Category: Elephant Butte

We are now at Elephant Butte State Park with a great view of the lake.
Here is our site for the next couple of days.

This is a Google Earth view.
Verizon
This evening I spent another two hours on txt chats trying to get Jean’s txt account restored.  During the first fix Verizon changed Jean’s account from 250 messages a month for $5.00 to $0.20 per txt.  I sent two emails to the customer service manager I talked to a couple of weeks ago without any response.  Last Monday we stopped at a Verizon store in Sparks where Caesar said he had fixed the problem.  I check two days later and the account had not been restored. Verizon has a prefect Customer Service policy, when the representative does not know how to fix the problem they hang up on you.  I wasn’t positive that this was the procedure until on one chat I waited 30 minutes and still the rep did not return after I explained the problem, Verizon did an auto log off ( timed out ).  I had three chat reps hang up on me, I think the fourth may have restored the plan.   Only time will tell, or is it seeing the bill will tell.

Here is an update on our travels:
This is Sunday October 4, 2015.

This trip so far.

Closer view from Boise south.
Current overview of retirement.

Rant:
During the Washington State Legislative session this year they passed a bunch of tax increases and ways of spending money.  An example of tax increase is the increase in gas tax, think it is $0.11 a gallon, that is a lot of money.  Last year they increased camping fees (remember a fee is not a tax increase).  Many parks have nine levels of camping fees based on how popular the site is plus what the site offers for water, electricity and sewer.  I think the fees run from $25.00 to top of $45.00.  And yes we paid $45.00 for a site last spring.  An example of other states for camping is where we are in New Mexico.  $14.00 for water and electricity (also most parks have free wifi) with an annual pass it’s $4.00 a night.  The out of state annual pass is $220.00 for 13 months.    Washington state has fined itself $100,000 day for not fully funding education, however I have not been able to find out how much money they need to fund education and why education would need this specific amount.  Another thing the state has done to help create support for all this funding is involved with purchasing a new house.  Starting in January of 2015 when you buy a house the new owner will have to certify that they will cheer for all Washington teams.  This includes Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, UW, WSU etc., (well may be not both UW and WSU their is a limit). The legislation does not specify how this will be enforced but I am sure our state’s law enforcement will find a way of monitoring this new law.  When I was in the Navy our motto was “NSA Customer Service guarantee, you speak, we listen”.
Rant for the day is over.
It is a beautiful day to be retired in New Mexico.