Day 45 Sun Feb 26 Blue sky & sun 60 F @ 10:00, 70F @ 1:00, 66F @ 4:00

This morning at breakfast we discovered one of our cost cutting plots doesn’t work. Milk by the gallon, (just under 4 litres), is $2.24 at Winco, the ½ gallon is $1.50. So we got the idea of buying a gallon jug, splitting it into two half gallon plastic bottles that we had saved & washed out because the gallon jug takes up too much space in the fridge. It worked for a couple weeks but then at the start of one of the second ½ gallon jugs the milk started to taste just a bit off. So we had to throw out about ¾ of the second ½ gallon. So now we will have go to the expense of paying $3.00 for a gallon instead of $2.24. Anyway, off we went to the water volleyball game. After we came back we got ready for lunch with Larry & Judy at our RV. We had the second Tortilla Pie Sheila had made from Judy Krar’s recipe. Then, after a leisurely lunch we cleared up & got ready to go to Endre & Joan’s RV to watch the Oscars starting about 4:00. It was fun watching them with another couple to chat & snack with, (they served tortilla chips with two dips, yummy breaded shrimp, & cake). The only perplexing thing I found was that the black & white, silent movie “The Artist” took so many Oscars. No colour, no sound, how can that possibly win over the other nine movies that were nominated—ridiculous!
Sheila’s comment: “Bren, don’t judge until you’ve seen the movie. You may have to eat humble pie”
Bren’s comment – I just read above, I am tempted to delete but as Sheila hasn’t seen the movie either I want it as evidence for when she agrees with me!
We were glad to see that Meryl Streep won for her Margaret Thatcher role.

Day 44 Sat Feb 25 - slight overcast, sun breaking through. Temp - Hi 70’s

I had to put gas in the car & prices here are hitting $4:00 & up per USG. I looked up Coquitlam online & Costco was $1.30 per litre which would be $4.92 a USG so the price difference from Canada to USA is only around 22 cents per litre not taking exchange into account.
After the volleyball game & hot tub I sat in a lounge chair by the pool till around 1:30, watching Sheila swim lengths. Back at the RV the thermometer was reading 78F, (26C). I think the thermometer outside is a more accurate measure of temp than the forecast because I don’t know where they take the Hemet readings. One place they sometimes quote is March Airbase which is a distance away. Sort of like using downtown Vancouver for Maple Ridge temps, it won’t be accurate. A lazy afternoon, I “rested”, Sheila puttered around & went out to the grocery store. For supper we had Swai, that’s a fish that we got at Winco here. It looks like the Basa Fillets we buy at home. It had a mild flavour & is quite nice. It comes in individually wrapped frozen fillets, 2 lbs for under $3.00! This evening there is a dance at GVP, “Ricky B & the Stingers”. We got there late, 8:30, so only had to pay ½ price - $6.00 for both of us. They were a rock band, quite good and had a good crowd right up to the last number at 10:00. Endre & Joan had planned to join us at the dance, but Endre had a sore hip from a fall off his bike, & Joan hadn’t slept well last night, so was tired.

Day 43 Fri Feb 24 same as yesterday sunny & hot, (hi 80’s) – At GVP

Sheila left early, (8:30) to go to water exercises in the big lagoon pool and joined water volleyball at 9:45. (They start early on nice days). Larry Stevens is playing today so it’s lunch & music poolside till 2 PM. The performers start at 11 AM so we have music to listen to during volleyball for an hour, then in the hot tub also. After a quick shower & change, I went for lunch at the cabana poolside, (it’s Dattilo Ristorante Italiano doing lunch this week). Sheila joined me after she’d started 2 loads of laundry at the nearby laundry room. I returned to the RV just after 2 PM. Our outdoor thermometer in the shade is reading 88 F, (31 C). I emptied our black tank and then rested, (i.e. napped), for the late afternoon while Sheila did a couple of e-mails. About 6, we headed out to the community of Lake Elsinore, (32 mi. from Hemet). The Elks Hall there had a dance where Larry Stevens was playing. We had a late supper there. Sheila had their 7 oz. prime rib for $11, (the 12 oz was $15), complete with baked potato, salad, veggies. I had a large Taco salad that had lots & lots of beef in it for $8, coffee was free & Sheila’s wine was $3.25 & later a rum & Pepsi also $3.25, she could have had a Southern Comfort drink for $4, the higher price for the premium brands. The couple sitting at our table were very nice—we enjoyed talking to them & fortunately, Larry does not crank the volume up so you can actually carry on a conversation with your tablemates! We used the GPS as we were driving there & back in the dark so no problems; it was about 35 mins each way. The Elks hall there was recently rebuilt, so it’s even nicer than the one in Hemet.

Day 42 Thurs Feb 23 sunny, clear, 50F@ 8:00, 70F @ 10:00, 80F @ 1:00

We were up & out early today for the weekly breakfast club event at 7 Hills Golf course. Sheila got to retell her joke to the group, about 16, some of whom hadn’t been at last nights Fun Club to hear it. Larry & Judy drove to get us there by 8:30, then back to GVP for water volleyball till noon. After a hot tub & deck chair in the sun it’s back home for a small bite to eat prior to going to the movie, (it’s seniors Day on Thurs, - $5.00), to see “The Vow”. After the movie we went to Emilio’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina Happy Hour for appies & $2:50 Margaritas, a group from GVP go there every Thurs, usually from about 3 to 5., usually a lot of the Volleyball players. On route home Larry dropped me & Judy off for Mexican trains night. I broke even again & won my quarter back. Back to the RV about 8:45 for the evenings TV.

Day 41 Wed Feb 22 blue sky & sun, noon temp in the shade 80 F (26 C)

I finally got a thermometer that I could set up outside under the awning so it is in the shade. The weather channel & TV weather reports don’t really cover Hemet exactly as it often seems to be warmer than the forecast. When I got back from our water Volleyball game at 12:45 it was reading 80 F. There is no wind & it was just beautiful sitting in a deck chair out by the pool. In the afternoon we got our dish, (a hamburger casserole) ready for the Fun Club event. Everyone takes a dish – dessert, appetizer, main course, whatever, - and they are all put on a table & everyone helps themselves to whatever is there. Tonight is joke night – you take a joke, the criteria being that they are relative – relatively short, relatively clean & relatively non racist – I’m taking one Judy emailed about a golfer. There are a lot of golfers here so it should go well, it is maybe a bit long but we’ll see. Tonight is also switch outfits with your partner night but I am not going to try to get into Sheila’s clothes & mine would fall off her – and we don’t want to start a panic. It starts at 5 & will run till around 6:30 to 7.
There wasn’t a big crowd but lots of food and several people did the cross dress routine. They had a parade & prizes. Then came joke time, Sheila read one & I read one--both of which we had got from an email from Judy Krar. I got honourable mention as did several others. Then for first prize---it was Sheila! The joke follows:

A 6 year old and a 4 year old are raking the yard one morning before breakfast. The 6 year old says, "You know what? I think it's about time we started cussing.” The 4 year old nods his head in approval. The 6 year old continues, “When we go in for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with ‘hell’ and you say something with ‘ass’." The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm. When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast, he replies, "Aw, hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios. WHACK! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear with every step. His mom locks him in his room and shouts, "You can stay there until I let you out!" She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?" "I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios!"

She read it well and added lots of voice inflection for the ending. There was lots of applause. After we came back to the RV about 7:30 for R & R & TV.

Day 40 Tues Feb 21 mostly blue sky, forecast is for 68 F (20C) –At GVP

Great weather is back, sunny & hot, it must be well into the 70’s by noon. After our volleyball game we sat in the hot tub spa and were talking to Paul, (husband of Diane who plays with us in the pool), and it turns out he went to Lord Byng but was about 5 years ahead of us, he was also in Dance Club at UBC and knew people Sheila knew from the club. We came back to the RV for lunch, general puttering around & relaxing prior to the evening activities. Judy dropped over with her fresh salsa to try, it is good--we will get the recipe. Off to the Elks for Buffet & Karaoke night starting at 5 PM, the buffet was a taco bowl that you filled with a ground beef mix, plus there was a chicken dish, refried beans, rice, sour cream & toppings with the salad & a chocolate mousse for dessert. Not as many good singers as last time. But for $6 each for the buffet & $3.25 for a glass of wine that Sheila liked it’s a good deal. We headed home around 7:30, stopping for gas & some groceries. Gas is going up fast; it is $3.99 a USG at Arco & $4.05 elsewhere.

Day 39 Mon Feb 20 A bit of light cloud but sunny, forecast is for 65F, (18C)

Sheila slept through her 8 AM Zumba class, waking up at 9 o’clock, so it’s off to the pool for our Water Volleyball. Judy & some of her family group joined in too. Matt & Larry went hiking. After the game I went for lunch at the Cabana. This week it is Dattilo Italian restaurant. I had Lasagne and listened to Larry Stevens playing & singing till 2 PM. Sheila came back to the RV to put on warmer clothes & make herself a sandwich. She’s trying to avoid a high calorie lunch for when we have a dinner tonight at the Mediterranean Nights event. The sun came out about 1:30 & it warmed up a lot. Back at the RV, Sheila worked at proofing journal entries & checking/sending e-mails while I rested. Then it’s off to the Mediterranean Nights dinner show starting at with dinner at 6 & show a bit before 7. We had a great meal of a large chicken breast, Greek salad, pita bread, humus, and baklava for dessert that was homemade by a GVP resident--really good! There was free wine and $1.00 shots of Ouzo. Sheila’s shot glass, (plastic), had a small chip in the rim so they gave her a second one free and then later when she was up at the bar they asked if she’d like another shot but she replied that she didn’t have her dollar with her, so they gave it to her free. That’s 3 shots for $1.00! The show was great, Sheila thought the dancers were much better than the Bazillian dancers two weeks ago. The girls came out into the audience and encouraged members of the audience to dance with them. I did, Sheila & Judy both did & we have photos to prove it. The snake charmer was actually just a woman who danced with a live, pure white snake, a python someone. It was only about 3 ft. long. Another woman danced while balancing an Arabian sword on various parts of her body. The dance routines were very colourful and each one was different than the others, unlike the routines in the Brazilian carnival, most of which were the same. The show finished & we were home by 8:30 PM to do the journal & watch TV.

Medierranean Nights - Still shot of a dancer, is a bit dark

Mediterranean Nights Dancers - 26 seconds

Mediterranean Nights, one of the girls by our table

Mediterranean Nights one of the dancers

Mediterranean Nights - Bren dancing with one of the girls but thankfully not in video

Mediterranean Nights Dancers - 7 seconds

Mediterranean Nights - The Dancers - 23 seconds

Mediterranean Nights - Sheila Dancing - 25 seconds

Mediterranean Nights Dancer with Snake - 1.06 minutes

Day 38 Sun Feb 19 – cloud but sun peeking through, cooler, - in low 60’s

Out to the pool where Judy, her daughter Connie, son-in-law Matt plus granddaughters Sierra, 16 & Mikayla, 14 were at the volleyball pool. Sigi also had two daughters visiting & they were in the pool too. It was a fun game. Sierra is really good. After hot tubbing we came back to the RV for lunch and are heading to the pool for around 1:30 for another game with all of Larry & Judy’s family. All 4 grandkids joined in, Autumn, 12 & Logan, 9, plus, we invited a Mexican couple who were practising in the other pool. We played till after 3 then hot tubbed for a bit before heading home for supper. We decided to try that Chinese take out that we found last year that was really good and inexpensive. I got one order of orange chicken, beef & broccoli, shanghai noodles & a side of steamed rice. We almost had leftovers but I finished it up. The total cost was $8.60! After supper we went to an advertised Gospel sing that Sheila wanted to hear. She thought it would be the southern type of gospel music & there’d be lots of sing-along but it wasn’t. It was a woman, Janet, from Nfld & her husband, a Californian. She sang some very nice songs popularized by people like Bette Midler, Dusty Springfield & Whitney Houston, but they weren’t what we were expecting & we only had three opportunities to sing along and they were semi religious songs Bren had never even heard of. Back at the RV for the evening, we watched a show on the Costa Concordia, an Italian cruise ship that hit a rock, and ended up on its side in shallowish water near an island off the coast of Italy on the first night out before they had done any lifeboat drill. The ship was bigger than the Titanic and had over 4,000 passengers. There was a small loss of life but they didn’t have final figures, (less than 20 I think). It was fortunate that prevailing winds blew it towards shore into shallow water & not out to sea. The water temp was around 59 F, (15C), so hypothermia would have killed a lot if it had gone down in deep water. They couldn’t even launch all the lifeboats because the ship rolled on its side. This all happened on Jan 13, the day we left, & we don’t remember hearing anything about it.

Day 37 Sat Feb 18 – sun & blue sky, nice & warm, (64 F) – At GVP

After the morning volleyball session we had lunch at the cabana in the sun. This week’s restaurant is a pizza place, for $5 you get a nice slice of pizza, a salad, a pop, & a piece of fruit! We listened to the music, then we went back to the RV for, hopefully, a Skype session with Adeline, Mikaela, & Erica if it works. It took some doing but we made connection and had a good visit for 45 min. We puttered around in the afternoon, had supper and Judy phoned to see if we wanted to play bridge in the eve. They were expecting their daughter & son-in-law & 4 grandkids to visit over the long weekend, (Presidents Day), but they wouldn’t arrive till 10 PM or so and were staying at the Super 8 Motel just outside the entrance. So we played bridge for 2 to 3 hours, this round I was the winner & Sheila came second.

Day 36 Fri Feb 17 – sun & blue sky, warmer- 66/67 F – At GVP

After our volleyball game we went to the cabana for lunch & to listen to Angela who is playing today. Sheila talked with her afterwards & found out Dan Damon is now playing at the Sonoba Casino Thurs. afternoons. We’ll have to go & check him out one day. We split a dozen BBQ wings and sat in the hot sun listening to the music till the 2 pm finish. Then back to the RV to try to catch up on stuff before we head out to the Elks Lodge for tonight’s dinner dance, (Larry Stevens is playing), Joan, Endre, Larry, Judy are coming with us. I went with Larry & Judy to sign everyone in, met Joan & Endre in the parking lot at about 5:30. We went in & got one of the last tables for 6. I discovered you can reserve tables. Sheila was following in our car after she had her makeup etc. done. She arrived about 15 minutes behind us. We had a nice dinner, (me--Prime Rib/Sheila--Shrimp Scampi), and danced a lot leaving after the last number at 10:00. They have a good menu, which included the soup bar, (clam chowder & minestrone), & salad bar, the prime rib I had was $12.00; it was one of the more expensive dishes.

Day 35 Thurs Feb 16 – sun & blue sky, no wind – At GVP

We both went to Volleyball this morning, (first time in 3 days for Sheila). Then the park had a “health fair” going on with reps from assorted retirement, health insurance, health care, body maintenance etc places set up in the ballroom running from 11:00 to 1:00. They also had a free lunch – pasta salad, hot dogs, small pkts potato chips & bottled water. So after 3 hot dogs & nacho pkts I, ran out of time to do any of the blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks etc. Oh well I had a “healthy” lunch at least. Spent a few minutes sitting in the sun at the cabana, it was nice & hot. Then it was off to see “Red Tails” at 1:55, based on actual events, of an all Negro airforce squadron during WWI. It was an excellent movie--even Sheila liked it. Then back home where Sheila made me a soft taco supper before I left for the Mexican Trains games in the evening. Sheila stayed home to do assorted stuff around the RV & get started on the hamburger soup we’re making. I won my quarter back on one of our 3 rounds, (a round is 3 games which are totalled to find the round winner), so, it was a free evening. Back home we got the soup made & then watched some of our recorded TV shows before bed.

Brazillion Carnival dancing girls from Feb 3

The drum group from Brazillian Carnival night Feb 3

The Brazilian dancers from the show on Feb3

Day 34 Wed Feb 15- still cool to almost cold, rain in PM – At GVP

There definitely has to be something to the “dry” cold as opposed to “damp” cold. We have had temps in the low 60’s, (16+ C) in the mornings and it is still not uncomfortable to be out in shorts & short sleeve shirt and be in the pool, (which is heated to the mid 80’s, = 29-30 C, or more). However, today when I went out side there was a cool breeze and I could feel a light mist so I turned around & went back in, first day in 2 weeks I didn’t play water volleyball. We actually got a few minutes of light rain, just enough to wet the ground. This afternoon it is prep time for the Canada Mixer event at 4 PM. It started raining in earnest around 1 PM and kept going all afternoon. At the Canada Day mixer there was a big crowd. They opened the movable walls and expanded from the ballroom across the hall into the banquet room. They called out the provinces to see how many from each were there. There was no representative from the Maritime Provinces but some one from all the rest, (2 from Quebec & 1 from the Yukon), BC of course was the vast majority of the crowd. One of the people at our table was asked why I wasn’t in the pool for Volleyball that morning; they had about 11 people out. After the event we went over to Larry & Judy’s RV to play bridge. We played the 6 hands & changed partners and Sheila was the big winner with Judy only a 100 points behind her, Larry next & I was last.

Sheila & Bren in front of stage at Canada Day

Sheila, Joan, Endre, Elaine & husband at Canada Day

Day 33 Tues Feb 14 Valentines Day started with slight cloud & lots of sun, reasonably warm, (low 60’s probably), and nice all day – At GVP

After the water volleyball game I came back to the RV for lunch to discover 3 large cardboard boxes by the door – Ken’s card & gaming stuff order had arrived. I will split it up & store it under our bed. It only filled 2 feet at the head across the width of the under bed storage. Sheila has been out all day getting a perm & shopping. We are off to the Elks tonight to check out their Tuesday $6.00 Buffet. It was quite good—grilled chicken, beef stroganoff, penne, fresh, steamed vegetables, and salad. Dessert was large pieces of ginger cake with a strawberry, jelly icing. They also have Karaoke so we will see how long I last there. Actually it wasn’t all that bad and some of the singers were very good, especially a man who sang “Unchained Melody”. We stayed till the end of the Karaoke and then came home to watch our Tues. TV shows. It is certainly nice getting CBS on digital, the picture appears to be as clear as on Michaels Hi-Def TV.

Day 32 Mon Feb 13 – Worst weather so far, dark clouds & a slight wind to cool things off more, highs forecast only around 60 F, 16 C. At GVP

I went down to the pool at 10 & sure enough there were about 8 people in the water so in I went. At pool level you are sheltered from the wind by surrounding buildings and in the nice warm water, (around 84 F, 29 C), it was fine. We ended up with enough to split into 2 pools with 5 or 6 a side in each pool. After the hot tub the sun came out & it was nice enough to sit in the sun on a lounge chair by the pool. Sheila had gone out to see about a perm at the Beauty School but they didn’t do perms today, so she went to the Sally Ann to look for red & white items for Wednesdays Canada Mixer event. Such a extravagant woman, she bought 4 items, tops & Capri pants, and spent $8.00. After lunch we went out to Hemet Trailer to see about replacing our sink with a new SS one but they had nothing that would fit the existing cut out in the counter top, they suggested another place so another day I will go there. Then to the Sally Ann for me to try on some red shirts Sheila had put aside. Some more shopping got a whole, 2 lb, (1 kg), BBQ chicken at Vons, (Safeway), for $3.00 for supper. After supper it’s over to the ballroom for the Eagles tribute concert at 7 PM. They put on a great show, non stop for 1¾ hours. I overheard some one say that they had seen the Eagles twice & this group was as just like the real thing. During the show they called out any ??? fans here, (I missed the name), and a few cheers went up, then, “any Winnipeg Jets fans” – a few more cheers, then, “any Vancouver Canucks fans” and just about the whole room exploded. When they introduced the 6 band members one was from Winnipeg, he got the loudest cheer. After the show we came back to the RV just after nine to watch our Mon night TV shows.

Day 31 Sun Feb 12 – clouded over, forecast is cloud & a cpl days have showers forecast, the highs forecast low 60’s moving to high 60’s by end of week

No wind this morning so it should be nice in the pool, cloud is breaking with blue periodically showing through. We got 23 out for the game. After hot tub time it was back to the RV for lunch. Then we got ready to head out to the Hemet Elks Hall where they have the Sunday dance from 3 to 6 & a $7 steak dinner. Tom & Carole Racobs were playing. I found out that as an Elk I can sign non-members in, which we did for Endre & Joan Toth. About halfway through, Larry & Sherrie Stevens, (the musician that entertains at GVP lunch time once a week), showed up & joined our table. We danced a lot & had a great afternoon; there was no admission charge for me & my guests, drinks are $3.25 for mixed drinks & $1.75 for non alcoholic. The steak dinner complete with baked potato & trimming plus a salad was excellent. We left about 6:30 and came back for Sheila to watch the Grammys on the CBS digital channel. It was interesting to watch despite the fact that they would announce winners & nominees & everyone would cheer & applaud & we would sit there wondering who was who--very few names we had actually heard of & of the ones we had heard of the name we didn’t recognize or know which person they were. Several of the nominees performed with their bands or back-up singers & dancers and each time the background sets changed, there were lavish costumes, and spectacular lighting. Each performance was a production worthy of Cirque du Soleil.

Day 30 Sat Feb 11 - heavy overcast in the early morning, clearing & sunny by mid morning then heavy cloud in the mid afternoon, cooler – At GVP

Despite cooler & cloudy weather there were still 2 pools of Water Volley ball playing. The water is nice & warm & the sun did poke through a lot so it was OK. Sat in hot tub then at the cabana listening to the music – today it was Tom & Carol Racob who Sheila liked almost as much as Larry Stevens. We split a chicken wings order. Back to the RV for lunch & a lazy afternoon, ran a cpl errands, weather still cloudy. Tonight is GVP Valentine’s Dance so we will head over after supper. We got there late, (after 8 PM), and they had stopped taking admissions so we didn’t have to pay, (all of $6 each so not a big deal). However, I’m glad as we only stayed about an hour & left. We were not impressed with their performance. They would play a tune I know & like and it was half way through before I recognized it. They did Mustang Sally & until they actually did the line “ride Sally ride” I didn’t know what they were playing. Then they did some fancy instrumental number that no one danced to. They were certainly excellent musicians but not a good dance band; they were billed as Tony McKashin.

Day 29 Fri Feb 10 – sunny, highs to 77 F, 25 C – At GVP

We got up early enough to go up for the Friday breakfast at Palms Café, (from the kitchen in the ballroom). It was French toast day, a Sheila favourite. Then over to the pool for our usual Water Volley Ball game. The daily live music started up as usual at 11:00 and sounded familiar and sure enough it was our favourite performer, Larry Stevens. He also plays at dances at the Elks so we will be going there too when he plays there. We had lunch at the Palms Cabana listening to him till 2 PM. Then I ran some errands in the car and back for supper in the RV before heading over to the Shuffleboard building for the Friday night game. The team I was on, (4 people to a team), got such a low score we got the booby prize & each got our $1.00 entry fee back.

Day 28 Thurs Feb 9 - sunny, clear, no wind, 78 F, 26 C – At GVP

Sheila went out early to do laundry & watch some of the Sand Volleyball tournament GVP was having with Indio, (which RV Park I don’t know). I found out later that GVP won the tournament. I headed over to the pool and was in & playing by about 10 AM. Sheila arrived about 11, (after she’d finished the laundry.) After the game we headed out to get tickets for “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” at the Hemet Theatre. As the movie started at 1:30 we had a quick lunch out at an “In & Out Burger” place. Ken highly recommended them & they are good. After the movie, which Sheila really liked, (she said the boy actor did a brilliant job of playing a boy with Auerspergers Syndrome), we immediately headed over to “Emilio’s”, the Mexican Restaurant & Cantina where a bunch of GVP people go for Happy Hour every Thursday from 3:30 or so, to 6:.00. Margaritas are only $2.50 & you get chips, salsa & a nice individual appetizer plate, (free), plus they have a Mariachi band that comes to play around the tables. It’s quite the deal! The appetizer plate was quite filling—tortilla chips covered with shredded pork, melted cheese, tomatos, with sour cream on the side. Enough for a light dinner. Then we drove back to GVP for the readers theatre play, “The Princess & the P”, an adult play that was absolutely hilarious. The story was the old Princess & the Pea except this was the adult version so the “P” that was magically appearing in her bed was a certain part, (a larger than usual part), of a nobleman under a witches curse from long ago. Part of the hilarity was that her father the King had been completely sheltering her from the world to keep her pure & unknowing. So when she is describing the “thing” that keeps poking at her she has no idea what the shape is. The whole audience was howling with laughter, it was so well done. They also provided wine & cheese with your admission. Finally back to the RV to relax with some TV.

Day 27 Wed Feb 8 – the sun is back, clear sky, 72 F, 22 C – At GVP

Sheila went off to her 8 AM Zumba class this morning. Paul & Yvonne leave today to head home via several stops, they hope to arrive home around end Feb or so. Sheila got back at 9 AM in time to have breakfast before we headed out for Water Volley Ball around 10 AM. After the game we had lunch at the cabana by the pool, this week’s featured restaurant has a hot wings & slammers menu. We listened to the music & ate till 2 PM, then went back to the RV to prepare for Spud Night tonight. It costs $2 with GVP providing the potatoes, butter & sour cream. Everyone brings a topping appetizer or side dish to share with the table. We had a delicious cheese dip, spicy Buffalo wings, shredded cheese, raw vegetables, & key lime pie at our tasble. The tables seat 8, we had: us, Larry & Judy, Fred & Sally, Joan & Endre. Unfortunately, Endre was quite late arriving as the Time Warner Cable Guy was late getting to his rig and Endre had to stay to help him. Happy Hour was 4:30, potatoes at 5. After everyone finished devouring all the food, Sheila & I went with Larry & Judy to their RV to play Bridge for the evening. We played 18 hands of bridge, switching partners, we’d play 6 hands then change so that we all played with everyone. Larry was high scorer and Sheila came second.

Day 26 Tues Feb 7 – overcast, no wind, cooler, showers forecast – At GVP

It is a bit cooler with the overcast but probably still warm enough to play in the pool. Yep, 24 showed up, we split into 2 pools & had a great game with 6 a side so everyone got lots of action. There was a spotting of rain for about a half hour while we played but it was so light you only knew it was raining by the rain hitting the water. Then we sat in the hot tub for ½ hour & home for lunch. A bit of a wind came up, (forecast was for 10-12 mph), and so I hooked the tie downs to the awning. The wind dropped completely after an hour or so. We went out for some grocery items then back home. Tonight it is Happy Hour at Paul/Yvonne’s RV then off to J&M restaurant for supper for all 6 of us. After a great meal we drove back to GVP and we all played a game of Jokers & Pegs in an available room in the clubhouse, the girls vs the boys – girls won. Then Paul & Yvonne went back to get ready to leave tomorrow while Larry, Judy, & us went to their rig for a game of bridge, team Sheila/Judy won.

Day 25 Mon Feb 6 – a bit of light cloud cover but sun is breaking through.

Sheila got up early, (set alarm for 7:15), to make the Zumba class at 8 AM. I got up at a more normal hour for my pre-Volley Ball breakfast. Sheila returned at 9, & we had breakfast together. She said it’s a good class, but not quite as much fun as the one at Fountain of Youth, possibly because the music isn’t very loud when you’re at the back of the ballroom. Off to water Volley Ball just after 10 AM, suns out, bright & warm. There were enough for two pools as usual. The girl entertainer had a portable mike system, so she came out to the pools where we were playing & serenaded us. Lunch in the RV and relaxing and doing some chores, cleaning windows, sweeping floor, & Sheila went out shopping. We headed over to the ballroom for the evenings entertainment. The show was called the crooners, they did The Rat Pack, and several 50’s singers like Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles etc. It was a dinner show and was quite fun. Of the 5 singers, (3 male, 2 female Sheila felt the 2 females & the black singer were much better singers than the other two that did Sinatra & Dean Martin). After the show the 6 of us went for a walk around part of the park. The circumference road inside the park is supposed to be about a mile & a quarter. Back to the RV to watch TV, I have discovered we get CBS, NBC, WGN, ION, & and independent LA channel on digital so a really clear picture.

Day 24 Sun Feb 5 - sunny & warm – 69 F - At GVP

I have started having a breakfast other than coffee so I have the energy to play over 2 hours of water volley ball & then sit in a hot tub for ½ hour before getting lunch. Sent Adeline an e-mail wishing her Happy Birthday. Today is super bowl Sunday so we went over to the ballroom where they had a large screen TV set up. They were also selling cheese nachos for $2 & chilli dogs for $2.50 with shredded cheese & onions to add. It was a close game so it was fun to watch. The New York Giants scored their 3rd touchdown 87 sec. before the end of the game, beating the New England Patriots 21-17. We were able to sit much closer to the TV than last year so we could hear much better. After the game I came back to the RV & Sheila went over to Paul & Yvonne’s RV to meet with Judy for their prearranged Bridge game. None of our group had signed up for the regular Sunday night Swiss Pairs Bridge session due to the game running past starting time for bridge. After doing some journal entries etc on the computer I went over to visit with Larry until Sheila had finished their game & came looking for me. It is very convenient that our 3 RVs are within about 4 site spaces of each other, we are in 535, Paul is in 537 & Larry is across the road and 2 spaces down from them in 480.

Day 23 Sat Feb 4 sunny & warm – 70 F – At GVP

We got up early and were out of the RV by 9AM to go to the bake sale put on as a fund raiser by the Ladies Golf group. We got a lemon pie and some other goodies. It was held in conjunction with the craft show, at which Sheila found a light decoration she liked. It was a wine bottle, green glass, with mini lights inside and at the top a bunch of grapes made of glass. It was quite nice and only $20. Also today there was a Classic Car show on the main road in the park. There were some really nice cars & trucks. I saw a 1957 Corvette and a 1957 Chevy Impala which was original everything—paint, engine, chrome, upholstery etc. and in mint condition—imagine! On route to the volley ball pool I weighed myself on GVP’s fitness room scale, in my dry bathing suit, 222 lbs, (100 kg), I think I will go with kg’s from now on, I don’t have to lose much to be in only double digit weight! After a great 2 hours of water volley ball, we came back to the RV for lunch. I set up our BBQ for the group supper, and then Sheila & I went shopping at Winco. Back at the RV Larry had brought his BBQ over to have enough space to BBQ all the steaks for 9 of us, (Larry/Judy, Paul/Yvonne, Endre/Joan, Bren/Sheila, & Genevieve—(Yvonne’s friend who was visiting from LA). Sheila started on the salad & I organized some of the other stuff. We took chairs & our folding table over to Larry’s site. At about 5 PM Larry, & I BBQ’ed the steaks and we all had a great dinner with everyone contributing a dish, Endre baked a lemon pie that was marvellous, Joan said he is a good cook & he is. It was a great dinner, but boy does it cool down once the sun goes down @ 4:30! Most everyone with the exception of myself was bundled up in long slacks and warm jackets. Around about 7:15 PM or so we broke up so that Sheila & I and Endre & Joan could make the dance tonight. The dance, (Rockin’ Rhonda & her group playing,) started at 7 but it was 8:20 before we got there & by then they had stopped charging admission so we just walked in, found Endre & Joan and stayed till the end at 10 PM. We did a lot of dances; Sheila also did a couple line dances. Back to the RV to do up supper dishes etc.

Day 22 Fri Feb 3 - sunny & warn - At GVP

I went over to the clubhouse for their complimentary coffee and ran into Endre Toth from our Dogwood Roamers RV Club. He and Joan are here in GVP. Back to the RV and then up to the pool for Water Volley Ball from 10 to noon. Back to RV for lunch and Paul & Yvonne arrived and pulled into a spot 2 spaces from us. Sheila & Judy Shaffer got together & planned a dinner together for all of us – Bren & Sheila, Larry & Judy, Paul & Yvonne, & Endre & Joan for tomorrow night. We spent the afternoon visiting with everyone, getting WiFi set up, etc. Around 6:15 we headed over for the Brazilian Carnival event in the ballroom which began with a dinner of marinated, grilled chicken breast, white rice and black beans with a garnish of black olives and a dessert of gooey chocolate cake with a syrupy coconut toping. The chicken was quite tasty, the black beans were very tasty and the cake was to die for! The beverages were coffee and a Brazilian drink, called a Caipirinha, a liquor made from distalled sugar cane & diluted with LOTS of lime juice, for only $2.00 for a med. glass. After dinner, the performance began. The dancers, (8 girls) wore carnival type costumes, (skimpy, lots of jewels/rhinestones, feather ruffles and big feather hats), and put on a great show. The girls dancing to the Brazilian beat moved their legs & hips incredibly fast, reminded me of a very fast tamorai, the Tahitian dance. They also had a drum group and male dancers, dressed in white pants only who did the martial arts “dancing” They were also very good, but their act was limited because of the smallness of the stage. The male dancers got girls out of the crowd to go up on stage. Guess who was first up? She did quite well too though they sent her back after a couple of minutes so they could bring up other ladies. It was an interesting evening, but at $30. a ticket, a little pricy. After the show we came back to the RV for some TV.

Day 21 Thurs Feb 2 Mission Bay RV Park to Golden Village Palms RV Park

sunny & warm at Mission Bay and at GVP

We packed up, unhooked, and are ready to go. Left Mission Bay RV Park @ 10:10 @ 149395 km. Arrived GVP @ 12:05 @ 149521. We checked in. I went out to get propane, 2.75 USG, while Sheila checked out the pool area entertainment and visited with Larry & Judy who are about 4 sites down the road from us. I returned, went to our site--#535 on Gingko, backed in & was all hooked up, before Sheila returned. GVP have changed their WiFi supplier so I’m hoping this one works a lot better. We then went over to the pool cabana where they had a lunch plate of pulled pork, beef rib & pork rib with cold slaw for $7.00 and there was entertainment, a singer, Tom Racobs. He was good so we had a very pleasant lunch break. Then I drove Sheila over to the nail place to get a pedicure while I went back to set up our awning and start on the journal. After supper it was Mexican Train night so we went over to the clubhouse. I won my quarter back but Sheila lost hers. We play 3 games at each table & the 2 winners, i.e. two lowest scores, at each table get a quarter & rotate to the next table. We play 3 sets altogether, 9 games in all, with 6 to a table and a quarter entry fee. Back at the RV we watch a little TV & turned in.

Our site at GVP

Day 20 Wed Feb 1 At Mission Bat RV Park San Diego

sunny & warm, slight wind, slight cloud 67 F

Today we head to Pacific Beach Crystal Pier area for Sheila to try surfing with a boogie board. Yvonne came too since we had 2 boards. Paul decided to ride his bike over to the surfing area. Sheila rented a wet suit, (Yvonne had her own), got into it and they both went into the 57/58 F, (14 C) degree water. She got a few good rides and had fun. She came out periodically to warm up a bit and rest. She said that she wasn’t getting really long rides so she was tiring out getting up & fighting her way back out. Also, there were depressions in the bottom from the waves & currents that you would step into & go down a foot or two, often just as the perfect wave was coming! We were at the beach for a good 2 ½ hours. Yvonne had to quit earlier than Sheila because her hip was aching from climbing out of the “holes”. Sheila changed, we went for a Starbucks after-surfing drink so the girls could warm up. Sheila had chai tea latte which, though it was not as spicy as the Canadian version, she said she enjoyed more than any she’s ever had. Then she returned the wet suit and we headed home. We were invited to Paul & Yvonne’s rig for a nice supper, Sheila provided a cabbage side dish and some dessert pudding cups & cookies. After supper we played bridge for a while. Sheila & Paul won. After that, we all went for a walk along the bay, & around the RV Park perimeter. Back at our RV we watched a show we recorded earlier and did the journal/expenses thing. Sheila always seems to have never ending bits & pieces to do late at night but tonight she actually was in bed before me!

Sheila at the end of a good run

Sheila & Yvonne ready to surf, Pacific Beach, San Diego

Sheila in the surf with her Boogie Board at Pacific Beach