September in Pahrump and North to Alasksa

Hi, welcome back.  Our last episode concluded on Thursday, August 31^st, at our home in Pahrump.  Friday, the first day of September.  Summer is slowly coming to a close.  The 115 degree plus days of mid-August are gone, with most days in the low 100’s.  Friday was a stay-at-home day.  We had a bunch of Monsoon moisture come up into the high desert and we spent most of the day with on and off again rain.  Sometimes it was very hard rain.  Although we didn’t have any flooding around our park or even our site, there was flooding elsewhere in Pahrump.  In addition, Highway 160, the road over the hump to Las Vegas, closed because of flooding.  For the short-term Pahrump is cut off except to head North in Nevada.  What we call the “back way” out of Pahrump, through Shoshone, California south to Baker and Interstate 15, was closed a couple of weeks ago because of the Hilary flooding and is still closed, as is Death Valley.  I got a call from my son Roy, who is working at Death Valley, that they are being laid off for a while because the park is closed.  He may come and stay at the Escapees Park for a while.  I did have to go out in the rain for a little while for my first tour of security duty, but fortunately it had slowed down a bit during the time I was out.

Saturday, September 2^nd, we had another stay-at-home day.  The forecast called for a possibility of showers, but nothing came of it, and we had a cloudy but dry day.   I did some packing for our cruise next weekend and some chores.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then had dinner and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Sunday, we had coffee and the paper in the morning.  We went to ice cream social at 2:00 and then left to do a quick Walmart run.  After shopping we headed back home, had dinner and then spent the night watching TV.

Monday, September 4^th, Happy Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer!  It was another stay-at-home day.  We had a BBQ and potluck in the clubhouse at 1:00.  We did some petite sirloin steak sandwiches and provided some crab salad for the potluck.  It was pretty well attended, at least a couple dozen or more in attendance.  By 2:30 we were done and went back to the trailer.  We spent the rest of the day doing chores and relaxing.  I am 95% packed and Jackie is getting there.  Tuesday was a stay at home, chores and packing day.  I did take the car to the Quonset hut to air up the tires and check the fluids.  All good, ready for a drive to Long Beach on Saturday.  We did go to happy hour, then came home and I made a pot of chili for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and then went to bed.

Wednesday, September 6^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno in the clubhouse at 1:00 and Len came over for guitar practice.  After Jackie got home, we went to the hair salon for haircuts.  I just got a trim and clean up, Jackie got a full cut.  After that we headed home, had dinner and then watched TV for the rest of the night.  Thursday, we went out after lunch and went to the nail salon.  I got my toenails trimmed and Jackie got a full mani/pedi.  While she was doing that I went out and ran a couple of last-minute errands, gassed up the car, got some cash, that kind of thing.  We are close to being ready to leave Pahrump on Saturday morning.  After we got home, we went to happy hour, then came home, had dinner and watched TV for the rest of the evening.

Friday, September 8^th, our last day before the cruise.  We spent the day just finalizing our packing and getting ready to leave tomorrow for our cruise.  Saturday morning, we were up early, about 6:30, so that we could be on the road by 9:00 or so, heading to Long Beach, California.  We packed our suitcases in the car and were on the road heading west by about 9:30.  The trip was fairly easy, although a bit long.  Being a Saturday morning, the traffic wasn’t too heavy until we got into the heart of Los Angelese, the last 30 miles or so to the hotel in Long Beach.  We got into the hotel about 4:00, which was check in time.  We checked into our room, got the car parked and our luggage in the room.  We then met with the rest of our group, Jim and Linda Sullivan, and Charlene and Joyce.  We had a couple of cocktails in the lobby bar, had some snacks for dinner, then went to our separate rooms.  We got a good night’s sleep.

Sunday, September 10^th, we were in the lobby with our luggage ready to go at 10:00.  We have a package with the hotel that lets us leave our car parked in their lot while we are on the cruise.  Our check in time for getting on the ship was 11:30 and we were in a taxi, also provided by the hotel, by 11:00 headed for the ship.  The taxi dropped us off at the luggage drop off for the ship, we checked our bags and headed for check in with the ship.  It went pretty easy, much more so that it did back in February when we did the Panama Canal cruise.  We were onboard the ship, the Carnival Miricle, by 12:30.  We couldn’t get into our cabin until after 1:30, so we did the lifeboat station check, then got a bite to eat in the buffet.  When we got to the cabin

at 1:30 most of our bags were in the room, so we started unpacking.  There didn’t seem to be as much storage space in this cabin as we had in previous voyages this year, but we made do.  After we got unpacked, we spent a little time checking out some of the ship.  We met the rest of our group at about 6:00 for dinner in the dining room.  While we were eating the ship sailed out of Long Beach harbor and we were on our way North to Alaska.  After dinner we checked out the casino, had a drink or two and at 9:00 went to the welcome aboard show in the theater.  The ship has a great company of entertainers, singers and dancers for the big shows, and they put on a nice show.  After the show we went back to the casino for a bit, had a drink and went to bed about 10:00 because we were beat.

Monday, September 11^th, Patriots Day.  Most everyone on the ship was dressed in patriotic clothing today.  We went to a memorial gathering in the main atrium which included a moment of silence.  A little later in the afternoon there was a Military salute ceremony in the theater which was very moving.  The rest of the afternoon we wandered the ship, checking out games and having some cocktails.  We had dinner with our group at around 6:00, then after dinner attended another show, this time a female singer headliner.  After the show we went to the comedy show then headed off to bed at about 11:00.  The seas were pretty calm and we had a good night’s sleep.  Tuesday was our

second day at sea.  We slept in because we could and there wasn’t anything on the morning schedule we really wanted to do.  We got coffee from room service and just relaxed until lunch time.  At 11:30 we went to a cooking demonstration in the Steak House, which is on the top deck of the ship.  They cooked several really nice dishes and gave everyone the recipes to take home.  After the demonstration we did a few games and went to karaoke at 3:30.  The don’t have a huge song selection, but I got a couple of songs in.  Dinner again at 6:00 with the gang, then another show in the theater, another show by the house dancers and singers.  Tonight was a formal night so we got dressed up and even had some pictures taken.  After the show we went to the comedy club again, which is in a very bizarre looking room called “Mad Hatters Ball” and is decorated like a bad Alice in Wonderland dream.  The comedians are pretty funny though.  After the show we went off to bed.

Wednesday, September 13^th, our third and last day at sea northbound before we start making port calls.  We slept in again, then had a late breakfast in the buffet.  We spent the day just relaxing at various areas of the ship.  We went to karaoke again the afternoon, got to sing a song and listen to some others sing.  We had dinner with the group again around 6:00.  Most of the time it is all six of us for dinner and we have had some pretty good food.  Charlene did get seasick the second day out and missed a couple of dinners.  There was another solo singer in the theater tonight who put on a really good show, singing show songs.  He was an old Broadway show entertainer.  After the show we went to the comedy club again, then off to bed.  Thursday, we made our first port call in Sitka, Alaska.  Unfortunately, the forecast called for rain and Mother Nature didn’t disappoint, it was raining cats and dogs.  We bundled up in our rain gear after breakfast and got off the ship just long enough to visit one of the restaurants on the pier and have lunch, check out some of the shops on the pier, buy a couple of shirts and we were back on the ship.  The actual town of Sitka was a couple miles down the road by bus and we didn’t have any need to go to town in the pouring rain.  We have been to Sitka in the past.  We went back on the ship and just spent the day with various activities.  We had dinner with the group then spent some time in the casino.  I managed to win a couple hundred dollars playing let it ride, which was nice.  Other than that, we had very little luck in the casino on this trip.  Tonight, because of the storm, we had a pretty rough ride, although it didn’t bother either Jackie or I very much.  We still slept pretty well despite the rocking and rolling.  Since we have an aft facing cabin we get a little more motion than some of the other people, but it was OK. 

Friday, September 15^th, we arrived in Juneau, Alaska, the Capital city, in the morning.  The weather had cleared up, although it was a bit chilly.  We got off the ship after breakfast and walked around town for quite a while.  We had lunch at the Red Dog Saloon, the same place we had lunch back in 2007 when we came here on our first Alaska cruise.  I had to buy another tee shirt because I wore my last one out.  After lunch we spent a couple of hours shopping in the downtown area and we even managed to get a geocache on the pier before reboarding the ship.  We had a nice dinner with most of our group, then just relaxed around the ship.  We didn’t sail until about 10:00,

so we didn’t get to go to the casino at all today.  Saturday, we arrived early in the morning in Skagway, Alaska.  This is the one port stop where we actually remember the town well because we actually spent four days here in 2009 when we drove the motor home up with the caravan through Alaska.  It was the heart of the 1890’s gold rush in Alaska and has quite a history.  The whole group had lunch together in one of the brew house restaurants, then we all went to the Elks Lodge for a cocktail.  It was a little rainy, but fairly light, not like it was in Sitka.  We did some shopping and touring and then headed back to the ship.  We had dinner with the group, then spent the evening just relaxing around the ship.  The ship sailed about 7:00 and we had another night of rough weather that put a couple of our groups back on their heels again. There were no theater shows tonight.

Sunday, September 17^th,  we arrived on another cold, rainy morning to a place called Icy Point Strait.  It is a newer, private port of call on the inside passage owned by a tribe of Indians who have put in docking facilities and some shops, as well as what is touted as the longest zip line in the country.  At the turn of the century the area was the site of a salmon cannery owned by the Indians.  Since it was raining again, we didn’t go into the little Indian village of Hoonah, but rather just went ashore, shopped in the old cannery which has been turned into a small shopping mall, then got back on the ship.  The only activity besides food and shopping was the zip line, and it was closed due to the weather.  After we got back on the ship we just

relaxed until we sailed again, about 7:00.  We had dinner with our group, then went to a show in the theater.  It was the usual “Love and Marriage” show that every cruise line does at least once each cruise.  It was pretty entertaining.  We went to the late comedy show, then went to bed.  Monday was the day we were supposed to be cruising the Tracy Arm Fjord, which is where a lot of the cruise ships are going to see glaciers and ice bergs and close in scenery since the National Park Service is limiting the number of ships and passengers going into Glacier Bay National Park, which is where we cruised back in 2007.  However, shortly after entering the fjord, which is narrow and winding, the captain announced that the fog was too thick and we would not be able to cruise the fjord.  One highlight of the cruise was cancelled.  Oh, well, better safe than shipwrecked.  We spent the rest of the day cruising south.  We played some in the casino, went to karaoke, had some drinks and relaxed.  We ended up doing some laundry, which went late, so we had dinner on our own in the dining room.  It was supposed to be a formal night, but we didn’t bother getting all dressed up as we were alone and it was rough seas.  After wandering the ship we went to bed.

Tuesday, September 19^th, we arrived in the morning to the port of Ketchikan, which is the last Alaskan port on the cruise.  The weather was cool and slightly rainy, so we got off the ship and walked around town for a while.  We ate at an out of the way local restaurant called The New York Café, and had some really good food.  Afterwards we shopped for an hour or so before heading back to the ship.  We had dinner with the group at 6:00, then went to a show again in the theater.  We skipped the late-night comedy as we were tired, so we went to bed about 10:00.  Wednesday morning we arrived in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, which is a new substitute Canadian port for the Alaska cruise ships.  By law they have to stop in a Canadian port before returning to the states, and in the past that was Victoria Island.  However, there are now so many ships on the Alaska tours that they have had to find alternative ports.  Prince Rupert was a tiny little town, and we didn’t even get off the ship.  I was starting to feel like I had gotten a cold, and I was coughing and not feeling 100 percent. We sailed early, about 4:00, and just relaxed for a while.  We had dinner in the dining room with our group, then just went back to the room and relaxed.  Both of us were starting to get sick with what seemed like the flu or a cold.  We went to bed early.

Thursday, September 21^st, was the first of the three sea days as we headed South back to Long Beach.  Neither one of us really felt good all day, but we did get dressed and go to dinner with the group.  We made an effort because we had been invited by the dining room Matri de to come to a special Al Fresco dining experience on the Lido Deck, under the night skies.  That part of the pool deck has a retractable cover, so it was quite comfortable.  The six of us had our own table and the food was the best we had on the entire cruise.  We had a really good time.  After dinner we went to a really great 80’s music show put on in the theater.  After the show we went to the cabin and went to bed.  Friday was another day at sea, but we were both really sick.  We didn’t leave the room except for brief periods all day.  Today was supposed to be the last formal night, and we had made reservations in the steak house for a special dinner, but we were too sick and the seas were really rough and we didn’t want to be at the very top of the ship in choppy seas.  We just got room service and stayed in.  Saturday was the last sea day and it was much the same as yesterday.  Jackie did get dressed and go to High Tea with the girls while I did a little gambling, but we both wore down pretty fast.  We did have a last dinner with our group in the dining room, packed our bags after dinner and put them out in the hall, and went to bed.

Sunday, September 24^th, we arrived in Long Beach harbor early and had to be out of our rooms by 8:30.  We were not feeling too well, but we got packed up and out of the room on time.  By 10:00 we were off the ship but ran into a problem catching a cab to get from the port back to the hotel where the car was.  We finally got back to the car and were on the road headed back to Pahrump about 11:30.  We made one stop for gas and lunch and made it back to Pahrump about 5:30 in the evening.  We got the suitcases out of the car and in the living room,,and then went to bed, sick and exhausted.  Monday I was starting to feel a little better, but we decided to go to the urgent care just to check to be sure we didn’t’ have Covid or RSV, which I suspected it might be.  They checked our lungs and said they were clear.  They tested us for RSV, and it was negative.  They didn’t have any Covid tests, but a friend of ours at the park had some spares and we tested when we got home and were negative for Covid too.  Just a bad cold I guess.  We did get some prescriptions for steroids and antibiotics to help us get better.  Tuesday was more of the same, I was able to do some laundry and get some chores done, Jackie was still pretty sick and not able to do much.

Wednesday, September 27^th, I continued to improve, Jackie was still pretty sick.  She was able to get her stuff unpacked and we were pretty much catching up on the chores from the trip.  We have not been going out at all, other than on necessary short errands, and not going to happy hour just to keep from being around other people while we have been sick.  Thursday I was pretty much 100 percent better, Jackie was starting to feel a little better.  At least we are both sleeping OK now, so we are getting our rest.

Friday, September 29^th, we were both making improvement.  I was able to get most of my office work and other pending chores completed today.  We actually went to happy hour at 4:00 for the first time since we got back from the cruise.  After happy hour we had dinner, then relaxed with the TV for the rest of the night.  Saturday, the last day of September.  Jackie had planned on going to a sip and paint gathering in the clubhouse this afternoon at 5:00, so we went out about 1:00 for a late lunch.  We went to El Jefe Mexican restaurant and had a nice meal, our first Mexican food in a couple of weeks.  After lunch we went back to the park, and I did a few chores out in the shed.  As 5:00 approached, Jackie said she was having a bit of a relapse and didn’t feel like going to the painting class.  We ended up spending the rest of the night with the TV and then going to bed.

It is now a month since our last publishing, so it is time to close out this month’s chapter.  Until next time, be kind.

The August Heat Wave in Pahrump

Hello, welcome back.  Our last chapter concluded on Monday, July 31^st, while we were enduring the very hot summer at home in Pahrump.  Tuesday I had an appointment at 10:00 with my dermatologist for my six month check up.  He zapped a couple of spots with the liquid nitrogen, but generally said everything looked OK, see you in six months.  Yea!  After that I went home, had lunch and spent the rest of the day in the house doing chores and relaxing.  Happy hour at 4:00, then home for leftover chili relleno for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Wednesday, August 2^nd, Jackie went to play Pokeno in the clubhouse at 1:00 and my friend Len came over for our Wednesday jam session a little after.  We played for about an hour and half and had a good session.  I picked up Jackie from Pokeno and at 4:00 we went to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had some hamburgers on the grill for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and then went to bed.  Thursday we left the park about 11:30 and drove to the China Wok Buffet to attend a sales pitch for the Neptune Society.  For those not familiar the Neptune Society is essentially a prepaid cremation and after death assistance plan.  We had looked into it a few years back but not acted on it.  After the very good presentation, and talking to another of our park members who were also at the talk, we decided that we would act on it this time.  We will probably be meeting with the representative one day next week to sign up.  It is relatively inexpensive, about $6,000 for both of us and it covers all the costs of pick up, cremation and delivery.  In addition, it can be paid over time instead of requiring a lump sum.  After lunch we did a Walmart run, then went to Walgreens where both of us got our first shingles vaccine.  The shingles requires two shots, one to six months apart.  After the shots we went home and then went to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  We didn’t have any dinner because of the big, late lunch at China Wok.

Friday, August 4^th, we stayed home for most of the day, doing a few chores and relaxing.  About 4:00 we left home and picked up our friends Ginny and Linda here at the park and drove to the Elks for dinner and a show.  The Pahrump Elks was having their “Member Appreciation” night and were providing a free dinner for members of the Lodge.  Ginny and Linda are both recent members of the Pahrump Lodge.  The dinner was pork ribs with beans and slaw and they were excellent.  After dinner Bill Watson and his Glam Girls put on a “Christmas in July” show.  Admittedly a week or so late.  The show was fun and by 8:00 we were headed home.  We spent the rest of the night with the TV after a fun night out with friends.  Saturday was also pretty much a stay at home day except for an hour round trip to Shoshone, California, the closest California town to Pahrump, to buy some tickets for $1.5 Billion dollar MegaMillions drawing scheduled to Tuesday.  Too much money to not at least try.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and did some chicken drumsticks for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Sunday, August 6^th, we went to the Sunday ice cream social in the clubhouse at 2:00.  After that we did a grocery run to Smith’s.  After we got home we put everything away and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Monday was a stay at home day.  Did a few chores, cooked some country ribs in the crock pot, and had a quiet day.  I went to happy hour, Jackie didn’t want to get dressed to go after relaxing all day.  After happy hour we had dinner then spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Tuesday, August 8^th, my late mother’s birthday.  Today we went out about noon and had lunch at Arby’s and then went to several second hand stores just to have something to do.  We spent several hours shopping, not buying much, but having a good time.  After our shopping we went home and then went to happy hour.  After happy hour we had leftovers from last night for dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Wednesday was the usual routine.  Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00 and Len came over and we jammed on guitars for a couple of hours.  After Pokeno we went to happy hour, then came home and had dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and then went to bed.

Thursday, August 10^th, we left the park about 11:00 and drove into Las Vegas.  The sole purpose for today was as a shopping trip.  Mostly I needed a new suit and some other clothes for our upcoming cruises.  We had lunch at In and Out first, then hit Kohl’s.  I was very disappointed that I was unable to find a suit I liked in my size.  After Kohls we hit Target and then Ross before heading back over the hill  I did get a couple of things at Ross, but still no suit.  The suit that I have dates back to the late 90’s and looks dated in addition to being a little tight.  That is the reason I wanted a new suit.  We made it back to Pahrump in time for happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with the TV.  Friday we stayed home for most of the day, doing a few chores and relaxing.  About 2:00 the lady from the Neptune Society came over and we spent an hour or so filling out papers and entering into “final arrangement” agreements for disposal of our bodies when we die.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and after happy hour did a Walmart run for a few things.  After we got back we made dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Saturday, August 12^th, was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie left about 11:00 and went out to get a haircut, then go to lunch with a friend.  About 1:30 she and the friend came back home and they visited for a while.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had pork chops on the BBQ for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV until it was time for bed.  Sunday was pretty much a stay at home day.  We did a few chores and relaxed.  We were going to go to the 2:00 ice cream social, but about 1:30 some pop-up thunderstorms developed and we had wind, rain and thunder for about 45 minutes.  Didn’t get a whole lot of rain, but we still didn’t want ice cream bad enough to go out in it.  I did get my new black suit in the mail.  I ordered the same Hagger suit that I had been looking at in Kohl’s, for about the same price, through Amazon and it came in two days.  Tried it on and it fits and looks good.  Yea!.  We did leave the park about 5:30 and went out to Sunday dinner at Rubalcaba’s, one of the local good Mexican places.  After we got back home we watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, August 14^th, was pretty much a stay at home day.  Did a few chores and relaxed.  Tuesday we had another potluck at the clubhouse at 1:00.  There were a couple dozen people there with plenty of food.  We had a good time and afterwards we went to do a Walmart run.  After we got back we did happy hour, then came home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Wednesday was the usual, Jackie went to play Pokeno in the clubhouse at 1:00 and Len came over and we jammed on guitars for a couple of hours.  We went to happy hour at 4:00,  then came home and had dinner and watched TV until it was time to go to bed.

Thursday, August 17^th, Jackie went to the Artesian Cellars restaurant with a bunch of girls from the park to celebrate our friend Joyce’s birthday.  I stayed home and did some chores.  After she got back we went to happy hour, then just relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.  Friday we went out about 1:00 for a late lunch at Terrible’s Casino.  We both had the wonderful liver and onions.  Yum!  After lunch we ran some errands, then got home in time for happy hour.  We did happy hour and stayed for Bingo.  Neither one of us any Bingo luck tonight.  After Bingo we went back to the trailer and watched TV until bedtime.

Saturday, August 19^th, “Storm’s a’ comin’ ma!  Git in the cellar.”  All the news is about worries over Hurricane Hilary which is off the coast of Mexico, South of the Baja, but on track to make landfall in Northern Baja and head straight up into California.  The current track has the center of what will then just be a tropical storm, west of Nevada, but we will still get the rain from the outer bands of the storm.  We have rain forecast for the next three days.  We had a quiet day at home.  We had happy hour at 4:00 and then Jackie had a tie die session in the clubhouse with a bunch of the women from the park, doing tee shirts.  After she got home we made dinner, then spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Sunday, August 20^th, Hilary snuck up on us.  The morning was wonderfully cool and mostly clear.  Looking at the live weather maps in the early afternoon showed us not in the path of any of the rain from the tropical storm which had now moved North to the point it was almost directly West of us.  Then in the late afternoon, right after the ice cream social, the skies opened up and the rains came, off and on light and heavy, but steady rain.  Then the winds came.  Not as strong as we have seen in the past, this area can have some VERY heavy winds.  But enough to rock the trailer a little and make lots of noise outside.  We went to bed it was still raining and blowing.  Sometime in the early morning hours it finally stopped.  After I got up around 8:00 I went outside and except for some very large puddles in the roadways in front and behind the trailer, we had no damage.  No screens blew loose, the gazebo was fine, even the little cactus on the porch was still on the table.  We had one very minor leak in the living room and I suspect one in the bathroom from the skylight over the shower stall.  Hard to tell because it appears it leaked into the shower.  I will have to watch this are during the next rain.  Monday was a quiet day.  We did a Walmart run and some errands after lunch, then happy hour at 4:00.  We had lasagna for dinner, then watched TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, August 22^nd, we left the park about 10:30, acting picking up our friends Joyce and Ginny, and drove to the Pahrump Library.  We had signed up for an adult escape room which had been created by a group of teenagers who belong to a library club.  The staff at the library thought it was so good, they decided to open it up to anyone in Pahrump for a couple of days.  All together we had seven people from our park who came to participate.  Our team, consisting of us, Joyce and Ginny, Charlene, and Don and Julie, was joined by three people from Preferred RV park.  It was a pretty simple escape room since they couldn’t have the elaborate devices and puzzles that commercial rooms can have.  The puzzles were all thought problems worked out on paper, but it was still very challenging.  We finished with a time that was one minute faster than the fastest time so far logged.  Yea us.  After the escape room we all went to El Jefe for lunch before returning to the park.  After we got home we relaxed for a bit and then went to happy hour.  Most of the happy hour group were the ones we went to the library with.  After happy hour we went home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.  Wednesday was the usual stay at home day.  Jackie did Pokeno at 1:00 and Len came over and he and I jammed on our guitars for a couple of hours.  We went to happy hour, then came home and had dinner and watched TV the rest of the evening.

Thursday, August 24^th, Jackie had a girl’s of Paradise luncheon at the Artesian Cellars at 12:30, so I spent the afternoon in the Man Cave doing office work and playing.  She got home about 3:30, just in time for us to go to happy hour.  After happy hour we came home and had a light dinner, then spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Friday we left the park about noon and had a late lunch at Mom’s Diner.  After lunch we ran some errands and then headed back home.  We had happy hour and then spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Saturday was a stay at home day.  Got some chores done, mostly relaxed.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then did some pork chops for dinner and spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Sunday, August 27^th, was also a stay at home day.  We went to the Sunday social at 2:00, then went home and relaxed for the rest of the day and evening.  We did get to finally do the early check-in for our Alaska cruise coming up in two weeks.  Yea!  Monday we stayed home again, played some cards, did a few chores.  Did happy hour at 4:00 with our gang, then came back and made burgers on the BBQ for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.  Tuesday was mostly a stay at home day.  We did leave about 3:30 and drove to El Jefe’s Mexican café for the monthly park dine-out.  Still a lot of people traveling, so the turnout was only about 18 people.  After dinner we went back home and spent the night with the TV.

Wednesday, August 30^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at the clubhouse at 1:00 and Len came over for guitar practice.  After Jackie was done at 3:00 we went out and did a Smiths grocery run, then came back to the park and went to happy hour.  After happy hour we came home and had dinner, then spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Thursday we were in the car and headed for Las Vegas about 9:30.  Our first stop was at an audiologist’s office called Hearing Associates.  A week or so ago I noticed that one of my hearing aides had stopped working, or at least had gotten very weak.  It still connected to the other hearing aide and the phone, but it wasn’t amplifying sound.  I had to really search to find an audiologist that worked on Rexton hearing aides, which is the brand I have.  I bought these in Mexico a little over five years ago and this is the first issue I have had with them.  I went in and talked to the doctor and she took the hearing aides into the back.  After about 15 minutes she came out and said it was just plugged with wax.  She had cleaned both hearing aides, put on new ear buds and they looked like brand new.  Best thing is, there was no charge.  I think they want me to come back to buy $5,000 hearing aides sometime in the future.  After that we went to the Omelet House restaurant for lunch.  I had the Philly cheesesteak and it was the best I have had.  After lunch we stopped at a couple of stores and shopped a little, then went to Costco for our every other month $500 shopping spree.  After Costco we headed back home.  We didn’t get back in time for happy hour, so we just put stuff away and relaxed the rest of the evening.

We are now a month into this chapter and it is time to put it online.  Until next time, be kind.  See ya soon.

Hot July in Pahrump - and most other places too

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Spring Cruise and Summer Arrives in Pahrump

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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