One Lap Update-International Edition-LONG, novel

["B.D. & Petei Zelazny" <unltd-ltd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Folks!

Bienvenido de Mexico!!!

After a trip in from Tuscon, I stopped at the Mackey's in Las Cruces  New
Mexico. The Mackeys were a great pleasure to visit with and they have a
great collection of all types of Italian cars...from big ones to teeny tiny
ones. In the morning, Mrs. Mackey found a pretty rose to put in my Official
One Lap Bud Vase for the trip to Tejas.

The Mackeys spoiled me and I want to say  Thank you! for their kindness!!

I got a late start on the trip east... mainly because the Mackeys are nice
folks and I was pretty tired out. I got on the road around 2 and made a
record for the least miles covered in a day. I got to El Paso, and was
tempted to make the trip a 3 country journey!

Well, Alfa goes to Mexico... the shining light of our southern neighbor,
Ciudad Juarez... Getting in was a snap...go through the green light. Juarez
is a...tough town. I didn't get out of the car, mailnly because there was
nowhere to park, and the fear of being run over by a 30 year old school bus
going 60 down a side street. Wild drivers!

I drove around for a while, looking around and trying to understand a
problem I'm having more often with the brakes. Hard pedal, only in traffic,
seems heat related...probably time for a new master cylinder again...
anyway, it was getting dark, so I headed back to the border, which was a
pain to find. Finally, after sitting in a line for 25 minutes waiting for
the Customs guys, and warding off 6 year olds selling everything possible,
and avoiding the dreaded windshield washer guy, I got to the booth and was
interrogated... "US citizen?"  Yup. "Ok, have a good night"

I stayed in Fabens TX that night, at a cozy local motel, and went to the
movies, "Blade"
(ok if you like gore) and "Pleasantville" cute, recommended. Nice movie.

Next day was a good healthy breakfast, Texas style, Eggs and chorizo
sausage, refried beans and hash browns. Yum.. 2 years off my life though
:o)) Next was the journey to the Alpine TX ranch of the Zelazneenys. I'm
here at their machine... We are having a great time, Bernie has the ability
to move Petei's 164 S, shall we say, rapidly... (I saw the high side of 150
mph, so I believe they really can do it. Just another day for Bernardo)
Saturday night was great tamales and today, after doing some research on
the net, Bernie found a place I was curious about..."Harkell Canyon, Texas"

He asked me if I wanted to see it, since it was "only 151 miles away"
(grocery distance in Texas){Wal-Mart is 65 miles away} and of course, since
I am so close...we went. So, let me tell you, when you think you have a
unique name and then hear "good ol'Texans" sputterin your name like it is
old hat, well, pretty cool. We traveled in quick comfort in Petei's 164 S
(she has 2 Alfas, Bernie, 1) up th 6 mile hard dirt road (Harkell Canyon
Road) and had a great hike around in "my" canyon. Later we had a great
dinner in Marathon TX. Beautiful local place (Gage Hotel) on the outer edge
of Big Bend Nat'l Park. I have a new definition of "wide open spaces".
Texas is HUGE.

Monday is the mega-trek to Brenham Texas to visit the Bennetts. 500 miles
across Texas!
Early start and hopefully clear weather and roads. It's an easy 8 hours to
get there, but I need to make progress to get back to Tampa.

Sofia turned 85,000 miles in a big space between Van Horn and Alpine. 8600+
miles to date, 1500 to go. All is well on the automotive front, and I am
amused by all the different sized cups that will fit in the Jess Liao
cupholder... Great Argentinean tea too, Jess! I enjoyed a cup on the way to
Alpine. 

Quote of the day:

"Please don't move here, the place sucks-airy water, polluted air, German
trainer pilots at 100 feet going Mach 1, the neighborhood of the Sierra
Blanca almost Nuclear Waste Dump" -Bernardo Zelazweenni (Sedonese)

More later, the journey continues.....

Bill Harkell
On the One Lap of North America, coming to a town near you...
Unabridged version at www.amazon.com :o)

Please Don't reply to Zelazweeny, use billharkell@domain.elided

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End of alfa-digest V7 #217
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