03/26/2020

It has been another beautiful day here in the desert. After spending most of yesterday feeling down and worried about my mom, it felt good to be a little more cheerful today. I felt better knowing that I was able to get a doctors appointment scheduled for her on Monday and had transportation arranged to get her there.

Instead of reading corona virus news, I popped on line to see what my pal Pluto had to say today and watch a fun video posted by singer songwriter Sheryl Crow.

So here is how day seven of our sheltering in place went…

• Wally and I walked the resort in search of pretty flora and fauna. We haven’t left the “compound”since Sunday but if we mix up our routes here inside the walls of our pretty oasis we can see something different almost everyday. I have been checking this little beauty in the photo below for the past few days and was rewarded with this gorgeous flower today. Our walking route took us through the orchard where an acre of fruit trees ring the wall of our property. We were super excited to discover three mexican limes trees nestled in with the orange, grapefruit, lemon and tangerine trees.

• We sat outside and enjoyed our lunch on the patio again today.

• A unexpected wine delivery showed up today. I know, you must think we have a serious wine consumption problem. Yes, congratulations … that is a very fair assumption. The shipment was from one of our very favorite wineries in Walla Walla Washington – Isenhower Cellars. We have been wine club members for years, since the first time we met the winemaker/founder/owner Brett Isenhower at a wine event in our small town of Lake Oswego. His luscious rich reds caught our attention and his beautiful family run winery kept us coming back for more.

• Wally and I went on a golf cart scavenger hunt here in the resort which was organized by our very fun friends Cindy and Jill. It was the perfect activity that people could all do but not gather in a group or worry about social distancing. We stopped by and got the list from Cindy, who sat at the edge of her driveway. Then we were off, zooming around the resort trying to creatively fulfill the list and photograph ourselves in action. Everyone had four hours to complete the hunt and post our top three photos on a community FB site. Yes, there were drinks involved… no harm, no foul …drinking and driving within the walls of the compound isnt a party foul. Here are the top three favorites with the categories explained:

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• Celebrated our friends John and Kristen’s 26th anniversary. Warning: There was no social distancing observed. The four of us have been very, very careful about our exposure and honestly had spent so much time together prior to the shelter in place order that we all agreed that we were comfortable with our risk/exposure going forward. So, since we couldn’t go out on the town and celebrate, the next best thing would be to cook together and play a kick ass game of Five Crowns. We broke out some very nice wine, did a build your own burger bar featuring grass fed, organic beef, caramelized onions, green chilies, chipotle mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado. Kristen did her delicious air fryer garlic fries and I kicked in a southwest salad. I am sad to report that the only ass that got kicked in cards was mine….

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• Wrote this blog post and edited pictures.

• Frig is not quite as full… The salad and smoothie fixings are getting thin…but I have crab from our summer harvest on the menu tomorrow. We are grateful to be healthy. So far, so good for day seven. Hope all of you are healthy, sane and have had a good day as well.

03/25/20

I have always loved the movie Groundhog Day…seen it dozens, okay many times. It makes me laugh every time I see it and wonder what would I do if there were no consequences for my actions and everyday was a new chance to do what ever I wanted. In case you haven’t seen it, it perfectly fits these unprecedented times. So here we go…

Weatherman Phil Connors reassures Pittsburgh viewers that an approaching blizzard will miss Western Pennsylvania. He goes with news producer Rita Hanson and cameraman Larry to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the Groundhog Day festivities, which he has done for several years. Phil makes no secret of his contempt for the assignment, the small town, and the “hicks” who live there.

The next day, Phil awakens at his Punxsutawney bed and breakfast to Sonny & Cher‘s “I Got You Babe” on the clock radio. He tapes a half-hearted report on Punxsutawney Phil and the town’s festivities. Rita wants to stay and cover other events, but Phil wants to return to Pittsburgh. The blizzard blankets the region in snow, stranding them in Punxsutawney. Phil shuns the celebrations and retires to bed early.

Phil wakes to “I Got You Babe” and the same DJ banter on the radio, and discovers the day’s events repeating exactly. Phil relives the day and returns to bed, assuming it was a dream, but it is still Groundhog Day when he wakes again: he is trapped in a time loop that no one else is aware of. Realizing there are no consequences for his actions, he spends the first several loops indulging in binge eating and drinking, one-night stands, robbery, and reckless driving. After spending several loops trying and failing to court Rita, he becomes depressed and desperate for a solution to end the loop. He tries numerous times to commit suicide, including going so far as to kidnap Punxsutawney Phil and drive off a cliff with him, but he continuously wakes up to “I Got You Babe” on the radio.

Phil tries to explain his situation to Rita, for whom he has feelings, by accurately predicting the day’s events. Rita sympathizes, and they spend the entirety of one loop together, but Phil wakes up alone as usual. He decides to use his knowledge of the day’s events to better himself and the lives of others; he learns how to play the piano, sculpt ice, and speak French, but is unable to save a homeless man, who dies regardless of his actions.

During one loop, Phil enthusiastically reports the Groundhog Day festivities, amazing Rita. They spend the rest of the day together, and Phil impresses her with his apparent overnight transformation and charitable deeds. She successfully bids for Phil at a charity bachelor auction. Phil makes an ice sculpture of Rita’s face, and tells her that no matter what happens, even if he is doomed to continue awakening alone each morning forever, he wants her to know that he is finally happy, because he loves her. They retire together to Phil’s lodgings. Phil wakes to “I Got You Babe” again, but finds Rita is still in bed with him and the radio banter is different; he has escaped the time loop. He tells Rita he wants to live together with her in Punxsutawney.

So here is how day six of our sheltering in place went…

So I woke up today, hearing “I got you Babe”. And you know what, I wasn’t laughing. I serious want this pan epidemic to be over, I want people to stop dying and I really want our joke of a president to actually say something that will reassure me that this is going to stop and I won’t be hearing “I got you Babe“ every morning for eternity.

Yep, there are consequences for all of our actions…

03/24/2020

This mornings news was a complete dichotomy…

India joins coronavirus lockdown, while WHO warns US’s escalating outbreak could become next global epicentre for COVID-19. Oh, and the POTUS wants churches full for Easter. All of this and more while US hospital are crying out for basic necessities like face masks and gloves. WTF…yes, WTF…I should have just stayed in bed with the pillow over my head. It worked so well for me yesterday.

I guess I wake up hopeful, like many humans and take a look at what’s new in the world. Looking for a glimmer of something that brings a bit of hope into this bleak situation. Thankfully those little glimmers of hope are out there…not so much at the political level but at the everyday human level. Loved this story about another restauranteur helping feed the staff at local hospitals while being closed down indefinitely.

So here is how day four of our sheltering in place went…

• Walked the resort again with my friend Kristen. Its a bit like a ghost town around here with so many empty lots or shuttered up rigs. That said, it is still a beautiful ghost town with flowering bougainville, bright blue skies, citrus trees loaded with fruit and blooming desertscape.

• Went on a fruit run around the resort in the golf cart with my walking pal. Meyers lemons, ruby grapefruit, oranges and tangerines filled our baskets and bags. The picture above is own lemon tree which is loaded too. There is going to be some serious juicing over the next few days and one thing is certain… there will be no scurvy here matey… argh….!!!

• Made a nice chopped salad and ate outside on the patio with Wally while Bentley entertained us. Not sure why but our crazy mutt loves playing with lemons. If he sees them sitting on the table, he will whine until we roll one his way. Then he gets silly… play bowing, growling, nose bumping and jumping on the poor defenseless lemon. Then he picks it up, carries it around, nibbles on it and makes funny faces. The best part is he is smiling and has lemony fresh breath after all that!

• Did laundry…need I say more. Yawn…

• Wally worked on little projects around the coach.

• Chatted with my Mom the phone. Got her grocery and necessities list, then spent a frustrating hour and a half trying to find the things she wants online. I use the Instacart App to do her grocery shopping and was amazed I could get her order delivered the same day in Mesa Az. Here in the Coachella Valley it is next to impossible to get anything delivered.

• Had a glass or two of wine with friends on our patio, okay, there may have been a couple of bottles involved but these are stressful times. Yes, we did sit six feet apart, had separate bottles, glasses and appetizers. I bleach cleaned everything before and after …

• Ordered take out sushi with our friends John and Kristen. Love our local Otori Japanese restaurant and gladly support them while they struggle to stay open.

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• Wrote this blog post and edited pictures.

• Frig is still full…not sure what I am making for dinner tomorrow…but its gotta included some of the fresh veggies that I should have used for dinner tonight. Another uneventful day…so far, so good for day four. Hope all of you are healthy and sane…I love hearing from everyone so please leave a comment and let us know how you are surviving in these crazy times.

03/23/2020

Monday started off on a high note by a knock on the door at 8 am. By our standards that is early and no one who knows us well would come a knockin. So as I lay there in a groggy but now almost awake state, Wally jumped up and threw on some clothes…well, I think he did but I was still buried under my pillow! I was still there under my pillow when he crawled back in mumbling “delivery”. High note… it was a wine delivery!!!!

What, now that is good news! We frequent, both in person and online at a really great wine shop in sleepy Anacortes Washington. Doug, who is one of the owners/founders of Compass Wines has an incredible palate and a equally incredible marketing talent. We received frequent emails like the one below:

“Technically, I know this is wrong, but it sure tastes like it. The White Burg we ran a couple weeks back was literally sold out before we opened the doors that day, so here is a bit of a solace for those who missed out. This one comes not from Burgundy, but rather, Piedmont. The land of Nebbiolo (Langhe, in this case) is also a great growing medium for Chardonnay. Bright an mineral driven, with green apple and pear, lemon rind and just a kiss of flinty smoke. Beautifully balanced and much more complex and sophisticated than the price would dictate. We bought every bottle imported into the state, and that was just shy of 20 cases. At this price, I would jump on that mouse ASAP.“

Ca’ Del Baio Luna D’Agosto Langhe  – Chardonnay 2018 $12.99

Yep, I jumped on that mouse for sure and this little gem was one of three cases of white wine we had waiting for us in Ancortes. Normally we would just pick up everything when we roll back in to Anacortes but given the current state of affairs, it seemed prudent to have them shipped to us in California. I can do without TP but no wine…that is a horrifying prospect. Thanks Compass Wines – you were the high note of the day!!!!

So here is how day four of our sheltering in place went…

• Walked the resort with my friend Kristen. Luckily our interior roads have very little traffic so we are able to stay six feet apart, still yak and get in about 3 miles! I love the smell of the citrus tree blossoms especially after it rains which it did last night.

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• Wally took Bentley to the desert for a run. Bentley doesn’t care to hike anymore or go on long boring walks but instead prefers to run with wild abandon, chase bunnies, vistit with his old man crow who drops in during their walks and carry a stick around in his mouth. There are huge tracts of land on the edge of Cathedral City where a man and his dog can walk without ever seeing another human.

• Spent a couple of hours unpacking and bleach wiping three cases of wine. This virus puts a whole new meaning to “bottle flu”! We have one cabinet in the coach where we store wine and it holds about three cases of wine, some beers and hard cider. I also have another hidey hole under the sectional couch that I store all kinds things like seltzer water, cases of black beans (post apocalypse), more beer and now more wine.

• Attended a teleconference Board of Trustees meeting for our community. Since the Governor’s shelter in place order, the board has had to make some tough decisions about how to continue the operations of the community while balancing the safety of our staff. Club houses, events, the hair salon, the poolside coffee bar, the Bar, satellite pool restrooms…all closed. Essential services remain as does our access to sports courts and the golf courses. I know, all first world problems is what you are thinking but these types of decisions are happening all around the world. Peoples livelyhoods are hanging in the balance. We are personally grateful to be in this community right now and the remaining owners would be happy to do whatever it takes to keep our little oasis functional.

• Played three kick-ass games of pickleball. Bleach wiped all the equipment and the chairs I sat in – which were 6 feet from the other players FYI.

• Had a glass or two of wine with friends on our patio as yes, wait for it, we sat 6 feet apart.

• Chatted with a girl friend in Mexico. Our counties are going through very similar poor Presidential crisis leadership. Seems their State Governors are left to make all the decisions as well and plead for resources.

• Fixed carne asada tacos, black beans (cause we got a case of them) and a spicy southwest slaw for dinner.

• Wrote this blog post and edited pictures.

• Frig is still full…not sure what I am making for dinner tomorrow…but its gotta included some of the fresh veggies we have stockpiled. By far our most mellow day but so far, so good for day four. Hope all of you are healthy and sane…I love hearing from everyone so please leave a comment and let us know how you are surviving in these crazy times.