Coming Clean in Gillette, Wyoming

This has got to be the best thing happening for a weary driver. I've been avoiding doing laundry because I just didn't want to deal with it. It feels like such a waste of time.

But in addition to speedy free WiFi, they supply large clean tables to use, 3 flat screen TV's high up on one of the center posts and friendly assistance when you stand in front of a machine, scratching your head.

Can you believe free coffee too and even little Dixie cups with an already measured amount of powder per load?!

Traveling alone can have its moments. Late last night as I propped open my motel room door to unload some things, a very British older man mistakened my room/door for his and just marched right in on me. He was so gracious and apologetic - then we laughed -

But this morning, eating, I overheard 4 construction workers at the next table trying to up each other with 'bad car' stories . . . one cracking everyone up . . . "When we bought it, it only had 60,000 miles on it, but the transmission went out almost immediately . . . then my wife hit a deer and took out half of the front end . . . but one day when I pulled it into a car wash - something stuck with the rollers - you know the big huge ones on the sides? The rollers started banging and banging the car, making a terrible noise - and then breaking both side windows! We couldn't get the thing to stop before all the pounding even trashed and cracked the windshield, real bad. Geeez, we had to have the thing towed out of the car wash!"

But I love these small towns. In Buffalo, WY this morning some kids playing in a school yard kicked a football over the fence into the traffic. All 6 cars stopped and some guy got out and pitched the ball back to them. 5 minutes later, I'm across the street taking photos of a statue and I hear a little pleading voice: "Can you get us the ball?"

A soccer ball was rolling across the empty street - so I picked it up and drop kicked it high over a few passing cars, over the chain link fence and back into the yard. Sometimes I really miss those soccer games - it was a good kick too!