January 19 to 25, 2020

Sunday ; Sunny and warm.

This morning we headed out to College of the Desert, for their weekend CoD Street Fair / flea market. We wandered around browsing for a couple of hours, buying nothing. From there we headed to a Vietnamese restaurant I wanted to try.

Lunch at Pho Vu was our first Vietnamese meal, and … it was excellent ! We shared a bowl of Pho Chin ( Pho soup with beef brisket ), and then shared a bowl of Ga Nuro’ng ( vermicelli with barbecued chicken ). From the restaurant we drove a very short distance to an Angel View thrift store. I donated some clothing, then we browsed for awhile, buying nothing.

Back at home I napped briefly then we went to the swimming pool for a long hot tub soak before supper. And another Sunday evening of binge watching “90 Day Fiance” and “Sister Wives”.

Monday ; Overcast and warm.

Right after lunch we headed into Desert Hot Springs to run some errands. 

I refilled the minivan with fuel at Vons Fuel Bar. We bought a few grocery items at Stater Bros. I bought a set of funnels at Angel View a few days ago, and returned today to buy another one. Back at home I napped for awhile then around 4:30 PM we went to the swimming pool to exercise and soak in the hot tub.

Tuesday ; Overcast and mild.

We spent all day out running errands. Starting at about 5:30 PM, while at 

Wal-Mart, and for the rest of the evening … and well into tomorrow … we bickered viciously and made each other’s lives a living hell ! ! ! ! !

Wednesday ; And that continued for all of today ! ! ! ! !

Thursday ; And half of today ! ! ! ! !

Friday ; And most of today ! ! ! < hanging head in despair >

Sunny and warm, as it has been for the last few days.

This afternoon we went out to Lala’s Waffles, Crepes, & Shakes to share an ice cream dessert, then to the Palm Springs Art Museum to wander around the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden.

Saturday ; Sunny and very warm. Winter has come to an end here in Palm Springs. The neighbour’s rose bushes are in bloom !

We went for a long exercise session and hot tub soak before having lunch. This afternoon Joanne did laundry. I went to the library at the East Clubhouse and worked on Wi-Fi. Not very successfully. The Internet here in Southern California is extremely overloaded. I’ve experienced this problem each time we’ve visited Palm Springs or anywhere else in Southern California, and I’ve had to use a “shared” / communal Wi-Fi connection.

DSK

January 12 to 18, 2020

Sunday ; Sunny and warm.

Our visiting friends David and Shauna went by themselves to explore nearby Joshua Tree National Park today.

We had an early lunch then went out to run errands. We were back home shortly before it became dark outside. We went for a long hot tub soak before dinner. While Joanne binge watched 90 Day Fiance in the evening I went to the East Clubhouse and worked on Wi-Fi in the library.

Monday ; Sunny and warm.

This morning we left home at 10:30 AM, with David and Shauna and Zona with us, for a day of thrift store shopping. We were back home at 7 PM. WHEW … long day ! David treated us to lunch at Sherman’s Deli, our favourite Palms Spring restaurant. THANK YOU !

Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.

This afternoon Joanne went with David and Shauna to run errands and browse at “antique” stores … < shrug >. I stayed home, had a leisurely lunch, took a nap, walked  Zona, and went to the swimming pool to do an exercise session and have a long, leisurely soak in the hot tub.

Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.

This morning Joanne prepared a picnic lunch and at noon we left, in our car, with David and Shauna, and drove a few miles to the nearby Thousand Palms Oasis at the Coachella Valley Nature Preserve. We explored the natural oasis a bit, had our picnic lunches, then went hiking and exploring in the desert oasis. We had more plans for the afternoon so around 2 PM we returned home to Sky Valley Resort.

I picked up an empty propane tank, David and Shauna picked up their dog Zona, and we set off again. We drove a few miles to nearby Blair Station RV and while 

I got a propane tank refilled David went into the store and browsed for parts for their old motorhome.

I put the refilled propane tank into the back of the car, and went inside the store to retrieve Joanne and David. The faint odour of propane around the refilled tank in the car made Shauna ill … < sigh >. The rest of the afternoon’s plans got abruptly cancelled and we drove back to Sky Valley … < sigh >. David and Shauna retreated into their motorhome, and after a brief rest Joanne and I set off to resume and complete the rest of the afternoon’s plans.

We drove into Desert Hot Springs and found our way to Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. It was already closed for the day … < sigh >. We went to Angel View Thrift Store and browsed for awhile. I bought a couple of interesting hardware items. We returned to Sky Valley, arriving home around 6 PM. Before preparing supper we went to the swimming pool area and spent half an hour or so soaking in the hot tub.

Thursday ; Sunny and warm.

Our friends David and Shauna went out this morning to do some antique shopping, returning mid-afternoon. Around noon Joanne and I went to the swimming pool, did an exercise session, then soaked in the hot tub for awhile. We returned home and I made a nice omelet for lunch. AHHHHH … time for a nap !

After David and Shauna returned home in mid-afternoon Joanne joined them in another swimming pool and hot tub session, David and Shauna’s first and last during their one week visit … Joanne’s second of the day. HA HA HA !

At 5 PM we all left to head downtown for Palm Springs weekly Village Fest. We wandered up and down the pedestrian mall section of Palm Canyon Drive from 6 PM to 7:15 PM. Joanne and I bought a loaf of bread at the Farmer’s Market. David and Shauna bought … nothing.

There was nothing at the many food stands at Village Fest that appealed to David so … we left Village Fest and drove to Elmer’s Restaurant for supper. We were back home around 9 PM.

Friday ; Happy 21^st Birthday to Joanne’s niece Madeleine

Sunny and warm.

Our friends David and Shauna, and their dog Zona, left this morning to return to Yuma.

Around noon we headed out to a restaurant Joanne was interested in. Lunch at El Tranvia was extremely good. I ordered a platillo pollo en mole, con arroz y frijoles / chicken mole platter with rice and refried beans. Best mole ( pronounced “molay”, a savoury chocolate based sauce ) we’ve ever tasted ! Joanne ordered a torta machaca / shredded seasoned beef sub sandwich. We each ate half our meal, then swapped. MMMMM ! After having lunch we drove a very short distance to Las Tres Conchitas, our favourite panaderia / Mexican bakery in the Palm Springs area. We stocked up on pan dulce / Mexican pastries. MMMMM !

This afternoon while I napped Joanne did laundry, then at dusk we went to soak in the hot tub. In the evening we binge watched “90 Day Fiance” … again ! HA HA HA !

Saturday ; Sunny and warm.

Around noon we went to the swimming pool and did an exercise session and hot tub soak. As we were finishing at the pool the resort’s monthly “block party” was starting on the lawn area adjacent to the pool. We returned home, had lunch, I napped, and then we returned for the 3 PM to 4 PM live band performance. It was a classic rock band playing hits of the late 60’s and early 70’s, the “coming of age” era of most of the residents in this community. HA HA HA !

Rock on, boomers !

HEY ! Great week in the stock market !

DSK

January 5 to 11, 2020

Sunday ; Sunny and warm.

Joanne was very marginally improved today. She achieved our goal of being healthy enough to attend our first Palm Springs International Film Festival movie today. Although … it took a lot of drugs to do it ! Both in her body, and in her purse. HA HA HA !

Right after lunch we left home heading across the freeway into Palm Springs. We ran a few errands, then headed to Palm Springs High School to see the movie. WOW ! What a large campus ! Much more like a university than a high school. 

I think it is the local “performing arts” high school. The venue for the viewing of the film festival movie was the auditorium. < blink blink > WOW ! Like a movie theatre or performance stage with many hundreds of seats !

The movie was excellent ! It was from Argentina, entitled “Heroic Losers”. It was a convoluted “good triumphs over evil” comedy / drama. By the end of the movie Joanne felt worn out and eager to return home.

Monday ; Sunny and warm.

Joanne is finally beginning to improve ! Thank goodness !

But … < sigh > … now Emma seems to have an upper respiratory infection / kitty cat cold !

This afternoon I continued a cosmetic repair on the car. And changed two burned out light bulbs ; a backup light and a taillight. Why are there so many light bulbs burning out on this car ? Late in the afternoon we went to the swimming pool. Both of us ! I did an exercise session. Joanne just floated and rested in the warm mineral water swimming pool. Then we soaked in the mineral water hot tub for awhile.

Joanne did laundry. I summarized our 2019 medical expenses. Which were much higher last year than usual ! More prescription expenses for me. More travel medical insurance expenses. A total of five pairs of eyeglasses last year ! ! ! Lots of physiotherapy expenses for Joanne.

Dinner was the last of Dancing Baba’s varenykiys, served with Crema CentroAmericana. What a great combination !

Tuesday ; Sunny and warm. But that is going to change soon.

Around noon we left for a day of running errands. First time in a week that Joanne has felt healthy enough to want to go out. First stop was Best Buy. I took my laptop for service. But … I was not aware that their Geek Squad service department is so busy that one needs an appointment to discuss service requirements. So … I will have to return on Thursday afternoon. At 3 PM ! 

< rolling eyes >

Joanne has compiled a list of things she wants to see / do / eat in Palm Springs. On that list was a restaurant called Lala’s, specializing in waffles, crepes, and milk shakes. We had an excellent ( and expensive ) lunch of crepes and milk shakes.

Today we did our grocery shopping at Cardenas, a Mexican supermarket. We liked it ! We like most Mexican supermarkets we’ve shopped at. More shopping for groceries and supplies at the 99 Cent Only Store, and … Wal-Mart, of course. We arrived back home at 6 PM.

Wednesday ; Sunny and warm, becoming cool and windy late in the afternoon.

Today I finished a cosmetic repair on the car, using a two part, black coloured epoxy to “rebuild” the top corner that was broken off the passenger’s door. The previous owner had repaired the damage with Polyfilla, suitable for household interior repairs, but not a suitable material for this kind of automotive exterior repair.

Joanne was feeling so improved today that she went shopping by herself for a few grocery items at Stater Bros in Desert Hot Springs. We went to the swimming pool together at dusk, and did half an exercise session, followed by hot tub soaking. And time in the sauna for Joanne. She likes the sauna. < shrug > I’m indifferent.

Thursday ; Extremely windy, cool.

We left home at 11 AM heading for Palm Springs High School, and our second Palm Springs International Film Festival movie at 12:15 PM. It was a very quirky film from Belgium entitled “Patrick”. It was a very dark comedy about grief, set in a nudist campground in southern France. A great deal of nudity, but non-sexual. HEY … it’s a nudist campground ! The main character was a 38 year old extremely introverted man, perhaps autistic, the handyman in the campground owned by his parents.

After the film we went to the shoe repair shop to pick up Joanne’s SAS sandals which were to be ready last Friday. Today … they weren’t yet ready !  I was just about to pitch a hissy fit when the owner / cobbler offered to deliver them this evening to Desert Hot Springs. Fine ! HMPH !

We drove to Best Buy where I had a 3 PM appointment for service at their Geek Squad service department. I had a brief “consultation” with a service technician, just to find out that their diagnostic service would require a one year service contract purchase. For TWO HUNDRED BUCKS ! Yeah … I don’t ****ing think so ! Goodbye ! ! !

We went for an extremely late lunch ( or extremely early dinner ) to a restaurant that Joanne has wanted for many years to try. Souplantation is an “all you can eat” buffet restaurant, serving primarily salads and soups. Their main feature is a fifty-five foot long salad bar. Their soup bar features eight different soups, and a chili. They also offer some pastas, pizzas, baked potatoes and fixings, and small fruit muffins. Almost everything is “vegetarian”. It was a very good meal, and worth a return visit in the future.

We were home around 5:30 PM and an hour later drove into Desert Hot Springs to meet the cobbler with Joanne’s repaired sandals. His work was expensive, but … extremely well done !

Friday ; Sunny and warm.

Today around noon our Kofa Ko-op neighbours / Canadian friends Shauna and David, and their dog Zona, arrived here at Sky Valley Resort for a one week visit to the Palm Springs area. After lunch Joanne and I took Shauna bathing suit shopping at Glossy, Joanne’s favourite bathing suit store. While the women shopped for bathing suits I went to nearby AutoZone to buy some automotive supplies I needed. When I returned to Glossy, not surprisingly, the women were not yet finished. I went next door and browsed for awhile at Habitat For Humanity Re-Store.

After the bathing suit shopping we went to Albertsons so that Shauna could replenish a few grocery items. We were back home around 5:30 PM, just as it became dark. We sat around on the patio with Shauna and David for about an hour until it became too cold to remain outdoors.

I spent the evening trying to solve some computer problems. After spending all evening working on the problems, all I accomplished was … to make the problems much worse. < sigh >

Saturday ; Sunny and warm.

Our friends David and Shauna spent the day on their own, running errands.

We left at noon to head to Camelot Theater to see our third and final movie in the Palm Springs International Film Festival, starting at 1 PM. The movie was made in France and Tunisia, and was entitled Arab Blues. It was a very good comedy about a young French / Tunisian psychoanalyst who sets up a psychoanalysis practice in Tunisia.

We returned home and I did a simple repair on the minivan before we went to the swimming pool for an exercise and hot tub soak session. As we returned from the swimming pool at dusk I found a fence that I used to aim the replaced headlight on the minivan. After supper we went next door to visit with David and Shauna.

DSK

December 29, 2019 to January 4, 2020

Sunday ; Sunny and mild.

Well ! Not a great day ! ! !

This afternoon we went to the East Clubhouse to exercise in the two fitness rooms. The first room, the “cardio” room, had treadmills, stationary bicycles, step machines, that sort of thing. We walked on treadmills for half an hour, just like in my post surgery cardiac rehabilitation program. Then we moved to the strength training room next door and worked out on upper body strength machines for about half an hour, as in my cardiac rehab program. Finally, we went to soak in a mineral water hot tub for half an hour.

We changed back into “street clothes”, and when we walked back to the car in the parking lot, I discovered … HUH ? My car key and my “house” keys were both missing from my jacket pockets. Stolen … not lost ! ! ! We have spare door entry keys for the car, but … no spare “chip” key required to start the engine.

We searched the change room and hot tub and swimming pool garbage cans looking for the keys. Obviously … no luck ! We walked to the entry gate guard’s hut to report the theft. We found out from the guard on duty that a teenage, mentally challenged boy visiting his grandmother in the community has been a source of much … < ahem > … trouble lately. While we were in the hot tub we noticed a mentally challenged teenage boy repeatedly entering and exiting the men’s change room. HMMMM … doesn’t two plus two usually equal four ? ! ? ! ?

The entry gate guard phoned the sheriff’s office for us and an officer was to be sent to take a report from us. The guard drove us home. While we were having supper a deputy arrived and took a report. He drove me back to the East Clubhouse and we verified that the car was still parked there. So … the keys were not stolen with the intent of stealing the car.

I worked on my computer using the Wi-Fi in the library, then took what we needed out of the car and began the long walk back home. < sigh > By the time I reached the West Clubhouse I felt so tired I asked a security guard who was locking up the laundromat for a ride home.

Monday ; Cloudy, intermittent light rain, cold.

Well ! My keys are back in my pocket ! ! !

This morning as I was disconnecting the park services from the camper so that we could use the truck to run errands our neighbour generously offered the use of his truck to us. THANK YOU !  I drove in the neighbour’s truck to the park’s guest services office and left messages for the head of security and the park owner to contact me regarding last night’s theft of my keys. A half hour later the park owner phoned me. I explained the situation. And expressed my displeasure ! He asked for an hour to investigate.

An hour later … < sputter > … he showed up at our door. With my keys ! ! ! From my description of the mentally challenged boy, he knew exactly who I suspected had stolen my keys. He went to the boy’s residence, and had a “come to Jesus” discussion with the boy’s grandfather. The outcome was … my keys were returned !

In the meantime … I had phoned a local Chrysler dealer and arranged to have a new key made. A key like the one that was stolen, with an embedded “chip”, and remote control functionality, was a tad over … wait for it … three hundred bucks ! ! ! Without remote control functionality, a “chip” key was eighty-five dollars. After getting my keys back, we decided to have an $85 “chip” key made, so that we would have two keys capable of operating the car.

We drove to the Chrysler dealer. Only to discover that the quote was incorrect. The “chip” key was $85. Programming it to our vehicle was an additional $70 for a total of $155 ! We were both miffed at the quote “error” and decided not to have an additional key made ! HMPH !

On the way back to Sky Valley we stopped at a Stater Bros supermarket and replenished some groceries. This was our second supermarket visit since arriving in the Palm Springs area and … the second supermarket that we did not like. Along with the Ralph’s that we did not like when we were here looking at a Dodge minivan while on our way from Canada to Yuma, this is the third … of three … supermarkets that we did not like. HMPH ! Yuma has better supermarkets / grocery stores than Palm Springs.

Tuesday ; New Year’s Eve

Sunny and warm. How nice !

Joanne woke up this morning feeling quite ill with a cold. Pauvre petit chou. She spent the day resting.

I went to the swimming pool by myself and did an exercise session and hot tub soak. I worked on the minivan, repairing the loose / sagging headliner. I did as much as I could, but ran out of the headliner retainer pins I bought at Wally’s World in Yuma. I will buy more when we return to Yuma, and continue the repair job.

Late in the evening the sheriff’s deputy handling my key theft case phoned. He had received the message I had left him that my keys had been returned to me. He wanted to know if I wanted to have the teenage boy prosecuted for theft. We discussed the ramifications of that. I declined to press charges.

For dinner we grazed on an assortment of hors d’oeuvres. And spent the evening watching an assortment of absurd reality TV shows until 11 PM when Joanne went to bed, feeling very ill. I stayed up and greeted the New Year … with Emma.

Wednesday ; New Year’s Day ; HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! !

Sunny and mild.

Joanne is still quite ill with a cold, although … with enough drugs, she’s functional. HA HA HA !

I spent much of today working on year end and year beginning financial matters. This morning I went to the library and downloaded all the banking and investment data I need. After lunch and a nap I worked on year end analysis and year beginning planning until it was time for me to barbecue a thick, juicy steak for supper. Again we spent the evening watching absurd reality TV shows on networks that we don’t get at home.

Today marks the day that our final two “pensions” begin. We each have two government pensions, and two private annuities. So … as of today, we have eight small pensions paying benefits on a monthly basis. Hope that’s enough to live 

on ! HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

A lifetime of careful financial planning and management finally comes to fruition !

Thursday ; Sunny and warm.

For the third day, Joanne is still very ill with a cold.

Around noon I went to the swimming pool for an exercise session and hot tub soak by myself. After lunch and a nap I headed across the freeway and into Palm Springs to run some shopping errands. Home Depot for some plumbing repair supplies. Auto Zone for some automotive repair supplies. 99 Cent Only Store for some groceries. And more cough syrup ! Final stop was Wal-Mart for groceries and household supplies.

I bought barbecued chicken and potato salad at Wal-Mart for us to have as a late supper when I arrived back home around 8 PM. After supper we watched a new absurd reality TV show. HA HA HA !

Tonight I finished my analysis of our 2019 investments performance. Well ! < blink blink > We had a very good year in the stock market, didn’t we ? !

Friday ; Sunny and warm.

Joanne is still very ill !

This morning I worked on the persistent leak underneath the bathroom sink, using a new product I bought yesterday. Hope it works. Wish me luck. If it doesn’t work, I will have no choice but to cut out some of the drain pipes and 

rebuild / replace them. Which I can’t do without my tools in Yuma, so if that becomes necessary, it will have to wait another month until we’re back home in Yuma. With a camper as large as ours, the road vibrations cause rigid plumbing pipes and plumbing connections to crack. And we don’t exactly confine our adventure seeking to paved roads only ! ! !

In the evening I continued working on year end investment data updating. Our finances are looking pretty darn good !

Saturday ; Sunny and warm.

Joanne continues to be very ill.

While we were both up at 3:30 AM … to clean the litter box … Joanne passed out, fell down, had a seizure, injured her neck … < sigh >. VERY scary ! ! ! ! !

The plumbing leak underneath the bathroom sink is … fixed ! The plumbing leak in the drain valve compartment on the outside of the camper remains … elusive. Can’t find the source. Yet !

Joanne accompanied me to Stater Bros in Desert Hot Springs to replenish some groceries, but … a short shopping trip completely depleted her. We found a new panaderia ( Mexican bakery ) in the Stater Bros mall, and bought some very nice pan dulce ( Mexican pastries ). BUT … we were overcharged a dollar … and 

I suspect it was intentional. As it was in Mexico when we would be frequently subjected to the “buck a gringo” corrupt practice of intentionally overcharging. PLUS … < sputter > … the panaderia today added a fifty cent charge to the bill for paying by credit card, without divulging that that was their “policy”. 

I discovered it when we returned home and I was doing the credit card accounting. We will NOT be returning to that panaderia !

After returning home from shopping Joanne went to nap ...a very rare occurrence for her … and I started a repair on the minivan. At dusk I went to the swimming pool and did a cardiac exercise session followed by a soak in the mineral water hot tub, then returned home to cook supper.

DSK