It's a tie!

 

"The new baseball rules?" you ask.  No.  It's a contest between eastern Arizona and western New Mexico for "Who Has the Worst Interstate Road Conditions?"  And... they both suck!  We considered pushing on to Las Cruces, New Mexico, but the RV park we like there was full.  We found a site at a park we've stayed in in Deming (50 fewer miles).  I have to say that I was relieved... first of all: to get a site.  And second: that we cut 50 miles off from our considered distance for today.  Of course, that just means I have 50 more miles to do tomorrow... or the next day... or the next.  As you get into the eastern New Mexico or west Texas area, you have to plan for an RV site.  There's a lot of nothin' out here.

Now, on that "relieved to get a site" thing above.  There were more RVs on the road today than I have seen in a decade - seems that a lot of folks who RVed their way south for the winter are starting the migration north... on the first of the month.  There's always a lot of movement in the parks on the first of the month.

And not just RVs on the roll today - so many 18 wheelers and lots of cars with stuff loaded up above the back windows... just lots of people on the move!

Gas was $4.49 to $4.59 per gallon in the Phoenix area.  Getting between Phoenix and Tucson before topping off, we got gas for $3.99.  Yep, 50¢ per gallon less expensive... because everyone knows it costs less to truck gas to the middle of nowhere instead of in a populated area.  That would be as close as I come to an April Fool's joke.  Gas is 50¢ per gallon more in Phoenix because... they can.  When we rolled into New Mexico, gas was $3.44... yes, over $1 per gallon less expensive.  Someone is going to say, "That's because the state gas tax is less in New Mexico compared to Arizona," and that is a true.  The state gas tax in Arizona is 18¢ per gallon; in New Mexico, it is 17¢ per gallon.  So, it seems logical that that they should charge 99¢ more per gallon in Arizona, because... they can.  No tie here - the gas distributors in Arizona are dirty thieving bastards.   They win.  Those of us who buy gas there lose.

I'm glad to be down for the day.  After the pounding from the roads, I am wore out.  All we need for the evening is an electrical plug in.  But, look - they also have cable TV.  I hooked our cable up to their connection (like you always do), and... nothing.  No channels.  I called the office to see if they still had cable, and I was told, "Comcast scrambles their signal now, so, you need a cable box to get a signal.  We'll bring one to your site.  You just hook it up between your cable connection."  They did, indeed, bring a box right out.  No instructions on the box, but one of us (and it wasn't me) didn't ask how to connect it.  So... still no signal.  But, it is fun messing with the cable for an hour or so.  Really, I just want to watch Saturday Night Live tonight.  So, when the cable box finishes running through the channels yet again, if we still don't have a signal, we'll see if we can get anything on the OTA (over the air) powered antenna on the roof.

Yep, another 20 minutes with the box search for channels, and... still no signal.  

While driving today, we did see a bit of ground color.  No photos because I was driving... and the ground cover moves by fast from the driver's position.  I did get this photo of Picacho Peak, because it is far enough away that it wasn't just a blur...

 It's a rather distinctive landmark between Casa Grande and Tucson.

Rufus spent most of the ride today asleep on my lap...

That does not look comfortable to me, with his head on the door pull (which isn't padded).  He did get a bit of exercise when he bounded from somewhere behind the passenger seat, over his short tower, and onto my lap... a bit like someone dropping a bowling ball in your lap... if the bowling ball had claws.  Fortunately no one was injured in this stunt, although I did swerve pretty good from the surprise of it all.

Now, we'll settle in for the evening; Rufus got a walk in and discovered a new pointy plant he hadn't seen before.  Not like the spiny stuff on a cactus, just firm and pointy.  He put his nose on the pointy end... he didn't care for that one bit.  Walking past that plant on the way back, he did not stick his nose on it.  He isn't just a good boy, he is a smart boy.

I looked up OTA channels in this area, and we pointed the powered antenna in that general direction... yep, there's NBC.  We don't need no stinkin' cable.  And, I'll be able to watch SNL tonight.