Nov 1st-2nd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 6 degrees, Mesa 28 degrees,”

I could just input 28 degrees for Mesa everyday and I would be only out by one or two degrees. This time of year is always the best. Not hot, still warm enough evenings and on the quieter side as a lot of people are not here yet.

I am still waiting for rear seat for the cart and will install the covers and seat when it arrives. It got held up in PA a little longer than originally thought.

I am waiting for a quote for my PLAN Z for the kitchen. I am trying to see how expensive sunscreens are and will go this way, It won’t stop the rain completely but wills top the sun and the wind can blow right thru.

On a drive around the park today with Daisy on one block I bet 8 homes lost their carports. Had to be a real bad storm and I don’t want to repair again. I have fixed it twice now.

Paid a lot of bills this morning until I ran out of money in the account. It just blows me away that in one week we spent over $1000 on groceries and the fridge looks empty. Open the fridge and a meal plan cant even be made. Lol November is always a big bill month with golf fees and HOA for Arizona the final due for the year.

I am going to do a test on my credit cards to see which is better for us to use. We have a Visa with no trans fees, we have a MC with a 3% back and we have the USD visa. My plan is to go to Safeway and buy three things at the self checkout of the exact value and see what the net difference is.

Jackie has bought this Zero Vit water which is very good tasting so I have been drinking these. After golf I had a few beer and not having had alcohol for awhile I felt a buzz which was odd as usually it is a lot more then a few. No food though.

Atti had a FaceTime with us today. Jackie was brilliant and ordered Amazon gifts for his birthday to give early while is is handicapped. He loved them. Minecraft Uni game and Mario Bros will keep him busy for awhile.

Then the kid spelled my name and laughed. I asked him what he spelled and he goes Loser. You got to love kids and I love the cleverness.

Off to the pool hall to see how my pool skills have maintained. I am thinking first game us versus the Chases.

Great night playing billiards. Russ and I against Jackie & Carol. It was a night of unbelievable good luck for me. Balls were dropping every time I shot and a lot unexpected. We won every game except for a loss on my scratch on the 8 ball when they had many balls still in play.. I like pool as it a fun evening. I took my glasses off and had a way better results.

A few drinks on the patio and another wonderful AZ day has passed.

Alfred had his surgery and is back in his room which is good and arrived home. he said it hurt when putting on his riding boots.

I worked from 10am to 5pm on placing pavers for the golf cart. I knew this thing would cause me work. LOL

First was removing and digging out the gravel. Levelling the dirt then leveling sand to place the pavers. Step one involved making a mini pony wall to hold the pavers. I only bought the pony wall pavers today and on Sunday will cut the pavers on the pony and the pavers themselves. A good three day job and one day done.

Remember my parking spot situation and a Karen. Well $500 bucks in my bank account today as a lady in the condo rented it from me until April 1st. A very nice lady who has a spot already and wanted another for the winter. I can see why as snow, cold and hard starting isn’t fun. Interesting enough the other rental spot parking spot is still available. I knew it would work out.

Facebook is just a bad website for hackers. My nephew Graham and friend Ian both were hacked in the last day. One on Facebook messenger the other on Facebook. Yet people love messenger when there are so many other “secure” options to use. I have yet to figure out what the hackers really want info wise and to what use they can do with it.

The Flames are turning out to be a way worse than originally thought. Huberdeau is a joke and needs to be traded asap especially considering his salary. It is sort of like Nurse in Edmonton with his salary. Luckily for the Flames the Oiler have a leak and and are not much better. I do hate that I am in last place in the hockey pool. Hate that ! LOL

Thought of the Day

Dear paranoid people who check behind their shower curtains for murderers.  If you do find one, what’s your plan?

Nov 3rd-4th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 6 degrees, Calgary 11 degrees, Mesa 31 degrees”

Today was my golf group that plays Viewpoint. As people are starting to arrive the spots are also. next week we have two groups for Mon and Friday. Today only a foursome but a fun group to play with. Ron P is 81 and is an amazing golfer and holds his own. Barry and Mike both late 60’s and are great ball strikers. Semi similar handicaps. My second game at Viewpoint where I like to break 80 and both times no such luck. Having said that I won low net and low gross but broke even on the team game. After digging dirt, lifting pavers and sand bags my back wasn’t good. With pills I thought no problem but it was cart path only today again. If the path was on the left I shot right and visa versa. I am sure I could have walked the course in less than 15k steps by going direct to my ball. So not the perfect game, but perfect company, perfect weather and the perfect enjoyment. It is funny as my playing partners get older the ailments that hit them. People really are a walking time bombs health wise. An after golf meeting at Mike’s as usual is a nice way to cap the day off. Deb, Mike’s wife had turkey sausage with cheese, crackers and pickles for us. Very nice ! Turkey and I loved it. I have to be careful or the next thing I know I will be going for a pedicure. LOL NOT ! Good tasting though.

Ron is one of those guys that hits it 150 yards straight down the middle every time and gets about 20 yards off the green and is putting for par or bogie and ends up with a 5 net 4. The greens were extremely difficult to putt on today. The greens keeper had a bad night. Saying that though not wearing my glasses I felt I putted better. I can always look forward to next time doing better. Better at everything as nothing was as good as I would have liked.

A long walk around the park tonight and Daisy was moving quickly.

Big day tomorrow with hopefully completing my rear seat cargo carrier install on the cart and the new seats. Plus the big game at Calgary Stampeders against the BC Lions. Sadly most of my friend’s here are Edmontonian so you know they aren’t that interested in the game as they do NOT have a team that made the playoffs. Last place Elks and second last place Oilers in the NHL has to hurt. I feel for them. NOT !

BC is the better team but fingers crossed.

The first thing is the game. We didn’t have the luck, missing a bit of skill and BC played very well. Fun to watch a playoff game something the city of Edmonton misses. It ended up we lost and some of the blame has to be on the coach. In a playoff game and not to take a risk on a second down is dumb. A way to conservative. We had to stream it as no USA channel had it but the internet worked perfect. And no commercials.

Thought of the Day

I am swift as a gazelle…an old one…with arthritis…run over by a Land Rover…seven days ago.

Nov 5th -6th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 7 degrees, Mesa 33 degrees”

I hate to talk about the weather as that is a topic that old people love but I do keep track of it every day for the last 10 years so here it goes. ABSOLUTELY wonderful, no wind, blue sky and the perfect temperature. Having said that I did perspire a bit working and golfing.

Here is our daily temperature which everyone loves.

Fred and I started on the golf cart first thing in the morning. First on the list was the rear flip down seat and cargo carrier. Lots of bolts.

Then on the list was reupholster the seats.

I calculated the time required wrong as it took us a full 5 hours of working on the cart.

A couple of holes we had to drill out and a couple of welded on nuts by the Chinese to cause us trouble, took time, but the seat looks awesome and will work out fantastic.

I will say they did not give an extra fabric. We had Terry standing on the cushions trying to flatten them enough to staple on the fabric. After a lot of stretching and custom foam removal with a filet knife they turned out looking great. No one would recognize the cart from when we first got it .

With the new steering wheel, new front seats and back seat with carrier it looks good. Depending on the monthly expenses I would like to change out the wheels and windshield. But as of today I feel good driving it.

A busy couple of days.

Up first thing in the am and Jackie and I help the neighbor with his place. Jackie sorted and placed the patio furniture besides wiping them down plus doing windows. I power washed the entire unit which makes it so much nicer for Ian to sit outside and start to feel better as he caught the flu when travelling in Spain and hasn’t fully recovered yet.

Jackie then did a full clean to our place including new bedsheets and custom cushions on the couch.

I whipped over to Tim’s after the power washing and we worked for at least 5 hours building a shed for him. We got a lot done which was good . It will be a nice shed and create a nice quiet place for eating and relaxing. I have built a lot of projects with Fred over the years and love the the way Fred works. Adding a third person and the owner of the project makes it a little different. Having a knowledgeable additional person also speeds up the process.

Many sheds built in my life !

Off to my house for a shower and cleanup and then back to Fred’s house for a birthday supper and celebration with Tim. He says he is older than dirt but I am thinking most likely only 70 years old.

Last year 84 beer on the counter from Fred on his Elk/Stamps bet, this year only required two beer. Now here is a clever smart thinking guy. Look at the size of these two beer he got for me

Fred & Terry supplied Kelsey’s Pizza and Jackie brought a Caesar salad . Awesome pizza. Meat lovers with fresh tomatoes is heavenly. Terry also had a great birthday cake with ice cream.

A Facetime visit with Lorna while singing Happy Birthday to Tim was perfect. The meal fantastic. And the games we played excellent. It was over 30 degrees outside until at least 8pm. Fred is an excellent bar server but we couldn’t get Tim to drink much.

Jackie was the big winner tonight, She must have had horseshoes under her skirt as she was lucky and played the game very well beating all of us.

A very fun night and a great day.

A tee time for 9 am with my Viewpoint group. It was a warm one out today but never a complaint. We had two tee times but a couple of cancellations happened and as we were behind 4 walking women golfers the starter allowed us to play as a fivesome. We had no trouble keeping up to the group.

I wasn’t happy with the way I golfed today but I was the low net and low gross player. A lower score than a 5 handicapper is always good. So I had fun. First time in a lot of games where I had two slices. One cost me a lost ball. Darn !

A great first time together with a bunch of the guys at Denis’ s place who had nice cold beer and some shade. Everyone’s gauges today read over 9o degrees.

A fun day again in our paradise. Everyone’s paradise or thought of one is different. Some love the ocean and beach, some love the inexpensive yet risky locations like Mexico and some love the other side of the world. I love it here for a couple of reasons. What we would spend on a two week vacation to Europe I can spend 6 months here. No natural disasters, relatively safe and a social atmosphere like no other. You can only visit so many castles, museums and digs. We do not care to spend the day on the beach like we used to. While I love to see new things, experience new cultures and visit new places I much prefer the stability, not having to pack and move to another hotel, and the everyday challenges of not finding a normal meal. Europe still sucks in my mind for food and coffee. I love Arizona !

Thought of the Day

Eat whatever you like because…

             …the inventor of the treadmill died at the age of 54.

             …the inventor of gymnastics died at age 57.

             …the world’s bodybuilding champion died at age 41.

             …the best footballer in the world, Maradona, died at at 60.

.           And then…

             …the KFC inventor died at 94.

             …the inventor of Nutella died at 88.

             …the inventor of Hennessy died at 98.

Nov 7th -8th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 9 degrees, Mesa 28 degrees”

All I can say I love the weather.

I spent all day from 9am to 5pm working outside on my new golf cart drive pad. I finished it about 5pm and the body hurts moving pavers, digging, shoveling and bending up and down like a yoyo. I like it. The test will be the weight of the cart on the pavers if they move. May mean some lifting and adjusting in a year. I did not use Polymer Sand binder for this reason.

I like the looks and if it settles a bit I can repair by placing new sand relatively easy. Just a bit of sanding and done !

That is a lot of bending up and down, hard on the back and very tiring working in the warmth. Nice it is done, great that it looks good and Volteran and back pills tomorrow for golf.

Little Atticus with him being restrained with a broken leg has been set up with kids messenger, I had fun with him last night as he or I probably phoned 6 or more times.

Cute kid.

A quiet evening watching the TV after a great supper.

Up early this morning for my Men’s league called the Rovers. It is about a 50 min drive to the course if the traffic is fine. Today was perfect.

Yesterday the organizer who is a wonderful man and does a huge amount of work on the organization of this sent me an email asking for help being his treasurer. The job entails collection, counting and distributing the winnings to each team. First, I have no clue the system he uses but I agreed to help him out. Bill our organizer/commissioner is an accountant and this made me smile as the accounting department was my nemesis my whole career. I would “sale” a customer and try to get a credit limit big enough, or extended terms, or collection on some dispute and it always was a nightmare. Now Bill was making me nervous having to be his treasurer and its duties. Then I see the team breakout and I have a Bill a 9 hand-capper and two scratch golfers as my playing partners. Playing with semi pro golfers, playing with the commissioner of our game and having to distribute the correct amount of money for 28 people did not help me sleep well. LOL

First the golf. The golf course was immaculate and the greens had the perfect speed and movement. I liked them .I golfed quite well and would have broke 80 except I lost my ball on the 18th hole. A slice came up and out of bounds. Darn. My partners being scratch and single digit are great golfers BUT today I was the second lowest gross score of our team plus the low net score of our team and the second lowest net score of the group of 28 . I was pretty happy. I was intimated off the first tee when they hit and I saw their ball flight. I then hit and with a mighty swing out drove everyone of them. If we used the driver 14 times off the tee I outdrove them 10 times. I along with them were impressed and I think the one gentleman was a little upset at his distance each time. Now only 20 yards to 2 yards behind me but behind my ball. I rather enjoyed it.

My treasurer duties went off without a hitch. Hopefully not too well as I would rather not do this each week unless needed. LOL I had a fist full of money and felt like a mobster handing out all of the cash.

In the TRAID game our team did not excel. No money for our team. But a wonderful time and great golfing partners. I forgot to mention the scratch golfers, one was from Scotland and the other from Germany. They spend their winters in Phoenix for the weather as their home countries are too cool.

On the course I noticed a gentleman wearing a kilt and I pointed him out to Stuart our Scottish import. He looks and says in his accent” He’s not Scottish, He is American, look at those socks”

I love the 202 highway and I made great time coming home. I think I will have quick wink off with the early rise and lack of restful sleep. LOL

Thought of the Day

Anyone who says their wedding was the best day of their life has clearly never had two candy bars fall down at once from a vending machine.

November 9th-11th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 27 degrees”

My Dad, Jesse Willard in the army. I lost Uncle Bruce in Holland during the war and another Uncle Roy was a Purple Heart recipient. I am not sure of the status of my other Willard uncles. On the Dickson side none of them decided to enter the war.

Jackie was off early today golfing with her ladies and a good thing to miss the heat of the day as they walk the course.

Turns out she had a awesome score of 44 on the nine hole course. She says it was warm out but not overly and managed to get 8K steps in from golf alone.

Daisy and I did a few things around the house. I did the final sand to my parking pad and tested it plus used the cart as a tamper and all is good. I also think my drainage slope will work out perfect.

I smacked my head when working at Tim’s and it left quite a scar. Good thing I had a cap on or it would have been a blood bath. Now it is getting itchy and I can’t scratch it. Jackie says I look like Gorbachev.

I whipped the tools back to the shed and picked up a few others and came back and used the angle grinder to take out Randy’s tree stake. I thought it would be tough metal but it cut like butter. Made for a much easier task than I originally thought.

Daisy and I took a drive around the park which she loves. I checked out all of the damaged homes and the homes for sale. Some nice homes at high pricing and some decent places at very good pricing. It will be interesting to see the SOLD signs pop up as every year with a resort of 3000 units it is expected due to deaths, circumstance changes etc at least 300 units per year for sale. It appears to be a few more this year.

The winner of Big Brother was crowned tonight. I liked Jag and thought he was the best player but I disliked his attitude and speech he gave at the end. Well deserved but his approach was brutal.

Our Golden Bachelor season has one episode left also so the season of reality shows is closing.

A hard wordle tonight with Jackie pulling out the win again.

The NHL has the second last place Oilers playing the last place Sharks tonight. I like the score so far with the Oilers losing 1-0 after one period. They are panicking in the dressing room right now. IF the Oilers lose tonight not only an embarrassment but a firing of the coach will happen. I love the chaos it has created in Edmonton.

Tonight at 9pm it was all the way down to 19 degrees and it felt cool while walking. How soon we get spoiled.

Daisy’s new carry bag arrived along with my new surge protector.

Again Southwire is an amazing company so if you buy a Surge Protector make sure to get one from Southwire.

Today was Viewpoint Golfing day. Another wonderful weather day and fun gathering. I have been playing pretty decent with being the low gross and low net player in our group this week again. But once again, getting burned by one slice and having to count a lost ball. Lots of walking though as we are still cart path only until Wednesday. I think the score will come down then as you will have the proper clubs and less back pain from walking. My gauge for how well and loose I am is Hole 2 and Hole 10. I have landed on these Par 4’s before but like the 20 yards short around 290 to 300 yards. I was happy today.

The golf course was looking very pretty !

Over to Barry’s place for a gathering and some cold beer and snacks.

Jackie Wordle in 2 myself in 3. Darn !

A walk around the park with Daisy at night and dipping down to 18 it is amazing the coolness. Spoiled.

Today is Yard Sale day. It is like Christmas morning for kids but they are seniors. I have NEVER seen people get so excited over a garage sale. I am surprised we don’t have more accidents with golf carts running into each other. Jackie is out and about with Terry and Sandi ” shopping” She has a wad of money with her so that is scary what “junk” she returns with. Having said that, one year she did absolutely amazing coming back with an electric fireplace, a stainless steel overhead range fan and a 32 inch Tv for outside for our RV lot. All in perfect shape and worked out perfect.

We put an ad for our couch, FREE in the VP marketplace and we had numerous calls. First guy to come and likes it, gets it. This couch we bought in 2006 when we bought our home. Today it still looks like brand new. It was a matter of two things. First it was oversized and in a smaller home is not good and second due to the depth and cushions it was not the most comfortable.

The room looks so sparse now.

Sandy & Dave came over for drinks and cards. Nice people from Sherwood Park. I like Dave as in his youth he was exactly like me. He had a 1969 Hemi Charger ( worth about 150K today) and was a car nut.

I hate to say it but the girls won tonight. Yes the girls won. Dave and I started off great but the girls had horseshoes again.

Fun night, unfortunate results but a lot of fun.

Thought of the Day

The pessimist complains about the wind.  The optimist expects it to change.  The realist adjusts his sails.

November 12th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 8 degrees Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 29 degrees. “

It is a little redundant putting the Mesa temps in as everyday all week is 29 degrees. This is perfect as it is not hot and keeps the coolness away in the evenings.

First thing this morning we headed to American Furniture and lucky enough found the perfect new couch. Right sized, right color and design and very comfortable compared to the previous one.

Handy having the Flex as we were able to fit the couch in the back perfectly. A gray leather sofa on a Black Friday deal. Funny though as when we opened the box in big letters it states Made in China. I hate that but what are you going to do.

We got that all fixed up and then headed to the pool hall. Again bad luck as the girls beat Russ and I. The world is tilted but good on them. Losing on a scratch 8 ball hurts. As usual a lot of fun playing.

A few drinks and snacks after at the Chases’s house finished off a hectic but productive day.

Thought of the Day

How do I like my new couch? Sofa so good !

November 13th–14th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees , Mesa 30 degrees,”

Viewpoint Golf group today for me and a girls Viewpoint Golf group for Jackie.

Jackie had another great score on the nine hole course with a 44. That is one tough course and I don’t know if I could score that low with it’s sloped greens and elevated greens.

There were just 4 of us today which was nice and all great guys to golf with. There was some ugly golf from 3 of us. Denis played well and ended up with a 79. I played decent but was trying a different grip and should have just left it alone. I finished in second place but was not happy taking 6 penalty strokes. Next time. It also cost me $6 USD Darn !

Ron choose to take us all to Fat Willy’s for a treat after golf. Chicken wings were awesome. Onion rings great and cold beer jugs (yes I still call them that) were perfect. Sitting on a warm deck in the shade at 90 degrees with friends and COLD beer is almost heavenly.

A great day.

A long walk tonight and it was still warm out at 8pm. Daisy the little brat had to be picked up as she didn’t like the breeze and darkness.

Wordle, Jackie once again gets me by ONE.

I knew they would blow the Oilers up but they didn’t go far enough.

The Oilers keep making moves that go beyond unbelievable. 

So the Oilers hire McDavids agent to work in the front office, hire his junior coach to coach the Oilers and sign Connor Brown who is his junior hockey buddy looking for a job, whom his bonus is probably triggered by now on the cap hit.

Who’s the GM of the team, Holland or McDavid!? The nepotism is off the charts. And to add to this Coffey after getting rid of the ex Oilers in years past is just wrong. McDavid points total is abysmal.  I have just two words. GOOD LUCK. LOL 

I checked the status of my windshield and it is sitting in NYC so at least a couple more days. I will prep the bars and have it ready to install.

That is the first time in along time I have had wings at a bar. It used to be my staple. Ed and Darren every Friday for years and we would eat 100 wings no problem and Jeff & I every Wednesday after golf or screen golf wings and beer for years and years. I love wings and the fact it is chicken they are very healthy for you.

Jackie was right and I am the treasurer for another week. LOL and maybe permanent until I leave in Dec. I don’t mind it but it is funny how out of the close to 40 golfers I was the chosen one. I prefer to rest, relax and golf but it is ok to help.

A news article came out today and the average lifespan in America is decreasing for the first time. Covid had an impact but something else is going on. I am convinced the cholesterol hype and drugs for it is a scam as that should extend life. Heart disease is still the number one killer. Now Covid did have an impact but is not the main reason. The spread between women and men has reached 6 years now from 3 years before covid.

For women and men, life expectancy of 79.1 years and 73.2 years reflects a long-apparent, significant gap and quite a drop from the 83 years as the standard years ago. The experts state if you can make it to 65 with no huge medical issues ,the odds of living to 90 for men are 35% and women 46%. The reason there are so many older women around than men.

For years when the gap was 3 years it was believed due to stress ( men working outside of the home) environmental ( job conditions) and male genetics. The spread widened due to Covid numbers and deaths with men being more at risk and succumbing.

Make life count means more as you get a little older. It is such a balancing act between longevity, good health and finances. I am positive if people had the money we would see a huge difference in activity from older people but that is a huge red flag as no one wants to run out of money and infringe on others or be a government liability with no control.

I woke up this morning and went outside to enjoy my breakfast and coffee. This is almost heavenly, Blood pressure 102/70 . Black coffee hot, toast warm with peanut butter and jam, the air at 85 degrees, and a new laptop with Win11 that is problematic. Life is good.

Tonight was our first block party. It is always nice to see everyone gathered together. This is what makes Viewpoint great the social aspect of it. A great turnout tonight and some wonderful tasting heavy appetizers. A few new people on the block which is good to meet them. We are all organized for the Christmas lights setup to happen on Nov 25th where a bunch of us guys and lady helpers will install the light son every house that participates. I think we have about three homes that chose not to. If we need another sign it may have to wait until next year as we have a lot of our block going home for Christmas this year.

Our longest resident Ardon now is 90 and still gets around reasonable well. Everyone introduced themselves as a refresher and wore name tag which is a big help in putting a face to a name. More Saskatchewan people moving to our block. We have one for sale and a potential for two more as the year progresses just from listening and hear tell.

Wonderful night !

Up early and out before 7am to play golf with my group from Saskatoon.

November 15th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 2 degrees, Mesa 30 degrees”

I had to get up early ( not quite as early as Jackie) my whole working career and didn’t like it that much. Now retired getting up early is a pain in the butt. I do not understand how ANYONE wants to get up early or can’t sleep.

I was out of the house by 7am and picking up George at 7:15 and we made great time arriving at the course about 1/2 hour before our tee time.

I once again was voluntold to be the treasurer. I have the job down pat now so that part went pretty easy. I still feel like a mobster with loads of cash separating my fingers with 5’s, 10’s and 20’s.

I was teed up with a 6 handicapper, a scratch 0, and a 10 capper. I will start with we won $100 which is good day at winnings. Here is the situation;

My team won 3 traids, 2nd low net of my group, 13th lowest gross out of 28 people so not a great day but livable. Not one lost ball or penalty just missed chips and putts that caused a mid 80’s score.

A super nice course and a nice track to play.

We received an email from our condo association of a oil spill violation. Some whiner must have complained as the “hot rod” parked in my rental spot looks like it leaked oil or antifreeze and it ran out a bit. I HATE HOA condo boards and whiners. Quite annoying. I will need to contact my renter to fix it up quickly if they are available or get someone to look after it for me. A little floor sweep and a broom then a pail to throw water on it which is pretty easy and they want to fine me. I may have to go postal. LOL

All fixed even though a hassle and a way over zealous reaction from the board.

It is so warm out sitting outside in the dark it is amazing.

A long walk around the park with Daisy , a quick stop at Fred’s place and just catching up on emails etc.

A friend just sent this to me out of his archives. This is a throw back to quite a few years ago. I am not sure but I would say at least 20 years ago. Ron Wharton and myself at a CP Dist trade show selling locks and doors. I see a Blackberry on my belt so that says long ago. How time flies.

This picture above reminds of the greens on the Viewpoint Golf course. LOL

November 16th-18th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 8 degrees, Calgary 10 degrees, Mesa 25 degrees”

I didn’t put each day in but Alberta has had some incredible temperatures one day hitting 14 degrees, That is NICE for November for sure as the city even opened a few golf courses, We have had the standard close to 30 degrees each day but we have had two nights with rain. First moisture in 3 months. When I say rain it is like 1/10th of an inch but very welcomed by the area. Having said that the course made us cart path only. There was NO sitting water anywhere but to be safe they made us walk a few extra steps.

In no particular order here is we have have accomplished in the last three days.

My new golf cart windshield arrived. I was leery of this as Amazon stated “for professional installation only” I think it was a caveat against damage caused by installation and a return where they would say it is not a DIY item. I am going to say it took me 1/2 hour to complete, was very easy and looks fantastic. A tinted grey fold down specifically made for my cart. Love it !

Jackie did a full house clean which makes the place look awesome.

I played the Viewpoint course on Friday in the warmer weather than expected. I decided no pills for the back today and went Johnny Cash in black to absorb the sun’s heat. I do know I was warm. LOL The score wasn’t great but everyday it can’t be. Second place finish and some money in my pocket so I can’t complain.

Baked potato with all of the fixings and pork chops with salad and garlic toast make for a wonderful supper. I was going to cook ribs but after reading the directions it stated 2 to 3 hours and we weren’t prepared to have supper late. Some people like supper at 7pm but we prefer the 5 to 5:30 pm range with 6 being considered a late supper. If you have lunch at noon that is 6 hours until supper which is not good for you.

A long walk every night, visits with the Keys and watching the Golden Bachelor.

I installed a new battery for my neighbor across the street. I agree with Ian that batteries are not that light and are always put in a difficult spot to hook up. I had to whip up to Fred’s shop to pick up a special socket set for long bolts which worked out perfect.

Paid a whack of bills some a way more expensive that prior. It appears in Mesa the pricing has come up just like Calgary on everything.

Jackie was brilliant at getting us to the dump before golf to get rid of the windshield and couch boxes. Loaded it all up on my new rear platform/seat of golf cart and headed out early.

Jackie also did a thorough interior clean on the Flex.

My partner in crime from Lethbridge finally has made it down here and will join us for our Wednesday golf games.

Christmas light set up is all set for Nov 25th 9am in the morning. I am hoping for 4 guys and hope in about 2 hours we can get the entire block done. Last year I climbed on the roofs of a few due to large trees. This year I am bringing my large hedge trimmer and I am going to surgically remove branches that impede my process. Tall ladder, long pole with hook and get it done.

Even fruit today kills people. A huge salmonella outbreak in the US and Canada from Cantaloupe. Nothing is good for you. And we just bought some. Darn.

Hawaii sunsets are pretty awesome but a desert sunset is spectacular. After a rainy day with rain clouds and dust particles it looks pretty cool.

Pretty good picture from a car and cell phone.

Thought of the Day

A sunset is a wonderful way to say ” You survived another day here is something pretty to look at”

November 19th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 10 degrees, Calgary 13 degrees, Mesa 22 degrees”

A few cooler days after the rain. I say cooler but I would say perfect with it being still very nice and warm.

Jackie went out for groceries first thing this morning as we were going to the Key’s place for a Grey Cup Party.

I paid some bills and pushed the button for my golf cart wheels. An expensive month with VIP golf payment, golf cart parts, and VP golf.

I finally have a plan to finalize my kitchen roof which I will do in January. I am going to use corrugated steel roofing, 3 x 3 metal posts and smoked Lexan for light. I will look great, rustic and hopefully withstand all of the forces.

Jackie made Beef Quesadilla’s to bring which were fantastic tasting and came up with a brilliant idea to use our Crock Pot to keep them warm. People loved them. Terry made pizza rolls and they were amazing. Our potluck for the game was better than any potluck supper normally.

Fred had about 14 people all watching the game outside on his deck with 2 people cheering for Montreal. A GREAT GAME but the wrong team won !!

It was a LUCKY night for Jackie and I. Fred does the square card for scoring and sold them for $1 per square with 100 squares to a card. Jackie and I came home with $100 ( $140 cdn) in our pockets with Larry winning the first quarter, Jackie winning half time, Larry winning the third quarter and Jackie winning the final game score. Not a bad night.

It was a fun gathering and a lot warmer than last year as we had two firepits out last year to stay warm.

GREAT FOOD, AWESOME WINNING ALL OF THE MONEY, FUN GATHERING !!

Thought of the Day

” If winning isn’t everything why do we keep score “

November 20th–21st

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

Up early this morning as the tee times we are getting are early all week. Some a little too early.

It was not a great day at golfing. For some reason drives and chips were not good. The annoying part is Viewpoint is a easy course with difficult greens and I haven’t had a low score this fall yet. Last game this year in the spring a 76 and a 70’s hasn’t happened this fall yet.

I have only a few games left for 2023. Two of them at a course with 12 acres of sand which is a very hard course. Looking forward to it and would love a low 80’s score here.

I installed most of my Christmas lights today. I had Jackie hold the ladder for me. Tomorrow I will finish them off and clean everything up.

I finished off all of the lights, set up the timers, fixed up the Noel signs and checked them all out and I think it is all done. I can’t turn on the lights until the day after Thanksgiving as it is a unwritten rule.

There is small competition between myself and neighbors. I hope when I turn them on I don’t have to go and buy any more lights. LOL I think I have it but I will see on Friday !

I went up to Fred’s and helped him install a new pneumatic cylinder on his rear lid. Dumb engineering as we had to remove a lot of plastic piece’s to get at the plug to unhook it. After a couple of tests it works like brand new !!

Tonight we took Ian out for supper at a wonderful Italian restaurant called Carrabba’s. I power washed Ian’s house with Jackie’s help and he gave us a gift card. I wanted to do it free so we thought, lets take him out for supper. The menu was long and wonderful, very nice decor and excellent pricing. The food turned out to be wonderfully delicious. If we were complainers some would say they brought the food out to early after getting our starter salads but I would call those people whiners.

A very nice evening out. I love talking to Ian. He is just one of those smart guys that has done so much and lead such an interesting life. He owned his own rubber manufacturing company and was involved in creating the SnoMat for ski hills, and even made his own wet suits for diving. Tomorrow it will be 2 years since his wife Gail left us. Another super nice person so naturally Ian is a little down. Those two travelled so much, to so many places. They took two 30 day plus cruise vacations which is amazing. It is sad when someone loses their partner that they been with for decades and now has to adjust to a new lifestyle.

Thought of the Day

Say not in grief she is no more, but live in thankfulness that she was.

November 22nd

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton -3 degrees, Calgary 1 degrees, Mesa 24 degrees”

A early rise and pickup today at 7:15 for a golf outing with my men’s league out of the park. I was picked up by my friend Sandy Sutherland and we also picked up George Derbyshire from the park . Just some `side notes on these guys. George is a pediatric doctor that specializes in behavioral science for children. He is from Thunder Bay Ontario. A very nice gentleman and lots of fun to talk to. His backyard looks like a English garden in Thunder Bay Canada. Sandy, I have known for about 15 years and is a friend of Bob Ferris’s and of George Modzjewski from Lethbridge. Awesome guy. This man is 75 yrs old and just had a total knee replacement in July and had to play golf with it be cart path only. I put on 9800 steps so he had to be close to that. He says it doesn’t bother him other than his stamina.

We were playing at Southern Dunes which is a fantastic course. Every time i have played it, it has killed me. Today my 3rd highest score of all year. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club can be summed up in two words: Sand traps. They’re everywhere, a typical course has two to three acres of sand. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes has 12 acres of sand. If you can’t wrap your mind around that number, try this: There are 129 traps on the 18 holes, an average of just more than seven bunkers per hole. It is a monster that bites you.

It wasn’t the golf courses fault today . The last few games a slice has come and wrecked my score but still allowing me to score high 70’s low 80’s. Today every hole I was struggling with a slice and I would tense up and screwup even more.

Having said that it turned out ok as on the holes I needed to, I did well. My score card read par, par, par ,8, 7 par boogie 7, all the way through. Winning the holes I needed resulted in the following.

I would say this is the first time in many years where I golfed with a guy that wasn’t friendly. No jokes worked, won’t converse, no smiles etc. It sort of drags the fun down but my other guys made up for it. A fun day and money in my pocket so no complaints. I lied ONE complaint. I hate slices and forever have fought them.

Sad news as our good friend’s Fred & Terry Keys have decided to sell their house here at Viewpoint. They have been with us in the park since 2007, ( 16 years) and we have had a blast with projects, game nights, Fat Willy’s, tourist attractions, fishing, St Paddy’s day, dinners out etc. We will miss them very much and it won’t be the same. When Bob & Pat left it was similar as the social circle now has to be expanded. Fred & Terry have been friends since 1983 and we have done a lot together and will continue to do things but just not the freedom of having them with us all winter. I am pretty sure their place will sell quickly as it is priced right and with the reno’s that are done looks fantastic.

Every one has to make their choices that are right for them. Can’t say I like it or change, but life goes on.

Change is evitable.

Funny how the media blew up a car accident into a terrorist attack at the Canada Us border.

Jackie picked up our NYE tickets which will be fun. Prime Rib dinner, dancing with a live band and the potential of kisses from a old lady with no teeth and chin whiskers.

Thought of the Day

Just once, I want the prompt for username and password to say, “Close enough“

November 23rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 2 degrees, Calgary 1 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

We are in that pre-winter temps right now. All week with highs of about 23 degrees. Such nice weather but it seems cool now said with a shiver.

I installed three homes Christmas lights this morning to get it done to ease the Saturday pressure. I will turn on our lights on Friday after Thanksgiving as per the unwritten rule.

I now need to add an additional shed to load some of the tools into. I am thinking a small 4 x 6 shed in the back. I will add a bit of pegboard to the original shed and get more organization accomplished.

We are going over to Fred & Terry’s place for Thanksgiving dinner. Fred has cooked this meal for us for years and years. He loves beef roast over turkey which works out well as we get lucky with having a Canadian meal and a USA meal. Fred & Terry always make a great meal never a shortage of food and delicious food ! Our contribution is small with buns and carrots. This Tri-tip roast cooked by Fred was to perfection. Crust around the outside and pink and juicy inside with a small section done medium for Jackie. Awesome meal.

The beer may have affected my picture taking abilities.

Before supper we played a lot of games. I think Jackie had a successful night. I love the game of Dice with myself winning the first game. I forget who won next. LOL Tim was the winner at Crib. Then we played UN099 which is fun game. The 3 out event was won by Jackie again. In the house after supper we went at Crown 5. This is a new game for us and was a lot of fun. Fred was the big weiner at this.

Great company, awesome food, three finger drinks, fun games, and a Thanksgiving Tradition coming to a sad end. Lots of fun.

Come January I will cut down the Palm tree, build my outdoor kitchen roof and build a shed plus install a shelf in the closet.

My cart wheels and tires are are supposed to arrive tomorrow and I will get them installed if they send the correct lug nuts. Then the cart is done other than wax and and shine.

Thought of the Day

It is not a ending per say it is just a point in your life to turn a new page.

November 24th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 3 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

A few drinks the night before and a 7:15 tee time. That is too early for anything but was my only option for today’s tee times.

A great group of guys Ron, Ron, Mike, Barry, Bruce, and myself.

I had to fight last outing to keep the score down yet won a lot of cash. Today not one slice. Long hits and everything just flowed. Adjusted two hole capping and I had a 78. AND once again more money in my pocket.

I really can’t figure out how the swing works. One day huge slices next day down the middle with no effort and no change in anything that I am aware of. ODD !

Our golf was incredibly fast today. We finished in 3hrs and 7 minutes. Amazing !

With the recent temperature change for 7 am I wore pants and was happy with my decision as the morning start of 10 above is cool for a few holes. Cool but wonderfully crisp and fresh and enjoyable.

After golf our gathering was at Ron S where he served us hotdogs and beer ! Nice ! He spoils us.

I spent over an hour trying and finally successfully getting our printer to work. Man, it is annoying the technology and it’s idiosyncrasies. Finally after stop and starting the spooler, rebooting the printer and router, I finally changed the output port and lo & behold printed a page. Yahoo ! Dumb !

Jackie and I whipped to Harbour Freight and bought a pressure washer as my old one calved this year. A $149 washer for $69 so a great deal and it is identical to the one Fred & I use here, which I like.

Sitting outside today I had to put on a light jacket it was so cool. ( 23 degrees).LOL

I helped another neighbor with his lights so I am down to only about 15 homes to do tomorrow.

I have it all figured out. The Oilers just need another first round pick. Wait 12 of them with four of them being first overall and they still can’t win.

Thought of the Day

Happiness is not having to set an alarm clock ( except if I have to golf lol)

November 25th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 4 degrees, Mesa 20 degrees”

Early rise and started to install Christmas lights on every house on the block. It was good this year as we had lots of help. At least 6 guys and a couple of ladies. We even had cold waters and home made brownies.

Most people had easy access to their lights as as we have quite a few that don’t come down until after Christmas. Tonight we will have them all lite and i will post a picture. We have three home son our block that are not lite. Two new homes that are renters and one home that the owners chose not to participate.

This is our house this year from last night.

Funny how the white lights out shine the red ones. The micro second in time of the picture didn’t capture the red.

I installed the Noel sign at the end of the block so now just waiting for the night to see them all on.

Two interesting things.

1. Jackie was outside unloading the car and i was in the shed on the side of the house. As i was just starting to come around the house this older guy rides by on his bike and says to Jackie. “Outstanding pants ! ” He sees me and adds ” And Christmas decorations” When I said to Jackie in “men’s” language he was saying ” Nice ASS ” and added the second part when he saw me she didn’t buy it. I do have to say you can’t beat Yoga pants.
2. This is amazing. This guy on 1800 block has a man cave outside which includes an 80 inch TV that allows four channels at once to be seen. For anyone that is a NFL fan especially on a Sunday this would be heaven to watch 4 games or 3 games and the golf at the same time. Just like being in a bar. Awesome !

I could be energetic and start one of my projects but right now I am enjoying, with Daisy and Jackie sitting on the back deck in the warmth.

PENNYWISE TIPS

I believe a lot of people retire with a way too much money. They save and miss out on a lot as they think they need to save for retirement. I believe the retirement spending window is really 55 to 75. That should be your expensive years and as you age with less major activities the costs will be less. Later on in life after you are retired, you realize you didn’t retire on your money — you retired on your memories! Years ago I realized I’d better create some meaningful memories now, and I’ve been doing that ever since within reason and within budgetary restrictions. The only fear of running out of money is that time frame of 80 to death. A percentage of your savings could be put into an annuity to resolve this issue if you don’t have the luxury of a company pension. In the process of planning our next cruise for 2025 right now !

We went for walk tonight and the street is starting to look pretty good. A few holes with people away or not wanting to participate but overall very nice.

Only 6 days left before we come home to the ICE and COLD. We are not climatized to that as even tonight at 18 above for a walk we needed our Alaska jackets. I hate cold, I hate snow, I hate winter, I hate boredom, I hate leaving my happy place. The count down of 6 days left, only one golf game left and then a huge count down waiting for the month of December to end.

I had a count down sticker on my laptop page for retirement I think I will re create one for my return to Arizona.

Looking ahead this week, I will build my shed base ( one day ), I will start with the posts for my outdoor kitchen ( one day) , I will install my new golf cart rims and wheels, one day golf, one day of billiards, supper plans with Fred & Terry one night and then on to a plane with Daisy from Sky Harbor. No flights out of Mesa except for Allegiant now which is too bad as it makes a three hour flight a 5 hour journey for Daisy and as smart as she is I can’t explain to her what is going on. ( her head is resting on my foot, cute)

Thought of the Day

I didn’t make it to the gym today. That makes five years in a row. 

November 26th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

It is a hot summer day in Calgary weather but 23 degrees just seems cool.

I had a helper today to build my shed base in the back. We picked out a steel shed cost wise to help with storage. I will move all of the Christmas stuff and portable chairs into it along with golf clubs and keep the front shed which will be more secure for the tools.

Building materials have come down but are still expensive. I had to raise my shed base and have a trap door as it is build over the access point to the basement crawl space and it has to be ventilated. If I say so myself it was a great plan to raise it to allow venting and use the trap inside for access. Worked like a charm. I will paint it tomorrow.

I started late but it took most of the afternoon to get it done.

Nice to work in the back at 23 degrees. I can’t order the shed until I get back as it appears to take a full day to build.

I do have to say Mesa is a wonderful teaching place. The amount of patience it takes to survive driving, shopping, and golfing is immense and I am handling it quite well. Old means slow and it is abundant here.

Thought of Day

Lately, I’ve noticed people my age are so much older than me. 

November 27th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 6 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

Up this morning, said our good-byes to a neighbor that is heading home for Christmas and look at that, my new tires arrive.

I was going to paint today the shed base floor but that will wait until tomorrow.

I whipped up to Fred to use the floor jack and strong arm and started to take off the wheels. I checked the stud nuts as some carts have metric but luckily mine is still the normal thread. Lifted it up and and removed and installed them taking no more than one hour tops. I like the looks of them especially as they are different as people go black or chrome rims and I wanted to be a little different. It really is lipstick on a pig as the cart is so old but after the steering wheel, windshield, recovering the seats, adding the rear seat and cargo carrier along with the new tires and rims it look pretty cool.

I choose to go with a 10 inch rim ( factory is 8 inch) versus a 12 or 14 as I didn’t want rubbing issues or to add a lift kit. Led bulbs in the headlights and all done. Works perfect, look pretty good and priced right, so fine with it.

I tried to order my new garden shed today but Home Depot will not allow me to hold it for more than 30 days. I will try to order in Canada and pick it up when we return. Timing is everything and this didn’t quite happen with our abnormal early return to Canada.

You know how when you are sleeping you come up with a idea or a solution to a problem. This has happened to me so many times. Last night caused me to have to do a redo to my base for the access door. A couple of short pieces as stitchers for the front part of the door to sit on and all is good.

Jackie golfed today and had a great score again bringing home a 45. Her and I are out golfing right after Daisy gets a haircut on the 18 hole course tomorrow. It will be Daisy’s first golf game this fall and I guess last one this fall. LOL

Fred & Terry are coming over for a supper and game night. We are planning on 1″ thick BBQ porkchops , baked potatoes with the fixings, salad and peas along with garlic toast. Should be good especially when you add in the fancy desert Jackie bought. Hopefully a win night for me.

We may need the patio heater on as the temperature drops off quite fast now. I can’t contain the heat as well without my kitchen roof but it really is just to get the chill out of the air.

I have won Wordle about three days in a row so on a roll. Today in three again which is pretty hard to beat.

The garbage dump refused my old wheels so I need to find a place to get rid of them. It is called a dump for a reason but they are getting picky no matter what dump with what you can and can’t get rid of. In my mind it causes people to dump stuff anywhere they can, back alley, out in the country etc and the policy makers can’t figure out why.

I see all over the world that face masking is making it’s return due to RSV, Covid, seasonal flu etc. I can see a huge surge in the hospitals now that the US Thanksgiving is done and Christmas gatherings will increase. Jackie and I will be wearing them on the plane and airport. The US government even just sent me 4 free Covid home tests again.

Well, if I say so myself the supper was wonderful and thoroughly enjoyed. With everything wonderful comes some disaster. Fred & I lost to the girls at game night. Unthinkable and unbelievable but our reality.

Loads of fun sitting outside eating, drinking, playing games and conversation with good freinds.

The end of another great day. Safeway whiskey is cheap and great tasting.

Thought of the Day

Old age is coming at a really bad time

November 28th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 7 degrees, Calgary 6 degrees, Mesa 25 degrees”

First thing on the agenda was painting. I started and painted the shed base. As the shed will not be built until I get back this way any rain will not damage my wood base. I wore gloves but sure enough I still got paint all over my hands and this is a oil based product.

It turned out great !

Then I installed another sheet of pegboard and organized the best I could in the originals shed. Once the other shed is built I will move the Christmas decorations and golf clubs and paint into the new one.

For a smaller shed 32 sq ft I can fit a lot of stuff in it. The new one will be 24 sq ft. I am fairly positive I will be able to fit most items I need in it fairly easily.

Jackie whipped Daisy to her beauty salon. This is a great place always doing a great job and priced reasonably. Today Jackie asked for a puff on her head. Cute but I prefer no puff. LOL

Jackie and I then headed to the golf course. Just wonderful temperatures and Daisy was excellent all day riding in the cart. It was a so so day ending a low 80’s score but taking 2 triples. Jackie played quite well and if not for a few hole blow ups with sand traps or mistakes would have broke 100.

I love golfing with Jackie and Daisy but Jackie, today was too serious. The score is really irrelevant as golf overall is meant to be a fun time and what ever happens happens. The expectation of praise, exuberance of a great shot, cat calling on a lousy shot or helpful tips and tricks is all part of the experience. Jackie shot 105 which is quite good on a championship course. Only 55% of all golfers consistently break 100 so being so close is great when you think about how many people are golfing. There are many people I golf with that are higher than 100 fairly often.

We finished in 3: 45 minutes but it did seem we waited too often.

A left over supper of the pork chops and potatoes which was awesome.

Jackie is off to play Bunko tonight. I think I can hear them from here 1000 blocks away. She was gone a long time.

My work is done, Daisy a haircut and looking great, fun golfing with Jackie and a great supper, plus some quiet time as Jackie is gaming away.

“Thought of the Day “

Games are meant for one thing. FUN. Win lose great at it or bad it is about the FUN

November 29th-30th

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

As i said before this time of year the weather can only be described as wonderful.

Cool mornings in the 50’s and warm days in the afternoon around 75 degrees and then 50’s in the evening.

Up early this morning for my last golf game of 2023. This week again at Southern dunes with it’s 12 acres of sand bunkers.

I had a wonderful group today with all three fun, teasing, joking and good golfers. A school teacher from Moose Jaw , a school teacher turned farmer from Saskatoon and a Italian fun guy.

It is a love/hate relationship with this course due to it’s difficulty. It is a beautiful layout, with exceptional greens and fairways but those deep plentiful sand bunkers can really hurt the score.

I played my best game today by feel not score. Some amazing iron shots today that even shocked and impressed me.13 pars with 7 of them being 6 to 12 ft birdie shots. Unfortunately I missed every one of them. LOL No penalties other than one bad sand bunker that got me. It is a fun day when everything goes well.

My team and on the holes I needed to, I did well. Out of the 6 Triads we won 2 of them. I ended up in second place due to Mr. Brown winning three SNIPS.

A very fun day, great partners, good score, amazing shots and money in my pocket.

Today also is our youngest Grandson’s birthday. Atticus today is turning 6 years old. This kid is the most unique , fun loving, sense of humor , tough and social guru there is.

For years I would ask him how old he is and he would hold up his fingers and I would have to correct him that his thumbs were not fingers, Today when asked he uses two fingers and four on the other hand. Killed myself laughing HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATTICUS.

Met our new caretaker today. Very nice man and I think he will do well for us. A little more money but as with everything, things go up. Jack is younger so hopefully he will do this for us for years.

Daisy was thirsty on her return as she had a fun time at the park. Little does she know that tomorrow at this time she will be 30,000 ft in the air.

Just getting everything ready today to leave. Getting rid of food which is the most important thing.

Starting to watch a bit of the Hero Championship with Tiger who is playing well.

Thought of the Day

Feeling sad to leave really isn’t a reason to stay