6.12.08
8.00 am
We are leaving Cushing after an uneventful trip to meet up with my wife’s sister, Stefanie. She’ll be driving at least half the distance to Kansas City. Stacie will pick up the slack, driving the rest of the way (update: Stefanie wound up driving the whole way, of her own accord).
We’re in Stefanie’s car – I don’t even know what kind it is (update: it’s a Vibe), only that it’s fairly “roomy” (update: this opinion will change radically by the time we’re on the road home). The ride is much bumpier than I would expect from a car this size. The problem is the shitty roads. Maybe it will become smoother when we get on the Turnpike or a major highway off of these back city roads (update: we didn’t get on the Turnpike until we were on the way home).
It’s actually a beautiful morning. The temperature is agreeable; though you can already feel a slight mugginess that lets you know that a humid day is in store. That would be drag if we all planned to be outside for the majority of the vacation. As it is, I believe we’ll be lounging in cool, air-conditioned comfort most of the time.
8:15 am
We’re going through Drumright now. Drumright isn’t much of a town. It’s most memorable features are the steep; hills that form the main (only?) road through it. Lots of shops like the main street but it would appear that the vast majority of them have been vacant for a long time.
The plan for today is to arrive in Kansas City, maybe eat a large lunch (so I won’t want dinner), check into the hotel, change into my swimsuit, then relax in the pool and the sauna for an hour of two (update: there were no saunas at either of the hotels we stayed at, but there were spas at both, and that made up for it). My legs will probably be sore, maybe even cramping by the time the journey ends. It will do them a world of good to float in the water and sweat in the sauna.
Depending on how long I stay in the pool area, I may have a snack before 5:00, but I will be in the shower getting ready for the show no later than that.
Bryan and I plan to get in line at 6:00 pm to wait out the next two hours with the hope of getting a choice seat. It’s probably unrealistic to think that we’ll be at the very front of that line – I’m sure there are Sigur Ros fanatics who are even more hardcore than I am – but surely a 2 hour head start will ensure a nice spot in the center of the theater. Maybe about 10-15 yards from the stage (update: Though we did get the seats we wanted, even if they were a little farther from the stage than I hoped the would be, my theory about the 2 hour wait in line proved to be extremely off the mark, as I will speak of later).
I wouldn’t mind being on the floor, but I know the sound level will be awfully loud there. I’d just as soon not leave the theater with more hearing loss than I already have. Furthermore, it just doesn’t sound like a good idea to stand throughout the concert after standing for so long in line (update: I now wish we HAD stood up for the entire length of the show, what with many people not being able to decide between sitting down and standing up, and one particularly annoying fellow who blocked my view on at least two occasions). It will be much better, I’m sure, to be able to lounge back, just close enough to the band to see everything clearly, and far enough from the stage that we’ll be able to enjoy the light show to it’s fullest effect.
I have no doubts whatsoever that the concert will be awesome. They were incredible when I first saw them in 2002 and I wasn’t nearly as big a fan then as I am now. I wanted to see the “Takk” tour but that never happened. I’m hoping there will be plenty of songs from that album played tonight.
I guess I’m ready to hear them play songs from the new album. I’ve listened to it 4 or 5 time now. As is usually the case, it seems to get better each time I hear it. I’ll recognize them tonight and know them well enough to follow along.
I’m overjoyed that Bryan is coming with me. I feel certain that not only will he love it, it will be one of the best memories he’ll carry throughout his life (update: upon further consideration I realized that this might be a little bit “wishful thinking” – but then again, perhaps not). Not so much the concert itself (though that will be a big part of it) but for the way he’ll see me. Maybe that sounds odd – let me explain…
I don’t think he’s ever seen the exuberant side of me that will manifest itself tonight. Hell, not even I, myself, experience it very often at all. But tonight I’ll be cheering wildly, clapping my hands like a mad man, or sitting back in a theater seat enraptured by this music that moves me so. Maybe some of that will spill out and over to him. I think that would be a good thing. I know it’s not good, the way I usually am, so absurdly guarded , reserved, devoid of emotion – not that I’m actually emotionally dry, but I have become quite adept at keeping it all within. Not just the bad stuff – ALL OF IT. Maybe that will change one day. I’m very sure that it is a result of my bipolar disorder. The times when I’ve “let it all hang out”, so to speak, usually either precipitate a bad manic streak (and we know what that leads to) or another depression where Ill regret letting down my guard. I’ll become embarrassed of it. No one knows what to expect from me an I am consciously aware of how disappointed they are on both extremes of my illness (update: I’m not sure what I meant by this or who I was talking about as “they”. Probably Stacie and Bryan). No doubt it’s harder on them than it is on me.
8:55 am
We’re cruising through the middle of Tulsa on Hwy 44. As far as Oklahoma goes, Tulsa is probably my favorite city. It’s hard to find your way around it, though.
I think I’ll read for a little while. I bought a book called “Nothing But the Truth” – I couldn’t even tell you the author’s name without looking at the cover (and I’m not going to do that) (update: the guy’s name is John Lescroart, and it’s actually a good, entertaining book). As one might surmise from the title, it’s a courtroom drama of sorts. Very easy reading. I also brought the Robert Jordan book I’ve been reading for what seems like FOREVER. I’m positive that my slow progress with this one is the direct result of the fucked up eyeglasses I got from Dr. Radell last September. I’ve tried my damnedest to get used to them, but now I realize that there’s GOT to be some problem with the glasses themselves. Either the lens makers cut one (or both) of them wrong or Radell’s prescription was faulty. Either way, I finally called his office about it. I know I took WAY too long to contact him, but the last couple of times I went there to get them adjusted (thinking that was all that would be necessary to correct the problem) I got the distinct impression that he was “put out” with me, that he thought I was wasting his time, that he thought I was some kind of optical hypochondriac and he didn’t have time for it. Maybe – probably I’m wrong about all of that. Whatever. I only hope we get it taken care of when I take them back in on the 23rd. Until then I’ll have to wear the old pair…I wouldn’t mind wearing the old ones but they have some nasty scratches that are hard to ignore some of the time.
Anyhoo…I was under the impression, before we began this trek, that
The radio would be played at a volume so low that I would hardly notice it. Stacie said that was the way Stefanie always plays it - so low you can barely hear it. I had certainly hoped that would be the case, but, as comparatively low as it is, alas, I still can hear it. AAARRGGHHHH!!!! I don’t mean to denigrate anyone’s taste in music, but this radio station they listen to plays some of the most abysmal CRAP that’s ever been recorded. EXAMPLE: They just finished playing “Calling All Angels” by Train. Barf! Not so much that the song is terrible, but even if it were halfway decent musically there’s still the singer’s voice, which affects me much in the same way as fingernails on a chalkboard.
I don’t know the name of the one they played before that one – the song that inspired me to write about how horrible this station is – it could have been Jewel of Sheryl Crow or any of a dozen clones whose wares get on my nerves to such a painful degree.
At least it lets up when we’re on lengthy stretch of road, when the main noise is the sound of wheels on pavement. If I were driving, and had I a car stereo, this sound would be squelched by loud music of my own choosing. Alas, this was not possible. As it is, I much prefer the rubber hitting the road to the tripe coming from the speakers right now.
But hey, I thought I said I was going to read…
12:25 pm
Actually I didn’t get around to reading at all. Reading in the car, with all the movement, proved to be more trouble than I expected with all the movement in the car. I might take it up again later, but for now I’m enjoying the scenery. We arrived in Kansas not too long ago (I didn’t check for the time). The roads are awfully rough.
Decided to eat lunch in a city called Iola, at a Pizza Hut. It was probably the nicest Pizza Hut I’ve ever been to, as far as the restaurant itself. But the buffet was kind of small. Surely they must bring stuff out on a regular basis because the place was fairly crowded and there were, at most, 4 or 5 pizzas to choose from.
The sky is very slightly overcast, and it is a bit humid. I hope it doesn’t rain, or if it does, that it won’t begin until after the doors open at the Uptown.
From what I’ve seen on the internet, the venue appears to be relatively small. Smaller the better, I say.
There IS a chance of thunderstorms tonight, so says the Kansas City Star newspaper. Once again, that’s fine with me as long as I’m in the theater and the show goes on…
Back on the road, I think I’ll lay this down and gawk out the window some more.
TRIVIAL ASIDE: I had to go back to the new glasses for now. The old ones are better for reading, but they are quite scratched up = I don’t know how they got that way. With a little effort I can make the new ones work – hell, I’ve been doing it for the last 9 months. So what if I wind yup with a headache and tired eyes? Maybe it will be okay. I should probably stop worrying, eh?
2:05 pm
We’re about 30 miles from Kansas City and I am pretty much ready to abet out of this car. Bryan’s bored shitless. There’s nothing much to seed on this last stretch of highway until we reach our destination. I’m wanting to swing by the theater so I can see what it looks like. I’m thinking our hotel check in time is 3:00 pm, so we should have plenty of time to do it. It all depends on the driver.
4:30 pm
We arrived at the hotel right at 3:00 o’clock. Didn’t get to swing by the theater. Oh, well.
The motel seems nice. Our room is okay. Bryan and I went down to the swimming pool (our room is on the 4th floor). It was actually very small. 5 feet at it’s deepest (update: it was the same at the next hotel, so that may be the standard…I wouldn’t know because I have stayed in so few hotels). That was a little disappointing, but we made the best of it. Bryan had a good time and it was relaxing for me. Especially the spa. Quite invigorating to go from the heat of the spa to the cold water in the pool.
From the reports on the TV it would appear that there are a few tornadoes in the area. I don’t know how far away from us they are, but it doesn’t look too bad out the window.
Stacie is parked in front of the TV. She always watches the severe storm reports any time they are on. She knows more about meteorology than most people from watching all the severe weather bulletins.
The guy who is doing the report is very calm, compared to the ones in Oklahoma. Especially Mike Morgan.
11:15 pm
Boy, did I underestimate how soon that line would form. It stretched back for two blocks when we got there a little past 6:00 pm. I was discouraged, thinking we wouldn’t get good seats. But I guess the theater was much bigger than I thought it would be, because we were able to sit exactly where I had wanted.
Fact is, we could have gone on the floor and still been halfway into the crowd from the stage. I knew it would be excessively loud down there, so I’d planned on something in the center of the bottom floor about 4 rows back.
A little after 8:00 pm the trombone player from Sigur Ros horn section played a solo set of his own songs (not on trombone – guitar and organ…I’m sorry but I didn’t catch his name…one of those unpronounceable Icelandic monikers). He was quite good, but his set was too long. Then the intermission was much too long. The band finally took the stage at 9:00 o’clock.
They kicked off with a nice version of “Sven-G-Englar”, which I enjoyed even though it was the only one I didn’t care to hear (update: it’s a good song, it’s just been played out).
Next was “Vaka”. I suppose it will become repetitious here for me to say “it was great”, but it was.
I had hoped they would play “Glosoli”, but they didn’t. They did, however, do the other song I really wanted to hear – “Hoppipolla/Meo Blodnasir”. As expected, it was exuberant. It’s one of the few Sigur Ros songs Bryan knows well enough to call a favorite. He enjoyed it.
I don’t know the names of most of the new songs, so when they played one next I kind of lost track of the song order (update: In other words, I had hoped to remember each song in the list in order, but the new ones threw me off because I don’t know their names).
I WILL say this – ALL of the new ones were fantastic. I’m glad I familiarized myself with them, but I think I’d have enjoyed them even if I hadn’t. I doubt the band has performed these songs very many times. Maybe it was because they were fresh, but they were solid.
The other “standards” they did were “Olsen Olsen”, “Se Lest” and “Heysatan”. That last one was especially nice. A real funeral dirge. Jonsi screwed up a vocal entrance, but recovered nicely.
The biggest surprise of the night was the last song before the encore, the new single “Gobbledigook”. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how that one would translate into a live setting. It was SO good! They had the string quartet banging on bass drums and the horn section exhorting the crowd to clap along. Exhilarating (update: At the time I didn’t Amiina was the string section for this show, but the reviews I read said it was. I couldn’t tell from where I was sitting).
I’ll probably write more about the “non-musical” aspects of the evening , but right now everyone else is in bed and I still need to take a shower. It will have to wait until tomorrow.
6.13.08
7:45 am
God, I am worn out this morning. Between the swimming and the standing (more on that later) my legs feel like they’ve run a marathon.
But first, before the promised “non-musical aspects”, here are a couple more from the “musical” ones.
The band were persuaded to come back onstage for an encore. They performed the last track from the new album, the “all-English” “All Alright”. It is a lovely song that will no doubt become one of my favorites (slowly, though, as was the case with “Heysatan”). Jonsi stood in the middle of the stage looking vulnerable. It was weird to see him without a guitar strapped over his shoulder or behind a keyboard. The song itself is so intimate – watching him sing it in front of several hundred people was a treat.
As I said (and a EVERYONE in the Sigur Ros fan base knows, “All Alright” is the first song they’ve ever written with all the lyrics in English. No matter, I still don’t understand 90% of them. I’ll look them up on the internet when we get home.
The Uptown theater is NOT a small venue. Therefore the acoustics left much to be desired, even with a packed house to absorb the sound. As with all rock concerts it was too loud for my seasoned/sensitive ears. The bass guitar was muddy (which seems to happen at EVERY hall larger than a club, and even then…). The keyboards and glockenspiels weren’t crisp enough and were also mixed a little too loud. The strings and horns fared much better, though the quartet got buried a couple of times. The drums were well mixed. Most importantly, Jonsi’s voice floated over the relative din perfectly. His bowed guitar was not agonizingly loud like you’d think it would be.
I know that sounds very critical, but all in all there was nothing to complain about with the over-all sound quality. It was a lot better than most shows I’ve been to in the past.
Okay – now for the “non-musical aspects” of the show…
First, the lights. Having seen Sugur Ros’ light show during the “()” tour in 2002 I was expecting a lot more than what they had last night. Very basic lighting with the standard color changes, dimming and brightening, spotlights on Jonsi wherever he went. A nice big flash during the short, heavy section of “Sven-G-Englar” and that was really about all there was to it.
Still, it was nice visually with the band dressed in sleek black suits and the horn section all decked out in white tuxedos. When the horns marched onto the stage at the end of “Se Lest” it was cool as hell. They were on stage for the rest of the show, so the black/white combo looked nice and sleek beneath the bright colored lights.
The audience was exactly as I thought they would be. EXTREMELY diverse. Very supportive of the band. They (we)were rowdy as hell between songs, but when the music was playing you could hear a pin drop. Everyone knew the material well, too, as was evidenced when no one began applauding at the wrong time in “Heysatan”.
There was a little problem with people standing up in front of us. I suppose it was to be expected, as we were not too far behind the light & sound boards. The engineers stood for much of the time so I shouldn’t have thought it odd or rude when a guy stood up…I wasn’t even thinking, at the time, that he probably couldn’t see a damn thing with them in front of him (update: I would have, and really SHOULD have done the same thing). But he was met with a chorus of “sit down!” from behind. I don’t know why I felt like I had to join in – he wasn’t even directly in front of me – but I did.
The calls for him to sit down continued until he turned around and said he couldn’t see for the engineers being in his way. I said, “Yeah, but now we can’t see because you’re in the way!” I said it a little too “angrily”, I know I did. And I’m sure I looked like a fool, siding with the people who actually were behind him.
I’d like to forget about that.
It didn’t matter in the long run, because people stood up for one reason or another anyway. One dolt, though, with long, frizzy hair tied back into a pony tail, stood up inexplicably when the band was playing “Olsen Olsen”. I couldn’t see a goddamn thing. It was making me mad again. It might not have been so bad if he had sat down after the song was over, but no – eventually everyone was on their feet and it didn’t matter. Truth is that everyone SHOULD have stood up from the very beginning of the show. Then there would have been no problems. Did I mention that there was not a bad seat to be found in that place? (update: Now that I think about, the frizzy haired dude might have stood up out of spite, because he got a good round of “sit down” himself earlier from those behind him…I don’t blame him, now that it’s all over).
The crowd consisted mainly of younger people. In their mid-20s for the most part. I did spot a few who appeared to be my age and a couple even looked OLDER than me (*gasp!*). I thought it was cool that there were some older folks in the lot. They obviously have better taste in music than the vast majority of their demographic. Of course, that’s only my opinion, and since I belong to that particular demographic myself it probably looks like I’m tooting my own horn.
Maybe I AM! ANYBODY who digs Sigur Ros has excellent taste. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
As for Bryan – I thought he might well be the youngest person there, but we did spot a couple of kids, tagging along with their mother, who couldn’t have been much older than him.
As for what Bryan thought of the concert – it’s really hard to tell with him. He is so reserved and timid – painfully so. It was kije he was in another, unfamiliar world (update: Which, now that I think about it, he was). When the audience cheered loudly he quietly clapped his hands (update: Which is cool, if that’s his way…I don’t mean to criticize). He even sat down during a couple of songs during the beginning when everyone else was standing. But he did get up when they kicked into “Hoppipolla”, which is one that he likes a lot. As I said, he politely applauded after each song, but you would have thought he was at a concert of the Royal Philharmonic (update: See last update). He DID seem to really get into the spirit of things for “Gobbledigook”, clapping hands like everyone else…even I was clapping during the song, which is something I never do.
When it was all over we walked out of the theater into rain from what looked like the tail end of a thunderstorm. Bryan called Stacie to tell her the show was over, to come get us. She was already there, in a parking lot across the street. She told me there had been a tornado in the area and that the hotel staf had sent everyone down to the basement while we were gone.
We never would have known. I’m sure the Uptown has been standing for a long, long time. It has weathered many a storm. I doubt the one that swung by yesterday was going to inflict any more damage than the ones that came before it over the course of who knows how many years.
That’s my position when it comes to storms and tornadoes. Stacie says it’s stupid and irresponsible, but you have to drag me to the cellar even when the siren’s blowing. Why get freaked out? I mean, the last house we lived in was built in 1962. It was EXACTLY the same age as I am. I have seen some hellacious storms in my 46 years – so has that house! Not one of those storms ever did any damage to that dwelling. What are the chances that it’s going to be any different the next time a twister blows through? (update: I suppose the answer to that would be “a tiny bit greater than they were before the last one”…I suppose Stacie’s right about my stand, but I am stubborn and
Probably in denial)
I ain’t worried.
10:20 am
We’re loading up our stuff. Getting ready to check out of the hotel. BTW, it’s a Hilton Garden Inn. I don’t know how much we paid for the room but I hope it wasn’t much more than some Holiday Inn would have cost. It didn’t have much going for it, as far as I’m concerned. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t BAD, but I have a sneaky feeling it wasn’t worth nearly as much as we paid for it.
The plan now is to go south to Springfield (Missouri). We’ll probably eat here in Kansas City then head on down (update: This turned out not to be the case). Not sure if we’re going to Fantastic Caverns before checking in or after. At first I thought we should go to the hotel first, so we could get all our shit unpacked before doing anything. That way it would all be done before we got back and we could relax.
But then again, if we go to the caves before, a little earlier, there will be a better chance of possibly doing something else later…
11:20 am
Our driver has been hopelessly lost for at LEAST the last 30 minutes, but FINALLY it appears that we are back on track. It’s a good thing we’re not on a tight schedule.
The city is HUGE! I probably wouldn’t mind living here, but it would require a LOT of adjusting. Especially navigating the highways.
There are several places we should have made plans to visit on this road. The American Jazz Museum would have been cool. There are a couple of art museums that I’m sure would have many more (and more varied) displays than anything in Oklahoma. Perhaps another time. I’ve already done what I came here to do…I’m content to go along with just about anything they want to do today.
11:45 am
I just have to say that the higheays in Missouri are just as bad as, and mayber even worse, than the onews in Kansas. Not all of them, mind you, but the ones that are rough are REALLY rough. The baddest roadways I’ve driven on in Oklahoma are in Tulsa, and some of these are MUCH worse.
I’m hoping that we’ll stopping soon for lunch.
11:47 am
Apparently there is a town here named PECULIAR, as I just sae a road sign twlling us that it was 6 miles down the road. Peculiar…now that’s a peculiar name, don’t you think?
Ha. I’ll bet I’m not the first one to say that.
1:00 pm
Yes, indeed, there IS a Peculiar, Missouri, and we just ate lunch there. It was a buffet at a place called Country Market (update: I have since then been informed by my wife that it was the restaurant section of a Flying J truck stop…I saw “Country Market” on a sign in front of the general area so I assumed…).
I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! At $7.99 it’s cheaper than Golden Corral, but it’s a lot smaller. I don’t mind that, but most all of the food was disappointing. The roast beef was okay, but the potatoes that come with it were hard as stone. The carrots weren’t exactly “hard”, but they had this thick, sponge-like texture which rendered them inedible. The salad bar wasn’t quite as bad, but the ranch dressing was watery and the French didn’t taste very good.
All in all I would venture to say that we won’t be eating at a Country Market again. However, the adjoining convenience store/gift shop had a lot of cool stuff you don’t see all the time.
The Monster (energy drinks) were “on sale” @ 2 for $5.00. They’re cheaper that that all the time at home. I got the last one in the cooler, so it would appear that they are selling well at that price in Peculiar, Missouri.
Also purchased:
~~~ 1 Big Hunk candy bar
~~~ 1 Slim Jim pepperoni & cheese snack
~~~ 1 bottle Perrier water
2:30 pm
Good God, but the trip between Peculiar and Springfield is tedious and boring, especially having been on the road for so long already (and yesterday, too – let’s not forget the standing in line for the Sigur Ros concert – that wears one out, too).
The only half-way interesting thing we saw was some Amish dude in a horse drawn carriage. I assume there is an Amish community somewhere in the general vicinity (update: Which would seem like a “duh”, but then again, you wouldn’t expect one of them to be where we were, either).
It’s beginning to rain a little bit. The weather forecasters said it looked like some severe weather might be hitting Springfield later tonight – picked a nice weekend for a vacation, didn’t we? (Well, WE didn’t choose it. If the show had been next month that’s when we would be here. It was a “rain or shine” deal).
Bryan decided he wanted a Java Monster. I had one yesterday and gave him a sip of it. He liked it a lot and so we got him one on our last stop at Peculiar. He hasn’t developed a taste for straight coffee yet, but since we took him to Starbucks last week he keeps asking to go back and he can’t get enough of Java Chillers at Sonic.
Anyhoo, he just gave me the last ¼ of his “Locamoca” Java Monster. He said, “I don’t think I can down anymore…I’m awake now.” Indeed he is (update: He was a little TOO awake, if you get my drift). So I’m drinking the rest of it. Damned good, but I’ve already had probably 20 ounces of regular monster (with half a 24 ounce can left to go). I don’t need anymore. Still, I don’t get too wired up on these things because I tend to drink them slowly. I don’t “chug” them. I think I’ll be good to go for the rest of the night, though.
3:15 pm
Having a difficult time finding Fantastic Caverns, but I’m sure it will all get sorted out soon.
Stopped at a convenience store so I could use the restroom. Someone had written on the stall “Fuck me running”. Someone else had written, beneath it, “Start running”.
HA! It’s good to know that the comedic bathroom graffiti tradition is still alive and well.
Cheapest gas here I’ve seen in a couple of weeks. At $3.71 a gallon, that’s sad.
3:40 pm
The main roads to Fantastic Caverns are all washed out from the rain, so we are postponing our visit till tomorrow. We just arrived at the hotel, and it does look, from the outside at least, like it will be better than the last (update: It was infinitely better than the last).
Springfield appears to be much bigger than I initially thought it was, and since we’ll have some time to kill, I’m hoping there is a Borders or a Barnes & Noble nearby.
6.14.08
6:05 am
No big bookstores that we could find – Springfield is much larger than I thought it was (did I already say that?). We didn’t go to Fantastic Caverns and probably won’t today. Either. Maybe do that some other time.
Instead we’ll be stopping in Branson on the way home to pay a visit to Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum (update: See photos in post from a couple of days ago). Bryan has wanted to go there for some time.
There’s a Beatles tribute show there at 2:00 pm, and I’d like to see itm but I don’t know if we’re going to be done with the other stuff by then (update: We did not get to see “Liverpool Legends” for various reasons, but it will be on the agenda the next time we go to Branson, maybe as soon as next month). Plus, I don’t know how much tickets cost, etc. etc. …
No matter. Truth be told, I am worn out (update: I think I’ve already said that too, but boy, oh boy, it was so true). We had the swimming pool to ourselves yesterday afternoon. Stacie and I spent a good amount of time in the spa (which was, along with the pool, MUCH better than the ones at the Hilton Garden Inn in KC). BTW, we are in a suite at the Baymont Inn, not too far from the airport. It’s by far the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Jacuzzi in the room and all.
We left out to eat dinner not knowing what we might find. As it turned out, there was a Western Sizzlin steakhouse not too far from the hotel. We haven’t eaten at one of those in years. I remember it being pretty good on almost every occasion, food and service both.
Hard-wired to devour a buffet when given the choice, that’s exactly what I did I ate TOO much, I have to admit it. As I walked out the EXIT door it occurred to me that a better idea would have been to merely ordered up a nice, well-done steak with some French fries and call that “dinner”. Instead, like a fool I gorged myself. I am paying dearly for it this morning. I do not think I will be eating very much today.
All in all it’s been a nice vacation. I wish it could have been just the three of us (wife, son and I), but I’m not complaining (update: YET). The situation allowed for Stacie and I to have our own room last nigh…which is ANOTHER reason I’m pooped (hardy har har, wink-wink, nudge nudge).
Actually, I am ready to get back home. Our dog must be terribly lonely. My father-in-law checked in on him last night – gave him food and water. He gave him his medicine. I don’t think Limba has spent quite so much time with us gone. I’m hoping he’ll be okay.
Alright – there’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep. I’ll probably read awhile, but first I’m going to the convenience store and buying a can of Monster. Maybe spend a minute on the Business Room computer.
9:05 am
Heading out. Left the hotel about 5 minutes ago, sat in the parking lot all that time trying to figure out where we were and where we needed to be.
My vote was to go to Fantastic Caverns, as we had planned to do yesterday. But it looks like I’m out-numbered on this one. We’re headed for Branson for the sole purpose of walking through the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum (update: as I learned later, this was NOT the only reason). I guess that’s okay. Bryan will like it.
I ate a couple of biscuits with gravy at the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. It was NOT the best gravy I’ve ever had. Then again, it wasn’t the worst, either. It was decent when covered with lots of salt and pepper. When it cooled down, though, I couldn’t eat it. Yuk.
9:30 am
If not for all the unique billboard advertising Branson shows and reviews, this stretch of land between Springfield and Branson would be a boring one, indeed.
Most (if not all) of these signs are ridiculous. From all I’ve heard, Branson is more or less a “poor man’s Nashville”. That’s a bit harsh, but there certainly are a bevy of shows featuring performers who passed their prime years ago. Lots of “tribute” stuff. One has to wonder how hard it must be to find someone who not only LOOKS but also SINGS like Alan Jackson…or Johnny Cash…or Roy Orbison…or…you name it. If he/she even comes close to “legendary” status, you’ll find someone who impersonates them here.
Come to think of it – is it realistic to consider that Alan Jackson has reached “legendary status”??? (update: Apparently Reba McEntire and Shania Twain have, too…inexplicable and not a little bit disturbing)
One thing that seems very popular around here are the Ozark Mountain Backwoods Hillbilly Comedy Reviews (as I would call them). The Baldknobbers are a good example. A straight man (or woman) and a bunch of toothless goons sporting bottles of moonshine and making ridiculous faces, smiling widely to show of rotting teeth. You’d have to pay me to see one of these idiot fests.
I will say this – as you get closer to Branson, into Ozark mountain territory, the scenery turns mighty pretty.
12:45 pm
We went to the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum and it was actually a lot of fun. They had a display about “tongue-rolling”, complete with a mirror so you could see just how well you could roll your own. But what you don’t know is that you’re on the other side of a one-way mirror and people nearing the end of the museum can see you. What makes it funny, to me, is that these people have no idea they are being watched. Then you realize that people had been looking at YOU not too long before and you think back to remember if you had tried to roll your tongue.
No, I did not.
My favorite exhibit at the museum was a holographic man speaking from a dark room…Ever since I saw the movie “Wild Palms” I have believed that one day these holographic images will deliver our news for is instead of TVs, and much more. This display made me realize that this idea very well could become reality much sooner than I’d thought.
Next we stopped at Taco Bell. I wasn’t too hungry. But I figured I’d eat a Mexican pizza. They fucked up the order and I got Nachos Grande. I don’t know how in the fuck anyone can call that a “meal”. If it weren’t for the soft taco that came with it I would have walked out hungry.
Next, Stacie and her sister wanted to go to some winery – apparently their folks wanted a bottle of this wine and there’s a wine tour. I could give less than a fuck about any of that, so I’m sitting out in the car with Bryan. I was going to go to the Tanger Outlet Mall and hang out at the clearance book store, to wait there while they visited the winery. But this particular Tanger mall didn’t have one. So I said I would go to another mall while they did the wine thing.
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Maybe we’ll come to Branson again, someday (update: Meaning only the three of us, Stacie, Bryan and myself). I don’t know if there’s really any other (good) reason to return, other than the bargains on new clothes at the Tanger Mall. The Beatles tribute looks interesting and fun, but practically everything else is lame. Fuckin’ Presley Jubilee, with it’s hillbilly goofiness… The fuckin’ Baldknobbers seem to own a whole goddamn block – Baldknobbers theater, Baldknobbers lodging, Baldknobbers general store – it’s pathetic (update: Perhaps it is plain to see that I was not in a very good mood after departing the winery...).
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3:05 pm
Still about 100 miles from Tulsa, the cramped conditions in this back seat are killing me. It sure seems like the trip back has been longer than the trip up there. But that can’t be, not even with the Branson side-track. At any rate, I am worn down. Perhaps that’s been obvious.
I think it was all the swimming that has me so sore. The standing in line before the Sigur Ros show…the standing DURING the Sigur Ros show…that had to add to it. Don’t guess it matters much, We aren’t even in Joplin yet, which means we haven’t even crossed into Oklahoma.
I would be much happier were I behind the wheel. And as much as I bitched and moaned about the music she plays on the radio, the silence has become boring. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I kind of wish she’d turn it on and I don’t even care what music is playing.
I know this – I’m in the mood for some Sigur Ros. I think I’ll slap on “Agaetis Byrjun” on as soon as I get home, lay down and try to take a nap. At least wind down and give my back something softer to lie against besides this hard back seat.
There are no fuckin’ armrests back here, either. This thing was not made to haul four comfortably. If it WAS I would have to say that the designers failed miserably. By the way, it’s a Vibe (update: At the time I had just learned this). What a hokey name for a car.
5:35 pm
Arriving in Sapulpa (update: back in Oklahoma).
It’s almost over!
Whoo!
I probably should not written much of what I didd a few hours ago. But I won’t take it back.
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Stopped at a Quik Trip about 30 minutes ago and I actually bought a copy of the National Enquirer. I found myself in the mood for some campy, trashy reading. Since I haven’t been able to find the Weekly World News lately and since they didn’t have the Globe, I went ahead and got the Enquirer. It’s not half as hokey as the others, and that’s what I’m looking for – but it will do in a pinch.
Then I realized that it’s probably considered “gay” for a man to read this gossipy junk. Oh, well. Let the masses think what they will. There is some funny stuff in there, and a decent crossword puzzle. That’s all I wanted.
The National Enquirer’s price has skyrocketed since I last bought one. It’s $3.49. I’m certain it was less than a dollar when I last wasted money on one…
~~~~~~This is where the journal leaves off. Tired of writing, I cast it to the side and said, “fuck it!”.
We got back to our place of departure at around 6:00 or 7:00 pm (though it seemed like it was a LOT later than that). We were kind of hungry, so we stopped at Mazzio’s. I didn’t think I was as hungry as I was…the effect of all the Monsters and RockStars I’d consumed over the weekend. But I did force myself to eat a nice, big salad and I felt better for it.
I did play some Sigur Ros when I got home, and sleep was not long in coming.
It was a very nice vacation, despite some “distractions”. As expected, the Sigur Ros concert was amazing (though I was dealing with a little bit of “large crowd paranoia” which hindered my enjoyment of it just a little bit). The hotels were nice, especially the Baymont. The Branson main strip was a sight to behold. The trip itself was tedious, but in the long run it was well worth the trouble.
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