Friday, February 8, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
TEMECULA
13/01/2013 8:54
AM
A side trip to
Temecula provided a welcome interlude from the Coachella valley. Cuda's
birthday began early at Coco's with a roadtrip treat from the waitress after
hearing about our birthday trip. ( FIRST RULE OF TRAVELLING: ITS ALWAYS
SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY OR AN ANNIVERSARY ) The pecan pie was delicious and would
save me later from making a regretful pizza order. Upon arriving in Temecula we checked the
visitor centre and picked up some 2 for one tasting coupons. Our hotel check-in
was not untill 1oclock so we decided to look-around old town and do a few
winetastings. Old town Temecula was a great 10 block expanse of shops and
restaurants with speakers attached to lamp poles and pumping out some great
jazz background which created a great ambiance for our stroll through town. A
great cigar shop with lax smoking regulations grandfathered in before
California"s draconian anti-smoking laws allowed patron smoking inside the
shop . The wine tastings were ok but
very expensive at $ 15 a pop. After Oregon, Walla Walla and our own Okanogan
valley we were not overly impressed with the overpriced offerings of Temecula
valley. The wineries themselves were opulent with nice views and great store
selection, but most of the wines we tasted were very average especially at
their price points of $20 to $ 40 dollars a bottle.
We did 4 wineries
our first day along with tasty lunch of brie and flat iron steak arugula salad
at the Pinnacle restaurant at Faulkner Winery. The complimentary birthday
cheese cake did not prevent Cuda giving a scolding to the proprietorship on the
customer satisfaction card, regarding food items arriving at different times,
at no fault of server. Another winery and we were ready to go back to our
hotel. We stopped at a small store with a sign that read liquor and fine
cigars. We walked into an outrageously obscene display of fine tequila's and other alcoholic delights.
 |
so much tequila , so little time |
This store looked small from the outside but inside it was a liquor superstore.
I walked over to the till and noticed a modest display of cigars. Is this all you got I pouted to the energetic
proprieter. "Go to the room in the
back. He responded. I noticed a small refrigerator near the till stocked with
caviar. This was getting interesting. We opened the door to the cigar room
.BAM We had died and gone to heaven.
This cigar room was over the top and I've been in
some good ones
 |
|
As Cuda started her inspection of the big ring gauge beauties , I couldn't help going outside the room and shouting to the proprieter " I
want your F...ing job. For a short while Cuda and Shark swam in a fantasy ocean
of unlimited possibilities before finally forcing ourselves to settle for a red
bottle of cassalado anejo tequila and the winner of Cuda's best rolled large cigar contest. Back
at the motel we annexed an area on patio near the hot tub to enjoy our bounty.
Happy happy happy This was possibly the best tequila we've ever tasted and the
cognac sprayed bad boy we smoked was better than ok for a non Cuban issue.
The next day a great public market in old
Temecula where I finally found the shark tooth I've been looking for for 2
years since my last one broke. This market was great with a good balance
between food and crafts. More wine tasting and finally back home through the
mountains. A word about the Best Western we stayed at. Very enjoyable, great
spacious room with new carpet, excellent heated pool and spa, superior
continental buffet breakfast, great value for $67.00 Honestly, nothing to
whine about, really. ( The bad taste in our mouth from staying in a cheap motel
in
Yukima is gone )
Cuda's birthday will continue.................
KOBE'S RESTAURANT / RANCHO MIRAGE
14/01/2013 12:34 PM
It started with a makeshift valet service of casually dressed kids trying to meter the flow of vehicles in front of a ample spacious parking lot. If you didn't ask about available free parking they would gladly take you $10 before directing you to the complimentary parking. Greedy or classy, I don't know. If your going to offer valet parking at least put some kind of dress code for your valets. It reminded me of steet urchins trying to charge you for parking in in Mexico. The grounds and water features of this restaurant were stunning. Especially the underwater lighting and Koi fish. We entered a very busy lobby 15 minutes before our reservations and were directed to a holding tank
lounge.,where I
immediately realized the chance of getting any service was as great as the
chance of the one lone waitress sprouting extra arms and legs. I muscled into
the bar and loaded the swamped lone bartender with one more drink order After a couple of scolding sakes and and bland cocktails we were directed to our
table with another group of people to await our chef and food. Performance was
ok and food was ok. This establishment was obviously riding on its laurels and
had no need to raise the bar. We've tasted much better at this kind of Japanese Venue ( Suheiro's in
Vancouver ) but it was a still fun dinner. I'll remember the ambiance
of the grounds and the koi fish.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
THE SMART GUY
There's one at every trailer park. He's the guy who has all the tools and that extra length of sewer hose that you wish you would have brought along. He's the guy who feeds off the ignorance and misfortunes of other rv'ers offering numerous tips on maintenance and things you can worry about going wrong with your trailer.
He's the guy who has formulated his own RV bible through lessons from his own fuck-ups, and from trying to emulate other smart guys he has come in contact with. He's the guy who knows every deal in town. He's the guy who feels compelled to drop a diarrhea dump of advice on you every time you come in contact. He's the guy you want to see screw up his sewer hose when dumping his black water causing a river of shit and toilet paper to spew over his trailer pad right in front of a large group of rv'ers having happy hour in the adjacent site. Seriously ,we all need the smart guy to help raise our dismally low trailer IQ and were just jealous bitches.
God bless the smart guy
GOD'S WAITING ROOM
Lear jets landing taking off .Supermarkets stuffed with booze and prime cuts of meat.Long manicured boulevards with rows of palm trees. Walled gated communities with grey haired minions plying the wide roads in luxury cars and golf carts.Beautiful mountains and glorious sun drenched days. Enjoy it while you can, your time here is short. God has an appointment with you. Obituary columns bursting with large pictures of people who have lived large in this valley of bliss. Some get streets named after them
Friday, December 21, 2012
Sol Invictus
Were still here
The day has arrived and it looks like we still have to pay off those credit cards. Now we have to listen to the excuses and the alterations from the doomsayers who eagerly flogged there books on us for the last 20 years
Why do we have to buy someone's book to become enlightened?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
YUCKIMA
Sun 4:30 am @ Knight's Inn Yakima Washington
Cuda is packing furiously to get us out of this dive. An excellent afternoon of martinis and cigars outside our room turned ugly and fucking dangerous. Last evening we were being cased by a couple of scumbag denizens of the local low life population of downtown Yakima.I think they were almost going to go for it and shake us down for our valuables. We'll treasure this experience later but now its time to regroup and bolt.
"NO STINKING SMOKE IN ROOM CLEANING
CHARGES FOR US'
PROLOG 1
Fri May 25 Our last day before our trip was a planning get the list done marathon.It's always a hectic race to the finish when were getting ready for a big trip during the busy work season. We were up to the challenge this time and capped off our day with a comped sushi dinner at a nearby Japanese restaurant. Earlier that day I had come across a guy in my yard eying up my woodpile, not for firewood but for a few pieces of natural logs to use as planter stands inside his restaurant. Deference and respect for this man rewarded us handsomely with a complete free meal not just the free appy I expected.
Day1 Sat may 26 My pre trip list seems to grow the closer I get to leaving but we made it and got out on time at 6 AM. No line up at the border as we loaded up on goodies at the Duty free store.Our spirits were high as we hi interstate 5 heading south to Walla Walla via Yakima.( overdrive in truck not working) We had decided to stop in Yakima for a nostalgic visit to a authentic Mexican market called Yakimex.which we had gone to on a previous vist there in our 5th wheel several years ago. Bad choice. The first few hours went by fast then a slow trek through the mountains to Levenworth. We arrived in Yakima at 1:30 Pm after a 6 hour push. Quite enough driving for me in one day. Some grande margaritas and chillies reanos rewarded us before undertaking some pre motel check-in wineries in Rattlesnake ridge Mediocre wines there sharpened our anticipation of the finer tastings ahead for us in Walla Walla.
"SWIM IN THIS SUCKER I DON'T THINK SO"
NICE ALGEA BLOOM
OUR ROOM AT KNIGHT'S INN (Loved the roll out chairs for smoking and drinking outside. Room *116 had seen better days. Formally a Ramada Inn this beauty had lost its 3 star rating along with the hair dryer, ironing board, kleenex dispenser and telephone which had all been declared null and void under the new ownership
" EXCUSE ME INN KEEPER
YOUR FOAM IS SHOWING"
Strong cleaning agents protected us from past room fatigue as evident by the well stained carpets and ripped curtains. After occupying our 1 1/2 star suite we pushed out a couple of chairs outside to soak up the ambiance of the Knight's Inn parking lot. Grey Goose vodka and Macanudo cigars fueled our Yakima meet and greet party. Other motel inhabitants emerged and started their own tail-gate parties. Some Cajuns dropped the tail-gate of their truck and fired up a barbecue and proceeded to cremate some burgers as their barbecue erupted in flames. Homeless people on foot and bike scoured the parking lot like scavenger birds circling some road kill. A crippled old man and blonde hillbilly kid made their way across the lot, I could almost hear the dueling banjos in the background Ever so often a sinister black and white patrol car would drive by the perimeter of our parking lot. Drug dealers, pimps and hookers lived in this area. We were on their turf and we had better show them some respect.
"ISN'T THE PEEPHOLE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE DOOR
A nearby gas station attendant informed me that we were lucky enough to be staying at the best of the worst. The other sleazy motel hell's around us were much more dangerous he informed me... almost expecting a tip for his brilliant travel info. Yeah ...... were so lucky ,,,,,, we fuckin won the lottery you dumb shit. Has a homeless street urchin burst through the doors muttering something to the attendant I headed back to my room with a 6 pack of coors and decided a pizza delivery was in order. Cuda was trying to make friends with a tailess cat as tailgaters started to head back to their rooms The party outside was winding down and a biker and his female companion had decided that this place was too edgy for them and decided to vacate even without convincing the Inn keeper to refund their deposit. Cuda had pushed the biker over the edge by telling him someone was eying up his bike while they were checking into their room. Biker leaving, not good. The parking lot was suddenly getting very empty as I noticed 2 slimeball lowlifes edging toward our open room. I grabbed my woman pulled in the chairs and closed the curtains. One of our doorlocks was broken and we prayed the deadbolt would hold and our truck would stay put and be there for our escape the next morning. Loma Loft and Walla Walla here we come. BAD YAKIMA GOODNIGHT
"HEY DUDE WHERE'S MY WINDOW? "
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