Dull Day

Today was a long, dull day that started in the cold Ozarks and ended in the pancake flat fields of SE Missouri near the Mississippi River. I must say, however, it did start out promising. There was a McDonald’s attached to a Sinclair gas station a couple miles after I started, so I figured a quick breakfast and letting it warm up a bit would be excellent. Little did I know that I had found a McDonald’s that was only open from 11am - 2pm. My Plan B was a hot chocolate in the Sinclair station. While I drank the hot chocolate, I found myself in a largely one-sided conversation with an 85 year-old ex-military chaplain. I learned he had lived in north Idaho, his wife had passed, he loves the 5-star Chinese restaurant up the road in Poplar Bluff, and most of all, I got a quick lesson in geopolitics. I learned that Russia has overrun Ukraine because the Ukrainians don’t have guns. The Russians don’t attack us because we all (?) have guns in this country. I’m pretty sure he nailed it. Sadly, my hot chocolate was so hot, I had to nurse it so I didn’t burn my tongue, thereby subjecting myself to more conversation. While we were standing there, an Amish family came into the store. The father came back where we were to get some coffee and was quickly engaged by the old man, thanking him for his help rebuilding a community 40 years earlier after a flood. Turns out the Amish man had no idea what he was talking about. As I finally left the store, I learned another interesting fact - the Amish drive minivans. At least the women do. I was about 1/2 mile

up the road when they went cruising by, honking, with the man waving to me as they passed.

After that start, it was pretty boring for the next 94 miles.

Just in time!

For anyone that’s had a bottle of Rombauer from Napa Valley - that’s not this