Lunch in Paradise, Pickle Ball and Shopping

It had been a few weeks since Lori had visited Barnes & Noble so on Sunday, December 28th we took a trip to the Dana Park Mall which has a B&N.  It is actually a beautiful mall with the stores all built around the perimeter of the parking lot and lined with Palm Trees.  The construction is all in a Spanish style complete with fountains.  We found the Paradise Bakery & Cafe and decided to have lunch before heading back.  The food was excellent and while the temps were only in the low 60's the sun was nice and warm so we ate on the outside patio.  It was a very relaxing way to spend an hour, enjoying the scenery while keeping one eye on the cow birds waiting for us to drop something on the ground.  They have 3 more restaurants at the mall so we will be back for another Sunday brunch in the sun.  

We had been saying for sometime that we would do this at home, in the summer of course, but we always had a honey-do project that took priority.  Note to self for when we get home.  Forget the list at least a couple times a month.

 













Monday morning at 8:00AM I had signed up for a beginner Pickle Ball lesson.  I dressed in layers as it was only about 36F when I left the trailer.  I was the only person that showed up so I had 2 instructors explaining the game, strategy and technic to me.  Boy there is a lot to remember.  The game is played on a shrunk down tennis court with paddles that are like giant table tennis paddles.  The balls are the size of baseballs but made of hard plastic filled with holes.  Picture one of those practice golf balls but bigger.  You have to serve underhand, the first two hits you have to let the ball bounce and most important, if you go into the Kitchen get out before you hit the ball again.  We spent some time learning how to Dink, which is just softly tapping it over the net.  Harder than it looks, believe me.  Soon some other newbies showed up and we had a game filled with instructions on where to stand, how to cover for your partner, call the shots you are taking and the most difficult, remembering the score.

All in all it was a great time and if the body holds up I think I will enjoy the game.  2 hours went real fast and I limped home ready for a shower.  Newbie lessons on Monday, Newbie round robin on Wed and Fridays.  Lori has signed up for 2 or 3 Yoga classes plus we are going to 2 Total Fitness classes each week (not sure what this involves but we'll give it a try).  Hiking a few times a week and I still haven't taken the golf clubs out of the trailer and I haven't taken the e-reader out of the drawer.
Yup.  No doubt about it.  You can keep busy down here if you want.  And I thought we might get bored.

In the afternoon we had to drive to Scottsdale to pick up tickets for the Fiesta Bowl and then we did some grocery shopping and filled up the truck with Diesel at $2.40 p/g.  The oil stocks in my portfolio have taken a real kicking but gotta love the price of fuel at the pump.

On December 30 we decided to hit the Premium Outlet Mall.  Tuesday was senior day at many of the stores which means another 10% off the already discounted post Christmas sale prices.  The mall is  similar to what we have experienced in Albertville but the setup here is so much better.  The 90 plus stores are all outside and contained in a couple of big rectangles with outside park benches and restaurants so when you get tired or hungry you are never far from rest and nutrition.

Lori is the shopper in the family.  I'm more of a buyer.  The main difference is I don't enjoy the process of shopping.  Lori likes to walk up and down each aisle in a zig zag pattern, often retracing her steps,  touching each item that interests her.  Seems like a total waste of time to me.  I don't mind however buying stuff.  I just like to do it and get it over with.  Whats interesting is that quite often, too often in fact, I end up spending more than her.  This shopping expedition was no exception.
Dec 31 we are going to the Fiesta Bowl.
Later