Category Archives: Opinions

Day 94 – Tuesday – Mail Call

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I woke up at 0600 again this morning. Technically, it was my bladder that woke up. It’s like that part of my body just loves to communicate with me sometimes 2 or 3 times a night. Then, I realize that it’s one part of my body that works pretty good so why am I complaining. I was pretty comfortable laying there in bed trying to make sense of the things ricocheting around in my head, but I could not ignore my bladder’s persistent reminder that it was time to pay attention. So, like every morning, I scratched Max’s back, he stretched in appreciation, rolled over and went back to sleep. He’s never in a hurry to get up.

While waiting for my first cup of coffee to brew I take my pills and eat a banana and stick my Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowl in the micro. My doctor doesn’t think they are good for me, but they are easy to cook, and I like them. Diane makes sure there’s always a stash of them in the freezer. She’s really good to me.

After breakfast I took Max for his morning walk. That’ usually takes about 45 minutes because he has to sniff all the bushes and trees along the way to see who’s been there. I’m sure he’s got the scent of a coyote often because they wander around in the back throughout the night. I’ve mentioned that before, I’m sure.

Diane was up when we got back so Max greeted to her then climbed into the driver’s seat, where his pillow lives, and went back to sleep. Even then he keeps an eye out for the neighbors so he can see when they get up. Laurie always brings him treats and he’s not about to miss one of those.

The D-M Thrift Shop was on the calendar today so that’s where we went. It’s only open on Tuesday & Wednesday. This table caught my eye and I would have loved to buy it and ship it home to Jasper. He’s our official Spider Man Grandson. He loves that guy. But shipping the table wouldn’t be practical. Still, I think he’d really like it.

I don’t remember where we went after the thrift store, so I’ll just got with “we went back home fore lunch.” Then we watched a couple of Hallmark Christmas movies until it was almost time for supper. We decided we’d go get hamburgers from Culver’s. It’s only a few minutes away and a place we’ve been wanting to try. We got takeout and it was very good. Max was a little bummed that we didn’t eat inside because his “Service Animal” vest showed up in the mail just before we left to get the food. With it, he could have gone inside with us.

This SUV was parked Culver’s lot next to the drive thru lane. Quite festive.

When we got home Diane dialed up another Hallmark movie to watch while we ate.

So you see a pattern here? Hallmark movies are fun. But, we’ve also been watching old episodes of NCIS and other shows we like. Most of the episodes are old enough that we don’t remember them so it’s all good.

Before retiring for the night Diane went through the mail and gave me a stack because they were bills. I’m the one who pays them. Yippee! Oh yes, Max’s vest! I’ll get a picture of him wearing it tomorrow. It’s a little tight, but quite snazzy.

To end the day I took Max out for his walk before bed. We never go far because I’m a little leary of the coyotes. Sometimes on the night walk we can hear them in the distance so we stay close to the lights. Most of the RVs in the park have lights laying under their rigs to keep pests away and I suspect it helps keep the coyotes away, too. I haven’t seen one, yet, so it must work.

That’s pretty much it for today.

Day 93 – Monday – It’s-a Wha-da-day!

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Today was another slow day. When I got up it was 54 degrees inside and outside. I wore my short pants to walk Max anyway, but I also wore my fuzzy shirt. I guess my legs are so skinny they can’t tell if it’s hot or cold. It didn’t take long for the temp to move quickly to the high 70’s so we went on a drive. Max loves rides.

We wound up at a Restore Store, and Max got to ride around in a shopping cart. He’s been bugging us about that for a while. He loves shopping carts. So, today was a good time to give him that ride. It gets him closer to his audience so he can look them in the eye, catch them off guard, and lick their lips. He’s really quick. Not all the adults like his approach, but most kids do.

When I rook Max for a walk last night this star was shining bright. I used my app that tells me what stars I’m looking at but it failed me this time. Seems like it should be a star everyone knows.

We dressed the bus up for Christmas. Can you tell?

Since we stayed home except for that short trip for Max, Diane decided it was laundry time.

I stayed home and fixed the light leak issuer on the small slide in the bedroom. I’ve been collecting self-tapping screws for a while and finally found some that actually work for the place I needed to place them. The deed is done and the light is gone.

Oh, and I cut all the curls off the back of Diane’s head. Honest, I didn’t cut anything else.

I probably should have taken a before shot, huh?

Jennifer and family had Thanksgiving dinner at our house and the following photos show almost all of those who attended. Even with these two photos, showing different people, some still remained missing. I’ll leave it to you to figure this out.

Can anyone help me out?

I think this is a good place to stop.

Day 92 – Sunday – A Day Off

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Max got to go to the dog park while Diane went to the commissary, again. I stayed home and took a nap, and I sent my phone with Max so he could have someone take photos of him having fun. I offered to let him use the selfie stick but he declined. It’s my understanding that Aiden, Hazel and Maddy were there with their corgi, so Max had someone to chase. I think Aiden took most of the photos, but I’m not sure who took this one since all three of them are in it.

When Diane got Max home, she got busy putting dinner together (crock pot orange chicken) which means I get to wash all the dishes. That’s OK. I hardly ever get to wash the dishes so this will be a treat for one of us.

Here’s what we had for supper:

Orange Chicken:

Mixed Veggies:

Rice:

Orange Jello, with pieces of mandarin orange pieces randomly scattered throughout, and half a pint of cool whip:

Max even got a couple pieces of chicken. One I gave him on purpose and the other piece accidentally fell on the floor. He got to it first.

Day is done.

Day 91 – Saturday – Cleaning House

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Today was like spring for us. When I got up at 0600 it was a cold 54 degrees, so I had to wear mt fuzzy shirt for Max’s morning walk. I’ve actually been wearing my fuzzy shirt on morning walks whenever the temp is below 65. I suspect that means I’m acclimated to my location. That 54 morning start turned into an 80 degree day which makes this very spring like. So, Diane pried me out of my lazy mode and we cleaned house.

There was a lot of vacuuming and mopping going on. Max spent a lot of it tethered on the warm patio and he didn’t complain even one time. He was plenty happy to get away from the vacuum. He’s not fond of mops, either.

This is what a clean house looks like. I didn’t take any photos of the dirty version for two reasons: 1) I figured Diane wouldn’t like it, 2) I forgot.

There’s really nothing else to add because we just stayed busy until the Oregon Duck game came on at 1730. Actually, I was laying on the clean sofa a little earlier than that. In case you missed it, the Ducks won 49-21, or something like that. They finished their season 12-0, the first time in a while. So, they are #1 in the country and will be playing for the Big-10 championship their first year in that division. Should be fun.

Today is my shower day so guess I better get to it.

Day 90 – Friday – Tucson Botanical Gardens

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Today we visited a couple of Max’s favorite thrift stores to kill time until about 1700. That’s when we had to put our warm clothes on so we could go see the light show at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. This event is something that runs from today through January 12th. Diane planned our trip through the gardens so we could be in the first group to see the splendor.

We got there early and found a parking space about 10 feet from the entrance. We were so early, that we had to wait about half an hour for the door to open so we just sat in the car and watched the people show up and create a line that went all the way around to the front of the building. When the door was opened, we got out and just blended into the line and no one objected. Everyone was in good spirits. This is us waiting.

After showing our tickets, which were on my phone, the first thing we encountered was a Christmas tree decorated with bird houses.

The paths were lined with hundreds of luminaries. They weren’t candles, but Christmas lights, Lots of them. The advertisement reported that there were well over a million lights on display. I was a bit skeptical about that at first, but as we progressed further into the display, I became a believer. It was all quite stunning. I’m just going to put in a bunch of photos with no words.

After moving through the display for a while, getting whiplash to ensure we didn’t miss something, Diane took a break next to the only dinosaur in the place. Thankfully, he was friendly.

In the middle of it all was this display of trees with lights connected to the music. The music was great. I stood there and watched this three time.

After this we followed the luminaries and found our way out of the display. Just before the exit is this incredible wall covered with ceramic pieces that are edged with either brass or copper. Each piece had to have been placed individually because the only tiles are on the post. Quite stunning.

We finally found the exit and went home. Max had been alone for 2.5 hours and was ready for a walk. I know that because he sent me a text. He knows how to do that.

We’re not accustomed to doing anything after dark, so this was a special night for us.

Now it’s time for bed.

Day 89 – Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving

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Today was all about food and friendship.

We ate at the Dessert Inn Dining Facility here on base. Max couldn’t go. They told me that either I, or the dog could eat there, but not both of us. They said even letting in old sailors in was stretching their rules so adding a dog to the mix went beyond acceptable. That’s a total lie, of course. We were greeted at the front door by who we ultimately figured out were spouses of the senior officers and enlisted folks who were working the serving lines. There were a number of colonels dishing up food, and they roamed the floor talking with diners when not serving. It was very nice.

It’s a pay as you go place, kinda like a casino except you pick your food then you pay. It’s not all you can eat for a set price, but it’s certainly reasonable. For two full plates of turkey dinner, it cost us $17. A gentleman joined us at our table for 8 and Diane initiated a conversation and got him talking with us. His name is Bob, and he’s a retired AF colonel with 28 years active. It was great talking with him. I think he said he is originally from Philly so maybe Barb knows him. Didn’t get a last name, though, so hard to tell.

Sunset tonight.

A great end to a really nice day.

Now, get busy on those leftovers!

Day 88 – Wednesday – Fixed it!

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Diane drove me to ACE today after I finished giving Barb a hand with the Bethany November Newsletter. When all was said and done, there was no interference on my part because Barb figured it out herself. All I did was give her a bunch of other stuff to think about that probably caused more confusion than help. But it was fun to work with Barb.

Before leaving the ACE parking lot, I had to snap a picture of this …

I had to go around to the front to see what the logo was. It’s a Mercedes Benz. The hood, roof, and trunk deck are really shiny black. Interesting.

After shopping at ACE, for the bolt that fell into the black holding tank, Diane took us to Raising Cane’s for some Chicken Fingers. I wasn’t sure I’d like them simply because of the fact that chickens don’t have fingers. Also, the white meat they use has no resemblance to fingers whatsoever. I could tell that just from the advertisements. But I thought it would be OK. After all, on many of my trips overseas I’ve eaten some strange things cooked on a hibachi. It was universally called monkey meat because no one was really sure what it was. But it tasted good so none of us really cared. It was BBQ.

Cane’s chicken fingers turned out to be really good, especially with the dipping sauce they provide. We each had a 3-piece meal.

After lunch Diane went to the commissary, again. Seems like she’s always going there to get something. That’s probably because we’re always running out of stuff. I might have to quit eating food that requires refrigeration. While she was gone, Max and I did a little plumbing and got the toilet secured to the floor like it’s supposed to be. He was a huge help.

When Diane returned, she fed Max. He was being pretty persistent about getting that out of the way. Then we could all relax.

Now he needs to go for a walk. Diane thinks we should take him to one of the enclosed off leash areas where he can run. In my experience, however, he’s really not into running unless there are other dogs involved. Or cats. Either will do. By himself, he just sticks his nose to the ground and slowly walk around smelling every inch of the space he’s in. Once in a while he will release a measured portion of urine to leave his mark. It always amazes me how he can do that. If I was a dog, once I start going, it doesn’t stop until there’s nothing left.

Now I must quit. Diane will probably delete that last bit.

Day 87 – Tuesday – Dancing with the Stars Finale

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Yes, after the night is over a new mirror ball winner will be crowned. Diane is an avid supporter of the show. They don’t need it but I’m pretty sure Diane sends them money. I could be wrong, of course. Lots of time I am. I’m rooting for Ilona.

Another event for today was the arrival of our Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro hot spot. It didn’t take long to get it set up and useable. The Wi-Fi in the Bone Yard is probably the best we’ve ever had while camping. Then I connected to the MiFi and was amazed at how much faster it was. Best ever. I figure we’ll be able to get rid of Xfinity at home when we return. It’s that good.

Now, we just have to see if it lasts.

Dang. Ilona didn’t win, but she came in 2nd. That’s pretty awesome for a bad ass rugby player.

I still need to get that bolt to secure the toilet. Maybe tomorrow.

Day is done.

I was fiddling around in my photo collection for something to share and started editing stuff. So, just for fun, I’ll end with a photo of our daughter, Jennifer. She got to go to Disneyland recently where she met this guy.

Day 86 – Monday – The Toilet Has Been Fixed

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Almost.

This afternoon we went back to La Mesa RV to pick up the part they got from Phoenix to replace the one that broke in our toilet. We’ve been toiletless since Friday, so we were excited to get the replacement part.

On the way back, as we got close to the base, we saw a couple of A-10 Warthogs were doing touch & go. They’re flying around here all the time.

This is what they look like when they are little dots flying over the highway.

I went right to work as soon as we got back to the RV even though I had to go to the bathroom. There’s something about working on a toilet that manifests that urge. Just like washing my hands, all that running water requires my bladder to relieve itself. Weird.

As I was getting everything positioned to put in back together, something slipped and magically dislodged one of the flange bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. As luck would have it, it did a double back flip into the holding tank, well out of reach if I had a notion ‘to go diving for it. Which I didn’t. It can stay there forever as far as I’m concerned. I figure one bolt will keep things in place for a little while. At least until I can get a replacement tomorrow. Losing that bolt was kind of the topping on the cake, so to speak, after all that waiting.

After hanging my head in dismay for a little bit, I bucked up and put the rest of the toilet back together with no more incidents. It is fully functional and when you sit on it, the small gap on the side missing the bolt is compressed to the floor as if the bolt was there. That means nothing is going to leak out. I’ll still get a replacement bolt tomorrow because one of us might get a little antsy about not having the base firmly bolted to the floor. But it looks normal.

The weather is changing a little at a time, getting cooler. We hear the coyotes more at night, too. Perhaps the weather is their que to get more aggressive. Whatever the reason, Max is going to learn how to hold his water a little longer because I’m a little wary about going out with him in the dark. It was OK previously, but now you can hear them yipping not too far away. Why take a chance?

That’s about it for today so I’m going to quit and take a shower. It’s my turn.

G’nite.

Day 85 – Sunday – Harbor Freight & Beyond

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After all this time I finally had valid reasons to visit Harbor Freight. The failed toilet is one of them, and the flap thing on the bottom of the slide is another. I was allowed to plot a course to the nearest store. When we got there, it was not really a Harbor Freight store. We’re not sure what it was but I then had to compute a course to the next one which was about 10 miles away.

Getting there had us traversing city streets we’ve not been on since our arrival here. That was fun because we love going different places.

When we got to the store Diane parked in a shady spot then she got busy looking for a likely spot for lunch. Dog friendly was the key element. I went inside and got the items I needed, then added a couple extra just for fun. It didn’t take long.

For lunch, Diane found the Union Public House close to the Catalina Foothills. They like dogs. It’s a unique facility, a large outdoor area surrounded by places to get out of the sun. At one end of the dining area is a huge TV screen that was displaying the NFL Red Zone channel, so we got to see all the fun plays from the games that were on today. Pretty cool.

Diane got a Chicken Quesadilla, and I got an enormous Burrito.

Diane used to love chicken quesadillas until she had bad experience with one from Victorico’s in St. Helens. It wasn’t pretty so I was surprised she ordered one for lunch. She ate 3/4 of it and Max ate the innards of the other 1/4. Her love of quesadillas has returned. We already plan to visit this venue again before we leave.

Today was a really good day.