BUBBA JUMP #2, DUCKS, PLAYGROUNDS, & A FASHION SHOW

Why spoil a good thing when it's working? This morning, it was back to Bubba Jump for the second round of action. When I mentioned yesterday that the morning hours of 9-11:30 at Bubba Jump were only for kids up to 5 years old, that was the trigger for a request to go back.

After a breakfast waffle, it was off to Bubba Jump, where there weren't a lot of kids, but they were all Laila's size, or smaller. She even talked Grandpa into taking off his shoes, and joining in the fun!


From Bubba's, we drove down to the Bridgewater Channel with a loaf of bread for the ducks, seagulls and pigeons. These feathered friends are used to being fed, and have little fear of humans. Laila learned very quickly that if she held her slice of bread to low, one of the ducks would snatch it out of her hand. Thank goodness the sun was shinning brightly, because there was a cold wind blowing through the park.

From the channel, we walked to one of the playgrounds at London Bridge Beach, and Laila quickly found a couple of friends to share the fun. Adjacent to the channel and the park is the Rotary Club dog park, where we checked out all of the different dogs running and playing.

The next stop was another playground, on the other side of the channel, with a much larger playground apparatus. She didn't quite make it to the top of the climbing wall, but managed to climb back down under the watchful eyes of Grandma. With all of the jumping at Bubba's, and the 2 playgrounds, it was time for lunch. We went back to the London Bridge, and had a bite to eat at Jersey's Grill in the English Village.

The day was topped off with a very special fashion show by the one and only supermodel - Miss Laila Chance. Grandma had been collecting "dress up" stuff, and they had fun showing Grandpa all of the latest and greatest fashions.

We packed a lot of activities into the day, and despite the cool weather, we managed to burn off a little of that 5 year old, endless supply of energy. These past few days with Laila have been cherished times, and there will be mixed emotions when she leaves this Sunday.

MICKEY MOUSE, COOKIES, & BUBBA JUMP

A winter storm moved through our area yesterday, with colder temperatures, wind and a little rain. It looked like the only option for activities, would be those that had an indoor environment. The morning started with Grandpa's first attempt at a Mickey Mouse Pancake, which turned out pretty good. Even though Miss Laila is a notoriously slow eater, and her attention was mostly directed to the morning cartoons, she managed to eat all of poor Mickey, and one slice of bacon. Topped off with some chocolate milk, she was ready for the next challenge.

While Grandpa ran a couple of errands, Grandma and Laila decided to make some "New Years Cookies". When I returned, I took a couple of pictures of the mostly finished project.

When you don't spend every day around your 5 year old Grand Daughter, you tend to forget how fast they learn everything, from language to physical skills. Laila is very much at the age where she wants to do most everything on her own. She's not afraid to ask for help, but that doesn't happen as much as it did only a short time ago. When the cookie project was finished, Grandpa announced there was a big surprise ahead. All we had to do was take a short ride in the Jeep to find out what this big surprise was all about.



Bubba Jump is a large indoor facility with 4 large, inflatable jumping, & sliding contraptions. With her shoes quickly taken off, Laila bounced, and slid for the next solid hour. Two of the inflatables, had slides, and that seemed to be where the kids spent most of their time. I took lots of pictures, but didn't have the camera set on the right setting, so the pictures turned out a little blurry. By the time her hour was up, some, but not all of that 5 year old energy had been burned up, and it was time to head back to the house. We finished the day watching a couple of movies, and I think Laila slept pretty well last night.

HANGING WITH THE BURRO'S

The old gold mining town of Oatman, AZ., is known for several things, one of which is the wild Burro's that hang around town, begging for handouts. Several of the local business sell either carrots, or hay cubes that you can feed to the Burro's. In the past, we have seen these desert dwellers get a little aggressive when the tourists aren't buying the feed fast enough. Yesterday was the exact opposite. There were bags of hay cubes all over main street, and the Burro's had more than enough to keep them munching on the handouts.

As you can see in the first picture, Miss Laila was a little apprehensive about putting out her hand with a hay cube in it, not knowing whether she would be feeding the Burro, or losing part of her hand. As time progressed, that fear subsided, and she was putting hay cubes in her flattened hand, trying to get these four legged beggars to eat faster.

It was a nice sunny day in this old west mining town, that has been revitalized by the attraction of tourists, largely in part to the wild Burro's. During the Laughlin River Run, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts take over the town, and many years ago the action was pretty wild. One year, Patty and I tried to pass through town on our Harley, but there were so many people, we finally gave up, and turned around. One of Oatman's other claims to fame, was that Clark Cable and Carol Lombard spent their first wedding night in the Oatman Hotel. Back then, there were no Interstate highways, and Route 66 was the way you got from L.A. to Chicago.

Today, without the Burro's, and the attraction of an array of watering holes, and tourist type shops, Oatman would probably be another casualty along Route 66. Twice each day, a group of actors dressed up like gunfighters, stage a comedic gunfight in the middle of the street, much to the delight of the tourists. We missed this action, but Laila was kept busy with the Burro's, and Grandpa constantly trying to get the perfect picture.

When we had walked down to the end of Main Street, we came upon a baby Burro that was just about Laila's size. Someone in town had posted a little sign on the baby's head that read "do not feed me". This little guy or girl, didn't have any teeth yet, and hadn't progressed past nursing from it's mother.


We left Oatman in the early afternoon, and drove down the hill to Bullhead City, where we stopped at the city park, and dined on sandwiches that Grandpa had made that morning. Naturally, there was a playground adjacent to our picnic table, so we couldn't pass that up. From there, it was across the river to Laughlin, and the mall. Our first stop was the Osh Kosh store, and Laila came out of there with a bunch of new clothes, that just happened to be mostly purple, her favorite color.

When we left Laughlin, it was late afternoon, and shortly after we started the hour long drive home, someone was oblivious to the passing scenery, catching some well deserved rest from her busy day.

TUCSON TO LAKE HAVASU

We picked up Laila, drove the Jeep back to the Fairgrounds, and hooked everything up, including the car seat in the motor home. By 11am, we were on the road again, heading back to Lake Havasu. Traveling with a 5 year old has it's challenges, but in a motor home with your own bathroom, and kitchen, it's much easier. With only a stop for fuel, we pulled into the driveway just as the sun was setting on the western horizon.

With only an occasional "are we there yet", Laila and Grandma stayed pretty busy on the sofa, playing with her new Leapster, and even reading the funny papers. Except for an almost 1 hour delay west of Phoenix, where I10 is down to one lane at a bridge reconstruction, the trip was pretty routine. When we got to the house, Laila was ready to leave the confines of her car seat, and the energy flowed, uninterrupted for the next couple of hours. We watched part of a DVD movie - How to train your dragon, but toward the end, the interest turned more to finding out what Sami and Gracie were doing. When asked how many times she had watched this particular movie, her reply was "about 100 times". Last year when we were visiting in Tucson, we took her to the movie theater for the first time, and this was the movie that we watched.

This morning, the sun is shinning brightly, and the weather forecast is for temps in the mid 60's. It looks like a cold winter storm is on the way, with Fridays highs of only the low 50's. I think we will take advantage of the good weather today, and find some outside activities that will use some of that endless, 5 year old energy.

BACK TO LAKE HAVASU

This morning, we'll be unhooking the motor home from the utilities here at the Tucson Fairgrounds, and getting it ready for travel back to Lake Havasu. But first, we'll be making a quick trip in the jeep, back to Marc & Chandra's, to pick up our Grand Daughter Laila. She'll be spending the coming week with us, as the last of the year 2010 winds down.

The plan as of right now, is for Marc and Uncle Marty to fly in Marty's plane, to pick up Laila on the 2nd of Jan. That is of course contingent on weather, and a few other things, but in any event, we'll have Laila for a week. Probably not going to venture too far from home, but I'm sure we'll stay busy.

Speaking of staying busy, the month of January will take us away from home, as we take short trips to a couple of events. First, we'll be taking the motor home to the Western Regional Family Motor Coach Ass'n Rally in Indio, CA. That starts on the 10th, where we will join a group of our fellow Golden Spike Chapter members, and help them with several planned activities. From there, it's home for a few days, then we'll be heading for Quartzsite, AZ, and the huge annual gathering of RV'ers in the desert. The show in the big tent starts on Jan 21, so we'll probably be boondocking for a week or so, along with thousand of other folks. In February, it's back to Tucson for our annual gig working the Tucson Rodeo, and in March, we're hoping to attend the Gypsy Journal Rally in Yuma, AZ. Lots of stuff to do on the horizon, and I'll be posting entries regarding all of our travels, and activities, so, stay tuned.

CHRISTMAS DAY IN TUCSON

I have always said, "Christmas is for children", and even though there is a much more profound meaning for the Christmas Holiday, it's still a magical day, that millions of kids wait for with great anticipation. Our 5 year old Grand Daughter Laila, is at the age where Santa Claus is very real, and when awakening on Christmas Morning, she realized that the patience required for this special day, had all been worth it. When we arrived at Marc & Chandra's, we were quickly shown all of the new toys, games and other stuff.

Chandra made the return trip from Monterey, CA, arriving back in Tucson around midnite on Christmas Eve. She was still kind of wiped out from lack of sleep, and all of the stress dealing with doctors, and medical issues relating to her Mom's recent surgery and hospitalization. With Mommy being back home, Laila's Christmas returned to normal, and we were all so glad she was able to catch the last flight out of Monterey.

Before leaving Lake Havasu, we knew that if Chandra made it back for Christmas, it would be late. So, we cooked a Turkey before leaving home, and brought most of the other stuff for a Christmas Dinner, which was heartily consumed yesterday afternoon. My camera flash went on the fritz for some reason, necessitating some computer enhancements when I down loaded the photos. The last 3 are a little dark, but not so bad that we aren't at least recognizable.

Yesterday was a relaxing, somewhat quiet afternoon, spent with our loved ones. With all of the craziness in the world today, these special times with family are to be cherished, and kept in our hearts for eternity. We are so thankful that we have opportunities like yesterday, where we can share in the lives of our children, and grand child. Our other kids are on opposite sides of the country, but Mike, Amy, and Dave were in our thoughts, as we celebrated Christmas 2010 in Tucson, Arizona.

A GRANDDAUGHTER FIX

In today's very complicated world, sometimes the best of times are the very simple pleasures of life. Spending yesterday afternoon with our Granddaughter Laila, was one of those times. The world of a 5 year old is about as uncomplicated as it gets, especially when viewed through the eyes of a couple of 60+ year old Grand Parents. Marc had some last minute Christmas shopping to attend to, so, after Grandpa fixed a mega breakfast, including Laila's favorite - Pancakes, we started the day with a bike ride around the fairgrounds here in Tucson.

The Pima County Fairgrounds are expansive, so there were several stops, where some exploring just had to be done. This large rock contained pockets of crystal quartz, and turquoise, and with Grandpas help, a few samples were added to the bag of treasures. Not too long after we left the motor home, Laila decided that she could ride her bike, and hold onto Sami's leash at the same time. She soon discovered that if she placed the leash handle over her handlebars, there were times when Sami would pull her, and she didn't have to peddle as much.

This tactic lasted until Sami got tired, and decided she didn't want to play like a sled dog anymore. But, it was great fun while it lasted. When we got back to the motor home, Laila gave Sam a treat for all of her hard work, and we took off for the nearest playground. Not too far from her house, we stopped at a city park with a playground that Laila was familiar with.

The last part of our afternoon was a late picnic lunch at a second park playground, where we watched Laila enjoying the circular slide, over and over again. It was only about a year ago, when at a playground in Lake Havasu, she was a bit timid about tackling a large slide. What a difference a year makes, as there was not the least bit of fear, as she slid frontwards, backwards, and even climbed back up the twisting ramp.

Today, being Christmas day, is obviously one of the most anticipated days in the life of a 5 year old. We'll be returning to Marc, Chandra, and Laila's later in the day, and share in the joy of Christmas with all of them. Chandra was flying home late yesterday from CA, where she spent several days with her mom Eloise, who is in the hospital. She was due to land in Tucson about midnight, so it's doubtful that a lot of sleep was to be had, especially with Miss Laila's very likely early wake up call, to see what Santa left under the Christmas Tree.

CHRISTMAS 2010

With the Christmas Holiday just a few days away, our plans have changed several times. Originally, Marc, Chandra, and Laila were coming here for a stop on their way to CA., a trip to spend Christmas with Chandra's Mom and family. Due to Chandra's Mom Eloise being in the hospital, that trip was scrubbed, and instead, Chandra flew to Monterey. We will be taking the motor home to Tucson tomorrow, and like the past few years, will spend Christmas there. The plan is for Chandra to fly back to Tucson on the 24th, spending Christmas with us and her family. Hopefully, that all goes according to the plan.

With the recent passing of Chandra's Dad Joe, and Eloise's ongoing medical issues, it has been a tough time for everyone. We hope and pray that Eloise's condition improves, and she is able to return home very soon.

Since we have had the Christmas Tree up for awhile, it seemed like a shame to not take a picture of our kids in front of the tree. As you can see, Sami was a little more cooperative than Gracie. For some strange reason, cats just don't seem to understand the word SIT or STAY! At least, I got her in the photo, just before she walked out of the frame.

Our weather has changed for the worse the past few days. It's still relatively warm (60's), but all of the wet weather and flooding in CA is also having an effect on Western AZ. We've had a few rain showers, and the wind has picked up this morning. Definitely not what you would call ideal boating weather. With any luck, the wind will die down tomorrow, as we make the 300 mile drive to Tucson.

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE

While much of the country is in a deep freeze, (20 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida), the weather here is almost perfect! Yesterday morning, I took the boat to one of the many marine service facilities here in Lake Havasu City, and had a complete annual service done to the motor and out drive. The previous owner said he had put about 50 hours on the boat over the last 2 years, and had never changed the fluids, so I felt better knowing that we were starting fresh with the maintenance. We picked up the boat at about 2pm, and put her in the water for the first time at the Windsor State Beach launch ramp.

A slight wind was blowing from the south, but there were parts of the lake that were glass smooth. When I was much younger, and an avid water skier, these were the conditions that you dreamed about. With most of the lake to ourselves, we headed toward the dam, turning around at Black Meadow Marina. Everything worked flawlessly, and I was pleased with our new toy. Even though Patty put on her sweatshirt when we started cruising the lake at about 30 mph, I was perfectly comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt, with the temperature in the mid 70's.

After a couple of hours on the water, we cruised through the bridgewater channel, and under the London Bridge. Again, on a Tuesday afternoon in mid December, except for a couple of other boats, the channel was almost exclusively ours. It was only a few months ago when we visited the channel, and all of the craziness that goes on during spring break. That's when I started to get the bug for another boat, and had I found the right one before we left for the summer, it probably would have been in the garage when we returned from our travels in the Pacific Northwest. Taking the boat out of the water was a little disjointed, as we re-learned the art of replacing the craft on the trailer. All in all, it was an enjoyable afternoon, as we played with our new to us boat, taking it across the waters of Lake Havasu, on it's maiden voyage.

THE LAST NFR RODEO

The decision to end our 9 year run with the National Finals Rodeo here in Las Vegas is a done deal. Patty and I are in full agreement that most of the fun has disappeared, and in its place, we've been given daily doses of disappointment with this new company - A3 Merchandise. It's not that we're not adaptable to new policies and procedures, it's more that's there is a lack thereof.

Perhaps some folks are perfectly OK, working within a system that clearly is not designed to maximize sales, and in some cases, does exactly the opposite. We just don't fall into that category, and given the fact that A3 has had at least one year to plan and prepare for this multi-million dollar event, it's clear to us that some of the basics have been overlooked. We fully understand that this is their first year, and a certain amount of patience would be necessary. However, the frustration, and in some cases anger, have boiled to the top. I don't have a lot of tolerance for incompetence, and unfortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of exactly that. A few days after the event started, I told one of the leaders that there were a couple of things that we simply would not put up with. We were not going to put ourselves in a position of embarrassment, and we were not going to deal with incompetent people or procedures. So, based on our perception of a company that is less proactive, and more "management by crisis", we have decided that this "ain't our first rodeo", but it sure as heck is our last!

We shared our feelings with our partners and friends, Jim & Megan, who have been great to work with during the past 4 years. They will be free to search for another person, or persons, to help them work the booth next year. All of the negatives notwithstanding, our booth has increased sales over last year by about 15%, which seems to not be the norm at many of the other locations, based on the feedback we're hearing. I guess the bottom line for us, is simply the fact that this has been more drudgery than fun. When we retired a little on the early side, from co-ownership of our Harley-Davidson Dealership, we vowed to work when we wanted to, and only when the opportunity provided a certain amount of fun. The fun and rewarding challenge of the NFR has disappeared, so, as the cowboys would say, "it's time to ride off into the sunset"

RODEO FRUSTRATION

At the close of business yesterday, we reached the half way point, in our 10 days of working one of the National Finals Rodeo Merchandise Booths, inside the Las Vegas Convention Center. Up to this point, sales are up approximately 15%, and in spite of this positive, Patty and I are both frustrated at the overall operation of this new company we are contracting with.

Without going into detail, and understanding that this is their first year at the N.F.R., we will both be glad when this event is in the books, and we can point the motor home back to Lake Havasu. In the previous 8 years of working this event, there has always been a certain amount of fun and excitement, which kept us coming back year after year. This year, it's been a lot more work, which we're not afraid of however, combined with the lack of support, and an archaic method of restocking our inventory, the fun has almost disappeared. Based on my vocal criticism of the many flaws in the system, we may not be invited back next year, and if that's the case, it may be a blessing. At the close of business this Saturday, we will most likely be ending our 9 year run with the National Finals Rodeo here in Las Vegas.

OPENING DAY AT THE N.F.R.

One of the things you hear in the Cowboy World, is "this ain't my first rodeo". Well, even though Patty and I don't work or compete in the actual rodeo, this will be our 7th year selling merchandise inside the Las Vegas Convention Center, with 2 prior years selling merchandise inside the Sands Convention Center. The National Finals Rodeo (N.F.R.), has been in Las Vegas for 26 years, and in addition to the Vegas Convention Center, there are hundreds of vendors at the Sands & Mandalay Bay Convention Centers as well. In a nutshell, this is one of the biggest events that takes place in Las Vegas every year.

The pictures above were taken yesterday, our final day of setup, before the convention center opens this morning. Our typical workday will be from about 8am to 5:30pm, so the hours aren't bad, but it's pretty much non-stop for the entire day. I know by the time it's over, we're both happy campers. I put in a picture of our booth last year, which is posted below, and you can see the difference from the old company (MainGate), and the new company (A3) in the photos above. As with any start up operation, the new company is undergoing a huge learning curve, and we have a few concerns, but until we're up and running, it's a bit premature to make any judgements.
The picture below was taken Tuesday night in the activity room at the Thousand Trails, where some of us have our RV's parked. This XMAS party has become a tradition, and with the gift exchange and abundance of food that everyone brings, it's always a good time. With the help of Jim/Megan, Kurt/Phyllis, Patty and I have hosted the party for the last couple of years. In the past, MainGate has donated $200 for party expenses, and this year, A3 has continued that commitment, with an offer to do the same. I think it falls under the category of building loyalty, and we sincerely appreciate both companies helping with this activity. As this event begins, my hope is that the rough edges won't be too sharp, and we'll be given enough product and the resources to make some money for us, and for the new company. Time will tell, and as the cowboys say, "this ain't our first rodeo".

OFF TO THE RODEO

The "Super Bowl" for Rodeos is held every year in Las Vegas during the first part of December. This is the culmination of the rodeo season, and the top 15 contestants from around the country travel to the National Finals Rodeo, to compete for the chance to win a world championship, and lots of prize money. This is a huge, 10 day event, with rodeo performances each night at the arena on the U.N.L.V. Campus. During most years, the 17,000 seat Thomas & Mack venue is sold out a year in advance.

We'll fire up the motor home this morning, and drive the 150 miles north to Sin City. This will be our 9th year working this event, selling the official merchandise, in one of 3 locations inside the Las Vegas Convention Center. There will be hundreds of vendors inside the convention center, all selling merchandise related to the rural, ranch, cowboy lifestyle. We thought our rodeo careers were over at the end of last years event, when we learned that the company we contracted with (MainGate) lost the contract, and we doubted that the new company would continue to utilize our services. As it turned out, the new company (A3 Merchandise), asked us to work with them in the same location where we have been the last 4 years. All of the merchandise we will be selling can be seen at www.prorodeogear.com.

So, we will be gone for about 2 weeks, and will be quite busy for most of that time. I hope to get a few pictures and posts on the blog from Vegas, but we won't have a lot of free time. With a new company, new point of sale hardware, and a new company philosophy, we have a much larger learning curve than in the past, so we're anxious to get there, and get busy!

THANKSGIVING IN KINGMAN

Our Thanksgiving Day was spent in Kingman, AZ. at Ron & Judy Ellstrom's home. We picked up Bob & Jeanette around noon, and drove the 60 or so miles to Kingman. Jim & Megan drove down from Las Vegas, Judy's son Sean was visiting from Vacaville, CA. and Pam & Hal drove to Kingman from Page, AZ. Judy & Ron prepared a delicious turkey, with all of the traditional side dishes, and everyone else brought something, so there was enough food to feed a small army. After a second helping and dessert, I was more than stuffed. I was totally ready for a meal like that, after a little over 2 weeks of walking/jogging/bicycling on the 3.6 mile island path. The combination of exercise, and no Ben & Jerry's ice cream (that's 0), has resulted in some lost weight, but as they say, "everything comes with a price". Even if I gained it all back yesterday, it was soooooooo worth it. What a great meal! Thanks Ron & Judy for having all of us at your home.
Today, we get the motor home packed up and ready for our 2 weeks in Las Vegas, while we work the National Finals Rodeo. It's been parked under the shade cover for the last 2 months, and this morning, I'll move it down next to the house, so it will be easier to load everything, from clothes to food. The weather has cooled considerably during the last week, with our night time temperatures dipping into the upper 30's the last couple of nights. I'm holding out on the switch from shorts to long pants, particularly with full sunny days, and reasonable daytime temperatures.

Yesterday morning, we got a telephone call from Laila, wishing us a happy Thanksgiving. Patty and I agreed, our day couldn't get any better after we finished a 10-15 minute conversation with our 5 year old Grand Daughter. It will be really nice having her, Marc & Chandra at our house for a few days during the Holidays.