Three days in a row

Today I did some adulting.  I verified with my Medicare supplement insurance that Mayo clinic is a major pain to deal with, as in I have to handle all the claims and money myself and make up any shortfall personally.  I pulled the plug on Mayo.  I then called a practice affiliated with Banner hospitals here and have an appointment for the end of the month, actually sooner than they were getting me in at Mayo.  The person Making the appointment was a lot nicer to me as well.

I rejoined Planet Fitness on the cheap plan.  They aren't in the town's where I tend to travel so I only go to the local one anyway.  After that I went and bought some new tennis shoes on sale at Big 5 sporting goods as my Merrill's are shot, as in a crack in the sole that gives me a wet sock the rare time it rains here.  Tomorrow I go to the gym and use the treadmill and/or bicycle.

I am taking care of a neighbor's cats while she is in Vegas.  She took care of Bosley while I was there last week.  The cat she said wouldn't climb into my lap to be petted did climb into my lap today.  The one she said likes to do that merely tolerates me patting him on the head a bit then walks away.  She will be back Sunday.

I'm planning a low key weekend.

Now for tonight's actual blog post

I did some administration earlier.  I finally took down the not great picture of me from 3 years ago.  The picture there now is 4 peaks covered in snow earlier this week.  This is on the edge of the area where I live.  The snow didn't make it all the way down to the Valley, but the surrounding peaks did have snow.  It is fun to look up and see white down to a specific elevation, like they have been dipped in sugar.  I had a different picture up earlier when I couldn't find where I'd saved the 4 peaks picture.  I'll post it here because it is a neat picture of the elk this summer.

Now to Quartzsite:  I will be at the shelter at La Posa South on January 26 from 1pm to whenever.  I will be in the area anyway, so on the very off chance that someone was planning on showing up at Bloggerfest this year, I'll be there.  This is a Sunday.  May or may not put up the signs, but probably will since I have them.

Temporary glitch

I will work on getting the right picture posted...

Test of new header photo

Getting this photo off the phone and onto my computer.  Figured I'd post as well.

New Year New Decade

Time for all the resolutions.  I almost let my first one slip by me.  I would like, at some point, to actually do a post every day for a month.  We will see if January is it.

I taking one from someone else as well.  My resolution for this decade is to clear out my storage unit by 2030.  Seems doable, maybe.  Not sure if buying a cargo trailer and using it to store my stuff counts.  It would probably be cheaper.

I have cooked the past 2 days.  Mostly healthy stuff.  That is an ongoing goal.  So far, so good.

I started putting together my expense tracking spreadsheet today.  I didn't spend anything today so it is working so far.  I put one together many years ago and spent at least part of most years keeping track of what I spent and what I bought.  Since I retired I have let it slip.  I will try to keep up with it again.  Who knows.

Planet Fitness has a special with no contract going on.  I may join again.  I joined originally because I thought I would travel a lot in retirement and use them for showers and sometimes actually workout, maybe.  Turns out that where I travel there are never Planet Fitness centers, so I quit last year.  However, I feel a need to exercise and there is one a little over a mile from my winter location.  With no contract I can quit during the summer and join the very nice rec center up in my summer town.  It's a plan.

Speaking of plans, I have a modest plan for Bloggerfest.  I will be at the shelter house on a date around the usual time, which I haven't decided on yet.  I will be there drinking coffee and if anyone wants to join me to stop in and visit, cool.  Enough of the folks who were showing up at Bloggerfest aren't making it down to the Southwest this year that I don't have the heart to make it an 'event' this year.  I will be there, though, as I said.  I'll pick a date tomorrow and post it.  That should give me 2 posts for the month.

Merry Christmas

I'm still in Vegas.  I fly home tomorrow night.  I'm ready to get home.  That's the thing with being retired for me, there is nothing I need to take a vacation from.

I always forget how much walking I need to do here to get around.  I'm less sore today but I was miserable yesterday.  I also brought too much with me to carry to and from the airport.  The good thing about that is that it has kept me from buying anything else to have to lug home on the plane.

Next time I will drive.  There are pros and cons to each way to get here, flying or driving.  With the weather along I40 tomorrow I'm glad I'm not driving in it.  However there is more freedom to go places if I drive and I don't have to carry everything at once when I drive.  I'm coming back in March to meet up with friends here.

With my spread out family, celebrating Christmas on the actual day is not a big deal to us.  I'll go up and see Mom this weekend.  We don't give presents anymore as if either of us want anything we just go get it.  Vegas doesn't even seem that Christmasy this year.  So my primary hope for myself tomorrow is that traveling is easy and not crowded.

May you all have a good day tomorrow whatever you celebrate.

Flamingos at the Flamingo Casino

Another favorite place in Vegas is the habitat behind the Flamingo.  It is starting to spit rain.  Oh, got the koi in a swim by in the picture as well.

Celebrate

Today is my birthday.  I'm in Vegas.  I'm just about to go find some breakfast.  I have no deep thoughts or I sights from the perch of being 65.  Vegas is losing some of the glitz for me though.  Today I will wander around the strip and see what changes have happened since I was here last.  Maybe both Vegas and I are losing some of the energy and vigor of the past.

Shadowmen washing the roof

Getting the motorhome washed today.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving

I am now moved down to the Valley (Phoenix metro) and this year started living in the same park as Jim and Sandie Dixon.  It is good to have friends close by.  This year I have been having a bit of mixed feelings around not feeling a center, or home.  Probably because while I'm in the same area I've lived in for 3 years, within a few mile radius, this is a new park for me.  I don't want to go back to my summer location, but here doesn't feel quite 'right'.  That feeling is getting less as I spend time here and walk around for exercise in the park while meeting and talking to those who are outside.  I'm starting to think I need to really explore the idea of a more permanent base camp.  Not sure what that looks like right now.  It is more a direction to look into for a long while.

Bosley is happy being back where it is warm(er).  He naps in the windshield area again.  He seems content enough living his life in the motorhome.  I wish he was more able to tolerate a harness so I could take him outside.  He laid forlornly on the floor and didn't move for almost 12 hrs. last time I put a harness on him.

My immediate goals for now are to continue to comb through my possessions and winnow them down.  Also I am still trying to get into cooking for myself, healthy if possible, foods that are less carbohydrate filled.  It is not easy for me.  I hope to cut up a potato and put it in the air fryer to see how 'roasted' veggies might work.  If that works, next up will be a sweet potato.  Along with it I'll have a pork chop.  I'm getting good at pork chops in my small skillet, and for breakfast bacon and eggs in the same skillet.  I do know 'how' to cook.  Finding things I 'will' cook is the problem.

I went on Medicare today, December 1.  I turn 65 later this month.  I have Medigap Plan G insurance as well as Plan D prescription.  I will contact Mayo soon to make appointments I've put off while I was on insurance they didn't recognize.  I made it through the year and a half between COBRA insurance and Medicare using the Affordable Care Act subsidized insurance, but I didn't want to fall into the abyss of finding doctors and networked care unless something major happened.  Mexico for my one prescription and ignore the small aches and pains.  In January I will find out if that was a good long term plan or not