October in the Desert

Hello again.  Our last chapter concluded on Friday, September 30^th while we were in Pahrump, Nevada.  Saturday, the first day of October, Fall is sneaking up on us.  We left the RV park about 10:30, picking up our friends Millie and Margi, and drove to the China Wok Chinese buffet for another MASA lunch.  Regular readers will remember the MASA is an emergency medical transport insurance program that we bought into many years ago.  They have sales presentations in Pahrump frequently and always welcome members to attend too.  We listened to the presentation for the gazillionth time, then had a nice Chinese lunch.  After the presentation we went back to the park and did a few chores.  We are leaving Monday on a four-day campout with the camping group from the park and I had a few things I had to do to prepare.  About 3:30 we left again and went to the Elks Lodge.  We have a charity dinner event we are going to here at the Lodge at 5:00 and decided to go a little early so we could play the slots and have a drink.  I lost $20 but had fun.  Jackie broke even.  At 5:00 we went into the dining room for dinner.  We had Swiss steak with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.  After dinner they had the show, which was a couple of local singers and some of the Silver Tappers dancers, also a local group of over 60 women.  The main singer was Bill Watson, who is an acquaintance of ours from Elk’s karaoke.  It was an OK show, and it was for charity, support for the Pahrump Senior Center.  We left the show a little early and headed home because we were tired.  After we got home, we watched a little TV and went to bed.

 Sunday, October 2^nd, we left the coach about 1:00 and did a Walmart run to get supplies for our camping outing.  After that we went back home and stayed in for the rest of the day.  I did a little more work getting ready to leave tomorrow.  Monday we actually had a travel day, the first one in six months!  We didn't have to be in a hurry because we are only going to Shoshone, a tiny town in California, 30 miles southwest of Pahrump.  We left the park at 1:00 and pulled into the Shoshone RV park about 45 minutes later.  We didn't even hook up the car, Jackie just followed me to the park.  Most of the rest of the group was already there and setting up.  We have about a dozen rigs from the Escapees park coming to this outing.  The RV group at the park has two outings a year, this is our second outing with them.  We got our spot and spent an hour getting set up.  At 4:00 we had happy hour and sat outside in the shade and visited until about 5:30. We went back to the coach and had dinner, then watched TV until bedtime.

 

Tuesday, October 4^th, we relaxed in the coach for most of the morning, since the only thing going with the outing was breakfast, which we rarely ever get to.  About noon or so I walked over to the gathering area just to see what was going on for the day.  The group was doing crafts in the afternoon until the 4:00 happy hour, so we just relaxed in the coach.  We went over to the gathering area at 4:00 and had cocktails with group.  They were also selling tickets for a 50/50 drawing, brown bag drawing, and door prize drawings.  They also took up a collection for a set of joint lottery tickets for the megamillions drawing tonight.  It was over $350 million tonight.  We also took a drive to the small market in the town to get our own tickets, for both tonight and the equally large Powerball tomorrow night.  After cocktails the group did dinner.  We had brats with all the fixings and side dishes provided by the group.  We did some baked beans.  Jackie also made a chicken breast for herself since she didn't think the brats would play well with her acid reflux.  After dinner we sat and talked for a while and were back in our coach around dark.  We spent the rest of the evening watching TV.  

Wednesday, October 5^th, yea, we won $2 on last night's lottery ticket.  Ours, not the group one.  That one got bupkis.  We joined the group in the gathering area about 1:30 and around 2:00 a dozen or so of us started playing Pokeno.  Although I don't play in the weekly game at the park, I did play today.  We had a good time and played for a couple of hours.  By 4:00 most people had gathered for happy hour, and we had some nice conversations.  I chatted for a while with another camper parked near us who we invited to join us for happy hour.  He is a retired Las Vegas Metro Captain, so we had a lot to talk about and share.  For dinner tonight we had dressed baked potatoes.  Jackie couldn't do a lot of the toppings because of her reflux issues, but there were also a couple of salads, so she was able to eat the potato pretty plain and a lot of salad.  After dinner we sat and talked until about 7:00 when everyone drifted off back to their own rigs.  We watched TV until bedtime.  Thursday we actually went out in the late morning and did some geocaching in the area.  We were able to get five new finds in the course of an hour or so.  After caching we went back to the coach and relaxed until about 3:00 when the group gathered for the club's business meeting.  After the meeting they had the drawings for the various prizes.  We didn't get the 50/50, but we did manage to get a couple of the brown bag prizes and one of the door prizes.  After the drawings we had happy hour and then the potluck dinner.  There was a lot of great food, and we had a really good time.  By 7:00 or so it was getting dark, so we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

 

Friday, October 7^th, another travel day.  We were the last one's out of the park about 11:00 and drove the 35 miles back to Pahrump.  We got back a little after noon and got parked and started to set up again.  While we were gone one of the volunteers at the park brought in a bunch of gravel and leveled and cleaned up our parking areas.  They really look good now.  We all the basics set up and will finish the outside stuff on Sunday.  We did go to the 4:00 happy hour and saw a lot of the same people we just spent the week with.  After happy hour we went home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday, we left the coach about 12:30 and drove to Preferred RV Resort, the other membership RV park here in Pahrump.  We were going there to spend the day with one of our smaller FMCA clubs, the Beat the Odds Chapter.  This basically a gambling chapter that holds two rallies a year, one in February in Laughlin, and one in October in Pahrump.  The rally actually started on Thursday, but because we were going to Shoshone with the Escapees group, we told the Beat the Odds rally master that we would only be able to come on Saturday, the last day of the rally.  We got there and visited with some old friends and then participated in the Bunco tournament, which a staple of these rallies.  We missed the slot tournament Friday morning because we were traveling home.  After Bunco we went home for a couple of hours, then returned to Preferred for the happy hour with the Beat the Odds group, and then dinner and awards.  The dinner was prepared and served by the staff and volunteers from the RV park and was quite good.  Actually better than we have gotten in the past when they held their awards dinner at the Nugget casino.  We had a nice dinner with chicken as the main course and left about 7:00 when everything was over.  We went home and spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Sunday, October 9^th, I spent some time in the morning setting up stuff outside.  The biggest job was setting our internet antenna back on the roof and getting the internet working again.  After an hour of work, I finally had that back up and running.  The rest was just lights and decorations we had to take down when we traveled.  By noon I was pretty much done outside.  After lunch we did a Walmart run, then returned home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach.  We had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Monday we were up early and on the road about 8:45, headed for Las Vegas and my Urologist appointment.  I am having a procedure to open up the passage through my enlarged prostate, so I have better urine flow.  The doctor inserts a probe, similar in size and appearance to the cystoscope he used the last time I was here.  After using Lidocaine to numb the urethra he uses small needles to transmit radio waves that heat up the tissue in the prostate and cause it to shrink back.  It is basically a very small microwave oven.  The procedure was uncomfortable, but there was very little actual pain.  After the procedure he inserted a catheter which I have to leave in for at least three days to allow the urethra to heal.  So, I have a catheter and a urine bag strapped to my leg.  After the procedure I was able to drive home OK and we got back home just after noon.  We got back in time for Jackie to go over to the Clubhouse where the MASA organization had put on one of their luncheon programs just for our RV park.  The presentation was over, but Jackie was able to get some leftover Chinese food to bring home for our lunch.  The catheter is not painful, unless I move around a lot and pull on it, but it is uncomfortable.  I will be glad on Thursday when I can remove it.  They gave me instructions and the tool necessary for me to do it myself.  We spent the rest of the day and evening relaxing in the coach.

 Tuesday, October 11^th, was a stay at home day.  I didn’t go out of the house all day because of my catheter and bag.  I slept pretty well and didn’t have any problems except for having to get up a half dozen times to empty my bag.  I mostly did some office work and didn’t move around too much.  We did attend a Town Hall meeting in the park via Zoom.  Wednesday was also a stay at home day.  I spent most of the day setting up my new desktop computer.  Jackie went to happy hour, after which we had dinner and then watched TV until bedtime.

 Thursday, October 13^th, I was able to remove my catheter this morning with no issues.  I feel much better now being able to move around without any issues.  I had to spent two hours of “quality time” today working on dumping the black tank on the coach.  I had gone out to dump the tank yesterday and when I pulled the valve to open it nothing happened.  I thought that the handle had broken off the blade that blocks the opening because for the past month or so the valve had been difficult to pull and this time it moved very easily.  As a result, I took my Dremel tool and cut the housing on the valve to get access to the blade, but when I got into the housing I saw the handle was still attached and the blade moved and opened easily.  This meant the problem was really a clog in the black tank.  After fooling around for an hour with various tools I was able to get the clog released.  It made a bit of a mess, which took another half hour to clean up and stunk to high heaven.  I now still have to replace the valve because I cut it up, so I have one on order with Amazon which should be here Saturday.  That means on Sunday I have to make another mess.  Yuk  I spent the rest of the day doing other chores around the house and was actually able to go to happy hour at 4:00.  After happy hour we had dinner, then watched TV for the rest of the night.

 

Friday, October 14^th, I had a meeting of one of my Co-op committees at 1:00 that ran about 90 minutes.  After the meeting I went back to the coach and did a few chores, then at 4:00 we went to the Clubhouse for happy hour.  After happy hour we just stayed in the Clubhouse so we could play Bingo, which started at 5:30.  The Bingo went until a little after 8:00.  We both won, totaling close to $50 in winnings between us.  After Bingo we watched some TV and went to bed.  Saturday was a chores day.  In the late morning I went over to the Clubhouse and did some work in the audio room of the Clubhouse.  I had recently lobbied for the park to buy new microphones for the Clubhouse to replace the collection of beat-up donations they had been using.  I was trying to get everything set up and working for the Board meeting on Thursday.  While I was doing that I was also running back and forth to the laundry, which is part of the clubhouse, doing our laundry.  Two birds and all that.  By 2:00 I was done with the laundry and with my work in the audio room.  After working and running around all day, I was pretty beat, so we passed on going to karaoke at the Elks tonight.  We just stayed home and watched TV until bedtime.

 Sunday, October 16^th, I went out to try and fix the broken plumbing in the motorhome.  I had the new blade valve for the black tank, but after two hours of work I couldn’t get it apart and gave up.  After I got cleaned up, we did a Walmart run and then came home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  I am going to try and get a service guy to fix the plumbing.  I did have to do my first shift of security duty for this month.  Went out at 8:00 and got back at 9:00.  Monday we were up and out early, on the road by 9:30, heading to Las Vegas for Jackie’s appointment with her throat doctor.  We got to the appointment on time and Jackie reported that she was doing worse, not better.  The doctor said the next step was a referral to a Gastroenterologist to try and address the Gerd problem.  We got all that information and left.  We stopped at an outlet mall to do some shopping, getting new undies and some new shoes and the Skechers store.  After that we stopped at the Egg Works for a late lunch/breakfast.  After eating we made one more quick stop at a Ross store, then headed back over the hill, getting home just in time for happy hour at the Clubhouse.  My son, Roy Jr, had arrived at the park today for a brief stay between jobs.  He came to the clubhouse for happy hour too, since he knows most of the people from previous visits.  He just finished up about five months doing camp hosting near the North rim of the Grand Canyon.  After he leaves here next week he is headed back to Death Valley for the winter at the same place he worked last year.  He looks to be healthy and happy and enjoying his new nomad lifestyle.  After happy hour we went back to the coach and spent a couple hours talking to Roy.  After he went back to his coach we watched TV.  I did have to go out for another hour of security duty at 8:00.  After TV we went to bed.

 Tuesday, October 18^th, I had a 1:30 appointment with my Ophthalmologist for the final follow-up on my eyelid surgery from August.  He said everything looked fine and I didn’t have to come back until my regular six-month checkup.  After I got back to the coach I did a few chores and relaxed.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and Roy met us there.  After happy hour we came back to the coach, watched the news and had some dinner.  Roy stayed and talked until about 7:00, after which we just watched TV until it was time for bed.  Wednesday I had a committee meeting at 11:00, which went about 90 minutes.  After the meeting I had lunch, then Roy and I took another stab at fixing the black tank valve.  We struck out again and quit before we broke something that would render the bathroom unusable.  Right now I just have to monitor the minor leakage to keep from making a mess.  Again, the three of us went to happy hour and then home for dinner.  After Roy went home we just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

 Thursday, October 20^th, was a busy day.  I was over at the clubhouse at 7:30 to start getting ready for the meeting of the Board of Directors.  I had to check the new sound equipment and help get the Zoom process set up.  The meeting was at 9:00 and went for a couple of hours.  After the meeting I had a quick lunch at home and then back to the clubhouse to work with the Comm Tech Committee on processes we may need to use when we Zoom the park’s Annual Meeting in two weeks.  That took another couple of hours.  The three of us did happy hour, then just relaxed for the rest of the night.  Friday we left, with Roy along, about 11:00 and headed back into Las Vegas.  The primary reason was to go to Skechers so Jackie could trade in the shoes she got on Monday for a larger size.  After the shoe store we went to one of the Distill restaurants for lunch, then headed back over the hill.  We got back in time for happy hour, then relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

 Saturday, October 22^nd, I did a few chores around the house in the morning.  In the early afternoon Roy and I went out to do some shopping.  He needed some stuff from Walmart before leaving on Monday for his job in Death Valley and I needed a couple things from Home Depot.  After we got done shopping we went home.  I did a few more chores and Roy came over and we spent a couple of hours visiting.  About 4:30 Jackie and I went over to the Clubhouse for the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.  Our Co-op only has three paid employees, two in the office and a maintenance man.  Everything else that needs to be done is done by volunteers from the membership.  The Silver Seekers, the committee that operates the Clubhouse, put on the dinner.  They had salad, pizza and dessert for all the volunteers who came.  We probably had fifty people in the room, which was a good turnout and probably not all of the people who volunteered their time and effort over the last year.  We got back home around 6:30 and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

 We are now about three weeks into this chapter and it is time to get it online.  Until next time, remember that Friends pick us up when we fall down, and if they can’t pick us up, they lie down and listen for a while.  Go out and make another friend.  See ya soon.

Fall Arrives In Pahrump

Hi there, glad to see you back. Our last chapter concluded on Friday, September 9^th, while we were home in Pahrump. It seems summer is finally going to give up and start to fade away. It has been a hot one, but we did notice that it was also hot in Central California, which is the area we would have visited had we chosen to travel this summer, so we didn't miss much. Saturday we had the promise of rain, from both the forecasters and the clouds in the sky in the morning. I left the coach about 9:30 and drove to the VFW hall, which is right down the street from the Escapees Park. I am not a member of the VFW, they won't let me in because I never was involved in a “Foreign War.” However, the VFW here in Pahrump also hosts the local American Legion Post, of which I am a member, and the local Detachment of the Marine Corps League, to which I have belonged for about 20 years. I was headed to the VFW for a meeting of the Marine Corps League, the first in all the time I have been a member. I joined as a “Member At Large” because we were full time Rv'ers and traveling much more than we are lately. I thought it might be time to check out the local Detachment. It was a small group, about a dozen or so Marines, but they were very nice and very welcoming. I did go ahead and transfer my membership from At Large to the Pahrump Detachment 1199. I also won the 50-50 raffle after the meeting and made $35! The new guy scores! After the meeting I went back home and relaxed until about 1:00 when we went out to the Roadhouse restaurant for a late lunch. We had the liver and onions again, the best in Pahrump. After the lunch we went back to the coach. We were going to leave about a quarter to five to go to the Elks Lodge for karaoke, tonight was the first night back for Mike, the KJ, after taking six weeks off. However, when it came time to leave the wind had picked up and the radar showed a pretty strong storm coming down out of the Spring Mountains and heading for Pahrump. We also had several flash flood warnings come over the phone. With that we decided better safe than sorry and decided to stay home. Turned out the storm fizzled out, we got a few drops of rain and that was it. Oh well, karaoke next week. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Sunday, September 11^th, Patriot Day. We all remember where we were on this date in 2001. I participated in the memorial flag raising ceremony at 8:00 here at the park. At 1:00 we went over to the Clubhouse for another group cook out lunch. This time Jackie and I just did hamburgers and hot dogs. At 2:00 we had root beer floats and then went back to the coach where we stayed in for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Monday we were up and out of the coach about 9:30 headed to Las Vegas again, this time for another of my Urologist appointments. Today I had a Cystoscopy procedure which is basically putting a small camera up my penis. The camera was pretty much identical to what they used a couple weeks ago to look up Jackie's nose to see her throat. It hurt a little, but the whole test only took five minutes. After the procedure the doctor told me my bladder was fine but my prostate was greatly enlarged. He also said he didn't see any indications of malignancy, which was a great weight off of me. He did recommend an in office procedure that opens up the urethra passage where it goes over the prostate to help with urine flow. We scheduled that procedure for mid October. After my visit to the doctor we had lunch at a place called Distill, which is a restaurant and bar we have visited before. They have really good food. After lunch we did a Costco run before heading back to the Pahrump. We got home just in time to go to happy hour at the Clubhouse. After happy hour we relaxed in the coach for the rest of the night.

Tuesday, September 13^th, we did laundry here at the park, just running back and forth with the golf cart until everything was done. About 1:30 we left and I drove Jackie to the local hospital for her annual mammogram. After that was done we picked up mail, did a Walmart run and stopped at Walgreens to pick up a prescription I will need for my procedure next month. After we were done we went back home and went to happy hour. After happy hour we had dinner and spent the rest of the night watching TV. Wednesday Jackie went to the Clubhouse at 1:00 for Pokeno and I went over there as well to check out the sound equipment for Zoom meetings. After Jackie's Pokeno finished at 3:00 we drove to the UPS store and picked up mail, then went to Walgreens to get our second Covid booster, the new BiValent version. After our shots we went back to the park and went to happy hour at the clubhouse. After happy hour we went home and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the TV.

Thursday, September 15^th, we had a stay at home day. As with the other three Covid vaccinations, the booster we had yesterday kicked Jackie's ass. She had a restless night and woke up headachy, aching all over and feeling weak. She had a nail appointment at 1:00, but didn't feel up to driving herself, so I dropped her off. Since getting your nails done requires no more exertion than sitting at home, she did OK. I picked her up after her appointment and she took a nap until dinner. I fixed chicken soup for dinner and she stayed on the couch the rest of the night. We hope that she recovers overnight, she did the last three shots, so we hope she gets up in the morning all better. Friday Jackie woke up in the morning after a good nights sleep feeling much better. She said she was still a little wobbly, but way better than yesterday. We left the coach about 1:00 and went to El Jefe Mexican restaurant for a late lunch. We are doing late lunch today because we have a “Meet the Candidates” meeting in the Clubhouse at 6:00. As one of the six candidates for the Co-op's Board of Directors I will be on the panel. After lunch we went home and relaxed until our usual 4:00 happy hour. After happy hour we went back to the coach, changed clothes and got ready for the Meet the Candidates forum. A little before 6:00 we went over the Clubhouse for the meeting. By the time it started we had over 50 people in the room, along with another dozen or so on Zoom, so it was a great turnout. The moderator opened the meeting and we had two hours of questions posed to the six candidates. Last year the same meeting, with a couple more candidates, lasted 20 minutes. I guess that is an indicator of how the members of the Co-op feel about the issues. I thought I did pretty well with the question and answer, as a matter of fact, all of the six candidates did well. After the meeting they served ice cream to everyone as a treat for coming. We got back in the coach about 8:30, changed clothes and watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, September 17^th, was a stay at home day. We spent most of the day in the coach, doing some chores and just relaxing. We did go to the 4:00 happy hour at the clubhouse. Normally we would have gone to the Elks Lodge for karaoke, but on Friday we learned that they were having a benefit dinner in the dining room at 5:00, which is the normal time for karaoke. When I called the Lodge they confirmed that there was a dinner but karaoke would still go on afterwards. When asked if they had any idea what time that might be they said they didn't. We decided not to go tonight. We relaxed with the TV all night. Sunday was also a stay at home day. We did a few chores and relaxed. I did go to the Sunday root beer floats, but after that we had dinner then watched TV until bedtime. Monday was again a stay at home day. We just relaxed for the entire day. We went to happy hour and then home for dinner. I had my first of three nights of security duty here at the park, so at 8:00 I went out and patrolled the park and checked on the security of all the Co-op buildings and facilities. After I was done we watched some TV and then went to bed.

Tuesday, September 20^th, we picked up some friends of ours here at the park, Don and Julie Klien, to go to lunch. We have known them for about a year and talk to them all the time in group settings. But we haven't gotten to know them well, so we thought we would go to lunch for some one on one with them. We went to the restaurant at the Mountain Falls Country Club and had a nice lunch out on the patio. We spent almost two hours chatting and getting to know each other better. After lunch we dropped them off and went to the coach for a bit. At 3:00 we went over to the Clubhouse for a meeting with the group of ten people from our park who are booked on the February Panama Canal cruise. We hashed over a variety of things, mostly activities and what everyone had already booked in the way of shore excursions. The meeting went until 4:00 when the happy hour started. After happy hour we went back to the coach, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime. Wednesday Jackie went to play Pokeno in the Clubhouse at 1:00. While she was playing I did a Walmart run. After Jackie and I were both done we went back to the coach and relaxed until happy hour. After happy hour we had dinner. At 8:00 I went out for my last shift on security for this month. Jackie rode along with me tonight. After we got finished we went home and watched TV until bedtime. Thursday, I was up and out, going to the Clubhouse to help set up the Zoom equipment for the Co-op's open Board meeting at 9:00. The meeting went pretty well and was over in just under an hour. After the meeting I packed up my equipment and went back to the coach. We went out at 12:30 and went to Denny's for brunch, then went to the new Great Clips salon here in Pahrump and both got haircuts. After our haircuts we picked up mail and did a little shopping in a couple of clearance stores. A little after three we went to Walgreens and we both got our annual flu vaccine shots. After our shots we went back home and went to happy hour at the Clubhouse. After happy hour we went back to the coach, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Friday, September 23^rd, we left the coach after lunch and drove to the main town park in Pahrump to walk through the grounds of the annual Fall Festival. It has a lot of local vendors and food booths, a carnival which we never go to, and a small display of arts and crafts. We were there about an hour and half before we decided to leave. We stopped at a thrift store on the way home and bought some new clothes for Bob, our yard skeleton. After we got home we went to happy hour, then came home and did some steaks on the BBQ for dinner. After dinner we watched TV and went to bed. Saturday we went out about 1:00 for our usual Saturday late lunch. Today we went to Las Patronaz, a new Mexican place here in town. It took the place of a pretty good Chinese restaurant that just couldn't make it work. The food was good, not the best, not the worst, but the service was a little lacking. They also didn't have a whole lot of clientèle, so they may end up going the same way as the Chinese place. After lunch we went back home and relaxed until just before 5:00 when we went to the Elks Lodge for karaoke. This is the first time we have gone to karaoke since they went on break back in late July. There was a big crowd, mostly the regulars, so the rotation was about 90 minutes. I only got two songs in. Our friends Don and Julie from the RV park joined us tonight to listen. We left about 8:00 or so, after the second rotation, and went back to the coach. We then watched some TV before going to bed.

Sunday, September 25^th, we left the park about 11:00 and headed over the hill into Las Vegas. Today we actually started our process of finding a new home. We have decided it is getting close to the time to hang up the keys and settle down. We don't want a house and like living at the Escapee's park, so we are looking for a destination trailer, which is a large travel trailer which is technically an RV, but is designed to be in one location for an extended period of time. Our friend Millie has a really nice one here at the park, and we know there are several others here as well. The large RV dealer in Las Vegas, Johnny Walker's, has two new destination trailers in stock and Jackie had made contact with one of the sales people. We decided to go and actually look at them in person. We had a nice drive down and stopped at Egg Works for brunch before going to the dealership. We met the sales person, Cutter, who was very nice. We looked at the two units, one made by Jayco, the other by Forest River. We didn't care for the Jayco model, but really loved the Sierra by Forest River. It is very similar inside to Millie's unit. We talked to the sales guy for a while and explained that we were not ready to buy anything yet, but we were set on finding something eventually. After the dealership we stopped at Sam's Club to do some shopping and get a few things that we can't get at Costco. After Sam's we headed back over the hill, getting home about 5:00. We had dinner and then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Monday, September 26, I left the coach about 12:30 and drove to the Sheriff's Office for a citizen's ride along. This was the last thing that the Sheriff's Office included in the training syllabus for the Peace Officers Advisory Review Board. I was supposed to start at 1:00, but didn't get out until just before 2:00 because the deputy I was assigned to was on calls. He finally came and picked me up and we went out on patrol. I was riding with Deputy Justice, an officer probably in his late 20's early 30's. He is one that we have seen on TV watching the show “On Patrol Live” which includes Nye County as one of its agencies they ride with on Friday and Saturday nights. Of course, in my 27 years with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office I had at least ten years in uniform in a patrol car, between my Patrol Deputy days and Patrol Sergeant days. However, I was still looking forward to the afternoon. It was a relatively quiet five hours, we made a few traffic stops, had some citizen assist calls, a couple of trespassers/suspicious person calls, and a couple of private property accidents. After he dropped me off at the end of his shift, a little before 7:00, I drove home and we spent the rest of the night with the TV. Tuesday we left the coach about 12:30 and went to get our toes done. I just got a trim and then ran some errands while Jackie got her full pedi. After the pedi we went home and rested a bit, then left again around 3:30 and drove to Mom's Cafe for the Escapee Park's monthly dine-out. We had over a dozen people and it was a fun time. After dinner we went back home and spent the rest of the evening with the TV. All our regular shows are now back on with new seasons, so the DVR is already filling up.

Wednesday, September 28^th, was a stay at home day. Jackie had Pokeno in the Clubhouse at 1:00 and I had a 2:00 meeting with the Audit Committee. We did happy hour in the Clubhouse at 4:00 and came home after for dinner. After dinner we watched TV until bedtime. Thursday I had a meeting of the By Laws Committee at 10:00. After the meeting we had lunch and then went to the laundromat to do our laundry. That took us until about 3:30. We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home, had dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV. 

Friday, September 30th, I had a 9:00 dental appointment for my cleaning and exam. Everything pretty much OK. Next month I have to bring one of my partials in to have a new clasp put on. As I came out of the dentist's office, which is near downtown Pahrump, I saw a column of smoke to the Southeast and I thought to myself that it looked like it was close to the Escapees RV Park.  About halfway home a fire engine and ambulance came up behind me, headed the same way I was.  I had noticed that the smoke was white now, not black, meaning whatever was burning had water being put on it.  As I arrived at our park I saw that it was, indeed, inside our park, near the front and quite a distance from where our coach is parked.  I drove

down an adjacent road and saw that a fairly new destination type trailer had caught fire and appeared to be a total loss.  I went back home and through the grapevine learned that it belonged to a member of the Co-op, but that he and his girlfriend were not at home at the time of the fire.  They were in town shopping.  There were also no pets involved, so it was all property damage.  There was some fire and water damage to the shed on the lot, but it would be repairable.  No other units were damaged.  At noon we both had appointments at the nail salon. I got my nails clipped and Jackie got a pedi. I did a couple of errands while she was in the chair. After nails we went home and went to happy hour at the clubhouse. After happy hour we had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

We are now three weeks into this episode, so time to publish. Until next time, remember, common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it. See ya soon.

The End of Summer Approaches

Hello again. Our last chapter concluded on Friday, August 19^th, while we were on our lot at the SKP park in Pahrump, Nevada. Saturday was pretty much a stay at home day, however we did go out for about an hour in the afternoon to get a geocache. Today was International Geocaching Day and if we found and logged a cache today we got a virtual souvenir for our collection. We don't have many unfound caches left in Pahrump, at least not many we can reach with our low slung car, so we haven't been doing much caching. The first one we tried to get was gone. It was a desert cache and at ground zero, where the cache should have been according to the GPS, there were trinkets typical of those found in geocaches, but no cache. We did find the second one we went to, logged it and got our souvenir. We also checked on a couple of our hides that had recent DNFs. One was indeed gone and will have to be replaced, the other was exactly where it should be. After our caching stuff we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach.

Sunday, August 21^st, we spent most of the day around the coach. I did go to the clubhouse at 2:00 for root beer floats and we both went out about 3:00 to do a Walmart run and also stop at Smith's for a couple of things. After we got home we spent the rest of the evening relaxing. Monday we went out after lunch to run some errands. I had to drop my ColoGuard box off at the UPS store and pick up mail and then we stopped at Albertson's for some things we couldn't find at Walmart yesterday. After we got back to the coach we relaxed a bit then went to social hour at the Clubhouse. We had scampi for dinner then watched TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, August 23^rd, I went to my Ophthalmologists office here in Pahrump about 12:30 to have my follow-up exam after my eyelid surgery two weeks ago. The doctor looked me over and took out the sutures and said I was healing well. I have one more follow-up in six weeks. After I got back to the coach we spent the rest of the day relaxing and doing chores. Wednesday Jackie had her afternoon Pokeno game and I spent some time doing some maintenance chores and also some leisure activities while she was gone. A nearby storm cell created an hour and a half long dust storm, one of the worst I have seen in the area. Later in the evening while watching the news we learned there were a number of traffic accidents in Pahrump during the storm because of poor visibility. We had leftovers for dinner, then relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

Thursday, August 25^th, was laundry day again. We left the coach about 1:00 and stopped at the Artesian Cellars restaurant for lunch. This is a small, local winery with a cafe. The menu is limited, but what they do serve is pretty good. We also bought a bottle of Gurztimiener wine to take home for future use. After lunch we went to the laundromat and did laundry. We finished about 4:30, went home and put everything away and relaxed for the rest of the night. Friday we were out about 9:30 headed to the nail salon. I got my toe nails trimmed and Jackie got the full mani-pedi. While she was getting spruced up I ran some errands. After she was done we went to the Pour House for lunch. Jackie likes the Indian food there, specifically the lamb dishes. I like their pizza. After lunch we headed back to the coach. We went to happy hour and then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Saturday, August 27^th, we left the coach after lunch to run some errands. We stopped at the UPS store and picked up our mail and then went to Home Depot so I could some things I needed for my various projects in and around our shed. I have finished the air conditioner installation and am now working on the ceiling fan for the outside patio and a couple of new electrical outlets. I picked up most of what I think I will need to finish up this summer work. After we got home we went to social hour at the Clubhouse and then spent the rest of the evening with the television. Sunday was a stay at home day. I spent a couple of hours working on the ceiling fan project outside. I took a break so we could go to the Clubhouse for root beer floats, the Sunday social activity, at 2:00. After ice cream I spent another hour or so cleaning up from my various projects outside. We had homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. Jackie found a recipe online and it was wonderful. A definite keeper. After dinner we watched TV and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Monday, August 29^th was another stay at home day. Jackie went to the Clubhouse to play cards with a newly formed pinochle group. I stayed home and spent some time playing guitar with a new guy at the park, Bob. He and his wife are here as long term guests but are near the top of the waiting list to get their own site. He is just trying to learn guitar and I told him to come over and we would spent some time playing together. The best way to learn guitar is just to play. We played for a little over an hour. I did some office work and relaxed. We went to the social hour at 4:00 and then came back, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime. Tuesday I had a meeting of the Audit Committee at 1:00. After the meeting we left and went to Walmart for some supplies. After we got back we went to social hour in the Clubhouse and for the first time in a couple months we had two tables of people. We also learned that Bob and his wife, the guy I was playing guitar with yesterday, got their lot today, so they are now officially members of the Co-op. Yea. After happy hour we had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, August 31^st, I left the park about 9:30 and headed over the hill to Las Vegas for an appointment with my Urologist. Jackie didn't go as this appointment was only for a urine flow analysis and wouldn't really take very long. She likes to play Pokeno with the girls in the park on Wednesday afternoon, so she stayed home. The only thing about this test is that they specify that you must appear at your appointment time, in my case 11:00, with a full bladder really needing to pee. Since I had an hour drive to contend with I had to plan carefully. I took water with me and as soon as I was half way there I started drinking. I got to the office a half hour early and continued drinking and by 11:00 I was ready. The test is interesting in that they put a cuff around my “member” and have me pee into a funnel at a target. Simple for any man, right? We have all aimed at stuff all our life. Every few seconds the cuff would inflate and cut off the flow, then measure the pressure. Very interesting. The test took all of ten minutes, after which they did an ultrasound of my bladder. Seems I didn't completely void my bladder, which was of some concern, but other than that, I was done. I have another appointment in a couple weeks for the camera up the pee pee thing. Eeks. After I was done I stopped at Arby's for lunch and headed back over the hill. I was home before 2:00 and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. We went to social hour at the clubhouse and then spent the evening with the TV.

Thursday, September 1^st, Happy Anniversary to us. Today marks the day in 1998 that I left Phoenix and moved to Indio, California to start my life with Jackie. Although we didn't get married until 2004, this is still a very important anniversary date for us. We relaxed for most of the day and then about 4:30 we left and went to the Stockman's Steakhouse at the Pahrump Nugget Casino for a celebratory dinner. Stockman's is one of the only fine dining restaurants in Pahrump and we have never eaten here before. We had a wonderful meal, expensive, but we expected that. We had a calamari appetizer and I had French onion soup and a porterhouse steak. Jackie had salad and lamb chops. Everything we had was very good and the service was excellent. We will probably go back there in February for our wedding anniversary. They also gave us a free piece of cheesecake to take home. After dinner we stayed and gamed for an hour or so. Jackie lost some, but I ended up $30 ahead. After we went home we watched some TV and then went to bed.

Friday, September 2^nd, we went out after lunch to run some errands. We picked up mail and then stopped at Albertson's to get some steaks for the Labor Day cookout here at the park. We then went to Walmart to get a new coffee pot. Our old Mr. Coffee, which we have had for at least four years or so, broke. It still made coffee, but the lid hinge broke, so time for a new pot. They had a really nice black and stainless steel Black and Decker on clearance, regularly $59 only $23.99, so that's what we got. It matches the microwave under which it sits and the carafe is a stainless steel thermos, so the coffee stays hot if you take the carafe with you. We thought this might come in handy for mornings we do coffee outside, after it cools off of course. After our errands we headed back to the park. We went to happy hour at 4:00, then went home and did some burgers on the BBQ for dinner. After dinner we watched TV until bedtime. Saturday we left about 1:00 and went to ChatThai, our favorite Thai restaurant for a late lunch. We had a really great meal. After lunch we went to the UPS store and then stopped at the local Amazon clearance outlet to see what they had. Jackie got some lipsticks, but other than that they didn't have anything we needed. After our browsing we went back to the coach. We went to the social hour at 4:00, then relaxed with the TV the rest of the evening.

Sunday, September 4^th, was a stay at home day. I had a meeting in the Clubhouse at 1:00 with the Communications and Technology team at the park, discussing up coming Zoom meeting commitments. We are still trying to work out some bugs in our ability to Zoom Board meetings at the park. After the meeting I stayed for the weekly root beer floats and chatted with people for a bit. I then went home and we spent the rest of the day inside. Monday was Labor Day. We pretty much had a stay at home day. At 4:00 our usual happy hour group got together in the Clubhouse, but instead of just cocktails we had a pot lunch BBQ. Everyone brought their own stuff to do on the park's BBQ and a side dish to share. We had about 20 or so people and had a really good time. After the BBQ we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Tuesday, September 6^th, was another early day. We were out of the house and on our way to Las Vegas by 7:45 for an appointment with Jackie's Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. The last time we went, a few weeks ago, she saw a Nurse Practitioner and was not happy with the results of the treatments that she provided. She wanted to see an actual MD, so she made another appointment. We saw a Dr. Yip, a youngish Asian woman who was very nice and spent considerable time explaining things to Jackie. I was also a bit surprised to hear her say it COULD be at least partially related to allergies in addition to the the damage to the larynx caused by acid reflux. I have thought all along that there was at least some allergy component involved. After the appointment we went to a Broken Egg brunch restaurant and had a late breakfast. There are several of these in the Vegas area and we have always been happy with the food. After breakfast we headed back over the hump and arrived back home a little after 12:30. We immediately went over to the Clubhouse for a Town Hall meeting. The meeting was quite active as a lot of the people in the park are having issues with the park is being managed. After the meeting we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the day and evening relaxing. We did spent some time going over the shore excursion choices for our Panama Canal cruise next February. We learned that reservations had opened and that some excursions were filling up. We ended up picking four, one in Columbia, one in Guatemala, one in Cabo San Lucas, and one in Grand Cayman. They are pretty pricey, but we figure we have never been to Guatemala or Columbia before, and are not likely to be going back, so we should see what we can. They other two were just for fun.

Wednesday, September 7^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno in the Clubhouse at 1:00. I did some chores and some guitar practice, then drove to Walgreens to pick up Jackie's prescription from yesterday's doctor visit and then did a quick Walmart run. We did happy hour at 4:00 in the clubhouse and then came home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime. Thursday we had a meeting of the Silver Seekers Board at 10:00. This is the group that is in charge of the Clubhouse, cleaning and planning activities. I went over early to help with the Zoom broadcast. We are trying to provide Zoom access for all meetings whenever possible. After the meeting we had lunch, then about 3:30 we left and went to the UPS store to pick up mail before going to the Intermountain Medical Center so Jackie could see her Neurologist for a follow up exam. Her headaches seem to be lessening over time, so they just discussed the progress and adjusted her medications. After the doctor we headed home and spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Friday, September 9^th, I left about 10:00 and went to the Sheriff's Office for my last training session for my appointment to the Peace Officers Advisory Review Board. After my session I stopped at Smith's for some things, then headed back home. I was finished by 3:00. We went to happy hour then went home and had dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV. We are now about three weeks into this episode and it is time to get it published. Until next time, consider the words of comedian Ellen DeGeneres. “Never follow anyone else’s path. Unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. Then by all means follow that path.” See ya soon.

Monsoon Time in Pahrump

 Hi there, glad to see you back. Our last chapter concluded on Friday, July 29^th, with us still parked on our lot at the Escapee's RV park in Pahrump, Nevada. Saturday we went out after lunch to run a few errands after which we went back to the coach and relaxed. We went to the 4:00 happy hour at the clubhouse and then home for dinner. After dinner we watched TV until bedtime.

Sunday I had plans to do some work outside on the air conditioner project, however about lunch time it started raining and it rained, on and off hard rain, all day. It didn't clear up until about 6:00, just in time for me to be able to cook some nice t-bones on the BBQ. After dinner we watched TV and then went to bed. Monday we went out after lunch to do a Walmart run. Before we went to the store we stopped at the Nugget Casino for some gaming time. Both lost about $40 but had fun. After shopping we returned home and spent the rest of the day inside. We did go to happy hour at the Clubhouse. Jackie made chili relleno casserole for dinner and it was good. Spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Tuesday, August 2^nd, I had to take a quick trip in the morning to the Pahrump office of the Ophthalmologist I am seeing to have them take some pictures of my eyes. I am trying to get approval for eyelid surgery to open up my eyes a little and they had called and said the insurance wanted some pictures of my eyes to go with the test results the doctor sent them. After that I headed back to the coach and we stayed in for the rest of the day. Jackie was feeling a little down today because her intermittent cough isn't getting better and she is still having trouble sleeping. I did go to happy hour in the clubhouse after which we had leftovers for dinner. I also had security duty this evening for an hour, but we spent most of the night with the TV. Wednesday was a stay at home day. Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00. My friend Len came over to help me lift the new air conditioner into the housing I installed in the wall of the shed. I plugged it in and it worked! Yea! Now I just have to get the materials to do the finish trim on the inside and caulk the outside and that project will be done. I also spent some time cleaning up and rearranging the shed and covered patio. I had security duty tonight again, but other than that we spent the evening with the TV.

Thursday, August 4^th, I went out after lunch to Home Depot to pick up some supplies I needed for our improvement projects in the shed. After I got home we went to the happy hour at the Clubhouse and I did my last shift of security duty for the month. After I was finished we watched TV and went to bed. Friday I did some work on the air conditioner trim work and we went out to run some errands later in the afternoon. One of the places we stopped was Goodwill where we found a good Samsonite hard side suitcase for $10. We are looking to buy some cheap but usable hard sided luggage for our Panama Canal cruise in February. We don't travel enough to justify buying new stuff. After we got home we had dinner and then I spent some time putting together a new small storage cabinet that was delivered today. We watched some TV and went to bed.

Saturday, August 6^th, we went out about 12:30 for a late lunch at China A Gogo. After lunch we hit went to another thrift store in town and found two more Samsonite hard side cases, the same model as the one we got at Goodwill, just a different color. They were also only $10 each. I also got a really nice, brand new blue blazer that fits perfectly, also $10. We now have two medium size and one large case, which should be enough for the cruise. Yea! After our shopping we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the TV. Sunday was a stay at home day. I did a little work in the shed and my office. We went to root beer floats in the clubhouse at 2:00. The regular crew was sick, so I had to help scoop the ice cream. We only had seven people, so it went pretty quick. I made a pot of chili for dinner and we spent the evening relaxing with the TV.

Monday, August 8^th, would have been my mother's 97^th birthday. Happy Birthday mom in heaven. We had a stay at home day today. I finished the air conditioner project today, completing the trim work on the inside and sealing around the casing on the outside. The next one to tackle is the ceiling fan on the patio. We went to happy hour at the clubhouse and then had dinner at home. We spent the rest of the evening with the TV. Tuesday we were up and out early, REALLY early. We left the coach at 6:00 a.m. and headed into Las Vegas for my eyelid surgery. I had been scheduled at the out patient surgery center for 7:45. Once we got there I got called in pretty quickly and prepped for the surgery. I had thought I was going to be put out, but they did a very light, twilight anesthesia and I was quite alert during the procedure, even talking to the doctor. I would say the whole surgery process was maybe an hour with another couple hours for prep and recovery. I my recovery time they wheeled me out the car and Jackie drove us home. I have to ice my face every hour for 15 minutes to keep swelling down, but I don't really have any pain, just some discomfort. After we got home I spent the rest of the day and evening sitting in my chair, icing my face every hour and watching TV.

Wednesday, August 10^th, we were out early again heading for Las Vegas, at least a slightly more reasonable 9:30 departure time. Today we were going to the urologists office for my consult after my UTI last month. During the treatment process some “issues” with my bladder and prostate were seen on two CT scans and they recommended seeing a specialist. Today was truly just a consultation, the doctor interviewed me, looked at the CT reports, and told me that I did have an enlarged prostrate and that I needed to come back for some tests. At the end of the month I have a “flow test” to see how strong my urine flow is. Then early in September I have to have a cystoscopy, which in layman's terms is the camera up the pee pee. Not looking forward to that one. After the doctor's appointment we stopped for lunch and then headed back over the hill. We didn't dally in Vegas too long because it was starting to look stormy, but we didn't have any rain except for a couple drops on the windshield coming over the pass. After we got home we went to happy hour and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  The photo to the right we took in the Red Rock Canyon park on the way to my doctor's appointment.  These little gas powered three-wheelers are the latest tourist craze for touring the Red Rock Canyon.  There was a line of about a dozen of these colorful little buggies.

Thursday, August 11^th, we had a more relaxing day. I had a meeting in the morning with the Audit committee I am the chairman of. After the meeting we had lunch and then did a Walmart and mail run. We went to happy hour in the clubhouse, had dinner and spent the rest of the evening with the TV. Friday was a stay at home day. We had a big meeting in the clubhouse at 2:00 which was for all members of the park. It was called to give the members a chance to vent about some issues that have been occurring at the park. It was mostly a gripe session, but I think it helped some people get some things off their chest. In my estimation it stems from a Board of Directors that has abdicated their role of governance and management of the park to untrained staff and also has neglected, some say refused, to communicate with the membership. There is an election of three of the nine Board members in November and I am one of the eight people running for the three open seats. After the meeting we had happy hour with some friends in the clubhouse then went home for dinner and TV watching the rest of the night.

Saturday, August 13^th, we left the coach about 1:00 and went out for a late lunch at the Roadhouse Casino. After lunch we went to the laundromat to do our laundry. We don't usually like doing laundry on weekends, but we were so busy last week we couldn't get it in. As it turned out, by the time we got to the laundromat in the mid afternoon it was pretty empty. The photo is of our traditional laundry day Skip-Bo card game.  After our laundry we went home, put everything away and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Sunday was a stay at home day. Other than going out to the shed after lunch for some guitar practice neither of us left the coach all day. Very relaxing day. We did a “Thanksgiving in August” dinner with turkey breast, stuffing and gravy, then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Monday, August 15^th, we went out after lunch to run some errands. Jackie needed some prescription refills from Walgreens and we had some packages at the UPS Store to pick up. We also stopped and put gas in the car for the first time in two months. After our errands we went back to the coach and then at 4:00 went to happy hour at the Clubhouse. After happy hour we went home and had dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed. Tuesday Jackie went out about 10:30 to get a haircut. I stayed home and did some chores. We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then did some chicken on the BBQ for dinner. We spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Wednesday, August 17^th, Jackie went to the Clubhouse for Pokeno at 1:00. I did some office work and chores around the coach in the afternoon. We went to 4:00 social hour, then came home and watched TV until bedtime. Thursday I did some office work in the morning. About 1:00 I had a meeting with the Co-op's office manager regarding my work on the Audit committee. After my meeting we went out for a late lunch to a place called “The Place to Go” here in Pahrump. The place has been open for a couple of years now and has gotten really good ratings and reviews, but for some reason we have not gone there. I don't know if it was it's location in a little strip mall, actually right next to our dentist's office, or the fact that we thought it was just a burger joint. At any rate, it is primarily a sandwich and burger place, but they have wings and salads as well and the sandwich menu is pretty extensive. I had a Philly cheesesteak and it was one of the best I have had in a while. Jackie had the gyro, which had real lamb and she said it was good as well, although the meat was slightly dry. Because this was our only meal for the day we had the fish taco appetizer, which was two HUGE fish tacos, one for each of us. They were also excellent in my opinion. Jackie had great onion rings and I had the tater tots which were also very good. We definitely will be back again. The only down side of the place is they don't have a beer and wine license which I think would help boost their business. After lunch we headed back to the park, went to happy hour at the Clubhouse and then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Friday was mostly a stay at home day. Did a few chores around the coach and generally relaxed. About 6:00 we left and drove to the Roadhouse Casino for dinner and some gaming. Being Friday we had to wait so we gambled a bit. When they called us to eat we went in. We both had the salad bar and the Friday special, which was two pieces of fish, two fried shrimp and some hush puppies, for $5.99. We both had drinks and the total was still under $30. After we ate we gambled for another hour or so. All in all, I did OK, leaving having only lost less than $4. Jackie didn't do well, but still had fun. We went back home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

We are now three weeks into this Chapter and it is time to get it online. We haven't been doing too much, so not much in the way of pictures for this episode. Until next time, remember the words of the comedian and actor George Burns. “You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you’re down there.” See ya soon.

Summer in the Desert

 Hello again, welcome back to our story. Our last chapter concluded on Thursday, July 6^th, with us parked on our lot at the Escapees Co-op park in Pahrump. It also found both of us not feeling a hundred percent, Jackie with an annoying cough and me with a stubborn urinary tract infection. Friday found us once again pretty much house-bound with our maladies. We spent the day on the computer or watching TV and hoping to get better soon.

Friday, July 8^th, I was supposed to have my last class at the Sheriff's Office for my position on the Peace Officers Advisory Review Board, but because of my UTI issues I had to email the training sergeant and let her know I wasn't going to make it. We again spent the day with computers and the TV. Saturday was another stay at home day. I was waiting for some improvement in my UTI conditions, but I only saw incremental changes and it seemed that the amount of blood in my urine was increasing, not decreasing.

Sunday, July 10^th, I finally decided to go back to the urgent care when the blood issue in my urine was still very high this morning. After lunch I went to the same ER. Fortunately, it was very quiet. In fact, there was no one in waiting room when I arrived about 1:00. The girl behind the check in desk even remembered me, asking if I had been in recently. I checked in and within ten minutes was called into the exam area. After the nurse took my vitals a very pleasant woman doctor came in. She took her time and got my whole story and told me she was glad I came back in as she was concerned it might be more than just a UTI. She told me that she was going to order a shot of strong antibiotics and also order a CT scan. She also said she was going to change my oral antibiotic, although she was unsure at that point to what. She wanted to eliminate the possibilities of kidney issues, like stones or tumors, as well as any masses in the bladder. I figured I would have to come back for the CT, but they walked me down to Desert Radiology, which is in the same building, and there was no one waiting there either. I got in for the CT again in about 15 minutes. After the CT I went back to the Urgent Care and waited. This is where the waiting was the longest since they had to wait for a radiologist to read the CT and write the report. I guess regular doctors are not legally qualified to read raw radiology data. After an hour or so of waiting the doctor came back in and told me that my kidneys were fine. My bladder was infected, but it was in the lining, as is common, and there were no masses present. She concluded it was, in fact, just a really bad infection of the bladder and urinary tract. I had gotten the shot, which was in my butt and hurt, and left with my report and headed to Walgreens to pick up my new prescription. Even at Walgreens I was lucky as my phone rang with the automated message that my prescription was ready just as I walked in the door. I got my new sulfa based antibiotic and headed home. We spent the rest of the day watching TV.

Monday, July 11^th, we stayed home for most of the day. We did go to the 4:00 happy hour at the clubhouse for the first time in a week. Yea! Since yesterday I seem to be seeing some improvement, still a lot of blood in the urine, but the other symptoms are improving. Tuesday we finally went out of the house for a while. We went to our favorite Thai restaurant, Chat Thai, for lunch, then ran a couple of errands. After we were done we went back to the coach and relaxed for a bit before going to the clubhouse for happy hour. We had a light dinner and then spent the night with the TV. Wednesday was going to be a stay at home day. Jackie went to her Pokeno game at 1:00 and I did some office work and played some guitar. About 3:30 I got a call from the Urgent Care that I went to twice in the last week and a half. They told me that they had gotten the culture report back on the urine sample I left on Sunday and she said it showed no bacteria, no infection. Therefore, they said, it was not a UTI and that I should go in and see my primary care doctor as soon as possible. I called our doctor's office and described my problem, including the blood in the urine for almost nine days, and what the Urgent Care had just told me. They couldn't find my doctor, so they asked another doctor in the practice and he said that I was to go immediately to the hospital emergency room because it appeared I might have a bleed inside somewhere. Well, that scared the crap out of me, so we drove to the ER and dropped me off. I know how long ER visits can be, so no sense Jackie hanging around since they don't even let you inside the hospital anymore unless you are a patient. I got in, got processed and registered and into an ER room. Eventually a doctor came in and I gave him all the details, starting just before the July 4^th weekend. He was very skeptical that it was a UTI as well, saying it was more likely a prostrate problem, which is more common in men that a UTI. He had blood drawn for more tests and also set up for another CT, this one with contrast to better see the organs. I was mostly just waiting, but I did the CT and finally, about 9:30 he came in and told me he was wrong, by all diagnostics, it was a UTI. He said everything in the CT was normal except the bladder, which showed some nodules on the inside wall. He said they could be infection, or they could be something else and I needed to see a urologist ASAP, even if the blood in the urine clears up. He had me get another shot of antibiotics and a new prescription for an even stronger one. His only answer to both the samples I gave to the Urgent Care coming back negative for bacteria was that the lab screwed up. Jackie had already come back to the hospital and was waiting in the parking lot, so we headed home and got ready for bed. Long day.

Thursday, July 14^th, I had a committee meeting at 11:00 in the clubhouse. After the meeting I went back to the coach and we gathered up our dirty laundry and went to the laundromat in town. After laundry we ran a couple of errands, including picking up my new prescription, then headed back to the coach to put everything away. We went to happy hour at the clubhouse then returned to the coach for dinner. We then spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the TV. Friday we stayed around the house for most of the day. About 2:30 we went out and back to the healthcare center so Jackie could get an MRI of her head. It had been ordered by the neurologist several weeks ago in response to her complaint of continued headaches. I dropped her off at the center and ran some errands. I did a Walmart run and picked up mail. By the time I got done and back to the center she was just about done. After that we headed back home. We went to happy hour at the clubhouse at 4:00 and then went home. I did some stuffed peppers for dinner and then we watched TV until it was time for bed.

Saturday, July 16^th, we went out for a late lunch at the Roadhouse Casino. We both had the liver. Did have a bit of a bout of poor service. We both like our liver medium, that is a little pink inside rather than overcooked. However, the bottom piece of my liver was very rare, almost raw inside. I told the waitress and expected they might take it back and nuke it or something. She came back from the kitchen and said “they told me since it had been served and you starting eating they couldn't take it back into the kitchen for sanitary reasons. They said they would be more careful in the future.” That was it. I can see the reasoning for not fixing the piece I already had, but they could have offered a new piece cooked properly. After lunch we gamed for an hour or so. I had a decent run for a change, coming out $80 ahead after hitting four deuces twice. Jackie only lost $20. We then headed back to the coach a relaxed for a bit before leaving around 5:00 for karaoke at the Elks. There were very few singers tonight so we all got to do four songs. We also learned that tonight was the last karaoke until September, so we will have to find something else to occupy us on Saturdays. After karaoke we went home and relaxed with the TV until bedtime. Sunday was a stay at home day. It was overcast all day and we even had some light rain on and off. I got a few chores done in the coach and we just had a relaxing day at home.

Monday, July 18^th, another mostly cloudy start to the day. The Monsoon is definitely with us. For the most part we stayed home today. We did go out after lunch to pick up mail and do a couple of chores. We went to happy hour at the clubhouse then went back home and had dinner. After dinner we spent the rest of the night watching TV. Tuesday we left the park about 11:00 and drove to Jackie's new hairdresser so she could get a haircut. After the haircut we stopped at El Jefe's Mexican restaurant nearby for lunch. We had a great lunch. This is the best Mexican food in Pahrump. After lunch we went back to the coach and spent the rest of the day relaxing. We went to happy hour at 4:00 in the clubhouse, then went home and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Wednesday, July 20^th, we had a stay at home day. Jackie went to the clubhouse for Pokeno at 1:00 and I stayed home and did some chores and played. We went to happy hour at 4:00 and I had my first cocktail in two weeks. I am off of the antibiotics that I have been taking, so vodka is back on the menu. Yea! I made an effort at making chopino for the first time for dinner. It is basically a tomato based seafood stew or soup. It turned out OK, although in the future I will use better quality seafood than the mix I bought at Walmart. After dinner we watched TV until bedtime. Thursday was a stay at home day. I had a committee meeting in the morning at the clubhouse and did a few chores around the house. Generally we just relaxed. After dinner we spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Friday we went out to Denny's for brunch about 11:30, after which we picked up mail and did a Walmart run. We returned to the park and put stuff away, then relaxed for a couple of hours. A little after 4:00 we left again, picked up our friend Linda Sullivan and drove to the Elks Lodge for dinner. Tonight they were having a 26^th anniversary “birthday” party for the Lodge, which was chartered in 1997. They had baby back ribs and sides of beans and potato salad and the ribs were excellent. In addition to our friend Linda, our friends Len and Debbie also came and sat at our table. We had a very nice dinner. After the dinner the Exalted Ruler had an informal meeting with Lodge members to talk about were to put the large metal Elk stature the lodge recently purchased. We stayed until about 7:00, after which we left and went back to the park. Linda had security duty tonight and had to be home. After we got home we relaxed with the TV until it was bedtime.

Saturday, July 23^rd, I went out after lunch to Home Depot to get some stuff I needed for my A/C project in the shed and to drop something off at the UPS store. After I got home I went down to the park's shop and spent about ninety minutes building a two by four frame for the air conditioner to install in the wall of the shed. It is nice to go to the shop because they have all sorts of power woodworking and metal working tools and supplies. After I was done with building the frame I was hot, so we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the coach. Sunday we went out about 1:00 for brunch at the China Wok, the local Chinese Buffet. We had a nice lunch, then returned to the park and spent the rest of the day relaxing in the coach.

Monday, July 25^th, we went out a little before 1:00 to the nail salon. Jackie was getting both a pedi and manicure and I was getting my toenails trimmed. After I was done I left Jackie there and went out to run some errands. I drove to the hospital to pick up copies of my records from my visit to the ER last week. I needed them to take to the Urologist when I go in a couple of weeks. I then stopped at the Intermountain medical center to pick up the records from Jackie's MRI on her head. She needs those when we go to the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist on Friday in Las Vegas. I finally stopped at the post office to get some stamps. I arrived back at the nail salon and only had to wait about ten minutes before Jackie came out. We went back home and relaxed for a while. We went to the happy hour at 4:00 and then came back to the coach where we relaxed for the rest of the evening. Tuesday was a stay at home day. I had a meeting at 10:00 regarding my audit committee responsibilities. I spent about 90 minutes after lunch out in the shed working on my air conditioner project before I finally got too hot. The rest of the day we spent inside. We went to happy hour at 4:00, came home and had dinner then watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, July 27^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at the clubhouse at 1:00. I did some chores around the house while she was gone, including another hour or so working on the air conditioner project in the shed. I have almost finished the basic installation of the box that holds the A/C unit and goes through the wall of the shed. This was the part of the project that concerned me the most, so I was happy to be close to done. After dinner, about 8:00, I went out for my first tour of duty as security for the park for this month. I have two more nights this month, then next week I have three nights as my tours for August. After I got back at 9:00 we watched some TV and then went to bed. Thursday was laundry day again. We went out about 11:30 and had brunch at Mom's Diner. After lunch we went to the laundromat and did our laundry. When we were finished we ran a couple of errands, picking up mail and a quick stop at Albertson's to get some steaks that were on sale. After that we went back to the coach and put stuff away. We spent the rest of the evening in the coach relaxing.

Friday, July 29^th, we were in the car and headed for Las Vegas about 10:00. We are going to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist in Vegas to see about Jackie's persistent cough. When we got to the doctor's office we were seen by one of the Nurse Practitioners who talked at length with Jackie about the issue. She seemed pretty convinced that it was related to acid reflux but wanted to put a small scope up Jackie's nose to look at her throat. This was the kind of diagnostic tools I had hoped for when I suggested to Jackie that she go to an ENT specialist. After she numbed Jackie's nose she went in with the scope and told Jackie that her throat was, in her words, “a hot mess” with inflammation in the larynx and on the vocal cords. She said that she was now quite certain that it was primarily a reflux issue and explained that she suffered from the same thing. She told Jackie that it was important to take the acid reflux medications first thing in the morning, otherwise they didn't do much good. This was something none of the other doctors have explained. She wrote another prescription for something to take in the evening before bed and told Jackie to come back in six weeks for a check up. After the doctor we drove into Henderson and had lunch at an In N Out, then went to Costco for some supplies. We were back on the road by 3:00 and home before 5:00. I went out at 8:00 for my last security shift for July. Pretty quiet in the park tonight. After I got back we spent the rest of the evening in the coach.

We are now a little over three weeks into this episode, so it's time to close it out and get it posted. Until next time, remember that friendship picks you up when the world lets you down. See ya soon.