Indio, California: We are still here. Still healthy. Still sticking pretty close to home, except for walking, jogging and bicycling. Everything around us is changing though.
As you probably have learned, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed... meaning the 2020 Track & Field Trials (in Eugene, Oregon) will not happen. Our entire summer travel plans revolved upon this 10-day event. Now we are not sure what to think. Or do. Or where to go. Maybe will all still be in lock-down? I am optimistic the Coronavirus pandemic will be over by this summer, but I’m not actually placing any wagers.
As if I could. Las Vegas is closed.
Our resort restaurant closed for the season. (Insert sad face here.) They tried doing take-out-only for a week, but finally shut it all down. This resulted in a fire sale of sorts, with residents purchasing all the wine stock at discounted prices, and even frozen steaks, lobster tails, and many other items. We didn’t get a thing, except a very, very, very sad feeling as we said goodbye to our devoted and beloved staff. The restaurant (and BAR) are the heart of this resort.
Then, the Motorcoach Country Club, closed their fitness center (why was it still open anyway?). The golf course was also closed, then the tennis courts, next, the swimming pools and spas. If people are not sharing golf carts and not touching flag sticks, I was wondering a bit about the course closure... except maybe four people standing on a green was too close? Not sure, but closing a huge chlorine-filled body of water seems counter-intuitive to me. All of the closures were ordered by the county.
They completely drained the swimming pool at my Dad’s RV resort in Arizona!
All the rain over the past few weeks brought another good snowfall on the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley. So pretty and needed so much!
With the golf course closed to GOLFERS, I walked on the golf course this morning. So nice and peaceful - only the sounds of the birds singing. Not that is is very noisy in this RV park - I bet half of the sites are empty or the owners have gone home/away. Last week, it was basically a stampede through the exit gate every morning.
After my walk, I made an easy Chinese cold noodle dish for lunch. Just a quick sesame paste sauce with ginger, garlic, vinegar, soy, etc., topped with green onions, cilantro (from my little herb pots) and a dab of chili sauce.
We are getting low on veggies, but I am holding-out. I may go to the Farmer Market Sunday, or I may not. There is an open-air fruit/vegetable stand a few miles away, so that is another option. I am just trying to avoid a supermarket.
The kids are well. Leo and Lucy “attend” school every week-day morning via their parent’s laptops. In the afternoon, Lenny is their PE instructor. They go on walks/jogs, or ride their bikes around and around the block. Lenny has set up a football situation in the back garden: he tosses a football to Leo and Leo has to run it back, jumping over a “linebacker” - actually a tipped-over soccer net. (Lucy’s linebacker is a patio chair cushion.) Leo takes his piano lessons via FaceTime. Lucy takes her ballet class via a video feed. The T-Ball (Lucy) and Coach Pitch (Leo) baseball season is on hold. Hebrew school is now taught by Lisa on Sunday mornings. Leo has finally been un-grounded from his iTouch, so he sends me funny text messages and memes throughout the day. We FaceTime almost every day, but it certainly is not the same as being with them. We miss them so much! We assume they will not be coming to the Motorcoach Country Club any time soon. Not for Spring Break; not for Passover.
The next post will be about food. Proof of boredom: I have been photographing (with my phone!) every dinner produced this week. Try to not get too excited.
Please be safe everyone. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Wash your hands - and don’t touch your face!
Until my next update, hopefully with a cheerier report, I remain, your isolated correspondent.
Thank You for the photos Terry, we enjoy them and they take our thoughts to your beautiful neighborhood. PS Keep it up, we are BORED!
The ban on golf courses confuses us as well! Unlike tennis, they’re not even sharing a ball (assuming 1 cart per player). As for the pool, it’s not the water but the surrounding patio + equipment that’s the concern.
Now that it’s highly likely this will continue into at least May or June, you and DT may want to start thinking about “Plan B” unless you want to see how well those three RV AC’s can work…in the desert…in summer. We’d love offer you a place to “shelter/surf” for the summer at our place on the coast, but while we have 50amp, water & electricity connections for you – the Magna Peregrinus is too big to fit on our current pad!