Hot July in Pahrump - and most other places too

Hi there, welcome back.  Our last chapter concluded on Monday, July 3^rd, while we were hunkering down in sunny, hot Pahrump.  Tuesday was July 4^th, happy birthday America!  We went to the clubhouse about 1:00 for a BBQ potluck.  We didn’t bring anything to BBQ, but rather made chicken sandwiches with leftovers from yesterday’s Costco chicken.  We made a bowl of mac and cheese for the potluck part.  Good thing we didn’t do BBQ, it took everyone who was forever because the grills were not working right.  No one thought to check them the day prior.  We had a good turnout, about two dozen people, and had a good time.  After the get-together we went home and relaxed for the rest of the day and evening.

Wednesday, July 5^th, Jackie had her usual Pokeno game at 1:00 and my friend Len came over and we jammed on out guitars for a couple of hours.  After Len left and Jackie came home, we just relaxed.  Did some chores and watched TV.  We had chicken enchiladas (still Costco leftovers) then watched TV until bedtime.  Thursday Jackie had a manicure at 1:30. After I dropped her off, I went and window shopped at Home Depot for a while.  After she was done with her nails, we did a Walmart run and then headed home.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then went back home and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Friday, July 7^th, Jackie went out about 1:00 for a girl’s lunch at Artesian Cellars.  While she was gone, I did some office work and played on my music for a while.  After she got home we went to happy hour, then home and the TV for the rest of the night.  Saturday was also a stay at home day.  Did a few little chores and happy hour.  Sunday we went out about 1:00 for a late lunch at the Pour House, the Indian restaurant that Jackie likes which also has great pizza.  After lunch we went to the Pahrump Nugget casino for some gaming.  We spent about an hour, but didn’t have any luck.  Both of us lost our $40 stake.  After that we went home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Monday, July 10^th, was another stay at home day.  Did a few chores around the house, some laundry and such.  Even broke out the Skibo cards for a game in the afternoon.  We did go to happy hour, there were five of us there today.  We have finalized our plans and booking for a 15 day cruise to Hawaii in February of next year.  Right now we have almost the same people from the park going that went with us on the Panama Canal trip last February.  Us, Charlene and Joyce, Don and Julie, Linda and Jim, and the newest members of the cruise group, Max and Nancy.  Sue and Dale may sign up, haven’t heard from them yet.  After happy hour we did some pork loin in the Insta-pot, then watched TV until bedtime.  Tuesday we had another MASA luncheon at the China Wok buffet.  We listened to our friend Chuck give his 30 minute spiel about MASA, an emergency transport insurance program that we have been lifetime members of since 2007.  After the talk we had a nice lunch.  After lunch we stopped at the medical center so Jackie could see if she could get in to see our primary care doctor because she was feeling shaky and had occasional low blood pressure.  They couldn’t get her in and she doesn’t like the Nurse Practitioners that are at our center, so we came home.  We had happy hour at 4:00, which was down to four now because Charlene is back home with family in Massachusetts for a while.  After happy hour we came home and watched TV for the rest of the night.  I also did my second night of security.

Wednesday, July 12^th, was a stay at home day.  Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00 and I went into the man cave and did some office work and played music for a while.  After Pokeno we went over to our friend Millie’s trailer to check on things and water her plants.  She is out traveling until late September.  I did discover that one of her air conditioners, which she has set at 90 while she is gone, was not working right.  The compressor was running, but the fan was not.  Since the other A/C was working OK, I shut the other one down.  We went to happy hour, then home for green chili pork burritos for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and I did my last night of security for this month.  Thursday the guy who installed our window shade screens a few months ago came by to fix one which had come loose.  We went out after lunch to do some shopping.  After we got home we did happy hour, then had dinner and watched TV until it was time for bed.

Friday we stayed around the house most of the day, doing a few chores and relaxing.  About 3:30 we changed clothes and drove to the Elks Lodge for the lodge’s anniversary dinner and show.  Dinner was at 5:00, but we wanted to go early, get a good seat, have a cocktail at the bar and gamble a bit.  Dinner was great, it was ham, scalloped potatoes, veggies, with a salad and dessert.  More than enough to eat.  After dinner we had the show, which was put on by Bill Watson, an acquaintance of ours who has his own little show that he takes around to various venues in town, the senior center, the various fraternal and veterans groups, that sort of thing.  He has three dancers he calls the “Glam Girls” who also dance with a local group called the Silver Tappers.  They are all over 50, some in their 70’s, and they put on shows all over town.  Bill is an accomplished singer and he also has added our friend Phyliss Howell to his group.  They put on a pretty good show.  By 8:00 we were on our way home.  After we got home we watched TV for a while and went to bed.  Saturday we didn’t do much because of the excessive heat warning.  We are close to 115 today.  We did take a drive to Shoshone, California, the closest California town to Pahrump, about 30 miles.  They have the closest market that sells lottery tickets for the two national lotteries, the PowerBall and the MegaMillions.  Nevada is one of the only two States that do not have a lottery, the other being Hawaii.  In Nevada it’s actually in the State Constitution that there can be no legal lottery.  Both of the national lotteries are well over 500 million, so we decided to take an air conditioned hour car ride to buy some tickets.  Can’t win if you don’t play!  After we got back we just relaxed until happy hour, played some cards and watched TV.  After our four person happy hour we came home, had dinner and watched TV until we went to bed.

Sunday was a stay at home day.  We didn’t win the big bucks last night, but neither did anyone else.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00 in the clubhouse and visited with folks for a while.  After that we came home and just relaxed.  Played some cards and watched TV.  I made some stuffed peppers for dinner and after dinner we watched TV.  Monday was mostly a stay at home day.  I did have to go out twice on quick trips to one of the nearby banks on some park business.  Even though I am no longer a member of the Board of Directors, I am still a signatory on all the Co-op accounts and one of the few still in the park during the summer.  We had a couple of CDs coming up which we had to cash in to redistribute the funds to be sure we didn’t exceed the insurance limits for any one bank.  Other than that we stayed home and relaxed.  We did happy hour with the group at 4:00, then came home and had dinner before watching TV for the evening.

Tuesday, July 18^th, we went out after lunch and did a Walmart run, then we went to the nail salon so Jackie could get a pedicure and I got my nails trimmed.  After we were done with nails we went home and then to happy hour.  After happy hour we had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday was a stay at home day.  Jackie was supposed to go play Pokeno at 1:00, but she had a bout of vertigo and was wobbling a lot, so she decided to stay home.  I went out and got some meclizine, the seasickness medicine, which helps with vertigo.  I also went out later and got some KFC for dinner.  I went to happy hour, but Jackie was still a little shaky.  After dinner we watched TV an then went to bed.

Thursday, July 20^th, we left the park about 10:30 so we could go get haircuts.  I got just a trim and Jackie got a complete haircut.  After the haircut we stopped at the nail salon so Jackie could get a broken nail fixed.  We then went next door to the ChatThai Bistro for lunch.  After a great lunch we ran a couple of errands and did some shopping.  After that we headed home.  We did happy hour at 4:00, then came home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Friday I went out about 9:30 after a quick shower to meet my son Roy Jr. in town.  Roy is working for the concessioner in Death Valley National Park to the Stovepipe Wells resort area.  He had worked there for the season last year, but hired on this year as a full time employee.  His primary job is shuttle driver for the staff.  He does daily mail runs between the various park facilities and drives people into Pahrump for shopping and errands.  He was making a run to Walmart and Home Depot this morning.  After he dropped his passengers off at Walmart he and I went to Denny’s for lunch.  We had a nice visit, about an hour or so, before he had to leave and pick up his people and run the other errands.  It was nice to see him in person after about four months.  After lunch I went home and we spent the rest of the day in the house trying to stay cool.  About 4:30 we went to happy hour.  We went a little late so we could just stay over in the clubhouse for Bingo at 5:30.  I won one of the bingo games, basically getting my entry fee back, so I played for free.  We had a fun time and afterwards went home watched a little TV and went to bed.

Saturday, July 22^nd, my daughter Tracie’s birthday as well as my eldest great grandchild, Kerstinrainer.  Unfortunately, I am estranged from both of them, but happy birthday anyway.  Today was a quiet, stay at home day.  Did some chores, played some games, did Jackie’s highlights in her hair.  I went to happy hour because Jackie took a late shower and didn’t want to dry her hair.  Afterwards we had dinner then watched TV for the rest of the night.  Sunday we relaxed in the morning.  We went to the Sunday Social in the clubhouse at 2:00 and had root beer floats.  After the social we drove into town to Smith’s to do some grocery shopping.  After shopping we headed home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.  We did some steaks on the BBQ for dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Monday, July 24^th, we stayed home for most of the day.  We did go out about 2:00 to take Jackie to a doctor’s appointment.  She had been trying to get in to see our primary physician for a couple of weeks and our insurance company finally got her an appointment.  Most of the things she wanted to talk about had passed, but it was still an informative session that Jackie needed.  Just being heard by your doctor is important.  After the doctor we ran a couple errands, then headed back to the park.  We went to happy hour and then home for dinner.  After dinner we spent the night with the TV.  Tuesday I was up early to go to the clubhouse to set up the Zoom equipment for an informal “Coffee with the Board” meeting at 9:00.  The meeting was pretty short, without a lot of discussion and by 10:30 I was back home.  We spent the day in and around the house.  At 3:30 we went to the monthly dine-out with about 10 other people at Nicco’s, an Italian place here in Pahrump.  We had a great dinner and talk with friends.  After we got home we just watched TV and went to bed.

Wednesday, July 26^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00 in the clubhouse and my friend Len came over and we jammed with our guitars for almost 2 hours.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 then came home and had dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.  Thursday went out after lunch and did some shopping and other errands.  After we got back we did happy hour, then came home and had fried stuffed cabbage for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and then off to bed.  Friday we left the park about 10:30 and drove to the South Pointe Casino in Las Vegas to go to a movie.  This is the first time in about a year that we have gone out to see a movie in a theater.  We arrived at the South Pointe, which is on the far south end of the strip, and parked in the garage.  This casino is nice in that on the third floor they have a number of electric car plug-in stations.  Fortunately, there was one open when we pulled in so we plugged in the car and went inside.

The movie we went to see today was a new release called “Talk to Me.”  It was a horror movie involving a group of young people who come into possession of what they say is a porcelain coated embalmed hand that provides a link to the spirit world.  They light a candle, which supposedly opens the door to the world, then one of them grasps the hand and says, “talk to me” at which time a random spirit appears before them.  Only the one holding the hand can see the spirit, but almost all of the other kids in the room have done this before and know that the one on the hand is actually seeing a spirit, because they all did too.  Then the subject has to say, I let you in.  The spirit then enters the subject and they go into all sorts of contortions.  According to the story line you may only stay connected for 90 seconds or less, otherwise the spirit becomes permanently housed in the subject.  So, after the minute and half the group pulls the hand loose, which pulls the spirit out, then blows out the candle, which closes the door.  It’s all fun and games for the group until the youngest 15 year old begs to do it and connects with the spirit of his sister’s best friend’s mother, who killed herself.  The sister’s friend starts talking to the spirit and ends up making the contact last longer than the 90 minutes, so even after they finally pull the hand away the sprit is no inside the kid.  The rest of the movie has to do with trying to get rid of the spirit.  It was a good scary movie, kind of a difficult plot to follow, but still good.  It was also an Australian movie, which meant the accents got a little thick sometimes.  All in all a good scary flick.  After the movie we gamed for an hour or so before leaving the casino.  We stopped for a late lunch, early dinner at a Greek restaurant, and then headed over the hump to home.  We got back a little after 5:00 after a fun day.  We spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Saturday, July 29^th, was a stay at home day.  Got a few chores done, relaxed for a bit.  We did happy hour and then home for dinner.  We then watched TV until bedtime.  Today our new countertop NuWave oven was delivered.  We bought it to set up outside on the enclosed patio so we could bake things in the summertime without having to use the oven in the house.  We hope it works and will probably try it out tomorrow.  Sunday, we relaxed in the morning with the paper and coffee.  We went to 2:00 Sunday Social for ice cream.  After the social we did a quick Walmart run for a couple of things we needed.  After we got home, we had a quick dinner then watched TV for the rest of the night.

Monday, July 31^st, I took Jackie to a manicure appointment about 1:00.  We actually had measurable rain this morning and it looked like we might have some on and off all day.  I went back home and did some chores and played some games while Jackie got her nails done.  She was done around 3:00 so I went and picked her up and then we went to happy hour.  After happy hour we came back to the trailer and made dinner.  We did a chili relleno casserole in the new outside oven and it turned out great.  After dinner we watched TV and then went to bed.

This marks the end of the month, time to get the blog published.  Until next time, be good.  Bye.

A Spring Cruise and Summer Arrives in Pahrump

Welcome Back.  Our last chapter concluded on Saturday, June 3^rd, at home in Pahrump, Nevada.  Sunday was a stay-at-home day.  We went to the afternoon root beer floats get-together at 2:00, but just stayed and talked to friends afterwards since there were not enough people to play Left-Right-Center.  A lot of the park have bailed out for the summer, so the group gatherings are getting smaller by the day.

Monday, June 5^th, this would have been the 18^th anniversary of when we sold our house in Indio and bought our motorhome.  It is also the 58^th anniversary of the day I graduated from high school in Phoenix, Arizona.  Wow, time flies.  We went out about noon for lunch at Rubacaba’s Mexican Food.  After lunch we did some shopping before heading back to the park.  We did happy hour at 4:00 then came home and did some burgers on the grill for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.  Tuesday was a stay-at-home day.  Did a few chores around the house, but mostly just relaxed.  We did happy hour with the group at 4:00, then came home and had ribs for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Wednesday, June 7^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00 and my friend Len came over about the same time and we jammed with our guitars until about 2:30.  After Len left, I did some chores.  We went to happy hour at the clubhouse at 4:00, then came home, had dinner and spent the night with the TV.  Thursday, my brother Dennis’ birthday.  Today was a stay-at-home day.  Got a couple little things done, mostly just relaxed.  The usual happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and TV watching until bedtime.

Friday, June 9^th, today was kind of a chore’s day.  We went out about 10:30 and both got haircuts, more trims really, getting ready for the cruise next week.  We ran some errands, picked up my suit at the cleaners, again for the cruise, got a couple of things at Walmart, had lunch at Arby’s, then went home.  We did happy hour and after happy hour we picked up our friends Lee and Kim and drove to nearby Tower Pizza for dinner.  We had gone to Tower Pizza, which is only a couple miles from the park, once several years ago, and we were not impressed and never went back.  However, Lee and Kim said they have improved and that on the weekends, Friday and Saturday, they have seafood specials.  We decided to give it a try.  Color me now impressed.  I had a seafood platter that was scallops, clam strips and shrimp, that had to be the largest I have ever been served.  Jackie had a grilled cod dish that was also huge.  We both took home huge leftovers.  Kim had the fish and chips, and the piece of fish was monstrous.  Lee was the only one that actually had Italian food, an eggplant parm that looked pretty good too.  After dinner we dropped them off and headed home to lie in our chairs and moan about our overly full tummies.  Spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Saturday, June 10^th, we went out for a late lunch about 1:00 to Terribles Roadhouse restaurant.  After lunch we went home and relaxed for a while.  About 5:00 we left again, this time dressed in our nice clothes, and drove to the Saddle West Casino downtown to go to the Ms. Senior Golden Years pageant in the ballroom.  This is an annual event in Pahrump that has been going on for 20 years now.  There were seven contestants and they had competitions for talent, bathing suits (old style 20-30s) and evening gowns.  They also had a lot of local talent performing songs and other entertainment.  The pageant went about two hours, although we had gotten there two hours early to get a good seat.  After the pageant we went home and watched a little TV before going to bed.  Sunday was a stay-at-home day.  We went to the clubhouse at 2:00 for ice cream, then came home and relaxed the rest of the day.

Monday, June 12^th, Jackie left about 10:30 to go to a ladies lunch at the Artesian Cellars restaurant.  I stayed home and did some packing and chores.  After Jackie got home, we went to happy hour and then watched TV until bedtime.  I did do my first tour of security duty at 8:00.  Tuesday, we went out about noon to lunch at Dennys.  We then went to the nail salon where I got my nails trimmed and Jackie got a full mani and pedi.  While she was doing that I went out and ran a few errands.  After we got home, we went to happy hour, then Jackie went to a ladies only happy hour at 6:00 at our friend Nancy’s house.  I did my second tour of security duty and we spent most of the night with the TV.

Wednesday, June 14^th, we had a 10:00 meeting in the clubhouse, an informal, “coffee with the Board” gathering.  I went over about 9:00 to setup the zoom equipment so those out of the park could participate as well.  The meeting went pretty good, mostly civil with lots of discussion.  After lunch Jackie went to play Pokeno in the clubhouse while I went out and ran some errands.  I had to pick up laundry for the cruise as well as Jackie’s wedding rings, which she had left at the jewelers yesterday to have to two rings soldered together.  After I got home I did a few chores.  We did happy hour with the group, then came home and had dinner.  I did my last security shift for the month tonight.  Thursday was a stay at home day.  We spent the day getting ready to leave for our cruise tomorrow.  We did some last minute laundry and packing and got the house ready to leave for a week.  We did do happy hour with the group, then came home, had dinner and spent the night with the TV.

Friday, June 16^th, my oldest daughter Tye’s birthday.  Happy Birthday.  Today was a travel day.  We left Pahrump with the house closed up and our bags in the backseat, headed for Los Angeles.  It’s a little under 300 miles to LA from Pahrump, and should take about 5 hours, not counting breaks.  We were doing great for the first half of the trip, stopping at the In and Out Burger in Barstow for lunch.  After that it was a drag.  It took literally an hour to get down the Cajon Hill on I-15 from Hesperia to San Bernardino.  The traffic was blocked in and going 12 miles per hour for 20 miles or more.  Once we got into the LA basin the traffic was moderate, typical work day freeway traffic.  We finally got into the Crown Plaza hotel in San Pedro at 5:00.  We got checked into our room, brought in our bags, and got the car parked in the garage where it will stay for the seven days we are away.  We had a drink and a light dinner in the hotel bar, then went up to the room, watched a little TV and went to bed.  Tomorrow is the big day, onto the ship about noon or so and off for a week of cruising.

Saturday, June 17^th, we were up, had some coffee and then went down to the dining room for breakfast.  After breakfast we brought the luggage down to the lobby and checked out of the room by 11:00.  Our shuttle picked us up at 12:30 and took us down to the port to meet our ship, the Emerald Princess of the Princess Cruise line.  This will be our first cruise on a Princess ship.  We arrived at the pier at 12:30, dropped our luggage off with the porters and went through check-in.  Unlike our experience with our Norwegian Line cruise in February, this check-in took only a few minutes.  We were on the ship in less than 30 minutes.  We were able to go directly to our stateroom and drop our carry on stuff, then we went and checked into our emergency muster station.  The new safety procedures don’t require the old style “everyone report to your muster station with your life vests on” procedure.  Now you have to watch a video on your TV or phone, then just report to you assigned station and check-in.  That way they know that you know where your muster station is.  By the time we got back to the room our luggage had arrived, so we spent an hour or so unpacking.  After unpacking we went out and explored the three indoor public decks, 5, 6 and 7.  These are where all the bars, lounges, dining rooms, shops, the casino, and the theater are located.  We had our first cocktail of the cruise and watched some of the entertainment.  About 6:30 or so we went to the dining room for dinner.  Unfortunately for the blog, I don’t remember all of the meals we had, but the food was typically pretty good, with modest portions, but, as always, you could always get more, or even change you mind if you didn’t like something.  The ship sailed around 5:00, so by the time we were done with dinner we were able to go to the casino.  We didn’t have a lot of luck, but we did manage to figure out the odd way that you had to put money in the slot machines. 

Princess provides every passenger with a small, RFID chip enhanced ID medallion.  This medallion is you key to everything on the cruise.  It is your room key, your ID for getting on and off the ship, your “credit card” for buying everything on the ship from goods in the shops to drinks to specialty meals.  The other thing is that the ship is lined on every public deck with sensors, so the computers on the ship know exactly where you are to within five feet anytime you are on the ship.  There are even sensors in the bathrooms of the cabins.  When you are going to your cabin as you approach your stateroom door the sensor “sees” you and unlocks you door for you.  To play the slot machine you have to put your medallion up to the machine so it knows it’s you, then you can put in money.  When you cash out of a machine the money goes in your “bank” which is also a part of the chip program.  The whole program is very convenient and scary at the same time.  After some time in the casino we went to karaoke.  I had been told in an email from the cruise that they were doing a kind of “American Idol meets The Voice” on the ship, where they had karaoke sessions the first two nights, after which selected singers would be involved in a contest that went the rest of the cruise, culminating in a finals night on the last night of the cruise.  Turns out that program was not being done on this cruise.  I sang a couple of songs from their limited selection, then we went out, had a night cap in one of the bars, and went to bed.

Sunday, June 18^th, Happy Fathers Day.  Today was a day at sea as we sailed north along the California coast heading for San Francisco.  Because we had booked this cruise at the last minute, less than a month before sailing, we had to settle for an inside cabin.  The good thing was that because there were no windows, we could sleep as long as we wanted, and we did.  We got up around 9:00, ordered coffee from room service and relaxed before getting ready for the day.  We went to lunch in the buffet, which was very nice, although much, much smaller than the one on the Norwegian ship.    After lunch we spent the afternoon in different parts of the ship, a little time in the casino, watching some games in the lounges, drinking and just enjoying a quiet but fun afternoon.  About 6:00 we went back to the cabin and changed for dinner.  Tonight was listed as a “formal night” although unlike cruising from the past, it is no longer mandatory.  I put on a suit and Jackie put on a nice dress and we went to dinner in one of the dining rooms again.  Only a handful of passengers were actually in anything even close to formal, which I consider to be at least a suit or sport coat.  We had a very nice dinner and after dinner we went to the theater to watch one of the production shows.  This one was called “Magic to Do” and was basically a musical magic show.  The singing, dancing and magic were very good, but the story was a little hard to keep track of because there was no dialogue, just the words to the various songs.  After the show we went to the casino for a while.  Jackie didn’t do to well, but I hit four deuces and won $250.  Yea, money in my “bank.”  After the casino we hit the bed.

Monday, June 19^th, we docked in San Francisco, right in the Embarcadero area between downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf.  We slept in again since we had no set plans or excursions scheduled.  We have been to San Francisco numerous times over the years and didn’t really have any expectations of doing any sightseeing.  We went ashore about 1:00 and walked to Fisherman’s Wharf where we had lunch at a place on the pier called Fog Harbor House.  We had a very nice seafood dinner and then walked around the wharf for a while.  After a couple of hours we caught a pedicab back to the ship and went back aboard.  On this cruise the ship stays docked in San Francisco overnight and doesn’t leave until 5 the next day.  We picked tonight to have dinner in one of the specialty restaurants, the Crown Grill Steakhouse.  I had a filet with a lobster tail and Jackie had lamb chops.  It was a good dinner, but not as good as the steakhouse on the Norwegian Joy.  After dinner we just wandered about, having some drinks and watching some of the entertainment around the ship.  We also visited the casino briefly without any good luck.  We went to the room about 11:00 or so and went to bed.

Tuesday, June 20^th, we were still in San Francisco when we got up after sleeping in again.  We had lunch in one of the dining rooms and met a very pleasant lady named Linda and her grandson Skyler.  We had a nice conversation with them and a very nice lunch.  In the afternoon we stayed on the ship and just chilled with the various activities around the ship.  I spent a little time in the hot tub.  The ship sailed at 5:00 and I went up on deck to take some pictures, particularly of us going under the Golden Gate Bridge.  After we sailed we changed for dinner and had dinner in one of the dining rooms.  After dinner we hit the casino, but didn’t stay long because they were very busy and we weren’t doing well anyway.  We went to the theater again tonight for a comedy show put on by Alfred and Seymor, two black comedians who put on a hilarious improv show that we really enjoyed.  We also went to one of the lounges for a singer named Erik Bryan who was very good as well.  After a fun night we hit the bed for the day. 

Wednesday, June 21^st, was another day at sea as we made our way back south, headed to San Diego tomorrow.  After sleeping in again we had lunch in the buffet, then spent the day just killing time around the ship.  We watched a couple of games, did a little gaming, and generally just relaxed.  Tonight was the second formal night and Jackie and I got dressed up again, although still in the minority.  We had a nice dinner in one of the dining rooms, then went out to enjoy the evening on the ship.  Tonight in the theater they had another production show, this one called “Disco, Blame it on the Boogie.”  Like the first show, it was all music and dancing without any real story line, but it was a lot of fun with great music.  After the show we went to some of the other entertainment, including a presentation by a guy who was a crew member for Fleetwood Mac for most of the years they were touring.  He gave a really interesting behind the scenes look at the group and the history of some of their songs.  After a fun evening we went to bed around 11:00 again.

Thursday, June 22^nd, we arrived in San Diego in the morning.  We got off the ship about noon and took a cab to Joe’s Crab Shack for lunch.  The reason we went there is that about a week before the cruise I was going through my wallet and found a gift card from the Landrys restaurant group for $50.  Unfortunately I don’t remember who gave us, or me, the card or when, or why, but it was still good.  The Landrys Group owns a couple of dozen restaurant chains and Joes Crab Shack is one of them.  We decided since we were going to San Diego we would go there for a nice lunch.  We did have a nice lunch which was half price because of the gift card.  Yea and thank you to whomever gave us the card.  After lunch we went back to the ship because, like San Francisco, we have been to San Diego dozens of times and had no need to sightsee or party.  We changed for dinner in the dining room, then relaxed with the activities around the ship until we went to the late production show, which they called a “Rock Opera” which again was a lot of singing and dancing.  Of the three shows it was by far the best.  After the show we went to some of the other venues, including another round of karaoke.  We were in bed by about 11:30 after a fun evening.

Friday, June 23^rd, the last full day of the cruise.  We had left San Diego last night around 10:00 and sailed south to Ensenada, Mexico, where we were now docked.  We left the ship about 1:00 and went out for lunch again.  We went downtown and ate at a nice place right across the street from the place we ate at a year ago when we took the four day cruise out of Los Angeles.  After lunch I stopped and bought a tee shirt and we went back to the ship.  Tonight we have to have our luggage packed and out of the cabin by 11:00, so we decided to just go back and pack before dinner.  After we were all packed we changed for dinner and ate in one of the dining rooms again.  After dinner we went to the casino and cashed out the “banks” on our medallions.  I still had most of the $250 I had won earlier in the cruise.  We went to another show in the theater, this one another show by Alfred and Seymour that was just as funny as the earlier one.  We then had a couple of cocktails, watched a game show and hit the bed about 10:00 since we had to be up early tomorrow.

Saturday, June 24^th, we got up at 6:30, showered and left our cabin by the 8:00 deadline.  We no sooner got to the lounge where we were assigned to wait to disembark when they called our group and we walked off the ship.  Customs was a piece of cake, we got our bags and went out and caught the shuttle back to the hotel.  We got the car out of parking and were on the road heading back to Pahrump at 9:09 a.m.  The drive back was much easier than last Friday coming here.  Traffic was mostly light.  We stopped in Baker for lunch and still pulled into our driveway at the RV park at exactly 3:00.  We got the bags in and unpacked, then just relaxed the rest of the night.  It was a wonderful cruise but we are glad to be back home again.

Sunday, June 25^th, today was a stay at home and do chores day.  We did a number of loads of laundry, cleaning up after the cruise.  I also spent some time putting stuff away in the storage shed, like dress clothes and luggage.  We went to the Sunday afternoon gathering and chatted with some of the few friends we have still in the park.  Everyday more and more members leave for summer travels out of the desert heat.  We did some steaks on the grill for dinner, watched some TV and went to bed.  Monday was a chores day.  We finished up the laundry from the cruise and did some chores around the house.  We went out in the afternoon to do some shopping.  After shopping we came home, put everything away and went to the happy hour gathering.  The group is getting progressively smaller as people go away for the summer.  We were only a half dozen today.  After happy hour we went home and Jackie made a meat loaf for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Tuesday, June 27^th, we left the park about 11:00 and headed over the hill to Las Vegas.  Jackie had a doctor’s appointment and we needed to do a Costco run as well.  We hit Costco first, being careful not to buy anything that might go bad in the heat.  Mostly vodka and paper products.  We then stopped and had brunch at a café not too far from the doctors office.  After brunch we went to the ear doctor.  He looked in Jackie’s ear and didn’t see any marked differences.  The hole he made in the ear drum as a test last month had healed and Jackie had no seen any differences as a result of the hole.  The doctor then confirmed that putting in a tube was not indicated and that it was most likely a neurological issue, not something physical within the ear.  Jackie has to go back in a couple of months for another follow-up.  After the doctor we stopped at Kohl’s and shopped a little before heading over the hump.  We got back to the park about 5:00.  We just snacked for dinner, watched TV and went to bed.

Wednesday, June 28^th, was a stay at home day.  Jackie went to play Pokeno with her girlfriends at the clubhouse at 1:00.  I spent the two hours in the shed practicing on my guitar and the keyboard.  Since I got the very nice, and free, electric keyboard I have been working on basic piano chords as well as playing on my guitar.  Helps the mind to learn new things.  We did a couple of chores around the house and went to happy hour at 4:00.  Our friends Max and Nancy were there for the last time this summer.  They are leaving the park tomorrow and traveling for a couple of months.  Our happy hour crew is dwindling.  After happy hour we went home and we spent the rest of the evening watching TV.  Thursday I had an early awakening, about 6:00 when I heard voices outside our trailer talking about a water leak.  Turned out to be us.  The connection for the water hose on the side of the coach had failed and we had a big leak.  I was able to do a work around pretty quickly so we are not without water, but now I have to get the replacement part on warranty from the dealer we bought the trailer from.  The rest of the day was spent doing some little chores around the house.  We had happy hour and then spent the night with the TV.

Friday, June 30, the end of the first half of 2023.  We had a meeting of the Board of Directors at 1:00.  I am not on the Board anymore, but I am one of the crew that operates the Zoom system for members who are not physically in the park.  I went over early to get set up and then did the meeting.  The meeting went until almost 3:00.  We left the park shortly after the meeting to run some errands, including a Walmart run.  We didn’t get back in time for happy hour.  We had a pot roast for dinner that had been cooking all day in the crock pot.  Yum!  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.  Saturday we had a relaxing day for the most part.  We decided that I would try karaoke at the Elks again to see if the rotation was shorter.  We went out for a late lunch at Mom’s Diner, then went home for a while.  Around 5:00 we went to the Elks and found that, if anything, the crowd was bigger than normal.  The first rotation took over two hours.  Jackie did have some good luck on the poker machine at the bar, winning $100.  I didn’t even wait around for a second song, we left the Elks about 7:30 and headed home.  We spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Sunday, July 2^nd, was another stay at home day.  We are in the middle of a heat wave, with daytime temps at about 113 degrees here in Pahrump.  Did a few chores and some office work, but that was about it.  We did go to root beer floats at 2:00 and visited with the group, but after we got home we just relaxed for the rest of the night.  Monday was also hot and another stay at home day.  A few little chores and that was the extent of the day.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had Costco chicken for dinner.  Our friend Linda had called earlier to say she was at Costco and did we want a chicken.  After dinner we watched TV until bedtime.

We are now a month into this episode, so time to publish.  Until next time, enjoy life and stay happy.  See ya. 

Spring Continues, Mostly May in Pahrump

Hello, welcome back.  Our last chapter concluded on Thursday, May 4^th, at home in Pahrump.  Friday was Cinco de Mayo, and we had a pretty busy day.  In the afternoon we gathered the stuff we needed for the party in the clubhouse tonight, and we had to cook the taquito casserole that Jackie is making for the potluck.  We went over to the clubhouse about 4:30 and at 5:00 we had a really great Mexican potluck, with lots of good dishes.  About 6:00 I started the Lip Sync Show and was really happy to have ten acts on the performance sheet.  In the past I have had karaoke and music for dancing and gotten very little participation.  The lip sync idea apparently hit a chord though, because we had great participation.  The show went on for about 90 minutes and everyone, participants and audience alike, seemed to have a wonderful time.  After the show was over, we did a little clean up, but left most of the stuff for the next day to clean up.  We went home and watched a little TV before bedtime.

Saturday, May 6^th, I was over at the clubhouse in the morning picking up all my music equipment and helping to take down the Cinco de Mayo decorations.  We were back in the clubhouse at 3:30 for a Kentucky Derby watch party in the TV room.  It was a couple dozen people and we had a fun time.  After the race we did the normal happy hour before heading back home.  We had dinner, left over Mexican food, then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Sunday was a relaxation day.  Did few chores around the trailer and some office work.  We went to root beer floats at 2:00 and then stayed for some games of LCR.  There were only about 7 people playing today, but we still had fun.  After that we went home, had dinner and spent the night with the TV.

Monday, May 8^th, we had a Lucky Rollers Dine out, but this time was a little different.  They decided to have the dine out at the new Arby’s, but the place is not big enough for the 20 or so people we usually get, so everyone had to go to Arby’s and bring their food back so we could eat as a group in the clubhouse.  There were a few people who just brought other food, but most went to Arby’s.  After the meal we had a brief meeting of the Lucky Rollers.  I had to leave at 1:00 and go into the craft room for an executive session of the Board of Directors.  That meeting went until about 2:30 or so, after which I went back home.  We went out to run some errands and when we came back, we noticed that Roy Jr. was parked next to us in the rental spot.  We knew he was coming in today after a week or so of vacation and was going to stay in Pahrump for a couple of days before going back to his job in Death Valley.  We had Roy come over to our place for a while, then the three of us went to happy hour.  Most of the people there know Roy from his previous visits to the park.  We had a nice happy hour, then went home for a while.  We decided to go out for dinner, so the four of us went to La Fonda, a local Mexican restaurant.  After dinner we went home, Roy went to his place, and we watched TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, May 9^th, we left the park about 12:30 and drove to the nail salon.  Jackie was getting a full mani-pedi.  I just got my toenails trimmed.  While Jackie was getting her nails done Roy and I went out to run some errands.  We stopped at the UPS store, and he set up a mailbox there.  He is working to become a Nevada resident and the first job it to establish a local mail address.  We then went to Wells Fargo Bank so he could setup his accounts locally.  They said he had to make an appointment, so he set it up for Thursday afternoon.  We then went to the Goodwill store to get some new clothes for Bob, our yard skeleton.  By that time Jackie was close to done, so we waited for her and then went back home.  We all went to happy hour at 4:00, then stayed for the pizza party at 5:00.  That made for dinner, and we didn’t have to do anything.  After the party Roy went home and we spent the night with the TV.  Wednesday, Jackie went to her Pokeno game at 1:00 and my friend Len came over a shortly after that for our weekly guitar practice.  I had invited Roy to sit in with his bass guitar, but he called and said he had a headache and was going to take a nap.  Len and I had a nice 90 minute or so jam, and he left to go home.  Roy felt better by happy hour, so the three of us went over there.  After we got home Jackie made a meat loaf and some sautéed veggies for dinner.  After dinner Roy went back to his place and we watched TV until it was time for bed. 

Thursday, May 11^th, we had a sunshade company from Las Vegas coming over at 8:00 a.m. to give us a bid for sunshades for the outside of all our windows.  The shades are the same, black, heavy 95% sun blocking material that we had for the shades on our motorhome.  This same guy did at least a half dozen other rigs in our park, including a couple of recent ones for some of our friends, so I knew the quality of his work.  He walked around the trailer and gave us a bid of $1,100 for all ten windows, two of which were pretty large.  It was a fair price and he said they would start right away.  By noon they were done.  This will help a lot with keeping the house livable in the summer heat.  While the guy was doing the shades Jackie was making a big pot of clam chowder for dinner tonight,  After lunch we went out and dropped Roy off at the Bank so he could get his accounts set up.  Jackie and I went to Walmart for a couple of things, then picked up Roy and went home.  We went to happy hour again, then went home and had clam chowder.  Millie, who loves clam chowder, also came over for dinner.  After dinner we talked to Roy for a while, then he went home, and we spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Friday, May 12^th, Roy packed up and left the park about 8:00 in the morning.  I did get to say goodbye.  He is headed back to Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley for his job.  We decided to go out for a late lunch today since we have bingo in the clubhouse tonight.  We went to the Pour House, Jackie had Indian food (lamb) and I had pizza.  After lunch we went to Walmart again for some things we forgot yesterday, then we headed for home.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and just stayed in the clubhouse until 5:30 when bingo started.  Jackie won one of the regular games for $14, and I won one of the special games for $30, so we had a pretty good night.  After bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday was mostly a stay-at-home day.  Jackie went to the clubhouse to help count votes on some member surveys that had been sent out.  I spent a big part of the day working on Co-op paperwork.

Sunday, May 14^th, Happy Mother’s Day.  We had a quiet morning and at 2:00 we went over to the clubhouse for the usual Sunday afternoon root beer floats.  Today, instead of floats, we had cake and ice cream for Mother’s Day.  There was a much bigger crowd this afternoon and we had a nice time.  After the celebration a few of us stayed and played a few games of LCR.  After that we went home, rested a bit, then got cleaned up to go out to celebrate Jackie’s birthday, which is actually tomorrow.  The reason we are celebrating today is that tonight we are going to Stockman’s Steakhouse in the Pahrump Nugget Casino for a nice dinner.  Stockman’s is expensive, but worth it as the only high-end restaurant in town.  We picked up our friends Don and Julie Klein, who we invited to go with us, and drove to Stockman’s about 6:00.  We had an excellent dinner, with most of us ordering the prime rib.  Jackie had lamb chops.  After a great celebratory dinner with friends, we drove home, dropped off the Kleins, and went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Monday, May 15^th, Happy Birthday Jackie!  I had a Board workshop meeting in the clubhouse at 1:00 which lasted about two hours.  At 4:00 we did happy hour with the group, then went home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Tuesday Jackie had a ladies luncheon group at 11:00 and then a dentist appointment at 1:00.  While she was gone, I did some Co-op work and some chores around the house.  We had happy hour and then watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, May 17^th, we had a meeting at 10:00 in the clubhouse with the Lucky Rollers RV group, planning the outing for October.  The decision was to go to the Riverside RV Park in Laughlin, which is great for us because we can down and stay in the hotel and participate in the outing.  Jackie had her Pokeno group at 1:00 and I spent the afternoon doing Co-op work.  After Pokeno we did a Walmart run, then happy hour and dinner.  Tonight, I made a decision that I was going to resign from the Board of Directors of the Co-op.  I talked it over with Jackie and she supported my decision.  There were several things that factored into my decision, far too much work for a volunteer job.  I was spending over half my free time on Co-op stuff.  Plus, I spent a law enforcement career dealing with conflict, hostility and people with bad ideas.  It was a great job, but I was very happy to retire.  I had almost 18 years of complete retirement, where it was just Jackie and I enjoying life.  When we settled here in the Co-op, I thought that my experience and education would be useful, and I ran for the Board and was elected.  The first few months were fine, we had a great Board and thought we were making progress.  Then we had a change in leadership and things went downhill.  I became Secretary and was working too much.  I found that I was not happy having to deal with all the unhappy and hard to please people in the park, and the final straw was when one of our members, a single woman who is a neo-liberal, woke, obnoxious ass, started raising hell in the park about perceived wrongs done to her by the Board and other members.  Most of her stuff is nonsense, but it just increased my stress and frustration to new levels, and I decided I was going to go back to just being retired.  I resigned from the Board in a letter sent to the rest of the Board at midnight.

Thursday, May 18^th, the Board had a regular meeting at 9:00 today in the clubhouse.  I wasn’t there.  I did watch from home on Zoom, but I am no longer on the Board.  After the meeting we went out for lunch with our friends Tom and Phyliss Howell, who do not live in the park, and we had a great visit.  Afterwards we did some shopping, had an enjoyable afternoon, and went to happy hour at 4:00.  Most of my friends who come to happy hour were OK with my decision, although I did get some ribbing.  All in all, I made the right decision for me, for us.  We went home, had dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Friday, I woke up after a great night’s sleep, no lying awake thinking of stuff about the Board.  About 2:00 or so we left and drove into town to get haircuts.  Jackie found a new hair stylist that she likes, and I thought I would give her a try as well.  She was running a little late because she was out on a house call.  I didn’t even know anyone did that anymore.  We both got nice haircuts and headed back to the park.  We got there right at 4:00, time for happy hour.  We went to happy hour and had a good time.  Went home for dinner then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Saturday, May 20^th, we went out for a late lunch about 1:00 to Chat Thai, one of our favorite Thai restaurants here in Pahrump.  After lunch we ran a couple of errands, then headed back to the park.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and right after happy hour we drove over to the Elks Lodge for karaoke.  We have not been going to karaoke at the Elks for a couple of months because it had gotten to where the rotations were so long you only got two songs in all night.  Our friends Tom and Phyliss, who also go to karaoke, had told us the other day at lunch that the crowds are thinning out for summer, so we decided to give it a try tonight.  It was still a two hour plus rotation, and I got two songs in.  Jackie, who likes to go out to the bar and play the slots while I wait to sing, won $200.  Yea Jackie.  We may back off for another month and then try.  After karaoke we headed home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.  Sunday was a stay-at-home day.  After morning coffee and the newspaper, I did a few chores that I have been putting off since I had been so busy with Board work.  At 2:00 we went to the clubhouse for the usual 2:00 gathering.  Today was a special 85^th birthday celebration for one of the longtime members in the park.  Her husband had arranged the party and there were a lot of people there.  We had cake and ice cream and a nice time visiting with friends.  After the party we went home and had dinner, then watched TV until bedtime.

Monday, May 22^nd, we left the park about 11:30 and drove to the Artesian Cellars restaurant for lunch, picking up a couple of friends on the way.  There were supposed to be a couple of other people, but one got sick, and another backed out due to a time conflict.  The four of us had a very nice lunch and some conversation.  After lunch we dropped off Lenita and Stephanie at their lots, then headed back to the trailer.  We spent the rest of the day doing a few chores and relaxing.  We didn’t go to happy hour because most of the happy hour group is out of town, down in Laughlin, for a few days’ vacation.  We just snacked for dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  I did do my first security tour of duty tonight at 8:00.  Today we did make a new, last minute, cruise reservation.  We are going on the Emerald Princess out of Los Angeles on June 17^th.  It is a seven-day cruise that goes from Los Angeles to San Francisco, overnights there, then goes down to San Diego for a day, Ensenada for a day, then back to Los Angeles.  Because it was last minute, we got the whole thing, fare, taxes, and port charges for $1,500 for both of us.  We had to take an inside cabin, the only thing left, but we are going cruising again, soon! 

Tuesday, May 23^rd, we left the coach about 10:30 and started over the hill to Las Vegas.  Jackie had a 3:00 appointment with her ear doctor and we wanted to do some shopping before we went to the doctor.  We first went to Kohls for some things, then stopped at the Lazy Dog brew pub for lunch.  After lunch we went to Skechers in the outlet mall, then headed off to the doctor.  Jackie was there because her right ear still felt to her like it was plugged up.  We thought maybe the doctor would put in a relief tube, which is what he talked about the last time we were here.  However, after looking at her ears, he said there was no longer any fluid in the ear, so he didn’t think a tube would do anything.  He suggested a small hole in the eardrum, which would heal in a couple of weeks, rather than a tube, which had to stay in for a few months and be taken out.  He said a hole would let Jackie see if there was any change in the stuffed feeling and would heal on its own in a few weeks.  He did the hole, which was a quick and easy procedure, then made an appointment for a follow up visit in another month.  After the doctor we stopped at a Ross store, then headed back over the hill.  We didn’t get back to Pahrump until after 5:30, so we missed happy hour.  We were full from the big lunch, so we didn’t do dinner, just watched TV and went to bed.  I had an hour of security duty at 8:00.

Wednesday, May 24^th, Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00.  Len came over and we played guitar for about an hour and a half.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then came home for dinner and then watched TV.  I did my last tour of security for the month at 8:00.  Thursday Jackie had a nail appointment at 11:00.  After I dropped her off, I ran a couple of errands and went to the laundromat to wash our comforter.  This is the first time I have visited the laundromat since we got the new trailer.  Because we have a washer and dryer built into the trailer, we can do our laundry at home.  However, the comforter is too big for our washer, so off to the laundromat I go.  After a little over an hour, I picked up Jackie, went back to the laundromat and got the comforter out of the dryer, and we went to lunch at Arby’s.  Jackie had the pecan chicken salad sandwich, which she said was great.  I tried the beef brisket sandwich, which may be my new favorite sandwich at Arby’s.  After lunch we went to Walmart for a few things, then to Smith’s to do some grocery shopping.  Smith’s had a big sale on meat, so we stocked up on a few things for the freezer.  After our shopping we headed back to the park and put everything away.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and had a good time with friends.  The group that had gone to Laughlin for three days was back, so we listened to their stories.  After happy hour we went home for dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Friday, May 26^th, Jackie had a lunch date with our friend Phyliss, after which they were going to do some shopping.  I stayed home and did some chores for most of the afternoon.  We had happy hour and then Bingo in the clubhouse.  Both of came close this week but didn’t win anything.  After bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday was a stay-at-home day.  I finally had time and somewhat cool weather to be able to finish installing the ceiling fan in the patio area.  It has been half finished for about 6 months because I was either too busy or it was cold and rainy.  It took about four hours to do the new wiring, which also included installing a new electric socket in the patio.  Now I just have to do some paint and seal up the hole in the ceiling to keep the birds out of the rafters.  We went to happy hour then had dinner and watched TV.

Sunday, May 28^th, was another stay-at-home day.  Got a few chores done, but mostly relaxed.  Monday was Memorial Day.  I went to a flag raising ceremony at 8:00, which was well attended.  There are a lot of vets living in this park.  About 1:00 we went to a small holiday party at Max and Nancy’s house.  Most of the happy hour crew was there and we had lots of food and drink and had a good time.  After about three hours we had enough heat, so we packed up and went home.  No dinner tonight, just TV and bed.

Tuesday, May 30^th, we had a stay-at-home day again.  I did some chores, including doing some touchup paint work on the patio.  At 4:00 we went to Mom’s Café for dinner with a group from the park.  It was the monthly park dine-out.  We had a nice dinner, after which we stopped at Walmart for some supplies.  We then went home, put everything away, and watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday, the last day of May.  We had 11:30 doctor appointments with our primary care doctor, Dr. Wiggins, for our semi-annual checkups.  We both went through all the questions and tests and the end result was that we are in pretty decent shape for our age.  We both had some minor med changes, but overall, there were no big red flags.  After the doctor we treated ourselves to a quick Arby’s lunch, then headed back to the park.  Jackie went to her Pokeno session, a little late.  My friend Len came over and he and I jammed on guitars for an hour and a half or so.  We were having some weird half rainy back and forth weather today, but at least it was cool for the end of May in the desert.  We did happy hour with our group at 4:00, then made dinner and spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Thursday, June 1^st, we had a stay-at-home day.  Did a few small chores around the house, including installing a new water hose outside.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and had dinner afterwards.  We spent the rest of the night watching the TV.  Friday, we left the park about 10:30 and went out on a local road trip for the day.  Although we have been residents of Pahrump since 2007 and visited here and in Las Vegas a lot over the years, neither of us had ever been up in the Spring Mountains and the Charleston Peak area within the range.  The Spring

Mountains start just inside the California border, southwest of Las Vegas, and run north-northwest to the north end of the Pahrump valley.  The range gets its name from the presence of a number of mountain springs throughout the range.  The tallest point in the range is Charleston Peak, at just a hair under 12,000 feet.  This is the range that separates the Las Vegas Valley, and the city, from the Pahrump Valley.  Downtown Las Vegas is almost due East of central Pahrump with Charleston Peak right in the middle of the 60-mile distance as the crow flies.  We started by heading North out of Pahrump on Highway 160 running along the Northwest side of the mountains.  Once we hit U.S. 95, we turned South, towards Las Vegas, and drove

along the Northeast side of the range.  We then took Nevada 156, Lee Canyon Road into the Spring Mountain Recreation Area.  This road eventually leads to, and dead ends at, the Mt. Charleston Ski Resort.  We then took Nevada 157 through the middle of the mountain range to the village of Mt. Charleston, which is at the North end of the highway, again a dead end.  This is where the Mt. Charleston Lodge and Cabins are.  Last year the main lodge and restaurant building burned down, but there are plans to rebuild and the cabins are still there.  We then headed South on Nevada 158, which goes Southeast out of the mountains and back to U.S. 95 just North of the Las Vegas city limits.  Before we left the mountains we stopped at the Retreat at Mt. Charleston, a newer resort property, for lunch.  After a nice lunch we headed out of the mountains and into Las Vegas.  The highest point we drove on the trip was about 8,500 feet at the ski resort.  There were all kinds of forest campgrounds scattered around, lots of trees at the higher elevations, and a lot of private housing communities, some with some VERY nice, big houses.  After we got back into Las Vegas we stopped at a couple of stores for some shopping before heading back over the hill via our usual route over the Southern part of the Spring Mountains.  We arrived back at the park about 6:00 after a very fun and relaxing day.  We drove almost exactly 200 miles, circled the majority of the Spring Mountain range, and explored all of the paved roads inside the recreation area.  After we got back, we just relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

Saturday, June 3^rd, we had mostly a stay-at-home day.  We did go out about 3:30 for another dine-out of sorts.  Our friend Irene was celebrating her birthday and had dinner at Ohjah, the local Japanese Steakhouse and Hibachi.  We have eaten there several times and like it.  We had about a dozen people there, most from the park, and had a very enjoyable birthday dinner.  After dinner we stopped at the Pahrump Nugget casino for an hour or so of gaming.  Didn’t win but had fun.  After the casino we went home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

We are now a month since publishing, so time to close this chapter out.  See ya next time.

 

Spring in the Pahrump Valley

Hi there.  Our last chapter concluded on Thursday, March 23^rd, after a hectic month of travel.  Friday, we decided that Jackie needed to go to the urgent care at our health center to see if they could do something about the cough and what appears to be a bladder infection.  She only got to see a Nurse Practitioner, but she was very thorough and took her time checking Jackie.  She wasn’t sure exactly what was wrong but didn’t think it was anything in the lungs.  More upper respiratory.  She still sent her for a chest Xray to be sure.  Jackie got a prescription for antibiotics for the UTI and some steroids for the cough and congestion.  By the time we got the prescriptions filled it was about 6:30, so we missed tonight’s bingo session.  We spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Saturday, March 25^th, was a stay-at-home day.  I had a bunch of paperwork to do for the Board of Directors and some other chores around the house that kept me busy.  Sunday Jackie was already feeling a little better and sleeping better at night.  She felt well enough that we went to root beer floats and the weekly “left-right-center” game at the clubhouse.  We had a good afternoon.  We had dinner and spent the rest of the night watching TV.  I had my first night of security duty tonight.

Monday, March 27^th, I had a 1:00 meeting of the Board of Directors.  We have had two resignations from the Board, the President and Secretary both resigned.  The meeting was mainly to elect new officers for those positions.  I was elected to Secretary of the Board and our friend Don Onley joined the Board and was elected the new Vice President’ The old VP, Pat Bosworth, moved up to the President’s position.  After the meeting we went home, then went to happy hour later.  After happy hour we had dinner and spent the rest of the night watching TV after I did my hour-long security patrol.

Tuesday, March 28^th, we stayed home and did chores most of the day.  At 4:00 we went to El Jefe Mexican restaurant for the park’s monthly dine-out.  We had great food and good friends.  After we were done, we went home.  Jackie left about 5:30, picked up some friends, and went to the Elks Lodge for the Lodge Meeting.  two of our friends from the park, Nichole Hudson and Sharon Guthrie, were being inducted into the Elks and they wanted to be there.  I didn't go because I had my last tour of security duty for the month.  Jackie got home about 9:20, after which we spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Wednesday Jackie felt well enough to go to Pokeno.  I did some chores around the house.  When she was done, we did a Walmart run.  After we got home, we just relaxed for the rest of the night.

Thursday, March 30^th, we had pretty much a stay-at-home day.  Friday was also a stay-at-home day.  Jackie is feeling a little better after getting the medicine last Friday.  Saturday was the first day of April.  If we go by the temperatures, it doesn’t seem like Spring, or even April.  I had a Board meeting at 10:00 in the Clubhouse.  It was quite a meeting with our new Vice President presenting some issues about communications within the newly constituted Board.  After the meeting we did some shopping, then spent the rest of the day in the park.

Sunday, April 2^nd, I had another Board meeting at 1:00, this one an Executive meeting of the Board to discuss some of the things brought up yesterday at the open meeting.  It was a good meeting and I think we resolved some issues.  We went to root beer floats at 2:00 and played LCR with our friends afterwards.  We went home and relaxed with the TV for the rest of the evening.  Monday was a chores day around the house.  Got a few things done.  Jackie’s cure seems to be wearing off and she is getting her allergy symptoms back again.  Not good. 

Tuesday, April 4^th, I had an 11:00 dentist appointment for a cleaning.  Everything was good and I was out in about 45 minutes.  Jackie had a manicure at 2:00 and after I dropped her off, I had to go to one of the local banks with some other Board members to get some account changes made.  Since I am now the Secretary of the Board, I am a signer on most of the bank accounts for the Co-op.  After the bank I picked up Jackie and we went shopping.  We went home, went to happy hour at 4:00, then had dinner and spent the night with the TV.  Wednesday Jackie had Pokeno, and my friend Len came over in the afternoon and we spent an hour and a half practicing guitar, something we haven’t done in a while.  After Jackie got home, we did some chores, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Thursday, April 6^th, Jackie had a 2:00 eye appointment.  We went out to a late lunch at one of the taco shops in town before the appointment.  After the appointment we ran some errands then went home.  Did happy hour and then had leftovers for dinner.  Friday, I did some work in the park office in the morning, then at noon we went to a hamburger lunch in the Clubhouse.  We had a really good turnout and had a nice lunch and conversation with friends.  After lunch we went home and did some chores.

Saturday, April 8^th, we picked up our friends Millie and Charlene about 10:30 and drove to another of our free MASA luncheons at the China Wok buffet.  We listened to the usual speech and had a big lunch.  After lunch we drove home, and I spent a couple of hours in the park office again doing some Board work.  I went to happy hour alone because Jackie was still feeling a little down.  She did go to a “Sip and paint” session in the clubhouse at 6:00 while I stayed home and watched TV.  She came back with a neat little painting and a buzz and said she had a good time.  We watched some TV and went to bed.

Sunday, April 9^th, Happy Easter.  We had a quiet morning and about 2:30 went down to the clubhouse for Easter dinner.  This was one of the dinners where an individual, in our case our friend Millie, hosts a table and prepares the main dish.  They get some financial support from the Silver Seekers club to buy the main dish.  Everyone else who signs up for that table then also signs up to bring a side dish.  The main dish today was ham, but Millie also had some turkey available.  We brought a crock pot mac and cheese dish.  We had over a dozen people at our table and had a really nice meal.  Good conversation with friends.  After dinner we helped clean up, then headed back to the house where we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing.  Monday, we didn’t have any big plans, but we did have yet another meal, this time the monthly dine out with the Lucky Rollers camping group.  About 11:30 we drove to Living Free, a restaurant on the North end of town that helps support people with drug, alcohol or other issues to get back on their feet.  It supports a good cause, and the food is good too.  We had a nice meal, again with many friends from the park.  After lunch we ran a few errands, then headed back home.  We spent the rest of the day around the house.

Tuesday, April 11^th, we left the house about 10:00 or so and headed over the hill to Las Vegas to take our car to the Ford dealer for its annual service.  Since our car is a plug-in hybrid model, the gasoline engine does not get nearly the amount of wear and tear as the engine in a regular car.  Therefore, the service manual calls for an oil change and other services only when the car’s computer has determined that the engine has run for a certain number of hours, or annually, whichever comes first.  I don’t know what the number of engine hours is required to cause the “service engine” light to come on, but we have never seen it in the six years we have had the car.  So, we get it done once a year.  Once we got into Vegas, we stopped at a breakfast restaurant before we went to the dealership.  Our appointment at the dealer was at 1:00 and we were done two hours later.  After the car service we stopped and did a very expensive Costco run.  It has been a while since we hit Costco, so the car was loaded when we headed back over the hill.  After we got home, we put everything away and just relaxed with the TV for the rest of the night.

Wednesday, April 12^th, I had an appointment at Wells Fargo Bank with some of the other Board members changing the names on some of the Co-op’s bank accounts.  Since I am now the Secretary of the Board, I am going on all the bank accounts as a signatory.  I back home for lunch and Jackie went to play Pokeno in the clubhouse at 1:00.  While she was gone, I did some chores around the house.  We did happy hour with the group at 4:00, then went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Thursday, I had an appointment at a different bank in town at 11:00 to set up more Co-op accounts.  After I got back home we had a 1:00 meeting in the clubhouse for the Silver Seekers group.  At 5:00 we were back in the Clubhouse for an Italian Night potluck.  I had some Italian music playing in the background and we had a very nice dinner.  For our dish we made a big Costco lasagna, which sadly was all gone by the time we got to go through the line.  There was still lots of good food though.  By about 7:00 we were back home and spent the rest of the night watching TV. 

Friday, April 14^th, we were again out of the house about 10:30 and heading to Las Vegas, this time for Jackie to see an Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) doctor about her continual allergies and stuffed up ears and head.  We stopped for lunch before going to the doctor.  This time Jackie had a real MD, not a Nurse Practitioner or PA.  He was very nice and took his time with her, giving her a thorough exam.  He even gave her a hearing test just to ensure that the stuffy feeling wasn’t just being hard of hearing.  It wasn’t.  He did find some fluid in the inner ears and set her up with some allergy meds to try and stop the runny nose, stuffy head and coughing.  After the appointment we stopped at a couple of stores for some shopping, then headed back over the hill.  After we got home, we spent the rest of the night on the couch.  Saturday was a stay-at-home day.  At 4:00 we had a chili cookoff at the clubhouse.  I had made a pot of my regular chili early this afternoon which I entered into the contest.  We only had five contestants this year, but I still didn’t win.  Our friend Millie won both the judges’ pick and the people’s choice prizes.  After the chili cookoff we went home and spent the night with the TV. 

Sunday, April 16^th, my brother Russ and his wife Zen, who live in Las Vegas, came to visit.  They have not been up since we sold the motorhome and bought the trailer we now call home.  We had a very nice visit.  We all went over to the Mountain Falls Country Club for a nice lunch overlooking the golf course.  We then went back home and just sat and talked until they left around 5:00 or so.  We spent the rest of the evening at home.  Monday, I had a meeting with the Board of Directors at 1:00.  Today was our workshop meeting where we set the agenda for the regular Board meeting on Thursday morning.  The meeting went on for a couple of hours.  After the meeting we did happy hour with the group, then went home and had dinner. 

Tuesday, April 18^th, Tax Day.  Didn’t mean anything to us since we filed our taxes in late February and got our refund back in about four days.  Jackie had her six-month checkup with her eye doctor in the early afternoon.  Everything was fine with her eyes; she doesn’t even need new glasses.  After she was done, we went out and ran some errands around town.  We got back in time for happy hour, then had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday we were actually a little busy.  I had an 11:00 meeting at the bank again, still getting the Co-op’s bank accounts cleaned up.  Jackie caught a ride with our friend Charlene to go to the China Wok at 11:30 for another free MASA lunch.  MASA is the emergency services insurance that we already are lifetime members of.  However, any member can still come to the period presentations, listen to the speech, then get a free lunch.  I got to the restaurant after my bank business just in time to eat, so I didn’t even have to sit through the speech.  After we got home Jackie went to Pokeno and I did some office work and chores around the house.  We did happy hour then dinner.  We stayed home the rest of the night, although I had my first tour of security duty in the park from 8 to 9.

Thursday, April 20^th, I had a 9:00 Board meeting in the clubhouse which went until about 11:00.  Jackie had a 1:00 appointment to get her nails done.  While she was gone, I did some chores around the house.  We did happy hour and then dinner and I had another shift of security duty at 8:00.  Other than that, it was relax with the TV for the night.  Friday Jackie went out for a lady’s luncheon with the women from the park at 11:30. I had a committee meeting at 1:00 which went until almost 3:00.  We did happy hour, then dinner, and I did the last of my three security shifts for the month at 8:00.

Saturday, April 22^nd, Jackie had a hair appointment at 11:00.  Other than that, we just stayed around the park for the day.  At 5:00 we had a “potato bake” dinner at the clubhouse.  After the dinner there was a brown bag auction.  Everyone at the dinner brought some prize in a brown bag and they auctioned them off as a fund raiser.  We bought one bag and got a few things worth keeping.  We did have a nice dinner with friends and some fun, then headed back to the house where we spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Sunday was another stay-at-home day.  We did root beer floats with the group, but didn’t do the usual Sunday game of left, right, center because there weren’t enough people.  The Lucky Rollers camping group is going out on their Spring campout starting in the morning, so most of our friends were getting ready for that. 

Monday, April 24^th, was a stay-at-home day for us since we no longer have an RV to go camping with.  We didn’t even go to happy hour because most of our happy hour group was out camping.  Tuesday, we did get out to run some errands and then at 4:00 we met with the park’s dine out group at the Roadhouse Casino for dinner.  We had another nice meal with people from the park.  After dinner we gamed for a little while, then headed back home where we relaxed the rest of the night.

Wednesday, April 26^th, we left the house about 11:00 or so and drove to Amargosa Valley, a small community in Nevada about an hour North of Pahrump, for the Lucky Rollers campout.  They were camping in the RV park at the Longstreet Hotel and Casino, which was right on the Nevada/California state line.  We had made reservations for the night at the hotel so we could spend a couple of nights with the camping group, even without an RV.  When we got there most of the group was out doing their own thing in the afternoon.  We sat with the ones that were still around the campground for an hour or so, but there was very little shade in the campground, and it got a little too hot.  We went into the casino and gamed for an hour, then checked into our room.  It was a very nice hotel room, very big, and even had a fireplace.  We went down to the campground about 3:00 for a meeting of the camping group and then some drawings.  We then had happy hour and another potato bake dinner with the group.  When the sun went down and it finally got some shade, we sat and talked.  I had brought my guitar along and got it out and spent an hour or so playing and singing with the group.  At about 8:00 or so we went back to the hotel room where we stayed the rest of the night. 

Thursday April 27^th, we had to be out of the hotel by 11:00, so we got everything packed in the car and went down to the camping area.  It was again very sunny and hot and there was no one around, so we just headed back to home.  After we got back home, we unpacked and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the house.  Friday was pretty much a stay-at-home day except for a Walmart run in the afternoon.  We got back home and had an early dinner so we could go to the clubhouse at 5:30 for bingo.  We had a nice time and Jackie won half of one bingo pot.  I didn’t get anything, although I was close a couple of times.  After bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, April 29^th, I had a Board Meeting at 1:00 that went on for a couple of hours.  After the meeting we went out and ran some errands, then came back for happy hour.  After happy hour we had dinner and spent the night watching TV.  Sunday was also pretty much stay at home.  We did root beer floats and LCR in the afternoon, but other than that just did a few things around the house.

Monday, May 1^st, May Day!  May Day! Jackie had a 1:00 lunch with another group of ladies from the park.  They were gone a couple of hours and I just did some work around the house.  We went to happy hour, skipped dinner because we were both full, and just watched TV until it was time for bed.  Tuesday was pretty much the same.  We stayed home and did some chores around the house. 

Wednesday, May 3^rd, Jackie had her Pokeno group in the clubhouse at 1:00.  I did some office work and some chores around the house while she played.  I also gathered my sound equipment and transported it to the clubhouse for the Lip Sync party we are doing on Friday night.  I got everything set up and working because some of the people who signed up to do songs wanted to have a rehearsal after happy hour today.  After Jackie was done with Pokeno we did a Walmart run.  We came back and put stuff away and made the tail end of happy hour.  At 6:00 a bunch of the women who are going to be doing songs on Friday got together to plan, but there was no live rehearsal.  Turned out I didn’t need to set the sound stuff up early after all.  After the lip sync planning session, we went back to the trailer and ate dinner, some KFC we bought after we went to Walmart earlier.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Thursday, May 4^th, Star Wars Day.  No planned stuff today.  Did a few chores around the house and ran out to the Dollar store after lunch for a few things for tomorrow night’s big lip sync show.  After we got back, we went to happy hour, which turned into a decorating party for the Cinco de Mayo potluck dinner tomorrow night.  After happy hour we went home, watched TV and went to bed.  We are now six weeks into this episode, time to get it put online.  We have extended the time between postings because we aren’t traveling anymore, so this had really turned from a travel blog to more of a diary for us.  Nonetheless, we still put it online in case there are any friends or family out there who want to see our now much less travelled life.  See ya soon.