TrackTown, USA: We have a few days between track meets, so arranged for Brian to tweak a few things on the bus. The entry door needed some adjustment, the Aqua-Hot needed repairs and I asked Brian to install two lights above the stove. After five years, I am tired of cooking in the dark. There are under-counter lights over the sink and counters to the left and right of the stove. There is a light under the oven that illuminates the back of the cooktop. But if I am standing at the stove, or working on the counter with the cover over the burners, I am working in the dark. I'm blind enough already.
Adding the two lights completely ruined the perfect symmetry of the ceiling lighting layout, but I don't care - the two little bulbs flood the countertop with light.
In the Fifth Year, The RV Goddess declared: Let There Be Light.
The annual RV lube-oil-filter was scheduled for today. Our bus had to be across the interstate to Cummins from 8:30a until 4:00p, and we needed to keep ourselves busy all day in Eugene.
Now I am going to become one of those boring bloggers who report everything they do all day. (We woke up. Had coffee. Read the paper.... etc.).
First up, breakfast at the Excelsior Inn near campus. The Excelsior is a very adorable little hotel with 14 teeny quaint rooms and a very attractive dining room and lounge. Unfortunately the Inn was serving only one pork-free item for breakfast this morning - Brioche French Toast. Our meals were kinda luke-warm. Service was slow - one poor girl rushing around serving the entire dining room - and our coffee was also not hot. Not a pleasant way to start the day, so we walked down to the UO Bookstore to find a teeny tee shirt for a little Duckling we know in Los Angeles. The weather was just glorious all day and it was a joy to walk around the beautiful Oregon campus.
Next, we drove out to see the construction on the fabulous new addition to the Casanova Center - the University of Oregon Athletic Department-slash-football stadium. Uncle Phil & Aunt Penny have donated all the funds for the incredible renovation that includes an outdoor football practice field (because apparently the actual outdoor football stadium field and the indoor football practice field are not enough practice fields?) and a new building that will more than double the athletic department staff space. NFL teams don't have it this good - click here to see the architects rendering.
Under construction, the new Athletic Department offices sit above the new outdoor practice field.
The new office building (left) and the back (BIG O) of the scoreboard at Autzen Stadium. The roof rising in the right of the photo is the covered practice facility. Forget about wishing to come back as the lap dog of the Empress Dowager. Now I want to come back as an Oregon football player.Then we went to the Home Depot to purchase light bulbs for the motorhome, followed by lunch at the yummy Cafe Yumm!, a funky local chain that melds Asian and Mexican foods together in delicious rice-and-bean-filled bowls. I know it sounds odd, but the combos are almost indescribably good.
Yeah. So what if I order the same dang thing (Hot n Jazzy bowl, with Chicken) every time. Rice, Beans, Spicy Sesame Salsa, tomatoes, olives, avocado, organic chicken, cilantro... what a great meal and only $6.Cheaper than cold French Toast!
Back at Cummins, our RV still needed some work.
Our complicated computer system kept giving us a faulty code (ABS fault) about the braking system. My Driver would have to go outside to the bay under the driver seat and reset a switch or face a red FAULT code all day on his dashboard. Seems there was a teeny little leak, requiring the tag tires to be removed. I would say "it's always something", but with our RV, it rarely is anything and rarely anything serious. We really lucked-out with not getting a lemon when ordering the Magna Peregrinus. The techs atCummins Northwest are just the best. So knowledgeable, professional, friendly and accommodating. (I will say, a few of the technicians are huge Duck fans and love seeing our bus come in every year.)
The leak was repaired, the engine was lubed, oiled and filtered - and we had our generator serviced. We were back to our campsite around 4 o'clock.Tomorrow begins four days at the track. The University of Oregon is host to the NCAA Championships! (For those of you not following along... we will watch the top collegiates in the USA compete at Historic Hayward Field for national team and individual titles.) It's going to be huge. The weather is promising to cooperate and it will be a fantastic few days of The One True Sport!
Until my next update, I remain, your repaired and resting correspondent.
RV PARK: Premier RV Resort - Large RV park on I-5 (exit 199). Long pull-through sites with full hookups, 50/30 amp, bath houses, laundry, pool & hot tub (in season), fitness center, cozy fireplace lounge with TV, store, ice, newspaper delivered to your door six days per week. Freeway noise and a lot of live-ins. Premier RV Resort is conveniently located near the many RV repair/service businesses located in Coburg or Junction City. We are paying $34 per night with our frequent-flyer card discount.