Church this Sunday morning was lengthy, as it was communion Sunday, and the service before ours was late as was ours.  Back at the motorhome, I quickly changed into cycling clothes and was off on a “serious” ride while Kay hung around the place and worked on Swedish weaving.  The cycling experience was a mixed bag—the first 15 miles were quite pleasant, but then the 30-35 mph winds hit, and the remaining 20 miles were a challenge—temperatures plunged 17 degrees during the ride!  It seems like anytime one cycles it is always uphill and into the wind.  My knees hurt so bad from all the pedaling against the wind that after a couple of Tylenol, we went immediately to the hot tub for a long soak, and the combination of pain relief and warm, bubbling water did the trick.  Here are the ride statistics:

Ride Time: 3:03:23

Stopped Time: 34:48

Distance: 35.39 miles

Average: 11.58 mph

Fastest Speed: 20.42 mph

Ascent: 358 feet

Descent: 381 feet

Calories: 2466

We went to the Burger Bash at the Activities Center for a Superbowl meal of burger, beans, potato salad, and chips, and returned to the motorhome for Kay to watch Denver get drubbed while I worked on the Tailgater—it seems like another motor has seized, and the other one King Controls sent has the wrong electrical connection—we can’t seem to get a break, and are beginning to wonder if HD satellite television is worth it.  One of the first items on the agenda when we return home it to consult with Wayne on the possible repair of the motors!

Monday morning began with golf at the Harlingen Country Club.  Because of the seasonally cool weather, the parking lot was practically empty, and Al and I were able to tee off immediately.  Al had a great back nine, shooting in the low 40s, and while I hit the ball well, the score did not reflect it—the putting was horrendous!  While I played, Kay did laundry and other household chores, and took a “girl” trip to old McAllen to shop for hats and hat decorations for Derby Day.  After a quiet afternoon, we accompanied Al and Sharon to the Tilted Kilt.  We were surrounded by televisions of all shapes and sizes, and scantily clad waitresses.  The food was good, but once a year to go there is enough.

I attended the Snowbird Extravaganza with Al and Sharon on Tuesday morning.  The Extravaganza is a venue for Canadians spending the winter in the US, sponsored by the Canadian Snowbird Association.  The Canadian Snowbird Association is a lobbying entity for Canadian snowbirds, lobbying the Canadian provincial and national governments, and the US Senate and House of Representatives.  Without getting into a lengthy discussion, the amount of time Canadians are allowed to spend in the US is constrained by the US government and by Canadian federal and provincial insurance providers.  Having stated that, the Snowbird Extravaganza is primarily sponsored by Medipac Travel Insurance, a Canadian provider of insurance for Canadians “visiting” the US—enough said.  Anyway, the Extravaganza featured world-class entertainment by Canadian entertainers.  We heard Tom Leadbeater sing the national anthems of both the US and Canada, Comedienne Jimmy Flynn, and country-western singer Michelle Wright.  Michelle Wright has had a number of No. 1 hits in Canada and a Top Ten hit in the US (Take it Like a Man, 1992).  She has a deep, throaty voice similar to Anne Murray, but can hit the high notes as well.  And, she performed without her band or any tracts, a brave feat for any artist of renown.  If you haven’t heard her and like country=western music, you owe it to yourself to listen to one of her songs.  The Extravaganza was packed with Canadians, who as a group, spend over $300 million in Texas every winter!  Kay finished her bowl, and it’s the best yet.  It’s the largest of the three she’s made—about 12 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep on the inside.  It is a segmented bowl, comprised of walnut with Canadian maple vertical stripes. Here’s a photo of all three—the newest one is on the left.

She “visited” the endodontist for a consultation regarding a possible root canal on Friday.  He believed he could save the tooth that’s been bothering her, and committed to return some of the very high cost should the surgery fail, subject to a fax from our dentist at home regarding a failure—we are hopeful the surgery will work.  We played bridge with Al and Sharon in the evening, and both of us were dealt good cards all evening—it sure makes playing bridge more fun, as I’ve been dealt terrible hands most of the season, and been forced to play a poor defense!