January 23 to 29, 2022

 Sunday ; Sunny and very warm, no wind, a perfect “June 18” type of day.

After lunch we headed into Palm Springs, to attend a Coachella Valley Symphony Orchestra concert at Annenberg Theatre, attached to the Palm Springs Art Museum, an extraordinary piece of architecture perched on the edge of Tahquitz Canyon, on the edge of downtown Palm Springs. WOW ! What a building ! What a canyon !

Today’s concert was “Best of Stage & Screen”. It was only the second symphony orchestra concert we have attended since “retiring” 17 ½ years ago. The concert was … okay. A bit disappointing. A bit mediocre. A bit short in duration. A bit expensive. HEY … it’s Palm Springs !

After the concert we went for an early supper at Sherman’s Deli, our favourite restaurant in Palm Springs. As always, we were not disappointed with our meal experience at Sherman’s. Joanne had Matzo Ball Chicken Soup, then a rack of barbecued baby back ribs. I had Sweet & Sour Cabbage & Beef Soup, then liver and onions. Oh, yes … Sherman’s knows how to do liver and onions !

When I parked the truck on the street about a block from Sherman’s Deli I had to be careful not to bump the lime green Lamborghini ! It certainly was … <blink blink> … shiny !

Monday ; Very sunny and very warm, temperature in the low 80’s !

This morning while Joanne did laundry I drove into Desert Hot Springs and ran some errands. I dropped some items for donation at Angel View Thrift Store, and then went inside to shop for … HMPH ! I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to be looking for in the thrift store. <shrug> Oh, well … I went inside anyway, planning to look around and maybe that would jog my memory. My memory wasn’t jogged, but … HA HA HA … I bought something that I totally didn’t need anyway. I’ll give it to Joanne as a birthday gift. HA HA HA HA HA !

When I returned home Joanne reminded me what I was supposed to look for at the thrift store. Oh, yeah !

In the afternoon I removed the truck’s wheel liners, hub caps, and valve extenders in preparation for tire service and rotation tomorrow.

I’m typing this a few minutes after 11 PM, as I watch/listen to the late night news on NBC Palm Springs … (<PANT PANT> … news anchor Olivia and weather woman Chloe). The news story is about a local organization teaching children how to play street hockey. HA HA HA HA HA … Palm Springs children have to be taught how to play street hockey. <ROFLMAO>

Tuesday ; Sunny and very warm, windy in the evening.

We drove into Palm Springs around lunchtime. First stop was Best Care Shoe Repair to pick up my repaired SAS grey shoes, then we went for lunch at Felipe’s Cafe, a Mexican restaurant in the same mall. Despite great reviews, which is why Joanne chose Felipe’s, we were both disappointed. Joanne ordered a shredded beef burrito, and I ordered a shredded beef taco salad bowl. We shared them. They were both unseasoned, relatively tasteless, and … mediocre at best. The complimentary tortilla chips and salsa served upon being seated were better.

After lunch we drove across town to the multitude of shopping malls at the intersection of Monterey Avenue and Dinah Shore Drive in Palm Desert. We shopped quickly at the 99 Cent Only Store, then Joanne went to Wal-Mart by herself while I went to America’s Tire to have a tire repaired and all seven tires rotated. EXCELLENT service at America’s Tire ! Quick check-in right at appointment time, tire with screw in it repaired, all seven tires rotated, quick check-out within an hour of arrival, as estimated.

Cost of one flat tire repair and rebalance ; zero ! Cost of seven tire rotation ; zero ! <blink blink> When I checked in the service writer/assistant manager asked where I had purchased the truck’s tires. Answer ; Canadian Tire in Penticton, British Columbia. I could only surmise afterwards that he thought Canadian Tire is the Canadian “affiliate” or “subsidiary” of America’s Tire, where flat repairs and tire rotations are free for life when tires purchased there. <shrug> Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, I guess !

Wednesday ; Sunny, very warm, a bit (Santa Ana) windy, cool in the evening.

This morning our early walk led to the weekly farmers’ market at the front gate of the resort. This afternoon I worked on reinstalling the spare tire underneath the truck, and <sigh> putting air into all the truck’s tires using my small air compressor. Yesterday the service technician at America’s Tire reduced the air pressure in all seven of the truck’s tires from 80 PSI (correct) to 65 PSI, the manufacturer’s recommendation for tire pressures … for an UNLOADED truck, not one with 4700 pounds of camper on its back.

AND … <heavy sigh> … he installed the driver’s side outer rear dually INCORRECTLY, with the inner tire’s valve blocked by the outer wheel’s “spoke”, preventing the installation of the necessary valve extender. I will have to return the truck to America’s Tire to have that tire and wheel removed and reinstalled correctly.

You would think that a tire service technician would know how to install dually tires correctly, wouldn’t you ?

Thursday ; Sunny and very warm during the day, cool in the evening,

<sigh> Last night around supper time our next door neighbours’ sixteen year old cat snuck out of their camper van … and hasn’t been seen since. After more than twenty-four hours, his survival and safe return seems unlikely.

This afternoon we went into Desert Hot Springs to run a few errands. We shopped at Angel View Thrift Store for an item we are looking for. They didn’t have it. BUT … I did buy myself a shirt. We also shopped for groceries at Stater Bros. In the evening I baked chocolate chip cookies as an alternative to a birthday cake for Joanne. It didn’t go well ! <shrug> Ya win some, ya lose some !

Friday ; Joanne’s 68^th birthday ; HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE

Sunny and warm during the day, very chilly in the evening.

We left home at 5:30 PM and headed into Palm Desert to have Joanne’s birthday dinner at Mi Cultura Cuisine, a Peruvian and Colombian restaurant. It was interesting, but not as good as Pollo Dokys, a Peruvian Restaurant we went to here in Palm Springs a couple of years ago. Before we leave the Palm Springs area I think we should go to Pollo Dokys again.

After dinner we went to McCallum Theatre, an upscale live performance venue adjacent to College of the Desert. Very posh ! My birthday treat for Joanne was dinner at Mi Cultura, and a live performance of Fiddler On The Roof at McCallum Theatre. EXCELLENT touring theater company performance of a … not so feel good story. I think we’ve seen Fiddler On The Roof performed live before, at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg, probably around … forty years ago ?

Saturday ; Cloudy and warm.

Slept late. Had a long exercise session in the warm mineral pool before lunch. Had a long walk across the resort all the way to the highway and back before supper. Another relaxing, lazy day at Sky Valley Resort.

DSK

January 16 to 22, 2022

Sunday ; Sunny and very warm.

Did some truck and camper maintenance today. Went for a long walk. Did a long exercise session in the warm mineral pool and a soak in the hot mineral pool. Wasted a lot of time trying to get some online work done using this resort’s exceptionally slow and poor Wi-Fi … <sigh>. Slightly reluctantly helped a neighbour get his large trailer out of their site. I overheard him asking/telling his wife what he expected her to do to guide him out of the tight spot. Thought … NAHHH … his expectations of her are unreasonable. I was right. It took much more than their combined trailer handling skills to extricate him.

Monday ; Sunny and very warm.

We drove into Palm Springs … Cathedral City, actually … this morning to run some errands and have lunch. Cathedral City is one of the nine interconnected cities that form the Palm Springs municipal area. Joanne had chosen a few different restaurants to try. All were closed ! Evidently the pandemic has been tough on the local restaurant industry. We ended up going for lunch at El Pollo Loco (translates as The Crazy Chicken), a Mexican chain of pollo asado / barbecued chicken restaurants, an old favourite of ours that we have not been to in a few years, since their Yuma location closed.

We shopped for groceries and supplies at Dollar Tree, the 99 Cent Only Store, and Cardenas, the local Mexican supermarket. WOO-HOO … nice pan dulce. We got home around 6 PM just as it became dark. Joanne put away our grocery purchases then we went for an exercise and soak session in the mineral hot and warm pools. AHHHHH !

Tuesday ; Sunny, warm, windy.

Did some minor maintenance on the truck today.

The Wi-Fi at this RV resort park improved significantly today. Don’t know why. Repaired something ? Updated something ?

Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm again, another lovely day in Palm Springs. Well … Desert Hot Springs, actually.

This morning for our early exercise walk we walked over to the east clubhouse on the other side of this RV resort park and made arrangements for a temporary mailbox here. Then to the front gate on the west side of the park for the weekly farmer’s market. Very nice produce from a local produce vendor. Bought beautiful huge strawberries, and lovely small Oyster Mushrooms. I will make Oyster Mushroom and Queso Fresco omelettes for supper tomorrow.

This afternoon I did an “improvement” project on the truck, and another one on the camper. Just before dusk we went to the west side mineral hot and warm pools to do a lengthy exercise and soak session. <taking deep breath> Could get used to this lifestyle!

After supper, Amazing Race.

Thursday ; Sunny and very warm.

We spent the afternoon running errands in Palm Springs / Palm Desert, including our first Trader Joe’s shopping trip in two years. WOO-HOO … peanut butter stuffed, chocolate coated pretzels !

For supper I made Oyster Mushroom, Crema Salvadoreña, and Queso Fresco omelettes. My omelette creations just keep getting better and better. HA HA HA !

Friday ; Sunny, very warm, extremely windy (hot, dry Santa Ana winds) in the afternoon.

“There ain’t no Coupe de Ville hidin’ at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box”.

R.I.P. Marvin/Michael Lee. You should have worn a mask … you idiot !

Tonight for supper I made excellent Scotch Eggs using ground turkey.

Saturday ; Sunny and very warm again.

<sigh> Discovered that one of the truck’s tires has a large screw in it <sigh>. Guess that explains why it’s been slowly losing air. Oh, well … better to have discovered it here and now while I have plenty of time to deal with it, and lots of options for where to have the problem dealt with. Better than ending up with a flat tire at dusk somewhere near Nowheresville, West Texas in a couple of months.

DSK

January 9 to 15, 2022 ; Palm Springs / Desert Hot Springs, California

 Sunday ; Sunny and very warm. Welcome to Palm Springs !

This morning we did our early exercise walk around the Spotlight 29 Casino’s many parking lots after boondocking there overnight. We drove to the nearby Love’s station to adjust the air in one of the truck tires that has been slowly losing air pressure recently.

About half an hour later we were pulling into Sky Valley RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs, across Interstate 10 from Palm Springs. We checked in for a month. WOO-HOO ! We set up in our assigned site, the same site we were in two years ago, I connected electricity, water, and sewer, then began working on the leaking truck tire. As expected, the problem was a leaking dually valve extender. I replaced it.

After a late lunch I helped Joanne carry our laundry to the laundromat, then while she laundered the clothes I searched around for a decent Wi-Fi signal. I tried for too long to get some work done using a very poor Wi-Fi signal while sitting outside the resort’s cafe. In frustration I gave up and walked back to our site where I discovered … <sputter> … a much better Wi-Fi signal reaching our camper.

Late in the afternoon we walked over to the pool area to soak … AHHHHH … in one of the mineral springs hot pools and exercise by walking laps around one of the mineral springs warm swimming pools.

Monday ; Cloudy and mild.

This morning we took the camper off the truck so that we wouldn’t have to drive around with it on the back of the truck for the next month (or two). It didn’t go well … <sigh>.

After lunch we drove into Desert Hot Springs to run some errands. We donated some stuff at Angel View, a local charity thrift store. And we went to the Post Office to buy a stamp and mail our annual IRS 8840 forms to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, hopefully for the last time.

Tuesday ; Sunny and very warm.

An entire day lost to petty, angry, hurtful squabbling. HMPH ! Haven’t done that in a long time !

Wednesday ; Partially cloudy, very warm. Thanks to dry Santa Ana winds, the humidity here has declined down to 5% ! And about an hour ago … (it’s now 8:15 PM) … we experienced an earthquake, kind of spooky since we are located directly on the San Andreas Fault, which is why the aquifer beneath the ground here is “hot springs”. Hence the name of our location ; Desert Hot Springs, California. DUH ! “What did you think Rice Krispies was made with ?”

This morning on our early walk we discovered that there is a small farmer’s market at the front gate of this resort every Wednesday morning. How convenient.

This afternoon we started a new program of warm mineral pool and hot mineral tub exercises and stretches.

WOO-HOO ! Amazing Race tonight !

Thursday ; Cloudy and very warm.

WHEW … long, tiring, expensive day of running errands in Palm Springs. Left home at 10:20 AM, returned at 6 PM.

• Best Care Shoe Repair ; take my grey SAS shoes for repair.

• California Dept. of Health ; Covid-19 booster shots WOO-HOO !

• Palm Springs Dog Park ; reminisce about our visits there with Bo and Ozzie.

• Bank of America ; deposit cheques and cash from sale of Kofa Ko-op lot 52 and Arizona room, fifth wheel trailer, and minivan.

• Pho Vu ; lunch.

• Quick Quack Car Wash ; HMPH … still under construction.

• Grand Prix Car Wash ; HMPH … sixty bucks to wash our truck ? ! ? Yeah … I don’t think so !

• Palm Desert Car Wash ; wash truck. Five bucks !

• Revivals thrift store ; browse, buy clothing. Four items, four bucks !

• 99 Cent Only Store ; replenish groceries and supplies.

• Wal-Mart ; replenish groceries and supplies.

• Auto Zone ; HMPH … didn’t have what I needed.

• another 99 Cent Only Store ; HMPH … didn’t have what Joanne needed.

Friday ; Sunny and very warm.

Went for a much longer walk than planned this morning. Made a wrong turn ! DUH !

Went for an exercise session to the park’s fitness center late this afternoon. Room was filled with old, white, men and women, unmasked, in violation of California’s indoor mask mandate. Guess we won’t be using the fitness center during our stay here. Hate that compliance with public health orders turns us into “second class citizens”. Certainly is easy nowadays to identify who is Republican and who isn’t ! ! ! ! ! ****ing ***holes ! ! ! ! !

Saturday ; Cloudy and mild. What passes for winter in Palm Springs. HA HA HA !

We have a new “neighbour”, driving a 1947 Greyhound bus converted to a motorhome. Original “Greyhound” signage on the bus. Interesting looking vehicle, but … noisy and stinky ! Wonder how many movies it has appeared in ?

DSK

January 2 to 8, 2022 ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California

 Sunday ; Sunny and … cold !

WOO-HOO … car is sold !

Trailer sold and gone. Car now sold and gone ! Lot 52 and Arizona room sold, transfer date next Thursday ! Well done, Daniel !

Think we’ll leave here on Thursday, go to Quartzsite for a couple of nights, then Palm Springs, probably for the rest of the winter. We deserve it !

Two months of “taking the waters”, soaking in mineral hot springs. Going for long walks. Afternoon naps. Fine dining. Live theatre at least once. Adventure outings, such as Joshua Tree National Park.

Monday ; Sunny and cold again.

This morning before we were even out of bed the purchaser of our car left Sadie, his Golden Retriever, in our Arizona room for us to “dog sit” while he went to Mexico for dental work this morning. As he left … in his “new” minivan … I got out of bed, went out to the Arizona room and retrieved Sadie. HEY … I made a dog pun. HA HA HA !

I brought her into the camper and we all crawled back into bed for another hour or so. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a dog snuggled up to me in bed. And I’ve certainly never snuggled up to one that big ! HA HA HA ! Before lunch I took her for a long walk twice around the dog park.

Sadie was with us until late afternoon, and will be returning tomorrow for another day with us. It was a joy to have her with us today.

Late this afternoon we received payment for our Arizona room from the buyer. All that is left now is payment for our lot, which will come to us from the RV park a week or so after the transfer/possession date which is Thursday.

Tuesday ; Sunny and mild.

Today was day two of our “dog sitting” Sadie the Golden Retriever. She’s sweet and very well behaved. Well … DUH … she’s a Golden !

Both of us are feeling very stressed by this process of selling, packing, and leaving. <sigh> Only two more days to go.

And while I continue to encounter passive-aggressive hurdles being thrown in our way and back room dealing “sabotage” to our sale efforts and departure plans … HA … I continue to win the “pissing contests”. It seems as if I have benefited throughout my life by having my “bad attitude” … and abilities … underestimated ! ! ! ! !

I spent much of the afternoon with the purchaser of our minivan, as he dealt with the struggles of getting the minivan “title” ownership (a distinctly different process in the United States than in Canada) transferred to him, and buying ninety day temporary vehicle registration and license in Arizona. The seller (me) is not a resident of Arizona. The buyer (him) is not a resident of Arizona. He doesn’t want the car registered and licensed in Arizona, he wants it registered and licensed in South Dakota. My signature was required on documents. My signature had to be notarized on documents. <sigh> The line-ups for service at the Arizona Dept. of Transport/Motor Vehicle Branch were … <sigh> ... very long ! It was a three hour waste of my time that had to be endured.

AND … <sputter> … as encountered before … only black and brown skinned people were masked. I was one of the extremely few masked white people in a crowded public facility filled with hundreds of people. Including … I had a verbal confrontation about social distancing with the unmasked (Libertarian) buyer of our car while we were waiting in line at the DMV.

<taking a deep breath>

Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.

Late this morning, while on our early exercise walk we provided assistance to an elderly female resident of our park who toppled over her mobility scooter turning a corner too quickly. Slow down, Donna ! She injured her knee slightly, and her pride perhaps even more. She was driving too fast, with a loaded garbage can perched precariously on the scooter with her because … <ahem> … she was tired of waiting for her husband to take out the garbage. SO … ergo … the accident was HIS fault. She was furious ! <shrug> … HMPH ! Old woman logic ! Almost as flawed as dog logic. HA HA HA !

We spent the afternoon running errands. For the last time in Yuma ! We took a large load of recycling to the waste management site. We took our last load of stuff for donation to Goodwill. I refilled the truck with diesel. We shopped for groceries at Food City. We shopped for groceries at Albertsons.

We returned home just before dusk and immediately went for our late afternoon exercise walk. Before returning home to prepare supper we stopped and said farewell to our friends David and Linda.

Thursday ; Yuma to Quartzsite, Arizona

Sunny and warm.

After 6 ½ years on their waitlist, and ten years as lot owners and residents of the community, today we bid farewell to Kofa Ko-op SKP RV Park. First we sold the fifth wheel trailer, then the Arizona room and lot, and finally the minivan. Today was “closing” date on the Arizona room and lot. We received payment and vacated the property this afternoon. That chapter of our lives is over, and a new one begins. And as we drove from Yuma to Quartzsite this afternoon, we both could feel the stress and negativity dissipating !

"America … love it or leave it" ? Yes, yes … our choice has been made ! ! ! ! !

HELLOOOOO, homeless vagabonding ! We’ve missed you !

This morning we completed departure preparations. At 1 PM I attended the beginning of the twice weekly lot transfer committee meeting for the ninth time … and verified that the buyer’s payment had been received. I reiterated to the committee that we expected our payment by close of business today. By 1:15 PM Joanne had paid our final electricity and propane refill billing, and we departed to run a couple of final errands in Yuma.

We returned our Beamspeed/internet service provider’s modem/router, then went to Wally’s World to buy an item I need to do some camper maintenance. As we were finishing there the lot transfer committee phoned at 2:15 PM to advise that our cheque was ready. We were back at Kofa Ko-op at 2:30 to pick up our cheque. <sigh> Not surprisingly the cheque amount was incorrect. Fortunately (and thanks to my OCD) I keep impeccable records and presented the invoice and paid statement proving their “adjustment” error. They corrected their error with cash.

Take your pick ; more passive aggressiveness ? Or ineptitude ?

We pulled out of Kofa Ko-op for the very last time about 3 PM.

We headed south on Hwy. 95 towards Quartzsite, stopping just a mile or two before reaching town, at the BLM Roadrunner short term camping area at Mile Marker 99. We have camped here before, during Escapee Roadrunner Chapter 7 rallies. Although usually when we boondock near Quartzsite it is about nine miles further north at BLM Hi Jolly short term camping area on the other side of the town of Quartzsite. We arrived about 5 PM, found a nice spot to park overnight, then went for a looooong walk across the desert, shedding more stress and negativity.

AHHHHHHHHHH ! <taking deep breath>

Friday ; Sunny and warm. Very nice !

This morning we left the Roadrunner BLM camping area and headed a couple of miles north to Quartzsite, to do some flea market shopping. On the way, I took the following photograph.

What a great truck ! ! ! ! ! I took that photograph to submit to the Cummins High Mileage Club to receive my next grille badge.

We shopped for a few hours at the Quartzsite flea markets until we were hot, tired, and hungry. We bought a new folding chair for Joanne. And polarized Ray-Ban/Joe Biden sunglasses for Joanne. And some groceries at the “scratch & dent” grocery vendor. We didn’t buy as much there as we usually do, their prices are nowhere near as low as in the past. As a result of the pandemic ? Or supply chain issues ?

We returned to our boondocking/camping area and had a late lunch. I napped after lunch. Late in the afternoon I went for a long walk in the desert. Joanne was too tired to join me. After my walk I lit a campfire and cooked supper on it. Joanne prepared foil packets of potatoes, onions, carrots, and mushrooms for me to cook on the campfire. I grilled a couple of New York Strip steaks. PERFECT ! Well done, Daniel. I’m proud that I have the ability … and confidence … to cook an expensive cut of meat on a campfire.

After supper we sat around the campfire until our small batch of firewood was gone. We reviewed our stressful achievements of the past ten months ;

• sell our home at Riverside RV Park Resort near Keremeos, BC

• buy our Steinbach seniors’ condo … sight unseen

• live for a month and a half in our camper in Oliver, BC

• drive two vehicles halfway across Canada

• live for two weeks in quarantine in our camper in Virden, Manitoba

• move into our Steinbach condo

• sell our Dodge minivan

• buy our Chrysler minivan

• have our entire condo suite painted

• wait anxiously for the US border to re-open on November 8

• drive over 4000 km. from Steinbach, Manitoba to Yuma, Arizona

• sell our fifth wheel trailer

• sell our Yuma lot and Arizona room

• sell our Yuma/other Chrysler minivan

• <sigh> buy a folding chair in Quartzsite

HA HA HA HA HA !

Throughout the day, and as we sat around the campfire into the evening, I could feel stress and negativity dissipating. By the time I began typing this at 10 PM I was conscious of feeling almost “normal” for the first time in almost a year. Maybe two years !

Saturday ; Quartzsite, Arizona to Palm Springs, California

Sunny and very warm.

After a long walk in the desert this morning we left our desert boondocking spot around 11:30 AM and drive into the town of Quartzsite where we bought another folding chair, the same as the one we bought yesterday, refilled with diesel at Chevron, then refilled the camper’s freshwater tank at Pilot. That enabled us to rethink / replan our destination for tonight.

We headed west on Interstate 10, crossing over the Colorado River into California, and the Pacific time zone. We needed a jug of milk so we got off the Interstate at Blythe, California to find a grocery store. Right at the freeway exit was an Albertsons. How convenient. We bought milk and other groceries. HMPH ! Couldn’t help noticing that almost everyone in California was wearing masks. Whites, blacks, browns, old and young ! Thank you, California !

We stopped at a rest area to have a late lunch. And I napped. We continued westbound on Interstate 10 to Palm Springs. Since we had a full water tank, we delayed checking into an expensive RV park until tomorrow, stopping to boondock tonight at Spotlight 29 Casino, our favourite Palm Springs boondocking “home”.

DSK

December 26, 2021 to January 1, 2022 ; Yuma, Arizona

Sunday ; Sunny and warm.

Made waffles this morning, my family’s traditional Christmas brunch, but modified by Joanne and I to be our Boxing Day brunch tradition. Mine were slathered with strawberry jam and vanilla ice cream … the correct way to serve them … <snicker> … Joanne had hers with maple syrup.

Did some year end accounting and next year financial planning.

Monday ; Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico

Today’s good news ; we have (probably) sold our lot 52. YIPPEE ! ! !

Today’s bad news ; on the way home from Los Algodones, I ran over a dove. AND … <sputter> … I didn’t even kill it the first time I ran over it. I had to go back and “finish the job”.

Mostly cloudy, chilly.

Around 1 PM, as we were just about to leave for Los Algodones after having an early lunch, the probable buyer of our lot phoned. Since our “for sale” posters were mailed to the top fifty on this park’s waitlist less than a week ago, we were quite surprised to hear from a potential buyer so soon. We had a very brief discussion with the potential buyer, easily reaching an agreement in principle, then Joanne and I headed out for Mexico.

Arriving in Los Algodones around 2:15 PM we went straight to our optician’s and picked up our three new pairs of glasses, then went “browsing” for a dental cleaning for Joanne. Near the optician’s we found a courtyard surrounding about half a dozen small dental offices. Joanne selected one, we went in, the price for a cleaning and examination was less than expected …< blink blink … twenty bucks ? ! ?> … the wait time was less than ten minutes … SOLD ! I waited while Joanne had a cleaning and examination, both performed by Dr. Juan Flores, an experienced dentist (based on his age). She was very satisfied. Thorough cleaning including fluoridation, no “upsell” (would you like fries with that ?). Sometimes the “cheaper” Mexican dentists “find” cavities or other dental problems that don’t exist.

After leaving the dentist’s we went to Liqui’s Farmacia aka “the Purple Pharmacy” where we browsed and bought a bottle of vanilla, a tiny bottle of white wine, and a tiny bottle of mezcalito, a “cousin” of tequila. <shrug> Life is short !

More CBP “games playing” ! ! ! The line up to cross back into the United States today was … wait for it … two hours and three minutes ! Oh, no, Mr. Bill ! Anything over two hour waits to cross the border "justifies” budget and staff increases ! Six staff appeared to be on duty ; two staff were manning (two of six) inspection stations, two staff were standing outside “watching” the line-up, two staff were standing outside, doing absolutely nothing, acting as if they were on a “break”. Very occasionally, the six staff would “rotate” through the three “positions”. Certainly am glad that wasn’t my tax dollars at work ! ! !

And very interestingly to us, today we saw … for the first time in our sixteen years of spending winters here … illegal migrants entering the United States, just a few hundred feet “upstream” of the border crossing, then standing on the side of the road with their worldly possessions waiting for CBP to “capture” and process them.

Over the last few weeks, about 6000 illegal immigrants per week have been crossing from Mexico into the United States by walking through the “Yuma Gap” as it’s known, in the border “wall” at the Morelos Dam, and crossing a Colorado River irrigation canal which is now about ankle deep in water. CBP has been “too busy/too understaffed” to stop them. The illegals have been becoming tired of waiting for CBP agents to “apprehend” them once they have crossed the canal into the US, so they have been taking taxis and phoning for Ubers to pick them up and drive them into Yuma where some report to church based immigration shelters to await “processing” and others … disappear ! SIX THOUSAND A WEEK ! <rolling my eyes>

I thought it would be faster and more efficient for us to return to the United States that way rather then endure the two hour (and three minute) wait in the line-up as we did. HA HA HA <SNORT> HA HA

We crossed the border at 6 PM, just as it was becoming dark. About half an hour later, just a few hundred feet from home … <sigh> … I drove over a dove just is it landed on the road in front of me. F*** ! I did a U-turn as soon as I could, and returned. F***, F***, F*** ! ! ! It was still alive. <sigh> Yes, yes … sometimes “doing the right thing” is extremely difficult !

While Joanne prepared a simple supper, I sent photos to the probable buyer of our lot and Arizona room.

Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.

First thing this morning I phoned the buyer of our lot and we “negotiated” as necessary to complete our lot 52 sale. It didn’t take long. Negotiations shouldn’t take long. They’re usually quite simple.

DONE DEAL !

At 1 PM I went to the lot transfer committee meeting and advised them of the buyer of our lot, and the agreed upon possession/transfer date. Joanne and I had a quick lunch then set off to run some errands. I dropped her off at 99¢ Only Store to shop, then went to Watch Hospital to pick up my Rolex. I took the minivan to a car wash, then went to Lowe’s to buy an item I needed, and finally returned to the 99¢ Only Store to pick up Joanne.

At home late this afternoon I received a phone call from a Vancouver Island couple interested in buying one of the items I had posted for sale in the White Sheet. They came right over and bought it. KA-CHING ! Most of the larger, more valuable items we had for sale have been sold.

Now … time to sell the car !

Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.

WELL … that certainly has thrown a monkey wrench into our plans ! The Palm Springs International Film Festival Festival has just been cancelled due to Covid !

Today I put our minivan up for sale. Put a sign in the window of the car. Put an ad in the White Sheet weekly classified paper. Put an ad in the Yuma Sun daily newspaper. With great luck, it will be sold by the time we leave our lot 52 here at Kofa Ko-op in eight days. Otherwise … we’ll be forced to hang around Yuma until the car is sold.

I cooked our last two (large) fillets of Lake Winnipeg pickerel tonight. Breaded, pan fried pickerel fillets is one my best specialties. MMMMM … excellent ! Well done, as usual, Daniel !

Thursday ; Cloudy and chilly. BRRRRR !

While Joanne went grocery shopping this afternoon I continued work on purging shed contents, specifically tools and “guy stuff”. After she returned I did a windshield stone chip repair on the minivan. Isn’t that always the way ? ! ? The day before I put our car up for sale I got a stone chip on the windshield !

MMMMM … fish tacos for supper, using one of last night’s pickerel fillets left over.

Decided to try Diet Coke and El Mezcalito purchased in Los Algodones a few days ago. EEEUUUWWW ! WHEW … that’ll put hair on your chest !

Friday ; New Year’s Eve

Cloudy and chilly. HMPH ! Winter !

How the hell did I get a large, deep scratch on my new eyeglasses after only three days ?

Today I took pictures of our minivan, then used them to post a Craigslist ad to sell the car.

Had a special New Year’s Eve dinner. Barbecued filet mignon, barbecued smashed potatoes with crema centro-Americano and cilantro, salad with queso fresco, and we shared a tiny / six ounce bottle of Mexican white wine we bought in Los Algodones a few days ago.

AND … as the neighbourhood erupts in gunfire at midnight …

Saturday ; HAPPY NEW YEAR / FELIZ AÑO NUEVO

Sunny and … well … pretty darn cold … for Yuma.

I received a few telephone calls and a few in person visits by potential purchasers of the car. Only one was serious. The rest were “tire kickers”. The serious one is definitely interested, but … has drama to overcome in order to purchase our car. Yeah … whatever … not my problem.

DSK