I'm in Kansas

posted by Patty James @ 7:36pm, Saturday 19 June 2010.

As of this afternoon, tomorrow's interviews were changed from tomorrow night to morning, so I had no choice than to drive all day again today. This was an incredible amount of driving in 2 days. I am in Wellington, Kansas, about 30 minutes outside of Wichita. Just like last night, I am in a Walmart parking lot, but tonight I am surrounded by beautiful golden wheat fields. My very sweet doggie pals are very happy to be able to stretch their legs, as am I. We do stop at Rest Stops along the way, of course.

I had a lot of interesting observations today. I am now using my Verizon card (no more quick hotel room internet) so we'll see if I have a chance to upload the photos from today. Nothing exciting really. 24 hours of driving in a 48 hour time frame allows time for thought-good and bad! It's good actually....O.K. I am sidetracked by another trucker who just flew in and flew up next to me. I swear, some of the these guys are crazy! This one has long wild hair, a baseball cap on and literally jumped out of his cab and is already on top of his load checking cables. Wow, this guy is quick or has had a few too many little white pills. I have to digress while I'm on the topic of truckers. I have a new found appreciation of the horrible drivers these guys put up with everyday. (still watching this guy-he might be a little out there-hum) He just walked by and waved. Small wave back as if to say..hello, now go away...

Anyway...cars pull right in front of me all the time and I have a little 22' RV-they also pull in front of a semi who couldn't possibly stop in that scenario. They are generally really polite (although they are prone to leering if you happen to be next to one) and always pull out of the way if someone is trying to merge or if there is a car pulled over on the far right lane. I am more cognizant of staying out of their way while they're trying to get up a hill. Most drivers are oblivious. I feel like I am an honorary member of the Brotherhood/Sisterhood of the Open Road, after this trip. They have all been good to me.

So...


Some observations today:

Someone is running for office in Arkansas whose name is Young Boozer-I swear! Really now, who would do that to their kid? Or is it shades of A Boy Named Sue? (I always presume you can keep up with my ramblings.)

Lots of muddy looking rivers today. Perhaps recent storms or tornadoes?  By the way, thanks for all the tips as to what to do if a twister approaches-helpful. Remember in Forest Gump when the man on the shrimp boat was screaming "You want me? Come and get me!" That's me with tornadoes..whatever...

People in Arkansas don't like Obama much or else they really have a lot to time to stencil Impeach Obama signs. I saw quite a few.

Back to truckers for a sec. One big burly trucker had a Dream Catcher on his mirror...aw...

At one toll booth, the little shed next to the toll booth was painted pink and there were flowers in pots at every pay station. I asked the woman about it and she said, 'Only us girls work here.' Don't you love girls?

Sorry.. back to wired-trucker guy. He went inside, I went outside for a doggie potty stop and we each returned at the same time. Nice man, hauling wheat. "They're cutting big time" he told me." How old is your big dog?" 13. "My dog Rosie is old too-bad hips." How old? "Don't know. Old." He smelled like cigars.

Oh gosh...

One river, now damned (that's not the correct spelling is it?) into a lake was red. Iron I guess.

I looked over one bridge I was driving over and saw endless railroad cars full of coal.

I felt the Trial of Tears as I drove through Oklahoma and that started me thinking about South Dakota again. I am so excited about going there. I am also excited about the morning's kids interviews here in Kansas and right after them I head for Colorado. Tomorrow night my pups and I will hopefully be sleeping outside somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. I played my John Denver CD in honor if this today. Yes, I have a John Denver CD.

I am forgetting so much, but it's 9:30 and I went to bed at 1:00 last night and still awoke at 5:15. I am reading a silly, but fun, courtroom drama. The cynical, hard exterior female attorney-brilliant, and beautiful with a soft core that no one can touch and the equally brilliant and wounded male lead attorney. Oh my....

Perhaps by morning photos will be uploaded as well as my thoughts. I will spare you the Stream of Consciousness Day I had....my goodness I can spin a good story in my head...

Sweet Dreams!
These are not in order...



Dang. You can't see the flower pots....very sweet. I appreciated the efforts these women put in to make our days prettier.








My version of taking photos of the country side. Hold up camera making sure to stay on the road, snap, hope for the best. Tennessee..no Arkansas...no..Oklahoma...yes, Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation Country.







That's it for tonight..