2014: Rolling thru Amerika on 18 Wheels. Volume IV Oklahoma to Kansas
Just crossed the North Texas border into Oklahoma on 35- Chickasaw (Native American) country. What's the first thing to see across the Oklahoma border? Win Star Casino! This is not any ordinary casino, no sir. This is the largest casino in the world! We stopped on for a break and got me a Player's Card (my stack is getting bigger and bigger as we cross the country :) and played some slots. Of course Mr. J.S. got lucky his second spin... BAM just like that. Don't know how he continues to do it, but I just sit back amused as always and smile. I have no Lady Luck as bad luck would have it...
NOTE: we are officially in 'Tornado Alley.'
One thing I notice ( a few things actually) about people in casinos. Women love to wear bling here! I mean, I still have my love affair going with my newfound lust for bling that I only acquired since moving to the Middle East so I put on my dowry jewels along with my new Bahraini bling sandals I got at A'ali Mall with Sister Sherry. So, I know the desire to bling with the best and so do huge chicks that come to casinos. Not all, of course, as many were just in slippahas, shorts and tank tops. I did catch more than enough sightings though of seriously blinged-out chicks. Dandies too. I mean dudes too. I saw more than enough mustachioed dudes with tank tops perfectly tucked into their tight jeans with huge belt buckles. Damn I love people-watching throughout the world!
Passing into Oklahoma, the landscape seems to change immediately- making it a noticeable difference from Texas. Maybe it's just me, but the grass is greener, there are more trees and they are closer together and greener. It seems more mellow too. Lots of farm tractors, etc on the sides of the highway parked at houses spaciously spaced apart (did that make sense?).
The area we are traveling through is known as the Chickasaw National secretion Area. It is further defined as the "peaceful valley of rippling waters." How beautiful is that? It's comprised of Eastern deciduous forest and the mixed-grass prairie.
Oklahoma is home to many Indian nations. It seems many of them got ran out of their lands and came into Oklahoma to settle. It surprised me last year how beautiful Oklahoma was.
I think we're coming upon another casino up ahead. Mr. J.S. has 'casino radar' as strong as steer manure.
We just hit up Treasure Valley Casino here in Treasure Valley, Oklahoma. I won $20 on a .30 cent bet. This shit is fun I admit. Extra bonus was 2 pee breaks! Pretty good for a 1/2 hour break :) this is a small, quaint, manageable casino. That last one was acres and acres and acres and you needed a map. GPS would of helped to triangulate as well...
...And we are currently at the 3rd casino of the day! Still in Oklahoma, but this time at the Chickasaw Nation's "Riverwind Casino" in Norman, Oklahoma. Mr. J. S. is playing poker and I've retired to Truck to chill out and do some writing and hopefully get over this cold.
Casino culture continues to fascinate me. Everybody is nice. Everybody has a story- many of the hard-luck variety. It is a viable slice of America from what I can see.
Sunday 13th
Oklahoma City TA Truck Stop 7:30 am
Old Catfish was behind the counter. Dude had a fish hook on his TA cap and just looked confused as shit. The young kid with a large earring sitting next to him must have been on a break as he did nothing. Poor old Catfish didn't know how to fix the computerized shower ticket system thing so had to do it by hand. He was all kinds a grumpy. And slow. Imma call him 'Grumpy Old Catfish' now. He talked slow and with a drawl too. He sounded like Woody Harrelson when he plays a Southern character...
Anyway, now we're holed up at another TA just down the road so we can get some shit done- namely closing the passenger (my) window... It don't seem to wanna close back up... That ain't no good now, is it? No ma'am. Certainly not for me trying to get over this cold. Additionally, I see all the dead bugs in the mirror next to window and it is a scene of slaughter for sure. That's what imma feel like if this window doesn't close.
Anyway mr. J.S. Is mad as a nest of hornets getting their nest smoked out. Poor Old Catfish didn't help out either. He was just slow pokin' around the cash register with a line of peeps waiting.
Just went through Cheyenne/Arapahoe territory. We seem to be I. Cherokee Nation territory now as all signs say something about Cherokee: Cherokee 7-11 ahead, Cherokee Trading Post ahead, etc.
North of Oklahoma City the landscape seems to be characterized by orangish-red dirt- and a lot of it! The soil looks so rich in minerals, and is a beautiful contrast with the electric green shades of grasslands that meet up with a pale blue sky on the horizon.
We just went through Geary, Oklahoma. Apparently there are some big problems with meth here. Not much here but farmland. I guess I can see that the kids are looking for cheap thrills... Suddenly they're hooked and building meth labs in their bedrooms...
Seiling, Oklahoma. I think it is a prerequisite to have a junk car or 2, or 5, to live in Seiling, Oklahoma :) damn it's beautiful though. Green, green, green and then some black dots (cows) congregated around a tree here and three enjoying the shade. Lots of creeks (pronounced 'crik') alongside the roadway. Always there is a 'cemetery road' with an arrow pointing. I can't tell you how many Cemetery Road signs I've seen since entering Oklahoma.
Definitely looks like cow-tipping country here :) as well as cow pies, which means mushroom spores too. I'll say it again, it is beautiful here. This is the place to meet a cool dude and shack up for a bit- in summertime of course... Yea, I could become a cowgirl for a while here.
We are entering the "panhandle" of Oklahoma heading towards Woodward. From there we head north on 183 to Sitka, Kansas. Suddenly the scenery changes again. The area now seems a bit drier and not so many trees.
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