Left Portland last Friday. Friday! I think it was my worst day of 2011. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. As I was leaving my dad walked off from saying goodbye all in a huff and I immediately backed up into the curb. Then at the gas station I scraped off back of my patio cover off the side of the RV (metal on metal is the worst sound ever). I punch a small hole in the side. Then I couldn’t figure out how to get on the freeway for forty-five minutes. Then it was rush hour. My life is so hard, bytheway.
But then I made to Covallis and it was great! I stayed there for two nights. I went to the biggest food co-op I’ve ever been in and I ran into someone I went to middle school with (why are so many of the people I went to middle school so amazing?) I went to the ungodly huge farmer’s market and bought healthy vegetables which I immediately cooked and made unhealthy. I stayed with folks from camp, two married couples. One of the couples is pregnant. You know what is crazy? Pregnancy. Did you know? that breast milk is made as the baby drinks it? And that it perfectly matches the dietary needs of the baby on that day? Or that newborn babies can see exactly two distances right after birth? They can see close up (the nipple) and far away (the mother’s face). And if a baby is born “in the bush” and the mother passes out as she’s giving birth, and no one else is around the baby will instinctively crawl towards the nipple to drink. Babies are crazy, amiright? I learned a lot.
Then I drove to Eugene. And I made it to Eugene. I pulled over to check my directions in a parking lot and turned off the car. When I turned it back on a horrible sound started. I turned off the car and THE SOUND KEPT GOING. THE CAR IS OFF WHY IS THIS HAPPENING WHY WON’T IT STOP. It continued for, like, five minutes. I called triple A then proceeded to hang out and wait for a tow truck for three hours. It wasn’t that bad. I sat around and read How Things Work (illustrated for kids!) and attempted to understand what happened to my poor car. After it was towed the five blocks to the mechanics (closed) I biked to a friend’s house (oh, look, someone from camp!) and hung out and slept.
Turned out the car starter had started until it destroyed itself in some kind of Chrysler-engine-specific suicide. $200.00 please. I biked the Eugene river trail while I waited for it to be ready.
Can we just talk about how amazing having my bike and traveling it? This is the first time I’ve had it and it’s so good. I never want to travel without ever again. I have a much stronger sense of place and my new ability to explore feels really good.
The car was fine. Isn’t nice when things start and work? After beer with a high school friend (why are so many people I went to school with so awesome?) I left in the morning and drove to an Auntie and Uncle’s in Lookingglass. The Boudoir hit 60 MPH on I5 to Roseburg. So Fast.
This morning I woke up and it was cold and quiet.
Inside the Boudoir…
We went to thrift stores with a relative. I’m remembering that I can recognize seven out of the 60-something relatives in my extended family. I don’t know any of them or what they look like. Maybe because I haven’t seen most of them in fifteen years? “Family is” mysterious people I’m genetically related to randomly located around the Northwest.
Then I came back and went on a bike ride with my uncle! Uncle is so precious!
Tomorrow is Arcata. It’s going to take me forever. Mountains in an ancient car! Eek. Wish me luck?
October 8, 2011 at 5:24 pm |
Hey, what’s your end destination? Your route? Are you still coming to visit me in Austin?