Didn't want to leave Kansas City, but funds are low, time is short. And like Merle Haggard, I am a lonesome fugitive. He who travels fatest, goes alone.
I had to skip St. Louis. This made me sad, because I wanted to see the gateway from the east to west. But I had to move south. I went through Missourie and Kansas into oklahoma. People had told me that those states were some of the hardest to drive through. I beg to differ. The route I took was completely pleasant. But that didn't matter because on the phone my good friend Michelle accompanied me most of the way. Michelle is a good friend to have. Someone who you can trust to speak anything about. Completely honest and our conversations can go from absolutely meaningless to as deep as you can imagine in seconds. We spoke on the perspective of this trip. Why am I still doing this?
I really don't know what made me take this trip. People like Thermal and Ken in D.C. had asked me, "would you really move to anyone of these towns you get an offer in?" And the truth is, I don't know. I don't feel like I have much choice but to move their. But I have been waiting for my one possible job opportunity from Kalamazoo to call me. I told my friend Steig from Kalamazoo and his response was, "You better find a woman before you get out there. 'Cause you will not find one there."
These are the thoughts that have gotten me lost on this journey. I'm still not sure what I'm looking for. Michelle helped me clear some of these questions up. The decision is that there is many things out on the road that I need to learn that I can't anywhere else. many people I need to meet and things I need to see and do. I guess I always knew that, but some days I focus so much on trying to get a job that, I lose sight of what is all around me.
I got into Tulsa thinking this is where I was going to stop for the day. Tulsa is a nice town. Bigger than I imagined. And pretty clean. Not a ghetto. But I went to the computer to find something to do. And there was NOTHING. Every cool museum was closed. I couldn't find a nice park, museum, music venue, tourist trap, sporting event. I even tried social dancing. NOTHING! So I did my routine of dropping off resumes and moved along to Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City, much like most cities I have found in the country, is MUCH bigger than I had imagined. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Oklahoma City is the BEST kept secret in the U.S. This place is happening. No joke. I found immediately an area of town called, Bricktown. This was like a classy version of Beale St Memphis or Bourbon St New Orleans. It had a nice river walk next to well designed resturaunts and a movie theatres and clubs. The music scene out here is a SENSORY OVERLOAD. I almost had a heart attack. Do I go check out the dueling pianos? The lonesome sax player? the Smokey jazz lounge? The Rock Venue? the Blues band? The country band? The accoustic cover song dude? Where do I go? I wished I could clone myself like Micheal Keaton in Multiplicity. And it was all classy, almost family friendly. Tried to see it all. I loved it. But as the night rolled on, the demographics changed. It went from families to single and desperate people. Dorks with popped collars and women who have daddy issues. My enthusiasm was attenuated to doing a complete 180. I felt I would be happier somewhere else. Besides, I didn't have money for that kind of fun.
However, I did check out the blues band playing in the park. The band was a pretty text book blues band, good but nothing to write home about. After playing in the Jackie Greene band as long as I did, I became a real music snob. But I was very entertained by the folks dancing to the slow blues. Unlike in Kansas city, I was NOT going to be apart of this dancing. It comprised mostly of single people in their 50's whering tank tops, and mullets. Both male and female. And dancing very suggestively while intoxicated with papst blue ribbon. It was like watching a race car wreck. You don't want to see it, but dang it, as long as its going on your not going to miss a SECOND OF IT! I sat there hoping that when I am 80 years old, some 20 year old couple will vomit at the sight of me dancing to blues in the park with my 80 year old wife, moving just slightly inappropriately.
All and all. Oklahoma city is a good place. I unfortunately can't do any job hunting while here. I forced myself to keep a schedule. I have to be in Sacramento by the fourth of July. That means, I have to keep moving. But now I am on Route 66 (actually 40) which was the beggining of this whole trip I was intending to take. It seems so tiny after being on the road for nearly 8 weeks.
scripture: Matthew 5:45
I had to skip St. Louis. This made me sad, because I wanted to see the gateway from the east to west. But I had to move south. I went through Missourie and Kansas into oklahoma. People had told me that those states were some of the hardest to drive through. I beg to differ. The route I took was completely pleasant. But that didn't matter because on the phone my good friend Michelle accompanied me most of the way. Michelle is a good friend to have. Someone who you can trust to speak anything about. Completely honest and our conversations can go from absolutely meaningless to as deep as you can imagine in seconds. We spoke on the perspective of this trip. Why am I still doing this?
I really don't know what made me take this trip. People like Thermal and Ken in D.C. had asked me, "would you really move to anyone of these towns you get an offer in?" And the truth is, I don't know. I don't feel like I have much choice but to move their. But I have been waiting for my one possible job opportunity from Kalamazoo to call me. I told my friend Steig from Kalamazoo and his response was, "You better find a woman before you get out there. 'Cause you will not find one there."
These are the thoughts that have gotten me lost on this journey. I'm still not sure what I'm looking for. Michelle helped me clear some of these questions up. The decision is that there is many things out on the road that I need to learn that I can't anywhere else. many people I need to meet and things I need to see and do. I guess I always knew that, but some days I focus so much on trying to get a job that, I lose sight of what is all around me.
I got into Tulsa thinking this is where I was going to stop for the day. Tulsa is a nice town. Bigger than I imagined. And pretty clean. Not a ghetto. But I went to the computer to find something to do. And there was NOTHING. Every cool museum was closed. I couldn't find a nice park, museum, music venue, tourist trap, sporting event. I even tried social dancing. NOTHING! So I did my routine of dropping off resumes and moved along to Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City, much like most cities I have found in the country, is MUCH bigger than I had imagined. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Oklahoma City is the BEST kept secret in the U.S. This place is happening. No joke. I found immediately an area of town called, Bricktown. This was like a classy version of Beale St Memphis or Bourbon St New Orleans. It had a nice river walk next to well designed resturaunts and a movie theatres and clubs. The music scene out here is a SENSORY OVERLOAD. I almost had a heart attack. Do I go check out the dueling pianos? The lonesome sax player? the Smokey jazz lounge? The Rock Venue? the Blues band? The country band? The accoustic cover song dude? Where do I go? I wished I could clone myself like Micheal Keaton in Multiplicity. And it was all classy, almost family friendly. Tried to see it all. I loved it. But as the night rolled on, the demographics changed. It went from families to single and desperate people. Dorks with popped collars and women who have daddy issues. My enthusiasm was attenuated to doing a complete 180. I felt I would be happier somewhere else. Besides, I didn't have money for that kind of fun.
However, I did check out the blues band playing in the park. The band was a pretty text book blues band, good but nothing to write home about. After playing in the Jackie Greene band as long as I did, I became a real music snob. But I was very entertained by the folks dancing to the slow blues. Unlike in Kansas city, I was NOT going to be apart of this dancing. It comprised mostly of single people in their 50's whering tank tops, and mullets. Both male and female. And dancing very suggestively while intoxicated with papst blue ribbon. It was like watching a race car wreck. You don't want to see it, but dang it, as long as its going on your not going to miss a SECOND OF IT! I sat there hoping that when I am 80 years old, some 20 year old couple will vomit at the sight of me dancing to blues in the park with my 80 year old wife, moving just slightly inappropriately.
All and all. Oklahoma city is a good place. I unfortunately can't do any job hunting while here. I forced myself to keep a schedule. I have to be in Sacramento by the fourth of July. That means, I have to keep moving. But now I am on Route 66 (actually 40) which was the beggining of this whole trip I was intending to take. It seems so tiny after being on the road for nearly 8 weeks.
scripture: Matthew 5:45
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