Jan 1st–6th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -16 degrees, Calgary -13 degrees, Mesa 22 degrees”

Some nights down to -30 in Edmonton. That is cold !

Well, the year is off to a rocky start with some man man plowing down people in New Orleans. It is difficult to understand.

Here is hoping everyone we know has a great 2025. Filled with fun, happiness , health and enough money to buy a treat or so.

I know I am looking forward to a fun year.

What did everyone do last night ? NYE is always a different time. Parties, get togethers, movies, food, drinks, or just a relaxing evening.

Flames win, Yahoo. Oilers win, Boo, Canada loses, sucks. So lots of hockey on. Ryan getting wet in NYC was fun to watch.

COLD out so much so that poor Daisy says I am not going out and refusing to walk outside. Did I say COLD outside it is ridiculous. When it is colder than -20 at night it is just not right.

How many New Years resolutions have been broke already ?

There are always a few customers that leave an impact on you during your business life. I just discovered one of them had past away two weeks ago. Bill W started from ground up and build up one of the largest volume Home Hardware Stores in Western Canada. He started off as a builder and transitioned into a building supply company. He was a brilliant man with a gruff exterior but a kind generous man. I remember the first time meeting him and it was intimating. He had the “perfect” wall paneled office upstairs with a private bathroom and bar in the corner. A tough no nonsense guy but always fair. I see a huge change in the industry with the ownership changes.

What I loved about Bill was his integrity. If he said something it was done and he expected no less from everyone else.

The building supply industry for sure lost a good one.

I worked on my budget sheets today. I still haven’t completed them because I was behind. Unfortunately, my budget doesn’t balance itself like Trudeau’s. Hopefully done tomorrow. I spent a lot of time getting the printer ready as it wasn’t working with my software which meant uninstall all drivers and re install.

There is a time each year when it goes from magical to miserable. It is called January.

-25 degrees with a wind chill today. That is horrible. Ugly.

Audrey has had her surgery but remains in the hospital for observance. A small bleeding issue that they want to ensure is ok. Always better safe and one or two days under care is a good thing. Jackie has said that the service and kindness at the hospital has been fantastic.

I finished off my 2024 numbers and 35% over budget which is a big number. The ironic part is even with us spending considerably more than budgeted, we still ended up growing our savings by 3% when I planned to have a 7% reduction every year. 11 years, almost, retired and things have been going “ok”. I will say it once more to any young person. Salary or job should be secondary to a good pension. Especially a defined one. It is my only regret in my working life.

I did a lot of calculation and followed a lot of financial guru’s mathematical scenarios like the 25% rule and the 4% withdrawal rule so was comfortable in retiring early. If you notice I stated 7% but used the 4 % rule as a guide. The 4% rules premise is to preserve the fund for life. Again a marketing ploy for the banks to hang on to your money and allow them to make money from it. They sold it as “Legacy” planning. I call my plan ” Living Life” planning. The one thing and VERY important the “guru’s” that created these scenario’s did not allow for is taxes. Dumb. ( that makes at least a 30% difference)

I have researched , read and listened to wealth advisors and I can tell you self interest is always precedent over client needs or wants.

If you forgot about all of the rules and created a cash flow sheet and based it on income not expenses as the experts tell you, you WILL have an accurate measurement what you can do. Fixed expenses are what they are but even those can be adjusted but until you determine an income level it is impossible to determine a expense side.

The other cost that is hidden is the cost of fund management. Lets take a dividend stock paying 5% which is achievable today you still will pay 1% to 2% management fee. That is a real 3% return. NO INVESTOR MANAGER puts this on paper. They will explain yield, return, historically return etc but the management fee is always on another document and passed over or passed off as nothing. It doesn’t matter who you use IG, a bank, Edward Jones the fee is there and charged.

Our expenses are just a lot higher than expected. We have adjusted a few things like keeping our vehicles longer than wanted, and major vacations every two years to help but I will not sacrifice enjoyment of life for being frugal.

There are basically 4 different plans offered by companies and more and more companies are changing to a less desirable version from an employee perspective.

RPP -registered pension plan, DBPP -defined benefit pension plan, DCPP- defined contribution benefit plan, and RRSP GROUP. registered retirement pension plan

Other than the teachers ATRF and the government workers LAPP plans a actually defined plan is hard to find in the workplace today. Most companies have switched to a group RRSP or contribution/combo based ones.

What ever is offered make sure you max it out while working.

I will say this. I never collected one dollar of unemployment insurance, WCB payment, short term disability payment and or leave of any type. And in 40 years of working not more than one week of paid sick leave over that time.

I am proud to say we have lived and enjoyed 11 years of retirement on our own dime. Unless the market collapses, I can enjoy another 12 years before having to make any real cuts. I am envious of the pensioned though. LOL

Have I said I love being retired.

I love the controversy Apple finds themselves in. I have been a anti Apple advocate forever. Their marketing has been exceptional in promoting themselves. The younger crowd in particular have been brainwashed.

Apple is by far an inferior product that due to demand and supply even demands a higher price. Apple is incestuous driving everything ( and requires payment ) thru their own software be it Itunes etc to get anything. They are extremely weak in apps available with the Apple Store having 1.6 million apps compared to Google Play at 3.55 million apps. They were fined 500 million for purposely slowing down Iphones so people would go out buy a new model. Now today another 14 billion fine ) 95 million for Canada alone for selling conversations from Siri to third parties and pushing products from certain vendors over others with a unfair advantage. There are numerous other lawsuits against this company.

Luckily there are enough people in the world that understand the handicap of having an Apple. Globally Android has 3.9 billion users with Apple having only 1.5 billion.

I struggle to understand the loyalty to a company with horrible ethnics, and it being a much inferior product. They pushed ” secure” and did a good job even if it stretched the truth.

-25 degrees with windchill again today and Daisy not liking it.

Audrey is being released from the hospital today which is good. Jackie will be gone for most of the day.

Every year I negotiate with different companies after looking at my budget. This morning was Telus’s turn. Last year was TD Insurance. Today I kept the same service, double as fast speed, unlimited data and lowered my “home bill ” ( tv, phone, internet) from $220 a month to $106. I should be upset that they have over charged me for so long but it is my own fault. The young lady did not want me to cancel services and worked with me on each service. Between loyalty ( 34 years ) with Telus ( we still have a telusplanet.net address) discounts, multiple use discounts and “threats” I saved close to $1400 a year.

Jackie is sleeping over at Audrey’s to make sure she has a handle on everything as we leave in a few days.

January 5th 15 years ago I lost Dad. This man was was amazing and a wonderful mentor to me. As I have said some people are good at one thing in their life but Dad was excellent at many. A licensed mechanic, a trained machinist, built by himself 3 houses, an excellent carpenter, welder, plumber and electrician.

I noticed years ago when someone dies it is amazing how such a great person they become in the eulogy and no one remembers that they may have not been that good of person.

I will state right here you could not get a better person than my Dad and for sure not after the fact. He did not anger, he did not swear, he was extremely kind, put everyone’s needs in front of his own, his mind was brilliant, and had a wonderful sense of humor. All of these traits would be seconded by anyone that met him.

I do have to add one thing to my Dad’s story. He died in the Royal Alexandria Hospital after a fall, resulting in a hip replacement surgery where his care was not as good as it should have been.

The reason I mention this for others to learn.

Caution to anyone that goes into the hospital during the holiday season. The wards are short staffed, the staff are in a celebratory mode and over look their responsibilities. Unfortunately it is human nature but the result of neglect of duties can cause patient’s deaths. With hip surgery one important factor is getting the patient out of bed relatively quick which increases flexibility and reduces clot forming by laying in bed. The excuse giving to us was the physical therapist on the ward was not available. In hindsight we should have been more adamant in demanding attention.

Having said that it is no reflection on the hospital or the staff but a reflection of the situation that happened that could have had a different outcome.

Dad lived a full life just shy of 90 years old.

Mercury Forecast this morning Edmonton -10 degrees, Calgary -1 degrees, Mesa 21 degrees.

Daisy and I went for a walk this morning. The first where it was warm enough to actually have her walk. LOL

Jackson came over for awhile yesterday before his hockey practice. He bought me a game for Christmas and I practiced on it before he arrived.

I had a plan. I turned my side of the game hook backwards which gave me a huge advantage. We started to play and sure enough my plan worked perfect and Jackson was shocked how good I was. Hiccup, my plan I thought would last for a long time but after only a few minutes he discovered my tweak to the game. LOL

And we got Harvey’s for lunch. The best burger in the fast food business.

Just a short political statement. Happy that Trudeau resigned but his timing is just stupid with Trump coming into power. To prorogue the parliament until March 24th is extremely stupid. It is a stunt to give the Liberals time for a leadership replacement which means no non confidence vote until at least then.

I received the invite list today for my 50th MCHS reunion. It was a little eye opening. Now Stony Plain High is not a large school. However, there are 20 people listed as deceased on it. The list is not completed as of yet. What was a little disturbing is I had a close connection with a few of these.

Darrell Troock– he lived on Osborne Acres just two homes down from my family. His dad Oliver ” Mr Troock” to us, was a stern man but an excellent Scout leader to me. My Mom drove Darrell’s younger brother to the hospital when the neighbors dog bite his ear off. Blood ! Jackie & I sat at Darrell’s table for our 45 th reunion.

Robert ( Bob) Nasby– Bob’s family came from Edson and had connections with Niton Junction. His Dad owned Floyd Nasby Auctions which was a large company. Bob’s younger brother Billy played the violin with me in junior high school band. Bob went to Spruce Grove schools then Stony with me from Grade 5 to Grade 12.

Darrell Dussault I can say, looking back, I did some crazy things with this gentleman. I can’t put those experiences in here. But this was one fun time of my life. The parties, the car rides, the experiences were unreal. One of the funniest experiences happened when Jim Kruse, Darrell, and I drove from the Coliseum to Jim’s place in Spruce Grove in the dark. It was 2 am and my headlights did not work. My battery went dead and if I turned on the lights the car would stall. Besides not being legally fit to drive, making it all the way without an accident was a miracle. It was astonishing that no cop stopped us. We used a flashlight out of the window to see the white line on highway. Trust me, being black out, that wasn’t an easy task. Darrell was the bartender at our wedding.

Denise Plante– memories. I met Denise in Grade 12 when we had a class together. She was feeling ill one day at school and went to the infirmary. I snug out of class and broke into the infirmary to bug her. I didn’t get caught. Turns out her illness was lady related pains. LOL Our first ” date” was skipping school and heading into Edmonton to go the Continental Inn Pub. Unbeknownst to me she invited a girl friend to tag along. So it cost me a little more between gas and drinks. In hindsight, it might be a good thing I did not marry Denise. Our girls would have no butt whatsoever. Gorgeous girl, big chest, but no butt. Leaving her house one night I hit the ditch in deep snow. Came back next morning and my side window was broke and all of my 8 track tapes were stolen.

Wayne Bunky Shennan – Wayne and I went to school from Grade One to Grade 12. During school he was a talented artist and just one of those nice fun guys. He had a lot of friends. He arranged to have his brother paint my 1967 Camaro RS/SS. One amazing job. I also had bought my very first car from his brother, a 1963 Nova SS. Wayne died a long time ago right at the intersection of our Mayfield house. He was on his motorcycle and t boned a city bus.

I couldn’t find the obituary notice of some.

Thought of the Day

Made me think what I would like my obituary to read ” Larry died “

January 7th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 0 degrees, Calgary 4 degrees, Mesa 20 degrees”

The cold snap gives Alberta a break. Daisy likes this temperature with her coat on.

Last night and this morning she walked her shortened version around the block.

She was confused with Jackie spending the night here and stealing her pillow from her. Daisy did give it up. LOL

I made a wonderful supper last night for myself. Salisbury Steak, brown gravy, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, and sautéed onions. Awesome !! I made enough for two but Jackie was busy with Audrey still so didn’t make it back in time. Jackie was cooking Sole fish for herself and Audrey. Not even in the same league of meals. Sole fish is just plain BAD !

This morning I worked on Enmax. I decided that power is becoming too expensive. I need to keep our a/c on 24/7 from April 1st to Oct 15th. So, I decided to go to a fixed rate 3-year plan. I dropped my rates from the RPO rate of 12 to fixed at 8 cents. Another good savings.

Daisy was misbehaving today so as it is a new world we put on her Minnion hat . That will teach her. LOL

Off for a last visit with Alan, MaryAnn and Audrey at her place. Alan treated us to KFC which like I have said before is a one or two times a year meal. As usual it was great even though the Coleslaw is from a different company than before but still is ok. They used to have a green coleslaw that was much better.

It was a nice visit and looks like Jackie has everything worked out for Audrey when we leave.

The conversation moved to discussing Bidet’s. Alan & MaryAnn and Audrey all have installed a bidet seat on their toilet. A fad.

Ok, some facts about these things. First they have changed over the years drastically. They originally started off as a basin on the floor for the French aristocrats for hygiene purposes. Bidet comes from the word ” pony” in French as they used to have to straddle the bowl much like riding a horse. Modern technology created a stand alone bidet beside a toilet and today we have portable bidets and bidet seat conversions.

A couple of things. They were designed and created for women. One could argue that French men come close to that description. They can help with UT infections and work perfectly during a women’s menstruation cycle. So they do have limited usefulness.

Very common in France and Asia. Asian’s have a tendency as do French to have less body hair. Looking forward. These may be banned in the near future. They may be boycotted as people recognize the impact on our environment. These things use 24 ounces min of water each use and in most cases double that. Take four trips to the bidet a day, it is ONE gallon extra of the most valuable resource on the planet wasted. Compound that with the tissue used to wipe or dry and the extra impact on our environment is large.

Put one of these in Italy or any Eastern European country that has a hairy population and the gallons wasted is astronomical.

Going back to the history of these things they were used in French brothels for pre- sex sessions and after. It was believed at the time it was a good contraceptive by washing out the sperm. A early form of douching per say. Studies have linked the practice of douching to bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, higher rates of HIV transmission and multiple adverse outcomes in pregnancy. With women they have been told forever to wipe front to back yet the bidet depending on the angle can do the opposite. Care about the angle of the water to avoid any cross contamination between the backside and the urinary tract is important.

Most know that there are laws in place about the amount of water to be flushed in your regular toilet so it is just a matter of time before we ban Bidets.

They only have become popular since the Covid pandemic when we had a shortage of toilet paper and as any fad will slowly fade away as part of history again. A place in history where we didn’t have toilet paper so had to improvise.

The thought of cold water hitting my ass in the middle of the night makes my sphincter contract ! I like 4 ply toilet paper. Thank You

Last night in town and as Mom gave us a gift card to Boston Pizza we took Victoria, Corey and Jackson out for supper. A fun night.

I will say just like everything else eating out is ridiculously priced and we had what I consider to just be a typical meal.

Last meal in Canada before we leave so I had a “Signature Caesar” I have to give Boston good props as it had a salted rim, celery, bean, and pepperoni garnish.

They had an older man making balloon figures. This guy for a good 5 minutes told Dad joke after Dad joke. He was amazingly punny.

A fun last night.

Thought of the Day

I don’t mean to brag but I put together a 500 piece puzzle in 1 day when on the cover it said 2- 4 years.

January 9th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton degrees, Calgary 6 degrees, Mesa 21 degrees”

We got everything done with a little time to spare. We were very lucky to have Tor pick us up and take us to the airport.

We arrived on schedule and found the Flair desk. Being a smaller and new line they sort of get hidden at the end of the building. Once again it was funny to watch people struggling with baggage sizing. One word only. Stupid. There are a lot of stupid people out there. Not a Karen per say but a strange older lady on our flight for check in and even on the plane. Using her speaker on the plane. Getting up numerous times to get stuff or out the over head. It was just odd. And she was loud.

Security was awesome again. They did pull us over to inspect Jackie’s bluetooth speaker and my hot pockets. Just doing their job. Calgary Airport was dead. Not many people at all.

We had a smaller supper as the timing was off. I phoned YYC info to find out where the dog relief was in the international section as they had done a reno. The helpful lady said Gate D. We are using Gate E. So Jackie was taking a pad to the washroom and right near us a new fancy dog area in E. Thanks a lot Lady. Daisy did her deed and we were set to board.

Daisy patiently waiting at the gate to board the plane. We boarded right on time. Great flight with no one in our row which works out perfect. Daisy was 99.9 % perfect.

Smooth ride, cold pop and ice made for an excellent flight. Strong tail winds as we made it in 2 hours, one full hour ahead of schedule. But as you know that means waiting on the runway unless lucky. We sat but still unloaded a 1/2 hr early.

We met our ride on the north side from our neighbor which was awesome.

Got home and the place looks like Christmas. Lol Daisy was so happy to see her pal Denis. As soon as she got home, she ran around the house. She was glad to be home. If she could talk she would saying, Do I get to see my friends in the morning?

Everything was perfect and we will start getting all fixed up again with food and organized in the morning.

I have to say. FLAIR airlines every trip we have taken them has been exceptional. I just recently saw where they are the Number 1 airlines for on time flights in Canada. Know what they are, know their rules and they are great.

Thought of the Day

I don’t know why people worry about the world ending today. It is already tomorrow in Australia.

January 10th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 10 degrees, Mesa 19 degrees”

Calgary and Edmonton both getting rain today is odd for January. We have a stretch of cold weather hitting Mesa with only about 20 degrees above each day. It is January but I like it just a little warmer. Perfect day time but after 5 pm quite cool evenings.

WOW does this feel nice and just homey !

Even Daisy feels at home in the sun and in her yard.

She made herself right at home as long as she is next to her Mommy!

Out of the house and my first game golfing in about three weeks. Two things can happen I could score 75 or I could score 95.

I will tell you I didn’t win any money so that is hint that I landed somewhere in between.

It was an odd one today as I took no pills, had no pain, felt semi loose and I hit the ball farther than I was supposed to. First hole a great drive and then second shot 20 yards past the green. This happened to me on about 5 holes or more where my distance and club selection was off.

I nice group today of people and we even had Mike visit us at our after gathering. He hopes he can golf next week but he has to take it easy as he just had a battery replacement in his pacemaker. They cut you open and replace them without putting you to sleep. I told him now with lithium technology he will have the heart of a 27 yr old. 2 less strokes I am thinking.

Jackie went out and filled up our shelves again so we are back up and running.

Tomorrow I will take down the remaining homes with Christmas lights still up and organize that for next year. I have to say I am impressed with how many homes were able to this themselves. Only issue now is I had timers and cords at a lot of different spots which may be gone.

Jackie, I and Daisy had a nice evening walk in dark.

3 pounds left to lose from my visit to Canada for Christmas. That sitting around and eating is not good.

I will say it one more time. I am positive people if fortunate enough to winter in the south due to them being a way more active and outside will live longer. Today between golfing and walking 10 k steps plus the energy used to swing and flex is all good.

Thought of the Day

I have noticed that with the older people in the park, each year of age seems to slow them down by three miles per hour.

January 11th

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

My golfing buddy Rick from Turner Valley sent me this video of our last game of the season at Turner.

I liked it as it gives me a chance to critique my swing. Here are my take aways right or wrong. First it is too bad the video didn’t show where the ball ended up. On the green. I used slow mode to look at it.

Ok the set up is good. The take away is great. The backswing distance is great. The drop down to power is great. The in to out swing path is excellent. The follow thru and turning of the hips with belt to aim spot is good. The follow thru could be longer. The only negatives which didn’t impact the shot though were the left arm not staying straight enough and the set up posture which I can’t correct. I think the next time at the range I am going to focus on that arm.

Up this morning and start taking down Christmas lights. The street did a wonderful job and I had only 5 houses to do the take down on. I started at 10 am and worked steady all day until 4pm, except for a phone call.

I loved watching Jackie today. Today was her social butterfly day. She walked Daisy and had her visits in with the dog owners then spent time at Denis & Anita house talking away, then moved over to Jack & Donna’s for another long spell. Then she was off to Dwight & Gini’s house. Next stop Randy & Donna’s. Then off to speak with Georgie which resulted in Jackie volunteering and organizing our games at our block party on the 17th.

I just received this picture from Fred & Terry in Mexico. In a bar they have the Stamps and Elks up on the wall . I DO NEED TO POINT OUT THE FLAMES ARE ABOVE THE ELKS ONCE AGAIN.

I think Terry has been out in the sun. LOL Looks like they are enjoying themselves.

We went for a short walk taking us around the park. Nice and cool so Daisy runs at a good pace. I think Jackie said it was only 1.4 kilometers in a very short time. Up hill both ways though.

Talking to our neighbors just a few homes down, Randy, they were at the New York City Marathon as his wife Cindy runs marathons and next year they are doing the Berlin Marathon. I find it amazing that someone has that ability even though it is NOT good for ones body.

After Christmas light take down I trimmed all the trees, blew away and gathered up the leaves and debris.

Thought of the Day

What is a tree’s least favorite month ? Sep timber

January 12th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 1 degrees, Calgary 2 degrees, Mesa 17 degrees”

One of those rare freeze warning tonight. It is January and it is the desert.

I was talking with my neighbor yesterday about golfing and the pricing. Ian for years with a group has gone to the Wolf Creek Golf course in Mesquite. It is an elite course. Jackie and I thought we could stop by there as it sounded wonderful on our way home and play it. It is good to have dreams. Crushed dreams. It would cost us $1014 just to play the course. Not going to happen.

2025 RATES

January 1 – January 15, 2025
Rack $175 / No Twilight
SPLIT TEE START*

January 16 – February 5, 2025
Rack $230 / No Twilight
SPLIT TEE START*

February 6 – February 26, 2025
Rack $330 / No Twilight
SPLIT TEE START*
SPLIT TEE START ENDS 2/29/2024

February 27 – March 12, 2025
Rack $360 / Twilight $330*

March 13 – April 7, 2025
Rack $390 / Twilight $330*

I just checked Banff Springs Golf Course. It is $339 per person. Having golfed it a few times, I can say it is not near the course this Mesquite one is.

Tonight was another wonderful afternoon/ evening play pool with Russ & Carol. Both are very good pool players and we divide up each time ladies against the men. As usual every game was so close. Most games come down to one or two balls left. I lost one game scratching on the 8 ball and the girls won another in a wonderful come from behind scenario. We were extremely lucky on one game with Russ, Carol and Jackie all missing sinking the 8 ball and myself left with a easy shot.

What I like is each time we play I can learn a bit more by watching those two in strategy and skill. Again I thought Jackie and I had bursts of excellence with shots that were more real thrown in.

We went over to their home after playing. They have a wonderful sliding door system. I was looking at a French door system but I think this system is even better with the lack of weight for our gazebo at the lot. I can get the Extruded Aluminum from Richelieu Hardware but will need to find a supplier of the vinyl.

Another great day in Viewpoint !!

Thought of the Day

Never give up until the last ball falls.

January 13th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 5 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 18 degrees”

Two cold days with the cold being pushed down from the north. 18 above is a wonderful SUMMER day in Calgary but here today it felt cold. I guess we are spoiled. Luckily by Wednesday up to our normal again.

I have been working on a system to hang curtains in out patio for those cool evenings, Lots of different ways but trying to find a solution that has removable curtains and proper hangers as i am dealing with aluminum posts which are not too strong.

Another nice day to golf except for the last three or four holes as the temp really dropped. No excuse but my fingers go numb and I have no feeling in them. Can’t be good for the grip.

No pills but sure could have used them as with the coolness everyone was stiff. Not a stellar performance. Bob S though had a brilliant game ending up with a 79 and at a 17 handicap. A net 62 is unheard of. He just played well. Ron had a decent game but could have played better and I did not like how I played at all. Darn

Tim Keys who is Fred’s brother played with us today. Now Fred doesn’t like golf but Tim dislikes it more only playing once every couple of years. He hits it long when he connects but struggles with hitting the ball. Hoping he had a fun enough time to do it again.

The after party was at Denis’s who has a tabletop fire pit which kept us nice and warm. Liked that.

The ride home was cold and fingers white.

Jackie made us a nice easy supper soup, cheese crackers, pickles which was enjoyable to have.

TV, Flames game and another day in the books.

Thought of the Day

What has five fingers, is white and pink and isn’t your hand?

My hand

January 14th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 8 degrees, Calgary 9 degrees, Mesa 21 degrees”

Jackie started her Yoga today. It is an early start so she leaves the house at 8 am to attend. This throws Daisy off her regular routine and me so I got up and took her to the park. I do not like getting up that early.

We arrived at the park about 10 minutes after 8 and stayed until 10 mins to 9. Daisy got her exercise by running back and forth along the fence chasing the carts with dogs. We only had two dog visitors in the park so she didn’t have her normal fun. She did her business which is the most important thing. Back home and start to start the day even though mixed up. Make the coffee and jump into the shower while it is heating up.

Daisy got her breakfast while I ate mine. Watched the last part of the news and then watched the Senate committee drill Pete Hegseth. The man has baggage and was literally attacked by the Dems. His baggage isn’t good but should not be a reason for him not being confirmed.

One topic I thought was interesting was his take from years ago. He had a different opinion 10 weeks prior on women in the military. It is a touchy subject in today’s world so one has tread carefully. He previously stated emphatically that women don’t belong in combat. Now he is a little more open to the possibility with exceptions.

I can not see how any women or man can disagree that a candidate has to have a job description standard to meet. DEI ( diveristy, equity, inclusion ) hiring has to be eliminated in certain jobs. Like affirmative action hiring taken place years ago it is extremely bad policy for business, DEI hiring is just stupid. Hiring someone because they are a minority or a female, rather than another qualified person, is wrong. Yet, the “woke” push it big time.

If the job standard for a front line military person is, say, 5 miles in 5 minutes or climbing 10 feet in one minute, then everyone should be given the test. Only those who pass it should be given the opportunity. There is no bias, no racism, no favoritism etc in such a scenario.

To simplify it, if a fireman has to carry a 200 pound man up stairs in 15 minutes, and a woman is hired, was it a good hire? If she is unable to do the task, and someone dies, it questions the decision. No different with the army. Again I don’t think anyone would disagree that women in the armed forces is a good thing. It just has to be in a position that they are qualified for and can excel at.

I did not care for the questioning and attacks. I also think a personal life decision is completely different and does not reflect a decision made in business. Yet they were trying to suggest his loyalty to a marriage was in question. They argued that his poor decision making of having an affair invalidated him from an important job.

It was interesting to watch and I agree “the swamp needs to be drained.”

I wished my good friend Clancy Livingston from years ago a Happy Birthday on Facebook. I had a lot of fun times with Clancy. I worked with Clancy at Sterling Dist and Clancy was one of groomsmen at my wedding. Today his Mom Cora Taylor friended me. Clancy’s family lived only a short distance away from our acreage. They had a wonderful A frame log cabin home. I always thought Cora was the ” perfect hippie” Mom when I was over at their place. Well it turned out today was her birthday. This lady just turned 89 years young and drives down to Florida by herself every year. Here is a picture of her enjoying her birthday drink in Florida.

Cora has had 27 novels published to date with Yesterdays Doll being her best selling one. She is an inspiration.

After my Daisy trip and breakfast I started to work. I have struggled to find a solution to hanging patio curtain rods and finally came up with an idea. I sure hope it works.

I decided to use 1 inch thick wall EMT and closet rod end holders. This took me all day but finally done. One small tweak yet to do and install the curtains but I think it is going to work well. ALL DAY to hang, screw, level, and install three curtain rods is unbelievable. But that is what it took. I will take a picture with the curtains up. I decided to do this because the evenings are cool. It just makes it nice outside to have captured heat and blocked wind. In some cases, it also blocks the sun.

Thought of the Day

If Plan A fails I still have 25 more tries.

January 15th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 3 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees, Mesa 72 degrees”

Alarm goes off and I get ready. It is that time of year it goes from 42 degrees to 72 degrees within a couple of hours. I have a handle on it.

Jackie bought me KIND bars and mixed fruit for breakfast and long with Coffee I was filled perfectly.

I took two muscle relax pills as after working all day yesterday stretching etc my back was quite bad. These things are like GOLD for me. I stuck and extra one in my pocket just in case. I didn’t need it. They work so well it is amazing.

I was paired up with two guys with the last name Lock. I knew the one guy as I have played with him before. He is a member of Canyon Meadows Golf Club. It is a $40k intuition fee club. He has a handicap of ONE and is great golfer to watch playing. When I saw the last names I thought Mike had asked his brother or son to play with him. The two of them were like the movie TWINS. Brad was 6 ft 5 and large and Mike was 5ft 7 and slight. It was funny. Brad is a member of the Sirocco Golf Club. It is not as elite of a course as Canyon though. Brad drove a beautiful red Porsche 911 to the course today, so that has to count for something. Then there was Chris in his Audi. And Larry with his twin turbo Flex. Quite a motley crew all having fun together on the course.

I won money but not enough. Not playing for three weeks and i am still in the top 10 money spot. Albeit now in 10th place but still there. I need next week to be good. Ours scores were very varied also. All four of us finished in the 80’s which is higher than normal for everyone.

SIX BIRDIES and 6 shots of Fireball. Love it !!

Our foursome had 6 birdies so made for a fun day.

How can you not love Arizona. 72 degrees today, sunny and 85 miles per hour on the freeway all of the way home. Three of my favorite things.

Jackie picked up the baseball board for our block party from Ardon down the street. He is going to help with the game and scoring.

Thought of Day

Funny how every time you open a new box of balls they find out of bounds or water first shot.

January 16th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 10 degrees, Mesa 23 degrees”

Today felt warmer than the 73 degrees as we had no wind and bright sun.

I hung the first set of curtains and will take pictures when it is all done. The first set is on the west side. It makes a HUGE difference in the flow of wind. It will block both the wind and sun when needed. I predict they will only last only a few years with the sun beating on them. Luckily, they are inexpensive on Amazon.

I spent another 4 hours sorting and organizing the sheds again. It is pretty close but still missing two things. We used to have a red plastic case with hole saws in it and we had a bag full of jig blades both missing. Missing the rivet gun also. Fred may have kept them so a trip to Harbor Freight in needed.

Jackie had a busy one running around today.

Dog walk early to book tee times at the course for Jackie. Then to the dog park which eats up more than an hour or so. Then off to golf with the ladies. she finished her round and came home to change and get a bite to eat. Then off to Marge’s house for after golf party and Ellen’s birthday party. Then rushing off to set up 300 chairs for the concert tonight. We got back home and I BBQ’d sliced potato’s, carrots and pork chops. Then off to the concert. Tonight was the Olivia Newton John tribute concert. It’s funny. When Jackie and I first got married, we bought a turntable. One of Olivia’s albums, called Let’s get Physical, was owned by Jackie. She used to listen to it while cleaning or just listening.

With the controversy around the liquor license people believe it has resulted in lower attendance to the concerts. We set up 300 chairs but the concerts used to draw 600 or more. Olivia may not be the biggest draw. I don’t think no drinking would be the only reason for less attendance though. We will see next concert.

I have to say the performer was superb. It was a fun concert to watch.

It was a warm drive back from the main hall. Abnormally warm late evening.

Another real busy day for Jackie and a good day for me. Love it !!

Thought of the Day

Did you hear about the new song by Olivia Newton John about clocks? Let’s get digital, digital.

January 17th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -8 degrees, Calgary -7 degrees, Mesa 21 degrees”

Well first thing it is my brothers birthday today. It seems out. Very odd. When I say my brother is now 71 years old it makes me shiver. THAT IS OLD BY ANYONE’S STANDARD. It is just odd. It is just old.

This is Alfred today with his newest granddaughter.

Enough depressing news. I know and see a lot of older people and trust me NO ONES wants to get older. To say I have a brother in his 70’s ughhh !

Yoga this morning so Daisy and I head off to the park. Lots of dogs today but no one really running or chasing her around. She did her business and we head back. Getting up early throws off the day. Watched a bit of news and then started looking at what we needed for our chili for today’s Pot luck.

We cleaned out the cupboards and some great stuff but still a trip to Safeway needed. We had kidney, pino, chives, beans so only needed more meat, cheese, powder, corn, and tomato paste and diced tomatoes.

Got it all done and loaded into the slow cooker with about 6 hours to cook. My taste test said YES ! it was good.

The block party pot luck had the best food gathered we have had in long time. Such a selection. To name a few, there were meatballs, sausages, and pigs in a blanket. We also had pot stickers, ham & cheese sliders, which were awesome, and a cooked veggie dish. There were many more. The biggest Tiramisu cake I have ever seen.

We had our standard mayor’s address, and Rova report which is always nice to keep people in the loop.

Then off to the games Jackie & I organized. We were playing a game our neighbor had for over 20 years which is a version of a bean bag throw game based on the baseball game. We created New York Yankee and Toronto Blue Jays logos cards to divide up into teams. EVERYONE participated which was awesome. Ardon in 92 and Florence 90 with a oxygen bottle all played and did well. It was a lot of fun and the Toronto Blue Jays kicked butt winning like 26 to 6.

A great turnout and a fun night.

Thought of the Day

Slide it into the hole

January 18th-19th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -19 degrees, Calgary – 15 degrees, Mesa 19 degrees”

Typical January weather for Alberta with over – 30 night time lows. Cooler than normal as the vortex pushes cold air down to us also. Now 19 degrees is still wonderful but not as warm as I like it for Arizona or Alberta.

Jackie got back from her 8k step walk today. Daisy also completed the walk. It didn’t result in her being dead tired.

Off to Walmart today for a few toiletries and groceries. It is definitely a different kind of person that overall shops here. Having said that, it is the best place for paper towel or toilet paper. It is inexpensive. You don’t have to buy a pallet like Costco. $300 bucks later and done. The most fun is driving the cart around all of these over sized elderly people. Have to have my fun somehow.

I adjusted my self closing hinges on my gate as it dropped a bit. By adjusting the top hinge it is supposed to lift the gate. Adjusting this is like a overhead garage door spring. Lots of force on these things. Time will tell as we have company coming tomorrow and Monday evening. I want to see how it reacts to the change.

I watched Taylor Swift today, sorry I mean the Chiefs as they pull off another win. My curtains worked perfect as it is nice and cozy by blocking out the wind and keeping the warmth in. Love my new large curved TV.

Another whining crying complaining night for Connor McCry Baby. I love watching his skill but his attitude, his demeanor, his selfishness, his personality or lack of and his poor me is just embarrassing for the Oilers and hockey. He needs a good whipping to have an adjustment. I don’t think he likes playing second fiddle to Leon which is a much better rounded player. Get a team that plays a little tough and Connor can’t handle it. My suggestion would be a 5 game suspension. Too many times he uses his elbows & stick and gets away with it. A penalty should have been called against both of them but there is no excuse for intent to injure.

A fun afternoon/evening with Russ & Carol. They are very good pool players and it is a fun match up guys against the girls. It was the guys night. We lost only one game. I missed my 8 ball shot. That mistake set the girls up. As the games won indicate the guys were just little better tonight. It happens when both players get hot or are off. I enjoy our weekly game. I also enjoy the after gatherings we have.

Thought of the Day

Pool, like life, is full of angles

January 20th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -7 degrees, Calgary – 4 degrees, Mesa 18 degrees”

That Alberta clipper Artic vortex is sending that ugly cold Canadian air this way. We are hitting only 18 today. This is a warm summer day in Calgary. However, it feels cool for us and, in fact, cold for us. Two days and then in the 70’s again. But for the next week or so it is not hot.

Golfing today it was the perfect temperature. I found I was driving and irons shots were great but chips and putting killed the score. I lost 3 bucks today. Happy though overall. The scoring will come. Chipping I have tried my 60 degree, my A wedge, my P wedge and S wedge plus a 8 iron thrown in but haven’t found my mojo weapon yet.

Great to have Mike back after getting his new battery pack in pacemaker. Ron S came back for the first time in a long time with both playing quite well.

I think this picture says it all. We have beautiful bright sunny days. The grass is green. It’s warm yet cool enough to wear pants and a light coat. It’s just a wonderful day on the course.

Kirk today besides playing well also had so much luck. One shot went right into the water. It should have dropped to the bottom of the pond. Instead, a miracle occurred and it hit and bounced onto the grass. From fairways away to the right of ours his plays flies over the trees right onto the greens. Numerous times. LOL

A fun time on the course. With two holes left the temperature really dropped and the wind came up and it was cold, so we felt lucky to be done. Only 4 hours 6 minutes to finish which was great.

Jackie made us a great after snack meal of meats, cheeses and pickles.

Atticus on Facetime tonight. This kid is cute.

Amazon delivered my second set of curtains that I will install tomorrow.

Thought of the Day

You know you are getting better when you hit less houses in Arizona.

January 21st

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 0 degrees, Calgary 2 degrees, Mesa 15 degrees “

The Arctic Vortex is hitting the USA, Texas getting snow on the beaches in Galveston. The entire north south east side getting blasted with cold and snow. Luckily here is Arizona we are just getting the edge of it. The 15 degree high is still nice and warm in the sun. However, it is about 10 degrees cooler than we like. And it looks like it is sticking around for a bit. No complaints as it is nice, sunny but not hot. Give it another month and see what we say. LOL

Jackie & I hung the new curtains and I ordered tie backs and hook ups for the bottom of them. Tonight we will test them.

Jackie off to her yoga. Daisy & I head to the park and then to her stylist. She is so funny as she shakes when she is going into places like this.

Today the wind was up so the ladies decided to forgo golfing today.

On the corner, something was happening with the cops. About 6 cars and 30 cops were huddled in the parking lot of Gerber Furniture. I couldn’t see or figure out what was happening.

Grocery shopping, Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino Grande and a tea from Starbucks and we are set.

Thought of the Day

Patio’ntly waiting for our normal Arizona temperatures.

January 22nd

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

10 inches of snow in Florida. Storm of the century as it doesn’t just happen. Here in AZ we have a week or so of colder weather than we like. Freeze warnings as it is hitting 32 degrees in Mesa at night. Good thing I finished off my patio.

Impressed with Amazon in completely closing down their entire distribution network in Quebec due to a union vote. 1700 plus employees with no job now due to their stupidity. CN , CP , airline companies etc should learn from this.

Up EARLY and out to golf at Aquila. I needed to win money today to stay in the top 10 but spoiler alert that did not happen.

We all arrive on time and 1 to 1.5 hr frost delay. Oh well ! There literally was white ice on the greens. First time ever according to the club house.

I had a good team but we didn’t preform well, especially me. I can not figure out why some days things go so wrong. Drives were bad, irons were pulled, chips were shanked, and putts missed. No money but loads of fun.

Today I had a gentleman from St Albert, Mount Olympia Washington and Calgary McKenzie Lake. Great guys, one extremely good golfer and nice guys.

I had golfed with two of them before and one commented after seeing me struggle. ” How do you remain so calm and upbeat ” As I have said before someone that loses their cool, gets depressed, angry or upset is just showing a weakness of mind and control . It was bad golfing, one day. That is it ! Friday I will score 78 and not even remember my ordeal today.

Driving home today on a 10 wide freeway and thinking about how good the traffic was moving. Having said that there were a lot of cars on the road. Then, consider the fact that there are 5 million people in the greater city. That’s more than all of Alberta. And tricky cops. Today they had a blue Mustang GT with black rims and large spoiler as a ghost car.

Due to the after start date I hit rush hour traffic on the way home.

Easy quick supper and then a relaxing evening watching TV.

Thought of the Day

Trick is grab your clubs, make sure you are layered and tee off with a smile.

January 23rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, Mesa 19 degrees”

This morning I headed to Home Depot to get a few things for my curtain projects.

I started with my rope and clip system to hold the curtains closed during wind. They have a loop system but also a rod pocket on the bottom that I chose to use. Two quick clips so we can pull them back when needed.

They turned out good.

I went over to check on our neighbors reno. I will say this the contractor was/is very sketchy. When I was talking to Ian with the contractor he gets very annoyed and dodgy. I hope the project went well. My concern is he installed a eave trough without a flashing. The fascia has raised inserts, so the trough will not sit tight to the fascia. This setup will allow water to run behind the trough, accomplishing nothing. Rather than buy two pieces of trough he also jimmied a system to deflect water the last foot. I suggested to add another down pipe drop outlet which would added the needed foot. I am hoping his “worked” system will do what Ian wanted. I am not a licensed contractor. However, I have installed numerous eave troughs over the years. I also have sold gutter systems with many product knowledge sessions for at least 20 years and I am not confident in this job. I will check the first rain fall we get or will suggest a test run with a garden hose.

Jackie headed off to golf but returned not so long after. The wind had come up. With temperatures at only 17 degrees or so, many of the older ladies did not want to golf today. That it is what we love about Arizona. No need to have less than good conditions to golf in as you know another wonderful day is ahead.

Then off to set up chairs for tonight’s concert.

Supper and readied for the concert

Tonight was the Honky Tonk Chicks a country band.

When it was time to introduce the band a big change. Turns out the band was caught on the east coast with the snow storms and wasn’t able make it. The activity manager did an ABSOLUTELY wonderful job finding a substitute band.

These guns we awesome. The lead was one of the best violin players I have ever seen. Turns out he was a band member with Darius Rucker, played with Brad Paisley. Even was offered a job with Alan Jackson’s band but he turned and down. Five kids later and as a Real Estate manager he still plays gigs.

No showing but just darn good.

Quick pic of Daisy as we leave the house.

And to end the day with cuteness. Kristen & Sheldon had their second boy and here are a couple of pictures of Emery Lyle.

Another boy addition to the family.

Thought of the Day

The circle of life is so interesting. As we see elders slowly fading away or gone and then a new life starts and flourishes. New ideas, new adventures and a way less complaining and being grumpy. So Emery starts the circle once again.

January 24th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 0 degrees, Calgary 0 degrees, Mesa 21 degrees”

Friday morning Yoga for the ladies and dog park for Daisy & I. Daisy didn’t run much at the park. However, she did her business well and quickly. I had a long conversation with a gentleman the whole time there. Turns out this guy had a Quad bypass to his heart when he was in his 50’s. His entire family had a history of dying young from heart attacks. He is fit, walks a lot, and he is thin just has a system that generates plaque in his veins. It is these types of defects where it would be nice to breed out of people. Is it fair if you had a family history of breast cancer, every generation, to create a human that you know will suffer the same fate ? It is a tough question.

A quick Facetime with Fred & Terry. The are getting pretty tanned up in the sun. They sound like they are enjoying it and hopefully that continues thru the season. I am not there yet. I do not want to “live” as they are there three months in Mexico. I do not trust the location with crime. I do not like the poverty and begging. I do not like being isolated because I don’t know the language. I would be afraid to go out at night. The filth as “real” Mexico outside of a resort is not nice. But most importantly at my age I am not a sun worshipper, I do not want to lay on a beach for hours and suntan so I think I would get bored. One can do some site seeing but how much really to fill in 3 months.

Today was 22 degrees and sunny, and warm. The golf course was packed with a Robbie Burns tournament on. Lots of kilts and plaid everywhere. Full course yet the golfing moved along nicely.

Eight guys today and between the low guy and high guy only 8 strokes. That is pretty competitive golf. My foursome had 4 birdies with Barry getting one and myself getting three birdies. Which means four shots of some strong drink.

A fun day of golfing hi-lighted by birdies and some bad shots.

After golf being Robbie Burns day we had to have scotch. Or as I like to call it European poison. Nasty stuff. Great gathering at Kirk’s place and another fun golf day completed.

Jackie filled the fridge today as we pick up Mary & Darlene tomorrow.

Oven baked my pound of bacon. Had a wonderful BLTC sandwich for supper and a bit of TV and done.

Though of the Day

It really is not hard to keep your ball in the fairway. You just need to avoid being picky about which fairway.

January 26th- 31st

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 6 to -5 degrees, Calgary 9- 0 degrees, Mesa 15- 20 degrees”

Darlene & Mary arrive right on time. We left a little earlier than normal as the last few flights have arrived early. My flight check showed they were exactly on time. On the way just before the turn off accident after accident so tied up traffic bad. Then a few more miles and the entrance to the airport entrance was closed. Big city, major freeways and lots of traffic and no defined route to get the airport. Good thing for Google Maps. We entered around the back and made it to the cell lot and waited. Right on time they arrive.

The weather is not going to be perfect. We have highs between 15 and 20 degrees. This range is below average but still nice and sunny. Today was hitting 20.

Today’s plan was the Apache Trail. In the car and we headed out. First stop was the Goldfield Town an historical old gold mine tourist place. I love this place. We stopped in the shops. We looked in the general store. We visited the Mystery House, which is a wacky tilted house tour. It was a blast. Jackie & Mary were lucky enough to “volunteer” which was fun seeing them struggle with the circumstance.

Then to the big event, the main street shoot out gun fight. These guys are awesome and the event is always entertaining.

On the road, but, unfortunately we had a California driver in front of us so it was not as fun going around the corners. We had to make it a scenic trip.

We stopped at Tortilla Flats and had a wonderful burger on the patio listening to an awesome band. Some picture taking , ice cream and then headed to Canyon Lake.

We got home and took a tour of our resort hitting all of the hi-lites. A quick stop at the dog park for Daisy and then home for supper.

Jackie made us a special pasta and salad which ended the day perfectly.

Games night without me winning a game. Darlene and Mary were the big wieners. All the while watching the Chiefs win !! And Taylor Swift !

Day Two was supposed to be cooler and it was but no rain as forecast so nice and sunny. A full day again.

Our first stop was at the Hole In The Rock Park. It is a wonderful neat place with a small mountain. There is also a stocked fishing pond. The mountain has a hole in it you can climb up to. On our intense climb only one small misstep happened.

Next stop the Butterfly Wonderland and it was that. Pretty awesome place.

We spent a long time there as it was a cool place. Very cool and educational learning about the migration of the Monarch butterfly.

We had lunch at a nice cafe and as usual everything was American sized.

Then off to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Pretty cool place with lots to see.

Driving home on the 101 it was a little less busy than I thought which was great.

A simple BBQ pork chop and potato supper after a fun day.

Tonight’s game night was crib and dice. It ended up with a mixed bag. In Bones Dice I had a easy win the first game. The second game something happened I have NEVER seen before. Darlene wins the game and I never entered the game. Every roll and not getting the 1000 to enter the game. I haven’t seen that before. It is too bad it happened to me. This is a record that I don’t want to happen again. LOL In crib Mary & I won the first game which was quite close. The second game another real close one with the last hand being the deciding factor with Jackie & Darlene winning. So a mixed bag of wins and losses. One loss I dislike. LOL

The ending to another fun filled adventure.

Thought of the Day

I generously donated a couple wins to my guests or the universe conspired against me. Which happened ?

January 28th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 9 degrees, Mesa 15 degrees”

It is funny how we have such a cool week this week and such a hot week next. Vacation timing and weather sometimes do not coincide. Having said that today at 15 degrees it was sunny and nice just on the cool side.

Today’s plan that we accomplished was a big breakfast. Potato, bacon, eggs and toast to start the day albeit not quite a early start around 9 am.

Then off to Canyon Lake for the Dolly Steamship excursion. I love the drive there. I get to use my paddle shifters to enter and exit the tight corners.

I also love the scenery on the cruise ship. Many many times you are lucky to see a Mountain sheep, or a Bald Eagle or a White tail deer. Today NOT ONE animal. I think it is a scam. LOL

The scenery as usual was spectacular. The guide and server at the bar were great. It was cool outside. It felt very nice to be in the warm cabin with the extra large windows. The wind made it seem cooler.

The guide had some interesting stories to tell and was informative in desert related items like cactus and landscape. Not so good at finding wildlife.

A fun and worthwhile tour.

Then back thru the winding roads with a slow poke in front of me. Darn

Off to supper at Tia Rose’s which is our favorite Mexican restaurant. Love the decor, like the food, and love the special food items. Each of us had different items which were great. I had the Tuesday Taco special. Two different types of Mexican beer and Pina Colada’s. Excellent meal and time.

The end to another great day.

But wait, it wasn’t the end. Darlene and Jackie headed to the pool. Anyone who has swum in our pools knows how nice and warm they are. Even if it’s cool outside, they will love the warmth of the water. The morning noodle ladies need it warm.

Thought of the Day

I hate Taco’s said no Juan forever.

January 29th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 2 degrees, Calgary 14 degrees, Mesa 14 degrees”

Will look at that !! Mesa and Calgary have the same temperature today. Trust me that isn’t going to last long as looking ahead the -24 degrees is coming up quick. I am sure a sunny windless day in the south feels much nicer than a northern 14 degrees. LOL. Now having said that, next week we are heading plus 30’s. Today we were hiking, playing golf, and sightseeing in the cool sun.

The activities for day included but were not limited to were once again making for a fun day.

Jackie & I headed out early this morning to drop me off at the Aguilla Golf Course. The ladies all went on their own excursion to a park. They visited Old Town Scottsdale. Later, they went for a mountain hike. They also went to Lookout Mountain after picking me up.

First the golf. I was teamed with the organizer and was responsible for handing out the money for the snips game. Our team did semi ok but it did end up us winning the last Triad which was excellent. Not enough to keep me in the Top 10 money list though. The weather started off cool but for golfing it was perfect. Perhaps the cool day kept the ball flight down and less distance though.

The girls visited Old Town Scottsdale which is a nice place to visit. The area has great shops, neat old buildings, churches, and lots of bars. They ended up in the Rusty Spur Salon drinking. From their discussions it sounded like a fun time.

Get three women together, add a cool place and a few drinks they get a little cheeky.

After golf our first stop was a South Mountain Park to hike some trails. Fantastic trails and wonderful scenery to look at.

After hiking we head up to Dobbin’s Point which is unbelievable. The highest peak with a road to over look Greater Phoenix. Odd to think we see 50% more people than the whole of Alberta just below us. If it had been clear out you can 50 miles plus. Not quite today though. It is a super windy road to get to this highest spot to view Phoenix. Wonderful fun.

Every game tonight was a skunk game. That is an oddity also. At the end of the day Darlene and Jackie were the big weiners.

Thought of the Day

The crib guru’s decided it is better to say got skunked versus you suck

January 30th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton -9 degrees, Calgary 0 degrees, Mesa 16 degrees,”

Alberta temperatures will plummet to the low -20 degrees. Mesa will rise dramatically to the high 20 degrees next week. Mesa will hit 30 degrees for a few days. Alberta will hit -30 one night, if not more. Odd timing.

Today was a more relaxed day. Jackie had her golf commitment. We also had to set up chairs. Additionally, we have a concert to attend to tonight.

Here is Darlene having her orange a day. They are very juicy right now and only two steps off our doorstep.

Noon and swim time at the main pool. While not really suntan weather at 16 degrees it is still very nice in the sun.

A great concert tonight with the band Rebel. They used to be called Tenor’s of Rock. They had a residency for years in Vegas. They were on the X Factor. They have worked cruise ships and done world tours. Tonight the music was the perfect volume and perhaps not loud enough on the voice sections. Three of members have been on Broadway hits shows. Excellent voices. Great song choices. A fun concert,

And even a full TRUMP paraphernalia booth with everything Trump and it was busy.

We walked around it all and I would say about 3 hours or so. Both Darlene and Mary carried out bags so mission accomplished. Even Daisy enjoyed the ride up and down the halls.

Swimming pool in the warm sun for this afternoon. We will have supper at Fat Willy’s for the last day/night of the trip. Moscow Mules for all of the girls.

I thought I would let Darlene drive the golf cart to Fats. I guess by Jackie’s expression it wasn’t too eventful. Arizona Parking lot.

And so the end of the week fun with Darlene & Mary. Hopefully they saw a little bit of Arizona that they thought was neat to see. I know we saw a lot of different things we haven’t seen before. That is great.

Thought of the Day

Vacations come and go, but memorable experiences last forever !