Raw Intentions in Broken Arrow & Gerty Goes To The Doc

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September 20, 2012

It’s 7:30PM and closing in on my third night in Tulsa. I haven’t been here for two full days for the abundance of vegan food but it’s been more like a couple of days of catch up I guess. I finished and published two blog posts and spent most of today getting Gerty re-tuned up. I did also stick around to try the one and only all-vegan restaurant in the area.

I got myself out of the van-bed around 9:30 this morning after another tough night. It’s those initial few hours when I’m trying to sleep. I’m just so uncomfortable from the pulled muscle pain that it takes a long while before everything relaxes enough to relieve the pain and allow me to finally fall asleep. The last two nights I told myself I would go to an ER in the morning. But then when I wake up, for a few minutes it all feels better, I’m not coughing, and the muscle doesn’t hurt so much. Inevitably my body makes me cough but by that time I’ve begun my day and taking time to go to the doc seems like a chore. And so the cycle repeats itself. It’s okay. It’s all part of the journey anyway! Therefore, I embrace it as such. :)

Since the restaurant didn’t open until 11 I swung by the local Whole Foods Market to grab some water and a snack to hold me over.

 

More vegan finds at Whole Foods. Yes, I take pictures of shelved things. Hehe! :)

After about 2.5 pieces of this delightfully raw power snack I started to drive to the restaurant because it was clear on the other side of town, in Broken Arrow. On my way I stopped to get gas and noticed that one of Gerty’s tires had a slash/cut in it. I then walked around and inspected each one. They looked… stressed. I don’t know anything about how tires are supposed to look (well, generally speaking I do, of course) but I figured it was about time to get them checked out since I hadn’t had them rotated and balanced since sometime early on in the trip. After lunch!

Raw Intentions – vegan & raw
848 S. Aspen Ave
Broken Arrow, OK 74012

This restaurant opened this past April. It’s relatively small but al the food appears to be made by the owner, by herself. There is one other employee up front taking order. I kind of got the impression that he didn’t know much about raw food and/or veganism but he was super nice and chatty.

I had a green smoothie (not pictured) which was more of a juice consistency, rather than a thicker, smoothie consistency. Regardless, it was quite tasty.

I started with the Watermelon Mango Soup special and it was absolutely wonderful. It was so refreshing and light with pieces of fresh watermelon and mango throughout. It had a great smooth texture that was delightfully offset by the pieces of fruit. I really liked it! I also had a build-your-own collard wrap and som chocolate pudding for dessert. Everything was really great. I love when raw meals make their way into my journey. It makes me feel less guilty about all the sugary and fake-meaty stuff I eat more regularly. Aside from that though, I love raw food. Yum!!

After a very satisfying lunch I drove to a Walmart Tire Center because honestly the smaller garages kind of sketched me out. The men who assisted me at Walmart were very kind. They inspected, rotated, and balanced the tires. After this was all said and done one of the men told me that he was concerned about how the van started up. He thought I might have an issue with the starter or alternator.

Hold on.. inspection… inspection….. ins….. OMG! I need to get a State inspection done on the van before September is over. Sugar!! Can that even be done if I’m … well… out of the state. Okay, note to self: find out if it’s possible to get an out-of-state inspection done.. um… out of state. Noted.

Back to it – from Oklahoma I’m heading north into Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and (maybe) North Dakota. There are no all-vegan restaurants in any of these states but I’ll at least drive up to the Badlands since I’ve never been there before. Anyway, since I know I’m headed into more … sprawling lands(?) I figured it was a good idea to get the rest of the van checked out.

I drove the few hundred feet from Walmart to a nearby Meineke. They first checked Gerty’s starter and alternator. The report? She needs a new starter. But how can this be? Some of you might remember when I posted this picture at the beginning of April, when Gerty wouldn’t start up at all. At that time it was the starter too and I thought I had a new one put in. I told the mechanic at Meineke that I had a new start put in about six months ago (make that, four!). He explained that a used (not re-manufactured but used) starter had been put in and SPRAY PAINTED to look newer. He showed it to me and all so I know he wasn’t foolin’. Really?

When I was in DC (where I got the starter replaced the first time) I remember being a little sketched out by the garage but it was the only one open on that Easter Sunday, when Gerty broke down. However, it was also part of the NTB chain and I had been to a half dozen of those shops since starting the trip. Despite only having one positive experience at an NTB, I didn’t have much of a choice but to go to this one. I arrived about two hours before they were closing and they explained that they needed to get a part from another shop that had already closed. So, Gerty stayed over night and I returned the next day to pick her up. They refused to honor my member discount card because I hadn’t shown it prior to the moment in which I was paying the bill. But I figured all was well and whatever, she’s fixed.

Little did I know that supposedly they either put a used or re-manufactured starter in instead of installing a new one, which I paid for. Argh! And that is why only four months later I need a new one.

I’m just grateful that the issue was taken care of before I got more into the part of the midwest that we all hear about. ;) And ya know what? Gerty now starts up without a hitch. She’s ALWAYS started with a funny sound or hiccup or an abnormal vroooom. Even after the original starter was replaced. I should have known better. And now I do! :)

So, I told them to go ahead with a NEW, new starter and they also checked her other “vitals.” And now she’s good to go!

I spotted a self service car wash across the street. Score! Exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, it was totally and completely closed. I had spent most of the day at auto repair shops (which reminds me, I can’t stand those Maury Povich/Jerry Springer shows… why is it that these places insist on showing the worst of the worst?!) and I didn’t really feel like seeking out another rare car wash. So, I drove back to Whole Foods, picked up some snackies for dinner and then drove back to Shades of Brown Coffeehouse so that I could write about my day. Hello!

I’m kind of dreading bed tonight. I’m debating on catching a midnight showing of Dredd just to ensure that I’m good and tired before attempting to sleep. I know this double-shot mocha will help! Gah! :)

It’s time for me to map out a route that will hopefully land me in Vegas for my 30th birthday. Have a great night my friends. And remember to eat well and travel often. <3