Some Assembly Required...

 

Yeah, I'm kidding - a bunch of assembly required.  And, we were totally good with that.

Are you writing about furniture?  Music, scoots and motorcycles, cats and more cats, RVing, boating, fun (?) summer jobs... and, you're writing about furniture?  Not just regular ol' furniture, but patio furniture?

Well, yeah.  Because like all of that stuff, it's something Joan and I do together.  Getting new patio furniture was Joan's idea, but I was onboard right away - the stuff we bought when we first moved into this house was nice, but the sun and heat really took a toll on it.  Joan made covers for the arms and back of the chairs and the couch to try to get it to last a bit longer.  But, it wasn't going to make it.

We shopped around for furniture, but couldn't find exactly what we wanted.  Together, we decided that it needed to be that HDPE stuff.  But, with comfortable cushions.  She found exactly what we were looking for on-line... for less than half of what we expected to pay... but, we had to put it together ourselves.

For full disclosure, Joan got us a chair (HDPE) to match our tall table and chairs, and two Adirondack chairs for Steph and Dan (also HDPE) that she put together on her own at times while I was making music with the guys.  I'm here to participate this time.

  That's what the first chair looked like; but with the cushions from the old plastic wicker, which are nicer than what this new furniture came with.  Probably.  Those new cushions were vacuum sealed and flat as a pancake - the instructions say to let it "air up" for at least 24 hours.  So, we'll see.

Here's what the old furniture looked like...

 We worked on that first chair together, then Joan took one while I took another...

 Before taking on assembling the couch, we took a break for lunch.  Joan surprised me with requesting...

 Yep, a bit of nostalgia: Whataburger.  We talked a bit about our time in Texas.  I have stronger feelings for it than she does.

Then, back to work...

 

 And, the final result... 

 I think it looks good, it is comfortable, and there is no doubt it will hold up better than the old stuff.

And, we're coming in to the cooler season, so we'll get to spend more time out there.

 --------

One more "project" to get done today: we bought some solar lights a couple months ago, to hang under the pergola.  It has been too hot to mess with that.  Until now.  Joan did the ladder work, I was ground support.  We knocked that anticipated hour-long job out in just over 3 hours.  A lot of measuring and maneuvering to get 42' of lights to look symmetric on a 12x24' pergola...

 Tomorrow is "bulk trash" day in our community, so we got all the old patio furniture and some other stuff out to the curb.  The patio is looking good.

 

Two Sleeps...

 

Not to be confused with Ten Sleep, which is a small community in Wyoming.

This morning, while feeding and giving meds to Steph and Dan's kitties, I told them, "Your Mom and Dad will be home in two sleeps."  They were excited.  Tango said, "I can't wait to jump into their arms."  Tasha said, "I'll probably ignore them to show how much I missed them."  Alfie said, "I'll probably poop by the front door - they like that."  In the words of my friend, Earl: "Cats are weird."

Late yesterday afternoon, the new patio furniture arrived.  Not like what we've bought from American Furniture Warehouse, where it shows up assembled - Joan ordered this from Amazon...

 Three heavy boxes.  HDPE sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table.  Some assembly required... and by "some," I mean every bit of it.  This will replace the patio furniture we bought 3 years ago that has disintegrated in the sun and heat.  That stuff will go out Monday in our community bulk trash pick up.  That's why we went with the HDPE stuff.  American Furniture Warehouse didn't have this in a low patio set, so Joan looked around.

We have a tall outdoor table and chairs made from the HDPE stuff, and it has held up well in the brutal sun here.  So, we have some work ahead of us.  The HDPE is also known as Polywood - the composite material does not rot, crack, splinter, peel, or rust.  Just the thing for here in the desert.

While taking Murphy outside this morning, I got a notice that my Meta Smart Glasses need an update.  Easy enough: press a button in the app on my phone and the rest happens without any further input.  Both pair were due...

 Besides being "smart," they are both good sunglasses.  The pair I have on in the photo above are Oakleys.  The other pair have transition lenses, which go from clear to tinted in the sunlight.  

 

Brazilian...

 

Tell me you didn't wax... um... anything, Jim.

OK, I didn't wax anything.  Nor did I shave... um... anything.  Joan is the one that brought up Brazilian.  "So, how do you feel about Brazilian?"  I will not confirm nor deny anyone else in the family waxing or shaving... um... anything.

She was talking about a Brazilian steakhouse.  As in: they keep bringing different kinds of meats to your table... until you explode or develop the meat sweats.  They bring freshly grilled meat on a skewer to your table and carve you off a piece.  You have what looks like a drink coaster that is red on one side and green on the other side.  As long as you leave that the green side up, they will continue coming to your table to see if you'd like to try... beef (lots of beef), lamb, pork, and chicken.  There is also a large buffet setting where you help yourself to salads, fruit, sides (like potatoes, rice, Brazilian Stroganoff, lobster bisque, and probably some other stuff I missed.

This was a birthday celebration meal.  Yes, someone in our family is having a birthday today, but this Brazilian meat extravaganza was yesterday, because we need to be around the house today.  Our first time at this steakhouse, Gelato Brazilian Steakhouse, in Chandler...

 

 The meal was great, the atmosphere nice, and the service excellent.  I can't say we wanted for anything.  An expensive lunch, and well-worth it.  Our reservation was 1:00 pm and we were there for about an hour and 15 minutes.  To top off the meal, we ordered deserts.  Also tasty.  And no need for supper.

Of course, they are open for supper, but being little old people (not because of anyone's birthday), we tend to do our main meal of the day for lunch.

--------

Way to bury the lead, Jim.  Yes, today is my Honey's birthday.  The grandkitties sang her Happy Birthday, after they had breakfast, of course.  We both say that we don't want any fuss on our birthdays, but it is nice to have a little fuss.

So Many Kitties...

 

You have seen me write: "Two; seems like a lot more."  While kitty-sitting the 3 grandcats, it is: "5 - who can keep track??"

We're all doing fine.  I send Steph a kitty update every morning, after their 3 get breakfast.  With Steph and Dan in Portugal, they are 8 hours behind us for the time zones.  So, no evening update.

Here are the photos from this morning's update...

That is Tasha above.  Alfie below, patiently awaiting his morning meds...

 Where's Tango?  I'm getting there.  He was shy this morning, so I didn't get a photo of him during the feeding/meds process.  He was visiting last night with our "open door policy" while Steph and Dan are gone...

 He and Stella are getting along fine...

 Alfie was checking out one of the towers at our place...

 He said, "I think this used to be mine."  He is right - it was a hand me down when Steph got a new tower.  Joan refurbished this one, and Murphy and Stella both use it.

I sent all those photos to Steph, along with this PS: "Some discussion about going out in the van this weekend.  Tasha wants to stay at a resort with a pool; apparently she ordered a new swimsuit from Amazon.  Alfie and Tango want to go hiking.  Our two want to just chill, since they have spent a lot of time entertaining the neighbor-cousins.  I told them “We’ll see.”  Nothing firm as of right now."

Yes, that is bullshit.  I just like to keep Steph entertained.  She also sends me a daily update, letting us know what they are doing.  Sounds like they are having a good time on their vacation.  She did respond to my latest update with: "2 humans, 5 cats in a van…what could go wrong?! 🫣"

We are at the halfway point in this kitty sitting.  Seems like it has been longer than that. 

--------

Here's Steph's latest update:

"We are now at our second location. The train ride was fun; felt very European! We are settled in at the resort and it is stunningly beautiful on the ocean! The first hotel was city swanky and this new one is resort swanky. We went to a restaurant on the beach and I ate the one item that wasn’t fish…chicken Caesar salad. Dan had fish and polenta cooked in fish juice! On top were more shelled and legged items from the ocean. I am certain you are making the same face I did when the server described it!! 🤣
Tomorrow at this time we should be back from our half day tour up the coast and I’ll have more fun fish stories to share. 
Love you all!!"

 

 

Check this out...

 

 It was 55º when I got up this morning.  After wrangling and feeding 5 cats, then getting morning pills for the humans laid out, it had gone up 3º by the time I got Murphy outside.  Sunny and near calm - it was glorious.  The high today is supposed to be 78º - such a welcome change after months of heat.

This is not meant to be just a weather report - getting outside when the temps are above 100º is downright unpleasant.  Potentially dangerous.  This change is refreshing.  Murph was enjoying it - he could lay in the sun instead of looking for shade.

Rehearsal today for 3 of the 4 Hip Replacements.  Podge is off gallivanting somewhere; won't be back until the day before our next gig.  We'll work on harmonies and song order today.  We're at Ron's house today, so it is an easy walk to lunch options.

--------

So, how is it going with all the kitties?  Thanks for asking.  On the bright side, they all get along.  The boys go back and forth between the two homes, the girls each stay in their respective house.  Last night, I mentioned to Joan that Tasha has a matte in her fur, on her back.  Tasha let Joan brush her; those two have a special connection.  Steph says the she gets bit when she tries to brush Tasha.  The grande dame (she is the biggest of all 5 cats) felt silky when Joan was done with her.  If we are feeling brave, we may try for brushing her belly tonight. 

Can You Tell?

 

Can you tell when your furry family member isn't happy?

I know what you're thinking: "You adore your cats.  You dote on them.  They get good food, great toys, and lots of human interaction."  All true.  We give them a good life and they pretty much get what they want.

Cats like routine.  And, this morning, the routine was off: Dad went next door and fed the neighbor cats first; and then, Murphy didn't get to go outside after he had breakfast.  No, I wasn't being derelict in my duties... I have been tasked with feeding our grandcats while Steph and Dan are vacationing in Portugal, and it was raining out.

Murphy's routine was off...

 Murph couldn't go outside because of the rain.  When the rain did stop, it was blustery out.  South Mountain was shrouded in the clouds...

After things dried up, somewhat, I did take the furry boy outside.  A wind gust hit him - big flinch...

 We walked to the neighbor's yard - Murph had to look in the patio door to see what his cousin-cats were doing...

 Nothing.  The neighbor cats were doing nothing.  That dark blob on the other side of the glass is Alfie, and he was sound asleep.  He likes to lay in the sun that generally comes in that glass door in the morning.  No sun.

Murph and I continued our walk - the pavers on the north side of the house weren't completely dry, yet...

 He is not dainty - water/wet doesn't bother him.  We walked back around to our patio.  Little Stella always waits for us by the patio door...

 She has no desire to be outside; she lived it as a kitten and likes the security and comfort of her house.  In the meantime, Murphy was happy to be outside...

 He is a happy boy, but that face doesn't look much different from his not-happy face.  ;-)

 Back inside, the next part of their routine, after going outside: Churu treats!  They are both happy.  Yeah, I can tell.

-------- 

 

--------

While Steph and Dan are gone, we are giving the grandcats access to our place, if they want to come visit...

 That's Stella in the foreground, Alfie and Tango in the back.  Yes, Alfie is in Stella's "travel condo" (it has a section that folds out); she is OK with sharing.

 --------

Murphy got some more outdoor time just before sunset...

 That was the sky looking to the west.  The clouds are breaking to the west; still solid to the east.  The overnight low is supposed to be 55º.  Now I believe fall is here.

 

Our Ears Are Ringing...

 

A concert last night: Molly Hatchet was the opening act, Mark Farner's American Band was the headliner.  It was loud.  Way louder than it needed to be.  I put in a set of personally formed earplugs and it was still way too loud.  I had offered to bring earplugs for Joan, but she declined.

To be fair, I didn't care to see Molly Hatchet.  They had some commercial success in the late 70s and early 80s.  Everything they played last night sounded the same.  Did I mention they were loud?  The sound was dominated by the extremely loud bass.  A wall of amps, which were unnecessary at the Celebrity Theater venue.  This venue is generally in the round, with a stage that rotates... they had over 1/3 of the seats blocked off with curtains, so not "in the round."  There were still plenty of empty seats.

Molly Hatchet...

 The only song I recognized was their last one: Flirting With Disaster.  On the bright side, they started on time (a first) and only played for an hour.  It took about 40 minutes to clear their equipment and reset the stage for Mark Farner - there was a sizeable crew working on all that.

Farner and his band were also loud.  Not as loud as Molly Hatchet, but still... loud.  Their bass player had a double amp, but everything else was run through the house PA.  Farner was using an amp smaller than my Deluxe Reverb: looked like a Princeton Reverb; it was miced, so it wasn't necessary to have anything bigger.

The mix was better with Farner, but the instruments could have been brought down to better feature the vocals.  All four band members did vocals, and all were good players.  Farner still has his guitar chops, but age has had some effect on his vocals.  Still, for a guy of 78 who has been playing hard since 1969, it wasn't bad...

 Mark Farner was one of the founders of the band Grand Funk Railroad.  He wrote over 90% of the bands' music.  He trusted Don Brewer, the band's drummer, with the business and legal dealings and signed over his rights for that management.  In a long standing dispute, Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher forced Farner out in 1998 and forbid him from using any mention of Grand Funk in his solo career.  Anyone who was aware of the band knew that Farner was the main force behind Grand Funk.  Grand Funk without Mark Farner would be like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.  (my opinion)  Brewer wrote We're An American Band, one of Grand Funk's biggest hits - that and Farner's decision to do some solo projects was the reason for the dispute and struggle for the leadership of the band.

We have seen Farner and this group before (about 10 years ago); haven't seen what's left of Grand Funk.

The crowd, as you'd expect, was older, but enthusiastic.  Like many of the performers there, Celebrity Theater is showing its age.  The seating is cramped compared to other venues we've experienced here in Phoenix.  But, it is unique with that rotating stage and it does provide a venue for acts that can't fill a stadium.  Seating is about 2,650 for in the round, closer to 1,400 when set for "stage forward."

We have seen other good bands there, like Styx, Chicago, and Leonid & Friends.  When Styx and Chicago played together (the Windy City Tour) earlier this summer, they did fill the Mortgage MatchUp Center.  It was clear last night that the majority of the crowd was there to see Farner, but Molly Hatchet did have their fans - and they were signing T-shirts and visiting with fans after their set.

But... loud.  My head hurts and my ears are still ringing this morning.  On the other bright side, it was fast and easy to get out of Celebrity's parking with the smaller crowd and a reasonably quick drive back home on a Sunday night.

--------

Open Door Policy...

This morning, we let the kitties wander between our two homes.  Murphy likes to go visit the neighbors.  Tango and Alfie will come over to our place - here's a cute image with Stella and Tango nose to nose...

 Alfie likes to look around to see if there is anything in Murphy and Stella's food bowls.  Tasha rarely comes to our place and Stella prefers to stay in her own home.  But, with Steph and Dan being gone, we like to make sure their kittes get some human interaction.

 

Bon Voyage...

 

We were scheduled to drive Steph and Dan to the airport at 8:00 this morning.  Just before 6:00, there was a knock on our door... Steph came in and told us that their first flight on Air Canada had been cancelled... they are about to head out for a week in Portugal.

Fortunately, their travel agent Shannon (who I served on the HOA board with) got things re-booked for them.  Instead of going through Toronto, they are going through Newark (New Jersey).  This plane leaves a bit earlier than their Air Canada flight so she asked if we could be ready to take them at 6:45.

"We got this."

We got Murphy and Stella fed, we cleaned up, got pills ready, and were 5 minutes early.

Wind and rain overnight, so we took a different surface road to avoid any potential road flooding.  Got them to the SkyTrain (tram on the airport that will take them to the departure gates), gave them hugs and said our good-byes, and they were off.

Joan and I stopped for breakfast at Black Bear Diner on the way home.  Being retired, we enjoy lounging in most mornings.  Up, morning chores done, cleaned up, provided airport limo service, breakfast... and we're back home before 8:15.  We may need a nap this afternoon. 

Zoom - Zoom...

If you said, "The tag line from Mazda commercials starting around 2000," you get 10 bonus points. If you added, "Mazda dropped that slogan in 2015 to go with 'Driving Matters' as a shift toward a more upscale, refined brand identity," you get an additional 5 bonus points. If you asked, "Does this have something to do with Zoom meetings?" - no; just a look back at how fast time has gone. Three years ago, we were leaving south Texas for the last time... it was the start of our trek west to become desert dwellers...

The images above are from the Facebook Memory from 3 years ago. Has it been a good move? Well, our lives are certainly different. We love being close to Steph and Dan. We have all the amenities (and frustrations) that come with living in the 5th largest city in the country. And the time has gone fast (zoom - zoom).

 -------- 

Tropical Storm Rachel... It has been in the Pacific, off Mexico's west coast of Baja - heading inland. This morning, we put away anything in the yard that could become "a missile". Rachel's track will be west of us, putting this area "on the dirty side." You can take the boy out of the Tropical Tip, but he's still going to keep an eye on that tropical weather.

We watched the sky darken early this afternoon - I would call that the outer bands of the tropical storm. The desert dwellers might call those first frontal gusts another "haboob"... the first of the wind gusts made our pergola shudder. Blowing dirt. And then the start of the rain. Little Stella is sitting by the patio door, keeping an eye on the weather...

Just as the rain is starting. Unlike the Tropical Tip, we don't have "storm surge" here - we have flash floods, because the hard desert ground can't absorb the rain.

Lists...

 

Steph and Dan are getting away soon, going to Portugal for their 25th Anniversary trip.  They have once again hired Captain Jim & the Blonde Cat Care Services to take care of Tasha, Alfie, and Tango.  This will be the longest duration of our services.

To prepare for this, Steph made out a list/flow chart of all the things we need to know: vet contacts, which cat gets which meds at what time, and a litter cleaning schedule for the 3 litter boxes.  Also, airport drop-off and pick-up limo services.

 

It's nice that they trust us with their fur babies.  And good for them that they have trustworthy help so close at hand.

Since we have changed Murphy and Stella to 3 meals per day, only the morning meals sync up for all the cats.  Looks like a full-time position for Joan and me for a while.  This is going to cut into our "leisurely retirement" lives. 

Sacrilege...

 

Definition: Sacrilege is the act of violating, disrespecting, misusing, or stealing something that is considered sacred, holy, or worthy of deep reverence.

Yeah, I did that today.  Pretty much.  I like my new PRS guitar.  Do I like it as much as my Emerald Virtuo?  Well, no.  But, it is the "new one," so it is getting plenty of playing time.  And, it cost about 1/6 of the Virtuo.

We had music at Mark's today, with the Brothers MIM.  This is more of a music get-together with friends than a rehearsal.  There is plenty of overlap with material that the Hip Replacements play, but we all take turns picking a song and occasionally toss in a new one.

We want to sound good, but I generally take just one guitar for this gathering.  And, today...

 That's the Emerald Flight Case.  And inside it...

 Yeah, the PRS.  They are close in size.  The PRS is a teensy bit wider at the left upper bout, but it fit snugly in the Emerald case.  The PRS came with a gig bag.  Now generally, I like gig bags.  Two of my Emeralds have gig bags.  They are more structured and have better protection than the PRS gig bag.  Not that the PRS gig bag is bad - it just isn't up to the standards that I've come to expect from my other gig bags; no neck support and no space around the tuning keys.  So, the PRS got to travel to Mark's in the Emerald case.  That will likely be a one off - the PRS and the Virtuo both came along on our last gig, and that will likely be the case on the next one.

Ron and I swapped on a couple songs today: I played the cajon and he played my guitar.  Afterwards, he thanked me and said, "That is a really nice guitar."

Yep.

 

Herd of Ponies...

 

Heard of ponies?  Of course, I've heard of ponies - they're like small horses.

No, that's "herd," as in a big bunch of 'em.

Our RoadTrek is compact - that's the whole idea behind a Class B campervan: you pay extra for the amenities built into the body of a more typical work, delivery, or passenger van.  You don't often find someone carrying livestock in a Class B campervan.  We certainly don't.

Until last night.  Murphy and Stella combined Friday Night Smackdown, equine steeplechase, and a demolition derby into one overnight event.  I had to sit up around 2:30 am to see what all the commotion was about... I was concerned that one of the kitties was being hurt.

It sounded like a herd of ponies stampeding across a wooden bridge. 

No one was being hurt; Murphy was at the foot of Joan's bed and Stella was running from the back of the van to the dash, performing parkour moves.  Each time Stella would bounce by Murphy, he would swat at her.  Occasionally she would jump onto the bed beside him and they rise up on their back legs in a "Clash of the Titans."  If it weren't for the fact that Joan and I were trying to sleep, it would have been entertaining to watch.  Maybe even sell to Pay-Per-View... people like to look at cats on the internet; I may on to something here.

If I can stay awake long enough to write up a proposal for the bigwigs in the entertainment industry.

This morning, all is quiet.  The kitties have had breakfast.  Joan has had her coffee and I have had my hot chocolate.  Little Stella is looking out the driver's window at the birds...

 --------

This outing was only planned for two nights out; so, ready to head for home this morning.  We put away our patio chairs, patio mat, table, and the catio.  I dumped holding tanks...

 Some people cringe when a discussion of dumping holding tanks comes up - one of my favorite things about the RoadTrek is the macerator pump.  The hose is built-in; pull it out and put it in the campsite sewer connection.  Pull the valve (first the black tank, then the gray), press the button and it empties the tank in seconds.  Literally.  Put the cap back on the sewer connection, put away the hose - done.  Easy.

Leaving the park, which is called Point of Rocks, you see even more of the big boulders along the road...

 A few minutes later, we were behind a big motorcoach.  Joan and I were talking about how easy things are with the RoadTrek.  The discussion moved to the bigger coaches we had in the past - two of which were from the same manufacturer: American Coach.  I told Joan, "If I win the lottery, I will get another big coach like that one..."

 She said, "We'd have to get another house so you'd have someplace to park it."

I said, "If I win the lottery, I will buy you a second house."

She said, "I am not moving back to humidity."

I said, "We could buy a house in Prescott.  Keep what we have in Phoenix.  You could go back and forth as you'd like.  And, the cats and I will have lots of room to run around in a bigger coach."

She said, "You are going to have to buy a lottery ticket."

There's always a catch.  ;-)

--------

We are home.  Kitties moved back in.  Stella is not sure if she can trust us to not whisk her away again.  Murph knows the procedure.  We unloaded the van, Joan cleaned inside, put stuff away in the house, fed the cats, put the RoadTrek back into storage, went out for lunch... and we were still back home before 2:45.

I think I may be able to talk Joan into more of these 2 to 3 day get-aways.  It is 100º here in Phoenix.  Going to Prescott and then up even higher in elevation for the drive to Jerome, and time on the "patio" outside the coach was a refreshing break.  Two hours away and delightfully cool.