Day: January 2, 2013

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Propane Locator

I haven’t been very mindful lately and ran my on board propane tank to just about empty. I always like to leave a buffer in case I can’t easily find a place to fill it when I get under way again. I hopefully have just enough to run the fridge until I can find a place to fill.

Since I’ll be here a few more days and want hot water, use of the stove, and possibly even use of the furnace, I asked my friend if she’d perchance know a place to have my little 30lb cylinder filled.

She gave me the website for Amerigas. I was able to put in our zip code and get all the propane dealers in a 20 mile radius. Most were bottle exchange places, but there were a few refillers, too. This company seems to be USA-wide.

I located a couple of refillers in Smithfield since I was going there anyway today. They wound up still being closed for the holidays or looked too sketchy to approach, so I called the nearest place in Suffolk, Suffolk Automotive, on Main Street, and they told me I could get propane until 6:00 p.m.

This location wound up being a tiny little garage with almost zero manoeuvring room, so it wouldn’t be a place to take an RV, but it’s convenient to get cylinders refilled since it’s just a couple of blocks from the Walmart and the staff is super friendly!

I’ve made a note of the refillers on my route south and I will call each one until I find one who says that they have lots of room for RVs. Perhaps finding propane on this section of my great adventure won’t be as much of a challenge as it was going north in the spring.

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Local Delicacies?

Every time I visit the grocery store, I see something that makes me think, “I’ve got to take a picture of that!”

Today, I finally did. I’m still afraid to Google what it is exactly:

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It is called a ‘chitterling loaf’ and there is a label that says ‘cooked pork chitterlings and pork stomachs, gelatin added.’ The ingredients are pork chitterlings, pork stomachs, water, vinegar, salt, gelatin, and pepper. My most educated guess is that this is akin to head cheese.

Okay, okay, the things I do for this blog. OMG, chitterlings are the intestines of a pig. And you’re supposed to eat this stuff cold on crackers. Note to self: if someone offers you chit’lins, smile, close your eyes, and remember you like raw fish.

Something else caught my eye and made me jump, but for what reason I cannot fathom:

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Eating pigs’ feet is part of my culture! Only, I’ve never seen the pig feet like these, only all yummied up in my aunt’s ragoût de pattes de cochons.