TALES...LONE STAR ROAD REPORT

LONE STAR ROAD REPORT--AIMLESS IN AMARILLO

Howdy again, folks! Yes, I'm back on the road again for this edition (and the title reminds me of truly aimless I have been recently in finding good stuff--and how desperately I tried to find it). Actually, I (due circumstances beyond my original control) had to be up here for two separate full days within a span of four. Striving to be true to the theme of this title, I thought that I'd also let you be aimless in Amarillo as well...

SABBATH (SATURDAY) MORNING: Yes, ya'll--I'm back on the early morning northbound bus from home again to go to a Prison Fellowship conference. [Boy, do I hate having to get up (or as what usually happens with me--not even sleep a wink at all) just to be up around 3 AM to catch a 5:15 AM bus northbound...] On the way, as we stop in Tulia, I contemplate the possibility of getting a refill of my 64 oz. drink--but decide against it. It was a good decision in two ways--one, I had to go to the bathroom in the back of the bus (which helps if you've never left the bus because then you won't get left behind if you go inside the truck stop); and two, I find that to be a wise choice because it seems that I had to spend most of it on cab fare once I got into the city.

I originally thought that as a way to possibly save money that it might be a good idea to walk the distance from downtown to the place where the conference was being held--but now, in retrospect, I'm glad this time that I took the cab going down there instead. (I didn't have the money to take the cab back to the bus station--but I'm sure glad that I took the cab heading over there.) Why, you ask? Because it's a long ways over there--much further than you think, in fact. How about WAY OUT in the boonies (or at least it seemed that way to me)???

A lot has been made of the historic Route 66 (otherwise called in Amarillo Amarillo Boulevard). For instance, just within a mile's vicinity of the intersection of State Hwy. 136 (Fritch Highway) and Amarillo Blvd., I figured that they were more than five cheap motels that one could stay in if one had the notion to. But try as I might, I had to walk about a mile just to find a decent convienence store (Toot 'N Totum) just so that I could reward myself with the same refill that I put off until I came into town for the purpose of delayed gratification.

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