Judy and Candy arrive! (yeah)

Monday March 14, 2011 (Day 178)

Cool board showing flight info @ phoenix airport



The day started with an abbreviated version of the Rick Lubansky workout. Then it was cleanup time for both Howie and myself. I told Rick that once again I enjoyed the baseball rendezvous and that we must continue this now 3 year tradition. Then I was off to have the tires checked (5 pounds over due to the much warmer climate here in AZ compared to WA). While waiting in the great cell phone waiting area (where there was a scoreboard showing flights enroute/landing/arrived) I stumbled upon a guy who was on the Mariners/Padres spring training baseball board. I learned that many of the clubs are now doing their own spring training where they pay people to run concessions, parking, and the park rather than paying a lump sum to a board that relies on volunteers like in Peoria or Surprise. The new Rockies is one such as well as the Giants. I suppose teams are looking for any way of making a buck!

Taking Judy to a Mariners game...





Spring Break brings many more people to games.



And then the call came; Judy is ready to be picked up! Of course it was great to see her once again and also good to take her to Peoria to see the M’s one last time… What a difference Spring Break makes. The park was packed. We did manage to find a couple of seats in the H&R shady section which is adjacent to the Japanese Ichiro video station. This is where Rick and I found ourselves whenever possible while at Peoria park for baseball. We left before the crowd attendance was announced, but there must have been 9000 plus. Traffic on the 101 was heavy and we arrived at the Lost Dutchman State Park just after it closed. Turns out that once again Spring Break gave us a screwball. The park was full! Off we went to overflow for the night and to await the arrival of the Lubanskys. We met a great couple that have been Full Timing for 10 years (only 8 years together since they met while traveling solo). John and Mariann (not sure on spelling) offered us wine and plenty of great conversation while awaiting Rick and Candy. When darkness came we separated to start our respective dinners. We are number 3 on the list for tomorrow. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.


Check out our "overflow" parking view!






Full-Timers John and Mariann that we met at the overflow.





Sunset at Lost Dutchman State Park