About now, or before now, I would have expected DK to hand the wheel over to me. I am usually the driver in our family during any trip longer than 30 miles. But as you can see from the intensity on SP and DK's faces, they were on a mission.
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| DK and SP Heading to Stockton, Kansas |
Things I discovered on our way to Stockton, Kansas:
- Russell, Kansas is very proud of their abundance of fossils;
- I never would have thought to look for Waldo in Kansas, until I discovered Waldo, Kansas (oh yes there is!);
- The Here Drive application in a Windows phone will not waste time trying to correct your driving errors, but will instead allow you to drive 45 miles out of your way before she puts you back on track;
- I could not get the song "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash out of my head;
- I had not peed for several hours, though DK, SP and Hank had made several pit stops to do their part in relieving the drought conditions in the area;
One hundred and twenty miles into our 85 mile trek, I called the gentleman who had the fishing boat for sale. I needed directions and figured it would be easier to get them from him than from my phone. My post reflects my udder confusion with the directions:
" Just got directions from a nice sounding older gentleman. I am a little lost, what with all the side storying that occurred in the course of its telling."
Stockton, Kansas, right? How hard can it be to find someone in Stockton? He told me to drive to the stop light (he thinks there is one in town, and if it is, it is the only one, and can you tell he doesn't get to Stockton much?), and turn south like you are going to Hays. There is a bowling alley in Stockton, Kansas - not because I have ever bowled there, but because he told me about 183 Bowl, which is a blue building - and then told me to turn right at South 7th street about five blocks down, and go to the end of the road - I won't be able to go any further cause I will end up in a field and I don't want to drive there. His house is a two-story on the south side of the road.
At that moment, I realized I probably should have written these directions down - no wait - turn left at possible stop light or look for sign to Hays, in five blocks turn right on South 7th, stop before entering the field, look left. Got it.
Sigh; I still need to pee. I glanced out the window, mulling the directions I received and wondering how mad DK was going to be when I got us lost in the big city of Stockton looking for a stop light that wasn't, when I saw a SWEET little blue '66 Ford Mustang - I love the '60's models, of course my dad says I want too much - black '64 convertible don't you know - but hey we gotta have our little dreams or what do we have? Though I shouted my interest in the Mustang, which was for sale, apparently no one needed to pee except me, because we kept moving toward Stockton. My FB post says it all:
"Just east of Woodston there is a sweet little blue 66 Mustang for sale. NO body stopped to pee there of course."
Imagine my relief when, upon entering Stockton, I could see a stop light in the distance. Told the old man to turn left like he was heading for Hays - and he asks "where to now?". I saw a blue building in the distance - bowling alley - and about that time spotted a "S. 7th St." sign on the right. I told him to turn right and to avoid driving into the field at the end of the road - which was clearly marked as a dead end - close call there. Looking to my left I see a white two story house. The little gentleman knew what he was about I guess. If I had passed that bowling alley we would have gone too far...
The seller was a happy little guy, with tattoos covering both Popeye looking arms. He was always laughing and willing to share all he knew about the boat. A bit of male dickering and thirty minutes of our time, and we pulled out of the driveway with a nice little 16' deck boat hooked onto our pickup, and the old man said "tell that phone to find the shortest route home!"
DK pulled into the next available town, not to let me pee, but because he needed to fill up the pickup. I walked into the mechanic's office and the guy was already pulling the key to the ladies room out of the drawer - somebody was paying attention. Though grateful to finally relieve my bladder, that was quite frankly the dirtiest toilet I have ever squatted over, because I did not sit on it.
Somewhere south of Hays, and about five minutes before the wind started blowing straight out of the west at about 25-30 mph, DK decided it was time for me to drive. the wind bucked that little boat all over the road. I told DK it felt like I was pulling a drag chute behind the dang pickup, and I swear I heard a sucking noise as I watched the fuel gauge drop quickly toward the 3/4 mark. Fortunately by the time we arrived in Sublette the winds had abated and we made good time getting home.
Thirteen and a half hours after setting off for Brookville, Kansas, we all crawled out of the pickup, exhausted and thankful to be home. I told DK we would probably never get the dogs to go for a ride again. As my weary crew headed for bed, I sat down to post one more FB post:
"We are home. I've seen wild turkeys in the wheat stubble, a ton of road kill, one good deal that wasn't, and a stop light in Stockton. I met a surly waitress in the quaint town of Ellsworth, and a happy little dude with tats all over his arms who gave directions peppered with red herrings and local history. Peed in the dirtiest toilet in Kansas, and cheered when DK missed the bull snake sunning itself on the road. Drove in a wind that made me thing I was towing a drag chute. Passed a cemetery I was too tired to walk, and turbines standing still (wondered why). All and all, a very long day. Tomorrow I work."
So ends the quest for the best fishing boat ever, and we got it cheap...
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| The Boat - As We Parked It the Night Before |
