Still In San Antonio

We are having a tough time getting out of San Antonio! Canada won their match in International Curling yesterday and play for the Gold this afternoon. There was some doubt if we could get to our next stop in Fort Stockton in time to get the dish set up to watch the game. So... we will watch it here and then make a serious effort to head home.

Rae came over this morning to say her goodbye's as she is heading to Dallas where one of her readers generously offered her a placer to park while she explores the city. She is quite happy about that. I can't believe that it has been three years since we have seen her when she spent the winter at our place.

Well, off on a quick run to Target Stores and then to watch curling.

Where Do They Get This Stuff?

In Camping World today a shopper remarked about my t-shirt with it's colorful depiction of a bird and asked me where I got it. "Palenque, Mexico", I answered. "I see that on it", he said, "but where did you buy it"? "In Palanque" I answered. "You didn't drive there", he said. "Yes, in the motorhome. We have spent six full winters RVing in Mexico", I said.  He was flabbergasted and asked why we went there with "all the killings". I gave him my standard,  "It is all one drug gang killing off another drug gang and does not affect us RV'ers" answer.

"But", he said. "just last year three missionaries in a motorhome were stopped in Mexico by bandits and they were all murdered"! I asked him where on earth he had heard that. He said it was on the news and he heard it in church. I told him that we and all other Mexico RV'ers keep a very close watch on the news and if that had in fact happened, we would know about it. I assured him it never happened and that he should quit watching Faux News, that they were just trying to make Americans afraid of everyone. He gave me one of those looks and wandered off, now convinced that I was either crazy or in league with the Mexican Bandit Missionary Killers.

It is amazing how many people here question our traveling in Mexico. The worst part is, most of the folks telling us they would never go there are of Mexican heritage. Unfortunately, whoever is trying to scare Americans about the "Boogie Man" across the Rio Bravo is doing a good job.

Great Breakfast And a Camping World Trip

I had a craving for breakfast out this morning so I Googled "best San Antonio breakfast" and found the Magnolia Pancake Haus. I asked Rae if she would like to join us and she agreed. It turns out that she had just finished her breakfast but as it turned out, it didn't matter.

The restaurant was quite a ways away but Ms. Garmin got us there. The first thing we saw were dozens of people waiting outside! "What day is this"? someone asked. "Saturday" someone answered. The second worse day to go out for breakfast, Sunday being the worst!

We checked in and were told it would be about an hour. Oh well, we could leave and find another place but there would be a lineup there as well. Norma bought a newspaper and we found a seat. It was just over an hour before I got a text message telling me our table was ready but it was well worth the wait! All the food was delicious and the coffee was an excellent European Blend.

Ray had a "short Stack" with a side of sausage and managed to finish it. Norma had French Toast made with three thick slabs of banana bread with a side of two poached eggs. She ate the eggs and 3/4 of one slice of her french toast. The rest came home with her for our breakfast tomorrow. I had the house specialty, two huge pancakes stuffed with stewed apples with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top! It was delicious and I almost finished it off. I managed to slip a chunk onto Ray's plate and what was left went into Norma's "Doggie Bag".

We then headed to Camping World where we picked up a few things we needed, including a new sewer hose and a fluorescent light for the kitchen to replace the one that burned out in Mexico. Rae failed to find new knobs for her Atwood stove but did manage to get the stock numbers for them so she can order them online or at least call ahead to other RV supply places for them. They have proven hard to find.

Tomorrow we head out. We are going to have to start putting some miles on but Norma wants to stop at Fredericksburg, TX which is only one hour north! I will be behind her hurrying her along but rushing her is like herding cats.

It will be an interesting day!

San Antonio

We got a not so early 10:00 AM start this morning and drove to San Antonio. with a stop for gas and lunch along the way. Our friend Rae has been staying at an RV park just south of town so we got the directions and pulled in at about 2:00 PM. As we were setting up, Rae walked over and we started catching up. I went out to set up the Starchoice dish and performed what might be the second quickest setup in (my) history! I set the skew and elevation and just as I started swinging the dish, I saw a flash of green bar on the TV. I swung it back a hair and there it was, not perfect but usable. I pulled back on the top of the dish and it became a perfect signal so I stepped on the back of my homemade mount to seat it a little into the sandy soil and I was done. Maybe thirty seconds of searching the sky.

I will never better my best time which was once when I put the dish together, pointed it in the general direction of the satellite, went in to turn on the TV and it was working! I had nailed it without any searching whatsoever! Blind luck that will only happen once in a lifetime.

After a congratulatory beer, we all headed out for the local Cracker Barrel Restaurant. Norma had pork chops, Rae, the ham and I satisfied my winter long craving for catfish! A great dinner. We got home early, said goodnight to Rae and retired early. A perfect day!

It is a little cooler here than in Laredo, a trend that will continue as we head north. Our friend Brian emailed to remind me that it might be a little early in the year to avoid snow on our planned Route through Deadwood, SD so we are now considering one of the old standby routes through Albuquerque where my friend Pat tells me the wind is blowing. Maybe this time it will be a tail wind!.

* My worst time was at Mr. Moro RV park on the west coast of Mexico when I could not find a signal at all. I tried for three days as did two other RV's. Another rig pulled in with an automatic StarChoice dish on the roof. He turned it on and it was still searching the next day. We had a wide open, unobstructed view of the sky and clear weather. It must have been a UFO thing. Or maybe CIA.

Wedding Photos

Rod asked for photos! I did not even know photos were taken but a few years ago Al Cotton, an old friend from the 60's found these in his slide collection and sent them to us. They are the only known photos and I was not in any.

April 4, 1969

?, Uncle Danny, ?

?, my mother, Aunt Ruth

Norma, friend of her's from work

?, Jack Schmidt, ?, Norma

44th Anniversary!

Today is our 44th Anniversary! April 4, 1969! I was working for BC Tel in Campbell River and Norma was working in Vancouver. Neither of us had any time off coming so I drove to Vancouver Thursday night and we got married on Good Friday. We drove around until we found a preacher who would marry us. Finally found one, forget which brand of church, and got to use all the flowers that they had set out for Easter. My brother and Norma's BF were the only people he would allow in. Then we had a party at our apartment on Friday night, went for dinner with our parents on Saturday night and moved to Campbell River on Sunday. Back to work on Monday! Norma found a job in Campbell River that same week.

We had toasters and everything already so our friends put cash into a pot and we used the money for a trip to Arizona in June. We went in June because the hotels were all on summer rates so we stayed in a $49 (high season rate) resort for $19 per night.

We will be in San Antonio tomorrow night and Norma wants to go out for dinner there so that is where we will celebrate! Our friend Rae is there so hopefully she will join us!

UPDATE! 

My friend Brian of Brian and Sue emailed to tell me we will be running into some snow along that route so we are re-thinking! We do not "do" snow any more, we dealt with it enough when we lived on the Alaska / BC border.

Don't worry Rae, we will still be in San Antonio tomorrow night.

Have We Decided On A Route?

As much as we ever do, we have picked a route. Norma always asks for a "different" way home but there really are not that many choices. Well, Deadwood, SD has been on my bucket list for decades and that route adds only 300 miles to the direct route so that is what we are thinking of.

Tomorrow morning we will make the short drive to San Antonio where there is a camping World where we have to buy a new florescent light fixture for the kitchen and a new sewer hose C/W ends. After that we will have to average about 3 hours driving per day to make it home by tax time.

Online Voting

I just voted online for the Board of Directors for my VanCity Credit Union. What a simple process! I verified my identity on the first screen, went to the second screen where all the candidates were listed and made my choices. I was allowed to vote for up to three candidates and I voted for two (old friends, lefties). The next screen had me confirm my vote and that was it! Democracy in action!

No driving several blocks, no waiting in line and I did it on my own computer from Laredo, Texas! Why can't they come up with a similar method to vote for our Governments? Send everyone on the voters list a PIN number and then for a reasonable period of time (maybe a week) you go onto a website and vote. People without a computer could do it from libraries or from kiosks set up in public areas like malls, soup kitchens, universities. You could even vote from work.

Maybe for older people or those who do not trust computers or those who are not on the voters list you could still have a physical polling place where you could register and get a paper ballot. Funny, I still talk of "older people" and here I am pushing 70.

Anyway, I want to vote online for online voting! I think voter turnout would increase and we would get a better idea of what the people really want. Plus, it is harder to suppress voters when you cannot confront people personally.

My First DWL

I think I got my first DWL today. DWL, not DWI, come on now!

I was returning in the Honda from the Target store down the road where I found some shorts on sale. I made the turn out of the store and almost immediately a huge, black SUV with tinted windows pulled up dangerously close behind me. I was going slower than the surrounding traffic so I just kept going. About a block later his light bar lit up and his siren came on. He was Texas Highway Patrol and he was after me!

I pulled over onto the shoulder and he parked behind me. I got out my drivers licence and Insurance papers while he sat there in his truck. He then got out and slowly walked behind the car. Big guy... big truck, sunglasses, gun... He came up on the passenger side as I lowered the window. He stooped down and I said, "Sorry, but I really do not know what I did wrong". He answered, "The reason I stopped you was that I could not read your licence plate. I could not see where you are from so I thought I better check you out to see if it was a legal plate". I laughed and told him British Columbia, Canada. He said he finally read that after he stopped me. He said, "You did nothing wrong, it was my mistake and I apologize. Have a nice day and enjoy your stay" He walked away without even checking my licence. He even called me "Sir".

I think what he saw on my plate was the word, "Columbia" and he thought, "I am going to give this drug smuggling, South American terrorist a hard time", and then he discovered I was a harmless Canadian. I guess I am partially to blame as the rear plate has the same sun damage as the entire car had before the paint job so the colors are not easily discernible. Plus, the car was pretty dirty, a problem I fixed as soon as I got home.

DWL = Driving While Latino. A serious crime in these parts and an invitation to get pulled over if for no other reason.

Columbia Crossing (Again)

We chickened out on trying Laredo Bridge #2 to cross into the USA. We went over the instructions for getting to Mexican Migration which involved going under the bridge and then making a u-turn to get back onto the bridge. Norma re-read the Church's book on Laredo Crossings and they recommend against bridge #2 for larger rigs. Too cramped, they said. We decided to bite the bullet and go the Columbia route.

It was OK. We know where everything is on the Mexico side and we turned in our FMM's (personal six month visas) and the permit on the Honda. Everyone is very nice on the Mexican side. Friendly, smiling, helpful and anxious to hear how we liked Mexico and to ask when we will be back. "Why are you going back to Canada"? the woman in Passport Control asked. "It is too cold there"! A real contrast to the grim looks and sour faces on the USA side.

Then we crossed the dreaded bridge over the Rio Bravo (Mexico's name for the river known in the USA as the Rio Grande). There were no signs, even after I was promised by Border Patrol services that they would pass on my concerns when I wrote my letter last year. It was obvious that commercial trucks went right and cars went straight. Anyone's guess where RV's go. I pulled over between the bridge and the commercial truck turn and waited with my flashers going while Norma walked up to the crossing and asked. She was told to get her passport and walk through with the pedestrian traffic while I went to the truck crossing by myself. No reason given for this, even when she asked.

I went to the truck booth, handed over my passport and waited while he played on his computer for a good five minutes. He leaned out and asked me how far south in Mexico we had gone and I told him Puebla. A lie, I realized later, because we had gone as far as Oaxaca. Anyway, he handed me a piece of paper and told me to go to the X-Ray building where I was sixth in line.

While I waited I read the paper I had been given. It informed me that I had been flagged by the Homeland Security Anti-Terrorism And Contraband Team for an "Intensive Examination" WTF? I'm not a terrorist, I'm a tourist! I wish I was back in Mexico!

I finally got to the X-Ray booth, parked, turned off the engine, walked back to the entrance and handed my "Scarlet Letter"  to the operator in his little lead encased booth. He told me to step back outside the door while he fired up his robot. It slowly scanned from both sides and he called me over. "What is the storage tank under the dinette seat"? "The fresh water tank", I answered. "Where are the batteries"? "Under the stairs". "Where are the sewage tanks"? "Underneath, near the back". "What is the large mass above the driver's seat"? "Our extra fridge". He had another long look at the X-Ray image, typed a few things into my file, handed me my exit slip and sent me on my way to pick Norma up at the exit of the huge complex where she was waiting, thankfully under an overcast sky and not in the blazing sun. No questions about potatoes, limes, booze. Nothing. Fifty minutes had elapsed since Norma  left me and started walking to the pedestrian crossing. Not bad. It took our friends Brian and Sue two hours to do the same thing about six weeks ago.

We drove into Laredo, stopping at Radio Shack to renew my USA Virgin Broadband and at HEB Groceries for a minor stock up. Butter, margarine, doughnuts, bread, eggs. Wow! Groceries are more expensive here! We then checked into the Casa Blanca State Park for three nights at $26 per night for water and electric (there is a dump on the way out). Norma wants to record some stuff on TV and we need to check out weather forecasts to find a warm route home.

X-Ray Booth:

Scarlet Letter: