March 22nd

Oops, no post yesterday.  Got too busy and then as I sat at the computer last night, I fell asleep sitting with my hands on the keyboard.  Busy day, I guess so!
Friday
  We got up and went to the unit.  Marg washed the cupboards, then all the dishes she has been gathering at various sales and put them in the clean cupboards.  She is already getting quite a collection, but her prize find is the silverware set she bought.  It's silver from Rogers and there are lots of pieces to it, including a chest.  She thinks she hit a home run on this one, we'll see.
  I worked on the trim pieces and a bit of flooring.  We discovered a problem with the filter for the A/C unit, so I spent some time dealing with the water in the return air.  It seems to have been there since the big rain storm.  Got Gary to look at it and he thinks we need to re-position the big A/C unit at the rear of the park model, so another project on the list.  Had a shower in the unit and then went back to the m'home to change.
  By then it was time to start preparations for the block party.  Each street has hosted one and our new street [Happy Hour lane] is the last one of the year.  We had lots of participation from some of the people on our street that normally don't get out to these things, so that is great.  Marg bbq'd some sausage [we finally found some good stuff here] and then put it in the slow cooker to keep it hot, then made up a tray of 2 kinds of pickles and olives.  Me I went and hauled tables to Kenny's place with some other guys.  We had large tables from the hall in the carport so the food would be out of the sun.  It was a big success with 98 park residents coming out to have a few wobbly pops and a bite to eat.  Well more than a bite really, I don't think anyone needed supper after this event.
  Linda stopped by and gave us a gorgeous Kokopelli for the new unit.  I think that is about #5.  Earlier Doris gave Marg a lamp that heats a candle or is scented anyway.  Susan gave Marg a little bobbing flower, Sue gave her place mats, Mavis a table runner.  Not sure what else.
  Then I went to help Pat & Diane do the prep work for the morning breakfast crew.  This is mainly putting bacon on the huge trays so they can be cooked in the big convection oven, getting the big coffee urns ready, stuff like that.  Marg went down to Blanke's and helped with setting up the food, it's a bring something to share kind of affair.  There was so much food, in fact I was one of the last 2 or 3 people and there was still an incredible amount.  This was followed by a clean-up effort.
  Being Friday it was the animal races at 7, so off we went.  Marg won 4 of the 6 races, so did pretty well and was doing the happy dance lots.  I won 2 races, so was the recipient of lots of jabs from the winners.  That darn elephant is going to be the death of me.  I was betting it all night long [I usually pick 3 animals] and it disappointed me.  On the last race I was so convinced it was overdue for a win that I put all 3 picks on the elephant and got others convinced that the elephant lovers of Apache Junction were in for a big payday.  Gary put 2 bets on it, Kenny 3 and so on.  Now they are blaming me because their grandchildren won't be able to afford college.  Win or lose, it's lots of fun. 
Saturday
  Breakfast for 60 odd people.  Yes it was our turn in the kitchen this morning.  Marg doesn't mind any of it except the getting out of bed in the early hours.  She did the scrambled eggs and they were great, well there was a small amount of green eggs.  Not sure what causes it here, we never have eggs go green at home, but here if they sit in the crock pot very long, well you know.  I did pancakes as usual.  My formula for light pancakes with a bit of sugar and vanilla seems a winner.  The others do stuff like bacon, sausages, biscuits & gravy.  We changed the way we cook sausage, we boil them now like we do at home and they are much better.
  After clean up & that takes about an hour.  Why well you have to be there.  Take for instance that huge restaurant size grill I have to clean.  Anyway it was back to the unit after where I installed the balance of the flooring.  Does that mean we are done, well no.  Need to go order another box of laminate.  Got the trip pieces installed around the base.  Marg stripped the paint off the lower cabinets and primed them.  As well she primed the cabinets beside the table.  We were going to leave them in the wood, but it clashes too much with the floor color, so more painting.  The lower cabinets did not take the combination primer/paint well, so she is priming them and will paint after to see if she can't get a better result.  All the while she conducted tours, probably only had about 10 today.
  Kenny & Doris stopped by near the end of the day, so we had a beer with them.  Then another and Bingers topped by, so had one with them.  Fortunately Marg had the fridge full of beer and a bottle of wine that she was able to open.  That combined with the newly washed wine glasses made for a bit of a happy hour gathering.
  After we went with Kenny & Doris to the Driftwater café.  It was our first time there [although every time we drive by we always state our intentions to check it out] and we enjoyed it.  We had the chicken fried steak.  That's a big item down here, very popular and was very good at this place.  We sat in the back [which is smoking] where there was an entertainer, oh yes, they had beer there too.  He sang all country songs, but was very good.  A very pleasant evening, with the guys riding in the back seats and women in the front seats, Marg really is a good driver.  LOL