Ellen & Bernie’s, Spring 2022
We arrived at mid-day on a Thursday, 105 degrees, unloaded the trailer and jumped in the pool. Then we got ready for dinner, one of those Asian restaurants, like Benihana’s, where they put on a show and cook in front of you. There were 13 of us, with Leonard’s family and friends in town for Courtney and Leonard’s baby shower.
We’ve really enjoyed getting to know Leonard’s family and friends. Since we went to Cancun last October, we’ve gotten to know them pretty well, including: Leonard’s mom Sheila, her sister Peggy, Leonard’s sister Keisha and her fiancé Jason, Leonard’s good friends from Omaha, Mike and Tony, both former NFL players, Tron a comedian from LA, Monte who lived in their same condo complex, Gavin, a phenomenal golfer and many others.
The rest of Friday was spent on a Pontoon boat at a nearby lake. It was super fun! Ellen had rented two pontoon boats to accommodate everyone, about 25 in all. Lunch and swimming was fantastic!
Friday night we saw Tears for Fears at the AK-Chin Outdoor Pavilion with Ellen and Bernie. They played a lot from their new album, The Turning Point. It was their first album in 18 years and they picked up right where they left off. We sat on the grass in lawn chairs, way in the back. The sound quality was phenomenal! We enjoyed the show so much. It exceeded our high expectations. You can’t beat an outdoor concert that is t-shirt weather, 90 degrees plus, until well after dark.
Saturday morning, I went to breakfast with Brian and Bernie at Over Easy. Then, we went to Leonard and Courtney’s baby shower at their beautiful home. It was a wonderful event.
My tooth was still aching so I saw an Endodontist in Mesa, who said that I needed to see a Periodontist. A few days later I saw the Periodontist, but by then, the Amoxicillan had knocked down the infection and I was feeling better, good enough to forego any further treatment.
While we were in Mesa, we also:
- Went for a walk through Dobson Ranch
- Stayed cool in Ellen and Bernie's pool
- Played cribbage with Brian and Diane
- Taught Courtney and Leonard how to play cribbage
- Played golf twice, Papago in Phoenix was a really nice course
- Had brunch at the Perch
- Played with the dogs, especially Tank, who can play ball all day
- Went to dinner and listened to live music at the Stillery
- Calculated that it cost $950 in gas to drive from Edmonds, WA to Mesa, Arizona (gas was $5.39/gallon in AZ)
It was a pleasure spending a lot of time with Courtney, Leonard, Ellen and Bernie. We are so thankful to Ellen and Bernie for letting us stay at their beautiful home.
