Just when I thought Oklahoma City

could not possibly offer me any new delights, this fine city has surprised me again. Yes, it's true!

Oklahoma City has many distinguishing characteristics, such as its amazingly liberal . . . use of the color brown (what did you think I was going to say), a collection of cab drivers in which nearly every single one offers passengers his theory on how to do a better job of blowing up the federal courts building and consistently, stunningly, bad service at the nicest hotel in town. I thought there was nothing that this Very Special Town could offer me that I had not experienced before.

But tonight, as I inhaled my first deep breath of Oklahoma City air while striding from the airport to my rental car, I was treated to the olfactory equivalent of a Tiffany diamond: the sweet, clean smell of skunk:



The scent was so vivid, so untainted by any other smell, such as exhaust or smoke or, well, air, that I wondered briefly if a cargo flight of skunks had landed at the same time as my flight from Dallas. But then I realized I was too hungry to investigate and needed to beat a quick path to my hotel before room service called it a night.

Then, while I was waiting to check into my hotel, I thought I heard the gaggle of women next to me say they are here for a Mary Kay Convention. God, I hope not. But it would give me something to write about, that's for sure.

In other news, Anthony Hopkins is on Jon Stewart tonight, and he could not be cuter (either of them, really).