Unit 20 Ladies’ Lunch
Peggy Pase
Unit 20 ladies met for lunch at Cheddar’s on Aug. 5. As always, we enjoyed delicious lunch specials and catching up with each other. It was sad to hear that some of our friends will be leaving PebbleCreek soon, but to a better living situation for them. They will be missed! Next, we are planning a backyard pool party … looking forward to it. (Photo by Peggy Pase)
A group photo captured the occasion (L-R): Don Paxton, Mark Eichkorn, Darrell Livingston, Spike Razem, Walt Saal, Steve Rustman, and Dan Harris (photographer).
Once Again, Technology Mars the Unit 44 Men’s Lunch
Dan Harris
Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. In some parts of the country, teams of software engineers are still nodding confidently at that statement. The rest of us at the Unit 44 men’s lunch, however, know better. They remember the debacle at one of the lunches last year where the credit card machines weren’t working and payment could only be made in cash.
As the old saying goes, history repeats itself.
Eight hungry guys made the trek on Aug. 5 to BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Goodyear, where the crowded dining room mostly delivered. Friendly staff, solid food, and lively conversation more than compensated for the leisurely service. Most of the group zeroed in on the mid-day specials—lunch-sized burgers, chicken, pasta, salads, and soups—capped off with the restaurant’s signature Pizookie (a warm, mini-pizza-sized cookie buried under ice cream). Priorities, after all, were properly ordered.
Conversation flowed easily: the latest Unit 44 news, travel plans, and whatever nonsense managed to sneak onto the table. A warm welcome went out to Steve Rustman, who hadn’t joined the crew since January 2024. It was good to have him back.
Then the bills arrived, each sporting its own unique QR code for the modern, phone-based payment experience. One brave soul scanned his on his iPhone and was promptly informed: YOU CAN ONLY MAKE A PAYMENT ON A MOBILE DEVICE. Huh?
Several minutes of collective button-mashing, head-scratching, and muttered technological diplomacy followed. In the end, most of the guys surrendered and simply handed over their credit cards. One guy paid cash and sailed through without a single error message—proving once again that sometimes the simplest solution still works best.
Another excellent lunch, slightly delayed by the digital age. Same time next month, but bring cash just in case.
Unit 44 Ladies Say “Tea”
Jean Harris
Say “Tea!” A group of Unit 44 ladies did just that, smiling for a photo while wearing borrowed hats from The Pink Door Tea Room in Glendale. Braving the summer temperatures for an indoor gathering, the ladies enjoyed a classic high tea luncheon while catching up and enjoying the experience. Kudos to lunch coordinator Debbie Baron for coming up with the outing and making it an event! Left to right: Jean Harris, Jean Merkel, Debbie Baron, Nancy Preston, Deborah Crabtree, Gayle Lopez and daughter Katie Lopez.
Playing at two tables of three players are, left to right, in front: Vicky Ferraresi, Karen Ramberg, Sally Coon, and in the back: Tracy Kieras, Susan Gildea, and Jung Suk Mallen. We have had as many as four tables going when our snowbirds are in town!
Unit 46 Ladies Mahjong
Vicky Ferraresi
The ladies of Unit 46 get together every Tuesday at 1 p.m. to play California Mahjong, a simplified version of Hong Kong Mahjong. Although the set-up and scoring is tricky and takes a while to master, it is not hard to learn.
As with every Chinese variant of the game (and there are said to be dozens) no card is used. Like Gin Rummy, hands are organically created until the first player creates a mahjong from 4 groupings (sets of 3 or 4 and runs of 3) with a pair. There is no Charleston and jokers are not used. The hand is scored, with bonus points for flowers, and score doublers (3 or 4 dragons or seat/round winds or holding the flower corresponding to your seat wind or season) for every player. Some doubling options are just for the winner of the mahjong (such as all runs with no winds or dragons, all pairs, all the same suit, all sets of 1s and 9s or 2s though 8s, and more). Sometimes players other than the mahjong winner score more points! It is a perfect combination of strategy and luck, requiring skill to maximize your score. It’s very fun and social. We can usually play 8 games in 2 hours. In tournaments 16 games are played consisting of 4 games in each of 4 rounds (East, South, West and North).
It’s another great example of Unit 46 residents having fun and enjoying each other’s company.
Unit 61 Enjoys a Day at the MIM
Donna Iverson
A group of Unit 61 neighbors spent a fun day together on July 8 with a visit to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix.
Our tour focused on guitars, and everyone enjoyed learning about the many different styles, history, and craftsmanship of these amazing instruments from around the world. There was plenty to see, and everyone came away having learned something new.
One of the highlights of the day was an impromptu piano performance by our own Jerry McMahon, who entertained the group with several songs. It was a special treat and brought lots of smiles.
After our tour, we gathered in the museum cafe for lunch, good conversation, and a few laughs before heading home. It was another great day spent with good friends, and we look forward to our next Unit 61 outing together.