Rocky Top Campground 3/1 --> 3/4/2016 Part II

Rocky Top Campground 3/1 --> 3/4/2016 Part II

A quiet night here at Rocky Top. The temperature went down to 33 with no wind and no rain. The skies remains overcast and cold with temps only reaching 36 so far. I'm keeping busy on the laptop with emails, my banking and bills, depressing news--both foreign and political--, and plotting my next route over to Julian, WV, close to 4 hours away. The route I'm taking looks like it'll go along the tops of the Smokey Mountains and through Virginia and Kentucky. I'm looking forward to and expecting fantastic views (weather permitting). That will be on Friday, March 4th. It's becoming increasing clear that my "days are numbered" and reality waits salivating at my arrival and is eager to pile it all on: unopened mail, income tax preparations, dental app't, pickup eye glasses, discussion with orthopedic surgeon re: a new hip (or two), and Winnie's trip into Mercedes down in White Plains for a 15,000 mile checkup....all in the first week I'm home.

Meanwhile, to show you what life's about when you're sequestered in your RV with temps hovering around freezing (30 degrees right now), and no sunshine to entice outdoor activities. You'll soon understand what I spend my time doing.  I tried something different for lunch. A hot dog omelet:

Spray small frying pan with oil. Cook hot dog
slices that have been cut on an angle till both
sides are brown. You can do the same with
potatoes, red sweet peppers, onions or bacon.

After draining excess oil from pan,
pour egg evenly over browned
hot dogs. Cook till bottom is set.
Check with spatula.

While underside cooks, place

roasted peppers, bacon, shredded

or sliced cheese on top to melt.

Making certain bottom is thoroughly 

cooked, place spatula under omelet 

whose surface may still be fluid-like 

AND OVER THE SINK, flip entire

omelette to set and brown the other side.

Optional: place cooked omelet on slice of toast,
English muffin, or bagel.
Or keep each separate on side. 

Another one of my favorites for an easy to make lunch/dinner treat is English muffin pizzas:

After toasting English muffins, spoon a tablespoon or two of tomato sauce or ready made "pizza sauce" onto each muffin. Next sprinkle some Parmesan cheese before adding shredded mozzarella on top. Give a quick spray with olive oil to coat the top before placing into a toaster oven. Not having one in the RV, I put my convection oven in the GRILL mode, and place the prepared muffins on a piece of foil that lines the supplied grill rack turned upward such that the muffins are closest to the heating element at the top. Set time for 15 minutes and check periodically until the muffins are toasted to your taste.  

I was very happy with the outcome of an eggplant parmigiana dish I made with the convection microwave.

I also completed a project back at the Holiday Travel Park. With two beautiful, sunny days, I worked outside on the picnic table to sort my 2015 Topps baseball card set.  One less thing to do when I get home.

First cards must be sorted by 100's
Then these packs are sorted by 10's

Then, in numerical order, they're slipped into
9 card plastic pages for the notebook.

This year marks 45 years of complete sets
of Topps baseball cards in my collection:
From 1970 to 2015

And that takes care of my "adventures" in the northern most part of Tennessee. I've been reading a lot about the history of the area and where I'm about to visit in West Virginia. I drive along Orby Cantrell Highway or State Road 23. Interesting reading. To my cousin, John, I must tell you that "Hungry Mother State Park," although 16 miles on my way north, will take me 36 miles out of my way to my next destination in West Virginia.

"Hungry Mother State Park" is about where the "3 h 43 min" marker along the grey
route is in the above shot. The left turn toward the north is I-75 that
becomes I-64. The blue route looks to be along the top ridges  of  mountains,
State Road 58, then 23, Orby Cantrell Highway. Along the N Mayo Trail,
further into Kentucky, it becomes State Road 119.
See you in West Virginia.