Recycling old laptops…A pleasant day and evening with the sisters…Five days and counting…

Tom’s pork tenderloin sandwich on a bun with homemade potato chips, which he enjoyed.

As we wind down our time in Apache junction, Arizona, we’re wrapping up a few details before we take off in five days to head to California. An important task on our “to-do” list was to recycle two old laptops. We’d intended to do this while in Nevada, but time got away from us, and we didn’t have a rental car for a very long while in Lake Las Vegas, which prompted us to get this done while we were here.

Tom will take off to the recycling place in a short time and then head to Great Clips for a needed haircut. I will stay here while he goes on these errands and continues working on today’s post and other projects to prepare for leaving on May 1. We’ve yet to pack but will do so soon.

My chicken fajita salad was excellent, even without the tortilla chips, corn, rice, and beans.

Yesterday afternoon at 3:45, we picked up the sisters for an early dinner at a wonderful restaurant about 15 minutes from here, JJ Madison’s All American Grill. The sisters talked about the excellent pork tenderloin sandwiches, reminding them of a popular restaurant in Minneapolis, Tony Jaros, where they had the best pork tenderloin sandwiches in years past.

Tom, Rita, and Colleen ordered the sandwich, but although they liked it, it wasn’t as good as they’d hoped. Maybe when we get to Minnesota, we’ll head to Tony Jaros so he can have the pork tenderloin sandwich he remembers from his youth. But you know how that goes. Often, our expectations exceed reality, and the “old” flavors aren’t as good as we recall. Our taste buds may have changed over the years, and we remember the food being better than it was at the time.

Margie’s grilled Minnesota Walleye with tartar sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, and sauteed vegetables. She said it was delicious.

Nonetheless, we had a nice lunch, and everyone enjoyed their meal and drinks, as shown in today’s photos. Tom had a Margarita, and I had one glass of Pinot Grigio while the sisters ordered their favorite drinks. The food was good, and the conversation was lively and animated.

When we returned to the RV park, we dropped off the sisters and headed back to our place to collect and return items we’d borrowed from the sisters while here and to pack items for the upcoming evening’s card playing. For the first time since we arrived, I finally won a game. A few days ago, I realized I was playing too conservatively ever to win a game. I changed my strategy and won a game. Whether we win or lose, it’s fun playing.

By 9:30 pm, we were back at our place and spent the next hour enjoying a delightful series to stream, recommended by our friends Marylin and Gary, whom we’ll soon see in Utah. The series “Anne with an E” on Netflix is utterly enchanting. We’re looking forward to watching more episodes, which we may be able to do at night in a hotel room, after dinner, or during our upcoming road trip.

This was Rita’s pork tenderloin with crispy French fries.

No, I haven’t heard a word from Cleveland Clinic. The scheduler/nurse originally stated it could be two to three weeks before I heard about an appointment. When my UPS-sent file was lost on April 2 and not found until April 8, I am assuming my three week waiting period began at that time. Thus, at the moment, it’s not quite three weeks. I have sent two email messages but haven’t got a response. I will call and check on the status if I don’t hear anything by Monday.

I’m assuming I don’t have priority scheduling since I’d be paying using Medicare and supplement benefits, compared to celebrity and wealthy patients worldwide who’d pay cash. That’s the reality of the world we live in. Money talks! But I will persist and hope nothing bad happens between now and when we arrive. I am still holding my own with only a few symptoms.

Tom just left for the recycling store and haircut while I continue to work on today’s post, interrupted only by my walking routine every ten minutes. At noon, I usually have the walking completed and can begin doing the yoga exercises I have been doing for the past two months.

That’s it for today, dear readers.

Be well.

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

Orange trees are often growing in the center courtyards of restaurants in Marrakesh, including where we dined, Arabe. For more photos, please click here.