So there we were, rolling down the road at 70 MPH in the Global Warmer, minding our own business and BAM! Kathump! Kathump! Kathump!… A rear tire blew and shredded. Luckily, it was one of the dually tires so there was another to take up the slack. We were in the middle of Nowhere, Texas, about 150 miles west of San Antonio.  We had no internet connection and spotty cell service. I found a tire place in Junction, about 13 miles down the road but they were closed on Sunday. He answered the phone saying, “Hello,” instead of the shop name and said they would meet us there anyway but it would cost us and he didn’t have the right size tire anyway.

We limped along the freeway for about 2 miles while the shredded tire destroyed part of the back bay where Mel keeps the fire extinguisher and some other tool type guy crap I don’t know understand nor do I have a desire to understand. It was our good fortune to come upon a truck stop so we pulled in there for a tire. He had the same smaller tire the other guy had but they both assured us there was no problem.

We wasted a good 3 hours and finally got back on the road. We were about 150 miles east of Fort Stockton but it was getting late and we wanted to stop sooner. Mel doesn’t like to navigate the GW in the dark and I don’t blame him! Unfortunately, there was nothing along those 150 LONG miles but sage brush and desert so we drove into the night to the town of Fort Stockton. Still we had no internet! OH THE HUMANITY!!!! There was a small RV park with a no vacancy sign but we pulled in anyway. The sign on the shack said no room but you can park in the back with no hook ups if you want for 3 bucks. Sounded good to us.

The plan was to leave between 6 and 7 in the morning so we got up early to take off. Mel took out the dogs to potty and came back in with the wonderful news that the “new” used tire he bought to save money was flat as a pancake. He filled it with air but it wouldn’t hold. It had a hole in the sidewall. We found a tire place about a half mile away and drove over there for a NEW tire. Mel was informed that the smaller tire would have eventually ruined the rear end of the GW and that he needed the same size and that the used tire he bought was a piece of crap and not worth fixing. So, he paid 200 bucks for the used tire and had to just throw it away after 150 miles. So much for saving money! MORE NAG NAG NAGGING amo! Poor Mel.

The NEW new tire, right size, ended up costing $541 with labor and a few small other things he convinced Mel he needed. We lost another 4 hours of driving time at the tire place and ended up on the road at 10:30! The tire guy told Mel what I HAVE BEEN TELLING HIM since we left Washington in November! WE NEED ALL NEW TIRES!!!! They have nearly 90,000 miles on them! NAG NAG NAG but Women know nothing about such things I guess. Tempers are short in the GW at the moment.

We can’t wait to get out of Texas!!!! WE HATE WEST TEXAS!!!!! It goes on forever and there are no redeeming qualities unless you are a rattlesnake or other desert creature.

The roads in New Mexico aren’t any better than the Texas roads (worse actually if that is possible!). The temps are in the 70s and I am loving the dryness. I don’t miss that horrible East Coast humidity one bit. It is windy as hell and the GW is drifting a lot. We will drive a few more hours and stop about 4 Mountain time. Tomorrow we have a short drive to Blythe California for the night because we can’t get into our RV place in Indio until Wednesday.

Our trial starts Saturday, not Friday as I originally thought so that is good news. We get more traveling time.

So we stopped in Lordsburg New Mexico for the night. It is a KAO campground so it is OK. We bought a membership in Passport America. It wasn’t expensive and we get 50% off their many RV parks. We are glad we did that.

Helen & The Girlz And The Grumpy Old Bald Guy Who Drives The Global Warmer

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