Weather, Teeth, Ankle and More

 

I am way behind in posting. Our weather has sort of warmed up a little. We are actually going to have a few dry days in a row which is sure nice. It's been a cold, wet winter here in AZ but at least I don't have to shovel it. 

Our Superstitions had snow on them for a brief time.

 

We have had so much rain our pit was filled with water on several occasions. Really messed up the horseshoe schedule and any cornhole playing with all the mud. But it did dry up enough to have the last campfire of the season.

Our park has been bringing in a food truck once a month for a couple of months now. The first one was a pizza truck that everyone said was delicious. I don't eat pizza (I don't eat cheese) so I'll take their word for it. We've also had a empanada truck and I had a chicken one and a pork one. I'd definitely do that again. The chicken was especially good. I think a BBQ truck is scheduled for April.

I'm still spending way too much time at the dentist's office. It looks like it is going to be another three weeks before I finally get my partial so I have bottom teeth again. I'm getting tired of smoothies. Sometimes you just want to be able to chew something.

Then to make my life really interesting, I've done something to my Achilles tendon. It started hurting a week ago Sunday and I thought it would just get better. But I ended up in urgent care Sunday morning. The doctor walked into the room, took one look at my heel and informed me that he couldn't help me and I needed to see an orthopedic doctor as soon as possible. He did give me a boot which makes it a lot less painful to walk. And I have an appointment for tomorrow with the orthopedic doc. I'll add the news after I find out what needs to be done.

(I know this is an icky picture, but I try to document things that might be important in the future.)

 

Back in 2008 as I was stepping out of our fifth wheel, I missed a step and ended up breaking my left ankle and rupturing my Achilles tendon. I spent several months in two different casts and a wheelchair because I can't do crutches. In fact when we started full time rving in 2009, I was still in a cast and a wheelchair. Jim took really good care of me but it did get really "interesting" at times.

This is my broken ankle. The piece that is sticking straight up on the left side of the x-ray is not supposed to be like that. The second x-ray is after it was repaired with two screws.

This juvenile dove sat on my railing for the longest time. I love the tuft on the top of his head.

Update. I'm in the hospital getting lots of antibiotics. I'll fill in the details in my next post.

The Touch of European Cafe

 

 Still in Glendale - nice weather but still too cold to sit outside on their patio

 

After wandering around Martin Auto Museum it was time for us to find someplace for lunch. I had checked out a few places and came across a place called A Touch of European Cafe that specialized in Polish dishes. Definitely a place we wanted to check out. Sure am glad we did.

I don't take a lot of pictures of food but I just have to share these with you. Paul had their special - chicken and pork meatloaf patties with green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy.

 

 

I had the kielbasa appetizer of polish sausage w/bacon and onions and served with ciabatta bread.

For dessert we took home walnut bread and blueberry pierogies.  What a feast. If we are ever back over that way, this would definitely be a place to return to.

 On our way back to my place, we saw this field of flowers. After all the rain we've had this winter, everything is blooming and turning green.

 

Martin Auto Museum

Glendale, AZ   Finally a beautiful day with no rain.

 

Paul and I decided that we needed a break from the mundane. So we headed west to Glendale to Martin Auto Museum. Mel Martin started this museum in 2005 but by 2022, he still had more cars in storage than he did in the museum. That's when they moved to their current location. There are over 160 cars on display so sit back and enjoy the pictures. (I did not post 160 pictures.)

There is a $10 entrance fee and I loved their "desk".

 

Paul checking out some of the cars.

1965 Studebaker Wagonaire - This car featured a distinctive rear roof that slid forward, expanding the cargo space. It also had a drop-down step on the rear tailgate.

1914 Dodge Bros. Great Race Car - 300 cars were built in the first year of Dodge. Dodge was the first mass produced car with all steel body. This car was driven by Jack Cassan from North Hollywood, CA to New York City in the 1985 Great American Race.

 1959 Edsel (Ford) F-350 Medium Duty Tow Truck

Arizona Diamondbacks Custom 1994 Harley Davidson Softail - this one-of-a-kind bike celebrates the Arizona Diamondbacks and the 2001World Series Manager Bob Brenly. The baseball features include a seat constructed from an authentic MLB base and a game-used catcher's mask. Hand painted by Jeff Needham to include AZ sights and colors, Louisville Slugger wood bats, snakeskin effects and team branding logos. 

 

Lots of neon.

The Library

1949 Ford Woody Wagon - classic wood sides and the legendary bullet nose.

Even a carousel for the young at heart.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette Cutaway - this car does not run or drive and likely never will. Chevrolet built a cutaway Corvette to introduce the 1963 split-window coupe. Marina Blue is one of the 10 colors available in 1967.

1931 Cadillac Fleetwood Convertible - Cadillac was the only car company to offer V-8, V-12, and V-16 models. This coupe was V-8 powered.

1936 Alvis Firebird Drophead Coupe - British touring car and only 449 were made. It has an aluminum body on an ash wood frame. This car is the only known right hand drive Firebird Drophead Coupe in the U. S.

1939 Crosley Convertible - powered by a 12 horsepower, two cylinder air cooled engine and weighing in at less than 1,000 pounds. You could buy one of these for $325 for a convertible coupe or $350 for a convertible sedan. They got 40 mpg and were sold through department stores in the appliance department.

2016 WaterCar Panther - an amphibious car manufactured by WaterCar out of California. The design is based on the Jeep Wrangler. It is constructed from lightweight steel for the chassis and fiberglass for the body. The "hull" is filled with 32 cubic feet of Styrofoam making it virtually unsinkable. Top speed is 85 mph on land and 45 mph on water. Driven by a V-6 Honda engine.

 

2010 Transformer Edition Chevrolet Camaro - General Motors offered a special edition appearance package for the Camaro. The car was designed to resemble the Bumblebee Camaro from the 2007 hit movie. The package included: autobot insignia fender badges and wheel caps; an embroidered Autobot insignia on the center console; gloss black rally stripes with Transformers logos and Transformers logo doorsill plates.

 

1964 Ford Thunderbird Convertible - this was the only car of this generation to have the word Thunderbird spelled out on the front hood instead of a chrome emblem.

 

Anybody need a riding lawn mower?

Or how about a mailbox?

For anyone who likes old cars, this museum needs to go on your to-do list. The volunteers who work here are extremely knowledgeable and are willing to answer an questions you have.

More Pictures of Elias and His Family

 

  AJ, AZ  - the weather is still lousy. Rain and wind and cold. Lots of rain and wind. Northern AZ is getting buried under snow. Interstates closed. Not a great AZ winter.

 Pictures are my only way right now to keep up with all the changes in Elias's life. They grow and progress so rapidly. So I am putting tons of pictures in my blog book.  I'm glad Michaela's family could be with her but I'm also very jealous. I'm having some major dental work done and when that is finally over and healed, I will figure out how and when I can go visit. Can't be soon enough.

 

He was NOT a fan of his first bath tonight 

His appointment went perfect!! He's in the top percentile of his weight now and the doctor was so happy with him that we don"t have to see him again until his 2 month checkup! 

 

Todd, Michaela, and Elias on the couch. Michaela's sister Annie, brother Colton and his girlfriend, and her mom, Marybeth.

                                                            Aunt Annie

              

 

 I love this one. All that love in one picture.