Watching the Pancakes

There is a small sofa next to the kitchen counter where I cook.  Sam, our dog, sometimes sleeps there.  So the other morning I was making pancakes and she was asleep until she smelled them.  I think she awoke in heaven.  Never before had she been so close to the kitchen counter and the food being prepared.  Those eyes were saying "Are all those for me?" .  Needless to say "No they are not."  She was a statue the whole time I cooked those.  After that night the dog beds are on the floor again.

Today we are heading back to California, unfortunately because I have to go to the doctor and then next week have the screws taken out of my foot.  It is what it is.  We are leaving a day early to take our time and maybe take a detour to Colorado River.  We'll see what the day brings.  Not having a plan is little out of my comfort zone but I knew going in that that would be the case.  I always need a plan, a list and know what's going to happen when.  Probably the control freak inside me.  Just have to quiet down that side and let the day roll on.  There won't be any internet for a few days until we get settled some place.  I don't think the Wal Mart parking lots have wifi for the full time RVers who stay there while passing through.  So see you in a few days with an update.

Life on the Road in Arizona

It feels weird to be on an extended "something"...Not sure what to call it for me, (Lorraine). Tom is retired or Semi retired.  I have always said I will work till I die and here I am not working.  Kind of strange.  I do hope to find some odd jobs while on the road when we stop for extended stays here and there.  Right now it doesn't really feel like we are on the road yet.  Although I don't know what it's supposed to feel like.  

I do like the openness of this area of the country as compared to Los Angeles.  The roads are more open and everything is more spread out.  The buildings in most places are newer and things seem cleaner.  I like the restaurants better.  Maybe it's just being in a different place  I don't know, we'll have to see as we travel around.

The Arizona sunsets are beautiful. As you will see from the pictures above.  That was a picture from our coach about 2 weeks ago.  

Dinner at Sassi for Valentine's Day

Tom took us to Dinner at Sassi in Scottsdale.  It's a mountain top restaurant with a spectacular view of the sunset over the city.  We had a wonderful time and a terrific meal.  It was a chance for us to finally take a deep breath and enjoy ourselves after the last few months of getting ready to move. 

Bill and Kiki's

Last Friday night we went over to Tom's long time friend Bill's house.  We had a great time drinking wine and chatting.  It was wonderful to see their girls Dana and Quinn.  I helped Kiki (Bill's wife) to get on Facebook, so now she has come into the new age.  The night went very fast and before we knew it I think we went through a few bottles.  Tom was a little beyond driving so I drove us back.  I was glad he knew where he was though.

Ash and Emersen posing with Kona. Not sure if Kona is thrilled.

Emersen licking her bowl from the Easy Bake experience.

Ashton intense watching his movie.

Emersen loving Sam up. They were quite a pair.

An evening with great friends

We had Bill and Kiki over last night in the coach.  This is Tom's friend Bill from his high school days.  We had a great time catching up.  We all shared a magnum of Dom Perignon 1992 it was fabulous.  Our first cocktail party in the new digs.

The two of us

The Phoenix Desert

In the Phoenix desert near our grand kids school. We were waiting for them to get out for the day. We decided to take a small hike up the hill. It was really beautiful. 

Here's Tom enjoying the hike also in the desert.

On the Road Officially

As of Friday Feb 4th, Lorraine's 44th birthday, we are officially on the road.  The last days of the marathon were a little tough but we had some great helpers.  Suzanne our neighbor helped get stuff in the coach the first day and Pattie helped for two days straight get all the odds and ends done.  Thank You to Pattie just seems to small a word for all she did.

The first night we dry camped in a parking lot in Torrance waiting for the RV Service people to open on Saturday to help us understand some things about our new ride.  We then had to drive our storage truck to Lancaster to store it for a month or so at a friends until we take it to Idaho.  Mike is another invaluable friend for letting us put it there.

Saturday we finally got out of town in the evening on our way east to Phoenix.  Riding in the coach is like being in my living room riding down the road.  I have a leather recliner which I could sleep in.  The coach is rock solid and moves like a dream.  We stopped in Desert Center and dry camped again in an old abandoned gas station.  Up again in the morning and heading to Phoenix we stopped in Quartzsite Arizona, for those of you who don't know this is a place that swells in population when the snow birds come in from other states.  Lots of RV stuff and flea market type place.

Finally arrived in Phoenix around 3:30 p.m. and checked into our new digs, Desert Edge RV Park.  Tom backed in the coach with the precision of a pilot landing on an aircraft carrier.    I was impressed as were the old folks who came out and watched.  We are surrounded by travel trailers on all sides so when this 45' bus shows up and made that turn to back in the locals came out.

Sitting in the coach now it's rather strange to know that we don't have a stick house to go home to.  What I am sitting in now is it.  Now comes the organizing and probably more down sizing.

I'll post some pictures soon.