Posted in dentist with tags dentist on April 14, 2026 by jefferyrn
On Friday I was chewing my fiber gummies and one of my crowns came out, stuck to the gummies. No good. The dentist was closed Friday so I didn’t get in to see him til Monday afternoon.
I thought he would be able to just pop it back in and all would be right as rain. But it seems the tooth underneath had decayed and the crown actually broke off. I need a root canal and then a new crown.
Very expensive fiber gummies for sure.
I remembered that my Medicare supplement included dental. So today I called around and found an in-network Endodontist. I have an appointment tomorrow. I am hoping my share of costs doesn’t break the bank. I may just opt to have it yanked out. Who needs teeth anyway right?
We had our after (Happy Hour) party a week ago Saturday. It was fun getting together with gay neighbors. I though me thinks I drank too much. Another Sunday wasted on recovery.
Last Saturday we had another gathering san happy hour. We went to a local restaurant for burgers and came back to cocktails at the neighbors. It was a sort of roaming party as it started at our place before dinner. It was fun.
The next day was Easter. We don’t really do anything special since family is either dead or far away. Ricky and I went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. When we came home a tragedy was unfolding.
The sheriff’s department and paramedics were here. Someone’s granddaughter had gone missing. She was four. A neighbor found her in the pool. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. The matter is still under investigation so details are vague and rumors abound as to what events lead up to this great despair.
The up shot is that our community is shaken to its very core. A counselor has been made available from the sheriff’s department. On Friday a minister will be here at the clubhouse to help neighbors mourn.
It is very sad….one neighbor came impromptu by the house yesterday to tell us what he saw and unloaded his emotions. He lives next to the pool where it happened. Another neighbor was already coming over to go with us to dinner so we all sat and talked for a while.
On top of this tragedy, the neighbor we went to dinner with found out he was put on leave from his job. He is suffering from ADD and was attempting to get help which led to his temporary leave until he can get a doctor to say he can return to work. But that is a whole other story. I won’t go into the details here
Anyway it was not the best of times, perhaps the worst of times. My mind is shattered and the current state of this country isn’t helping matters much.
Tomorrow I will tell you a more cheerful tale, fingers crossed.
We have had a house guest since Wednesday. A man we met in New Orleans last year. He is from North Carolina. And our neighbor Sam (Dorothy) also has a friend visiting from North Carolina. Turns out they both live in the suburbs of Raleigh. It’s a small world.
Today we have a little break. He is visiting with a friend in Palm Springs for lunch. So I have a little time to blog.
I posted about our hummingbird bird nest. Well that’s on the front patio (courtyard). Now we have a Mallard duck family on the back patio. So far it’s just a male and a female but it is spring.
Not the best picture cause I didn’t want to spook them off. He is there on the patio and she is in the dirt next to that flower pot.
Tonight we are going to happy hour at the clubhouse. Hopefully our visitor will return and go with us, but he is on a sort of date so he may or may not return this evening. Such a tramp. My kind of friend.
Anyway we will have some neighbors over after the happy hour with or without him. I do hope he returns so they can meet him. He’s a hoot.
I bought this swimsuit last summer. The model wearing it looks great.
Expectations
I’ll be honest: sharing this image below wasn’t easy. For a long time, I was the guy who only went swimming when the coast was clear. I’m a big guy, and at first, the shame of being seen in this suit kept me in the shadows. I’ve spent years avoiding families at the pool because, let’s face it, children can be unintentionally cruel. Even in baggy trunks, I’ve dealt with their filters-off comments, and while I know they’re just young and haven’t been taught the impact of their words yet, those moments still sting.
Twins! Don’t you think?
But everything shifted the other day. I was in the water when my new neighbor stopped by the pool to chase some ducks away. He didn’t blink, didn’t judge, and couldn’t have cared less what I was wearing. Seeing his total lack of concern made me realize that I was the only one holding onto the shame.
If he isn’t bothered, why should I be? I’ve decided to stop worrying about the extra material dragging through the water and just focus on being comfortable. I’m learning to project a positive image—one where I’m okay with exactly who I am today, even while I keep a mental vision of where I’m headed. In my mind, I’m killing it, and honestly? That’s the only view that matters.”
I am working on my body through diet and exercise. Maybe next year I will look more like the guy in the advertisement. I have started to adopt that “I don’t give a damn what you think additude”.
Okay, maybe I still care a little tiny bit sometimes 😂.
P.S. I let Gemini help me rewrite some of this and I like the edits.
We have a hummingbird nest right outside our front door. She has built a nest in a potted miniature pomegranate tree. It seems awfully exposed. But she is unafraid.
Posted in family, health on March 17, 2026 by jefferyrn
I have come to the conclusion that the only way I will ever have a flat stomach is if I get hit by a car. But I am still trying. I visited my doctor and found I had gained 10 pounds since she last saw me. Wow!
Of course, I knew the truth, but having it in my chart was scary. She ordered some new blood work and got me a referral for a neurologist.
I went back to see her and went over the results last week. My blood work was excellent and I actually lost five pounds in those three weeks. Yeah!
I started walking. And this week I am back to swimming. So far so good. But I am still up ten pounds from this time last year. I think it is emotional eating. I know it is night snacking too. Now I sit with a glass of water and try not to eat while watching shows.
We are currently working our way through Victoria on Netflix. It is a British series that has three seasons. Ricky nods off through most of it but I love these historical dramatizations.
The warmer weather makes me happy.
My sister finally got a ramp. When we visit she can get out of her house and go to dinner or bingo. This makes me happy too. I stood my ground and didn’t bail her out. She and her son made their own priorities and this ramp finally moved to the top of the list without me flipping the bill. I love my sister but I can’t let her manipulate me. It was hard. I almost ordered her a ramp a couple of times. But I realized this would not be helping.
My parents bailed her out for years. I am not stepping into that role and she gets it, surprisingly.
Okay so this has turned into a mix of things. I will try to write something more focused and interesting next time.
Posted in friends, random on March 9, 2026 by jefferyrn
On Saturday we were invited to another couple’s home for cocktails. They live in the complex. It is nice to have friends who are neighbors. We met them a few weeks back at the clubhouse happy hour.
Jon is from England and his husband Gonzalo is from Spain. They threw the Spanish themed party I wrote about. Anyway, this was a chance to get acquainted without all the commotion of a party going on.
We shared stories of how we met our partners. We talked about our families. We talked about work. They both still work. We discussed what we did before retirement. The usual getting to know you type conversations
We also shared a little gossip about the other neighbors. That’s always the fun part. Turns out they really don’t like the happy hours at the clubhouse either. It’s not a welcoming environment. People are generally cliquey and unresponsive to new people. The loose interpretation is homophobic Trumpsters. But we are not giving up on it totally.
At the last happy hour we set up our own table and chairs and formed our own clique. Some who are gay allies, stop by and said hello. There is safety in numbers so we agreed to coordinate any return visits.
And we are trying to be friendly with the neighbors. Maybe if they see us enough they will come around. We need to plan a gay event and see what happens. Could be fun or they could resent us more. Nothing ventured nothing gained. We shall see.
Anyway, we have new neighborhood friends in Jon and Gonzalo. That makes me smile.
For LGBTQ+ Days there was a drone show last night. Here are some pictures.
Agua Caliente Casino is one of the sponsors. The casino is next door to City Hall Love equals love, Jackpot!Record player This is the city symbol used on all the signage around town The Roost is a gay bar located in the restaurant complex next to the Mary Pickford Theatre and City Hall. They hold all sorts of events from Karaoke to drag bingo and live entertainment.This is what was in the sky the night before the show.
Today is the festival in front of City Hall followed by a sold out concert in the amphitheatre in the park behind it. David Archuleta is the headliner as I mentioned in my last post.
We may check out the fair for a while but we have plans with some neighbors for cocktails this evening. Cheers!
Posted in random with tags pride, random on March 6, 2026 by jefferyrn
It has been a week. On Monday I got a bill for medical supplies the insurance didn’t pay for. Then Tuesday I got food poisoning and stayed in bed all day Wednesday after a night on white porcelain. Then Thursday I had a blood draw only to come out to a dead car battery. Thank goodness for AAA.
I am afraid to say what else could happen. On a high note it is pride weekend in Cat City. Truly a maller event as these things go but it is the first of the season. A few goings on in front of city hall and a celebration at Agua Caliente on Sunday as they sponsor the infamous bed races. It should be a good time.
Here is a shot from a previous year.
Oh and David Archuleta is headlining a show on Saturday. He is a former American Idol contestant who came out recently to the chagrin of his Mormon family.
Oh David! (Not the one from HGTV.)
Side note, after several phone calls I think I got the insurance payment straightened out. It was “a billing error.”
Today is take the car for an oil change day. Since we only have one vehicle it means scheduling a day with the neighbor so we can drop it off and pick it up later. When you retire, everything is painful. It’s not like we don’t have all the time in the world, but it somehow feels restricting. It’s a doctor’s visit for the car.
It should be done by noon. Then we can go to lunch and enjoy the afternoon. I’ve been contemplating swimming this morning or perhaps some yoga. But so far all I have done is drink coffee and watch the news.
The darn president came on with a special report on the war in Iran. This has been concerning. This administration has gotten us in a pickle and the end and outcome seem uncertain. Is it the end of the world?
Life Beyond the Casinos 