20180725 – The Second Batch of Kids Takeover

Sorry for belated posting, but this working for a living is making keeping up the Blog difficult. At least there’s enough of a pattern by now to guess what we’re up to each day.

Leisure bike rides from Maxwells to the old barn. Kids come down with me and Ross does most of the ride but abandons to go back and sort Susie and Honey out.

In the afternoon I escape for some sanity at the gun club. Some time off from my new found challenge of trying to organise this lot – like trying to herd frogs.

Then it’s back home and drive offset to the free Deer Valley concert with picnic and wine. Groups pretty mediocre but typical can’t resist making political statements. Why don’t they just stick to the music and rest the temptation to bore us with their politics – we’re really not interested.

Hire a couple of tandem kayaks and a single kayak for me. Ross and Co. come kayaking. All seem to enjoy it, especially Devon. Mind you the kids don’t contribute much paddle power. Then the kids go on the Webit blow up water park.

In the afternoon I take Honey to archery with me. She gets to spend the whole 90 minutes shooting and tries out both recurve and compound. She quite likes the compound.

In the evening Wendy and I escape for a quiet evening and leave the kids to it. Go for dinner at Sammies, love their pork sandwich. Then it’s off down to the High West to buy a bottle of their new released “Valley Tan”, not bad but not as good as “Yipee Ki Yae”.

Take Ross and Co. tenpin bowling with the Geriatrics from the Newcomers. Kids have a great time and Devon manages to graduate from rolling down the ramp to slinging it down the lane – takes a while to get to the pins but he’s trying.

Meanwhile Wendy goes shopping.

In the afternoon I go and play Pickleball with my super new paddle – doesn’t improve my game.

Ross drops Wendy and I off at the Bowling Bash for the annual Newcomers Bowling Bash and barbecue. What a friendly lot they are.

Ross and Co. go to the Demolition Derby.

Start off the day with the intention of doing the Tollgate canyon hike, but we’re late out so take the brood up to Guardsmens Pass and do a shorter hike up to Jupiter. Devon manages a mega melt down after just 200 yards, sits down and refuses to go any further. If it been up to me we’d have left him there and picked him up next time we went up there.

Take everyone up to the flying aces show. Must be about the 6th time we’ve seen it. Wendy goes to sit in a open spot and guy next to it says ‘we’re saving that for someone”. Wendy’s response is “Well they’re not here so tough”. Don’t mess with my hormonal wife.

Another Sunday another trips to the Silly market with the brood.

Lazy afternoon.

Wendy and I explore the Masonic hill hike to see if it’s suitable for leisure hike.

This hike has passed the acid test for leisure criteria and received the “Wendy Seal of Approval” – if Wendy can do it without giving me earache then it must be ok.

The kids go up to PCMR base for a discounted fun day. We pop up to see them and then leave them to it.

Wendy’s off to the CC for the morning.

I’m leading a leisure hike up Dawns trail – hard going – then down Armstrong. Have an interesting altercation with a stroppy, bad attitude, waitress who seems to struggle with the concept of a customer. I explain that I have this syndrome where I go through life with the delusion that I’m a customer. It’s not dangerous or contagious and I’m receiving treatment for it.

Lazy afternoon, well not really so lazy as I do some consultancy.

In the evening Wendy and I escape up to Stein Ericsson for dinner. Not cheap and interesting that as soon as you present a 2 for 1 voucher they bring out a more expensive menu. The bill is a disaster. Great waiter but it takes them about 4 goes to get the bill right. Seems to be my day for bill problems.

Food was ok. Haute cuisine which I think is French for “go home hungry’. Mike knew the blue grass band who were pretty good and played duelling banjos for me.

Lead a leisure bike ride up to Silver star and back, Ross joins us.

Wendy’s at the CC for the day.

Then it’s back home and a quick change ready to go and exercise Joes 2nd amendment rights down on the gun range.

Back and another quick change to take us and all the rug eats down to the free guided tour of the Natural History museum, given by Bob. Fascinating tour and just love the passion he has for it.

Back home we go round for farewell drinks at Laurie and Mike’s. Turns out there’s food in abundance and good to see Jerry and Diane are back.

Kayaking on the Jordanelle with Ross and Honey. Then Honey takes Ruth (mind of a 16 yer old in a geriatrics body) on the splash zone. Give Ruth her due she was up for it, especially because she was deprived of such excitement when she was younger.

Afternoon Wendy goes shopping and drops the rug rats off to go handbag shopping.

I tootle off down to archery. Really like that compound bow they have.

Then in the evening we’re off to Donna and Joe’s for dinner. Great evening, great well done steaks just melt in the mouth and great company.

Wendy does her CC thing.

Ross and co. come with me to Newcomers bowling. Kids love it.

In the evening Ross takes us all out for dinner. Try the Boneyard but get kicked out because we have rug rats with us – Utah crazies strike again.

All troop round to the Windy Ridge cafe where we have a lovely meal, and drinks, sat out on the patio.

Up at the crack of sparrows to take Ross and tribe down to the airport. Think they had a good time here and can now see why we spend so much time here.

Lazy afternoon and then in the evening we go to the Summer bash laid on as a thank you for all the NAC volunteers. Good food and even a few beers. Pleasant evening even if we do get an ignoramus blobby sat next to us.

Back home catch up on some TV. My the house is oh so quiet. Make the most of our 36 hour reprieve.

Wendy and I explore the RTS trail ready for a leisure hike. Wendy completes it without any earache so it receives the Wendy seal of approval so I’ll get it posted.

Then in the evening we pick Fiona and the kids up ready for the 2nd wave of guests. Seems like she had quite a good trip and the kids were oh so well behaved.

Early start for everyone. I have conference calls and Beatrix is just a night owl.

Jasper and I troop off to the library to renew my books and choose some for Jasper. Then we’re off to the park. Meanwhile Wendy and the rest of tribe are off down to Walmart.

In the evening Wendy and I are off to Grappa for a birthday with Sylvia. Good evening and food’s ok. I even end up having a veggie main course.

Usual crack of sparrows conference call. A bit like herding frogs.

Then we’re all off up to the Jordanelle for a picnic with Bob & Marilyn’s crew. Sadly Bobs not well so he dips out and we pass on barbecue. Have butties instead. Take jasper kayaking and Brook has a stand up paddle board. Meanwhile Beatrix tears around on the grass. Good day had by all.

Wendy’s at the CC all day so we’re limited what the kids can do.

I go on a leisure bike ride led by Howard so I just bring up the rear. Makes a relaxing change not to have to lead or be responsible (having the mind of a 16 year old I’ve always had a problem with that).

Afternoon is the gun club with Joe.

Then in the evening Wendy and I are off to the free concert picnic and wine with Jasper, he enjoys booing away but after an hour he’s bored. Pity really because for the first time it’s a good group for free.

Another perfect day here in paradise.

Fiona and I are off kayaking with PCMSC in a double kayak. Great having someone else to do the work. Have a relaxing time on the Jordanelle, it’s the calmest it’s ever been.

Meanwhile Wendy’s coping with Beatrix.

In the afternoon I’m off down to archery with the NAC kids.

Evening is a quiet, well as quiet as you can be with 2 rugrats, evening in.

Fiona gives me earache because her arms are aching from the kayaking.

Then Fiona, Jasper and I are off tenpin bowling with the Newcomers Geriatric Bowling Team. Jasper has a great time.

Again Wendy ends up looking after Beatrix.

In the afternoon I take the kids and Fiona to the park and then we pick up Wendy from the CC. What awesome parks they have here.

Friday evening we all go to Windy Ridge cafe for dinner. Tina and Neil come along, how brave can you be having dinner with our tribe. Awesome Mac and Cheese yet again.

Fiona and I have a good bike ride down to Kimble junction. Fiona spends “3 hours” browsing in T J Max whilst I read the paper and get a caffeine top up to cope with the waiting. Then it’s decision time does Fiona want to go back on the bus or ride up. Her pride gets the better of her and she rides back up with me rather than chicken out. A good workout.

Timing on the bike ride is perfect as we arrive at Willow Creek park just in time to watch the Tour de Utah whisk past. Amazing how close they ride together. Get some good photos.

In the afternoon take Jasper to the PC Marc swimming pool. Wow he sure loves that slide.

Evening we dine out on the back patio on steak and salad. I exercise amazing constraint as Ive designated it a no alcohol day. Fiona makes up for my restraint and retires a tad rat arsed.

Well last nights excess alcohol for Fiona seems to have wrought havoc as she wakes up with a crook in her neck from sleeping / passing out on her hair bobble.

Wendy and I go for a hike with B&M. Just a 4 miler up skid row and across. Just 2 hours. Quite pleasant although a tad hot.

In the afternoon B&M and tribe come round for a jacuzzi and we have a relaxing barbecue and of course a few drinks.

Missed a few days don’t know where they went, hence the pictures. Could it be alcohol induced amnesia or just too much consultancy work.
It’s the day to move from the Racket club to the canyons. Kurt and Fiona have done the smart thing and flew off to San Diego for Five days so we’re looking after Grand kids as well as doing the move and not to forget dropping them off at the airport. Removal is an absolute nightmare. We have so much stuff its unbelievable. Fortunately we have good friends, bob and Marilyn and Hal all come round to help with the move. It still takes about five trips to transfer all the stuff..

By the time evening comes Wendy and I are cream crackered.

Our new home for The next week is down at hidden Creek. It’s okay, although they must have employed a dam good photographer. Not as nice as our Racquet club home.

After an interesting nights lack of sleep with Beatrix up to her usual shenanigans we have a lazy start to the day. We are that knackered that nothing has been unpacked yet.

I take Jasper tenpin bowling and bugger me if it doesn’t managed to beat me. I think I will start bowling with Guard rails up. Jasper gets given 10 free tokens for the arcade by they bowling alley manager – yet more freebies here in paradise, it must be the accent that does it.

Then we wander across to McDonald’s to meet Wendy and Beatrix and Angela.

Afternoon involves yet more shopping. As if we don’t have enough stuff.

In the evening we all go out to be Billy Broncos for dinner with Bob, Marilyn, Janel and Mike.

Then it’s another early night after playing a few games with the kids.

Still not unpacked.