POST 1495; GAGE, NEW MEXICO; 12-12-15

Darned if you don't ... Darned if you do !

Yesterday was decision day, or so it appeared.  Repeated storm out of the North West smacked into the Rockie Mountains, dropping considerable SNOW.  That event effectively cut off our option to continue out of TEXAS by way of I-25 to Denver ... then on to I-90 to reach Nephew Eric in SPOKANE, Washington.

Option two: involved continuing West on I-10 to California; then, North on I-5 or the Pacific Coast US 101 Highway.

We have spent a RAINY night in the village of GAGE, New Mexico, on I-10.  Lo and behold, my concern of yesterday that the Sierra - Nevada mountains COULD receive SNOW, has happened, making continued travel on I-10 "iffy" at best.  That California storm is heading East along the I-10 corridor with good possibility of snow on the western approaches to the Rocky Mountain foothills and probably reaching east beyond PHOENIX.

Options at the moment:

  ... Stay where we are; i.e., remain at GAGE or go on to the nearby city of LORDSBURG, some one hour drive West on I-10.  This gains us more facilities, but GAGE seems an OK option.

 ... Continue on I-10 to I-8 and on to YUMA, Arizona.  This option keeps us father South.

OOPPs:

At GAGE is Dairy Queen, where this update is being created.  One hour ago I ordered Bisquit and Gravy.  Finally I asked "..did you lose my order...?  They replied "..you did not pay..." to which I replied "...you did not tell me I must PREPAY", to which I was told prepayment is always REQUIRED.

There is no PREPAYMENT REQUIRED sign ... and I was NOT told so.

The "Gentleman", quite argumentative suggested EVERYONE knows to PREPAY.

I cancelled my order and am driving West ... not soon enough apparently !

* * * * * * * * * *

In five years walking all corners of America ... and in fact living 80 plus years, I have NEVER before been asked to PREPAY for any meal at any business at ANY place.

Has America begun to miss-trust to such a degree ?