Monthly Archives: December 2014

Po-Key Surprise

We survived Friday’s downpour. By late afternoon, it turned into occasional showers. Around 4pm, my daughter, Shauna came by. I drove with her to her house and dropped her off. She’s leaving her car with us until Wednesday, while she’s back in Washington, DC. When I came back, Donna’s sister, Sheila had picked her up and they went out to have their nails done.

We had plans to meet up with Chris and Sherry Nirschl for dinner in Ocean Beach. I sent Donna a text asking if I should pick her up in Point Loma at the nail salon so we could make it to the 6:30pm dinner reservation. She texted back telling me Sheila would drop her off. I read this and thought Sheila was driving her back to the RV park and we would drive together.

I was beginning to think we would be tardy for dinner when Donna hadn’t returned by 6:15pm. Then I saw a text from her saying she was arriving at the restaurant early and wanted to know where I was. Oops! Sheila dropped Donna off in Ocean Beach while I was waiting for her to return to the RV park.

I drove to the Ocean Beach Warehouse restaurant and would’ve been only a few minutes late if I could’ve found a parking spot. I circled around Newport Avenue a couple of times before I found an open parking space two blocks west of the restaurant. Of course, when I walked up Newport Avenue, three parking spaces had been vacated right in front of the restaurant.

The Ocean Beach Warehouse restaurant website boasts “Eclectic global cuisine and vintage decor create the perfect casual hangout in the heart of downtown Ocean Beach.” They aren’t just bragging. They back it up with a variety of entrees and 24 local beers on tap. Donna ordered the short rib pappardelle and I had grilled mahi-mahi over garlic smashed potatoes. The food was cooked to perfection. I paired my dish with Belching Beaver IPA. This small brewery is becoming one of my favorites. Their IPA is brewed to style without over-the-top, in-your-face hoppiness.

The best part of the dinner was the company. We hadn’t seen Chris or Sherry since our last visit to San Diego a year ago. We had fun catching up and I really enjoyed the conversations.

Chris, Sherry, me and Donna

Chris, Sherry, me and Donna

In the photo you can see the vintage decor includes the siding from an old Airstream travel trailer on the wall behind us. My hand on Donna’s shoulder looks like it came from the land of the giants!

The skies cleared up on Saturday, but it wasn’t very warm. I don’t think the thermometer climbed much past 60 degrees all weekend. We had another meetup scheduled on Saturday afternoon.

Carole Sue Bringas arranged to meet with us at the Offshore Tavern and Grill and she invited some friends. Carole came down with the flu on Friday and had to cancel. Donna and I went to the Offshore anyway and were pleased when another old friend walked in.

Colette Denning, her daughters Kirsten and Ally and Kirsten’s son Tristan stopped in. I think it’s been about 15 years since I last saw Colette or Kirsten and at least 20 years since I’ve seen Ally. I’ve known Colette since I was in the ninth grade. We’ve stayed in touch over the years and at one time, in the early ’90s, we both lived in western Washington. Our daughters played together when they were kids.

We sat around a table and talked for a while, then Kirsten had a phone call from work. They needed her to come in ASAP. Kirsten lives with Colette in San Clemente. That’s also where she works, about 60 miles away from where we were. Our visit was cut short and I didn’t have a chance for a group photo.

After they left, Donna and I decided to stay and have something to eat. Donna ordered the bruschetta sliders plate and I ordered my favorite dish at Offshore, the poke (PO-key) plate.

Bruschetta sliders

Bruschetta sliders

Poke plate

Poke plate

Donna’s sliders were excellent. As soon as I tasted the sushi grade ahi tuna poke, I knew something wasn’t right. After a few bites, my mouth was on  fire! I neutralized it somewhat with the fried won-ton chips and avocado, but I couldn’t understand why the tuna was so spicy. Closer examination revealed a copious amount of dried red chili flakes in the sauce. I’ve never had this on the poke plate before. My face was flush and I was starting to sweat. I asked Donna to try a bite. She said it was awful – the chili flakes totally overpowered the ahi.

We called our server, Stefan, over. I showed him the chili flakes on the poke. I told him I’ve had this dish many times before and it wasn’t like this. Something happened in the kitchen or the chef decided to kick things up a notch. Stefan went back to the kitchen to inquire. He came back  to our table and said it was the new recipe. I had him take the plate away – I couldn’t eat it.

They didn’t charge me for the poke, but they’ve taken what was an excellent dish and changed it for the worse. When I go to get my free football pool drink on Tuesday, I’ll let the owner know what I think of the new poke plate.

Pineapple Express

Donna loves Christmas decorations. I go along with it, but I’m not crazy about putting up lights and all that. This year, Donna decided to decorate the coach. She strung lights outside and inside. She also bought funky little tree – it  has bare branches, white bark and lights.

Christmas lights outside and inside our coach

Christmas lights outside and inside our coach

Donna's Christmas tree

Donna’s Christmas tree

Yesterday, Donna moved the tree into the coach and removed the outside lights from the coach. I moved the ladder and Donna’s bicycle over to the trailer. We were battening down the hatches in preparation for the storm heading our way.

A tropical storm, called a Pineapple Express is slamming the west coast. It hit northern California, Oregon and Washington first. A Pineapple Express is a tropical storm that originates in the vicinity of Hawaii. As it moves in a northeasterly direction across the Pacific Ocean, it builds intensity and carries a lot of moisture.

These storms are fairly easy to track and predict. It hit the northern section of the west coast Thursday morning. Portland International Airport recorded a 67mph wind gust – the strongest recorded in 33 years. Powerful wind gusts hit the San Francisco Bay area, knocking out power. Wind velocity of 147mph was recorded in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Truckee, California.

With the wind came rain. Flash flood warnings were in effect in every county of the Bay area and inland to Sacramento. Nine inches of rain fell in Sonoma County and multiple freeways have been closed. The storm will bring significant snowfall to the Sierra Nevada mountains. The snowpack could help to ease California’s drought.

The jet stream was expected to push the storm southwards, with heavy rain coming to the Los Angeles basin Thursday night. We expected to catch the tail end of the storm in San Diego, with the heaviest rain coming this morning.

The wind woke me up a couple of times in the early morning hours. By 7am, the rain was falling steadily. By 8am, it became heavy rain and it continues to rain at 10am as I type this. The forecast calls for the rain to let up with showers all afternoon and this evening. The weekend forecast calls for the storm to move east, with clear weather here on the coast. Umm, should I say that’s when the coast will be clear?

The storm will bring snow to the Rocky Mountains over the weekend. I’m glad the Chargers are playing the Denver Broncos here in San Diego on Sunday.

Two and a Half Months

I’ve been feeling restless lately. Last night, Donna admitted she was feeling the hitch itch as well. We’ve been here at Mission Bay RV Resort for two and a half months. We really enjoy our stay here. The location is perfect for us and we love having the opportunity to spend time with family and friends in the area.

We didn’t meet up with as many old friends as we did last year, but we hooked up with a few. Last year, we had my high school reunion, which put us in touch with a lot of people. The holiday season makes it a busy time for most people.

We also utilized our time here in San Diego to have dental and medical check-ups. My last physical exam was over a year and half ago, before we left Michigan. All my life I’ve had low blood pressure – usually in the range of 100/60 with a resting pulse of about 60 BPM. Before we left Michigan, my blood pressure had crept up to about 130/80. I didn’t worry about it – I thought it was an anomaly of some sort.

When I had the surgery on my hand in September, my blood pressure was higher again. I attributed it to anxiety over the surgery. When I visited the doctor three weeks ago, my blood pressure was way high. Dr. Ryan suggested blood pressure medication (Lisinopril). I started taking 20mg per day.

High blood pressure is a silent killer. Most people with high blood pressure don’t realize it until they have it checked. Left untreated, it can result in heart disease, artery damage, strokes or embolism. I’m usually an active person. Losing 10 pounds might help lower my blood pressure, but it wouldn’t be enough. The biggest factor for me is heredity. High blood pressure runs in the family.

Lisinopril reduces the blood pressure. After having my blood pressure slowly increase over time, my body accommodated to it. The sudden reduction in blood pressure left me feeling lethargic and a little off stride. I haven’t been very active for the last two weeks. I’m feeling better now. I have a follow-up appointment next week and Dr. Ryan may raise the Lisinopril dosage.

Anyway, the lack of activity over the past couple of weeks contributed to my feeling of hitch itch. In 17 days, we’ll hitch up the trailer and move east. We’re planning to boondock for a couple of nights in the desert before we continue east to the Colorado River.

Yesterday, Donna and I tackled an overdue chore – we defrosted the refrigerator. An excessive amount of ice had built up on the cooling fins. This has been problematic, especially in areas with higher humidity. The seal on the refrigerator door doesn’t seal completely, allowing outside air to enter through several leaks. The moisture in the air then condenses on the cooling fins and forms ice.

I found a replacement seal kit from Dometic for $300. This didn’t sound good to me. Because the door is warped, I’m not sure if a new seal would work any better than the one we have and I’d be out $300. I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement door. We may end up replacing the refrigerator.

While the refrigerator was defrosting, I rode the scooter to Ace Hardware. I bought a self-adhesive 1/8 inch-thick compressible rubber seal. I seated this seal on the refrigerator where the door seal makes contact. The door seal now seats against it and seems to be sealing well. Time will tell.

76 Acres

After 11 years of battling in court, a settlement was reached between the residents at De Anza Cove and the City of San Diego last month. I wrote about the court battle and settlement offer in this post. The offer made by the city was amended by a judge. The new offer was for nearly $30 million. There was an appeal period after the amendment – neither side appealed. Since the appeal period expired, the deal is done.

All of the residents in the (not so) mobile home park surrounding Mission Bay RV Resort must be out by the end of January 2016. People are already packing up. The big question is, what happens to the 76 acres of prime real estate once they’re gone?

There has been much speculation and a few plans presented. Another twist in the story is the Campland on the Bay RV Park which sits on 42 acres of land across Rose Inlet, west of Mission Bay RV Resort. Campland’s lease will expire in 2017. The current master plan calls for the 42 acres occupied by Campland to be restored as marsh. This would provide a natural filter for water entering the bay from Rose Creek and would provide habitat for wildlife. This plan has much support.

Map of area

Aerial map of area looking east

There was talk of allowing Campland to relocate on the De Anza land, displacing Mission Bay RV Resort. This hasn’t gained much traction. I think the city realizes that the income potential of the RV resort far exceeds the tax revenue from Campland. The Mission Bay Master Plan includes space for an RV park on the bay.

When Mission Bay Park was conceived, limitations on commercial use were put in place. No more than 25% of the land surrounding Mission Bay can be used for commercial purposes. This ensures public access to the bay. When Campland is removed and the land returns to a natural state, this opens the possibility of commercial development elsewhere on the bay.

The politicians are moving quickly. Mayor Kevin Faulconer said, “There’s no doubt in my mind that once we get past the litigation issues in De Anza, that we should move full speed ahead. Any way you look at it, the public is going to benefit from increased access to the park and the environmental benefits of expanding the wetlands.”

There’s a rumor going around about a back room deal being struck between the city, Campland and Sea World. Sea World has long wanted to expand their leasehold to build a hotel adjacent to their park. The rumor is that Sea World will buy out Campland’s lease before it expires, to get them out, allowing Sea World to expand. The city would benefit if Sea World’s money made Campland go away.

The future development of the 76 acres at De Anza is still unclear. The latest rumor says the city will expand the RV resort into a true resort with premium bay side sites and amenities. The occupancy rate at Mission Bay RV  Resort has risen over the past two years and the city is realizing a nice revenue stream. If they go upscale, they could make plenty of money and still be in compliance with the master plan.

The dust will settle soon and we’ll see how this plays out.

 

Albatross

I’m not a bird watcher (birder), not that there’s anything wrong with that. What I mean is, I don’t actively search for particular bird species nor do I keep a list of the birds I’ve seen. Having said that, I do enjoy identifying birds when I see them. I know enough about birds to recognize an unusual bird for the area or a rarely seen bird.

When I see an unusual bird, I try to take a few minutes to memorize its size, shape, color and distinctive markings. I may have an idea of what it is, but once I’ve memorized its features, later I look it up in Peterson’s Field Guide. Sometimes, once I’m fairly certain of the identification, I’ll find additional information on the Web.

Yesterday, while Donna and I were eating lunch outside, a large bird zipped by overhead. I got up and walked to the back of our coach where I watched it soar over De Anza Cove. It rose quickly on an updraft, then wheeled about making sharp turns as it crisscrossed the cove before it soared away to the south. I don’t think it beat its wings once during the few minutes that I watched it. It was riding the wind expertly.

Donna asked me what it was. I told her it didn’t make sense, but I was pretty sure it was an albatross. I’ve never seen an albatross fly over land in southern California. I’ve only seen them when I was on a boat miles off the coast.

I estimated the bird had a wingspan in excess of six feet. Its body was disproportionately short from head to tail. The tail was so short, in fact, that its feet extended under the tail in flight. After lunch, I broke out my  field guide and looked it up. It was a Laysan albatross.

Laysan albatross - wikipedia photo

Laysan albatross – wikipedia photo

Wikipedia photo

Wikipedia photo

Ninety-nine percent of the Laysan albatross breeding population is found in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. These birds spend more than half the year out to sea. They can process sea water, removing the salt through a special nostril in their bill. When breeding season comes around, they return to an island to breed. They often forget how to land on the ground after months at sea and land clumsily. The oldest known Laysan albatross is a female named Wisdom, that’s estimated to be 63 years old. She was banded at an estimated age of five, 58 years ago.

I did a little research and found that a small breeding colony is found along the Revillagigedo Islands, about 240 miles southwest of the tip of Baja California. That could be where this bird came from, but who knows. They spend many months at sea and can end up almost anywhere in the north Pacific ocean. I’m guessing the storm that came through southern California on Tuesday and Wednesday blew this bird in.

This was the second time I was surprised to find an unusual bird here at Mission Bay. I posted a picture of a peregrine falcon I saw perched on a pole here.

I really enjoy spotting and identifying rare or unusual birds. Maybe I’m more of a birder than I think I am.

By the way, one of my favorite instrumental songs is Albatross, by the original Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green.

Free Ride

The weather guessers had it mostly right yesterday. The rain moved into San Diego County as a storm system closed in. It wasn’t as heavy as predicted, but the county’s coastal areas recorded an inch of rain, with two inches reported inland and three inches on Palomar Mountain. The area needs the rain. Southern California has been suffering from drought conditions and water restrictions are in place.

I don’t play in the rain. Donna and I spent most of the day indoors – she at her laptop, me reading on the sofa. Donna did manage to get out for a quick walk in-between showers.

It's not sunny everyday

It’s not sunny everyday

We picked up some wild Alaskan cod from Trader Joe’s on Monday. Donna prepared it a la Meuniere (with a lemon, butter and parsley sauce) for dinner. She served it with steamed broccoli.

Wild Alaskan cod

Wild Alaskan cod

I paired the dinner with a glass of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. This is one of the premium IPAs brewed in San Diego County. Ballast Point says it’s the result of years of experimentation and they add hops to the brew at five different stages. They describe it as having hints of apricot, peach, mango and lemon flavors. It definitely has citrus-y hop flavor, but it’s smooth and not over the top. It’s 7% alcohol by volume (ABV) and 70 international bitterness units (IBU). It usually sells at a higher price than most IPAs. I found it on sale and wanted to try it. It’s good, but I don’t see why it should command a few extra bucks over most craft IPAs.

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

By the way, the name Sculpin comes from a fish. There are many varieties of Sculpin living in both fresh water and sea water. There is a variety that’s common along the southern California coast. They are usually incidental catches by fisherman fishing the bottom along kelp beds. They don’t have scales, but they do have sharp spines along their fins that can sting and leave a toxin. Getting stung by a Sculpin is no fun – the toxin causes swelling and redness. I know first hand. About the only thing you can do if you get your hand stung is to soak the affected area in hot water to neutralize the toxin.

Sculpin - watch out for those spines

Sculpin – watch out for those spines

The rain continued this morning. I had a follow-up visit with my primary care physician at 10am. The forecast called for more rain, heavy at times throughout the day. I didn’t want to ride the scooter to Point Loma in these conditions. I downloaded the Uber app and thought I’d give it a try. Uber is a non-traditional cab company. Uber drivers utilize their own personal car. They log in for duty and their location is tracked via GPS. If a customer logs in to request a ride, the nearest Uber driver is sent to the customer’s location. The Uber app shows the drivers in your area when you place the request. Then it shows which driver is coming with an estimated time of arrival. You can follow the driver’s progress on the app. My driver was here six minutes after I requested a ride.

With Uber, no cash changes hands during the ride. They take you to your destination and the bill is sent through your Uber account. I have mine set up to automatically bill my credit card. My ride to Point Loma was free due to a promotion for registering with Uber. When I completed my appointment, I requested a Uber ride back. The car arrived in two minutes and I was driven back to the RV park for $13.95. Warm and dry all the way.

For a limited time, Uber’s giving new riders a free Uber ride (worth up to $20). Use my code – michaelk2803 – to sign up now and I’ll get a free ride too. I signed up with Donna’s code and she now has a free ride coming.

I’m expecting a UPS delivery from Amazon today. With Christmas approaching, Amazon ramps up their operation. They employ a temporary workforce at their distribution centers through a company called Camperforce. Many of these temporary workers are full-time RVers. Clarke and Elaine Hockwald are working at Amazon for the second time. Clarke describes the job on his blog.

Amazon has an affiliate program. If you follow the link to Amazon from my blog page, I earn a small referral fee on any items you buy. It doesn’t affect your cost at all. Nina Fussing wrote about it in detail on her blog today. If you’re considering an order with Amazon, I’d appreciate it if you reach their site from my page. It’ll add a few pennies to my beer fund.

Weekend Campout

Thanksgiving weekend is a busy time here at Mission Bay RV Resort. We remembered how busy it was last year, but it didn’t compare to this year. Last year, the last row of sites on the south side of the park was closed for construction, eliminating about 50 sites. And there were still some open sites scattered throughout the park.

When we checked back into the park on Wednesday, we were told the place had sold out all 253 sites for the Thanksgiving weekend. I watched people pull in and set up all afternoon. At one point, an SUV with two adults and two kids pulled into the site next to us. They got out and were milling around. Donna jokingly asked if they lost their trailer.

He was a deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. He told us they had a group coming – they  had reserved three adjoining sites west of us and three more sites behind them. He was waiting for delivery of a rental RV unit. Of the six sites in their group, three would be occupied by rental RVs.

With kids on holiday from school, many families from southern California choose to spend Thanksgiving weekend camping. Mission Bay RV Resort is more of an RV parking lot (with hook-ups) than a campground. The location is nice though and we had a park full of families “camping out.”

After the group of six set up next to our site, they moved the picnic tables to the grass between the back-to-back sites and put up a line of EZ-Up canopies. This isn’t the usual way to set up. The grass is meant to be a buffer area between sites.

Canopies and tables on the grass - seen from the back of our coach

Canopies and tables on the grass – seen from the back of our coach

They were a boisterous bunch. They all had kids – I’m guessing the ages ranged from four or five to 15 years old. They started out early with everyone at the back of their RVs eating breakfast at the tables. The kids were running wild. They ended the night with the adults sitting outside and partying.

With every site occupied, there were plenty of kids riding bicycles and skateboards around the park. Amid the constant noise, we reminded ourselves that they were having family fun and building memories with their kids. Besides, it would only be for a few days.

I took a walk through the RV park and shot a few pictures. Every type of RV imaginable was here. Many weekenders choose smaller travel trailers for their occasional use. These are generally less expensive and easier to maneuver than a larger RV. Of course, there are exceptions like Airstream travel trailers for example, which can be pricey and many full-time RVers use them. Smaller travel trailers can be pulled by an SUV or light pickup truck.

Travel Trailer

Travel trailer

Another type of towable RV is the fifth-wheel trailer. These are larger trailers with a raised front that usually serves as the bedroom. They are connected to the tow vehicle with a pin mounted under the front of the trailer. The tow vehicle has a plate over the rear axle that receives the pin. With the trailer pivoting on a pin over the rear axle of the tow vehicle, fifth-wheel trailers are very maneuverable for their size. Nowadays, most fifth-wheels have slide-outs to create more interior space. Fifth-wheel trailers require heavy-duty tow vehicles.

Fifth-Wheel trailer

Fifth-wheel trailer

There are three classifications for motorhomes – class A, class B and class C.

Class C motorhomes are usually built on a cutaway van chassis. Most are powered by gasoline engines, although some are diesel-powered. They range from 20 to 25 feet long in most cases and have a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 to 12,000 pounds. They are characterized by an overhead space (usually sleeping quarters) over the driver and passenger compartment.

Class C motorhome

Class C motorhome

Class B motorhomes are less common. They are camper vans – usually with a pop-up roof. They are usually under 20 feet in length and weigh less than 8,000 pounds.

Class A motorhomes come in a wide variety of lengths, weights and powertrains. They can be built on a heavy-duty truck chassis, a custom motorhome chassis or a bus chassis. Nearly all of the Class A motorhomes built in the last ten years or so have two to four slide-outs. Class A motorhomes include the largest and heaviest RVs.

27 foot Class A motorhome built on a Workhorse chassis, powered by a GM Vortec 8.1 liter gasoline engine

27-foot class A motorhome built on a Workhorse chassis, powered by a GM Vortec 8.1-liter gasoline engine

42 foot class A Wanderlodge built on a Blue Bird bus chassis, powered by a Detroit Diesel engine

43-foot class A Wanderlodge built on a Blue Bird bus chassis, powered by a Detroit Diesel engine

On Sunday, the activity in the RV park ramped up as everyone prepared to leave. Rigs pulled out all morning. Some people packed their belongings in their cars and left their rental unit behind. Some of the rental companies provided delivery and set up and pick up at the end of the rental period.

Rental RV left behind for pick up

Rental RV left behind for pick up

By the time I was watching the afternoon NFL games, the park was quiet with many open sites. I shot another picture from the back of our coach looking west.

Compare this to the first picture

Compare this to the first picture

It’s nice and quiet here now. Today, the forecast calls for cloudy skies with a high temperature of 70 degrees. I’ll need to dump and flush our tanks and do some shopping this afternoon. The weather guessers are predicting 100% chance of heavy rain tomorrow. If it’s true, we’ll hunker down indoors tomorrow.