Sunday, March 22, 2026

My dad, Robert Sabbatto Ursino was born on this day 113 years ago in Brooklyn, NY in 1913.  

It was a beautiful week here, warming up steadily each day until we saw a record high of  80° yesterday, not seen since 1936.  That will change and we will be having more normal temps over the next few weeks more like mid-40s to 50s.  I kept busy with chores around the house and getting some nice walks in around the neighborhood.  I also did Income tax refunds for a few people.

We had to have our cars out of the parking lot by 10:00 am on Thursday for a complete snow removal (it would have melted in 2 days), so I arranged to meet up with Ben for lunch at 12:15.  Before that, I went to Costco to talk to them about new tires and would have had to make a future appointment, so I went down the road to Discount Tires and ended up leaving there with all new tires, sensors, and windshield wipers - slightly over budget as I was hoping to use the best existing tire for a spare but they were all badly worn and/or cracked. My ride felt good when I left and I will feel a lot safer on the roads now - should be good for a few years.

Ben and I had a nice visit and lunch at Hope Breakfast Bar in Chanhassen.  

Yesterday morning, I looked out my windows and just couldn't stand the grime that had built up over the winter.  I have this magnetic tool with cleaning pads on it - the outside is narrow and fits flat against the window and has a string that attaches to your wrist in case it falls and the inside part has a handle on it. You put the cleaning solution on the pads and position the pieces inside and outside the windows and a strong magnet holds them together so you can clean both sides at the same time. It was a little problematic and I had to move very slowly but I got them clean and feel so much better.

As Joey and I were leaving the building to run some errands, going through the lobby toward the front door - Diane and and her nasty dog Leo were in the community room. Leo gets away from her and comes charging toward us ready to attack Joey. When Joey goes behind me, he attacks me, biting me on the leg just below the knee - very small tooth marks and a bruise but it was intentional, he was growling and snapping the entire time.  I kicked at him and yelled some obscenities and all she did was say "Sorry and Stop, Leo".  I get so tired of having to deal with Joey's anxiety whenever we come into the building because she is in the community room with him a lot and even if he can't see us, he knows it's us and starts to bark. She has no control. When she first moved in here, we tried to get them to meet up and it didn't work out from the very first encounter.

I went and sat on Tom and Sue's deck in the afternoon, had a nice chat and watched the many different birds coming to her feeders and flitting around the trees. They are such nice people and we always find lots to talk about and Joey gets to run around the yard and explore.

Monday, March 16, 2026

 It started snowing Saturday night and it continued snowing all day Sunday and we ended up with about 15-17".  I had invited the family for family dinner but those plans were cancelled due to the weather.  I had already thawed out the meat for Birrea bowls, so I cooked it in the slow cooker all day and invited Deb to join me for dinner.  The rest went into the freezer for our nest opportunity. 

Since I had my 3rd Rituxan infusion scheduled for today, I went out to clear the snow off my car and make sure I could get to the doors.  The snow came up to almost my knee when I took my first step to access the brush and shovel in the back seat. It was heavy and the process beat me up.  Fortunately, I was parked into the wind and didn't have any additional cleanup to do.  

I was a bit leary about driving but the road were mostly cleared except at the edges and intersections. I allowed an hour to get to the clinic and I walked in there 25 minutes later.  They took my vitals, dosed me with antihistamine and Tylenol and then hooked up the IV for the Rituxan infusion.  I was seated in a comfy reclining chair that had a heated seat and vibration and nice, warm blankets. It took 4.5 hours this time and I had no side effects  other than feeling real tired.

Sunday, March 8, 2026

I discovered that I am unable to upload photos to my blog and haven't figured out why.  It will have to wait until I see Ben again to have him take a look.  

I got back home a week ago, on the 3rd and Ben picked me up at the airport.  I couldn't believe how few people were there - I went straight to the restroom and then headed to baggage claim and there was my bag. I texted Ben at the phone lot and he picked me up within 5 minutes.  We stopped at Andale Taqueria  and had some time to catch up on the last two weeks, their trip to Steamboat Springs and mine to AZ.

I made sure to give Joey lots of love when I walked into the apartment, he was jumping for joy.  I got unpacked and spent the rest of the night just loving on Joey who didn't want to leave me out of his sight for an instant.

I woke up the next morning feeling crappy again - now it seemed like my allergies were turning into a cold or sinus infection.  I caught up on my laundry (two huge loads) and laid around the rest of the day - matter of fact, for the next 2-3 days.

I had an appointment for an oil change on Monday and all was good except that they recommended shocks and struts as they were showing signs of wear and appeared to be the originals (my car is 20 years old) to the tune of $1700.  I sent the estimate to Tom to look over and he didn't totally agree - his feeling was that if the steering wheel didn't pull in one direction or the other and didn't behave strangely while driving, and based on the photos in the estimate, he wouldn't do the repair until definitely needed. I then remembered that at some point since I owned the car that they had been replaced.  Sure enough - 10 years ago there was a recall and they were both replaced so that disproves the 'appears to be original' and I will take Tom's advice and keep on driving it the way it is.  I do need to have my tires checked out and may be due for new ones - again there is a lot of warranty left on them but the time allowed may have expired.

Yesterday I had my annual checkup with my dermatologist and was told that my alopecia is under control and I don't need to come back unless I have a problem.  I did learn that I have Rosacea on my face and he ordered a prescription to take care of that.  

Monday, March 2, 2026

 My last day here in AZ and we decided to do another scenic drive, this time it was the loop up to the Roosevelt Dam, south to Globe, and back to AJ, most of it through the Tonto National Forest. We invited Joyce to go along and we stopped at a few little pull offs and admired the water and the surrounding desert. We all oohed and ahhhed at the beauty of the place - it is so desolate but yet so beautiful.  The Roosevelt Lake goes on for miles, fed north by the Tonto Creek and south of the dam by the Salt River. Joyce looked up the word Tonto and we learned that it meant "stupid, silly or dumb" and then we realized that it was named after the Native Americans that once occupied the area - damned Americans and their belief that they are superior to all others.   

This has been a lovely vacation but I believe that I would try to time it before or after the allergy season - the only part that wasn't good about it.  

Sunday, March 1, 2026

 Thinking back to Saturday, oh yea, we met Nan, Monica & Logan, and Karen for lunch at Lucille's BBQ in Tempe. It was so nice to see them again and we caught up on the news of the family and had a great visit.

This morning, we took off and headed out on Hwy 88 toward Tortilla Flat.  Once we got to the Tonto National Forest, the road was well-paved but it became quite curvy.  It is well known for the scenery and I understand why - it is   absolutely gorgeous.  Both of us have been to Tortilla Flat before and it was really crowded, so we continued on past Canyon Lake and as far as the Fish Creek Outlook. Beyond that, the road is unpaved and has been under construction, so we weren't sure if it was open and we might have to turn back.

We got back to AJ, took naps, and went to Panda Express for dinner. It was a beautiful night, so we went and sat in the hot tub for a while. I don't remember when I was last in a hot tub and it really felt good.

 On Thursday, I went girl shopping with Joyce to Bealls, a store that was always one of my favorites when I lived here.  I found a few tops there. We also stopped at Goodwill and then for a burger.  It was nice to hang out with her for a few hours.

Tom and I had salad for dinner, went for walk  and then watched a movie. 

It's now Friday, Tom's 77th birthday and he and I are the same age for 2 months.  We are going out for dinner with Joyce to Babbo Italian Restaurqnt to celebrate.

We decided to go to the Mesa Marketplace, a huge open flea market with lots of booths selling anything from gawdy clothing, sweatshirts, jewelry, body products, rugs, RV gear and lots of ceramic and metal decorative yard stuff. We spent 2.5 hours there and both walked out empty handed. 

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

 On Saturday, we met up with Arlene and Sharla for brunch and had a great 2-hour visit with them.  Arlene was our neighbor at Highlands at Brentwood for the eight years that I lived there and is now 93 years old. She can hardly hear and only has peripheral vision and she was missing her upper dental plate because it was being repaired.   Regardless, she was classy dressed and so happy to see us and I certainly felt likewise.  After parting I realized that I didn't get photos but we might just see her one more time.

I think we filled the rest of the day with walks, naps, dinner, etc.

They had a ventriloquist come in to entertain the people in the park on Sunday afternoon and served Margaritas.  I was a bit sceptical but the guy was good, especially when he came out) for the last act looking like Donald Trump, although his red cap said MALA (make America laugh again) and he did a great job of making fun of the sad situation our country is in.

We watched a movie, "The Hateful Eight".

We filled the day on Monday with some shopping, walks, and laundry. When you don't get moving in the morning until 10ish, it doesn't take much to fill up a day.

On Monday morning, we went to an open natural area nearby that had a bunch of walking trails and took about a 1.2 mile walk through the desert.  The temps have gone up to near 80° and they really affect my energy levels after being away from here for so long.  We also took another trip to the Superstition Ranch Market to stock up on fruits and vegetables again - we walked out of there with two bags of groceries for about $16.

Yesterday we decided to take a drive east about 30 miles to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and did about a 2-mile hike through the desert and saw lots of cool plants, many had ID tags on them.  By the time we got about half way through, I was getting tired and Tom said he was too. It really upsets me that my stamina levels are not as good as they used to be, but then I'm not used to the warmth and the unlevel terrain.

By the time we were done with our hike, we were both ready for a nap. Later on, we went to Los Gringos Locos for dinner.  The pork burrito I had was delicious and I also had a margarita - it's been a long, long time. 

Today was a day to hang out, catch up on writing in the blog, and replying to text messages. We did go to another nearby trail that was nicely maintained.  There is a lot of open land that is either owned by cities, states, trusts, and Native Americans. I have enjoyed looking out at the wide open spaces and seeing the mountains on the horizon.