Indio, California: You know it's going to be a great day when your sister is flying-in for the weekend and Our Blonde Daughter shows up for champagne breakfast!
Yes, the hipsters have arrived to the Coachella Valley for the music festival, so Angela started her weekend with our traditional pre-Coachella champagne toast! (Canapes and champagne are breakfast, right?) Today was the first time Angela (Maiden of Honor at Lisa's wedding) had seen our completed casita. She loved our new home-away-from-home.
Angela & MeAfter Angela headed over to the Polo Grounds for the music festival, DT and I headed out to Palm Springs International Airport to fetch My Sister, Renee. I-10 was fine heading west. East was another story (completely stopped due to music festival traffic). We chose to avoid I-10 on the return route and decided - spur of the moment - that My Sister would enjoy a leisurely drive through Old Palm Springs and a snack at LuLu. It was a great decision. By the time we finished our light lunch, most of the hipsters were at the music festival and we had a smooth cruise back to Indio via Highway 111. Always a great route for visitors.
After Renee settled-in, Jim and Mary happened to cruise by in their new boat.
Did I say "new boat"?
Remember their very lovely boat they have owned for several years? The very lovely electric boat they have used to take us on countless fun cruises around the two-mile waterway in The Motorcoach Country Club?
April 2010The lovely blue boat (that resembled the African Queen)... the boat they used last week to tour My Dad and Mary around the resort...
Last week...has been replaced with a newer model. Jim and Mary feel their new electric boat will work better to accommodate their growing family (4 grandchildren!) and the easy-access entry door will accommodate sailors of any age.
THIS IS CAMPING: DT, Mary, Terry & Renee on the new (yet-to-be-named) boat.Photo by Captain Jim.
Before all this socializing, Dave and I were up early this morning preparing for our breakfast and weekend guests. We like to be guests at our parties and do not want to spend time in the kitchen when we could be with our family and friends. Nearly every menu I plan is easy to prepare ahead.
Tonight we were serving My Sister Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa, so this morning I put together the salsa and rubbed the salmon filets with ground cumin. Asparagus spears were blanched and marinated all day in a dressing of fresh ground ginger, sesame oil, peanut oil, Japanese vinegar and soy sauce. All we needed to do for dinner was grill the salmon and push the button on the rice cooker (jasmine rice cooked in light coconut milk). Last evening I made up a chocolate hazelnut panna cotta for dessert. This may sound like a lot of cooking, but I bet I did not spend an hour in the kitchen.
Such an easy meal... and I hate to mention to my cold-weather readers about the weather this evening. Not a hint of a breeze. Not a cloud in the sky. Lovely warm temperatures. A perfect evening to enjoy dinner under the stars... with music from the Coachella Music Festival wafting-up every once-in-a-while. Even the Seattle Mariners won. My Sister thinks we winter in Paradise.
Until my next update, I remain, your completely hip correspondent.
RV PARK: Motorcoach Country Club - The Crown Jewel of Motorcoach Resorts. 400 sites, three pools, three spas, fitness center, golf, bocce ball, tennis, 2-mile waterway, fine-dining restaurant, bar, security, planned activities, perfectly maintained. Sites for sale or rent.