Saturday, 29 October, Lake Havasu, AZ

It was warm this morning when we got up.  When I  took Boo out for a pee I noticed the hills across the lake. They looked like Sandia and I was compelled to take a picture of them.

Then we sat outside and enjoyed our coffee. While out there a covey of Quail came by. They have some really pretty markings.

We decided we wanted to go for a walk.  There is a trail that goes along the lake and throughout the park.  We decided to take Bella and check it out. I took a shower and doused myself in Skin-So-Soft hoping to keep the bugs away.  But, while on the walk I got bit by mosquitoes about 10 times.  I cannot figure out the purpose of mosquitos. Other than to spread disease and make people miserable.

It was getting hot already so we wanted to get to the lake. We wanted to go out on the paddle boards and go and see the London Bridge. They took the London Bridge, numbered each brick, took it apart and reassembled it here in Lake Havasu.  They created an Island for the bridge to go to. They created a channel under the bridge and lined it with restaurants, time shares and hotels.  It is a great place to paddle board through because it is a "no-wake zone" The water is mostly calm

There are tons of lighthouses around the lake.  They are really cool. They are all different.  They are on a small scale, but still serve the purpose of lighting up the way to avoid hazards.  Unfortunately, my phone had very little battery left when we took off, so I didn't get to take pictures of all the lighthouses.

We paddled through the channel and realized we were going along an Island.  We were wondering if we should go out and back or go around the island.  We actually asked a couple who were sitting enjoying the day. They said it was really pretty around the island and there were some really nice beaches. We decided we would go around. We paddled around the point and then realized there were a couple more points around.  We were now outside the channel and outside the "no-wake-zone" and so the boats were going much faster and creating bigger wakes which made it a bit rougher for us. It was a lot louder as well, since now the speed boats could zoom.  I got dumped off my board a couple of times. Bella was hating the noise and we were getting hungry and annoyed.  Neither one of us brought our wallets or any money.  Not smart.

At one point we pulled onto a beach and Rob said, "let's just carry the boards across.  I said fine, go up there and see how far it is.  It is not easy carrying the boards.  He looked at the map on my phone and realized it would be a 5.5 mile walk carrying the boards. that is way to much.  So, we decided to paddle back the way we came.  

First, we were going to paddle to this restaurant we saw just inside the channel and Rob was going to Uber back to the rig and get his wallet and Uber back.  When we got there we decided to keep going to the one closer to the Bridge.  When we got there we decided to keep going all the way back home. The paddling back seemed to go faster than the paddling out.

When we got back we grabbed some snacks and sat outside for a little bit.  Rob decided he wanted to go get some beers, so he left.  While he was out he called me and asked if I wanted In-N-Out burger so that is what we had for dinner.

We sat outside enjoying the sunset until the bugs started attacking us then we went inside.

But, prior to going in we finally put our past three states on the map

Inside we watched the last of the three movies we got from Netflix.  This one was Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio .  It was good, but harsh to watch.  We went to bed and read afterward.

Friday, 28 October, Flagstaff to Lake Havasu, AZ

It was a bit chilly outside so we sat inside enjoying our coffee.  We had no internet so couldn't even check mail or Facebook, let alone work on the blog.  
I wanted to take a shower and Rob wanted to go ride the bike on the trail we had walked the previous evening.  So he took off.
We hadn't set everything up after arrival last night so it was pretty easy to pack up to hit the road.  We weren't in any great hurry because it is only a three hour drive.  
We hit the road at 11 am.  I stayed back a few minutes putting the new destination into my Nav system, so again I caught Rob on the highway.  This time I just honked as I went by him.  The speed limit is 75, but he only does about 60.  
It was a nice easy drive. I needed gas so I pulled into a station which just so happened to have a trading post attached to it.  I actually wanted to find an anklet, but I ended up buying some Minnetonka sandals.  I love the Minnetonka line.  I have been wearing the same pair of black sandals for a couple years and they are getting quite worn out.  I have been wanting some new ones.  
Anyway, on with the drive.  It was easy and only three hours. 
I checked us in and went and found our spot, then called Rob.  He was only about 20 min behind.  I chatted with our neighbor for a bit.  They had only arrived about an hour earlier.  They are staying here a week and then heading to Palm Desert.
Rob arrived and we set up quickly, to include the fence.  Bella was taking advantage of her freedom again.
We are in a nice spot at the lake.  We are not directly on it, but practically.

There are two spots across the way from us and they filled up soon after we arrived.

I had to show you that we still have the Plumeria!

We grabbed the Paddle boards out of the truck and inflated them.  Did I mention that it is 90 degrees here.  We were definitely looking at that lake with serious longing.

Bella watched us with very mixed emotion as we inflated those boards. She wants to be with us, but isn't so crazy about the water. She followed us down to the shoreline, but then wouldn't come to me when I wanted to put her life jacket on.  Instead she headed back to the rig.  So I followed her all the way back inside the fence and closed the gate.  I headed back to the lake.  Then I heard "Someone has escaped".  I looked back and Bella was back at the shore with us.  Hmmmm.  We went back to the rig an I discovered one of the gates was still open.  Bella decided that she really did want to be with us so she let me put her jacket on and off we went. The water was really calm.  It was already 4 pm.  There were a bunch of Coots in the water.  They are the duck like foul that we have at the Ranch that we are always trying to get rid of.  They poop all over the greens and pull the grass out by the roots.

Anyway, we paddled for about 40 minutes and then came back for our evening ritual of snacks and beverages on the veranda.

 We sat outside and watched the evening progress

Which included a nice sunset

When the bugs and mosquitos became to obnoxious we went inside.

I fixed BLTs for dinner.  We watched a movie called Joy.  It was good, but disturbing to watch.  This gal was really the breadwinner and her family was horrible to her.

Anyway, we retired early and read for awhile.

Thursday, 24 October, Albaquerque NM to Flagstaff, AZ

We enjoyed our last morning in Albaquerque sitting outside as usual.  It was a nice cool morning.
We packed and stowed everything and hit the road at 10 am.  Rob headed off the Camping World to get some chemicals for our black and gray tanks and I headed to the Commissary on base.
I caught up to Rob about 45 min into the drive. I pulled in front of him for about a half mile and then zoomed ahead.  It was a pretty drive.  
I think the area near Albaquerque is prettier than the area closer to the Arizona border.

But, there are defiantly parts of Arizona that are pretty as well.

 

 I mean look at Sedona

 Or the Grand Canyon

 Those places are amazingly beautiful.

But after this stretch of road it seemed that it just got flat and boring.

It was a 5 hour drive for me with a couple of brief stops.

I found the Luke AFB Recreation Area with no problem.  Luke AFB is actually in Phoenix, and this area is located in the Fort Tuthill State Park.  It was a little odd. The funny part is that the Camp gourds of the State Park are closed, but the military site is still open.  They also have a hotel, A-frame cabins and Yurts.  

The campground is nestled in the pines.  It is pretty cool.  I checked us in and then went and found our spot.  He assigned us one spot and told me the spots that were already taken, but told me if I wanted to move to another it was ok, just to let him know where we ended up.  

The place was empty for the most part.  There was one RV already there, and two tents.  I looked at the spot he assigned us, #39 and determined that #40 would be easier to get into.  also, we are only here for 1 night and #40 is long enough that we might not have to disconnect the truck.

I called Rob to give him directions.  He was 50 min. behind.  I let Bella out and let her roam a little.  I was a bit worried though because there were tons of squirrels and I didn't want her to take off.  I sat in my car and continued to listen to the book I had been listening to durning the drive.

Rob arrived and I had him jump in my car so we could drive the route into the spot to determine the best way to get in.  It was pretty tight in there.

He made the route with no problem and we set up quickly.  We did have to disconnect the truck because we were so front low we would have been trying to lift the truck off the ground to get it level.  It was already 5 pm so we didn't even set up the fence. We are leaving in the morning.

We saw that there was a nature trail so we decided to go for a walk and naturally take the Boo.  5 hours in a car is way to much for her.  She was thrilled.  The path was very cool.  We ended up following it into their Outdoor Adventure Area. They were developing it as we were there.  There were two men up in the trees and several people on the ground.  Some were running cables from tree to tree and some were building platforms.  It looks like it is going to be an area like theNorth Star Ropes course up in Tahoe.  There you climbed up the trees and walked across cables, walked across hanging platforms, did all sorts of confidence-building stuff.  This place looks like it will be the same.  It is a big area.  Unfortunately we I didn't have my phone with me so I didn't get any pictures.  The walk was nice. and then back to the rig for an adult beverage.

 Those are the Yurts 

 As you can see the campground is very empty.Bella totally took advantage of that.

And here is our home on wheels.

It smelled great here.  The pine trees were very fragrant.  It reminded me of Tahoe.

We ate dinner and watched Money Monster with George Cloony and Julia Roberts.  I had been wanting to watch it for a long time and was never able.  We got it from Netflix.  It was really good. 

After that we watched Chicago Med and then went to bed.

Wednesday, 23 October, Albaquerque.

We had planned to leave today and head to flagstaff, but I didn't really think Rob was up for a 5 hour drive.  He normally drives the truck pulling the RV and I drive my car, so either way he would have to drive.  So, we decided it would be best for him just to take his medicine and rest today.  We can go tomorrow.  
I think I'll go look at the laundry room again.  When I went in there a couple days ago there were only one or two machines working.  When we were at Seal Beach before the laundry was free, so I figured we would just wait until we got there.  But, perhaps I will get it done today.
So, we enjoyed sitting outside drinking our coffee and then Rob said do you want to go to a movie?  I said and see what.  He said the Accountant and I said yes indeed!
So, we went to the 12:30 showing of The Accountant.  I tell ya, if it has anything to do with Ben Affleck it seems to be good and this one was no exception.  We both really enjoyed it.
We came back to the rig and grabbed Bella.  We took her for a walk over to Hardin Field.  That is the one that is a half mile around that people enjoy walking or running around at lunch and in the evenings.  The Air Force goes there for some of there crossfire workouts and the play football and soccer there.  We just go there to let Bella run free and stick her head down or into every hole she finds.  She is so funny.
She went into some bushes and something scared her so she jumped into the air and out of the bushes.  It turned out to be a bunny which ran out of the bushes and into the opposite direction as Bella.  She decided it was safer on the paved path for the rest of the way home. It was pretty funny.
We came back to the rig and sat outside enjoying some chips with Guacamole and salsa and an adult beverage.  We also met our new neighbor.  He is a soon to be retired Airman.  He seems nice,
We came inside and had soup for dinner, watched TV and went to bed.

Tuesday, 25 October, Albaquerque, NM

I woke up to it raining this morning.  First I smelled it, then heard it.  I laid in bed enjoying it for a few minutes before realizing that that the chairs and rugs were out in it, as well as the bike basket with all my bike stuff.  So, we (Bella and I) jumped out of bed and went outside.  She hid under the table while I folded up the chairs and tucked them under the overhang and rolled up the two rugs and stuck them in the under storage.  Then, what the heck, we went back to the cozy warm bed.  I decided to get back in bed and read for awhile.  I did for about 30 min but then my phone rang and I had to get up to get it.
It was Rob.  He said he has conjunctivitis (pink eye) and is coming home.  Poor thing.  He is already sick and then get that on top of it and doesn't even get to finish his training.  He said he'd call as he got closer.  He was trying to catch a flight to Dallas and then into Albaquerque.
I figured I had better get busy.  I have a lot of cleaning to do.
So, that's what I did for a good part of the day.  I cleaned the kitchen counter, refrigerator, stove and microwave.  Put things and threw things away in the living room, dusted everything.  Cleaned the bathroom to include spraying down the shower.  Changed the sheets on the bed and dusted in there, then vacuumed and cleaned the floors.  After all that, I jumped in the shower and cleaned it and myself.  Phew!  The place does look much better.  I also changed the fragrance in the burner to Spiced Apple Pie.  So, not only is it clean, but it smells yummy as well. 
After all that I took Bella for a little walk.
Rob got him at about 4:00. He was feeling totally horrible and both eyes the lids were red and puffy and the eyeballs blood shot.  Poor thing.  
He needed to go to the UPS store to return a golf club shaft.  He had bought that new driver a month or so ago and the shaft broke.  They sent him a new one, but wanted him to return the broken one or they would charge him for the new one.  So, we went there, then we went to the Minute Clinic at CVS.  They took his temp, 99.8, looked at his throat, no strep, and prescribed some medicine for his eyes.  I got a flu shot.  We picked up some Day & Night Quill and his prescription and then went to the grocery store.  We got some soups and cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches.
We came back and had dinner.  I watched my favorite Tuesday night programs and he went to bed early.  I watched a little news then went to bed.

Monday, 24 October, Albaquerque

It is the usual clear and blue this morning, but it is really nippy.  I tried to sit out side for awhile, but it got to cold and I had to come back inside with the heater on.
I sent an email off to our insurance agent.  That is one of my tasks for today.  It is still to early for the rest of them though.
I enjoy my coffee inside with the heater on until time to complete my task list.  
Then I grabbed Bella and we went to Saggios.  I ordered a Greek Salad and a beer, then I ordered their lunch meat lasagna to go.  I ate half the salad then packed the rest to go.  From there we drove over to the Airport where Rob had parked the truck and swapped vehicles.  We came back to the rig and put the food in the fridge and grabbed all the bike gear.  I asked Bella if she wanted to go for a bike ride and she jumped all around.  Then I showed her the basket and she still jumped around so we loaded up and headed out.
We headed down to the Rio Grande.  There is a bike trail down there that I had heard about and wanted to check out.  We found a trail head and started off.  It was the paved bike path which is not what I was looking for, but then we found the hard packed trail that went into Rio Grande State Park.

So we rode it for a little while. It was fun.  But, then we came to a part that they are developing.  They had dumped in the DG (decomposed Granite) but it hadn't been packed down yet.  It was like 3 inches thick and very difficult to ride through.  So then we went off on a little dirt trail. That went through the woods and came out at the River in a couple spots.

It was more fun for me, but a bit bumpy and I wasn't sure how Bella was feeling about it.

We went back out of the park and back onto the paved trail.  I wanted to ride about 30 miles, so I was looking to turn around at 15.  The paved path was following a canal and on the other side was a dirt path that looked considerable more interesting.  It followed along behind peoples properties with horse pastures, cows and beautiful lawns.  So, at about 14 miles there was a bridge that crossed over.

Unfortunately, it crossed over onto a dirt road that was also a horse trail.  It was chewed up and deep dirt.  We struggled through riding some and pushing through some for about a half mile.  Finally we came to more packed ground and then finally to nice trail.  

IT was fun.

And a lot more scenic.  Bella, of course, was a bit unsure!

We did follow along a fence behind peoples property and at places the trail was very close to the canal.  We did see horses, dogs that barked and ran along with us, cows, and beautiful yards.  I wanted to stop and take pictures, but was afraid the owners would like it.

As the trail narrowed there were several areas there I had to put my hand over Bella's face so she wouldn't get slapped by branches or bushes. At one point I had to hold onto her to keep her from jumping out because we had scared up a bunny and it was running along on the other side of the fence.  It was a lot of fun.

All total we only rode for 2 hours and only 23.5 miles.  

We got back to the rig at about 5 pm.  Rob called, he was still feeling lousy, but a little better.  He is in Atlantic City, New Jersey, not Atlanta.  He had completed his first day of training. He enjoyed having dinner with Katy and doing the training with her.  Rob earned a "Sharp-Shooter" Coin.  Don't mess with him when he has a boo-lay launcher. He was going to bed early.

I watched TV and then went to bed myself.

Sunday, 23 Oct; Kirtland AFB

It's a pretty blue and clear morning.  Not as warm as it was in LA and Seal Beach tho.  I open the door for Bella and she runs directly to the doggy park.  I think she may be a little disappointed, though, when she gets there and there is no one to play with.  She does her business and then is ready to run back to the rig.  She knows she'll get treats when we get back.
I sat outside and work on the blog while drinking my coffee.  The Raider's game is supposed to be on CBS today.  This time it is showing up in the local TV guide so I am hoping I can stay right here and watch it.  I have my Raiders shirt on and I am hoping real hard for a win.
Rob took the truck with him this morning.  He had to leave really early and will get back real late Tuesday night, so we felt it better if he drive.  I might go over to the airport after the game and go swap vehicles.  I would still like to go down to the Rio Grande and ride my bike along the river trail.
We made reservations last night for a RV park in Lake Havasu, AZ.  Tomorrow I need to call the park in Flagstaff and see if I can get reservations there.  Rob talked to them yesterday and they said to call back on Monday to see if they will still be open next week.
We will leave on Wed.   It is a 5 hour drive and we will spend Wed and Thursday night in Flagstaff.  From there it is a 3 hour drive to Lake Havasu and we will spend Friday and Saturday nights there, and then on Sunday it is a 5 hour drive to Seal Beach.  I'm excited!
The Raider game was broadcasted on CBS so I was able to watch it. and........Yippee!  They won!!! They spanked the Jaguars just like they (the Raiders) got spanked by the Chiefs last week.  Thank goodness they are back on track.
After the Raiders' game New England Patriots and Steelers played. I like the Steelers' coach and wanted to root for them, but Rob is in a pool and needed the Patriots to win.  I cannot root for the Patriots after their quarterback cheated in the Playoffs last year (the whole deflated football scandal) so, I didn't watch it.  There was a Sam Elliot movie on so I watched my heart throb instead.  
I finished the Thanksgiving stitchery that I started on the airplane.  It turned out cute.  
I have now started crocheting a stuffed dinosaur puzzle. It comes apart and the child has to then put it back together.  It starts out with me having to make 12 wedges and 12 lids to go on them.  That is all I know so far.  I can't look to far ahead at the directions or I get confused and overwhelmed.  I made 4 wedges an no lids last night.
60 minutes came on after the movie, followed by NCIS Los Angeles, followed by Madame Secretary.  After that the news came on and then Bella and I went to bed.

Saturday, 22 October, Albaquerque.

We slept in until 9 am this morning.  Rob is still feeling lousy and my tooth still aches a bit.

We sat outside and enjoyed our coffee in the cool sunshine.

Rob remembered that we could eat in the dinning facility on the weekends and he was hungry, so we went there for brunch.  It turned out that even though it was only 11 am, they were already serving lunch.  We will have to go earlier in the morning if we want breakfast.

I realized while in LA that I hadn't paid bills yet, so after the dinning hall we came back and paid bills, and filled out what paperwork we could for the Baja trip.  We also made a list of all the things I need to take care of on Monday.  Call Vagabundos, call our insurance guy for the proper forms, pick up our mail, etc.

Once that was all done we went to Costco.  Rob lost his jacket in the airport yesterday so he had to get a new one.  We also went to a liquor store so he could get some beers.  Then we came back to the RV.  Rob took a nap and I worked on the blog.
We fixed some dinner, watched TV, and went to bed.  
Actually, Rob went to bed at about 8:30.  He has to get up real early tomorrow morning.  He is flying to Atlanta where he will meet up with his sister Katy and together they will go through their annual Deck training.  I would have loved to have gone, but there probably wouldn't be much for me to do there by myself.
Sweet Dreams!

Friday, 21 October, LAX to Seal Beach, to LAX to Albaquerque.

My tooth actually feels much better this morning.  It was throbbing when I got up, but the Ibuprofen really calmed it down and the gum isn't so sore either.  
The Teton is really dirty like a dust storm went through it.  So, I washed all the counters and dusted the furniture and cleaned the bathroom and it all looks much better.
I loaded Bella up, as well as what I needed for the dentist, and drove over to Starbucks.  I got a giant cup of coffee and a scone.  We sat outside and Bella wandered through the bushes while I ate my scone.  She doesn't like scones.  After I finished it we got back into the car and drove to Seal Beach.
It is only a 30 min drive to Seal Beach from LAX.
Both places are really warm today.  Lovely, shorts weather.  As I was driving to Mehta's office Rob called.  I told him we should come to Seal Beach and stay at the Naval Weapons Station for a month before going to the Ranch for December.  He said fine.  Go by and see if they have any openings and make reservations.  I said OK, I will.
He is sick.  He has a really bad sore throat and the beginnings of a cold.  It started for him the night before last and he is really starting to feel bad.  Poor guy.
They took me in to see Dr. Mehta right away.  First they took X-rays and then he looked at them and my tooth.  He said the tooth is not loose and he does not think it needs to come out.  He looked at my retainer and how it was fitting and said this is why I don't like mailing them.  It is not fitting properly, so he cut off the part that goes over the implanted tooth.  That was the culprit.  He had the hygienist do a deep root cleaning around the tooth and fill it with an antibiotic and wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic and sent me on my way.  I told him I'd be back the beginning of Nov. and he said good, let's check it out then.
From Dr Mehta's we went to the RV park on the Navy Base.  Yippee!  I have reservations for October 30 through 29 November.  I can probably extend them through the 6th of Dec (that is when we are going back to the Ranch to have some work done before we go down to Mexico) but you can only reserve for 30 days at a time. I love staying at Seal Beach and it is only a 30 min drive to LAX which will make it much easier when Barbara and I go to Mexico, and for Rob having to work.
Next we went through the drive through at CVS and dropped off my prescription, then to my favorite Sushi place (right next to my dentist) for lunch.  Then to Target where I got a couple pairs of work-out shorts, then back to CVS to pick up my prescription, then back to LAX to the Teton. 
The generator fired up this morning after only a couple tries, and when I got back to it this afternoon it fired up first try.  So, I closed it all up and turned on the AC.
I went back to the other neighborhood liquor store and bought another beer. (The refrigerator does not work since the Teton is not hooked up to electricity, so you cannot buy like a 6 pack or a couple of bottles and keep them cold.). I came back and settled in with my beer and my stitching and waited for Rob to get there.  
Rob finally got there at about 3:45.  He was feeling totally lousy, so he took a wee bit of a nap. 
At about 6pm we went out to this cute outdoor mall that is predominately restaurants and got some dinner.  Then we went to the airport and caught an 8:50 pm Southwest flight back to Albaquerque.  We got in at about 11 pm and by the time we collected my bag, walked to the car and drove back to our home on wheels, it was midnight.  Needless to say, we went straight to bed.
While I was at lunch; however, I figured out that it is about a 13 hour drive from Kirtland AFB, NM to Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, CA.  So, I figured we would drive 5 hours to Flagstaff, AZ;  then it is 3 hours to Lake Havasu, AZ and then 5 hours from there to Seal Beach.  We will leave on the 26th, spend two nights in Flagstaff, 2 nights in Havasu and be in Seal Beach on the 30th.  Now I just have to figure out where we will stay.

Thursday, 20 October, Albaquerque to Los Angeles

I woke up this morning with my jaw throbbing.  I have been having pain in the joint for months.  In fact when I went to get my teeth cleaned in Aug.  Dr Mehta checked it and didn't feel anything whacky and told me I needed to go see Dr Kim (he is the oral surgeon).  We have been traveling, so I didn't make an appointment.  Dr Kim is the Dr who will be doing my Sinus Lift to replace bone that I have lost so I can get some implants.  But, it's about $6000. so I have been putting it off.  
Anyway, my problem lately has been the bottom right.  It is an implant that is very close to the nerve, so if I bite down on something hard it lets me know.  But, lately the gum around it has been super sore and if I press on it with my tongue it hurts, and for the past couple days it has been throbbing.
So, I sent a text to Rob (he is in Texas with his Aunt and Uncle. He is on a layover and he and Gene are playing golf) asking him how I go about getting an ID90 on Southwest so I can fly to LAX.
Then I called my dentist.  I am thinking the tooth has to come out, but since it is an implant I don't know if Dr Mehta can do it or if I have to go to Dr. Kim.
In the mean time, I was thinking the worse case, that I might have to see both of them so I was packing to stay until the 25th and coming back with Rob.  Another issue with the tooth is that I just got new retainers to wear at night.  The bottom one doesn't fit right.  It does not line up with that tooth, so I have been putting it on that tooth first and then putting it over the rest of the bottom tooth.  I am suspecting that it is pulling that tooth all night.
Anyway, Dr. Mehta called me back, told me to stop wearing the retainer, start taking ibuprofen every 4 hours and he would work me in as soon as I got there.  He also told me if it needed to come out he could do it.  That was a relief.
So, Bella and I flew to LAX.  It was easy peasy.  Southwest was easy, getting through security was easy, the flight was easy, getting my check bag in LA was easy and getting onto the correct bus to get to the lot where the RV is parked was easy.  Now, finding the Teton.  All the RVs have been moved.  I actually recognized Rob's car before I recognized the Teton. I thought it was much darker than it actually is.  Anyway, that was easy as well.
Rob talked me through how to hook the charger cables up to the generator, and that worked out well and it fired right up.  Bella and I drove down to the neighborhood liquor store and bought a beer and brought it back to the Teton.  We sat outside on the steps drinking beer and eating Fritos with bean dip while waiting for the Teton to cool off.  It finally did so I went inside and worked on my November stitching until bed time.  I had started it on the plane and had gotten a really good start on it.
Bella and I went for our final pre-bedtime walk and then with earplugs firmly in place I went to bed under the landing and taking off airplanes of LAX.

Wednesday, 19 October, Albaquerque

It was really chilly this morning.  Bella and I went to the pet park, but it was sad because there was no one to play with.  We came back and sat outside, but it was getting windy and I got cold.  I went in and took a shower for the obvious reasons as well as to get warm.  I dressed in sweat pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a hoodie sweat shirt.  It was colder inside than out side, so I went back outside for awhile.  But, the wind came up and I had to go inside.  What's up wit that?! Actually, I know what it is.  I have a bad tooth and it is playing havoc with my entire system.
I was in a dilema. I wanted to go for a ride, but I was cold.  I have a hair appointment at 3:00 and I need a pedicure.
I finally left about 1:30.  Stephanie, who cut my hair yesterday, suggested a place called Lantern.  So, I went there and they took me as a walk in.  It was nice.  Two thirds of the way through my pedicure the power went out.  No big deal for me or the other two who were getting pedicures (they were done and just drying, and I was ready for polish) but for the gals who were getting gel nails or polish, that requires ultraviolet to set the gel and nails.  That requires electricity.  One gal was half way through with her nails.  they told her they would call her when the electricity came back on.
I was quite pleased with my pedicure.  I left there and went to  my hair appointment
I actually got there before Stephanie.  They have some cool books there.  One on the history of Rock n Role and one which was called Divas.  It was about a famous photographer and all his pictures of famous women.  they were actresses, models, ballerinas, singers, etc. 
I was sitting in a chair getting my hair highlighted and next to me was a gal with really long hair and she was getting her hair painted and marbled.  It was interesting to watch.  The stylist would take sections of her hair and would paint different high and low lights into it. Then she would section it off with plastic wrap.  We were joking about how I was a radio antenna with my foil and we weren't sure what she was with her saran wrap.  Her hair was down to her butt, so it took a while.  
Stephanie finished highlighting my hair and I had to sit and process for 20 min so I sat and watched as they finished Mackenzie's.  She and I got to chatting and she showed me a picture of what her hair is supposed to look like.  It is difficult to describe, but long with soft curls, with very cool streaks of light and dark wrapped into the curls.
Stephanie finished mine and I was very pleased.  I decided I wanted to wait and see how Mackenzie's hair turned out.  So, I ordered a glass of champagne and waited and chatted with her.  Her boyfriend came in and had a beer while he waited.  We chatted about RVing.  He is a brewmaster and travels around helping people start up their breweries. They finally finished with her hair and it is very awesome.
I left and went to Saggios.  I ordered a Greek salad to go and Brochette and a beer to enjoy there. The brochette had pesto and it was sooooo garlicish I could not eat it all.  In fact, I couldn't even finish my beer.
I left and drove back to base.  I stopped in at the Exchange and bought 2 more plaid, long-sleeve shirts and undershirts to match.  I stopped in at the Express and got gas...$2.19/ gal and then went home.
Bella was soooooooo happy to see me.  She went crazy.  I fed her, and me, and then watched the final Presidential debate.  I think this final one was a bit more professional than the other two,  but still had it's childish moments. It is just such a difficult time.  Both candidates are sad and lacking.
But, inspire of it all, Bella and I had a nice evening together.  She is such a little sweetie.  It is wonderfully comforting having her and hopefully she feels safe and secure.

Tuesday, 18 October, Albaquerque. NM

Clear blue and 22.  Bella and I went to the doggie park and Paul and Camella were there.  Bella and Camella played and chased each other around.  Very cute.
Paul told me they are leaving today.  They are going to Colorado Springs to visit his daughter for a week.  She is a Chemistry instructor at the Air Force Academy.  They will be gone about a week and then probably come back here.  We will probably still be here when they get back.  It has been nice getting to know him and his wife Adele. And, Bella has really enjoyed playing wit Camella and their little Yorkie Buddy.
I asked him if he could use his truck he has a Dodge Ram Diesel 2500) to jump our Dodge Ram diesel 3500.  He said of course.  
He came over about 10ish and we had to let his truck rev hooked up to our truck for about 5 minutes before ours would turn over.  In the mean time, I got ahold of the Dodge dealership here in town.  I made an appointment with them to check out the ignition switch and check out our batteries (we have run them all the way down to nothing twice in two weeks).  I let the truck run for a bit, but I talked with Rob and he told me I needed to actually drive it around.  
I thought maybe I would drive it around and then go down to the river and go for a bike ride, but instead, I decided to find a hair salon and get my hair cut.  I made an appointment for noon and had an appointment for the truck at 1:00 perfect.
I drove around the base for a bit, and then I drove over to the Dodge dealership.  I thought I would go there and turn the truck off and if it wouldn't start again I would just leave it there and ride my bike to my hair appointment.  As it turned out, I turned it off and it started up again. Yippee.
I drove to the neighborhood where my hair appointment was and parked.  Then I went to a place called Chinese Street Food and had lunch.  Then I walked over to the hair salon.
It was an interesting place. When I walked in I actually asked if it was a hair salon.  Initially it is a bar.  Beer and wine, to include champagne. Then then is a pool table, then there is an elevated area that has hair salon chairs. Oh, and did I mention that it smelled like someone was seriously smoking a truck load of pot.  (as it turned out it was sage).
But, the gal who did my hair was awesome.  I must admit that I am having a difficult time going gray.  I am super white in the front.  As it turns out I am very dark at the neck line which gets lighter as it goes up my head and as it goes to the front, it is white at the front. Hmmmm. When I walked in for some reason I had a lot of gold or yellow tint in my hair.  Probably from them bleaching to blend with the white. Anyway,  Stephanie was not happy with the color, and neither  am I. So, I made an appointment with her for tomorrow to have her work on my color.
I like the cut, and she styled it totally differently which put it a lot in my face (which I don't like it in my face) but, it was pretty cute and different.  
So, I left there and went directly to Dodge. I checked the truck in and went inside to their lobby.  And hooked into their internet, and there I sat.  Two hours later the man came to me and said "the batteries are dead and need to be replaced; the ignition switch is faulty and needs to be replaced (duh!!) and we are missing one hub cap and one is all cracked up so they will be replaced and we need your permission to go ahead with the work".  Hello!!!! I brought my truck to you and told you what I needed!!!!. So, after authorizing the work that I called and made an appointment about, I still sat for another two hours while they did the work. Seriously?!!!? Change two batteries, put center caps on the wheels and change the ignition switch??!!  The only difference was that there was a recall on the driver's side air bag so they replaced that. That must have taken an hour and a half!  Oh, and they charged me $1200. Seriously??!! They get you by the short hairs!!!
So at 5 pm I left the dealership and drove back to the base only to find it shut down.  No one on or off base.  Hmmmm.
After about 5 min. they started letting cars onto Base, but they were not letting anyone off base.  I asked the guard (when they checked my ID card [which they do every time you come onto the base]) if there was some sort of incident.  She just said there was an alarm that went off.  Hmmm.  I drove to the Famcamp (the RV park)which took about 10 min from the entrance gate, and they still were not letting people off the base.  That was sort of odd.
Well, happily I was home.  I ate my leftover salad from Sunday night, and watched TV.  My favorite TV nite. NCIS, followed by Bull, followed by Chicago Fire!  
After that I went to bed. 

Monday 17 October, Kirtland AFB, NM

It was a lot cooler this morning.  Bella and I went out for our walk and then sat outside for a bit, but it got to chilly. I decided this would be a good time to go through the storage.  I know there is a container down there with a couple of bags of dog food that Bella won't eat and some treats that she won't eat as well.  There are also some that she does like that I forgot were down there. Soooo, I went through it all.  I took the food and treats she doesn't eat over to Paul and Adelle for their two dogs, Camella and Buddy.  I told them if their dogs don't like them to either pass them on or throw them away.  
Then I repacked the treats that she does like and brought some of them inside.  I straightened some other things up as well.  Then.....I came inside and took everything out of the pantry and re-organized all of them.  I restocked items we were short on and put some that we were overstocked on down in storage.  There still isn't much room in there, but the good thing is that there is really no room for bad-for-you food.  That is good!
I finished all that and decided that I wanted to go ride my bike down on the river trail.  Most of my stuff was already in the truck.  I had been wearing my iwatch, but the battery was dieing so I plugged it in.  My phone was also low so I plugged it in as well.  I have a phone charger in my car and there is one in the truck as well.  I also have a watch charger but wasn't sure if it was in the my car or in the truck.  So, I checked in the consul in the truck.  It wasn't there, but while I was in there I heard this weird buzzing.  I couldn't   figure out what it was at first what it was.  Actually, I never really did figure out what was buzzing, what I did discover is that the key had been removed from the ignition without everything being shut off.  I tried to start the truck but the batteries were dead.  I found that I could remove the key in any of three positions in the ignition.   Only one position was with everything turned completely off.  This is the second time in about 2 weeks that the battery has been run completely down and now I believe it is because the ignition switch is faulty.  
Needless to say, I didn't go for my bike ride down by the river.  Instead, Bella and I walked over to the park and walked some laps. She liked it in the beginning, but after the 3rd lap she was tired of it.  We walked back after the 4th lap.  
We sat outside for awhile.  It was a nice evening and a nice sunset.

This picture is grainy (isn't actually) because I took it from inside the rig, out the back window.  So, the screen is showing. It was where the best view was..

I Watched a little TV, but there really wasn't much on. So I went to bed.

Sunday, 16 October, Kirtland AFB

Bella woke me up barking.  I got up to take her out and my neighbors were packing up.  I wished them safe travels and headed over to the dog park.  
There was a man inside with two big black dogs.  One is a black lab and the other a solid black German Shepherd.  I don't think I've ever seen a solid black Shep.  Anyway, they were friendly, but the two of them paid to much attention to Bella and she was not happy about it. Then Paul and Camella came walking up.  The man took the two big dogs out which was nice, so Bella and Camella chased each other around for awhile.  They have fun together. She will be one year old on Thanksgiving.  
We came back to the Rig and sat outside drinking coffee, checking email, Facebook, and worked on the blog.
Las night when I was watching TV CBS was saying they were going to be showing the Raider game today at 2:.  But, when I looked at the TV guide today it is showing Bull riding this afternoon.  That is a real drag.  That means that if I want to watch the game, which I do, I am going to have to go find a Sports Bar somewhere.  Hmm.
CBS is showing the Patriots at 11, so I will watch it while cleaning out the pantry.  If it goes to Bull riding after that game then I will definitely go find a place to watch the game.  I wonder if it would be showing here on base.?!?!?
Well, nothing on base.
I watched the first game at home and then went to a place called Saggios.  It was a fun Pizza place.  Restaurant on one side and Sports room on the other with wall to wall TVs and on the walls.  I was sitting in front of 3 big screens.  Cowboys vs Green Bay Packers on the left screen, Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs in the middle and Seattle Seahawks vs ?  can't remember on the right. Most of the bar were Cowboy fans.  The gal sitting next to me was a very excited Cowboy fan. 
So, I was feeling very schizophrenic sitting there in front of those three screens.  I like both the Raider's and the Seahawks, so it was very hard to concentrate on either one of their games, the Seahawks kept pulling me away from the Raiders.  Unfortunately, the Raiders got creamed.  Very sad.   The Seahawks were leading by a lot, then the other team caught up, then pulled ahead.  Luckily, the hawks got it back together and won.  Yippee!
I went by the grocery store and bought all kinds of really yummy, but very bad for me, food.  Then I went back to the rig and indulged in it. Between the pizza, beer and junk food,  I was ready for bed early.  

Saturday, 15 Oct. Kirtland AFB, NM

Bella s so funny in the morning when she wakes up.  She is very playful.  We headed over to the doggy park and a man with a fluffy 10 month old puppy was coming out.  Her name is Camella.  She is part Yorkie and part Snouzer and so cute.  His name is Paul.  Anyway, Bell and Camella met and then we all went back into the doggy park so they could play chase-me chase-me.  They had a lot of fun.  Paul is nice he and his wife spend time in Mexico, but have not taken their RV there.  She apparently owns a condo complex and a small shopping mall down there.

We chatted for a bit while the dogs played.  He stopped by on his way back to look at our fence and doggy door.

I sat outside and read the news, did a crossword, and drank coffee.

My new neighbors came out and she and I chatted for a bit.  Then he came out, so the three of us chatted.  They are into biking.  Not mountain biking, but trail riding.  They told me I need to check one out in Missouri and one in the Dakotas.  They are off to do the River trail here in Albaquerque.  I am looking forward to getting the details when they get back.  they are leaving tomorrow. sure  They are headed to Tucson next.  I didn't even get their names yet. 
I went inside and went through all my shirts, long sleeve and short sleeve and got rid of a stack of them.  I really wish I had gotten rid of more, but sometimes it is hard to get rid of things the first time.
After all that I showered and took Bella back to the dog park.
In the Eve I mindlessly watched TV and played on my computer.  There is absolutely nothing on TV on Saturday nights.
I went to bed and read, but before that I checked my phone.  The ringer had somehow been shut off, and sure enough, there were missed calls from Rob.  Damn.  I hate this phone that I currently have.  I swear, there is something wrong with it.  I sent him a quick text and then went to bed. 

Friday, 14 October, Kirtland, AFB, NM

Another beautiful sunny day.  Bella and I went out for our walk and then came back and sat outside for the rest of the morning.  
I checked out the news on the computer, checked out Facebook and worked crossword puzzles.  In other words, I sat on my butt and basically wasted the morning.
Bella started looking at me in the "tone-of-voice", plus I was starting to feel really lazy, so we went out for a dog.
We walked over to the park that has the walking trail.  It is about a half mile away, and then we started jogging.  I cannot believe how quickly I can get out of shape.  The path is only .56 miles long.  There is a starting point marked off for a 1.5 fitness run.  You have to do 2 plus laps and the ending point is marked as well.
I started off thinking I would run my normal mile, then maybe walk for a little bit, then run then walk.  Are you kidding me?!!! I could barely make it around the track once which was only a half mile.  I was dieing. I couldn't believe it. So, we walked a lap, then I could only make it half way around, the we walked.  All total we did 4 miles from here around and back, but what a whimp.  I'm definitely going to have to work at getting back in shape.
I spent the rest of the afternoon going through my closet.  It is jammed and I know there is stuff in there that I don't wear and, happily, stuff that is to big for me now. (I'v lost 14 lbs since we started this trip).  So, I went through all my stuff and got rid of a bunch.  I still need to go through my shelves that hold all my T-shirts.  It is jammed and I know I don't wear most of them either. My new policy is that if I buy something new I have to get rid of something old.  
It started to get warm as the day went on as well, but I think it might just have been because I was putting on and taking off clothes.  It did get up to 80 outside and 79 inside which is unusual for this time of year. 
So, I gathered all the stuff I'm getting rid of into a bag and fixed myself some dinner and watched TV.  For some reason I was thinking it was Saturday and that I want to do the pantry tomorrow because Football will be on and I can do it while watching the game.  But, it is only Friday, so tomorrow, I can tackle the pantry and the storage.
I talked with Rob, who is in San Diego for the night.  He was going to bed early because he has an early day tomorrow.  He is flying to Maui tomorrow.  
I watched a bit of TV and then went to bed.

Thursday, 13 October, Kirtland AFB, Albaquerque, NM

We had to get up early this morning.  It was still dark when Bella and I went out.  Since it was dark I didn't put her harness and leash on her.  Oops, big mistake.  She saw and bunny and when it saw her it took off and she took off after it.  For a few minutes I didn't know where she was.  Then I saw her and when I called her to me she was limping and then stopped.  So I went to her.  She was limping because she had stickers in her feet, and then I had them in my pants and shoes.  I took them out of her feet and we went home.  She didn't even ask for any treats when we got back.

So, we got up early because I had to take Rob to the Airport.  He wanted to be there at 8:30.  I had an interview this morning as well. Unfortunately my appointment wasn't until 10:30, but it was near the airport.  I thought I would go find it, and then if I went early maybe they would see me early.

As it turned out, my appointment was inside the air terminal, next to the United ticket counter.  I went at 8:50 and they told me they didn't open until 9:15 and they had a full schedule.  If anyone didn't show up they could see me early.  So, I went to a restaurant in the air port and had breakfast.  I  

I got back to the office and the waiting room was full of people.  I think they called them in every 15 min.  

I was called in at 10:30, my original appointment time.

So, what was my interview all about you ask? It was with US Customs and Border Protection.  I applied for Global Entry.  I filled out an application and paid a fee.  They did a background check and then I had to be interviewed to ensure that I am not any sort of a bad person.  I passed!  Yippee.  So, it means I don't have to go through the big long customs lines when coming back into the US from Mexico or other countries, and when driving back and forth to Mexico I don't have to go through those long lines either.  It should be worth it.  Especially if we are going to be coming and going to Mexico at the beginning of the year.

So, that was my morning.

Afterwards I headed back to base and decided to stop in at the BX (Base Exchange).  I got a couple of tops.  Then I came back to the Rig.  Our neighbor with the big and little dog was already gone when I got back.

I didn't do anything productive for the rest of the day.  

Bella and I went out for a walk around the RV park because she was bored and I was feeling guilty.

We sat outside for a little while.  We have a new neighbor now.  An elderly lady with an over-weight chihuahua.  She wasn't very talkative.  But, we'll see how things are tomorrow.

It got chilly, so Bella and I came inside.  

I fixed us a little dinner and then we watched TV.  

Wednesday, 12 October, Kirkland AFB, Albaquerque, NM

It's a beautiful sunny morning.  Not a cloud in the sky.
I took Bella for a walk to the dog park and we met a big dog there.  It is young and rambunctious and Bella wasn't so happy with it.  On the way back we noticed where the big dog and it Mom lived.  I also noticed that the space next to them, #23 is vacant.  When we first arrived I asked if the spot would be available and they said yes.  I originally told them we wanted to move onto it when it became available.  Then we moved into our spot which was nice and shady and we thought we would just stay.  But, the little kids made it very difficult.  Sooooooo,  This morning we moved.  I went to the office, they said fine, so before I even had my first cup of coffee we packed everything up and moved down the street.  it is also a very nice shady spot.
We have the big lab on one side and then we met the person next to us on the other side who has a great big puppy and a little dog.  She is leaving tomorrow though and hopefully no kids will move in next to us.
We were going to go to Santa Fe today, but Rob spent the morning dealing with insurance.  Trying to straighten out the liability insurance on the lot since we are renting it.  What a big giant hassle.  It took him until noon to get it all worked out.  So rather than go up to Santa Fe today we decided to play golf locally.  
We played at a course called New Mexico University Championship Golf Course.  It was a tough course, and long, but in really good shape. There were some nice views of the city and the surroundings from it.

There were tons of bunnies on the course, both

 cottontails and jack rabbits.  Bella was going crazy over them.

There were also a bunch of Roadrunners, which I like to see.

 A pretty pond, but no ducks or geese!

And Rob swinging away

After golf we returned to base and stopped by the commissary for a few heathy items for dinner. We got back to the Rig and started prepping for dinner.  Bar-B-Q chicken, acorn squash, and broccoli. It was all yummy.

And, while fixing it, a beautiful sunset.  

Red sky at night!!!

We watched TV and listened to a pretty good wind storm come up. It is nice and cool in the evenings which is nice.