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.

Friday, February 20, 2027 - MN, AZ

Happy 49th Birthday to my youngest son, Ben on Monday. We celebrated with a little gathering at their house yesterday.

Cathy took me to the airport, I got checked in and through security with no issues. I flew to Austin, TX where I got on a connecting flight to Phoenix. It was nice to see some blue water and green patches of earth from the sky.

Tom was right there waiting in the phone lot and he picked me up and we headed to JJ Madison's for a bite to eat. It was nice to see him, get a big hug, and share a meal and some conversation.  Funny thing about that restaurant is that one of their featured items on the menu is Minnesota Walleye - and it didn't take long before I remembered the place. 

We got to bed late and woke up late the next morning, had a good breakfast and went for a walk around the park and to the Superstition Ranch Market for some stuff to make salads for dinner.  

A group of folks were gathered in a circle down the street, so we grabbed a beer nd headed over for happy hour. I haven't done that in a while - got to see Harriet, a gal that was our neighbor when I was here back in 2018. There were a couple of other folks that I remembered too. 

We took a walk around the park and heard the hooting of owls and then spotted a pair of Great Horned Owls up in the treetops.

This morning started earlier and after breakfast, we ended up going to a city park and had a nice little desert hike with the mountains in the background, some that I could remember, like the Superstitions, Red Mountain, and the Usery Mountains. It was windy and a bit chilly and we even felt a few raindrops, but much better than that 6-7 inches of wet snow that is falling in Minnesota.

Thursday morning we went over to the clubhouse and had coffee and donuts, followed by an AED presentation by the local fire department.  I feel like I learned a lot, so now I just hope that I can remember what I learned in case of emergency.  I also saw a few people that I remembered from when Tom and I stayed here together, many who have been coming back for years.

Tom's sister Joyce who spends the winter here also had been on a trip to Oregon, so we drove to the airport to pick her up. She was hungry after a long day of travel, so we stopped for a late lunch and I got the Walleye at JJ Madison's - it was quite tasty.

Today was another busy day, taking Joyce to pick up her car that was being repaired while she was gone, did a bit of shopping, took a nice walk around the park and I had a good nap while tom washed his truck.

We went to a Rock and Roll dinner show at Barleen's on Friday night with about 50 people from the park. I sat across from Dewey who is from Cloquet WI and we talked about some very familiar places and even some people - cousins of Mike Butzen (a long-time Navy buddy of Mike's).  Dinner was excellent - roast beef, mashed potato and gravy steamed carrots, salad and chocolate cake. 

The show started and kept us entertained for close to two hours with a short break.  They played Elvis, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and many others - doing an excellent job on vocals, comedy and silly acting.  I sure enjoyed the show and I think everyone else did too

Saturday, February 14, 2026

 💘Happy Valentine's Day💘

Yesterday was Friday the 13 and the anniversary of Mike's passing on February 13, 2013 - it has been 13 years. There are way too many 13s in there.  It turned out to be  beautiful 50° sunny day here, I was able to go for a walk and have coffee with Ben and an nice conversation with Pat.  I heard from many friends and family, so the day did not turn out to be an unlucky 13th. 

There wasn't much happening earlier in the week, so not a lot to write about.  I did have some very nice, long phone conversations with Pat, Tracey, Patty. Bob. and Leslie. And the weather has changed - we have broken the cycle of three weeks of below zero temps and have come closer to the average and even close to 50°. The last few walks I have taken, I've only worn a hoodie.  The sun has been shining and the snow is melting.

Monday, February 9, 2026

 I did a few more Renters Refund forms last week plus another that was both the Federal and state forms and got paid $100 for it - not bad for about 4 hours of work.

My hair stylist was able to get me in for a haircut after recovering from a broken wrist. She broke it when she slipped on the ice at one of the ICE protests, had to have surgery that included several pins and a cast.  

I've been starting to stage and get ready for my upcoming trip to Arizona and it is giving Joey anxiety. He barely leaves me out of his sight.  The weather has improved a lot and we have been able to get outdoors for some good walks and that has helped a lot.  I have also taken him with me when running errands and leave him in the car while I run into stores. He is really good about it and just sits quietly in the passenger seat, always calm when I get back to the car.

Lois held our family Sunday dinner yesterday and did a Super Bowl party with hors d'oeuvres and we had a yummy selection of goodies. Most of us were rooting for the Settle Seahawks and they won 29 to 13.  The half-time show was a performance by Bad Bunny, a rising star, but his performance didn't impress me - too much groin grabbing, gyrating, and women twerking.  I left shortly after the half-time show and brought home enough food for my dinner tonight. In fact, I had enough that I could share it with Deb.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

For the first time in a long time, I slept through the night last night without even a potty break. I did have the help of an Advil and melatonin, but it is still worth celebrating. 

We are getting a little closer to seeing warmer temperatures around here - supposed to get up in the 20s by the weekend.

I scheduled appointments for helping residents with the MN Renters Refund forms (each takes about 25 minutes) and did five on Tuesday in my building and five on Wednesday in the other building. Folks are so appreciative of the help and many are quite generous - I made $75 this week.

I hadn't started my car in at least five days, so I headed out to run some errands and it started right up.  It really need a good washing but it is still too cold for that.  I let Joey ride along, knowing that I wouldn't be leaving him in the car for long and he should stay warm.  I parked in a sunny spot at both places and he was just fine. 

The big news from Ben today was that Charlotte got a job as a swim instructor for little kids.  She saw the position posted, got an application, got references from a teacher and her swim coach and she landed the job. She will work after school one night a week and on Sundays.  You go girl, is what I have to say about that!

They also toured the high school last week and were really impressed with the options of classes offered, especially advanced classes that of help them to be ready for college. 

Sunday, January 25, 2026

 This week has been the coldest of the winter, walking up to -17° or close to it the last few days and next week is predicted to be a little warmer but still not much above 10°.  I've been walking the halls, doing my stretches and exercise routines to try to keep moving and playing fetch with Joey so he gets a bit of exercise too.  He is getting really good at catching the ball but still expects a treat when he returns it.

I helped out with food shelf on Wednesday and we got a lot of extra stuff this time from Target so those who shopped took advantage.

I saw an ENT specialist on Thursday - a follow-up to the ear infection that I had last November and I learned that I have mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears but my ears themselves are normal and healthy. The doctor said that hearing aids might make a difference now but I also have the option to wait and be retested in a year or two - that's what I plan to do. 

Cathy invited me over for a Tom & Jerry Friday night and we had a nice chat. When I got back to my apartment, Tom called and we had a nice chat. I'm really looking forward to going to visit him in three more weeks and getting out of this miserable winter weather.

Yesterday, another innocent man was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis.  He was apparently directing traffic to help a woman who had fallen in an area of protests, when the agents threw him to the ground, beating him in the face, and when the discovered a gun tucked in his belt, they shot him. He had a legal permit for the gun.  Our MAGA government representatives immediate said that he was breaking the law and deserved to be shot.  Also, the feds are not allowing MN to be involved in investigations, and their biases are plain to see.  It is so sad to see this going on in the community where I live and in our country. 

Monday, January 19, 2026

 I haven't written much about it, but the streets of Minneapolis have been filled with protestors on one side and ICE federal agents on the other, after a woman was shot in her car about two weeks ago as she was trying to leave the scene.  They are targeting illegal immigrants and also Somali's who have been involved in some fraudulent acts. In many cases, they are not asking for credentials, just dragging people from their jobs, their homes, their schools, and even hospitals, Currently, there are 2,800 federal agents in the city.  Many of the protests have been peaceful vigils in memory of those injured, but things usually get stirred up if just one angry person screams or throws something at an officer.  It is just so sad and I wish they would come up with other solutions.  My take is that Donald Trump hates our democratic state and our governor so much that he is taking up arms.

We have been in a polar vortex for two days now, the temps are in and around zero degrees with snow followed by cold and high winds. Joey and I were back to  wry short potty breaks yesterday and when I looked at the temp for this morning, it was -7°.  Grrr! Or is it Brrrr!?

I took Ben to his colonoscopy appointment today and that all turned out well, he is healthy and needs no follow-up for ten years.

When I got back home, I got a message from an unfamiliar phone number in the same area code (San Francisco)  as mine. Elaine left a message asking if I was the same person who lived and worked at SF RV Resort back around 2008 and was I still alive and kicking. I called her back and we had a nice chat - she is 90 years old now, her husband Gail passed away five years ago, she has a similar living situation as I do, near her daughter but closer to San Diego. We agreed that we should talk now and then, as she is lonely and sometimes I just need someone to talk to too. 

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

 Last Friday, the 9th was a rough, emotional day - the birth and death day of Ben and Jill's first child, Owen Quinn.  It is hard to relive that time without feeling the intense sadness and loss.  When I talked with Ben that afternoon, he was truly sounding depressed too, so I made sure to give him another call before I went to bed to make sure he was doing ok.  He said he was feeling much better after having a good conversation and receiving more emotional support from Patrick.

I started the next reduction of my prednisone - reducing the dose to 5.0 mg/day and will see how that goes.

I to make spaghetti and meatballs for the family on Sunday but since Jill and her mom were just getting home from a weekend roadtrip to Iowa for a family wedding, we decided to put it off until next weekend.  Since that wasn't going to work out, Ben invited me to join them for dinner and he made a delicious Indian Butter Chicken recipe - chicken in a curry sauce, served over rice. He is such a good cook!]

Back to the prednisone - I have felt extremely tired and sluggish the last few days and have even had some aching in my joints. According to what I have read, those are common symptoms of withdrawal from the crap and also similar to what I experienced with the first reduction.

The local police department came to our building today, brought Dunnkin the support dog with them (he looks just like Yoshi but is twice the size).  They did a presentation on safety - out on the streets and parking lots, and talked a lot about fraud that comes through emails, texts, and phone call - I guess seniors are a very vulnerable population - guess I should know about that since I fell for a scam back in May.

I have actually been able to get a few decent outdoor walks in lately when the temps have been above the mid-30s and even a couple days above 40.  The sidewalks are still in awful condition, but I have walked the street.  Today, I walked to the park and spotted Deb as she was heading back home, so we were able to have a nice chat on the way back home.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Happy Birthday to my sweet brother Randy, who turned 69 years of age yesterday and I am so thankful that he is still with us after his recent health scare.  The doctors that treated him said that the plaque buildup in his arteries was bad and he was so fortunate that it was caught in time.

Again, the weather has been lousy - either too cold, too icy, or terrible driving/walking conditions, so I have spent a lot of time indoors again.   Joey and I got out for a nice walk today when it was 44 degrees, although part of the walk was on slippery, icy sidewalk.

He had his 6-month checkup today and everything checked out with the exception of learning that I have been feeding him a few too many treats and he is up a pound more than he should be.  I also learned that his left hind leg has a kneecap that pops off and that could cause him some discomfort now and then.  She said that it should pop back in place.

Thursday, January 1, 2026

 Happy New Year!  I'm glad to have 2025 behind me and also glad that I made it through ok.

I dug out the old DVD player and photo discs the other day and spent the afternoon looking at old photos that dated back to 2000 and up to 2008.  Mike and I sure had some good adventures and lots of great family and friends to spend time with.  After that, photos were backed up from iPhone storage and I have no idea how to get them - maybe my iCloud account.  Will have to check on that.

I talked to Ben yesterday and learned that his neighbors still have their dog - he was running around off leash when Ben went to talk with them. He has decided that the responsible thing to do is to report the incident to the Sheriff's department, mostly so there is a record. And something needs to be done about that dog. Yoshi is getting better by the day but still has the drainage tube in the worst of his wounds. 

Penelope had a New Year's Eve luncheon for us yesterday and served Jersey Mike's subs, chips, cookies, and soda. It was also our maintenance man's last day of work as he is retiring after 23 years of working here.

Deb came up for an NA beer and I had a wine in the afternoon and we had a nice chat.  After that, I fixed myself a nice salad and lobster tail for dinner. 

Tom called at 7pm and we yakked for 2 hours - not a bad way to finish off 2025. I was in bed by 10:30 and laid there listening to fireworks going off in the neighborhood.