Halfway through the month

We are now halfway through the month of October.  The time has gone by faster than I want it to but then time has a way of doing that.  I was thinking of everyone back home this morning - especially the two women who are in charge of the hall cleaning while Bernie is away.  Well, I do help him but he is the caretaker.  What a job that is, especially after a wedding since there is always a lot to clean!  I told him he should apply for a work visa and he could clean something while we are down here.  Anyway, thank you ladies, you know who you are!

We had the condo owner come by a week ago today to check out the microwave situation.  He concluded that he needed to get a new one.  Well, I concluded that as well!  He spent a couple hours back and forth and finally got it installed.  Bernie gave him a hand and he really liked that.  The dogs barked at him and then they were friendly, thank goodness.  He informed us that they have a little dog as well.  It was nice meeting him, very friendly guy, he wanted to bring his wife over as well.........oooookaaaay.  I guess we must be fun people that everyone wants to know.  Really, what do you say to that?  He didn't solve their electrical problems but we just plug that grill in where it works; I didn't say much since it is not my problem and I already paid the rent.  I didn't get into the plumbing situation under the bathroom sink since we can live with that and as I said previously......not my monkey, not my circus. 

One more thing on the owner:  he thought the dogs were cute and he took their pictures.  Bernie was holding Duke and he put his hand right around his snout.  Of course Duke snapped at him; I was in shock I couldn't believe anybody would do that!  He didn't bite him, thank god.

Of course the weather here has been fantastic each and every day.  I do not complain about the heat because that is why I am here.  I get up early and enjoy the morning and by nine at night I am heavy lidded!  I force myself to stay up until at least ten thirty because otherwise I would be up at four in the morning. 

Nicholas and Pam arrived here on Saturday the 11th.  The three of us toured around, found a Target which made Pam happy!  It made me happy as well since I needed groceries and I could get most of what I needed there.  We were looking for liquor and tobacco as well but it was not to be found anywhere in that shopping complex.  Why you ask?  We were told that it is on an Indian Reservation and there is no alcohol or tobacco allowed for sale.  OK. 

We went to a Fry's (home of the Wednesday Senior discount).  Too bad it was a Saturday!  The selection of wine, beer and alcohol in a grocery store is out of this world.  We got what we went for and came home. 

I cooked supper for everyone and we had a feast.  It is nice to have this place instead of going out for meals since that would have broken our bank account a long time ago! 

We have a pull out couch so Bernie and I slept in the living room and gave them our bed.  It was comfy and the dogs really liked it!  ha ha  No dogs are allowed on the furniture.......that's a joke.  We do our best since I cover everything. 

Sunday rolled around and we lazed by the pool in the morning and had a good visit.  Honestly we don't see enough of one another and they just live in Edmonton.  We have to go on a holiday to visit, or so it would seem. 

I woke up with a headache that just wouldn't go away but wasn't bad enough to put me down.  We tried to tire the dogs out since we were getting ready to go to our niece's wedding later on in the day.  We left the condo about 3:30 p.m. and headed to the wedding venue.  It was about 15 minutes away so not much of a drive.  Everything is "not that far" but it usually requires some freeway driving and fancy maneuvering. 

We found the place without too much difficulty.  Pam drove their rental car and did a fine job.  We wandered around and found the venue, outside.  We just walked around and looked at things, took a few pictures and then went to the venue and sat down. 

The ceremony started at 4:30 and it was lovely.  The bride and groom are very happy! 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Dao

 

 



We had cocktails outside for an hour, moved inside for the reception and dance and had a great time.  We got back to the condo about 11 p.m. 

The dogs were sure happy to see us.  We have this app that records and we set it up to "spy" on them to see if they were behaving.  Well, Bernie checked it a little while we were gone but there was no WiFi so it was just once.  Besides, what are you going to do if they didn't behave?  Phone them?  We checked the video when we got back and Sarge did his share of barking - not steady, but enough.

The next day we lounged by the pool again in the morning and then after lunch Nicholas and Pam toured around a bit.  We just stayed put.  In the early afternoon the upstairs neighbor marches up to the front door because he could see if was ajar and he saw me inside.  Of course the dogs run there and start barking.  Anyway, Mr. Minnesota from upstairs proceeds to say, "We live upstairs.  I don't know where you were yesterday but the dogs barked for five hours.  I don't want to tell J and K (the owners) about this so I am telling you."  and he leaves.  Jerk.  He turns his back and walks away, I said "sorry", and he keeps walking.  Oh brother.

Well, dogs do bark and I doubt it was for five hours straight since we have the videos.  I felt like telling him that he wakes me up at six every morning with his banging and thumping upstairs and they have squeaky floorboards.  I can hear him taking a pee in the bathroom and flushing.  I can also hear their stupid phone ringing early in the morning and I can hear his wife telling him to answer it.  I have listened, without any effort at all, to all his conversations with whoever is helping him with his computer and to all the conversations he has had with another fellow Minnesotan while he was sitting on his deck which is directly above our patio.  But, I said nothing because we are only here for another two weeks and he can kiss my.......(well you know what).  When he threatened to call the owners I smiled - maybe that pissed him off, I don't care.

I am on holidays here so I don't really give a rat's ass what he thinks or what bothers him.  I am not especially fond of barking dogs either but it is not like it is every day all day long.  I also know that I would not complain if I was in that situation.  Life is life, suck it up and live a little.

However, we found a dog boarding place in Gilbert yesterday and took the dogs there for a trial to see how they would make out.  We have tickets to the Oilers vs Coyotes game this evening so Duke and Sarge will go to the doggie day care.  The person working there, Candice, is a Canadian from Ontario who lives here now.  Ironic how things work out.  We had their vet records with us and everything checked out so that is a relief.  The place is also open 24/7 so you can go at any time day and night to pick them up and drop them off.

We left the dogs for about three hours for a trial run.  While they were there we asked Betty, our GPS, to find a Wal Mart.  Well, Betty directed us to some godforsaken area of Mesa and concluded that a Wal Mart Supercentre existed........not.  I guess we should have done some updates before we left!  We found - you guessed it Pam - a TARGET store instead after a bit of driving around.  There sure isn't much there and I am kind of glad that we are staying in Scottsdale.  We had lunch, shopped a bit at Target and then found another little shopping centre with a sporting goods store.  Bernie was looking for shoes, but no luck there.  We stopped for a Frozen Yogurt and then headed back to the Target Store because they had free Wifi there and we could check our maps on our iPhones.  We did find a place that sells running gear, etc. but by then it was time to get the dogs and see how they made out in day care.

They did awesome and we told her we would bring them back the next day..  We purchased a package deal so we are good to go for two more days for both of them after today.

It was kind of a relief to find a place since they really don't do that well on their own for any length of time.  We aren't going to sit in this place for the remainder of our holiday just because they might be a bother to someone, so doggie day care it is.  When it comes time to settle up here I have a good mind to tell the owner that instead of refunding our $300.00 deposit we paid for the dogs she can just give it to the a......e upstairs for all his trouble.

Okay, I'm good now.  I just had to move my laptop inside because they are cleaning the rooftops and sweeping all the dead leaves and dirt to the ground.  It was landing on me so I thought it would be best to move inside.  There is sure a lot of activity going on outside right now - crews cleaning and grooming the grounds I guess. 

And so the good life rolls on.  We are halfway through our holiday and I will make the most of the time we have left here!