Good-bye Show Low Pines

On my last evening on my property I had an interesting visitor. A fellow visiting the area stopped by to ask me if I'd like him as a companion for the night. I assured him my two dogs were enough companionship, thank you very much. I had heard that he extended the same offer to two of my lady friends. They both declined (so they said) his offer. It really didn't bother me that I was his third choice. Maybe he was saving the best for last??? Yeah, maybe.

Saturday morning I spent two hours trying to talk myself out of my original plan of heading to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta. I couldn't come up with a good Plan B, so I hitched up and headed towards Albuquerque around 9:00 AM. Just before merging onto I-40 in the tiny town of Sanders, I swung into a do-it-yourself car wash and proceeded to wash my very dusty truck and trailer. A drunken Indian approached me and offered to wash my rig for me for a beer. I told him I didn't have a beer. He assured me he could buy one across the street. I finally convinced him to go away. The nerve of him to think I was a helpless woman who needed a drunk to come to my rescue. Well, that's what came to my mind as I finished rinsing my trailer with raindrops falling on my head.

I finished up washing my rig, merged onto I-40, with the first available Rest Stop in my sights, which was about 25 miles to the East. The rain never amounted to much, so my rig is still clean. I spent about 2 hours at the rest stop, resting, eating, surfing the net, walking the dogs, and watching the clouds.

Around 2:30 I merged back onto I-40, with the Route 66 Casino at exit 140 in my sights. I stopped a few more times along my route first, to cool and check my tires. I'm determined to never have another tire blowout. I'm convinced my very long days overheated my tires and caused the blowouts. No more really long driving stretches for me!! I arrived at the Casino at about 6:30 Mountain Time ( I lost an hour) and found a fairly nice, but fairly noisy spot. Those eerily quiet nights on my property in Show Low have me quite spoiled. Though I never sleep really well anyway. I heard fresh flowers by the bed help some people sleep better. I think I might try it.

Sunday morning I did a few loads of laundry at the Casino's Truck Stop laundromat. Then I headed to Camping World where I made one small purchase. I could have spent a fortune there, but I resisted. I guess I need to save my money. Somehow, apparently, I have to come up with $3,000 to help bailout a bunch of rich, greedy and stupid people. No justice in this world!!! After shopping, and while sitting in my trailer in the Camping World parking lot, I observed a young family, in a large SUV, with a dirty diaper left sitting on their rear bumper, pull up between two RVs. The Dad got out of the car and proceeded to remove a step cover from a trailer step. I'm pretty sure it wasn't his trailer. I'm pretty sure he didn't know I was watching. Camping World sells the covers for about $10.00. I wonder who the lucky driver is who gets to run over the dirty diaper after it falls off the bumper. And who the lucky trailer owner is who gets to buy a new step cover.

So, tonight I'll be camping in the Camping World parking lot. And tomorrow, well, that's another unknown adventure. So, check back soon, but it will probably include something really exciting like finding the lowest priced diesel in Albuquerque and shopping at Costco :-) Hey, Costco sells fresh flowers.