Highways, Humiliation & Heidi
Corning, California: First, a forgotten
comment from last night. When we deployed the satellite television dish, after
having it sit idle for two months, it locked-on immediately and we enjoyed beautiful
HD television. When we deployed the satellite internet dish, it locked-on
immediately and we were surfing. I just love when all this expensive technology
actually works!
This morning we woke to cold fog and I could not talk myself into leaving
the heated tile floors inside our RV to go for a run. Of course, My Driver put
in four miles... around and around and around the RV resort. I shipped
orders
and drank coffee.
Our drive today was mostly uneventful. (Well, there was some excitement when a bay door
flew open while we were cruising south on I-5 at 60mph. Luckily, we were at an
easy and safe spot to pull-over and luckily it was the door to the generator
compartment and nothing loose went flying!) We were treated to glorious views of
snow-capped Cascade peaks:
In southern Oregon:
Mt. McLoughlin (9,495 ft) through the windscreen
Then we crossed the border and a
California Agricultural inspector boarded the
Magna Peregrinus to fondle our lemons, limes
and oranges. Nothing confiscated today.
We stopped for lunch at a "vista
point", and I snapped a photo of
Mt. Shasta, at 14,179 feet, the second-tallest
peak (second to Mt. Rainier) in the Cascade range.
Mt. Shasta
DT does a safety inspection during our lunch stop
And just for fun... Mt. Shasta in black & white
Late afternoon, we arrived at one of
our favorite over-night stops - the self-serve RV
park at
Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, California.
Full-hookup campsites, but no-frills. No attendant
or RV park office. Just like a parking lot, you put your credit card or cash into an automated
machine inside a kiosk - and a ticket pops out. You
place the ticket in your windscreen and grab an
empty campsite. Any campsite. Makes no difference -
they are all the same and aren't even numbered. I
love this!
Feeling a bit guilty for not jogging this morning, I
laced up my NIKEs and hit the roads for a few miles around the
campground. My Driver (isn't he funny?) thought it
would be a good idea to photograph his lovely bride
huffing and puffing through the fields.
I am pretty sure this photo is
blurry because I was running so fast.
Here is one where I look very
serious. I was probably intently listening to Lady Gaga on
the iPod. Look very closely at this photo. Now put
down that potato chip and go for a walk.
This is where I noticed Dave taking
my photo, started laughing and broke-out my best
race-walking form. Please note: I am not cheating
- both feet are making contact.
Or maybe I was
listening to Ke$ha?
Ke$ha cracks me up.
I have now posted photos
of myself exercising in skin-tight clothing on the Interweb.
My Mother would always ask me to post more photos of
myself on this blog... but I'm not sure this is
exactly
what she meant.
Rewind a bit to this afternoon. DT is driving and I am trying to stay awake
reading my favorite food bloggers on my Blackberry. Imagine my
joy when I read Heidi Swanson's latest post at
101 Cookbooks - Pan-fried Corona Beans & Kale.
Her "beans & greens" recipe called for Corona or
Cannellini beans, kale, lemon zest, lemon juice,
garlic, walnuts, nutmeg and parmesan cheese. This
combination sounded delicious. What would be the
chances I would have all the ingredients in my bus?
Apparently you don't read this blog very often.
I had to substitute pine nuts for the walnuts, and
if that Ag inspector had confiscated my organic
lemon...
First, I toasted the pine nuts.
Then I fried the cannellini beans in a little olive
oil until they were browned. I am middle-aged and I am pretty sure this is
the first time I have ever "fried" whole beans. Heidi was right,
the canned
beans did get a bit mushy... but there was enough crunch with the kale
and pine nuts to make this dish very enjoyable. DT thinks it would be
quite tasty with black eyed peas. DT thinks everything is more enjoyable
with black eyed peas.
It is good to travel with a fully-stocked pantry and
refrigerator.
Otherwise, you would be forced to gorge yourself at the all-you-can-eat buffet
at a smoky interstate-side casino after posting photos of your fat self
jogging.
Until my next update, I remain, your "dang, that was delicious"
correspondent.
RV Park:
Rolling Hills Casino. Self-service kiosk at
check-in. Every site is $25. Security cruises
through the lot checking your windscreen for a
"parking ticket". Two minute walk to the casino. No
bath house. Quiet.