Nuevo Laredo Mofo

I recently drove a truck with a drill rig mounted on it to Laredo Texas. It was a 2300 mile drive from Elko Nevada. It took three days and I saw a lot of country, some of it real familiar and some of it new. I spent one night in Delta, Utah another in Gallup, New Mexico and even one in the hell hole they call Ft. Stockton, Texas. My most interesting night was spent in Laredo, Texas. I rolled into town in the late afternoon.
I had an air brake leaking like a sumbitch and was in danger of locking it up in the middle of traffic. I stopped and got it fixed by some very cool Mexican mechanics. It was like getting it fixed in the rest of the U.S. except it was done right, real fast, real cheap and they were very nice. They even gave me a map to the Customs faciclity where I dropped the truck off as it was going to the companies operations in Mexico.
From there I took a taxi, I told the driver I wanted to go to a hotel close to the border so I could walk over. He winked and said you want some women eh? No senor, but I do want to check it out. He took me to an old tower hotel right on the friggin border overlooking the Rio Grande and one block from the bridge that takes you into Neuvo Laredo. The place once was very nice, although the room was huge and was decent with a huge floor to ceiling windows looking at the river the building was now in sad shape. The elevevator was scary as the doors only opened about eight inches and you had to pry them apart. It took forever for it to get anywhere and I finally gave up on it and walked to my room on the fourth floor.
I ate dinner in the lobby bar / restaurant and was the only one there. The food was excellent 2 enchiladas a burrito and tres coronas for 12 bucks. I then walked to the border bridge and Nuevo Laredo.
I walked across the bridge looking down at the river below, it was about 50 yards wide and had a lot water flowing. If you were to swim this at night it wouldn't be that fun. I entered into Mexico without a second glance from anyone, easy to get in I think. I head up the main street there and things look immediately different. For one,I am without exception the only white boy in the whole freakin place.

The Right Thing

I find myself one night recently at a WalMart in Fort Stockton, Texas. ( I know, this sounds like the start of a horror story ) I use the ATM to get some cash. I push the button for 80 bucks, four bills shuffle on out and I glance at the twenties quickly just to see if there is four of them. Later that night as I'm buying pork rinds and cerveza at seedy little convience store I notice that one of the bills is a fifty. Crap. Bad Karma, I don't like it. I don't have time for this bullshit. But seeing how my integrity is worth more than 30 bucks the next morning before I leave town I stop and go in the store to tell them that the machine gave me too much money. Turns out WalMart owns the machine but nobody wants to hear about it. The nice Mexican girl who is in charge of the place at this early hour clearly thinks I'm insane. I try to give her my name and number just in case but she doesn't want it.
I tell Lisa about it on the phone and she says if they don't want it back to just give it to charity. I decide she's right.
That night when I get to Laredo Texas I do my duty and get thirty single dollar bills. I go to a club and find a nice stripper named Charity and give them all to her. I have to admit doing the right thing does make you feel better.

***Disclaimer*** All true except the last part.

Brother Bear

Went fishing yesterday on the Coeur d'Alene River, a rare event this summer. It was a beautiful late summer day, just a hint of fall in the air. The fishing was a bit slow, I caught some but not many, they just didn't seem very active. The day was saved by seeing a black bear up close for a few minutes. He came across the road in front of me and stopped: trying to decide whether to go back or not. I stopped my truck and watched him for awhile forgetting about my camera that was on the seat right next to me. He finally gave a little buck and romped off into the trees. They have a funny rolling gait when they run that looks comical to watch. I like bears, it's always good to see one. It reminds me that it is still a little wild out there and on any given day you just might run into Brother Bear.