Tuesday it was 82 degrees. This morning it was 41 when we woke up. It had rained all night, but at 8 am when we needed to hook the Jeep back up to take off, the rain stopped long enough that we didn't get wet. We were just freezing cold. You've heard that song: "OOOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. . . " Well, we weren't to Oklahoma yet, but its wind was making it miserable outside.
While driving north on I-35, I was reminded of the sign when we entered Texas last Sunday - "Welcome to Texas. Drive Friendly!". I was thinking their Welcome sign might be "Welcome to Texas - Where Everything is Bigger." Or "All My Exes Live in Texas". Or "Spread the message. . . God Bless Texas". Or even "The Eyes of Texas are Upon You." But I guess if you have a 75 mph speed limit, Drive Friendly is probably a good reminder. They had a Drive Friendly sign on the Ft. Sam Houston base and when I pointed it out to Eric on Monday, he said he liked it - made him smile - and that's good enough of a reason for me.
The weather along the drive north only got worse. The rain started up again and by the time we got to Oklahoma City, the temp had dropped to 30 and it was sleet/freezing rain. We did stop at the Oklahoma Welcome Center, but to be honest, I was too much of a wimp to get out and go inside to see what it was like. We drove through Norman, OK - the home of the Oklahoma Sooners and Moore, OK, where the water tower proclaimed it the home of Toby Keith.
We had planned all along to come to OKC as Mike's roommate from his Graduate School of Banking days in Madison, Wisconsin (28years ago) lives here. We met up with Richard and Cathy last summer in Indianapolis, and when we told them of our plans to travel this spring they graciously invited us to spend a few days here. But right now, I am typing this sitting in the lounge area of the Cummins dealer in OKC as our RV is being checked out. When we left Florida last Wednesday (has it only been a week that we started this adventure?) our "Check Engine" light came on. It is frustrating because this happened on our way to Florida last October and we took it in to the Cummins dealer in Tampa where they replaced a part and said we were good to go. But this is not taking any time away from our travels as we planned to be here for a few days anyway. If they have to keep it several days, we are allowed to stay in the RV at night, just need to be gone during the day when they are working on it. No problem there. Thursday we plan on going to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum on the site of the bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building. We expect this to be another emotional experience. Richard and Cathy are not going with us. They said they have never been through the whole thing and don't know if they will ever be able to as it is still too fresh for them. Cathy was working several blocks away that day. On Friday, they are both taking the day off work to show us around. We know for sure we will be visiting Richard's bank - Quail Creek Bank and Cathy's workplace. Saturday is a lazy day at their home- grilling steaks and watching golf. Watching The Masters is a ritual in the Magee household and we said we really would like to be in front of a TV. Fortunately, they like golf, too! And a relaxing day doing nothing sounds perfect as we have been on the road early every day so far.
We have said we are going to try not to eat at any national chain establishments - Applebee's, Chili's, you get the idea. Part of the adventure is sampling the local cuisine. Now, there are a few exceptions to this rule: 1- Dairy Queen. No matter where you are, you can always get a DQ. 2 - Chick-Fil-A. Yes, they are a chain, but they are not up north and biting into their crunchy chicken sandwich is something that should be enjoyed often. I would say the same about Sonic, but since one opened in Grand Rapids, they are now on the Do Not Eat On This Trip list. OK - I can see where this blog can get out of hand. It's a good thing for all of you that I don't have any strong opinions I want to share on world peace, world hunger, President Obama, etc.! We ate lunch today at Taco Cabana. It is a chain, but not one we have at home. A Panera Bread of tacos! And next door was a Starbucks. Now I know this is a national chain, but I was freezing and a chai tea sounded good. We can never stop at a Five Bucks (Mike's affectionate term for Starbucks) in the motorhome so it was a treat. Like when you order a Cherry Coke at a restaurant and they put a marchino cherry in it! You have to be thankful for the little things. . .
Pictures today are of the way to OKC - unexpected topography. And the ice on the trees. As back in Michigan, it is beautiful, but you don't want to have to drive in the sleet. When we unhooked the Jeep today, everything was coated in ice. Poor Mike - he had to handle all the cold metal parts (never thought to bring gloves) while I just hold the umbrella. And me, as bundled up as I can get because I didn't bring a winter coat with me. It looks exactly like a picture of me in 2006 on a rainy day in Ireland visiting the Blarney Castle. Same coat and everything. Boy, I've gotten my money's worth out of that thing haven't I - it's 7 years old!
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