Weird Day
July 16 1998		Saint Louis, Missouri I'm not supposed to be here yet!
The task of the day: Avoiding a murder		One of the pluses of El Nino that hasn't been talked about is the incredible amount of growth now going on in the west part of the US. Kansas and Wyoming are now covered in a wonderful green grass. It's great to drive through, and way more interesting than just a bunch of farming (Sign sez: 1 Kansas Farmer Feeds 101 Americans + YOU!). I don't think I eat that much. Wyoming has a rather strange way of dealing with roads being closed in the middle of winter due to snow. While driving on 80, there will be these large train crossing gates with a sign that says "80 Closed when Flashing - Turn back to town" with whatever was the previous town listed. But here's the hitch. The previous town is typically 50 miles away, and there is no other way to get across the state. I just have this vision in my head of a New Yorker cartoon with a family stuck in their car and the caption reading "Well, now what?" Good question. Ate breakfast (Sausage Gravy and Biscuits) in Chyanne, Wyoming. The place is called Little America and features a stuffed penguin. I tried to get a souvineer of it for the QuickTime team, but none of the T-shirts would have been appropriate in a work environment. All across Kansas they are doing highway repair. It doesn't really seem all that needed, as the highway is in great shape. It's not usually much of a delay, but it's kind of annoying. When it opens back up to two lanes, a large day-glow orange sign declares "End Road Work." I agree. Well, I attempted to spend the night in Kansas City. Attempted because the hotel which was described as a two story with parking outside of the rooms was actually a half-open, deserted, creepy, phone lacking mess. I tried to make the best of it, but when a gang of folks was hanging around outside of my room drinking from 40s, I decided I wasn't going to get much sleep. 250 miles to Saint Louis. 1 AM. Time to get back into the car. On the plus side, I slept until noon, which means it was the same time as I would have gotten here before. Oh well, such are the things that make an adventure. I was kidding. I found out when I entered Missouri what happens when you End Road Work. The roads fall apart. So while the drive to Saint Louis was fast, it was also quite bumpy. Don't End Road Work. * * * Fun things seen today: Laramie, Wyoming - You're in Flavor Country! Dust in the air in Missouri that turned the moon a spooky neon orange. Hmmm, just like those road work signs. NPR Station in Saint Louis that goes Heavy Metal after Midnight. Just in time for a drive away from homicide.
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