Saturday, May 27, 2017

LARRY AND BAMBI, PAGE SPRINGS WINERY, SEDONA DINNER, SCENERY, POKER, GOLF, GOLF AGAIN, SAMURAI, AND CALIFORNIA

    I had an appointment with the Midwestern Dental School as one of their patients for X-rays and evaluation   Two hours later I left their and drove to meet Larry for dinner in New River.
       Larry informed me they had planned on returning to Golden, Colorado next week so I took him a photo I had framed in Mexico of us at Veteran's Day Parade so he could take it back.  We had a great dinner together with Bambi and Chris at Texas Roadhouse.




       The next morning Chris and I drove up to Cornville to the Page Springs Winery for lunch, accompanied by two flights of wine.   The lunch was fantastic.








 We then checked in to our Sedona Hotel and made reservations at Elote, a Mexican Restaurant with Oaxacan specials.  It was over an hour wait and loud.  After a drink next door at Hudson's Restaurant with a view, we cancelled and ate another fantastic meal.





      My plan was to return to the "End of the Road" in Cornville for lunch but we were full after breakfast so drove the scenic route




to African Safari in Camp Verde for a tour of the animals and to see a Tiger show where we got to feed the Tiger's...well sort of...it was a long pole with meat on the end that your stuck over the fence.  The African Safari took a couple hours and was very well worth it.














     Chris and I finished the day sharing a Pizza at Gavlin Peak in New River before I left to return home.

      I gave blood first thing this morning before shopping at Costco ($225) for vitamins, Seafood, Fruit and Veggies.  I stopped to apply for my Medical Marijuana card ($175) , then restock some liquor from Total Wine ($75), ordered some new business cards, pick up prescriptions...got a lot done.

       Today I managed to catch up on some of my emails then picked up Marjorie and drove to Fountain Hills where we met John and Jean, friends from Doylestown , Pa., for a game of golf.  I drove my first Artificially Intelligent Golf Cart!


 I kept getting these weird alarm sound from it but wasn't sure if my phone was ringing or what so ignored it until the Golf Cart shut down.  John came over and got it running but warned me not to go too close to the greens, the road, off the path, etc. or it would warn me but then shut down again.  Three times later, I was like a trained mouse afraid of that damn warning alarm.



9 holes later and I was bowing out.  I have given blood the day before and was still a bit off.  We all four enjoyed a nice Happy Hour with assorted snacks before I returned home.

      Saturday I caught up with contacting some friends and made a golf date for Tuesday with Doug and Mark   Got a hold of Anita and decided to meet later for Happy Hour.

   
      Sunday I managed to steal 30 minutes of morning Sun in the Nude.  First time in a couple years and it felt great.  Spent the day cleaning up the house and making some soup for dinner.  I feel I'm back in the groove, staying active (two golf games coming this week along with first visit to the gym) , getting my Doctor appointment out of the way and planning a trip to Universal Studios with my daughter's family.  So boring ....I'll do a summary before I return to Oaxaca.

      I was feeling the same light headiness the two times I played golf this week so I checked side effects of the Terazosin meds and it was causing Hypo tension...my diastolic BP was too low so I discontinued them and requested Silodosin from the same family but without the side effects.  My insurance wouldn't cover it...so I down to three Meds now and feel good.

    I did go to Happy Hour with TGIF group and met Bill who just moved to AZ from Tasmania.  He retired there when, while traveling he met a lady he liked.  Thirteen years later the relationship ended and he moved here.  Nice travel stories of Hobart Tasmania and Australia.
I rushed out to sit in on the last set that Bill Anderson and the band Joshua Stone Band playing at Handlebar J's.  It was Cinco de Mayo and I stopped on the way to pick up a bottle of Lillet Blanc at Bev Mon when I noted my Credit Card was back at the Camelback Inn.  I retrieved it and arrived for the last set.  Bill and I have know each other for 25 years plus but hadn't seen each other for years so it took him a minute to recognize me.  We had a nice chat and I enjoyed the last set before departing for home.
BILL IS BEHIND THE TIP JAR


     I was on Hayden Road about 3 miles from home when I detected a thump, thump...and pulled off to call AAA for a repair truck to assist me and change a flat.  It was an hour wait and dark and 106%. The neighbors came out to see if I was a druggie or criminal but finally left when I asked them to assist in changing the tire.  The serviceman was in and out in 10 minutes and I arrived home around 9 pm.

     My lovely neighbor and I visited Gilbert Saturday.  I had wanted to check out the restaurant scene there and we enjoyed a nice lunch at Liberty Market before returning home.


   

Monday I had Eggs Benedict at Merci , a nice French Restaurant in my neighborhood.  It was very nice.

BEST HOT CHOCOLATE I HAVE EVER HAD
        More Doctor's appointments...Primary Care said  all my tests were good.  Joined the Disabled American Veterans.  Checked in with my Cardiologist...he agreed with my Primary Care.  I had stopped taking another Med that was for frequent bathroom trips at night and lowered my Blood Pressure.  My Doctor gave me another Med that would help without lowering my BP but Cigna initially refuse it until he appealed it and they agreed BUT the cost for one month was too much. I went online and got a three month script filled for the price of one month.
           I visited a Samurai Exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum for an afternoon.







       There was a great Photo Exhibit and some other new "Stuff".  






          My trip to California went well.  Chris joined me and kept we awake driving there and back.  We all went to Laguna Beach one day then spent Saturday in Los Angeles at the Science Museum , Library, and Heather slide down the outside of a building 60 stories up...it was only one floor but I wouldn't do it.  She didn't think it was scary.  We all had Breakfast at Annie's , where the waitresses have a great dance routine, then drove home.


























        Now it is just working out at the gym, getting packed, laundry, and have to get a repair man to fix my kitchen lights.  I thought they were fine after my handyman stuck the fixture back in that fell out when the renters were here.  I replaced the bulb but the whole circuit goes out...short somewhere.
       Need my coffee....

See you in Oaxaca!!