Friday, September 29, 2006

8/30/06

Man I shoulda never left. I was in such good hands with Liz in Portland. There life was carefree, none of her roomates seemed to give a shit if I just lazed about all day without showering. That's what I call the sweet life. I left under the pretense of feeling guilty for moochin' so much and that I needed to catch up with Alicia at the appropriate time.

Portland didn't want we to leave. She cast a spell on me, clouding my senses, distracting my better judgement. I missed the turn that I was supposed to take that would bring me over the Columbia and into Washington. I ended up riding up and down the southern shore oblivious to my discombobulated state, seduced by her enormous charm. It took a great act of will to break her spell. At the sight of the sign reading "Leaving Portland" I shed a lonely tear.

Oh if only I knew the troubles ahead I may have never left. I don't recomend riding a bicycle on the interstate. There are off and on ramps the whole way up with speeding cars making unpredictable moves. It requires too much concentration, not that the surroundings are anything to write home about. Its all city outskirts from Portland to Olympia and most llikely beyond. Despite all this I do feel that I make better progress on the interstate. Smoother road surfaces, wider shoulders and plenty of tail wind from frequently passing semis seem to increase milage. I pulled 84miles yesterday without hurtin'...much.

Oooooh...did I tell you about the crank head highway walker? Yeah, as I was taking a rest this wild woman, looking hagard as all hell walks up to me. I can tell that she sees me eating and wants some, so I make polite and say hi. Where is she headed? Seattle. How long has she been at it? A couple months now. Unfuckin'believable. She's dirty and stinking of piss, who knows when she last washed her clothes or herself for that matter. She's wearing flipflops and carrying only a small purse. She asks how much further I'll make it tonight. 20miles is my response. She says she'll probibly see me in the morning. What, you're going to walk all night? Yup, usually do. I'm begining to think she's a tweaker. Time to saddle up. I indicate that I'm making to leave and she just stands there all creepy like. Finally I shake her hand, wish her luck and get the fuck outta dodge like a bat outta hell.

That night I lay me down in this barren patch that turns out to be dead thorn bushes. I think nothing of it until I realise my Thermarest is going flat. After a few failed attempt to reinflate I accept my dusmal fate. Thermarest has been punctured. Three in the morn and it begins to rain. Can this night get any worse? Of course if I had bothered to set up my whole camp with tarp and bivey sac I probibly would've been fine. I'm begining to hate myself.

Cold morning and I've picked up a sore throat. Its overcast and windy and I can see my breath. Nothing to do but ride. By and by the sun comes out and its actually starting to feel nice. I'm making good time and I pull into Olympia at about noon. Its nice so far, I pay a visit to the visitors center and then take a nap in the lawn. Later I go to the library only to find Alicia won't be in Seattle until the fourth or fifth. Fuck. I'm pretty much screwed. I guess I'm gonna have to spread my time out as much as possable. Oh well. I can gallery hop here in town and spend another night. Do the same in Tacoma Friday and Saturday. Get to Seattle by Sunday noon and then god knows what. What a life. What a crazy, mixed up, confused, batshit life. Somehow I think it will work itself out. It always does...I hope.

2 comments:

Emerald. said...

"Ik hou je in de Gaten" as they

Say in Holland...

Emerald. said...

I remember Alex showing me how to

Write... "These Words make no

Sense" in Rumanian...