Sunday, January 12, 2014

January 5 to 11, 2014

Sunday ; Still sunny and warm. I baked a beautiful loaf of bread today, using the bread maker to mix the dough, and the Sun Oven to bake it. Gorgeous !

I started the day with a back yard Bo-gility session. Well done, Bo, good dog. I wrapped Joanne's birthday gifts. It's her sixtieth birthday in three and a half weeks. I did a bit of work on Elsie ( the truck camper ). I paid our December electrical and propane bills.
I compiled our previous dental and eye exam records for our trip to Mexico tomorrow.

We went to the regular Sunday evening ice cream social. We had supper while watching Doc Martin on PBS. After supper Joanne went to clean the laundromat, a daily chore she volunteered to do this week. Then ... the long awaited season four premiere of Downton Abbey !

Monday ; Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico

This morning we picked up our friends Bill and Lynn and headed for Mexico. First stop was Best Optical. Bill and I each picked out new eyeglass frames, then each had an eye exam with Dra. Ana < pant pant >. After we both finished ordering and paying for new eyeglasses, the four of us walked across town to Farmacia Veterinaria Safari to buy some pet medications. We walked back "downtown", Bill and Lynn went for haircuts, Joanne and I went for dental cleanings and examinations. For the last few years I have been seeing Dra. Esther Estolano, a periodontist from nearby San Luis Rio Colorado, but now ... my Los Algodones dentist's daughter has just joined the family practice. She has recently graduated as a periodontist. Joanne had a dental cleaning, followed by a dental examination by Dr. Juan Camacho. I had a dental cleaning followed by a periodontal examination by his daughter, Dra. Lilia Camacho.

When we were finished Bill and Lynn were waiting for us. We went with them for a late lunch to a restaurant that Joanne and I like. After lunch we returned to Best Optical to pick up our new eyeglasses. My prescription trifocal glasses with Transitions lenses in new frames cost $119. My prescription trifocal sunglasses in new frames cost $49. The eye exam and glaucoma test ... were included at no additional charge. Great deal !

We shopped for and bought some medications ... and chocolate bars, of course. When we arrived at the border crossing back into the United States at 5 PM there was ... NO LINE UP ! ! ! WOO-HOO ! We were home before 6 PM.

After supper we ... Joanne, I, and Bo ... went to PetsMart to buy some dog food. Bo LOOOOOVES shopping at PetsMart. HA HA HA !

Tuesday ; Cloudy and warm, chilly in the evening.

This afternoon we went to the Humane Society of Yuma for our weekly session as dog walker and cat cuddler. I walked six dogs ... none of whom wanted to walk once I got them outside. SHEESH ! I named five of them. They were new. Only one of the six dogs was here last week ( and the week before ). Most of the dogs were "new" inventory, suggesting an inventory "turnover" about every two weeks or so. Joanne said it was the same thing in the cat area. Most of the cats in there today were "new".

We took Bill and Lynn out to have supper at an EL Salvadoran food truck. House specialty ; papusas. Joanne and I have been there a few times before. We like it. So did Bill and Lynn. After some papusas we went in search of some more interesting "street food" amongst the food trucks area in the vicinity of Avenue B and 8th Street. We stopped at a Mexican food truck and had some tacos and burritos. Back at Kofa Ko-op we spent the rest of the evening visiting with Bill and Lynn in their motorhome.

Wednesday ; Still sunny and warm.

I started the day with an obedience session in the dog park. Well done, Bo, good dog.

At noon we headed for the Humane Society with Bo to attend their vaccination clinic.
 I wanted to give it a try, if the line up wasn't too long. It's a no frills, first come, first served, low cost vaccination clinic. I thought the line up was too long, but Joanne wanted to wait it out. And it wasn't too bad, maybe fifteen minutes. They were cranking dogs through like an assembly line. Bo got his annual vaccinations, and a 2014 Yuma winter visitor dog license valid for six months. Guess I'll cancel next week's appointment at our regular veterinarian. Bo's now taken care of, and we've decided not to subject Sully to any more vaccinations at his very advanced age.

After lunch I worked on the truck bumper repair. It's coming along slowly. Today
I applied Bondo body putty, and after it dried, sanded it. Not bad, but will need another application. I won't be seeking employment as an auto body repairman any time soon ! HA HA HA !

Late in the afternoon we went to the clubhouse to host the weekly Happy Hour / Social Hour and heavy appetizers potluck. As "host" I changed some of the regular "procedures". You know me ... I believe "change is good" ! Joanne had some advance anxiety about my intentions / plans, but my changes were well received. Especially by the "new arrivals", to whom I gave special attention and recognition.

In the evening we tried ... for the third time ... to watch The Lone Ranger on a borrowed DVD. The DVD must be damaged. It was frequently "crashing". Maybe the problem is the DVD player, or my computer, or the software, but ... I don't think so. In frustration we finally gave up. I guess we'll have to see the movie some other time, some other place.

Thursday ; Sunny and warm. Joanne cooked an excellent beef bourguignon in the Sun Oven for supper tonight.

I spent most of the day running shopping errands. First stop was the brand new to Yuma Tractor Supply Company to buy a rubber bed mat for the truck. Next was Al's RV Supply & Service to return some items for a refund and revise an appointment for service. Then over to Cactus Propane to get some propane fittings and hoses custom made for the truck camper. Late lunch at Burger King was ... mediocre at best. Last stop was Wal-Mart, where most of the items I needed were out of stock. HMPH ! On the way home I stopped at our regular veterinarian's office to cancel next week's appointment.

I was home in time for the daily pack walk in the dog park. As soon as we returned form the pack walk our neighbour / friend who is from Thailand brought over freshly made ( still piping hot ) spring rolls and peanut sauce. OH MY GOODNESS, her Thai cooking is great !

Friday ; Well ... her Thai cooking might be great, but ... I guess I should have asked if she put pork in the spring rolls. Obviously, the answer to that question was "yes". I was sick today as a consequence. Oh, well.

Another sunny and warm day. And forecast to be the same for the next two weeks. This morning I used the bread maker to mix a batch of raisin bread dough, and this afternoon I baked it in the Sun Oven. Nice looking loaf of raisin bread.

Joanne spent all afternoon out running errands and shopping. I worked on the truck camper, mostly working on reinstalling the propane regulator and new propane hoses. I've added a new hose, for the catalytic heater I intend to install, and that new hose created difficult to resolve reinstallation and space / fit problems in the propane tank compartment.

While bicycling, I visited with Bill and Lynn, Carol Mae, Pat and her dog Lola, and a newly arrived couple from British Columbia's Gulf Islands, in a Lance truck camper similar to Elsie. Late in the evening we gave Bo a bath, his first since we recently gave him a short haircut. It certainly is easier to bathe him when he has short hair.

Saturday ; Today was sunny and very warm, no wind, gorgeous sunset tonight. I like to go bicycling at dusk, and watch the sun set over the desert as I bicycle down East County 17th Street, the road on which Kofa Ko-op is located.

This morning I worked on Lanoire the truck's damaged bumper, finishing the sanding and preparation for painting. When I was finished I went over to the storage area to do some minor auto body work on a neighbour's motorhome. My truck isn't the only one with a "boo-boo" on the corner of the front bumper !

This afternoon Joanne went to the Humane Society for a training course on cat safety, made necessary by some recent incidents of volunteer cat cuddlers getting bit by cats. While she was gone I worked on installing the Wave 6 catalytic infrared radiant heater in Elsie the truck camper. Custom hose is made and installed in the propane tank compartment, heater is wall mounted, next step is drill through the back wall of the propane tank compartment and through a cupboard wall to get the hose to the heater. Wish me luck !

This evening, after a late supper of barbecued chicken, with refried beans, and seasoned rice / pollo asado, con frijoles y arroz, we went to Wal-Mart to buy a few items, once again violating my "no Wal-Martin' on weekends" rule. It was okay, that late in the evening there were few shoppers.


DSK

No comments:

Post a Comment