Another Three Weeks in Yuma: Things Starting to Look Up, Maybe

Hi there, welcome back to our story. The last chapter concluded on Sunday, February 21st, while we were still wintering in Yuma, Arizona. Originally we were going to leave Yuma in a couple of weeks, early March, to head back to Pahrump, but because of the fact that we need to get our second Covid vaccination in late March, we have extended for a month, so now we won't be leaving until about April 1st.

Monday, February 22nd, we had a stay at home day. I spent most of the day in the office taking care of admin work. We got our mail the other day and had everything for our taxes, so I did those and e-filed our tax return. I also did the blog and took care of several other admin chores. A very productive day. Jackie spent some time painting rocks for our friends. We had cocktails with our little group at 5:00 and then did some hamburgers on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and went to bed. Tuesday Jackie and Peggy went to a ladies luncheon and fashion show at the clubhouse. I did a few more admin chores. After the luncheon the three of us did a Walmart run. After we got back we put away the groceries and relaxed for a while. We had happy hour with the group and then Jackie and I had a simple dinner of tacos. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Wednesday, February 24th, was a stay at home day. About 12:30 I went over to the clubhouse for the jam session. It was a little smaller group today, but we still had fun. Len came and played for the first time this afternoon and seemed to enjoy himself. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00, then Peggy did a pasta and scallops in a cream sauce dinner for us, and her and Millie. We went home around 8:30 and watched TV until bedtime. Thursday we babysat Belle while Peggy went out Jeeping with her friends. For lunch we went over to the clubhouse for the burger bash. After lunch we walked Belle, then drove to Sam's Club for supplies. We were back home by a little after 2:00 and Peggy came back around 3:00. We had cocktails with the group on the patio, then did some pork chops on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and went to bed.

Friday, February 26th, Jackie and I left the coach after lunch and went to get our toes done. Jackie gets a full pedi, I just get a trim. After our toes we went back to the coach and relaxed for a bit before going over to the patio of the clubhouse to listen to a band. The park brought in a trio called “The Dependables” who have played at a lot of other parks around the foothills. They are three baby boomer age guys, a drummer, a lead guitarist and a bass player, who do a variety of music, oldies, country, rock, you name it. They have a good rapport with the audience and were pretty good musicians. It was a two hour concert, 3-5, and it we enjoyed it a lot. We had cocktails with the group after the band and then the four of us had some KFC for dinner. After Peggy and Millie went home we watched TV for the rest of the night.

Saturday, February 27th, we went to the taco stand for lunch with Peggy and Millie. After lunch we went back to the coach and relaxed for a while. About 2:00 I went over to the clubhouse and set up for karaoke. I got everything up and working, but at 3:00 no one showed up again. Since I had the stuff set up, I did some practice singing, working on some new songs. I also let Dottie, our activities director sing some songs and we worked on a couple of duets to try when people start coming to karaoke again. I later learned that one of the other parks had scheduled a band for the afternoon, so that's probably where the music people went. About 4:30 I packed everything up and we did our happy hour with the group. After happy hour Jackie and I had leftovers for dinner then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Sunday, February 28th, happy birthday to my brother Russ who hit the big “6-0” today. We had a stay at home day. Around 4:00 I set up all my sound equipment outside our rig in preparation for a park wide block party. It was advertised as a 'howl at the moon” party, but we missed the full moon by a couple days, so it doesn't come up until almost 8:30 today. So, the party is just a 5-7 happy hour. I was very pleased when we ended up with at least 50 people sitting, talking and drinking around our coach. I just played a variety of music and everyone seemed to have a good time. Since it was a little cool tonight they even brought out the propane fire pits from the clubhouse patio and put them in the street for people to sit around. We partied until about 7:00 when I shut it off and dismantled my equipment. We had a late dinner at Peggy's, with Millie and our other neighbors, Jerry and Debbie. Peggy made her penne pasta and it was wonderful. After dinner we went home, watched a little TV and went to bed.

Monday, March 1st, was a stay at home day. Welcome to the beginning of “calendar Spring” and maybe warmer weather. It wasn't today, as the high was only to be 67 degrees. I finished packing up the equipment from the block party last night and got everything back in it's proper place. Today was also laundry day and we had everything done by mid afternoon. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00, then we and Peggy and Millie had a meat loaf that Jackie made. After they left we watched TV and then went to bed. Tuesday we went out after lunch to do a grocery run at Fry's. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing chores. We had cocktail hour with the group and then six of us shared a big pot of shrimp, asparagus and mushroom risotto that Jackie and Peggy put together. After everyone left we cleaned up and watched some TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, March 3rd, Jackie went out for lunch with Millie, Peggy and Debbie to the Ninja Sushi restaurant. It worked out well because I don't care for sushi and was going to the jam session at the clubhouse today. I went over there about 12:30 and got set up. We had a great group, mostly the same people I have been playing with since I started going. I got to do three songs and played along on many others. After the jam I went back to the coach and relaxed for a while. We had cocktails with the group, but no group dinner tonight. Jackie and I had left over risotto for dinner. We watched TV until bedtime. Thursday Peggy and Jackie went out again for lunch, this time to Thai food at Lemon Grass Cafe. After lunch they stopped at the optical place so Jackie could pick up her new glasses. I left the coach about 12:30 and went and played golf with Len and Debbie Forrest and a friend of theirs named Bonnie. We played the very easy, and inexpensive, Foothills par 3 course. Regular readers will know that I just recently bought a new set of golf clubs to replace the set I gave away almost 16 years ago when we left the Coachella Valley and went full time in the motorhome. I only played for fun and was never any good at golf. I didn't like to play alone and I didn't like to play with strangers, and I knew when we went out on the road that those would be my only choices. So, I gave up the game. Never thought much of it until we got the place in Pahrump and now I have friends that golf, also only moderately well, and a near by golf course, so I thought I would start up again. Today was the first time I have played golf since 2005, and I was predictably bad, but actually did par the third hole. I almost quit after that win. We had a great three hours and I am glad I am out with friends again. After Jackie and I both got back to the coach we just relaxed until cocktail hour with the group. After happy hour we and Peggy had pork loins baked with onions and side dishes for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV and then went to bed.

Friday, March 5th, was a stay at home day. We did a few chores and mainly relaxed until about 2:30 when we went over to the clubhouse for another concert on the patio. Today the entertainer was Kelly Hughes. Regular readers may remember that Kelly is a country western entertainer from Idaho who winters in Yuma and does gigs all over the Southwest in the winter months. In Idaho he has a full band and does bars and small venues up in the north country during the summer months. He is also the one who started the “howl at the moon” phenomenon about 15 years ago here in Yuma and frequently plays at the howl parties. We have seen him a number of times and always find him fun and easy to listen to. When he is in Yuma he normally performs alone, although at the howl parties he has some friends who may come to play with him. Today it was just him and he put on a great two hour show. After the show we had our cocktail hour with friends, including Len and Debbie today because they came over the the concert. After cocktails we and Peggy did pork green chili for dinner. After Peggy left we watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, March 6th, the morning started at 7:30 when we got a table set up for the park-wide yard sale. Jackie had a bunch of stuff out that she wanted to get rid of. She ended up making over $30, so it was a success. They shut down about 11:00 because it was starting to get hot. Peggy and Jackie went to Fry's after lunch to get some steaks that were on sale. I stayed home and started getting stuff ready for the karaoke session this afternoon. At 2:00 I took everything over to the clubhouse and got set up. The session started at 3:00 and we initially had the same six people we had two weeks ago, but at one point we had eight in the rotation. Yea! We had a great time and everyone got to do at least five or six songs if they wanted. A little after 5:00 I shut it down and dismantled all the equipment. We then had happy hour with the group and after happy hour we and Peggy did our steaks on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we watched some TV and then went to bed.

Sunday, March 7th, we had a stay at home day. Enjoyed the paper and coffee in the morning and spent the day doing chores and relaxing. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00 and then Millie served dinner on the patio of her coach. Salad, a very nice Italian soup, and a nice desert. There were eight of us for dinner as Len and Debbie also came over. After dinner we went back in our coach and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night. Monday we left the coach about noon to go to lunch and do some geocaching. Peggy was staying home waiting for a service guy to come to unclog her toilet. We stopped at Del Taco for a quick lunch, then did some geocaching. We were able to get five caches in an hour and a half or so. On the way home we stopped at Walmart for a few things, then went back to the coach. We had cocktails with the group at 5:00 and then we and Peggy did some burgers on the grill for dinner. After dinner we watched TV and headed off to bed.

Tuesday, March 9th, we, along with Peggy, left the RV park about 11:00 and drove to downtown Yuma to go another of our favorite places to eat, Da Boyz, a pizza and Italian place. They also have a store out here in the Foothills, but we have found the food, service and ambiance better at the downtown location. All three of us had Calzones, and I took half of mine home for dinner. After lunch we just headed back to the coach because Peggy had stuff to do. We spent the rest of the day in the coach relaxing. One great thing, both Jackie and I were able to make our appointments for the second Moderna Covid shot. We go in on Friday, exactly 28 days from the first shot. Yea! Peggy, who got the first shot on the same day was unable to get an appointment, but when she called the hospital she was told to try again Wednesday since she thought they were allowing appointments to be made by people in the same order as when they called for the first shot. Peggy made her appointment a day after we made ours for the first shots. We had cocktails with the group, minus Millie. Millie's son and his wife flew back into Yuma today and they are planning to leave for Pahrump tomorrow. After cocktails we went had a light dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, March 10th, we had a stay at home day. I went over to the clubhouse at 12:30 for the jam session and Peggy and Jackie came over later to listen for a while. The group continues to grow, we are up to about 16 people now. Had a good time and sang a couple of songs. Millie left Yuma today with her son driving the motorhome and his wife driving Millie's car. They are planning on a one day trip to Pahrump, which would be way too far for me at 335 miles. We had cocktails with the group and then we and Peggy did some Ahi on the BBQ for dinner. After Peggy left we spent the rest of the evening watching TV. Thursday I went out about 12:30 to play nine holes of golf with Len. We played the par 3 course and I did better than last week. Not great mind you, but better. I even got a birdie on the eighth hole. Yea! Peggy and Jackie went out to a local Thai restaurant for lunch when I went to play golf. After we all got home we relaxed until cocktail hour. We had happy hour with our group and then had chili that was made by Jerry and Debbie, our neighbors, who are part of our happy hour group. We ate in our coach because they live in a 11 foot truck camper and their “house” is a little tight for five. The chili was excellent. After dinner everyone left and we just relaxed with the TV until it was time for bed.

Friday, March 12th, we were on the road with Peggy around 10:00 headed to the Civic Center to get our second Covid shots. Yea! Jackie and I had appointments for 11:00 but Peggy wasn't able to get an appointment until the day after we did, so she was closer to 1:30. We went and got our shots then went to Mi Rancho Mexican restaurant for lunch. After lunch we went back to the Civic Center and arrived about a half hour before Peggy's scheduled time. However, they were not busy and took her in early. After Peggy was done we went back to the coach. We had cocktails with the group but no dinner because of the big lunch. We watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, March 13th, my son Roy Junior's birthday. Jackie woke up feeling really badly. She was having the same reaction to the second shot as she had with the first. Major headache, body aches and fatigue. She ended up spending the entire day in bed. I just futzed around the house all day. I did go over to the clubhouse about 3:00 because the owners of the RV park were putting on their appreciation day, just like they did last year. They had a dinner with some BBQ and fixings, but I just took two plates to go. Jackie didn't feel like eating and I had eaten lunch. I had mine later for dinner, but Jackie's is still in the fridge. Hopefully she will wake up tomorrow feeling better. She was at 90 percent the next day a month ago.

Sunday, March 14th, as predicted Jackie woke up feeling much better. Not quite back 100 percent, but better. She was still a little tired and weak feeling, so we spent the day in the house, but at least she was up, showered, dressed and doing better. By cocktail hour she was OK enough to go outside with the group. For dinner we and Peggy did some pork chops on the grill, along with sweet potatoes and a very nice zucchini dish that Peggy put together. After Peggy left we watched some TV and went to bed. We are now three weeks out from the last time we posted, so it is time to close out this chapter and get it published. Until next time, consider the words of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Get out there and experience something! See ya soon.