Panhandle

It's 8:30 Oklahoma time and we're at Denny's. It's a food desert out here. I asked the host what kind of coffee options they had. And he told me, "Coffee. And diet coffee." So here we are.

We drove until 11:30 last night. Made about 350 miles and pulled off I-40 between "Claude" and "Goodnight." Slept by the side of a side road, next to an old shack and some grain hoppers. Crickets chirping. Swallows swooping. Woke up at first light to wind. Oh boy. It's going to be windy again today.

We'll drive as far today as we can, maybe 10 or 12 hours. Should get to St Louis at least.

Last night we pulled off the road at San Jon (curious name) to get gas and eat dinner, which we had brought with us. We sat there in the fading light, watching the LED sign at the San Jon Community Center advertise again and again the 4th of July softball tourney and fireworks. We had the best dinner in San Jon, I am certain: organic butterfly pork chops in a lime and cilantro marinade with zucchini, yams, and russet potatoes, Little Gems lettuce from our garden, fizzy water, and green tea mints. I went into the quick mart after dinner and saw a kid swabbing the decks. He wouldn't make eye contact. There was a low shelf full of big stuffed animals. The lions' paws and tails were laying on the floor. I watched the kid swab the mop right over them. Tim mocked, "I hate this town! I'm gonna get outta here as soon as I can. I'm goin' over to that other town where they at least have bars!"