A Hot September in Pahrump and a Two Week Cruise

Hi there, welcome back.  Our last chapter concluded on Saturday, August 31st.  The heat wave is not over, they are predicting temps over 100, close 110, for at least the first two weeks of September.  Sunday was a slow day.  We did some packing and planning for the cruise trip that starts on Thursday night when we fly from Vegas to Baltimore.  We went to the ice cream social and then came home and had dinner.  

Monday, September 2nd, Happy Labor Day.  We went over to the clubhouse about 11:30 to help with the Silver Seekers Labor Day hamburger lunch.  By job was cooking hamburgers on the flat top and I ended up doing over 70 burgers.  We had a great turnout of over 60 people!  A real success.  After the lunch was done and we had cleaned up the kitchen and clubhouse, we went back to the trailer and just relaxed the rest of the day.  Tuesday was another day with not too much going on.  I did some office work and at 10:30 we went to the nail salon.  I just got my toenails cut, Jackie had a full mani/pedi.  While she was doing that I ran some errands.  After we got home we were too tired to go to happy hour.  While she was getting into the big chair they use for pedicures, Jackie slipped and fell, hitting her knee and shin on the hard plastic.  It hasn’t swelled up, but she says it really hurts.  This is the same knee she hurt years ago and has had two orthoscopic surgeries on.  It has always bothered here some, now it really hurts.  We watched TV for the rest of the night and went to bed.

Wednesday, September 4th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00.  I skipped my jam session this week because I have stuff I have to do before we leave tomorrow on our cruise.  I went out and ran some errands while Jackie was at the clubhouse.  We spent most of the late afternoon and evening getting our packing finished.  Thursday, sort of the first day our of cruise vacation.  Our cruise leaves on Saturday out of Baltimore, Maryland.  Because of the possibility of problems with air travel, we asked Norwegian Cruise Lines to fly us to Baltimore a day early.  We made our own hotel reservations because Norwegian said they did not have any deals with hotels in Baltimore.  Well, the cruise line met the letter of our request by flying us out of Las Vegas on Thursday, just at 11:55 pm!  We packed the car with our luggage, and set up the trailer for our absence of over two weeks, then left for Las Vegas about 5:00.  This got us over the hump and into Vegas before dark.  After we got into town we drove to the Blueberry Hill restaurant just North of the airport for dinner.  After dinner we drove to the Best Western McCarren hotel right on the perimeter of the airport.  The airport is now Harry Reid International Airport, but the hotel kept the old name of McCarren.  This hotel had a “park and ride” program which didn’t require we stay in the hotel.  It cost us less to park there than it would have at the airport, and they provide a shuttle to and from the terminals.  After we got the car parked and secured, we had the shuttle take us to the airport, even though we were about four hours early for our flight.

After we got to the airport we checked our bags, which American Airlines charged us $170.  We then went to the gate to wait for our flight.  We went through security and Jackie’s carryon got flagged for an inspection.  They threw out her water and a small can of hair spray, but let her keep a small pair of haircutting scissors.  When we got to the gate we just had a cocktail and relaxed until boarding time.  The flight boarded on time and we were off just after midnight headed first to Chicago.  The flight was full, the seats were uncomfortable and neither of us could fall asleep.  We landed at Chicago O’Hare a little before 6:00 am Central Time and watched the sun come up.  Our connecting flight didn’t leave until 8:30 or so, so we just relaxed for two hours.  The connecting flight was also on time, and also full.  This one was a smaller plane with just two seats on each side of the aisle.  I was still uncomfortable and a little bumpy.  We finally arrived in Baltimore, Maryland at BWI, just before noon Eastern Time on Friday, September 6th.  Fortunately, all of our bags arrived with us, so we gathered everything up and caught an Uber to take us to our hotel.  We had reservations for the night at the Courtyard Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel.  Well, the Uber driver took us to the Baltimore Marriot Inner Harbor.  When I tried to check in they let me know we didn’t have a reservation there.  I showed them my conformation email and they told me it was a different hotel.  Seems there are several hotels downtown that use the term “inner harbor” in their name.  We caught a cab and got a ride to the right hotel.  Fortunately they had a room ready for us so we got settled in and took a nap.  Later in the evening we had a couple of drinks in the hotel bar, then went next store to a deli that was in the same building and had a very nice dinner.  After dinner we went home, watched a little TV and went to bed after a 12 hour day/

Saturday, September 7th, we had an 11:30 check in time scheduled with the cruise ship.  The ship was only about 10 minutes away from our hotel and the hotel desk clerk had set up a ride for us with someone she knew who did ride shares.  The driver arrived right on time with a big SUV.  We had originally asked for a bigger vehicle because we thought our friend Peggy Bullock and her friend Wanda, who are also booked on this cruise, were staying at the same hotel.  Turns out, they were staying at the one we had mistakenly gone to first yesterday.  We did find a very nice, older couple from Holland waiting in the lobby for a ride to the cruise port, and asked them if they wanted to share a ride.  They did so the ride was half price for each couple. 

We got to the port, checked our bags with the ship’s baggage people and got checked in for the cruise.  The check in process was very organized and we were on the ship all ready to go after only about 30 minutes.  Once we got on the ship we went to the buffet and had lunch, the found a bar to have a drink.  The “drink package” was included in our cruise fare, so we could drink as much of whatever we wanted.  While at the bar we met up with Peggy and Wanda.  We had never met Wanda, although we knew of her from conversations in the past with Peggy.  They have been friends for years and are both widows.   After a couple of cocktails we went to our cabin and started to unpack our bags, which were arriving in our stateroom.  The ship, the Norwegian Sky, is an older, smaller, ship so the cabin was pretty small and storage was a major problem.  Nonetheless, we managed to find somewhere to put everything and we were ready to cruise.  We spent the afternoon just looking around the ship.  

Because of the fall Jackie took a couple days before we left, her knee and leg really hurt.  We arranged for a rental scooter to be brought to the ship and when we went to the cabin it was there, outside in the hallway.  Jackie used the scooter while we were on our explorations, getting used to driving it, not too fast, not too slow, and not running into people or things.  It was tricky at first.  The ship sailed at 4:00, leaving Baltimore Harbor and headed down the Chesapeake Bay towards Virginia Beach and the open ocean.  All four of us were up on deck when we left taking pictures of the concrete pylons left over from the recent collapse of the Key Bridge after one of the supports was hit by a wayward cargo ship.  We all went to dinner in the dining room about 6:30 and had a very nice meal.  We didn’t get out in time for the Welcome Aboard show in the showroom, so we just checked out the casino and gamed a bit, then checked a couple of bars before heading back to our cabin after an early and busy day.

Before I go into the next day, the first full day aboard the Sky, I want to give a little information about the ship.  This is an older ship, the second oldest in Norwegian’s current inventory.  It was built in 1999 and sailed as the Norwegian Sky until 2004.  In 2004 Norwegian Cruise Line purchased American Cruise Line, which had operated two ships on cruises limited to the Hawaiian Islands.  American went bankrupt and NCL purchased the company.  They sold the older ships American had used and transferred the Sky to the new subsidiary, NCL America for service in cruising the Hawaiian Islands.  The ship underwent some changes and was rechristened  “Pride of Aloha.”  US Federal laws require that ships which sail solely between United States ports must be registered in the United States, and have United States citizens as crew, so that was why the ship had to be transferred to the new company.  The major renovation undertaken was removal of the casino and replacing it with a Hawaiian cultural museum.  Since the ship never left US waters, it was not allowed to have a casino.  The ship sailed at the Spirit of Aloha until 2008 when NCL terminated the NCL America company and withdrew from the Hawaiian Island cruise business.  The ship went back into dock and was again slightly modified with the casino being restored and the ship being rechristened back to Norwegian Sky and reregistered in the Bahamas, where all the other NCL ships are registered.  In 2019 the ship went into drydock and was completely refurbished.  As I said, it is a smaller ship with a nominal capacity of about 2,000 passengers, with a crew of 900.  This is in comparison to some of the newest “super cruise ships” which have passenger capacities approaching 7,000.  The ship is 848 feet long, and has a beam of 118 feet, narrow than most of the other ships we have been on, explaining the smaller cabin size.  The décor on the ship is modern but actually quite plain compared to other ships we have cruised on.  The two dining rooms are located on deck 5, the lowest passenger deck, one aft and the other amidships, with the galley in between.  Another feature we have never seen is that the main showroom is located in the aft on decks 6 and 7, right above the aft dining room.  Every other cruise ship I have been on has the main showroom in the forward part of the ship.  All in all, it was a very pleasant ship and the small passenger load meant that you saw a lot more of the same people every day.  

Sunday, September 8th, was a day at sea.  We slept in, relaxing in the morning with our coffee and enjoying the warm weather and calm seas.  When got ready leave to go to lunch we stepped out into the corridor and saw Jackie’s mobility scooter was gone!  We had parked it outside our door because we had tried, and failed, to get it into the small cabin.  Our cabin steward told us that because the cabin attendants had to have there cleaning and supply carts in the hallway most of the day, the housekeeping staff took the scooters and park them in the crew hallways where they would not be in the way.  He said when we need it, they would call for it to be brought back.  He made the call and a little while later the scooter appeared.  We went up to the buffet for breakfast and then were touring around the ship looking for something to do.  Suddenly the scooter alarmed and indicated it needed to be recharged.  This surprised us since we hadn’t used it that much yesterday or today.  We immediately went back to the cabin to charge it.  I finally figured out that if I took off the seat I could maneuver it around the end of the bed into a place near the door to the balcony, where it was out of the way.  When I took the charger out of the basket and pulled out the instruction book to see where I needed to plug the charger in, I noticed a tag in the basket that said this was the “spare” scooter provided by the rental company.  It was then I also noticed a couple of other details, different colored zip ties and so forth, and figured out, this wasn’t Jackie’s scooter.  This was an extra provided by the company.  It was identical to her scooter, as well as a half dozen others that we had seen around the ship.  The average age on this cruise was well into the 60’s, so there were a lot of scooters in use.  We had the cabin attendant call and sure enough, Jackie’s scooter was still in the crew area.  They brought it back and we made the switch.  Jackie used the scooter for rest of the day.  We had dinner in the dining room around 6:30 again with Peggy and Wanda.  After dinner we went to the showroom for a Magician and Mentalist named Eric Walton.  He was a very good entertainer and magician and quite funny.  He involved the audience a lot and his act was well received.  After the show we went back to our cabin and went to bed.

Monday, September 9th, we awoke about 8:00 or so just in time for our arrival into the Port of Boston, Massachusetts.  We had visited Boston back in 2017, when we were still full-timing.  That was the year that did the “Grand Northeast Tour” to get to all the States which we had not yet visited with the motorhome.  We up, had some coffee and got ready to go ashore about 9:00 or so for the tour we had booked through the ship.  The tour was a “hop on, hop off” tour of Central Boston, which, according to the brochure, hit all of the main historical and cultural sites in town.  We got on the trolley, which had a very interesting and knowledgeable guide narrating the trip, and decided to take the entire round trip first, just to see where we might want to get off and explore later.  We had plenty of time since the “all aboard” time wasn’t until 7:30 this evening.  The round trip took about an hour to complete, after which we continued the ride until we reached the stop for the Quincy Market and old downtown area.  We got off here and did some shopping and had lunch in a nice seafood place.  We also got a couple of geocaches.  After we explored the area and checked out some of the historical sites, we got back on the trolley and took it back to the dock so we could reboard the ship.  After we got back to the ship we had a cocktail and just did some of the activities on board, like trivia.  We had dinner about 6:30 or so.  After dinner we went to the showroom to see a featured female vocalist named Mellissa McLaughlin.  I had never heard of her, but I guess she works the cruise ship circuit.  She had a decent voice, but she was a little too shrill and loud for us.  We watched for about a half hour and then left.  Since the ship had now sailed we went to the casino for a little while before heading off to bed.

Tuesday, September 10th, day four of the cruise.  Today we arrived in Bar Harbor Maine about 9:00 a.m.  We didn’t have any scheduled shore excursions for this stop.  We had also been in Bar Harbor back in 2017 and had camped at a big campground just off the island that Bar Harbor is situated on.   About 10:30 we boarded a tender to go into town.  Bar Harbor does not have a dock big enough for a cruise ship, so we were anchored out in the bay.  We did a little shopping in the small harbor area of town and then went into a café for lunch.  After lunch we decided to take a tour of the town, so we bought tickets for a small sightseeing trolly and looked around town an listened to another interesting speaker telling us about town.  It was a good tour and we were glad we took it.  After the tour we caught a tender back to the ship.  We rested for a while and watched while we left port about 4:30. We wandered around the ship and played some trivia before going to dinner.  Tonight we had dinner with Peggy and Wanda in the dining room.  They had found a waiter named Dias that they really liked and we asked to be seated in his section.  Dias, which is his last name, but easier to use than his first name, Zennium.  He is East Indian with a strong, but understandable Indian accent.  He is very funny and very attentive.  We had a great dinner and afterwards just went out and wandered the ship for a couple of hours enjoying different bars and checking out the karaoke at 9:00.  The featured artist in the showroom tonight was a soloist violinist and neither of us had much interest.  The Karaoke was great.  There wasn’t a big crowd at the beginning and I ended up doing both the first and second songs of the session before anyone else got brave enough to put in their name.  They had a great setup in one of the smaller showrooms. They had a wide selection of songs and the sound system was the same one they use for the professional entertainers that play in the room.  They had the spotlights on and you really felt you were on stage.  I did about four songs before the rotation started to become fairly big, at which time we headed back to the cabin and went to bed.

Wednesday, September 11th, the fifth day of the cruise.  Of course, we have to remember the terrible day of September 11, 2001.  Ironically, today was the first port stop in a Canadian port, Saint John, New Brunswick.  We didn’t have any excursions set up for this stop, so we just walked around the port area and did some shopping and exploring.  We did couple of geocaches too.  We stopped in a local brewery so I could get a tee shirt since none of the shops had anything I liked.  After a couple of hours we were tired, and Jackie’s knee was hurting, so we got back on the ship and rested for a while.  The ship sailed early, about 4:00 and we watched from our balcony as we left port.  We had dinner with Wanda and Peggy again, at Dias’ table.  Today he remember that Peggy, Jackie and I all drank double Tito’s vodka on the rocks and when he came to the table he already had the drinks for us.  Wow!  We had another very nice dinner.  After dinner we went to the main showroom for one of the two production numbers put on by the ships dance company.  This one was fashioned as a “sing off” type contest between the four lead singers of the group.  Of course it was done with lots of neat costumes, sets, lights and dancing.  It was a very good show.  After the show we went to the casino for a while, then headed up to bed.

Thursday, September 12th, day six of the cruise.  Today we arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.  We had lunch on the ship then went ashore for another hop on, hop off, excursion.  This was a very nice city and we took the entire tour without getting off.  After the tour we walked around the port area for a while, got some geocaches, and then got back on the ship.  The ship left about 7:00 as we were having dinner in the dining room with “our” waiter Dias.  We had another really good meal.  The variety of foods on this cruise is not quite what we experienced with Carnival, but the quality was very good and I always had a great meal.  After dinner we went to the showroom at 9:00 to watch the cruise ship version of “The Newlywed Game.”  This seems to be a staple for cruise ships and we have seen it on every cruise we have been on, regardless of which cruise line.  It was funny and entertaining, as it usually is.  After the show we spent some time around the ship, then went to the cabin and bed.

Friday, September 13th, day seven.  Today was another port call, this time the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia, at the very Northern tip of the province.  We did get off of the ship for a little while and did some shopping in the port area.  I did walk into town to drugstore to get some pain patches for Jackie’s leg.  It is a pretty, if small, rural seaport town.  We got a geocache at the world's largest fiddle, and then got back aboard the ship.  Today was the day we had our dining reservations in Cagney’s Steakhouse.  On this cruise we got two specialty dining credits, where we can go to the fancy ala carte restaurants on the ship for free.  We had an excellent meal.  I had the 16 oz rib eye and Jackie had the lamb.  We had a really nice dinner.  After dinner we went to the casino and a bar since we didn’t want to go to the show.  It was the same lady that we walked out on earlier in the cruise.  After a nice evening we went to the cabin and went to sleep.

Saturday, September 14th, day eight.  Today our port call was in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.  We had booked a tour for this port, but it didn’t leave until 1:00.  We had a relaxing morning and lunch on the ship.  We went ashore and boarded a very nice Prevost tour bus for a tour of the city and the bridge which connects Prince Edward Island with the mainland and New Brunswick.  The tour was nice but a big part of it was just driving through the countryside to the bridge.  This eight mile long bridge is the only land connection between the province of Prince Edward Island and the mainland of Canada.  Until the bridge opened in 1997 the only way to get to PEI was by air or boat.  It is the longest bridge in Canada, and the longest bridge over ice covered water in the world.  In the winter the sea around PEI freezes solid.  We drove over the bridge and made a stop at a little shopping area on the New Brunswick side.  We also got a geocache there.  We got some geocaches in Charlottetown and then got back on the ship.  

Sunday, September 15th, day nine of the cruise.  Today was a day at sea, the second of our two sea days on this cruise.  We slept in and relaxed, we had lunch in the dining room with our regular waiter.  We spent the rest of the day just around the ship doing whatever.  We spent some time in the casino, played some trivia, and just had a quiet day.  We had dinner with Peggy and Wanda and after dinner wandered around some more.  We went to the showroom for a magician and mentalist show.  He was Eric Walton and he was very good.  He was also very funny and got the audience involved with the show.  In fact, since we were in the front row, he actually came and took Jackie up on stage to help with one of his mentalist things.  She did great.  After the show we went to karaoke again and I got to do about three songs.  After a good day at sea we went back to the cabin and went to bed.  

Monday, September 16th, today we are making port in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.  This is a port city located at the end of an almost 80 mile fiord northwest from the Saint Lawrence

River.  We entered the fiord early in the morning, about 7:00 or so, and finally made port at noon.  It was very interesting cruising up the fiord with the rock walls on either side of the ship.  The fiord is only about four miles wide, but it is very deep.  We had a tour booked for today, but the tour didn’t leave until 4:30, so we spent some time on the ship.  We had lunch and then went ashore about 2:00 or so.  It turns out there wasn’t much shopping in the port area, so we spent a couple hours just sitting.  We did get a geocache though.  The tour was on a very nice Prevost coach and we toured the entire area.  The city was formed by combining three smaller communities into one large municipality.  It is a very pretty area and the tour was fun.  Saguenay is sort of the end of the world for mainland Quebec.  There are no roads that go north out of Saguenay and there are no settlements north or East on the mainland except for some small tribal communities.  After the tour we went back to the ship   We had dinner with Peggy and Wanda and after dinner went to the production show in the showroom  Tonight’s show was called Rock you Tonight and was really good with a lot of great music.  After the show we gamed a bit, then went to the cabin and to bed.

Tuesday, September 17th, day 11 of the cruise.  we arrived in Quebec City about 9:00.  We had one more tour scheduled, but it wasn’t until 2:00.  We had lunch on the ship and spent several hours in the afternoon packing our suitcases.  Tomorrow is the day we get off the ship.  The ship actually just stays in Quebec City overnight.  We had to have the bags packed and outside the cabin by 9:00 and we had a lot of things planned for the day.  We went on the tour with Wanda and Peggy and it was very interesting.  At one point the bus stopped for a little while in a large riverside park and we noticed that is was very close to the hotel we had booked for two nights after the cruise.  It seems to be in a very nice neighborhood, so we were happy we chose that one.  After the tour we went back on the ship.  We had our second specialty dining tonight in the French restaurant, Le Bistro.  We went at 6:30 and had a fabulous dinner.  Jackie had lamb and I had the filet and both were excellent.  After dinner we went to an adult comedy show in the showroom, which was very funny.  After the show we just went to bed because the shops and casino were closed since we are not leaving port tonight.

Wednesday, September 18th, we were up early because we had to be out of the cabin by 8:30.  We got our carryon bags packed and were out in time.  We went to breakfast, then found a place to wait to get off the ship.  By 9:30 we were called to get off the ship.  We didn’t have to go through Canadian customs, I guess because we have been in Canada for the last eight days.  We got our bags and got a cab to take us to the Le Concorde Hotel.  This hotel is in the main part of the city, on the hill above the port.  It is a very nice hotel and has a revolving restaurant on the roof.  We got to the hotel and they told us we couldn’t check in until 4:00, so we checked our bags with the porter and caught another cab down to the old part of the city, much of which we had seen on the tour yesterday.  We spent a couple of hours walking around the old square, which dates back to the 1700’s.  We did some shopping and also some geocaching.  It was interesting in the old town area there was what I assume was an art installation with giant pink inflatable babies all over the buildings.  One was looking in a window, another was looking over a roof, another was strung up like it was flying.  Very odd.  After our shopping we went back to the hotel and got in our room.  We had an excellent room on the 17th floor which was in a corner of the building so we had views out of two sides.  One overlooked the park and river, the other overlooked the city and port.  The room was very large and very nicely done.  We went out to dinner about 6:30 or so and the street that the hotel was on had at least a dozen or more restaurants and bars.  We finally settled on one and had a great dinner in a sidewalk café.  After dinner we walked around the street a little, then went back to the hotel and went to bed.

Thursday, September 19th, we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then went to the lobby and caught a cab to go to the port area again.  We had booked another tour that was supposed to be a ride on a boat down river to a place called Canyon St. Anne.  Wanda and Peggy met us at the boat dock and we got on a small, enclosed, water taxi.  It’s a good thing it was enclosed because the weather was terrible.  It was cold and windy, the worst weather day we have had on the entire trip and it had to be on the day we were on a small boat.  We went up river to a dock, and then had to take a bus to the canyon.  The canyon is on private property and has been developed as a tourist attraction.  Jackie didn’t want to walk the canyon, but I went and did the entire one mile round trip.  The canyon is spectacular with waterfalls and rapids.  I took lots of pictures.  While I was doing that Wanda and Jackie took a zip line ride that took them over the same area in which I was walking.  We spent a couple of hours there and then had to catch the boat back at 4:00.  We got back to Quebec City and went to the hotel.  We had to say goodbye to Wanda and Peggy because they are leaving very early in the morning to fly back to California.  Our plane doesn’t leave until afternoon.  After we got back to the hotel we rested for a while, then went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner.  We had a really nice dinner and then we went up to the revolving restaurant on the roof for a night cap.  The view from up there was fabulous.  After that we went down and went to bed.

Friday, September 20th, was our return to Las Vegas day.  We had lunch in the hotel, then caught a cab to the airport.  We were flying Air Canada back to Las Vegas.  Our flight got out on time, about 3:30, and flew to Toronto, which was only a 45 minute flight.  We then had a long layover in Toronto before catching the flight to Las Vegas.  Both flights were crowded and uncomfortable.  Flying today is torture unless you can go first class.  We got into Vegas just before midnight.  After we got our bags we took the shuttle to the motel where we left our car.  We got into the car and drove to Arizona Charlie’s Hotel and casino to spent the night.  We didn’t want to drive over the hill in the dark this late and this tired.  We settled into the room and went to sleep.

Saturday, September 21st, we checked out of the hotel, had lunch and then drove over the hill to Pahrump.  After we got home we found the house just as we left it.  We unpacked and stared doing laundry and putting things away.  We did go to happy hour to see our friends at 4:00.  We went home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.  Sunday was also a work at home day getting all cleaned up from the trip.  We went to the ice cream social and then back home.  We pretty much got everything done, all the laundry done and everything put away by the time it was time for bed.

Monday, September 23rd was pretty much a stay at home day for me.  I had a lot of stuff from Silver Seekers I had to catch up on.  Jackie went in the afternoon for a mani appointment.  We went to happy hour and then relaxed the rest of the night.  Tuesday I had an appointment in Las Vegas in the afternoon to set up the appointments for taking care of my cataracts.  I went through a bunch of tests and then worked with the assistant to set up the surgery dates.  They will do one eye the second week of November and then the other one two weeks later.  Kind of scary but everyone tells me I will see much better.  Jackie had to drive home because they had dilatated my eyes.  We got back in time for happy hour, after which we had dinner and relaxed with the TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, September 25th, we were finally back on a normal schedule.  I went to guitar practice with my friend Len over to another friend’s house.  Jackie went to play Pokeno.  After our fun times we went to happy hour then had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  We have a lot of TV to catch up on from being gone two weeks.  Thursday, we ran some errands and then worked around the house.  We had a pot luck in the clubhouse at 4:00 with some very good food and time with friends.  After the pot luck we went home and watched TV until bedtime.

Friday, September 27th, I had appointment with our new dentist.  Neither of us liked the way our old dentist ran his office.  He seemed to not care much about his patient’s time.  The new dentist did some x-rays and wrote up a plan that included a deep cleaning, a root canal and crown for a bad tooth, and new partial dentures.  Our insurance will pick up half or so of the cost.  I set up some appointments for December because I didn’t want to mess with dental stuff during the time I am doing the cataract thing in November.  We went to happy hour, then had dinner and relaxed for the rest of the night.  Saturday we had a 10:00 meeting of the Silver Seekers to finalize the October calendar.  Then we just worked around the house the rest of the day.  After dinner I had my first night of Security Duty.  After that we watched TV and went to bed.

Sunday, September 29th, we pretty much just stayed around the house, went to the ice cream social, had dinner and watched TV.  I had security again tonight.  Monday, the last day of October.  We were headed back into Las Vegas about 11:00 so I could go to Costco to get my hearing tested and get fitted for new hearing aids.  My last set finally wore out after seven years.  I used Millie’s late husband Dick’s for a while after mine broke.  He and I got them in Mexico at the same place and time.  They were not perfect, but they did work for me for about 8 months before they too quit working.  We had lunch at the Omelet house then went to Costco.  Jackie shopped while I got tested.  I was surprised at how thorough the test was.  After the testing the technician showed me the various brands they carried and tried them on me to see what I liked.  I decided on the one’s made by Phillips.  I have to come back in week to pick them up.  After all that we headed back to Pahrump.  We went to happy hour, then home to relax with the TV the rest of the evening.

That is now finally the end of this episode, which is quite long because of the cruise.  Until next time, be happy, be safe and have fun.  Bye.

A Sweltering August in Pairadice

Hello again.  Our last Chapter ended on Wednesday, July 31^st after a record breaking hot July in Southern Nevada.  Our $300 plus July electric bill is testament to that.  Thursday, the first day of August, was a stay at home day.  Jackie went to play cards at the clubhouse and I stayed home and did chores. 

Friday, August 2^nd, I had to go over to the clubhouse after lunch to setup the zoom for an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors.  It seems that one of our two well pumps went out yesterday and needed to be pulled from the well and replaced.  This is a $4,000 plus job, so the Board had to hold an open meeting in accordance with the By Laws.  There were only a dozen or so people that came to the five minute meeting, and another eight or so on Zoom, but for the sake of transparency they had to have a meeting.  After the meeting I put everything away and went back the house for some office work.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had meatloaf for dinner.  We watched TV until it was time for bed.  Saturday was mostly a stay at home day.  We went over to the clubhouse at 9:00 for the “First Saturday Breakfast” but were one of the last to come in.  We got some waffles and bacon.  About 12:30 the delivery truck from the local furniture store arrived to deliver our new furniture.  Last week we went out to shop for new dining chairs for our trailer.  The four we have are the typical, lightweight chairs that they put in RVs.  That is understandable for RVs that are going to be used for travel since towing weight is an issue.  Ours is a permanent home and will likely not be moved until after we die.  The chairs are only about a year and a half old, but they are starting to fall apart at the joints.  We found chairs that we really liked at one of the local stores and put them on order.  While we were there we looked at a replacement for our current theater seating unit that came with our trailer.  It has two recliner positions, but the recliners are manually operated by a pull handle, which Jackie cannot operate.  In addition, they are either up or down, nothing in between.  We want to replace it with a unit with electric recliner activation.  We found what is actually a love seat in the right dark blue-grey color with dual electric recliners.  The only difference is that there is no center divider as is present in a theater seating unit.  It does have storage bins in each arm, just nothing in the middle.  It is also about the same size as our current unit, just a couple inches narrower.  We decided to get it too and have it delivered at the same time.  The delivery guys took our old theater unit out and set up the new love seat.  They also took the old theater seating over to the clubhouse as we are donating it to the park.  The old dining chairs we kept in case someone in the park wants them.  After the delivery people left we went out to do some errands, including a run to Smith’s for some groceries.  After we got home we went to happy hour, then came home and spent the night watching TV while reclining in our new power recliners.  Yea!

Sunday, August 4^th, we relaxed in the morning and left about 1:00 for a late lunch.  We went to the Pour House where Jackie had lamb Tika and I had one of their great pizzas.  We both brought leftovers home.  After we got home we just relaxed with the TV the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Monday we went out after lunch and ran a bunch of errands.  After we got back we went to happy hour, then came home and had leftovers for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching the TV.

Tuesday, August 6^th, Jackie had a birthday lunch with some of the other ladies from the park at the Artesian Cellars restaurant.  I had a stay at home day and did some chores.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour and then came home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with the TV.  Wednesday I went with my friend Len to our Jam session in town, Jackie went over to the clubhouse for Pokeno.  In the afternoon we went to social hour, then came home and had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, along with some freshly baked, homemade sour dough bread made by another member of the park.  We then spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Thursday, August 8^th, was a another stay at home day.  Jackie went to the clubhouse in the morning for a card game.  I did some chores around the house.  We spent the afternoon doing things around the house.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had dinner.  I had my first of three nights of security duty starting at 8:00.  After that we watched TV and went to bed.  Friday we went out for a late lunch to La Fonda, a local Mexican restaurant that we don’t go to very often.  The food was good for me except the taco meat was a little flavorless.  Jackie ordered chicken fajitas and the chicken was very tasteless and tough, like it was frozen and never marinated.  After lunch we went back home, then we went to happy hour and stayed for Bingo.  Jackie shared a pot on one regular bingo and I won one regular bingo, so I made my money back and a few bucks extra.  After bingo I did my security rounds, then we watched TV until it was time to go to bed.

Saturday, August 10^th, was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie went out about 11:00 for her monthly Ladies Luncheon.  Today they went to the Pour House, the local Indian restaurant that also has the best pizza in town.  I stayed home and did some chores around the house.  Jackie came home with a pizza for me.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour and at 8:00 I did my last security shift for the month.  After I got done we watched TV and went to bed.  Sunday we went out to do some grocery shopping.  We went to several different stores because, in addition to our own shopping we were also shopping for the Taco Tuesday lunch in the Clubhouse.  Jackie and I are doing that lunch.  After shopping we just headed home, put stuff away, and then relaxed for the rest of the day.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Monday, August 12^th, was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie went for a manicure at 2:00.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then went home and had dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Tuesday I was over in the clubhouse kitchen by 9:30 cooking the taco meat for the lunch, as well as making other preparations.  At 12:30 we started the lunch and had about 35 people in attendance.  Everyone seemed happy with the meal.  We bought the rice and beans from a local Mexican restaurant, but I did the meat.  We had a good time and came close to breaking even.  After the lunch I had another meeting in the clubhouse for a new Budget Advisory Committee.  I am only a member of this one, not in any position of authority.  After the meeting, which took place over happy hour, we went home and crashed for the rest of the night since we were both tired. 

Wednesday, August 14^th, Jackie had Pokeno at 1:00 and I drove to the center of Pahrump to our friend’s house for the weekly jam session.  Today, in addition to our now group of six, we had a bass player.  We are working on a real band here.  We had a good, if a little messy, jam.  After the jam I went home and we went to happy hour.  We then came home and had leftovers for dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Thursday Jackie played cards in the morning and I did some chores around the house.  Other than that it was a stay at home day.  Went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and another night with the TV.

Friday, August 16^th, I had to set up and run a Zoom meeting for the Board at 1:00.  The meeting was an emergency expenditure meeting and only lasted a couple of minutes.  After the meeting we drove up to the Elks Lodge so Jackie could drop off some jewelry she is donating.  After that we went to Walmart for some groceries.  After we got home we put stuff away and then went to happy hour.  After that we came home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday we did some chores around the house until about 3:30 when we left, picked up our friends Ginny and Joyce, and drove up to the Elks Lodge for the State President’s dinner.  This is a dinner our Lodge puts on when the new State President makes his yearly visit to the Lodge.  It is a tradition with Elks that both the District Deputy and the State President have to visit each Lodge in his or her territory at least once.  The dinner was very nice, ribs, salad, bread, potato salad and beans.  We had a before dinner drink and gamed a little at the bar.  We didn’t win the 50/50, but we had five people from our park at the event.  Jon, who came on his own, is not a member, but I think we have convinced him to join the Elks as well.  After dinner we had a couple of short speeches and presentations.  We were on our way home by about 7:00.  After we got home we just watched TV and went to bed.

Sunday, August 18^th, we had a stay at home day.  Did some chores and relaxed most of the day.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00, then came home and had some country ribs that had been cooking all day in the crock pot.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.  Monday was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie had a manicure at 2:00 and my friend Len came over at 1:00 for some guitar practice.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then came home and had leftovers for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Tuesday, August 20^th, Jackie had to go for a bone density scan at 1:00, so I took her there and then we went out and ran some errands.  After we got home we went to happy hour and then just relaxed for the rest of the evening.  Wednesday was a typical one, Jackie had Pokeno at 1:00 and I went to my weekly jam session.  After we got home we went to happy hour and then watched TV until bedtime.   Thursday we did stuff around the house until 1:00 when we both went to get haircuts.  After haircuts we ran some errands and went to Walmart for supplies.  After happy hour we spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Friday, August 23^rd, we went out for a late lunch to China A Go Go because we have Bingo tonight in the clubhouse.  After we got home we did some chores, then went to happy hour and stayed over for bingo.  I won one game, but had to split the pot so I didn’t quite break even.  After bingo we watched some TV and went to bed.  Saturday was a stay at home day.  We went to the clubhouse about 3:30 for pot luck dinner.  Jackie made a Chinese chicken salad.  There were about 40 people there and we had a good time.  After we got home we relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.

Sunday, August 25^th, we had a stay at home day.  We went to clubhouse at 2:00 for the ice cream social.  After we got back we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing and watching TV.  Monday was also a stay at home day.  I had to go to the clubhouse in the afternoon to give another member a briefing on how to run the zoom setup so he can do while we are on vacation starting next week.  There are four different meetings that have to be zoomed during the 15 days we are gone.  We went to happy hour, then came home and had dinner.  We spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Tuesday, August 27^th, Jackie played cards in the morning and we spent the rest of the day around the park.  Wednesday I went to guitar jam at 12:30 and Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00.  After we got home we went to happy hour and then home for supper.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Thursday I had an 11:00 dermatologist appointment.  I got some spots sprayed with the nitrogen, and he took a shave biopsy of a small spot on the side of my jaw.  Only a very small spot.  Later in the afternoon Jackie went to our new dentist to get her teeth cleaned.  We decided to change dentists because neither of us much cared for our current provider.  Jackie was not happy with the new dentist either because she had to wait almost an hour to get her teeth cleaned.  After the dentist we ran a few errands and then went home.  We had dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Friday, August 30^th, we left the park around 10:30 and headed for Las Vegas for my three month checkup for my hip.  Everything is still fine and I don’t have to come back until next June.  On the way to the Orthopedic center we stopped for lunch at a new place called Angie’s Lobster on Blue Diamond Road and Decatur.  We both had lobster rolls, with fries and a drink for $25.  The lobster roll was excellent and we will be back to try some of their other items in the future.  After the doctor’s visit we drove to Summerlin and the Costco store.  We were back home by 5:00, had dinner and spent the night watching TV.  Saturday, the last day of August.  We left the park about 2:00 to go out and run some errands.  I had to pick up a prescription, we needed to get some cash for our trip, we stopped at Walmart for some things, and we picked up dinner at Teriyaki Madness.  We got home in time for happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had dinner, then watched TV for the rest of the night.

We are now at the end of August, time to get this puppy published.  Until next time, be kind.  Bye.

A Record-Breaking July, and NOT in a good way

Hi there, welcome back.  Our last chapter concluded on Sunday, June 30^th, while we were in residence at the Escapees Co-op in Pahrump.  Monday, July 1^st, happy second half of 2024.  Today was mostly a stay at home day.  I had PT at 2:30, but was back home by a little after 3:00.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had dinner.  We then watched TV for the rest of the night.

Tuesday, July 2^nd, we were on the road headed to Las Vegas for a Costco run about 10:30.  When we got into town we stopped at the Summerlin Omelet House restaurant for lunch.  We then drove to Costco and spent the family fortune on supplies.  After Costco we headed back to Pahrump, getting home in time to put stuff away and go to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Wednesday Jackie had her Pokeno at 1:00.  Len was not feeling well, so I had the afternoon to myself and did some chores, including fixing a broken step on the porch.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home for dinner and an evening with the TV.

Thursday, July 4^th, Happy Birthday America!!  We went over to the clubhouse about noon for the 4^th of July hamburger and hot dog luncheon.  We had over 40 members and guests come for the festivities.  After we helped clean up we headed back to the house and spent the rest of this very hot day inside relaxing.  Friday we left the house about 2:00 on a very hot day.  We first went to my PT, which took about a half hour or so.  Jackie waited for me today.  After PT we went to Smith’s for some grocery shopping, then we went to Teriyaki Madness and picked up two teriyaki bowls for dinner.  We then went and got haircuts.  We didn’t make it home in time for happy hour, so we missed two in a row.  We had the teriyaki bowls for dinner, then spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including a really weird horror movie on HULU called “The Stranger.”  This is the 2024 movie by that name, there are several others.

Saturday, July 6^th, we got up early for the “First Saturday Breakfast” in the clubhouse.  This is a new thing started by this year’s Silver Seekers Board.  We had waffles and bacon and we brought the fixings for bloody Mary’s too.  After breakfast we went back to the trailer and spent the rest of the day inside staying cool.  We did go to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had dinner.  We spent the rest of the evening watching the TV.  Sunday was another hot day.  According to the National Weather Service Las Vegas hit an all-time high temperature of 120 degrees this afternoon.  The old record was 117.  Wasn’t quite that hot in Pahrump, but way to hot to be spending any time outdoors.  We went to the clubhouse at 2:00 for the ice cream social, then we went out to Goodwill to check out the bargains.  We came home and did some great T-bones for dinner, then spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Monday, July 8^th, was mostly a stay at home day.  I did have to go to PT at 2:30, but I was back for happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and spent the night with the TV trying to stay cool.  Tuesday, Jackie had a mani appointment at 10:30.  After she got back around noon, and after she had lunch, we went out and ran a couple of errands.  She had to go to the bank to make a Silver Seekers deposit, now that she is the “acting” treasurer of the group.  Then we had to go pay the Ice Man, the company that supplies bagged ice cubes to the clubhouse for resale by the Silver Seekers.  We got back home and did some chores, then went to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had pork chops for dinner, then watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, July 10^th, was a stay at home day, and the usual Wednesday schedule.  Jackie went to play Pokeno in the clubhouse at 1:00, and my friend Len came over and we spent 90 minutes in the shed jamming on our guitars.  For dinner we decided to get pizza from the newest pizza place in town, Max’s East Coast Pizza, which uses the name “Mia Ava East Coast Pizza” on its building and website.  We have been seeing a number of reviews that say it is a pretty good place for pizza.  I was disappointed right off when I went to website and found nothing for online ordering of food.  Then I called the phone number and got an answering machine that said to leave a message and they would get back to me.  Not what someone calling in an order wants to hear.  I decided I would just go there and order it to go.  The place was not too busy, two or three couples inside, some eating, some waiting for an order.  I placed my order for their large (16”) New York style supreme, which came with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and olives.  Then I decided to go ahead and try their Italian sub sandwich, The Soprano, which came with Salami, Capicola, Mortadella, Ham, Provolone, Tomato, Onion, Banana Peppers, Mayo, Mustard & Creamy Italian Dressing.  I would save that for lunch tomorrow.  It took the usual 20 minutes or so for the pizza and I took the food home.  I put the sandwich in the fridge for tomorrow and we had the pizza.  At best it was OK, better than the cheap mass produced fast food places like Dominos, Little Caeser’s, or Pizza Hut, but not nearly as good as the Pour House, Tower Pizza, or Nicco’s.  The dough was chewy, very little sauce and what there was didn’t have much taste.  The toppings were sparse.  It was cheesy and the sausage was spicey.  The final determination was, “it’s OK, but would not order again.”  Thus ended today’s experiment with pizza in Pahrump.  After dinner we watched TV and then went to bed. 

Thursday, July 11^th, we had pretty much a stay at home day except for my PT appointment at 2:30.  Friday we headed into Vegas about 11:00 or so for my six week follow-up appointment for my hip.  We stopped a new Greek place on Blue Diamond Road called Kabob Grill.  The food was excellent and we will probably be back.  My appointment was short and easy.  They did take a couple of x-rays and I was able to look at my new “super hip.”  The PA checked my incision site and said everything looked good and they would see me in another couple of months.  After the doctor’s appointment we headed back to Pahrump and got home in time for happy hour.  After that we had dinner and then watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, July 13^th, Jackie had a ladies lunch at 11:00 and I did some chores around the house.  After she got back we stayed home the rest of the day.  Went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and watched TV until it was time for bed.  Sunday we packed our bag and were in the car by 10:30, heading South to Laughlin for another three night stay at the Riverside Resort and Casino.  This was another Comp visit, with us only paying tax and the stupid resort fee.  We got in just before 3:00 and checked in.  We then gamed some in the casino.  When we ran our players club cards through the machine Jackie won two free dinners in the Prime Rib Room, for which we had already made reservations for tomorrow.  We also got two free buffets and one two for one buffet coupon.  We had dinner in the coffee shop and gamed until bedtime.

Monday, July 15^th, we spent the morning in the room, then went down and used the two for one coupon for the breakfast buffet.  It was OK, but not worth what they charge, so good thing it was half off.  After we ate we drove into Bullhead city and spent the afternoon shopping at various places.  We got back to the Riverside, gamed a little, then at 6:00 went to the Prime Rib Room for dinner.  The dinners were free, but we did take advantage of the $2 movie ticket deal and got two movie tickets for later.  The dinner was wonderful and we had a great window seat overlooking the river.  After dinner we got in the car and went to the Tropicana to game a little.  We stayed until about 10:00 or so, then came back to the Riverside and went to bed.  Tuesday we left the room about 11:00 and spent the day in the Casino.  We went to the movies at 1:30 and saw “A Quiet Place – Day 0” which is a prequel to the other two Quiet Place films, both of which we have seen.  It was a great movie with a totally different cast and story line from the first two of the series.  After the movie we gamed, then went to the buffet with the free tickets we had.  Again, good thing it was free, because it was nothing to rave about.  We spent the rest of the night gaming and went to bed around 10:00.

Wednesday, July 17^th, We were our of the room at 11:00 check-out time.  We stopped at the In and Out Burger in Laughlin, then hit the road for home.  We got back about 2:30, unpacked and relaxed.  We went to happy hour then came home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night. Thursday Jackie went over to the clubhouse at 10:00 to play cards.  I did some chores and office work.  I had my PT at 3:00.  When I got home we had dinner and spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Friday, July 19^th, we had a 10:00 meeting in the clubhouse of the Silver Seekers Board to set the calendar for August.  We left the park around 12:30 and went out to a late lunch at El Jefe Mexican, then went to Walmart for some supplies.  After we got home we relaxed a while, then went to happy hour about 4:30, then stayed for Bingo.  Neither of us won anything.  Boo Hoo.  After Bingo we went home and watched TV until it was time for bed.  Saturday was a stay at home day.  We went to the clubhouse for a Silver Seekers lunch.  Today was enchiladas and rice and beans.  Don Olney, the Silver Seekers President, and his wife Sharon did the cooking and serving and several of us helped with the set up and cleanup.  The meal was quite good and we had about 30 people show up.  We spent the rest of the day in the house doing chores. 

Sunday, July 21^st, was another stay at home day.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00.  They were short on ice cream today because apparently someone went into the fridge in the clubhouse kitchen and took one of the gallon containers of ice cream.  We have had other stuff disappear lately too.  I am not sure why anyone in the park would think that stuff in the clubhouse kitchen fridge was just there for the taking.  After ice cream we did some chores, then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with the TV.  Monday was mostly a stay at home day.  We did go out and run a couple of errands after lunch.  I was supposed to have PT, but they called the other day and cancelled.  We did a few chores and tried to stay cool.  We did go to the social hour at 4:00, then came home for dinner and TV the rest of the night.

Tuesday, July 23^rd, was another stay at home day.  I did some work in the office and Jackie went out to take a jacket to the seamstress to have the sleeves shortened.  Other than that we stayed home.  Went to Social hour at 4:00, then came home and had pork chops for dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday, my friend Len picked me up about 12:30 and we drove to another friend’s house for our jam session.  The other couple had found another couple that recently moved to Pahrump and were looking for jam partners.  They invited them for today.  They were Jeff and Debbie.  Jeff plays guitar and mandolin and Debbie is just a singer, but a good one, and also does the washboard, which provides us with a percussion element.  Jeff is a good guitar player and they were both very nice people.  We had a really good time and jammed until about 3:00.  Jackie went to Pokeno in the afternoon.  After we were both home we went to happy hour, then came home and did pot pies for dinner.  We then watched TV until bedtime.

Thursday, July 25^th, was pretty much a stay at home day.  Happy Birthday to Jackie’s brother, Dennis.  The big 80 today.  I went to my PT at 2:30 and then did a quick trip to Home Depot for some things.  Jackie did some accounting work for the Silver Seekers in the office.  We skipped happy hour and just had dinner and then watched TV.  I did have my second night of Security Duty at 8:00.  Friday we left the park around 10:30 and drove to the Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue office so that both of us could give blood to the Red Cross.  We both gave our pint of blood, then drove our to the Living Free Café for lunch.  After lunch we stopped at Walmart for some supplies and the bank for some money.  We then went home.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.

Saturday, July 27^th, we had another stay at home day.  I did some chores around the house, Jackie went to the clubhouse in the morning to play cards.  We spent most of the afternoon and evening with the TV.  I made stuffed peppers for dinner, they were really good.  After a night of TV we went to bed.  Sunday was a day of leisure.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00 then went back home and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Monday, July 29^th, was mostly a stay at home day.  Did a few chores and relaxed.  I had my last PT session at 2:30, so I am now done with that weekly chore.  After I got home Jackie went to get a manicure.  I went to happy hour at 4:00 and after Jackie got home we had dinner and then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Tuesday we stayed home for most of the day.  We did leave about 2:30 and went out to run some errands and go to Mom’s Diner for the monthly dine-out for the park.  Unfortunately, there were only five of us from the park that attended.  We still had a good meal and some conversations with neighbors.  After dinner we went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Wednesday, July 31^st, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00 and I went out to our friend’s house on the North side of Pahrump for guitar practice.  My friend Len wasn’t available today because of other appointments.  Jeff and Debbie, the new couple we met last week were there also.  The five of us played until about 3:00 and had a great jam.  After the jam Linda, the homeowner, offered us homemade Prickly Pear ice cream and coconut macaroons as a snack.  Well, I couldn’t resist that, so I was a little late getting home, a little after 4:00.  I went for a little while to social hour, then came home and made a pot of chili.  We had dinner, then spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Well, the month of July is now gone and it is time to put this episode online.  Just as a sideline, this past month has gone into the record books as the hottest July on record for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, of which Pahrump is a part.  July saw a new all time high temperature of 120 degrees in Las Vegas, a record number of consequtive days over 110, 11 days.  Also a record average high temperature for the month.  It’s getting hot out there.  Until next time, be good and have fun.  See ya. 

Summer Roars in with Dragon Breath

Hello again.  Our last chapter concluded on Friday, May 31^st, as we awaited summer in Pahrump.  Saturday, the first of June, we had a chores day.  We did a quick shopping run and I spent time getting things set up for my recovery period after the surgery on my hip on Monday.  We went to happy hour.  Each week we lose a few more people to summer travels, pretty soon happy hours will be just a handful of us hard core heat monsters.  After happy hour we went home, watched TV and went to bed.  Sunday we had the Sunday paper and mainly relaxed around the house.  We went to ice cream social, then came home and spent the rest of the day and evening relaxing.

Monday, June 3^rd, THE BIG DAY.  We were up early, about 5:00, and on the road by a little after 6:00, heading for the surgical hospital in Las Vegas.  We arrived at the Valley Health Specialty Hospital.  This facility is set up and designed primarily for out patient, and semi out patient surgeries, mostly orthopedic I would guess.  They have a large intake and pre-surgical prep area, several operating rooms, recovery rooms and ten regular private hospital rooms.  The hospital rooms are for patients who, for whatever reason, cannot be discharged on the day of surgery.  This is strictly a surgical hospital.  I checked in and within 5 minutes was escorted to the prep area.  This is where I changed to the surgical gown and got in the bed to be prepped.  Lots of questions to be sure that I was the right person and they were doing the right procedure in the right place.  They had an excellent nursing staff in the prep area.  I was in there about an hour, talked to the anesthesiologist, but not the surgeon.  At some point the anesthesiologist gave me a shot and the next thing I know, I am in a recovery room. 

They let me recover for about a half hour after I woke up, I was a little loopy and disoriented.  Finally they helped me out of bed and gave me a walker and said, “let’s go over here.”  Surprisingly, I was not in any pain and could actually walk pretty well.  We walked around a small physical therapy suite, and then the PT guy took me to a set of steps, three or four up to a little porch, then the same back down.  He gave me a cane and had me go up and down a couple times.  I was able to do it without any problem.  After a bunch of paper signing I was released and walked to the car.  We drove home and I was able to sit in the car with no issues either.  I was still a little groggy, but we got home and I settled into my chair and watched TV for the rest of the night.

Tuesday, June 4^th, I woke up, got out of bed after a pretty good night’s sleep, and walked out of the living room with only the use of my cane.  The only problem with sleeping was that it is hard for me to sleep on my back, I am a side sleeper.  I spent the day in my chair, getting up from time to time to walk around the house.  Still very little pain and a lot more mobility than I expected.  I was a little nauseated, but still ate dinner.  Watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday, I was sick to my stomach and didn’t have anything to eat but crackers.  I am sure this is a result of the anesthetic and the trauma to my leg, which is quite swollen.  The did give me a nifty machine that you fill with water and ice and it then pumps the cold water through a pad that you can put on the swollen parts.  I spent the day in my chair for the most part.

Thursday, June 6^th, D-Day anniversary.  Three days in and I felt much better.  I was now able to move around the house easily, sometimes without using the cane at all.  I felt better and started eating regular food again.  The day was much the same, some rest, some exercise, icing the swollen leg.  Still no pain to speak of.  We did go to the local Physical Therapy center at 3:30 so the PT guy could evaluate my needs and set up a schedule.  I was able to do all the exercises he had, various machines, with not too much problem.  I did get tired easily, probably from just sitting around doing nothing for a week.  Friday was exactly the same.  At this point I haven’t left the house, but I am beginning to think that I would like to.

Saturday, June 8^th, I am now completely free of the cane.  I walk around the house, with a little limp because the leg is still swollen and stiff, but without any pain or balance problems.  Jackie had a ladies lunch.  Sunday I actually got out of the house and went to the ice cream social.  Our friend Charlene is going back East for the summer and she lent us her golf cart for the summer since ours is still broken.  I was able to walk into and out of the clubhouse with no issues and it was good to see everyone again.  We had dinner and spent the night with the TV.  Monday was another house day.  I think I am about ready to stop the ice treatments.  Jackie has been doing a lot of work, hauling ice from the clubhouse and keeping it going.  She has been an outstanding nurse during this week and I am very grateful. 

Tuesday, June 11^th, another home day.  Jackie and I both went to a meeting of the Silver Seekers Board, or at least the five of us still in the park.  We were doing some planning for July and August, which didn’t take long.  Jackie left about 10:30 for a mani appointment.  After the meeting I went home and had lunch.  Then I spent some time out in my office in the shed.  Got this blog caught up, updated the checkbook, and did a few other regular office tasks.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, my first happy hour since the surgery.  After that we went home, cooked a lasagna in the outside oven, then after dinner relaxed with the TV until bedtime.  Wednesday Jackie had to meet with our friend Kim, who is treasurer of the Silver Seekers, to get up to speed with the books of the association.  Kim and Lee are leaving for their summer travels soon and Jackie is taking over the treasurer duties until she gets back.  About 12:45 we left for my first PT appointment.  Jackie had to miss her Pokeno today because of the PT appointment because I am not released to drive yet.  The PT went about 40 minutes or so.  They had eight or so different exercises and/or machines in my chart.  Only a couple of them really taxed me or caused some discomfort in my leg.  After the PT we went to Smiths for some grocery shopping and I was able to walk around shopping without any problems.  After that we went home, then went to happy hour.  I had my first alcohol at happy hour since my surgery.  We had dinner and then spent the night with the TV.

Thursday, June 13^th, the housekeeper came about 10:00 or so to clean the house.  After she left we had lunch and then we drove out to a Rehab facility on the North end of town to visit with a friend of ours from the Co-op, Jon Albinson.  A couple of weeks before the surgery on my hip, Jon was getting ready for his summer travels.  He was climbing the ladder on his large toy hauler fifth-wheel to get to his Starlink antenna on the roof of the trailer.  As he neared the top the ladder broke loose from the trailer and down he went.  At first he thought he had broken his hip, but it turned out to be his femur.  He had surgery where they pinned the break, but his doctor sent him to a rehab facility to get better.  He lives alone, so he needs to be somewhere where help is available when needed.  He has been out there a week or two and will probably be another couple of weeks, so we went out to visit for a while.  It turns out, the difficulty he is having, and most of the pain, is actually not from the break in the femur, but rather the damage he did to his knee, which he had replaced some years ago..  They are still trying to decide what needs to be done to fix the knee.  After our visit we headed back home.  We went to happy hour, then came home and had dinner.  We then spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Friday, June 14^th we were on the road a little after 11:00, heading into Vegas for my surgery follow-up at the orthopedic center.  We arrived and I had the interview with the nurse and the PA.  They took the dressing off of the surgical site and released me for whatever I felt I could do.  I have to come back in a month for the final follow-up.  We left the doctor’s office and stopped for lunch at one of the Distill restaurants.  After lunch we headed back to Pahrump, getting home in time to rest for a bit and then go to happy hour and Bingo.  We both won multiple Bingos, including Jackie getting one of the special games for $35.  Between the two of us we won about $80 or so.  Yea!  After Bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday we went over to the clubhouse at noon for a hamburger lunch put on by the Silver Seekers.  After lunch we did a few chores around the house and relaxed.  I went to happy hour at 4:00, although there were only four other people there.  Things thin out during the summer.  Jackie didn’t go because she was getting ready to go to the Ms. Golden Years pageant tonight.  Our friend Debbie Forrest, my friend Len’s wife, is one of the contestants this year.  I decided not to go because I didn’t think I could sit in one chair in a crowded ballroom for three or four hours.  Jackie invited our friend Genny to go instead.  About 5:30 I drove the two of them to the Saddle West Casino and dropped them off for the pageant.  I went out and ran some errands, got the car washed, stopped at the bank for some money, and then went to El Jeffe’s Mexican place for dinner.  I had a nice taco salad.  After that I went home for a little bit, then drove back to the Saddle West so I would be there when the pageant ended.  While I was there I gamed a little and hit it big on a penny slot machine, cashing out $375!  Yea.  The pageant ended about quarter to nine and our friend Debbie won!  Yea again.  She will now be the Pahrump Golden Years Queen for the next year.  I congratulated my friend Len for becoming the Prince Consort.  We drove back home, dropped Genny off, and went home and watched TV until it was time for bed.

Sunday, June 16^th, Happy Fathers Day, and happy birthday to my oldest daughter, Tye.  We had pretty much a quiet day at home.  We did go to the ice cream social, with free ice cream for the fathers in the group.  We went home, did some chores and just relaxed for the rest of the day.  We had a meat loaf for dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Monday was pretty much a stay at home day.  I did have to go to the gym for my PT at 2:00, but I was done and back home by 2:30.  We did a few chores and I went to happy hour at 4:00.  Jackie was feeling puny and stayed home.  We had leftover meatloaf for dinner, then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Tuesday was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie went to a ladies lunch at the Artesian Cellars about noon.  We both had big lunches, so we just had light snacks for dinner and spent the night with the TV.

Wednesday, June 19^th, Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00 and my friend Len came over for guitar practice about the same time.  Later in the afternoon we went over to our friend Millie’s house for a visit because her daughter Dion and her husband were in town visiting with Millie.  We had a nice visit before leaving to go to happy hour.  Millie and her kids also came to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had dinner, then spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Thursday was pretty much a stay at home day.  Dion and her husband stopped by just before lunch to say goodbye as they headed down to Las Vegas.  I spent the day doing some office work and other chores.  It was a quiet day at home.  I went to my PT at 3:30, so I missed the first half of happy hour.  I did get over to the clubhouse about 4:30.  We went home and had dinner, then we watched TV until bedtime.

Friday, June 21^st, the first full day of summer.  Today was a stay at home day.  Got a few chores done, mostly just relaxed around the house.  Went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and night with the TV.  Saturday we went out about 1:00 or so and went to the Roadhouse for a late lunch.  We both the excellent liver and onions.  After we ate we stayed and gamed for a while.  I broke even, thanks to a late jackpot on a penny machine.  Jackie lost her $20 investment.  After that we stopped at Goodwill to get our yard skeleton, Bob, some new clothes for summer.  He got new shorts and a Vegas Golden Knights tee shirt.  We decided to skip happy hour today and just stayed home and watched TV for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Sunday was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie went out early, about 9:00, with a couple of the other women in the park, to Secret Sisters for a sidewalk sale.  Secret Sisters is a high end resale boutique that many of the “ladies of Pair-a-dice” like to shop.  I put a bit corn beef brisket in the crockpot for dinner.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00, then came home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing. 

Monday, June 24^th, Jackie spent some time with our friend Kim out in the shed office working on Treasurer stuff for the Silver Seekers.  Kim is the group’s Treasurer, but she and Lee are going away for a couple of months this summer and Jackie is taking over for the time they are gone.  Kim was showing Jackie how she keeps the books.  I went to my PT at 2:30, getting home around 3:00.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had leftover corn beef and cabbage for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Tuesday I spent most of the day at home doing chores.  Jackie went in the morning for a manicure.  About 3:00 we left and ran a couple of errands and then went to Nicco’s Italian restaurant for the monthly park dine-out.  We only had six people today since a big proportion of the park is gone for the summer, and another big proportion of the park are older people who are pretty much shut-ins.  After dinner we went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Wednesday, June 26^th, Jackie went out about 10:30 with Kim to go to the bank for Silver Seekers business, then out to lunch.  She came back just in time to go to Pokeno.  My friend Len came over about 1:00 and we played guitar for a couple of hours.  We went to happy hour at 4:00.  Our friend Jon Albinson, who had fallen off his RV a month ago or so, was back home recovering and made his first appearance at happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had leftovers for dinner, then spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Thursday was mostly chores and relaxation day.  Jackie went in the morning for a pedi, leaving about the same time the housekeeper came to clean the house.  I worked in the shed while she cleaned.  I went to my PT at 2:30, then we went to 4:00 happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and Jackie made an excellent chili relleno casserole.  It has been a while since she made one.  Part of the reason is that we can no longer find whole green chilis in the large, 21 oz can.  We finally got three of the small cans, which provide the same amount of chilis, but the size of the individual chilis is smaller.  In the casserole it doesn’t matter, so it came out good.  After dinner we watched TV until it was time for bed. 

Friday, June 28^th, was pretty much a stay at home day.  We did a few chores but mostly relaxed.  We had leftover chili relleno for dinner, then went to Bingo.  Both of us won again, I won one of the special games for $30, and one of the regular games for $4.  Jackie also won a couple of regular games.  After Bingo we went home and watched TV the rest of the night.  Saturday we went out about 1:00 for a late lunch at Chat Thai Bistro.  After lunch we ran some errands, including a trip to Home Depot for some supplies to fix a broken stair, and Walmart for some supplies.  After shopping we went home, then went to happy hour at 4:00.  After happy hour we went home and spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Sunday, June 30^th, the last day of the first half of the year.  Wow, time flies.  We had a relaxing day at home.  We mostly relaxed all day.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00 and one of the other members, Bob, surprised us by paying for everyone’s ice cream.  (It’s a dollar each).  Turns out, he just won $4,500 on a penny slot machine at the Lakeside Casino just down the road.  Wow, I thought I was doing well last week when I cashed out $275.  After ice cream we went back to the house and stayed in the rest of the afternoon and evening.

It is now the end of the month, time to get this episode posted.  Until next time, have fun, stay cool, be safe.  Bye for now.