1. I bounded out Jeff's door shortly before 7 a.m., loaded up the Sube, gassed up, got some coffee and an almond croissant, and started up the Interstate, heading back to Kellogg. Driving conditions were ideal, traffic was excellent -- my only slow down was east of Spokane -- and Jeff helped significantly increase the pleasure of my trip by giving me cds of Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia performing Bob Dylan songs, and Drive-by Truckers.
2. I stopped for a couple of naps along the way, one under a tree in a parking lot in Arlington, OR and again at the rest area near Sprague, WA. I took a lunch break just north of the Tri-Cities at the Country Mercantile where I enjoyed a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread packed with lettuce, tomato slices, olives, pickles, and maybe more.
3. Back home, things looked undisturbed. I picked up Charly at Carol and Paul's. She seems to be her good old normal low-key self. I took care of a couple things in the house. I was happy I had done so much cleaning before I left. It was comforting to walk into a clean and tidy house. Feeling pretty tired after a 10+ hour trip, I went to bed early, grateful that I had put clean sheets on my bed before I left.
It felt like my trip to Eugene happened outside of normal time. For the nine days I was away, I paid little or no attention to the news. I had entered into a blissful world of another time frame, a world of great friends, superb live music, great beer, satisfying conversations with Debbie, long walks, and mornings writing at Starbucks. Now I'm back in Kellogg and back into the way time is measured by bills to pay and household things to take care of and family life. I'll ride my bike. I'll go to the Lounge.
I will join friends to mourn the death and celebrate and honor the life of Kirk "Goose" Hoskins on Saturday, June 1st at 5 o'clock at the Elks.
It's a good time frame to be in -- certainly more normal -- but I sure enjoyed, even thrived on, being in that other world of Eugene, OR.
No comments:
Post a Comment