This is my journal from the last time I drove from Idaho to Texas (and by "last time", I hope I mean "the last time ever"). This journal does not reflect everything that happened to us. Only the things that crossed my mind while my journal was out were recorded. Some of the content was editted because when I'm travelling with a big group of people, I don't always think happy thoughts.
May 21, 2001, 2:30 pm
Location: Superior, Montana
Destination: Nacogdoches, Texas
Travel Companions: Rachel, Deacon, Remy, Bray, three cars and tons of stuff.
We're on the side of the road in Superior. It all started at 6:30 this morning. I got up and was ready to go on time. Deacon and Rachel were ready to go on time. Remy and Bray were not. We were scheduled to leave at 8:00. We left at 9:45. Now their car broke, so we're sitting on the side of I-90 waiting for the tow truck. At least it's scenic. We're right beside the Clark Fork River which is surrounded by mountains. Rachel is taking pictures. Deacon is reading the atlas. Remy is trying to get comfortable. Bray is littering. I want to have a picnic but we only have 6 bananas, pretzels and a bagel. We do have a basket though. Handy, huh? We'll be lucky if we make it to Missoula tonight. I'm getting sunburned. Remy wants to go swimming in the Clark Fork.
3:15 - still on the side of the road. Apparently, the tow truck got "stuck in traffic." In Montana? Right. Bray is counting the cars that don't change lanes for us. He's keeping tally marks on the guard rail under the heading "JERKS" (so far we have 13). Hopefully, the tow truck will be here soon. I want my mom.
Final "JERK" count: 100 (plus the tow truck driver)
2 hours later: in Missoula. We finally got the tow truck. Now it's broken down. We're on the side of the road again. Rachel likes to read the signs out loud. It's great. I'm really sunburned. I think we're going to have to live here. Remy has been wearing the same shirt for over a week. What a bum.
It's now 6 pm. We're still on the side of the road with the broken tow truck. Deacon and Bray are throwing rocks at gophers. The tow truck driver is not mechanically inclined, but at least he cusses a lot.
5/22. 5:10 pm. Still in Missoula - after the tow truck broke we stood outside for another hour. Then, my battery was dead. We stayed in a Super 8 that reeked. We had to buy a new battery and cables for my car ($100.00). After waiting at the mall all day long, we found out Remy's car is totalled. Now we're at the Mazda place boxing up their stuff in my extra crates so we can mail it home. We have to wait a few hours now until the Greyhound place opens at 9 pm. Then we'll ship it and move on again...if all goes as planned. (Like that will happen.)
5/23, 1:10 pm. Big Timber, MT
We would have been home right now if we had been on schedule. But no, we're 500 miles from Moscow. This has definitely been an adventure. Remy is driving now. We're hoping that since he changed shirts our luck will change. It hadn't changed as of last night. We went and had a few brews and saw a movies while we waited for the Greyhound to open. Then Remy and I went to the bus station. The guy that worked there was an idiot. It took over an hour to mail 12 packages. We were hoping to drive on to Butte, but it was 12:15 am by the time we were ready to go, so we spent another night in Missoula, but not at the less-than-Super 8.
It's a beautiful day in Montana, but Bray and I are still severely sunburned. Well, we'll get Wyoming over with today. It just might be my last time ever in Wyoming. I wouldn't be too upset about that.
2:00 - Montana is the road construction state. We were slowed down again. Unfortunately, at the last stop, Deacon turned off my gas pump without putting gas in the car. Remy noticed it about 10 miles out of the gas station. We had to stop again and pay $1.85 for gas. At least we didn't run out. I can't handle the sun. Remy is practicing "zen driving"...he's all about the flow. Hopefully this day will be anticlimactic.
Road Trip Haiku
Buffalo, Wyoming, 4:42 pm
Endless Wyoming
Sky as big as Montana
I miss Idaho
II
Curvacious highway
Looking at the vast expanse
More cows than people
to be continued...
Posted by christin at March 6, 2003 02:25 PM | TrackBack