Airstream – Page 2 – Canned Comfort

Ready, Set . . . .. . . . . GO?

Oh boy! We are getting in one more adventure before we stop for the vacation season. Yep we are going back to Pinnacles for one more look. Usually we are cleaning and repairing our silver castle for a little rest time while we wait and prepare for fall adventures. We like to travel when the weather is cooler, less crowded and a different vacation perspective.

As we began the process of emptying the coach of all foodstuffs, clothing, doggie treats and linen we received a call from my brother. He got us our newly found favorite spots at the Pinnacles! As we had already started the process of cleaning we decided just finish the job and be ready for the next trip.

Keeping your rolling home clean and repaired means that the surprise trip will not have major “surprises”! This practice is well worth the effort as it protects your investment, your traveling dream maker! I am always surprised how the simple little fixes prevent the big owies.

When we first ordered our Flying Cloud I read and re-read the marketing booklet and then the manufacturer’s recommendations to be prepared to give loving care to our new silver dream!

The how of cleaning small spaces can be challenging or easy and green. The cleansers on the market may not be compatible with the interiors of campers, trailers and RV’s. The surfaces are not to be scrubbed to death and our aluminum walls are special. I have used multiple sprays, antibacterial cleansers and also learned not to use chlorine liquids. Fragrances of cleaners are also a potential hazard for those with allergies, animals and sensitive skin. The solution? H20 Home! Yep I found it was very simple, the difficulty is in leaving old habits behind. I did mention it in a previous blog but now I am really liking it. The process kind of makes you question the new way and then go ahhh.

When we returned home this last trip I really got energetic and thought a study this process was needed. This is what I did. I analyzed storage space for a cleaning kit I could keep in the trailer and make the upkeep ongoing and minimize the pre-rest cleaning time. All I needed was three (3) chiffonnettes, one container of clay cleaner, and water. Yep that is what I was going to us to clean the entire inside of my coach.

I had read on another blog how a traveler used two dish pans that fit the sinks to clean dishes and then disposed of the boiled rinsing water into the blackwater tank instead of the grey water. By doing this it helps keep the level of the greywater tank lower- more room for shower water! This saved overuse of water and disenfectied the dishes at the same time. Check out this blog J5MM to really see how she did this.

Back to the new process study. I read the directions on the use of the chiffonnettes and thought it was too simple. I wrung out the thickest one for the counter top and began to wipe down the surfaces, hmmm then did the same to the cabinet doors and was really surprised as it shinned with a wipe of the medium towel. I rinsed out the first towel as needed with just warm water. No cleaners, no sprays and no disinfectants. All surfaces and mirrored surfaces gleamed. I then used the clay cleanser product with its little sponge and worked on the sinks and stove top. It has never looked smoother and shinier. I proceeded with this same process to include the aluminum walls and ceilings and got the same results. It was amazing. I did spend a lot of time going end to end but I only utilized water and the clay cleanser. No drip marks and no overpowering fragrance. WOW! Along with this thinking I decided to see what I would actually need to keep her clean on the go and when she rests. How much space, how much effect on the environment and keeping everything easily cleanable and pretty. I also began to think about dishwashing, clothing and towels. I know I can over think a lot but I like to keep things pretty and clean. I came up with a small collection that fits in a small basket under the sink!

Here is the Silver Coach Package: I slips right under my sink and the basket was from the dollar store! It has the three chiffonnettes, two sponges different colors so you can use one for the bathroom, one for dishes with two sides. Clay cleanser for the tough spots and the spots on the floor or carpet, dish cleanser to put two drops on the dish sponge( they can be cleaned and disinfected in the dishwasher at home), the Netepur bar to put on the stains on the camping clothes! Works like magic! Kids clothing actually survives to camp another day without the stains. If you would like to learn more about the super Silver Coach Package from Monica Hein of H2O Home at 1-831-566-5324. She really gets the Airstream dream and of course she cares about the environment.

Well enough cleaning I need to rest to get ready for our next Pinnacle Trip. It is going to be very hot!

Oh, Friday Escape Is Here!

As I worked all day, my hubby had the responsibility to pack our silver comfort to go to Pinnacles. I have lived all my life within 2 hours from this jewel, ALL MY LIFE! Recently we had the epiphany of the beauty surrounding us. Everyone lives near beauty but thinks that over the hill on the other road is where beauty is. Living in the central California Montery Bay Area we take so much for granted.

After our adventure in the real winter of Nevada and Idaho we wondered if we couldn’t enjoy our Airstream closer to home and learn how to benifit more from our cozy comfort. We have survived our frozen poopscicle and many other challenges, as all travelers do. We have learned to laugh and cherish the lessons learned and the appreciation of the moment.

The weather has been warm and clear for too long. We planned on more of the same but of course mother nature had other plans. As I worked through the day watching the clouds gather, my man and doggies prepped for our journey. I had left a list of food stuffs and clothing to pack so we could enjoy an old new “jewel”.

My brother and wife were going to join us. What fun. Of course I worked an hour later than expected, the skies where getting dark with clouds and the wind was getting stronger. I could not wait to get in the truck. As we started out from my office we began our journey.

The skies were getting darker as the sun bagan to set and the storm began to gain momentum. Oh well, that just meant we could have a little adventure and expierence some weather. Of course our “weather” is nothing but a mild inconvenience. We love our climate we just need rain!

The road and emotions began to lift as we left the highway and city behind and drove through Hollister, California. Unfortunately for us the darkness cloaked the beauty we drove by. It is so fun to see our silver coach behind us. It signifies freedom from work, stress and pressure. When your think about it, we don’t need to travel days for beauty and regeneration of spirit. It surrounds us. We just need to see it.

As per usual we really don’t know where we are going, ok we have general directions and a road. It is dark and the signage for Pinnacles is minimum. We travel along wondering when the rain will drop. We keep going and arrive after dark at the park. We get a little confused on the road and finally find the campground. We find our spot and easily park. Wow it was too easy. We settled in and took our doggies for a walk as the rain started in earnest. We laughed and enjoyed the smell of rain and knowing our doggies were soaked! Luckily we had put up our awning which sheltered us as we toweled off our friends. It was an easy evening and the rain played music on our roof. The enjoyment of the sound of rain lulled us to sleep.

The morning was lazy and enjoyable. The park was less than half filled, no generators were allowed at all but we had electric hookup. Comfort, beauty and quiet. We did not have our Nesspresso Pixie nor the Frother! Someone who shall remain nameless forgot to pack our beauties. We pressed on and enjoyed our french press coffed instead. I do miss the frother though. hmmmm

Our Pixie and frother to the rescue. — Our Pixie and frother!

We had dinner outside, slow roasted lamb ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and blanched asparagus with goat cheese and bread. We ate outside under the stars as the rain passed over and the stars were out. Just before dinner the ranger held an little discussion on the California Condor! It sprinkled throughout the presentation but it was informational and fun. We walked back to our trailers and began to set out the picnic table for dinner. I drained the fat off the ribs and spread salsa over the garlic sea salt rub and we ate hungrily.

Of course we can not have a trip without fun. As I brought a beautiful toasted lemon cake with toasted coconut frosting it flew off the plate in my hands and landed on the ground! I had waited for a taste of this luscious cake for days. Sooooo we saved the top layer and followed the 5 second rule and all tasted the cake with a little extra seasoning. Nothing ever goes as planned! Flying Coconut Cake is the first evening star.

As we go back to our trailer and start to clean up I realize my hubby did not pack our H2O Home cleaning tools to pick up. But even worse my sink was not draining. We tried boiled water, at least three times and realized that the hot water only went so far down the pipes! I unwound the plumbing stuff and found a 2 inch by 1.5 inch fat plug! We had a fat-scicle!!! We went from poopscicle to fatscicle! wow so much laugher and fun.

Soooooo all systems clear, we rest as tomorrow we go a hiking to the caves!

Rain Rain Happy Day !

How wonderful to actually be hearing RAIN again. The warm weather is beautiful but the rain is what we need. It also makes we want to travel. Yep, weird huh. While everyone is on the road during the good weather the cooler, more unpredictable weather and fewer options for open campgrounds etc make it more exciting.

I must say without the weather challenges, less utilized camp grounds and quieter landscapes we would be bored. No fun, goofy memories. I love reading the many blogs that feature Airstreams and decor. It makes me think, what is our style of travel. We know we love to cook, then Airstream comes out with limited edition gourmet cook version of our dream size coach. Ohhhh bad! The challenge is to make more with less space and re-think the decor, comforts we slowly find we either need or don’t. Oh boy more fun! In two weeks we are traveling far away (90 minutes) to the Pinnacles National Park. Shall we see California Condors, large wing bats, winter flowers, secret vistas that take your breathe away or just the beauty of sitting and drinking in pure wonder given to us from Mother Nature! No not just wine and olive oil that is abundant in this area! That means a trip to Santa Pietra for olive oil, and one of the local wineries we have yet to discover.

I have already thought of our menu, our travel times, reserved our space and have plans to coordinate with my brother and his wife on Saturday of the 3-day adventure. The challenge is, I need to re-think what our creature comforts are and how can we go from ” what we started with” to “okay what do we do now?” That says a lot of laughs and more fun.

Reading “J5MM” blog I am immediately wowed and a little intimadated. She is so vibrant and brings new views of what we can do in our little silver rolling statement! Where do my needs and adventurous energies lead us to?

Ohhhhhhh what shall we do? Dream and go! I am determined to go from where we started our statement to we are venturing out to find our FUN and adventure NOW! Yes Rain makes us start thinking of places to go and things to see. Especially near our home turf! See, the silver wink beckons. We are anxious to get on the road!

Two sites I have found that are inspiring are J5MM and Social Vignerons are two new fun, informative sites that make me think of luxurious, simply fun, tasty adventures on the road! Let’s get traveling.

Silver Dreaming

We are prisoners of our routines. I know I feel like there is this hamster wheel I keep running on without the ability to jump off. Then I look out and see a glint of sunshine on our silver Flying Cloud that keeps winking at me. It seems to say “come on we should go someplace”. We just returned from the ice-cube travel to the Idaho countryside that took five days. We had a timeline, many miles and new lessons learned — NO MORE POOPSCICLES!

As we look at our work week and think there is not enough time or money to make another trip somewhere right now. Wrong, we live in beautiful Santa Cruz County on the Monterey Bay, hmmm. There are many state parks and national parks close by. The Pinnacles National Park is the farthest away at 90 minutes! Sea Cliff and New Brighton are 15 minutes away. They do need reservations all year round but well worth the planning. If you’re self-contained there are even more opportunities to run away.

When we first bought our beautiful Airstream I had many things on my mind, I did not want to rough camp, I wanted to be comfy, I did not want left over household items as our trailer pantry and stores and I did not want to create a large footprint as we traveled. I loved the pictures of others luxuriating as they “camped”.

The first five years were filled with meltdowns, tears, new lessons, forced communication all with new eyes to see our world. We have traveled from California to Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado. We marvel at the bigness of our country and the kindness of those we encounter. Again though that took up to eleven days to get there and back. That is too much time.

A friend of mine who lives in Aptos, California told me when his kids were younger they would get into their Class C RV and drive 10 minutes to New Brighton State Park and feel like they were worlds away from home and had fun like tourists do. Hmm hadn’t really thought about the local parks.

That makes escape easier and more relaxing. We have many wineries here in Santa Cruz County and Monterey County, Olive oil tastings, ocean shores, mountains and quiet relaxation. This doesn’t even touch on great foodie adventures. With our little Silver coach reminding us of the why behind our investment we smile. It is a new year with new possibilities for seeing what we don’t see every day. When I drive to work everyday I drive by miles of open beach, the Elkhorn Slough, miles of farmlands growing everything we eat but I just drive by and take it for granted.

We often lose sight of what we have right next to us because it is just there. Now we can see that with a little time spent on the State Parks and National Parks internet sites we can make a reservation and be on our way within an hour after work. This puts a little lift in my spirit and lets the stress release. I have made one day car trips to Lake County to pick up Six Sigma Wine, but it is a long day. Here I can go out of my daily circles and in 10 minutes to 90 minutes max, be in another beautiful place. If you’re prepacked with all your creature comfort have to haves, you just add a little sprinkle of your favorite wine, steak, comfort food and off you go! What we have and don’t see is what takes the energy out of our lives. We don’t have to go to Paris to find adventure. Here where we live, if we open our eyes we can find it here!

We are home . . .

The time after getting home from our outings equals clean up for storage. We have found a dump station in Scotts Valley that is clean and convenient! Wow what a find as we survived the poopscicle run. Now starts the important stuff.

I bought the H2O at Home, car cleaner kit so we thought we would try it on our silver cottage. What a difference and we saved water doing it. Since we did not use cleaners and only water we did not pollute either. So while the outside was being shinned so nicely I learned sometings about how to easily and quickly keep the inside clean and neat too. I thought i knew how to clean but did I learn alot from Monica! What I learned could be useful to all trailer and RV owners. It feels so good to know less is truely more even with cleaning.

I thought a short video from Monica will show you what I learned. It really made sense and my life a little easier. click on the video to meet Monica, you can contact her at http://www.myh2oathome.com/monica!

Homeward bound from Idaho, open vistas and cold

We wake up to a sunnyish hazy day. We hope the frozen outlets are going to thaw and we will no longer be a “poopscicle”. The temperature is 13 going up to 23. So no thaw.

We went to Home Depot and purchased a warmer thingy that was attached to a propane tank, a little one, and my hubby spent three hours trying to encourage the goo to melt. The goo won! After freezing and chattering teeth he gave up and joined me and the family for a toasty, cozy day long visit. A quiet day, away from the cold, cold weather allowed for a family time without time restraints. The dogs loved being out of the truck, in a house, all the attention and scraps from some of the most delicious barbecue in Eagle Idaho.

After a wonderful quiet, restful visit, laughs and hugs we went back to our cozy cottage on wheels. Tomorrow we start back home to warm California. It is surprising how this little silver bullet is our quiet place at the end of the day and lazy breakfast mornings.

Sunshine greats us and again we are on California time not Idaho time. It evens out eventually. Our Nesspresso gives forth the comforting aroma of coffee and a new adventure. Yes, the poopscicle lives. It has had no relief from the freezing temps. We know the further west we go the warmer it will be!

Packing up and securing for the drive home is easy. Airstream designs storage in logical ways for ease of use and travel. Fold and stow, clean and go. This smooth process puts a smile on our faces. We both have allergies an bad snuffy colds so we use the “lady bug” lint remover from H2O at Home. It has a two-fold use. We take the doggie hairs off both furniture and doggies! Helps keep potential allergens down in small spaces. We use the Handbroom for the floor. It looks little but it calls all the dirt to gather and we have clean floors. Wiping the counters clean with the chiffonetes takes minutes, even the mirrors shine. Looks great! We feel great and ready for our travel home!

We stop by our daughter’s house to say another goodbye, the sun is shinning and it is 23 degrees outside! The roads should be clear no weather insight. We have reservations set for Frontier RV in Winnamucca, Nevada, book plugged in, doggies secure, kleenex, cough drops, snacks and water.

After leaving the city limits the highway opens with very few vehicles in sight. . . Humming along! How different the landscape looks with early daylight versus setting sun and darkness. Again no wildlife. Must mean they are smart enough to stay warm and not challenge Mother Nature. After a couple of hours we stop at the same vacant gas station, let the doggies run a bit, go to the coach for a wonderful lunch of left overs.

We are making great time, we are going mostly downhill! We reach Winnamucca before nightfall and guess what it is above freezing! We finally get rid of the poopscicle. We are feeling so good we park and start to reheat our New Years Eve dinner. We are now feeling better, our taste buds are working and the lamb is sooooo good, a little champagne, homemade cookies, Martini Radio and we are good!

The morning dawns and we do our “pre-flight”, doggies running and chasing, we are good to go. This morning we try coffee at a truck stop where we gas up. Coffee is hot, not Peet’s, but the morning is chilly. My special, double layered lap blanket, hand knit by my daughter keeping my legs toasty so the coffee is a little plus. The highway is still a bit quiet, few rigs, cars or trucks. We smile and listen to our second book, Killing Patton!

By Reno, it is still cool, 27 degrees, but not 7! We find an In-N-Out burger in Sparks, Nevada and we are in heaven. Never knew it was there, just near the Nugget. We again set the table in the coach, doggies have water and a stretch, onward we go. After getting gas near Cabella’s west of Reno we chug up to thru the Sierra’s and find a view we have probably driven past a zillion times in our travels. I don’t even know the name of the rest stop but it is gorgeous. When we get out of the truck and doggies are out we notice that at the edge of the fence has an even more breathtaking view of a little valley and different hills and mountains. This is where we realize that stopping just because has many special surprises.

All alone with beauty and a valley down below!

We are almost home. It is always bittersweet. No longer as cold nor windy as our road out, just traffic. Home is now only 3 hours away. We have finished two audio books and feel quite accomplished. I am writing notes about our trip, putting down our thoughts and memories. Of course of places we may want to revisit again or explore are written in large bold letters.

We arrive home, unload a few things, park our silver castle in the drive way and then lock the door. Doggies are happy to be out of the truck, we kinda are too. It is almost the enjoyment of less that makes the trip more, and home is our base camp to prepare for the next adventure. Oh the fun of picking and planning another untraveled road.

Winter wonderland and travel

OMG! Here I am making gifts of herb butters and planning a New Years trip. How do we plan our destinations and missions due for completion. Ohhhh that does not sound like fun.

Our cozy Airstream awaits its new mattress pad especially made for our 20 foot Flying Cloud . We are planing a quick 5 day jaunt to Idaho. The aroma of the herbal butters and cookie dough makes me think . . . . Oh what we could do to use these to enhance our travels.

We just did a pick up of our favorite wines in Lake County California, Six Sigma! It made us remember that friends, associates and the journey mean so much more and enhance our gentle luxuries. Great wine, great friends, and the feelings of the moment.

Our special wine connection! Six Sigma Winery and friends!

As I prepare luscious herbal butters for gifts I think, oh what a wonderful treat as we traverse the winter highways to our special destination . . . Eagle, Idaho and our daughter and grandchildren. We had not ever thought this would be a destination over the holidays but what a thrill!

Sumptuous plans for a gentle road trip. The snow will dictate our travel time as will our time restraints. We have five days and how do we plan? The Airstream makes the travel a breeze. We do not worry about warmth and comfort as it is so well insulated we are always comfy. I have come to appreciate the thought put into its design. There is no wasted space, we can hunker down in a monsoon, wind storm and blizzard! It has taken me five years to appreciate the design and thought put into our Flying Cloud.

So we plan for our creature luxuries, menu for New Years Eve, nosh on the road and reservations on the way to our destination. Just think herbed butter, we made, rib steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans with butter and shallots, Six Sigma 2009 Tempranillo and French press coffee with espresso shortbread cookies to bring in the new year! No matter where we are, if in our Airstream, we know we are not only warm and safe, we are more than comfortable.

We hope to bring in the New Year with style and panache! We do not need to be ever stylish but we know less is more and it is the little luxuries that make our lives special.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A WONDERFUL RIVETTED AIRSTREAM NEW YEAR

Wine and their little gadgets!

I remember our very first night ever in our Airstream. We drove all of 15 minutes from our home. We reserved spot #1, at Sea Clliff State Park. We had the best site, the waves could be heard breaking on the beach, great view of the beach and about 20 feet to the beach. We set everything up by the book, the rain began to fall, and we were so proud of ourselves! We took the doggies for a short walk before dinner, set the beef stew simmering on the stove, opened the vents and went through a light rain.

As the rain increased in intensity we rushed back to our silver castle dry and toasty. We began our first meal preparation and settle in for the night. The stew’s aroma, the warmth of our coach and the music on the radio set us up for a romantic triumphant evening. BUT we chose our bottle of wine and . . . . NO BOTTLE OPENER!

So we ask what is the best bottle opener for our trailer? THE ONE YOU HAVE! LOL, well luckily about a half mile away and up a hill was a local liquor store that actually had not only a wine bottle opener but a great selection of wines. Five years after our maiden voyage we have acquired a moderate collection of bottle openers. Guess we like the ones we buy for home use too, then forget to put them back and there we are again, no opener.

Everything we need to open, filter, mix and store our libations!

Yep a filter was sent to us in a shipment from a wine club and we have learned to love it! When we first saw it we did not know what it was. We are such great wine lovers.

This is fancy, it breaks the foil seal, can open wine with a flair and look good too! Also it does not rust.

This lovely little prince, the Venturi, has a big brother but this little guy helps the reds breath more quickly.

After we bought a utilitarian opener on our first night we now have our favs! We did also learn some bottle neck widths are just a little different and the old non screw but “wiggle” ones work wonderfully.

Now let’s open a great bottle of Six Sigma Tempranillo and enjoy a glass.. . . . .Happy Travels

Momma Mia –

Napa Style did it again! Now you can have the same tubular spice experience with the stackable spice as the 12 spice travel spice tube but now a 9 spice assortment for Italian cooking! Yep now you have your choice. Same price as the larger one but only one spice is in the Italian choices that is not in the larger one. I still like this idea because you can make your own mixes too.

Idaho special for rubs and great new creations

The major begining — The major beginning

Theses can actually last for a long time if stored in a dark, cool, dry space! They are so small and fit well in the smallest pantry. Nice go to on the road and you can replenish them with fresh when back home.

Settlng to enjoy another restful dinner by the stream Ahhh — A setting to enjoy another restful dinner by the stream at Shaw’s Shady Acres

We were so thankful that our best friends introduced us to the most wonderful Farmer’s market to enhance our traveling kitchen. The Calistoga Farmers Market is always waiting for discovery by new friends. The locals get to enjoy the freshest, most beautiful fish, veggies, flowers, fruits and cooked delicacies ever. We were ready to create with our Mobile Herbs!

The fresh caught white fish was a delicacy with just a little olive oil, fresh thyme and a sprinkling of salt and pepper done in our simple cast iron pan. hmmmm so tasty and flakey. Italian green beans with garlic, butter and olive oil, the local peasant bread and Sauvignon Blanc from Six Sigma made the evening so much more. Relaxing in the evening with friends and food is what life is all about.

The next evening the local market had organic rib eye steaks on sale! Smoked Hickory flavored salt rubbed on the sides with a little olive oil, hot cast iron over the outside grill, fresh salad greens with sliced local green apples and goat cheese was mouth-watering! Add a little Coppola’s table red and you have a meal to enjoy by the stream at the Shaw’s Shady Acres with our stowed treasures to complete the scene. Traveling to eat and enjoy is a nice carrot to get us out the door!

It has been awhile!

The poor little trailer sat sad and forelorn! Nobody loved her —- yes we do. We forgot what great fun she could be! It is the little 2 day trips that can bring us back to the reason a luxury silver trailer can make you smile.

Our Fall season begins now! We have worked hard all summer and waited for the quiet of the off season. This past weekend was a beautiful start. Serendipity brought us back North. We are wine members of the Six Sigma Winery. The Paella event brought us back to Lake County. This also allowed us to adventure out of our normal campground to a new and interesting place to unwind and relax.

Shaw’s Shady Acres! A blast from the past, the early days of fish camping. It is situated next to a charming creek, Cache Creek and the Anderson Marsh. Unfortunately our severe drought has the level quite low. That being said, the Blue Heron and Kingfishers are still fishing and the sense of calm abounds. The campground also has year round residents. There are kayaks, motor boats and one restored, vintage trailer that may soon be a “cabin” for travelers. This historic resort began its life in the 1950’s and has been open for catfisherman and birders since then. Its charm is what it can be and what is has innately available to travelers. Lisa, the mistress of the grounds has great ideas for making this resort a hub destination opening Clear Lake and Lake County hamlets the exposure they deserve. It is and area that is not as high end as Napa County but has the rustic and warm charm that small towns of California’s past have. We wish Lisa luck and fortune. She is quite accommodating to small groups of vintage trailer buffs to string their trailers covered wagon style too.

We were directed to the Featherbed Railroad Caboose Bed and Breakfast! Yep there are 9 real cabooses that have been made into creative period retreats!. It is right across the street from Clear Lake, has lots of shade and trees. Railroad themed music is piped through to the large outside porch and a train whistle is sounded everyday at noon. The proprietor, Tony, is a wealth of local knowledge and can direct you to whatever floats your boat. If we ever traveled without our coach we would love to maybe rest there a night or two. The main registration area is an old style train station.

The two really bright stars in our short trip were visiting with old, dear friends, a quiet candle light dinner by the creek and stopping for an hour near a little lake off Pope Valley road. Sitting just watching the birds, listening to the quiet and enjoying the warm breezes remind us . . . less is often more.

Happy traveling!

Lisa, the mistress of Shaw’s Shady Acres. She is a wonderful help to finding fun things to do , or not.

Paella !! So wonderful with our favorite wines and hosts

The porch to cool off and meet new friends