Monthly Archives: March 2023
And Never Fall Back Again?
After several changes back and forth, lunch today ended up at the Kelley’s over in Alvin once again.
And once again, Jan got the Grilled Fish with Sides,
while I got the Vegetable Beef Soup, a bowl this time so I didn’t also get the Grilled Chicken Salad too.
Finishing up, there was talk of another pOpShelf visit, but it turned out to be just talk this time, and we were home by 3:30.
Tomorrow is probably Denny’s and then HEB for our weekly stuff. Maybe.
One of the TV shows that I was happy to find on streaming was one called UFO. Done for British TV back in the early 70’s. I knew it had two seasons, but I only saw 1 back in the mid-70’s.
You may remember it as the one where the women on Moonbase all had purple hair.
Not sure why, because all the men’s hair was normal.
So I was happy to find it for free on FreeVee, but there was a problem. After the first 3 episodes, every one afterwards would cut out in the last 5 minutes and go to the next one.
Bummer!
So I decided to check on Amazon to see if a DVD set was available. And it was.
An 8 DVD set containing both seasons was available for $15.77 + $3.99 shipping. Or I could buy the same set for only $234.92 + FREE shipping. Such a deal.
But reading a little closer, showed me the reason for price difference. The $15 set was in PAL format, one of two used in Europe (The other is SECAM).
However in the US we use NTSC format. So the cheap set would not play on most US DVD players, unless they were very high-end.
BUT I had read that most desktop computer DVD player/recorders will play PAL format video. So I ordered the cheap set, and it works. So this evening Jan and I went back and watch the last 5 minutes of the episodes we had missed.
Nice.
Tonight is, of course, the Spring Forward part of the whole Daylight Savings Time thing. And if some people get their way it will be the last one.
Last year the U.S. Senate surprised everyone and unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would have kept the country permanently on daylight savings time. Not many bills get the thumbs up from every senate member, so there was a sense that switching clocks twice a year had met its final Waterloo. But then the measure went to the House, where it died.
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey (D) has been the point man for keeping daylight savings time (DST) permanently. He recently asserted, “The sun doesn’t have any enemies.” But he may be wrong about that. Sleep doctors maintain an extra hour of sunshine can mess with human circadian rhythms.
But there seems to be a real move afoot to do away with it once and for all. However the public is kind of divided on which way to go. A recent poll showed that 44% wanted to stay on DST permanently, and 35% wanted to keep switching back and forth.
And the other 21% either can’t make up their mind, or want to stay regular time year round.
So it will probably will be a while before things get hashed out.
One I haven’t heard mentioned is the fact that a lot of electronic devices like watches, digital clocks, etc., are hard-coded to make the change. And there’s no way to reprogram them. You would just have to buy a new one.
So you might end up changing them back and forth, since they’ll change and the real time won’t.
Fun!
Thought For The Day:
So How Bad Were They Before The Improvement?
March 11, 2009
Slow day…
Today was a slow day.
Jan read, watched TV, and sat outside in the sun with Mister.
Mister, in turn, played alligator bait by hanging around the bayou bank.
I worked on several projects, including a new mount for our satellite disk and installing the color backup camera I bought at Sam’s Club a few days ago. I ended up installing this one in our toad as a conventional backup camera.
I’m going to get another one tomorrow to mount on the back of the coach as a rear view camera. We already have one that came with the coach, but it’s B&W and really only keeps an eye on the toad we’re towing behind us. I’d like to see a little farther behind me for lane changing, etc.
Around 5 pm we drove up toward Foley to have dinner at Outback Steakhouse. We’d heard they had a new menu, but what we found out was they’d dropped the Jackaroo Pork Chops, which is pretty much all I ever order there. Oh well.
Sorry. No pics today.
March 11, 2011
Goodbye to New Friends and Old . . .
Today was hopefully our last early morning for a while. . . a long while, I hope. I got up about 7:15 and started coffee while Jan was in the shower.
About 8 we walked over to the Vendor Building to have one last donut (or maybe two) and say our goodbyes to new friends and old.
By 9 most people had headed out, but some hardy souls stayed to help us put away the tables and chairs, and then sweep out the Vendor Building.
By about 10 we finished up and went back to the coach to get ready to move back over to the stables where we were the week before the rally started. Since we were just moving a couple of blocks we didn’t need to pack like we were hitting the road.
We did see this nice hot air balloon floating off in the distance. Really colorful.
Around 11 we pulled out of our site and across the road to the parking area. There were still two coaches parked in the area we planned on moving to, so we started up the generator to run the AC’s to keep the coach cool, since it was in the mid 80’s and getting a little toasty.
Around 11:30 I took a golf cart tour around the fairgrounds to check for any stragglers. Everyone was supposed to be out by noon, but there’s always a few who wait until the very last minute to leave.
A few minutes after noon the last coach left our area so we headed over that way, stopping off to dump our waste tanks on the way. A few minutes later we were parked back in our old spot and getting set up. Then within the next hour, Tom and Barb joined us here.
Finally it was time for the next item on the agenda . . . a nap. It’s been so long I’ve almost forgotten what a nap feels like.
It felt gooood!
About 2:30 I called in our prescriptions to Sam’s Club to be picked up tomorrow, and then in a little while, the four of us headed over to Texas Roadhouse for an end-of-rally steak dinner. Jan mentioned that since we were eating so early we would be hungry enough by 8 to go to DQ.
And we were . . . and it was gooood! too.
March 11, 2012
Shrimp Burritos and Fairgrounds . . .
We pulled out of Daryl and Cheri Lawrence’s lot, got hooked up, and hit the road about 10:45 heading for Tucson about 250 miles away. It was a nice easy trip with the light Sunday traffic helping out.
About 1pm we pulled into a large lot in Gila Bend right across the street from Sofia’s Mexican Food, where we had a delicious lunch. Jan just had to have another shrimp burrito fix. Then it was back on the road on our way to Tucson.
A little before 5pm we pulled into the Pima County Fairgrounds for a two week stay. We know we’ll be leaving after two weeks because we won’t have a choice. The fairground RV park is closing for the season on the 25th of March, so one way or the other, we’ll be hitting the road then.
After getting everything set up, I decided to call it a night. My ankle has been bothering me a lot since I twisted it Friday morning stepping down out of the coach onto the uneven ground. And then spending all yesterday afternoon walking around the Yuma Market Place certainly didn’t help it any.
So Jan fixed us sandwiches for dinner and we just took it easy. We’ll see how my ankle feels tomorrow.
March 11, 2013
Rut Roh . . .
Well, we didn’t make it to Balmorhea today. We ended up in Kerrville, TX about 250 miles short of Balmorhea.
But it’s too late and I’m too tired to write up tonight.
I did finish the blog from yesterday about Grimaldi’s Pizza and uploaded it, so you can go back and read it all now. The power finally came back on about an hour later.
We should be in Balmorhea tomorrow night and I’ll catch you up on what’s going on.
March 11, 2015
Seminar Day . . .
I was up a little earlier than normal this morning so I could be sure I had everything ready to go for my seminar, “Gate Guarding for Fun? and Profit”, that started at 11:30. Besides my laptop, power supply, and mouse, I had the handouts, gate guard sample logs, and FRC shirts and pants.
Jan and I headed over to the hall a little after 11, and while Jan gave out the handouts as people came into the seminar area, I got the laptop set up and connected to the video projector. I was a little worried about how visible the photos would be since the area was well lit and there was no way to turn the lights down or off. But it turned out fine.
By the time we got started, we had about a hundred people there, a pretty good turnout, especially since another seminar called “Beyond Workamping: Income on the Road”, was scheduled for the same time period as ours
Our talk went pretty smoothly, and we had a lot of questions, usually a pretty good sign. I started off by telling them that things are pretty slow due to the downturn in oil prices, and now is probably not the best time to get started. But to keep an eye on oil prices.
Afterwards we headed back to the rig for a little bit. Later I talked to the guy on our right, and told him we would be leaving tomorrow afternoon. He has the small semi tractor that he uses to pull his 5th wheel parked between our rigs, and I probably can’t get out until he moves out. He said that wasn’t a problem because he was pulling it out this afternoon so his wife could take a driving lesson first thing tomorrow morning.
A little before 4pm Jan and I walked back over to the market hall to help break down booths since today is the last day for the vendors.I did buy my first thing here at the show, a spray bottle of special cleaner for our rig’s aluminum wheels. It’s acid-based and is supposed to get off the built-up corrosion and dirt.
We’ll see how it works.
Since we were on our own for supper tonight, Jan and I decided on Omar’s once again, especially since we didn’t used our free coupon last time. Once again our food was good, and even better, the free pie we got came with ice cream. Since we were full from our dinner, we got it to go.
Tomorrow afternoon we’re moving a couple of miles down the road to the Voyager RV Resort, where we’ll be for the next week until we head up to Apache Junction.
March 11, 2016
Up Too Early . . .
especially on a non-travel day. But for friends, I guess it’s doable.
So I was up at 9:30 and, bringing my coffee with me, Jan and I walked over to Chris and Charles Yust’s rig to work on updating their website, C and C RV Insurance. We were trying to finish up so they could get back on the road in the 12 – 1 time frame. But, while I was trying to get Charles’ W10 laptop on the local homegroup so he could share the printers connected to Chris’ W7 laptop, she was so busy taking care of insurance customers that we didn’t get enough done so they finally decided to stay over another night here. It also helped them avoid all the heavy rain still pounding the LA/MS area. So it was a win-win.
And actually it was a win-win-win, because that meant that we’d get to go out to dinner with Chris and Charles again.
Back at our rig, Jan spent the afternoon Kindling and napping, while I worked on website stuff that we’d already gone over, updating and adding things. Then a little later, Jim Dean came by to say they were back in the park for three weeks, so I invited him and Peri to join Chris, Charles, and Jan and I at Peter’s BBQ this evening.
Wal all headed up to Peter’s about 6pm, and as seems par for the course, we didn’t leave until they locked the door behind us at 9. And as it turns out, Jim and Peri, and Chris and Charles, grew up in same area, and had a lot for fun talking over old times and places.
![ChrisCharlesJimPeriJan_thumb[3]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ChrisCharlesJimPeriJan_thumb3.png "ChrisCharlesJimPeriJan_thumb[3]")
We all ended up have the new special, the $9.95 Catfish and Shrimp buffet, which was really good, and somewhat cheaper than the BBQ version.
On another note, everybody’s favorite convenience store, Buc-ee;’s, is spreading out. And out of Texas, too. On Wednesday, our son-in-law Lowell send over this Houston Business Journal article about a new Buc-ee’s opening in Baton Rouge in early 2017.
And that’s not all. They’ll soon be opening their first north Texas location in Terrell, just southeast of downtown Dallas. And on a local note, they’ll soon start construction on a Katy, TX location, on the north side of I-10, just east of the Camping World. A perfect stop for Jan and I on our way to Brandi and Lowell’s.
March 11, 2017
MacGyvering It . . .
Since we had a 300+ mile trip today, we pulled out of the Pecan Valley RV Park about 9am, and a few minutes later we were heading west on I-10 again.
Except for some of the roughest roads we’ve seen in a while, the trip was pretty smooth. We had some heavy misting falling from the overcast skies, but it all cleared up later in the afternoon.
We pulled into the Southern Star RV Park in Van Horn about 2:45pm, and got parked in the first available space. The office was closed until 3pm so I got plugged in, and ran into a problem.
Although my Progressive EMS (Electrical Management System) said the power was good, and it was routing it into the coach, no power was getting inside. So my next stop was the Transfer Switch under the bed.
And that was where the problem was. Power was going in to the contactor but not coming out. For some reason the contactor was not pulling in.
So using a large screwdriver I pushing the contactor in and now we had power. But it still wouldn’t latch closed. So I MacGyvered it. (Jan says I was MacGyver before there was a MacGyver.)
Using two popsicle sticks I jammed the contactor closed and we were back in business. Hopefully it will hold for a few days until we’re parked in Benson for four days. Otherwise, I have plenty of popsicle sticks left.
![Transfer Switch Problems_thumb[1]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Transfer-Switch-Problems_thumb1.png "Transfer Switch Problems_thumb[1]")
About 5pm we walked next door to the Van Horn Steakhouse. Or rather we tried to. When we were here two years there was a shortcut out the side fence of the park. But after we walked all the way over there we found a new fence and NO shortcut.
So it was all the way back around to the front entrance of the park, out on the sidewalk, and down the block. But it was worth the walk.
We both started with their delicious salads with their homemade dressing, Jan’s Bleu Cheese, and mine Buttermilk Ranch.
![Van Horn Steakhouse Salad_thumb[1]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Van-Horn-Steakhouse-Salad_thumb1.png "Van Horn Steakhouse Salad_thumb[1]")
Then we both got steaks with the Roasted Baby Carrots.
![Van Horn Steakhouse Ribeye_thumb[1]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Van-Horn-Steakhouse-Ribeye_thumb1.png "Van Horn Steakhouse Ribeye_thumb[1]")
My Ribeye was fantastic, as were the carrots
Then we finished up by sharing a Homemade Peach Cobbler.
![Van Horn Steakhouse Peach Cobbler_thumb[1]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Van-Horn-Steakhouse-Peach-Cobbler_thumb1.png "Van Horn Steakhouse Peach Cobbler_thumb[1]")
After that delicious meal we definitely needed the long walk back to the rig.
Tomorrow we’ve got a 165 mile trip to Las Cruces for a two day stay.
March 11, 2018
Sprung Forward . . .
I did plan to get some outside chores done today, but the overcast skies and occasionally spitting rain dissuaded me of that. Though I will say that I didn’t take too much convincing.
The whole ‘Spring Forward’ thing went off OK this morning, with everything resetting like it was supposed to. That’s the computer, two phones, my Galaxy Tab, our bedroom projection clock, our DirecTV DVR, the La Crosse Weather Display, and our big living room clock.
Everything is connected to the Internet except this clock. It actually receives the WWV time signal via radio and is always correct to the second. The only two clocks I have to manually set is the battery-powered clock in the bathroom, and my old school analog watch.
Like yesterday, I spent a good while researching moving the websites at work, but I’m still not sure which way I’ll go.
For you Alexa/Echo Dot owners, Amazon has added something a little new. Previously if you want to ask Alexa multiple questions, you had to start over each time by saying ‘Alexa’.
But if you go into your Amazon Alexa app, go to Settings, pick your device, and scroll down, you’ll find a control called Follow Up. Turn it on and you’re good to go.
And if you have more than one Alexa device, you have to do each separately.
Now if you make your 2nd, 3rd, etc., request within 5 seconds after the previous request is done, Alexa will continue answering you. Neat.
SpaceX is at it again, planning 5 Falcon 9 launches next month. In addition they hope to do the first test launch of their BFR Mars rocket later this year. If all goes well, they plan on the first unmanned launch to Mars in early 2019.
The BFR, much larger than the recently launched Falcon Heavy, can boost 150 tons of cargo into orbit, vs. the 50 ton capacity of the Falcon Heavy, and the 25 tons of the Falcon 9. And unlike early rockets, the BFR will be fully reusable, with all lower stages landing back on earth, and can be refueled in space. Really revolutionary.
Here’s a really neat look back at the recent Falcon Heavy launch and landing, including the only released footage of the center stage crashing back into the ocean due to running out of ignition fluid.
And this is a fun look at the many failures along the way.
Only Elon Musk would compile all his failures into a video and set it to music.
March 11, 2019
I’m So Ashamed . . .
But I’m just too cheap to pay the blackmail.
Today I received this email through an email address of one of my client website email addresses.
FINAL WARNING [email protected]!
Sloppy! I never got the first one.
You have the last chance to save your social life – I am not kidding!!
I didn’t realize I actually have a ‘social life’. Who knew?
I give you the last 72 hours to make the payment before I send
the video with your masturbation to all your friends and associates.
If this happens, I would appreciate receiving a copy.
The last time you visited a erotic website with young Teens,
you downloaded and installed the software I developed.
As opposed to ‘Old Teens’?
My program has turned on your camera and recorded your act of
Masturbation and the video you were masturbating to.
\My software also downloaded all your email contact lists
and a list of your Facebook friends.
But I don’t have a Facebook account. Only Jan does.
I have both the ‘Webmaster.mp4’ with your masturbation
and a file with all your contacts on my hard drive.
You are very perverted!
No surprise! Jan already knew this.
If you want me to delete both files and keep your secret,
you must send me Bitcoin payment.
I give you the last 72 hours.
If you don’t know how to send Bitcoins, search Google.
Send 2000 USD to this Bitcoin address immediately:
3DTEpNVLyNFseoTXzhiHGv22hTsp9K1dre
(copy and paste)
1 BTC = 3850 USD right now, so send exactly 0.524126 BTC
to the address above.
Do not try to cheat me!
As soon as you open this Email I will know you opened it.
This Bitcoin address is linked to you only,
so I will know if you sent the correct amount.
When you pay in full, I will remove both files and deactivate my software.
If you don’t send the payment, I will send your masturbation video
to ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES from your contact list I acquired.
Again, if this happens, I would appreciate receiving a copy.
Here are the payment details again:
Send 0.524126 BTC to this Bitcoin address:
—————————————-
3DTEpNVLyNFseoTXzhiHGv22hTsp9K1dre
—————————————-
You can visit the police but nobody will help you.
I know what I am doing.
Is that so? Then why haven’t you figured out that my desktop computer doesn’t have a video cam.
I don’t live in your country and I know how to stay anonymous.
Then how do I know your name is Toby.
Don’t try to deceive me – I will know it immediately – my spy ware is
recording all the websites you visit and all keys you press.
If you do – I will send this ugly recording to everyone you know,
including your family.
Don’t cheat me! Don’t forget the shame and if you ignore this message
your life will be ruined.
I am waiting for your Bitcoin payment.
It’s going to be a long wait.
Toby
Anonymous Hacker
I wonder if Toby might be Nigerian?
P.S. If you need more time to buy and send 0.524126 BTC,
open your notepad and write ’48h plz’.
I will consider giving you another 48 hours before I release the vid,
but only when I see you are really struggling to buy bitcoin.
I guess I could start a GoFundMe account. But only if I get a copy of the video.
March 11, 2021
Longhorn Rendezvous . . .
First up, yes I know that there’s a problem with emailed blogs going out to every one. I’m working on it and hope to have fixed this weekend.
Since we had couple of stops to make Jan and I left out about 10, with our first stop only a few minutes later for ice at the Circle K in Santa Fe.
Jan was taking two thermal bags of food, some refrigerated and some frozen, with her, and since we probably wouldn’t get to Brandi’s until around 4pm, we stopped and I got two bags of ice to keep things nice and cold.
And yes, Brandi has plenty of food at their house, but Jan wanted ‘her’ food.
Our next stop was at the Flying J north of Houston for a potty break before we got to The Woodlands Longhorn Steakhouse about 11:30, a little early for our noon meet-up with Debi and Ed Hurlburt. But coming through downtown Houston, I always try to allow plenty of ‘fudge’ factor.
In fact I was monitoring Waze on my tablet for any problems, so we could detour via the Hardy Toll Road if necessary.
Jan and I both went a little off-track on the menu. Jan got the Parmesan Chicken with a Sweet Potato.
I started off with a bowl of their ‘surprisingly’ good, Chicken Tortilla Soup,
and then, not wanting a big heavy steak meal in the middle of the day, got steak. But as a salad. Their 7-Pepper Sirloin Steak Salad.
I later told our waitress (or is it ‘server’ now?) that I was kind of disappointed because I only tasted 6 Peppers, not 7. She just stared at me and then walked away. I don’t think she got the joke.
But everything was delicious.
As usual for us, we spent almost 3 hours eating and talking before Jan and I headed out. And we’re already planning for next month.
Coming back down to Brandi’s in Katy via the Grand Parkway Toll Road, our first stop was at the El Pollo Loco on Mason Rd.right off I-10. Before we left Longhorn I had used the El Pollo app to place our order to pickup at 3:45, and we got there at 3:44, just when our Garmin GPS said we would.
Isn’t modern technology wonderful?
We got to Brandi’s at little after 4pm, and after getting Jan unloaded, and her laptop and Alexa set up, I was back on the road to Santa Fe by 4:30, finally getting home about 5:45pm
This weekend I’ve got a few more tests to run on rig rig AC, trying narrow it down, especially since we’ve got temps in the low 80’s starting next week.
I’m just hoping it’s not a blown compressor, but I’ll know soon.
March 11, 2022
4 Q’s . . .
Following up on yesterday’s blog:
If I didn’t stir people up enough with Beans or No Beans controversy, how about the 26 best BBQ places in Memphis, TN?
And Jan and I have eaten at 3 of them, numbers 8, 5, and 2.
Starting out, #8 was kind of a surprise to us, in that it’s a chain location.
We eaten at Jim ‘N Nick’s locations, not only in Memphis, but also in Birmingham at two locations, and in Montgomery, too. Plus they have 36 other locations in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Their BBQ is more north Alabama-Carolinas style, with both Alabama White Sauce, and a vinegar-based Carolina sauce, as well as a traditional tomato-based sauce.
Here’s a repost of our Memphis visit to Jim ‘N Nick’s.
But looking over several lists, I came across a name I was really familiar with – Jim & Nick’s BBQ. I’ve eaten at their original Birmingham AL location a number of times back in the 90’s, and knew they had started to spread out in Alabama, but I didn’t know they had gone further. In fact they’re now in 7 states as far west as Colorado.
So off we went to Jim & Nick’s out in Cordova, a Memphis suburb about 30 minutes away on the east side of the city. And it was well worth the trip.
We started off with their Sausage Plate, with a link of their home-made sausage, served with pimento cheese and BBQ sauce. So good that Jan, who doesn’t really care for sausage, loved this.
Then they brought out a basket of their Cheese Biscuits which we devoured pretty quickly.
They’re delicious, and so well-loved, they even sell the mix so you can make your own at home.
Jan got their Pig on a Bun pulled pork sandwich topped with Cole slaw, while I again went with a Combo Plate with Ribs and Pulled Pork.
And it was like I was back in Alabama again, with the spare ribs and the pork, all slathered in their sauce, especially their Hot Habanero sauce. Like being back home.
Next up is # 5 which is located in a downtown Memphis alley.
We ate here on our visit before last, and loved it. But when we were here last time, it was a Sunday and Rendezvous was closed. So we ate there last night so we wouldn’t miss it this time.
Rendezvous is known for their ribs, and one taste shows why.
These ribs are different. They’re grilled over charcoal, not wood, and not slow smoked, or anything like that. They’re grilled 30 minutes on a side about 18 inches above a blazing charcoal fire.
This produces a delicious crust on the ribs that is then mopped with a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, and barbecue spices. Then before serving, the ribs are sprinkled with the secret Rendezvous seasoning.
I got the combo platter with ribs and their pulled pork, all juicy and delicious, while Jan just had ribs.
But another real standout here are their beans. They’re almost as good as the ribs. They have a delicate burnt caramel taste that I’ve never encountered before, but it adds such a flavor bonus, it’s hard to describe.
Finally we headed for The BBQ Shop, a place that showed up on pretty much every “Best BBQ in Memphis” list I found.
And they were right !
Like most good BBQ places, it looks pretty nondescript on the outside, but the food inside was another story.
Jan had pulled pork sandwich piled high with meat and coleslaw. Once again, I had the Combo Platter with ribs and pulled pork. It was smaller than the one last night, but not by much. At least it only had two sides instead of tour.
The ribs are what they refer to as “half & half”. Memphis BBQ is usually cooked with just a dry rub, and not with sauce. You can add the sauce later if you want.
The BBQ was delicious, but what really set it apart was their sauce, or at least their hot sauce. We never even tried the regular one.
Their hot sauce was very, very, hot. But along with being very, very hot, it was very tasty and flavorful, maybe one of the best sauces I’ve ever had.
All in all, it was a great meal !
And though it’s not actually in Memphis, TN, but in West Memphis, AR right across the Mississippi River, Ray’s World-Famous BBQ is at the top of a lot of people’s lists, including ours.
About 6 pm we headed out to a BBQ place we heard about near here, Ray’s World Famous BBQ. It’s a small place, only about 6 tables. But they have 4 delivery guys on the go constantly, so it’s certainly popular.
And here’ the big man himself, Ray of Ray’s World Famous BBQ.
Jan got a pork sandwich with two sides. I got the rib and pork combo plate, but I wasn’t expecting this!
No, this is not TWO orders. This is just one dinner.
Two meats and four sides, potato salad, BBQ beans, coleslaw, and BBQ spaghetti.
OMG!!
On checking the menu again, I found it also called “The Trucker’s Special”.
Maybe I need to read a little closer next time!
Another Alvin Opry Night . . .
So just the Retro-Blogs. More tomorrow.
Thought for the Day:
Be the kind of person that when you get up in the morning, the devil says, “Oh crap, they’re UP !!”
March 10, 2009
Lunch at Lulu’s…
Today, Jan and I had a late lunch at Lulu’s on Homeport. Lulu is her brother’s name for her. Her real name is Lucy Buffett.
And her brother is Jimmy Buffett, the singer/songwriter.
Lulu’s has become one of our favorite places at Gulf Shores. It’s on the Intercoastal Waterway or Canal that divides Gulf Shores from the mainland. Most people don’t realize that Gulf Shores is an island, but actually an artificial one, since the Canal is man-made.
Besides the great food, the view of the Canal is always entertaining. There was a pod of dolphins playing in between the boats passing by.
In the background above, you can see the bridge that crosses the Canal to Gulf Shores.
We also got to watch a number of tugs, barges, and fishing boats traveling by.
After we left Lulu’s, Jan got a pedicure while I picked up some parts for another project.
By the time we got home we had a beautiful moonrise waiting for us.
Just another day in paradise…
March 10, 2012
Arizona Sunsets and Camp Chairs . . .
Jan and I didn’t get up until about 9:30 this morning. Not unusual for me, but very unusual for Jan as she’s normally up between 7 and 8. But we both had a lot of early mornings and long busy days to make up for, so sleeping in really hit the spot.
Around 11 we all started talking about our plans for the rest of the day. Jan wanted to do the Yuma Indoor Market Place, and Chris Yust decided to join us, and followed us down to Mi Fajita to have lunch.
We spent several hours walking up and down the long rows of everything from jewelry to custom golf clubs, and remote control helicopters to tools.
Jan and I bought a couple of new camp chairs to replace our 5 year old bag chairs that recently bit the dust. And I found a new water filter that I was looking for, while Jan picked up some books from the used book store.
We finally headed home about 4pm, all pretty pooped. But Chris Yust and I still had work to do.
She wants me to get their website up and running to advertise the GMAC insurance and Good Sam products they sell, so we spent several hours going over the particulars of the new site.
Then about 6:30 everyone started getting hungry so we headed out to have dinner at La Fonda, a local Mexican restaurant that we wanted to try. But when we got there about 7:30, it was CLOSED.
What kind of Mexican restaurant closes on Saturday night? According to the sign on the door, their Saturday hours are 10am to 3pm.
Huh? So we decided to take our business down the street to Burgers & Beer, a well-regarded local place.
The food was good, but the conversation was even better. We laughed and talked, teased the waitress, and then laughed some more. In fact it was almost 10pm before we got out of there.
But we sure had fun.
Tomorrow Jan and I will head for Tucson for a couple of weeks, with a stop-over at Sofia’s in Gila Bend for lunch along the way.
We’ve really enjoyed the hospitality of Daryl and Cheri Lawrence who let us park on their lot for a couple of days here in the Yuma Foothills. And hopefully we’ll all meet up again in Celina, OH for the next rally this fall.
Earlier in the evening before we left for dinner, I did get this great Arizona sunset shot.
Perfect end to a great day.
March 10, 2013
No Bones About it . . .
Today is our last full day here at the Medina Lake Thousand Trails. We’ve been here for two weeks and it’s time to move on.
Tomorrow we’ll make the 350 mile run to Balmorhea, TX where we’ll be for about a week. On the way we’ll stop off in Boerne, about 30 miles away, to fill up on diesel.
But today was a lunch and shopping day in San Antonio, and the lunch was really special.
In July 2009 we were visiting New York City, and while there, we flew our daughter Brandi, and our granddaughter Piper up to spend a week with us. And while we were there we checked out the two places that claim to be the inventor of New York’s pizza.
The first one we visited was Lombardi’s down in SoHo. Here’s Brandi and Piper there.
BTW Soho stands for South of Houston, which is a major street in the area. But they pronounce it HOW ston.
But if you ask them who the street is named for, they’ll tell you it’s named for Sam HU ston, of Texas fame. Those Yankees are strange sometime.
We thought that Lombardi’s was really good . . . until we ate at Grimaldi’s. Grimaldi’s is located in the DUMBO area of NYC. DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass and encompasses the area in Brooklyn between the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Grimaldi’s is really just a small neighborhood pizza place, and as you can tell from the photo below, not very big.
And Grimaldi’s pizza was fantastic, the best I’ve ever eaten. It’s a thin crust, but not cracker crispy like some. It’s still a little chewy, but with a slightly crispy bottom.
Delicious!
Well, about a week ago our friend Lynn Cross sent us an email detailing good places to eat in the Lakehills/San Antonio area . . . and she mentioned Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. A quick check of the website told me that this was the real deal.
Apparently a few years back they started expanding and now have a couple of dozen stores around the country, including 2 in Houston, and 2 in San Antonio. And they did it right. To keep the quality of the original, they duplicated everything, even the water.
It’s always said of New York City bagels and New York City pizza dough, that the secret’s in the water, the New York City water. So every store has a system that starts with distilled water and adds the correct amount of different chemicals and minerals until it is chemically exactly the same as New York City water.
The other secret is said to be the coal-fired handmade brick ovens. So it’s the same oven, built the same way, using the same bricks. And fired with the same Pennsylvania coal from the same mine. In every store.
And of course, they use the same flour and other ingredients. One unique thing on their pizzas is the cheese. Unlike most places that use shredded aged mozzarella, Grimaldi’s uses fresh sliced mozzarella which adds a different taste and texture to the pizza.
What it all boils down to is that the pizza we had Sunday in San Antonio was just as good as what we had in New York in 2009.
And since they have locations in AZ and Las Vegas, we’ll try to eat at those too.
The nice thing about the San Antonio location is that it’s a good bit bigger than the original in New York.
Because it has the same line of people outside waiting for a table.
But they do have these nifty pagers for you.
But the way to really tell you how good this pizza is, is because we had no pizza bones left over.
You know, pizza bones, those pieces of crust that you’ve sucked all the sauce and goodies off of. Those things.
Well, no bones about it, we had no bones left. The crust is so good that you want to eat every last bite of it.
Check out the link, track one down and try it. You want be disappointed.
March 10, 2014
Sometimes it’s good to be a Guinea Pig . . .
This morning Jan fixed us some of the Chocolate Croissants that our daughter Brandi gave us for Christmas. They’re shipped frozen and come from Williams-Sonoma. You set them out for about 9 hours to defrost and rise, and then they’re in the oven for about 15 minutes.
They also have them in Butter flavor. And they go great with our coffee.
We’ve got a really nice site here at the Lake Conroe Thousand Trails. I was surprised to see how far apart the sites are. It’s nice to not be looking in our neighbor’s windows. Or them ours, I guess.
I called American Coach this morning and ordered two of the roll pins, coil pins, or shear pins, depending on what you call them. They were $2.45 each with $3 for First Class Postage. Not bad at all.
Of course getting them installed may be ‘fun’.
I also called Fantastic Vent about a new motor for our kitchen vent fan. The bearings are going out in it and you have to start it spinning by hand and then it rumbles and makes a lot of noise. And then it quits after about 30 minutes. The price turned out to be about $55 + $13 postage. Not as bad as I had imagined. The kit includes a new motor, a new fan blade, and mounting bracket. I’ll order it in the next couple of days.
About 1:30pm Jan and I headed over to Livingston, TX to visit Dennis and Carol Hill at their lot at the Escapees park there. He was looking for ‘guinea pigs’ to test out his new baby back ribs recipe. And having tasted his pulled pork, we were happy to volunteer.
Since we knew we wouldn’t be eating until after 5, we stopped at the Chick-Fil-A in Willis for a Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Jan’s blood sugar goes haywire if she goes too long without eating.
We arrived at Dennis and Carol’s about 3pm, and first off, got the full tour of their new Winnebago coach. The size of the basement bins and slideout trays was just amazing.
When we got there Dennis already had the smoker going for a couple of hours and the smell was fantastic. I’m surprised people weren’t showing up from all over the neighborhood.
And the finished product tasted even better than it smelled.
The babyback’s were moist and juicy, and didn’t even need sauce. And along with the beans, macaroni salad, and steamed asparagus, it made for a really great meal.
Sometimes it’s good to be a guinea pig. Or make pigs of ourselves.
One or the other.
Or both.
March 10, 2015
Poco and Omar . . .
After Jan attended a couple of seminars, and I finished up my Gate Guarding seminar handouts and slides, we headed out for lunch. Jan and I have been hearing a lot of good things about Omar’s Highway Chef Restaurant at the TTT Truck Stop a few miles up the road, so we headed up that way for lunch.
This sign shows why we’re hearing such good things about the place.
My Club Sandwich on toasted Marble Rye was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. And their steak fries are really, really good – Crispy crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just great.
Jan had the Tuna Salad on Toasted Wheat which she said was great, as was the cup of homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup she had.
I had a cup of their homemade Chili, also very good.
We’ll definitely go back, not only because it was good, but because we forgot to take the coupons for a free pie and a 20% discount that came with our Escapees Info Pack.
In our travels the last 7 years we’ve encountered one other truck stop gourmet restaurant, and that was in Houlton, ME in 2009. Houlton is about 2 miles from the Canadian border, and is where we entered Canada on our way out to Newfoundland.
Not only did this truck stop have a gourmet chef, but also a gourmet pastry chef. Not only was the food delicious, but people came from all over to buy their cake, pies, and pastries.
After lunch we spent some more time walking around the market and catching up with old friends, and making some new ones. All part of attending an RV rally.
Then about 6:30 Jan and I headed up Kolb Ave to have dinner at the new Poco & Mom’s on Tanque Verde. We’ve eaten at the original one on Kolb and 22nd for a number of years and always enjoyed it. It’s a small little hole-in-the-wall place with maybe 20 tables, but always busy, and with really good food.
But the new one is a full size restaurant with a bar. There was a 15-20 minute wait when we got there a little after 7, but we were finally seated in the bar area. After looking at the menu, we quickly knew what we wanted. Because it’s pretty much what we always get – The Combo Plate.
With a Chile Relleno, a Shredded Beef Taco, and a Green Chile Chicken Enchilada, it’s hard to beat. We were even too full for their fresh hot homemade sopapillas, with warm honey.
After that delicious dinner, our next stop was a couple of blocks away at the FedEx Copy Store. I didn’t get my seminar confirmation in time for the Escapees to print my handouts, so Jan and I did it ourselves.
Only took about 20 minutes to make a hundred copies of the 3 page handout and then staple them together. With a hundred, I don’t know if I’m wildly overestimating the attendance, or wildly underestimating it.
We’ll have to see tomorrow.
March 10, 2016
Old Friends, New Rigs . . .
Although it rained a good bit overnight, it pretty much died out today, except for on and off drizzling. And that’s supposed to be it for the next 4 or 5 days. Or at least until we leave for Lake Conroe on Sunday.
After goofing off most of the morning, I went outside to check out the ‘under the rig’ access to see if I could install my slobber tube collection can, but no luck. If I had tried it, Jan would have had to hose the mud off me before I could come back inside the rig.
So maybe tomorrow.
About 3:30 we got a surprise phone call from our friend, Chris Yust of C and C RV Insurance, and she and Charles were coming our way. They had planned on staying at Happy Oaks RV Park, a Passport America park nearby. But when I checked the Passport America website, I found that the Colorado River Thousand Trails park where we’re staying is also a PPA park.
Which is kind of strange since there’s nothing posted at the office that mentions PPA. And as it turns out, Colorado River is also an Encore park. Who knew?
Sign up for Passport America before 4/30 and get 4 extra FREE Months!
Chris and Charles got parked and set up in one of the two pull-through transient sites located at the entrance to the ‘A’ loop. They’re right out on the main road with 50 amps and water, but no sewer. Perfect for overnighters.
Chris and Charles showed up at our site a little later, and we all headed in to Columbus to have dinner at Los Cabos Mexican Restaurant, our favorite local Mexican place.
Jan had her usual Fajita Beef Stuff Avocado,
![Los Cabos Stuffed Avocado_thumb[2]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Los-Cabos-Stuffed-Avocado_thumb2.png "Los Cabos Stuffed Avocado_thumb[2]")
while Charles and I both had the Relleno Combo, with a cheese-stuffed Relleno, a cheese enchilada, and a Chicken Taco al Carbon.
![Los Cabos Rellanos Combo_thumb[1]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Los-Cabos-Rellanos-Combo_thumb1.png "Los Cabos Rellanos Combo_thumb[1]")
Chris also had a combo, but I missed what kind.
It’s always dicey when you take someone new to a restaurant you really like and have recommended, but Los Cabos came through as usual.
![Chris and Charles Yust_thumb[1]](https://ourrvadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Chris-and-Charles-Yust_thumb1.png "Chris and Charles Yust_thumb[1]")
And also as usual, not having seen Chris and Charles in over a year, we had a lot of catching up to do. So much in fact, that after a couple of hours at the restaurant, we headed back to the park to check out their Entegra Anthem. They’ve had it almost a year but it’s our first time to see it. Boy, is it a beautiful rig. And it seems like everything has a remote control, even the dishwasher!
I’m not sure why you would want to wash your dishes remotely, but you can.
March 10, 2017
Baaaaaa!
I had planned for us to get up about 6:30, but we ended up sleeping in for an extra hour.
So finally up at 7:30 we got ready to roll before we headed out for breakfast at around 8:30am. As we did last week before leaving for Lake Conroe, we had Schobel’s in Columbus, and once again Jan had her Veggie Omelet while I had the Chicken and Waffles.
Getting back to the rig, we were hitched up and rolling by 10:30 heading for Junction, TX about 250 miles away.
About an hour later, we made our usual Buc-ee’s stop at the Luling. Before going inside we filled up with 90 gallons of diesel at $2.19/gallons, the lowest in the area.
While we were filling up, we were watching the travelers right across from us walk their dogs, even little ones,
while others walked their . . .
sheep?
You never know what you’ll see in Texas. Guess they’re on their way to the rodeo in Houston.
Unlike our past San Antonio pass-throughs, today’s seem to take forever, whether from the obvious construction zones, or those ‘phantom’ slowdowns. You know, those several miles of creeping along, that suddenly just disappears when everyone just speeds up.
We got into Junction and the Pecan Valley RV Park about about 3:30 and were given a nice, long pull-through site.
They even furnish leveler pad blocks if you need them. A first for us.
As it turns out Pecan Valley RV Park is in an actual pecan grove.
They were trimming and pruning the trees, and then burning the branches, making for a great smoky smell in the air.
The Junction area is known for bad cell/data service, no matter who your carrier is. Which is why I thought that posting a blog last night was questionable.
So I was happy to see a very strong park Wi-Fi signal. BUT . . . There’s always a BUT, right?
The park uses the OpenDNS content filtering service, which restricts your access to sites that are on a black list, I guess like porn sites, movie download sites, and other like places. However it doesn’t explain why I could access the New York Times website, but not the Washington Post site. In fact about half the stories on Yahoo News were blocked.
And so was our OurRVAdventures.com and RV sites. Why I don’t know, but it kept me from posting the blog last night.
Tomorrow’s trip will be 310 miles to Van Horn and the Southern Star RV Park, where we stayed in 2015. And it has a really good steak place right next door.
March 10, 2018
Lou No More . . .
I spent most of the morning getting a handle on my next big project at work – bundling up the two website/shopping carts on our in-house Linux server and moving it all up to Godaddy in the cloud.
There seems to be two schools of thought on how to do it. The first is to do a complete Zen Cart installation on the new server and then copy all the MySQL files from the old server, and move them over.
The second is to zip up the entire website and move it over lock, stock, barrel, and database to the new server. Both have different pros and cons, so I’ve got a lot of research to do.
I’ve mentioned that I’m reading a book entitled Nomadland, about itinerant RV’ers traveling from job to job around the country. One of them, a guy named Don who travels in the his 1990 Airstream with his Jack Russell terrier, Rizzo, was once a highly paid software executive making millions a year.
Retiring in 2002, he indulged his lifetime passion with fast cars and racing, ranking third overall in the U.S. Touring Car Championship pro series. But by 2008 he had lost it all. Between a divorce and the 2008 market crash taking his savings, he was broke. So he hit the road in 2010, joining the workcamper force.
I found his description of workcampers to be fascinating.
“Workcampers are modern mobile travelers who take temporary jobs around the U.S. in exchange for a free campsite—usually including power, water and sewer connections—and perhaps a stipend. You may think that workamping is a modern phenomenon, but we come from a long, long tradition. We followed the Roman legions, sharpening swords and repairing armor. We roamed the new cities of America, fixing clocks and machines, repairing cookware, building stone walls for a penny a foot and all the hard cider we could drink. We followed the emigration west in our wagons with our tools and skills, sharpening knives, fixing anything that was broken, helping clear the land, roof the cabin, plow the fields and bring in the harvest for a meal and pocket money, then moving on to the next job. Our forebears are the tinkers. We have upgraded the tinker’s wagon to a comfortable motor coach or fifth-wheel trailer. Mostly retired now, we have added to our repertoire the skills of a lifetime in business. We can help run your shop, handle the front or back of the house, drive your trucks and forklifts, pick and pack your goods for shipment, fix your machines, coddle your computers and networks, work your beet harvest, landscape your grounds or clean your bathrooms. We are the techno-tinkers.”
Really insightful.
About 2pm Jan and I headed into Webster to have lunch at our favorite King Food. Jan got the fan-favorite Chicken with Hot Garlic Sauce and Jalapenos lunch plate,
while I again went with the big bowl of Hot & Soup Soup.
One thing I really like at King Food are these roasted red pepper flakes. Most places, including Italian restaurants, have them in this form.
But King Food roasts them in a skillet with a little oil with gives them a smoky taste and a crunchy texture.
Really good, so I always add a few spoonful’s to my Hot & Sour.
After a great lunch we drove over to Baywood Plaza on FM518 so I could get my hair cut at Lou’s Barber Shop. I’ve been going to Lou for more than 30 years, since he first opened there.
So I was very surprised to not find Lou there behind his chair, the first time that’s ever happened. When I ask the guy who was behind the chair if Lou was taking the day off, I was very surprised when he said that Lou had retired, and that he and his wife, Esthela, had bought the shop from him. And that the shop would soon be called Esthela’s Barber Shop.
Well I guess I can live with going to a barber shop called Esthela’s. My only problem is that Lou apparently forgot to give my haircut records to the new guy.
March 10, 2019
Godaddy’s Having A Problem Tonight . . .
And keeps truncated my posts.
So I’ll catch up tomorrow . . . Hopefully.
So all you’re getting tonight is this photo of Miss Karma perched on Jan’s chair watching me through the windshield as I worked on the wipers.
March 10, 2020
All Alone Am I
STOP SELLING!
This is today’s basic economic lesson.
STOP SELLING!
I was on a financial forum the other night and one guy was complaining how much money he had lost on his stocks. When I ask him why he sold his stock as it was going down, he fumbled a bit and said because the market was going down and everyone else was selling.
I said that really it was that everyone was selling, causing the market to go down. I reminded him that he didn’t lose any money until he actually SOLD his stock. Who cares if it went down 20%-30% if he hadn’t sold it.
He reiterated that, well, the market was going down and everyone else was selling. I then asked him, so did he think that the country was finished and the stock market was never going to come back up, even after this flu thing was over?
He said No.
So then I asked him did he need the cash from the stock sale right now?
He said No.
So I again asked him why did he sell when the market was going down?
He never replied to me.
So here’s your Financial Tip of the Day:
STOP SELLING!
You don’t lose money until you actually sell!
As for me, I’m buying stock in Charmin.
Risking the virus and death, I … wait for it … I ate lunch at a CHINESE restaurant this afternoon. So now I’ve decided to self-quarantine myself.
At least until I have to into work tomorrow morning.
March 10, 2021
And Now It’s ‘Jimmies?
Since we’ve got an extended daytrip tomorrow (Up to The Woodlands, back down to Katy, and then home), I stopped off at Costco to top off the Jeep tank and found gas up another 6¢ since Monday, and at $2.29, it’s up 84¢ since November 1st.
Like a lot of their customers, I have my Amazon account set up to use the Amazon Smile program. A part of every Amazon purchase goes to the charity of your choice, in my case, St.Jude Children’s Hospital.
A couple of days ago I received an email from Amazon saying that the Amazon’s quarterly gift to St. Jude’s was $981,247.96.
And this is a grand total of all contributions.
AmazonSmile’s impact:
- $11,035,205.12 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital*
- $241,928,506.19 to all charities in the US
- $266,896,659.48 to all charities worldwide
And even better, there’s no extra cost to you.
Jan and I have started watch another new show called Debris on NBC. With a distinct ‘X-Files’ feel, it follows two agents, one CIA and the other MI6, who are tasked with tracking down ‘debris’ falling to earth from a wrecked alien ship traveling through the solar system. And the ‘debris’ has very strange properties and effects on people. Two episodes so far, but very good.
And speaking of good, Jan and I are running into the problem of Too Much of A Good Thing, as least as far as TV is concerned. With all the channels available for streaming, and so many different programs, it’s getting harder and harder to keep up.
But I guess it’s a good problem to have.
First it was Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and the Indian maiden on the Land O’ Lakes box, and now it’s Jimmies, though you may known them as Sprinkles
BTW the Indian maiden, and the Land O’ Lakes logo was designed by …wait for it … an Indian artist using his Indian daughter as a model.
March 10, 2022
‘Q and more . . .
After a quiet morning, we were off to Gator’s Bar & Grill a little before 1pm.
Jan got her usual Strawberry Walnut Salad,
while I got my favorite Baked Potato Soup, but this time I added a Side Salad.
We had planned to split one of their Keto Blueberry Muffins, as we often do. But this time it turns out we were too full.
Maybe next time.
Next up, we stopped off at our storeroom to go through things, and bag up a lot of the small, loose stuff. We wanted to make it easier for things to be moved when we switch storeroom companies in the near future.
We used these large Ziplock bags that even have carrying handles.
Most everything else are in large and small bins so they won’t be hard to move.
Finishing up, we made an HEB stop for a few items, followed by Cowboy Coffee for Sugar-Free Hazelnut Lattes, Jan’s with Almond Milk, and mine with regular milk. Always great coffee.
And then after a PO stop, we were back at the rig by about 3:30pm.
If I didn’t stir people up enough with Beans or No Beans controversy, how about the 26 best BBQ places in Memphis, TN?
And Jan and I have eaten at 3 of them, numbers 8, 5, and 2.
#8 Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q
#5 Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous
and
#2 The BBQ Shop
And though it’s not actually in Memphis, TN, but in West Memphis, AR right across the Mississippi River, Ray’s World-Famous BBQ is at the top of a lot of people’s lists, including ours.
I’ll give you more details about our visits to all these in tomorrow’s blog.
