Thunder and Rain here in Vegas

Woke up to a rumble this morning - Oh thunder. Looked outside it was raining. [On reflection I think it was an airplane I heard as I haven’t heard anything since I got up.] But it is definitely raining. Not pouring just dripping. Make a liar of me - just thundered! Only supposed to reach 75 today with lows in the 60s tonight. In fact there might be snow on Mount Charleston. But can’t get too excited - by Friday back up in the mid 90s.

Funny what little things put glitches in everyday activities. Because we have a Verizon home phone we don’t get a phone book - actually does anybody get them any more? We did in Indiana but we had ATT there. So many things I go to look up - don’t have a book - have to go on-line. I still prefer the book. Showing my age.

Also showed it the other day at a car dealer. We went to look at new cars - they come with so much stuff - stuff we’d never use but you have to pay for. Most of the ones we looked at were in the high $30 - low $40K range. My gosh our first house cost a lot less than that. The paint job was $500 extra, the chrome wheels added more to the price, the Bluetooth and sirrus radio, big screen for back up camera…really I don’t want any of that. Oh but they come with the car. Well if they “come” with the car don’t charge me extra for them. I don’t remember the last time we had the radio on in the car. I sure don’t need Sirrus. And all the things that light up and make noises if another vehicle gets next to you. Hello - be a defensive and aware driver. If someone who just started driving with all these things gets into an old car - LOOK OUT! Am I getting unreasonable in my old age? We have decided we will keep our old and comfortable cars that don’t hiss and beep at us.

We’ve been missing some small things but think we’ve found them all now - they were in the basement compartments of the Alfa. Got a bunch of boxes out of it the other day. Just like Christmas.

The weather cleared in Delaware so I got to watch all my races over the weekend. Only seven more to go and the season will be over.

Discovered our oven cooks HOT, really HOT. Set at 300 - thermometer reads over 400! That needs to be fixed. Got directions from the Internet so will try it - otherwise will have to call Hotpoint dealer - oops - forgot don’t have a phonebook to look one up. I know, I know - look on-line.

Today will be spent mostly on computer getting a lot of business taken care of. Setting up accounts, checking budget and straightening out files. Things I’ve been putting off doing but want to have finished before Thursday.

As for Thursday - several people have asked about the up coming surgery. It is related to the infections and pain I’ve been having the last couple of years. I waited until we were back in Vegas to have it done. The Doctor here is the one who did the two final surgeries on me for a related problem eight years ago. He had to correct problems two other doctors made in the process of three surgeries. That was a mess - five surgeries in 12 months, three different doctors and five different hospitals. So I am a little leery of going “under the knife.” I didn’t mention that the first doctor with the first surgery almost managed to kill me. He nicked a vein and I would have bled to death if the nurses hadn’t pulled another doctor out of another operation room to come help. As it was I got 8 units of blood. In the past…

So anyway best get busy doing something productive. 

Cactus, jewelry and sales. Oh My!

Just wanted to share some pictures from the Ethel M Chocolate cactus garden. I love the plants. So much life in the desert. 

 I want to plant some of these plants with the orange flowers around our yard. Maybe in the Spring. They bloom for a long time. 

 A tiny bit of color in the desert

 For those of you who have been to Baja a Boojum Tree. Doesn't seem to be doing too good here in Vegas. 

I took a lot of pictures but liked these the best. 
I continue to work diligently on my web page. Have discovered a lot of things that have to be fixed. How did it get so messed up? Links don't work, pages won't load...ugh! Going to finish up a few new additions today and then leave the real cleaning up for my recovery time. Won't be able to do anything but sit around then for a while. 
The park where we live is having a giant yard sale on the 17th - think we'll put some things out that we brought and aren't going to use.  And then the 5th of December there is a Craft and Bake sale. I've already reserved a table. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of sell some stuff then. [jewelry, leather work,books]
Much to our surprise in September we sold 6 of our All The Way to Argentina books on Amazon. Our biggest sale month ever! 
Bill is watching a soccer game but I don't think I'll be watching much NASCAR for a few days. Horrible weather in Dover. Although there is a truck race tonight - from here in Vegas. 

Something to write about today

Today I have something to write about! First off the weather is great only in the high 80s today and getting cooler every day for a while. And this morning was the second morning we went walking around the park. Need to keep that up.
This is a little bunny sitting in the back yard. The back yard consists of rocks and three trees. Gotta love Las Vegas landscaping - no upkeep. 

Kind of different from what we had in Indiana. The animals were bigger there too. 

We had errands to run this morning - which didn't turn out the way we expected them to - but that's a different story. We were over in the Green Valley part of Henderson and saw these guys next to the highway. Took me a minute to realize they weren't real. So lifelike. 

And these guys were across the street. I love unexpectedly finding stuff like this. 

Bill hand an appointment with an eye doctor and when we got there they said they didn't accept our insurance - what? So good bye. Will find another one. On the way home we came upon the Ethel M Chocolate factory. We've been there before - especially around Christmas when they decorate their whole cactus garden. But decided to stop anyway. 

As we got there a tourist bus was leaving and another one didn't arrive until we were leaving. Yah! Just as you enter the tourist area. This in front of the cactus garden. 

Inside the factory, it was too busy today. But they were working on VALENTINE candy. All ready?

Some of the Valentine heart shaped candy - here it is tipped up and dumped out of the molds on to the conveyor belt on the left.

The candy moving down the line. Notice it separates into groups.

Oops what happened here? Only two candies in this section. 

Remind you of Lucy and Ethel? These ladies take the candy and put it in the Valentine boxes. 

Then of course we got a free sample and then into the sales room. Did I buy anything? What do you think. Yes I did. I got some "Spirit Chocolates" All different kinds of liquors in barrels. And as the cashier rung the sale up she put an ice pack in the bag with the candies to keep them from melting. How neat is that? The ice pack is the thing on the left. 

Quote "The Spirit Chocolates use crème beaters to individually blend rum, bourbon, amaretto, Irish Crème, coffee liqueur and orange liqueur into a creamy filling, then pour it into the decadent milk and dark chocolate shells for an intoxicatingly sweet chocolate treat." Unquote. Sounds good huh? I haven't had one yet. Waiting until after dinner. 
Took some pictures in the cactus garden but haven't sorted them yet. 
Usually today I would have spent watching NASCAR practice and qualifying - but it is in Dover, Del this week - and the track is under water. Doesn't look good for tomorrow or Sunday either. 

Quiet days at last

A new month already! September just flew by. And today here in Vegas it is ONLY supposed to be 96 for the high. And by next week the highs will be in the low 80s - and maybe - high 70s. But don’t imagine that will last long.

We had company for dinner last night - our first! Our son and daughter-in-law came over. Really nice evening. Bill fixed Milanese and I fixed the rest of the meal. Sent some Milanese home with them for today.

Not much else going on. Been working on the jewelry web pages. Adding all the stuff that used to be on it but somehow managed to disappear. Just a few of the ones that had to be added. 

Having a terrible time remembering how to do things. Lots of links and ways to set things up. Then discovered a lot of the PayPal buttons I put in before had wrong info on them. So will have to redo them too. Probably when I’m recuperating and not able to do much. 

Finally saw The Doctor and am scheduled for surgery on the 8th. Surprised that it is that soon. It took me two months just to see The Doctor.

Other than that not much else going on around here.