Just rolled back home from the great Tulsa State Fair. I am thrilled to have these trailer loads of ag mechanics stuff back to Shattuck. Hats off to these kids that built the stuff but a HUGE tip of the cap to Brian & AJ Carter and Duke. These boys can flat load some equipment and strap it down ready to haul. They even know how to tie the loose ends of the ratchet straps properly. Larry the Legend Nickeson showed them a trick that he learned from an Australian truck driver. Supposedly this knot is called a “New Zealand A$$ho!e”. Well, it works. Nonetheless, I would trust these kids with a lot. All of the loads survived the Cimarron Turnpike. These kids aren’t going to win any valedictorian type awards but they will do well in anything that deals with work ethic. And that is probably worth more.
Not a problem, but Duke and I (for Duke) have gotten lots of phone calls and requests to build stuff for people. I’m ready to move onto some other stuff but this is a great by-product of kids showing off their wares.
Speaking of toll booths. It is a known fact that I like to talk to people like cabbies, custodians, toll booth workers and especially secretaries. I absolutely respect the job(s) that they do. And secretaries run the world. They almost always know more than the boss and understand the employees and the customers. And most don’t always talk to the secretaries. But, I don’t miss many chances.
Saturday evening, while driving to Tulsa, I had enough of listening to that putrid Okie State football game. I love it when Iowa State wins a game, I just don’t like it when they beat my team. So, I turned it to some proper music for driving. As I pulled into a tollbooth on the rough patch of Earth, a very recognizable artist/song hit the airwaves. So, I looked at the lady in the booth and asked “Do you like Bon Jovi?”
She politely replied, “Yes.” Then she shook her head, turned and looked at me I2I and said, “Well hell, who doesn’t? Yes, I like Bon Jovi.” I agreed. As I paid for several pickups and trailers to continue driving on that beat2hell piece of S road, we continued our conversation about Bon Jovi. (I hope you re-read that paragraph because even as I am the author, it looks better the 2nd time.)
Fast forward to Sunday morning. On the westbound land of the same smooth as a Bactrian camel’s back (2 humps not 1) turnpike, I pulled up to the tollbooth. In a monotone voice, the lady asked, “Continuing westbound?” I recognized her from the night before and replied, “Yes. But I need to pay for the following vehicles and are you listening to Bon Jovi?”
She came to life, “No but I wish I was.” And this turned into a conversation about hours worked, benefits and why this was her last day on the job. Bonecrusher was riding co-pilot with me. I pulled away from the toll booth and he said, “Mr. Kelln, I love stopping at toll booths when you are driving.” I took that as a compliment.
This stuff might get long. I don’t know. I don’t care. Click somewhere else if you don’t like it. Go check cnn, fox or espn. I’m real sure that it will be better. Hunh, still here.
As we kept traveling east, we pulled into the west side of Tulsa. I made reservations at a chain hotel. But, there was no trailer parking, so I made the decision to do a turnaround in a residential section. BUT, it turned out it was a gated apartment complex. It wasn’t designed for 32′ trailers behind 4 door pickups. I thought that I had came to a dead end. As I was looking for a way out, I saw a man walk out of his house. So, I bailed out of the High Country and I walked towards him to ask THE question–How in the hell do I get out of here?
I had to walk about 50 yards, he was strolling and making a cell phone call. I walked up and said “Sir.”
He came uncorked. “What in the Hell? JESUS brother! You scared me!” I apologized. I did not mean to scare him and I thought he saw me walking towards him. He continued, “What do you need?”
I told him that I was looking for a way out. He took a deep breath, got his composure and said, “That way, go that way. Damn, dude! You scared me.” He was extremely polite for somebody that just got startled. I thanked him and then followed his directions. He was right.
I’m just going to guess ( and in No Way is this racist), but I have a feeling that I was the only 5’9″ white dude that scared a 6’1″ shaved head black guy on that Saturday night in the greater Tulsa area.
Speaking of races. We made our way out of the maze and headed back to find our rooms for the night. We parked on the street and I went in to talk to the front desk. The man went above and beyond to help us find room to park the pickups and trailers. Absolute great front desk person. We got parked and then went in to take care of the money part.
He asked “What brings you to Tulsa with trailers?” I told him that these kids had built stuff for the fair and we came back to pick it up.”
He then asked, “Do you know how it did?” I said, “Yes, they won the Ag Mechanics sweepstakes show.” He then gave the boys cookies that were reserved for the diamond and gold guests. Sure, it was getting late but those boys thought it was cool.
I then inquired if he had been to the fair yet. “Oh, sir. No. I have my house on …. and …st. People are all the time trying to park in my yard, my driveway and my part of the street. I don’t need to cross the street to the fair. I can see all of the fair people in my front yard.”
SOOO, I said, “Dude that is really close to the fairgrounds. Surely you charge those people to park in your yard, driveway and in front of your house?”
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? He replied, “Oh, no sir! I have seen these type people for years. I know not where they get money to go to the fair. But the fair may be the highlight of their year. I’m not going to take their money. They are humans and I think they need the money for other things. My neighbors tell me that I am crazy in the brain but I don’t mind parking a couple of blocks away and walking.”
I shook my head and said “Dude, really? They would pay.”
He then said, “I know. I know. I don’t want their money. I have good job and a good wife and my daughter is going to do great things. I don’t want their dirty money. They need to spend it better.”
So, I then got the boys to their rooms and then YES, I spent some time at the front desk. RU Kidding Me? It might have been the best 30 plus minutes that I have spent this year. The media needs to follow me around and see what the real world is like. This dude–Immigrated to California, highly educated, became a U.S. citizen (extremely proud of it), didn’t care for California, does NOT want to win a lottery, loves his family, has a plan, doesn’t like politics but thinks that “The President Of The United States Mr. Trump” is trying to do good for all Americans. Deals with racial issues everyday–he being of Indian descent and his wife white. AND…and was not complaining about it. In fact, was using his experiences to teach his daughter how to deal with it and move forward. Whoofh??!! Really? Dang? No, I meant “Dang!!”
People, the American Dream is not dead. It may be more vibrant than ever. The color may have changed, the dialect different, but there is a reason that people are still coming. AND I have no problem with anybody that talks as passionately about goals, respect, kids and being American as this cat.
And when I asked what scares him about raising a daughter in America today (why wouldn’t I ask that,especially after hearing that he had lived in Cali?) …well, he had polite opinions about meth, marijuana laws, television and video games. It ain’t often that I walk away trying to digest all that I just took in. Wicked awesome! Best day/night in a long, long time. I normally sleep in a hotel with the AC cranked low. Not on this night. The AC was cranked low but my mind was whirring.
Then, I get home and clicked on the goat sales page…oklahomashowgoats.com….I see that Kratzer Show Goats sale is posted. I saw these doe kids last week while making an extended stop in Perrydise. I didn’t mean to be there long but I got to see these does clipped and photoed, some other random goats and then spent time talking to Max the elderly Dachshund. Max and I have history. And neither of us may be around much longer, so it was good to catch up.
Back to the goats. Some didn’t photo as well as they should have (goats not wiener dogs). Some of these doe kids are actually really good (Kansas bred might make some racist). The black headed unicorn story is REAL! You don’t make up wounds like that. I don’t buy many doe kids but there is a set there if interested. My involvement in this sale is this–he bought a couple of does from me and I saw these doe kids at Milligan’s. Consider it community service for buyers and the seller. I’ve seen them, watched them walk and petted on them. There are several doe kids in there that will beat some high dollar/name brand stuff. Preferably text unless you know me well…then leave a message, then call back, then text me (twice or thrice) and then I’ll call back before the sale closes. I know, I get it, I’m an ass but I would rather talk to people in real life.
But….but….RUSM…a write up about Mary Jane, 420 and April 20 birth date, ear tag, high hopes, cool song and nothing, not one thing regarding it now being legal in Oklahoma to have something this good….. Amateurs.
Thanks to Jay Muret and Emily Sewell on the assist getting stuff moved back to western OK. Holler when you all are ready for the Dragon Lady to cook supper. Or me to buy.
We did eat breakfast at Tally’s Cafe. The cinnamon rolls are HUGE! And dang good.
I’ve had a great weekend and hope you have as well.
p.s. I just realized that my light saber needs charged. I’m real sure that these are NOT words ever uttered by Darth Vader or Yoda.
Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit.
I like that line. Don’t know what it means, but the COOLEST character EVER from the best movie EVER said it. And it is Latin. SO, there you go.
p.s.s. What is the difference between Latino and Hispanic? I know. You better learn.
