Overall: Lotta fun. I'm writing this bit on the day I got here, sitting in the living room of the OklaCrib. Buddy of mine I've known for years (since Sophomore, 2015) is in front of me gaming on his desk he's set up in the living room. Kinda cringe, in my opinion, but whatever. He doesn't really care with his HyperX cat ear headphones he's using, blocking out the sounds of real life. Of course, since he's a gamer, he's running Windows. To each his own I suppose, but this cat has taken quite a bit to get his A+ cert (hasn't gotten it yet, kek). Anyway, enough about him. Let's get into Day 1.
The first day was spent mostly driving. I started off from my Colorado crib North of Denver. After about an hour or two of driving, I'm headed down I70 (up, technically. mile signs were counting up). Buddy of mine was on a college trip to Colorado for a bit (more on that later), and as part of that he was on a bus headed back to the OklaCrib. I met up with the bus at the Flying J with the attached IHOP. If you know the route, you know where I'm talking. Before I got there, I was headed up I70 and had just passed it when my buddy shot me the coords of the place. Not sure if you know this part of I70 as well as I do, but after you get out of the town that that Flying J calls home, there's a ten-mile stretch of highway with no exits. Of course I'm about 2 miles in when my buddy sends me the coords of the Flying J and says he's there. In Colorado, at certain intervals (I think it's a mile but don't quote me) there are medians on highways that are ONLY for Emergency Vehicles. Cops, actual respectable people like Ambulances and Fire Trucks. That crowd.
As a good citizen I followed the rules and drove the extra 18 miles (to the exit and back) to the Flying J. Met up with my buddy, had a laugh at some dumb shit. We head out, he goes to his bus and I go to my car. I sit in the car, wait for the bus to leave, and tail it to the next stop. Before we got to the next stop of course, we hit the Colorado-Kansas border. Little did I know, but this bus needs to hit weigh stations. I shoot my buddy a text, saying the damn bus is tryna shake me. I take the next exit (one of those that no one except locals take) and sat at the stop sign until the bus passes. Anyway, on to the next stop.
We arrive at another gas station (go figure), this one with attached restaurants, QDOBA and City Wok. I hit up the City Wok (first time), and get the Mongolian Beef. Not bad, standard shitty road food but it filled me up for the rest of the journey. As my buddy and I were eating, a cat next to us is trying to sell his boat to two older people, looked about mid-50s. This seller guy was Spanish, and I'm talking Castellonian. Every few sentences were English, so the poor couple could understand him, but the rest were in true-blue Spanish. Luckily this buddy of mine is Mexican, knows the language like the back of his hand. I didn't make out that he was selling a boat, buddy did. We're laughing at this guy, dude looks like a well-groomed slav. Anyway, I needed a refill on the ol' caffeine tanks.
In this gas station there's a Starbucks, I order a small black iced coffee. Every time I do this people are stunned, for some reason. What stunned me about it was the price. 5 fucking bucks. Now I knew this place was expensive but Jesus Christ. Time to close up shop though, and hit the road.
Next stop was a Pilot, and one of those extra gross ones. Flies everywhere, bathrooms stunk like a skunk. I was just charging my phone there, talking to my buddy. Soon as I know it, some of the cats from the bus are chatting to my buddy too. They realize I'm the cat in the car tailin' em. Turns out they ratted to the 'ops on me. Got that cleared up, didn't get any interference from law enforcment for the whole trip. Anyway, we hit the road again.
This time while I was driving my bladder got a bit ahead of itself, had to pass the bus to head to a QuikTrip. This QuikTrip was the most hood QuikTrip I've ever been to. I pull up, the parking lot is full, barely squeeze a parking spot. I head on in, there are at least 10 customers in there. I go to the bathroom, and while not as bad as the Pilot, it was still pretty gross. Got an iced tea for the road, and when I got out there seems to have been a transaction to purchase a mirror. The purchaser has parked right next to me and they're working on loading this full ass mirror into their Hyundai Elantra. I offer to back my car up but they refused. They did get the mirror in but damn. I hit the road again.
I'm a cheap bastard when I'm sat at home setting up my GPS, so I decided to go for no toll roads this trip. As part of that, somewhere on Highway 135 southbound in Kansas, it changes from normal road to a turnpike. I left 135 just south of Witchita, hit up a Braum's, Jalapeno Burger with Fries. Then I take one of Kansas' many state highways south, and midway during my journey my phone dies. No GPS, no Bill Burr. Dammit. From here I navigated by ear, saw a Highway 81 sign and took that baby to I35 in Oklahoma. Amazingly I managed to find my way on to the right highway with only my wits. I drive down I35 until I start seeing signs of the town I need to head to, pull off, and make way to a Casey's. The lovely people there showed me where a wall plug was, and I charged my phone enough to convene with my buddy and figure out where to pick him up.
In the morning, my buddy and I had breakfast at this mid ass place we keep going to. Not even going to mention it, does not deserve a name drop. He's got some college thing he needs to go to, so I drop him off while listening to some Kash Krabs. I make my way to my old digs, check out the old house, pretty quiet. Had some sushi and a burrito for lunch (I know, they call me Mr. Multi-Cultural). I get a hotel (which was expensive as, how the hell can some shitty hotel be 109 bucks a night?), and sleep.
There's this fantastic breakfast place in my old town that I always go to. Can't mention here because of dumb cunts but if you shoot me an email maybe we can hash it out ;). Had a Spanish Omelet, extra Jalapeno. White toast, hashbrowns. Just as good as I remember it. It was pretty rainy on day 3, so I mostly just waited and went into shops, had lunch at this great Thai place, again, can't tell though. Had my go-to at a Thai place, Pad Kee Mao. Good shit too. Headed back into the city to meet with my buddy, had a Torta de Lengua for the first time. Pretty good.
Nothing crazy today. Just kinda hung out. Had a damn good salad at S&B's Burger Joint.
The drive back. Nothing particularly interesting happened, picked up some Braum's ice cream on the way (if you're ever in this neck of the woods please go here, some of the best ice cream I've ever had). Ice cream melted on the way, but put that straight into the freezer and it'll harden up. Stopped in Stratton, Colorado as I always do (except on the way there on this trip, as I was tailing a bus). I go to the gas station and get my go-to, a Peace Tea (Raspberry) and some Salsitas. If you've never had Salsitas you owe it to yourself. In a nutshell they're salsa-flavored tortilla chips. Go buy them, you will not be disappointed.
Well, that's it. Had a fun time in Oklahoma. Next entry is gonna be an sfeed review.