Week 15-16 end March 28

Week 15 beginning 3/8/09

Caught up with Tony & Dick and found Charlie & Clari in the afternoon on Monday. Joined them for a RV tour presentation to the Maritimes Canada’s Best Secret. Charlie & Clari then invited us to join them tomorrow, Tuesday for the International BNP Tennis Tournament. A new experience for us as we have never been to a live pro tennis match. These grounds located in Indian Wells and I believe considered the 2^nd largest in the world. Over 40 courts in a very beautifully landscaped complex. Today was free admission as they are in qualification rounds. Players from all over the world, an open event, but based on the talent level it’s believed to be all pros, some armatures may try but likely won’t make it. Also some pre-qualification is required.

We started by visiting some practice courts then on to stadium match play. Tournament is both men & women. Some really awesome matches, but didn’t have a clue who most of the players were or their ranking. Players surrounded by large crowds obviously notables. Still a great experience. Beautiful sunny day and wind subsided. Nice crowds at the even, but manageable to move around with ease.

Thursday morning Shari and I got introduced to “Pickle Ball”. Lessons offered by the RV park. For those not familiar, it is sort of like “miniature tennis”. Played on a smaller sized tennis court with a little lower net, a “paddle” type racquet, and a ball that is much like an oversized “whiffle ball”. Rules and scoring slightly different. Fun game, particularly for us “seniors”.

Rest of the week pretty much stayed around the park. Nice steak dinner in the club house. Played a little “Hand & Foot” with Charlie & Clari. A few road trips into the Palm Springs area. Looked into a tour of the “wind turbine” farms, numerous out here. Proclaimed one of the best tours in the country. Maybe next week.

End of week 16, March 21, 2009

Week 17 (March 22-28) proved to be pretty hectic. We cut a deal on a new RV, a class A Motor Home, trading in our 5^th wheel and truck. The RV market out here is “nuts” and it was a deal we could not refuse. A brand new 2009- 38’ Holiday Rambler Endeavor taken in on a bank repossession from a dealer. They wanted to get out of it bad, we made an offer and they accepted. The deal was facilitated thru a dealer, but no commission, just a fee between the bank and the dealer for closing the deal. As the result, we had to purchase a “tow” vehicle for behind the coach and settled on a new Honda CR-V, noted in the industry as one of the top tow vehicles for all four wheels down. So suffice to say our whole week was learning “our new equipment”. Spent A couple of nights in the dealer lot cross loading our “stuff”, way to much accumulated over 6 years with our old rig. A little overwhelming. Then back to Desert Pools RV park for a couple of more days, and then on to Casa Grande, AZ.