Yesterday's breakfast gathering of the gang from Jamestown was a rare occurrence. We had all 6 from Jamestown attend plus Bob Weeks from Gallup at Grandpa's Grill. For one reason or another, we don't often get everyone present.
It was such a rare event that we had the waitress take a group photo.
| Above, starting at the back row from left going clockwise are Bob Weeks (waving), yours truly, Roger Slape, Greg Lucier, Larry Lucier, Russell Azbill and Victor Gomez. |
Well, not Godzilla himself, but rather a 70th anniversary commemorative coffee mug.
I had ordered it on June 1 and it finally arrived today. I think the sender was somewhere in Asia.
Although I have many coffee mugs, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to add this one.
Here it is:
| Above, the roads are too icy for the Mustang and it's too cold out for the Jeep. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I took a look outside and the roads in the community are still icy. The Mustang would not be a good choice to be driving on them at it is rear-wheel drive.
Also, it is about 19° outside. That is too cold to be driving the Jeep, even though it could handle the roads in 4WD.
So, I will be hitching a ride with Greg Lucier this morning. His Subaru is all-wheel-drive, a much better choice.
| Above, at the Gallup Coffee Company in downtown Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
First, I dropped off Larry Lucier at his physical therapist's for his hour and a half workout.
From there, I headed over to Albertsons' market to pick up a few groceries. After that, I headed over into the historical downtown district of Gallup to the Gallup Coffee Company shop for an espresso. Gallup Coffee Company is like Starbucks, only better. It is a few doors from the historic El Morro Theater.
| Above, at the Gallup Coffee Company. |
After hanging out at the Gallup Coffee Company, I went to pick up Larry and we headed over to the Cracker Barrel restaurant to celebrate his brother Greg's birthday.
It was a nice day out (around 80° outside).
Recently, I purchased a couple of camp mugs from the John Wayne Stock & Supply.
I am in the process of replacing drinkware and dishware in the motorhome. The plastic ones are starting to get worn.
The John Wayne Stock & Supply has these camp mugs for $18 each. I decided to buy a couple of them.
By the way, the saying, “Feo Fuerte y Formal”, translates to “Ugly, Strong, and Dignified”.
To access John Wayne Stock & Supply, go here.
| Above, finally, after 20 years I'll be having my favorite brand of coffee. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
During the strike, some products were not available. One of them was Chase & Sanborn coffee, my favorite coffee brand.
When the strike ended, some products returned but Chase & Sanborn coffee didn't. It wasn't available anywhere. I had to switch to Maxwell House coffee. It was pretty close to Chase & Sanborn in flavor. I haven't seen it any Chase & Sanborn since.
The other day, I thought about it and did some searching to see what happened to it. Well, I never did find the answer, but I did find that it was still available and found some at Amazon, of all places. So I ordered a 30.5 ounce can and it arrived yesterday and I picked it up from the post office this morning.
As soon as my current batch of Maxwell House is gone, I'll be making myself some Chase & Sanborn coffee. I hope it is still as good as it was 20 years ago.
| Above, Haruo Nakajima at G-FEST in 2008. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
This is a Japanese advertisement for Boss Coffee, a major coffee brand (part of Suntory) in Japan. This ad is three years old, but it is only now that I've seen it (thanks to Stan Hyde).
Although a coffee ad, it pays tribute to Haruo Nakajima and what he endured while playing the King of the Monsters.
Here's the ad:
| Above, the group at Grandpa's Grill last November. |
Last night, I went to Denny's at the Flying J for dinner.
I ordered the salmon dinner and coffee. Then I was told that the manager of the restaurant "forgot" to order coffee and they only had decaf available. They won't get any coffee in until Friday, unless a sister Denny's in Gallup gives them some.
Since our group in Jamestown goes to Denny's on Tuesdays for coffee and breakfast, an alternate plan was made. We're heading to Grandpa's Grill in Gallup today.
This plan doesn't upset any of the group as most feel Grandpa's Grill has better food at more reasonable prices.
So we're all going to hop into Larry's "magic bus" and head into Gallup.
Yup, somebody f*cked up!
With each passing minute (not just each passing day), the world is getting more wacko.
The latest is that a Canadian "study" has found that people should drink less coffee to combat climate change.
From the New York Post:
Canadian researchers analyzed coffee’s “contribution to climate change” in a piece published in early January and suggested people moderate their consumption of the popular drink as a part of the solution.
Researchers Luciano Rodrigues Viana, Charles Marty, Jean-François Boucher and Pierre-Luc Dessureault wrote in an analysis published in The Conversation that pollution from preparing coffee was “just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Limiting your contribution to climate change requires an adapted diet, and coffee is no exception. Choosing a mode of coffee preparation that emits less GHGs (greenhouse gases) and moderating your consumption are part of the solution,” the researchers at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi wrote.
The study also found that using coffee pods to brew coffee contributed less to the carbon footprint than brewing coffee with a traditional filter.
To read more, pour yourself a cup and go here.
| Above, the gang at Grandpa's Grill in Gallup this morning. |
Today started out interestingly.
After getting most of the gang (one decided to drive himself) into Larry Lucier's bus to head down to the Flying J, we arrived at Denny's only to find a couple of McKinley County Fire Department vehicles in front of Denny's.
One of the workers of Denny's told us that they will be closed for a "short time" due to a small kitchen fire. The workers put it out before the fire department arrived.
So, we decided to head into Gallup to have our coffee/breakfast gathering at Grandpa's Grill.
It actually worked out better for us. We got better food at a lower price.
Later, after dropping off everyone, I headed down to the post office at the Flying J and found that Denny's was still closed (that was around 1:00 this afternoon). It was a good thing we didn't wait around.
This morning, our coffee/breakfast group gathered at Denny's at the Flying J for our usual Saturday coffee and breakfast.
Joining us today was Nandoh Munoz. There was one of our group missing, Roger Slape, who was in Heber, Utah.
I had our waitress photograph the group.
| Above, (left to right) Nandoh Munoz, yours truly, Larry Lucier, Greg Lucier, Russell Azbill and Victor Gomez. |
| Above, my Stanley camping percolator. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
RV Life has posted an article about RV coffee makers. The writer doesn't seem to like them for various reasons.
Frankly, I think he's overexaggerating.
When I am camping at a campground or RV park, I use my Black & Decker 5-cup coffee maker. When I am dry camping (i.e., no hook-ups) I use my Stanley percolator.
I do agree with the writer on one thing: clean-up. The coffee maker isn't so bad, but I find cleaning the percolator to be a pain-in-the-butt in dealing with coffee grounds that have escaped the basket.
There are some places, like the Route 66 RV Resort near Albuquerque, that have free morning coffee in the recreation room so I don't have to deal with either. For me, that would qualify as the "best" RV coffee maker.
That said, here's how the article starts:
I hate my RV coffee maker. Mind you, I love what comes out of it. In fact 66% of Americans agree…we love coffee. We love the way it smells, the way it tastes, and the way it clears a foggy head in the morning. Come evening time, we love the way it brings us together for conversation, or takes that over-sweet edge off your favorite slice of cheesecake. But that RV coffee maker…ugh!
To read more, go here.
| Above, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock. |
The other day, I had to pick up a few things over at Walmart.
While walking through the kitchenware section, I spotted a coffee mug. It was of the late Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in Star Trek.
On one side, it had an image of Nimoy (a good one) giving the Vulcan hand sign and on the other, Spock's Vulcan salute, "Live Long and Prosper".
| Above, the Vulcan salute. |
Since the mug was under $5.00, I decided to get it, even though I have a cupboard full of coffee mugs.
It also reminded me of the time I saw Nimoy perform at the Shubert Theater in Century City's ABC Entertainment Center as Sherlock Holmes and Alan Sues as Prof. Moriarty back in the 1970s. The ABC Entertainment Center (along with the Shubert Theater and the Playboy Club) was demolished in 2004.
| Above, actor Jim Davis with his John Wayne coffee mugs. From the Jim Davis Memorial Page. |
Here's some movie trivia.
For those who worked with John Wayne on his movies (cast and crew), when production ended, they were given custom-made coffee mugs as a thank-you memento for their work from Duke.
According to the John Wayne Cast & Crew Mugs Database:
Welcome to the John Wayne Mugs website. Many of Duke’s fans are not aware of his fondness for custom made coffee mugs. Beginning with Flying Leathernecks 1951 and through The Shootist 1976, John Wayne had custom mugs made which he gave to the cast and crew of each movie. These beautiful heavy mugs featured an image on the front commemorating the movie and was personalized on the back to it’s recipient from Duke. Through the years, they were produced by several companies. The earliest mugs were actually hand painted by Bob Williams an artist renown for the designs he created. While each movie’s mug is unique, just about all of them feature a distinguishing genuine gold painted handle. For those fortunate enough to be given one, as you can imagine, they are treasured as the works of art they are and especially because they came from Duke. They have become extremely valuable to collectors as there were so few made and they mean so much to those they were given to. Years back, Red Adair’s (Hell fighters) granddaughter, at her late grandfather’s auction, was asked if Red’s mug would be available. She replied “No, not at any price”.
| Above, after-dinner coffee. |
Today was spent mostly indoors except for a grocery trip to Thoreau and a trip to the Flying J.
During dinner, I watched for the first time in a long time National Lampoon's Vacation (1983). One scene was very familiar. It was shot in Monument Valley with the Three Sisters formation in the background. I had forgotten that Monument Valley was used.
| Above, the Three Sisters in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It has been cloudy all day with winds. It really didn't get past 65° all day.
Tomorrow might bring us thundershowers, but that's only a 20% chance.
According to the National Weather Service:
Tonight
| Above, inside the Jamestown Denny's at the Flying J. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Now that McKinley County is at green level on coronavirus restrictions, the Jamestown gang is heading to Denny's at the Flying J this morning for the first time since last spring.
Green level allows indoor dining at 50% of a restaurant's seating capacity.
Now that we have a go-ahead, the gang will be gathering for coffee, breakfast and good conversation.
Knock on wood!
| Above, my Stanley camping percolator. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Coffee! Must have coffee in the morning!
That includes while out on the road camping somewhere. When I camp at a RV park or campground with full hook-ups, I use my 5-cup Black & Decker drip coffee maker. If I am dry camping (no hook-ups), I use a Stanley camp percolator.
Good Housekeeping has a list of 10 best camping coffee makers. Neither of mine are on the list, but they work just fine for me.
They start with:
As much as we love our elaborate at-home coffee setups (Coffee grinders! Espresso machines! Pour-over coffee makers!) most of those tools are not exactly portable. If you’re heading into the great outdoors and want a good cup of joe, you’ll need to take a different approach. That's why we set out to research and test the best camping coffee makers that prioritize portability, durability, and brewing convenience without sacrificing taste.
The Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab has spent decades testing kitchen appliances and coffee makers, including drip coffee makers, single-cup brewers and French presses. When we test coffee makers, we round up the best models on the market and narrow down the field before testing for aspects like ease of use (like filling the water tank and brew basket and cleaning the carafe and filter after use, if applicable). We also take temperature readings during and after the brewing process, as well as during the keep-warm cycle. And of course, we rate the flavor of the resulting cup of coffee.
While we haven't formally tested every one of the camping coffee makers on our list in the Lab, we've selected many of our road-tested top picks from top brands in our other coffee maker categories, vetted user reviews, and know what to look for when it comes to buying the best: Material, price, durability, and ease of use. Here, we prioritized camping coffee makers that are easy to clean, lightweight for their category, reasonably priced, built to last and that brew a great cup of coffee efficiently.
To see their list of best camping coffee makers, go here.
| Above, having a morning cup of coffee at a Tokyo Denny's. |
It looks like I'm doing the right thing according to a new study.
The study found that people who drink alcohol and coffee everyday could actually help people live longer.
Travel + Leisure posted:
You may want to rethink your New Year’s resolutions. A new study suggests that drinking alcohol and coffee may help you live longer.
Perhaps coming as good news in the break between Christmas and New Year’s, a study from the University of California Irvine suggests that people who “drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.”
“I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,” Dr. Claudia Kawas, one of the study’s main researchers, said earlier this year at a conference for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The operative word in this finding is, of course, moderate. According to the study, those who drank only two glasses of wine or beer per day decreased chances of premature death by 18 percent. Two cups of coffee per day decreased chances by 10 percent.
To read more and see a video, go here.
| Above, a view of the deluge from the garage. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
| Above, all set up before everyone arrived. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
| Above, Victor (left) and Russell. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
| Above, from left Russell, Mike (foreground) and Larry (partially hidden). Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
| Above, Arden (left) and Greg. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
| Above, doing today what I couldn't do yesterday. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |