A New Year Begins in Pair-A-Dice

Hi there, welcome back.  Our last episode ended on Sunday, December 31^st, New Year’s Eve.  That was also the day we boarded the Carnival Miracle cruise ship for a six night New Year’s cruise to the Mexican Riviera.  We celebrated New Year’s Eve while out at sea heading South towards Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Monday, January 1, 2024, Happy New Year’s day.   Today was a sea day and, although it was a bit stormy in Los Angeles, our seas were calm and we had a nice voyage.  It was too chilly to be on the outside decks, but we spent the day taking in the different venues on the ship.  We went to karaoke in the afternoon and I got to do a couple of songs.  We had dinner with Jim and Linda Sullivan, our friends from the Escapees Park who are also on this cruise.  It was they who had initially told us about the cruise. After dinner we gambled a little, then went to the theater for the first big show of the cruise.  It was a musical theater featuring piano music for the most part.  After the theater we went to the comedy club for a show, then headed to our cabin for bed.

Tuesday, January 2^nd, we arrived in Cabo San Lucas about 8:30 or so.  Because we had a balcony cabin we were able to watch us pull into port and anchor in the bay.  Cabo is a tender port, meaning you get off the ship onto a small tender boat, which then takes you to the dock.  We went ashore about 10:00 with Linda and got onto a 100 foot catamaran boat so we could go whale watching.  It was a nice boat with a friendly crew and open bar.  We were out a little over two hours and saw lot of whales We were not able to get too much in the way of pictures because they were usually a hundred yards or more away and you never knew when or where one was going to appear.  We did see a lot of whales coming up to the surface, and even a couple who did the back flip jump out of the water, which is spectacular to see.  After the whale watching tour we did a little shopping before heading back to the ship.  The ship pulled anchor about 5:30 and we went back out to sea.  However, since we are going to be coming back into the this same port in the morning, they just go out a little ways and then float around all night.  They only leave so they can open the casino and on-board shops.  About 6:30 we had dinner with the Sullivans, then did some gambling and drinking around the ship.  There was no big show tonight, but we did go to the late night comedy show.  After that we went to bed.

Wednesday, January 3^rd, we were back in port in Cabo about 8:00.  We and Linda went ashore about 10:30 or so and spent a couple of hours shopping and having lunch in town.  I went to a bar called the Giggling Marlin that I remembered visiting on a cruise back in the 90’s.  I had bought a tee shirt, which has long since been discarded, and I wanted to get a new one.  I got a couple of tee shirts, as did Jackie.  We were back on ship around 2:30 or so.  Jackie and I had made reservations for dinner in the steak house on board, called Nick and Nora’s Steak House.  It was an extra cost event, but well worth it.  We both had a fabulous meal and a wonderful, romantic evening together.  After dinner we went to the show in the theater, which tonight was “The 80’s” and it was great.  Almost all of our times in the theater and in the comedy club we were accompanied by Linda.  Jim doesn’t much care for the shows and stuff and just spends all his time in the casino.  We went to the late comedy show, then headed to our cabin for the night.

Thursday, January 4^th, we had another day at sea.  We spent the day at different venues and bars on the ship, just relaxing.  We had dinner with the Sullivans at 6:30 and then took in another musical show in the theater about 9:30.  After the show we went to the comedy club where we stayed for both acts, getting into bed around 11:30 or so.  Friday we docked in Ensenada, Mexico for the day.  This was a pier port, so we and Linda got off about 11:00 or so and went into town.  We did some shopping and had lunch at a place we had eaten at a few months ago when we were here.  We had a nice meal and got a few souvenirs.  After we got back on the ship we relaxed until dinner.  Tonight was the night we had to pack our bags and get them out in the hallway before 10:00 because tomorrow the cruise is over and we are back in Long Beach.  We had dinner at 6:30 and then went to the Theater were the two comedians put on there acts on the big stage.  After that we did some gaming, then headed off to bed.

Saturday, January 6^th, we were docked back in Long Beach early in the morning.  We had to be out of our cabins by 8:30, so we got ready and went up to have some breakfast.  We were able to get off the ship by a little after 9:00 and we were back at the hotel, in our car and headed back to Pahrump by 10:00.  The trip home was uneventful, and traffic was fairly light.  We stopped at the outlet mall in Barstow so Jackie could get some things.  We also had lunch there and got some gas before finishing the trip.  We arrived back in Pahrump before dark, about 5:00 or so.  Took our bags in and just crashed until we went to bed.

Sunday, January 7, today was mostly an unpacking and doing laundry day.  We did go to the Sunday social and played Left Right Center with the group for the first time in a few months.  There haven’t been enough people to do it until recently.  After the social we went home and finished our clean up work.  We had dinner and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Monday we had an 11:30 lunch with the Lucky Rollers camping club.  We went to the Indian restaurant we like, the Pour House.  We had a really large group today.  After lunch we did some shopping then headed back to the park.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and an evening with the TV. 

Tuesday, January 9^th, I had an early meeting in the clubhouse and Jackie went for a manicure appointment.  At 1:00 we both had a meeting of the Silver Seekers Board of Directors.  We are both member of the Board and I am the Vice President.  This was a planning meeting went for about an hour an a half.  After the meeting we just did some chores around the house until happy hour.  After happy hour we spent the rest of the evening in the trailer relaxing.  Wednesday Jackie had an early, 8:00, meeting with her Ophthalmologist.  It seems that one of her cataracts had come back a little and she needs to have another quick laser treatment.  She had to go to the doctors office in Pahrump to get it set up, but the surgery will be in Las Vegas next week.  After the doctors visit we went home.  Jackie went to Pokeno in the afternoon while I spent the afternoon doing office work.  We did happy hour and then dinner and the TV until bedtime.

Thursday, January 11^th, we both had to attend an open meeting of the Silver Seekers Board in the clubhouse.  The meeting went for less than an hour.  After the meeting we did some errands, then spent the rest of the day at home.  We did happy hour and then dinner, then watched TV for the rest of the night.  Friday I had a 10:00 meeting of the By Laws Committee of the Co-op.  This meeting went for a couple of hours.  I did some chores in the afternoon and we went out for lunch at a local Mexican place.  We went to the clubhouse for bingo at 4:30.  I got one bingo on a regular game, but only won $6 because I had to share with two other people.  Jackie didn’t win anything.  After bingo we went home and watched TV until it was time for bed.

Saturday, January 13^th, Jackie had a ladies luncheon at 11:00.  After she got home we went out and did some shopping at some thrift stores.  We got a few bargains.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 then had dinner at home.  Sunday was a quiet day, we went to the social at 2:00 and played LCR again.  Then we went home and just relaxed for the rest of the day. 

Monday, January 15^th, we were on the road about 10:00, heading to Las Vegas.  We needed to go to the Ford dealer to get the car serviced.  We don’t have a Ford dealer in Pahrump.  We stopped at a little café for lunch, then went to the Ford dealer.  It took about two and a half hours to get the work done.  After that we stopped at one store for a few minutes, then headed back to Pahrump.  We got back about 5:00, had some dinner and then watched TV for the rest of the night.  Tuesday was mostly a stay at home day.  I did a number of chores around the house as well as some office work.  At 2:00 we went to the dermatologist so he could take a look at a lesion on the side of Jackie’s face that I had some concerns about.  After she got in and he looked it turned out to just be a benign growth from blocked glands that the PA Michael, called a “barnacle.” He said it was nothing to be worried about.  We then went home and I did a little more office work.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 then came home and had dinner.  We watched TV for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday, January 17^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00 and my friend Len came over about that same time and we practiced guitar for about 90 minutes.  After Jackie got home we went and did some shopping, then came back for happy hour.  After happy hour we went home, had dinner and I had my security duty at 8:00.  After that we spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Thursday We left to go back to Las Vegas about 10:00 so Jackie could go into the out patient surgery center to have a quick laser treatment on her right eye.  Although it was a very quick procedure, the whole thing took about 2 hours to complete.  After her procedure we grabbed lunch and then did a Costco run.  After shopping we headed back home, getting back in time for the last half of happy hour.  After that we went home and spent the night with the TV.

Friday, January 19^th, I went over in the late morning to the clubhouse and set up my audio equipment for the jam session I was having at 2:00.  My friend Len, and one other person from the park showed up to play and we had about 10 spectators, but we still had a good time.  After the jam session I did some office work and then we went to happy hour at 4:00.  After that we had dinner and Jackie made a huge kettle of soup for the pot luck tomorrow.  We then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Saturday I was back in the clubhouse in the early afternoon getting my equipment set up for karaoke tonight after the pot luck.  We went to pot luck at 4:00.  This one had a theme of “Snowed in” and was mostly soups and comfort foods.  At 5:00 I started karaoke.  I had invited our friends Phyllis and Tom, and Len and Debbie to come.  All of them except Tom sing karaoke and I wanted some singers so that it was not just me and the one or two members of the park who come up.  We had a really good time and actually had several people from the park come up and sing who had never done so in previous karaoke sessions.  We finished up about 7:30, I packed up my stuff and took it home and we spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Sunday, January 21^st, we woke up to rain coming down.  We were supposed to leave this morning to drive to Laughlin for a two night stay.  The players club at the Riverside Casino Hotel had given me two free nights and had picked this weekend a month ago.  We were considering whether to cancel or not, and had decided we would go, but then the power went out in the park.  At that point we decided we would stay home and I called and cancelled the reservation.  We also had two free nights available in February, so we booked them.  We then spent the rest of the day doing some chores around the house and relaxing.  We went to the Sunday social at 2:00, then stayed and played Left-Right-Center for a half hour.  After that we went back home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing. 

Monday, January 22^nd, I left about 10:00 to go to DMV to get my drivers license renewed.  As always, the place was packed and I didn’t get done there until about 2:00 or so.  However, this time was able to get the Federally mandated “Real ID” license, although with a passport I don’t see a whole lot of use for it.  After I got home I did some chores and we went to happy hour at 4:00.  After happy hour we went home, had dinner and spent the night with the TV.  Tuesday the rain finally stopped.  We went out to do some shopping at about 1:30 or so, then came back to the house, unloaded the groceries and went to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home, made meatloaf for dinner and then spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Wednesday, January 24^th, We had mostly a stay at home day.  I called the golf cart shop to come and pick up our golf cart.  I had covered the cart on Saturday morning, when the rain was just starting, to keep it dry.  I uncovered it yesterday after the weekend rain was finished, and it would not work.  The batteries seem to be charged, but it will not run.  A few hours later the guy from the cart shop came and took it away to their shop here in Pahrump.  Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00 and my friend Len came over for guitar practice.  After practice I did some chores around the house.  We went to happy hour, then had dinner spent the rest of the evening watching TV.  Thursday Jackie had a 10:00 ophthalmologist appointment to follow up on last week’s laser surgery.  Everything is fine, although she did have him give her a regular eye exam and prescription for new glasses.  After the doctor’s appointment we went over to the clubhouse for a Silver Seekers lunch.  Don, the President of the Silver Seekers, along with several other volunteers, made meatball subs for lunch.  We had almost 40 people show up and it was great fun.  After lunch we went to Walmart so Jackie could order new glasses and I could make an appointment for an eye exam for myself.  We also picked up a couple of things.  On the way home we stopped to check on the golf cart.  They are not sure what is wrong yet, but they are working on it.  After we got home we went to happy hour, then came home and spent the night with the TV.

Friday, January 26^th, we went out about 1:00 for a late lunch at ChatThai, our favorite Thai restaurant here in town.  We have bingo tonight at 5:30.  After lunch we headed back home and did a few chores.  We went to happy hour a little late, then stayed for bingo.  Jackie and both had really lucky nights tonight.  Both of us hit bingos in two of the regular games, although we had to split the pots with another winner.  Oddly, on one of them, she and I were the two winners, so we ended up with all the money anyway.  Then Jackie won the coverall game for $30.  All in all we won over $70!!  Yippee.  After bingo we went home and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Saturday was a stay at home day.  Jackie went to the clubhouse to play cards with the ladies in the afternoon.  I did some work around the house.  We went to happy hour, then home for dinner and night watching TV.

Sunday, January 28^th, we had a relaxing day.  We went to the social at 2:00, stayed and played our usual dice game at 2:30, then came home and spent the rest of the day relaxing.  Monday was a chores day.  We did some things around the house and just relaxed.  Tuesday was a little busier.  We did some chores in the afternoon and Jackie went out at 3:00 for a mani appointment.  I went with some friends to the monthly dine-out at Nicco’s, a local Italian place.  Jackie was going to join me there when she was done, but by the time she was finished we were done eating.  I got something for her in take-out and went home.  We spent the rest of the day with the TV.

Wednesday, January 31^st, the last day of January already.  Jackie had her Pokeno game at 1:00.  My friend Len wasn’t feeling well, so he didn’t come over for guitar practice.  Instead I did some office work in the afternoon.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and watching TV for the rest of the evening.

We are now at the end of the month and it is time to get this published.  Until next time, be good, do good.  By for now.

Holiday Time in Pahrump - December 2023

Hello again.  Our last chapter concluded on Thursday, November 30^th.  Friday morning we were up and out of the house a little after 8:00.  We had to go down to the health center and get blood drawn for our lab work.  We have doctor’s appointments next week.  After we got home, we just did chores around the house.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had dinner.  After that we just watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday was also a stay-at-home day.  We did some chores and I finished up the Christmas decorations.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then relaxed with the TV for the rest of the evening.

Sunday, December 3^rd, we relaxed around the house until about 2:00 when we left and went to the Saddle West Casino ballroom for the annual Silver Tappers Christmas show and fund raiser.  One of our friends, Debbie Forrest,  is in the group, but we would go anyway because they are enjoyable shows.  The show went from 3:00 to about 4:30 and was a pretty good production.  We went home after the show, had dinner and relaxed for the rest of the night.  Monday was a stay-at-home day for the most part.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then Jackie left a little before 5:00 to go get a manicure.  She didn’t get home until about 7:00, after which we had dinner and then spent the rest of the night watching TV.

Tuesday, December 5^th, we were up early and in the clubhouse at 9:00 for the first of the new Silver Seekers Board’s breakfast event.  Our new President, Don O and his wife Sharon, made a bunch of breakfast casseroles for the event.  We had over 30 people come, and everyone had a good time.  We also made almost $100 in profit for the Silver Seekers.  Yea.  After breakfast we went back home and relaxed for a while.  About 1:30 we left and went out to do some thrift store shopping before our doctor’s appointments at 3:30.  We went to a couple of places and got some pretty good bargains at Goodwill.  After shopping we went to the doctor for our six-month checkups.  Both of us are in pretty decent shape for our age, so there were no big surprises.  After the doctor we went back home and had some KFC we picked up on the way for dinner.  We then watched TV until bedtime.  I did have an hour break when I did my first tour of security duty for the month.

Wednesday, December 6^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00.  I stayed home and did some office work and other chores.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then came home for dinner and then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Thursday I was out early for the 8:00 flag raising ceremony to commemorate Pearl Harbor Day.  Afterwards I went home, and we spent the rest of the day around the house.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed.

Friday, December 8^th, we had a stay-at-home day.  I did some admin work and a few chores around the house.  Jackie went out at noon to go to Artesian Cellars for another girl’s lunch.  We went to happy hour at 4:30, then stayed for bingo.  I won one of the regular games for $12, which meant I made a whole dollar.  After bingo we went home and relaxed with the TV until bedtime.  Saturday, we did some chores around the house.  We went out for lunch at El Jefe’s Mexican restaurant and then ran some errands.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then came home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Saturday we went over to the clubhouse about 10:00 to do all the Christmas decorations for the various functions coming up.  After that we spent the rest of the day at home doing chores.

Sunday, December 10^th, we had a 10:00 meeting in the clubhouse for the Silver Seekers Association.  We were setting the calendar of activities for January.  The meeting went for about two and a half hours.  Normally we don’t do meetings on Sundays, but Don’s wife had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, when the meeting was originally scheduled.  We later went to the 2:00 ice cream social in the clubhouse.  After the social we went home and relaxed.  Jackie made a new recipe for beef stew, which turned out really well.  We had that for dinner then watched TV until bedtime.  Monday we were up and on the road about 10:00, heading for Las Vegas for a luncheon with our park’s RV group, the Lucky Rollers.  The group has monthly lunch dine-outs, but they usually try to have at least one or two a year in Las Vegas for the people in the group who don’t live in Pahrump.  The group is open to any Escapees member, not just people who live in our co-op.  The lunch was at Blueberry Hill restaurant.  We had never heard of it, but they have three locations in Las Vegas and have been around since the 60’s.  Rumor has it that it was one of Elvis’s favorite places to eat back when he used to play Las Vagas.  The place was large, clean and the food was pretty good.  We will probably go back again.  We had about 20 people at the lunch.  After lunch we did some shopping.  Half the group ended up in the Sketchers outlet store across the street after lunch.  We also stopped at Kohl’s before heading back to Pahrump.  We got back home about 4:30, so we skipped happy hour and just spent the night with the TV.

Tuesday, December 12^th, we went to Walgreens around 11:00 and got our Covid booster shot for the year.  After our shots we did some shopping.  We went to the party store here in town, which is closing up, and Jackie got some stuff for Saturday’s 50’s party in the clubhouse.  After we were done, we went home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday I stayed home and did some office work.  Jackie missed Pokeno because she was sick from the shot yesterday.  I went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and TV until bedtime.

Thursday, December 14^th, we had a meeting of the Silver Seekers at 1:00.  This was the first real open meeting we have had since I became Vice President of the association.  The meeting went pretty well.  After the meeting we went out and did some shopping.  We didn’t make it home in time for happy hour.  We just went home, had dinner, and spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Friday was an open day, we had nothing special to do.  I did some office work and Jackie did some chores.  We had happy hour and then dinner.

Saturday, December 16^th, was a busy day.  We went over to the clubhouse about 10:00 and Jackie helped with the decorating for the 50’s party.  I spent a couple hours getting all my sound and video equipment set up for the party.  We went home for lunch and then we were back in the clubhouse by 3:30, with Jackie all dressed up in her poodle skirt and jacket.  The potluck went from 4 to 5, then I did the “Name that Tune” game at 5:00.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the game.  After that we did a bunch of 50”s songs and had a lot of dancers.  The party went until about 7:00 when everyone started heading for home.  I packed up the equipment and we went home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.  Sunday was a stay-at-home day.  I spent tome time out in the shed putting away stuff from the party and also did some office work.  My son Roy Jr. arrived at the Escapees Park about 3:30 or so to spend a couple of days.  He is done with his job at Death Valley.  The company he works for lost the contract for Stovepipe Wells, so he has been transferred to work at Lassen National Park in Northern California.  This is very near Mineral, California where our good friends Peggy and Vernon Bullock had their huge cabin in the woods.  Peggy sold the place a couple of years ago and now lives in Redding.  Roy will actually be staying in Chester, a small town about a half hour from Lassen.  The company has an old motel there which they use for employee housing.  He is now going from a place where it’s 125 in the summer to a place where he will see 10 feet of snow and temps close to zero this winter.  Jackie made meat loaf for dinner and the three of us had a nice dinner and talked for a while.  After Roy went back to his motor home, we watched TV until bedtime.

Monday, December 18^th, Jackie had a manicure appointment at 11:00.  I dropped her off and then drove to the Northwest part of town to pick up Roy.  He had taken his motor home to a truck service place to get the oil changed and new coolant/antifreeze put in.  I picked him up and then we went out to run some errands that Roy needed to do.  Since he is going to work in the cold country of Northern California, he needs some heavy boots and clothes.  We first went to Big 5 sporting goods where he got some snow boots and snow pants, heavy gloves and some head coverings.  We then went to Goodwill, just to see if they had anything worth his while.  They didn’t.  We then went home for a little while before going back to get Jackie.  After we picked up Jackie we went to Mom’s for lunch and then Jackie had to go to Secret Sister for a bit.  Actually, Roy found a nice polo shirt in there for ten bucks.  We then headed back home and waited until about 3:30 to drive Roy back out to get his motor home.  We all got back to the park in time for 4:00 happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and talked for a while before Roy headed back home for the night.  We spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Tuesday Jackie had a ladies luncheon at 11:30 at El Jefe’s Mexican restaurant and Roy and I decided to go there as well.  The ladies were meeting in the back room, probably over a dozen of them, so Roy and I ate in the main dining room.  We had a great lunch and afterwards went out and ran a couple more errands that Roy needed to do.  Jackie was going to get a ride home from one of the other ladies.  After our errands we went back home, and Roy went over to his coach to do some prep work for his departure tomorrow.  He is supposed to be in Chester, California on Friday, so he is leaving tomorrow for the 600-mile trip.  Right now, he is planning on overnighting in Tonopah and then the Reno area before heading into California.  At 4:00 the three of us went to happy hour, then came home and chatted for a while before Roy headed back to his coach.  We spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Wednesday, December 20^th, Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00.  I did a grocery run to Smith’s, then came home and did some work in the office.  We didn’t go to happy hour as we had a park dine-out at Ohjah, the Japanese Steak House and Hibachi grill here in town at 4:00.  We had about a dozen people there and we all sat around the hibachi and watched the show as the chef cooked our food.  It is not inexpensive here, but the food is really good, and you get a lot of it.  Plus, the show the chefs put on is great.  We had a nice meal with friends and took home some leftovers.  After we got home we watched TV and then went to bed.  Thursday, I went to the clubhouse at 9:00 for the open meeting of the Board of Directors.  They had a lot of stuff on the agenda, so the meeting ran two and a half hours.  After the meeting we had lunch, our leftovers from last night, then at 1:00 went to the salon so both of us could get haircuts.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then a little later our friends Dale and Sue picked us up to go out for a dinner for just the four of us.  We went to Carmelo’s Bistro, a local Italian restaurant that we have yet to visit.  The owner used to be one of the Nye County Supervisors, but he lost the election last year.  We had a pretty decent meal.  Our calamari app was over cooked, but my angel hair with bolognaise and meat balls was excellent.  Everyone else enjoyed their meals as well.  The real kicker was that after we were done Leo, the owner came over and told us that a “Secret Santa” had picked up our meal and everything, apps, meals, desert and wine, were all on the house.  We both left a pretty nice tip, but still got a real bargain meal.  Dale dropped us off at home after we were done, and we watched TV for the rest of the night. 

Friday, December 22^nd, we did some chores around the house for most of the day.  We did go out about 1:00 for a late lunch at the Roadhouse Casino.  We went to happy hour about 4:30 and then stayed at the clubhouse for Bingo at 5:30.  Jackie won one small pot, I didn’t get anything.  After bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday was the fourth anniversary of the loss of our last cat, Benji.  We still have not replaced him, the longest either of us has gone without a cat kid.  About 2:00 we gathered in front of the clubhouse for a Christmas Golf Cart Parade that we organized.  We had ten people participating, five in golf carts and two on bicycles, all of which were nicely decorated for the holiday.  We drove up and down all the roads in the park and actually had some people standing or sitting outside waiting for us to go by.  We were also playing Christmas carols and handing out candy treats along the way.  It was a great time, and we hope to be even bigger next year.  We did happy hour at 4:00 then went home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Sunday, December 24^th, Christmas Eve.  We had the usual Sunday social at 2:00, then we gathered again about 4:00 for a light snacks potluck and then the annual gift exchange.  Our friend Phyliss did it again this year and we had a couple of dozen people participating.  Everyone got a number and she told an old poem she has used for years for these events.  The poem announces a number, that person goes to the table and picks a gift.  Then there is another number called, and it may require taking a gift from someone who already has one or taking one from the table.  There may be multiple swaps with each number.  It is a lot of fun, and you have no idea what gift you are going to end up with at the end.  We got a couple of nice gifts in the end and had a great time.  After the gift exchange we helped clean up then headed back home.  We watched TV until it was time for bed.

Monday, December 25^th, Merry Christmas.  Jackie and I exchanged cards in the morning, which is our tradition.  No gifts for any birthday or holiday, only cards.  We then relaxed in the house for most of the day, although we were cooking a full turkey and a turkey breast for the Christmas dinner at 3:00.  At 3:00 we went to the clubhouse and had a wonderful Christmas dinner with about 40 of our friends and neighbors from the park.  After dinner we cleaned up and went home where we spent the rest of the evening watching TV.  Tuesday, we had mostly a stay-at-home day.  About 5:00 we left and drove to the Elks Lodge for a Lodge Meeting.  We were going to the meeting because an acquaintance of ours from the park was being initiated into the lodge.  We were there with several other members of our park as well.  After the meeting we went home and relaxed for the rest of the night with the TV.

Wednesday, December 27^th, Jackie had her Pokeno at 1:00 and I spent the afternoon in my office doing some work for one of the committees I am on.  After Jackie got home, we did a Walmart run, then came home and had dinner, then watched the TV the rest of the night.  We also did some packing for our trip this weekend.  Thursday, I had a meeting of the By Laws Committee at 10:00.  I am the chairman of the committee.  We met until about 12:30, after which I went home and did some more packing for the trip.  We did happy hour at 4:00, then had dinner and spent the evening with the TV.  Friday, we spent the day getting ready for the trip.  At 1:00 we went to the salon so I could get my toenails clipped and Jackie got a mani and pedi.  Since this takes several hours, I left her there, ran some errands and went home and did some packing.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then had dinner and relaxed for the night.

Saturday, December 30^th, we had our luggage in the car and were on the road by 10:00, heading back to Long Beach, California to go on another cruise.  It was a long, six hour plus trip, and unfortunately, we did have some rain along the route, although it was only for about an hour total during the trip.  Traffic was about normal, and we arrived at the Cove Hotel in Long Beach just about 4:00.  We always come to the departure port city a day early when we cruise.  We checked into the hotel and then had a cocktail with our friends Linda and Jim, who are also members of our park, and are also going on the same cruise tomorrow.  Jackie had contacted her Godson, Shane Cooper, who is now in his 20’s, and living in North Orange County.  Jackie had spent a lot of time with him as a baby and toddler, as did I after we got together in 1998, and he is now six foot four and definitely all grown up.  He came up from Orange County and met us at the hotel.  We went out to dinner and spent a couple of hours visiting with him before he left and went home.  After he went home, we went into the room and went to bed.

Sunday, December 31^st, New Year’s Eve.  We were up and in a cab headed for the cruise port by 10:30.  We leave the car parked at the hotel and they provide transportation to the cruise ship.  We are going on a six-night cruise aboard the Carnival Miracle, the same ship that we took in September to Alaska.  This one goes down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for two days, then stops at Ensenada for one day, with three sea days in between.  We went on it because we got a good deal, and it was a New Years cruise.  The boarding process went very smoothly, and we were on the ship and having a cocktail by 12:30 or so.  We had a balcony cabin and got moved in there before dinner.  The ship left port at 4:00 and we were on our way to Mexico.  Since this was New Years, the dinner was a formal night, so we got dressed up and went to dinner.  Then there were all kinds of parties and such around the ship for the whole evening.  We actually stayed up until midnight and brought in the new year at one of the parties in the atrium bar.  After bringing in the new year we went to our cabin and went to sleep.

This is, of course, the end of the month, as well as the end of the year.  We will close this episode for now and get it published.  Look for the details of the rest of our cruise in the next chapter.  Goodbye for now.

November in Pair-a-Dice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fall comes to Pahrump

Hello again.  Our last chapter concluded on Saturday, September 30^th, as we were recovering from the cold we caught on our Alaska Cruise, which was the highlight of the month.  Sunday was a day of rest for us.  I am about 90 percent better, but Jackie is still running at about 70 percent at best.  This is a tough cold or flu or whatever to shake.  I did a couple of little chores, but we mostly just relaxed.  We even skipped the Sunday Ice Cream social.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Monday, October 2^nd, we went to the clubhouse at 11:00 for a MASA presentation and free lunch.  The presentation was the same as always, the lunch was take-out from Panda Express here in Pahrump.  There were about 40 people at the presentation and we had a great lunch.  After lunch we went out and Jackie went for a manicure while I went and did some shopping.  After I picked her up we went back to the park and went to happy hour.  Most of the summer travelers are returning to the park, so the happy hour group is growing back to winter levels.  After happy hour we went home and relaxed with the TV the rest of the night.  Tuesday was a stay at home day.  I did some chores and worked on my project of cleaning out the shed.  When we moved from the motorhome to the trailer, which was almost a year ago now, we just unloaded stuff from the motorhome and stuffed it in the shed.  Now we need to go through and clean out stuff we no longer need or want.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then had supper and watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, October 4^th, Jackie went and played Pokeno in the clubhouse at 1:00 and my friend Len came over and we did our weekly jam session on the patio.  After Jackie got finished we went to happy hour, then came home and relaxed for the rest of the night.  Thursday was also a stay at home day.  I spent a few hours working on the shed cleaning project.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 and then came home for dinner.  After dinner we watched TV until bedtime.

Friday, October 6^th, we had another stay at home day.  We did book another cruise, this one a 6 day cruise over New Years.  It leaves Long Beach New Years Eve (Sunday), and comes back the following Saturday.  It is on the Carnival Miracle the same ship we went to Alaska on last month and the one we cancelled a February Hawaii cruise on.  We cancelled Hawaii because we decided we didn’t have the stamina health wise to do longer cruises, like the last two 15 day tours we took.  We still want to do short cruises.  We are going again with Jim and Linda Sullivan.  Other than that we had a relaxing day.  We had some nice steaks on the BBQ for dinner, then spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Saturday we had a 1:00 meeting of the Silver Seekers social club in the clubhouse.  This was a planning meeting for the group, which is having their regular monthly meeting next week.  After that meeting we went out to grab a late lunch at Arby’s, then did some grocery shopping at Smiths.  After shopping we went home and relaxed until about 5:00 when we changed clothes to go to a show at the Saddle West Casino ballroom.  Our friend Debbie Forrest, the wife of Len who I play guitar with on Wednesdays, is a member of a local dance troupe called the Silver Tappers.  This is a group of all women over 50 who perform all around the Pahrump Valley putting on shows.  Tonight’s show was one of their annual USO show fundraisers for veterans groups.  It was a really good show and we went with Millie, Charlene and Julie from our park.  The show went almost two hours and after the show we drove back home and watched a little TV before going to bed,

Sunday, October 8^th, Jackie left about 10:00, picked up our friends Millie and Julie, and drove to Secret Sisters, a thrift boutique store that they like.  They were having a sidewalk sale.  I stayed home and did some chores, including making a batch of chili Colorado for dinner.  We were going to have our neighbors, Don and Sharon Olney over for dinner, but they had to cancel for a family emergency.  I did a few other chores, but mainly had a relaxing Sunday at home.  Monday was a busy day.  At 10:30 we went to the China Wok buffet for another MASA presentation and free lunch.  After we got home we had to go to the clubhouse at 3:00 for a meeting of the park’s RV club, the Lucky Rollers.  The meeting was to discuss the upcoming campout in Laughlin in two weeks.  We are going and will be staying in the hotel for the campout.  After the meeting we had the usual happy hour until 5:00.  About 5:30 we left again and drove to Mountain Falls Country Club to have dinner with two other couples, Dale and Sue Vice and Julie and Don Klein.  Dale and Sue have been gone from the park since late Spring, so we wanted to welcome them back.  After dinner we drove home and finally relaxed and watched a little TV before going to bed.

Tuesday, October 10^th, I went to an 11:00 dentist appointment.  It took a couple of hours because I had to have a cavity filled in addition to my cleaning.  I got home about 1:00 and spent the rest of the afternoon doing chores.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour at the clubhouse, then came home, had dinner and spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Wednesday I was out of the trailer early because I had been called to serve on a review board regarding a citizen’s complaint to the Sheriff’s Office.  Last year I applied for, and got training, to be appointed to the Citizen review Commission.  This is only the second time I have been called to be on a panel.  There are ten or twelve members of the Commission and each review panel is three members of the Commission selected by random draw.  The panel started about 8:30 and we were done by 10:00 as it was a pretty straightforward and simple complaint.  After the panel I went home and had lunch.  Jackie went and played Pokeno at 1:00 and Len came over for guitar practice.  We were done by 3:00, went to happy hour at 4:00.  After happy hour we went home, had dinner and then watched TV until bedtime.

Thursday, October 12^th, we went to the clubhouse at 1:00 for the monthly meeting of the Silver Seekers club.  The Silver Seekers are kind of the social arm of the Co-op, generally in charge of activities and events at the park.  After the meeting we went to the nail salon.  I got my nails trimmed and Jackie got a full pedi.  While she was doing that I ran some errands and went to Walmart.  After we got home we put stuff away, then went to the clubhouse for happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and did some burgers on the BBQ for dinner, then relaxed with the TV until bedtime.  Friday Jackie had a 10:00 meeting in clubhouse with some of the ladies planning a dinner for later in the month.  At 4:00 or so we drove up to the Wine Ridge RV Park, where, prior to getting our lot at the Escapees, we used to stay anytime we came to Pahrump.  We were going to visit a couple that we had mentored at a Monaco International Rally in 2022.  Monaco International always provided mentors for any MI members attending their first MI rally.  It turned out that they were here because one of their FMCA chapters, the Vegas Blackjacks, was having a rally at Wine Ridge.  In addition, Paul Cunningham and his wife Doris, who is a member of our Escapees Co-op, were also members of the chapter and would be there.  We had a very nice light dinner and visit with some old and current friends.  We were back home by about 6:30 and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Saturday, October 14^th, we just relaxed and did some chores until about 2:30 when we left to go to the Elks Lodge for a dinner.  We picked up our friend Ginny on the way.  There were six of us from the park at the table.  The dinner was in honor of the visit to the Lodge of the Elks State President for Nevada.  It is traditional for the State President to visit each of the Elks Lodges in his or her state over the course of their term.  The dinner was salad, beef stew in a bread bowl and desert.  It was fun and we had some good conversation amongst the Pairadice members, but it did run on a little long.  We got home about 8:00 and just watched some TV until bedtime.  Sunday was a stay at home day.  We went to the clubhouse at 2:00 for the monthly birthday and anniversary social and had some cake and ice cream.  After that we went home and I did some chores around the house until supper.  After dinner we watched TV and went to bed.

Monday, October 16^th, we had a meeting in the clubhouse of the Board of Directors of the park.  This was jus a planning meeting and it went for about an hour.  After the meeting we did a Walmart run.  After we got back we went to happy hour, then came home for a while.  We decided to go out to dinner and we left about 5:30 and went to the Pour House so Jackie could have some Indian food, lamb tika, and I had a pizza.  After dinner we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  I did my first tour of security for the month.  Tuesday was a stay at home day.  I did some chores out in the shed and Jackie worked around the house.  At 4:00 we went to happy hour, then went back to the clubhouse at 6:00 for a “Meet the Candidates” night where the six people running for the Board of Directors of the park had a chance to make their case for election.  It is kind of a done deal since there will be five vacancies on the Board in November, all but one will be elected and the sixth one is an alternate for any other openings that come up.  After the meet the candidates I did my hour of security patrol, then we watched TV until bedtime.

Wednesday, October 18^th, Jackie went to play Pokeno at 1:00 and my friend Len came over about the same time and we jammed on guitars for a while.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then left early and went to get haircuts for the both of us.  After we got home we had dinner and I did my last tour of security duty for the month.  When I was done with that we watched TV and went to bed.  Thursday I was up early and in the clubhouse a little after 8:00.  Today is the monthly meeting of the Board of Directors for the Co-op and I will be running the Zoom access for the meeting.  The meeting went well and afterwards I cleaned up and put away all the equipment and went back to the trailer.  A little after noon Jackie left to go to the Artesian Cellars restaurant for a ladies lunch.  I stayed home and did some chores around the place.  After Jackie got home we went to happy hour, then came home and spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Friday, October 20^th, we left the coach about 12:30 or so and went out to Mom’s for lunch.  After lunch we ran a bunch of errands, Secret Sister so Jackie could put some clothes in on consignment, The UPS store for an Amazon return, Walmart, and a couple of other little errands.  After we were finished with all our errands we went home.  We went to happy hour at 5:00, then went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday Jackie had a 3:00 mani appointment.  While she was doing that I ran a couple of errands.  After the mani we went back home and went to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home, had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.

Sunday, October 22^nd, happy birthday to my brother David, who lives in Virginia Beach.  Today was mostly a stay at home day.  We spent time packing for our trip to Laughlin with the park’s camping group.  We will be staying four nights in the hotel since we don’t have a traveling unit anymore.  My son Roy came into the park in the afternoon for a brief visit.  He is working in Death Valley at Stovepipe Wells, but is working on his Nevada residency and needed to bring his motor home in to town to get it registered in Nevada.  We visited for a while and went out for dinner at Irene’s Casino.  After dinner he went back to this rig and we watched TV.

Monday, October 23^rd, we had the car packed and ready to go about 11:00 and closed up the trailer and headed South towards Laughlin.  It is about 150 miles or so.  We stopped at In and Out in Vegas for lunch before continuing south.  We got to the Riverside Hotel and RV Park about 2:30 and got checked into our room.  We then went up to the campground and spent happy hour with the group.  There are 19 people at this outing, with us and one other person staying in the hotel.  After happy hour we went back to the Riverside and spent a few hours gaming in the casino.  We didn’t have much luck, but had a good time.  Tuesday we slept in and went over to the campground at 1:00 for Pokeno.  We had a fun time with the group and stayed for happy hour after the games were over.  After happy hour we went back to the casino and gamed for a while before going up to bed.

Wednesday we went to Sam’s Club across the river in Bullhead City, Arizona, and then had lunch at Taco Bell.  After that we explored Bullhead a little and went to the Goodwill just to have something to do.  We also explored Laughlin, the actual town, a little before going to the campground for happy hour.  After happy hour the entire group went back to the Riverside Resort and went to the Prime Rib Room, an upscale restaurant in the resort.  We had great prime rib dinner.  After dinner we gamed in the casino until we got tired and then went up to the room and to bed.  Thursday we were back over at the campground about 1:00 for the official meeting of the camping club and some drawings for prizes. The only thing we won is a gift certificate for Subway and a bottle of vodka. After the meeting we stayed for happy hour again and then the entire group drove to Vito’s Pizza in Bullhead City for dinner.  They have a pizza buffet which was OK.  We did have a good time with the group as we were all at one table.  After dinner we drove back and stopped at the Golden Nugget Casino for a bit, then back to the Riverside.  We gamed some and then went up to bed. 

Friday, October 27^th, we checked out of the hotel at 11:00 and started back towards Pahrump.  We stopped for lunch in Searchlight and got home by about 3:30.  We got the car unpacked and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the TV.  Saturday was a stay at home day.  We did a few chores but mostly just relaxed.  Jackie did go to the clubhouse for a bit in the afternoon to watch and learn a new card game.  I went to happy hour at 4:00, Jackie was tired and wanted to stay home.  We did some steaks on the BBQ for dinner and then watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday was also pretty much a stay at home and do chores day.  We did go out for a little bit to do some errands.  After that it was 4:00 happy hour and then TV until bedtime.

Sunday, October 29^th, we also stayed at home and did a few chores.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00, then came back home a stayed in for the rest of the day and evening.  Monday was the first day of the park’s “homecoming week.”  This is usually the first week in November and ends on Saturday with the Annual Meeting of the Co-op.  They always schedule a bunch of social activities during homecoming week.  Today started with Len and I having a guitar practice session at 11:30 in preparation for the jam session on Tuesday.  At 2:00 there was an in-park poker run.  This is to get people out and about in the park and hopefully get to meet someone you don’t know well.  We both did the poker run and Jackie ended up with two pair, but got beat out by a bigger two pair hand.  I didn’t get anything.  We went to happy hour at 4:00 then came home and had dinner, then relaxed for the rest  of the night with the TV.

Tuesday, October 31^st, Happy Halloween.  Jackie went to get a manicure at 12:00 with a new manicurist that she found.  While she was gone I spent time taking my sound equipment over the clubhouse and setting up for the Halloween party tonight.  At 4:00 we went to the Pour House restaurant for the monthly park Dine-out.  There were only 10 people there, but we had a good time and some good food.  As usual Jackie had her Lamb Tika and I had pizza.  After the dine-out we headed back home, changed clothes and went to the clubhouse for the Halloween Party.  It was a lot of fun and there were probably 25 people there and half of them were in costume.  Some of them were really neat costumes.  The party lasted until about 8:00 with me playing music and handing out trophies to the costumed people.  After the party we went home and relaxed with the TV until it was time for bed.

This marks the end of October and time to put this episode online.  Until next time, be good and do good.  See ya soon.