St. Joseph Missouri - I have some physical problems so I have too beat feet back to Atlanta. (Cindy, if you are reading the pun is intended and it wouldn't have mattered if I had brought my wheelchair as it occurred while I was driving!). I was on the road at 7:00 AM, but since I'm heading east, I got to turn the clock forward an hour so I lost an hour of driving time. I drove until 5:30 and figgered I better stop to make sure I got a room.
There sure were a lot of bikers on the road today. The further I got from Rapid City, the fewer I saw. It's amazing how old all of the ones I saw were. Some of them obviously had some money since I saw some land yachts towing trailers with bikes in them.
Now it's time for the requisite biker joke. What's the difference between a Harley and a Hoover. On a Hoover the dirtbag is inside.
I was sorry to leave South Dakota since the speed limit is 75. I'll have to do 70 the rest of the way home. Once I get across Missouri, it's easy sledding since I've driven the route from St. Louis to Atlanta so many times I could do it in my sleep.
I wanted to stick my nose in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas just to add states to this trip, but, alas, I was unable to. Apologies to those people I missed stopping to see, but I gotta get back to Atlanta tomorrow.
I'm gonna drive straight through from here to Atlanta. My Garmin says it will take me 12 hours. It's quite a push, but the sooner I get home the better. It really sucks because I was planning on spending three days in St. Louis catching up with family and friends.
Ahhh. The joys of being a cripple.
Update: I almost forgot an amusing incident that happened to me yesterday. I was following a herd of bikers...gaggle of bikers...pride of bikers...group of bikers...Yeah. That's it. A group of bikers...I was following a group of bikers at about 40 mph and we came up to a crosswalk. I didn't know at the time that if there are people in the crosswalk you have to stop. The bikers didn't and I didn't either. Even if I had slammed on my brakes, I wouldn't have been able to stop before the crosswalk. The dude in the crosswalk yelled, "Nigger!"
I automatically flipped him the bird. Conditioned reflex. The top was down, so it was easy to do. Then, the thought that raced through my mind was, I thought they buried that word. One of my commenters even suggested I drive to Michigan and stop in Detroit and see the grave.
The next thing I did was examine myself. I had my floppy hat (the one in the picture in the left sidebar)and sunglasses on so he couldn't really see my face and hair, and I guess my arms are rather dark from riding around with the top down, so maybe he did think I was black, else why did he call me a nigger? Asshole would have been more appropriate and wouldn't have carried any racial connotations.
Did being called a nigger bother me? Nope. Just like being called asshole or honky doesn't bother me. They're only words and words only carry the power that we ascribe to them. That's why burying the word nigger in Detroit was so absurd. Yeah, it's an ugly word, but look at the people both black and white who use it. They're all assholes! Consider the source.
Still, there is some dude in South Dakota who thinks I'm a nigger. He's probably a bigot and he's definitely an asshole. And he was walking and I was driving a BMW Z3. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Posted by denny at August 12, 2007 07:41 PMTough Denny! Hang in there buddy and keep us informed as how you're doing.
Posted by: gene Hall on August 12, 2007 08:21 PMTake care of yourself you niggerasshole!
Posted by: kerrcarto on August 12, 2007 10:15 PMI hope it is nothing serious. Take care.
Posted by: Kim on August 12, 2007 10:28 PMflyest negro i know, yo.
Posted by: shoe on August 12, 2007 11:25 PMI left St Joe Mo 2 weeks ago on the exact same route you are about to fly down. My cruise was set at 78.
I-29 I-70 I-64 I-57 I-24 I-75. The changes will make it seem faster than it is.
Only stretch with any radar was I-24.
Expect 20-30 minute delay just east of St. Louis on the Illinois side; another 20-30 min delay thru Nashville and perhaps 45 mins delay at Chattanooga.
Including delay, it was exactly 14 hours to Stone Mountain.
Suggest you make the Garmin really sweat in getting around the Chattanooga delay.
Be safe and come on home.
Posted by: DanS. on August 12, 2007 11:51 PMSorry to hear that you missed our great corn and soybean crops here in Nebr. I just got back from MS and LA. Went to my son's deployment ceromony and got to spend an extra night in the armpit of the USA, AKA New Orleans. Thank you American Airlines for putting us up in the Hilton after 5 friggin hours of waiting before they Finally announced that the flight was cancelled.
Posted by: Teresa on August 12, 2007 11:56 PMTeresa:
AND he missed the Corn Palace in Mitchell SD!
It's really very multi-colored this year, due to drought, but is quite-colorful in variety of hue.
Posted by: DanS. on August 12, 2007 11:59 PMIt's just a fucking word. Too bad the world ends when the "N" word is thrown out there. If it was "Cracker", people wouldn't even blink twice...
Nigger. It's just a state of mind; Not the color of your skin that goes with it...
Posted by: CharlieDelta on August 13, 2007 12:25 AMCD:
I don't wanna hijack the thread, but I don't think I've ever seen a movie or read a book where a central-tenet of the narrative included words to the effect of "we're gonna fuck you now, Cracker, ...and we're gonna fuck your cracker ass slow! Then we gonna lynch your cracker ass and screw your woman!" Well, maybe 'Deliverance'.
Nonetheless, I AGREE with the central-thought of your post! :)
Posted by: DanS. on August 13, 2007 12:39 AMDanS-
That's the whole point...
"Cracker" raises no eyebrows, but "Nigger" gets everyone's panties in a bunch. Why is that?
Just wonderin'...
Dan:
I am SO glad that you stopped just short of the "squeal like a pig" scene. The nightmares stopped not too long ago, and the last thing I want is to bring them back.
Oh shit. I just brought it up, didn't I? Damn it. I must be drunk. Well, it looks like another sleepless night for me.
At any rate, would it be possible for me to hire you as my personal GPS? You seem to have a knack for cross-country directions. That could really come in handy. I can't pay you much, but I'm willing to negotiate.
Denny:
All I can really say is "Nigger, please!" If you run into any idiots like that again, shoot 'em a nice bird for me too. Dipshits.
Posted by: F. Jenkins on August 13, 2007 01:13 AMI hope you feel better, Denny.
Posted by: F. Jenkins on August 13, 2007 01:16 AMF.Jenkins-
Nigger please...
F;
Cover the gas, food & lodging and I'll CHAUFFUER you any where you want to go!
I understand the Grand Teton-Olympic Penisula route is quite-nice in the Fall. :)
Nigger, please!
Posted by: DanS. on August 13, 2007 01:59 AMCD:
Look at the history of the actions associated with the two words & you'll have your answer.
Posted by: DanS. on August 13, 2007 02:21 AMPeggyU, that is just hysterical.
Denny, get your black ass home and get your meds on.
Posted by: patrick on August 13, 2007 09:56 AMDo you remember the Dave Chapell skit where he was blind, thought that he was white, had become a white supremist leader, and called a car full of white kids niggers?
Now that's happened to you, Honkie.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=honkie
irony can be pretty ironic some times.. : )
Posted by: vefromhell on August 13, 2007 11:31 AMWell Denny,
You missed some of the excitement. Good thing you're coming home now.
"As the World Shifts" - For every action there is an equal or opposite reaction.
Lot of earthquakes been going on around the world lately. As the earth readjusts itself, many areas of the world "FEEL ITS PAIN."
California is finally in for the BIG ONE. Then again, when or if it happens the mentally disordered will Blame Bush or global warming.
Glad you passed throough that state unscathed.
Posted by: Willie on August 13, 2007 11:41 AMI loved curb your enthusiasm. remember the episode where wanda is engaged to "crazy eyed killa" and he keeps calling Larry "my nigga" and larry takes to calling him "my caucasion"..........delicious.
Posted by: patrick on August 13, 2007 12:34 PMSince you told your biker joke, I have a beemer joke... That oddly enough fits this posting.
What's the difference between a BMW and a cactus?
The pricks are on the outside of a cactus.
Hope everything is good with you.
Posted by: K-nine on August 13, 2007 07:04 PMCD: Indeed. My point exactly.
Dan: That sounds like a pretty good deal. As soon as I scrounge up a bit more scratch, it'd probably be a pretty good time. I'll keep your suggestions in mind.
Cracker, thank you! ;)
...
I remember that Chappelle skit, as well as the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode. I think in honor of that, I'll start calling all of my black friends "My Cracker." Fortunately, they all have a good sense of humor.
I think.
Posted by: F. Jenkins on August 14, 2007 12:59 AMF. :
I get the rights to the book deal; we can split the movie & screenplay rights.
Nigger, PLEASE! :))
Posted by: DanS. on August 14, 2007 01:42 AMWe simply MUST give CD something more than a Cameo, tho.
Posted by: DanS. on August 14, 2007 01:43 AMO! I can see the litigation ahead!
"Denny's Blog"
A major motion picture ... major acclaim for best original screenplay ... a possible Oscar for Best Picture.
A "Grouchy Old Cripple in Atlanta" production.
Yep! As I've said: I can see the ocean of litigation ahead!
If we pull together, we can all retire with more money than we ever dreamed of.
Posted by: DanS. on August 14, 2007 01:52 AMDenny, it's a PRIDE of bikers. :-)
Especially here in South Africa, the machines cost an arm and a leg and anyone that rides one here takes pride in the bike. Also we stick together just like Lions... :-)
Denny, it WAS South Dakota after all. You were probably the darkest guy he's ever seen. The brain dead provincials are easily confused...
Glad yer home safe
Posted by: Radioactive Monk on August 15, 2007 09:10 AM