I stayed at a different motel in Amarillo. It was better than the one I usually stay at and only $10 more. Still pretty shabby but the room was almost twice as big and I slept well. That was worth the extra $10 and the breakfast was OK. Why are all the interstate motels run by little people from India or Pakistan? They always seem to be having some sort of family crisis and are engaged in an energetic verbal exchange in Hindi. Sometimes this is over the phone, possibly long distance, but today they were all gathered around the computer having a loud discussion about something. No idea what.
Today was my trip from Amarillo to Joplin...mostly Oklahoma. Weather was good. Not too much traffic or too much road construction. Not too much to talk about. I got back into Western Swing music again for a while -- High Plains Public Radio has a show called "Western Swing and Other Things" each Saturday morning and I just happened to be going through the Texas panhandle two Saturdays in a row.
I did stop at the Cherokee Trading Post a few miles west of Oklahoma City to soak up some Indian culture (American Indian this time). They have baskets and rugs and jewelry and tom-toms and rubber tomahawks...none of which have been anywhere close to an Indian until they were stocked on the shelves at the trading post. There is some authentic Indian crafts and artwork for sale but most of it comes from Asia. There is some Mexican stuff there too. The place was packed...so many people that you could hardly get to the rubber tomahawks or the fake rattlesnakes. There were lots of kids -- all being told by their parents that they couldn't buy anything, touch anything or have anything. Why take them in to the "tradin' post" if they can't get something?
I walked around outside and took some pictures. They have a caged Buffalo but he was at the far end of the pen so no photos. Two ladies posed in front of the big fiberglass Indian while I took their picture for them.
I was getting ready to snap a picture of a fiberglass Bison with the words "In God We Trust" emblazoned on his side when a man ran up and plopped a bright blue furry or feathered monkey on top of the Bison. He turned to me and said "He's a travelling monkey - I'm going to take his picture". The monkey was made out of a bright blue fur or feathery material and the guy was obviously gay. I admit that I'm not good at picking out gay people but I think that I had this one right. I asked where the monkey had been and he said that it had just been all the way to Oklahoma and now was on his way back to San Diego. I hesitated in my response because the man seemed to be unaware of the fact that he was standing smack in the middle of Oklahoma. He took the monkey's picture and I asked if I could also...after all, you don't see this every day. He said it was OK and that I'd have a good story to tell...yes, indeed. Before I could get the picture the guy started to jump into the picture for some reason. (So that explains the person trying to get into the picture). I mentioned that the monkey was getting some Indian culture and the guy said that he was part Cherokee himself. Sometimes I think I have a target on my back because I seem to attract peculiar people on occasion. It used to be Hari Krishnas and then it went to Jesus Freaks. I kind of miss the Hari Krishnas. I'm hoping that the man and his monkey is just a quirk and not the next trend.
The rest of Oklahoma was fairly uneventful. I got to Joplin and checked in to my hotel and then went out to find something to eat. I drove up Rangeline Road a few blocks and began to see evidence of the tornado that tore through here last year. Much of the damage has been fixed or hauled away. The large number of vacant concrete slabs probably mark the location of former businesses. There is one sign I saw that is twisted like a corkscrew but still standing next to one of the vacant slabs. There is an absence of trees and those that you see are small or seem stunted. I didn't go looking for any more storm evidence...I was trying to find a restaurant. I finally went back to an Applebees near the hotel.
I'll be home tomorrow.
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