Cautiously Optimistic

January is winding down and the weather is slowly coming around.  Sitting outside and wearing shorts was real good today.  64* is just 48 short hours away.  Linda/Newell and Maurene/Bill are away for the month so it just us pigeons left on The Alley and Suballey #1 (where Kathy and Doug  & Rita live). We aren't letting grass grow under our feet while they are away.  We have a few trips planned: Mexico; Old Town Mesilla & Gambling/Shopping.
    Ken went to the doc and we all agreed (her and I) that maybe trying another type of Happy Pill might be a good idea.  This was NOT welcomed by Ken but he went along.  We left there with an elaborate way to wean off the old one and an aggressive way to jump start the new one!  His neck muscles were about the size of the choker cables he used to use and mobility was pretty much 0.  Well! 14 days later life if good!  His neck is looser and his mood is evening out.  So we are cautiously optimistic about the pain.  It's gone from a 8-9 to a 2-3.
Sixteen of us went to the Arrey Cafe for Steak Dinner the 11th.  We call and go early as it is a small place.  Bill and Maurene were leaving the 18th so we got it in early.  Haha!  Bill won two steak dinners so they decided to go early the 19th.  Two weeks at the Arrey!
State by state: Minesota, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Texas, new Hampshire & Colorado.


 

Colorado, Minesota, Texas, Missouri and Colorado.
Rita is a newbie to our group.  Hailing from CO she fits right in - and has GOOD Urology jokes to boot.

We went to the Moose to play pool.  They have two tables and chairs on wheels.  Here - Deb and Kathy give Maurene tips FROM THEIR CHAIRS!  For crying out loud!!

We've started keeping score for the new year.  The teams are MauKat and DePhil.  Kathy used to play pool league and is really a good player.  I am good when I don't think too much and many of my "What the hell!" shots work.  Kathy wandered over to look into the member only gambling room.  Yup! She's gonna join.  :)  And Maurene's gonna join and I'm going to join.  That way Ken won't have to go all the time for afternoon pool and to put the quarters into the table.

 One of our favorite places to eat is Carmen's Kitchen.  It seats about 24.  I love her tostadas and Ken likes her green chile smothered burrito with EVERYTHING on it.  Her green chile sauce is the one I now use.  Her baker/waitress gal is Kayla.

 Montana Sue and hubby Skip stopped in Deming on their way to Tucson and doc apts.  She wanted to know if we were going to Mexico soon and Wala! a Mexican trip was planned.  I need to replace the oilcloth covers for the bookcases and across the front but forgot the measurements so took picutres to contemplate them...........hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 We took Rita with us.  She was like a kid in a candy store - all eyes and ahhh!
We started at the Pink Store and had lunch there.  After we ordered I looked up and here came the Pharmacist saying,  "O good!  Take your time eating and come to the store last.  I'm expecting your order any time."  I usually call and give our orders a week before we go to give her time to order.

  Skip, Kathy and Deb  SO proud Debbie is showing a fork and not another item.  Love'ya Sista!!!

 Rita, Sue and Skip

 We shoppedd til we dropped then asked to be taken back over the border in the limo.  A GREAT day!

Sunday we leave for GAMBLING/SHOPPING!! Hope to bring back some good pictures of.....well antics!

Oh yeah!! We take the seats in to get reupholstered this week!!  Woohoo!  Now if that doesn't resort to "the New Mexico way!"  and we get them back in 2015!  :)

2012ooooops 2013! Takes a while to change the 2 to a 3.

Well an interesting new year has started.  Right off the bat it was Wednesday when we get propane delivered direct to our door.  Well when Clay attempted to call there was no answer.  About 11 we went to town and we just happened to follow the Butte ProPANE truck to home base   Ken went inside where two ladies were talking and they just continued to ignore him.  Finally the driver came in and the long/short of it was they are no longer delivering to motorhomes effective Jan 1.  hmmmmm.  Two weeks ago when they delivered his lips were zipped REAL tight and nothing was mentioned.  So we are once again reminded we are in New Mexico and they do things different here.
So now we begin the new cycle with a half full tank.  WE are okay as we've had the auxiliary hose since the beginning.  But Clay and who knows how many others are up the creek...............  Ken was a little more than disgusted...................which brought me to another realization (later).  Clay got Chip to come plumb a valve in and he'll get a tank and we'll simply join the 5th wheelers that get propane on their own.  There are a LOT of motorhome in the area so not sure how Butte will handle if they ALL get their propane somewhere else.  Clay and us will no longer be supporting them.

 New Year's Eve we went to the Legion to play pool.  Cliff/Karen were here on their way to AZ and it was almost Lisa's last night so we enjoyed a great time.  Ken was finally turning a corner so I didn't mind leaving him/Wiley to their own devices.  We LOVE having two tables to play on.  We have relegated the guys to the old one and we take the new one.  That ISN'T going to last long. And the other thing that won't be happening is Kathy/Maurene (aka Maurkat) stomping Deb/Phyllis (aka Dephil) into the ground.  We are going to have Kathy teach us about banking ALL of us not just Maurene.  :):)
As you can see here 2013 must be the year of the
tongue.  :)  2012 was the year of the butt and 2011 was the year of the finger.  Can't WAIT to find out what '14 will be.  I'm actually kinda nervous about that.
We began the year right with our Thursday pool beginning from 0/0 in the pool stakes.  WOOTWOOT!  The official score is Maurkat 5 and Dephil 5.  We like it!!! (I will not say HOW they lost that many - wouldn't want to be THAT nasty.  heheheheh!)
Lisa and Kathy visiting by the new table.

 Deb, Lisa, Karen and Kathythepoolshark!

 And then there is Dave.  Bless his little heart.  Dave doesn't drink beer,  However once last year when life sent him a lemon he walked in straight to the table picked up the pitcher and drained it.  So when he walked in, looked at the tables to see no pitchers with beer in them he walked straight to the bar, ordered a mug and pretty much drained it.  Then he said he forgot his phone and got stuck.  He DID have his jeep with the winch but no shovel to dig a hole to bury the tire to attach to and pull himself out.  So he walked 8.1 miles to the Legion where he found a sucke,.,,,,,errr wonderful Mayno to take him back to get his jeep.  Poor Dave.  Last wee he got a peice of steel in his eye and took forever to find tghe RIGHT guy to finally buff the rust ring out and get him healed up.  Have I said lately they do things different here in New Mexico?

Maurene (the Maur of Maurkat) and Cliff seriously contemplate their next shot.  We are all praying for Maurene as she faces some medical procedure next week which might delay their foray over to AZ with Newell/Linda and Dave/Deb.  

I've come to the conclusion Ken needs to change happy pills.  He has doubled them a month ago but they sure aren't keeping him happy so go back Monday to find something newer.  Zoloft's been around awhile.

I am half way through changing my cassette books on tape to mp3 on my computer.  My boombox died so borrowed one from Wyn/Ki.  IT has decided the only function it will do is play and pause.  So that works for me.  I should be done early next week with this project and can send the books somewhere else.  I STILL have some VHS's to do but may take a few weeks off from that project.