Tuesday 12/22/09
Kellie's cats were happy to have G and I as playthings on their living room floor that night. I was relieved to have G next to me… her giggles about their running around making playful noises made the situation a lot more bearable for me.
Something that was not bearable for me was the air mattress that Toren had provided for us to sleep on. It was barely big enough for me alone, so with G next to me, it was like sleeping on a space the shape of a popsicle-stick.
I rested and dozed until midnight… then got up and sat on the edge of the coffee table for about 30 minutes trying to decide if I was gonna go out and find a motel. I decided I needed to 'tough it out'… Kellie and Toren were very gracious to let us stay with them, and I did not want to hurt their feelings by leaving in the middle of the night. That simply was not an option.
So once I conceded to the fact that I was not gonna sleep that night, it was much easier. I re-positioned myself on my popsicle-stick for about an hour and a half… then moved to the small couch.
At 3am I asked G if she would mind trading places, and she very lovingly and tenderly agreed. I so much appreciate G's kind and gentle personality. Even when things are not going well… she is a sincere pleasure to be around. I do not recall ever hearing a 'cranky' tone in her voice… knock on wood.
I rested better on the air mattress after I had it all to myself. I always toss and turn in my sleep. I call it 'basting' myself. First on my stomach, then my left side… my back, my right side… and then back to my stomach. I think the full rotisserie cycle takes about an hour or so. Without G pressed against me, the worry of smacking her in the side of the head with my elbow was gone, so I was able to get some sound rest until my 5am (inner) alarm went off, and it was time for me to get…
… up and at 'em.
I went down the street in search of the 'too many to count' coffee shops Kellie told me were there, and found them all… closed. I went into one of my faithful and trusted MMGS (mini-mart-gas-stations) that have always been a part of my road trip experiences. Cheap hotels and greasy spoon restaurants… G was finally getting to see another side of life. I hope she can handle it. It sure will be nice if she can become accustomed to this 'lifestyle' and enjoy these road trips with me. I enjoy the open roads on my own, but so far at least… I am truly enjoying her company.
7am - Kellie and Toren are stirring… they'll be leaving soon, and then G and I are gonna pick her up at her work around 8:30 to take her to breakfast, before we say and hug our good-byes, and head east over Snoqualmie Pass. The weather looks like it's gonna cooperate, but things change quickly in the Great Northwest, so there's always a chance for just about anything. Which is just the way I like it.
10am - Off and away.
11am - A very nice family in a big SUV was kind enough to stop and help us get out of the small ditch I slid into, while 'practicing' driving in the snow. I had taken the Denny Creek exit, wanting to show G one of my little pieces of paradise I had discovered years ago, when I lived in the area. As we started down the side road to the small campground, I told G I was glad to have the opportunity to practice my driving skills on the slippery road. I came out of a slight turn and gave the truck a small giddy-up, and the tail of the truck jumped sideways slightly.
The small slide was not enough for me, so I touched the gas pedal a bit more, and within seconds the back of the truck was moving down the road ahead of us, and we were totally out of control.
It was a good thing the side of the road was flat. It was also a good thing the SUV with the good Samaritans stopped and offered there assistance, as it would have been a very tricky maneuver for me to install the cable chains on my tires, without being able to back up over them.
I hugged Jordon and Karen, and we were back on the road within about 10 minutes. G was amazed, so I explained to her that this was a very common occurrence for me on my road trips. I'm always getting bailed out of some sort of predicament or another. And I am always grateful and remember to thank the 'road gods' for their continuing helping presence. I love (Snoqualmie) Washington.
At 2:15pm I pulled to the side of the road to leave a present for Jody Bonney at "Roadhouse 97"… a small tavern just outside the town of Goldendale in south-central Washington. I had met Jody seven months earlier on my previous adventure ride thru these parts on Honey, and if you haven't read "From Here to There and Back Again" yet… you should… it's a real hoot.
When I came back out from the saloon and sat down in the truck next to G, I called Jody and left a message that she had a present from me waiting for her at the local watering hole… you guessed it… a sprig of mistletoe.
I was happy G wanted to go to the observatory just outside the town… seven months ago I spent too much time flirting with Jody at the Roadhouse, and didn't take the time to check it out. I had been told that it was possible to view the stars from their telescope… during full daylight hours. When we got to the top of the mountain, we found a sign on the locked gate that showed the hours of operation. I was gonna hafta revisit the observatory (and Roadhouse 97) again… on a Friday, Saturday, or a Sunday from 2~5pm or 7~10pm.
It was just a hop and a skip down the road when we 'lost' an hour on our timetable, due to a missed turnoff, coming into "The Gorge"… a section of the Columbia River Basin that has sheer cliffs on either side of this massive river. Fortunately G has the same attitude as I do on road trips… there are no missed or wrong turns. Everything happens for a reason, and we enjoyed the ride on the side-road, even though we had to drive it twice.
After getting to within a few miles of where we were gonna be able to cross the river and get back on the 'right' road, we were turned around by a WaTrans worker, who told us there had been a serious accident and the road was gonna be closed for at least four hours.
G and I decided that the reason we had taken the 'wrong turn' was so that we would become aware of the accident and be able to 'pray' for the people involved.
About 'praying'… Christian style vs. Eckankar style: To me it's pretty much the same thing, 'cuz the way I've always 'prayed' is to think about the person I'm trying to send 'positive energy' to, and simply positive thoughts about them, or the situation they're in, at the time. G says the way 'they' pray is basically the same thing… to focus your thoughts towards a person or situation, and then "let the Eck take it from there."
After following the river along its north shore to complete our back and forth hiatus, we crossed where we should have, and began our journey east, on the south side of the Columbia River. G got a lot of enjoyment out of the 'little baby frozen waterfalls' along the sheer cliffs. The exposure this time of year doesn't allow any sunlight to hit the rock walls, and the water dripping down the sides of the cliffs had formed into beautiful still life waterfalls of ice.
JJ (Jeremy Joel… a cute gal with two boys names) checked us into our motel room in Pendleton, around 5pm, and gave us both a very warm and cozy feeling. It's amazing how a small amount of interest and connection from someone can make such a big difference in someone's attitude. Andrea had the same feeling about her, as she served us our meals at the restaurant next door. I love (Pendleton) Oregon.
After the almost virtually sleepless in Seattle night, I was in bed after our meal by 7pm and asleep by 7:15. I don't think G was awake much longer. I'm hoping this adventure trip will give her the motivation to reset her inner clock. She says she wants to start waking up earlier and going to bed earlier so we can spend more time together. She also says she's been trying to get to work earlier anyway, so… I hope she can do it.
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