Nov 1st

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 1 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, Mesa 27 degrees”

This is the kind of weather forecast I LOVE.

Ok, so as I said the cold weather stretched all of the way down to Mesquite. The whole drive today the temp was 3 degrees to 7 degrees. On arrival in Washington it peaked at 15 degrees but felt cold.

This was on first stay at this hotel and it will be our go to for few trips. $105 usd for a 5 star hotel is unexpected. Huge king bed, ultra modern decor, and high quality finishing throughout. The FREE breakfast one of the best. All three of us loved the bed. We also appreciated the pillows. There is so much room that a King bed affords.

Fantastic FREE breakfast deal. Scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, pancakes and on and on. And a hot air balloon show!

We hit the road and decided for the first time in at least 10 years to take a different route. There is a road classified as one of the top ten drives in America so we took it. It connected the I15 with #89 just below Paige. It was a wonderful drive through the mountain range. The route had many windy twisted sharp bends. We encountered multiple summits, some at 8000 ft and many at 6000 ft. Snow in the trees on most summits. It was a wonderful different view. It is at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. So many tourist stops over and above that. Kanab with the red sandstone cliffs surrounding it and numerous historic rock buildings lining its streets, the little town of Kanab is worth a stop all on its own. Factor in the many natural wonders that surround the community, and you have a worthy spot for a multi-day stay. Next time we may enter #89 north of here for Zion and Page along with Bryce. So much to see like the Navajo Bridge, Marble Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs, Cliff Dwellers. It was an interesting drive. Was it better the the I15 at 90 mph. Yes and no.

Daisy enjoyed the stops. I enjoyed the adventure and Jackie enjoyed buying artifacts from the road side vendors.

A nice drive and we arrive in Mesa about 4 pm. We stopped at Safeway to get something for supper and set about moving a few things into the house. daisy got her first walk to the dog park !!

Arriving at our house this is what I find. If you remember Fred owed me 84 beer with the point spread between the Elk and Stamps. This year the Stamps were robbed and it ended up I owe Fred 46 beer. Funny guy !

The hour time change screws you up a bit so being tired we actually hit the bed sooner than normal. Jackie washed the bed sheets and pillow cases so jumping into out fresh bed was nice. We bought a double bed for Arizona when we first bought to fit into our budget. After sleeping on KING sized beds in the hotels let me tell you double beds are small. I think Daisy thought so to trying to fit where she could when we rolled.

A wonderful sleep, cool air and fresh sheets the daylight came to early. The hour difference hit again as we were up early. Daisy took a long walk and met some of her old friends. I am sure both Jackie & Daisy enjoyed themselves.

I woke up and started making coffee and look out and Fred is working on my golf cart. That guy is amazing. He believes he has recovered the batteries. I sure hope so but am questionable. I will test it out tomorrow.

I had our new internet service booked for an install at noon to 4 pm. They showed up at 9 am and started right away. Very professional and nice installers. It took them no time at all. We have been with Jabba internet for 17 years and last switched to Airbeam with the install to happen now. I did a speed test at 580 mbps. We were getting 3-10 mbps max from Jabba. Extremely pleased with Airbeam and hopefully we fast internet for another 17 years.

Then the work started. Jackie and I worked from 9 am to 5 pm. First thing was starting to unpack all of the furniture, tarps etc. I then power washed the house, decks, windows, furniture, outdoor kitchen and drive way. It is amazing the amount of dust a desert can generate. Go figure eh !

Jackie washed inside and outside of all the windows.

Then I started on the trees with her help. The lemon tree again this year had at least 8 ft high of growth on it to remove. So up on a ladder and hacking branches off. The orange tree not as much growth but still abundant. With three inch long thorns you know it is going to hurt. We piled all of the trimming on a tarp to haul to the dump on Monday.

After getting our three trees done I did the neighbors as it was out of control.

This is the price you pay for fruit trees.

From wild to beautiful they look good. It is easy trimming them now with each month just a little trim.

Jackie got all of the out door furniture placed and wiped which is awesome.

A full day, tiring but nice to see results.

We haven’t done a full grocery shop yet so decided to order out. Tried Fat Willy’s but after three attempts and no answer ( Friday night they are super busy) we went Chinese. Now ordering Chinese with a Chinese person is not easy. I handed the phone to Jackie as I didn’t have a clue what she was saying. Our meal was fantastic but our meal for two I think was meant for 8 people.

Talk about nice sitting outside on the patio at 6 pm eating supper at 27 degrees. Heavenly.

Jackie carried on unpacking and I set up our TV with the Firestick and VPN. Works like a charm but limited channel options.

Day one of fall Phoenix done and well done.

Thought of the Day

There is nothing like a well trimmed bush !

November 2nd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 7 degrees, Mesa 26 degrees”

Gorgeous day. Wonderful sleep. Great breakfast. Life is good !

Jackie took Daisy for her friends gathering with the temperature at 9 am already at 13 degrees. I think Daisy isn’t used to the warmth as Jackie was carrying her on the way home.

Jackie worked like a mad women all day. She vacuumed the floor, washed the floor, cleaned the oven, did the balance of the windows, dusted everything and organized. She thought we must have left in a hurry last year. She had a lot to do this year. Then I reminded her Jackson was with us.

I worked outside all day. The pleasure all mine. It was a great day. Fred visited for a bit. Good friends Carol & Russ stopped by as well. Plus fitting in all of to do’s. I can say we are just about done. We just need to stock the cupboards and buy Fred his beer I owe him.

The Firestick on the main TV is working perfectly. My Magic Stik for the outside has 52 channels. We are all set there also. I am happy with my choices but in hindsight I may have not bought the VPN but it can come in handy in the future.

I charged up the golf cart and so far it appears to be ok. Still questioning though. I charged up all of my cordless batteries. Organized a little more in the sheds.

I got all of the back patio furniture in place and ready to sit on to relax. Most of the decor items are up.

We had our dinner for two Chinese meal tonight for supper. It was better tonight than yesterday.

How can you beat sitting outside in 20 degree weather having supper.

Saskatchewan winning is great thing. Now we get another weekend of CFL football to watch coming up.

Thought of the Day

A married man should forget his mistakes, It is of no use two people remembering them.

November 3rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 7 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 22 degrees”

Another nice day in paradise. Not a hot day but a very nice day.

Jackie and Daisy had a long walk this morning. It was 15 degrees at 9 am.

On their return Jackie and I headed to the grocery store. Food is expensive nowadays. We have to start filling the shelves but over $500 and only one cart seemed like a way to much. Now, we have enough food to last us a little while. I predict in about three days we will need another run. We will need to get the stuff we forgot or used up, like bread etc.

Jackie was funny today as she changed our cupboards to match at the condo as she kept opening the wrong doors.

Daisy has created a new habit for herself and is asking to be let out to pee in the gravel. Good and bad but overall good.

Fred & Terry came over for a game day event. Friends, sitting outside playing games, snacks and drinks make for a fun day.

I paid my debt with Miller High Life and Guinness. I had to throw in 4 cans of Lite beer to bug Fred. I said it was for Terry’s input and cheering.

Here is the bad news. The girls won every game. Fred & I were skunked. The world must be tilted.

As we were sitting out, a storm came up with very little rain. However, it brought a fairly strong wind, which cooled it down a bit. Enough I put the heater on to take off the chill. That is the desert. Hot in the day and cool in the evening.

Other than the unthinkable of losing it was a fun day.

I have our golf group up and running for this Friday and on. Looking ahead to putting a couple dollars in my pocket.

Thought of the Day

You are never a loser unless you quit trying

November 4th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 9 degrees, Calgary 7 degrees, Mesa 24 degrees”

I would describe today as perfect. No wind, bright and sunny, warm and wonderful.

It was one of those chaotic charming days. First thing, before shower, breakfast, or teeth brushing, I whipped outside. I started getting ready for a couple of loads to the dump of branches and leaves. I split the load into two. You know the thorns on these and as they dry out and harden they get worse. I got that all done and Jackie helped me load them on the fold down seat of the cart. My poor tarps are taking a beating but for $8 and the ease more than worth to use them. We whipped up to the dump with Daisy to unload.

There we meet our ex- tree trimmer Randy. This guy is amazing. He is a nice, kind, creative, and hardworking guy. He has been through so much with multiple bouts of cancer. It just never slows him down.

Jackie & Daisy got out to walk home. I stopped in to see Tim and Fred working away. They are slowly getting it done. Tim bought a brand new Chevy truck that most would drool over. It is a High Country 1500, beautiful and elegant. Tim being a FORD guy I was surprised. I am sure he will be 100% converted now. Too bad though he did not buy it in color. White is not a color.

Whipped back to our place and found a tool for Fred as I slowly organize the shed.

I worked for hours blowing and sweeping up the leaves. I also did two neighbors’ homes. I figured I may as well because the leaves would have just ended up in my yard from any wind anyways.

Our street captain stopped by and I 9had a great talk with him. When you listen to some peoples stories it is amazing the life they have lead. This gentleman worked for CSIS. This in itself is awesome. In his personal life, he was a pilot. He built his own plane mostly in his basement and assembled it in the garage. I love hearing stories like this.

I then worked on more organizing and cleanup.

I think I have damaged my batteries in the golf cart. As I have stated I really didn’t want one but am glad as it does come in handy. So I went for a long drive to how fast they wore out. Not happy. They lasted for about 2 hours when they should last at least 5 hours or more. I will check the dates on them. I drove with the lights on trying to discharge fast so I could recharge. I have ordered a new hi-tech charger with 18 amp power. It’s a smart charge and a trickle charge. So that will be good and hopefully “cure” my batteries.

On my drive I stopped by Kirk’s house to check into his golfing as he was my holdout. I got that all fixed up. Kirk is another one of those nice guys.

As I was working Bob Spenser and Ellen dropped by. Bob was one of the original golfers of our group when Winston, Bob Ferris, Ron Payne and Merv were playing. It was awesome to see them again. They sold their place quite a few years ago, and now they are back for the winter. Ellen is a book author and a wonderful musician and Bob has an infectious laugh. He used to turn black in the sun he tanned so much. He scared us one year. He nearly passed out on Hole One. He had to have a stint put in. He used to walk the 18 hole course. He still looks in great shape.

Having said that I wish I could walk the course but my back does not allow me to. We do have Jim, Denis, and Ron S that still walk it.

I have 15 people in my golf group that I organize. I laughed today because Jackie has 18 ladies in her group she organizes. If people respond quickly and tee times are readily available, it is pretty easy but can present it challenges. I have another personality flaw. I like to protect the pro shop from cancellations. It is money out of their pocket. So, I dislike cancellations. I can live with canceling within a reasonable amount of time so your spot can be filled. However, I still don’t like it.

I would say anyone that worked for me would say I also hated “sick” days. It used to drive me nuts. You have to be quite sick NOT to come to work. Suck it up and come to work and you will feel a lot better a lot faster. There were years were I did not miss a single day of work. I expected the same and overall I had amazing employees.

Two middle aged Polish immigrants tried to use the sick line a way to often on me. I asked for sick notes from a doctor. They got them every time and I ended up phoning the doctor directly and speaking to him. It wasn’t a great conversation but it stopped the stupidity.

You commit to something see it thru. I know my parents were exactly the same. I witnessed them quite ill still making sure to show up to work or any commitment.

Jackie consistently showed the same resolve.

I was compassionate to those that showed up with intent. I could see it was a struggle, so I would send them home and pay them regular pay not sick pay.

Some would say why do you want to have a sick person get everyone else sick at work. My answer to that is in most cases everyone was already exposed and your immune system has already saved you. If not a few sick people working at the same time.

” Think of not ill and disease and thou shall defeat the foe within ”

More visits today with Jim , Ron and Dick that will golf with us, stopped by to watch me work. LOL We had a fun conversation.

Tonight I made us, loaded baked potatoes, grilled pork chops, roasted carrots and a full garden salad. A wonderful ” summer” meal for a ” summer ” day.

The end of another great day.

Thought of the Day

Work idea. Hire a lazy person do to a job. I am sure they will find the easy way to do it.

November 5th-6th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 1 degrees, Mesa 24 degrees”

ELECTION DAY !

It is going to be a close one. Watching the news this morning the vote count for Arizona with their system seems impossible not to have an exact count. They need two pieces of ID. There is no internet connection at the count station. Visible wiring and a glass box around the private server guarantee security. Double checks are plentiful. Seems impossible.

I am going with Harris winning the popular vote and Trump winning the electoral college and becoming the President. I also do not think it will be called for at least two or three days if not more. Both choices have bad side affects to us Canadians. I think though Trump will have less impact even though tariffs and forcing Trudeau to pay his 2% will hurt we will be less impacted versus the anti oil and green Harris.

I tested my golf cart and my batteries are weak and have not or will not recover in my mind. I am buying a new hi tech charger for next summer. I will attempt to get by this year being careful of long runs and driving at night. Darn !

While Jackie was out walking with Daisy I replaced the batteries in my smoke detectors and power door lock. They make a sound when reinstalled that upsets Daisy so better to do it when she is away.

I booked our first golf game together for tomorrow. After 1 pm is twilight rate and we should be done before the sun sets. We will see how Jackie’s thumbs handle it.

Jackie hand washed the flooring in the AZ room and it turned out perfect.

Our TV system is working out pretty good. I could buy the Sportsnet to see CFL and Flames but I can watch it on my phone. Everything is a subscription nowadays.

The sleeps down here are wonderful with the coolness at night.

A birthday party is happening this afternoon. It will be fun. There is also a 50th anniversary party coming up next week for our neighbors.

We met with most of the 1800 block to celebrate Tim Keys birthday. I got to razz him about turning 70 ( 67) . It was a nice gathering on the street. The celebration was at Keith’s house. We had cake and sang happy birthday. Keith made us some amazing smoked ribs. I am going to buy one of those Ninja Woodfire Grills which you can smoke, roast, air fry and dehydrate. It will work at Oasis for us beautifully.

I took a video of the ladies singing but it seems not to be done correctly. Most likely my fault as I may take one video once a year. A way to much space used and hardly revisited.

Another Arizona wonderful day with food, friends, drinks, sun and fun. Love it !

My Amazon packages arrived so I will get a few things done before we go golfing.

I have just about got the shed organized. Hard trying to fit a 10 x 10 shed stocked full into a 4 x 8 shed. Some stuff is rarely used so it can be tucked away or under common stuff.

Well, the Liberal Left Socialist Dems are surprised. I think a lot of people are. The Republicans are a way better choice but the leader Trump is not the most desired. Having said that he will shake up things which everyone needs once in awhile.

I think it says loud and clear. It speaks of handing out money for student loans and historical mistakes and supporting unions and astronomical wage increases and green agenda’s really aren’t as popular as they think they are.

I would like to see the XL go ahead. Tariffs on lumber should be negotiated. Trudeau needs to be told that if he doesn’t ante up to the NATO commitment, the USA will not help us. Wheat and cars should be exempt of the tariff.

Russia war and the middle east will be interesting how that all plays out.

Green agenda, socialist handouts, climate change, abortion, union support all took the back seat to a vibrant, successful, some what self protectionist economy, lower inflation, jobs and security.

Today was Jackie & I’s first golfing game of the winter season. I had my two best players partners with Daisy joining us.

It was only 22 degrees today, so it is on the cool side to start. And at the end of the day, the temperature drops quickly. But having a beautiful green golf course, a light shirt and shorts on and golfing, life is great.

Yahoo ! Jackie played extremely well. Her score today without a single mulligan, re-shot or gimme putt she shot a 97. Her chips were awesome and some wonderful putts along with some nice drives. On a 400 yard Par 5 hole Jackie was 30 yards off the green sitting two. I am thinking at least a birdie. She did par it.

I had an 84 and contribute that to RUST and we know how that went for Alex Baldwin. Two slices that hurt me and not overall great golf but FUN.

We got to play as a twosome which was nice. We finished very fast at just under 4 hours. I bought our golf passes today for 20 games which should last us until we get back in January.

Daisy was wonderful, as usual, all day. She is passed out on my feet right now due to no sleep all day.

No one talking politics which is nice.

Thought of the Day

“That is what I do. I play golf, I pet dogs and know some things “

November 7th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 15 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 18 degrees”

A sunny morning but a cooler day today. By any stretch it is beautiful but a little cooler than we want or like.

Jackie had nice walk with Daisy. I am sure Daisy loves it here. Every morning she gets to play with a lot of friends in the park. And she has action all day everyday.

First thing this morning off we go to Walmart to pickup a few things. I will say they are considerably cheaper than Safeway but completely different and in most cases unknown brands. We did well.

They say Americans are big. They are overall ! Met some interesting people though and shopped well getting everything we needed plus more. A HUGE bottle of white rum for $11. Summer sausage that I had for lunch was excellent.

Jackie cleaned the floors and windows today for the second time.

I tested my batteries with a load tester and I have a couple of weak batteries. You hit 50 degrees Celsius during the summer it is not easy on batteries. I noticed two of them with slight bulging. Having a cart is pointless if you cant use it. I hate the fact they are a constant maintenance thing. It’s frustrating not being able to use it.

So I phoned the Cart Doctor. I needed to go to the washroom and before I was done they were at the front door to load my cart up and take it to the shop. They clean, run new cables if needed and install new batteries plus check the charger.

An expense I dislike but needed with replacement of all 6 batteries.

I then phoned and found a glass repair shop that had a walk in service bay. On the highway coming down we took a large rock that made a large bruise. The service guy looked at it and commented it is a tough one due to the size and depth but he will try under the premise I am aware he could crack the glass. He did an amazing job. Typically I can dodge these rocks. However, with Daisy and Jackie in the car, I didn’t want to make a drastic maneuver. The service guy takes it to the shop. I wait in the waiting room where five young ladies work at the front desk. They wanted to see her so I let her down. She and them were in heaven. She ran from desk to desk with them giggling and Daisy loving it. One of them suggested to the boss that they need a shop dog. Funny to watch.

Get this. $20. Our mobile guys in Calgary are at least $75 or more now. Great deal

I came home and power washed the outdoor carpets.

Wonderful supper made tonight with BBQ chicken breasts, sweet peas, and roast potatoes. Awesome

Thought of the Day

What do you call a stoner working at a repair shop?

High Maintenance!

November 8th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 14 degrees, Calgary 16 degrees, Mesa 21 degrees”

Warm in Canada and cooler in Mesa until the weekend. Come on Canada be cool like your are supposed to be. LOL

First golf game with my group today. Hopefully a low score to put money in my pocket.

It turned out to be a wonderful day. The first game of the season is always fun talking and learning about everyone’s summer. Today as it was the first game and getting everything organized we only had 4 golfers. A fun group.

It was a mixed bag of golf today from everyone. But it is about the fun right ?

The final score ended up with my score being the second lowest. All of us though over cap. It was nice with 4 legit short birdie putts ending up getting two of them. Fireball mixed with Baileys was awesome

We had a shorter gathering as it was later in the afternoon to finish. A nice visit and Daisy loves her favorite Ron Payne. Jackie had everything ready for us but as it was late she didn’t bring out the meat and cheese plates.

When we arrived I noticed the cart was parked. They unloaded it and Jackie paid by cheque. Hopefully 4 years before the batteries need replaced. It just amazes me the trust level of businesses in the States accepting a cheque.

We watched a bit of TV and called it a night.

A wonderful day in paradise.

Thought of the Day

It takes a lot of balls to golf the way I do.

November 9th-10th weekend

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 6 degrees, Calgary 7 degrees, Mesa 28 degrees”

It’s a nice sunny morning. It’s odd how it starts out cool and then gets so warm during the day.

10 above when Jackie went for her walk this morning.

Off to Target and Depot this morning. We needed some stuff for the Grey Cup western final and wanted some plants for the yard. It is ridiculous the cost of bedding plants but it sure beautifies the lot. We even bought a planted Palm tree for the back. Daisy sat in the shopping cart like an angel and approved everything we bought. Geraniums, Lobelia and Petunia will look good.

Then to Target. So one would think the general customer of Target maybe slightly smaller in stature than our recent Walmart experience. NOT !

We got gas and headed home for lunch and enjoyed the outside patio.

Then off to Keith’s place for the game. A 75 inch TV is sure nice to see the game on. Nacho’s, sausage, cheese and pickles along with Hot Tamale’s were awesome. This was my first Tamale. It came to me in what looked like a flour wrap. Turned out to be a paper wrap. Funny ! Pretty good tasting though.

It is too bad the Roughriders didn’t win. In all honesty they just played BAD and the better team by far won.

My golf cart with it’s new batteries is fast . And the lights are a lot brighter. I hated to spend the money on it but it was needed, “maintenance ” I knew it. The Cart Doctor mentioned the excessive heat this summer. It set a record for consecutive days over 100 degrees. They had batteries dying everywhere. The cold is bad for a battery but the heat is worse.

I was talking to a friend and he is a Apple guy. I support anyone choosing any brand of phone they want. However, it is always odd to me how protective and defensive Apple owners are. They have the right to choose an inferior product without judgment but they are pretty brainwashed. Trumpian in a way. I thought I would post this again to remind everyone what they choose matters. The Apple phone I believe is similar to Beta. While good and has some interesting features it is not widely accepted. I wish I could find a report stating the satisfaction of Iphone users when they move to Android. Privacy and security are IPhones only redeeming property.

The weather coming up this week is wonderful . I describe high 70’s to low 80’s as perfect weather. The evenings still cool down which is wonderful for sleeping but it does require a light jacket after 6pm .

Yard maintenance today and then off the pool hall to show off our skills in billiards. Russ & Carol belong to the billiard group. They even have a home table. Jackie & I rely on our natural born athletic skills. We also depend on a lot of LUCK to be competitive.

Finished off the flowers and decor today. My garden hose was destroyed by the sun. I bought a new stretchy one but it is 100 feet. I will get a short 5 to 8ft one to fill the watering can.

Billiards was fun. Not the expected outcome as the ladies killed us. Jackie and Carol were awesome. I started off strong but just didn’t make the shots when i needed to. Russ did well but couldn’t carry the team. A fun way to spend the afternoon.

There many unique and beautiful places in the world. I think Arizona by far is under rated as a top tourist destination. It has so much history and so many different things to see and do.

Here is a pic of our backyard. In my mind pretty amazing.

For my birthday this year, I want to go to Las Sendas. I will sit on the patio and look at the sunset. I also want to see the Phoenix skyline from the best spot in the valley. This spot has an absolutely amazing restaurant. Already anxious to go there. LOL

Thought of the Day

Life is like a sandwich You have to fill it with the best ingredients.

November 11th Remembrance Day

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 8 degrees, Calgary 12 degrees, Mesa 28 degrees”

I am very glad as it seems we are taking Remembrance Day with a lot more resolve. We can never forget the sacrifice and the privilege to be free.

In our family we had our Uncle Bruce killed overseas. Uncle Roy and Uncle Truman both served with Roy being well decorated including the Purple Heart. My Dad served in the RCOC. In those days, the rule allowed the eldest boy of a family on a farm to avoid joining the army. These were on my Dad’s side. On my Mom’s side the eldest Uncle got stay on the farm and the other two Uncles were too young. To put the timing into perspective, my Dad would be 103 yrs old today if he were alive. He joined the military too late to be sent overseas.

What I do know is the courage and strength required by these young men was unbelievable. It is unthinkable that 70 million people perished to keep our countries free. That is close to 2 times our current Canadian population.

Humans are stupid !!

I have a great day ahead. It started earlier than normal for me. My tee time with the group was at 9 am. It was abnormally warm this morning which was great. Why wear a poppy and have to cover it up.

8 golfers today in our group. Handicaps ranging from 7 to 20 so a variety of skill levels. Age also ranging from 67 to 82 so quite varied also.

Today I golfed very well. If only I could get a better handle on putting with these tricky tricky greens. Golfed so well I ended up LOW GROSS and LOW NET . A fun day with some pretty cool people.

Today our normal group but with two new people. Bob Spenser from Saskatoon and Dick Swift from Lloydminster. Bob is one of the original members of the group. He sold his place here but now is back for the season.

The best part besides playing well is winning every corner and having each member of my foursome paying me.

No real lunch today so supper tonight tasted incredible. Red sauce with added celery, mushrooms, onions and a flat spaghetti along with Texas Garlic toast.

A nice way to end the day sitting outside on the deck eating supper.

Thought of the Day

They gave their lives for this country; on this Remembrance Day, let us remember them all

November 12th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 6 degrees, Mesa 24 degrees”

The US economy is doing well and Mr. Trudeau is sticking it to us. We have been here in Mesa for 12 days now. When we first arrived here the exchange rate was 1.3997. A week ago 1.4257 and today 1.430. $1000 US dollars cost us $1430.20. That is just sick and not right. I am sure it has to affect the amount of USA tourist visits from Canadians. No choice but suck it up.

A good friend years ago suggested the US dollar could be removed as our benchmark currency and replaced with gold again or to a asset base dollar tie. Canada has to do something as we are a sinking ship mostly due to socialist agenda debt. Our dollar will never strengthen in the current position. In 2007 when we bought our Mesa home the Cdn dollar was 1.07. 7 cents higher than the Us dollar and now look at us.

Up earlier than I liked and headed to Tim’s place to help Fred & Tim do the kitchen.

His place is really coming together and about a week or two of work left to finish it. There is a saying about two many cooks spoil the soup so I tried to let them do their thing. I will just say it is definitely different working with other people and seeing a different approach.

I have done MANY projects with Fred over the years. The way we work is similar, but he hates the tools or working on the floor. That is my happy space.

I would call today semi successful.

Having said that it is slowly coming together.

This picture says a lot. First what a hard worker Fred is. Second how men fall trap to women’s ideas on fashion. These are Fred’s work pants as he hates them. Terry bought him lo-rise skinny leg blue jeans. NO ONE LIKES them. I HATE them and have a brand new pair hanging in my closet. Women see some feminine young guy on TV wearing them and think they look great. They are not useful, not comfortable, deserve to be work pants but they do come with limitations. Fred & I were talking and that young guy model type needs to bring back suspenders. Now they are cool, sexy and work !

Getting ready to go tonight I dropped a plate on the floor and it went into a million pieces. Glass everywhere. Oops !

Tonight was our streets first block party. Always nice to see the street slowly filling up with snowbirds. I think on our block we have about 5 homes that have been here as long as us or longer. This is our 17th year of owning. Not one single regret and absolutely love the place and people. It is always so interesting to hear about people’s lives. This party was also a going away party for a couple. Due to illness, they have to sell. They bought their house the same year we did.

As usual the food was awesome.

Thought of the Day

I have learned so much from making mistakes I am looking forward to more.

November 13th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 27 degrees”

Early alarm clock this morning as it is my Men’s group out of Saskatoon today. First as I have said the course is fantastic but 50 minutes away. Today a little longer as the traffic was a little heavier with the road construction going on. One has to remember it is the 5th largest city in the USA. It has 5 million people, so you should expect some delays. Having said that to be able to drive at 140 kmph on a freeway is refreshing and I wish Calgarians would drive the same.

Today I was with two players from Colorado and one New Yorker. Some pretty great golfers with a handicap of 3 , 8 and 11.

The first nine I played fantastic ending up the LOW GROSS and LOW NET. Everything went well and I am always happy with a score below 40 on the first nine. The second nine I started to power fade which took off distance but I didn’t lose a ball. The back nine scoring was ok but not great so ended up 3rd LOW GROSS but LOW NET.

Out of the entire group I finished 3rd low net and 10th low gross. An ok day but I can do better,

My “team” in our TRIAD game performed exceptionally well. We won three of the six Triads. We brought home $140.

On this course they have two wonderful Par 4 holes. Huge pond and a green right behind it 250 yards from the tee box. I landed on the green and got a birdie ! That was fun as I was putting for an eagle on a Par 4

Great golfers, great course and fun game plus winning bragging rights and money makes for a great day.

We have our TV viewing all figured out. Our outside TV we get all of the local channels like Fox, ABC and NBC and inside we get our Canadian channels along with Netflix and Prime. The only thing missing is ESPN so hockey if not in Calgary or on CBC is out.

Lovely tonight sitting outside watching the finale of the Golden Bachorlette.

I have to say the Golden series is So MUCH better than the regular ones with its lack of drama and stupidity.

Thought of the Day

I can’t hit the green often enough but every time, I can hit the beer cart

November 14th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 2 degrees, Calgary 10 degrees, Mesa 27 degrees”

Jackie removed our drapes and I like it. We were contemplating removing the valances but with the curtains gone it looks brighter and much more modern.

Daisy loves Arizona as much as us. She spends a lot of time sitting outside.

First thing this morning it was spent getting things ready for Jackie’s hen golf party. I moved the chairs from the deck to the patio. I retrieved the golf clubs and cart and hooked them up. I readied the house where I could, knowing Jackie will revisit and correct.

I left the Rum and Whiskey out just to tease them.

Then whipped over to help at Tim’s house. It is really coming along and looking good.

I worked with Fred & Tim until just about 4 pm. Cupboards and blinds done. Counter top on order.

Thought of the Day

Who uses the cupboard above the fridge for anything that is used more than once a year ?

November 15th-17th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 2 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, Mesa 18 degrees,”

I did notice that both Edmonton and Calgary are starting to get highs of minus double digits after Sunday. Love Arizona

You got to love it when even before turning on the BBQ it is already at 100 degrees. Sun hitting the stainless steel making it warm. Actually temp outside about 80.

Bill Jensen joined us today for golf and we had a group of 6 players. Two strong games and then today. Things just didn’t work . I just couldn’t loosen up after working most of the day at Tim’s. So hence a score that i didn’t like. Luckily everyone seemed off so we will chalk it up to handicap maintenance.

Nice to see Bill back. The two 80 yr old plus guys played quite well today.

Ok, I think everyone watched the Tyson fight. The undercard fights were excellent. The main bout not so much. I loved Tyson as a fighter but 58 yrs old takes its toll. I thought it was pretty BAD. Paul looked like he really didn’t want to hurt Tyson and Tyson looked like he was hungry not wanting to fight. I think it was rigged to end like this. I am glad it was not a draw or a bad decision like the women’s fight.

A lot of BUTT talk on the show with the women fighters head butting, over and over again and then throw in a Tyson butt shot and you have TV ratings.

In my opinion this girl Amanda Serrano was the actual winner. This was a fight and a dirty fighter was allowed to take advantage and win.

Everyone was thinking FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT This is our Atti. He was pretending to be a fighter and accidentally got hit in the nose. This happened while Netflix was buffering during the Tyson fight.

Jackie & Terry were off garage sale shopping. It is always a busy time with golf carts flying from house to house looking for bargain. Over the years Jackie has bought some great items. One year she bought our fireplace for the Saloon for very little. She also got a stainless steel range hood and a TV cheap. We really don’t need anything unless she can find a 50 in TV for outside cheap. The 32 inch seems too small now after having 50 inch screens plus to watch on.

Today is our coolest day of the week. One burp of cool air then 70 and 80’s again.

I took Daisy down to the park first thing but everyone was out shopping. So no friends or fun today.

Tonight we were invited to our neighbor’s anniversary party. It was their 50th wedding anniversary. They were lucky enough at least 25 relatives arrived to join the celebration from California etc. They also invited the surrounding neighbors.

Jackie getting ready for the party !

I have to say they did it first class. The hall was decorated nicely, full bar, an amazing catered supper and a beautiful cake. This cake was peanut butter and jam filled in the different layers. Awesome.

Dwight & Ginny are from New York. He has in the army so was stationed in many spots. A very nice gathering and celebration. Golden !

This afternoon was our Grey Cup Pizza party. Keith bought a new pizza oven and we were to have a party at his house. He does an amazing job putting everything together with pizza prep, margarita’s, treats etc. We got all settled in. Lo and behold, the Apple box was acting up due to a weak signal. We couldn’t watch TV. All settled in and we decide to whip to Fred & Terry’s and watch it there. Got pizza’s going and they were awesome. All settled in and the box started acting up again. Dan & Jan decided to stay with Jabba which I think they will discover was a huge error as tonight the signal was below 4 mbps. So another decision was made to try to see if we could get our system to work. Between us we finally got everything to work. The Apple box had issues here also so it may have a hiccup that needs looked at. Jackie & I finally got TSN loaded after a few attempts and Yahoo we get the watch the game.

NOT the results we wanted nor the results the needed for Fred & Keith who had bets on the game.

AWESOME PIZZA, a little hectic getting things to work, a nice gathering with friends and a decent football game.

One of those funny things that you hear. Moe came over to Fred’s place and noticed his Edmonton Elk shirt. Not being familiar with it she asks why is Fred wearing a John Deer shirt. That is hilarious. But there is a similarity.

The close to another day !

Thought of the Day

You mean there is a Grey Cup without the Stamps playing !

November 18th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -2 degrees, Calgary -1 degrees, Mesa 19 degrees”

The weather is cool at 19 degrees. I could complain, but you can get sunburned easily and I only need to wear a shirt and shorts. So, I won’t. But it is getting back up to the 25 to 28 degrees for the rest of week.

My VP group was with 7 players today. Some great scores with the 74 being the lowest. No money changed hands as with the handicaps my group finished tied.

Today was Ron Payne’s treat day at Fat Willy’s. Jugs of beer, chicken wings and onion rings were awesome. It is always a very generous gesture by him every year.

Not a cloud in the sky, no wind and warm made for a perfect golf day.

Jackie received a picture of Calgary today. Quite a difference compared to Mesa.

I came home and measured. I planned because I need a couple of Noel Signs made. I will get this done tomorrow.

We watched Grey’s Anatomy tonight. I HATE this show. Makes a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye. Not right !

Thought of the Day

Where can you find 100 doctors all at the same place on any given day? A golf course!!

November 19th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -5 degrees, Calgary -2 degrees, Mesa 20 degrees”

20 degrees on any given day in Alberta we would say it is hot out. Today at 20 wonderful but not desert heat like I want or like. Last day of the cooler than normal and then back to the 26 degrees plus.

This morning we headed to Lobby Hobby. It’s a store that should come to Canada. We picked up letters for the two more NOEL signs we need to make. And wouldn’t you know it, they did not have all of the stock needed. We had to drive 15 min to the next store. This area is convenient. Within 1/2 hr, we have access to 4 Home Depot stores. Many other duplicates are also nearby. We phoned and the store put them away for us which was good.

Then off to the Depot where I needed the 2 x 2 and 1 x 2 and plywood. Things have gone up. This time i bought a handi-panel of plywood called Stande Plywood. The USA uses imperial measurements but due to shrinkation, it is in 32nd of a an inch. So these two will be about 2/32 thinner.

I never heard of Sande Plywood but it interesting. It is made from the Mulberry tree. The process results in it being used for marine use and outdoor use. So perfect. Over budget again.

I got all of the pieces cut up and ready to paint tomorrow. Last time Fred & I made 32 of them.

A friend of mine from Winnipeg let me know that Alan Martyszenko had passed away. Alan was hired by Mark Henderson to run Henderson Wholesale Building Materials and set it up to be bought out. Both happened.

There are always bad, good and great plus favorite bosses. Alan was the best. Very smart, great sense of humor and a nice guy. We became good friends. We went on a vacation to Vegas together. We enjoyed an anniversary party at Alan’s home. We had many business meetings there with his family. They were a lot of fun. Thoroughly enjoyed him. When he first started, he drove to Kelowna with me. We were scouting for a warehouse location for a new distribution center. Mark wanted me to manage this along with Calgary warehouse. We had a blast. During our drive I mentioned to him ” who created the new organizational chart ?” He was surprised and said “I did” with a tone. I asked him how I did I go from having one boss ( Mark ) to now having 4 supervisors. A new chart came out that Monday. It showed me reporting to Alan directly. Mark was listed as the head. Back to one direct report and two supervisors.

We found the perfect location and signed the deal. I flew into Kelowna every second week for years.

Alan would visit about once a month and we would end up at the Hy’s Steak Loft downtown. We would order 24-ounce prime ribs. Alan would ask for the end cut. They made the best Caesar Salads right in front of you. Plus the Crepe Suzette was to die for. We would easily have $400 supper bills. I always looked forward to these visits.

Too young at 67 years old to pass but unfortunately things happen. His wife Karol is one of the kindest people also.

I had a few bosses that stood out. Terry Carmendy worked at Nelson Lumber. Bob Reiter was at Sterling Dist. Don Foster managed things at Marshall Wells. Lorne Schreiner was part of Henderson’s, and Alan was also at Henderson’s. Hard to find even a good boss at JELD-WEN except for perhaps Neil Ash and Lou. Both though responsible for not paying out my final bonus so “good” is even hard to say about them. Fair and willingness to stand up for your employees is one of the traits I consider a must.

ALL I CAN SAY IS, DO NOT WASTE TIME AS YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS. ENJOY YOUR LIFE FOR THE MOMENT EVEN IT MEANS BEING SELFISH.

For 15 years we never saw a scorpion. Last year we discovered one dead one and this year 5 dead ones. We pest spray twice a year. However, I think the tunneling for the fibre wire internet to be buried disturbed them.

Nasty little creatures ! There are 60 species living in Arizona so I don’t have a clue which type this is. I do know getting bit is rare. However, the two people we know who did say it hurts as bad as a wasp sting.

All of the “Green” organic people never speak up during an E-coli or Salmonella outbreak. Lettuce, Spinach, Onions and now Carrots are killing people and no one seems to care. If these was a disease caused by meat it would be all out war against meat producers.

The general public still doesn’t understand we are naturally carnivores. The Paleo Diet is the most accurate diet to the way we used to eat.

Thought of the Day

The greatest thing in life is to die young but delay it as long as possible.

November 20th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton -10 degrees, Calgary -8 degrees, Mesa 26 degrees”

Everyone you talk to has different ideas about how to spend their winters. I can without a doubt say we love AZ. I think the weather has to be a HUGE factor in your decision. No natural disasters and consistent temperatures. I have people that I know that have chosen to travel but get surprised with what they experience.

Mesa average temperature in Feb is 22 degrees, Lisbon Portugal average temperature in Feb is 17 degrees, Athens Greece average temperature in Feb is 14 degrees and Puerto Vallarta 32 degrees.

Looking at that data one would describe Mesa as comfortably warm, Mediterranean as cool to cold and Mexico as hot. Each come with other conditions like long flights 10 hrs or longer to go to Europe, 3 hr flight or easy two day drive to Mesa and or crime, fear, diseases and food issues from Mexico.

If I was still working and wanted a 2 week vacation to lay on the beach I would choose an Mexican Resort for the heat and cost. But to winter I am not sold and in fact other than cruise ship stops we have and will not go to Mexico. It is like a third world country.

I think you know what we choose. Being familiar with the language, consistent weather, reasonably priced makes us love Arizona. Plus the social part of it.

We are now concert volunteer chair organizers so we will get to see all of the concerts. It means about an hour set up and hour take down.

What a beautiful golf day. I had a gentleman from Ft Mcleod, one from Ontario and a Trump Hat supporter guy. It was an off day for the entire group of 28 guys with only 3 even and 2 under cap. No excuses other than bad golfing. I was happy going Par, Par, Par, Par, Bogie, Par, Par and 8 and then a 7. Hurts !

But I managed to keep myself as the leader of the Top 10 Money Winners.

Top 10 Money Winners
Larry Willard $57.92
Steve Miller $57.92
Barry Spence $46.67
Ross Hewett $25.00
Scott DeBusschere $22.50
Greg Doucette $22.50
Bill Lewis $22.50
Shaun Lewis $22.50
Buckey Buckley $21.25
Dan Horner $21.25

Jackie got all of the pieces painted for our signs. I will start my assembly tomorrow morning for our extra, needed NOEL signs and then hopefully done.

We have organized our block Christmas Light set up for the 23rd. Hopefully a few guys and only a few hours to get the 30 homes done.

Once again I got lucky and have booked our May Long Weekend camping. We have camped this weekend for at least 50 years. We only missed the odd one when we had Blimpie’s or something major happened. In recent years, it has been a nightmare to find a spot. Camping has become a recreational enjoyment for too many people. I should change that to maybe 15 years. I remember driving out towards Sandy McNabb on Hwy 22x on a Thursday to get a spot. For our group we have had some great spots. This year I am very pleased as we have a group site at Sylvan Lake Jarvis Bay with power. It is a group site with a main fire pit, a cook shack and 10 power spots. Plenty of room for games, dogs and close to fun things to do including golf courses. Only bad thing about government sites is you have to prepay a minimum charge at booking. So I had to pay $1000 and will get each group to e-transfer me after Christmas. It works out to be about $ 40 per night x 3 nights so $120 per group.

CMA and Survivor on TV tonight so we will take that in.

Thought of the Day

Sign on Phoenix freeway- Caution : Snowbirds are coming, One year older and 5 mph slower.

November 21st

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

Today was the perfect day weather wise. Warm enough and not too cool.

Jackie had her ladies golf league today. She took Daisy for a long walk and I put on my old clothes and started to work. Small projects while fun just take a long time. Today I was assembling the extra NOEL signs. I blame it on shrinkation as the plywood is 2/32 thinner. I used 2 x 2 instead of 2 x 4’s and the price still was the same. The new plywood is smooth when painted.

Doing two signs versus is very different. Since everything was undersized I had to make new jigs for consistency and correctness.

I didn’t finish until about 4 pm with the cleanup etc. Looks good and we will install lights and signs for everyone on Saturday. Thirty some on homes to get done.

I think it was the first time in 4 yrs were I had to ” spank” Daisy. The little brat ran out of the house and down the street to Jake’s house. Jake always gives treats to her. She won’t stop or listen. Dangerous. Scary !

Great night in the NHL with the Flames beating one of the best teams in the league and the Oiler’s losing

News today from Victoria about a condo project in Calgary that had a gas explosion. Scary as it turns out it is the complex where Corey is working. Luckily as they are very dangerous Corey was safe and only a couple of workers with minor injuries. It will be interesting to see how it works out as to the cause. Natural gas explosions are rare. A sulfuric compound is added to gas. It creates a smell as a warning system. This limits the amount of explosions. Natural gas versus propane is interesting. Natural gas is lighter than air, so it rises. Propane is heavier, which causes it to fall to the ground. Both can explode but propane is more dangerous.

Most explosions happen when a backhoe cuts a gas line. The cutting can cause sparking at contact. Alternatively, gas fumes may come into contact with an open flame from a furnace, cigarettes, heater etc.

Gas explosion are very destructive with incredible force enough to blow debris blocks from the site.

Thought of the Day

Careful the world is literally ready to blow up !

November 22nd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -10 degrees with snow fall warning up to 20 cm, Calgary -10 degrees with snow up to 10 cm, Mesa 28 degrees “

I hate to say anything but the weather could only be described as perfect today. No wind, and the perfect temperature.

I paid some bills and readied for golf with my VP group.

I was not happy with the way I golfed yet I finished in second place 3 strokes behind. I did not want to take any pills today for my back and decided to attempt to see what happens. Not so much pain just tight tight muscles. Pulls to the left and few slices. I will say this I have lost some distance on all of the clubs. Even the wedges show a difference. My Gap wedge used to reach 140 yards, but now it seems to fly only about 125 to 130 yards. I did a little research and I am sure the altitude difference of over 2000 ft makes the difference. Otherwise I have to admit to less distance due to age.

A nice after golf gathering at Lyle’s place and another day in paradise done except for some TV tonight.

Tomorrow 30 homes for lights install and game night.

We received this picture from Jessica. The kids must be really looking ahead to Christmas as they are starting early. Love the Elf ornament. I don’t know how Jess did it. However, creating a simple webpage with the template to load the pic and print would be cool. I think EVERYONE loves Christmas. I still love Christmas with the tree decorating, Christmas turkey supper, lights etc. It is the most wonderful time of the year.

Great picture !

I have all of our Christmas decorations including the tree to put up Dec 22nd when we get home. I will complete my Chevy Chase house tomorrow or Sunday. I won’t light up until after the Thanksgiving weekend. Decorating takes such little time. It can be done quite inexpensively. It brings so much joy and appreciation for the season. Everyone should enjoy it. It’s understandable when people don’t decorate the outside of their home. There is no excuse for not making the inside festive. Even if no visitors it is a good feeling seeing the lights and decorations with memories.

Thought of the Day

Dear Santa, I was framed !

November 23rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -10 degrees SNOW, Calgary -10 degrees Snow. Mesa 25 degrees”

Jackie went for an early morning walk with Daisy as today was Christmas light set up day.

I was pretty happy with our volunteer turnout today. We managed to get all 30 homes decorated in about 3 hours. I only had to climb on 5 roofs today. It was just that much easier to install the strings of lights.

No hiccups and no injuries so all is good. I guess when I get 10 or so years older, I may not be capable of climbing on the roof. But, I doubt it.

The ladies had hot chocolate with Irish Creme. They also had cookies and muffins. Everything was on a table just like the girl guide tables in front of Safeway.

Fred & Terry came over early afternoon for a game night and supper. I think you can guess who the winners were of the Crib games we played. Yes Larry Crib Willard. Fred won the Play Nine games. and Terry killed us at 5 Crowns. I did notice she was wearing long sleeves as the cards she was being dealt were unreal. Had to be. I lost bad at 5 Crowns racking up over 200 points.

It was a very warm afternoon and evening. Sitting outside enjoying the sun and warmth is what Arizona is all about. We enjoyed games, drinks, and conversation.

Here is miss Daisy saying I missed you guys today while you were gone. I want to be near you.

Another great day done. Fun in the sun !

The record snowfall that Calgary is experiencing is interesting to see how people are reacting. Naturally we have had plenty of accidents. Drivers in Calgary are incompetent even on dry roads and when you add in poor roads, chaos happens.

News reporters talking to some people stating it is beautiful, they love skiing etc. I say sick bas***** they are just trying to convince themselves.

Thought of the Day

It is not about the cards you were dealt. It is about how you played your hand.

November 24th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -12 degrees, Calgary -13 degrees, Mesa 26 degrees”

Up early this morning and out to work on finishing the Christmas lights. It didn’t take that long. It was a little convoluted with all of the connections. 3 prong Nema 5-15P , 2 prong Nema 1-15P , and 2 prong straight. I worked for a long time as i had at least 15 connections. Finally got them all to work.

Santa and the Noel sign are all set up and lit. We included a waterproof box for many of the connections.

This took from 9 am to 3 pm to get done.

Then off to play billiards with Russ & Carol. It was sooo close every game with the guys against the girls. Down to the 8 ball each game except for one. That one Russ and I own handily. There were some great pool shots. The shots didn’t convert to wins but Carol was the best tonight with so many great shots. Jackie was on fire tonight.

Fun night at the hall ending with a great visit at Russ & Carol’s place.

On our way home our #800 street was lite up and looked great.

Thought of the Day

I was installing my Christmas lights today and they stuck on my head. I was light headed.

November 25th-26th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -10 degrees, Calgary -5 degrees, Mesa 26 degrees”

Viewpoint Golf group today out early. It was so warm no extra cover needed even on the first hole. As usual it was fun day on the course. I am not golfing well for some reason. Really struggling off the tee box. I am ending up mid eighties score wise but fighting to get there. Tight muscles even with the warmth, are killing me. Slice and then pull left the next hole. No consistency what so ever. On Wednesday, I need to play better. I need to improve not only to remain on the top of the money list but also to make some money.

Today Denis making it look easy shot high 70’s and took some money from me and our group.

We have a great group of fun guys golfing together. However, we have had one individual who has caused tension over the last couple of years. He is a very nice guy but he was extremely slow. He was forgetful to the point of losing clubs and balls on the course. He would walk to his ball without a club and then come back to the cart. That is senior golf per say but it was every game. He saw life differently than most of players in our group. He said a few things that didn’t sit well with some. It is hard to recover from things like that. Yesterday after golfing with him the group wasn’t happy.

You always hate to hurt anyone’s feelings but I had to remove him from the group. Balancing one guy’s feelings against the group’s happiness was tough. I struggled with deciding who to team him with, so it was a common-sense decision to remove him.

In business, whenever you fired anyone, it wasn’t a nice chore. I always saw it as a way to make my job easier. It reduced stress and tension. It also strengthened the company’s togetherness, making everything much easier overall.

I wish him well and hope he finds a great group of guys that “fit” him better.

I went to Fry’s today to buy for our Thanksgiving dinner. Now we all know how expensive meat is today. The butcher shop at Fry’s had a special on Sirloin Tip roast. It cost $60. I saw that you needed a digital coupon to get the deal. I loaded their app and applied the codes to my bill. I saved $44.00. That is fantastic !

So all is ready for Thanksgiving.

Daisy and I sitting outside watching the Amazon truck go by every 5 minutes.

August and Atticus 2024 school pictures are wonderful. Those are two good looking boys. I look back at pictures of myself I think I was a little awkward and nerdy compared to these two. Good thing puberty came to my rescue to create the epitome of maleness.

They are going to be a handful when they get to be teenagers. Great pictures.

It takes very little to make Jackie happy. Today with a Amazon delivery she was in heaven. The mop of her dreams arrived and she was very proud of it.

Have I said I love her ? I never ever said it was broom. LOL

I found this online which help me in making sure the Sirloin Tip is perfect.

We are sitting outside tonight watching Dancing with the Stars. It takes awhile to cool down after hitting 80 degrees. 8 pm and still 21 degrees.

Thought of the Day

The moment your meat is on the grill and your mouth starts to starts water. I wonder if vegans feel the same when they cut the lawn.

November 27th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -11 degrees, Calgary -8 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

Early rise picking up George today at 7 am for our Skins Game at Aki-Chin Southern Dunes. This course is the #5 best course in Arizona and the #84 best course in the USA.

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. If you can’t wrap your mind around that number, consider this: There are 129 traps on the 18 holes. That’s an average of more than seven bunkers per hole.

Needless to say it is HARD. In fact today 32 golfers in my group 31 golfers were over cap which is just poor golf. A few contributing factors were that it was cart path only, which meant 11,536 steps for me. It was also very wet because they are watering heavily after over seeding. The sands trap were either mud or like cement.

I was happy I held my own. I dropped out of top spot but am still sitting good.

A fun day and a challenging day with fun playing partners.

Thought of the Day

Talk to the sand. Play in the sand. Build a sandcastle. DONE !

November 28th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -17 degrees, Calgary -14 degrees, Mesa 24 degrees”

Happy Thanksgiving Day !

It is odd because the USA Thanksgiving is so close to Christmas. It appears Ham is the main dish during Thanksgiving. People wait for Christmas to have turkey.

Have said that we are having company and having a Sirloin Roast with all of the trimmings. We did all of the prep work. This included a dry rub, slicing garlic splinters and embedding them. We also prepped for the Yorkshire and peeled and soaked the potatoes. Hopefully everything goes well.

We have three “normal” people and two who are on the fussy side. I plan to slice off a portion of the roast. While it is resting on the counter, I will put this small portion back into the oven to get it to well done.

Even the rarest and reddest of steaks is actually bloodless. Instead, what you’re looking at is a combination of water, which makes up about 75 per cent of meat, and a protein found in muscle tissue called myoglobin. If that name sounds familiar, it’s probably because it sounds a bit like hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen in blood. Yes, there’s that word again, but myoglobin isn’t blood (honest!)
Yet people continue to order meat “well done” which destroys the taste all due to them thinking it is blood.

What is going on with the Calgary drivers. Two fatalities last night that were just weird.

First one, a gentleman stops to help a broken down car. He gets out and forgets to put his car in park. Then, trying to reenter it as it is going backwards, he falls under it and gets killed. It was a Prius so you know he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

Second I am sure something else was going on here.

A guy is walking across the street. An 80-year-old woman smacks him with her car. She stops to check on him. Then, another 70-year-old woman runs him over again and kills him. I am thinking wife and mistress planned it all. Murder not a road incident .

If I have to say so myself tonight’s meal was spectacular. We had a Sirloin Tip roast with a dry rub. The secret ingredient is 5 Salt & Pepper spice. There was also Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, roasted Brussel sprouts, and green beans with gravy. For dessert, we enjoyed pumpkin pie and ice cream.

We have stayed away from Yorkshire as you hear so many people state they are hard to make. They collapse or are hard etc. Jackie and I’s first attempt was perfect. Crispy outside and fluffy interior for gravy. We had plenty of roast fat to use and success.

The meat again to perfection taken out at 140 degrees and rested.

It was a wonderful experience and very little work with the timing working out perfect.

Being 92 % English I guess it was like riding a bike. My gene pool guided me.

Not only a wonderful meal sitting outside with our friends but a fun evening with games. My middle name is 5 Crowns. Dice I did not win at but gave it a good effort. Tim was the gambling Dice guy.

Daisy sat outside and enjoyed the evening with us. Now she is passed out on the couch with me. She is exhausted from no sleep all day.

The weather really does cool down at night but every day in the 70’s or 80’s is wonderful.

We came in about 9 pm as it really started to cool down. I have filled two propane tanks so far as from about 7 pm on it takes the edge off.

Thought of the Day

Put t’wood in t’ole 

November 29th-30th

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton -16 degrees, Calgary -14 degrees, Mesa 28 degrees”

I was up early today at 6:30 to book our tee times for next week. Then, at 7:45, we used Facetime to wish Atticus a Happy Birthday.

This kid is one of a kind and extremely likable. I am sure he will go far in this world as he takes no gruff from anyone, likes to make sure everyone is involved and is a leader. He pretends he is shy but far from it.

Face time was a blast. We bought a Chef’s set with knives, hat and apron etc for his birthday as he loves to cook. During our conversation while wearing his Chef’s hat he says to his Mom. ” Please Mom not the apron” like it was a punishment.

He talks while looking at his phone and says, “Wow, I have big lips.” His lips are something every model in the world would pay big bucks to have. Beautiful lips

May have been the angle also. LOL Happy Birthday Atticus.

The end of November already. Time is going by too fast.

Today was my VP Golfers play. I am down to the last few muscle relaxant pills and used them. I wasn’t displeased with the golf today. Viewpoint putting is extremely hard so I forgive putting but am still struggling with the different distance. Slicing/fading was minimal so ok with that.

Another fun day with a good group.

Everyone back to my house for drinks. Daisy got spoiled but missed having Ron in the group as he flew home to get checked out.

Barry was the big money winner today.

I worked on my excel sheets today and determined a new cap for everyone. The only odd change was Barry’s. His cap dropped a fair bit. He had some great games before, although he is just starting to have a few off ones. I believe my cap calculations are very accurate and fair to everyone. They need to be with the huge money on the line.

Great sleep and waking to another gorgeous day. Jackie is out talking to a new neighbor about his Christmas lights. Always those few stranglers to harness. Turns out these two are super nice. They ordered their lights and timer. I will pick up another package of hooks. I will help them install everything on arrival. And they are on the younger side so will bring some different ideas to the block.

Installed my new to me golf bag carrier on my golf cart and ended up cutting myself on the sharp metal. I stopped taking baby aspirin at least a year ago. I learned that it can cause more harm than good. However, my blood today was as thin as ever.

FYI Taking a low dose aspirin every day has been recommended by doctors for years as a way to lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke in some people. However, adults age 60 and over who have had no attacks, no stents, or significant atherosclerosis should not start it or even continue with it. That because there is no net benefit when considering the associated bleeding risks. Some consider it serious bleeding risks.

Time to put up the tree.

There is a great story behind this tree. It was in 2015 and Corey, Victoria and Jackson drove down with us to Mesa on Dec 21 st or so . As you know NO ONE should have a Christmas without a tree. So Jackson, Corey and I head to Walmart to see what we could find. So close to Christmas the selection is not the best. It is amazing how fast guys can shop. Jackson provided input and we guided the process. We ended up with a 6ft tall Christmas tree with lights, garland, tinsel, bulbs, and a fiber optic Angel. This took about 1/2 hour and cost less than $50. That is a win.

Fairly sparse in lightning but for the cost very pleased and still looks wonderful.

We took a tour tonight of the park to see the Christmas lights. It is still early due to Thanksgiving so a little weak as of yet but some nice blocks. My unbiased opinion is we should finish in 3rd spot for best decorated street. We have a weak east end so missing about 5 homes and few without spot lights. But from two years ago nothing, to today amazing.

It was a special day for Jackson yesterday. Finally after the pain and inconvenience he had his braces removed. Look at those perfect teeth. Just adds to the handsomeness. I bet he loves it.

Thought of the Day

Imagine the feeling of running your tongue along your teeth after braces and feeling the smoothness.