Okay, some of you won't have a clue what I am talking about.  But one of the joys of driving west to Kansas City, which I have to do on Sunday, is seeing the first QTs.  QTs - for the unintiated - are "QuikTrips."   These are bright, snazzy, flashy gas station convenience stores with a choice of every snack or beverage to help whittle away a long, boring journey.  I know, it's pretty sad when the highlight of my journey is a convenience store, but there isn't much to do when driving other than eat, drink and talking on the phone.  So when I see the first flashy QTs I 1) know I am getting closer to my ultimate destination, Kansas City and 2)  I have an unlimited array of snacks, newspapers, and sodas to choose from.  Usually Pilot Gas stations, Flying J Truck Stops, and Travel Americas are my "highway oases", but not when I am in QT country.

Comparable convenience stores elsewhere in the country would would be Sheetz and Wawa out east and Thorton's in Ohio and Indiana.     Casey's is a common convenience store in the Midwest, but they lack the pizzaz of a QT, tending to be sleepy, tired-looking outposts in smaller towns.

Sheetz stores are awesome because you can buy made-to-order food by using little computer kiosks.  Those are awesome.  The same concept is used at Thorton's.   Okay, what this has to do with anything Amish, I haven't a clue, but I'll be excited to see my first QT.