June 5, 2010
Embreeville, PA
We had a very nice drive yesterday, leaving Virginia around 9:00 AM and heading across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel ($35 toll!!!) and up US-13/US-113. In Delaware, we passed Milford (Maya's hometown) and crossed into Pennsylvania and on to our destination, the "West Chester-Philadelphia KOA". We've been here before and it's really the only option for a park in the Philly 'burbs. Of course, we always say "If we knew how far off the beaten path we'd be, we'd never have come here". We've been here 3 times before, so I guess it's OK.
We arrived here around 3:30 PM and have been relaxing and catching up ever since. Geri's caught up on laundry and I've paid the bills. Tonight was Netflix night: Julie & Julia.Easy living. Over the next three days, we'll catch up with various folks we know in the local area, do some shopping (Moore Brothers, Canals, Wegmans, woo-hoo), and chill a bit before we move on to Connecticut late next week. Details to follow...
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A quick stop and a quick visit
June 3, 2010
Virginia Beach, VA
Well, here we are in one of my old "stompin' grounds", Hampton Roads, Virginia. Back in the working days, we had a big contact center in Chesapeake and I spent a reasonable amount of time here. So, why are we here this time? Another family visit, of course. This time, it's Geri's great-nephew, Mike, who's attending another class. We met up with him last January in Florida, and found out a few days ago that he's taking a class in Hampton/Norfolk.
Since we are heading to the Philadelphia area, I'd planned to use I-95 from South Carolina, but I wasn't looking forward to I-495 around Washington and I-695 around Baltimore. Being able to see Mike meant breaking away from I-95 just over the Virginia border. We headed east on US-58, connecting with I-664/I-64/I-264 into Virginia Beach. The good news: we'll head north on US-13 across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, on up through the Eastern Shore, Maryland, Delaware, and on into the Philly area - and bypass the whole DC-Baltimore thing.
We're staying at a park right next to Oceano Naval Air Station. Fighter jet training runs from 8:00 AM to Midnight. Ah, the "sound of freedom". They even have bumper stickers that say "I Love Jet Noise". Lemons and lemonade, yada-yada-yada.
Mike and his class partner, Dan, headed our way and we met for dinner at Smokey Bones in Virginia Beach. I had a rib combo (good but a tad overcooked) and Geri had Fish & Chips (excellent). Mmmm...
Virginia Beach, VA
Well, here we are in one of my old "stompin' grounds", Hampton Roads, Virginia. Back in the working days, we had a big contact center in Chesapeake and I spent a reasonable amount of time here. So, why are we here this time? Another family visit, of course. This time, it's Geri's great-nephew, Mike, who's attending another class. We met up with him last January in Florida, and found out a few days ago that he's taking a class in Hampton/Norfolk.
Since we are heading to the Philadelphia area, I'd planned to use I-95 from South Carolina, but I wasn't looking forward to I-495 around Washington and I-695 around Baltimore. Being able to see Mike meant breaking away from I-95 just over the Virginia border. We headed east on US-58, connecting with I-664/I-64/I-264 into Virginia Beach. The good news: we'll head north on US-13 across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, on up through the Eastern Shore, Maryland, Delaware, and on into the Philly area - and bypass the whole DC-Baltimore thing.
Mike and his class partner, Dan, headed our way and we met for dinner at Smokey Bones in Virginia Beach. I had a rib combo (good but a tad overcooked) and Geri had Fish & Chips (excellent). Mmmm...
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Another Family Visit
June 2, 2010
Lexington, SC
We left Alabama yesterday morning, heading for Columbia, SC. We followed US-431 south to I-20 east, and followed the Interstate all the way to our destination. As usual, we passed some interesting signage along the way...
Our destination (actually in Lexington, just west of Columbia) was a bit of a crap-shoot. "The Barnyard RV Park". Barnyard? Hmmm. Actually, the "barnyard" is really a flea market. Double Hmmm. As it turns out, the fleas were away (closed) and the park was quite nice. Away from the road, it was relatively quiet (only a few evening trains rumbled past), spacious (100' pull-thrus about 45' wide), and just what we needed for a couple of nights.
So, why are we here? One of Geri's great-nephews, Ron, lives here with his family (Angela and Sebastian). We haven't seen him for almost 20 years, as he joined the Army at an early age and was gone every time we visited the family in California. He's now an officer, been deployed twice, and is currently stationed at Fort Jackson. They'll be moving to San Antonio soon.
Angela and Sebastian came over to the coach in the afternoon and we visited for a while (including some love from Merlin, who was uncommonly good) before Ron joined us. Afterward, we headed out through the raindrops to Outback for dinner. It was another great visit, seeing Ron again and meeting Angela and Sebastian for the first time. Back home, we did our normal preparations for travel.
Lexington, SC
We left Alabama yesterday morning, heading for Columbia, SC. We followed US-431 south to I-20 east, and followed the Interstate all the way to our destination. As usual, we passed some interesting signage along the way...
Ummm, I'll take the Plate of Ribs, thanks...
Our destination (actually in Lexington, just west of Columbia) was a bit of a crap-shoot. "The Barnyard RV Park". Barnyard? Hmmm. Actually, the "barnyard" is really a flea market. Double Hmmm. As it turns out, the fleas were away (closed) and the park was quite nice. Away from the road, it was relatively quiet (only a few evening trains rumbled past), spacious (100' pull-thrus about 45' wide), and just what we needed for a couple of nights.
So, why are we here? One of Geri's great-nephews, Ron, lives here with his family (Angela and Sebastian). We haven't seen him for almost 20 years, as he joined the Army at an early age and was gone every time we visited the family in California. He's now an officer, been deployed twice, and is currently stationed at Fort Jackson. They'll be moving to San Antonio soon.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wrapping Up In Albertville
May 31, 2010
Albertville, AL
Today, we wrapped up another great family visit in Albertville. In the morning, we headed back from Smith Lake. In the afternoon, we had plenty of time to prepare for travel and get in a bit of relaxation before we all headed over to Gerry and Lois' place for a Shrimp Jambalaya dinner. Excellent! Tomorrow, we're back on the road again...
Albertville, AL
Today, we wrapped up another great family visit in Albertville. In the morning, we headed back from Smith Lake. In the afternoon, we had plenty of time to prepare for travel and get in a bit of relaxation before we all headed over to Gerry and Lois' place for a Shrimp Jambalaya dinner. Excellent! Tomorrow, we're back on the road again...
We'll miss Laurel and Hardy, the dogs next door. Or, they'll miss us...
Family conference
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Smith Lake Visit
May 30, 2010
Albertville, AL
We took a couple of days this weekend to make a quick trip to visit our friends Linda and Wendell at their place on Smith Lake in central Alabama. It's about a two-hour drive from Albertville, and we packed a bag instead of taking the coach (nowhere easy to park). It's an easy drive, and we always see something interesting along the way.
As always, a great time was had by all. Saturday night, Geri whipped up her famous "Chicken & Brie" (credit to Jim & Barbara for the original). In the meantime, Wendell came home from his job at a local marina with a whole BBQ pork butt that they were smoking overnight. With the continued rainy weather, things were pretty slow on the lake, so Wendell grabbed one to take home. Man, was that good! Linda simply pulled some off and put it in a bowl with four forks and it just "disappeared".
Sunday, we had breakfast (our traditional Huevos Rancheros with all the leftovers - this time pork butt with onion, pepper, and avocado) and then took a couple of rides. First, we took the Rover around to the marina and picked up another butt. Later, Wendell took us for a spin on the lake. Dinner was another great meal: Wendell hand-cut rib-eyes from a huge slab of meat and they were great on the grill. Another great visit!
Albertville, AL
As always, a great time was had by all. Saturday night, Geri whipped up her famous "Chicken & Brie" (credit to Jim & Barbara for the original). In the meantime, Wendell came home from his job at a local marina with a whole BBQ pork butt that they were smoking overnight. With the continued rainy weather, things were pretty slow on the lake, so Wendell grabbed one to take home. Man, was that good! Linda simply pulled some off and put it in a bowl with four forks and it just "disappeared".
Sunday, we had breakfast (our traditional Huevos Rancheros with all the leftovers - this time pork butt with onion, pepper, and avocado) and then took a couple of rides. First, we took the Rover around to the marina and picked up another butt. Later, Wendell took us for a spin on the lake. Dinner was another great meal: Wendell hand-cut rib-eyes from a huge slab of meat and they were great on the grill. Another great visit!
Phone service is always an issue out in the country. "Can Captain Morgan hear me now"?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Another Wine Tasting?
May 28, 2010
Arab, AL
You bet! We're always up for that. In this case, it was at a local wine shop called "Vino!" in Arab that Annette's father, Gerry, ran across. After a nice dinner at a new (as in "we-don't-have-our-beer-and-wine-permit-yet new) restaurant called the Fat Rabbit Grille, we did the four-part tasting at the wine shop. Even though there were about 20 people there, we seemed to be the only ones willing to pick up a few bottles. Interesting selection, not bad prices...
Arab, AL
You bet! We're always up for that. In this case, it was at a local wine shop called "Vino!" in Arab that Annette's father, Gerry, ran across. After a nice dinner at a new (as in "we-don't-have-our-beer-and-wine-permit-yet new) restaurant called the Fat Rabbit Grille, we did the four-part tasting at the wine shop. Even though there were about 20 people there, we seemed to be the only ones willing to pick up a few bottles. Interesting selection, not bad prices...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Dodging Showers, Staying Cool, Eating Well
May 27, 2010
Albertville, AL
It's been another quiet week, as we're nearing the end of our stay here in Alabama. The weather's been alternately hot and sticky or threatening. We've tackled several simple projects but managed to get a lot of relaxation in as well.
After last Friday's graduation, Saturday was "party day". Erik had a group of friends over in the afternoon to complement the family on hand, mass quantities of burgers, hot dogs, and cake were consumed, and a good time was had by all. We played some push-pull rummy on Saturday night, but concluded that it's not a "drinking game" when you have eight people at the table. By Sunday, Alyson and Henry were headed back to Hattiesburg, Annette's sisters were headed back to Charlotte and Orlando, and things became very quiet. There's nothing like a house full of people to keep things hopping!
All week, it's been warmer and more humid (although nothing like the heat wave they're apparently having in the Northeast!) all week. In this part of the country, that's a recipe for pop-up thunderstorms and, the more they "pop", the more severe they can be. We haven't had any really severe storms roll through here (like with damaging hail), although we've had showers just about every day and some thunderstorms have passed by within several miles.
All in all, it's been a week for mostly "inside projects". I've paid bills, puttered around with the widgets on the Blog, played around with a couple of things on the coach (generally in the morning before it gets too hot), finished washing the outside of the coach, signed up to have my remains donated to medical science when I kick the bucket, updated my iPod - just lots of "stuff" that fills up the days. The pups went for grooming and Geri went to the Salon so they're all looking pretty. Geri and Annette went outlet shopping, so I had some cabinet rearranging to do. Rick and I played a few hands of cribbage and we spent too much time watching reality TV, second-guessing the scoring (DWTS, Idol).
We've eaten pretty well this week, working our way through the leftovers from last week and Erik's party mostly at lunch. We made a plan for the week on Sunday and Rick did the shopping. Put it on the list and it magically appears in the pantry; I could get used to that! I made a pot of sauce (aka "gravy") and we had pasta on Sunday. Geri made a great meatloaf on Monday, and we finished off the lobster ravioli and mushroom ravioli that we had in the freezer (Rick passing since he doesn't like either). Yesterday, Rick made "4-Way Skyline Chili", an Ohio favorite (Annette's originally from Ohio) that we'd never had before, serving the chili over pasta with cheese and onions on top (hence "4-way").
Tuesday was Rick and Annette's 25th anniversary (Congratulations for "25 on the 25th"!), but we decided to have a celebration dinner tonight since neither of them has to work tomorrow. We'll be making Chateaubriand with pan-roasted baby potatoes, haricots verts, and a Béarnaise sauce. With a couple of "better than everyday" wines and a "sweetie" dessert wine to go with Geri's pear parfait, I'm starting to get hungry already. Guess I'd better get started with the main course!
Albertville, AL
After last Friday's graduation, Saturday was "party day". Erik had a group of friends over in the afternoon to complement the family on hand, mass quantities of burgers, hot dogs, and cake were consumed, and a good time was had by all. We played some push-pull rummy on Saturday night, but concluded that it's not a "drinking game" when you have eight people at the table. By Sunday, Alyson and Henry were headed back to Hattiesburg, Annette's sisters were headed back to Charlotte and Orlando, and things became very quiet. There's nothing like a house full of people to keep things hopping!
All week, it's been warmer and more humid (although nothing like the heat wave they're apparently having in the Northeast!) all week. In this part of the country, that's a recipe for pop-up thunderstorms and, the more they "pop", the more severe they can be. We haven't had any really severe storms roll through here (like with damaging hail), although we've had showers just about every day and some thunderstorms have passed by within several miles.
All in all, it's been a week for mostly "inside projects". I've paid bills, puttered around with the widgets on the Blog, played around with a couple of things on the coach (generally in the morning before it gets too hot), finished washing the outside of the coach, signed up to have my remains donated to medical science when I kick the bucket, updated my iPod - just lots of "stuff" that fills up the days. The pups went for grooming and Geri went to the Salon so they're all looking pretty. Geri and Annette went outlet shopping, so I had some cabinet rearranging to do. Rick and I played a few hands of cribbage and we spent too much time watching reality TV, second-guessing the scoring (DWTS, Idol).
We've eaten pretty well this week, working our way through the leftovers from last week and Erik's party mostly at lunch. We made a plan for the week on Sunday and Rick did the shopping. Put it on the list and it magically appears in the pantry; I could get used to that! I made a pot of sauce (aka "gravy") and we had pasta on Sunday. Geri made a great meatloaf on Monday, and we finished off the lobster ravioli and mushroom ravioli that we had in the freezer (Rick passing since he doesn't like either). Yesterday, Rick made "4-Way Skyline Chili", an Ohio favorite (Annette's originally from Ohio) that we'd never had before, serving the chili over pasta with cheese and onions on top (hence "4-way").
Tuesday was Rick and Annette's 25th anniversary (Congratulations for "25 on the 25th"!), but we decided to have a celebration dinner tonight since neither of them has to work tomorrow. We'll be making Chateaubriand with pan-roasted baby potatoes, haricots verts, and a Béarnaise sauce. With a couple of "better than everyday" wines and a "sweetie" dessert wine to go with Geri's pear parfait, I'm starting to get hungry already. Guess I'd better get started with the main course!
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