Busy Week for Old People

We've continued to stay busy following little Jensen's visit.

Initially, we simply spent a couple of days returning to normal and recuperating. On Monday, we rose early and went to the gym for our regular workout. On Tuesday, I washed the car, filled it with gasoline, then Donna and I did a bit of grocery shopping at our nearby H.E.B. That evening, we walked over to the clubhouse for out annual resident hamburger supper. The employees of Rio Concho West host us each year with an evening of home made hamburgers and some bingo with some good prizes. Donna won a $40 gift card and a bag full of chocolate candy, which I promptly confiscated. I don't want the old girl to get chubby on me, you know. I do my best to protect her from temptation.

On Wednesday, I got the day started early by visiting my local barber. I have to keep well-groomed for the old woman, or she'll trade me in on a better model. After my return home, we did a bit of shopping at our nearby Walmart, and ran into an old colleague from Ozona in the process. We always enjoy seeing folks from that little town southwest of here where we lived and worked for 8 years. We then had a nice lunch out. That afternoon, we went to the clubhouse to have our picture taken for the RCW directory. The wind blew hard all day long. Old geezers out for their morning walks were being blown all over the streets of our little community. Walkers, canes, and false teeth were scattered all over the place. I think I even saw a few small dogs lodged in tree tops. The horror!

We woke to pleasant temps on Thursday, but we knew a cold front was blowing our way. As late as 9:00 AM, it was still holding at 69 degrees. However, the skies were already dark, serving as an omen of the norther coming our way. Donna put on a pot of home made potato soup. That's some good eating on a wintry day. By the time the soup was ready for lunch, the temp had already dropped substantially. It really wasn't an ideal day for the root beer float gathering over at the clubhouse, but we braved the cold and rain. By dark, the temp had fallen about 25 degrees.

It warmed some on Friday, but the wind blew hard most of the day. We stayed inside for the most part. However, we did scurry about late in the day and move all our outdoor potted plants into the garage. The local meteorologist said overnight lows could be near freezing, so we didn't want to take any chances. Since we only have one car but a 2-car garage, we put the plants in the empty garage. On pretty days during the winter, we can open that door and let the plants get some light and fresh air.

It only got down to the mid-30s Friday night/Saturday morning. That's not too bad. We played our normal bingo Saturday afternoon. The sessions start at 2:00 sharp and usually run until about 4:00 or so. However, Donna and I like to go early to visit. The same folks seem to come each week, but occasionally we get a new face here or there. Neither Donna nor I won this week, though everyone else at our table won a game. Folks bring snacks for the games, and they were excellent on this day. Good times!

This morning (Monday), I ran some errands, then we picked up a neighbor who is celebrating her birthday and took her to lunch at Zentner's Daughter. Donna and I don't go to Zentner's often, and I don't know why we don't. We always enjoy our meals there, and the specials menu is excellent, arguably the best in town. The Zentner line of restaurants in West Texas is legendary, and this location in particular offers an old charm sadly lacking in restaurants today. Many folks don't care for the garlic seasoning that flavors Zentner steaks, but I enjoy it. I'm going to make it a point to eat there more often from now onward. On this particular visit, our guest happened to be old friends with the Zentners, and we were delighted to meet Betty Zentner Sheffield on this visit. She's a delightful lady.

It's a cold and wintry day today. It is now early afternoon, and the temp is still hovering in the upper 40s. It has misted off and on much of the day, and the skies are grey, making it appear to be colder than it really is. Rain should move through tomorrow, perhaps lingering into Wednesday. I hope so, for this country could use a good drenching.