Fun day in Apache Junction…A surprise visitor..

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The view from the “lounge room” in our riad in Marrakesh, Morocco, to the center courtyard. All rooms surrounding a center courtyard have drapes covering the doorways.

Yesterday morning, we finished all the laundry, again using an app on our phone for $18 for washing and drying four loads. In between washing and drying, we cleaned the entire park model. Feeling accomplished, we headed to Mary and Eugene’s place to play Buck Euchre more.

When we arrived at Mary’s, we were thrilled to see Tom’s nephew and our friend Kevin, who also enjoys playing cards. He had flown in for 36 hours, and by early this morning, he had already left to return to Florida. It was great to see him again. Perhaps, sometime while we’re in Minnesota, we’ll see him and his wife Kristi when they come to Minnesota for a few weddings.

After playing cards, Colleen brought over a wonderful spread of meat, cheese, crackers, dip, and a platter of fresh fruit with blueberries, strawberries, and more, much of which I could eat. I promised myself I wouldn’t be “cheating” anymore and stuck to the meat, cheese, and berries.

We played Buck Euchre for hours. By 7:00  pm, I was ready to return to our place, allowing another player to take my spot. The game is best played with only four players. There were seven of us, and since Mary doesn’t play, we rotated in and out of the game to allow everyone to play. It was pretty enjoyable, although I don’t often win. But the money I lose is usually no more than $15 per day, which is well worth the entertainment. Tom wins often enough to remain even most days.

Back at the park model by myself, I ate some of the tuna salad I’d made in the morning and settled on the recliner to watch several episodes of American Idol. As it turned out, I haven’t missed one day of working out since we arrived here. I walk on and off until we leave to play cards, get in my planned number of steps, and do the yoga exercise on the BetterMe app on my phone.

It’s rewarding doing this each day. I am on a mission to be as healthy and strong before I face yet another open heart surgery sometime in the next three months or so, a date yet to be determined, as I patiently wait to hear from Cleveland Clinic. Much to my amazement, I am not worrying much.  I have chosen to let my mind stick to the events at hand and not project too much into the future.

Soon, Tom and I are heading to the supermarket to get the ingredients to make a dish for Saturday night when another sister, Rita, is arriving from South Dakota to stay for a few weeks. Mary and Eugene are leaving on April 18 to return to Minnesota, but Rita, Margie, Colleen, Tom, and I will remain in Apache Junction with enough of us to continue to play cards, which is best played with four. Rita doesn’t play but will sit with us as the lively conversations continue as we play.

Talking on the phone with my family members and friends has been comforting; they offer abundant love and support while we’re here. I make a serious effort to stay as upbeat as possible around others. This has become a habit, and I stay cheerful when I am alone. No situation is ever improved by being downtrodden and worried.

“They” say that going into surgery with a positive attitude impacts a positive outcome. That is my ultimate goal, regardless of how frightening it may be, especially as one is wheeled into the operating theatre. Those few minutes were the toughest for me, along with waking up while still intubated. But those times will pass, and hopefully, I will recover better than last time.

Tom is almost done with his shower, and then we’re off to the market. In a funny way, I am looking forward to getting out and browsing the aisles in the market, which I seldom do when we go. It’s nice to see what’s available in the market now and then.

We hope you have an excellent Thursday, wherever you may be.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 11, 2014:

Our last look at the Kasbah Ait Ben Hado in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco before we continued on our way. F r more photos, please click here.

Lunch with the ladies…Relief and peace of mind…

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This was the weirdest Cobb salad I’d ever ordered. I gave Colleen my rice and picked up the rest.

Yesterday, Colleen picked me up, and I rode with her, Mary, and Margie to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch. I love Mexican food, but since I don’t eat tortillas, the only options are taco salads or other types of salads that may be on the menu. When I saw a Cobb salad on their menu, I didn’t hesitate to order it.

Little did I know how skimpy and unappetizing it would be. I gave Colleen the white rice, which is never included with a Cobb salad and was left with the above-shown mess: overcooked bacon, a few tablespoons of dry chicken breast, a third of an avocado, a few tablespoons of diced tomatoes, an abundance of jalapenos, with very little lettuce, all without the usual cheese.

I ate what I could get down and was starving afterward and made a terrible mistake. I ate an entire bowl of tortilla chips left on the table, which isn’t included in my way of eating. I seldom cheat like that and was disappointed in myself for doing so. However, today, I suffered no ill effects and have returned to my usual routine, no worse for the wear.

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable lunch with the other eight women, and the conversation was lively and animated during the two hours we spent in the restaurant. I had met some of the others four years ago when we stayed at Robert’s Resort before we left for India.

We stayed in last night and had nothing planned for dinner. Thus, I made Tom a ham, onion, and cheese omelet with bacon on the side while I had a bowl of plain Greek yogurt and a protein bar. It was fine.  Around here, it seems few people cook much of a dinner each night, and it’s been easy for us to do the same thing.

Colleen just stopped by to tell us that Kevin, Tom’s adult nephew (wife, Kristi), with whom we got together in Florida last year and again in Eden Prairie last fall, surprised everyone and flew in from Florida last night and will be playing cards with us this afternoon. It will be fun to see him again and especially fun to play cards with him as well. We plan to join them all today at noon, as soon as our laundry is done, and I am finished making a tuna salad to share later today.

We hadn’t done laundry since we arrived on April 1. Once we got the washer using another online app, we returned to our place, and Tom vacuumed and washed the floors while I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. By the time the washers were done, the place was clean. As the clothes were drying, I continued to work on today’s post.

In about ten minutes, the clothes will be dry, and we’ll head back to the laundry room to load up the clean clothes, after which I’ll fold everything and put it away. Then, we’ll have accomplished everything that we needed to do today other than for me to wrap up this post.

So, what happened yesterday when my UPS package to Cleveland Clinic was delivered but missing? Tina, the doctor’s assistant, contacted me in the afternoon writing that she’d found the package. Now, my two-week waiting period to hear about an appointment time starts over again. This isn’t very pleasant. However, we’ll continue with our plans until we know more.

Wherever we may be in the US, it won’t take more than five days to get to Cleveland. There’s nothing more we can do. We’ve both decided to stay calm and relaxed about hearing the news and will enjoy our time in each upcoming location, as we’d planned originally.

That’s it for today, folks. Hugs to all of you!

Be well.

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

Stopping at a popular overlook while touring the Atlas Mountains in Morocco with a driver, we spotted what appeared to be a soccer field at a local school. For more photos, please click here.

Oh, oh…an unexpected glitch impacting our lives…

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Sunset in Marrakesh, Morocco, in 2014.

As soon as I awoke this morning, I checked my phone for any messages, hoping to hear from Cleveland Clinic about my appointment date. Initially, I was thrilled to see a message from the doctor’s assistant but frustrated when I read the message stating they hadn’t received my package from UPS, which I sent on April 1.

Immediately, I found the receipt for the shipment and tracked the result, which clearly stated it had been received on April 2. Tina, the doctor’s assistant, couldn’t find the package. This is very problematic. Every day lost is one more day that I am walking around with a time bomb in my chest.

I have been communicating back and forth with Tina and hope I’ll soon discover she’s located the packet. If not, I must start the process again, returning to day zero. This is beyond stressful and frustrating. Some of the documents required my signature. They don’t do online document signing.

So, I must go to another UPS store, sign the papers and ship them overnight. It would have been easier if I had emailed them, but they insisted on a shipment. I sent Tina the actual receipt that it was received on April 2 at the correct address and the name of the person receiving the package. What more can I do?

Now, I wait for Tina to notify me that she’s found the package. I am not happy about the stress of this situation, but as I wrote a few days ago, patience must prevail, and I am working to stay calm and maintain an even keel. It’s situations like this that are most stressful for one’s health.

At the moment, Tom is researching rental cars for when we depart here on May 1, and he was able to book a car to get us to Minneapolis, returning the vehicle on May 30 in Minneapolis at the airport. We are checking to see what might be available on May 30, depending on the schedule for Cleveland Clinic, since that will be the beginning of the long Memorial Day weekend.

Everything we are booking now is up in the air since we know nothing about where we’ll be any time over the next few months. But having cars and hotels booked gives us peace of mind as long as they are cancellable. No longer do we book anything that doesn’t offer a free cancellation.

Since COVID-19 has settled down, more venues offer free cancellations. This is particularly helpful for us right now.

On another note, yesterday, we went to the Apache Junction VFW for “Taco Tuesday” on Monday. Both Tom and I ordered taco salads without beans. He ordered his salad with the taco shell; mine was plain. The portions were very small, but the food was fresh and tasty.

Soon, Colleen will pick me up for the “girl’s lunch” they had previously planned with neighbors, asking me if I wanted to join them. I happily agreed. It had been a while since I attended a girl’s lunch, and it sounded like a fun idea. Tom will stay in our unit while I’m gone. Most likely, later in the day, we’ll play Buck Euchre again. We played yesterday afternoon, but I gave up my seat to Colleen at about 7:30 pm.

Tom drove me to our park model and returned to Margie’s to play cards while I spent the remainder of the evening streaming mindless drivel while playing with my phone. It was a relaxing and easy evening.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 9, 2014:

The pointy-toed shoes remind us of magic carpets and flowing gowns typical of the perception of Morocco, which is not too far from reality, minus the flying carpet, of course. For more photos, please click here.

What does the solar eclipse have to do with world travel?…

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This was a menu at a restaurant in the Medina in Marrakesh.

We’d considered writing about the solar eclipse today, but after all the news hitting the airwaves, we figured all our readers had seen enough about it, and writing here would be redundant. However, we asked ourselves, “What does the solar eclipse have to do with world travel?”

It has plenty to do with it. After all, we are “world travelers,” which consists of exploring land and water on our wonderful planet. Yes, regardless of what is transpiring in the world and fear-mongering, we still believe this is a beautiful planet and health-providing down the road; we still plan to scour it with wonder and hope in our hearts (no pun intended).

For us, the past 11½ years that we’ve traveled the world has been magical, even during those less-than-desirable stays in locations we found less pleasant than others. We learned something interesting about every country, town, and village we visited during this extended period. We’re grateful for all the experiences.

Some of our friends and family members have asked us if we plan to stay in the US for the long term. As we’ve mentioned many times, at this point, the only thing keeping us here is health and the upcoming family visits. Once I recover from the surgery, we plan to continue to travel.

Most likely, we’ll return to the US more frequently than we did in the past, mainly for health checks and to see family. It’s all up in the air right now, and I do not know what’s next until I’m notified in the next few weeks.

Are there a lot of countries we’re longing to visit? Not necessarily, but there are specific locations we’d like to see and some locations we’ve visited in the past. Tom’s favorite place is Penguin, Tasmania, and I also loved it. It’s a long distance from wherever we may be, but we can get there in stages or by cruise, which would be especially enjoyable. There again, it all depends on health.

Last night, after an early light dinner, we made our way to Margie’s home, and again, we played cards. The game we play, Buck Euchre, is best played with four players. I’d played for a few hours with Tom, Margie, and Eugene, and when Colleen arrived around 7:30 after we’d finished a round, I decided to head back over to our place to give her a chance to play and after many late nights, a restful evening was in order. Tom stayed and continued to play cards.

Back at our place, I scoured our streaming services but could not find a good movie or series. I started three movies but couldn’t get into them after watching each for 20 minutes. Finally, I ended up playing games on my phone. Around 11:00 pm, Tom returned. We chatted for a while and then headed off to bed. By then, it was midnight. Awakening at 6:00 am, I didn’t sleep enough and am dragging a bit today.

We’re currently waiting for a grocery order, which should arrive within an hour. Around noon, we’re all off to the local VFW for Taco Tuesday every Monday. Go figure. Since I don’t eat taco shells, I’ll have mine as a taco salad without taco chips or a bowl-shaped shell.

Most likely, Tom will eat enough that he won’t want to have dinner tonight. If I’m hungry, I can make something for myself. No big deal. Most likely, we’ll play cards again later in the day with the sisters and Eugene. It’s pretty fun! I love playing that game. It’s easy to learn (and remember), and the games are exciting yet challenging. Tom and I have always enjoyed playing cards.

Tom’s new laptop arrives today, so if I quit playing cards early enough, I will work on setting up his new device. Since he doesn’t have many apps and files, it will be easy, taking no more than an hour.

That’s it for today, folks. If you can see the eclipse, please do so with caution, wearing appropriate eyewear, and avoid looking into a viewfinder with a camera or other device. Also, I read that cameras, including those on smartphones, can be damaged when taking photos of an eclipse.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 8, 2014:

With smaller portions of meat typically served in Morocco at each meal, side dishes are a huge factor in rounding out a meal. Unable to have bread, potatoes, couscous, rice, or other grains, Madame Zarah made a variety of vegetables to ensure I got enough to eat. Without prompting, she discovered that egg dipping slices of aubergine (eggplant) and cauliflower sauteed in olive oil help round out an otherwise less filling meal. For more photos, please click here.

Patience, a virtue?…

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Unusual-looking pastries in Marrakesh, Morocco.

What is the meaning of patience?

“Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford LanguagesLearn more
  1. about the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
    “you can find bargains if you have the patience to sift through the dross.”
  2. BRITISH
    any of various forms of card game for one player, the object of which is to use up all one’s cards by forming particular arrangements and sequences; solitaire.”

There are countless situations in our daily lives that require patience. We’ve found that when traveling the world, a number of circumstances tap into our ability to be patient. Why exercise this aspect of life?

For us, it all boils down to avoiding negative emotions that result in stress. Yes, stress is good for us to some degree when we have a variety of tasks to accomplish. It can motivate us to get a “job done,” let alone a “job well done” or, in other cases, a task accomplished with finesse and dedication.

But patience is often the barometer of how we feel when we don’t have total control of a situation’s timing…and we must wait patiently.

Right now, we need to be incredibly patient when our lives are up in the air. If we had a permanent home, the current state of being might be easier. We could go about our daily lives and responsibilities, only waiting for an appointment, a result, or a change in situation.

For us, waiting for the upcoming appointment is an event that can greatly impact our lives, which is prevalent in our minds now as we wait to hear when our appointment at the Cleveland Clinic will be. It has entirely put our lives on hold in the following manner:

  1. We can’t book a hotel in California when we leave here in 23 days to visit my sister.
  2. We can’t confirm our visit to Utah to see friends Gary and Marylin on our way to Minnesota.
  3. We can’t confirm our arrival date to Minnesota and Wisconsin to visit family when we may end up in Cleveland during that previously planned visit.
  4. When we hear from Cleveland Clinic, we may have to leave here right away before the end of the one-month rental, in the event of an early arranged appointment (less likely).
  5. We can’t book prepaid cars now for better pricing while we’re unsure of dates.

I am more inclined to plan things, so my patience is being tested. Tom is okay, not knowing what’s next until the last minute. That’s more of a “guy thing” (not intended to stereotype all males as possessing this quality). But, I am taking lots of deep breaths and continuing to exercise to control any potential stress that this experience may precipitate.

Is patience a virtue? I found this little morsel online that sums it up quite nicely:

“Patience is a virtue in many religions and moral traditions. It is defined as the ability to wait without complaint and to respond to minor irritations with kindness and gentleness. Patience is also considered a moral virtue that can contribute to happiness and living well.”

So true! I am working on it, staying busy, cheerful, and without complaint. We’ll see how that goes.

Be well.

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

The mosque in Medina, Marrakesh, Morocco, lit at unset. For more photos, please click here.

I made a mistake…What are the consequences?…

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Historic town in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

We planned to purchase a new laptop for Tom once we arrived in Arizona. Once unpacked and situated in Apache Junction, we researched online to find Tom a new laptop, either from Costco or Amazon, locations we’ve found to have the best selection and overall pricing.

His 14″ Chromebook, purchased in India in 2020, has lost several features and wasn’t worth repairing when laptops are reasonably priced. I suggested he return to using a Windows device, which he preferred over a Chromebook. Like me, he likes the convenience of having folders on his desktop, which isn’t possible with a Chromebook with a lot of hassle.

I ordered a new Acer laptop, almost identical to the one I have, knowing it would be delivered the next day. For some odd reason, several hours later, I checked the order I’d placed only to discover I had mistyped the address to the RV park, Robert’s Resort. The street address is 1403 W Broadway Ave, and I typed 1405 West Broadway.

Immediately upon discovering this, I called Amazon to explain my error. They explained the provider had already shipped it, and it was too late to change the address. Looking on Maps to see if there was such an address at 1405 W Broadway existed, and there was none. UPS, not Amazon, was delivering the package.

I called UPS, hoping to fix this situation, but my request was impossible. They said to wait until the package was noted as undeliverable three times, and then they’d send it back to the provider, a computer company in another state.

The first delivery was attempted on Wednesday, to which I received a notification. No other attempts were made. Oddly, the same day I ordered the laptop, I ordered a separate item, which was delivered to us even with the wrong address. The driver figured it out. Good grief, my phone number was on the UPS order. Wouldn’t you think the driver would call?

During this time, I talked to an Amazon driver who happened to be in the neighborhood, and he said, “It’s not rocket science to figure out how to call the receiver if the address is wrong.” I agreed, but the UPS driver with the laptop didn’t bother to contact me. I must have spent two hours on the phone, much of which was on hold, trying to talk to someone at UPS only to find the driver couldn’t be notified. Go figure!

Back on the phone with Amazon, when there was no second attempt to deliver the package, they agreed to give me a full refund. However, it was apparent to me, after being on the phone with Amazon for about 40 minutes, that getting a refund wasn’t a “given.” In many cases, if the purchaser frequently returned items, the money might have been lost. It was $511, an amount we’d have been shocked to “lose” due to my error.

After reviewing my long history with Amazon since 1995, I rarely returned anything when I was determined to research times before making purchases. When I purchased clothing that could conceivably not fit, I usually purchased brands I knew would fit, such as two pairs of identical jeans I bought a few weeks ago that were sized precisely as I knew they would.

Finally, Amazon approved the full credit yesterday, and shortly after that, I ordered the laptop again with the corrected address, which will be delivered today. As a result of today’s delivery arriving after 4:00 pm, we invited the sisters, Mary, Margie, and Colleen, and brother-in-law Eugene, to come here to play cards and have a bite to eat to ensure we would be here for the delivery, which requires a signature due to the cost of the item.

Of course, I am grateful to Amazon for the credit already appearing on my credit card. Whew! What a relief! I asked myself how I made the error when I had a Robert’s Resort business card beside me on the little table beside the sofa, clearly marked with the address. Who knows? I am not exempt from making errors.

Ultimately, today will be a fun day with the family, with peace of mind to resolve this issue and hopefully win at Buck euchre!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 6, 2014:

We were shocked to see this horse’s bloodied neck, obviously from wearing the usual bulky harnesses as shown in the above photo. Thank goodness the owner had put on a lighter-weight harness. But it still looked like it must continue irritating the poor horse. This was heartbreaking to see. For more photos, please click here.

Up and running again…Fun lunch in the RV park with a memory from childhood..

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Yesterday, we stood in front of the Weinermobile for this shot taken by another participant.    

Last night, I left Margie’s home and the buck euchre card game we were playing (Colleen took my spot) to return to our rental. Margie insisted we use her car while here, which Tom used to drive me back. I was anxious to continue working on my laptop issues, knowing I would post today. Sorry for yesterday’s missed post.

We both chuckled when we spotted the Weinermobile.

As it turned out, the cursor wasn’t working after many efforts to fix it, and the lighted keyboard stopped working. Finally, I restored the laptop to factory settings after saving all my files on a portable hard drive. But then I had to start all over to reinstall all my apps and files, which took hours.

By 11:00 pm, I had everything up and running again with most of the apps reinstalled. Later today, I will continue to work on the apps I’ve yet to install and should be done with the process by early afternoon. I’d spent at least an hour on the phone with Acer technical support, but they couldn’t resolve the issues. Frustrated, I left it alone and was anxious to get back to it last night.

Tom didn’t return from playing cards at Margie’s until 3:00 am. There’s no way I would have lasted that long. I slept poorly when I finally went to bed since Tom wasn’t there. When he returned, he fell asleep immediately, and I did the same. I was glad he could spend quality time with his family. We both look forward to playing cards with them again soon.

Yesterday, there was a fun activity in the park, the arrival of the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile for free hotdogs starting at 11:30 am. Let’s face it, people love free food, so there were over 200 standing in the queue and dining at the many tables and chairs in this popular area of Robert’s Resort.

Neither of us had seen the Weinermobile since we were kids, and it was fun to see it again. I stood in line with Tom to get an extra hotdog for him with his favorite topping when I wouldn’t eat a hotdog with or without a bun. He enjoyed them, as did the family, and we had a lovely time sitting outdoors on a nice 80-degree day.

Excuse my finger in front of the lens. Hotdogs were set on a table as they were prepared on a portable grill.

Here are some fun facts about the Weinermobile:

“POP CULTURE AND MEDIA

Oscar Mayer will pay you $35,600 to get behind the wheel of the iconic Wienermobile—here’s how to apply…

Oscar Mayer is looking for someone who would relish the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of America’s most iconic vehicles.

Tom entered the Weinermobile for these photos. Cute, eh?

The processed meat giant has launched a nationwide search for its next crew of Hotdoggers — paid spokespeople who drive the brand’s famous hot dog-shaped Wienermobiles around the country.

The company is hiring 12 drivers to get behind the wheel of the 27-foot-long vehicle, which is equivalent in length to 54 wieners laid end to end.

The Hotdoggers’ main responsibility is to represent Oscar Mayer daily as they drive the 87-year-old Wienermobile around America between June 2024 and June 2025.

“It’s like they’re running a PR firm on wheels,” says Ed Roland, who runs the Wienermobile program. “They’re key content contributors to all of our social media channels. It’s some of the highest performing content for all of [parent company] Kraft Heinz.”

Oscar Mayer has a fleet of six Wienermobiles. Hotdoggers will travel in pairs and be expected to host over 200 pop-up events over the course of the year. They will be responsible for “pitching and appearing on local television, radio or newspaper media,” according to the job listing.

There were more seats than we expected inside the Weinermobile.

If you want the gig, be ready to present your driving record. The average driver travels 20,000 miles each year, Oscar Mayer says, visiting at least 40 cities.

“It’s a lot like an RV,” Roland says. ”[Applicants] do not need a CDL or any special driver’s license.”

The role will require Hotdoggers to work on major holidays and spend the majority of their year away from home.

The listing says that the one-year assignment will pay a base salary of $35,600, with an additional weekly allowance of $150 for meals and personal travel. Hotdoggers will receive health benefits and 18 days of paid time off, and their hotel expenses will be covered.

In a typical year, the Wienermobile program receives between 1,000 and 1,500 applications for the 12 open slots but has gotten as many as 7,000 in a single year.

Tom was handed a Weinermobile whistle.

Oscar Mayer will accept applications through the end of January and says that bilingual candidates, in particular, are encouraged to apply.

You can apply for the role here.”

This might be a fun experience for retirees who want to supplement their income, although the pay isn’t much, and see the US at the same time. However, it was quite a task to set everything up to cook the hotdogs, prepare the toppings at every stop, and clean up after the event ended, only to get back on the road again to the following location.

Enjoy our Weinermobile photos, which bring back memories from our youth.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 5, 2014:

A close look at the pastry cart. Tom wasn’t interested in any of these treats. If I could eat them, I’d go for any of them. For more photos, please click here.

Photos of our new place…

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I’m not sure of the square footage; I imagine it’s a little over 700 square feet…a tiny house.

We are currently living in what is called a “Park Model” in a 55+ RV park in Apache Junction, Arizona. We’d never heard of a “Park Model” until we stayed in 2020 to visit three of Tom’s sisters, Mary Ellen (husband Eugene), Margie, and Colleen, and stayed for a few months.

The dining table has two side extension flaps but only two chairs.

This time, we will only be here for one month. Again, wanting to be near three of his six sisters, we booked only one month since his “Minnesota Snowbirds” will return to Minnesota for the spring and summer. Mary and Eugene leave on April 18, and Margie and Colleen leave the first week of May. We are booked here until May 1. Then, we head to California to see my sister Julie.

The bed is a tight fit in the small bedroom. Making the bed is tricky.

We’d never have chosen a vacation/holiday home in an RV park, nor would we have been interested in living in a “Park Model,” which is basically a mobile home set-up to appear permanent when we usually prefer stand-alone houses and some condos. The limited space is a drawback for us when, without the “L” shaped kitchen, it wouldn’t be much larger than a cruise cabin.

The living room has a loveseat and a recliner.

For one month, we were OK with the limited storage space. More importantly, he spends more time with his family, primarily in their 80s. Tom is the youngest of 11 children, with only seven surviving, including Tom. He’s always been close to his family, and it’s a special time when they get together.

The kitchen is small but functional.

There will be more family get-togethers in Minnesota, including with his adult children, Tammy and TJ, and their children, when we arrive in Minnesota in May, including time with my son Greg and his three children. Family time in the US is always fun and thoroughly enjoyed by both of us. Everyone gets along beautifully, and being together once again is always delightful.

Having this pantry is helpful.

Today’s photos were taken this morning. There appears to be some type of halo in my phone’s camera, and later on, I will figure out how to fix it. You can see by these photos how small the space is, but, like on a cruise ship, we somehow manage to find a space for everything, although it may not appear as tidy and organized as we might be with more spacious living quarters.

The bathroom is so tiny that the floor has no room for the scale.

We were spoiled after spending the past 3½ months in the gorgeous two-bedroom, two-bath condo in Lake Las Vegas. But, like the adaptable travelers that we are, we adjust to our new environment in a matter of a few days.

There was nowhere to store our bags other than this entryway. We’re using the sliding door in the living room for access.

Last night, after dinner, the family stopped by to visit, staying until after 9:00 pm. We’re invited to Mary and Eugene’s lovely and spacious “Park Model” for spaghetti dinner tonight. Since I don’t eat pasta, I’ll bring my dinner, a hearty tuna salad I made yesterday with hard-boiled eggs, celery, onions, and multiple spices to put atop a lettuce salad. We offered to bring a salad for everyone else, but Mary explained that none of them cares for salads. Tom will enjoy having spaghetti.

This old tiny TV monitor doesn’t have an HDMI plug-in. We’re streaming shows using my laptop.

Last night, I got to bed by 11:00 pm, and I didn’t sleep well. According to my Fitbit, I only slept a little over five hours. That will impact me tonight but I will do everything I can to stay awake and alert until my usual bedtime around 11:00 pm. I feel fine this morning and look forward to doing my exercises and continuing to organize a little more of our stuff.

Have a great “humpday,” and be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 3, 2014:

Our bodies adapt not only to the varying climates and seasons in many parts of the world but also to areas where seasonal changes are less evident, such as tropical climates. For more, please click here.

We made it to Arizona…

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Leaving Las Vegas.

We were out the door in Lake Las Vegas by 9:00 am. Tom got The Ford Expedition rental from Budget as a free upgrade. We had food and lots of miscellaneous items that we’ll haul to Cleveland in the next 90 days.

The drive was pleasant and uneventful, although it rained intermittently. We stopped for a restroom break at the only rest stop in the last hour of the five hours, but they had no restroom. Weird. Nor did we stop to eat when the only restaurants we passed were fast food.

By 2:00 pm, we pulled into Robert’s Resort in Apache Junction and checked in at the office. There was a long queue, resulting in about 45 minutes to check in, and finally, we made our way to our unit, a short distance from the three homes of Tom’s three sisters. Tom unloaded the vehicle while I got to work putting everything away.

We had more “stuff” this time than we’d had in years, but it wasn’t an issue when we’ll be on road trips. When the time comes for us to fly again, whenever that is, we’ll have lightened our load considerably, back to a maximum of one bag of clothes for each of us and one bag with supplies.

As we unloaded the vehicle, Tom’s three sisters, Margi, Colleen, and Mary (and husband Eugene), stopped by to say hello. I had already started unpacking, but I chatted with them in between. We planned to come to one of their three homes once we were done and had something to eat. We hadn’t eaten all day.

It was a pleasant drive through the Lake Mead area.

With only eggs and cheese on hand, which neither of us felt like eating, we decided to forgo having dinner. We munched on snacks at Mary and Eugene’s place. When we returned to our place around 8:30 pm, I ate a protein bar from the batch I’d purchased at Walgreens. Tom didn’t have a thing but felt it wouldn’t hurt him to fast for a day.

The TV here is so small that we won’t be able to broadcast our streamed shows. We’ll use my laptop to stream anything when we have time. In the next week or so, we’ll buy Tom a new laptop with an outlet for our HDMI cord. His computer is three years old. and is due to be replaced. He’s happy with the Chromebook concept and a small 14′ monitor. When we can’t use a TV monitor for streaming, we will always use my larger laptop.

The bed was comfortable, more than the memory foam bed we slept on in the condo in Lake Las Vegas. It is very soft but enabled us each to get a good night’s sleep. I never awoke during the night, but I awoke early and bolted out of bed, ready to start the day.

While at Mary Ellen’s house last night, I prepared an online grocery order. It arrived at 7:00 am when I’d scheduled it from 10:00 to 11:00 am. Go figure. I have decided to use a different grocery store for future orders since I was disappointed with the small sizes of many items. I may not have better luck with a different market. With all the retirees leaving this area for spring and summer, they only offer petite sizes of most products.

As an example, Tom suggested that this may be because most seniors don’t purchase one-pound blocks of aged sharp cheddar cheese or large packages of romaine lettuce. While we still had the Expedition this morning, we headed to the market to fill in some items and purchase bottled water. The tap water here is not safe to drink.

In total, we spent over $250 on groceries, which is about $100 more than we’d been spending in Las Vegas. We have enough food to last for one week. Prices are very high here.

At this point, we are entirely settled. We unpacked the items we’ll use while here, and somehow, we managed to make space for everything in this small place.

We’ll be fine. It’s not my ideal vacation home scenario, but it’s fun to visit with Tom’s sisters and Eugene. As always, we’ll make the best of it while always enjoying being together, regardless of where we are.

Be well.

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

I tried to get a photo of all of the Seven Pillars that represent the original builders of the city of Marrakech. In the fast-moving traffic, this was all I could capture. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Easter to those who observe…One day and counting…

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Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates.

We had a fun time last night. We’d made a reservation at Luna Rossa. With a 100% chance of rain, we canceled the reservation early in the day. It made sense to go down the one flight of stairs to The Pub to avoid getting soaked on the longer walk to Luna Rossa.

We got good seats at the bar; we didn’t bother moving to a table to order and eat dinner. Maybe subconsciously, we ate at the bar to be reminded us of Jabula in Marloth Park so many times in the past. Although it was not as entertaining with other patrons and hosts, we had a great time chatting, laughing, and discussing the future, although much is unknown at this time.

We discussed a plan if we get called to Cleveland Clinic sooner than three months, and both of us have accepted the reality of that possibility. With two of my four valves considered to be “severe,” the mitral and tricuspid, they may try to get me in sooner. I’m hoping so. It’s a bit scary right now with the severity of this situation.

Easter is special to us for its spiritual aspect and the opportunity to speak to family members once again today. There will be no special dinner, dessert, Easter baskets, candy, or colorful decorations. We’ll make bacon, onion, and cheese omelets tonight with a slab of ham on the side.

Tomorrow, we’ll stop somewhere along the highway for breakfast. We won’t be rushing to make the five-hour drive to Apache Junction. It should be a relatively easy drive.

Shortly, Tom will order an Uber to take him to the airport to pick up the rental car and return shortly after that. Today, we should be able to load some of the bags into the car since it will be secure in the secure parking garage.

I have the last two loads of laundry going and will head to the building’s laundry room to put them in the dryer. I will have used all the money I loaded into the laundry app except for $2. They don’t provide refunds of balances.

Last night was a fitful night, although I managed to sleep for seven hours. I was awake during the night for 2½ hours and did a little worrying, which always seems worse in the middle of the night, as opposed to during the day when it seems easy not to worry.

There won’t be a post tomorrow, but we’ll be back, posting from Arizona on Tuesday. Happy Easter to all!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, March 31, 2014:

Bead and jewelry-making supplies in the souk in Marrakesh. For more photos, please click here.