Category Archives: Scooter

Not the Healthiest Food Day

I continued to work on setting up my new computer yesterday in the morning. I was able to add the device to my Norton anti-virus subscription. I was afraid I would have to start a new subscription even though the old one has a couple of months left. I called the Norton support number, but they were no help. English was obviously a second language for the support person and I could only catch about every third word he spoke.

I went back to the Norton site and after clicking around, I found that I had the ability to add another device to my current license at no cost. Bingo! Now I have to buy and load Microsoft Office and Photoshop. I’m undecided on how to go about doing that. The new PC doesn’t have a DVD reader, so it seems I’ll have to download the programs. They’re big downloads, meaning they’ll really eat up my data plan. I’m looking for an alternative way to do it.

We headed out at 11am. I scootered Donna over to the Hertz car rental agency on McKellips. She wanted a car to drive to her hair appointment with our friend, Jodi Hall, at Total Bliss in Gilbert. Donna didn’t want to ride the scooter to the salon and show up with “helmet head.”

While Donna was getting her hair done, I drove over to Costco, about a mile away from the salon, and bought a few items. I grabbed lunch while I was out at a Mexican place by the salon. I asked about the burrito supreme on the menu. They said it was beef, beans and cheese with pico de gallo and sour cream on the side. I went for it. Bad choice for me. They neglected to mention the fact that it was also loaded with onions and peppers – overloaded in fact.

I picked up Donna at 1:30pm and we drove to the Harkins Theater at Superstition Springs. We watched American Sniper. It was one of the best movies I’ve seen in quite a while. Powerful story and it moves along so smoothly I could hardly believe 132 minutes had passed. I had a bag of popcorn and a large Coke during the movie. I rarely drink Coke or any other soft drink.

From the theater, we drove directly to the Handlebar Pub in Apache Junction. It was Andy King’s birthday. I went to school in San Diego with Andy King and we’ve been friends since our junior high days. He was at the Handlebar performing Bluegrass music with The String ‘Em Up Band. Andy plays the dobro (resonator guitar).

String 'Em Up Band

String ‘Em Up Band (that’s Andy in the back)

The place was packed. We had three tables pushed together in front of the band with about 10 people. I had a nice local milk stout and a couple of IPAs with a plate of wings and potato skins. Not the healthiest food day for me. Donna stayed sensible and had grilled salmon and veggies.

Donna with Sandy and Lana in the background

Donna with Sandy and Lana in the background

The music was good and we had a fun time. Our friends and former neighbor, Lana, and her fiance, Joel, joined us there. We cut out early, during the second set. I’d been sitting all afternoon at the theater and then at the pub. I needed to stretch a bit.

At bedtime, I paid the price for the large Coke and food choices. I had a hard time getting to sleep, then I slept fitfully. I woke up several times with heartburn. I’m dragging a bit this morning.

Speaking of food, I have a couple of food photos to share. I couldn’t post them earlier with all of the laptop woes. The first is a cauliflower cheese chowder with bacon that Donna prepared last weekend. It was absolutely delicious and much healthier than it sounds.

Cauliflower cheese chowder

Cauliflower cheese chowder

The other dish was a banana pancake breakfast plate with almond butter. The only ingredients are mashed bananas and egg. So good! (Note from Donna: Just mash one banana and one egg per person to make 2-3 pancakes. I used coconut oil to coat a nonstick pan. Top with nut butter and fresh berries, chopped walnuts and maple syrup, whipped cream or whatever you like on regular pancakes. You can also add chocolate chips or blueberries to the batter.)

Banana pancakes with almond butter

Banana pancakes with almond butter

It’s blustery this morning, but today promises to be another fine weather day with temperatures near 70. This weekend will warm up to the upper 70s, maybe 80 degrees. I have a few projects I should attend to, but I may go bicycling instead!

Friends from Ohio

Last week, Donna heard from her friend, Kris Downey. She and her husband, Tom, came up from Ohio and bought a lot of our books (for resale) and Donna’s huge book shelf when we were selling everything back in Michigan. Donna and Kris met through SendOut Cards.

Since then, after becoming empty-nesters, they sold their house and almost everything in it and hit the road this past November. They are also here in Mesa, so yesterday, we scootered east on University Drive to their site at Viewpoint Golf and RV Resort.

Of course, after our initial greetings, we got the grand tour of their new Winnebago Journey motorhome. When they originally planned to sell their home and go nomadic, they bought a 2004 Itasca motorhome. But every time they took it out for a shakedown, something would fail. After several trips to the repair shop, they decided to trade it in for the new 2014 Winnebago before they left Ohio.

2014 Winnebago Journey

2014 Winnebago Journey

Brand new coaches often have a few teething problems at first. They had an issue with the heat pumps that kept them in Chattanooga and altered their travel plans. They made it to California after a cross-country dash and were in Menifee at Thanksgiving – the same time we were there!

We went out for lunch at the golf course clubhouse restaurant, Fat Willy’s. We lingered and talked for a couple of hours there, then returned to their coach. Tom and I talked RV stuff while Donna and Kris caught up with each other and enjoyed some girl talk.  Talking sports or gearhead stuff with me doesn’t do much for her.

Tom, Kris, Donna and me

Tom, Kris, Donna and me with their dog, Rigby

It was an enjoyable afternoon. Later, while Donna tried to catch up on some work, I scootered over to Lucky Lou’s where I found all the usual suspects. John Huff and Leendert Hartoog were there along with Mike and Jodi Hall and Stan. I enjoyed a cold oatmeal stout from Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado. Very tasty. We planned to meet up again today for an early Friday afternoon happy hour.

Donna prepared a new dish the other day. She made chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto. It’s a mouthful to say, but it sure adds a nice flavor to a chicken breast. Donna says it was easy to make and the recipe is a keeper.

Chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto

Chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto

It was so good, I thought I should post a picture since I forgot to add it to my last post.

We’re in for another sunny day with clear skies. The temperature should reach the low- to mid-70s. Might be a good day for a bike ride.

 

Squeaky Clean

It rained as predicted on Tuesday. The clouds pushed off to the east and it cleared up around 3pm. This was good since we were invited to an outdoor potluck dinner at 5pm.

Donna prepared chicken quinoa salad for the potluck. I dug into pasta, enchiladas and pizza while we met our neighbors. Most of them are snowbirds who return to Orangewood Shadows every winter. There are about 475 sites here and it seems like everyone knows each other. We were recognized as newcomers. It was interesting and a fun social evening.

Of course the rain undid the wash job I had done on the coach in Casa Grande. Yesterday I broke out the Werner telescoping multi-ladder and went to work cleaning the coach. I used the waterless washing liquid that our friends, Dave and Lynda Campbell, recommended. It’s called The Solution. I used it once before when we were in San Diego. It really works well. The first time I washed the coach with it, I used more than a quart to clean the coach. Lynda told me it shouldn’t take that much and over time I would use less. She was right.

I brushed the dust and dirt off the coach with a California Car Duster. Then I sprayed a fine mist of The Solution on sections of the coach and buffed it with a microfiber cloth. I did the entire coach, from the roof crown moldings to the bottom of the basement, including windows and wheels with about 1/2 quart of The Solution.

By the time I dressed the tires with 303 Aerospace Protectant, four hours had gone by and I was whipped. The coach looks great and there’s no rain expected any time soon. I’ll wait for a day or two before I wash the trailer.

Our home for the next seven weeks

Our home looking good

After cleaning up, I rode the scooter over to the Red, White and Brew on Power Road. This is one of my old favorite haunts. I stopped in on Monday after we set up and found my friends Leendert, Jodi and her sister Jackie there. Jodi’s husband, Mike, was under the weather and didn’t come out. Yesterday, none of the old crowd was there. I’ll need to get into the loop and figure out where they are on different days of the week. I know they go to Lucky Lou’s and maybe another place or two. Red, White and Brew is still my favorite though – good food, great beer selection and friendly service.

I unloaded Donna’s bike from the trailer yesterday and she went out for a short ride – her first ride in three weeks. We have good access to quiet roads with bike lanes. I think I’ll set up my mountain bike today and ride the canal trail. Maybe I’ll ride down on Main Street where all of the RV lots are and kick a few tires. I don’t have any intention of moving out of our Alpine Coach, but it’s fun to see what’s on the market.

On the Roof Again

After posting to the blog yesterday, my first priority was finding EternaBond tape to seal the crack in the roof I wrote about. I rode the scooter down Pinal Avenue to The RV Store. It wasn’t much of an RV store despite the name. The guy behind the counter had never heard of EternaBond.

I rode north to an RV lot, but they didn’t have it either. When I came back to the Casa Grande RV Resort, I saw a truck advertising RV roof repairs and a man and a woman setting up a ladder and equipment next to a motorhome. I stopped and asked them if they had any EternaBond they could sell me. The guy said he didn’t have any with him, but they had some back at the shop if I wanted to stop in next week. I told him we would be in the Phoenix area next week and that maybe I should just wait and get it there.

He asked me why I needed it. I described the ridges over the roof bows and told him there was a hairline crack in one of the ridges. He asked me where my coach was. When I told him it was just around the corner, he said, “Wait a minute.” He dug around in the back of his truck and then set up a tube of sealant in a caulk gun. He told me the acrylic sealant was an industrial-grade product – not something I would find in an RV store or Home Depot. He said I should lay a thin bead of it over the crack and smooth it down. He claimed it would adhere and stay pliable for years. He gave me the caulk gun and said to use it, then put tape over the tip and bring it back to him.

When I got back to the coach, got the ladder out and climbed up on the roof, I was in for another surprise. Yesterday, when I was up there, it was late in the day. The sun was low. The guys were power washing and the roof was mostly wet. When David, the wash guy, told me there was a crack, I wasn’t able to get a really close look – I could just make out what he was pointing at from where I was standing.

Today, the sky was overcast. I was on the roof at noon and the surface was clean and dry. With the flat lighting, the ridges weren’t very noticeable. I think the low sun yesterday made the small ridges cast shadows, exaggerating their form. With the roof clean and dry, I got down on my hands and knees and examined the crack. It turned out be surface checking in the gel coat – a cosmetic crack. Yesterday, when David pointed to the surface crack and said my fiberglass was cracked, I took his word for it and thought we might be in for big trouble. Today, I feel much better knowing it isn’t a structural problem. I still believe the deformation of the fiberglass is the result of the stress I described yesterday – it’s just not as severe as I feared.

For peace of mind, I put down a bead of sealant over the gel coat crack. While I was at it, I sealed up a couple of other fittings on the roof. Then I returned the sealant and caulk gun to the roof guy. They were doing a complete roof reseal on a 40′ National Islander motorhome. That was one of the coaches on my short list when we bought our Alpine Coach.

By the time I was done, Donna was heading out for a tour of Caywood Cotton Farm. A group from the RV park had booked the tour. Donna rode there with a couple from Saskatchewan,  Keith and Dorann, and Keith’s mother, Marian. The tour took the whole afternoon, so I stayed home to watch the NFL playoff games.

Donna took pictures of the tour and learned a lot about the cotton industry. I’ll post her pictures after we settle in Mesa. Tomorrow is a move day, so I probably won’t post again until Tuesday.

Truck Conversions

It gets cold overnight here. The temperature drops to the high 30s, but the day quickly warms once the sun rises. Yesterday was beautiful with clear blue skies and a high of 73 degrees.

We rode the scooter to Fry’s Supermarket, about a mile and a half north of Casa Grande RV Resort on Pinal Avenue. This is a large supermarket, actually a superstore, with an impressive selection of food at great prices. Donna found things that have been on her list for months like coconut milk without guar gum and sesame-chili oil. Groceries are less expensive in Arizona than they were in California. We had the scooter fully loaded plus Donna had a full backpack of groceries on the way home.

Later, I rode north on the scooter again to check out the Casa Grande Municipal Airport. It’s a small general aviation airport surrounded by the usual light industrial parks. Pretty sleepy – I only saw one plane in the air. I picked up a case of water on the way back. We didn’t have room for it while we were shopping earlier.

While I was taking the trash out to the dumpster, I spied a class 8 Heavy Duty Truck (HDT) that was converted to an RV hauler. I’ve seen one or two of these before. There’s a sub-culture of HDT RVers with their own forums and some great websites. What they generally do is buy a used HDT, usually a Volvo, with 400 to 500 thousand miles on it and have it converted.

The converters usually remove one of the original drive axles – an RV hauler will never haul as heavy a load as the original truck was designed for, so tandem rear-drive axles are unnecessary. They can customize the length of the wheelbase. A new bed with compartments is built on the back of the chassis.

Volvo HDT converted to an RV hauler

Volvo HDT converted to an RV hauler

Most conversions have a box built behind the sleeper section of the cab, which serves as a tool shed. A smaller fifth wheel plate with air bag suspension is fitted over the drive axle. This particular truck had ramps secured next to rails that a Smart car could fit on. When the ramps are in place, they extend down the side of the truck. The Smart car is driven onto the rails and secured behind the tool shed. The width of the truck is just right to fit a Smart car.

Car ramps stowed and rails for securing the Smart car

Car ramps stowed and rails for securing the Smart car

This truck has a sleeper cabin behind the driver and passenger compartment. This set-up makes a lot of sense for snowbirds who intend to park their fifth wheel RV somewhere for an extended period of time. The trailer gets dropped at an RV site with hook-ups. The Smart car provides local transportation and the HDT sleeper can be used to make overnight trips throughout the area. The sleeper cab can also be used when traveling and stopping overnight without leveling or setting up the trailer.

Cool HDT conversion

Cool HDT conversion

Later, as I walked through the RV park, I saw another truck converted to an RV. This one was a Freightliner Medium Duty Truck (MDT) chassis converted to a super size class C RV by Haulmark. Haulmark buys the new MDT chassis and builds the coach on it. This one had a large living room slide.

Haulmark super class C

Haulmark super class C

Haulmark super class C

Haulmark with living room slide out

The advantage with a super class C is ease of servicing. Other than that, I’m not sure what makes it a great choice. The disadvantage is that the cab and engine compartments take away liveable space. I’ve never driven one, so I can’t say if it’s easier to drive or how it handles.

I enjoy looking at different rigs. Although we’re all RVers, there’s more than one way to go about it. People can be very passionate about their choice of rig and some people prefer to have a bus or HDT conversion that stands out from the crowd.

I lounged outside in the late afternoon and started reading a western novel written by Larry McMurtry. We capped off an enjoyable day with a dinner plate of beef ragu over spaghetti squash.

Beef ragu over spaghetti squash

Beef ragu over spaghetti squash

I plan to do some reading and relaxing today.

 

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.

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.

Kindred Spirits

I mentioned how Thanksgiving is a time for reflection. I’ve been thinking that although our life on the road has taken us to many beautiful and interesting places, it’s the people we meet that make it special.

When I researched this lifestyle and thought about the possibility of living on the road, I found RV forums and blogs. Some of the blogs gave me insight into how it’s done and how rewarding it can be. There are some blogs that I really felt a connection with and I follow them to this day. There are others that I check from time to time. I read a couple of forums almost daily, such as IRV2 and RV.Net. The forums keep me up to date on things and happenings. The blogs keep me in touch with people.

Many of the friendships we’ve made on the road have been lasting. We met Charlie and Sheila Pennington in South Dakota. We stay connected via Facebook and I’m sure our paths will cross again. Likewise, we met Bob and Sini here in San Diego last year and we stay in touch.

Brett Miller and Cheri Alguire visited us in San Diego last year. Donna already knew them from her SendOutCards business. They were inspired to live the nomadic life and are on the road now. We stay connected with them through Facebook and we’ll surely meet up on the road somewhere.

Following someone’s blog creates a connection of sorts, even if you haven’t met the person face-to-face. We’ve had a few instances where we found ourselves in the same place as the people I’ve been reading about, like the time we stopped in Cape Blanco. We met two couples that have some of the best RV blog material. I learned so much by reading Chris and Cherie’s blog, Technomadia, and Nina Fussing’s blog, Wheeling It. It was fun to actually meet them and spend a little time together.

We met another couple that we became friends with while we were here last year. When we moved on to Arizona, we camped with Mark and Emily Fagan and we stay in touch.

We met fellow Alpine Coach owners and Escapees members, Dave and Lynda Campbell in Arizona. We stay connected via Facebook and met up with them again in Oregon.

In Coeur d’Alene we met another blogger who happens to follow our blog, Esta Gardberg. It was great to meet someone that we had conversed with through comments on the blog.

At the Alpine Coach Association Rally in Oregon, we made many new friends. We enjoyed spending time with Dave and Stilla Hobden. We also met Scott and Marcia Hicks who graciously offered to have us stay at their beautiful property on the Row River.

While we were traveling in northern California, I was at a stoplight heading to Walmart for the night when I saw a something that blew my mind. A 1982 Newell coach pulling a long cargo trailer drove by. I immediately recognized the coach as the traveling home of Clarke and Elaine Hockwald. I’d never met them or seen their coach before, but I’ve been following their blog since I first started thinking about going out on the road. We were both heading to the same Walmart for the night. It was great to actually meet up.

Another way we’ve connected with like-minded people is through a website called RVillage. We met John and Sharon here in the Mission Bay RV Resort after seeing they were here on the website. RVillage is like a Facebook page for RVers.

When we stayed overnight at the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve last week, we met up with another RV blogger. Hans and Lisa Kohl were there. Hans follows our blog and we are also Facebook and RVillage friends. We talked briefly and we hope to see them again soon on the road.

We met another interesting couple here, Phillip and Cara. We were drawn to them because they have a Kymco Downtown 300i scooter, identical to ours. They still have a sticks-and-bricks home in Florida, but spend most of their time traveling. Phillip is from Perth, Australia originally. They’ve sailed across the Atlantic and lived aboard their sailboat in the Mediterranean. They are currently traveling in a 27′ motorhome. They headed south a few weeks ago. They planned to head all the way down the Baja peninsula to Cabo San Lucas for the winter.

Last Sunday, they stopped by our coach. Not only were we surprised to see them back here, we were doubly surprised to see Cara in a wheelchair with her right leg in a cast. They told us the sad tale. They made their way to Loreto, Mexico, about 850 miles from here. They were out sightseeing on the scooter. The road had a few water crossings. At one of the crossings, they entered at walking speed. The concrete surface below the water was covered with moss and slime. The front wheel slid out and they fell from the scooter. Phillip landed on Cara’s leg, badly breaking her knee. She was air-lifted back to San Diego. Phillip drove the motorhome back to Mission Bay. Their plans are up in the air now.

We had them over for cocktails and dinner on Friday night. Phillip and I have common interests in motor racing and motorcycles. We both grew up riding dirt bikes and still love being on two wheels.

We’ve met many other people on our travels and we’ll surely meet more like-minded souls in the future. That’s the real treat of this lifestyle. Meeting and enjoying time with new found friends.

San Diego Mercato

On Saturday morning, Donna and I rode the scooter over to Movin’ Shoes on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach, to pick up her race packet. The packet contained her race number with timing chip, a T-shirt and some other goodies. Donna registered a few weeks ago for the San Diego Duathlon, which would take place on Sunday morning.

San Diego has a long history of triathlon and duathlon racing. The first triathlon was held at Mission Bay on September 25, 1974 – four years before the first Ironman triathlon. You can read about it here.

After we returned, Donna’s sister, Linda, picked us up and we drove to Little Italy. Little Italy is a gentrified district north of downtown San Diego. Originally it was populated by Italian fishermen. Nowadays, it’s home to many restaurants, sidewalk cafes, pubs, boutique hotels and residences. Donna and I stayed here at La Pensione hotel back in 2006.

Little Italy sign on India street

Little Italy sign on India street

On Saturday mornings, they have a farmers’ market, known as the Mercato. The market covers three blocks of Cedar Street between Kettner Boulevard and State Street. This is one of the largest farmers’ markets in San Diego. It’s a favorite shopping place for tourists and locals as well.

Farmers' market on Cedar Street

Farmers’ market on Cedar Street

We browsed through the market for about an hour and a half. They had all of the usual local produce plus a few unique items – like live sea urchins.

Sea urchins

Sea urchins

I like sushi and eat seafood, but sea urchins aren’t my cup of tea.

Donna wanted to buy marinara sauce. We didn’t find any at the market so we walked up India Street to find a store. As we started up India Street, I heard someone call out “Kuper!” I turned around and saw my old friend and former colleague, Skip Redmond, on the corner. Skip and his friend, Steve, are street musicians. They were playing on the corner at the farmers’ market.

Skip and Steve

Skip and Steve

I first met Skip in 1980, when I was the service manager at Herman Cook VW in Encinitas, California. Skip was working for Volkswagen of America. I went to work for Volkswagen of America in 1984 and our paths crossed many times during our careers. We’re both Volkswagen of America retirees now. We chatted for a few minutes, then continued our quest for marinara sauce.

We walked to Filippi’s Pizza Grotto and market. Donna was about to buy a jar of sauce when we decided to eat in the restaurant. It was nearly 1pm and we were hungry. We ordered a pizza and Donna asked our server if we could buy some of the restaurant’s sauce. She sold us a pint of their meat sauce to go.

That night, we had spaghetti with chicken meatballs and Filippi’s meat sauce. I opened a bottle of Stone Smoked Porter brewed with chocolate and orange peel. I’ve acquired a taste for flavored stouts and porters when they’re subtly spiced. The Stone doesn’t hit you with any over-the-top flavors. It’s a complex blend that tastes great.

Stone Smoked Perter with chocolate and orange peel

Stone Smoked Porter with chocolate and orange peel

Donna was up early Sunday morning. She rode out of the RV park on her bicycle at 6am. It was a three-mile ride to the race transition area where she stowed her bike, helmet, gloves and cycling shoes. The race started with a 1.5-mile run at 7:30am. The run ended at the transition area, where Donna put on her gear and rode three laps (about 12.5 miles) around Fiesta Island. After the third lap, she returned to the transition area and put on her running shoes to finish the race with a 2.5-mile run.

I rode the scooter over to the transition area and arrived at 8:30am. I looked for Donna’s bike, but couldn’t spot it in the mass of bicycles there. I wasn’t sure if she was still riding or if she was already running the last leg of the race. I walked down to the finish area to wait. They had a band performing near the finish line. I can’t imagine rockin’ out at that hour.

Blue Rockit band

Blue Rockit band

As I stood there, a guy next to me tapped me on the shoulder and pointed up the hill behind me. Donna was running past waving at me. I didn’t hear her call my name, but it got the attention of the guy next to me.

Donna approaching the finish line

Donna approaching the finish line

Donna finished the race with a time of 1:33. She was pleased with her result, considering she hasn’t done much running since February. I scootered home and became a couch potato watching NFL football while Donna stayed back for the race ceremonies. She rode her bike home later.

While I was watching football, Jeff Sandler picked Donna up and they drove to her sister Sheila’s house for brunch. Later they looked at a few homes on the market in the Point Loma area.

Today, we expect cooler weather with highs in the mid 70s. I need to pick up a couple things at Costco, then I’ll go for a bicycle ride.

 

Road Ride

I haven’t been riding my road bike since I bought a mountain bike last March. Yesterday I got on my Orbea road bike and headed out. I followed  another bicyclist – he looked to be a triathlete – for a few miles. Riding in his draft was a good way to warm up.

I rode to the Sea World bike path near the entrance to Fiesta Island. It felt good to be on a road bike again. I’d forgotten how fast this bike is. A mountain bike can do things that cannot be done on a road bike. However, a mountain bike will never match the speed of a road bike on the pavement.

I stopped at the crest of the West Mission Bay Drive bridge and shot a photo of boats on the bay.

View of paradise Point from the West Mission Bay bridge

View of Paradise Point from the West Mission Bay bridge

From there, I continued on to Mission Beach, then rode north to Pacific Beach. It was going to be a warm day and there were already lots of people at the beach.

I was out for little over an hour and put about 17 miles in. I need to take more rides like this and get back into shape. Then maybe Donna and I can start riding together again.

In the afternoon, Donna and I scootered over to Von’s grocery in Pacific Beach and stocked up on groceries. We had a full load coming back!

While we were at Von’s, I picked up a bottle of coffee stout from Coronado Brewing Company. It was indescribably good. Refreshing beer that tasted like a cup of good coffee is all I can say. They brew it with locally roasted coffee beans.

Coronado Brewing Company Blue Ridge Coffee Stout

Coronado Brewing Company Blue Bridge Coffee Stout

We sat outside for cocktail hour and enjoyed the weather with fresh veggies and a sun-dried tomato and fresh basil hummus that Donna made. I grilled a rib-eye steak for dinner that we enjoyed with sauteed mushrooms and onions and a baked potato.

It was a great day – life is good.

This morning, we’ll go to a shop in Pacific Beach and pick up Donna’s race packet. She’s competing in a duathlon tomorrow morning. It’s a sprint race, starting with a 1.5-mile run, then 12.5 miles on the bike followed by another run of 2.5 miles.

After we pick up her race packet, we’ll go to the farmers’ market in the Little Italy district downtown with Donna’s sister, Linda.