Papaya Mom

Rapid City, SD to Jackson, MN

I can’t say that we are fans of South Dakota. The abortion ban is silly but more annoying are what feel like thousands of road signs about how many days after conception a fetus is ready for Algebra. I wonder if these road signs actually stop any of the women in South Dakota who “flock” to the ONLY Planned Parenthood in the State to get one of the average 800 abortions per year. “Yes Jane, we can cancel your appointment (that you were only allowed to make after State-mandated ‘counseling’), since you saw that wonderful billboard that convinced you not to have an abortion.” I think not. I think the signs make the pro-lifers FEEL like they are doing something, while doing nothing but passing laws that endanger a woman’s health. What sin will we be outlawing next? I vote for outlawing lying, and lets start by impeaching the President.

On top of that, the sate is boring, at least along I90. This morning we stopped at Wall Drug, which has about a billion billboards leading up to it telling you all about its free ice water and 5 cent coffee not to mention the other amazing deals and fake dinosaurs in the back yard. You think I’m shitting you. I’m not. The little western styled town is cute, as far as stops on I90 go, and has quite the indoor mall area where you can buy anything on earth, or at least it seems that way. I liked the hitching posts at the parking spaces, cute.

Then, we got to stop at Al’s Oasis which was preceded by quite a few billboards, although not as many as Wall Drug. The larger-than-our-SUV Buffalo outside was, well, interesting. The dining room was nice and clean and our waitress was nice as Adventure Dad bit down into yet another buffalo burger. The salad bar (I was starting to wonder if I would ever see one of those in middle America) was average but Papaya enjoyed the grated cheese, bologna slices, kidney beans, and other veggies that we passed her way. I think her favorite part of that meal was the bites of Dad’s burger, or maybe the french fry I handed her near the end so I could finish my meal.

As if we had not had enough South Dakota fun, we stopped at another heavily advertised spot, the Corn Palace. It was so/so to find, not hard but not easy. It was a brick building in the middle of the “town” covered in designs of corn. No fun shops open, it’s not summer yet. Needless to say we stopped only for a quick photo and got back on the road. Adventure Dad got to tell me “I told you so.” Near thereafter he announced that we should have flown. Thanks, and I was just getting into a groove.

So we made it into Minnesota, crossed into the Central Time Zone and have seen even more long boring open road with Rigs and such. Tomorrow, if we push it, we can make it to Chicago just hours after my cousin and his wife who live there get on a plane for Dublin. I wish I were going to Dublin right now.

I’m actually doing alright, I’m in a good mood and Papaya, although clingy to me, seems to be doing well. It is Adventure Dad who needs therapy about his mood, the midwest does not seem to be good for his soul. Maybe the game of “camping” in a “tent” between the two beds in the hotel room with Papaya will lift his mood. If not, I’m sure the delivery pizza will do it.

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