Day 15 - Weatherford, OK - Part One

"Travel is glamourous only in retrospect." - Paul Theroux

Day 15 - Joplin, MO to Weatherford, OK - Daily Distance - 265 miles - The Bucket Trip Distance - 2815 miles.

She chocked again.

This time I wasn't around.

I'm surprised that she told me.

My mom was drinking water and it went down the wrong pipe again.

Typically, there would be no need to be alarmed.

But the ability to swallow would be something that she will be losing as this disease progresses.

I really hope that we've just had two normal choking incidents.

And that the disease is not progressing.

But I have a bad feeling about this.

The drive to Oklahoma is pretty uneventful. Jack threatens to sing songs from the musical as we cross into the state but my Mom shuts that business down.

We have been making our hotel room reservations on the fly and for the first time with Holiday Inn Express, we run into some problems.

We were trying to get all the way to Clinton, OK but that Holiday Inn doesn't have a roll in shower available for my Mom.

We instead cut our trip short today by 15 miles and stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Weatheford, OK - the first place that I've seen on our trip that celebrates historic Route 66.

And the probelms continue with Holiday Inn. It takes about 20 minute to make the room reservations. I'm speaking directing to their front desk and my expectations levels regarding the customer service we are going to receive are dropping by the minute.

Eventually, the booking is made and we have our final destination for the night.

Upon arrival, one thing is perfectly clear to me.

We are in the middle of nowhere.

This is not a true final destination.

This is a stopping point for people that are too weary to continue on.

The hotel is sold out tonight and travel zombies are circling in the lobby trying to either find a room that is clearly unavailable or brains.

We make it past the travel zombies and get into the rooms.

My Mom and Jack struggle with the air inside their room. It won't turn on.

Eventually, Jack convinces the front desk gal to come up and check it out. Turns out a breaker needed to be switched. She leaves slightly disgusted that Jack couldn't figure this out.

Looking at the rest of her guests and the travel zombies in the lobby, I think that this will be the easiest problem that she has today.

Theres's a faux Route 66 diner within rolling distance for us. It is nice that we don't have to get back inito the car.

We have an okay dinner and "The Kids" have their usuals (Mom - Two Cosmos, Jack - Two Stellas) and then my Mom is ready for bed.

We roll back to the hotel and they head off to bed.

It's too early for me to go to bed.

But what can you do when you are in the middle of nowhere?