November 28, 2014

November 7, 2014

We have been at Sunflower Resort for almost two weeks now and have almost fallen into the routine.  We did another couple of days in the kitchen preparing the food for the Tiki Bar and then last week we started training to work there as well.  We were supposed to start learning the Bistro next week but the manager is going to be off so that will is being put off until week after next.

Yesterday the park put on their annual Salute To Our Veterans program.  Music was provided by the West Valley Pops, an orchestra composed of retired music teachers and music enthusiasts from the local area.

The Colors were presented by local chapter of the Marine Corps League and then later they did a moving presentation for our POW/MIA’s.

Our son Justin finally got home for his latest deployment to Afghanistan last night.  It’s good to have him back.

November 13, 2014

On Friday night, the 7th, the park hosted a Veterans Day dance here in the park.  Although we didn’t have a great turnout, those that did attend had a good time.

On Saturday night there was a 50’s/60’s dance with the 56 Band playing.  Man, those guys could play!

November 23, 2014

It’s been way too long since I last wrote.

Joyce and I trained in the park’s Bistro last week.  We both agree that is not where we want to spend much time while we are here.  Not that the work is hard, it’s just not our cup of tea.

This week we start working in the Tiki Bar.  Actually, I will do the first two weeks and Joyce will be doing food preparation.  Then we will flop and I will do the food and she will work the bar.  We’re not sure how long that will be but we’re looking forward to getting out there.

On the 20th, we drove down to Gilbert, AZ to see a production of “The Sound of Music’ at the Hale Center.  The music was beautiful and very good acting.  While there we scored tickets to see “A Christmas Carol” in December and “My Fair Lady” in February.

Yesterday we went to see the Arizona State Sun Devils play the Washington State Cougars at Sun Devils Stadium in Tempe.  It has been many moons since I last saw a college football game live and it was a first for Joyce.  The game was pretty even until half time then is was all Sun Devils.  To be honest, I’ve seen some high schools play better football.  Not only were there a lot of physical errors but both teams made some serious mental errors.

November 28, 2014

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all!

On Sunday past, we had a little get together with some to the work campers here at Sunflower.  We had a great time eating, drinking some great wines and of course, telling a few stories.

Yesterday we went to the Elks Lodge with Rich and Joanne for a Thanksgiving meal.  The Sun City Elk’s put out a very nice spread.

Barry & Joyce

November 2, 2014

October 25, 2014

This morning we hooked up the C-RV, jumped of the I-15 and headed south to Las Vegas and the Desert Eagle RV Park on Nellis Air Force Base.  It was a fairly easy day except for the road constriction in the area where the highway was washed out.  We were in one-lane traffic at 45 MPH for about 15 miles.  They say it’s going to take until September 2016 to complete all the work and looking at all the damage, I can believe it.

October 29, 2014

We had a very nice stay at Nellis.  We made the usual Exchange and Commissary run and then hit the Class IV store.

As most of y’all know, I’m a huge fan of Big Dog t-shirts.  Some years ago, the company closed all of their stores throughout the US so I thought I would never be able to find them again.  Then about three years ago the corporation started opening them again, which I discovered in Orlando, FL.  Well, the shirts that I bought there were getting very worn around the necks with some stains on the front so Joyce said they had to go or she wasn’t going out in public with me anymore.

One of the places the company has opened a store is in Las Vegas so on Sunday I got me some new shirts.  All is now right with the world!

On Monday we mad the drive 272 miles south to the Sunflower RV Resort where we will be spending the winter.  Sunflower, one of the eleven Cal-Am Resorts in Arizona, has over 1100 RV sites, most of them filled with park models.  If you don’t know what park model RV’s are, here is the sales page for Sunflower:  http://www.cal-am.com/resorts/resorts_home.php.  If you check out the web site you’ll see that there are a lot of amenities in the park and activities every day.  If you get bored here, it’s your fault.

Joyce and I have been assigned to the Food Service Department which consists of the Tiki Bar and the Bistro.  We’ll also be doing some food preparation as well.  Our commitment is to put in twelve hours a week each to pay for our space rent of $825 a month plus electrically, water, sewer and taxes.

Yesterday we met with Jeff Cantor who is in charge of food service.  He gave us the run-down on our jobs and then we prepared pulled pork for the Tiki Bar, which was the special last night.  That might sound like a lot of work but in reality it was easy.  Jeff ordered the pork in already smoked and partially cooked so all Joyce and I did was cut the packages open, put it all in pans, broke the large chunks up, heated it and then mixed in some barbecue sauce.  Ninety-nine percent of the food that is served here is ordered in already cooked so the preparation is fast and easy.

As it stands today, our days off are Saturday and Sunday but that is going to change later in the season.  We will probably have another day off during the week as well.

Home for the next  five months.

 One of the places we will be working.

 The entertainment lineup at Cal-Am Resorts for this winter.

 I want one of them!

October 30, 2014

You know those Hawaiian style shirts you bought al long time ago that you just had to have and are now hanging in the back of your closet?  Well, we need them!

Our “uniform” here at Sunflower is black shorts and bright, flowery button-down shirts.  So, yesterday we spent six hours running all over town trying to find some, finally finding a few at one of the several Goodwill Stores.  Of all places, we found some really nice ones at The Luke AFB Exchange as well.  What a pain in the backside!

While we were out at Luke, we stopped by Tickets & Tours to see if they had any discount tickets for attractions in the local area.  They didn’t have anything going on right now but the lady behind the desk told us about discounted tickets that we could get online to see the Arizona State Sun Devils play the Washington State Cougars in November 22nd.  That should be fun!

November 1, 2014

We have been at Sunflower for a week now and have pretty much got in the routine of things around here.  On Tuesday we made pulled-pork for the Tiki Bar special and then on Wednesday  we did taco’s.  Then yesterday we fried chicken wings….a lot of chicken wings!  Over 1300 chicken wings.  Did I say a lot of chicken wings?  Yup, that is a lot of wings!

A tad blurry but you get the idea.

 

This next week we will be training in the Tiki Bar for three days and then on Saturday we will be helping with the USO Dance.

November 2, 2014

Today we went over to the Sun City Elks Lodge with Rich and Joanne Martin for their Sunday brunch.  This Lodge is very active with something going on just about every day including bingo, dinners three nights a week, trips and much more.

We met Rich and Joanne at the Tillamook, OR Elks Lodge campground back in September.  Rich is working in the Security Department escorting RV’er to their sites and Joanne is working in the Sales Office.

More next time.

Barry & Joyce