Sunday, June 29, 2008

Three Beautiful Things 06/27-29/08: Red Robin Shake, Friendly La Grande, Clean Sheets and Towels


It's Sunday evening. I've spent all day recovering from driving home yesterday from Pendleton in blistering heat without a/c in my car. It really got to me. It sapped my energy, made me ill. I'm rallying, though, and will prove my mettle by listing 3BT's.

1. Yesterday, with a streak of sweat wet running diagonally from my left shoulder to my right hip, right where the shoulder belt pressed against me, I dragged my sorry ass into the Wilsonville Red Robin and ordered a chocolate/Oreo milkshake and water. It cooled me off. It nourished me. It raised my spirits. It got me the next forty miles to Albany before I had to pull off at another rest area and sit in the shade and stare.

2. On Friday, I put almost 100 bucks worth of gas in the rental pickup, returned it, and picked up my repaired Honda. When it comes to customer service and friendliness, La Grande might be my new favorite town. I know they were all taking my money, but the people at All-Foreign Auto, Goss Motors, the Shell station where I got gas, and at the cafe I ate breakfast were all so friendly that I might have paid them all double just for lighting up my forlorn life with their good spirits.

3. After driving from McCall to LaGrande and getting my car back and driving to Pendleton, did a Motel 6 ever look so good? Only once before and that was in Blue Springs, Missouri, but that's another story. Suffice it to say, that when I arrived Friday evening in Pendleton and a room was vacant and service so friendly and the room so clean, I was glad Motel 6 left the light on.

1 comment:

MarmiteToasty said...

Sounds like a hard slog home.... but I bet it was sooooo worth it just to of been at the writers retreat....

We can get those oreo biscuits here now..... dam they are so scrummie..... good job they are so expensive so we dont buy them often lol

Ive seen motels on films, are you saying they dont all have dirty sheets and stickie floors?

Sounds like you all had such a super time.... well except for ya sister that is now the Incredible Sulk LOL

x