Indio, California: I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. Sorry if you have to go back to work Monday with a Peeps-induced belly ache. Speaking of Peeps...
Our friend Mary (in Portland, Oregon) cleverly combined her love of Peeps with her love of the Oregon Ducks to create an Easter wreath for her front door. (And by love, I mean obsession.)We have another amazing friend! Guess who is the cover-boy on this month'sTriathlete magazine? (What? You've let your subscription lapse?) Jesse Thomas!
They gave him two covers! I will never figure out why this handsome young athlete isn't on the cover of People's Most Handsome Dude Magazine. Jesse has recently finished two tough triathlons - and finished third in each. (A common triathlon consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.) Jesse is becoming known for his aviator sunglasses - which he buys on the cheap at Walgreens. Remember last November when Jesse's wife, Lauren Fleshman, was on the cover of Runner's World magazine? If they have kids, expect the child on the cover of American Baby magazine. Obviously.
There is more exciting news to report!
Captain Jim and Mary have returned to Indio from their two-month Hawaiian vacation. (Seriously - they took a Hawaiian vacation during their RV vacation.) They came by in their yacht yesterday afternoon and took us for a cruise. First time we had been out on a boat since arriving here in December. Captain Jim had us on the water for over an hour and then, just as he was depositing us back to our dock, DT happened to look overboard - and wouldn't you know it - discovered our missing doormat on the bottom of the lake! (Our rubber doormat disappeared during a sudden wind storm a few weeks ago.)
With Mary's help - using boat hooks - Dave was able to persuade the heavy rubber mat to the shore.
The proud fisherman! The mat was pretty slimy and disgusting, but after a good scrubbing, looks as good as new and we didn't have to pay $20 for a new doormat.We had dinner parties Saturday and Sunday nights! Passover Party Animals. Last night Mary and Captain Jim joined us for matzo ball soup. Tonight friends from home - Jim & Marci and Robin & Angela - were in town so they came by and we had a feast. We had to borrow a table from across the street (Steve & Lois are out of town... we hope they won't mind) to seat six people! We placed the table on the lawn and had the nicest little garden party - DT grilled steaks, chicken and asparagus spears. Lovely wines were poured. I made a yummy salad with hot cubes of roasted potatoes & red onion, which I tossed with fresh arugula, grape tomatoes and shaved parmesan in a garlicky-herby-balsamic dressing. The hot veggies caused the arugula leaves to "melt" and the result was fabulous enough for a meal in itself. The "hot" salad was the hit of the evening and I promise to write down every ingredient and will post it next time. For dessert, we served my gooey-chewy coconut macaroons (a very common dessert served during Passover). So much fun to see friends from home down in the desert!
Other items of interest: 1. There was an article about the Motorcoach Country club in the Desert Sun.
2. Saturday evening we could see huge plumes of smoke across the road from our RV resort. All evening the air smelled like a forest fire (familiar smell to Oregonians, but odd thing to smell in the desert). Turns out a stand of Tamarisk trees burned last night. Also turns out there was a homeless camp one block from this resort. Living behind our secure high wall in relative luxury, we never saw this encampment. Did not see the squalor. While jogging outside our encampment, I never noticed a street person. (Further research reveals the homeless camp was on tribal lands and the campers were recently evicted.)
3. I had a wonderful special surprise this afternoon. Lisa emailed a photo of The Cutest Baby Ever, sitting in his room, playing with his toys, covered in drool (still lots of drool; still no teeth). For the first time to me, Leo looked like Lisa! So much like her at the same age. I cried.
Hey, Future Fleshman-Thomas baby... you have some serious competition in El Lay!PS: The sweet dimples on Leo's hands are irresistible!
Until my next update, I remain, your wiped-out correspondent.
SLOGGER REPORT: For some stupid reason, I thought it would be a good idea to run around the block today. Super warm here today, and as it was Easter, many people seemed to be cooking delicious foods and the smells were wafting over backyard fences to my nose. Torture. 4 miles.
RV Park: Motorcoach Country Club - The Crown Jewel of Motorcoach Resorts. 400 sites, three pools, three spas, fitness center, golf, bocce ball, tennis, 2-mile waterway, fine-dining restaurant, bar, security, free wifi, planned activities, perfectly maintained. Sites for sale or rent.