Today is our 29th wedding anniversary…Ten years ago today…

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We dined at Le Jardin, a lovely restaurant with good reviews yesterday. The food and ambiance were excellent in this “riad,” a building with an open-air, center courtyard, as is the design of our current home. Tonight, for our anniversary dinner, Madame Zahra will prepare and serve yet another fabulous meal, which we’ll savor by candlelight. Here’s the link for the post. See the link for more photos.

We’ve posted about our anniversaries over the years, both our wedding anniversary, March 7, 1995, and the anniversary of our meeting date, June 28, 2011. Both have special meanings for us, as is the case for many couples. We don’t make a lot of commotion for either occasion, and the most we ever do is go out for lunch or dinner.

Over the years of world travel, we’ve rarely eaten lunch, instead preferring breakfast and dinner; after the first few years, we went out at night. This year, we discussed going out to dinner tonight, but this morning, after Tom said I could choose what I’d like to do, I awoke feeling like I’d prefer to stay in this evening. We may not dine out this weekend either when I plan to make low-carb pizza tomorrow, which should be enough to get us through the weekend.

When there are no giraffes, kudus, or warthogs to watch, birds can be fun to watch.

We can dine out any night around here and will do so sometime next week. As it turns out, only a few restaurants are within a reasonable walking distance, which is suitable for me. I can now walk two to three miles daily but can’t do it all at once.

I decided to share photos from our wedding anniversary ten years ago for today’s post when we went to lunch in Marrakesh Morocco. That restaurant wasn’t open in the evenings, like some restaurants in The Big Square. More often, while we were there, instead of dining out at night, we chose to go out during the day when, at night, there were tourists walking down the narrow alleys in the dark.

No more than two minutes after we were seated, we noticed this turtle on the floor, on a mission. In search of crumbs, he moved rapidly.

Pickpocketing was rampant, along with other crimes, and it was always safer to go out during the day. We went out several evenings but only to restaurants that overlooked the Big Square with easy access from the Medina in a well-lighted area. Fortunately, we never ran into any problems.

It was an interesting time for us. We lived in the riad for 2½ months. I loved the culture and the scenery, although Tom wasn’t as enthused as I was. He didn’t care about the restaurant’s food choices, although he liked Madame Zahra’s meals for the nights we dined in. Tom loves pork, but none was available, and there was a shortage of beef options. I could always figure out food suitable for my way of eating.

Later, during our meal, these two turtles were hanging out together.

When it rained, it rained into the open center courtyard in the riad. All the rooms in the house were overlooking the courtyard. Each time it rained, we had to run around and move the decorative items in the center courtyard. In the mornings, both of us loved the sound of birds’ wings flapping in the courtyard.

Often, we went up to the third-floor terrace to see and listen to the “call to prayer” several times a day. The smells emanating from the open food market in the evenings were enticing, but we were warned to be careful eating any local foods cooked at night in the Big Square.

Fresh produce from the farm, used in the menu items, were freely on display in the restaurant.

I got sick from dining in a restaurant the first few days we were there and ended up, three weeks later, having to rely upon my supply of Cipro, a potent and dangerous antibiotic. Within hours, I began to feel better, and within days, I was back to feeling well again.

Since we had no room in our luggage, we didn’t purchase items in the souks. There were many “knock-offs,” and most wares were centered around cooking and various bags: handbags, luggage, wallets, briefcases, etc. We had no use for any of those items. Instead, we frequently walked through the souks to see the many wares offered. However, the vendors seldom allowed us to take photos of their offerings.

This was Tom’s lunch, Moroccan seasoned penne and meat sauce. He liked this dish and asked for half as many spices as usual. There was no comment from me on him eating pasta.

We took a taxi to a market a few times to buy some nuts and cheese for those evenings when we had dined out for lunch and needed a little something in the evening. We were amazed by the beautiful displays in the grocery store and took a few photos. Moments later, a man in a black suit approached me, demanding I delete the pictures from my camera. While I deleted the photos, I showed him they were gone and never attempted to take pictures in a market again.

Enjoy today’s photos from our anniversary on March 7, 2014, while in Marrakesh. The memories are as fresh in our minds as if it were yesterday.

Happy anniversary, my love! I am grateful for every year we’ve spent together!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 7, 2014:

While out to lunch on our anniversary ten years ago, we sat next to a birdcage with two parakeets; Tom got a kick out of their playful antics. For more, please click here.

A date night in the Village…We had such fun!…

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It took Madam Zahra a few times to figure out our food preferences after we showed her photos on my laptop since she only spoke Arabic, not English. From there, every night, we were excited about her unique dishes.

Last night, we went to dinner at “The Bar,” a pub at the bottom of the one flight of stairs from our floor to the Village. We decided to go early, at 4:30, to ensure we’d get two seats at the bar. We’d dined there for the first time about a month ago but arrived after 5:00 pm, which was too late to claim two seats at the bar.

We were thrilled to see two empty seats at the bar, as if they were waiting for us. We couldn’t get situated fast enough. As it turned out, by 5:00 pm, the place was packed, and there was barely a regular table available. With the narrow bar top, we knew it would be better if we ate at a high-top table.

Fortunately, a table opened up after our drinks, and we quickly grabbed it. Usually, I only drink one glass of wine, but with the short “pour” from the bartender using the only stemmed glass in the place, I ended up drinking three glasses of the Pinot Grigio, the most I’ve had to drink in a long time. But, looking at the pour, each couldn’t have been more than 3 ounces.

When two people spend every day and night together, dining out may not necessarily be a time for lively conversation. But we are different that way. We turned our chairs to be knee-to-knee, with my feet resting on the base of his barstool, and the usual highly entertaining banter began with us. Sitting at a bar makes us both more animated when the atmosphere is all the more conducive.

There we were, almost 33 years later, and it felt like a fantastic date of the early days of a budding relationship. We couldn’t have been more fun. We never chatted with other patrons, just with each other. We had such a good evening that we decided to forego dinner out on our upcoming 29th wedding anniversary on March 7 and dine in. I’ll make something special for dinner, and then we’ll head out again next weekend.

How fortunate we are. We will never forget that. Getting along day after day is such a joy in itself, but actually having fun together, giggling, teasing, and showing signs of affection is all it takes for every day to be memorable. We often hear that marriage takes a lot of work. But, we are grateful that it never feels like “work” for our marriage to succeed.

Having had about a bit more wine than usual, I woke up at 12:30 and didn’t get back to sleep until 3:00 am. This morning, I could sleep in and make up for the sleep I lost during the night. When I finally awoke this morning, I felt great and ready to tackle another day.

It’s noon, and I’ve already made the salad and prepped everything for tonight’s dinner: roast beef with carrots, onions, and mushrooms for Tom, which he’ll have with his rice and wild-caught salmon with broccoli. All I have to do is put Tom’s dinner in the oven around 4:30 and mine about 15 minutes before his roast beef is done. Easy peasy.

Once I’ve completed today’s post, I’ll do day 7 of my BetterMe, 28-day yoga/pilates-type exercises. I am totally committed to this program and already feel some benefits from these at-home exercises. I may not have access to a fitness center in the future, and having a definitive at-home program is most beneficial. The exercises are not easy but each day I notice improvement.

This morning, we’re still smiling at one another or our fun “date night” and look forward to another beautiful day together “at home,” wherever that may be.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 2, 2014:

Finally, we made it to Marrakesh, Morocco. We were greeted by this man who hauled our bags in the Medina, The Big Square, to our riad, quite a distance away. For more photos, please click here.

Answering questions about Africa from dear friends and readers, currently on a nine-month world cruise…

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One of the most exciting sights in Kruger National Park is the elephants, along with the big cats, wildebeests, Cape buffalos, hippos, small animals, and birds. We were as close as we could safely be when we took these photos without the use of Zoom.

Last night, I received the following email from our dear friends Lea Ann and Chuck, who are currently on Royal Caribbean nine-month world cruise as follows:

On Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 12:21 AM, Lea Ann wrote:
I hope you dont mind we imposing upon your time but you are the most knowledgeable of anyone I know about this park. As you may know we have been rerouted around the African route to avoid the Suez Canal. We are sadly going to miss Egypt but no guarantees on seeing the pyramids anyway due to the other crisis up there. Going to Africa is my dream come true so we are elated!
Now for my much needed information. We want to go on a safari, of course. And what better place than Kruger National Park. Right in your wheelhouse!  Here are our thoughts. We are due into Dubai on 5/9. We would like to fly from there to Kruger NP and leave to meet the ship in Seychelles on 5/14. Not near enough time but it’s the best place in our schedule that we can go without missing a lot of the other opportunities on the cruise.  Here is a link of a place I was looking at for a 4-5 day trip. Have you heard of them? What do you think? We are looking at the luxury one. Otherwise, have you heard of any other types of safaris that can be all inclusive or partially? I know you have lots of contacts and Im hoping you could put me in touch with someone that you could recommend without a lot of trouble for you. I don’t want to impose but for me you are the one that knows this area more than anyone!
We are so excited and cant wait for this adventure. Thank you so much for  any help you can provide.
Chuck says hi too!
Love ya! Lea Ann

Our response:

Lea Ann and Chuck, we’re thrilled to hear that you are coming to Africa, particularly South Africa. We only wish we would be there when you come. We’re excited to hear about your experiences. We’re happy you are enjoying your nine-month cruise. I bet the days are moving too quickly!

We wish we had an easy answer regarding the quality of the tour company and lodges you are considering. During our four years in South Africa, we never stayed at a lodge or camp in Kruger National Park since we stayed in Marloth Park, which was only 20 minutes from one of the ten entrance gates, Crocodile Bridge.

About once a week, we did a self-drive into Kruger, which is allowed, but visitors aren’t allowed, for their safety, to leave the vehicle unless at a camp, lodge restaurant, or petrol station. We often participated in guided tours with visiting friends, using only one of the few guides or safari tour companies recommended by Louise and Danie, our dear friends and property owners/managers.

SanPark manages Kruger National Park, and they have a fantastic website with recommendations on where to stay and the camps approved to conduct business in the park. Their site may be found here. It is an excellent resource for safaris, camps, and lodges.

As for the tour company you’ve selected, we can’t give you any feedback on the quality of their camps and safaris. In our four total years visiting Kruger National Park, we probably went on over 200 safaris, most self-drive, and about a dozen guided safaris. All were exceptional.

But, as we became more experienced, we preferred the self-drive safaris since guided tours with others in the vehicles can become repetitive when they stopped for each impala and warthog when we were easily able to see them in our garden in Marloth Park, along with many other animals.

Since we were so close to the Crocodile Bridge entrance to Kruger, we never investigated any camps or lodges. We’d suggest you deeply research reviews on other sites for this company and its camps on such places as TripAdvisor or other travel sites. We’re sorry we can’t help in this regard. Their offerings may be legitimate and excellent for your five-day needs.

If you would like to check further before committing, since you have plenty of time, I suggest contacting Louise at info@marlothkruger.com. Not only does Louise manage and own many properties, but she also owns a tourist center in Marloth Park that handles everything regarding safaris, camps, and lodges in Kruger National Park. There are many “scam” type operations in South Africa (not to scare you, but it is important to know), as there are in many countries.

Louise is a native South African, and there are no fees to you for her assistance. Her knowledge and experience with Kruger is astounding. She can also book venues for you if you consider other options. Also, she may know something about the company you are considering and if it is safe and legitimate.

As for your Seychelles return….This is urgent! To enter Seychelles, you must complete an immigration/visa form. Without this, you won’t be allowed to board the flight from South Africa to Seychelles. Here is the website with the critical notice you must read and comply with. Please click here. This must be done before traveling to Seychelles. Since you are going off on your own, I doubt the cruise line will arrange this for you. Please check with them for details, but proceed with caution if they say they do it. They may not know the nuances required to enter Seychelles from a plane, not the cruise ship.

I hope that we’ve answered your questions based on our personal experiences. We promise you will not regret visiting Kruger National Park. It remains one of our favorite experiences in our world travels and may prove to be the same for you.

Much love to both of you and travel safely.

Jess & Tom

Photo from ten years ago. February 28, 2014:

As we were getting ready to leave Marloth Park after a three-month stay…Thank you, Mr. Tree Frog, for serving as the mascot for all the “small things” that brought us so much pleasure during our time in Marloth Park. Even you will be remembered. For more photos, please click here.

New exercise routine…Financial obligations?…

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South Georgia Island and South Sandwich Island in Antarctica have the largest numbers of King Penguins, with as many as 1,000,000 of the amazing birds before our eyes. What an experience!

This morning, I bolted out of bed, aware that I needed to cut it into bite-size pieces and then marinate the meat for tonight’s dinner: Chicken, Broccoli, and Peanut stir fry. Yesterday, I did a lot of chopping and dicing of the vegetables, including onions, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, fresh ginger, and garlic.

Also, I needed to make our daily salad of romaine lettuce, carefully washed and cut into bite-size pieces, shredded cabbage, celery, and grape tomatoes. I make salad dressing using Greek yogurt, salt, and sweetener, tossing the salad right before dinner. Tom eats a small bowl of salad, and I always have a large portion. However, I eat about half as much as his main course. while he enjoys his white rice each evening.

Today, I have to fold the now-dry laundry on the indoor rack and put everything away. But, a little later, after I am done with today’s post, I am doing Day 2, my new 28-day exercise regime, from an app I found online entitled Better Me, which is an intense chair yoga program.

I’ve never been one to do yoga. But, after yesterday’s first day, I realized how badly I am out of shape, and walking is not improving my strength and stamina in my muscles. Also, my legs continue to hurt while walking, and I thought perhaps this program would help improve my leg strength in a more focused manner. I will continue to walk, but not as much, and will focus on combining these two modalities.

The entire yoga workout is 21 minutes, and with another 15 minutes of walking each day, that is enough for me for now. I don’t have a yoga mat and don’t want to carry one worldwide; thus, this chair method is ideal. The only “tools” I need are two water bottles or other equivalent items such as cans or other identical bottles of anything of the same weight and size and a chair.

I will try this for the 28-day program, and if I find it beneficial, I will continue. The nice part about this program is that I can do it anywhere we may be in the world. I don’t need a fitness center or equipment. Much to my surprise, I was actually feeling like I was working out and feeling a little stiff today, which is good.

This morning, I paid our second installment for our rent in South Africa, and before we get there, our three-month rent will be paid in full. The only “rent” we have to pay up until next September is the final installment on the place in Apache Junction, which is only $800, our hotel in Los Angeles when we visit my sister, and the about seven nights of hotel bills on our road trip to Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

We already paid so much that it’s comforting to know we’re only a few thousand dollars away from having all of our rental obligations paid into half of September 2024. The odd thing about world travel is that most rental situations require payment in full in advance of our arrival. In a “normal” life, most people pay rent or mortgage payments., one month at a time instead of paying any of this in advance.

The only other financial obligations we have each month are groceries, dining out and entertainment, flights, fuel and car rental, health insurance, and expenses relative to our website maintenance. Of course, there are federal tax obligations along with all of that. But we love not paying cable and utilities, although we pay for a few streaming services, never more than $60 monthly.

Each month, we pay Google Fi less than $80 for cell phone services, the best plan we’ve found so far befitting our nomadic lifestyle. It’s great not to pay a car payment and insurance since we often drive a new car with all the features we need, with no maintenance costs, and the credit card we use covers the insurance for the first 30 days. That’s why we’ve been trying to pick up a new car every 30 days. Annually, a rental car costs a maximum of $8100, or $675 a month.

We pay for everything using credit cards that acquire lots of reward points and pay them off each month, often using our accumulated points for additional future travel. It all works out well for us.

That’s it for today, folks.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 26, 2014:

We stayed in a new resort for one night to do a review. Although the walls of our accommodations had tent material on three sides, it was made to appear as a cottage. The veranda is on the opposite side, within feet of the electrified fence to Kruger National Park, keeping tourists safe from the big game. Allen and Scott showed us a video of elephants that had come directly up to the fence. For more, please click here.

It’s Sunday Morning!…Beginning of another wonderful day…Why are we still here?…

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We were at a New Zealand car show, and Tom was incredibly excited to spot this Minnesota State Trooper vehicle so far from his birthplace.

The clock is ticking. We leave here in a little over a month. For now, every day we spend in Lake Las Vegas is unique in one way or another.

Each Sunday, we wait until the video is uploaded at CBS for their interesting weekly news-type series, “Sunday Morning.” I can’t start it until I finish the post since we have to use my laptop to plug in the HDMI cord. Tom’s soon-to-be-replaced laptop will also have an HDMI outlet so that we can watch it on his new laptop. I enjoy having something interesting to listen to while preparing a post, but it’s impossible when I need my laptop to do the post.

Occasionally, I’ve written the text on my phone while we’ve watched the show, but it takes me twice as long to type on the little keyboard. I am not as adept as many who can quickly write texts and send messages with such ease and efficacy. Neither of us is good at that. Did we miss something while we’ve been away, or are we simply getting too old to have such dexterity?

Once we leave the US in a little over 3½ months, we won’t be watching Sunday Morning unless I can convince Tom to watch it on one of our computer monitors. After all this time in the US, we’ve had access to a TV monitor with HDMI capability, but that’s not always the case.

In South Africa, our next foray outside the US, the TV is located up a very steep set of stairs we never used. We didn’t stream much from there, with often poor WiFi or our lack of interest in climbing those stairs each evening to watch something on a relatively small screen.

Instead, on occasion, we’d stream something on my laptop after we went to bed, but as mentioned., Tom doesn’t care to watch the small screens on the laptop. But, while there, the entertainment outdoors was enough to entertain us any evening, and of course, we had a busy social life at least two to three times each week.

Many have written asking why we haven’t left for other countries after being in the US for over two months. Remember that many readers don’t read our daily posts; instead, they “stop by” every few weeks or months. For those readers who are here today, I will explain that.

First, I needed to sign up for Part B Medicare and a supplement to be fully insured. This wasn’t easy in other countries when I had to snail mail my application and ancillary documents. In many countries, snail mail can take months to arrive, if it arrives at all. Snail mail in South Africa is impossible when letters and packages can sit in a warehouse for years.

Secondly, once the insurance was in place, which will be on March 1, 2024, I wanted to get a new heart ultrasound in the US and an opinion on going forward. I have already found a highly-rated heart clinic only five miles from here, which I’ll visit for the ultrasound in the next few weeks.

Third, we wanted to visit more family members in one fell swoop over a few months. In only a few months, we’ll travel by car to Arizona, California, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to see everyone on both sides of our family. Our grandson Vincent graduates from high school this spring, and we promised to be in Minnesota for his graduation party in early June, as we will for all of our grandchildren. It’s been wonderful seeing Richard here in Nevada, our home state, but soon we’ll move on.

When will we return to the US? At this point, we have no idea. What new countries will we visit once we leave the US? The outcome of my test will determine the answers to those questions. If all is well, we will begin planning. If not? That may require a quicker return to the US for treatment. We are “playing it by ear” right now.

We will have accomplished everything we wanted to do while in the US on the trip. We’ll soon discover what happens from here and keep all of our readers updated.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 25, 2014:

“Hey, you guys, come on! They’re serving pellets for breakfast!” For more, please click here.

Part 1…An experience unlike any other!…What a night!…

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The exterior of the Sphere changes frequently due to unique technology.

When Richard suggested taking us to the Sphere in Las Vegas for my birthday, I jumped all over the idea. I couldn’t have been more excited to visit a venue packed with excellent entertainment in this wild city. He planned to take us to dinner at Javier’s at Aria Resort and Casino located on the strip. Then he and his lovely girlfriend would drop us off at the Sphere while they’d park the car and meet us where they left us at the corner of Sand and Koval after a long walk from a parking garage back to the venue.

The parking at the Sphere started at $70, and after the expensive cost of the tickets, which was about $200 per person, and the costly dinner at Aria, it made no sense for him to pay that much for parking. They parked at a casino where Richard had a parking pass and walked several blocks to meet up with us while we waited outside for about 20 minutes.

Once he told me he’d booked the tickets, I was concerned about access to our seats at the massive theatre. After reading dozens of reviews, many visitors complained about the steep steps, ramps, and walkways. This worried me. Although I can walk three miles a day in the corridors here, it’s level for easy walking; I couldn’t imagine how I’d manage to walk up and down ramps and multiple flights of stairs and make our way to our seats high in the theatre.

Moments after we arrived, the exterior changed to another view. It’s truly a fantastic experience, especially in the interior and the presentation on the full ceiling screen with haptic seats.

Richard discovered that the better seats were up high since the bulk of the viewing experience of the film, “Postcards from Earth,” included almost a full viewing of the massive ceiling. If seated too low in the arena, we would constantly be straining our necks to get a full view and perspective of the magical scenery. Once we were seated, we realized how difficult a lower seat would have been. But our seats proved to be perfect.

From when Richard booked the seat until we left yesterday late afternoon to head to his house, I often read reviews, looking for answers on how to make the trek to our seats easier for my troubled legs. Much to my delight, I found there were elevators and escalators inside the venue.

While we waited for them to meet up with us after parking, I spoke to a security guard, and he pointed us in the direction of the VIP entrance, where there were elevators that would take us directly to the floor where our seats were located. Once the four of us were together again, we walked less than a block to the bank of elevators, where an operator took us to the correct floor.

Tom’s dinner at Javier’s at the Aria beef taco and beef enchilada with Spanish rice.

Once off the elevator, we had a short walk to the entrance to our section, and then, the only tricky part of the experience began. We had to walk up a few flights of steep stairs and literally wiggle our way onto a very narrow ledge where the seats were situated. We had to squeeze by the knees of about eight already-seated people on this narrow ledge.

The seats were situated on theatre-style seating but were steeper than we’d ever seen. If a person had a problem with heights and elevation, this could have been a problem. All four of us maneuvered ourselves gingerly to access our dead-center seats. I must admit I did so with more caution than the others. Once I plopped down in my seat, I was thrilled to finally have made it with much more ease than I’d anticipated.

And then the magic began, more of which we’ll share in tomorrow’s Part 2. Today, we’re sharing a few food photos from our fantastic dinner at Javier’s at Aria before the show and more photos I took during the astounding show. No regular cameras were allowed, and I wasn’t sure that included smartphone cameras. I ensured my flash was off and managed to sneak in a few shots, although they did not fully represent the magnitude of the experience. That would be nearly impossible to do well when scenes on the full-circle ceiling and screen flew by in a blur. A video would have been impossible while seated in the steep and tight seating.

Although not as massive as some chopped salads, my chicken chopped salad was delicious.

What a terrific evening we had! I felt relieved knowing it all worked well and that I had no significant issues entering and leaving the theatre. Of course, as always, Tom kept a tight hold on me, which was comforting and reassuring.

More will follow tomorrow, including a description of “haptic seating.”

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 22, 2014:

Baby warthog, standing by the braai. “What’s on the menu?” he inquires. “Pellets, I hope! For more photos, please click here.

The walking escalates…Streaming the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey games…

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Logo for the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey team.

In a few minutes, I am heading out the door to do my walking, increasing daily to rebuild my strength, stamina, and endurance. This aggressive attempt is in preparation for next week’s birthday gift from my son Richard, which will require a fair amount of walking. (More on that later).

Each day since I started walking again, I’ve increased the number of steps and hope to progress and the day’s approach for the event. My birthday is on the 20th, but Tom and I don’t have any big plans since we’ll be doing the event with Richard the following evening.

Since we arrived in Lake Las Vegas, I’ve been frustrated that we haven’t been able to watch the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey games on TV. Since we don’t have access to local channels on Dish Network, who terminated their contract with the Knights for reasons unknown, we haven’t been able to watch a single game.

Last night, we signed up for an annual service offered at the LVGK website for $39 a year. Since it’s so expensive (for decent seats) to go to a game, the hours of enjoyment we’ll get being able to stream the games made it worth the expense. With our VPN, we can watch the games from anywhere we may be in the future.

Sadly, they lost the game last night but are still in second place in their league. Last year, they won the Stanley Cup and are an excellent team. It’s funny how, for years, I wasn’t interested much in sports, but in the past few years, I’ve developed an interest.

When my sons were young, we often attended the Minnesota hockey games. At that time, they were the Minnesota Northstars, and over the past several years, they are the Minnesota Wild. Hockey is a fun, fast game to watch and generally can hold my attention, which tends to wander when watching some sports.

Last night, I slept well for the first time in a week. Before bed, I drank a cup of tea containing herbs known to aid in sleep quality. Much to my surprise, it worked, and I slept through the night, getting much-needed rest. Even Tom slept well last night and didn’t drink the tea.

I’ll continue to drink the tea, and if it improves the quality of my sleep, it will become a part of my nightly routine. Once I see if it continues to be helpful, I will post the name of the tea and where to buy it. Any “safe and natural” treatment for inadequate sleep would be a dream come true (No pun intended). I prefer not to recommend anything unless I know it is safe and effective.

This morning, I ordered all of our mail accumulated at the mailing service to be shipped here. I want to start working on the tax before we leave Las Vegas. And I need to collect my new Medicare and supplement cards, which will go into effect on March 1.

I know I’ve said this in a past post, but I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have health insurance. Using only travel insurance for which we never made a claim with its limitations and restrictions offered little peace of mind as we traveled. With my Aflac Plan G supplement, I’ll have reliable coverage outside the US, although there is a $50,000 cap per year. We’ll head back to the US if more treatment is needed while away.

Today is an easy day. We have our final batch of leftover stir fry for tonight’s dinner, and all I have to do is fold the laundry and prep a few side dishes. Ummm…Life is good.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 13, 2014:

Pam and Jerry are newlyweds on their honeymoon at our resort at LaruBeya in Placencia, Belize. For more, please click here.

What a fun day!…We loved Super Bowl Sunday…

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Sunset in Kauai, Hawaii in 2015

It was a fantastic day for us. We had so much fun watching the news leading up to the game, the game itself, and the after-game events.

We were cheering for different teams: me, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Tom for the San Francisco 49ers. It was unusual for us to choose to be on opposite sides, but in this case, it was enjoyable. What an exciting finish to the game! It was a great day.

During halftime, we had dinner, during which I had my eyes on the screen. On the other hand, Tom was less interested in the show with Usher and others. The show was well done, but I have never followed Usher’s career or music. I enjoyed many other halftime shows more when I became familiar with the performers’ music.

Over the years, I have paid attention to current music and am familiar with many performers and their music. I like current pop music and oldies from the 70s, 80s, 90s. Last week, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Grammy Awards, but Tom didn’t have a clue about who was who.

When he watches auto auctions on a rare occasion, I don’t know the types of cars, years, and values. The only time he gets into the music is when we sit on the veranda in Marloth Park, having sundowners and playing music on our portable JBL Bluetooth speaker.

Last night, we enjoyed our flat-iron steak and stir-fried vegetable dinner topped with peanuts and broccoli salad on the side. I got everything cooked and ready to go just before the game started so I wouldn’t miss any of the game. It all worked out well. We reheated it before we ate. We have enough leftovers for tonight and tomorrow night, and then, as mentioned, we’ll head out to dinner on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day.

We have plenty of food left in the freezer to get us through to Friday, when our next Smith’s grocery order will be delivered, and we’ll start over again. It is handy to shop online and have our food delivered. Sometimes, the picker forgets to select a few items, but we place another order for the missing items the next day. As long as the order costs $35, there’s no additional delivery fee. In most cases, what they’ve forgotten is meat, chicken, or fish, and most often, that alone is enough to total the $35.

If it is short of the $35, I can always add a few items from the list for the following order. It always works out well. We never call and complain if our order is short unless we’ve been charged for the item(s). That’s why I carefully review the receipt each time.

Today, as yesterday, I am doing a lot of walking in the corridors and will continue to do so now that I am feeling better. With only three more days on the antibiotics, I am looking forward to being done with them entirely, which will help me further along in feeling better.

Today is a quiet day with no big plans facing us. We’re feeling well; both are cheerful, enjoying the moment and hopeful.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 12, 2014:

Shaded by dense vegetation and the early morning sun hidden behind the trees, we couldn’t get closer for better shots. Plus, giraffes are so tall that one can’t get too close to get a good photo. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Saturday…One day until the Super Bowl!…A crazy Super Bowl party, Las Vegas style…

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Fontainebleau Las Vegas Exclusive Preview
Not our photo. Fountainbleau Resort Las Vegas. See the article below.

Again, today, we’re staying in with no big plans on the horizon. With the house clean, all I have left is folding the clothes on the rack. Tom has leftovers from the freezer, and I am having a delicious large keto pancake with sugar-free syrup. On the side, Tom will have rice, and we will dig into the huge batch of low-carb broccoli salad I made yesterday morning, enough to last for several days.

Last night, we enjoyed more episodes of “The Chosen” on Amazon Prime Video, and we’re now starting Season 3. What a fantastic series! We’re excited about tomorrow’s Super Bowl Game, beginning at 3:30 pm here in Nevada. We wanted to mention We spotted a story on Facebook that we’re sharing since it’s “so Las Vegas,” unlike anything anyone would find anywhere else in the world.

Check out the story below:

“Troubled new Vegas hotel selling $55,000 Super Bowl afterparty tickets

By Katie Dowd
A new Las Vegas hotel that has seen four executives leave in the first month appears to be trying to recover some of its reported $3.7 billion price tag — it’s selling $55,000 “upper stage” tickets to its Super Bowl afterparty.

The Fontainebleau, which opened in late December, has already seen the departure of its vice president of revenue management, senior vice president of casino operations, chief operating officer, and chief marketing officer. It took nearly two decades to build the property, including multiple stops and starts, allegations of “yelling and screaming” meetings between stakeholders, and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

Calvin Harris — coincidentally the onetime boyfriend of Taylor Swift, who will likely be in town to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce — kicks off his set at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday after the Super Bowl. The venue is the LIV nightclub inside the Fontainebleau, and the cheapest tickets available were $7,000 (now apparently sold out). For that price, up to six people can make use of a table on the “back wall of the balcony.” If you want to be on the upper dance floor, the cheapest option is $35,000 for a table seating up to 10 people. “With a nice and steady flow of traffic behind the table to ensure your group is in the action!” LIV’s site promises. 

But to get “directly” on the dance floor, you’ll need to spend anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000. The $50,000 booth seats up to 12 people and has “direct views of the DJ.” So if each of your 11 best friends has about $4,200 each to spend on seeing Calvin Harris, this might be the choice for you. For $55,000, you can be seated on the upper stage, “raised above the DJ booth in the main room.” 

Not even more famous parties have those kinds of get-in-the-door prices. The Sports Illustrated party on Saturday night, which features Kygo and The Chainsmokers, starts VIP access at $499.99; general admission tickets start at $149.99.

Those seeking to attend the ritzy Fontainebleau party should check the dress code first. The extensive dress code bans, among other things, tank tops, shorts, flats (but only for women), “baggy” clothing, jerseys and, athletic gear and hats — sorry, 49ers and Chiefs fans.

For partygoers looking for a more laid-back experience, where tank tops and shorts are highly encouraged, the Wynn is hosting Gronk Beach on Saturday. That party is “personally curated” by four-time Super Bowl-winning tight end Rob Gronkowski and claims to have “massive cultural impact” (your massive cultural impact may vary). Previous celeb attendees apparently include Kelce, who will certainly not be attending this year. It’s $75 for a “female” general admission ticket and $125 for a “male” ticket.”

What was most shocking to me, besides the cost of attending this party, was the dress code mentioned that women couldn’t attend the party wearing flat shoes. Only high heels would be acceptable for entrance. That would eliminate me and many others from attending this party. I haven’t worn high heels in years! I can barely walk well on my flat shoes, let alone spikes! Ha!

But this is Las Vegas, and they go over the top with everything they do. Perhaps this party will give much-needed attention to this expensive property and save it from further financial ruin.

Today, I started walking again to build up my stamina again. I haven’t exercised in a week and look forward to getting fit. I have set my phone’s timer to go off every 30 minutes, after which I’ll walk vigorously for five minutes until I’ve done a total of 30 minutes. Once I’ve done this for a few days, I’ll return to the fitness center to do it there on the treadmill and return to using some of the other equipment.

That’s it for today, folks. Have a fantastic Saturday. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 10, 2014:

Louise invited us to also stay at African Reunion House, named after the island off the coast, is considerably larger than it appears in this photo, with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, two huge verandas, a Jacuzzi room, an open kitchen with a dining bar, an over-sized dining room, and an inviting entertainment/TV/living room/lounge. It was a wonderful stay we thoroughly enjoyed. For more photos, please click here.

Correction in yesterday’s post about Medicare, Plan G for foreign travel…

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This restaurant, Luna Rossa, is about a one-minute walk once we get down one flight of stairs.

I made an error in yesterday’s comprehensive post about supplement Plan G, which I chose as an adjunct to Plan B enrollment. My insurance agent, Janet Mueller, at jmueller@teameip.com, noted the need to make a correction, which I’ve done on the post and noted today. See below for details:

  • Maximum annual $50,000, with $250 deductible, which pays 80%, on emergency medical services for foreign travel outside the US. Air and ground ambulance are covered. Here is a link with information on ambulance and air ambulance services for Plan G.

  • Tom sure loves bread.

Now that the Medicare information is posted and hopefully clear for those interested, we’re moving on to other topics, such as our first evening out to dinner last night in The Village, one flight down an outside stairway from the hallway on our floor.

We had a lovely time in the restaurant. We went to the Italian restaurant Luna Rossa, a one-minute walk once we got downstairs to the ground level. We’d thought of going to the Mexican restaurant but, at the last minute, decided against it when I’d planned to make beef enchiladas on Monday.

Tom’s delicious lasagne.

Only a few items on the Mexican restaurant’s menu appealed to Tom with some modifications. Most Mexican restaurants serve Spanish rice and refried beans with each entree, neither of which Tom will eat. Taking those two items away from a plate may leave little to eat. As a result, he only likes taco salad with beef, not chicken. Of course, he could ask for meat instead of chicken, but he doesn’t care to ask for special adjustments when he orders off a menu.

On the other hand, I’m always asking for special adjustments for my orders to ensure they are gluten-free, starch-free, and sugar-free. I always tell Tom, “We’re the customer paying the bill. It’s ok to ask for changes, especially if we’re willing to pay for upgrades that may increase the price.”

My mussels and clams in a tasty broth.

Oh well, we each do it our way. He’s a picky eater due to his taste buds, and I am picky only to ensure I don’t eat anything that isn’t suitable for my way of eating. If I didn’t eat this way, I pretty much like everything.

Once seated at Luna Rossa without reservation on a Saturday night, we felt at ease at the table for four with a crisp white tablecloth and lovely table setting. The service was fast and friendly, primarily by older Italian gentlemen with experience. More servers were in the restaurant than customers, but about half of the tables were occupied, which surprised us.

I can always find something to eat in Italian restaurants even when most of the dishes contain pasta, none of which I’ll order. Tom had the delicious lasagne, a good-sized portion, made to perfection. I ordered the mussels and clam in a delightful broth that I finished with a spoon. We each ordered one drink, a brandy and Sprite for Tom and a lovely Merlot for me.

The restaurant was surprisingly busy. We didn’t expect the eateries in The Village to be busy.

The wine glass was huge, and there couldn’t have been more than four ounces of wine in it, typical for somewhat fancier dining establishments. But the drinks and food were plenty for us. Tom enjoyed the basket of bread, which only came with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, neither of which he’d eat. He started eating the dry, unbuttered bread but didn’t ask for butter. When the waiter passed, we asked for butter, and Tom dug into the bread.

Our dinner bill was $98, including tax and tip. We could have easily had two nights’ dinners at Jabula for this amount, including drinks, tax, and tip. At these prices, we’ll only eat out once a week.

The short walk back to our place was refreshing in the cool air at only 40F. As I write here this morning, it’s only 46F, typical for the winter cool desert temps. I love this cool weather in Las Vegas, especially when it’s sweltering in the summer months.

I’m off to take the bedding to dry in the laundry room using the handy laundry app on my phone. As mentioned, we have a washer in our unit but no dryer. We dry everything else on the portable laundry rack we purchased at Amazon.

Today will be a football day. Last night, we watched an exciting game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. No spoilers here if you haven’t watched it.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 14, 2014:

Baby warthog is sleeping in our yard, while mom and three other babies munched on vegetation. For more, please click here.