Lately, it seems like every time I am planning a trip to Wisconsin, I end up at the border right before. This happened for Thanksgiving this year and the year before. When I got back from Beaumont, Conroe, and Bryan, I had a voicemail on my desk phone. It was a port of entry supervisor requesting I come to Eagle Pass again and setup some equipment. It was since removed due to construction and they wanted to make sure it was setup correctly for the upcoming busy season.
I didn’t have anything planned for the following week, except being in the office for Monday and Tuesday to cover while we were short staffed, so I scheduled going on site for that following Wednesday. I’d hit the road then, and come back on Thursday (and then sequentially go to Wisconsin after work).
When I was getting the company car, I noticed the landscaping company chopping up a bunch of leaves instead of bagging them. It was creating a bunch of dust and was kind of nasty. No wonder my car always has a layer of dust on it when sitting for a week while I’m on the road!
I filled up the car and got some breakfast tacos for the way.
I thought I won the lottery by not having traffic on MoPac, but soon found there was a delay on 290.
When I was driving down Highway 57, I saw a semi heading the same direction with Wisconsin plates.
The equipment didn’t take terribly long to install. I installed it and verified everything was working. Then, like last time, I headed over to Piedras Negras when I was done for the day.
The Rio Grande was kind of green.
I made it to the liquor store.
After buying my booze, I headed back to the bridge.
The line wasn’t nearly as long as last time.
I made it back to the same TABC booth I got working and then paid my taxes.
The hotel was the same as last time. This time, it was on the other side of the building, with a view of the pool.
I was hungry so I made it to Popeye’s Chicken. This one actually had Hawaiian Punch, so that was cool.
Unlike Wisconsin, which was hitting highs close to 0, it was nice and warm in Eagle Pass. It was almost warm enough to take a dip in the pool.
The next morning, I drove back through the fog and made it back in time for our department potluck. We did our white elephant gift exchange and shortly after that, I had my 40 hours in so I was ready to hit the road for Wisconsin.