Green Wednesday...

 

Maybe you know about this?  I didn't.

Today is Green Wednesday: the second highest (pun intended) sales day for the cannabis industry.  A bit of history: The phenomenon started in the mid-2010s.  Cannabis retailers and delivery services noticed that sales on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving were unusually high.  Over time, as legalization expanded, dispensaries leaned into this trend; offering promotions, running events, and effectively turning it into a holiday.  This Thanksgiving, weed smokers are grateful for "Green Wednesday." 

"Green Wednesday is the second-largest holiday for cannabis behind April 20th," said Joyce Sinali, co-founder of the Cannabis Media Council, a trade group that seeks to improve the public perception of weed.

“Green Wednesday is not a real holiday,” said Jennifer Bartholomeo, a general manager of the Travel Agency, a New York dispensary chain.  “But if you think about it, you’re traveling home to see your family, extended family is visiting and everyone is taking a walk with their cousin.  And what do you think you’re doing on that walk?”

Whether junior relations are sneaking away from the gathering to smoke together or popping an edible to assuage their anxiety before they face the rest of the family, getting high on the 17th century feast day is an emergent 21st century tradition. 

“Green Wednesday is a relatively new term for a familiar phenomenon: Old friends get together in their hometown and party on the eve of Thanksgiving.  As cannabis products became legalized across the US in the mid-2010s, the industry started using the term in marketing to encourage friends to head to local dispensaries to get their fix," Sinali said. 

“We want folks to come and get nuanced, interesting products and take them to the dinner table for their Thanksgiving holiday,” Sinali said.

The ploy has worked: Sinali said about 10 to 20% of customers at dispensaries on Green Wednesday are first-time shoppers. 

“I think it’s a way for the younger generation –– and I mean, honestly, the older generation; everyone is smoking weed, whether they share that fact or not –– to have the family come together.”  * 

And now you know.  Plus, when you get the munchies, your Thanksgiving feast awaits.  ;-)  I have asthma, so I won't be smoking anything.

 

* Source: CNN

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Music with the guys today, at Mark's house.  Well, in Mark's garage; yeah, we were a garage band.  This is what I usually call "the big group," which isn't the same personnel as the Hip Replacements.  Mark, Ron, and I are in both groups.  I enjoy these guys, and we had fun playing.

Gil showed up with a new guitar!  That is exciting!  A Fender Telecaster.  So, I suggested we make it "All About Gil Day"... we had Gil pick the songs to play.  Well, to a point.  After he picked a couple in a row what the rest of us would call obscure songs, the rest of us took a turn.

It was my turn to bring lunch, and I had planned for Oregano's (pizza).  There is an Oregano's just a few miles from Mark's house, so I usually pick it up on the way.  Except, we found out that Oregano's is closed for remodeling.  The way it usually works: Joan orders the pizza for me on-line; it's generally ready when I get there, so it's still warm when I get to Mark's.

We had to punt today.  Joan let me know while I was enroute that I'd have to change the plan.  I asked for her to see if there was a Marco's Pizza anywhere near Marks... she looked... it's closed.  What??!!  I knew Mark would suggest that we just get sub sandwiches from Firehouse, but I had already told the guys we were having Oregano's.  I had Joan order a large pizza from Oregano's in Goodyear.  Yes, that is out of the way, but the new plan was to get that there, take the Loop 303 to Northern Parkway, take that to the Loop 101.  I had to wait a bit for the pizza in Goodyear, but the people at that Oregano's were very nice - the young lady who helped me said they'd move it up in the order and have it for me in about 10 minutes.  The rest of the drive to Mark's went as planned.

As it worked out, there was an accident on I-10 that would have prevented me from getting on the Loop 101.  And another accident just beyond my exit for the Loop 303 (two minutes later, I-10 in that area would be a big parking lot) - so, my timing and routing was actually good.

The drive home from Mark's was surprisingly not bumper to bumper - I was going the right direction, as I could see the ugly stop and go traffic going the opposite direction.

So, a good day.  When I got home, Joan reminded me that "You have been with Mark and Ron 3 days now since Saturday night"... the Hip Replacement played Saturday night, we did the turkey loaded at the St. Mary's Food Bank yesterday, and the getting together to make music with the guys today.  Fortunate that we are all good friends.

And, for tomorrow: Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Turkey Tuesday...

 

Like last year, Mark and Ron invited our family to join them in working at St. Mary's Food Bank to help distribute turkeys, produce, and canned goods to families in need.

St. Mary's is a large operation.  For this particular day, they have two shifts, plenty of corporate volunteers, and individual volunteers like us.  It is set up with two lanes of vehicles, 7 stations in each lane.  There is a group of volunteers at each station, the cars are marked with the number of family meals they are receiving (generally one, but up to 5).  It is a bit of an assembly line, but a lot of families receive these ready to be cooked meals in a relatively short time.  Efficient.

This was our group...

 Twelve of us working at two tables.  Other tables were manned by a large group of police officers, another by a group of young Mormon men, another large group from a financial company.

Steph was in charge of "flagging" - stopping cars at the right spot, the letting the traffic coordinators know when we had a vehicle loaded.  Three of us were loading goods into cars, and two others staging food onto tables so we could keep the flow going.

A few other photos I was able to get...

Steph and Dan on the bus that took us from parking to the food distribution areas (the parking was about a mile away).  Steph on the job (below)...

Steph and Dan with the line of cars...

Walking back to the buses after our shift...

 It's a very worthy cause.  Their Mission Statement: Bridging the gap for Arizona communities with nourishment for today and hope for tomorrow.  There are St. Mary's outlets around Arizona - they feed more than 250,000 people each day.  They partner with more than 600 non-profit organizations to insure Arizonans in need have access to food, including children's programs, and operating a skills center with programs in warehouse logistics and food service.

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A couple photos from Steph's phone...

 As you can see, there was tenting overhead, but we were working in the sun.  It had gotten too warm to actually wear the hoodie I had on, so I put just the hood part over my head to keep the sun off.  Not particularly stylish, but you do what you gotta do, since I forgot to bring a hat.

 

They aren't all good...

 

People?  Yeah, that's a fact.  No bonus points, though; all you have to do is watch the evening news.  But, I digress.

The Facebook Memories hit me like a big kick in the guts this morning: it was 2 years ago today that we said good-bye to the best "good boy."  Rufus was a truly unique feline... and we've had some pretty great felines.

I knew this would be coming up; I guess I just wasn't expecting it to be so soon...

 I could go on and on, talking about the many wonderful attributes of this big furry boy, but I will just say: I miss the light that this boy spread.  People who weren't "cat people" would come up to meet him while we were out walking.  He never had a bad day, even at the end.

And, the end came too soon.  We only had 5 years with Rufus, but they were joyous years, and he left us with so many great memories.  I miss this boy every day; there are reminders of him in our home.  The memories make us smile.  But, this day, my heart hurts.

You were a very good boy, Rufus.

 

Here we go...

 

I have some PA equipment loaded in the car.  Not for the gig with the band this afternoon, but just in case a crowd shows up for this morning's Meet the President Q&A in the park.  I just want to be prepared.

Steph and Dan are delivering one of the Guide Dog puppies back the California today, so they won't be there.  Steph asked, "Are you nervous?"

"Well, sure.  It's the unknown.  I'm putting myself out there, and people can ask me anything about the HOA.  I have facts.  I'm willing to share my opinion.  I'm hoping it won't be confrontational, like things can get on Facebook.  I expect that people will be civil in public, but... the unknown."

Steph asked if I'd call or text to let her know how it went this morning.

And then, back home, load up more gear, and get ready to head to downtown Phoenix where The Hip Replacements will be playing this afternoon.  I'm less concerned about the unknown with that, although we have to be adaptable with the change from playing outdoors to inside.  We rehearse so we have the song arrangements down.

While the organizers have made arrangements for us to be indoors, we'll have to load-out in the rain,though.  Assuming the weather weasels are accurate with the hourly forecasts.  Yeah, this music stuff is glamorous.  ;-)

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So, how'd it all go?

Thanks for asking.  I think I was able to get through to people that "the board doesn't do business on Facebook."  I was expecting to explain how they can access any financial information on the Homeowners' Portal (and I did), but some people just weren't ready to accept that "anyone can set up a Facebook Group and have the name of our community in it.

"You should do something about that - it is misleading."  

"I can't do anything about either of these two groups because they are NOT affiliated with the HOA, the board, or the management company in ANY way."  As usual, I steered them to the Homeowners' Portal.  Interestingly enough, the husband of one of the board members was there, offering to "explain things, to help me out."  He was not trying to help me out.

There were some of the snarky Facebook people there, but no one got unpleasant.  No doubt, being face to face, with people in attendance who were being reasonable, helps.  All in all, I think I was able to answer questions with factual information.  It wasn't a bad experience.

And the music gig?  It is a LOT of work to haul all that gear: it is 4 loading situations... house to the car, car to the event, set up, play, wait around while the people putting it on used our PA for their awards ceremony and keynote speech, then tear down, load it into the car, drive home, load it back into the house.  We are not youngsters.  Time there was over 4 hours, even though we were scheduled to play for around 90 minutes.

The making music part is fun... the rest is just a lot of work.  This is the 4th time this group (or a subset of this group) has had us play; we may have to talk about timing before we commit to this in the future.

That said, the playing is good - I like these guys and we work together well.  A couple photos courtesy of Joan...

 

But, yeah, it was a long day. 

One last run-through...

 

It looks like there is a good chance of rain tomorrow afternoon, starting around 5:00.  The event we are playing for runs from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.  Our playing time is scheduled for 3:30 to 5:00, then backing the choir for a song.  Their awards presentation (they'll be using our PA) will follow that.  Even though we will be wrapped up playing shortly after 5:00, we can't start our tear-down and load out until they are done.  It is likely we'll be loading out in the rain.

We were told that the band has been moved indoors and the vendors will be cancelled; I am sorry to hear that, for the vendors' sake.  For the band, it means we can load-in lighter, since we won't need PA gear to project as far.

I loaded the set list for this gig last night; we are flexible and can change things around on the fly, but it gives us an idea of timing and order for any gear changes.  This afternoon, I'll run through the set list to make sure I'm comfortable with all the arrangements.

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The other "event" for tomorrow is the "Meet the President" question and answer get-together in our community, 9 to 10am.  This isn't anything formal, the plan is to meet in the park.  I have no idea how many people will be there, and if it will be angry homeowners because the HOA dues increase $20 starting in January, or if there will be friendly supporters.  I'm OK with however it plays out.

I scheduled this because there is a lot of mis-information, unfounded rumors, and general ugliness on Facebook between a couple different "community" groups.  My hope is to clear up the fact that "the HOA board does NOT do business on Facebook."  There is a Homeowners' Portal run by the management company that is the official conduit for information or issues with the HOA.

I expected some homeowner concern about the dues increase - people want to know how their money is being spent and on what.  I've stated this before (at every board meeting, but those are not well-attended), that every dime is accounted for.  There are expenditures we have to do, and some that homeowners have asked for.  With a budget over a half million dollars, opinions differ on how those funds are allocated.  Some have never looked at the financial reports on the Portal, but they call for "get rid of this board that is wasting our money!!"  It goes with the job.

Some people don't understand the purpose of a board for the HOA.  Some don't understand that they are a part of the HOA (it's right there in the name: Home Owners Association).  We are not some entity that sits around thinking up ways to tell people what they can't do - the Association exists to protect the home values for each member, preserve our common-owned property, and run the business of our community.

This will be the opportunity for homeowners to look at someone (little ol' me) and ask their question.  Face to face.  Hopefully, instead of making an angry post on Facebook, where they don't have all the facts.

"Why would you put yourself out like this, Jim?"  Good question.  I care about this community; this on-line bickering isn't good for the community.  We are better when we work together.  Truly, I have nothing to lose: if I can't get the truth across, or if there is general lack of interest in knowing how the board works and the money is spent, I will have a clear understanding of the direction the community wants to go.  The "bullying" that gets done on Facebook, offers no solutions and shows no interest in looking at the financial facts on the Homeowners' Portal.  I believe that is a small minority.  There is also a minority who show up for board meetings, Block Watch meetings, community meetings with our City Council members, and understand how the Portal works.  (Joan has offered to show people how to get on and use the Portal while I answer questions.)  I think the majority of people just want to live their lives, come home from work, spend time with their family, and not have to be concerned about the HOA; they expect the people they elected to the board to do their job and keep the community running.

If asked, I will explain the bidding process.  And the fact that the landscaping bids varied by over $60,000 from the highest to the lowest.  I have all the bids, and have the numbers broken down.  For most people, that stuff is boring; and why they don't want to be bothered with sitting in on a board meeting, where these decisions get made.  In front of the homeowners.  Because the financial matters of the board ARE completely transparent.  That word gets tossed around a lot.  The numbers are all there, right on the Portal.  The financial reports are presented at every board meeting.  The board meetings are open to homeowners, so they can see the process.  Yet, someone who has never attended a board meeting or looked at the Homeowners' Portal, can get on Facebook and state, as though it is fact, that "the board isn't being transparent."

We'll see how this Q&A goes.   

Can I Have Your Autograph?

 

You got recognized (as part of the Hip Replacements) by the choir group yesterday, and it's gone to your head?  No; I'm pretty grounded.  Joan and Steph keep me that way.

Today, I did have a neighbor ask for my autograph... she saw me on TV this morning.  It was on a news piece that was shot last week; just ran this morning.

An investigative reporter for the CBS affiliate here in Phoenix ran a piece a couple weeks ago regarding 3 homes near our development that were having flooding issues after the unprecedented rain last month.  They felt the issue was the development south of us that was changing how water flows off of South Mountain.  The result of that news piece: the City pointed at the County, and the County said the flood/water-flow plans that were in place were doing just what they were supposed to do.

I reached out to that reporter and let her know that debris that came down from the mountain clogged the wash built to handle water flow around our community.  She and her camera man came out, met with another board member and me, asked some questions on camera.  Shannon, the other board member, gave the reporter video that she shot when the water flooded one of the main streets in our community.  The reporter, Susan Campbell, said she would take this to the City and County and try to get more information.

Turns out, the City and County do have a plan, but apparently couldn't come up with that info when the reporter first asked about it.  There is a flood control project that is scheduled for 2028 (formulated in 2022) east of our community, and another for 2031 (just formulated) on the western side of the community.

Not the immediate resolution hoped for, but there is a plan.  I guess we can hope there isn't another one of those "once in a decade" rains in the next 6 years.

The reporter reached out to me yesterday to let me know the piece would run during the 7:00 news hour.  I thanked her for the heads-up.  About 15 minutes of shooting video, edited down to about 30 seconds of each of us talking about the situation, and other video and stills that we provided.  She got a response from the City/County, and it is good information for the 3 homeowners from her earlier piece, and for the 367 homeowners in our development.

Being human, I was relieved that I didn't look like a dufus on-camera.  And the end result: definitive information.  Just trying to do good for the community.

 

 

Second verse, same as the first...

 

If you said, "A line from the Herman's Hermits song I'm Henry the 8th (VIII),  1965," you get 15 bonus points.

You sang the second verse to a song, Jim?  Well, I sang a bunch of second verses today, but this was more about the gig we have coming up Saturday afternoon - The Hip Replacements are back at Banner Health for another show for the Dementia/Alzheimer's group.

If the weather allows (a 50% chance of rain on Saturday is predicted as of right now), they are planning for about 30 vendors on hand.  We are supposed to be playing outside, but the contingency plan is to move indoors for the band, but they will have to cancel the vendors.

One of the things we were asked to do: accompany a choir group of VIPs on a song; the song they picked: John Denver's Take Me Home Country Roads.  None of us have played it before, but we assured the organizer that, with over 200 years of musician experience between us, we'll be able to handle this coordinated effort.  Today, Mark, Ron, and I went to one of their rehearsals about a mile away from where we were rehearsing at Ron's house.

We walked into the room where they were rehearsing, and... "It's the Hip Replacements!"  I guess we are pretty well-known with this group.  We spoke with the young lady who was directing the choir about the layout of the song as they do it: verse, chorus, verse, bridge, verse, chorus, outro.  "OK, we got it," I told her... "Although, when we do this song, we like to put a kick-ass guitar solo in the middle and about a 5 minute drum solo."

"OMG - that would be awesome!"  I had to tell her it was a joke: a ripping guitar solo and a drum solo wouldn't really work well with this folk-pop John Denver song.

Instead, I said, "Let's run through it."

"You're ready?"

"Yep, that's why we brought a guitar.  On Saturday, we'll be backing you with two guitars, bass, and percussion."

With the chart on Mark's iPad, we played along with them like we've been doing it for years.  They were pleased - we thanked them, said, "We'll see you Saturday," and headed out to get a quick slice of pizza before going back to Ron's for rehearsal for the rest of the afternoon.  Podge joined us around 1:30 and we went right to work.

I really enjoy playing with these guys - everybody contributes, any suggested arrangements/songs are given consideration, and we decide together how we want any particular song to go.  With Mark on lead guitar, Podge on bass, Ron on percussion, guitar, and mandolin, and me on rhythm guitar, the sound is full, and we have 3 or 4 part harmony on most songs.

Here's a promo piece...

 

If the Rain Comes...

 

... they run and hide their heads.

If you said, "The first line from the song Rain by The Beatles, 1966; released as the B-side of Paperback Writer," you get 15 bonus points.

Of course, I'm talking about the rain gutters that were installed yesterday.  One of the young men doing the work said, "The sealant I'm putting in should have 24 hours to dry."

I said, "You know it's going to rain here before that."

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Let's hope it holds off."  So, there's a plan.

I woke up at 4:25 this morning to the sound of rain outside.  "Well, almost 12 hours," I thought to myself.  I went back to bed for an hour, but didn't get back to sleep.  After getting Murphy his breakfast, I went out in the dark to see how things were working with the rain gutters... OK, with what I could see.

We have music rehearsal today for a gig on Saturday.  We'll be at Ron's house, which is in the downtown Phoenix area.  The hourly forecasts show the heaviest rain in that area over the noon hour.  Timing.  I am not a fan of loading-in in the rain.  We also will be going to where a women's choir is rehearsing, because we agreed to back them on one song this Saturday (they asked, we try to oblige).

For anyone keeping track, Saturday is the day for my Meet the President get-together at 9:00 am, then the gig for Banner Health in the afternoon.  Chance of rain on Saturday is 50%.  Yes, we're playing outside.  I'll bring a 10'x10' pop-up kiosk, but that won't help if it is windy.  I find myself saying, "We'll see how that plays out," a lot these days.

 

The predicted accumulation totals for now into Saturday...

Phoenix averages over 300 days of sunshine per year, which accounts for over 85% of daylight hours.  Alas, this is proving out to be a rainy week here in the Valley of the Sun.

 

Body Cam...

 

This is a test.  In an actual emergency, you would be instructed on where to tune for information.  How many of us remember that all-in-one emergency shelter: the school desk?  It could be used to protect you from a tornado, or even possible nuclear bombs.  Well, that's what we used to believe.

We know better now.  A tornado could be filled with sharks (10 bonus points if you said: "Sharknado"), and a shark can obviously get at you under your desk.

I may have digressed again.  Joan suggested that I might want to wear a body camera for this Meet the President get-together on Saturday - some way to keep track of what questions are being asked and a record of my answers to the questions.  Probably a good idea.

Since I have several cameras that I shoot video of motorcycle and scooter rides, or van outings, or music videos, I have options.  The Insta360 Go3s I have has a pendant that you wear around your neck that the camera sticks to magnetically.  It is really designed to be used with the small camera portion of the Go3s, but that will only record for about 30 minutes.  With that camera in the action pod, it will record up to 2 hours.

I put that camera on the pendant and gave it a shot.  Here's Joan looking at me from across the kitchen counter...

 It does a decent job of the video and audio.  I walked around outside with it on for further testing...

 

That is Murphy checking me out through the door.  This camera will certainly work for this purpose.  I have two other DJI cameras that will allow me to attach a wireless microphone, which will provide much better audio.  So, more options.  I will narrow it down to the best tool for the job.

"Do you really think you need a body cam for this meeting, Jim?"  Well, not for the same purpose as a police body cam.  But, having video during a board meeting has been important to determine what was really being said on more than one occasion.  With this being just little ol' me fielding homeowner questions, I won't have time to take notes; a video will allow accurate follow-up on anything I might not have the answer to on the spot.

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We had two appointments at the house today: the first one was with the pest control company; we were told "between 8 and 10am.  The guy was there at 9:00 and was right on it.  Friendly and professional.  The second was with the rain gutter installation folks; we were told "between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm"... they showed up at 3:22.

Oh, you're probably going to say, "Hey, that was pretty close."  It has been a stormy day in much of the Phoenix Valley today - as in: rain, hail, and wind warnings in the Goodyear and Avondale area (less than 14 miles from us.  The weather here at the house has been: a bit of rain between 6:30 and 7:00 am, and no precip the rest of the day.  Mostly sunny, a bit of breeze.  Not the 60mph winds they were getting in Avondale.

Why the weather report, Jim?  Thanks for asking.  This company is located in the middle of where it is storming.  IF they were waiting to see if the weather was going to break, they were burning daylight here at our house.  By 1:00, I suggested we give them a call to "exchange information."  That was vetoed.  At 3:05, the party doing the veto gave the company a call... "Yes, they are still coming.  Let me check their location... the crew is about 8 minutes away from you."  Good that they keep track.

So, time counts.  It is sunny here right now.  Looking at the clouds over the mountains, that could change at any time.  Sure would be nice if they could get this done before the rain hits again.  But, they're here now.  One of us really wanted these rain gutters, so I just want these guys to do a good job to keep that person happy.

The follow-up: the guys doing the install were young, 23 and 25.  They seemed plenty efficient, although I did have to get up on the ladder and point out an issue.  They understood, did what was asked, and everyone was happy.  That was the goal.

The work got completed without being rained on.  Some of the sealant they use is supposed to dry for 24 hours... that may not play out.  Joan is happy with the look, I am happy with the install.

 

Up On The Roof...

 

If you said, "Up on the Roof most commonly refers to the hit 1962 song by The Drifters, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, which became a major hit in 1963," you get 20 bonus points.

If you said, "Jim, you do know that falls are the most common cause of injuries for people over 70, don't you?  You weren't up on the roof, were you?" you get 50 bonus points for your concern.  And, no - I wasn't up on the roof... I was up on a ladder, near the roof...

 But, there is nothing bonus point worthy for up near the roof.  ;-)  There was a security light/camera in that location, and it needed to be taken down.

Why?  We have rain gutters scheduled to be installed tomorrow, and that light would have been in the way.  There is a 55% chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.  Will they install rain gutters in the rain?  Probably not.  Will they install rain gutters in a thunderstorm?  Not if they have any functioning brain cells.  So, it may not happen as scheduled.  We can be flexible.

We'll see how that plays out, but we are ready for them if/when they show up.

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More HOA stuff to deal with during the late morning and afternoon.  People don't know that some of what gets done has nothing to do with CC&Rs and financial stuff.  This would be considered more potentially giving a homeowner some help when they are having a tough situation.

Joan also quizzed me on questions that people might ask at Saturday's Meet the President get-together... to see if I am up on all the different topics.  I appreciate her time; I think she learned that I do have a handle on what's going on.  She helped me organize paperwork, so I can have info easily at hand for any specific budget and financial questions.  I am hoping Steph will have time in the next few days for another Q&A session.

And, yes, Murphy got several walks in today.  He did not have to go up on a ladder.  But, he could.

 

 

(Sigh)...

 

Just when things are starting to settle down, the handyman for the management company put up a sign in our park.  That's not the issue: he was supposed to put up a sign.  He put up the wrong sign; with wrong park hours.

Some people in the community believe that the board can't do anything right.  Last thing I needed was this.  I found out about the sign last night (after some of the angry ones saw the sign and posted about it on Facebook); I drove to the park and took it down.  No, that isn't in my job description.  Something had to be done.  Now.  People love to point out a mistake; some consider it deliberate.

For the record, I am serving in good faith.  The board actions are voted on in open business meetings.  And still, there will be someone who will get on the Homeowners' Portal, copy something on the financials, post it on Facebook, and write "That is transparency!"

So, posting something that every homeowner has access to is transparency?  These financials are presented at every board meeting.  This is transparency.  I wish I had some way to make the homeowners care enough to participate.  I wish people wouldn't get on Facebook, posting half-truths and outright lies, with the sole intention of stirring things up and not offering a solution.

Yes, I understand that this is the world today: that some people have miserable lives and their only way to make themselves feel better is to try to tear others down.

That doesn't mean I won't try my best for the community.  For as long as I can take it.

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 With rain in the forecast for the next several days (it rained this morning), Joan covered our patio furniture.  The good thing: it protects the cushions on the furniture and keeps them dry.  The bad thing: Murphy runs under the cover, and it is like playing Whack a Mole trying to get him to come out.

The solution: he has to be in his catio or on a leash until the covers come off the furniture.  I took him out for a while this morning, in the catio.  He is fine with the catio.  This afternoon, I put his harness on him, clipped on the leash, and... he walked like a champ...

I wondered how he would do, since the last time he had his leash on was when we were in California last month, and he didn't really want to get too far away from the van (lots of activity there - people walking and riding bikes).  As you can see on the video above, he did fine - walking with his tail up, not pulling on the leash, and staying right with me as we walked.

 

Organ Stop...

 

Oh, no - it wasn't a vital organ, was it??

No, but thanks for asking.  Last night, we met Joan's sister Beth and her husband Rob in Mesa for an interesting dining experience.  They are from Silver City, New Mexico, but they do come this way from time to time.  We saw them just a couple weeks ago.  Rob got hearing aids, and his audiologist is in Phoenix.

Beth picked Organ Stop as a meet-up place.  I was not familiar with it, but Steph and Dan have been there, and they said it was a lot of fun.  It is a pizza place, but the big draw is a giant Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ that rises up out of the floor.  Organ pipes all around - 23 ranks of pipes.  The organ is powered by three Spencer turbine blowers (with a fourth as a standby), spinning at 1800 RPM with a combined 60HP, moving 10,000 cubic feet of air.  The Wurlitzer has more than 6,000 pipes.  The largest pipes are 32 feet long and could fit four people inside.  Yeah, it's big...

 The organ and organist rise up out of the floor.  The organist plays all types of music, not just what you'd expect from this amazing and interesting giant instrument.

But, what about the pizza?  Crispy crust - just the way Joan likes it.  We got a table on the upper level so we could get an overall view.

The restaurant opens at 4:00, the music starts at 4:30.  I'm glad we were there when the place opened... not to get a table, there were plenty available; but so we had a chance to visit for that first half hour before the music fired up.  The volume fills the room; with those giant pipes, it sometimes rattles your innards.  But, the organist was very talented and it was a fun experience.

Beth and Rob...

 Us...

 And, the part Stephanie would have enjoyed the most: "dancing cats" marionettes...

 After a couple hours (the organist took a break every 45 minutes or so), we took things outside so we could continue to visit.

By the time we left, the seating had increased to a good crowd.  This giant organ, the music (they encourage requests), and the atmosphere are an attraction.  This place has been in business since 1972.  They moved to this location, a larger building (seats 700), in 1995 to accommodate the continuously expanding organ, which is now considered the largest Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ in the world.

 Worth a visit?  Absolutely.  But, after a couple hours there, I was ready for some quiet time.  ;-)  And, another piece of pizza after we got home.

A short video...

 

Being handled...

 

"Is Joan getting all grabby again?"  Well, I am a trophy husband, so I understand my role.

A friend here in our community reached out: "Would you like to know what the problem is with the HOA board?"

"Sure," I said.

She said, "I'm going to talk to you like an adult..."  Interesting assumption on her part.

She went on to explain that 3 members on the board are interested in doing good things for the community, with no apparent agenda (good to see that it apparent on the Zoom meetings)... but you have no public relations to get that word out to our homeowners.  She volunteered to help with getting information on the Homeowners' Portal, to video our board meetings, and send out the video to homeowners who request it.  She is a magazine editor and reporter, with a good understanding of media.

Good timing - I forwarded my Meet The President announcement (before posting it) to her.  Her assessment: too emotional; you want to present the reason for that get-together without referencing Facebook.  Or, as many of us have said over the years: Don't Feed the Trolls. 

She continued with, "You have a great sense of humor, but you need to let people get to know you - in person - before you put that out there."

Yep, being handled.  With the rancor on Facebook, and a board member essentially having a melt down during the last board meeting, I am making every effort to get the community to pull together.  Or, as Joan just put it: "You are making the effort.  No one else knows how much time you put into this board stuff.  Either it will go well, or you can walk away knowing you gave it your best."

The post went up on the Homeowners' Portal and on Facebook (you have to go where the people are).  Here's the "non-emotional" version that was posted:

Meet Your Dobbins Village HOA Board President

As your Dobbins Village HOA Board president, I am inviting you to an informal Q&A session from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Dobbins Village park ramada.

This session is an opportunity for you to ask me, in person, questions about HOA board matters, including:

The budget — landscaping expenditures, event allocations, etc.
Bids — how we have evaluated and why we have chosen our service providers 
Other issues — speed bumps, food trucks, CC&Rs, architectural requests, etc.
Board procedures — how we operate, voting history, etc. 
Accessing the Dobbins Village Homeowners Portal — support will be available for those having trouble logging in, so feel free to bring your device 

I am organizing this gathering independently and not in coordination with other board members or City Property Management. I will answer any question you have, either in the moment or with a commitment to follow up after. I will share my personal opinions as a fellow homeowner, as well if you’re interested, but I ask that all who attend be mindful of our time so everyone can ask questions and be heard.  The format will be informational rather than debate style.
 
Location: Dobbins Village Park Ramada
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22 
Time: 9-10 a.m.

Respectfully,
James Bathurst, Dobbins Village HOA Board president 

We'll see how it goes.  That Saturday is going to be a busy day, with that get-together in the morning and the Hip Replacements playing an outdoor gig at another Banner Health event that afternoon.

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On the really bright side, I got in a fun ride on the Suzuki Burgman this morning - really good for clearing my mind.  ;-)

 

 

Wading in neck deep...

 

"Oh, no - more rain and flooding?"  Well, there is rain forecast for this weekend, but this is a metaphor.  And, yes, this is more HOA related stuff, so if you want to skip over this post, I get it.  I would be happy to skip over this stuff, too.

This morning, I am meeting with the vice-president and Landscaping Committee chairman, along with the manager for our account from the landscaping company.  The discussion is regarding replacing trees and other plants in the community that have died or were torn out by the storm last month.  Just trying to do my part to help.

Here's the rub: some homeowners wanted the park fixed right away; another group didn't want to spend anything on repairs.  Deferring to the CC&Rs, we are required to get repairs done to any common property that is damaged.

People are just discovering that their HOA dues will be going up $20 starting in January.  We held 3 months of budget meetings, where homeowner input was requested.  Generally, around 10 to 15% of the homeowners participated.  So, for some, this dues increase was a surprise.  It shouldn't have been, but, you can't make people participate.

So, of course, the "angry mob" has unleashed on Facebook: accusations that the board is "recklessly spending money," even though every expenditure is voted on during our public board meetings.  To make matters worse, one board member was over the top with screaming and accusing at the board meeting last week.  Apparently, she doesn't remember that she voted in favor of all those expenditures except one... and that was for repairs to our common areas that were damaged... and that is clearly covered in the CC&Rs that we are required to effect the repairs... not to mention that she wasn't there for the emergency board meeting. 

Accusations (completely unfounded) that "board members are buddied up with vendors like the landscape company and getting kick-backs"... wow, that is pretty darn libelous.  People saying that the board is using the social budget to throw parties for themselves and paying food trucks to come into the community - total BS.

But, people seem to think they can get on Facebook and say anything with impunity.

One board member responded to the accusations, because many were directed at her.  I try to avoid "trial by Facebook"... it is like arguing politics on Facebook: nobody's mind gets changed.  Everybody gets mad.  Nothing gets settled.

So... I am setting up a "Meet the president" gathering for Saturday, November 22nd; 9:00 am to 10:00 am.  No other board members, no one from the management company - ask me any question you want about the HOA dealings, and you will get the facts.  You may not like the facts, but you will have them, with no innuendo, no screaming, no unfounded accusations.  Here's the letter that will go on the Homeowners' Portal...

Meet your HOA board president.

Saturday, November 22nd, 2025, 9:00am to 10:00 am.  Dobbins Village park, at the ramada.

There has been too much mis-information being put out on Facebook.  I have said the HOA board doesn’t conduct business on Facebook, but this is apparently where people come to spread half-truths or make assumptions.  Come to the park in our community, at the ramada, and I will answer ANY of your questions.

Want to know the real facts about the budget, including the social budget that people seem to be losing their minds over?  Ask me: face to face.  I will explain WHY, and why every board member voted for it.  Want to know about the bids that your board has to wade through and vote on?  Saturday morning @ 9:00, and you will get the truth.

This will be just me - I have not consulted with the other board members or City Property Management in scheduling this get-together.  This is not going to be a “shout down” - I will be civil and respectful, and I expect the same from anyone in attendance.  I am giving my time freely - if you come looking for an argument, this is not the forum.  We’re all entitled to our opinion, but this get-together is about FACTS.  If you ask my opinion about something, I will give it; give yours if you want, but this isn’t going to be a debate.  If I don’t know the answer to any particular question, I will find out.  I don’t proclaim to have all the answers, but I can guarantee you that I have been up to my eyeballs in things relating to the HOA.  You may or may not like the answers, but you will get direct answers to your questions.

It is easy to get on Facebook and complain.  Come to this get-together on Saturday, November 22nd from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.  Am I brave or stupid?  Come judge for yourself.  One thing for certain - you will get the facts.  Not my version of the facts, not a board decision, not anything from City Property Management.

But, the half-truths, innuendos, and some outright lies on Facebook are not good for this community; and I am serving on this board because I CARE about this community.  Want to ask me about speed bumps?  Food trucks?  CC&Rs?  Architectural requests?  Want to oust me from the board?  I’ll explain the the procedure.  I don’t do this job for the ego-boost, and it certainly isn’t for the money (since the board and committee members are all volunteers). 

I would like this to be in a very public setting that doesn’t cost us anything.  Let’s put our park to good use.  People complain about the board meetings being on a Thursday evening - let’s do this on Saturday morning.  In case anyone missed it: Saturday, November 22nd, 9:00 am to 10:00 am.  Don’t send in questions ahead of time - you will know I have no “prepared statements.”

Don’t know how to get on the Homeowners Portal?  Bring your laptop or iPad - my wife has volunteered to help you.  This community is our home.  I can’t guarantee that everyone will be happy here, but there doesn’t need to be the unpleasantness like you see on social media - we are better than that.  Well, most of us.  But, I’ll answer questions, even for the cranky people.  Let’s be fair and not try to monopolize the time.

This is your chance to show that you are bigger than the bickering on social media.  Show up. 

We'll see if anyone shows up.

 

The Aurora Borealis...

 

Or: Northern Lights.  They are highly visible in many places in the Northern Hemisphere tonight.  I've been seeing the photos posted on-line last night and tonight.  Beautiful!  In fact, the local weather said they'd likely be visible in northern Arizona... alas, we are at the southern edge of the Phoenix, which means we are having to look through the "light pollution" from all the lights in the Valley of the Sun.

So, no Northern Lights for us.  I went outside to look to the north - just the glow of lights from the 5th largest city in the country.

But, one of the local weather guys shared this...

 Not as cool as seeing it in person, but I can imagine.  We have seen the Northern Lights twice - both times while living in Spearfish, SD.  I was hopeful tonight, but realistic.

 

Living In Harmony...

 

"The craziness with the HOA has subsided?" you ask.  Oh, far from it.  I won't go into it here, beyond saying one board member has been absolutely foul since day one.  And now, it is worse.  To the point that the majority of the board is looking into having her removed from the board.  And, of course, she is retaliating by enlisting the help from people in the community who have never attended a board meeting and feeding them untrue information... to where they want to have "Tim and Xxxxx removed from the board."  No, there is no "Tim" on the board.  I assume she meant "Jim"... frankly, I would be happy to step down and let the crazy woman see what actual service to the community is all about.

That aside, the Hip Replacements had a rehearsal at Mark's today: Mark, Ron, Podge, and little ol' me.  We worked up a couple new songs, and fine-tuned others.  Then, more practice on about half of our set list.  It was like a breath of fresh air: good music, nice harmonies, and friendship that means a lot to me.  These are all good guys.  I really appreciate how each member makes suggestions to add details and make the songs we do feel fresh.

Another gig coming up later this month, and more inquiries about having us play out.

 

 

The Wall...

 

Nothing to do with the wall along the border between the US and Mexico.  Many homes in the Phoenix area have concrete block walls around the property.  You definitely see it in all "Master-planned communities," like where we live.

I didn't know what to think about it when I first saw this concept decades ago, but I find it provides private space in an area where there is more population density.  And even though we are on "the edge" of that density in our location, Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country.  Houses and multi-family building (apartments, townhomes, and lease-only communities) is happening all around this area.

I have come to appreciate the walls.  On the southwest side of our walls are small farm(ettes) - in the morning, we might hear roosters announcing the sunrise, baby goats bleating, and an occasional donkey braying.  It feels almost rural.  South and southeast of us is another community with million dollar homes being built - yes, we hear that construction noise, too.  For now.  Directly east of our community, a townhome development is just getting started.  This is a rapidly-growing area.  Within our walls is our bit of tranquility.

Which brings me to this wall discussion.  All the kitties before Murphy had to be on a leash when they were outside, no matter where we lived or traveled.  At our home in Texas, the deck that faced the canal had a gate, so Molly, Izzy, and Rufus could be off-leash out there, as long as they had human supervision.  When we moved to this home in Arizona, things changed.  Sadly, Rufus passed not long after we moved here, but he did walk around the neighborhood on his leash before his passing.  Murphy learned to walk on a leash, but we soon discovered that the wall contained him, and we allowed him to be off-leash; but we are always out there with him.

As he has grown and discovered his "cat super-powers," a 6 foot block wall isn't that much of a barrier... he can leap to the top of that with hardly any effort.  That is a concern.  Also on the other side of our walls: the occasional coyote and fox.  The big concern is that he might go "up and over."  So far, that has only happened a couple times, and only on the wall that faces the street in front of our house... we can quickly open the gate or go through the house and out the front door to scoop him up and keep him safe.

This past week, he has gone to the southwest corner of the wall: once with Joan and this morning with me.  He hasn't gone over that wall to the other side.  Realistically, Murphy is not a flight risk.  While he thinks of himself as an apex predator, the furry boy has a soft life: 4 meals a day, lots of human loving, plenty of toys, and his own chair by the glass door so he can be looking out.  Could he make it "out there" on his own?  I doubt it.  I think he knows that, too.  But, it is up to his human family to make sure he never has to find out.  If he were to go over that wall to the southwest, it would take us time to get around to herd him back.  And this boy is fast - easily the most athletic and fastest runner of any of our cats.  Rufus was a linebacker; Murphy is a running back.

So, what to do with the boy when he gets rambunctious outside?  This...

 That is Murphy's catio.  It is 4 levels, with ramps, padded places to sleep, and 360º views.  It is on wheels, and easy to roll in and out of the shed.  Murphy seems quite content in there, and it is handy to have him in there if we are outside, but not able to keep an eye on him 100% of the time.

 I was sitting right beside the catio when I took those photos this morning.  So, we still get our together time, but I don't have to watch him like a hawk.

Murphy can do the whole leash thing, but since it hasn't been "mandatory" while in our courtyard, he is not as keen on that as his predecessors.  He does not go to the door and wait to have his harness put on like Rufus and Izzy used to do.  On the flip side, Murphy understands "Let's go home," and will head right for the door... about 62% of the time.  ;-)

 

A visit from the neighbor...

 

Our next door neighbor came around into our yard this morning.  Joan, Murphy, and I were out there enjoying the gorgeous Sunday morning.  I haven't played the Aeroband guitar in a while, so I had that out there with us; Joan and Murph enjoy their private concerts.

Anyway, back to the neighbor: as she walked up, she said, "I could hear someone playing loud rock 'n roll music - I figured it would be you."  Of course, she was kidding - I was playing quiet rock 'n roll music.  I was enjoying switching the sound modes on the Aeroband, mostly between nylon acoustic guitar and piano.

We invited the neighbor to sit down and visit with us.  She seems nice enough... talked about her dog a bunch and a bit about her 3 cats.  She didn't make near enough fuss about Murphy, which is something we expect of guests in our home.  Or on our patio.

"You let neighbors just walk into your yard?"  No.  But, this one is different.  Yes, I'm talking about Steph.  We love having her and Dan as our neighbors.  As happens frequently, the talk turns to the care and feeding of their cats.  Something I do from time to time.  All this time, I thought Steph lobbied for us to move her because she wants to see us on a generally daily basis.  Apparently, it was also to have a convenient cat(s) care-giver.

Kidding, as usual.  We do for each other.  It was nice to sit and visit.

 

Declared...

 

Joan declared our household a "No HOA business zone" for the weekend...

 Good call.  

On this day in history...

 

... nothing happened.

I got this message when checking the "Facebook Memories" today...

 Not sure if that means I made no posts on November 7th for the past 15 years, or if Facebook is having an issue pulling them up.  It has been kinda fun looking back and seeing where we were and what were were doing in the past.

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HOA Board Meeting...

Yep, the board meeting was last night.  It was even more of a fiasco than usual: one board member had to be muted because she was screaming over anyone else who had the floor and actually used an expletive (F*** you!) when I told her someone else had the floor.  And then, she lied about saying it.  Fortunately, a homeowner was videoing the meeting.  There will be some action taken.  

It is disheartening that people have to behave this way.  There is a lot more to it than I will go into here, but there is a pattern of behavior with this board member; but last night was the worst.  I heard from homeowners after the meeting regarding this person.  They want her removed from the board so we can get through a meeting without all the rancor. 

 

Good Day For A Ride...

 

I wasn't the only one who thought so...

 It was around 70º when I left the house this morning - SO nice!  I took my small Insta360 Go3s camera along.  Even though it is in the company name, this camera isn't a 360.  To start, I had it mounted on my helmet.  It is small - about the size of your thumb, although it does have a slightly larger "docking" mount that makes it look more like a typical action camera.  Instead of using the screen on that mount, I used my phone to control the camera (you can see it in that lower image above).

I do like the twisty roads...

 Things are still pretty green around here, thanks to that big rain 3 weeks ago; check out the vibrant green on the ocotillo...

 I swapped the camera to a mount on my mirror, but this lens is a bit "longer" so it crops in a bit closer...

 Just enjoying the ride - and, another wave...

 Good for the soul.  I can use that - I have another HOA board meeting this evening.

 

Desert Sunset...

 

I think it's safe.  (Looking side to side.)  We may be beyond the 90º mark for daytime highs here in the desert; for today's date, the average daytime high is 81º.  The high today is supposed to be around 85º.  If you live in the frozen northland, that sounds hot.  Here in the desert, most residents find that delightful.  I would be one of those.

It was 55º when I took Murphy out this morning, shortly after 6:00 am.  Yes, I had on a "winter jacket."  I have acclimated.  Joan tells me that next week, we will see some daytime highs in the 70s.  I may need a sweater.  ;-)

Since we had the the big rain 3 weeks ago, it has been dry here.  There have been some pretty sunsets...

 And, a moon-rise (shot with my iPhone)...

 Not the detail I get with my Sony mirrorless camera, but you can see some color in the sky.

I may go for a motorcycle (or scooter) ride today... I have to let it warm up a bit.  Nice change of pace.  ;-)