Modesto, California: My Driver turned 65 today. Today his health care insurance premium dropped by quite a bit. Before COVID-19, we would have been in Los Angeles, celebrating with the kids... or the kids would be here, enjoying the 100-degree weather. Not now.
Dave started his day by riding his bicycle 20 miles. I teased him about riding 65 miles on his 65th. Honestly, if the temperatures were quite a bit lower, there is no doubt he would have attempted this ridiculous mileage. Not to be today. I walked three miles and was complete toast. To get in any serious mileage when the heat is above 100 degrees, one really needs to be out the door by daybreak.
No. Can. Do.
I did make the Birthday Boy a nice brunch, he completed the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, and started a new book. Our afternoon adventure was a drive around the resort to do a head count. Just the other day, we received the weekly email update from the resort office stating 166 RVs on site. We could not believe there were that many motorhomes here. It seems like a ghost town (as I have so often stated on this blog). Speaking (from a very safe 20-foot-social-distance) to a fellow camper during my exercise today, he suggested maybe there were only 60 people remaining at the Motorcoach Country Club.
DT and I headed-out in our golf cart, tally and pen in hand. Since the resort-wide email the other day, we now counted 154 coaches in the park. 66 coaches were unoccupied. Unoccupied means: we either know they are not in town, or slide-rooms are in, the site is locked-down, etc. 246 campsites were empty. We counted 88 campsites occupied with actual people - most sites contain two campers, but there are several with one, and several with three = 172 people here. Full House: ~800.
Oh, how we do amuse ourselves with math... but, I was right: Ghost Town. (PS: Not a scientific survey.)
Lisa helped me arrange for a ZOOM birthday party for her dad tonight. Family and Family of Friends were invited to dial-in. The “party” only lasted 15 minutes, but Dave was so happy everyone took time to say hello to him. He is not experienced with this technology (and maybe our friends are not as well), but it was a fun time and quite enjoyable unless you had to hear people from across the country sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY at nearly the same time. Brilliant.
Lisa, Lenny, Leo and Lucy are on the very top/left quadrant in the above photo. Lisa baked a birthday cake for her dad today, and they were all enjoying a slice during the video chat tonight. So sweet... and so sad her Dad could not share.
For some odd reason, about 30 years ago, about the time we returned to the states from our overseas postings, Lisa decided her dad’s favorite meal was a fried beef hamburger patty, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and steamed broccoli. I am pretty sure this meal was never served from my kitchen (especially during the 80’s when we lived in Asia), but Dave thinks maybe this was one of the various meals he and Red would prepare when it was their turn to make dinner for their college apartment group? Who knows/remembers, but ever since about 1988, this menu has often been served on his birthday. (Oh, don’t you worry, I served Lisa many blue and yellow Mac & Cheese boxes during her childhood.)
For his BIG DAY, I served a variation of the theme. He grilled a New York steak, and I steamed broccoli. Instead of mac & cheese, we had sliced tomato with basil and olive oil. We usually split one steak these days - and tonight we actually finished the treat.
His birthday cake is always a cheesecake... and I did bake a mini-version today. We each enjoyed a slice way-too-late this evening. A perfectly sweet ending to a nice isolation 65th birthday.
Until my next update, I remain, “I’m married to an old man” correspondent.