Mission, TX - 1st Week - 2nd Month

Feb 6th (Monday)
Take Denice to the Spa for some more "Maintenance!"  Pedicure and Manicure is the order of the day!  After that hour and a half of pampering she came out with a new look to her fingers and Toes. Women really seem go for this, but me, just give me an hour or so in a "Home Depot, ProBass," or computer store, and I am a "Happy Camper!" And that is exactly how I spent that hour as a Home Depot was just across the street. I wandered up and down the isles just looking at a myriad of things. Of course, once you start looking it's "Murphy's Law" that you are going to find something. And I did!  Another Weather Station! Always have had a "thing" about weather details. I have one at home in High River, but I bought this one for ELTORO, so we know what it really is like outside!  By now Denice was finished at the Spa,

and she wanted some more scrapbooking stuff at Michaels so motored over there, a few miles east to McAllen. Found her stuff and a glass container for me. Thats a container for my extra colored glass associated with my Stained glass hobby, not a glass container. Now once out of the door, what was just across the road, but a Applebee's Restaurant. And it was just after noon. Lunch was good with a Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad for Denice and Chicken Fetticini Carbanara for me with a White Queso Dip and Nachos as an appy for the two of us, all for 20 bucks. Not a bad deal! Once home I put my weather station together and mounted the outside terminal on a heavy piece of 2" x 12" planking and placed on the roof of ELTORO. That way I can just take it down when we move without a whole bunch of hassle.  Hooked it up and it WORKED. Almost amazing that something did not need modifying or changing.
Feb 7th (Tuesday)
Park meeting this AM. Very well attended with over 100 residents there. Probably due to the wet conditions out side that curtailed a lot of other outdoor activities. A couple of presentations from activity committees that led to quite a bit of discussion. As this was our first introduction to the meeting scenerio we just listened. Oh yes, speaking of introductions, The Park Manager did ask us to stand and introduced us to the group. We were, it seemed, the only ones there that were completely new to the Park. As I have said before, "all the residents here are multi year ones"

One other presentation was from a fellow with Integra Wellness. We listened and it seemed like a good deal so we made an appointment with him for Monday, They will do:
1. Stroke/Carotid Artery Test by ultrasound that will visualize any buildup of fatty plaque, the number one cause of stroke
2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Test by ultrasound for any enlargement of the Aorta
3. Peripheral Arterial Disease Test to test for any blockages in the legs
And all for 90 bucks! Seemed like good deal so we went for it. I'm not sure that my doctor, when I get home in the spring, might not do the same thing under our free medical, but just decided it would be nice to give this a try. They also will do a Bone Density Test for 10 bucks but we think we did not need it. Denice has already had this done a couple of times before.
Feb 8th (Wednesday)
Rainy and wet this morning - Rained all night, at times quite heavy, and still raining!
Therefore to acivity of the day was mostly limited to computing and reading
Did run into HEB for a few more groceries. Needed some suff for tomorrow nights Pot Luck Supper
Feb 9th (Thursday)
Still wet and rainy - and cool at only a little above 60 F. Tonight is Pot Luck again so Denice cooking a very large crock pot of Swiss Steak, and Pasta. Now not ordinary Swiss Steak, my wife needs to Jazz that up a bit so how about "Italian Swiss Steak"??  She adds some Chorizo sausage plus a lot of other Italian seasoning. Different but as always very good!! Sure went over well at the Pot Luck anyway. Only a little sauce and one helping of pasta came home.
Feb 10th (Friday)
And still another dreary day although little rain, but heavy overcast and uncomfortably cool, with a high of only about 62° F. Again, too cold to much outside, so read some more from my Kindle. Decided in late afternoon to go to McAllen to a restaurant that had been recommended to us. It is a Chinese one called P.F. Chang's. We went about 4:00PM to be before the dinner time rush. We had a 4 course dinner for two. Start with 2 choices of soup, then  a choice of an appy, 2 entre's, and a choice of desert. We had egg drop soup, Salt and Peppar Calamari, Kung Poa Shrimp, Ginger Chicken and Broccoli, and then for desert a Banana Spring Roll. It was a banna deep fried and cut in sections around a large scoop of Pineapple/ Coconut Ice Cream and all covered with a variety of fresh fruit, Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries!! MMMMMM!!! Couldn't begin to eat it all our dinner, other than the desert, so guess whats on the menu for tomorrow?
Feb 11th (Saturday)
Nothing to report today - Cold and Wet again - Cold is relative - Cold in Alberta at O° F is Cold - Here at 50° F is cold - everybody wearing heavy coats and touques. An inside Day!!
Feb 12th (Sunday)
AGAIN cool and wet, but the weatherman is giving some hope - Tonight at near midnight the temperature is supposed to start rising and continue until noon tomorrow at 70°F and Tuesday at 81°F. About Time!!