Bill and Cathy McArthur on the Road 2010: 2

  Monday, January 11, started at 32 degrees, a record low for Naples. Our heater could hardly keep up with the cold. Bill did a couple of crossword puzzles. Cathy went to her exercise class. The sky was clear and the sun was out, so at least it looked nice outside. Bill went out around 10:30 AM for a 3 hour, 18 minute endurance paddle for 12 miles down Naples Bay and into Port Royal. It was chilly, but the sun was warm and the wind was a bit lighter. Bill had a banana and some yogurt before leaving. Cathy went to another class at the fitness center. When Bill got back, he ate another banana with some yogurt. After a hot shower, Bill went to Shirley and Dell's park model on lot 125 to help with a computer problem which turned out to be a forgotten password. We went to country line dancing and then ate a late quinoa and grilled chicken dinner. We watched the first half of the Villanova/Louisville basketball game and then watched part of "Dreamcatcher", which Bill had seen before (a few times) and Cathy wasn't interested in.

  Tuesday started chilly, but warmed up into the 60s as the day went on. Cathy's exercise class was cancelled due to a Ladies Luncheon later in the day in the clubhouse. We went to Starbucks and Publix for some shopping. Then we went to a couple of hair salons, but the waits were too long, so we returned to the RV. Cathy went to the fitness center for a class. Bill did some crunches and then got dressed for a run. He had decided on a 3 mile tempo run:

Afterward, Bill ate a late lunch. Then, Bill took a shower and read for a while. We drove to the Literacy Volunteers of Collier County tutor training workshop for one the the four 4 hour sessions over the next two weeks. We were in a group of 14 trainees in the group. It was an interesting session and a good overview of the program. We paid $25 each to help pay for the course materials. When we got back, we ate a very late dinner while we watched "House" from Monday night.

  Wednesday morning started chilly again. Cathy went to her exercise class. Bill worked on crossword puzzles. He also glued a broken faucet in the bathroom. Bill spent the rest of the morning doing homework from the tutor workshop. Cathy went to the fitness center to sign us up for monthly memberships and to work out. After lunch, Bill did some online research on instant quinoa flakes to bring on his March camping trip. We both drove to Whole Foods in the Mercado of North Naples to try to find bulk quinoa flakes, but couldn't find any. Bill bought a cappuccino in the store, but found most things to be too expensive. We got caught in traffic on the way back, due to an accident on Airport Road. Cathy had a 6:00 PM meeting for a skit for the Saturday night Hee Haw party. Afterward, we drove to Grouper & Chips for dinner. We enjoyed grouper entrees in the intimate atmosphere similar to that of Louisa's in Cape May.

  Thursday had one last chilly morning for a while. Cathy went to her exercise class. Bill did a couple of crossword puzzles. Cathy did laundry after her class. Bill went out at 10:00 AM and did a 3 mile tempo run:

As Bill was elevating his legs after the run, he saw a pair of bald eagles fly over. The sun was warm enough to allow us to eat lunch outside. After lunch, we drove to Naples on the Run to pick up Bill's packet for Sunday's half marathon. Then we went to Michael's to buy silk flowers for Cathy's Minnie Pearl hat. We continued on to Starbucks and Publix. When we got back, Cathy joined a group across the road for an early happy hour. Everyone was happy to be able to sit outside without shivering. Bill took a shower and then joined the crowd. We left at 5:15 PM to attend our second tutoring workshop. When we got back, we ate heated up frozen California Pizza. We slept without the heater.

  Friday was a warmer, more seasonable, day in Naples. It was in the 50s when we arose and mostly sunny. Cathy went to her morning exercise class and then to the fitness center for another. Bill took a two mile walk in the warm air. Bill talked with Katie while Cathy was at the gym. After lunch, we drove to Walmart to pick up a Red Box dvd and look for sunscreen. On the way back, we stopped at Walgreen's, still looking for sunscreen. When we returned, Bill ordered a case of sunscreen online and got a good price with free shipping. Cathy had a 3:00 PM rehearsal for Saturday night's show. Bill did some research on possible cruises and built a webpage for checking for prices. We joined neighbors Jerry and Lou for happy hour until sunset. We had pasta for dinner and viewed "Inglourious Basterds" on dvd. This film was Quentin Tarantino at his weirdest, so Bill enjoyed it more than Cathy did.

  Saturday got into the 80s and was a nice, but rather breezy, day. Bill did some crossword puzzles and then went about trying to get organized for the half marathon on Sunday. We ate lunch and then went to Walmart to return the Red Box dvd. The machine there wouldn't accept our dvd, but accepted those of 3 other customers while we were there. Bill called customer service and was on hold for quite a while before getting through to a representative. By that time, we were in another shopping center, so we went to Starbucks and Publix for some items. On the way back, we stopped at a Walgreen's on Tamiami Drive and were successful in returning the dvd. When we returned, Bill sat outside in the warmth for a while. Then, he cooked his pasta and mixed it with olive oil, spices, dates, and walnuts in a gallon ziplock bag. We got dressed in our hillbilly outfits and went to the bridge for happy hour. Then, we got the rest of our stuff and headed over to the clubhouse for the "Hee Haw" party. Bill enjoyed his pasta feast while the others were eating buffet food. After dinner, we did some dancing to a good country duo. At 7:30 PM, Cathy and Bill went back to the RV so Cathy could dress in her Minnie Pearl outfit. Not long after we went back, the skit started. Cathy did a great impersonation of Minnie Pearl and the audience was appreciative of the corny humor and musical numbers. At the end of the skit, Bill went back to the RV to relax before bedtime. Cathy came back about 40 minutes later. We watched a bit of the Ravens/Colts NFL playoff game before bedtime.

  Sunday began at 4:00 AM for Bill. He heard thunder and saw lightning about 3:00 AM. A hard rain followed, but by 4:00 AM, the rain had abated. Around 5:00 AM it started to rain hard again for an hour or so. Bill left at 5:40 AM wearing another pair of sneakers and a raincoat, carrying his racing shoes and his other gear. He drove through the rain to the parking garage downtown and secured a great spot on the first floor. Bill picked up his chip and then walked around for a while in the light rain. The rain stopped, so Bill dressed for the race. He wore his trail running belt with two bottles of Cytomax and a couple of Gu packs. It was humid, but otherwise good for the race. After mile 8, Bill ate a Gu pack and washed it down with some Cytomax while on the run. He felt comfortable throughout the 13.1 miles of the Naples Half Marathon, but had to give himself a pep talk after his pace slipped a bit in miles 9 and 10. He finished the race under his goal of 2 hours:

Bill finished 10th out of 32 in his age group (65-69) and 610th out of 1562 in the overall standings. Cathy walked in and watched as Bill got a leg massage. Then we went to Starbucks and then returned to the RV for lunch, which we ate outdoors. The weather was finally good enough to deploy the awning, so Bill did so. He also finished the Sunday Times puzzle that he had started early in the morning. Cathy went out for a walk while Bill took a shower. We tried to go to dinner at Bonefish Grill, but it was too crowded. We were headed for Sushi Thai Too when we stumbled over the opening night of Bert's Seafood and Chowder House on 5th Avenue. We had great meals at a moderate cost, so Bert's is on our list of favorite places. When we returned, we watched the Golden Globes for a while before heading to bed.

        Bill and Cathy