Monthly Archives: November 2013

Family and Friends

Being able to spend time with family and friends over the holidays is such a treat. One of the great benefits of a nomadic way of life is the ability to live where we want, when we want.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving at Donna’s sister, Sheila’s house. The plan was for me to take my daughter, Shauna’s car up to Sun City to pick up my step-dad, Ken. Plans always have a way of changing. Ken called me first thing Thursday morning and told me he picked up some kind of bug and was sick. He didn’t want to come to a house full of people and possibly infect others. He assured us that he would be fine.

When I told Shauna she didn’t need to drop her car off, she told me she realized her roommate, Brittany didn’t have family in the area and had nowhere to go. I told her to bring Brittany along. We would go to Sheila’s around 1pm. Shauna and Brittany are attending law school at Cal Western. They have finals coming up, so they used the extra time Thursday morning to study.

Brittany on the left, Shauna on the right

Two beautiful law students, Brittany on the left, Shauna on the right

We arrived at Sheila’s house a little after 1pm. Donna’s other sister, Linda and her husband Tom where there. They flew in from Vermont the night before. Tom and I watched football while the girls sat outside. Sheila’s son, Connor provided entertainment for the girls. He’s nine years old and into James Bond. He was dressed for the part.

Connor practicing archery in his California James Bond outfit (check the footwear)

Connor practicing archery in his California James Bond outfit (check the footwear)

We snacked, talked and watched the game. The smoked trout pate Donna made was outstanding. Sheila’s friend, Dr. Jeff Sandler joined us. Dinner was planned for some time after 4pm. Again, plans have a way of changing. The turkey wasn’t cooperating – it took much longer  than anticipated to cook.

Later, Sheila’s friend Ann joined us. She brought the potatoes. We had two tables set up to seat 10 people. Dinner was served around 7:30pm. We took turns stating what we are thankful for and enjoyed the meal. As usual, we all stuffed ourselves.

Shauna, Brittany and Donna at the front table

Shauna, Brittany and Donna at the front table

Connor, Donna, Sheila and Jeff

Connor, Donna, Sheila and Jeff

Yesterday, as predicted, we had a change in the weather. I knew it was coming by the ache in my right shoulder. I had surgery for a fractured glenoid and torn labrum in my right shoulder years ago after an accident. The orthopedic surgeon told me I would be a weather man – an ache in my shoulder means a front is approaching. The day was overcast and dreary with occasional showers. It didn’t rain hard though. The thermometer was stuck at 64 degrees.

Linda and Tom

Linda and Tom

Donna rented a car from Enterprise for the weekend. She took me to the Embarcadero where I met Tom, Linda and Connor at the Midway Museum. I wrote about the Midway before. It’s a a navy aircraft carrier built in 1945. It was used in Vietnam. Pilots from the Midway shot down the first Russian MIG fighter plane there in 1965. They also shot down the last MIG of that conflict in 1973. It was operational through 1992 and served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. In 1992, it was decommissioned in San Diego.

Today, it serves as a naval museum. The carrier is 1,001 feet long and 258 feet wide. It carried a crew of 4,500 sailors. We spent three hours walking through the hangar deck and down through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th decks which are referred to as a city at sea. The logistics of caring for 4,500 people working at sea are staggering. I gained respect for the work the sailors perform.

We finished up our tour on the flight deck. We dodged a shower or two and walked the length of the deck. They had various airplanes from different eras on display. I had to take a picture of an A4 Skyhawk. I worked on an A4 squadron in the Marines in 1975.

A4 Skyhawk

A4 Skyhawk

Flightdeck

Flight deck

The island on the deck

The island on the deck

The area called the island on the flight deck houses the bridge, ready room, captain and admirals quarters.

From the flight deck, I saw an active aircraft carrier across San Diego Bay at the North Island Navy base. It was the Nimitz class nuclear powered CVN 76, Ronald Reagan.

Aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan

Aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan

Three hours of walking up and down steps and ladders was enough for us, although we only saw about half of the museum. As large as the Midway was, it was dwarfed by a cruise ship docked at the pier to the north. This cruise ship was called Golden Princess.

Cruise ship Golden Princess

Cruise ship Golden Princess

Late last night, Donna’s brother, Mark and his wife, Miriam, flew into San Diego. They are returning to Philadelphia from a vacation in Hawaii and will spend a few days here. Today, we’ll all get together on Coronado Island for lunch. Tomorrow, Mark, Tom and I will go to the San Diego Chargers versus Cincinnati Bengals game.

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving! Donna and I have so much to be thankful for. We appreciate our good health, family and friends. Our lifestyle on the road has allowed us to visit our families and make new friends along the way.

The weather continues to be fantastic here. The days are clear and warm to about 70 degrees in the afternoon. After sunset, it quickly cools to the lower 60s. Mornings are high 50s and lower 60s. It’s 61 degrees as I type at 9am.

Tuesday I rode the scooter up to University Town Center. This is a large shopping mall east of La Jolla near UC San Diego. I went to Sears and looked at tool sets and tool boxes. After I returned home, I went online to Sears.com and ordered some tools and a tool chest. This way I don’t have to find a way to haul the heavy tools – they ship for free via UPS right to our site.

I took the scenic route home, along the coast. I stopped in Pacific Beach at the farmer’s market on Bayard Street. Every Tuesday, they close Bayard between Garnet and Grand Avenue and set up the market on the street. They had lots of fresh produce and locally made jams, jellies, salsas and other sauces. There was also fresh seafood.

Pacific Beach farmers market

Pacific Beach farmer’s market

I sent a text to Donna asking if I should buy anything. She didn’t get my message – she was working at her laptop outside while her phone was on the table inside. So I looked, but didn’t buy anything. It was a good thing – our refrigerator is full.

Yesterday we were up early…well, early for me. Donna set her alarm for 7am. We needed to be out at 8:10am to scooter over to Shelter Island. We joined Emily and Mark Fagan at their sailboat, Groovy, at the Kona Kai marina. They were moving their boat to a marina at Harbor Island where their yacht broker is located. They have their Hunter 44 sailboat up for sale. We came along to enjoy the ride and lend a helping hand. The slip at the Harbor Island marina was narrow. Mark and I manned opposite sides of the boat and kept the hull from hitting the pier. Actually, Emily didn’t need much help as she expertly reversed the 44-foot sailboat into place.

We enjoyed a nice ride across San Diego Bay.  Along the way we saw an amazing sight. Two women in a Zodiac boat were training a dolphin in the open water. We think this was a US Navy Marine Mammal exercise. The dolphin would dive, then leap into the air. After repeating this performance a couple of times, it swam next to the Zodiac. The women would stroke and pet the dolphin and give it a fish treat. Then the performance would start over again. Google “US Navy Marine Mammal” for more information.

I managed to catch the dolphin in mid-air with my phone camera

I managed to catch the dolphin in mid-air with my phone camera

We had a great time enjoying the boat ride and visiting with Emily and Mark. We plan to have them for dinner one night before they leave and look forward to meeting up again down the road after they return to the full-time RV lifestyle. They have a blog with excellent photography and well written posts at roadslesstraveled.us. They’ve spent the last three and a half years cruising the coast of Mexico in Groovy.

As we cruised along Shelter Island, Emily pointed out boats moored near the shore. People live aboard these boats. Living aboard a boat full-time is a challenging feat.

Boats moored along Shelter Island

Boats moored along Shelter Island

Emily secures Groovy in the boat slip

Emily secures Groovy in the boat slip

Donna poses next to Groovy

Donna poses next to Groovy

After we returned, I rode the scooter to Trader Joe’s for some last-minute items Donna needed to prepare appetizers for our Thanksgiving meal. She’s making roasted garlic white bean dip and smoked trout pate. We’ll take them to her sister, Sheila’s house where we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving today.

Cloudless sunset over Mission Bay last night

Cloudless sunset over Mission Bay last night

 

 

Insurance Claim Settled

An historic event took place last Sunday. I didn’t post it yesterday in case some readers may have recorded the event and hadn’t viewed it yet. I’m talking about the Formula 1 race in Brazil. Twenty-six-year-old German driver, Sebastian Vettel won the driver’s world championship for the fourth time in a row. He absolutely dominated the season, winning 13 of 19 races, tying Michael Schumacher’s record. He won the last nine races in a row. His team, Red Bull Racing, consistently provided the best car. I see more records falling in the future for this bright, young star.

Yesterday, after Donna and I returned from a bicycle ride to Mission Beach, the guy with the black coach (I posted about him here ) pulled out of the park. I was glad to see him go since upon our last return to the park, we were given the site next to his. I wonder if he’s coming back. I shouldn’t care, but I was reluctant to set up and play guitar outside when he was around.

Yesterday, I scootered Donna to Ocean Beach for her piano lesson. She found a piano teacher there and will take weekly lessons over the next month. She has an 88-key digital piano set up in our bedroom and plays often. This teacher will give her some new things to work on.

While Donna was having her lesson, I walked along the beachfront shops. There’s a lifeguard station at Ocean Beach Park.  A statue of a lifeguard and a memorial plaque for 13 lives lost on May 5, 1918 stands next to the lifeguard station. The tragedy was the result of rip currents caused by unusual tidal action. This led to the development of the San Diego Lifeguard Service. Please click on the photos below to read the story on the plaque.

Ocean Beach lifeguard statue

Ocean Beach lifeguard statue

Lifeguard plaque

Lifeguard plaque

On the way home from Ocean Beach, Donna dropped me off at the base of Clairemont Drive. I walked across the overpass to Dan Diego’s European Bistro to watch Monday Night Football. Just as I arrived, my phone rang. It was Miki, the Progressive insurance claims adjuster who has been handling my stolen trailer case. She told me that she had reviewed the photos I sent of the trailer. She agreed that her inspector missed many key damages and they will pay me for the trailer and sell it as salvage. This was good news for me. Now I won’t have to deal with it any more.

Today, the San Diego Chargers are having a blood drive in Mission Valley. It’s an opportunity to meet some of the team’s players that will be onsite. I doubt if I will go. I haven’t given blood since I completed cancer treatment 11 years ago. I volunteered to give blood a couple of years after treatment, but they refused to take it. I haven’t volunteered since.

Today, I think I’ll go to Sears at University Town Center to look at tool boxes. I may end up ordering from Sears.com, but I want to examine the real thing first.

 

 

Fall in San Diego

It’s definitely fall in San Diego. The mornings are a bit chilly and the sun sets around 4:30pm. I can’t complain though. We had beautiful weather all weekend and today looks to be just as fine. It’s 60 degrees out at 9am and I expect to see highs in the mid to upper 60s all week.

Growing up here, I took the climate for granted. Each day was much like the last, or the next. I see myself falling into that attitude again. When I moved to Michigan in 1986, I learned to take advantage of the seasons. Grilling on the barbeque was real treat that I would look forward to in the spring. I know some guys there grill in the winter, but for most of us, it’s just too cold.

On Saturday, I used Shauna’s car and went to the Walmart in Murphy Canyon. I needed a few things and I wanted to check out the possibility of overnighting there when we have to do the 24-hour shuffle again after 30 days here. It’s a supercenter, but they have “No Overnight Parking” signs posted.

I spent an hour or so processing and adding text to the photographs I took of our stolen trailer. I documented exterior and interior damage.

Later, I drove downtown and picked up Shauna at Cal Western School of Law on Cedar Street. She dropped me off at the RV Park and took her car home. When I returned, I fired up the Weber and grilled Jamaican jerk chicken that Donna had prepared. She served it with mango salsa, basmati brown rice and green beans.

Jamaican jerk chicken with mango salsa

Jamaican jerk chicken with mango salsa

Over the weekend, the RV park filled up. Many people are here with their families for the Thanksgiving holiday. I wouldn’t have guessed so many people would do this. There are more families with kids here than ever. The kids must have the week off school.

Yesterday was another beautiful day, but I sat indoors and watched football all day. I didn’t do too well in the football pool. The Lions, Bears, Texans and Colts all let me down. It was still a great football day however. The Chargers won a shootout against Kansas City with the game-winning touchdown pass coming from Philip Rivers with 24 seconds left in the game!

Last night, Donna made a beef and bean chili from scratch. It was so good! I’m looking forward to leftovers!

Donna making another nutritious, delicious meal

Donna making another nutritious, delicious meal

Beef and bean chili served with red wine

Beef and bean chili served with red wine

This morning I e-mailed the photos of the damage on the stolen trailer to Progressive. I hope to hear from them soon.

 

 

 

On the Border

Yesterday we had a few more rain showers in the morning. Donna drove to her exercise class in Shauna’s car. When Donna returned, I drove to the salvage yard (Copart) in Otay Mesa. Copart is located on Airway Road, about half a mile from the Mexican border.

In the Copart office, I presented my driver’s license and trailer registration. I told them my insurance adjuster told me to inspect the trailer, document damage and retrieve any contents that may be in the trailer. They looked up my information, then issued me an orange safety vest and told me to wait for an  escort.

About 10 minutes later, a woman walked me out of the office into the yard. It was a large facility with hundreds of motorcycles and cars – mostly wrecks that had been declared total losses. A few of the vehicles impounded were recovered thefts, like my trailer. Insurance companies contract with Copart to store and eventually dispose of the vehicles. Many of the totaled cars and motorcycles go to Mexico.

While I was there, I saw a few people come to retrieve personal belongings from vehicles. They didn’t allow the people to walk through the storage yard to the car. What they did was interesting. The person wanting something from their totaled car would wait outside behind the office. A huge forklift would go to the vehicle, pick it up and drop it behind the office. Once the items were taken from the car, the forklift would take the vehicle back to the yard. They didn’t do this with me – I was escorted through the yard to my trailer.

As we walked through the large yard, I saw a commercial jet landing to the south. I asked the girl if that was the Tijuana Airport. She said it was. On the mesa south of the airport, I could see the Tijuana neighborhoods, Insurgentes and Lomas Taurinas. The Tijuana-Tecate Highway runs along the Mexican side of the border beside the airport. It’s a different world just half a mile from where I was standing.

We found my trailer. I started with a walkaround inspection. I found several signs of abuse. Both  tires had sidewall scrapes indicating that they had rubbed against curbs. The jack near the coupler was bent from scraping the pavement. The bottom of the right rear corner of the trailer had also scraped against the pavement. My guess is the thieves hooked up the trailer and made a hasty exit. In their haste, they didn’t raise the jack all the way. They probably went through a dip or down a driveway too fast and scraped both the jack and the rear of the trailer. I took photos of the damage.

I unlocked the side door and entered the trailer. When the trailer was parked, I didn’t have everything in it tied down. I was using the trailer as a garage. As I accessed tools and whatnot, I wasn’t worried about securing the load. Before we hit the road, I would organize and tie down or strap everything. When the thieves pulled out with the trailer, loose items inside bashed around. There was damage to the interior walls. A few items were left behind by the thieves, but nothing of great value – a few books and papers, rags, a couple of tie down straps. The best thing left behind was the wheel chock for the scooter.

The people at Copart told me I couldn’t take the wheel chock because it was bolted to the floor. I argued that it wasn’t part of the trailer, it was an accessory that I added. We went back to the office and they called the insurance adjuster. She told them I could take the wheel chock since I hadn’t claimed it as contents and it didn’t come with the trailer.

Removing the wheel chock was a real chore. I didn’t have the proper tools (I’m missing my tool cabinet already). I made do with a screwdriver and pliers. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to remove it.

I took photos of all of the damage. I will e-mail them to the insurance adjuster, then we’ll discuss next steps.

After I returned, Donna took the car to go shopping at Trader Joe’s and Buffalo Exchange, a consignment shop that she wrote about in her book, How to De-clutter and Make Money Now, but had never visited in person. I showered and got ready for the evening’s festivities. I had reserved a table for 10 people at the Offshore Tavern and Grill. Jim Birditt was in town and hadn’t seen many of our old friends for years. We got together and had drinks, appetizers and lots of laughs. Gary Stemple, his sister Holly Strand, Mark and Judy Fredin, Carole Bringas and of course, Donna and I showed up. It was great fun. We missed a couple of people who we hoped to see there, but were unable to attend. Donna was our designated driver.

Donna, Mark Fredin, Gary Stemple, Jim Birditt, Holly, Judy Fredin at Offshore Tavern and Grill

Carole, Donna, Mark, Gary, Jim, Holly and Judy at Offshore Tavern and Grill

Mark, Gary, me and Jim

Mark, me, Gary and Jim

Carole, me and Jim

Carole, me and Jim

Today the weather looks better – partly cloudy and the temperature should reach the mid to upper 60s. I’ll return Shauna’s car. Other than that, I have nothing planned.

 

 

 

Same Casino, Different Day

I haven’t posted for a few days due to travel. We had to leave the park on Wednesday as we hit the 30-day limit. I wrote about the 30-day regulation here. I usually get a lot of the preparation for travel done the day before we leave, but it was a little different this time.

On Tuesday, Donna and I rode the scooter to the Brigantine restaurant on Shelter Island Drive. We joined Emily and Mark Fagan for lunch there. It was Taco Tuesday, so naturally we all ordered tacos for lunch. We lingered at our table for an hour and a half, enjoying the company and conversation. Maybe I should say conversations – the last half hour was two distinct conversations. Mark and I talking about guitars and RVs while Donna and Emily we talking about the writing world and working on the road.

When you drive onto Shelter Island, you enter a world of exclusivity. There are the yacht clubs and marinas with high-dollar boats. Expensive cars are found in the parking lots there. The Brigantine at lunch time is no exception. I took a couple of quick snapshots of a Ferrari F355 and a V10 powered Audi R8.

Ferrari F355

Ferrari F355

Audi R8

Audi R8

When we returned to our home, it was filled with aroma of Carribean Chicken Curry cooking in the crockpot. Donna prepared it in the morning and it cooked all day. We moved our bicycles into the trailer and I prepared  few things for travel.

Carribean Chicken Curry

Carribean Chicken Curry

Donna had her exercise class Wednesday morning, so I couldn’t stow the scooter until she returned. Since she would be away for a couple of hours, I used that time to pack things away. I moved our chairs and a few other outdoor items to the trailer. I stowed the Weber barbeque grill and stand. I waited until Donna returned and showered, then I  dumped and flushed the tanks and put the hoses away. We needed to check out by noon and just made it.

We decided to return to Sycuan Casino near El Cajon. Last time, it was so easy. We rolled in and a security guard took our information and directed us to a large, empty parking lot. We ate dinner and breakfast there last time and thought the restaurant was good. Free parking, security and good food – how could we go wrong?

This time the experience was a little different. We parked in the same upper lot which was empty once again. But this time I was told to take my driver’s license and registration to the security office. They wanted to confirm who owns the RV – it seems they’ve had a few stolen vehicles end up in their lot.

At the security office, we were issued a parking pass to display in our windshield. We were also told that the expectation was for us to be “actively gaming” in the casino, not just using the place as an RV park. Fair enough. We aren’t interested in the gambling, but we spent money in the casino restaurants.

Sycuanpass

Our restaurant experience wasn’t the same as last time either. I ordered kung pao chicken while Donna ordered a beef and bean burrito, which was one of the specials of the day. When my food arrived, I took a couple of bites, then told Donna it wasn’t like any kung pao I’d had before. There weren’t any peanuts or dried chilis and the sauce was wrong. When the waiter came by, I asked him if this was kung pao. First he said yes, then upon closer inspection said, “Hmm…what did they  do in the kitchen?” He took my plate and returned a few minutes later with a plate of kung pao chicken.

The meal was mediocre at best. An hour later, I wasn’t feeling too well and my stomach was rumbling all afternoon. We had a late dinner, as I felt bloated and didn’t have much appetite until about 8pm. Donna whipped up a pantry plate. Pantry plates are meals she prepares with whatever we have on hand and doesn’t get too fancy. In this case, we had Trader Joe’s mini chicken tacos from the freezer with mashed avocado and salsa on a bed of greens.

Mini Tacos

Mini chicken tacos

It rained overnight. In the morning, we decided to give the casino restaurant another shot for breakfast. Donna ordered the same as she did last time – an egg white omelet with portobello and spinach and I had a machaca plate. Once again, it was mediocre food, but there was lots of it! I think when we reach the end of this 30-day stint, we’ll find someplace else to do our 24-hour shuffle.

After breakfast at Sycuan Casino, we had to dodge a few rain showers before we walked back to the coach. We hit a few raindrops on the way to Mission Bay. We checked in to Mission Bay RV Resort yesterday at noon. We were given site 88.

I hooked up the water, power and sewer. Then I retrieved the scooter from the trailer. Walking to the trailer, I got soaked from a sudden downpour. We had raindrops off and on all afternoon and overnight.

I needed to go to the Offshore Tavern and Grill to make sure we were set to have a gathering of about a dozen people Friday evening. I set up a reunion for my friend, Jim Birditt, with a lot of our old pals. I was preparing to ride the scooter over there and hoping I wouldn’t get rained on when Jim called me. He wanted to stop by and go out for a beer. Perfect! He picked me up in his dad’s truck and we went to Offshore. We’re all set to have our meetup there.

Last night Donna made tilapia with cilantro-walnut pesto for dinner. It was outstanding. We prefer to grill dinner, but with the rain she cooked it on the stove.

Tilapia with cilantro-walnut pesto

Tilapia with cilantro-walnut pesto

This morning we have more rain. I borrowed my daughter’s car for the day. I need to drive down to Otay Mesa, about an hour from here, to inspect the recovered trailer. The insurance company admitted that their inspector didn’t know anything about trailers and didn’t have a clue of what to look for, except for obvious sheet metal damage.

 

 

Insurance Claim Issues

The stolen trailer insurance saga continues. When I was surprised by a phone call from a San Diego Police officer on Saturday, November 8th informing me that my trailer was found, I wondered what would happen.

I’d purchased a new trailer the week before. Why did I shop for a new trailer one week after the theft? Well, I had a couple of reasons to do this. My main motivation was to be sure I had a way to transport our scooter and bicycles. We can only stay here in Mission Bay RV Resort for 30 days at a time, then we have to leave for at least 24 hours. I had three weeks to find, purchase and prepare a new trailer before we had to leave.

The other reason was availability. If I didn’t find the trailer I wanted, it would take a few weeks to order and receive one from the factory. I also didn’t believe the stolen trailer would ever be recovered – I thought it was probably in Mexico. The officer who took the theft report thought that was likely. So when I found a trailer that I liked, I purchased it. Otherwise, it might or might not be be available a week or two later.

The police towed my stolen trailer to an impound yard in Kearny Mesa, about 8 miles from here. When I spoke with the insurance adjuster, she told me not to do anything as she would deal with the impound yard. It turns out that she had the trailer moved to another salvage yard called Copart in Otay Mesa. This is about an hour away from here, ironically near the Mexican border.

Yesterday she phoned and told me the trailer had been inspected and she just received the inspection report. She said the report described the condition of the trailer as excellent. I asked for more details, such as whether any contents were in the trailer. She said she didn’t think the inspector entered the trailer.

Really?  The inspector writes a report claiming excellent condition but he didn’t look inside? What is the condition of the interior walls? Was the wheel chock I bolted to the floor for the scooter still there or was it ripped from the floor? What about the coupler where they cut off the lock, was there any damage there? How about the jack, was it scraped through a dip or over a curb? I doubt if the thieves drove away gently with the trailer.

She told me the report she received only had pictures of the outside walls and rear ramp. She would get more information and get back to me today. Here’s the problem. If Progressive says the trailer is in excellent shape, they will tell me to come and get my trailer. No damage, no claim. Having two trailers is a problem I didn’t anticipate. I’ll let you know what happens from here.

I went for a bike ride yesterday. I decided to do something different. I rode across Clairemont Drive from Mission Bay and got on Morena Boulevard. I rode north past Costco and turned up the hill at Jutland Drive. What was I thinking? This hill is very steep, much steeper than I wanted to climb. Half way up I caved in. I had to stop and catch my breath while my heart rate dropped to a more reasonable level. After a few minutes, I resumed the climb and made it. I won’t be riding up that road again.

I cruised through the old neighborhood. I made a stop at Cadman Park. The trees are bigger and there’s a new ball field, otherwise it was still familiar. I rode down the hill through Bay Ho back to Morena Boulevard where I enjoyed a tailwind back to Mission Bay.

Today, Donna and I are going to the Brigantine restaurant in Point Loma to have lunch with Emily and Mark Fagan. It’s Taco Tuesday there.

Black Bean Brownies

Mission Bay RV Resort was busy last weekend. There’s an RV club called Sun Diego Allegros (a Tiffin RV owners club) here and also many people here for the Susan G. Komen three-day walk. Crown Point Shores was closed to traffic and parking – it was the center for the walk. They had large tents set up on the grass there. The participants walk 60 miles over three days. The news reported that 2,300 people completed the walk.

Saturday was another cloudy day. Two overcast days in a row! It wasn’t as windy as Friday though. Donna and I rode the scooter to Vons in Pacific Beach and bought a few groceries. We invited Carole Sue Bringas to join us for dinner.

She prepared shrimp scampi and served itover whole wheat spaghetti. It was so good, delicately spiced, not overpowering. We started with a mixed baby greens salad Italian style with garbanzo beans, olives and shaved parmesan cheese. For dessert, Donna baked black bean brownies. I didn’t try the brownies, but everyone else liked them.

Shrimp with garlic and cilantro

Shrimp scampi

After dinner we sat around the fire pit next door with Bud and Mona. Carole and I reminisced and had a lot of laughs. Donna commented on how Carole and I are like a couple of kids together. We know each other’s history and can just be ourselves. We had a fun time.

Yesterday morning, Carole came back over with my old friend and neighbor, Sonny Sanchez. Sonny’s family lived next door to us when I was in ninth and tenth grades. We always disagree over who lived on Moraga Street first. He says he lived there before we moved in – I remember it differently. I  moved there in the eighth grade and I don’t remember meeting Sonny until ninth grade.

We chatted for about half an hour. He’s recently married and just bought a house. He’s excited about closing the deal this week and moving in. It was great to see him again. It was almost time for the early football game to kick off, so we said goodbye. Sonny is a big NFL (Chargers) fan. I watched football most of the day.

Donna went shopping with Bud and Mona. She took advantage of riding in their Suburban and stocked up. They went to Target, Sprouts and Costco. Donna surprised me with a case of Stone IPA.

I didn’t fare too well in the football pool. The Chargers, Lions and Texans all let me down. Around 4pm, we went with Bud and Mona to Mona’s house. She lives above the intersection of Redwood and India Street. Her balcony overlooks the airport and San Diego Bay.

Sunset over Point Loma from Mona's balcony

Sunset over Point Loma from Mona’s balcony

We watched the Denver Broncos play the Kansas City Chiefs on her big screen TV. Donna made guacamole dip. She used a recipe she got from Dos Caminos, a restaurant in New York City. Bud grilled steelhead trout and vegetables for dinner. It was really tasty. I should have taken a picture of my plate, but I was too busy watching football.

As I’m typing this, I’m listening to the news on TV. The weather forecast for today is typical San Diego fall weather. They’re calling for a crisp 67 degrees today. I’ll go for a bike ride later.

Change in the Weather

Yesterday’s weather was a departure from what we’ve become accustomed to. It was cloudy, cooler and windy. The wind was gusting from the southwest. The clouds were dark and it felt like it could rain at any moment.

I rolled the awning up and secured it. Gusty winds can damage the awning. I stayed indoors for most of the morning. Around noon, I went for a walk. I didn’t feel like bicycling – riding on a windy day is no fun. I walked up the Rose Creek Trail to Garnet Avenue and stopped at the Chase Bank there. I hit the ATM then walked back. It was a 40-minute round trip.

Walking along the Rose Creek Trail, I noticed the tide was very low. The last quarter mile of the creek where it enters Mission Bay was mostly a mud flat. I haven’t seen it this low before.

Rose Creek at low tide

Rose Creek at low tide

I stopped at the park office and booked another 30 days here in Mission Bay RV Park, beginning Thursday, November 21st. We have to check out on Wednesday, when our current 30-day stay ends. I think we’ll do the same dance as last time – cruise up to the Sycuan Casino for a night, then return after 24 hours. I wrote about the 24-hour exile in this post.

In the afternoon, we had a new neighbor arrive to the west of our site. They’re from Washington and have been on a trip around the USA. They came across I-8, over the mountains yesterday. I asked how windy it was in the mountains – they said very windy! He complained about how cold it was here – the temperature was 67 degrees, but the wind made it seem cooler. He said he just came from 80-degree weather. I said, “Yeah, me too.” He asked where we came from that was that warm and I said, “Right here – it was 82 degrees yesterday.”

I went to the Offshore Tavern and Grill before dinner. I had a couple of beers and dropped off my NFL football picks for the weekend. I hope I do better than last week! When I returned, the wind had calmed considerably. I set the awning out again. I wanted the awning out in case it rained.

In San Diego, the rainy season usually starts sometime in December and runs through the end of February. The coast of San Diego averages about 10 inches of rain per year. After dinner last night, we heard raindrops on the roof of our coach. It didn’t rain for long, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. It was still breezy and the wind quickly dried everything.

I talked to my friend, Jim Birditt, last night. He’s flying down from Idaho on Monday to visit his parents. I’m looking forward to his visit. He’ll be here for a week.

This morning is mostly cloudy but not as windy as yesterday. I’ll get on my bicycle at some point and take a ride today. Tonight, Carole Sue Bringas is joining us for dinner here at the RV park.

 

Mount Soledad View

Yesterday, Donna’s friend Julie Zizka, drove down from Del Mar and took Donna downtown to Ra Sushi for lunch. Donna is a big fan of Julie’s product, The Tote Buddy. After lunch, Julie dropped Donna off at the hair salon in Normal Heights for her 2pm appointment.

While Donna was out, I went out on the scooter. I rode up to the Veterans Memorial on top of Mount Soledad. At an elevation of 823 feet, Mount Soledad offers a great view of the city. The ride up Soledad Mountain Road to La Jolla Scenic Drive climbs all the way. Soledad Mountain Road starts at Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach, only few feet above sea level. The climb is a favorite for avid bicyclists.

La Jolla Scenic Drive crosses the summit, then goes down the steep north side of the hill. The grade is 15% at some points before reaching La Jolla. The Veterans Memorial is located where La Jolla Scenic Drive crosses the summit.

The memorial can be seen from many points around north San Diego. The large cross on top is a familiar landmark. From the memorial, the vista is incredible. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial

Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial

The photos I shot yesterday don’t do justice to the view. Haze in the atmosphere is more evident in the photos than the actual view. Looking south, you can see the beaches, Mission Bay, Point Loma and all the way downtown.

The view south from Mount Soledad

The view south from Mount Soledad

The I-5 corridor separates Pacific Beach and Mission Bay from Clairemont and Bay Park

The I-5 corridor separates Pacific Beach and Mission Bay from Clairemont and Bay Park

Looking east from Mount Soledad, you can see all way the past the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The view east from Mount Soledad

The view east from Mount Soledad

Looking northwest, you can see the coastline past Torrey Pines up to Del Mar and Solana Beach.

The view north from Mount Soledad

The view north from Mount Soledad

Our neighbor, Mona, picked Donna up from the hair salon on her way home from work. They got home around 4pm.

Today, the weather is cooler. We have cloudy skies with gusty winds. The forecasted high is only 67 degrees today. There’s a 20% chance of rain. This weather will continue over the weekend before we warm up again next week. Today I’ll finalize my NFL football picks for this weekend’s pool.