Shotgun
This is a public service announcement for all Grandmas and Grandpas (aka the G's of the world)...just in case disputes arise among your grandkids you can referee with these rules.
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March 30, 2006
Tumbling Bears
Here's a fun link to while away the time...when you need to get a life! :)Toren van beren
Also this is a test for me to see if my quickpost works :) Thanks for helping.
March 29, 2006
Diamond Valley
Tucked in the hills between Hemet and Temecula, CA is the recently formed Diamond Valley Lake Reservoir. We'd heard about the construction and could see the dams as we drove on SR79 so with taxes completed and mailed we took a break and checked it out. Who knew?
It's huge! There are 3 earthen dams holding in 260 billion gallons of water. The deepest part is 250' and it's about 4.5 miles long east to west. It is the largest earthworks project in US history. Here's a view of the eastern dam looking out toward the valley.
The reservoir was finally filled in 2002 and now provides wonderful boating, fishing and hiking opportunities. There is so much planned for this complex including a Water Educaton Center and a Western Paleontology Center. We hope campgrounds will be part of the plan! Read about the construction, details of the dam and the environmental preserve, and future plans on the Diamond Valley Lake website.
We're headed back this weekend to see the western dam and visitor viewpoint then maybe next week we'll take advantage of 1/2 price boat rentals on Wednesday. A relaxing pontoon ride would be lots of fun if it gets a bit warmer.
March 24, 2006
Random Thoughts
Today is one of those days when I can't decide what to write about so let me record some random thoughts:
Family--We are immersed in family while we are in Southern California. We started out Tuesday picking up granddaughter Hilly from college and having a great lunch at Red Lobster. Then we watched grandson Bryan's baseball team play while we were bundled up in blankets and scarves to protect ourselves from a biting wind. We met Bryan's and Zack's new girlfriends. Yikes...when I recall what I was doing at their age...oh well, won't go there. Later we all collected for pizza and played Pass Baby Evan. Now I could go on and on about how cute, smart, and strong he is ...well you get the idea :).
Yesterday we enjoyed having lunch and dinner with son Jim, always a treat to get one-on-ones with our kids. He introduced us to a new pizza spot...Red Brick Pizza...very good and fast! In the evening we attended granddaughter Mary's Spring Choir Concert. As always, her Madrigal Singers sounded beautiful. Baby Evan charmed all the women and quietly enjoyed the evening. Naomi and Brad are doing a great job of raising a happy baby. Bottom Line: We feel so proud and fortunate to have such a great bunch of kids.
Health--Jim had his eye checkup yesterday, resulting in another treatment to try to stop the blood leakage into the retinal area. This causes him to have a gray spot in his vision. (many names for this condition and we wish doctors would agree on it so that medicare would consistently pay). So far the treatments have controlled the condition enough that his vision is ok for driving. In the future. who knows? Should we worry? No...because worry is a useless emotion. Better I should drive more :)
I'm trying to wean myself off of blood pressure medication. I got started on this stuff many years ago when I was in a stressful working condition. Then I'd go to the doctor and have white coat reaction. Usually my BP would be 140-150/ 90ish. Now that used to be ok...but as the years go by the medical powers keep lowering that limit (could that be to sell more drugs?) Recently I've read that all the BP meds you could take would on average extend your life by just several months. My current doc says go ahead and try going off and see what happens. What I'm finding is that by exercise (bike riding, walking) I can keep it down most of the time. So...next week I'm kicking the habit.
Sounds of nature--We have a resident Mockingbird in the shrubs by our bedroom. This !@#$ bird sings nearly 24 hours a day! He hasn't learned how to sound like a cell phone yet, but does do a good mewing kitten! It's really good when he sits on top of the motorhome and sings in the air vent :). I do love birds singing but a 3 AM it's a bit distracting. What we don't hear is the pitter patter of the little bunnies who populate this park and poop on the steps. There are rabbits all over, running around day and night, so tame they'll stop a few feet away and wiggle their noses at me. I really do love an RV park where we have animals, trees and shrubs.
So those are the thoughts for the day. Who knows what exciting things will happen next?!
March 21, 2006
Travel Day
333 miles. Wow...we don't usually travel that far in one day...goes against our rules. However, it is a pretty straight freeway shot from Mesa, AZ to Hemet, CA and we gained an hour. So we got on the road by 9 AM and arrived seven hours later at our new site.
It was a pretty trouble free day. There are good rest areas spaced 50-70 miles apart so we took advantage of those to stop and refresh. Jim says the very best thing about motorhome travel is having the potty with us.
And OK..I did half the driving. I must admit there was no part of the drive that would have bothered me so I tried to verbalize why I panic sometimes about driving this 55' rig. I've narrowed it down to being uncomfortable changing lanes when traffic is heavy. So what is the worst that could happen? I'd miss my turnoff and have to change/correct course.
So I felt good about having done my share of the drive and building my confidence. The drive was windy, traffic was heavy in Palm Springs and I managed it all. Yeah!
March 17, 2006
Sit Ups
That special Great-grandson, Evan, is now 6 months old and he just learned how to sit up. This picture cracks me up. Don't you wonder what might be going through his little brain...since he hasn't any words. This picture looks like he's thinking, "Wow, what am I doing? Look at me! What do I do next?!"
March 16, 2006
Another Day in the Sun
Ho Hum. Another day at the ball park! This was Angels 8, Texas Rangers 5. The "big guys" all started except for Anderson and Figgins. Lackey pitched well the first three and several homers added to the thrills. Here's Kotchman rounding 3rd after a base clearing homer.
Vladdy hit a solo homer after knocking in a run earlier. There were lots of these little celebrations.
The weather was perfect, the food OK and as always we enjoyed watching and listening to the people around us. Once again we sat in the middle of some corporate guys on an "outing" and they spent a lot of their time studying their Blackberrys and talking shop. I wonder if they realize how insecure they are. I could read emails over their shoulders and they just yapped away about their sales figures and office personalities.
They left early and then a newbie Angels pitcher came and sat in front of us next to his mom and girlfriend. I didn't recognize him (he is from Texas) and refrained from poking him in the shoulder and saying "who are you and will you sign my program in case you become famous"! He mentioned he'll be pitching Saturday so maybe I can find out who it was.
We stopped on the way home and bought a pound of See's Chocolates. Since we weren't too hungry we just had dessert first...chocolate and vanilla vodka. Later, while watching a movie, (Charlotte Gray) we decided on tuna salad and pepper kettle chips. Perfect ending to a relaxing day
March 13, 2006
Please Release Me
Today I set a book free...I released it to the wild world of readers. A few days ago I read about www.BookCrossing.com, a website dedicated to setting books free to be read by others and tracking the progress of the book, maybe around the world. One member called it "commiting random acts of literacy."
I checked it out and I've found a new hobby. It looks like a simple, fun, cheap thing to do that is sort of like geocaching or sending messages in bottles...maybe even like the concept of "pay it forward." All you do is to sign up on the website (free), read a book, get a tracking number off the website, complete the release notes that log the book into the system, label the book (download and print on your computer system) and then leave the book somewhere in public view to be picked up and read by someone else.
When the book is found the label tells the new reader to go to the website and log the book back in, read it and then release it again! It's one of those human connection things that I find fascinating. There are nearly half a million members at BookCrossing and close to three million books released around the world.
When my book is found by someone, if they log it in, I'll get an email to let me know when it was found and hopefully when it is next released. I can follow the travels of my book. There's space for readers to review and comment on books. Readers can also check their city to find spots where books have been released. In this way it is like geocaching. I checked out the "hunting" page and found that 94 books have been released in Mesa, AZ in the last 30 days.
We have limited book storage space in our little house so rather than donating books back to Goodwill I'll now be setting them free all across the country..at Starbucks, in waiting rooms, on store shelves. I said goodbye to The Maze by Catherine Coulter in the library lounge of our current RV Park. There were lots of other books there, but this one is now on a special journey.
March 12, 2006
Did You Hear It?
Did you hear the cheering here in Phoenix? After 140 some days it finally poured rain...for over 24 hours! I think nearly 2" came down and the snow level came down to 2000' so there's a good cover on the mountains. Hopefully pictures tomorrow.
So what do you do with 24 hours of rain? Well we use it as an excuse to do nothing but snack and watch movies. We went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on snacks like roasted veggie bruschetta, sushi and exotic salads.( We're always happy to find a TJ's when we park. Bet they're happy to see us coming too as we come out with twice as much as we had on our list.) Then we selected Band of Brothers from our DVD library and settled in for some intense movie watching.
We had never watched all the extra special features before so we did that last night and it was amazing how they did all the special effects. Even after seeing how they are done we watch the movie and fall under the spell. One interesting tidbit was that HBO premiered the series on the 57th anniversary of D-Day in a theater in Normandy, France with the surviving 101st Airborne veterans present. The interviews with the veterans are very moving. Even 50 years later they can't talk about their experience without tearing up. The movie is a wonderful tribute to their heroism.
Today it was pretty clear and cold but nice enough for a couple of bike rides around the park and tonight we'll finish off the last part of Band of Brothers. Once we start watching we have to see it through to the end.
March 09, 2006
Baseball Up Close
Today was our best shot at an Angels ballgame so we headed for the stadium at 10 am to catch the players' practice session and get our tickets. What luck! Players up close and personal and GREAT tickets.
Many of the players will stop to sign autographs and even to have their picture taken with a fan. This is one of the Weaver brothers. Both Jared and Jeff spent lots of time on the fan line. Santana walked on by joking with other players, sort of shy, maybe it's a language issue. Some collect signatures, I collect pictures.
I got a dozen or so close up shots of players...some of them may become famous. :)
Our seats were 6 rows up from home looking down the 3rd base line. I got shots of the on-deck player and the batter. Interesting how the on-deck guy would swing along with the batter, getting the timing I guess. I think I was in awe sitting about 30 feet from all these big name guys.
Big Bad Barry Bonds granted us his presence with the Giants for 3 innings and then he and his entourage walked off the field. He got lots of boos and catcalls. He did get to first base and then had a good time playing around with Casey Kotchman.
In the end it was Angels 6, Giants 5 with a walk-off home run by newcomer Kendry Morales. Erstad, Kennedy, Salmon, Cabrerra, Quinlan, Izturis played along with pitchers Yan and Donnelly. Lots of new guys that will be familiar faces by October.
NOTE: As we left this morning, we realized the windshield washers didn't work. Ooops! And we had just told the windshield customer service that all was done well. We guessed the guy hadn't reconnected the hose but it's down under a cowling in the innards of the car. On the way home as luck would have it we passed a Safelite Autoglass shop. So we decided to see what kind of an outfit they are. We had no receipt, we're in a different city and it's 4:30. Jim walked in and a minute later came out with 3 guys who had it fixed in 15 minutes! Way better than waiting around for the service guy to find us at the resort. They had a good laugh about how the "rookie" in Tucson screwed up. So they get a "two thumbs up" in our book.
March 08, 2006
Roadside Trivia
We took a "red road", AZ Route 77 & 79 from Tuscon to Mesa. It's a good road with little traffic, desert scrub scenery and an occasional roadside rest area. You never know what's around the next curve.
Around mile marker 120 there's a historical marker dedicated to Tom Mix. Who? If you're old enough you'll know that Tom Mix was America's first and very prolific film cowboy. His death, while driving his custom Cord, was a weird accident...hit in the back of the head by a steel suitcase that flew forward and broke his neck. He should have paid attention to the signs.
The only town along the way is the historical village of Florence, now home to the largest state prison in AZ. I don't think I'd like to stay at the campgrounds around Florence.
It was a short trip and we are safely parked at Mesa Regal on 5th Avenue. On the 60 freeway, just before our exit we encountered "junk" in the road...a mangled step ladder that we didn't see until we were on top of it. We must have hit the edge of the mess and something clattered against the coach. As usual it was not possible to stop so we kept on until our exit then checked out the exterieor at a gas station stop. Everything looked fine. We parked, got set up and I noticed we had no electric..even tho Jim said we were plugged in. After half an hour of checking this and that he rechecked the power at the post, which had been OK, but now wasn't. So he changed recepticles and BAM...power! It was Murphy's law at work. I was convinced that the ladder mess had torn up something electrical under the coach. I'm also convinced that things happen in threes so after the window crack I'm waiting for the next two. :)
It's very cool and windy here with rain in the forecast which is sorely needed. That weather doesn't work for me because I hope to catch an Angel's game while we're here. Jim will be happy with the rain because he needs to get the taxes done. Whatever the weather we'll visit Organ Stop Pizza for a cheap evening of entertainment.
March 07, 2006
Crack
Oh, damn! I swear it happened right while I was watching!
We were just headed out to Fry's to stock up the larder before moving on to Mesa, just moving out of our spot and ..whack. A crack in the windshield. Now what? Being the flexible RVers that we are it's back to the coach, call the insurance, get connected to the windshield guy, yes he can come tomorrow, call the resort office, can we stay another day, yes if you pay us 42 bucks. OK. So having done all that we proceeded very slowly to the store.
The installer came about 10 AM today and was done by 11:30. What a process! He said he does 8-10 repairs a day. Two years ago, in Temecula, we had a stone damage the windshield and had it replaced with a lifetime guarantee against stress cracks. So this was a freebie replacement.
This guy had lots of special tools and lots of strength, not a job for geezers :). So now it's done, has to sit for 2 hours, leave the windows cracked open to relieve pressure and don't get a pressure car wash for 24 hours.
He said he was in training for 6 weeks, then went out with other installers, then on his own. Base pay tops out at $14 but they get a monthly bonus based on numbers of installs...and that can be pretty good.
We always appreciate people who do a good, neat, fast job. So tomorrow we'll try again for Mesa :).
March 06, 2006
Saguaro National Park
Saturday was a mostly cloudy day so my picture taking at Saguaro National Park was sort of flat. I admit to enhancing the color on these pictures a bit. Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert, home of the Saguaro Cactus (say su-WAH-row). We visited the eastside portion of the National Park and once again used our Golden Age Passport, getting in free.
Here's the mandatory comparison picture to show how huge these guys are. They don't start getting arms until age 75 so this one at about 30 feet tall with all the arms is probably 150 years old.
This picture gives a sense of the "forest" aspect of the park. I'm looking down into a canyon covered with various types of cactus (or is it cacti) and thick with huge saguaro.
Here's a baby saguaro. In order to survive (only 1 seed in millions will) the saguaro has to be protected from the elements and animals by another plant.
This National Park does not have the "wow" factor that many others do but it is a great exposure to the many facets of the desert. Lots of hiking, biking and running trails and city close. I was a bit leery of venturing out too far because of the spider and snake population. But all in all...a relaxing afternoon.
March 04, 2006
Ambiance
Remember what I said about ambiance here at Voyager RV? This is a backyard view. Many resorts would put a few low shrubs to define sites and give a sense of privacy or individuality. But that requires maintenance.
Of course there are hundreds of daily activities to participate in from Appliqueing to Zen. Maybe that's why this park was voted number one in the nation. But then they never say who actually voted :).
March 03, 2006
Airplanes, Junkyards and Music
It was a beautiful day to spend at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson. The museum is located across the street from Davis-Monthan Air Base which houses the worlds largest "junkyard" of airplanes. AMARC is the official designation--Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Corp. What a sight!
We spent nearly six hours walking the grounds (65 acres) of the museum, touring the various hangar exhibits and taking a bus tour of the airplane storage facility. Jim can usually identify any plane we spot but there were some at this museum that had him stumped.
The biggest attraction for Jim was the SR-71 Blackbird.
The "Pregnant Super Guppy" caught my eye. This is used by NASA to transport Saturn V rocket parts. It's hugely fat :)
A special highlight was visiting the 390th Memorial Museum. The volunteers seemed to all be pilots who had flown the B-17 out of England on missions to Germany. We spoke with Richard who recalled that 62 years ago yesterday he was on a bombing run. He flew 28 missions (3 over the max) in four months during 1943/44 and was one of the lucky ones to come home. He reminded me of Dick Winter in Band of Brothers, piercing blue eyes and a quiet manner. We shook his hand to thank him and I felt a bit emotional to connect with a guy who had done so much to serve our country.
Here's the B-17 we stood by as we chatted.
We took the tour of the airbase plane depot where thousands of planes worth billions of dollars are in various states of storage. Planes are kept for parts, to give/sell to other countries and to dispose of properly. Row after row of planes, wing assemblies, pontoons, etc. plus acres of pieces and parts of planes that look like an auto junkyard. Quite a sight...your tax dollars at work. Actually, this base contributes money back to the treasury when planes are returned to service or sold. Here's a view of F-4 Phantoms with the Catalina Mountains in the background.
After this long day of walking we opted for a movie which of course had to include planes. We picked Firefox, an old Clint Eastwood film, so we could see if the plane used was an SR-71. It wasn't. The movie segued to a DJ night of music with Jim selecting one after another of our old 30's and 40's songs. I love closing my eyes, listening, singing along and wondering what he'll play next. About 1 AM we called it a day (or night).
March 01, 2006
Stay at Home Day
It was a perfect gloomy morning to sleep in (as if we need an excuse) so after getting a late start I spent a couple of hours doing laundry. This is an every other week event. Turns out it's very cheap here, 2 loads for 3 dollars. To while away the time I completed 2 Sudoku puzzles. I must say I'm addicted and usually complete 2-3 puzzles a day. You can check out these puzzles here.
While I was occupied Jim sorted through and cleaned up old mail. It was such a stack I had to bag it in grocery bags while we traveled so it would not get spread around the house. :) What a pleasant surprise to come home and find that mess gone. Stuck in the mail was my lost one-bowl brownie recipe so I quickly put that on the computer.
Now, as it pleasantly drizzles, I'm going to dig into an old favorite, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I've read it a couple of times but it's been ten years or so...time for a refresher. Maybe I'll add a glass of Rev. Jack and turn on some rainy day music.