Thursday: (05/31) Granola for breakfast. I tried to relax in the morning working at posting the photos from the Kinetic Race. I still need to add captions. I did get them up on the blog but was interrupted by Lou. She said the clothes dryer wasn’t heating. So I spent all afternoon working on it. I checked all the sensors which all seem OK.
I pulled out the igniter and either it was the problem or I broke it removing it. In either case, I got a new igniter in San Jose and Installed it. The dryer seemed to work but not for long. It still wasn’t heating though I could verify the flame started. So the actual problem is likely that the coils on the gas valve are weak. I’ll go down to San Jose tomorrow and get the coils. Hopefully, that will get it going. At least now I know where to look and how to get access to work on it. Lou made salads for lunch and I got some dim sum for dinner on my drive to San Jose. I got Lou and Dawn dinners from LUU Noodle House.
Friday: (06/01) Lou and Dawn were off early to a rummage sale. I was off toward San Jose early. I stopped for breakfast burrito to go from A Good Morning. I picked up a set of gas valve coils for the dryer and returned home. On the way home I bought a replacement toilet for our second bathroom like the one I installed previously. It provides more efficiency. The gas dryer now works well. I started checking the RV’s Tire Pressure Monitor System. It hasn’t worked and I thought it just needed it’s battery charged. It didn’t charge over the past couple of days. Turns out it seems to have a poor external power supply/charger input. Seems like the cable needs to be installed 105% of the way in. Seems to work when fully installed. We’ll see how it works tomorrow.
I then worked on the RV door latch. It’s difficult to close the door due to the latch alignment. I disassembled the latch and installed a spacer to shorten the backset penetration. I also removed the latch lock knob which jammed the screen door. It seems to work well now. Lou and Dawn went to lunch at the Corner Bakery Cafe. I didn’t need anything. They went grocery shopping in the afternoon. For dinner, Lou made roast chicken with rice. I worked on my PCT plan trying to determine the optimum location to leave Lou and Dawn at RV Parks. Seems like the best are near Lone Pine for the Southern part and Bishop for the Northern part of my hike.
Dawn's garden made some progress.
Saturday: (06/02) Scrambled eggs for breakfast. We went to a BBQ at a friends house. It was a group of people who work with traffic signals. It was fun. On the way home Lou and Dawn checked out a couple of thrift stores. It was a very hot day today about 97 when we arrived back home. Leftovers for dinner.
Sunday: (06/03) Another hot day. Lou made berry waffles for breakfast. My only task accomplished today was to install the new toilet in our 2nd bathroom. The job went smoothly. After a nice long shower, I relaxed the rest of the day. I had PBJ toast for lunch. I made corned beef hash for dinner. 1745 Received a call from our tenant that the refrigerator wasn’t working. Lou drove down to check it and installed a thermometer.
Monday: (06/04) Lou drove down to the Santa Clara Home Depot to arrange for the repair and a loaner while they fix it. I was off to Pescadero Park for a hike with the San Jose Midweek Hikers. It was 8.2 miles. Great new hike route led by Jonathan. Lou mad a hot chicken and cheese sandwich for lunch. At home, I relaxed a little too much. At 1700 I remembered, I wanted to attend a Wordpress User Group meeting in San Jose. I arrived late but didn’t miss anything. The meeting was at the Cup And Saucer restaurant. I had a nice French Onion soup and salad for dinner there.
Tuesday: (06/05) Leftover corned beef hash for breakfast. I was off early to the dentist. I’ve had a painful tooth for the past couple of weeks. Turns out I had a cavity under one of my crowns so it was replaced with a permanent temporary crown. It should allow me to do my hike. On the way home I did a little grocery shopping and picked up some dim sum for a later lunch. I started the slow cooker with a pork roast, potatoes and sauerkraut for dinner. I did some other tasks off my list in the afternoon. Lou is handling the refrigerator repair in San Jose.
Wednesday: (06/6) Lou and Dawn were off early to San Jose to meet the refrigerator repairman. According to him, the refrigerator has no freon, the fan has failed and something else is bad? Parts should be here Friday. We’ll see if that fixes this lemon. They also had a bad batch of coffee from their usually great coffee house next door. I did some business including finding out why one of my credit cards suddenly has a new account number and CVC code. I tried to generate a virtual number and discovered it. It turns out that the bank had a data compromise and replaced a bunch of card number. Seems an email notice would have been in order. I also attended my usual Wednesday webinar. I had granola for breakfast, they had something in San Jose. We enjoyed leftover pork roast and sauerkraut and potatoes for lunch. Lou and I pruned some branches off the oak tree and put the debris in the compost bins. My pole saw could be about 10 feet longer to make trimming the limbs high enough easier. I also weeded the front flower bed and the dirt pile there as well as much of the rest of what used to be the lawn. For dinner, I made hot dog and refried bean sandwiches.
Thursday: (06/07) I started the day with a 10 mile walk. I walked out through Stanford University then through the Stanford Mall and Downtown. I had breakfast/lunch at the Roundtable Pizza parlor. Then I walked home. I was back home about 1315.
While I was at Stanford I spent some time watching the construction of some of the new student housing. The method of construction was entirely new to me. These are 10 story buildings being factory built. They are like lego/IKEA buildings, all precast concrete, with the rebar locked together then grouted. The windows are preinstalled in the panels. The floors and beams are also precast and grouted. They are actually finishing the lower floors as they are assembling the upper floors. They are at the fourth floor level now. There are several joined rectangular buildings all separated by about two foot wide door like sections that would open up in an earthquake to eliminate damage. With all this, they look better than all the other stick built housing going up in the area.
Wonderful cactus flowers!
At home, I removed the greenhouse roof which had peeled back and rolled up. The screws lost their grip in the rotted wood strips on the metal frame. A little work to do before winter. Dawn cooked some carnitas with rice and corn on the cob for dinner. She and Lou were busy all day house cleaning and gardening.
Friday: (06/08) Lou and Dawn were off early to San Jose to meet the refrigerator technician. I was off, as well, toward San Francisco for a walkabout. I wanted some hills and steps on my walk, where better? I caught the 0836 train. I walked from the train station down to Chinatown. Along the way, I was checking out the construction progress on the new light rail line to Chinatown. I grabbed some dim sum when I got there from a new to me place just after the tunnel on Stockton street.
I got interested in the cement pour at the underground station there. I also had to watch a crew pouring and finishing some sidewalk on Broadway Street. I like to pick up tricks from watching professionals. Doing this I actually climbed several hills. I also went to the Cable Car Museum and enjoyed re-learning about them. By then it was lunchtime (1300). I stopped for some pizza at Golden Boy Pizza on Green Street in North Beach, one of my favorite pizza joints.
I then hiked over Russian Hill and out to the Presidio via Vallejo Street. I hike up Baker Street steps.
Lots of steps to climb on the way Including up Lyon Street's famous steps.
I walked through part of the Presidio and the Lucas Films campus there. Then on to a look at the Palace Of Fine Arts. I then walked back to the Marina area and caught a bus back to Stockton Street where I got some more dim sum for dinner. A hopped on the bus and returned to the train station catching the 1836 train home. I was home just before 2000. Lou and Dawn were still out thrifting and dining on their way home from San Jose.
Saturday: (06/09) A nice day working and enjoying the backyard. I weeded all the pots left in the greenhouse and pulled weeds from our unused garden containers as well. I assembled my new string weed eater, a battery powered Ryobi that I bought a few weeks ago. I let it eat the weeds on the walkway and patio. I pruned the wisteria a little as well. Lou gave me a new planter she bought that needed a hole drilled in its bottom. Lou made carnitas tacos for lunch. About 1600 It was time for a shower and then some time to relax. Lou made Brussels sprouts with onions and bacon with macaroni and cheese for dinner.
Sunday: (06/10) Granola for breakfast. I finally got around to installing the window farings on the Jeep. They should allow the windows to be left open as vents without letting in the rain. They also quite the wind noise going down the road.
I removed the kitchen sink and bathroom sink cabinet floors to expose the utilities below them. I’ll be routing power cables to the air conditioner, converter and a new heater outlet from the left rear storage compartment where the new main power panel is. All this to keep the heavy loads from going through the inverter. I drilled a pilot hole to confirm the route and it’s really tight so I’ll need to add a chase into just the other side of the bedroom wall. I made hot dog sandwiches for lunch. Lou made spaghetti with clam sauce and green beans for dinner.
Monday: (06/11) I did a hike with the San Jose Midweek Hikers at Castle Rock State Park. A nice day for the 7.5 mile stroll. A little warm with nice clear skies. Hot dog with refried beans and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Chinese chow fun noodles with sweet and sour pork and salt and pepper fish for lunch. Chicken for dinner.
Tuesday: (06/12) I made leftover pork with sauerkraut with corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. I worked on the wiring mode in the RV.
I pulled in cables to power the air conditioner, converter, and an electric heater to the new rear power panel so that they are only sourced from either external power or the Generator and not through the inverter. They were routed under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and about a couple of inches into the bedroom such that they were able to enter the utility hookup cabinet and pass through it to the rear compartment where the new panel and transfer switch are located. I had to go to the hardware store to get a few things to complete the hookup. I stopped at LUU Noodle House for an avocado smoothie and a couple of egg rolls for lunch. It took all day to complete the installation and hookup. It all tested OK. I then reinstalled the cabinet floors returning everything such as it was before I opened it for access. I had thought of running DC power to the utility service compartment for the macerator but forgot to do it before I closed things up. Oh well. Dawn prepared macaroni and cheese with asparagus for dinner.
Wednesday: (06/13) Some leftover hash for breakfast. I headed off to Carmel for a hike at Point Lobos State Park.
I met 20 fellow San Jose Midweek Hikers and we covered most of the trails in the park, about 6.7 miles.
Great weather and views.
Lots of flowers and seals.
I stopped on the way home in Moss Landing at Phil’s Fish Market for a late lunch. Lou and Dawn were out shopping today.
Thursday: (06/14) Leftover hash and eggs for breakfast. I spent the morning trying to make my plans for my hike. I ran into a glitch when I called to make reservations for Lou and Dawn’s TV park stay in Bishop. It turns out they have a two-week maximum stay. I had planned on placing them there for the full period of my hike which is about one month. So, I’ll be looking into putting them at a park in Lone Pine for the first two weeks, then moving them to Bishop when I resupply from Kearsarge Pass. I hate having to plan ahead. Dawn took Lou and me out to our Father/Mother Days common luncheon at the Olive Garden restaurant at the Great Mall. We also looked around the mall. Dinner was just some leftovers.
Friday: (06/15) Lou and Dawn were off early to Walmart to shop. I had some leftover hash for breakfast then headed off for a hike. I met my fellow SJMW Hikers at Wunderlich Park in Woodside. We meandered over many of the trails totaling 7 miles on a wonderful day. As usual great conversations and views. After the hike, I stopped for a burrito for lunch at Chavez market in Redwood City. I relaxed the rest of the afternoon and worked on my hike preparation spreadsheet. Lou made roast beast with roast veggies for dinner.
Saturday: (06/16) Blackberry waffles for breakfast. We all headed off to Pleasanton to the Alameda County Fair. On the way, we stopped for lunch at the Corner Bakery. Lou felt ill later after lunch probably some MSG in the food. The food at our local Corner Bakery has never bothered her.
We enjoyed the pig races and the days old baby pigs as well.
I saw the above Spam Collection among the collections on display. On my PCT hike that collection wouldn't last long.
We were home a little after 2100. I had a pepper roast sandwich for dinner.
Sunday: (06/17) Granola for breakfast. We watched the usual Sunday morning TV shows to start. I headed off to pick up food for my hike. While it is not specialty hikers food, it is sometimes difficult to find. I visited three Cost Plus World Market locations to get my perpetual cheese and sausage. One location was gone. I found my cheese but not my sausages. I also visited a Walmart Neighborhood Market for spam, tuna, granola bars, and most everything else. I found it interesting that at that location if you want a handbasket, you have to check one out from customer service. A visit to REI got me some electrolytes and Energy Beans. And a stop at Sprouts Market got me my Kind bars, trail snack mix, and peanut butter packets. And it took a stop at Lucky Market to get my bacon jerky. What a project. I was worn out by the time I got home. I stopped to pick up a late lunch at China Bistro in Mountain View on the way home. While I was out Amazon delivered my new Injinji socks and some tire slime.
Monday: (06/18) Granola for breakfast.A little gardening after breakfast. I spent the day sorting, measuring and packing my resupply bags. Leftovers for lunch. After lunch, I walked down to the shopping center to get some final items to meet the pack quantities. Dawn made roast beast and cheese sandwiches for dinner.
Tuesday: (06/19) Breakfast from Jack In The Box. I was up for an Early 0730 hike at Parker Ranch in Saratoga. 17 of us made the 7.5 mile hike.
We finished about 1030 and some of us went to Aqui’s restaurant for an early lunch. As usual, I relaxed at home after the hike. I also spent some time researching and finalizing my calendar for the hike. Lou made some stew for dinner.
Wednesday: (06/20) Soft boiled eggs for breakfast. I called and reserved out space in Bishop at the RV Park. We’ll have the space for two months, enough for me to finish my hiking. I went to Orchard Hardware and bought a 3 gallon bucket and lid for my resupply shipment to Muir Ranch. It’s a bit special because in goes in on horseback. I also paid for them to receive it. For lunch, I picked up some chow fun noodles and pepper fish at Dim Sum King. After lunch, I installed the new bedroom light fixtures. I also ran the generator and air conditioner for an hour or more to be sure it is cooling well and that my rewiring works. It will be in the 100’s while they are staying in Bishop. Lou and Dawn were out shopping, thrifting and ? with our neighbor all day. When they got home, we went to dinner at Chili’s.
Thursday: (06/21) Lou and Dawn were off to Redwood City for a movie. I headed off for a walk to Stanford. I watched the construction of the student housing buildings that I call the Lego/IKEA buildings. I had a late breakfast at Copa Cafe on campus. When I returned I finished loading my two resupply boxes. Actually, one is a bucket. I sealed them and headed off to the Post Office to ship one and to the UPS store to ship the other. I picked up a couple of egg rolls and an avocado smoothie for a late lunch.
At home, I installed the new light fixtures over the bed. They should provide more light than the previous decorative lights. Lou wanted better light. I like that they aren't in the way of my head. I then started working on my pack. I washed the pack, the mattress cover, and the tent. I also washed all the clothes I found in the pack. Lou made artichoke chicken with asparagus and rice for dinner.
Friday: (06/22) I was off early for a hike in Aptos at the Forest Of Nisene Marks. I picked up breakfast at Jack In The Box on the way. I joined our leader Neal and 11 other hikers for an exploration of the trails in the lower section of the park. Lots of water in the streams and it was nice and cool under the trees. Not at all like at home where it was just below 100 today. I got some soup at Safeway Market for lunch on my way home. I work a little at home on my pack preparation. My box arrived at one of my resupply locations already. UPS is fast. We all went out to dinner with Courtney at Whole Foods Market this evening.
Saturday: (06/23) A very hot day (99 degrees). Lou made weiners with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Lou and I went out looking for a fan for the RV. Something that moves a lot of air. It’s intended to supplement the air conditioner for Lou and Dawn in Bishop, where it will be in the 100’s. I’ve tested the RV air conditioner a couple of times for an hour or more in our hot spell. It seems to work OK. We’ve never had to use it before on this new, to us, RV. Not a great selection to be found. While we were looking for a clip-on fan that moves a lot of air, we ended up with a floor fan that moved a whole lot of air. We may need to use it pointed up toward the ceiling if it’s set to higher than its lowest speed. I have been washing my hiking clothes and other items left in my pack. Today, I washed my sleeping bag as well. I do hope it fluffs up again. We had popcorn for lunch and a nice cold salad for dinner.
Sunday: (06/24) The sleeping bag fluffed nicely. I let it air out more hanging in the yard in the heat. I then packed it away. I also packed the tent. I managed to load my pack with all its contents minus a few items still to be located. I visited REI and got a new pair of hikers pants and some fuel for my stove. Breakfast at Los Altos Taqueria. For dinner, I made cabbage and onions steamed with weiners.
Monday: (06/25) I was off early to San Jose to get a recall taken care of on the Jeep. I picked up a breakfast burrito at A Good Morning restaurant on the way. Evidently, the cruise control could fail. It didn’t take long for them to flash the program on the Jeep to fix the potential problem. I stopped by at Dawn’s apartment to pick up some of Lou’s shoes. While there, I met their new cat. Quite friendly. I then went by Citibank to close our accounts there. A final step in our move to a credit union. Lou and Dawn were out to an appointment in the morning. When Lou got home we went out shopping. I needed a couple of wide-mouthed bottles like Gatorade for my pack. We also visited Lowe’s for some bubble insulation material for the RV windows. Also got some things at Sprouts Market. Later, I washed the RV and Jeep. We had hamburger steaks with corn on the cob and rice for dinner.
After dinner, we went to a community meeting about a new development down the street.
Tuesday: (06/26) Leftover cabbage, onions, and weiners for breakfast. I loaded my backpack and other items into the RV. I also confirmed my clothing quantities. I made a run to the bank to give them another signature to close my accounts there. They missed one form entry yesterday. I visited REI to get a dry compression bag to improve my clothing storage in my pack. I still need to get some compactor bags but may not need them for momentary water protection when crossing the rivers. Everything is in waterproof containers, bags or the bear can. I also stopped by Grocery Outlet to get new water bottles for the RV drinking water. I cut a piece of plywood for Lou. I also updated my PCT apps and trail data. I think I’m ready to leave tomorrow? Lou and Dawn were out for appointments and shopping all day in San Jose. I had a cheese sandwich for lunch. More leftovers for dinner. I had a chicken artichoke and swiss sandwich. After dinner, I went through what remained in my bedroom of my hiking supplies and surplus stuff intended for my hike.
Wednesday: (06/26) Artichokes and pineapple for breakfast. We loaded the last of our stuff and prepared the RV to roll. We were on the road by 1000. We stopped in Livermore at Costco for gas. Our route was 101 to 84 to 880 to 580 to 205 to 5 to 50 to 89 to 395. The hills weren’t bad. We stopped for lunch South of Sacramento at a, new to us, place called Noodle and Company.
We stopped for the night South of Coleville next to the Walker River. Chili for dinner.
Thursday: (06/28) We enjoyed tea beside the Walker River in the morning. I managed to see an otter on the far side of the river heading downstream beside the bank of the river.
A view of Mono Lake from above.
Above left a huge dandelion flower. We headed off and stopped in Bridgeport for a look around and breakfast at the Sportsman bar and grill. Really nice breakfasts. The Kitty Cat Karate studio was odd.
The views of the mountains were wonderful though a bit smoky near Lee Vining and South. We arrived at Highlands RV Park at 1300 after filling the gas and LPG tanks. We set up camp and got the Air Conditioner going. I did all our hookup but the TV cable didn’t work. I haven’t been able to trace out the cables yet to figure it out so I ran a cable through the bedroom window direct to the TV. Wifi seems excellent in the park. If the weather isn’t too much hotter than today Lou and Dawn should survive. Lou made green salads for lunch.
Friday: (06/29) We had breakfast at the Pupfish Cafe in a bookstore downtown. Avocados were had by all with different additions. Dawn examined the associated bookstore while Lou and I did some shopping. While Lou and Dawn checked out the Ben Franklin Craft Store I checked out several backpacking suppliers nearby. Lou made ham cheese and pepper sandwiches for lunch. Later I stopped by the Forest Service Information Center and checked the trail conditions for my hike. All is good except for a fire lurking to the West of the trail. Our neighbor, who has been here for six months was busy removing several yellow jacket wasp nests from their trailer. I check ours and decided to plug a couple of holes around our front slide. We relaxed at home much of the afternoon. For dinner, we went to Jack’s cafe downtown. Lou and Dawn shared their favorite prime rib dinner. I had a nice CFS. And then there was a nice fresh peach pie for dessert. We stopped by the casino later for Lou and Dawn to lose their $2. We also visited the Rite Aid store and found an umbrella for our campsite table. We don’t have any trees for shade and don’t want to risk opening the RV’s awning due to winds. Losing an umbrella would be better.
Saturday: (06/30) We got up and out early and visited all 11 garage sales that were listed in the paper. After that, we had breakfast at the Pantry restaurant across the street. After that, I worked or relaxed at home. Lou worked, relaxed and visited the Visitor Information Center. She and Dawn also went shopping. Lou served leftover pork chop, BBQ ribs, Brussels sprouts, and roasted peppers with baked potatoes for dinner. I got my backpack fully loaded and updated apps and data on my phone and InReach GPS communicator.
I pulled out the igniter and either it was the problem or I broke it removing it. In either case, I got a new igniter in San Jose and Installed it. The dryer seemed to work but not for long. It still wasn’t heating though I could verify the flame started. So the actual problem is likely that the coils on the gas valve are weak. I’ll go down to San Jose tomorrow and get the coils. Hopefully, that will get it going. At least now I know where to look and how to get access to work on it. Lou made salads for lunch and I got some dim sum for dinner on my drive to San Jose. I got Lou and Dawn dinners from LUU Noodle House.
Friday: (06/01) Lou and Dawn were off early to a rummage sale. I was off toward San Jose early. I stopped for breakfast burrito to go from A Good Morning. I picked up a set of gas valve coils for the dryer and returned home. On the way home I bought a replacement toilet for our second bathroom like the one I installed previously. It provides more efficiency. The gas dryer now works well. I started checking the RV’s Tire Pressure Monitor System. It hasn’t worked and I thought it just needed it’s battery charged. It didn’t charge over the past couple of days. Turns out it seems to have a poor external power supply/charger input. Seems like the cable needs to be installed 105% of the way in. Seems to work when fully installed. We’ll see how it works tomorrow.
I then worked on the RV door latch. It’s difficult to close the door due to the latch alignment. I disassembled the latch and installed a spacer to shorten the backset penetration. I also removed the latch lock knob which jammed the screen door. It seems to work well now. Lou and Dawn went to lunch at the Corner Bakery Cafe. I didn’t need anything. They went grocery shopping in the afternoon. For dinner, Lou made roast chicken with rice. I worked on my PCT plan trying to determine the optimum location to leave Lou and Dawn at RV Parks. Seems like the best are near Lone Pine for the Southern part and Bishop for the Northern part of my hike.
Saturday: (06/02) Scrambled eggs for breakfast. We went to a BBQ at a friends house. It was a group of people who work with traffic signals. It was fun. On the way home Lou and Dawn checked out a couple of thrift stores. It was a very hot day today about 97 when we arrived back home. Leftovers for dinner.
Sunday: (06/03) Another hot day. Lou made berry waffles for breakfast. My only task accomplished today was to install the new toilet in our 2nd bathroom. The job went smoothly. After a nice long shower, I relaxed the rest of the day. I had PBJ toast for lunch. I made corned beef hash for dinner. 1745 Received a call from our tenant that the refrigerator wasn’t working. Lou drove down to check it and installed a thermometer.
Monday: (06/04) Lou drove down to the Santa Clara Home Depot to arrange for the repair and a loaner while they fix it. I was off to Pescadero Park for a hike with the San Jose Midweek Hikers. It was 8.2 miles. Great new hike route led by Jonathan. Lou mad a hot chicken and cheese sandwich for lunch. At home, I relaxed a little too much. At 1700 I remembered, I wanted to attend a Wordpress User Group meeting in San Jose. I arrived late but didn’t miss anything. The meeting was at the Cup And Saucer restaurant. I had a nice French Onion soup and salad for dinner there.
Tuesday: (06/05) Leftover corned beef hash for breakfast. I was off early to the dentist. I’ve had a painful tooth for the past couple of weeks. Turns out I had a cavity under one of my crowns so it was replaced with a permanent temporary crown. It should allow me to do my hike. On the way home I did a little grocery shopping and picked up some dim sum for a later lunch. I started the slow cooker with a pork roast, potatoes and sauerkraut for dinner. I did some other tasks off my list in the afternoon. Lou is handling the refrigerator repair in San Jose.
Wednesday: (06/6) Lou and Dawn were off early to San Jose to meet the refrigerator repairman. According to him, the refrigerator has no freon, the fan has failed and something else is bad? Parts should be here Friday. We’ll see if that fixes this lemon. They also had a bad batch of coffee from their usually great coffee house next door. I did some business including finding out why one of my credit cards suddenly has a new account number and CVC code. I tried to generate a virtual number and discovered it. It turns out that the bank had a data compromise and replaced a bunch of card number. Seems an email notice would have been in order. I also attended my usual Wednesday webinar. I had granola for breakfast, they had something in San Jose. We enjoyed leftover pork roast and sauerkraut and potatoes for lunch. Lou and I pruned some branches off the oak tree and put the debris in the compost bins. My pole saw could be about 10 feet longer to make trimming the limbs high enough easier. I also weeded the front flower bed and the dirt pile there as well as much of the rest of what used to be the lawn. For dinner, I made hot dog and refried bean sandwiches.
Thursday: (06/07) I started the day with a 10 mile walk. I walked out through Stanford University then through the Stanford Mall and Downtown. I had breakfast/lunch at the Roundtable Pizza parlor. Then I walked home. I was back home about 1315.
The cactus garden was in beautiful bloom as well.
Friday: (06/08) Lou and Dawn were off early to San Jose to meet the refrigerator technician. I was off, as well, toward San Francisco for a walkabout. I wanted some hills and steps on my walk, where better? I caught the 0836 train. I walked from the train station down to Chinatown. Along the way, I was checking out the construction progress on the new light rail line to Chinatown. I grabbed some dim sum when I got there from a new to me place just after the tunnel on Stockton street.
Saturday: (06/09) A nice day working and enjoying the backyard. I weeded all the pots left in the greenhouse and pulled weeds from our unused garden containers as well. I assembled my new string weed eater, a battery powered Ryobi that I bought a few weeks ago. I let it eat the weeds on the walkway and patio. I pruned the wisteria a little as well. Lou gave me a new planter she bought that needed a hole drilled in its bottom. Lou made carnitas tacos for lunch. About 1600 It was time for a shower and then some time to relax. Lou made Brussels sprouts with onions and bacon with macaroni and cheese for dinner.
Monday: (06/11) I did a hike with the San Jose Midweek Hikers at Castle Rock State Park. A nice day for the 7.5 mile stroll. A little warm with nice clear skies. Hot dog with refried beans and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Chinese chow fun noodles with sweet and sour pork and salt and pepper fish for lunch. Chicken for dinner.
Tuesday: (06/12) I made leftover pork with sauerkraut with corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. I worked on the wiring mode in the RV.
Wednesday: (06/13) Some leftover hash for breakfast. I headed off to Carmel for a hike at Point Lobos State Park.
Thursday: (06/14) Leftover hash and eggs for breakfast. I spent the morning trying to make my plans for my hike. I ran into a glitch when I called to make reservations for Lou and Dawn’s TV park stay in Bishop. It turns out they have a two-week maximum stay. I had planned on placing them there for the full period of my hike which is about one month. So, I’ll be looking into putting them at a park in Lone Pine for the first two weeks, then moving them to Bishop when I resupply from Kearsarge Pass. I hate having to plan ahead. Dawn took Lou and me out to our Father/Mother Days common luncheon at the Olive Garden restaurant at the Great Mall. We also looked around the mall. Dinner was just some leftovers.
Friday: (06/15) Lou and Dawn were off early to Walmart to shop. I had some leftover hash for breakfast then headed off for a hike. I met my fellow SJMW Hikers at Wunderlich Park in Woodside. We meandered over many of the trails totaling 7 miles on a wonderful day. As usual great conversations and views. After the hike, I stopped for a burrito for lunch at Chavez market in Redwood City. I relaxed the rest of the afternoon and worked on my hike preparation spreadsheet. Lou made roast beast with roast veggies for dinner.
Saturday: (06/16) Blackberry waffles for breakfast. We all headed off to Pleasanton to the Alameda County Fair. On the way, we stopped for lunch at the Corner Bakery. Lou felt ill later after lunch probably some MSG in the food. The food at our local Corner Bakery has never bothered her.
We were home a little after 2100. I had a pepper roast sandwich for dinner.
Sunday: (06/17) Granola for breakfast. We watched the usual Sunday morning TV shows to start. I headed off to pick up food for my hike. While it is not specialty hikers food, it is sometimes difficult to find. I visited three Cost Plus World Market locations to get my perpetual cheese and sausage. One location was gone. I found my cheese but not my sausages. I also visited a Walmart Neighborhood Market for spam, tuna, granola bars, and most everything else. I found it interesting that at that location if you want a handbasket, you have to check one out from customer service. A visit to REI got me some electrolytes and Energy Beans. And a stop at Sprouts Market got me my Kind bars, trail snack mix, and peanut butter packets. And it took a stop at Lucky Market to get my bacon jerky. What a project. I was worn out by the time I got home. I stopped to pick up a late lunch at China Bistro in Mountain View on the way home. While I was out Amazon delivered my new Injinji socks and some tire slime.
Monday: (06/18) Granola for breakfast.A little gardening after breakfast. I spent the day sorting, measuring and packing my resupply bags. Leftovers for lunch. After lunch, I walked down to the shopping center to get some final items to meet the pack quantities. Dawn made roast beast and cheese sandwiches for dinner.
Wednesday: (06/20) Soft boiled eggs for breakfast. I called and reserved out space in Bishop at the RV Park. We’ll have the space for two months, enough for me to finish my hiking. I went to Orchard Hardware and bought a 3 gallon bucket and lid for my resupply shipment to Muir Ranch. It’s a bit special because in goes in on horseback. I also paid for them to receive it. For lunch, I picked up some chow fun noodles and pepper fish at Dim Sum King. After lunch, I installed the new bedroom light fixtures. I also ran the generator and air conditioner for an hour or more to be sure it is cooling well and that my rewiring works. It will be in the 100’s while they are staying in Bishop. Lou and Dawn were out shopping, thrifting and ? with our neighbor all day. When they got home, we went to dinner at Chili’s.
Saturday: (06/23) A very hot day (99 degrees). Lou made weiners with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Lou and I went out looking for a fan for the RV. Something that moves a lot of air. It’s intended to supplement the air conditioner for Lou and Dawn in Bishop, where it will be in the 100’s. I’ve tested the RV air conditioner a couple of times for an hour or more in our hot spell. It seems to work OK. We’ve never had to use it before on this new, to us, RV. Not a great selection to be found. While we were looking for a clip-on fan that moves a lot of air, we ended up with a floor fan that moved a whole lot of air. We may need to use it pointed up toward the ceiling if it’s set to higher than its lowest speed. I have been washing my hiking clothes and other items left in my pack. Today, I washed my sleeping bag as well. I do hope it fluffs up again. We had popcorn for lunch and a nice cold salad for dinner.
Sunday: (06/24) The sleeping bag fluffed nicely. I let it air out more hanging in the yard in the heat. I then packed it away. I also packed the tent. I managed to load my pack with all its contents minus a few items still to be located. I visited REI and got a new pair of hikers pants and some fuel for my stove. Breakfast at Los Altos Taqueria. For dinner, I made cabbage and onions steamed with weiners.
Monday: (06/25) I was off early to San Jose to get a recall taken care of on the Jeep. I picked up a breakfast burrito at A Good Morning restaurant on the way. Evidently, the cruise control could fail. It didn’t take long for them to flash the program on the Jeep to fix the potential problem. I stopped by at Dawn’s apartment to pick up some of Lou’s shoes. While there, I met their new cat. Quite friendly. I then went by Citibank to close our accounts there. A final step in our move to a credit union. Lou and Dawn were out to an appointment in the morning. When Lou got home we went out shopping. I needed a couple of wide-mouthed bottles like Gatorade for my pack. We also visited Lowe’s for some bubble insulation material for the RV windows. Also got some things at Sprouts Market. Later, I washed the RV and Jeep. We had hamburger steaks with corn on the cob and rice for dinner.
Tuesday: (06/26) Leftover cabbage, onions, and weiners for breakfast. I loaded my backpack and other items into the RV. I also confirmed my clothing quantities. I made a run to the bank to give them another signature to close my accounts there. They missed one form entry yesterday. I visited REI to get a dry compression bag to improve my clothing storage in my pack. I still need to get some compactor bags but may not need them for momentary water protection when crossing the rivers. Everything is in waterproof containers, bags or the bear can. I also stopped by Grocery Outlet to get new water bottles for the RV drinking water. I cut a piece of plywood for Lou. I also updated my PCT apps and trail data. I think I’m ready to leave tomorrow? Lou and Dawn were out for appointments and shopping all day in San Jose. I had a cheese sandwich for lunch. More leftovers for dinner. I had a chicken artichoke and swiss sandwich. After dinner, I went through what remained in my bedroom of my hiking supplies and surplus stuff intended for my hike.
Wednesday: (06/26) Artichokes and pineapple for breakfast. We loaded the last of our stuff and prepared the RV to roll. We were on the road by 1000. We stopped in Livermore at Costco for gas. Our route was 101 to 84 to 880 to 580 to 205 to 5 to 50 to 89 to 395. The hills weren’t bad. We stopped for lunch South of Sacramento at a, new to us, place called Noodle and Company.
The views of the mountains were wonderful though a bit smoky near Lee Vining and South. We arrived at Highlands RV Park at 1300 after filling the gas and LPG tanks. We set up camp and got the Air Conditioner going. I did all our hookup but the TV cable didn’t work. I haven’t been able to trace out the cables yet to figure it out so I ran a cable through the bedroom window direct to the TV. Wifi seems excellent in the park. If the weather isn’t too much hotter than today Lou and Dawn should survive. Lou made green salads for lunch.
Friday: (06/29) We had breakfast at the Pupfish Cafe in a bookstore downtown. Avocados were had by all with different additions. Dawn examined the associated bookstore while Lou and I did some shopping. While Lou and Dawn checked out the Ben Franklin Craft Store I checked out several backpacking suppliers nearby. Lou made ham cheese and pepper sandwiches for lunch. Later I stopped by the Forest Service Information Center and checked the trail conditions for my hike. All is good except for a fire lurking to the West of the trail. Our neighbor, who has been here for six months was busy removing several yellow jacket wasp nests from their trailer. I check ours and decided to plug a couple of holes around our front slide. We relaxed at home much of the afternoon. For dinner, we went to Jack’s cafe downtown. Lou and Dawn shared their favorite prime rib dinner. I had a nice CFS. And then there was a nice fresh peach pie for dessert. We stopped by the casino later for Lou and Dawn to lose their $2. We also visited the Rite Aid store and found an umbrella for our campsite table. We don’t have any trees for shade and don’t want to risk opening the RV’s awning due to winds. Losing an umbrella would be better.
Saturday: (06/30) We got up and out early and visited all 11 garage sales that were listed in the paper. After that, we had breakfast at the Pantry restaurant across the street. After that, I worked or relaxed at home. Lou worked, relaxed and visited the Visitor Information Center. She and Dawn also went shopping. Lou served leftover pork chop, BBQ ribs, Brussels sprouts, and roasted peppers with baked potatoes for dinner. I got my backpack fully loaded and updated apps and data on my phone and InReach GPS communicator.
