OKLAHOMA IS OK WITH ME, BUT I BLEW IT OFF FOR A NIGHT IN "BIG D"

WOKE UP YESTERDAY AND SAID GOODBYE TO ANNA AND HER FAMILY AND THEN HEADED OUT IN SEARCH OF AN OIL CHANGE... FOUND A PLACE AND GOT THE OIL CHANGED, NEW WIPER BLADES (FOR THE BUGS, I GUESS), THEN FILLED UP AT 1.99 A GALLON (CAN'T BELIEVE IT) AND MADE MY WAY SOUTH FROM KANSAS CITY...

WITH 12 DAYS LEFT ON MY ADVENTURE (THE TRAVELING PART, ANYWAY) IT WAS TIME TO DO SOME SERIOUS DRIVING, SO INSTEAD OF STOPPING IN OKLAHOMA CITY, I DECIDED TO BLOW THROUGH OKLAHOMA AND ARRIVED IN DALLAS, TEXAS AROUND 7 PM... MADE THE ARRANGEMENTS WHILE DRIVING, PARIS (MY GPS) HANDLED THE DIRECTIONS AND HERE I AM... WHAT A RIDE... MY ASS WAS NUMB BY THE TIME I REACHED THE HOTEL, BUT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT THANKS TO THE REPACK OF THE JEEP... THE PLAN NOW IS TO CONTINUE TODAY ON TO SAN ANTONIO AND SPEND A FEW DAYS THERE AND THEN HEAD WEST...

OKLAHOMA IS SOME BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY... ONCE YOU LEAVE THE PLAINS OF KANSAS, THE TERRAIN CHANGES AND YOU ENTER THE CHEROKEE NATION... I DROVE ON THE INDIAN NATION PARKWAY THE WHOLE THROUGH (CHEROKEE, CREEK AND CHOCTAW)... THE TERRAIN LOOKED LIKE I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A WESTERN MOVIE... (WAS EXPECTING TO SEE THE INDIAN SCOUT ON THE HILLS OFF THE "TRAIL")...WHAT I DID SEE WAS A LOT OF CASINOS AND THE CONTRASTING POVERTY OF THE SMALL TOWNS NOT FAR FROM ALL THAT WEALTH... (REMINDED ME OF ATLANTIC CITY IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CASINOS, ONLY WORSE)... AND, OF COURSE THEY WERE PACKED WITH CUSTOMERS... THIS TRIP IS ENOUGH OF A GAMBLE FOR ME SO I JUST KEPT ON TRUCKING... THERE WERE LOTS OF RANCHES AND HORSES AND CATTLE...(A LITTLE BETTER SCENERY THIS LEG)... I ALSO PAID THE FIRST TOLL SINCE I LEFT VIRGINIA ($1.75) ON THE WAY THROUGH THE NATIONS...(NOT GONNA MISS THE TRI-STATE AREA THAT WAY)...

SO, AFTER ABOUT 9 HOURS IN THE CAR, COUNTING FREQUENT STRETCH AND WATER STOPS, AND OVER 400 MILES, I MADE IT TO "BIG D". I HAPPENED TO FIND THE LOCAL SPORTS RADIO STATION AND I WISH I COULD HAVE RECORDED IT FOR MY GIANT FAN FRIENDS BECAUSE THEY WERE KILLING THE COWBOYS AND WHINING ABOUT THEIR INJURIES AND HOW THEY NEED TO DISMANTLE THE TEAM...(I WAS ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE)... ACTUALLY, IT REMINDED ME OF HOW THE NEW YORK MEDIA TREATS MY FAVORITE TEAMS EVERY YEAR... NICE TO KNOW THAT "AMERICA'S TEAM" IS NOT IMMUNE FROM MAJOR CRITICISM... ("HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS?")

AS I CHECK IN TO THE HOTEL, THE FRONT DESK DUDE TELLS ME I CAN PARK AROUND BACK CLOSER TO MY ROOM AND USE THE ENTRANCE ON THAT SIDE... AS I PULL INTO A SPOT I SEE THE REMNANTS OF SOMEONE'S WINDOW IN THE PARKING LOT... I ASK THE DUDE WHEN IT HAPPENED AND HE SAID "LIKE AN HOUR AGO... AS SOON AS IT GETS DARK, THEY COME OUT..." SO I IMMEDIATELY MOVED MY CAR BY MY ROOM WINDOW AND EMPTIED IT ALMOST COMPLETELY, RECORDED THE LICENSE PLATES OF THE CARS AROUND AND FREQUENTLY LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW...(NICE). BUT I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND THE CAR IS INTACT...(NOTE TO SELF...NO MORE RESERVATIONS ON THE FLY)