2014 SPRING TRAINING

Goodyear AZ (Low 54 Sunny and Windy High 79)

One thing we missed a lot not coming down here last winter was Spring Training for the Cactus League. We went to our first game yesterday. The park sure looked nice,

As you can see the sun was shining and it was hot in the sun, no sympathy we know from those in the Midwest right now. 

Jo put on her big hat and she said it felt 5 degrees cooler. Although a nice crowd it wasn't wall to wall people so we moved down a few seats into the shade and it dropped 10-15 degrees with a nice gentle breeze. A beautiful day for baseball.

We went to see the Kansas City Royals play the Texas Rangers in Surprise.

We all commented how you could see a noticeable lack of energy from the Royals from the gitgo, which showed in the scoreboard, Rangers 11 Royals 7. It was still a great day and the game didn't count.

Here are more photos from the stadium.

Paul, this one was for you :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

GLAD THERE IS A TECHNICAL TERM FOR IT

Goodyear AZ (Low 51 Mostly Sunny High 80)

Bob started feeling poorly last weekend and it lasted for a few days. We were supposed to meet up with Jim & Sandie from Where are the Dixons Today? for lunch on Monday with other bloggers but we had to cancel. Sandie called it "The Crud" and said it took her about a week to get over it, never a better technical term as far as Bob is concerned :-)

This has put us a little behind in our blog reading and writing so we have some catch up to do.

Bob did comment that after last winter in Missouri recovering from surgery 

and some down time here in Arizona this winter he would gladly choose Arizona every time :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

BAMBOO SOCKS

Goodyear AZ (Low 51 Warm with Decreasing Clouds High 82)

Time to time we like to give tips on what makes our full-timing life a little easier. We hit upon the neatest socks we ever have worn, bamboo socks.

We never have had socks that fit so well, and stay fitting great throughout the day and after a few cycles in the washer/dryer. Don't know how they do it but they feel like they also have arch support. Again we know we won't get any sympathy but with all the heat lately our feet also keep cool with these socks. 

Give them a try and let us know what you think. They come in all styles even diabetic socks. We get them at vendor days in Happy Trails in Surprise AZ but they are also available online. Here is the vendor at Happy Trails, Best Bamboo Socks

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

KNOW WE AREN'T GOING TO GET ANY SYMPATHY FOR THIS

Goodyear AZ (Low 52 Sunshine mixing with Clouds High 84)

This is you

This is us

Yeah, we had to turn on our air conditioner yesterday, the first time this year. It was 87 degrees on our outdoor thermometer, just too warm to sit outside and wait for the big cool down of the desert.

You can begin the sympathy anytime :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

STARTED MAKING PLANS FOR THIS SUMMER

Goodyear AZ (Low 47 Very Warm with Sunshine High 83)

Bob has started laying out our travel once we leave the Phoenix area the end of March. We have to be in Denver in September for some medical tests and we have to figure in reservations for at least Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. Probably would be a good idea to have reservations from Memorial Day to Labor Day since we have needed them in the past in Minnesota and Michigan. Here is what we have so far, 1 week at each location:



View Larger Map


Any comments will be appreciated on route, stops, need for reservations, etc. We are seeing a number of things we have wanted to see for a long time: London Bridge, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Reagan Library, Hearst Castle, Yosemite, Monterey Aquarium, Crater Lake, Oregon Coast, etc. (and that is just the first part of the trip). We also know that there is a lot more to see, when Bob tried to fit all in California he wanted to see he mapped out the weeks and he was into August already so he had to scale back. 

Leaves something for next trip!

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

IS THIS A REVERSE "BWE"?

Goodyear AZ (Low 45 Sunny and Warm High 83)

We know that most of the time we think of the BWE (Baskerville Weather Effect) as being colder than normal but as defined the BWE is any extreme; hot or cold, more rain than normal, more snow than normal, etc. where we are located. Consider that the normal high is in the low 70s at this time of the year this qualifies as the BWE.

With all the cold weather across the country we feel that maybe we should feel a little guilty with all this good weather. But we are enjoying it so much we just don't feel guilty :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WHERE THERE IS A WILL

Goodyear AZ (Low 44 Sunny High 82)

Where there is a will there usually is a way. Before we began full-timing we really liked the take and bake pizzas from Papa Murphy's, especially the thinner deLite crust. Unfortunately the deLite crust measures 14 inches (large) which is too big for our convection oven. The 4 times we used the propane oven in 4 years was for the deLite Papa Murphy pizza. We had their pizza more often but went with regular crust and medium sized since it fit in the convection.

When we got rid of the propane oven for the dishwasher we thought that our deLite pizza days was over for awhile. Then Jo hit upon the idea to cut the pizza in half and cook it that way. To be brutally honest Bob wasn't so sure and resisted the idea until we tried it recently. Just another case of Bob being wrong, you'd think he would be used to it by now :-)

Didn't think to take a before picture but here is the pizza cut in half, toppings rolled back so the crust in the middle could be rolled up and form a crust line. Bob's days working at Pizza Hut all those years ago were not a waste.

We then cooked it, a Greek Pepperoni pizza, in the convection and it was wonderful. 

You'd think Jo would get tired of being right but she isn't :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS?

Goodyear AZ (Low 42 Sunny High 71)

Ever had one of those days when nothing seemed to go right? Well Z Tejas Southwestern Grill in Phoenix recently had one of those days, or was it Bob having one of those days?

We had wanted to eat there for awhile after getting a to go menu while visiting Texaz Grill for some great chicken fried steak. Bob wanted to try a smoked chicken chile relleno and Jo wanted to try a wild mushroom enchilada. 

When our food arrived Bob tried to break off a corner and it felt like he was hitting the plate instead of the entree. Using a serrated knife he was barely able to cut through. No problem they will make another, besides Jo's wild mushroom enchilada was very good and their corn bread is also excellent :-)

The manager came by and was all apologetic and offered something to eat while Bob's new entree was cooking, probably to save some food for Jo. The smoked chicken chorizo soup sounded good and it was. The new entree arrived shortly thereafter and it was really good, but then, you just knew there was a but coming didn't ya? Bob saw what looked like the stem of the chile on his plate but it was not the stem it was a chicken bone. They smoke and hand pick the chicken there so both the waitress and the manager were very apologetic again. Luckily it was a big enough piece that it never got to the mouth or became a choking hazard.

We finished the rest of the meal and asked for to go containers and Bob's drink in a to go cup. Guess what happens next, they were all out of lids for the to go cups. We bring this up not to condemn Z Tejas but to compliment them. When you eat out as much as we do there is going to be problems, how the place handles the problem is what you are looking for. The waitress did not hesitate to let the manager know when the problems occurred. The manager was very attentive after that even offering a free cup of soup while Bob waited. When it came time to pay both of our meals were free. We made sure to tip the waitress for the full value of the meals and told her we would not hesitate to eat there again. The food was excellent and when problems surfaced they were handled correctly.

So if you are ever in Arizona, California, Utah or Texas give Z Tejas a chance, you won't be disappointed.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT

Goodyear AZ (Low 45 Cloudy with Sprinkles High 63)

We recently used our loyalty shirt and cup while we watched "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit".

This movie is based on the Jack Ryan character in the Tom Clancy novels but is not based on a particular book. This is kind of a reboot of the previous movies as it deals with how Jack gets into the CIA and his first field assignment after a few years sitting behind a desk. Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have portrayed Jack Ryan in previous movies. This time it is Chris Pine and he did a great job. He is Captain Kirk after all so that is to be expected :-)

We both really liked this movie, of course we do have a soft spot with movies with a lot of action, which this one had. With Kevin Costner and Keira Knightly alongside Chris Pine the acting was top notch and the story was pretty good too. All in all a good time had by all.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

A FUNNY FOR ALL THE YARN BUYERS OUT THERE

Goodyear AZ (Low 40 Mostly Sunny High 70) 

A number of the blogs we follow mention shopping for yarn, we are sure this never happens.

If you have not read "Pickles" by Brian Crane check for it in your comics section of your paper, it is usually a hoot.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CIRQUE D'OR

Goodyear AZ (Low 49 Partly Sunny High 73)

We had quite an adventurous day yesterday, we got out of our comfort zone a little and we survived.

We went with some friends to the Cirque D'Or show at the Herberger theatre in downtown Phoenix. Adventurous in so many ways; rode light rail to downtown instead of driving, out after dark, walked around downtown after dark, rode light rail after dark, and then driving after dark. Just proves you need to step out of your comfort zone now and then because we had a great time.

After we departed the light rail we walked to Pizzeria Bianco for supper. 

Arguably one of the best pizza places in the country (New York Times, Food and Wine, Zagat, James Beard winner) and it did not disappoint. we split the "Sonny Boy" a simple mixture of cheese, tomato sauce, salami and olives that was wonderful, you could tell the ingredients were fresh. Add this place to your list of places to eat.

We then walked to the Herberger Theater for Cirque D'Or. We have to agree with the advertising on this one, it was one of the most electrifying and mesmerizing shows that we have ever seen. Featuring a cast of some of the youngest world champion acrobats, contortionists, and aerial artists from around the world, although the theme of this show was Shanghai China, this award winning spectacle left us breathless at times. Even when they failed, which was inevitable but incredibly rare considering some of the stunts they were attempting, the show was still great. Their failure made it seem even more real and more amazing.

Too many highlights to mention but we will list a few that really caught our eye. First was an acrobat that did a front facing split and then just flexed his thighs and lifted straight up. Second was another acrobat that stacked chair upon chair, we think maybe at least a dozen and then did stunts on the stack of chairs as it got higher and higher. Lastly, and probably the best, were the hoop divers. Hoops were stacked on top of each other and the team dove through them. Of course they had to keep adding hoops until they were about 12 feet off of the ground and diving, twisting, some forward and incredibly some backwards, through these hoops. We don't know how frequent it is for a performance to get a standing ovation in Phoenix but Cirque D'Or got one last night.

Since you cannot take photos or videos here are some images we captured from the internet.

If Cirque D'Or is ever available we would recommend your attendance, you won't be disappointed. It was a acrobatic variety show with some of the best acts we have ever seen.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

"SAVING MR. BANKS"

Goodyear AZ (Low 40 Sunny High 74)

We recently saw a really good movie, "Saving Mr. Banks".

It tells the story of how the "Mary Poppins" movie was made. Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney who tries over 20 years to convince Mrs. P. L. Travers (played by Emma Thompson) to let him turn her "Mary Poppins" stories into a movie. A little sad in parts, don't want to give too much away to spoil the movie, but a very good story if that makes sense. And a very good story made into a very good movie. Best movie we have seen probably since the "Kings Speech".

Tom Hanks (best actor), Emma Thompson (best actress) and Paul Giamatti (best supporting actor) as well as the young girl in the flashbacks, all deserve Oscar nominations. The acting was first rate, top to bottom.

A couple of tips; take kleenex and stay to the absolute end of the movie, well into the credits. If you do you will consider this time well spent.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WHOLE LOTTA EATING GOING ON - JO'S 2014 BIRTHDAY EDITION

Goodyear AZ (Low 37 Partly Sunny High 73)

We sign up for loyalty programs, or e-clubs, at some of our favorite places to eat. Sometimes we get are discounts throughout the year or something for birthdays. Jo's birthday is in January so we have started utilizing the deals.

We already mentioned the pumpkin pie in a jar at Red Lobster, ironically on the last day it was offered this pumpkin season, which was excellent.

The pumpkin pie in a jar was in addition to the $5 off we got for 2 meals as a birthday gift. In addition to Red Lobster we already have gotten a free pizza at Schlotzkys, free entree at IHOP, free drink at Starbucks, and a free steak at Black Angus. We still have the following coupons to use sometime over the next couple of weeks.

- discount on 2nd entree at Famous Dave's
- free dessert at Abuelos
- free dessert at Longhorns
- free entree at First Watch
- free dessert at Mimi's Cafe
- $ added to loyalty card at Black Bear Diner
- $ added to loyalty card at Landry's group of restaurants, there is a Claim Jumper in the area
- free creamslush at Sonic

Of course at Denny's if you present your ID on your birthday you can get a free meal, no coupon required.

There are a few offers that we cannot use since there are no restaurants in the area like Taco Bueno :-(

We may not be able to use all of them but we will give it a good try :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

DIFFERENT KIND OF REVIEW

Goodyear AZ (Low 35 Sunny High 70)

A different kind of review from what we have been seeing from fellow bloggers, a review of our pumpkin season. We had pumpkin pie in a jar at Red Lobster, free for Jo's birthday (which we will blog about later). 

The pumpkin pie in a jar was excellent, maybe the best pumpkin thing we have had this year which got us thinking about our pumpkin experiences.

We are pumpkin-aholics, there we said it. For us the pumpkin season begins in September when Einstein Bros has pumpkin bagels and pumpkin cream cheese. This year we had a couple of places that had incredible variety:

Aldi (a discount grocery store in the Kansas City area); pancake mix, ravioli, spaghetti sauce, ice cream, spiced yogurt, waffles, cheese cake, and others we cannot remember now.

Trader Joe's; cream cheese, macaroons, croissants, bread pudding, waffles, cheese cake, ice cream, pancake mix

Then we had pumpkin at other places;

Pie at Bob Evans which is one of the best pumpkin pies

Chocolate chip and pumpkin cookies at Frys Grocery and Safeway

Bagels at the aforementioned Einstein Bros, Dunkin Donuts, Paradise Bakery here in Goodyear, 

Pancakes at IHOP, First Watch, Mimi's, Black Bear Diner

Bread Pudding at Sneads BBQ in Belton Missouri which was excellent.

Ice cream; Blue Bell which was excellent and Dreyers.

Cream cheese muffins at Starbucks.

This was probably our best pumpkin season, so in the continuous improvement mode from our old working days we will strive for next year to be even better :-)

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

GRAPEFRUIT FOR BREAKFAST

Goodyear AZ (Low 38 Partly Sunny High 68)

Right next to our site is a grapefruit tree. 

When Bob gets back from his morning walk, and if we are having breakfast at home that day, he picks a grapefruit fresh for us to enjoy. Here is the grapefruit tree looking out our door.

What a great way to start the day in a great place to be during the winter.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Goodyear AZ (Low 36 Sunny High 70)

While walking today Bob heard the quote of the day as it applies to being a snowbird in Goodyear, "time is flying by, don't seem to be getting much done, but we are always doing something".

Really sums up our time here so far, wish we had said it.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

FINALLY SAW "THE HOBBITT"

Goodyear AZ (Low 40 Partly Cloudy High 69)

We finally got to see "The Hobbitt: The Desolation of Smaug".

It was a good movie with lots of action. You really get to know the characters in trilogies, this being the 2nd movie based on the book "The Hobbitt" by JRR Tolkien. The good thing about the two Hobbitt movies so far and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is that you don't need to read the books before you see them, in fact neither one of us has read any of Tolkien's books. It is a movie we can recommend.

We got to talking about how the movies we have been watching lately, or want to see in the future, seem to be of the genre of the Hobbitt movies, or Marvel comics, or Hunger Games. What we would call regular movies with human stories just haven't been that good lately. We're hoping that changes with "Saving Mr. Banks" which we plan to see next.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

PHOENIX ZOOLIGHTS

Goodyear AZ (Low 40 Sunny High 74)

During this holiday season we went to the Phoenix Zoo for the "ZooLights".

An annual attraction that attracts about 300,000 visitors from Thanksgiving and this year running until January 12th. Our photos of the 3.7 million individual lights did not come out so well so I borrowed some from the web.

It was a fun night, we like seeing Christmas lights and this was one of the best we have seen.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW

Goodyear AZ (Low 36 Sunny High 74)

2013 was an interesting year for us, a year of adventures both planned and unplanned. We spent last Christmas in the Kansas City area for Bob to recover from his aortic valve replacement surgery. Experienceing a winter in the RV reinforces our desire for warmer climates during the winter. We got most of the snow for the winter in February and March.

We left the Kansas City area in late April and still got snowed on in the Des Moines area. 

This year we were able to check off a lot from our bucket list. Among those were Salisbury House in Des Moines, 

tulips and sightseeing in Pella, 

Grotto of the Redemption, 

and the Buddy Holly sites in Clear Lake.  

We then spent the summer on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Houghton.  

These were the planned adventures. What we did not plan on was some maintenance issues that caused some distress and time delays. We had some water damage while in Houghton along with almost having a fire due to our transfer switch burning out. While stressful the only impact is that we ended our summer vacation a little early and headed back to the Kansas City area for repairs and some upgrades. While the RV was being worked on we stayed in an Extended Stay Hotel in Overland Park Kansas. The upgrades we had done were replacing the RV refrigerator with a residential refrigerator and adding a dishwasher drawer. 

While this was happening we celebrated our 4^th year of living fulltime in our Carriage Cameo. On our way to Goodyear Arizona we had another planned upgrade, adding day/night shades from MCD Innovations in McKinney Texas. 

After that work was completed we had yet another unplanned adventure, one of our slideout motors went out. We spent an extra week or so in Abilene and San Angelo Texas getting that repaired. For the most part we don’t “have” to be anywhere at a specific date so we can enjoy the area that we are at a little longer.

Every year we jam a lifetime of vacations into one year but there is still so much more to see and do. Next year we plan on touring California to Oregon to Washington for summer then down to Denver in September and then back to Goodyear AZ for the winter.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WASN'T MEANT TO BE

Goodyear AZ (Low 36 Partly Sunny High 68)

Guess it just wasn't meant to be yesterday. We had plans to see the latest Hobbit movie but when we got there about 20 minutes before the start there were only 12 seats left. Not wanting to force our neck into a permanent upward glance we gave up on a movie pretty fast. The day after Christmas must also be a big movie day, who knew? We spent the rest of the day going to lunch at Claim Jumper then shopping then back to the park to greet Jo's cousin and wife who just arrived at the park.

One of the many reasons we like this part of the country for the winter is that we tend to see more movies here than any other place in the country. Part of that has to be the free popcorn you get with the purchase of a Harkins Theater loyalty t-shirt and a cheap refill on a large pop with the purchase of a loyalty cup.

So far this visit we have seen "Thor: The Dark World", good movie with a lot of action.

"Delivery Man", another good movie with a sweet message and an excellent job done by Vince Vaughn.

Next we saw "Hunger Games: Catching Fire", another action movie that was very good. 

We could recommend any of these movies if you were looking for a movie to see. After the latest Hobbit movie we want to see "Saving Mr. Banks" which looks really good.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo