A Patio at Last!

Yes, we got a patio installed today!  We were beginning to think it was never going to happen.  We are very happy with the results and it makes such an enhancement to the lot.  

The workers arrived at 7:30am and finished a little after noon.  Three guys and they worked hard.  Our backs were aching just watching them lifting and toting the pavers and then bending down to place them.  It is absolutely back breaking work.  With their boom box playing Mexican music they seemed to enjoy their work.  One guy kept stopping and dancing to the music!  It was impressive watching them work.

The first corner started at 7:30

An hour later.  They really hustled.

As you can see the pavers have no pattern - just three sizes and three colors randomly placed as they came off the pallets.  

After they left we got the furniture put back into place and then decided that we wanted something other than the traveling lounge chairs for the front.  We moved them to the back behind the RV where we sit in the shade and Roger naps.  We had to go to the post office and so decided to stop at the hardware store in town to see if they had any patio furniture we liked.  Lowe’s and Home Depot have nothing out right now - it’s not the right season - but this place has an indoor area with lots of patio furniture.  We spotted two chairs outside the store that were on clearance - marked down from $70 to $20 -  so we grabbed them as they sort of matched the chairs we have at the table.  Inside, though, we found a three piece set nice chairs with cushions and a small table.  On sale!  I opted not to pay the assembly fee, so Roger will have them all put together for photos tomorrow.  He did work on them this afternoon and I’m thinking I should have paid the assembly fee - instructions were crazy Chinese translations.  

So, we now have eight chairs for the two of us plus our four traveling fold up ones.  Think we will be able to find a place to sit down?  I guess we need some company.  

Next we will make arrangements to have the rest of the lot landscaped - rocks, plants, yard art, etc.  Not sure when that will happen as we haven't discussed with landscaper yet and we have no idea how far out his schedule is set.  

Roger had three quarters of his puzzle completed that he’s been working on in the shed.  Maggie climbed up on his chair and grabbed a piece from the table and promptly chewed it up and swallowed it.  At least we think it was only one piece as that is all we saw her with.  She sure likes puzzle pieces - maybe it’s the glue???   It’s at least the third time she’s done that to him.  He felt safe in the shed….   Needless to say he isn’t speaking to Maggie right now.  

Tomorrow we are having lunch with our friends from Casa Grande and then in the afternoon it will be laundry day for me while Roger finishes putting together the new furniture.  

We Almost Have a Patio!

Well, we are half way there!  This morning the paver people showed up and did more prep work on the site and then left by noon.  It’s nice and level and looks good.  No pavers yet, though.  Just sand.  Lots and lots of sand.  We are only having one issue - it comes right up to the bottom of the stairs and we are not allowed to walk on it.  We are having to go over the side 

of the steps to get out.  Rog and I have no problems, but, Maggie wants to walk in the sand.  Roger is having to lift and carry her down the stairs and out to the gravel driveway.  She’s not exactly sure what is going on and looks totally confused.  Then when she comes back home Roger does the reverse - she has to be carried in.  Hopefully, after tomorrow morning this little exercise will be unnecessary.     

The pavers - 6 pallets of them - were delivered this afternoon about 3pm and tomorrow at 7am the paver people will be back to put them in place.  We should have our patio (at last!) by tomorrow afternoon.  

The next step is arranging landscaping for the rest of the site.  No telling how long that will take but it will be the last we will do this year.  We aren’t sure what else needs to be done, but we do want to cover the dirt with rock and get a few cacti planted.  Someone told me today that one of the landscaping contractors was now scheduling for March.  We have no idea what kind of wait we will have with the company we are using.  I’m told they are better and more reliable, but, of course, more expensive.  We just want to get it done!

Today was a “Ladies Christmas Luncheon” and 43 women showed up!  It was held at a nearby golf course club house.  We sat on the veranda and overlooked the green of the golf course.  Fortunately, the wind has finally died down and it was an enjoyable venue.  Christmas outfits and jewelry was abundant and if it had been colder, I’m sure there would have been some “ugly Christmas sweaters.”   I wore a special scarf/shawlette given to me by a friend.  The design is a tree - as in a family tree.  She made it for me after I had done some geneology work for her family.  It is lovely and I had so many compliments on it today!   Thank you, my friend!  We played a silly game after we were finished eating and everyone brought home a box of candy.  It was fun and every time I go to an event I end up sitting at a table with different people.  Learning names is impossible, but getting to know people is fun.

The last couple of days we have been holed up in the RV except to go get groceries.  The wind has been incessant and quite miserable.  Sand flying every where.  I noticed that on our lot all the footprints were blown away.  The hummingbird feeder was flapping around so much the poor birds couldn’t get to the food.  Finally, this afternoon the air was calm, the sun was out and it was a beautiful Arizona day with temps in the mid 70s.  

No Paver People Yesterday

No patio yet.  This is becoming annoying.

Since we didn’t have to stay home on Saturday and watch over paver installation, we got some errands done after we checked out the craft fair here at the park.  

There are a lot of talented people here!  We were surprised at the number of people selling their wares.  Lots of quilting, crochet, needlework, along with beading/jewelry.  There was some woodcarving, some Christmas decorated gourds, and some stained glass work. There was one special table, though.  Handwoven baskets.  The lady who heads the water exercise classes is a basket weaver and she does beautiful work.  I brought home a basket and a handwoven Christmas tree topper/ornament.  I also bought some placemats and a little tote designed especially for hauling your plates and silverware to the pot-lucks.  There was one guy who was trying to sell his wooden bowls.  They were not half as nice as Roger’s and he wanted $100 each for them.  We just walked right past that table.  I did get some ideas, though, for next year’s Christmas ornaments/decorations.   It was a lot of fun and emptied my wallet! 

We had to get a smog check so we can send in our registration renewal for the truck.  It seems that in Arizona no smog testing is required unless you live in a metro area such as Phoenix or Tucson.  Nothing local available to get a smog certificate.  Your mom and pop smog station is not a part of their system, either.  You have to go to an Arizona Vehicle Inspection Station run by the state.  Someone in the park gave us a heads up as to where there is a testing location, so we headed north to Mesa.  We found the place without too much trouble tucked back into an industrial area.  The smog test they did was like the old ones we used to get where you have to rev the engine while the sensor is stuck on your tailpipe.  We passed, which was no surprise, but when we went to pay, the charge was $0.   That was a surprise.  The technician said it was because it was an 04 Dodge.  We haven’t yet made sense of that rationale, but will take the freebie.  A diesel smog at home is $60.   Now, if Nevada DMV honors Arizona’s test we should be OK.  We are doing it early just in case we have to jump through more hoops.  We had a nasty experience with DMV this summer, and we are trying to not have another one.  We will mail the paperwork to Carson City tomorrow.  Fingers crossed.

Since we were in Mesa already, we decided to find the Costco and do some stocking up (we now have a place to store things bought in bulk).  Saturday - two weeks before Christmas.  Need I say more?  We ended up parking in a dirt field across the street and just knew we were in trouble at that point.  The place was packed - shoulder to shoulder, cart to cart all through the store.  Then when we got to the register we were second in line.  Amazing.  Everyone was still shopping and we got out of there fast.

Wind.  We woke up this morning to the sound of wind howling.  Gusts 30 to 40mph ALL day.  It is expected to continue until Wednesday.  We are guessing this is all part of the weather pattern bringing those Santa Ana winds to SoCal.  We stayed in today until I couldn’t stand it anymore and so we went out for pizza about 4pm.  We got the rig cleaned up this morning - dusted and vacuumed, although, since the rig is not air tight, it will need it again tomorrow.   This afternoon I knitted while listening to my audio book and Roger worked on a puzzle while listening to his.  He was out in the shed, though, and Maggie and I stayed inside the RV.  Maggie doesn’t like the wind sounds.  It’s a bit awkward knitting with a dog in your lap - even a small one like her.  

So….   tomorrow a patio????  

  

Ups and Downs of the Day

The day started out positively and ended positively, but in between we had a few disappointments.  

There was a “shed raising” across the street and Roger went over to help.  It wasn’t quite as big as a barn raising, but it was the same principle.  Our neighbor had built two of his walls yesterday and this morning several guys helped him stand them up and stabilize them.  

Maggie and I got a long walk and were accompanied by a neighbor.  It was nice getting out and walking after two days of not being able to do so because of the cold and wind.  The sun was shining, there was no wind but it was still sweatshirt and long pants weather.  

Then Roger called the paver people boss.  Several excuses later it was determined that “maybe tomorrow or Monday” his crew will be back to lay the pavers.  We had really hoped it would be done by today and we could put our furniture out and get back to normal.  Oh, well.

Roger wanted to go into town and get a real haircut - not one done by me.  I tagged along and asked if we could try a restaurant we’ve been eyeing for lunch.  Greek/Italian/American.  The menu on-line looked as if there would be something we could eat.  I ordered falafel - I haven’t had it in ages - and Rog ordered a veggie wrap.  It took forever to be served.  We noticed that others who had come in after us got their food before we did.  That was getting annoying.  Then we finally got our food, I took one bite, and tried to aspirate it.  (You would think at my age I’d know better than to try and breathe and swallow at the same time.)  At one point I really was scared because I couldn’t get my breath and Rog was a hair’s breadth from doing the Heimlich maneuver.  I was shaken up for sure.   Ten minutes of coughing and tears and I finally was able to eat.   By then the food was cold and everything tasted awful.  Roger’s wrap wasn’t any good either - he didn’t like the yogurt sauce they put on the veggies.  So, the whole meal was a bust. 

We stopped at the post office to get mail.  We have a PO box there as we aren’t allowed to receive mail at the RV Park.  A clerk told us that when we order anything on line to put the street address of the PO and then the box number on it.  It’s been working fine with Amazon.  Well, today one of the packages that came had been shipped UPS. I had to stand in line for it so I could sign for it.  Apparently if it’s shipped UPS/FedEx then, no matter what it is, you have to sign for it.  UPS and FedEx  will deliver to our site - but most of the time when you order something you don’t know how it’s being shipped.   One of the things the Advisory Committee here is looking into once the park is turned over to the Co-op on January first is doing something about the mail situation.

There are two barbers in town.  The first was closed.  The second had one guy working and four people in line.  Rog didn’t get his haircut.  

I did laundry this afternoon and when I got out of the truck I noticed that the necklace I was wearing was dangling unclasped and the pendent was gone.  I spent some time looking everywhere for it in and around the truck.  Then I spent and hour and a half pouting that I had lost the pendent and didn’t know where.  Then, as I was putting the clothes baskets in the truck to come home, I noticed something shiny on the ground.  Yes!  Not lost after all!  A waste of a good pout. 

Rog spent the afternoon puttering in the shed and I did some knitting while Maggie had a nap.  

We can not get enough of the beautiful sunsets with the saguaro in the foreground.  

No Patio But Lots of Wind

Yesterday and today have been cold and windy.  At least for us it’s been cold.  It only got to 56 yesterday but today it made it to the low 60s.  The wind, though, was relentless.  Fire watch warnings both days.  Gusts today were up to about 50mph.  Needless to say, Maggie and I have not had a long walk the last two days.  We go out long enough for her to do her business.  That’s all I can deal with when it comes to the wind and blowing sand.  

Well, the paver people (as I have started calling them) haven’t come back yet after spreading the sand for the base of the patio.  I was told last Friday that they would be all finished by this Friday.  That’s tomorrow.  We shall see.  Maybe they don’t work in this kind of weather?  I think the boss man has got too many jobs going right now and is a bit behind schedule.  We really are hoping that tomorrow will be the magic day.  

Our toaster oven started smoking two days ago.  We thought it was crumbs on the bottom.  I cleaned it out.  Still got smoke.  Then I thought maybe I had left soap residue on the bottom and the glass so I took some vinegar and water and wiped the whole thing down.  It was still smoking last night, but with no apparent cause.   We unplugged it for over night and then we dumped it in the dumpster this morning on our way to buy a new one.  We ended up with just a toaster since the microwave is also a convection oven and we think we can get away with just the toaster features.  The good news is that it freed up space on the counter!  

Mailed Christmas packages and cards yesterday.  Finished shopping for presents today and have one more package to mail tomorrow.  We are done.  I’ll put up decorations and our tiny tree next week sometime.  

The power supply thing and the solar panel arrived from Amazon.  The solar panel is larger than we thought and the power supply thing is smaller.  Rog got some extra lengths of cable and some mounting brackets for the solar panel.  Now he just has to figure out where to put it.  Once he does he’ll put it up and he should be all set for power in his “tiny house.” 

It’s supposed to be sunny and warmer tomorrow with no wind to speak of, which will be nice.  Here’s hoping the paver people show up to make the day!

It's Tuesday already!

It’s also 20 degrees colder than yesterday and cloudy.  Not a pleasant day, weather-wise.  It just reminds us, though, why we are here - it’s colder at home.   

Maggie basking in the sunshine yesterday.

The landscape people came today to do some of the prep work for laying the pavers for the new patio.  Supposedly it will be all done by Friday.  We can’t wait. 

The yard yesterday.

The yard this afternoon.  

Rog spent  today bundled up in sweatshirt and long sleeved shirt working in the shop.  I spent the day packing Christmas presents into boxes for mailing and writing Christmas cards.  It felt an appropriate chore as it was cold and I had the fake fireplace going and hot tea to enhance the mood.  Maggie stayed curled up in her bed to stay warm.

 Roger yesterday working on drawers for his tools in his tshirt.  What a difference a day makes. 

Update

Yep, the shed’s up and Rog has already turned it into his man cave.  He’s so happy to have a place to be and have something to do.   Pictures next time of the inside.  We put big windows in the ends so he’d have light to work as we didn’t run power out there.  If he does need some light he can run an extension cord from the RV.  He just putters away out there.  This afternoon he sharpened his wood chisels!!  Roger’s been spending too much time standing on the cement floor doing his woodworking so his hip and sciatica have been acting up a bit.  We got him a shop stool the other day and we  have a anti-fatigue (heavy duty) floor mat coming for him from Amazon this week.  Hopefully that will help.  He’s taking it a bit easy today - he’s sitting to do the sharpening.  He needs to rest for a day or so. 

The sign - we’ve had that sign for a few years.  Had it made at the Yuma Flea Market when we were there a couple years ago.  We have been hanging it on the kingpin of the RV when we stay more than a day or so in an RV park.  It worked out nicely to be our shed sign.  Most everyone here has some sort of signage out front or on their shed.  We just bought the 7 at the hardware store to indicate our lot.  Roger put up some solar motion sensor lights on the shed this afternoon.  We want to put up a few other decorations on it but are going to wait a little while.  We are supposed to get our patio done this coming week.  That will be wonderful to have something to walk on that you don’t drag into the house on your shoes and clothes.  That fine, silty, red sand is a constant.  The patio and then some rock on the rest of the lot should alleviate some of the dust.  

I am a weather wimp when it comes to the pool so didn’t get any water exercise at all last week.  It was cloudy and around 75 - just not fun.  Too much time spent shivering - although that does use calories.   One day only 3 women showed up - including the leader.  I have been walking the dog around the perimeter path in the morning as well as up and down our street for afternoon pee walks.  I bought a small Fitbit to keep track of my activity and hopefully motivate me.  My back sometimes get cranky when I do the 2 mile loop and then do some standing.  Today was a walk,  lunch out, Safeway, and Walmart.  By the time we got back home my back was talking to me.  I’ve been sitting most of the afternoon.  I’m fighting right now to get motivated to lose some weight.  I was up 10 pounds last time I checked and have been afraid to check since.  As usual I get derailed easily - bought scones at the store for snacking this week and when we got home we went up to the activity hall for the Sunday ice cream social.  Never seems like a good day to start.  The Fitbit is tracking my sleep as well.  I now see why I don’t think I get enough rest - It shows I was in bed for 8 hours but 1.5 of those I am awake or “restless.”  How it knows???  I definitely can see on the chart when I get up to go pee!  Looks like pretty much the same time every night!!  

When I went to the Bay Area Roger let Maggie on the bed with him at night.  You can guess where she is sleeping now.  The other night it got a bit chilly and she kept trying to stick her nose in Roger’s armpit!  She does produce some body heat and I keep pushing her down to the foot of the bed.  She is such a spoiled baby.  She has become even more of a Velcro dog - she sticks right with us.  We are able to be outside and she doesn’t wander away when not on the leash.  Of course we have to hook her up to go for a walk anywhere, but thankfully she isn’t tethered when we are sitting outside.  It helps that the ground squirrels that were here in March are gone.  She doesn’t have anything to chase.  Right now she is next to me on the couch with her head in my lap because I wouldn’t let her put it on the keyboard. 

I’ve finished crocheting two scarves.  One for Stephanie and one for Pam as a thank you for taking care of me when I flew to the Bay Area.  Now I need a new project.  

Roger is doing dishes.  Dinner was  bean, cheese and rice tostadas with bell peppers, onion,  lettuce, tomato, and avocado.  It’s a staple around here - and actually tasted good tonight.   

The Super Moon is just that tonight.  With the saguaro outlined in front of it, it is just awesome.  Wish we could have gotten a picture.