4/25: Octane GMC

​Before our appointment at the GMC dealer, we fit in a 7:30 am Vinyasa yoga class. It was a challenging workout. And we enjoyed the private showers afterward. Our campground had no showers.
We showed up a little early for our 9:15 am appointment at the GMC Dealer - Octane GMC/Buick. They got us in and promptly determined that our transmission needed to be replaced. The cost estimate for the repair was $9k. Our mileage was 1k over the warranty on the drive train! However, the service advisor told us he would talk to GMC to see what they could do to defray the cost. While awaiting their answer, he offered to connect us with the Sales department to explore trade-in options. We agreed.
GMC responded pretty quickly, offering to cover 60% of the cost. Unfortunately, the leadtime for a new transmission to be shipped from Detroit was 10 days. We looked at four trucks and test drove two of them. We discussed possibly renting a car and extending our stay in Santa Fe. We fell in love with a beautiful GMC Canyon AT4X, which is an off-road trim version of Angie's previous truck. We didn't really want an off-road truck, but the stock model was a boring gray color, while the AT4X was a sexy candy-apple red color. They gave us a great offer on our trade-in and we took the plunge. We left the dealer with a brand-new truck, stopping back at the Cowgirl for a celebratory dinner.
Back at the campsite, our camp host, Ken, hung out with us for bit. Ken looks like Joe, but he's had a very different life. He's from Brooklyn, but he has spent most of his adult life in the West. He was drafted for the Vietnam War, but failed his physical because of bad peripheral vision. What a blessing, huh?
Seems like Ken has had lots of different jobs, including working at a streetside newstand, home construction, project management, touring musician and campground host. He pulled his 30-foot trailer with a 1970s Chevy pick-up. He was replacing the fuel pump during our visit. He also had two Harley-Davidson motorcycles parked behind his trailer. He had great stories to tell about his band that played hotel lounges on the California Coast between La Jolla and Santa Barbara for two years before things fell apart. Before that, he had hitchhiked around the West with his guitar and long hair. He's got a daughter in NC. He wrote a song for her.