Sleeping with one eye open in Nebraska.

Nebraska … the grass lands…

    Leaving Boulder and heading east into Nebraska was unchartered territory for both of us. The grass lands, corn fields I expected, well they were exactly that. Miles and miles of grass and corn fields and a very unpleasant smell that was poop like, I imagine fertilizer that is sprayed on the corn. I love corn, and I hope my brain doesn’t associate the two together now. Very beautiful in its own  right, but definitely a bit monotonous. Sunflowers grow wild here too so the grassy hills had this lovely yellow hue. Trees were few and far between. We didn’t even see many towns or neighborhoods but saw at least a few random Walmart’s. When I say random I mean random, like nothing else is around just grass a few cows then BAM  another walmart. I found it strange. 

  We ended up in Platt Nebraska for the night. We were tired, hungry a bit grumpy. After 30 years we don’t really fight anymore. But we are definitely not perfect and we certainly can get annoyed. A few things we still argue about and one is maps. Jimmie avoids traffic like its the plague and uses all kinds of apps to find back roads or ways around it. He is one of those people when he sees the traffic backed up on a exit instead of waiting his turn like every one else he cruises around it then suddenly cuts in at the last minute as if he didn’t know this was his exit. I am the opposite. I will patiently wait and listen to music and am totally fine no matter how long it takes. I am patient when it comes to that. Don’t get me wrong I have plenty of faults he has to contend with. He should write a blog so he can tell about them.  Anyhow one of the things that gets us heated up is my lack of ability to read maps and research the way he does. I am very blessed he always insists on driving. I really don’t like driving, but he expects me often to be his co pilot and I am not a very good one. I am the person who pulls over puts my location on the GPS, lets it talk to me and does whatever it says. It may say turn left and drive off that bridge and I will gladly do it. I obey.

  Now back to our grumpy squabble. We pulled into this town of Platte Nebraska. We stopped for Gas and were elated at the price. $3.03, unheard of in California . This was a definite truck stop and there were loads of huge trucks gassing up or parked to sleep. We were right off highway 80 so a major route for big trucks I assume. I found it creepy right between the the gas station and the motel 6 was a massage parlor. That perked my creepy imagination and reminded me of all the crime shows I used to watch. I started thinking that this is probably a human trafficking drug dealing scary area. 

  So we start looking for a place to camp. Jimmie has me downloading camping apps and trying to navigate for him at the same time. Now it has been established navigating is not my jam. So the tension always rises when I am suddenly in charge of navigation. We end up at Buffalo Bills ranch which supposedly has a campground according to our handy dandy new app. Well It was $45for nothing. It just didn’t have a good feeling. I was already creeped out after seeing the massage parlor/truck stop/gas station. Jimmie declared “ well it would be helpful if you would do the RESEARCH so this doesn’t happen again” .. My feathers went up ..”well its hard to do research when you have me downloading apps and bla bla bla..” He drove around in circles for a bit looking for our usual ritzy neighborhood where we can find a green space to freeload in front of.  This street looked like a crime scene in the making. When I saw a car that was practically blown up and duck taped back together I pretty much said Hell No. 

   I quickly research and find a Rv park close by.. Hot shower.. yah baby… I am in need..”NO I don’t want to be so close to the freeway” ..So much for my research.. GRRR….  Whatever… its a word grumpy women use.   We pull in to Jimmies choice. There’s a pond or lake, its hard to tell because its dark. There is only one other camper. A travel trailer. Its quiet and dark. I assume they are sleeping or dead. Its only 10 bucks. That’s a plus. I warm up our leftover spaghetti and we open the slider to let the fresh air in. Within a few minutes a Dodge Charger pulls into the camp ground. Now this is a little bit remote and a Dodge Charger is not what you think of as a camping car. It pulls in real slow. It comes to almost a stop in front of us. Jimmie quickly closed the van door.  My mind races. They are clearly casing us out. I used to love those crime shows and suddenly my memories are filled with all the random violent crimes. I am quiet certain they all happened in rural Nebraska.  Why couldn’t we go to the place by the freeway? NOOOO…  we have to camp at the creepy dark lake with the Dodge Charger staring us down. The car sped off suddenly. But it was back after not long. Soon I saw it parked in the distance and it seemed to be stalking us. We both stared out the window together sipping our whisky and coke , turned off the lights so they couldn’t see us and nervously assessed the situation. I was more nervous, but trust me he was nervous to. For a good hour they circled around slowly sometimes, fast other times. They were definitely  in cahoots.. Great this is clearly a car jacking, sex trafficking crime in the making. I though am to old to be a sex slave so I would just be dumped in the pretty pond. 

  Finally I convinced Jimmie we either needed to leave or call the police. He opted for a 911 call. The dispatcher was very kind and assured us we were not in any imminent danger. This is a safe place, despite my google searches that looked like this…. Platt Nebraska.. kidnapped tourist? Human trafficking ? Murders on Cody pond? … She told us kids love to circle around the pond and “cruise”.. cruise? .. seriously this is not a big “cruise” if this is the case, these people must be very bored. 

  I settled a little but not much. I was afraid to take off my running shoes. Not long after a police officer called and informed he had pulled over the Dodge Charger circling Cody pond. He was a young guy catching Pokémon’s.. OHHH… makes perfect sense. I have seen my kids do it. You have to “ catch” them wherever they are floating around in the invisible iCloud air or however that works. ..makes perfect sense to me. I am relaxed now. Jimmie is watching a movie I am writing this. I have my window next to me open and can hear the crickets humming outside. The air is fresh and grassy with a slight poopey corn smell. 

  I think despite my lack of navigating skills, despite his lack of patience in certain situations, we travel so good together. He is my best friend and he is patient where it counts. It is because of him and his ambitious personality I am able to have the adventures I have.  Its true sometimes the things that bug you the most are really the  things you love the most about a person. I am so thankful for the help we have had, the faith we have and the mostly the love we have. 

  If you are reading this we survived. If we don’t show up and you find the iPad check the pond…..