Mon - Mar 12/12


Today's blog uses Verdana Font which has been determined is the easiest to read. (Times - the worst). I will try to remember to use this font in the future (I bet I forget).


We are now 3 hours behind "home" time. We do not "Spring Ahead" or "Fall Back" here. I'll have to remember this when making evening phone calls home. Arizona doesn't change time. Most of Arizona remains on Standard Time all year long. although I believe I remember that the Navajo Reservation near the Utah border (when we were in Monument Valley) was on DST.


Congratulations to Park Residents - they raised over $18,000 this year for Cancer Research! (Charlotte donated one of her creations, a Mohair Teddy Bear, to the auction).


I use our daily (most times) blog rather than write a bunch of emails so folks back home can keep track of what we are doing. A weekly newsletter written by an RVer we met at our stays in the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) keeps us in touch with their happenings.


This weeks blurb reminded us of some of the trade-offs made when coming here. Our park here, no doubt, is a nice park with great facilities, location, activities and fellow RVers. This is all a bonus with weather being the main attraction. This park; however, "nickle and dimes" the residents "to death" - which is an irritation.  At their park everything is included in a single fee (including Cable Modem Internet and TV). Despite fees that are a few hundred $$ more per month (compared to the RGV) we are still required to "out source" to a local provider if we want Cable TV and Internet at our site. This makes our fees even more costly. Buying tickets at the door for events, instead of earlier at the activity desk, costs $1 more. The main trade off is when managers, never having been RVers (so I have been told), operate a park. They do not have a clue of what RVers need or like (eg. good Wi-Fi). Despite events and entertainment being planned a year in advanced, unlike previous years, the calendar is not released until the beginning of each month. We used to get all our tickets for the three months in January and could plan our schedule. This year we will miss the St. Patrick's Day event. We purchased tickets for a Casino Event which is on March 16th. We assumed that, as the park had a dance on most Saturdays and March 17th is on a Saturday, this is when the park would celebrate St Paddy's Day. 


No!


Compared to past management (and activity directors) they are almost non-existent at any events. (We miss you Char!)


This week their park recently hosted a Farewell Party (Snowbirds leave a little earlier in the RGV. Their shindig, and I quote... (was)... "BBQ chicken and sausage plus...work campers (served)...the BBQ along with potato salad and beans. What a pleasant tasty way to thank all of us for spending the winter at our park. All food, plates, cutlery, plus wine and beer were provided for over 500 in attendance.  The four-$50 door prizes added a finishing touch...a super...group kept the party in an upbeat mood.... many were dancing in the lines waiting for our feast." ....our similar celebration did have beer and wine; but no meal and we ran out snacks and were down to just pretzels in short order. Gee - they didn't know how many folks were registered at their park?


This has been my rant for today!


Today Catherine decided to rest rather than go to the Monday morning park meeting with Charlotte. The wind has increased her allergies which, along with our full day yesterday, required a little extra rest. I stayed in the RV to do the blog. With many residents are at the meeting I can actually get on the "Wi-Fi" at this time.

After lunch Charlotte took "the path" to "Pen and Ink" for her last class for this season. She will finish the current project next year.

Catherine also ventured "down the path" to use the park computers in the computer room. They offered a more reliable connection for her to catch up on her business affairs than the Wi-Fi.

She spotted a "Roadrunner" actually running on the road - who knew? We often spot "cottontails"; but have not taken a good picture of the rabbits yet!


We all headed down the same path again to go swimming. Love this 80+ F weather with just a little breeze. Today we were accompanied by live music from "Happy Hour" (3 -5 pm) while we enjoyed the pool. Why is Happy Hour always more than an hour long?

Wow! Catherine took a picture and we were the only two in the pool at the time. There were always several others except for those few moments - how strange! Maybe they are all in "Witness Protection" and saw the camera come out?

Lots of folks when Catherine got in the pool - what's wrong with us?


Charlotte made a great pork chop with stuffing supper accompanied with fresh steamed broccoli and fried sliced mushrooms....mmm! Fresh pineapple slices for desert with Chocolate Brownies for a chaser.


"Millionaire " and "Family Feud" on TV before switching to "Gran Torino" on DVD.


Today was a busy day even though we stayed in the park.