TrackTown, USA: Our morning was easy, as our motorhome did not have to be across the interstate or servicing until noon. The crew at Cummins NW are super nice, talented, knowledgeable, efficient and 99.9% Duck fans. They love the paint job on our coach. We scheduled the usual lube, oil and filter - plus a generator servicing. This left us with four (or more) hours to kill, but this isn't a problem in our old college home town.
First stop was for lunch. Two of Kathy's nephews (cousins - sons from Kathy's two sisters) have opened a food cart downtown Eugene! So exciting. Lannon and John operate a food truck devoted to dumpling/gyoza - The Dumpling Group. They open at 11a. We arrived at one o'clock and the boys were nearly sold-out. On a Tuesday. I think this is a good thing.
I think the guys were a bit surprised to see us at their window when they were basically sold-out, but managed to produce a very nice lunch for their old family friends.
They made us each a chicken katsu (breaded Japanese-style chicken cutlet, served each of us one of the two remaining chicken gyoza (dumplings), a ball of sticky rice and a pickled carrot. The meal was served in a paper clamshell with chopsticks and several dipping sauces. We ate it all.The Dumpling Group offer pork, chicken and mushroom dumplings, chicken katsu and beverages. That is all. Limited menu. Guaranteed to sell-out every day. Brilliant. During the day, the truck is parked on a busy street corner (8th & Olive) in Eugene. In the afternoon, they drive it home.
Loving me some dumplings!
University of Oregon Athletic DepartmentAfter lunch we visited the Duck Shop at Autzen Stadium to purchase a less-tacky "O" for the front of our golf cart in Indio. After explaining our needs to the staff, they set us up with the most amazing yellow "O" that hopefully we will be smart enough to affix to our golf cart. It's a 3-step process... but the decal comes with written instructions and visual aids. Maybe we can apply the decal.
Maybe we will ask Leo and Lucy for help.
Never mind our purchase. The most amazing sign awaited me when I pulled-out my debit card to pay for the decal:
If you are not a college football fan, you may not get the joke. If you get the joke, you just spit-out your coffee laughing.We also stopped by Mindy's Needlepoint, Will Leather Goods, the TrackTown USA office, and bought a few fresh veggies at a market. (Don't want too much fresh produce onboard as the Agricultural Inspection at the California border is so dang unpredictable.)
Our motorhome maintenance was finished at 4:30p. Just the usual servicing, with the addition of a new air filter this year. Not quite like going to Jiffy Lube or Oil Can Henry... but we must take care of our motorhome. We had a little scolding from the tech: USE YOUR GENERATOR! When they fired-up the genset, a huge black cloud of smoke blanketed out, signaling serious lack of use. We are guilty as charged. And the reason our dash air conditioner fails? Lack of use - sitting in Indio for months.
Use it or lose it!
We stayed in this evening, finishing the Salsa Chicken Chili from last night and watching a very exciting World Series game. I suppose we will watch another very exciting World Series game tomorrow night? Where we will be tomorrow night is a mystery, but we plan to point this bus south in the morning. The weather is not expected to be an issue.
Until my next update, I remain, your little dumpling correspondent.
RV PARK: Premier RV Park. I-5, exit 199. Large paved pull-throughs. Back-in sites line a small lake. Laundry, fitness center, club house, bath house, recycling, small store. 50 amp, free wifi. This park is very popular with campers in the area for repairs and maintenance at the many nearby RV facilities. We would have paid $51, but tonight was a free night with our frequent flyer card!