Day 81 April 4 Thursday

It was a bit cooler outside and cloudy this morning with a slight breeze blowing so I decided to skip WVB today and run some errands.  I went out to Winco then down to check the hours of Spectum which is where I have to return the internet stuff I rented back in January. I found they are open till 7 PM during the week and someone had said that they aren’t too busy around 4:30 PM.   Then, a quick shop in Wal-Mart for RV toilet paper and home.  I got back just before noon so stopped to see if Sheila needed a ride home.  She said the weather cleared to sunny and that she had a nice game. We then made a lunch of leftovers and waited for 2 PM to phone Sabrina to see how she was doing.  She has ups & downs but is persevering.  We told her we should be back by or on April 22, Erica’s Birthday, and that we would phone a day before we hit the border and once we are back in Canada. We then went out to the Happy Hour at Emilio’s.  Small group there, only 8, and it looks like next week will be the final Happy Hour get together what with everyone heading out for home or further travel in some cases.  Sheila & I shared a ½ price appetizer of nachos & cheese topped with a huge pile of shredded chicken on one half & shredded beef on the other half.  We both decided we preferred the beef to the chicken and will definitely order it the next time we go there.  It was a huge plate & filled us both up.  Back to GVP where I ordered a propane fill for next Tuesday, then we settled in for a quiet evening at home,  maybe a video & TV.  We didn’t need any supper as the appetizer we ordered at Emilio’s was big enough to feed us both.  We didn’t watch a video as TV is pretty good on Wed.—reruns of Mash + Whiskey Cavalier, a new show we both like.

Day 80 April 3 Wednesday

When I got up this morning about 8:30 or so the temperature in the rig was showing 71 F, I think that the furnace got left on last night although I didn’t hear it at night.  We didn’t use any of the propane heaters Tuesday evening so maybe it just stayed warm from yesterday’s heat.  I had an enjoyable WVB game, Sheila played as well but in the other pool.  Home for lunch & then Sheila is off to run errands etc while I read, relax & work on the computer.  We used some of our leftovers for supper then tried to watch a DVD movie.  It was a struggle getting it started, (mostly me not knowing which button to push) and then it would stop and just freeze up.  I got it going again and then it stopped again, probably quite close to the end I think, and nothing I did could start it so we just took it out & garbaged it.  It was a comedy so missing the ending was annoying but not a disaster. We’ll probably try another comedy for Thursday evening.  We watched the news & went to bed.  We don’t set the furnace to come on at all now as it stays reasonable all night and only requires a little heat in the morning as it is usually over 60 F in the RV by mid morning. 

Day 79 April 2 Tuesday

Up & off to Polly’s Pies for our weekly Breakfast Club meeting. Besides breakfast Polly’s pies is famous for cinnamon buns & pies.  Sheila ordered a breakfast that came with a cinnamon bun and brought over half of it home, (they are about 8 inches across & thick).  We came back home, changed & went up for WVB.  After the game I hot tubbed for a short time then Sheila & I came home & she changed to go up for the 1 PM game while I went to play in Judy’s Tuesday afternoon Bridge game/lessons.  I stayed till about 3:30.  The last hand is worth mentioning Judy & Sue bid 7 No-trump and playing against Larry & me, they made it.  They had 36 points between them, all Larry & I had were 2 Jacks & 1 Queen.  Back at the RV, I found out that Sheila had not played in the afternoon WVB game cuz only 2 other people showed up--there was a variable breeze blowing that would have been troublesome.  It had been building and did affect the morning game a bit, but it was stronger in the afternoon.  As it was now about 4:30 we decided that seeing as today was Taco Tuesday we would go to the Elks where we could also check on Friday’s Dinner Dance.  We made reservations for Fri evening, had our Tacos & delicious dessert cake, and then came home.  The Karaoke seems to be going downhill.  There are some really bad singers and they keep coming, but most of the good singers of previous events seem to have disappeared except for one woman who sang “The Power of Love”.  Sheila said she was very good because it’s a difficult song to sing and she did it very well.  Back at the RV I spent the evening working on blogs, computer files, reading & watching TV while Sheila soaked her feet, applied ointment to her itchy legs, and did her totalling of calories eaten and daily activity during the TV commercials

Day 78 April 1 Monday

Up & away to WVB again on another nice sunny day. Sheila is sleeping in and wants to go to the afternoon game that she likes because there are usually way less people playing, (one pool, 5 or 6 to a side), and she gets more plays on the ball.  I came back for lunch & she left to play WVB.  I did a small grocery shop and then relaxed at the RV reading a book, (“Nighthawk Crossing” about a US Border Patrol incident in central BC near Osoyoos that expanded into international intrigue involving Canadian & American agencies),  that one of the water volleyballers, Jim, gave me.  We made supper & relaxed at home, (there are a cpl of TV shows we watch at home available here so we will probably watch them).  Sheila phoned Donna’s friend Pauline to get an update on Donna’s health and was told Donna was back in hospital, Eagle Ridge this time, and the reason for the severe headaches was very, very bad—terminal brain cancer!  Needless to say, Sheila was quite distracted the rest of the evening.  She also phoned Ken to ask him to look in on her from time to time and update her if Donna is moved to an hospice care place or sent home.

Day 77 March 31 Sunday

Sunny & warm to hot, it is already at 58 F by 10 to 9 AM.  Clear skies, no cloud at all.  I’m off to WVB, I don’t know Sheila’s plans.  She showed up at the end almost of the morning game, she wanted to find out if there was a 1 PM game which she would then play.  After Hot tub time I came back to RV for lunch with Sheila, & about 1:15, Sheila left for the 1 pm WVB game. They were full & playing with even numbers so Sheila went out for some 99 cent store items, and when she got back to the pool at 2:30, someone was just leaving so she replaced them.  Today is Bridge club night but no one had signed up, so we talked to Judy & decided to just go their house & play.  We made supper at our place for us, then Sheila washed, cored & cut up some fresh strawberries to take for dessert after the Bridge game--Judy has ice cream.  We had a pleasant evening. We played 5 hands & then switched partners.  Judy keeps the score & adds up at the end to see what order we are in.  Sheila & Judy quite often come out on top, 1^st & 2^nd, but tonight I had the top score. 

Day 76 March 30 Saturday

I got up to sunny weather, Sheila is sleeping in today, (as usual, what’s new about that!!!).  I’m off to WVB. We had a good game, Sheila showed up after the game when I was in the hot tub.  She was planning on playing in the 1 PM game and wanted to have some lunch at the patio, (Chuey’s Mexican Restaurant was there) and listen to the music.  They had the musician from last night playing--he has a really good voice, has researched the songs he sings & often gives lots if interesting info on the song and the singer who made it popular.   Sheila had a fish taco and when I arrived I had the Chilli Relleno dish.  It was good.  After Sheila went to play WVB I sat & listened to the music till it finished at 1:30.  Then I changed to a seat in the pool area so I could watch Sheila play. I just relaxed in the sun till the game finished about 3 PM and waited for Sheila to have her shower & dress, and then we went home.  We didn’t feel like making a supper so went out to the nearby KFC to see if they were still offering a buffet.  Yes, they are.  Seniors are only $7.79 including drinks and they have even more extras over & above chicken than they had a year ago..  I concentrated on chicken.  But I am sad to say my body is betraying me I had ONLY 4 pieces of chicken and very little else, (4 pieces of jello, a spoon of nibblets corn & a spoonful of the chicken Lasagne, with a cup of Root Beer),  and I was full.  Sheila had only one large piece of chicken, so she had salad, coleslaw, chicken stew, mashed potatoes, a spoonful of chicken pot pie, cherry cobbler & some canned peaches for dessert!  We came back to the RV, Sheila went to look stuff up on the clubhouse computers & I worked on the blog.   Sheila came back and we checked movies on TV.  On the PBS channel she saw “Of Mice & Men”, a Steinbeck classic 1939 movie listed, so we turned it on, not my kind of movie though, so I stopped watching it about ¾ thru.  Sheila watched it to the end, but was not impressed with the ending, as it just stopped without showing what happened to the main character, much like many modern movies are doing!

Day 75 March 29 Friday

We are back to “normal” weather here, sunny & warm days.  It’s usually in the low 60’s or maybe 59 F in the RV when I wake up so a short shot of the furnace & we are up to 70 degrees F quite quickly.  Then that’s it for heat for the rest of the day until well into the evening and then our propane heater & a little of the electric heater is all we need till bedtime.  Sheila definitely feels the cold & heat faster than I do, she’s either gets a bit too cool or a bit too warm while I am fine.  I went up for WVB and Sheila arrived about ½ hour or so before the end.  I sat in the hot tub but she went back to the RV for lunch & to get changed & back for the 1 PM game if enough people show up.  She likes the 1 PM game because there are usually only 4, 5, or 6 to a side & she gets lots of play action.  While she played I had my lunch, (the leftover from the Hawaiian BBQ), and then I went out for a small grocery trip.  I got back at about 3 PM & no Sheila yet, so she must have gotten into a game.   She did, & got home around 3:30 or so. We lazed around & then I loaded the chairs in the car & drove up to the Mocktails Friday evening event, (6 to 8), at the pool plaza patio.  I got a front seat table, held one seat for Sheila and as people asked I said sure join us.  I think we ended up with a table of us plus 6. The music was great as usual & we danced a few numbers.  Sheila also went up for a few line dance numbers.  She picks up the dance steps quickly so looks like an expert very fast.  I came back home about 8:30, Sheila stayed to look some stuff up on the computer at the clubhouse where she has room to write stuff down on her left side. She arrived home just for the start of “Blacklist” at 9:00.  Then we watched the news.  With L.A. being such a car orientated city a lot of news is often about traffic problems.  Last night a multi car crash on the I-5 freeway blocked both north & south lanes for hours resulting in huge line ups of cars, the crash was only on one side but the emergency vehicles, (police etc), were on the other side of the median so that side was blocked as well.  I would not want to live here where I had to commute in & out of the city daily. In the past I have driven the I-5 through L.A. on route to San Diego and it is not fun!