so big. I took the Flex and got a windshield chip repaired. I made sure no defrost and no big bumps all of the way from Mesa to have it not crack as it was a star. Easy Glass is the best.

It snowed out in the night ( welcome back) and we had a good sleep. Jackie whipped out in the morning to take Jackson to school. I got to watch the morning news first time in months and the only change I see is different anchors. Hopefully the old ones are just on vacation.

TPMS needs fixed on the Jeep. They are so busy they won’t answer the phone. Not good.

I whipped over to Kal Tire and once again amazing service. The young lady came out and pressured all of my tires the same, scanned each sensor and reset the main control panel. All of the sensors scanned but she was in disbelief that they are 10 year sold and still working. The batteries wear out so I am lucky. This place has awesome service and is so nice to see in todays world. Thank you Kal Tire.

I washed the Jeep and cleaned the inside but didn’t Armorall the tires as I can’t find my special case of cleaning products. I put it away in the fall and now have to search except I have a whole load to take out to the lot.

Thought of the Day

They say “Don’t do this at home” so I am going over to your house.

March 30th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 25 degrees, Edmonton 9 degrees, Calgary 18 degrees”

I loaded up the Jeep with it’s first load and headed out to the lot. No snow and warm out so all good. I had a wonderful 8 hour day out there fixing and cleaning up.

I had to look up the new gate code as I forgot it when it was changed last year. Good thing for smart phones

I hooked up the battery’s in the motorhome. Started it up and started the Genset and everything worked perfect.

I started with the lot. I packed up another 4 bags of leaves. I have just behind the deck left now. A few spots the leaves are stuck in ice as the leaves were quite deep. I then removed the tarps and started to unload all of the furniture. I was able to move everything around and organize.

I removed the support pole in the gazebo, put my fishing gear away that I had brought to Mesa with me started to take a few pictures for my special variance permit from teh county. If I lose my case I have to do a lot of adjustments so I am making it right. Not right to be put into this position but that is “government”

I tried to figure out how to make my winch to pull the boat up on the Jeep will work and I will need some thought and jimmy rigging for this.

A very enjoyable day .

Thought of the Day

It’s officially spring, which means longer days, changing temperatures and, of course, spring cleaning.