As I write we are in Ft Stockton, TX in the Parkview RV Park. We stayed here in 2003, 4 years ago and it looks as if no maintenance has been done since and it was in desperate need then. We may be here a while. Our plan is to move on to El Paso tomorrow for a front end alignment. I have noticed some unexpected wear on the front tires and have been informed that the alignment needs to be checked.. We may put that off until Monday as there are winter storm warnings with snow and sleet and ice pellets in the forecast for this entire area starting at 3 AM. I am not moving this rig if there is a likelihood of ice on the roads.

I am not sure how we happened to land here. As we left Birmingham it was clear that there was some severe winter weather in Texas. We figured to travel west through it as it moved east. With luck we might have to put up with a couple of days of lousy weather on the road until we got to the other side. The only problem I can see with that thinking is that the “other side” may be in Honolulu. It certainly is not between us and the coast and even if it were we are not moving out of a comfortable, albeit decrepit, campground until I can hope for clear roads.

Next day, Friday the 19th. We slept in, had no idea we would be able to move on and didn’t have far to go anyhow. When we got up it was clear that the predicted storm had not hit, yet. We fussed around about whether to drive on to El Paso or not. Finally as all the other transient units had moved on we decided to roll as well. By 10 we were fueling up and getting underway. As we got going it became clear that if the weather held we could make El Paso in about four hours. Our appointment was for 8 AM on Saturday, but they are a first come, first served shop. It seemed that between the clear road and crossing the line from CST to MST we would arrive about 2 PM with a stop for lunch and more fuel. And so it was that by 2:15 we had G2 under the Firestone canopy in El Paso. Upon close examination and advice of the tire specialists, we decided to swap the right front for the spare. I wanted to buy another new tire, but no Goodyear G670’s were available and I was not about to mix tires on the axle. The worst part of the entire job was getting at the spare tire. It is hidden behind a panel that carries the license plate. All of the bolts have to be reached by sitting under the rear of the coach. Naturally several of the six bolts were corroded. Now they are all rust resistant and have wing nuts instead of hex nuts. The alignment and tire swap were completed and we were under way by 5 PM. These guys were good and they were pleasant and I would recommend to anyone who needs chassis service in the El Paso area to consider them.

We pulled into Roadrunner RV park just a few miles from the Firestone and set up camp. My very expensive Surge Protector paid for itself as I was setting up. I plugged into the podium 30 amp connector and went to the electrical bay to see how the power was coming on and saw for the first time and error message that the wires in the campground box were polarity reversed. It means that any improperly grounded appliance would have its outer shell connected to the hot rather than the ground, NOT GOOD! Besides, the unit won’t turn power on in the rig if there is an error. I got out and extension and connected to the adjacent box which was properly wired. We informed the office what we had done and they took that site out of service until it can be repaired.

When we stuck our heads out on Saturday morning the storm seemed to have missed again. It is cold but no precipitation and the roads are clear. We got dressed and went to Temple Mt Sinai for Torah Study and services. We were greeted warmly and enjoyed the study group a lot. The rabbi, Larry Bach, has a fine voice and lead the service in the chapel with many interesting melodies, a couple of which we had not heard before. His teaching before the service and his words during the service provided some interesting insights into the portion.

After services we went in search of visitor information and lunch. We found a Mexican restaurant with a buffet lunch that was really quite authentic. We were among the few non Mexicans in the place. I ate too much and enjoyed every mouthful. After lunch we chose to take a long ride through the mountains since the sun was shining and it is not a road we want to drive the motor home on. It was a beautiful ride until we came down out of the mountains into the plain which is being developed in front of our eyes. After shopping at an Albertsons were returned to the coach and rested over a late dinner and it is soon to be movie time.

Tomorrow off to New Mexico or?