My Bad Diet

Black Pasta in a Pink Gorgonzola Sauce

2011-05-16T20:41:00.000-05:00

After hearing about the health benefits (cancer prevention) of Black Squid Ink pasta on Dr. Oz, I set out to find a recipe to try. We tried this tonight and it was excellent! Black Squid Ink pasta can be purchased at Amazon.com or at a local health food store.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package black squid ink pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
5 (1/2 ounce) slices prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 leaves fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute shallots and garlic until lightly golden. Pour in wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and stir in gorgonzola. Add tomato paste and prosciutto; bring to a boil. Stir in half-and-half, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Cook until pasta is heated through. Transfer to serving dish, and garnish with parmesan and basil.

Consumer Warning - Ebay

2011-04-23T17:38:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

I just wanted to take a second to post a warning about scams that are happening with Ebay.

Nancy and I have gone up until now without breaking down and purchasing a satellite receiver for our rig despite the fact that it came with an auto tracking dish on top. Up until now we have had no need for any TV beyond what we could get either through the campground cable/sat or for free over the airwaves. Currently however, we are staying in a park with no cable and we can only receive one channel over the air that is in English. Normally, this would be no big deal but we will most likely be here for a little while as we take care of a few things in the area. Since we will be here for a while we decided that we may want some additional entertainment options, so we decided to break down and purchase a satellite receiver.

We researched the options and decided on buying an "owned" Direct TV receiver so that we could utilize a month to month option through Direct TV. Most receivers are "leased" and require a long term contract for service of 24 months or more. If, however, you own your receiver you can call Direct TV and have your card turned on and off month to month. Since we haven't found much need for TV during this adventure until now, a month to month option made the most sense to us.

This is where the Ebay consumer alert part comes in...

Since we needed an "owned" receiver to get the month to month plan we started searching for them on craigslist and Ebay etc. Nancy found a Direct TV receiver, advertised as an "owned" unit, on Ebay for a reasonable price so she put in a bid. Shortly thereafter she "won" the auction and contacted Direct TV to give them the serial number so that we could attain an access card that we could install and activate our month to month service. Upon speaking with Direct TV she found that the equipment she "won" on Ebay, advertised as "owned" equipment was in-fact "leased" equipment and could not legally be sold or consequently purchased by us.

Luckily, we had not yet paid for the equipment, so we informed the seller what we had learned from Direct TV about their item being "leased" and not "owned". The seller denied that the equipment was "leased" and insisted that we pay him for the auction. Just to be sure, we again called Direct TV and asked about the serial number of the equipment the seller insisted was "owned" and not "leased" only to be told again that the equipment was "leased" and could not legally be sold by anyone other than Direct TV.

After a few emails back and forth with the seller, it was obvious they would not listen to reason, and continued to insist that we pay for what essentially would amount to "stolen goods", so we contacted Ebay to ask for their assistance.

After multiple calls to Ebay, their response was essentially "tough luck" and told us that we had to pay for and receive the item before we could even lodge a complaint. Of course this would be their stance! If they did the right thing and looked into the situation and found it to be what we claim prior to the sale they would not make any money off the transaction! So they advised us to go ahead and pay for what we know to be stolen property, receive it, then go through the complaint process with Ebay in the hopes that, at that point, after receiving our money for the stolen property, the seller will refund us his ill-gotten gains out of the goodness of his heart!

It's so sad that ridiculous policies like this are tolerated at billion dollar corporations. To force a consumer to go through with an illegal transaction, rather than to simply cancel or pull the auction, simply so that they can ensure their transaction fee prior to the complaint being "resolved" (not that it ever would be since there is no way the seller would ever refund the money).

The bottom line here is if we do what Ebay wants, the seller of stolen property gets his money... Ebay gets their money... We pay for it all and receive useless stolen property in return.

Nice little deal huh? The criminal makes money, the company who enabled the criminal makes money and the consumer gets the shaft.

This doesn't sound too me like the actions of a company any consumer should want to do business with...

We have also filed a complaint with Direct TV about someone selling their "leased" equpiment on Ebay as "owned" equipment but have yet to hear any results of that complaint.

CONSUMER BEWARE!

You all be good!

Have a great day!

Noah

Penne alla Vodka with Sausage

2011-04-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 50ml mini bottle Absolute vodka
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. Kraft Parmesan cheese
1 T Badia Gourmet Blend Italian Seasoning (or any Italian Seasoning)
5 links sweet (or hot) Italian sausage

Directions

Bring a skillet with approx. 1" of water to a boil and add sausage. Cook for approx 20 minutes total, turning sausage at the 10 min. point. Remove sausage and let cool.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Slice sausage into oblong slices and set aside.

Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Add garlic, Kraft parmesan cheese, Italaian seasoning and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Add sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Top with fresh grated parmesan and serve!

Day Trip Through Snowy Sedona to the Grand Canyon

2011-04-11T13:34:00.000-05:00

Hi All!

Yesterday, Nancy and I decided to take advantage of the recent snow to see the Grand Canyon in a way most folks don't, with a white blanket. We drove out of Cottonwood via 89a through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The snow gave the ride a winter wonderland feel that seemed out of place in Arizona in April. It was a rare opportunity, and I am glad we were able to take advantage of it.

These first few shots are of the snow-covered, Red Rocks of Sedona in the distance.

And the rest of the shots are at the Grand Canyon.

I hope you all enjoyed the pic's!

Have a great day!

Noah

Sunrise- The Day After

2011-04-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

While some areas in the mid-west experienced near record heat yesterday, we here in Arizona experienced a nasty, early spring, winter storm. Snowfall came to altitudes as low as 2500 ft. Areas in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon received as much as 2 feet!

Here at Dead Horse Ranch in Cottonwood, we received snow, sleet, rain and freezing temps but it only stuck in the surrounding mountains. A few days ago temps were record highs at or over 100 degrees. This morning, when these pictures were taken, temps were in the low 20's.

View of Cottonwood from Dead Horse Ranch, sunrise - the day after.

Looking over our rig toward Jerome.

Frozen car, I thought I left this stuff behind in New England!

Our plan was to have been boondocking in Kaibab this past weekend while enjoying the Grand Canyon. We are both really glad we paid attention to the weather and decided to remain here at Dead Horse Ranch for this storm. The question now becomes, how long will it take for the recent snow to clear enough for us to continue our trek to the canyon?

Stay tuned...

Have a great day!

Noah

Sedona (re-visited)

2011-04-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

Hello All!

Yesterday Nancy and I decided to re-visit Sedona since it was during the week and the crowds should have subsided from this past weekend. Well, the crowds had subsided, that's not to say that there were no crowds, but we were able to find parking at the places we wanted to see. The first thing we wanted to see was Bell Rock.

Bell Rock is on Hwy 179, just north of the village of Oak Creek and 5 miles south of the junction of 89a and 179 in Sedona. It is said that the vortex that exists at Bell Rock is one of the most powerful in Sedona. The vortex here is said to strengthen all three zones found within each of us, the masculine side, the feminine side and the balance. Nancy and I aren't sure that we felt any effects of a vortex, but the beauty of the surroundings did have a positive effect on our moods. Taking a relaxing walk in beautiful surroundings is almost always likely to be a mood enhancer and maybe that is the only effect one needs from these areas.

They say that you can tell the strength of a vortex by the twisting of the junipers in the area.

Next we decided to head back into town and wander around the shops found there. For the most part we were able to avoid the lure of the many T-shirts, magnets and other knick-knacks, but Nancy did bite at the balsamic vinegar store. We enjoy having balsamic vinegar with many meals from spaghetti sauces to cold cut sandwiches and of course salads. She found a lovely black walnut balsamic as well as an 18 year old traditional balsamic that should keep us in sweet tangy vinegar heaven for a while.

As always, Luke and Leia were quite a hit with the folks wandering the shopping area. Nancy and I fielded the usual round of questions while the dogs soaked up the attention. Unlike some other areas we have visited where pet friendly shops would put out bowls of water and such for their four legged visitors, Sedona appears to have less affinity for the furry kind of kids. Luke and Leia didn't seem to mind, they enjoyed the walk and the attention none the less.

Our last stop on this day would be the Airport Mesa. The vortex found in this area is said to strengthen the masculine side. Again, neither Nancy nor I felt anything we could attribute to a vortex as such, but once again the beauty and tranquility of the surroundings had a positive effect on our spirits vortex or no.

The view of Sedona from atop Look-Out Point

For those interested in learning more about the vortexes and the three "zones" that can be effected by them visit these links.

Map and description
Sedona Wiki page

Have a Great Day!!!

Noah

Meteor Crater!

2011-04-05T00:09:00.001-05:00

Hi! This is Nancy hijacking the blog today.

Noah was my chauffeur today - he took me to see the meteor crater near Winslow AZ. He has already seen it twice - so he drove me almost 2 hours each way so that I could see it for myself.

What a treat! I was a little saddened to hear some people leaving saying things like "It's not worth going in - it's just a big hole in the ground". I've been wanting to see this crater since I was in grade school when I first heard about it. But I didn't let their negativity bother me - I paid my $15 entry fee and went in.

There is a museum that explains the history behind the crater as well as a movie theater that shows a movie about it. They also have guided rim tours (no additional charge).

The crater is 2.4 miles in circumference and 550 feet deep. They think the meteor that formed it was about 150 feet in diameter. They have the largest chunk found (less than 2 feet wide) at the entrance to the museum.

I wanted to just stand there all day and take it all in. It was just immense! Pictures do not do it justice. You'll have to pardon my poor photography skills - I took the SLR camera (which I have absolutely no experience with) and tried my best to get some photos.

You can see indentations in the sandstone around the crater where tiny particles were blasted into the rock

To give you an idea just how big this crater is...see the white section near the bottom?

If you look at the white section that is fenced off (the mining area) and look really closely - you'll barely see a life size astronaut figure standing next to an american flag in the lower right corner. This will give you an idea on just how massive this crater is.

Here's the view of the parking lot (RV parking is the section that is empty - so plenty of room to hold 15-20 RV's) and Flagstaff off in the distance (just below the snow capped mountain)

Ok, here's the catch-up post

2011-04-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

First, we've moved.

We are no longer in Tucson...

We are now in the Dead Horse Ranch Park in Cottonwood, roughly 100 miles north of Phoenix and about 90 miles south of Flagstaff. The park here is very nice. All RV- accessible roads are paved and the spaces are wide and fairly level. Hook-ups are water and electric only (no sewer) but there is a dump station near the entrance to the park. A river runs along the border of the park and there are two lagoons in the park itself. I'm told that catfish and trout can be caught in either of the two lagoons and the river, but I haven't had the opportunity to try that out just yet.

The trip up from Tucson was fairly uneventful. We ran into some traffic in Phoenix, as you might expect, and then again further up 17 as apparently a tractor trailer carrying cattle overturned on the other side of 17 backing up south-bound traffic for miles! We eventually arrived here at site #92 (a 55' deep back-in) happy and sound.

After getting parked, level and putting out the slides, I did my customary check of the rig, trailer, car, motorcycle, etc. Everything appeared to make the journey in good nick until I arrived at the drivers side tire on the trailer. The tire had thrown a section of tread about 12" long and 1" thick right down to the belts. I religiously check all the rubber moments before departure on any journey. I know that tire was up to pressure and in good shape before we pulled out of Justin's Diamond "J" in Tucson that morning. We were lucky, no blowout.

Saturday, I was able to find two new trailer tires at Big "O" tires in the center of Cottonwood. I popped the old wheels and tires off the trailer, threw them in the back of the Fit and had them mounted with new tires, balanced and back on the trailer by 10AM. Good as new!

With the chores complete, it was time to head off and explore our new surroundings. We first decided to drive about 20 miles down 89 and check out Sedona. Most folks have heard of Sedona and how beautiful the area is. Others may have heard of the spiritual connections or the cosmic vortexes to be found there. For me, the area is undeniably beautiful, but very touristy. Lots of shops to get everything from a palm reading to pink jeep tours. If you want knick-knacks and T's, downtown Sedona's got em! And they all come with a back-drop of some of the most beautiful red-rock formations to be found anywhere. It was Saturday when we went through, traffic was pretty heavy and there was no place to park at all so we just drove through for now. We'll try to stop back later in the week when less folks are out and about.

Drive a bit further up 89 and you enter the Oak Creek Canyon drive. Numerous pull-outs and day-use areas abound along the entire stretch of the Oak Creek Canyon drive's serpentine length. Stunning views of red-rock and white-stone cliffs are around every twist of the road. There are also a few unexpected surprises, like an apple orchard. The road culminates with a twisty several thousand foot climb straight up the canyon as 89 continues on to Flagstaff.

Slide Rock day-use area.

Apple orchard in Oak Creek Canyon.

Nancy and "the kids" in a meadow in Oak Creek Canyon.

Oak Creek Canyon as seen from the overlook at it's end.

Part of 89 climbing from the canyon floor.

We continued on 89 until we got a really quick look at Flagstaff, then turned around and high-tailed it for home since it was getting late and the dogs needed food.

Sunday morning I awoke to find the "Fantastic Fan" opening mechanism had quit in our galley. Ducky! Todays chore was now apparent! After some fidgeting, fumbling, climbing around on the roof, a couple knuckle diggers and maybe a choice word or two the fan was back in working order. By this point Nancy had rolled out of bed so we began discussing what to do today. A trip to Jerome and Prescott made the top of the discussion so we loaded up the dogs and we were on our way!

Jerome is much like Bisbee in that it was once a bustling mining town that has now turned toward tourism and the artsy side of things. At one time the mine found there was the largest and most productive copper mine in the US. The town itself is perched even more precariously on the side of the mountains than Bisbee. A fire swept the town in the 1800's and is the basis for the belief that much of the town is haunted today. The travel channels "Ghost Adventures" even did an episode at the Jerome Grand Hotel.

The Jerome Grand Hotel sits high above the town of Jerome.

89 leading too and from Jerome is a serpentine delight.

The view from one of the pull-outs just past Jerome on 89. Sorry for the haze, I forgot the polarizing filter.

Times Square, Jerome AZ. This is the Flat Iron building.

An old Indian "rat" with plenty of personal touches.

We continued to follow 89 out through Jerome as it wound it's way back down the mountain toward Prescott. Nancy and I both found Prescott to be a very quaint town with a lovely town square. We could just picture the mayor standing in the pergola announcing the winner of the blue ribbon for the best apple pie to the excited crowd.

And the winner of the Blue Ribbon is...

A picturesque portion of 89 near Prescott.

Town Square.

Lot's of folks were out in the town square walking their dogs, walking with their loved ones or just hanging out enjoying the beautiful day. The little shops and restaurants all around the town square were bright, cheery and inviting. Prescott definitely seems like a town we would like to spend some more time exploring.

Have a great day everybody!

Noah

Grilled Moroccan Chicken

2011-03-31T13:46:00.002-05:00

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 large chicken breast halves
or
4 chicken legs
or
4 chicken thighs

Whisk first 8 ingredients in large glass baking dish. Add all chicken; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 4 to 6 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place marinade-coated chicken on barbecue. Grill chicken until just cooked through, occasionally brushing with any remaining marinade, about 10 minutes per side for breasts and about 12 minutes per side for leg and thigh pieces. Transfer chicken to platter. Sprinkle with parsley.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

2011-03-30T12:18:00.000-05:00

Hi again All!

Sorry it's been so long since we had an update. Nancy and I have been having fun running around exploring Tucson and the surrounding area. Yesterday, we loaded Luke and Leia into the car and took a day trip up to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, AZ.

Superior, AZ. may seem like a long way to travel from Tucson to take the dogs for a walk, but the Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a worthy destination. Admission to the park is $7.50 per adult (free for dogs) and includes, live music (when available) and guided tours.

The Arboretum has a tremendous variety of desert plants including, succulents, cacti, bushes, shrubs, trees, herbs and more. Many of the plants found at the Arboretum can also be purchased there and made part of your own personal home arboretum.

The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is also a great place to view all types of garden wildlife such as, humming birds, butterflies, bees, lizards etc.

The main trail around the park is about a mile and a half long and is pretty easy to negotiate for the most part. There are a few areas outside of the main trail that can be a bit more challenging if you feel adventurous. No matter which trails you choose the views will be beautiful.

If you find yourself in the area of Superior, AZ drop by the Boyce Thompson Arboretum for a nice long stroll in the garden.

Have a great day everybody!!

Noah

El Guero Canelo, Tucson AZ (Sonoran Dog)

2011-03-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Nancy and I got another craving for hot dog. A ride back to Jimmy's in Bisbee would be out of the question so we decided to review our options locally. After a extensive search of the area we decided to try El Guero Canelo located at 5201 S. 12th ave here in Tucson.

El Guero Canelo is a very popular place and as you can see from the picture of the menu above, they serve a lot more than just hot dogs. But that's not why we went. We went to sample the "Sonoran Dog".

A Sonoran Dog, for those not in the know, is a bacon-wrapped, char-broiled, hot dog, stuffed into a home-made, sweet, steamed bun, smothered with pinto beans, tomato's, onions, mustard, jalapeno sauce, and mayo. We ordered ours "Sammy Style" which means you get two dogs in one bun. I highly recommend this as the toppings can overwhelm the dog if you only have one in the bun.

I can best describe the Sonoran dog from El Guero Canelo as a fiesta in a bun! The hot dogs are served blazing fresh off the grill. The toppings are fresh and cool and the bun is warm, soft and sweet.

If you find yourself in the Tucson area and craving a dog with a Sonoran flair, stop by El Guero Canelo and order a "Sammy Style" Sonoran Dog. You'll be happy you did!

Have a great day!

Be safe!

Noah

Some people think a desert is a rocky wasteland.....

2011-03-14T19:13:00.000-05:00

Well I don't. Here are a few pictures I took today.....enjoy!

(a mexican wolf)

(hummingbird nesting)

Morning ride to Kitt Peak

2011-03-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

This morning Nancy wanted to do some stuff at the rig so I decided to take a ride up to Kitt Peak Observatory on the BMW. The ride is about a 100 mile round trip from Justin's Diamond and the observatory sits at about 7000 ft above sea level.

The destination.

The tool that will get me there.

There are several gravel pull-offs like this one on the 12 mile ride up the mountain.

Just a short few feet off the edge of the gravel is a steep fall to the valley several thousand feet below. Keeping the rubber on the pavement is advised.

Shot of the valley from one of the pull-offs. You can see another section of the windy road to the right.

Wandering around the observatory grounds is fun and relaxing.

There is a substantial array of sizes and style of telescope found here. From 16" to 4m optical to infrared and radio telescopes.

The solar telescope is massive.

Twilight lovers, vampires are on premises, heed the warning!

Beautiful views can be found from all corners of Kitt Peak.

It's a nice quick fun ride up (and back down) Kitt Peak and it's fun to wander around and look at all the telescope domes, but the real fun at Kitt Peak would be to attend a night observation session. That will have to be an adventure for another time.

Have a great day!

Noah

Our Day Trip to Mt Lemmon

2011-03-12T22:46:00.003-06:00

Arizona is an amazing place! I just love the fact that you can drive, walk, ride, run a scant few miles and enjoy so many different environments and climates. We are camped on the west side of Tucson right off the back of Saguaro NP, pure sonoran desert climate. Today we drove about 40 miles one way to the top of Mt Lemmon on the north east side of Tucson. In that short distance, went from cacti to tall evergreens, from sonoran desert to alpine forest, from 85 degrees to 60 all in only 40 miles!

View of Tucson from one of the scenic overlooks. This one was probably around 3500 ft above sea level.

The road up to Summerhaven winds up the sides of the mountains to an altitude over 9000 feet. The curves and the views make it a fabulous motorcycle road.

The road can be seen snaking through the mountains from many overlooks as it twists back upon itself on it's way up the mountain.

I've read that the road up to Summerhaven was a favorite training location of Lance Armstrong. Today, hundreds of bicyclists are doing what bicyclists have always done throughout Lance's career, following his lead! The drive is fun and the views are captivating but make sure to keep your eyes open for those bicyclists, they are everywhere, especially on weekends.

Here's a few of the hundreds of bicyclists along the road to Mt. Lemmon. Note how they are all the way out in the middle of the road and barely around a blind corner. I sure hope there are no cars coming around that corner fast.

Upon arrival at the peak of Mt. Lemmon you find yourself in the tiny town of Summerhaven. Summerhaven is made up mostly of a few beautiful alpine style log cabins and a few tiny shops, including the Cookie Cabin, built into the hills.

At the Cookie Cabin you can get, Cookies! Big, giant cookies! Oh, and Pizza if you like that.

And at the very top, snow still remains. 86 degrees in the valley, drive 40 miles and see snow. Awesome!!

All along the road are numerous trail heads. I could live in Tucson for 10 years and still not hit all the trails along this one road.

The view from the roadside by the HooDoo vista.

On the way home we ate a late lunch at EeGee's. I didn't expect much from this tiny sub shop. They have had a few commercials on TV locally advertising their latest frozen drink, "Luky Lime" for St. Patricks day. Those commercials worked on us as we wanted to try that drink. Turns out the drink wasn't all that, but the subs were a delightful surprise! We each went with the 8" EeGee's club subs. They were stacked heavily with meat and the bread was very fresh. Nancy couldn't finish hers and I was quite satisfied upon finishing mine! Honestly this was one of the best cold cut subs I have had in a long time. I'll have to try them out again later to see if we just got lucky or if this place really makes subs this good all the time.

After returning to the rig, I took a quick blast on the beemer down the road to the Skeet Shooting range to watch some folks shoot for a few minutes, then returned home in time for another famous Arizona sunset.

Be Good Everybody!

Have a fantastic day!

Noah

A few events of the day.

2011-03-11T21:20:00.006-06:00

We were saddened to hear this morning about the massive earthquake in Japan. Nancy and I had an opportunity to spend a couple of weeks there and we became quite found of the area, the people and the culture. Hopefully the loss of life is not too great and the damage will be easily and quickly repaired. The Japanese people are strong and resilient and I'm certain they will bounce back from this tragedy just as they have in the past.

Yesterday I went to look at a motorcycle at one of the local dealers here in Tucson. I bought a 2003 Honda VTX 1300 Retro S in Amarillo a few months back. The bike was very clean and well taken care of and the price was good so I bought it. At the time I thought Nancy and I would be spending more time riding together and the VTX is a big comfy cruiser for two up riding.

Well, as it turned out we don't spend much time riding together and that leaves me riding a large slow handling motorcycle by myself all the time. Not my style. The bike was very good at going straight down the highway but little else. The ground clearance was almost non-existent, the brakes were weak and the suspension too soft for any back road riding.

Before we started full timing I had a number of motorcycles, most were collectibles. My daily driver was a 2007 Harley Davidson FLHX Street Glide. I know many of you who know bikes are saying, "that's a very similar bike to that Honda VTX. How could he not like that VTX but like the Harley?" Simple, the Harley was a better motorcycle. The Harley was low slung too, but it had just enough additional ground clearance to make it possible to have some fun on the back roads. The suspension was soft but never wallowed until you were traveling well above legal speeds. Lastly the Harley had real brakes (triple floating disc with 4 pot calipers) and behaved better than the Honda when the brakes were applied.

Back to today... Yesterday, I brought the Honda to a local dealer to look at one of the bikes he had for sale and to talk a possible trade. Long story short, this morning the VTX was traded for a 2005 BMW F 650 CS. I went there looking for a used KLR 650 but upon seeing this little beemer and the like new condition it was in, fate was sealed.

I put 120 miles on the little fella today and I couldn't be happier! The little bike is a hoot! It cruises along happily at freeway speeds and is a downright blast on the back roads! The best part is the bike is light and nimble enough that Nancy could ride it in a pinch (something that would not have been possible with the VTX). Nancy says she is comfy sitting on the back with me riding so no issues there. And it came with a full set of BMW rainproof matching luggage! Other bonuses include, heated grips, ABS and a convenient 12 volt power socket. And did I tell you that it looks and rides like a new bike? The person who owned it before seems to have never even broken in the suspension! My big backside will certainly remedy that!! Oh, and it lowered my insurance by a couple hundred bucks a year to boot!!

After getting the bike deal squared away, Nancy and I had a craving for some Jamaican beef patties. This called for a trip into Tucson to 1070 North Swan road, the address of CeeDee authentic Jamaican food. Upon arrival, you could smell the curry goat and jerk chicken from the parking lot. Nancy went in and retrieved our beef patty fix while I waited in the car with the dogs. The prize she returned with really hit the spot! Perfectly prepared authentic Jamaican beef patties, just the right amount of spicy, beefy goodness in a flaky pocket. And to wash it down, two authentic Jamaican fruit punch sodas. Excellent lunch!! We hope to get back there before we leave to try a few more of their Jamaican specialties later in the week.

From there we decided to drive over to the site of the Safeway Tucson shootings. The news here is still rife with updates of the Tucson shootings that left 6 dead and 14 wounded including congresswoman Giffords. For the most part, the site of those Jan. 8th shootings is business as usual. Only the sight of six white crosses across the street from the Safeway parking lot gives away the secret. It's terrible how the actions of one deranged man can have such far reaching consequences. I hope the victims and their families can find peace again soon.

Upon returning the the rig, I assembled the portable grill Nancy bought yesterday with our American Express rewards Home Depot gift cards. I'm amazed we made it this long without a grill. We gave the grill a nice break in for dinner tonight as I made us two sirloins with some famous dave's rub. As a side, I prepared two foil packets filled with red potatoes, rosemary, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper and olive oil. Nancy put together some delicious sweet corn and we had our first grilled meal as full-timers. WooHoo!

We closed out the events of the day with another of Arizona's famous desert sunsets.

Not quite as spectacular as some, but glorious none the less.

Have a great day everybody!!

Noah

FreightLiner of Tucson A+

2011-03-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to post an update for any of you with a FreightLiner chassis motor home traveling the South West. As most of you may have heard FreightLiner on the Border in El Paso is to be avoided. You can read about why here. No worries though, as bad as FreightLiner on the Border is, FreightLiner of Arizona in Tucson is that much better!! It's only a few hundred more miles to get to Freightliner of Tucson and it is well worth it!

One phone call will confirm you made the right choice. Amy will most likely be the cheery voice on the other end of the phone. She is a doll, she knows her stuff and she loves her job and it shows. Freightliner knew what they were doing when they hired her to be the customer face for Freightliner of Tucson. She makes you feel like you are her most important customer and she has the correct answers for all your questions.

We had an appointment for 9am Wednesday to get a 26k mile service performed on our Allison transmission. As most Freightliners appear to be, they were understaffed that day and a local big corporate customer had just dropped off a number of trucks overnight with no warning. Needless to say they were not able to get us in at 9am, but they were able to get us in, and they kept us informed of exactly where we were and what was going on so that we could remain comfortable while we waited.

Once we did get the rig in, Nick (the service technician) took good care of us. He was informative and conscientious with his service. He pointed out a few things to watch for going forward and was quickly done and had us on our way. All with a consistent smile and friendly attitude. You can't ask for anything more than that.

Thanks Nick and Amy! You guys restored my faith in Freightliner service!

To all of you needing service here in the South West, if you can make it to Freightliner of Arizona in Tucson, give Amy a call, you'll be glad you did!

Have a great day!

Noah

Today we are doing one of our favorite things...

2011-03-09T11:04:00.000-06:00

... hanging out at Freightliner. Some of you may have read about our last trip to Freightliner in El Paso Texas, it was not pretty. Well, so far Freightliner here in Tucson has been much better. We are only here to get a few maintenance items done, change transmission fluid, change air filter, change hub oil, so it should not be a big ordeal. Fingers crossed!

Since we aren't really doing anything fun, I thought I would post a recap of all of our recipes to make it easy for folks to check out any they may have missed.

Here goes:

Chinese Spaghetti with Meat Sauce - Spicy simple Chinese pasta with ground beef - very tangy.
Chicken Lazone - Super simple chicken dish that tastes like it took much more effort. A favorite of both Nancy and I.
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - Smooth, creamy, yummy.
Red Velvet Brownies - The name says it all.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup - Very savory, great soup for a cool day.
Chicken Primavera with Pasta - Quick, easy, versatile pasta dish. Great with garden fresh veggies!
Shredded Bar-B-Que Beef -crockpot recipe - Set it and forget it. Later on eat it!
Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken - Nice, quick, cheap alternative to ordering Chinese food out.
Greek Gyro Recipe - Versatile and tasty can be used with numerous meats. Lamb, beef, turkey, etc.
Peruvian Roast Chicken - Just look at the picture in the post and you tell me if that looks yummy.
Drunken Noodle (Pad Kee Mao) - This was one of our favorites at a Thai place in the North East. This recipe is pretty close to what they served.
Chicken Scampi - Simple meal but a personal favorite of mine
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings - Great cold weather comfort food
Beef Stroganoff - One of Nancy's favorites
Home-made Black Bean Burgers - Nancy likes 'em I would rather not feed them to the dogs. lol
Pasta Pomodoro - Nice, simple, light pasta dish.
Thai Basil Chicken over Rice - Spicy, tasty, Thai dish. This dish has a very "fresh" taste when prepared with fresh basil.
Slow Cooker Bar-B-Que Pulled Pork - who doesn't like set it and forget it Bar-B-Que?
Chicken Tortilla Soup - Really good taste of the South West.

Hope you all enjoy 'em!

Have a great day!

Noah

A trip to the Pima Air and Space Museum interrupted by a Sand Storm!!

2011-03-08T10:39:00.001-06:00

In keeping with our aviation themed weekend, Nancy and I decided to take a trip over to the Pima Air and Space Museum on Monday. We read online that the museum is a "pet friendly" facility so Luke and Leia were welcome, we like that.

The museum is a short drive from Justin's Diamond down Valencia over near the airport and the AFB. The museum sits on 80 acres and contains 300 aircraft in a combination of indoor and outdoor venues. There are 6 hangars containing numerous aircraft from a Wright Brothers replica, to a B-29 superfortress, to an SR71 blackbird.

Nancy and I enjoyed wandering around inside the hangars and looking at all the interesting aircraft. Luke and Leia were more interested in all the people. Some other folks brought their dogs as well and that always meant much tail wagging whenever we would cross paths.

Leia is still cautious around young children. We're not sure what it is about children that has always had her on edge but when kids see her she always tries to move away. Luke on the other hand eats up any attention he can get. He charges right into the middle of even large groups of kids and starts dishing out nose kisses to everybody!

If you do attend the museum with a pet you will not be able to take any of the tram/bus rides. As far as we could tell that was the only thing the pets were excluded from. Every other building or hangar we entered the dogs were welcomed with open arms.

There is also a diner on the premises that serves the usual burgers and fries and such so it is possible to enjoy a lunch here as well.

Nearly all of the planes (except the ones hanging from the ceiling and a few that are roped off) are hands on. A few, such as the F-14 even have a ladder pushed up to the side to allow you a vantage point to get a good look inside the cockpit.

"Goose" was giving everybody the "hang loose" sign.

JFK's Air Force One.

While we were all wandering the grounds looking at the outdoor planes, a nasty sand storm came out of nowhere. I no sooner said, "I think we might want to get back inside", and we were engulfed in whipping winds and sand everywhere. I took a look behind me and I could barely make out the outlines of the planes we had just been looking at. We jogged back to the nearest hangar (space exhibit) to wait it out.

While we were hiding out in the space hangar, the power went out. The space hangar is the only hangar in the complex with no skylights for natural light, so it was only light by tiny emergency lights over the exits. We decided it was no fun hanging out in the dark so we ventured back into the storm to get to another hangar. By this point my camera was getting pretty low on juice as I foolishly forgot to recharge it after all the weekends picture taking/uploading, so I didn't get much for pic's. I did manage to snap this one just when the storm died down a bit.

This pic was taken after the sandstorm had knocked out the power to the entire museum complex. It doesn't look too bad at this point but you can still see there was quite a bit of sand in the air looking at the mountains in the background.

It was fun looking at all the classic aircraft and wandering through the different hangars. And it was fortuitous that we planned an event that afforded us indoor comfort on a day that a sand storm rolled into town. I must say I did find the entry fee to be a bit high at $15 per adult (dogs are free) and I was also a bit disappointed in the state of a few of the exhibits. Too me for that entry fee all the exhibits should be meticulously maintained as the term "museum quality" implies.

As a comparison, John and Ellen just posted about their visit to the National Museum of Naval Aviation on their blog relaxedrush and it appears the exhibits there were in better condition and the entry charge was $0. That's right NADA.

Overall, it was a fun day at the Pima Air and Space Museum. It's a good "pet friendly" activity even if it is a bit pricey and some of the exhibits seem a bit less than perfectly maintained.

Have a great day everybody!!

Noah

It's a shame we can't get better sunsets here in Arizona...

2011-03-06T22:02:00.000-06:00

Today Nancy and I took it pretty easy. We started our day attempting to find a house in the area that looked good online that was super cheap because it was "unfinished". What they neglected to tell you online was that the roads to reach the house were "unfinished"! After driving our Honda Fit down some roads that the poor little car had no business being on, we ultimately came to a section of road that could best be described as a washed out dry river bed. Obviously, this was the end of the line for our little Fit. So we never even laid eyes on the house... I guess that's why it's so cheap, you need a helicopter to get there. lol

After that we took the dogs and headed back into Tucson to find another vantage point to watch the free air show that we started watching yesterday. Well we found a great spot down between some scrap yards that ended up with us right next to the runway. Awesome vantage point (although next year I will need to remember to have something to stand on to get me above the fence for the low altitude stuff).

While waiting for the show to start, I snapped a few pics of some neat stuff in the area.

These riders are seriously "hardcore to the bone".

Then I took a second to smell the local desert flowers.

And then is was show time!!

Click the image for the larger view to really see the flame out the back with the afterburners on!

Check out the Southwest Airlines jet in the background.

A bit out of focus, but that is what you get when you try to get a pic of an F-15 on full burner!!

Next up was the F-16

A good look at the underside of an F-22

Hope you didn't blink, because the burners came on and he said, "bye, bye"

This is just a sampling of the pictures I took. Overall I have almost 1000! It was a good day for the camera!

Meanwhile, back at the rig, what's Jeanie looking at?

The sky toward the west.

The sky toward the east.

Just another one of the typical sunsets around here... Sometimes, life is good!

Be Good!

Noah

What a Great Saturday!!!

2011-03-05T20:35:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had as good a Saturday as we did today!

We started the day not expecting to do a whole heck of a lot. My day started at about 5AM. Leia apparently heard some rustling outside the rig that woke her up and of course soon after waking up she had to pee. I threw on Nancy's robe and my slippers and got her business done.

After getting her back inside, I decided to try to get a bit more snooze in... nothing doin'. Now Luke was awake and he made sure to get the kitties up too. Nancy and I got up and got the menagerie all squared away with pills, food and walks and threw on a pot of coffee.

We hung around, drinking our morning cups, reading a few blogs and started talking about what to do today. Nancy had some things to drop off at the post office, I wanted a book (Erich Fromm, Escape From Freedom) and a magazine (Sunset, Living in the West) and we both wanted to drive by a few things to see how far they were and where they were.

The 300 year old San Xavier Mission was on the way to the post office so we decided to stop there first and check it out. When we arrived, there was a procession taking place down to the Mission. We were in the traffic behind the procession the entire way. I was able to snap a few photos of the cemetery beside the mission as the traffic was barely moving.

Upon reaching the parking area for the San Xavier Mission, the procession began to assemble in a circle around a large stone symbol in the ground.

The procession was clearly Native American and contained at least one Shaman and one Monk.

This is the stone symbol that the procession gathered round before proceeding into the mission.

As soon as the ritual was over in the courtyard the procession headed into the mission for a service. Due to this service I was not allowed to get much information or take pictures, so I got shots of what I was allowed to and headed off with the intention of returning to finish the exploration.

After returning to the car Luke, Leia, Nancy and I headed off to the nearest postal annex. We arrived at the annex a few miles down the road only to find that they do not accept deliveries on Saturdays, and that they only accept deliveries between 9-11am Mon-Fri. Nancy needed this package to go out today so we decided to punch into the GPS the next nearest location as told to her by the post master at the annex.

The trip took us a few more miles into Tucson where we arrived at the post office. Once there Nancy took her package in to be delivered while I waited in the car with the dogs. It was a glorious morning! The sun shone brightly and was the perfect contrast to the still cool desert air. I had all the windows down so the dogs and I could enjoy this outdoor goodness! Off in the distance I heard a rumble... Then a roar... The distinct sound of fighter jets!

I looked around and spotted them a ways off in the distance. When Nancy got back to the car we were off in hot pursuit! We raced through the streets of South East Tucson until we arrived at an area where some cars had begun to line the road. This was the spot! We pulled over and parked among the gathering crowed. There we all were treated to an unexpected air show!

At first the planes were at a fair distance.

But they got closer...

Until eventually, they were flying directly over us!!!

Just Awesome!!!

I have one hundred some odd more pictures but there is no way I can post them all here on the blog. If you run into me on the road and you want to see more, ask me and I'll show you all of them (including a 15 shot sequence showing the F-22 Stealth going vertical, inverting and then completing a loop from an inverted dive!)

Man I love fighter jets!!!

I know all of the jets pictured above, I don't (yet) know all of the prop fighters. If you know all the jets and all the prop planes, post it in comments and show off how smart you are! I would love to know how many of you are as into these planes as I am and more!

Around 11:45am the planes took a break so we continued on. From there we took a nice scenic drive through North Tucson on our way out to find Biosphere 2. I was still a bit amped from our impromptu air show so I didn't think to take pictures.

Along the way we enjoyed lunch at a Panda Express (Nancy and My first), I had the fire (something) chicken with a chicken egg roll and fried rice. Nancy had the orange chicken with Beijing beef and chow mein. Hers was better. ;-)

On the way back home to Justin's Diamond we stopped at Borders and picked up the Sunset magazine and my Erich Fromm Escape From Freedom.

We topped off the day by again trying the Chicken Lazone this time over fettuccine, another winner!

What a great end to a great day!

I hope you all had as great a day as we did!

Noah

Back on the Atomic Tourist Trail. Titan Missile Silo Tour.

2011-03-04T21:36:00.000-06:00

As any of you who have been following our blog know, Nancy and I have become sort of Atomic Tourists. We have been to the Trinity Site as well as Hiroshima. We have seen the destruction these weapons are capable of. Today we visited the last remaining Titan missile silo from the cold war era.

Of the 54 Titan missile silos throughout the US, 18 were in the Tucson area. This is the last one still maintained as though the cold war was still on. The site is still owned by the Air Force but is maintained by a non profit preservation organization.

Inside the entrance are a few museum displays documenting the construction of the silo and a few uniforms that would have been worn by the 4 soldiers who would operate the entire silo on 24 hour shifts.

The 4 man teams would be made up of 2 enlisted and 2 officers. Much of the interior of the silo was accessible by only two man teams. This policy was for safety and security. There were a number of ways to get hurt in the silo and without having a teammate nearby you could be in a lot of trouble very quickly. The security aspect is obvious enough, after all there was one of the largest hydrogen bombs in the US arsenal sitting atop a 100 foot tall rocket in the next room.

View of the top of the missile from the partially open silo door.

Titan missiles were not only used to deliver the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction. These very powerful and capable missiles were used to deliver many much less destructive payloads into outer space. Their engines were a marvel of power and simplicity (if not fuel economy). The first stage of the Titan engine provided some 548,000 pounds of thrust. Between the first and second stages the Titan missile was capable of accelerating to 15,000 mph and a apogee of 800 miles.

One would think that security at a nuclear missile silo would have been massive, in fact it was not at all. The site was generally manned only by the 4 person crew on duty and this particular site is within a Randy Johnson stones throw of the highway. The security was mostly provided by the shear impenetrability of the silo itself. Above ground you had fences with razor wire and within those fences was land based radar that would detect any movement.

Two of the radar detection devices.

If movement was detected above the silo an enunciator within the control room would alert the on duty officers. Security would then be called, none of the on duty staff would leave the silo to investigate. The staff would rely on the steel reinforced 8 foot thick walls and the 3 ton blast doors to prevent the intruder from entering until help arrived.

After a brief movie and a tour of the grounds above the silo (including the rocket engines) you begin your decent to the control room.

1960'2 era closed circuit TV

One of the 2 massive 3 ton blast doors you must pass through to get to the inner silo.

The control room. This room is part of a separate 3 story underground building attached to the silo via a corridor.

The entire three story underground crew area is suspended on massive springs as part of the facilities ability to absorb a nuclear blast above ground.

Most folks who have ever watched any WWIII or atomic doomsday movie know that the launch of a nuclear missile requires the turning of two keys and the entry of a code. This particular silo had a code with 16,777,777 possible combinations as well as the keys set about 10 feet apart so that they had to be operated by at least two people. During the tour you will simulate a launch as the docent and a volunteer turn the two keys. During our tour, the system malfunctioned! Even though I knew the entire facility had been deactivated, the fact that the system that prevented the entire world from being destroyed in nuclear hellfire malfunctioned was ominous to say the least! I could actually feel a lump in the pit of my gut. The docent went on with the show resetting different alarms as they went off. He made a few quick jokes about somebody owing them 2.2 million dollars if the missile did launch, then took us down the hall to the silo.

Hi fidelity!

The Titan still at home in it's silo.

The brownish looking cone on the side of the rocket is a retro rocket used to steer the missile toward the pre-programmed "Target number 2" still classified to this day.

The skin of the Titan is made of aluminium and is roughly the thickness of a dime.

Two maintenance suits hanging near the silo.

After viewing the missile still safe at home in it's silo it was time to head back topside. There are other tours that are more in depth, but they are only on certain days and take between 4-5 hours. There is even a option to overnight in the silo just as a cold war crew would have.

I plan to come back at some point and take one of the "top to bottom" tours that take 4-5 hours.

Overall I thought it was a great tour. Jerry, our docent, worked at the facility when it was active and was a fountain of knowledge.

Anyone interested can find more information at Titan Missile Museum.

Be Good!

Have a Great Day!

Noah

Moving Day!

2011-03-03T21:46:00.001-06:00

(This is Nancy who is guest writing tonight)

Today was moving day. We left Cochise Terrace in Benson this morning (we hated to leave - we just loved it there!), filled up with fuel ($3.97/gal!!!) and headed north to Tucson. We decided to try Justin's Diamond J RV Park. We liked the idea that it borders 40,000 acres of public land and that there are trails from the park into the desert.

When we arrived at the park, we were greeted by a wonderfully friendly woman named Christine (one of the owners) who gave us our choice of open spaces. We picked our spot and settled in. Each spot is very wide (although not very deep - we had to disconnect our tow dolly) and separated by nice native desert flora - giving you a sense of privacy.

So far everyone seems very friendly here and the owners take great pride in their park.

Noah took the car to Chapman Honda for it's scheduled service. They seemed very attentive and even found a nail in the tire that we didn't see and fixed it for free. They got him in quickly, they got him out quick, they didn't charge much or hit us with lots of extras and if you ever happen to be in Tucson and have a Honda - we recommend them highly. A+ for service!

For dinner I made Chinese Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. We love to try new recipes and thought this sounded good. (It was!) Last night I made Chicken Lazone - another new recipe - and we couldn't stop talking about it. I think we'll probably make it again this week - it was that good.

We're now waiting until about 10pm to go look at the stars. Several people staying here told us that the view at 10pm is incredible. We thought the skies in Benson were pretty good for viewing stars at night - but so far nothing has topped the skies we saw in Cloudcroft New Mexico at night - so we'll see.

Chinese Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

2011-03-03T21:24:00.002-06:00

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves 3-4.

8 oz fresh noodles or dry spaghetti
1 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1/2 lb ground beef
2 scallions, sliced
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp chili paste with garlic
1 tsp chopped garlic or garlic paste
2 tsp oyster-flavored sauce
3 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup mung bean sprouts (optional)

Cook fresh noodles or dry spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water, until they are just underdone. Drain and set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the oil, then the beef, and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef as you go, until the beef is lightly browned. Add scallions and mushrooms, and continue stir-frying until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Stir in the chili paste, oyster sauce and soy sauce, then add the noodles and stir to combine everything. Top with bean sprouts, and serve hot.

Chicken Lazone

2011-03-02T19:13:00.004-06:00

This recipe comes from the restaurant "Brennan's" located in New Orleans but was "doctored" by us. No one has to know how simple and quick it is.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon McCormick Cajun spice
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Note: We cut the chicken into strips (or tenders) and served it over rice. It would be excellent over pasta.
1.Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts
2.In large saute pan melt half of the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
3.Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.
4.Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens then add the remaining butter.

For perfect rice every time Nancy and I use the Cuisinart Rice Cooker Nancy has said previously that if she could have only one "kitchen gadget" it would be this rice cooker. I guess she was telling the truth because now that we full-time in the RV she has cut down to the bare essentials and the rice cooker remains!

Last day at Cochise Terrace

2011-03-02T12:57:00.002-06:00

The whole family has decided to take a lazy day today and simply enjoy our last day here at Cochise Terrace in Benson, AZ.

Sorry the pic is a bit blurry, I was in a hurry, I decided to make a caption with a rhyme, so you wouldn't give me a hard time, Luke, Leia and Ferris really loved it here at Cochise Terrace.

Jeannie on patrol on the dash. She does a marvelous job of keeping any birdies or other tiny critters at bay.

We also went out for a walk around the park again this morning, here are some shots from that.

We also took the time to get some parting shots of some of Luke and Leia's friends.

Well, maybe this guy wasn't exactly a "friend"... lol

I'm sure we'll be taking another walk this afternoon so we'll have another opportunity for some better pics.

Be good!

Noah