Stocking Up

July 12, 2010
Salisbury Beach, MA

Today was a day for some "stock up" shopping. We headed for the closest "Super Wally", list in hand, since we've done a pretty good job of working through a lot of the groceries and staples we had on board. We made a stop at GNC for vitamins and "happened" to find a New Hampshire "State Store" along the way up US-1. New Hampshire is one of the few remaining states where all alcohol sales are handled through a state agency. The difference from the others is that they celebrate their buying power and have some of the lowest prices going. So, we stocked up, adding enough wine to carry us through August and spirits to last into 2010. Now, all I have to do is figure out where to put everything.

Post-Wally, we headed home into some unexpected showers. We were able to get everything in the coach without getting wet, and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Travel Day - Salisbury Beach

July 11, 2010
Salisbury Beach, MA

We were up early (OK, not too early) and ready to roll by 10:00. After a nice breakfast, we were actually on the road right around 11:00, just on schedule. We had an easy driving day, covering 151 miles in just over 3 hours, heading for Salisbury Beach, MA. This little beach town (duh!) is in the extreme northeast corner of Massachusetts; we're parked about 2 miles from the New Hampshire border. A relatively small park at just 50 sites, it's a little tight but we were soon parked in the only pull-thru site in the park.

For a change, we didn't have a dinner plan. Strange! Since we were still full from breakfast (and dinner the night before - and the whole month we spent in CT), we decided to make a quick trip to Hampton Beach and grab some food on "the strip". Hampton Beach is kind of like Atlantic City without the boardwalk: a one-mile one-way strip along the beach, with all sorts of tourist-trap shops that have been there for years. It's like a town that time forgot in some ways. On the other hand, it can be predictable and comfortable, no matter how long between visits. This was good, since Geri had a hankering for fried clam strips from a certain shop and I was happy with an order of "boardwalk fries" and a "Fried Doe" (dough) from Blink's (butter and sugar, please). Oh, yeah; that's the good stuff.

Wrapping up the CT visit

July 10, 2010
Broad Brook, CT

In spite of the threatening weather, Saturday was a day planned for our "last hurrah" get together with friends and family. Al and I got things organized (grill and chairs in the garage due to the rain forecast, etc.) and managed to finish up the summer cribbage challenge (he's this year's champ). We planned a second rendition of the "Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwiches" we made a few weeks ago. Although Alicia was headed for a wedding with her friend, Eric, we knew we'd have a full house. Peter (with Val, Josh, and Belle), Melisa (with Paul - under the weather and drinking water all night - and Jesse), Mike & Lynne (with Alyson, Billy, Beth and "Petey the Yorkie"), and Al's friends John and Ted all stopped over late in the day. The sandwiches were very good again, and all the sides and desserts made for a very full dinner. The wines flowed (even the "box wines"!) and the nightcap(s) of Gentleman Jack were followed with the customary "last sandwich". All in all, a great way to wrap up a very nice visit...

The "Hall of Fame Tour" Starts

July 9, 2010
Springfield, MA

Al and I started the day by adjusting the Rover's Parking Brake, and then headed north to Springfield and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It's amazing to me that we lived so close for so many years and never visited, but that's what happens: life is too busy and you never really get to see the sights in your own back yard.

The current Hall facility is actually the third incarnation of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Incorporated in 1959 with the first inductees, the Hall didn't have a formal home until 1968. Major renovations and expansions in 1985 and 2002 have created a world-class museum, all within a stone's throw (or a long jump shot?) of where the game was invented in 1891.

The exhibits focus on all aspects of the game, with focal points on the game's origins and early years, college and professional leagues, men's and women's players and teams, etc. There's a whole section devoted to Michael Jordan, as might be expected, and some elements are perhaps Celtic-centric (also not a huge surprise), but overall it was a nice way to spend an afternoon. With UCONN developing as a powerhouse in the East, it was interesting to see several pieces of their memorabilia, including a jersey with Britt's number (she played for one of the UCONN satellite schools in her freshman year). Good stuff!

   

Seafood and Wings and Ritas - Oh my!

July 8, 2010
Broad Brook, CT

Hmmm. Where did the time go for the last few days? Well, we did more visiting and eating. What else is new?

As expected, Sunday we headed to the beach. It was a nice day, a little on the warm side, but the breeze kept things under control. Al dominated at the cribbage board, but that's OK. In the evening we all headed to Ted's after the beach. He did two excellent pieces of meat on the smoker: a pork butt and a beef tenderloin. Both were great, but the beef "won" in most people's book. It was on the "rare side of rare", just the way I like it. My friend Dave might say "blue". With Cindy's sides of salad, potato salad, guacamole, etc., it was a fun meal.

Monday, we caught up with colleagues from my Aetna days - a long time ago - Pat & Sharon. We reconnected last year via Facebook, which does actually have useful purposes at times, and caught up out in AZ when they were visiting. This time, we met for lunch at Sophia's, a local restaurant, and then returned to the coach so they could check out our "retirement home". In the evening, the "Seafood Fest" continued, as Al and I made a run to Stew Leonard's and came back with 4 lobsters (steamed and picked for later in the week), King Crab Legs and a pound each of shrimp and sea scallops. Everything was nice and fresh, and went well with a salad from Pat's garden laced with seared Ahi Tuna.

Tuesday was an easy day, as most everyone was back to work. We caught up on bills and birthday cards and generally relaxed in the afternoon. Al made his famous Lamb Chops with Mushroom/Port sauce for dinner, and we did a comparison taste with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec wine options, both of which were excellent.

I got an early start Wednesday in cleaning the coach, wanting to get something done before it got too hot. After 4,400 miles, it needed a bath! I started with the roof and did the shady side before 10:00. We had a little bit of excitement, as the power lines burned right off the house next door. Overloaded? Could be; these houses were built with 100 amp service originally. We upgraded Pat & Al's to 200 amp service when we put in the RV pad. Anyway, the Fire Department and Power Company responded quickly, and nobody else in the neighborhood seemed to be impacted. I guess record-setting heat will do that.

Wednesday was also designated as "Wing Night", so that was the focus of the rest of the day. We had already gotten one package of wings but knew we needed another, so off to Costco we went in the morning. Back home, we spent most of the afternoon preparing the wings. Off with the tips, split in the middle, then into the steamer. Yep; our recipe starts with 12-15 minutes of steaming to render some of the fat, then they cool until cooking time. Deep frying? Nope; just 45-50 minutes in a 450° oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. These are "healthy" wings! We did four different sauces, starting with Budweiser Wing Sauce (if you like mild Buffalo-style wings and can find this sauce in the grocery, give it a try). The other three were Sticky Fingers BBQ sauces (thanks, Mike & Lynn!): Carolina Original, Carolina Sweet, and Habanero Hot. All were excellent, even the Habanero (not as fiery as expected). Oh, and it turned into "Margarita Night" as well - bonus! Two pitchers of "George-a-Ritas" did the trick, and we ended the evening with a couple of games of three-handed cribbage with Mike's new board, "imported" from South Carolina on his recent vacation in Myrtle Beach.

Today was another scorcher, so I once again got an early start and finished up washing the rest of the coach before it got too bad. As is often said, "It's not the heat; it's the humidity", and I was drenched by the time I finished. In the afternoon, we made another trip to Stew Leonard's and stocked up for the weekend. Pat bought a couple of containers of Lobster Bisque, which was doctored up with the lobster meat that Al had prepared earlier in the week. And the "Seafood Fest" rolls on!

Seafood Fest and Independence Day

July 4, 2010
Broad Brook, CT

Another week has passed and we're now celebrating Independence Day. Wow, time really flies when you're having fun! Let's see; what kind of fun did we have?

Last Sunday, Al and I helped out the local Athletic Booster Club. Al's friend, Ted, runs an annual golf outing followed by a steak dinner. Al and I cooked the steaks while Ted took care of the sides and salad. 110 rib-eyes + 4 trays of pasta + two trays of potatoes + 2 green-bean-casserole + 2 salads later, everyone was full to the brim. And we managed to get it all done while keeping an eye on the threatening sky and not getting wet.

Monday and Tuesday were "leftover days". In addition to what Ted sent us home with on Sunday, he stopped by with more food. Steaks one night and pasta the other; gotta love that.

Wednesday, I was "back on the clock", getting back to our to-do list. This time, it was changing the brake shoes on the Rover's Parking Brake. Well, trying to anyway. OK, I'll admit that twice (that I can remember) in the last 5+ years, I've hooked the Rover to the back of the coach and driven for a short distance with the Parking Brake still on. As you can imagine, that falls under the heading of "nothing good can come of this", and the last time (when we were leaving Livingston, TX, in May) pretty much made it necessary to change the brakes. The Rover has 4-wheel disc brakes, but the Parking Brake is actually a small set of drum-style shoes inside the rear rotors. I ordered the shoes for a good price online, and they were waiting for me here in CT.

Well, I got an early start, parked in a shady spot, blocked the wheels and got the power tools out. With the 20-ton air-operated hydraulic jack, we were off the ground in no time. With the impact wrench, we sounded just like a NASCAR pit stop in progress. Having done a 4-wheel brake job 15 months ago, I knew exactly which wrenches were needed to pull off the caliper and pads, and the retaining bracket. Now, the rotor just slides off and --- hey, this baby's stuck! Some heavy persuasion with a large rubber mallet had no effect, so I put everything back together. "Plan A": devise a puller to pop the rotor loose. "Plan B": stop at a Land Rover Centre somewhere in our travels. Either way, done for the day.

Thursday and Friday turned out to be "Seafood Fest" days. You can't be in the Northeast and not have a seafood fest; it's a law or something. Since Pat & Al were off for the long weekend, we got started early. Thursday, we hit the road around noon for the Shore, specifically to Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in Noank, CT (right next to Mystic). It being a weekday (and a beautiful one at that), the place wasn't crowded. We had our pick of outside tables and were soon enjoying appetizers (clams and mussels for Geri, Pat, and Al and oysters for me), followed by 2½-3 pound lobsters. Mmmm; that's eating. After eating, we hung out, let Al win three games in a row at the cribbage board, and watched a bunch of suits (literally - Abbott's is pretty rustic but these people were in suits, ties, Navy blazers, tasseled shoes and high heels) show up for a political fundraiser. Discretion being the better path, we chose not to crash the party or heckle, so we headed home (after a stop at the German Club for a brew).

Friday, Al and I headed out for some shopping, first to Table & Vine in Massachusetts (after all, states here are only slightly bigger than cities in AZ - and Mass has lower wine prices), then Costco, and finally Stew Leonard's in Newington. Stew's is kind of like Wegman's and Central Market: not quite Whole Foods but lots of fresh stuff. Al picked up four more lobsters ($4.99/pound - good price) specifically to harvest the meat for a later meal. I got King Crab legs, sea scallops, and shrimp, and they were all good that evening. Now, that's a Seafood Fest...

Yesterday, Al and I tackled the Rover Parking Brakes again. He borrowed a large gear puller from Ted, and it did the trick quite nicely. With the air tools, we made quick work of the shoe changes on both rear wheels. We still have to fine tune the adjustment on the Parking Brake, but that should be an easy task . Pat & Al took a Harley ride in the afternoon, and we grilled up a bunch of hot dogs, burgers, and sausage patties in the evening. It was also "movie night", so we retired to the "VIP Lounge" (aka the coach) with Pat's fresh-made strawberry-rhubarb pie. I'm still full this morning!

Today is "beach day", a sort on Independence Day tradition. Pat & Al left early for the Elks Lodge in Westbrook, CT, right on Long Island Sound. We're getting ready to leave now, and we'll spend the afternoon there. Later, we're supposed to stop at Ted's for a feed on the way home, so it'll be a full day.

A Day Off

June 26, 2010
Broad Brook, CT

Today, I was up early. OK, it was Merlin that got me up at 6:55 AM, but it was a nice, sunny morning so I just made coffee and puttered around a bit. Pat & Al made breakfast sandwiches mid-morning, and then it was time for a nap! Pat & Al are off visiting friends, Alicia & Britt are out somewhere, and we're just relaxing with a little Food Network. Geri's defrosting some sauce and we'll have Pasta Night. Time to find some Chianti!