PICKLEBALL IN JANUARY AT TT WILDERNESS LAKES

Jan 22 - We have been at TT Wilderness Lakes for almost two weeks and will be leaving tomorrow.  So I thought I would post a few pictures of the Pickleball action while we were here!

Clint and Bill.  We just met Bill who said he has only been playing for six months, but a very good player already.

Janet and Jim.  You'll meet Janet's husband Fred a little later.  We've know Jim for quite a while.

Sue and Dean.  We have known Sun for a while but just met Dean this season.

Rick and Mark.  We just met Rick this time around.  Have know Mark for a while but he is not out on the Pickleball courts very often.  Good to see you out there, Mark!

Linda and Bill.  We call Linda "Huggie Linda" or "Kissie Linda" or "Little Linda".  All of the adjectives suit her to a tee!  Mark is Linda's husband.

Clint and Janet.  Have known Clint and Carole quite a while.  Just met Janet who is Fred's wife.

Fred and Dean.  Just met Fred this season.  He always has a big smile on his face!!

Wendell and Jim.  Looks like Wendell is doing all the work!!

Guess who!!  I think I actually hit this backhand!

Dean and Bill.

Carole (with an E) and Jessie!  Have known Carole for quite a while; and have known Jessie forever!!

Sue and Eve.  Eve is just starting Pickleball.  She is Rick's wife.

Jim and Ken.

Ken showing some of his Pickleball skills!!

It was a good group of Pickleball players at TT Wilderness Lakes and it was lot of fun!!

SIDE TRIP TO LAKE ELSINORE!

Jan 10-11 - Since we had to be out of the motorhome overnight, we decided to go to Lake Elsinore for a little change of scenery.  It is only about 10 miles away and we knew they had a Costco and restaurants in the area.  I looked on line for some possible places to stay.  Another couple in the Temecula Valley RV waiting room said they had stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn at Lake Elsinore ($64/night) with Continental Breakfast.  They said Motel 6 was too depressing.  I found a Quality Inn that was $59 a night with Breakfast Buffet!  That sounded good.enough.  When we arrived, the cost per night was only $54, saving us $10 over the Holiday Inn.  We could splurge on dinner!!

After checking in, we took a drive out to see the Lake.  It was overcast, cold and windy.  A disappointing drive but I did manage to get a few pictures without even getting out of the car!

On the way back to the motel, we stopped by Costco to take care of a few things as we had planned.
After a mixed drink in our room, we went out to Chili's for the 2 for $20 deal.

We started with their Crispy Onions and Jalapeno Stack for appetizer again.  We reported having them in October for my birthday.  They are so good!! For dinner, I had the Margarita Chicken with Black Beans and Rice.  Very good, although not too exciting.

But Ken ordered the Honey-Chipotle Crispy Chicken Crispers with corn on the cob and fries.  They were sooo tasty!!  I might try them next time.

The next morning we went for our Breakfast Buffet.  They offered sausage and scrambled egg circles, donuts, English muffins, fruits, coffee and juice.  But the thing that fascinated me was the neat Belgium Waffle making machine!  The tall box on the left contained waffle mixture that you squirt into a cup.  Then pour that onto the waffle iron.  Close the top, rotate the waffle iron by the handle so that the top is now on the bottom.  A timer counts down two minutes and your waffle is done!  Pretty neat!

That evening we were able to find a couple of our favorite TV programs.  Under the circumstances, our trip to Lake Elsinore was rather enjoyable.

SLIDE-OUT - MAJOR REPAIR PROJECT

 Jan 10-11 - Recently we noticed a problem with the big rubber gasket that goes around our kitchen slide-out.  The gasket is old and had broken at the front corner.  In addition, the slide-out needed an alignment adjustment.  We set up an appointment with Temecula Valley RV Service to have the repair work done.


 Of course, once you open a can of worms, more worms keep crawling out!!

Such was the case with out slide-out!!

When the technicians pulled the slide-out away from the body of the coach, they discovered the entire gasket had dry-rotted and would have to be replaced.  And, in addition to the alignment adjustment, the slide rollers would have to be replaced.

$$$$$

  

The repair work would take almost two days of labor!!  We could not stay in the motorhome while the repairs were being made.  We would  have to stay overnight in a motel in the area!!  (See our Side Trip to Lake Elsinore.)

Late Friday afternoon when we returned from our side trip, the repairs had been made and our slide out is again in good working order!  Thank you Temecula Valley RV Service!

NEW GLASSES FOR FAYE

 Jan 08 -  As I reported on Dec 06, when we were on our trip to Richmond, VA I went to see my Ophthalmologist, Dr. Iuorno for a check-up.  During that appointment, he wrote a new prescription for my eye glasses.

Ken and I stopped by Costco Optical in Richmond and placed an order for my new peepers.  They were to be shipped to Costco in Temecula, CA.  The shipment took much longer than expected, but finallyCostco called that my glasses were ready for pick up.  I had worried and worried.  What would they look like??  What would I look like??

When I finally picked up my new glasses, I was relieved.  I guess they look OK.  And, I can SEE!!!

 

HANDS-ONLY CPR

I have always worried, if the need arose would I be able to to perform CPR.  With the combination of breaths and chest compressions, I was almost certain I would be of no help.  However, I recently read about the new method of Hands-Only CPR in which you only give the chest compressions -- 100 rapid hard compressions per minute.  No breaths necessary.

The article recommended this video that could help you (and me) save a life.  After watching it, it is far more likely we will take action if we witness someone in cardiac arrest; and we'll be more effective, too.

Watch the video "Learn The Rules Of Hands-Only CPR" found in the lower left corner.  www.handsonlycpr.org

DINNER AT PHO VU VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Jan 04 - I read on Becky and Richard's Travel Journal (Blog) that they had gone to a Thai Restaurant that they enjoyed very much.  Thai restaurants are very popular but Ken and I have never found a Thai dish that we really liked.

But, we do have a favorite Vietnamese restaurant in LaQuinta.  Pho Vu.  One afternoon we just happened to see a small Vietnamese restaurant and decided to go in, looking for the Vietnamese "Pancakes".  Pho Vu does not have the pancakes but we decided to give it a try anyway.  We ordered one of their Pho noodle soups.  It was delicious -- so fresh and tasty.  Later we took our friends Pam and Joe for dinner at Pho Vu.  They loved it.  In fact, their home is just up the road from the restaurant.  Now they go there all the time!

Back to Becky and Richard.  Since they seem to know a lot about Thai food, I offered to take them to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in exchange for their introducing us to some good Thai food!  They agreed, and the next time we were together at TT Palm Springs we all went out to Pho Vu for dinner.  Since Pam and Joe are now the "experts", we invited them to join us.

Here we are enjoying our dinner.  Faye, Ken, Pam, Joe, Richard, Becky.

Now we are waiting for Becky and Richard to introduce us to some good Thai food!!

WELCOME 2013 PICKLEBALL AT TT PALM SPRINGS

Jan 02 - Our first time at the courts in the New Year!!  A beautiful day and lots of fun!!

Martin has arrived from Canada.  Playing with Jim

Chuck also just arrived; playing with Bill

Clint and Rick

Ken and Roy

Clint and Rick

Linda B and Jim

Bill and Ken

Bill with some fancy footwork!

Dick and Oland

Sandy and Ken

Bonnie and Dick

Faye and Ed

Linda S and Dick

The Peanut Gallery!!  Alan, Ken, Chuck and Bill

Clint and Cathy

Norby and Oland

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!

NEW YEAR'S EVE AT TT PALM SPRINGS, CA

Dec 31 - Many of the Pickleball players at TT Palm Springs had a Potluck Dinner to celebrate the coming of 2013!!  There was plenty of food and plenty of fun!!

Clint and Carol.  Carol was the instigator of the Potluck.  What a great job she did in organizing the affair!!

Becky and Tom.  They are actually staying at TT Wilderness Lakes but come over to TT Palm Springs to join us!!

Joe and Barb just left the campground but came back for dinner!

We welcome Linda S and Merlin to our group!

Pat and "Wild Bill"

Larry and Claudette, good friends of Pat and Bill

Barb and Dennis

David and Linda O

Paulette and Big Larry

Sandy and Ed

Faye and Ken

After dinner, Barb came over to remind Ken of their first meeting on the Pickleball courts at TT Orlando!  The story had something to do with Barb's new shoes!!  Fun memories!!

It was a great way to say Good Bye to 2012 and Welcome to 2013.  Thanks so much to Carol for putting it all together!