Just Catching Up

                                     

Again it has been a while since posting. 

Time just gets away.  It seems like I’m always working or waiting to go back to work.  They have me scheduled for 21 hours.  That’s 3 hours short of the required 24.  Those hours are in the office, so the others are done on the decor team and those can be at any time or on any day.  I never know when or where until the last minute.  Any hours over  the 3, go towards the 72 that I couldn’t work when I broke my arm last November.  Not only the time goes by, but there doesn’t seem to be anything interesting to blog about.

Let’s see if I can come up with something……… Well, I did finally get a car, a 1999 Subaru Forester, however it sat for a few weeks while I tried to get insurance.  Unfortunately, those accidents that I had with the 5th wheel back in 2012 were making it difficult.  In addition to that my Physical Therapist didn’t think I was far enough along to drive yet.  That has changed.  I am now driving short distances to therapy, doctors’ visits and the store. 

My range of motion has improved, although the best is when the PT moves it.  Doing it on my own has a long way to go.  I try to use it as much as possible, but I don’t have much strength in the hand or arm.  The other thing that keeps me from blogging is the nerve issues since the surgery.  The Radial nerve is affecting the thumb and the first and second fingers, with numbness, pins and needles and a burning sensation. It also makes it a bit challenging to type, although it is getting a little easier.    What it all comes down to, is I do whatever I can as often as I can.  It will slowly get better.

Oh yea, there was a Carnival on a Saturday that I had to work.

                                

There were all kinds of adult games that the players would win carnival cash to use at the end for an auction.  The most popular game was the horse races.  That got really hectic, however the way that it was processed left a lot to be desired.  In the long run everyone had fun and it gave me an additional 4 1/2 hours.

Another thing that I do in the office, that I enjoy, is creating more flyers and signs. There are so many activities and the coordinators sometimes need to post these things.  Now that I have learned this program, I can add it onto my resume.

Last weekend my microwave died.  Kyle, my next door neighbor who works at Superstition RV in Apache Junction took a look at it and found a loose wire.  He put it back in the cabinet and during the week it died again, so I replaced it with one that is also a convection oven.  Now I have to learn that part of it and I think that it will be covered by insurance less my deductible.

                               

This afternoon there will be a Workampers’ potluck.  I will bring a slow cooker full of meatballs with barbeque sauce and grape jelly.  Yummy!!!

                               

I guess that I will finish this, as the arm and hand is getting tired.   I hope that you all are staying warm and enjoying this new year.

Thanks for visiting

Just sitting here waiting for Mom to get back from the neighbor’s.

Susan and Angel

How Long Has it Been Happy New Year !!!!!

 

Here it is, already a couple of weeks into 2014.  I’m still busy trying to catch up on my hours in the activity office and doing all the physical therapy that I need to do.  In comparison to my recovery from my shoulder replacement, this recovery is much harder.  Some of the exercises are the same, but harder, probably because of type of injury.  One of my therapists said that this one will take a long while time to recover from.  It doesn’t help that there is an issue with a nerve that effects my thumb and two fingers.  I think that if that wasn’t an issue it would be a bit easier.  Even using the computer is a bit difficult.  There was a New Year’s Eve Dance where it was an “All Hands On Deck”, meaning that everyone in activities had to work.  I spent the morning working and then came back to work the dinner/dance.  My position was at one of the beverage bars.

                        

                               Jody, Gary, Kerry, me and Jim

Here we are posing with Kerry, one of the managers.  The theme was Asian.

 

                            

                                  Me and Diana, the Activities Director

This past week or so I have been able to pick up a few more hours, some of them learning a new program on the computer.  Diana trained me on “Publisher”.  Charlie has been swamped with creating flyers and signs.  Last Friday I learned how to create and print table toppers to number the tables for the next dinner/dance.

  This is my first flyer.  Using the program is fun and more up to using my talents.

It has been quite chilly here this past week, nothing like the rest of the country, but still too cold for me.  I am glad that it is getting a bit warmer and will be glad when winter is over.  I hope that you all have a wonderful New Year and stay warm.

Thanks for visiting

I’m trying to keep warm too.

Susan and Angel

I’ve Been Busy and At Times Not, and MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

I must apologize to all my fellow bloggers.  I am still trying to catch up on reading blogs, as well as posting on my own.  I am finally back to work, although it is limited.  I am back in the office again, but I have less hours.  then again it seems that everyone has fewer hours.  We are told not to worry, as soon as the holidays are over, we will all be very busy. 

For the past three weeks I have been going to doctors appointments and have been cleared by Dr. Tani to be able to go back to work for light duty and to get rid of the sling.  There is no cast, just a titanium rod and screws to hold the bone together.  It is tiring with the therapy and exercises, but I need to use it.  He has prescribed Out Patient Therapy 2 or 3 times a week for 4 weeks.  Even though I know the types of exercises to do, I need to have my progress monitored.  The hard part is finding rides to get there.  I still haven’t found a car and Dr. Tani  has said that I can drive, but I still don’t think that I can drive a 5 speed yet, so I’m still searching.

Being back at work has been good.  it’s better to be around others, especially around the Holidays.  I have also been going to the Saturday night dances, if only for the music and fellowship.  There is a  Solo’s group that meets on Monday afternoons and then go out to dinner.  I’ve been once and it was enjoyable.  we’ll start up again after the Holidays. I have also been cleared to swim.

******************************************************************************************************

                                                  MERRY CHRISTMAS

*******************************************************************************************************

                                         

The last couple of weeks have been busy at work, getting ready for Christmas.  The above picture taken at a party at the park.

                           Some of the entertainers, all park residents.

This is one of the deliveries that I had to check in. (wine for one of the parties)

One of the parties was for all the workampers and this is the results of one of the games that we played.

Another game where pairs with hands tied together had to wrap presents is here.    

There was also a gift exchange / steal .  I ended up with a foot massager. 

                                My Spot II   all decked out for Christmas

                               

                                                        Outside

                                                        Inside

                          

                                                added presents

   Last night my family came over for Christmas Eve Dinner.  We exchanged gifts and then went to Church.

Today, we celebrated with a Christmas Potluck Dinner.  My contribution was the  decorations.

                 This is our workamper table, without and with the people.

                                                 There were 21 tables.

To all of you out there in blog land, I hope that you all had a wonderful time with family and/or friends.

                                           MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just Checking In

                              

It has been two weeks since the big TRIP.  I’m doing as well as can be expected.  I will see  Doctor Tani on Friday and I am hoping to get released for light duty.  I can only do passive exercises for now, but maybe he will let me do more.

To catch up on what I’ve been doing, I am trying to be a bit active.  Sometimes it is difficult.  I try to walk up to the clubhouse most days.  There is usually something going on.  Saturday and Sunday each of my daughter took turns taking me shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.

The Saturday after I fell, fellow bloggers, Sandy and Jim, invited me to go out for dinner and to attend a Neil Diamond Tribute. 

 

That’s their friend Rod on the left, then Jim, Sandy and me at the Texas Roadhouse. The dinner, company and show was great.  A big, belated THANK YOU to Sandy, Jim and Rod too.

Here’s a picture of some shufflers on the Shuffle Board Court that I took while waiting for the Post Office to open.

                          

For the Holiday I reserved a room in the clubhouse for our family dinner.

                               

There were eleven of us.  We had all the traditional dishes as well as few new ones that I tried, corn soufflé, candied carrots with balsamic vinegar, and roasted Brussell sprouts and red grapes.  Every one liked them all and I sent all the leftovers home with whomever wanted them.  A great time was had by all, even though we missed having Sandi, Mary, Charlie (in Ft. Worth) and Ted (in San Francisco). 

Later in the week my brother, Don and SIL, Pat came over for a visit.  They will be here in AZ for the winter.

                               

This is their first year as snowbirds.  Their home is in Sitka AK.  Don’s daughter, Pam and son, Dan, both live here in Valley.  I’m sure that we will see more of each other while here.

I think that I will close for now.  It has taken quite a while to write this post, one keystroke at time, so please forgive the length of time between posts.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that the rest of the Holidays are happy as well.

Thanks for visiting

I’m taking good care of Mom

Susan and Angel

More T&C Set Up and Take Down /// Had A Nice Trip

 

I finished the week and had  uneventful weekend,  On Monday I worked 7 hours setting up tables and chairs, decorating the tables for the monthly Birthday Luncheon with lots of balloons.

                                                               

        The special tables were for the Young A Heart Club, those that are 90 or older.

In the afternoon I took Angel  dog park.

There were too many dogs and was happy when we left. 

We still had to take down tables and chairs from the luncheon and set them up for Coffee and Donut for Tuesday morning.

Then there was Tuesday!!!!!!!!    I was on my way to the clubhouse and -------------------------

                            

Yep,” I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”,   I tripped on some uneven pavement and fell with enough force on my left shoulder to separate the long part of the bone from the round part of the bone,  Fortunately it was only a few minutes before someone came to help,  Toni, an retired RN kept me stable until the paramedics got there,  I was taken by ambulance to ER,  I called my daughters that live here in the valley and they both came to keep me company and wait to see what the prognosis was,

Now for the     TMI.    If you don’t want the gory details you can stop reading.

Before

The bone is a full inch away from where it should be.  I couldn’t have done a better job of breaking the Humerus if I tried. 

They waited for the orthopedic doctor to look at the x-rays.  The decision was made to keep me overnight and that night I would have to have surgery.

                                                                   After

That’s a titanium rod and screws holding the bone together and the incision is glued together so that I can shower. 

I’m doing fairly well considering.

Thanks for visiting

I can’t wait to get home to Mommy, although Brother Chris has been a great substitute.

Susan and Angel

Stripping, Reorganizing, More Lights and Changes

   I decided that I no longer wanted to have a cowboy themed decor, which was throughout the whole coach.  It was “cute”, but not really “me”. so I proceeded to Strip the wallpaper border off the walls in the living room, kitchen and the bathroom.  Getting the border off wasn’t too difficult, however in the kitchen and the bathroom they used a strip of double adhesive under the wallpaper border that IS difficult to remove.  So I will continue to work on removing that. 

There is a smaller border in the bedroom near the ceiling that I can live with for a while longer.  I believe that removing the wide, colorful border has resulted in a feeling of more openness.

                            

                                    That’s the pool behind the fence.

Sunday I finally made it to the pool.  My intention was to do a few laps, however I don’t think that my arm is ready for that.  I can do the motion, but will take it easy for a while  to strengthen it.  I spent about an hour just moving it in the water, doing different strokes in the water, but not out of the water , as that is the part that still hurts a little.  It will take awhile and it won’t be too long before I can do laps again.  Oh, by the way, the pool is heated and very comfortable.  The hot tub is even better.  That’s the reward for the exercise.

Monday and Tuesday, I was going to go to water aerobics, but was a bit sore and I still needed to figure out what I had in the way of art materials.  I needed to get them all in one place so that I will have easy access.  So on Monday I took everything out of the outside compartments one one side of the coach, sorted and reorganized.  For the most part I now have all the art materials in one place.  I will still need to go through things and purge a bit more, deciding what I won’t be using and find new homes for a few things.

                                

                     There’s more large flat stuff behind what you can see here.

Tuesday, walked over to the Clubhouse and filled a couple of water jugs and I waited for a. UPS delivery. More on that in another post.

As the season here at the resort progresses, it gets busier.  My Boss, Diana called me into her office yesterday to ask if I wouldn’t mind being switched to her Decor Team.  I would be working Mon. thru Wed., however My hours would not be the same. They would be more flexible depending on the events.  This week I will work the rest of the week (T & F) to finish this week’s hours, and then start the M/T/W schedule next week.  Today I will have a split shift, decorating in the morning and then working the event tonight and breakdown tomorrow.  I will probably like the decorating part and having varied duties.  I will be working with some of the different workampers that I have met but not worked with,   I will definitely be busy and more active, which will be a good thing.

All in all, it has been a busy week.  Now with the holidays in the not too distant future, it will be even busier.  Here at home, we are beginning to plan for Thanksgiving.  I have reserved a room in the clubhouse for a family dinner instead of going to the one for the whole park.

I am really glad that I am here in AZ.  My daughter, Sandi tells me that it is COLD in Ft. Worth.  I really, really don’t like COLD.  My wish for all of you out there in blog land is to have a wonderful, safe and comfortable holiday season.

Thanks for visiting

Here I am staying warm in AZ.

Susan and Angel

Schedule Change and Just Plain Busy

Daytime

Last week I worked Mon. thru Wed.  Then because we had an influx of new workampers, they asked me if I minded changing my schedule to Wed. thru Fri.  I ended up not working for 7 days in a row with no way to do anything or go anywhere away from the park. 

Earlier in the week is busier and easier to learn what’s going on.  Later in the week is a bit slower and not so chaotic.  You can breathe easier, although the day drags a bit more.  I think that I prefer the first part of the week, although it works better later in the week for when my grandson, Nick visits from Tucson. 

One thing to say about living here at Good Life, if you’re bored, you have no one to blame but yourself.  There is so much going on, from arts and crafts, billiards, cards, hiking, golf, swimming, dinners, dances, just to name a few of the activities.  They keep adding more.

These  boards have all the flyers posted for the varied activities and we are adding more all the time.

This is where I work.  These windows get  opened at 9:00 am.  The one on the right (you can only see part of it) is for the Box Office where we sell all the ticketed events.

  These two pictures are of the Patio next to the Pool where there are at least three Patio Parties a week with a band playing.  It is very popular.  You can imagine this area crowded with everyone dancing and enjoying the music.

Tonight, I stuck around to purchase a Box Dinner that they serve for Bingo (I don’t do Bingo).  It was a very good pulled pork sandwich with chips, macaroni salad and brownie.  I just took it home, because Angel was waiting to go out. 

The rest of the evening I will just veg out and tomorrow I will continue going through my art materials and reorganizing my basement compartments. 

I hope that you all have a great weekend.

Thanks for visiting

A couple of nights ago, Mom took me to the dog park but as soon as I did my business I just went and sat with her. 

Susan and Angel