Monday, February 22, 2010

 
It's been a while since I actually posted something on the blog as Allan has been more willing to do it than me. I thought I would help him out today and post some of our past activities.

The days pass in a blur and it seems that we just got here and now the days seem numbered as to when we are leaving to head back to Canada.

I have a new hobby along with 2 of my neighbours Jeannie and Jo-Ann. I now am a "gourder" and it's all Beth's fault. We met Beth and her husband Chris a couple of years ago at a Datastorm Rally and we hit it off as friends. She is an exceptionally talented gourder - I only wish that I could be half as good as her, but then again I have trouble drawing a straight line with a ruler. I now own a dremel tool (okay it's really Allan's that I have permanently borrowed) lots of dremel bits, a wood burner and power saw (yes power tools), ink dyes and many other sundry items. Jeannie, Jo-Ann and I are all sharing our "stuff". It will be years before we get to the stage of Beth - she has a converted trailer that she uses as her playhouse/studio. It's awesome - she has everything and is so willing to share her knowledge and stuff.


We had Beth come up and do 2 more classes at the resort and then the 3 of us needed MORE - so we have made 2 trips to her place to play with her.

In between all of that Allan and I have been to El Centro, Palm Spring, Mesa, Parker, Yuma, Salome, Quartzsite and Glamis.

We went to El Centro with our neighbours Bob and Jeanette to go shopping at Wal-Mart and Costco. Had a great day with them.

We went to Palm Springs 2 times to go to Sam's Club and Costco and Winco to do some shopping for "stuff" that we had to have.

A bunch of us girls went to Palms Springs just before Christmas to go Christmas food shopping at Winco. It was fun but 6 girls in the car and thousands of dollars of food - I can't believe we got it all in the car.

We went to Salome to visit our neighbours up home Bob and Joan - had a great visit with them.

We went to Yuma to visit the market place to pick up new water filters and of course browse the stuff they have there.

We went to Parker to go shopping at the new Wal-Mart there. Yahoo! We finally have one closer than Yuma and Palm Springs - only 40 minutes travel rather than 1.5 hours.

We went to Quartzsite to visit some other friends that we met at a Datastorm Rally - John and Ruth - they are wonderful people and we just don't get together with them enough. We also spent time at the RV show that happens every year and increases the population of Quartzsite from 300 people to 750,000 people during the month of January. It's amazing to see thousands of different RV's all parked out in the desert.

We went to Mesa to see friends from up home Wayne and Greta, they were really great. Allan ordered a new GPS and I needed some Red Rose tea bags for a neighbour and they brought them down for us. We spent several hours over lunch catching up with them.

We went over to Quartzite for a couple of days of buggying with our dune buggies about 11 of us went out the first day and saw some different sites. Below is the picture of what looks to be a size 13 foot embedded in some rock. It's awesome to see. The second time we went over there there were 5 of us that went out and had a great day.


We went to Glamis twice - once on President's Day weekend (Family Day in Alberta) to see the thousands of people who have every sort of sand vehicle possible playing on the sand dunes. We went with our friends Bob and Jeanette both times. We left our buggy at home the first time as we just wanted to get a feel for what it was like and then we went back on Tuesday with our buggy. It became a comedy for us - Allan purchased some new sand tires recently but we towed the buggy there on street tires and had to change them once we arrived. Allan was able to purchase these tires as he thought he had another blown engine as it was blowing oil like crazy. Dan (the guy who built the car) told Allan it looked like his sand seal was broken. So it was a $20 part instead of a new $1200 engine. Hence he could buy sand tires for $300. There was a savings in there - trust me on that. You see Allan has been buying me all sorts of tools and stuff for my gourding so ... I "let" him buy the tires.

He went to get the tool to change the tires and realized he brought the wrong wrench. Sue, being the brave one went to the group parked next to us and asked to borrow their's. Yup, sure, no problem and they were going to Yuma for the day so they told us to leave it on the table when we were done. Talk about a trusting group and then one of them came over and gave Allan tips on how to ride the dunes.


Allan and I made the first trip, then Bob and Jeanette went out then it was just a hodge podge of trips. I drove the buggy to the pottie station and Jeanette drove back, so everyone got a chance to drive in the sand. After lunch I was going to stay behind and the guy on the other side of us came over and told me to get in his car as Jeanette was going to be in the back seat of ours with Bob and Allan (ours only fits 3 people comfortably) and off we went. Harley was great and took me for a really good ride. Allan got stuck and couldn't/wouldn't do the stuff Harley did as ours didn't have a seat belt for Jeanette and he didn't want to risk hurting her. We had a great time. Can't wait to go back again and try it again.

Allan (mainly) and I (assisted) in putting on a Computer Boot Camp, this is a course that a great couple Jim and Chris Guld from Geeks on Tour put together for people just learning about computers. This is another couple we met and became friends with through the DataStorm Rally group. They gave us permission to use their material. We had 7 students take the course and they seemed to enjoy it and even learned stuff.


Bob and Joan (neighbours from home) came for a visit and I told Stan & Dianne (other neighbours from home) to come for a visit and all 6 of us could catch up. See Bob and Joan are in Salome, AZ, Stan and Dianne are in Yuma, AZ and Allan and I are in Blythe, CA. We had a great time seeing everyone and catching up on what we have been doing.

On the days that were were not travelling we were busy doing other things. Allan and I just came off the social committee which was a 2 year commitment so it feels great to have time to ourselves. No more breakfasts or Coffee Mondays' or suppers to help out at. We can now just attend the functions with no responsibility. It was fun - don't get me wrong - but still a lot of work. During all that time I was also spending many mornings doing work for my job and then in the afternoons a bunch of us ladies (at least 2 and as many as 8 of us) would play cards all afternoon. We have lots of fun. Sometimes we would play "Hand and Foot" (a form of Canasta) with or without partners, or we play Stix or Mexican Train or Rummy Tile or Skipbo. Lot of fun and then of course there are the happy hours and pot luck dinners.

I havent' made a dinner for the past 3 days. On Saturday John and Susie did a Shrimp Boil - was that ever good - we decided that this was the first annual boil for the neighbourhood. What this is everything is boiled in a big soup pot (in this case a turkey frier). Potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, shrimp, sausage, pea pods and various spices. Then you drain the water out once it is cooked and pour it over a table and you pick up what you want. Yummmm!


The next night Bruce and Michelle had a bunch of people over for hamburgers - WOW - giant burgers that didn't shrink once cooked and of course lots of other stuff.

Last night Betty and Bobbi had a farewell dinner for their sister Joanne (she is staying in our motor home). So again we got invited to come for dinner and we had hamburgers again with other stuff. These ladies are known for their cooking so when invited to their place for dinner you don't refuse. Came home stuffed and then went to Bingo and won $14.

Well it's time to go have my shower as Joanne is leaving today and we have to move the motor home onto Jo-Ann and Whitey's lot. They just sold their fifth wheel and are going to be staying in our motor home for 3 weeks before they head home.

Lots to do and having lots of fun!

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