Christmas done, tree down, presents away now what?

Our last few things we have to do before lifting our jacks. Tools need to be packed up, Polly has a list for cleaning before she leaves. Polly is planning to have us sleep in the trailer last night here so leaving clean sheets, and house clean for Ted & Cindy. I am doing same, thinking of how to put house back to how it was before we moved in. 

Not too much moved around, but want to have it best we can. I have some projects I made that will find a home for, and a few things I will use to pack the trailer with. 

A few hugs to say good bye to friends and family. We are both looking forward to traveling again. Polly said last night " Where will we hang the picture of Colton?" I'm not sure yet, but we will find a spot I'm sure 😃

Funny how when not in the trailer I forget exactly where stuff goes. Slides are in, and trailer is ready, so don't want to open it up again till the days warm a little. Been a very cold one this last few days. Happy we were in this house, and happy to be going back into our home. 

A couple more wooden projects complete, so packing up will be good, the cold prevented me from that along with Christmas. Today I will start, takes me a couple days to get all in order, looking like January 1 will be the go day for sure. Weather will warm up. We have our replacement house sitter for the last few days before Ted & Cindy arrive home. 

Some family and friends we didn't get to see this time around, maybe in the spring, if we return. We always have loose plans so we can take a different route, stay a little longer, or head east, south more or just stay put. I hear people say "This is how I roll" well I don't use this term, yet.

Often we are asked, where are you off to next? (Oh yeah, Medical insurance! I have to get that before we go!) This year we have a loose plan to head east if all the travel arrows line up, always wanted to spend a summer in eastern Canada. We loved Newfoundland, actually all the Maritimes. Quebec, Ontario, geez so big these provinces are. So much to see. 

Always wanted to see Virginia in the fall, see the Macy's Parade in November, and spend longer in the south east. Florida keys were a dream on our first trip, would love to spend time there looking around a little more, and all the south heading back toward the west. We also want to see the central states, Kansas', Colorado, New Mexico. I'm shaking my head as I write, is alot to take in, and that's why we like to leave the door open to changes in "Where next!" we just can't be sure, planning loose like this is what gives us possibilities, and that is how we like it. 

I laugh right now to myself, Polly has this saying I hear "I was thinking 🤔" lol 😆

When I hear this I laugh, and I always say "Really" 🤗 this is where possibilities come from, not just Polly, but from the thoughts we have as we go, like if we are going to be here why don't we! If we stop here we could? Hey, what's up there? That looks interesting, let's see! 

That's how we Roll 😃

We leave doors open, we are open to opportunities that come our way. We say "yes" often to invites, we love to explore our options. 

Retired with Options!

I like the sound of that. 

We are lucky to have friends, family, & fun where ever we go. 

Love our life!  Full of options 🤗❤️

I met a friend yesterday.

      Polly looking her beautiful self 🤗❤️

We went to the Casino by ourselves last night, was a dinner out, and Polly loves to gamble, so we decided we could fit this in on a Wednesday, as our schedule is getting very busy this next couple week's.

We walked in no greeter/vaxchecker at the door, so right up to the restaurant and got asked there for our id and vax proof. After that getting seated, the waitress asked would here be good? I said, how about over there, overlooking the Casino? Yes she said, and we started walking. As we passed a couple sitting also overlooking the Casino, I noticed was a friend I worked with with his wife. We stopped for a short time, well I did as the waitress seated Polly, and I yaked, well it had been a long time since I had seen him, and so much to say, but dinner was our goal, so I said I'd catch up later, come and see him at home. 

As we sat within 10 feet or 3 meters away, I kept turning around and saying a few things, till I finally had to order, and we heard them get their desert, they had ate already, (Seniors deal on the dinner before 5:30pm) then I said, will talk later. We ordered dinner and water for drinks, we both been off the booze awhile now. 

As my friend was leaving he came to the table for a quick goodbye, mask on, & shook my hand. He thanked me for not mentioning his name in this blog, as I had written about him before, Anonymous is his way. We are very good friend's, and will stop and see him before we leave in January. 

        Baby Grand piano in the restaurant

             for evening performances

Our dinner was good, not stellar, will go on a weekend next time, better meal then I think. We talked about a picture our friend Claudette had found and put on our FB timeline, was in 1998, and we both were smiling, so happy, skinny, and younger. We talked about how happy we still are and many good times we had then up to now, the fun times, the love we share, as well as a few intimate times that still make us laugh, even if we be not likely to try that now 😆😂😂

We finished dinner, desert was advertised as chocolate covered brownie, the waitress asked if we minded chocolate moose as they have no brownie's. Of course, both are great 👍 moose with whipped cream on top, was delicious. 

We sat and talked some more, was a very relaxed dinner, but I knew Polly was ready for the gambling, so bill please, (Polly paid this time) 😀 we take the slip to the casino and get our $5 added to our gambling cards, then Polly starts, while I go talk with my friend, as his wife won so after their dinner she was back at it.

We stood and talked for at least 1/2 hour before I had to sit down, Polly passed by, I didn't notice, was busy talking. Once we sat down I started to gamble, not very lucky, but we continued to talk, so much to say, it had been awhile. I don't know how long it was, and I moved a few times, Polly came by and showed me her winning tickets, but my friends wife got to the end of her winning, so they said goodbye and off they went home. 

I kept loosing, Polly lost some of her winnings. I finally got off the machine, not my night, and found Polly, ready I say, and yes she was, still had some of her winnings good for her. We had a good night out, and Polly always thanks me for this kind of night out, she loves the gambling. 

As we leave Polly reminds me of my saying we would look at some of the lights tonight, so we drive around for awhile up and down the streets enjoying the beauty of the decorations and lights. Ohh look at that, oww Look here, look there, I like that one, WOW 😳 that's beautiful 😍. Was a nice way to finish our evening, so relaxed we were as many were rushing around, as we slowly cruised along pulling over so others could hurry by. Hmm, I laugh to myself now thinking of this time. 

As I write Polly and I plan our afternoon, I ask what about lunch, do we have plans tonight? Wanna go to the Barclay? Oh sure why not Polly says. Then she informed me she had really dry legs now as she was rubbing in some skin cream, then she says " My legs are so dry I think I'm going to have to vacuum them!" She starts laughing and so do I sure hard to be crabby with such a card I married. 

Love Polly I do. 

Our Life is so good ❤️🤗

Where has the time gone?

We went to the Barclay yesterday for lunch and to play Keno & Pacific holdem poker, both drawn on an electric board that you watch as you have your lunch. After planning to go we got a message from friends Americo & Claudette they were coming to town to visit his Mom, Americo had got my chain saw running and wanted to know if I wanted him to bring it with him. So Yes of course, and maybe meet at the Barclay was my response, as we were going. 

So our afternoon was planned, we had been sticking close to home since moving to our new location at the beginning of November, but today was an outing. We needed propane, 1 tank was empty, and fuel as we were going to Courtenay next Friday, always I'm going to town for more than one reason. 

Once we get there and get seated Claudette text's and says she invited Charlie to come too, so another plus to our day. So we ordered our drinks, tea for Polly and water for me, we have been innocent re booze for a month now, and are getting used to it. The waitress was so darn nice, we had delt with her before, and the whole experience felt so comfortable. She checked out our vax cards, and picture 🖼️ ID, then took our order. There was only one other person there at the time. 

    rain in the pool looks nice from inside😊

Polly always first to get her ticket's, check out her #'s and watch the boards lol she just loves to gamble. After we ordered I get my tickets, and we yak. Then I over heard the one woman at the bar talking about something, and if you know me, I put my 2bits in lol. Then we yak back and forth about retirement, as her comment was about not retiring yet. She is happy doing her job, and not ready, yet all her finances are set, she's just waiting till she feels she's had enough. 

We had much to yak about, and this made the time it takes to get our meal go like a snap. Funny how it goes, you can just start a conversation with someone, (at least I can) and click, you don't know how, but just here we are taking about something and like we have known each other for years. Not sure how it happens, but I really like it. I guess it was the privacy of the bar, nobody but the bartender this woman Polly and I. 

Soon our meal was there and the conversation ended, and we ate as the bartender and the woman talked and Polly and I watched all the TV's and the game boards as we ate. "How's your burger?" Says Polly. "Good, how's your Soup?" I ask. "Good"  we finished, and here comes Americo & Claudette, timing is great 👍, then not long after comes Charlie. We are all together like years ago, just different. 

So much history between us all, some we talk about and some we skirt around, but was a fun time connecting again, with so much history as friends it was great. As the time closed out and our tickets didn't pay up, we all were going to leave and we talked about a game of cards, but no real commitment was made. 

Out in the parking lot now looking at the new to them van C&A just got,  we talked in the rain as I got the saw from Americo and Charlie got some wood finish from him, Charlie asks, "What are you guys doing right now?" "Come on over to my place and we all play cards"  Well that sounds good, and we say an hour and we go our way A&C go there's, and will meet at Charlie's in an hour. Now this sounds good♥️

So we get the propane and fuel at the co-op and take the tank back to our trailer, and of course me, I get tired, so in the chair I go, Polly turns on the tube, and 💤😴 I go out, a quick nap, and I'm ready to go lol. 

As we get into the truck I see Claudette just text and I respond, yes we on our way 😆 

We brought our poker chips, but Charlie had found his, and they were all setup when we got there, hmm lol I'm thinking now how fun it was just walking in and like in minutes we are playing and almost like going back in time, gawd it felt good🤗

We all talked about so much, and so many past things were brought up, some it felt like we were still there doing what we remembered. Cabin trips, fishing, times we had we laughed at, we are so darn lucky to have all these wonderful memories, and as we talked we all realized this. 

We skirted around the memories that may cause friction, and hit on all the fun and laugh, we laughed like we were still there, like the last 10, 15, 20, or 30 years hadn't happened. All the games of poker, all the drunken times and the funny times that came from it, the fishing, the people, the past like we were still there for that moment. 

As we talked and played cards we created another moment 😊, Thanks Claudette, and thanks Charlie, for taking the initiative to get this together time happening, was a fun time. 

As the game ended, I won, 😉 and Americo says, "Lucky Fuc!" Lol. He's right I am 🍀

A&C had to go home to his Mom's for dinner, it was after 7 pm, what a fast afternoon that was. Polly and I stayed and talked with Charlie, was good, he showed us his woodworking, some beautiful pieces, and we all talked about Covid and how it does, and has effected us all. We talked about family, friends, plans re holidays, Mexico, Yuma. We covered alot of ground, made no solid plans for the future though.

After about an hour or more we took to our coats, and we gave a hug, and as we were leaving Charlie said something about not being strangers. I don't think we will be. 

Was a very good day, almost perfect I'd say, almost darn perfect.

          Thanks Cindy for the picture of

          Jennifer & her proud father Ted

Oh and not to forget our morning, I got up late after waking too early,  Cindy knocking on the door says "Did you know Jennifer is here?" "Yes I did and we be right over, just wanted to give you guy's time together first" so I get my coffee ☕ and Polly comes in a few minutes, and we get a real nice visit in with our neice Jennifer as she just finished her course for Home care working towards LPN. Was nice to catch up with her, and learn about what's been happening in her life. Nice hugs, and good to reconnect as has been awhile since we had talked. Love to see Jen happy with her success.

I'm thankful for all the great memories we have created. Moving forward in life we are going to create more I'm sure, but these one's we have already are so good to dwell on once in awhile, just to relish. 

Love our life I do🤗♥️