July, ‘80
I’m frying up potatoes, onions, and eggs at a wayside rest area about
twenty miles from the Michigan border. I’ll be in tiptop shape when
I cross over into Michigan tomorrow. The last three days have been beautiful.
If my memory serves me correctly this is only the third time
I have had three days in a row of good weather since Oregon.
Michigan
July 29
It’s a beautiful morning in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I just
met the wayside greeter lady. She’s very friendly, and quite a
character. At 73 she’s still going strong. She lives with her son on a
small farm.
Yesterday, while I was writing in my journal, the clouds started to
roll in, and by the time I had finished eating breakfast, I had to don
my rain gear. All total, I was in and out of the rain four times, but
I missed the main cloudburst by hanging out in a store. It started
really raining about 30 minutes after I reached the wayside. I almost
got caught in it because when I pulled in this nice family immediately
befriended me, and I was obliged to drink a beer with them. They were
really nice people, but when the rain hit, I was still putting up my tent.
It doesn’t look like rain today, but the voice on the radio (coming
out of one of the parked cars) just said thunderstorms for tomorrow.
Oh well I guess I can handle a few more days of rain. Anyway, it
looks like a super day today. Yesterday, when I was in and out of the
rain, I noticed a bulge in my front tire–Bummer. I had over a hundred
miles to go before the next big town. I patched the tire on the inside
of the bulge. With that added strength, I should make it. That said, I
am disappointed in myself. Strapped to my sleeping bag, I
carried a used spare tire all the way across Canada. When I hit
Minnesota, I threw it away. I figured I was home.
David Levine’s rule. Don’t need it until you get rid of it.
I’m back again. Long time no see. I have thought I would never see you again. What a horrible nightmare when facing the truth, the reality! Ặc ặc!
Yes, it’s been a long time. I’m glad you’re back. I missed you. I hope things are back to normal now. We are both old, and facing the truth, the reality, is something we cannot avoid forever. I hope you are in good health and life is not too difficult. In a few more posts I’ll be starting the last part of my journal. I just spent an hour putting the first post of that section together. Except for my last bicycle trip which is included in that section, the section will be extremely boring for most readers (I expect to loose readers–maybe everyone–so be it). This journal, both past and future, is a record of events that buoy up a psyche (mine) that is never far away from depression. In the near future I will write about death (MV comes for my soul, i.e. my fixation with Goethe’s Faust), and I will continue to discuss my life philosophy–my version of the observer/observed relationship (both its origins and consequences). In the process, I will post some of my academic work (unbeknownst to the Professors on my committee, my thesis was an attempt to garner scientific evidence for my version of the observer/observed relationship.) The results were mixed–not statistically significant. I’m glad you’re back. Take care.