My first "down time" activity was a trip to the laundromat. I had three huge loads to do. I love those big washers and dryers. Ted was running errands and stopped by to take my car to be washed and then returned it for me to get home. We had been invited to Niles and Sue's for pulled pork that Ted taught Niles how to make last year. I made an onion, tomato, cucumber salad and since Gerre had left a half container of strawberries, I dipped them in chocolate and took them too. Two other couples were there and we had a nice meal and visit with lots of laughs.
Tuesday was going to be our Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras celebration since we were rained out last week. I used my time to write some cards, pay some bills, balance the checkbook and do another row of Swedish Weaving. At 2:00 I went to play mahjong and got back too late to see the parade! But you can count on someone to post a few photos.
Lots of decorated golf carts.
My Swedish Weaving instructor decked out in her beads.
This person will remain anonymous!
We went to the clubhouse for our dinner and joined 5 others at our table out around the pool. We sat with a couple who are booking their first Grand Circle Tour and had lots of questions for us. I gave her my blog address and the four years and months we took 4 of our 5 GCT trips. I never wrote about the first one in 2006. I hope she enjoys reading about the places we have been and looks forward to her trip even more.
We planned to go to the flea market on Wednesday to pick up our shade that has been restrung but when the lady called yesterday she said her husband would deliver it to us. Great! Except I didn't get a time so one of us had to stay home all day, or at least until 2:30 when it was delivered. I did some preliminary work concerning our RMD and income taxes, paid the electric bill and did another row of Swedish weaving. It takes awhile and I am just about cross eyed by then so I have to stop for awhile after each row.
Our shade was delivered and believe it or not I clicked it in place, Ted tightened the strings and screwed the little plastic things into the wood frame and I put the valance back up with an extended screwdriver while Ted held a flashlight so I could see the holes. Success!! We aren't the handiest pair out there so we celebrate little things!
Wednesday's 90 degree temps turned into 50 degrees Thursday morning when Sue and I left wearing sweaters and Ted left to shoot skeet. It didn't warm up much in the afternoon. Talk about waiting just 5 minutes for the weather to change!!
After lunch we went to the movies to see 15:10 to Paris since there wasn't much going on and no one was out and about. After 5 horrendous "previews" complete with mostly gratuitous gun violence which Hollywood seems to thrive on despite their screaming "gun control," we very much enjoyed the movie. I liked it because it was a true story, made me proud of our three American young men and it was a trip down memory lane for both of us. Everywhere the fellows went on their European trip, except Venice, we have been to including all the train stations. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner before coming home.
I had a bit of a raspy throat and took some meds. We didn't do much Friday morning. I left for mahjong a little before 2:00. Ted went to Sam's. I had a mahjong and good hands but got left in the cold when my tiles went dead on two other games. We had coconut shrimp, cooked in our air fryer, for dinner. I wasn't feeling well enough to go out and was pleased with our shrimp so it turned out okay. There is a second bag of the shrimp so it will get eaten during Lent.
Saturday was a long day! Up and out at 8:15 we headed to the Smokin' on the Rio BBQ Cooking Compettions. First up at 10 am, we had to try 22 bites of different beef fajita meat. I cut small pieces but was stuffed after that was done. Of course eating dill pickles and drinking water in between doesn't help. There are lots of instructions like using a clean fork each time, don't stick your nose in the container to smell, eat pickles, crackers and/or water between bites, make sure you are giving the right grade for the right box, etc.
When we left there we hung around with the folks we had met up with. Most were from our first years here when we stayed next door at Bentsen Palms and then a few new couples from Llano Grande. We sat inside the arena listening to music and at 1:00 we walked over to judge ribs. And who would we run into but the Franz's from Retama who are the couple going on the Grand Circle Trip! Small world.
We only had to taste 13 bites but it is hard to cut a bite off a rib. We were warned not to pick up a rib and not to even discard empty bones. I am glad there wasn't any more than 13 to eat. After that we headed home. Ted stopped for shooting coins for Dave and then we went right to church.
We had just a bit of down time at home before heading to the clubhouse for card bingo. Neither Ted nor I ever got down to one card but we had 3 winners at our table. Helen won $15.75 in quarters so Ted who only had a $20 bill bought 20 singles from Bonnie who won $66 so I could buy $15 in quarters for the laundry. Such high finance!
We have four more weeks down here before heading home. After all the rain and a week of freezing temperatures, I am apprehensive about our yard. Last year it was a nightmare because someone had turned our sprinklers off all of February and March that had high temps and not much rain. That, coupled with a negligent lawn service that left oak leaves pile up on the grass, things were a mess. We had the whole lawn done then lost about half of it to all the Harvey rain and replaced it again. I am keeping my fingers crossed but too much rain can be as bad as not enough.
Que sera! I will worry about that another day!
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