Casa Grande, AZ: Wood Workers Shave It Close In Palm Creek

The members of the wood shop here at Casa Grande Golf & RV Resort held an exhibition, highlighting the items they have built over the past few months. Mary Lynn and I really enjoyed examining these items. And you should have seen the pride of the wood makers displaying their handiwork. Some of them just started woodworking this year. One guy has only been doing this for two seasons however his work was amazing. I'll bet he spends almost all of his time in the wood shop.

All the items were special however my favorite items are those that have been turned on the lathe. Lots of 

bowls with intricate wood designs as well as vases and ginger jars. 

I couldn't figure out how the inside of the vases and jars had been turned on the lathe. Turns out there is a really simple explanation although you can't tell just by looking at the pieces themselves. I found out that to create a vase/jar you first create two bowls with identical sized openings and then 

glue those two bowls together. Amazing; again you couldn't tell by looking.

Mostly I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Truly amazing.

In order to raise money for the wood shop the woodworkers held a silent auction and a raffle; in addition a few of the items were for sale by their creator(s). To my knowledge we did not win either the raffle or any of the silent auctions; I know for a fact we did not buy any of the items. At least I think I know that for a fact; maybe I 

should check with MLA. Only she knows 'for sure'.  

Afterwards I took MLA to a dentist since she had a tooth that has been bothering here. While she was 'under the drill', I took off and explored that part of town. 

I found the local Casa Grande Airport and, as it turns out, the airport is hosting the "Cactus Fly-in" this weekend. I took a few picture at the airport in case I can't get back there this weekend however I'm sure going to try to get there. Should be lots of interesting aircraft (and aircraft people) in Casa Grande this weekend.

See Ya!

Chandler, AZ: Newt Wants RV Lifestyle Facts!

Today I drove up to Chandler, Arizona, which is about 35 minutes north of Casa Grande, to have lunch with Newt W. He was my boss when I retired from HP. HP has a number of very talented managers and over the years I was fortunate enough to work for several of them, including Newt.

He has always been inquisitive, asking 

lots of questions, and today he was especially interested in better understanding the RV lifestyle that Mary Lynn and I have been living. He had lots of questions for me, one of which was which states did we enjoy the most.

This is a question we get frequently and it is not an easy question to answer. Actually we have enjoyed all of the states we have visited in one way or another. 

So I usually tell people about the states that have surprised us the most. For instance, Arkansas. After spending time in Hot Springs, Arkansas, we travelled to Rogers, Arkansas, just outside Bentonville. The northwest corner of Arkansas is beautiful; large expanses of wilderness with scenic rivers and lakes, and a state park system that is well organized and reasonably priced. 

South Dakota was another state that surprised us. All I knew about SD previously was that Mt Rushmore was located there. Both of us wanted to see the massive carving of four presidents in solid granite, so off to SD we went, wondering if there was anything else worth seeing in SD.

 

Wow -- were we surprised. SD is unbelievably beautiful with a great history. Incredible wildlife, great roads for motorcycling, spectacular weather (at least while we were there during August), and lots of well preserved historical sites. Throw in the Badlands, Sturgis, and our first rattlesnake encounter, and viola -- another great travel memory, none of it expected. 

State after state has surprised us, some more than others, but each state has found a way to surprise and delight us.

This country is incredible, and the one thing common to each state we have visited so far has been that you could spend a month exploring even the smallest state still not see all there is to see. We are literally & figuratively "just scratching the surface". 

Newt & I discussed where we've been and what we plan to visit next. He wanted to know how it is to live in such a confined space and if we could see ourselves continuing to explore this country by RV.

The answer for me, and for MLA, is a resounding "Yes!". We want to continue this lifestyle. It gives you a level of flexibility and exposure to people and environments that you just don't get when you live in a 'normal neighborhood'. People go out of their way to introduce themselves and invite you to participate in happy hours, potlucks, etc.; whatever is going on you are made to feel welcome. 

It was great talking with Newt and after a terrific lunch, I headed south to Casa Grande. On the way back I needed gas for the CR-V so I jumped off at an exit I hadn't explored previously. Several miles down the road I found a gas station and, even better, a small suite of offices built around a small pond and waterfall. 

Better because there were a lot of birds around the pond, enjoying all of that cool refreshing water. Water in this part of Arizona is at a premium so birds flock to whatever source of water they can find. I took a few pictures and still made it back to Casa Grande to get in a few hours of water volleyball. 

After happy hour with the neighbors across the street I grilled a steak for dinner while MLA made a salad. Awesome: I am basking in the happy & contented glow of a carnivore. Plus there was enough steak left over for steak sandwiches tomorrow. Excellent!

See Ya! 

Casa Grande, AZ: Good Thing I Like Chinese Food!

Last November when I was in Maryland, my doctor changed my medicine and I was due for a 3 month follow-up and lab tests. Normally I don't bother with the three month follow-up however one of the new medicines was not covered by my insurance. It cost $175 for a one month supply.

The irritating part of this story is the pharmacists at two different locations kept telling me about 4 different alternatives that were available at Walmart/Walgreen's etc for about $5 per month.

When I called my doctor and asked them to change the prescription they refused until I had a three month follow-up. Actually the young man who gave me the new (& expensive) prescription was not a doctor; he is a physician's assistant (PA). I'm not sure of the exact differences between a doctor and a PA however experience and judgement appear to be a big differentiators.

In the past my doctors had been quick to work with me for changes to prescriptions for myself and/or my family. That however, didn't happen with this PA; he refused to make any changes.

So I prepared myself for the (usually) difficult process of seeing another doctor and getting lab work performed.

Except, it wasn't difficult at all here in Arizona. I guess they have so many snowbirds here who need occasional medical appointments the process is much easier.

Mary Lynn searched for a doctor covered by our insurance, found one located about half a mile from where we are staying, made an appointment, and bingo, problem solved. I explained the problem (expensive medicine) and he wrote me the new prescriptions right away and a prescription for the lab work. Turns out lab work is done at the hospital from 6:30 am to 5 pm daily, no appointment necessary.

The only appointment available today was at two so I didn't get to water volleyball until about 3:30 pm however that's a small price to pay to save $170/month.

Which got me to thinking about medical care for the many, mostly older, snowbirds that flood Arizona every year. While the services appear to accommodate their wandering lifestyle, what about the costs?

Many of the snowbirds here in Arizona are on fixed pensions. The financial mess we find ourselves in had been especially hard on them. I'm not talking about me; I'm young enough I could still go back to work if need be. However, many of my fellow snowbirds are older and unable to return to the workforce. Nor do they have the luxury of time to wait for their investments to recover. And there have been no 'safe havens' during this downturn. Stock, bonds, & real estate have all been dramatically reduced while CD's & money markets return little or no interest.

Meanwhile AIG gets another $30B while announcing a $62B quarterly loss, bring the taxpayers total bailout, just for AIG, to $160B (that's 160 BILLION dollars)! I don't get it.

But mostly I don't understand what our elected officials are doing for those retirees who see their ability to enjoy retirement greatly diminished after years of hard work and saving. These are not people who failed to save for retirement, these are hardworking citizens who played by the rules and are getting burned.

I don't know what the solution is; everyone in charge at these companies has absolved themselves of any responsibilities. Politicians are too busy blaming leaders of the other political party and Obama is spending money like there is no tomorrow. Our kids, who are already challenged to enjoy the same standard of living many of us enjoyed, will be paying on this debt all of their lifetimes.

Not to mention we are borrowing all of these trillions of dollars from China.

Better break out the English-to-Mandarin phrase books, we are going to need them.

Good thing I like Chinese food!

See Ya!

Scottsdale, AZ: Mark & Karen Welcome Us Into Their Home

This afternoon we drove north to Mark & Karen's house in Scottsdale Arizona, which is a little over an hour away from Casa Grande. Mark & Karen used to live in Maryland not to far from where we lived.  

They moved to Scottsdale in 1997 and have a beautiful house they share with their two children and a dog named Sparky. As I'm sure you've gathered from my other posts, the weather here in the Phoenix area is great year round, especially fall, winter and spring. It does get hot during the summer however there is no humidity.

Last year Mark & Karen re-modeled their backyard  and it looks terrific. When you enter the front door you see all the way through to the backyard, where the fountain and pool is the focal point. Casual outdoor living at it's best. With no bugs and comfortable temperatures, Mark & Karen are able to leave the doors to the backyard wide open. Really quite nice. The pictures would have come out much nicer if I had a tripod for the camera however it gives you an idea of how nice their backyard is. 

Mark & I worked together at HP for years and it was great getting caught up with him and his lovely wife. Mark manned the grill while Karen steamed some fresh vegetables and prepared a salad. Everything was delicious.

Mark is still at HP where he is responsible for 3rd party products that can be added to personal computers. Karen works for an Internet based company that helps people and companies send out customized cards. The web address is www.sendperfectcards.com. Really an innovative idea and using the Internet makes it soooo easy, especially for Mary Lynn and I while we are travelling. 

You know how time flies when your friends make you feel welcome? Well that's what happened to us this evening. We had a great time laughing and telling stories, getting caught up on what we've been doing and what both families have planned for the next few months. Time flew by and before you knew what had happened, it was time to say goodbye & head back to Casa Grande.

At great ending to a day that started with going to breakfast with Dave & Mary Anne. They are the couple we will be travelling with to & through Alaska starting in mid-May and going through August. MLA was feeling under the weather so Dave, Mary Anne, and I enjoyed a long, leisurely breakfast discussing our travel options for Alaska and making sure Dave's cup of coffee did not run dry. I've never met anyone who enjoys their coffee more than Dave does -- just don't let him run out!

In any case, another great day in paradise comes to a close.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Asking The Dreaded Question

Mary Lynn had her hair cut this afternoon so she let me take her out to dinner tonight. She won a free hair cut at a recent event here at Palm Creek.  MLA was pretty excited about winning the haircut although she tells me the hair cutter didn't follow any of her instructions on how she wanted her hair cut. 

So first thing when she gets home this afternoon she asks me the dreaded question "Do you like my hair?". 

That question is among the most dreaded question that men get asked. There are a few others like a) do you like this dress? b) do these pants make my butt look big c) do you think she is cute?, etc. Huge warning bells (should) go off for a man when asked those or similar questions.

Back to the haircut. Actually, I do like it although it's very different from how MLA usually does her hair. Even though I liked it I wasn't sure what to say. I mean, how many times have I said "I really like it" only to have MLA let me know she doesn't like it? And then give me a look that says "How could you possibly like this haircut when I don't like it; what's wrong with you?". All with a look; no words necessary. 

Guys just want a hint, an indication of which way this conversation is headed and how we are supposed to answer the (hair, dress, pants, etc) question before it gets asked. We need some direction from a lady when she asks us any of these questions.

The skeptics among you will think men are just trying to give 'the' answer which will result in the most loving. Ha - how can you be so cynical? Men are just naturally nuturing and caring...

Here the process that I've developed over many years of marriage; use at your own risk, and as they say "your mileage may vary":

1. If MLA likes it and I like it, I tell her yep, I like it. I never say I love it in case she decides in a day or two she doesn't like it.
   
2. If MLA doesn't like it and I don't like it, I tell her I liked her hair the way it was. Which is the truth even if she is 'tired' of the way it was.
3. If MLA doesn't like it and I do, I tell her she's being too hard on herself, it looks better than she thinks. Occasionally she lives with it for a few days however usually, once she's made up her mind, she stays with her original decision and the new (haircut, dress, pants, etc) disappears.
   
4. The really tricky one is if MLA likes it and I don't, I tell her (truthfully) I need some time to get used to her new look. Usually its a matter of I'm not used to seeing her with a different look and, within a few days, I end up liking it as much as she does.  Usually I end up liking it within a few days.
   

Responses 1, 2 and 3 are the easier responses to the question. It gets trickier when you find yourself in situation #4. Remember, these are life and death moments for us guys. A man could end up having to cook dinner for himself or tuck his own self in at night. 

Why women ask guys these questions all the time I'll never know. I mean, we all know that women get together they universally agree that men are clueless and have little/no sense of style. Unless they are gay, in which case the guy is not (usually) a spouse... but that's another story altogether. 

So I like her new haircut & MLA thinks she likes it. The truth is it will take a couple of days of here doing her hair herself before either of us knows if we like it. Which translates to: MLA will decide in a couple of days if she likes it or not and then she'll let me know if I like it or not.

In any case, to celebrate MLA's new look we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. I don't know what it is about the Olive Garden however there is always a wait to get a table, even during the week.

Now I know some of you are saying "not if you go early". Well you are not living in the retirement center of the universe where 'older' couple's start going to dinner around 3:30 or 4:00. Many of these folks are in bed asleep by 8:30 or 9. So going to dinner early could easily be confused with going to lunch -- not good. Going to dinner early here in Arizona does not prevent waiting in line. Actually you can probably do better if you are willing to wait a little later in the evening. 

While we were waiting for our table, MLA was nice enough to let me go and take a few photos of tonight's sunset, which was just getting started. Is she a great lady or what?

We plan on going for a ride on the Harley tomorrow morning. We have tickets to a play here at Palm Creek that starts at 3pm. I told you thinks happen early here! Actually the play is offered at 3 pm or 7 pm; some good friends already had tickets for the 3 pm and asked us to join them. Means I'll have to skip water volleyball. Oh the sacrifices I make for marital happiness. 

On Sunday we plan to have dinner with Mark & Karen K at their home in Scottsdale. I worked with Mark for years and it will be great getting caught up with Mark & Karen and their two kids.

Always something fun to do here!

See Ya!