DALHART, TEXAS

IT’S BEEN A FRUSTRATING DAY. FIRST WE GOT A LATE START FOR OUR PLANNED 340 MILE DAY TO TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO.
SECOND OUR FIRST FUEL STOP OF THE DAY WAS A MESS. FIRST I PULLED INTO A STATION THAT WAS CLOSED CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PULL OUT OVER THE CURB TO ESCAPE. DOWN THE STREET I SELECTED A STATION ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AND AFTER GETTING PULLED IN I COULDN’T GET THE PUMP TO WORK. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS INTO THE STORE THE LADIES TAKING MONEY DIDN’T HELP EITHER . MEANWHILE ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED INTO THE PUMP AHEAD OF ME AT A SLANT IN EFFECT CUTTING INTO THE LINE, SO I WAITED HIM OUT, CLOSING DOWN HALF THE PUMPS IN THE STATION. 30 MINUTES LATER I FINALLY WAS FULL OF FUEL. IT’S A CHALLENGE TO PULL INTO A GAS STATION WITH A 34 FOOT TRAILER BEHIND YOU AND I HATE IT. WITH A 33 GALLON TANK IT’S SOMETHING I FACE TWICE A DAY WHILE ON THE ROAD.

THIRD A 15 - 20 MILE AN HOUR CROSS WIND CAME UP KNOCKING OUR SPEED DOWN TO LESS THAN 60 MILES AN HOUR. FOURTH THE WHOLE 340 MILES IS ON ONE OF THOSE FAMOUS “REX SHORT CUTS” ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY, MAKING PASSING IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME AND FOR THE SEVERAL HUNDRED SEMIS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING OUT ON THE ROAD. WE FINALLY GAVE UP AT 3:30 PM IN DAHART, TEXAS AND CHECKED INTO AN RV PARK AND WENT FOR WHISKEY AND BEER. DAMN THIS IS TEXAS, LAND OF BEER BARS AND NO WHISKEY!!! SO NOW WE’RE 250 MILE FROM ALBUQUERQUE, ENJOYING COCKTAILS, AND SUPPER LOOKS TO BE AT THE REGULAR LATE HOUR. WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF HITTING ALBUQUERQUE TOMORROW AFTERNOON DURING THE RUSH HOUR? SCREW THAT, WHERE’S THE NEXT COCKTAIL LOUNGE IN NEW MEXICO?

END THE BLOG WITH SOMETHING POSITIVE, IS WHAT I TOLD MARY LAST WEEK. WELL HERE IT IS: WHEN WE STOPPED AT THE TEXAS TAVERN WE WERE DRESSED IN SHORTS AND T-SHIRTS!!! AND TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY STARTS “THE GREAT NEVADA RV ADVENTURE” !!! WHAT COULD BE MORE POSITIVE THAN THAT?

TILL TOMORROW FROM SOMEWHERE IN NEW MEXICO……..