Shingle/Tarwater Creek Loop Hike

Tuesday: (07/27) Breakfast from Happy Donut in the backyard. I headed off for my hike at about 0800. I led a hike at Pescadero County Park doing the Tarwater Trail Loop. 11 of the 16 people that signed up joined me and we enjoyed one of my favorite hikes, only 5.9 miles and 700’ elevation change. After the hike Stephanie, her husband Les, Jim and Jay joined me in Redwood City at the Freewheel Brew Pub for lunch and a brew. While I was relaxing after my shower, I got a call from our tenant in San Jose that there was no hot water. We all drove down. The pilot light was out on the new water heater. I relit it and waited to be sure it heated up the water and remained lit. It did and we headed off toward home with a stop at Grocery Outlet in Sunnyvale where we bought too much stuff before heading home. Leftovers for dinner.

Andrea Visits

Thursday: (06/17) Extremely hot day. I was a chauffeur and personal shopper today. I took Dawn down to San Jose to pick up her friend Andrea. Then they had lunch at John's restaurant and dessert at Dolce Sicilia in Willow Glen. I took a walk and took a nap and then met them for dessert. After dropping them off here at the house in Palo Alto, I went shopping. A visit to Kwik Key to get some keys made, then Smart and Final, then Walgreens, and finally Grocery outlet. About 2000 I drove Andrea home and dropped off the keys with the tenants in San Jose. Waffles with berries and sausage for breakfast. A late lunch of a ham and cheese sandwich. Some leftover BBQ ribs for dinner.

Friday: (06/18) I made scrambled eggs and ham with cheese for breakfast. Mine became a sandwich. Another scorcher day. I did some weeding outside before it got too hot and also installed some drip pipe fittings in my new garden. then had a shower. Lou made hot German potato salad for lunch. About 1400 I took Dawn to pick up a free skeleton, then I took her down to San Jose to look at the thrift store she visited yesterday. She thought there might have been more electronics she could use for her pod casting. She also visited the Hickelby’s bookstore before we returned home. Lou made green salads for dinner.

Saturday: (06/19) Granola for breakfast. I got outside earlier to try to get something accomplished before the heat of the day. I worked on the drip water tubing installation for the raised succulent bed. Completed the installation of the sprinkler pipe to the hanging baskets and raised bed. Laid the red bricks under the hose and sprinkler valve area. Still need to install the bricks that need to be cut to fit. Also need to connect the sprinkler line to the raised bed. I noticed the cooler was weak. I inspected the cooler and tightened the belt. I also put some things away. I quit about 1100 and took a walk down the street to see what they were doing. It looks like they have almost finished the rebar and will likely be pouring concrete again Monday. Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. I worked in the backyard in the afternoon. I trimmed the wisteria and prepared for installing the bricks in the arbor by cleaning out the stuff that had been collected. Leftover soup for dinner.

Sunday: (06/20) Breakfast of Huevos Rancheros from down the street at Tacos El Grullense. I tinkered a little in the backyard working on sprinklers and drip lines. I also relaxed in the RV much of the day with Lou who is hiding from pollen. Leftover hot German potato salad with a sausage for a late lunch. BBQ ribs with baked potatoes and a carrot with raisin salad for dinner. The weather was pretty good today, only getting to 80 degrees.

Monday: (06/21) I got out early and worked on the arbor paving. I laid most of the whole bricks, just a couple of rows left and then a lot of cut bricks. Granola for breakfast. Home grown squash and sausage for lunch. Ham and cheese sandwich for dinner.

Tuesday: (06/22) Lou made French toast for breakfast. I got outside and did a little work finishing the last two rows of bricks and cutting and installing most of the threshold bricks. McDonalds fries with BBQ sauce for lunch. After lunch we headed off to Smart and Final and Nob Hill Markets for groceries. Steak with cauliflower for dinner.

Back To San Jose To Paint

Tuesday: (08/04) Granola and diced apple for breakfast. I loaded up the car with all the stuff to move back into San Jose. Seems like it was just last week that I brought all the shelf food back to Palo Alto figuring I would ever get back soon. Lou convinced me to to start a new digging project in Palo Alto and to go back and finish the San Jose paint job. In addition, the wood boring bee holes I found need attention. They seem to prefer unpainted wood so here comes some paint. I stopped on the way down for some groceries at Sprouts, Smart and Final, and Walmart and got lunch at the First Wok Chinese restaurant. In San Jose I enjoyed lunch and moved stuff in. I also cleaned the cooler out and started it. After I was all moved in I took an afternoon nap. I had pea soup for dinner.

Wednesday: (08/05) A walked over to La Victoria for my breakfast burrito. I brought it home and enjoyed my breakfast in the backyard with a neighborhood cat. The cat was grooming and playing with something in the lawn. He also almost caught a hummingbird that got two close a couple of times. I tinkered around until my 1000 AlphaANywhere webinar. After lunch of cottage cheese and peaches, I got outside and stripped some paint by Dawn’s window. I quit about 1600 and showered before leftover Chinese for dinner.

 

Thursday: (08/06) I worked on stripping more paint from above Dawn’s door.Mrs tennant came out and complained that I was interrupting the stay at home needs. I explained that the work needs to be done. I ended up quitting early and cleaned up outside and put things away for the weekend. I was a bit upset because she always complains about any work I do. But, I will cut back to only do what is least intrusive, so no striping for a while. If this lockdown continues too long I may not be able to do the project due to age. I hope it clears up soon enough. I will be returning to do some siding repairs and come concrete work but that should be quick projects.

Waffles and sausage for breakfast. Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Lou made spaghetti for dinner.

San Jose Tree Trimming

Tuesday: (07/28) I headed off early to San Jose. I stopped for a breakfast burrito from La Victoria Taqueria. Then on to Dawn’s place. The neighbor was trimming their giant tree and I was there to watch to make sure they don’t damage anything for our tenants. I also cleaned the leaves off the roof and tops of the rain gutters. The foam seemed to keep them clean. I also packed up most of the food I had stocked up on for the painting project that had to be deferred due to the Covid-19 response. They finished really quickly and I was off by 1100 toward home. I stopped to pick up lunch in Sunnyvale at the First Wok restaurant in Sunnyvale. Back home I help Lou a little by putting things back into the clean yard shed. The gardener may come tomorrow and the lawn needs to be empty. I also attended a campfire where I burnt up a lot of junk wood. I still have another day's worth of wood to burn another day. Lou grilled some vegetables from the garden and baked some sausage filled squash and roasted some tomatoes for dinner. All from the garden except the chicken sausage. 

Wednesday: (07/29) Granola and banana for breakfast I had my AlphaAnywhere webinar in the morning. Dawn had her online writing class. I had leftover Chinese food for lunch. We all drove over to Santa Cruz for the afternoon and did some walking around downtown. On the way home we stopped at Aqui Mexican restaurant for dinner.

San Jose Paint Job Officially Ended, For Now

Friday: (06/05) We all drove down to San Jose first thing today. We had breakfast burritos from La Victoria Taqueria there. I put away the scaffolding and picked up some things from the apartment. Lou dropped off some tomato plants at Cecelia’s place. On the way home we got gas. Back home, I got busy installing the concrete blocks for the wall. I only had to cut one block and finished laying all the bricks. Now to get some drip edge to help seal the space between the blocks. Dawn removed the grape vine, poor thing. I pruned some of the wisteria for easier access to install the blocks. Lou and I visited Lowe’s to try to find some plastic drip sticks to fill the gap between the blocks. They didn’t have any. At Ace, I found something that will work, some thin flexible plastic bender board. Chili sizes for dinner.

 

Second Week In San Jose

Saturday: (02/29) I walked over to La Victoria Taqueria for breakfast. I love their Orange Sauce. After breakfast, I took a walk around downtown and checked out the restaurants. Back home I went through my ballot and finished it then drove it over to the Registrar Of Voters Office. Done. Then I called Lou and Ernie and cleared the calendar for our Pinnacles visit. Unfortunately there were no RV sites available for reservation. There are a number that are first come first serve so I’ll hope we can get one since we will be arriving Sunday. I prepared and published my next Pinnacles hikes. I had a Lou’s chorizo chicken meat patty with mashed potatoes and carrots for dinner.

Sunday: (03/01) I worked inside the apartment cleaning out and organizing the closet. In the evening I worked on the taxes. Waffles for breakfast. Cottage cheese and fruit for lunch. Dinner was pizza from Sammy G's Pizzeria a couple of blocks from home.

Monday: (03/02) Granola with banana for breakfast. After breakfast I went grocery shopping at Smart and Final and Walmart. I stocked up on some extra food in case I do get quarantined, or want to be. I also got some more tubs to use on the shelves in the closet for tools and supplies. I had some chili beans with sausage for lunch. After lunch I got busy outside stripping the paint from the outside of the eves and then sanded it. After that I was able to move my scaffold back closer to the house and on the sidewalk so it’s more stable. I removed the other rafter support arm so it can be stripped and then adjusted to fit better. Then I cleaned up. After a welcome shower, I prepared some leftover chicken and artichoke with rice for dinner.

Tuesday: (03/03) Granola and banana for breakfast. I picked up some Smart And Final store brand granola and tried it this morning. It;s about ⅔ the cost of Sprouts, which is ⅔ the cost of everyone else. Pretty good. It’s not my favorite French Vanilla. It’s an oat based granola and is gluten free as well. I worked removing more paint until my heat gun failed. I headed off to Harbor Freight to get another, actually two. Doing the last half of the house used up three of them. In the afternoon I finished up the under eaves and upper wall. I prepared a hamburger for lunch with one of Lou’s chorizo chicken patties. For dinner I went to Sweet Tomatoes Salad Buffet to get some vegetables.

Wednesday: (03/04) Waffles for breakfast. I relaxed until just before 0900. Lou requested that I drop by her pot shop to get some CBD oil. So, I'm now a registered pot customer. After returning home I started to get ready to work on the paint job. But, I then attended my 1000 webinar before actually starting. I stripped the paint off the vent louver and detailed the removal from the cracks and seems as well as a little stripping lower down around the window. After cleaning up I walked down to a different nearby 7Eleven to pick up some sanding sponges I ordered on Amazon. My local 7Eleven didn’t have space in their Amazon Lockers. I tried to get dinner at a Mexican restaurant but failed. With 4 wait people and few customers No one ever took my order. I stopped by Subway for a sandwich before getting home. Lunch was a English muffin chorizo burger and some cottage cheese.

Thursday: (03/05) It was hard to get to work today. It was made harder because I had to watch the tree crew removing several trees from a neighbor. Fun to watch the aerial show climbing with ropes and a chainsaw 60 feet in the air. I did finish stripping the wall by Dawn apartment except for about 5 square feet below a window. Granola and banana for breakfast. A sausage sandwich and cottage cheese for lunch. Dinner at Sweet Tomatoes again.

 

Paint Prep

Monday: (02/24) I managed to delay starting work through the morning. I did some organizing of the apartment. I ordered some things online. I went over to the 7Eleven Amazon locker and picked up my new Battery Voltage Monitor (BVM712). My old BVM702 seems to be dead and the 712 has bluetooth so I ordered it as the replacement. I also got a couple of fans to use for a crawl space vent fan after I make a mounting plate for them. So then it was near lunch so I picked up a sandwich at Subway and a Chai Latte as well and had lunch before work. At work I set up my big scaffold and stripped more of the hose near my apartment door. Breakfast was peanut butter and jelly waffles. Lunch was a meatball sandwich. Dinner was artichoke chicken and rice.

Tuesday: (02/25) I went out shopping at Lowe’s in the morning. I really don’t like the cool mornings. After lunch, I tried to start stripping but the wind was too strong and my debris would have ended up all over the yard and lawn. So, I went off again to Harbor Freight and bought more tarps and clips. Back home I setup my second scaffold and hung tarps on the outside of the scaffolds attached with the clips.But after that was near 4pm and no reason to start. So, tomorrow I may have to start early in the cool air when hopefully, it won't be windy. Waffles for breakfast. A tuna and cheese sandwich for lunch. Chicken soup and toast for dinner.

 

Wednesday: (02/26) I worked a little in the morning. At 1000 I attended my Wednesday webinar then returned to work. I stopped a little after 1700 and took a shower. Lou called and said she and Dawn had colds so I’m staying in San Jose for a while. I drove home to get my hiking backpack and clothes. I also replaced a light bulb for Dawn and looked at the new Roku stick in the living room. It no longer responds to the remote. Must be a dud, only a week old. Waffles for breakfast. Tuna sandwich and chicken soup for lunch. Chinese food from Lucky Chinese Bistro in Mountain View.

 

Thursday: (02/27) I managed to get out later in the morning and strip the rest of the paint under the eves by Dawn’s apartment. I finished that about 1330 and broke for lunch. Dawn and Lou had some online orders they wanted me to do, so I did them at lunch. After lunch I walked over to 7Eleven to get two Amazon packages. One was my new Wen sander. It accepts velcro sanding sheets. For some reason I thought it came with 12 sheets but it only had one sheet in the box. I did order more sanding sheets but they don’t arrive until next week. Then I moved my scaffolding away from the house more so I could reach the outside of the eves. By then it was nearly 1600 so I called it a day. No need to get more dirty. I cleaned up and vacuumed the debris before enjoying my shower. Granola and banana for breakfast. For lunch I had a chili size. Dinner at Sweet Tomatoes Salad Buffet.

The Hyundai has a new problem. The EPS (Electric Power Steering ) light came on both when I left home for dinner and for the return. Restarting the car several times fixed it? Time to get it looked at.

Painting Prep Begins

Saturday: (02/08) A nice relaxing morning. I went through the pile in my office filing and such. Dawn was off to a Storytellers Winter Conference. Lou and I went to lunch at my Lucky Chinese Bistro then went shopping for a few things. Leftover artichoke soup for dinner.

 

Sunday: (02/09) Mostly, I relaxed inside all day. We had high winds. I was so relaxed I don't remember any breakfast. We had banana pudding for lunch. Lou made sausage with potatoes and sauerkraut for dinner.

Monday: (02/10) A nice La Victoria breakfast burrito to start. I installed some contact paper on the window where the cooler is and which doesn’t have a pull down shade. I also cleaned the windows. Then I worked at stripping the paint from near the windows of Dawn;s room. While getting my tools together I discovered I was missing the hose for the vacuum. I had taken it up to Palo Alto for one of Lou’s projects and it didn’t return. She couldn’t find it when I called. I just worked on the lowest part of the wall and used a broom and pan to cleanup. It was too windy to work higher up. I had guacamole with crackers for lunch. I went to the Tropicana Chinese Buffet for dinner. Haven’t been there before. It was high priced and not a great variety but they did have my favorite coconut shrimp. After dinner, I decided to head home to Palo Alto and try to find the, or a hose for the vacuum. No luck finding the hose at home.

Tuesday: (02/11) Lou made some sausage sauerkraut potato hash and eggs for breakfast. I spent some time looking further for the elusive vacuum hose. I did locate some hoses that will have to do but not the long 2.5” hose I need. I also brought my tool locker out of the tent. I’ll clean it up and bring it to San Jose next week. It will get some of the tools and materials off of the apartment floor. I stopped at Harbor Freight and at Lowe’s on Ridder Park in San Jose looking for a hose replacement. I finally ordered the replacement on Amazon. Not the old one will show up. I moved all the tree trimmings I made last week into the street for pickup on garbage day. Leftover chow fun noodles and banana pudding for lunch. After lunch I napped. Not a productive day.

Wednesday: (02/12) In the morning I attended my Wednesday webinar. Later, I worked stripping paint from the house. Some progress was made. Granola and banana for breakfast. Spaghetti for lunch. Chicken with artichoke and rice for dinner.

Thursday: (02/13) I made pancakes with jam and sausage for breakfast. I did a little more pruning of the trees in the front yard and stripped some more paint. I managed to get a chai latte around 1100. Usually I try after the place is closed. I also got to watch the fire department drive their big hook and ladder truck through the barriers that keep mere mortals from getting through with anything bigger than a UPS truck. We’ve seen many bad drivers roll over the curbs and a bus get high centers on the curb. They went through both forward and also backing. For lunch I had some leftover sauerkraut potatoes and sausage. I came home after a shower. Lou and Dawn had a meeting at Stanford then we went to dinner at Hobee’s restaurant.

Preparing My Nest

Monday: (02/03) Granola for breakfast. I loaded the car and headed off. I stopped at Walmart to pick up my order, a replacement box of tea. Then on to Lowe’s in Sunnyvale to return an extra valve from the RV toilet installation. I then stopped by the County Admin building at Hedding Street. I needed to see the benefits section to deliver a form. It turns out the section moved out of that building a couple of weeks ago. I went to their new location and learned that the form I had was an incorrect one for what they needed. I finally made it to the apartment. I brought the stuff I brought inside. I setup the computer and spent some time online getting and delivering the proper form to the County. I took inventory of what I might need and returned home. I got a late lunch at Lucky Chinese Bistro on the way home. I collected some things and loaded the car. Lou and Dawn had a class at The Little House in Menlo Park on balance.

Tuesday: (02/04) Granola and banana for breakfast. I drove down to San Jose after loading the car. I did some shopping on the way down. I spent the day cleaning up the apartment and moving in. Lunch at La Victoria Taqueria. I had to return to Walmart for a few more things for the apartment. Black bean soup and toast for dinner.

Wednesday: (02/05) Up at 0700 for my granola and banana breakfast. I started cleanup outside the San Jose house to make room to strip the paint. I had to go back to Palo Alto to get my chain saws and other yard tools to get rid of a lot of sucker trees from next to the house. On the way back, I stopped at Lucky Chinese Bistro for lunch. Back at the house I removed several trees and cut them up and placed them in the street for pickup tomorrow. Lou arrived at the apartment as I was gone and was waiting for Dawn to get through with her appointment at the Tech Museum to review their accessible signage. She departed as I was finishing up. I planned to go over to the nearby coffee shop and get a chai latte and relax. I learned they are closed by 1630 when I arrived. Darn. After a shower I had to relax without my tea. Leftovers for dinner.

Thursday: (02/06) Granola and banana for breakfast. I worked inside on the taxes all morning. After leftover artichoke chicken and rice for lunch, I went outside. I pruned one of the orange trees, removed the rest of the apple tree. I decided the apple tree was not growing above the graft but from the root stock. Not having it in the way at all will be much better. I also removed the rest of the sucker trees in the back yard, i cut them all up and piled them up under an orange tree. Today was the compost pickup so all i put out last night was picked up. All this new stuff i’ll put out next Wednesday. Alter putting everything away I took a shower and packed up and headed home. At home Lou and I picked Dawn at Stanford where she attended a lecture on exoskeletons and then we stopped for dinner at The Corner Cafe for salad.




Car use: Return trip from SJ to PA

San Jose Furnace Problems, Again

Saturday: (11/10) Left Pinnacles NP about 1000. Stopped at Lowe’s in Gilroy and bought a pipe plug to cap off the water to the toilet. I’ll have to lift it sometime to check whether it is a broken toilet or a pipe nipple? I installed the plug then continued on to San Jose. I stopped at the house in San Jose. Couldn’t find a parking spot closer than eight blocks away. I met Lou and Dawn there. She had brought the keys to the house. I checked the furnace and found it had a 31 error code which means a pressure sensor was either bad or indicating a problem. It seems beyond my easy solution so I scheduled a repair tech for Wednesday. Pancakes and sausage for breakfast. Lunch at Original Joe’s. I was dropped off at the RV and drove it home and tucked it in the driveway. Lou and Dawn were out shopping. They called me and told me that a neighboring closed restaurant was on fire. I walked down to take a look and found two ladder tower trucks and six pumpers from both Palo Alto and Mountain Views fire departments busy. El Camino Real was closed down so lots of traffic passing by in front of our house. We already had way too much smoke in the air from the Oroville fire so this really didn’t help. Leftovers for dinner.

Sunday: (11/11) We all drove down to San Jose. I dropped Lou and Dawn off at the mall for a walk indoors, out of the smoky air. I bought new smoke CO detectors and installed them at the San Jose house. Replacing batteries every year seems to be a problem so the new ones are good for 10 years. I also intended to install a new disconnect switch on the furnace but was missing some things so task deferred. I picked up Lou and Dawn and we headed home. Granola and diced apple for breakfast. Lunch at Aqui’s Mexican Cafe in Willow Glen. Leftovers for dinner.

Monday: (11/12) Smoky. Drove down to San Jose and installed the disconnect switch for the heater and identified the circuit. I also installed some LED lights in the apartment. On the way home I met Lou and Dawn for a late lunch at LUU noodle house. Pancakes with sausage for breakfast. Dawn’s soup for dinner.

Tuesday: (11/13) Air quality extremely unhealthy. I spent the morning cleaning up my shop. The floor had disappeared so I organized, put away, and disposed of a lot of stuff. I also pulled out a heater for Lou to use in the cottage while they clean it up. I ordered the concrete and bricks I will need for the next phase of the walkway and Ernie’s shed. I started to consider delaying the concrete floor for Ernie’s shed until next year due to some forcat rain next week and our starting to have colder days. I finally decided to go ahead and get the concrete and just have it available when we do have some nice days. I pretty much relaxed in doors the rest of the day. We have unhealthy air due to the fire in Butte County.  Granola for breakfast. Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Dawn’s soup for dinner.

Wednesday: (11/14) Air quality extremely unhealthy. I drove down to San Jose at 0800 to meet the Heater repair technician. He arrived about 1000 and checked the heater and found a tripped outflow sensor. Evidently when the heater was first started for the season it had difficulty lighting and possible that tripped the sensor. It must be manually reset. Now I know. Since the heater is 30 years old i had the igniter replaced while he was there. I also enrolled in Atlas/Trillo’s annual service plan, just in case. I had to go and get a new filter and install it and got lunch on the way from Lowe’s. I also visited Walmart’s super store on Story Road. After installing the filter I vacuumed the attic. Breakfast burrito from La Victoria Taqueria in San Jose. Lunch at TK Noodle House in San Jose. Fish with asparagus and rice for dinner.

The Best-laid Plans

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.

The cactus garden was in beautiful bloom as well.

 

 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.