As we neared Odessa, my phone buzzed. I check it and had a recorded message from the reservation system for the lodge in Big Bend, informing me they were canceling my reservation due to weather conditions, lack of power, etc. No doubt that message had gone out to my phone, when I had no service and I was receiving it much too late, when it no longer mattered.
The tow truck driver stopped by the motel and let us unload our luggage, then I rode with the driver to the dealership. Due to ice on the drive in front of the service entrance, it was a chore to unload the vehicle and I had to help the driver work the vehicle off of the flatbed. Of course, being Sunday the dealership was not open. I filled out the drop off form, etc. I had planned to walk back to the motel; but the tow truck driver was going back that way, so he dropped me off.
We walked a few blocks from the motel to a bar/restaurant, had a late lunch and watched an NFL playoff game. Back at the motel, we settled in for the night. I began to have the initial indications of getting a cold that Sunday afternoon; but I initially though it was just a dry cough from the cold weather. The cough and sinus drainage was enough that I had considerable trouble sleeping. My two kids like it quite, when they sleep and were using ear plugs. My older son likes it dark, so he was wearing an eye mask, too.
Sometime between 11:00PM and midnight, the room entry way light came on. Turning over, I saw someone in a dark coat leaving the room. I could see one son still in bed, so I though my older son might have gone to the lobby for a snack or something to drink. I lay in bed for a few minutes, but being a little concerned, I got up, went to the bathroom and sipped warm water to sooth my throat. When I came out, I saw that both of my sons were still sleeping. I thought maybe the older one had come back, while I was in the bathroom. I noted that the safety latch on the door was not closed, so I closed it. Just to be sure, I looked around and did not see anything missing (we had a considerable quantity of camera gear about the room). I turned out the light and went back to bed. Shortly afterwards the room phone rang, waking the two kids. I fumbled in the dark for the phone; but did not get to it in time. Since the kids were awake, I told them what I had seen. They were sure that I had dreamed it and were sure the light had not come on, until I turned it on after the phone range. The phone rang again as we were talking and it was the front desk, apologizing for calling, but asking if there were any belonging in the room when we moved in. I told them there weren’t anyone else’s belonging in the room and I reported that someone had just been in my room. They confirmed that, telling me that someone from the electric power transmission repair company had been checked into our room. I did not really understand how this was possible and did not get more details until the next morning.
I stopped at the front desk before I went out to the Nissan dealership early Monday morning. The night person who had called in the middle of the night was still there and was briefing the day shift about what had happened. Apparently, the Oncor repair person had a room there with his belonging in it and was being reassigned to another room, where his belongings were to be moved. Apparently, he had been given our room number by the crew changing his room assignment, then we were given that room, when we checked in. The day shift did not pass the correct information to the night shift, which had no clue into which room his belonging had been moved and apparently took his word for the room that he was to be assigned to, not checking to see that that room was already taken. When the Oncor person came in, he was given new key cards to our room, which wiped out our key cards. I got new keys while at the desk. I, also, explained our situation to the front desk people, telling them that we might need the room for a few days. I was assured that that was not a problem.
I walked to the Nissan dealership to be there at opening time, to find that it was still locked up and no one around. I stood outside in the cold, until someone finally showed up late to open the dealership. I got to, at least, talk to the master technician, who opened the place, about the vehicle symptoms and, explaining our situation, asked that he expedite the repair, if possible. I asked that he call me as soon as possible after the diagnosis, since we needed to make a decision about our motel situation. Getting no call prior to the motel check out time, I called and was informed that the fuel pump was the culprit and they would have to order it; but at least the part was covered under the warranty. They thought they might get it on Tuesday; but were not sure, because of the weather issues. At least we had a place to stay that night.
An hour before check out time on Tuesday morning, I began calling the Nissan dealership to get an update. I had to leave a message with the phone receptionist, who promised a call back. Thirty minutes later, having received no return call, I called again, was put on hold and after more than 10 minutes on hold, I hung up and called again. It took several renditions to finally get to talk to someone, who knew anything. The fuel pump had arrived and the best we could get out of them was that the repair would be completed by 6pm. Just to be sure, that we would still have a room that night, I called the front desk to make sure our stay was still extended. The very same person who told me that he would extend the room for three days, told me they had no capacity for extending our stay. They, at least, agreed to call around to help us find another room. There were other motels very nearby, but none of those had rooms available. We walked to the dealership to try to get a better idea of when the vehicle would actually be ready and learned it would be ready around 3pm. So we decided that was early enough to safely (we were still concerned about road icing late at night) drive home that day.
To end of a long story, we made it back home safely around 9:45PM.
We did see much of the park from the roadways. There was one stretch of the basin road with heavy frost cover, from the mist hanging over it, that was absolutely beautiful.
But wait, there is more. Some weeks later, prior to going on another trip, I could not find my Nikon 24-70mm lens. I knew I had loaned it to one of my sons and I knew he had returned it. I thought maybe I had loaned it to another one, but they all confirmed that they did not have the lens. I thought that it might turn up somewhere. Months went by and I had not found it. Finally, resolved to having lost the lens, I purchased the newer version of that lens, which cost $1000 more than the one that I lost and which I had only purchased less than two year prior. A few weeks later, I was informed by the son whose vehicle we had used for the Big Bend trip, that he had found my lens in an inconspicuous place in his vehicle! (He had checked his vehicle for the lens, after I reported it missing and not found it). Now having two Nikon 24-70mm lens, I gifted the older one to one of my sons, who also shoots with Nikon cameras. So at least he got a positive outcome to this trip. (His manager, overhearing him tell a colleague about this trip, told him “I’m giving you your vacation days back”).
