Feb 19 - So what have we been up to ???

I guess we've been busy since I've been so bad about updating our blog.  Keeping it current it a bit harder than I counted on, and then having something interesting to say is also not easy, but here goes.

PHOENIX
Things have been pretty busy here actually.  It's taken a bit to get the lay of the land.  Phoenix is so flat, and there are mountains everywhere it's easy to get turned around.  Thank heavens for the GPS, it's gotten a good workout here.

We're lucky to have good friends both here and in Tucson.  We've met my friend Lynn Dorsett from work here several times, dinner at her place, dinner at ours etc.  

We all went out one day and spent some time at the Arizona Biltmore, one of the oldest hotels in Phoenix.  It's really interesting, Frank Lloyd Wright had a hand in designing it.  Beautiful structure, interior, and the gardens and standalone casitas are great, and a lovely coffee/snack shop where we could sit outside and enjoy the scenery.   

Ingried & Jack Sigovich moved here 6 years ago - Ingried and I worked together at IBM close to 30 years ago.  They live in a great community built by Robson called Pebble Creek in Goodyear.  We've really enjoyed seeing them and learning about the community, they have pools, club houses, restaurants, golf courses, tennis courts, and lots more.  It's for active over 55 year olds, and boy are they active!  They moved down with their 2 neighbors and now they all live next to each other - it's party central!  I could get really used to it except for the summers. 

We also had a fun evening with friends from Reno; Trish & Steve Bersch were in town and on their way to see her brother in Mesa - we had dinner out and caught up on all the doings at home. 

TUCSON

Last weekend we went to Tucson.  There were sights we wanted to see and we wanted to visit some other friends Rose Clark and Michael McGrath.  Rose bought a house in Tucson almost a year ago (her first) and it's great.  While we were there we went to the Pima Air & Space Museum, the Desert Museum, and took a driving tour down to the Kartchner Caverns, Tombstone, and Bisbee.  

The Air Museum is amazing, over 300 planes in various hangers and outside, all with senior docents that flew the planes during the war.  Boy did we hear some great stories.  It's a terrific thing to see if you're down here.  The highlight for us was the hanger where they commemerated the 390th Bomb Group H - they flew the B17 bomber during WWII.  One of the guys there flew 28 missions and was shot down twice over Germany.  He later became a flight instructor.  What a guy!

The caverns were terrific also, but I was glad to see daylight at the end.  It was a great experience, but I know now that I selected well 30 years ago when I didn't become a spelunker.  

The Desert Museum was like no museum I've ever seen.  It's mostly outdoors and you see all the plant life, the animals, reptiles, and birds of the desert.  Definitely a must see!

          

Tombstone is of course the site of the fight at the OK Corral w/Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earpp - it reminded me a lot of Virginia City in NV.  Mostly touristy now, still has original buildings, but you can see a mock street fight, ride a stage coach etc. (we didn't do either).  We did have lunch at a place called "Big Nose Kate's Saloon" - we didn't see Kate, but we did have a guy playing a piano w/all the buttons so he sounded like a one man band - he was very hokey, but good, and the food was good too. 

Bisbee is an old copper mining town.  Great Victorian homes still up and down the hills, and a great Weavers Guild that we ran into accidentally.  One of the ladies there gave me a great tour and encouraged me in becoming a weaver - we'll see.  

We also visited a Robson community just north of Tucson, very nice, beautiful golf course, but I we've both decided if we ever considered moving again we liked Phoenix better. 

Our last day in Tucson we went out to Biosphere2.  Interesting place, worth seeing once for sure.  It's owned today by the Univ. of Arizona and they're still conducting experiments on plant life and environmental effects.  

PHOENIX Again

During the regular days when we're in Phoenix I've been working most mornings - still not retired, but hopefully getting closer.  John plays golf a few days, softball a few days, and we walk Meghan.  We've hung out at the pool a couple of days and finally gave shuffleboard a try.  It was so much easier before someone explained we needed to wax the court - boy the pucks flew then!  It would take a bit of practice to be any good, but it was fun and we'll definitely try it again.  

This weekend John was in a golf tournament - unfortunately it rained pretty hard during the last 3 holes.  It was a tough round overall, but he did manage to win a new putter with one of his raffle tickets.  Yesterday we also went to PeeWee Hockey to watch my nephew Christopher play - he and my sister-in-law are in town.  He lost one/won one and has more to play.  We'll probably see them again but our fingers are crossed that his team wins the tournament. 

Next week John's daughter Tonia, boyfriend Rick and grandson Gabriel will be arriving - we have plans to go see The Body exhibit at the museum, and take the train to the Grand Canyon.  More on how that all goes next week. 

Oh, and I almost forgot - I had my first rug weaving class.  So far so good.  We spent the entire session planning our project (a table runner), the length of yarn needed, measuring it out and getting it moved onto the loom.  Next week the actual weaving should begin.  It was fun and frustrating, especially if you measure out the yarn wrong.  I think next week will be more fun.