Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore!

So today I got out of work early, really early….before 11am early!  I rushed home, finished a large portion of my final accounting project, and about 2:30 decided that it was too nice to sit inside and do more homework.  After all, I brought my motorcycle, and had only ridden it to work and back thus far. 

So, on the motorcycle I hopped, and headed into Joplin, where I heard that 7^th street took you all the way into Kansas.  Turns out, this is true and a half hour later, I found myself in a no bit small Kansas town.  So small in fact that I can’t remember the name, of course, I never can remember names, ok, it was Galena (I looked it up).  After I blinked and was almost out of town, I finally found what appeared to be an abandoned gas station…with lights turned on inside.  I pulled in and to my surprise, it was open for business. 

A young man stood behind the counter and his wife was seated at a table in the middle of the store.  I found my ice tea and some very dusty postcards to buy, and asked them what there was to see or do around here.  She replied, “In Kansas?” 

Um….ya…..in Kansas. 

“Well,” she says, “If you keep following this road to the roundabout, and then turn left and go about 6 miles, you will hit Oklahoma!” 

“Oklahoma?  Oklahoma, Kansas?”  I ask.

“No, Oklahoma, the state,” she says. 

Ooooooooook, apparently, there is nothing to do or see in Kansas and she was hurrying me into the next state.  Well, what the heck, on to Oklahoma I flew (like Dorothy in a tornado).  I meandered through another small town on my way and managed to find my obligatory Kansas shot glass, before making it to Oklahoma.

So what the heck is there to do in Oklahoma???  Nothing looked to be of interest, but as I traveled further down the road, I saw a sign for a casino.  At the very least I could find my postcards and my official Oklahoma shot glass there!  Another 6 miles and another huge sign found me pulling into what appeared to be the smallest lil casino in Oklahoma….or anywhere else I have ever been for that matter.  Not that I am a huge casino connoisseur, I much prefer to keep my money instead of donating to their cause.  But, what the heck Dorothy, we ain’t in Kansas anymore…

I walked into the air conditioned casino and at least I knew I would get some relief from the heat, and found a little bar where they served the spiciest bloody mary’s known to man.   An older Indian gentleman sat next to me at the bar and I figured I would strike up a conversation, “Hello,” I croaked.

“Did you know your throat is melting and your hair is singed?”

Oh, a joker….I managed to choke down half my Bloody Mary while trying to hold a conversation with this man before I made a mad dash to the restroom to wash my face and burning throat down with water.  And with that, I was back on my bike and about an hour later, back at home….in the 19 foot condo….in Misery…Aaaahhh….Misery is good!  LOL!