November in Pair-a-Dice

Hi there, welcome back.  Our last episode concluded on Tuesday, October 31^st with us in Pahrump, Nevada.  Wednesday, November 1^st, I went over to the clubhouse in the morning to set up the sound equipment for the jam session this afternoon.  I have been trying to get a regular jam session together in this park for a couple of years and this is the first time I had any response when I put out a call for players.  The jam session is part of the activities for “homecoming week” at the park, the week before the co-op holds it’s annual membership meeting.  At 2:00 we got the jam session going with myself, my friend Len (who doesn’t live in the park), another two co-op members, Margi, who was playing an autoharp, and Bob, who had a guitar.  Bob was actually a member of several bands back in the 60’s and 70’s, so he was the best player among us.  However, he also had not played in quite a while, so his fingers were pretty sore at the end.  We played for about 90 minutes and had a great time.  We even had an audience of a dozen people for a while.  While I was jamming Jackie was playing Pokeno in the other room.  After the jam I spent an hour taking down all the equipment and then we were off to happy hour.  After happy hour we spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Thursday, November 2^nd. I spent the morning doing chores.  After lunch we went out and did some grocery shopping.  When we got back we had a nurse practioner from United Healthcare come to the house for our annual “home visit” wellness check.  We are in pretty good shape for the shape we are in, so it all went well.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour then stayed over in the clubhouse for the Bingo, which started at 5:30.  Unlike last week, neither of us came close to a bingo tonight.  After bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Thursday Jackie went over to the clubhouse about 10:00 to help out in the kitchen with preparations for tomorrow night’s meat loaf dinner.  I did some chores around the house.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour and then stayed over for the 5:00 baked potato dinner.  We stayed until about 7:00 after which we went home and watched TV until it was time for bed.

Saturday, November 4^th, today is our Co-op’s annual meeting day.  This is the only meeting where the membership is in charge and gets unlimited time to speak, unlike Board meetings where the Board members are in charge.  I was up about 7:00 to get to the clubhouse by 8:00 to help set up the Zoom equipment to put the meeting online.  The meeting started about 9:00 and we actually had a quorum, which is a minimum of 93 memberships.  Although each membership has a maximum of two people, it only has one vote in co-op matters.  Things went fairly smoothly until they opened it up to the membership, where a number of people got up to make proposals for changes in the park’s governing documents.  It really wasn’t too bad, but there were a couple of times when people started talking out of turn and some nasty comments were made.  The meeting went on until after noon when the current Board went into executive session to elect their officers for the coming year.  Although there was an election for members of the Board, and five of the six running were elected to the new Board, there were few changes to the make up of the Board.  Three of the people on the Board were temporary appointments made during the year to fill vacancies.  Of those three, two were reelected to full terms.  Of the nine members on the Board now, only two are actually new to the Board.  After the new Board was introduced the meeting was over.  We went home and relaxed until 4:00.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour and then stayed over for the meat loaf dinner.  It was quite good and we had a nice time with friends.  About 7:00 we headed home and relaxed with the TV until bedtime.

Sunday, November 5^th, we had a stay at home day.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00 and then we did a happy hour on our own patio, inviting about ten of our friends from the park.  Normally there is no happy hour on Sunday, so we decided to use our patio for the first time.  Since today was the first day after changing the clocks back from daylight savings, it got dark early, about 5:30, so we were able to use our fire pit and everything.  We had a really nice time and went until about 7:00.  After happy hour we watched TV and went to bed.  Monday we didn’t have much on our calendar but we went out and ran some errands in the afternoon.  We didn’t do happy hour because we were meeting two other couples at the China Wok for dinner.  After dinner we went home and relaxed with the TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, November 7^th, I had committee meeting in the morning.  After lunch we went to a planning session for the Silver Seekers group.  After that meeting we went to the local community hospital so Jackie could get her annual mammogram.  After that we went home and then to happy hour.  After happy hour we had dinner, then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Wednesday was another busy day.  I had another committee meeting at 9:00 in the clubhouse.  After lunch Jackie went and played Pokeno and I went out and ran some errands.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 then home for dinner TV for the rest of the night.

Thursday, November 9^th, was another busy day.  I had a 10:00 meeting of the By Laws Committee, of which I am the chair.  We had the regular meeting of the Silver Seekers group at 1:00 and I was elected Vice President of the Silver Seekers, along side of my friend Don, who is the President.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then about 5:00 we had our first food truck visit to the park.  There are some members of the Board who don’t think we should have outsiders in the park for any reason, but we did the food truck thing anyway and it was a huge success.  They sold out of food and actually had to turn away the late comers, including me!  We will now be scheduling food trucks into the park on a regular basis.  After the gathering for the food truck we went home and spent the night with the TV.  Friday, Happy Birthday United States Marine Corps!  At 2:00 we went out and went to Walgreens where we both got our second shingles shot and an RSV vaccination.  On the way home we planted the directional signs for the yard sale that is going on at the park tomorrow.  I was responsible for the signs.  We then went home and went to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home, had dinner and then watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, November 11^th, Veterans Day.  Today was the craft and yard sale at the park.  It was all in the clubhouse and I was assigned to work security in the Clubhouse and around the park.  We started at 7:00, so it was a very early day for us.  Jackie also volunteered for the event, being the cashier for the food concession.  The sale was a moderate success and we didn’t have any major problems, so we will probably do it again sometime.  After the sale was over we went home and just collapsed in front of the TV until bedtime.  Sunday I had to go out to one of the local abandoned gravel pits to qualify with my pistol so I can renew my concealed carry permit.  I have to do this every year and the last few years I have used Invictus Firearms Training to do it.  I like the instructor and the way he does qual shoots.  I was out about three hours, then returned home and we spent the rest of the day and evening in the house.

Monday, November 13^th, we left the house about 11:00 and went to the Stagecoach Grill, a local restaurant, for a dine-out with the Lucky Rollers.  This is the RV travel club here at the Escapees park.  It is also a chapter of the national Escapees organization,  We had a nice lunch with about a dozen or so people present.  After lunch we went to run some errands and do some shopping.  After we got home we went to happy hour and then went home for dinner.  We watched the TV until bedtime.  Tuesday Jackie had a decorating committee meeting in the clubhouse at 10:00.  We both had a Silver Seekers calendar planning meeting in the clubhouse at 12:30.  That last meeting went for a couple of hours, but we got the December calendar finalized for the first time with the new Silver Seekers team.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, November 15^th, Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00.  At 2:00 I provided the Zoom support for a meeting of the Storage task force meeting in the clubhouse.  This is a member driven team that is looking at solutions to the problems with storage here at the co-op.  These are the spots in the back of the property where members can store RVs, extra vehicles, trailers, etc.  Any member can get a storage space, if available, but there are no where near as many storage spots as members, so shortages and disputes have been occurring recently.  This group is looking at various solutions to suggest to the Board and the members.  We had happy hour at 4:00, then went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  I did have my first hour long tour of duty as security tonight.  Thursday there was a 9:00 meeting of the Board of Directors and I was providing the Zoom support for the meeting, which went on for almost three hours.  I had a 2:00 appointment at one of the local banks, along with the other new officers of the Silver Seekers, to make changes in the groups bank account.  Jackie went out about 3:00 for a haircut appointment and then had a mani appointment at 5:00, right after happy hour.  After she got home we had dinner, then watched TV the rest of the night, except for my hour of security duty.

Friday, November 17^th, Jackie had a 12:00 luncheon with her girlfriends at the Artesian Cellars restaurant.  My friend Len came over and we had a guitar practice session since we had missed the last couple of weeks.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then went home.  I had my last tour of security duty for the month tonight.  We spent the rest of the evening watching TV.  Saturday, we went over to Petrack Park here in Pahrump after lunch to see the annual Pow Wow.  We spent an hour or so there watching the Indian dancers and looking through the booths and displays.  After we got home we had happy at 4:00, then went home and had clam chowder for dinner.  Our friend Max came for dinner.  His wife Nancy is back in New York with family, so we invited him over for a home cooked meal.  After Max left we watched TV and then went to bed.

Sunday, November 19^th, was a day off for us.  We did go out to do a quick Walmart run, but mostly stayed home and did chores.  Tomorrow we are leaving for a couple of days staying in Death Valley National Park, so we were getting stuff together for that trip.  Monday we packed our suitcase in the morning for our trip and left about 11:00, headed for Death Valley.  We stopped for gas and a quick lunch at Carl’s Jr. before leaving Pahrump.  Death Valley is about 90 miles west of Pahrump.  My son Roy Jr. has been working there the last 18 months or so as a work camper at Stovepipe Wells, one of the three settlements in the park.  He made arrangements with his company for us to spend two nights at the lodge there.  We got into Stovepipe Wells about 2:30 and met up with Roy.  While waiting for the room to be ready we did some shopping at the general store.  The company that Roy is working for did not win the bid to be the concessionaire at Stovepipe Wells for another year and is leaving after the first of the year.  As a result, they were clearing out all the souvenir merchandise in the store for 60 percent off, plus Roy got another 50 percent of the remainder for his employee discount.  As a result, the normally expensive $35 tee shirts we got for about $7.  Jackie and I both got several shirts and she got some jewelry.  After the room was ready we moved in and then spent the rest of the evening visiting with Roy.  He took us to dinner at the restaurant, which was also comped, and we had a great time.  After Roy went back to his RV, we watched some TV and went to sleep.

Tuesday, November 21^st, we got up about 8:00 and by 10:00 or so we were in the car and out exploring Death Valley.  We had Roy along as our personal tour guide.  We have only been to Death Valley twice, once in 2007 during our first visit to Pahrump, when we became residents of Nevada.  Then again in 2019 when we came out for the day with our friends Peggy and Vernon.  We spent most of the day exploring, going out to Badwater Basin, the lowest spot in North America at minus 282 feet elevation.  This is normally a dry lake bed, but the bad storms this past summer caused a lot of flooding in Death Valley, and all of the water ended up in Badwater basin, so it was still a “temporary” lake.  We also went to Artists Palette and several other side trips in the park, with Roy providing context and explanation.  It was really a lot of fun.  We went to the visitors center and then had lunch at Furnace Creek, the biggest of the settlements in Death Valley.  After our tours we went back to Stovepipe Wells, did some more cheap shopping, and then spent the evening with Roy.  After he went home we went to bed.

Wednesday, November 22^nd, we were packed up and ready to head back to Pahrump about 11:00.  We said goodbye to Roy and started back.  After we got back into Pahrump we stopped for lunch and got home about 1:30.  Jackie went to the clubhouse at 2:00 for the second round of her Pokeno group and I did some unpacking and laundry.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then went home and relaxed with the TV until bedtime.  Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving!  We relaxed in the morning, then went over to the clubhouse about 2:30 for the park’s Thanksgiving pot luck dinner.  We had a really good time visiting with friends and having way too much good food.  We got back home about 5:00 and just vegged with the TV until it was time to go to bed. 

Friday, November 24^th, was a stay at home day.  Didn’t want to be anywhere near a store on Black Friday.  We went to Bingo in the clubhouse at 5:30.  Jackie and I each won one of the regular games, getting $12 each in winnings.  Yea!  After Bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday we went out after lunch for a Walmart run and some errands.  We stopped by the Elks Lodge with one of the people here at the park who wanted to join.  We sponsored their application.  After shopping we went to happy hour, then came home and had chili relleno casserole for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Sunday, November 26^th, I got out the Christmas decorations from the shed and started doing some decorating around the lot.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00 and then went out for a quick grocery run.  After we got home we had dinner, then relaxed with the TV until bedtime.  Monday my brother Russ and his wife Zen, who live in Las Vegas, came up for the day.  We had a great time visiting.  Even though we live close to each other, he still works full time at the Golden Nugget Casino downtown and we have been pretty busy this summer as well.  Jackie made a nice late lunch of Chinese chicken casserole, fried rice and egg rolls.  After dinner we sat and talked until about 5:00 when they left to drive home.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV. 

Tuesday, November 28^th, I had an appointment at 1:00 with my ophthalmologist.  The appointment only went about a half hour and I was back home.  I did a few chores around the house until we left to go to the monthly Escapees Park dine-out at the Roadhouse casino and restaurant about 3:30.  Tuesdays is when they have their baby backs on sale, so the majority of the 24 people at the dine-out had ribs.  Yum.  After dinner we stayed and gamed for a little while.  I didn’t do well, but Jackie cashed out $52.  Yea.  We then went home and watched TV for the rest of the evening.  Wednesday was a typical Wednesday.  Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00 and Len came over about that same time and we had a little guitar jam session. We went to happy hour at 4:00 and them home for dinner and the TV for the rest of the night.

Thursday, November 30^th, last day of November.  I had a meeting of the By Laws and Standing Rules Committee, of which I am the chairman.  The meeting went a couple of hours and I think we accomplished some good things organizationally.  After the meeting I had lunch and then did some decorating for Christmas.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home for dinner and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

That concludes the month of November and it is time to close out this chapter.  Until next time, do good deeds, but have fun.  See ya.