I don't know when that road turned into the road I'm on...

I've been on the road a lot the last few days, but contrary to what you might think, that doesn't mean I haven't been learning anything new.  As a matter of fact, I've found one can learn quite a lot by just reading road signs.  So, I thought I'd forward along some of the interesting things I've seen and learned while reading signs during my late adventures about the Midwest.  Take this as a kind of road-sign travelogue.

- There is a monument in Mt. Olive, Illinois to Mother Jones, who was apparently an important labor organizer in the early 1900s.  (Later in the week, I ran across an interesting article/illustration in a magazine named after Mother Jones about the ever-expanding size of the American Dream.)

- Steak 'n' Shake, of course, is usually a 24-hour establishment.  However, at around 2 am last Wednesday night/Thursday morning (May 14/15), the Steak 'n' Shake off of I-55 in Springfield, Illinois was totally empty.  Doors locked.  A handwritten sign explained that the store was "close" for the night.

- The BP just down the road from Steak 'n' Shake, however, is always open 24 hours a day, and features a bathroom with an automatic cologne dispenser. By depositing a quarter, customers can get a spritz of their favorite imitation designer cologne.

- The Dairy Queen in Martinsville, Indiana is hiring a cake decorator. They are also having a special sale on cheeseburgers.

- The Green Tree Inn, near exit 4 on I-65 by the Indiana/Kentucky border, purports to be close to everything.

- Jonathan Byrd's Restaurant & Cafeteria in Seymour, Indiana contains an "extensive Norman Rockwell collection."

- Contrary to all sound and ordinary logic and reason, guns actually save lives.  

- It appears that the only decent places for one seeking to purchase fireworks in a given state are found near the border of another state which has stricter fireworks laws.  I wonder if those who monitor interstate fireworks trafficking have caught on to this peculiar coincidence.

- Steward, Illinois can afford "no services," according to a helpful (albeit disappointing) little sign affixed below the sign announcing one's passing through the town on I-39.

And that's what I learned on my trip.