Tuesday June 2, 2009

Since we have decided to leave on Thursday instead of Friday after noon, Bill and I needed to get our trucks serviced. Bill went to the Dodge store and I tried both the Chevrolet and the GMC dealers, but I couldn't get in until sometime this afternoon. I was told at the GMC store that the cost would be about $105.00 for an oil change. I asked why it would be so high and was told that they only sell the low ash oil that is necessary in the new emission-equipped trucks. I explained to the service writer that I don't need this oil because my truck does not have the emissions controls that the new trucks have, but he said that this oil is all they carry now. To me, this is an good example of why GM is bankrupt, they don't listen to or care about their customers. Sorry for the rant, but it gets to me when a huge company like General Motors can't take care of their business like this and the taxpayers have to bail them out.

I talked to Bill and he had found the same thing. I then found the Express Lube and got mine done. Bill took his truck to the other Dodge dealer and got his work done. His truck is newer than mine and he needs the new oil, so its not an issue for him.

I stopped off at the Crawdad's store to fill up my tanks but there was a red sack over the diesel pump, so I didn't get any fuel. I did go to the donut store and bought a couple of donuts and kolaches for our lunch. I had one of the kolaches and saved the other for Bill and Stella had the donuts. It was a pretty good lunch.

I called the Brazoria County DA's office about the subpoena I had received for a trial that began yesterday. I had called in as required and was told that I would be called in the afternoon if I was needed. I never got the call and was calling back because I knew this was a pretty important case. At this time, no one knew if I would be needed for the trial or when it would be. I guess I had not made it clear to these attorneys that I am retired and was planning to be out of state and am now in Port Arthur. One of them told me to "just come on in tomorrow morning at 8". I told her where I was and that I could not make an 8AM appointment but could make it there by 10. She called me back and said that this would be satisfactory, so I will be driving from Port Arthur to Angleton tomorrow. The only consolation is that this will likely be my last case to be called on.

Around 3 o'clock, Stella decided to wash some clothes in Bill and Ornell's washer and dryer. A thunderstorm came up and the power went out about the time her first load got through. Bill and I sat on the back porch and watched the lightning and rain falling and recounted our experiences after the storm, using the generators to power the trailers right here in the Sims' RV park. The power was restored just after Ornell got home from work. We decided that we will leave Thursday morning, but we haven't decided where we will stop. I did call the park in Elkhart where many Heartlanders are staying and they have plenty of spaces.