We are on our way to our permanent digs today. And we are ready for it. Palm Desert here we come. It is just over a 4 hour drive so it is not a long day. The road is hammered out by trucks and that, combined with the busyness of the highway, makes the driving not ideal. But Rudy is cheerful and happy to be getting to his home away from home. He will be in Palm Dessert until the beginning of January. I will stay until November 23.

We arrive early afternoon and start to unpack. There are loads of things to organize and after a month on the road we are happy to do some nesting. Once everything (clothes, groceries, and miscellaneous) are put away I start to dream about cooking supper. I can tell I have been away from this for a while because I can usually think of a whole list of things I would rather do than cook. But I am gungho. I search for recipes and make a list and then head off on my bike to Albertsons. Rudy wonders whether I need more than my large backpack but I say that my list is small. Famous last words. Once I get there I have loads more ideas for other meals and by the time I have shopped and crammed everything into my backpack it weighs a ton. I manage to slip it up on my shoulders and ride home. But it isn’t easy. I have to be careful that I am not thrown off balance and shoot off into the busy street. I manage to make it home. And I cook and cook, not letting Rudy into the kitchen at all. It is a big mess once I am done and Rudy is starving. We feast on mashed potatoes and creamy parmesan chicken with a delicious broccoli salad. Doesn’t sound too gourmet, you say? Well maybe not but you can’t find that on the McDonalds menu.  We have not had any regular home cooked meal for so long that we think we have died and gone to heaven. What a perfect way to spend the first day at our place.