Road Trip 2005-The Way Up

Well hello everyone! Honey, I'm home-o! I returned a couple days ago from my road trip up to Northeast Washington. I came back with some magnets (of course), lots of dirty laundry, and a turtle. I got him just over the border in Idaho, he's like two inches across and I've namd him Sal Monella. *smiles sweetly*

When I left home I was wound up tighter than the proverbial 8 day clock. I was in the same rut I've been in since shortly after my last road trip. I drove to I-5 on highway 20, from Cloverdale it's shorter and easier than the traditional way. As I got about halfway through Lake County (mullets are BAD! dentistry is GOOD!) I began to relax a bit, and by the time I was maybe 30 minutes up 5 I began to find the pieces of me that are beat into submission by a daily brew of stress, responsibility, and purposeful living. I don't think I was completely me again until I was a state away, but I was doing just fine, nonetheless. I did 7 hours that day, wound up in Grant's Pass, and managed 10 and some the day after, when I found myself in Spokane. I waited for Anne to get off work and we finished the drive another maybe 40 minutes to her place out in the middle of nowhere, but technically Newport. Okay, so as I drove I had time to think, lots of it, and I happened upon quite a few blog-worthy ramblings, questions, observations. I scrawled them down on my pink J note pad which was positioned conveniently below the gas gauge, and I have two sheets, one from the way up; the other, the way down. I'll list 'em, and then explain 'em after....

The Way Up (literally and figuratively)
*Mother Road's arms
*Splasher Says "Don't Swim in Canals!"
*I love I-5, I love 70mph
*church marquee things
*lonely road scholar, somethin' 'bout the open road
*Olive City
*sunflower seed breakfast

Mother Road's arms-
When life gets too anything, it's time for a visit with Mother. Mother Road, that is. Road trips, especially long ones, allow you to feel your distance from whatever plagues you. Other trips are good, travel is lovely in general. But driving lets you feel the miles curing (or at least offering temporary relief from) whatever ails you. It allows you to feel in general, really. There is a safety in being hours and hours from home and allowing yourself to feel and experience whatever you need to. Especially when you're alone. You can dream, hope, get pissed off, and cry without your "real" life oppressing the hell out of you and your emotions. It's great. The greater the distance, the safer it is. It's perfection.

Splasher Says....-
If you need an explanation, it doesn't really matter.

I love I-5, I love 70mph-
I-5 is the closest major highway to freedom. It's designed to be user friendly and efficient, wrapped up in one burly open road. I like a place where you can get a tank of gas and a pack of smoke-arettes, a haircut, a steak dinner, various electronics, and porn all in one stop. And driving 75mph to get there. Wow. *shivers with glee*

Church Marquee Things-
So I drove by this church marquee thing that said "feed your faith and your fears will starve to death." Now I know we're of many different faiths, some of us none at all. But don't you think that even if we have none, finding and feeding faith in at least ourselves would go far towards starving some of our fears? I've been watching church marquee thingys since I was 17, but this is my very favorite, the best one I've seen.

Lonely Road Scholar, somethin' 'bout the open road-
Okay, this is basically a re-emphasis of the mother road thing, but not completely. And I was never lonely, not really. Aside from the freedom to think and feel, the road holds infinite potential. You've got your drive-by dating, weird rest stops, weirder restaurants, and the best potentiality of all, anonymity. Each town brings a possibility, you're a face without a name or better yet, a past. Each town you drive through holds the opportunity of a new, totally fresh beginning. Even if it's a fleeting dream, you carry the comfort that it is an honest-to-God possibility. This is one of the best lessons of the road, and there are many. If it ever really gets to be too much you can pick up and start fresh somewhere else, behind the wheel of your car. You may not be able to leave everything behind, but most isn't bad.

Olive City-
I can't remember if this is a real place or just the nickname for Corning, where the Olive Pit is. Whatever. I want to live in Olive City. Mmmmmmmm...

Sunflower Seed Breakfast-
When on the road, one is allowed to behave in otherwise unacceptable ways. For instance eating sunflower seeds and spitting them from fast moving vehicles. I always loathed people that did such things, come to think of it I still do. But all bets are off on the road. So I taught myself how, and in doing so I learned that sunflower seeds are meant for breakfasts and late evening snacks only in the warm weather months, because that's the only time you can have the window down without being cremated in the heat. Yup.



Okay, so I was going to write this all into one blog, but you know what? It's not happening. To be continued....