Thursday, June 25, 2009

Chapter 2

I had a tongue jack fastened to the trailer and we drove 84 through the Columbia Gorge. The trailer is heavy with 2,000 books. I watched the gas gauge move physically. Up the mountain and around the water burned over a quarter tank.





In Boardman I was being followed into the gas station. I grabbed some water and some coffee. Outside a guy walked up to me and asked me if I had any books on me, drug deal style. What I had forgotten was my friend Crystal Shade had painted www.bookmeetsroad.com on the side of my trailer. This guy and his girlfriend had entered the site on their cell and followed me off the exit. I sold them a copy of each title. The best part was the wind, the constant wind of Boardman as we stood and talked about Book Meets Road. I was tired and the dogs were tired. But we left with 20 dollars more and a full tank.


I drove and thought about the couple who had bought the books. They were headed back to their place, they had a good day together in the sun and wind and they were most likely headed back to clean up, see a movie, eat something and maybe read a bit after sex or before, or whatever. But I am driving east with the river to my left and my mind on Montana. There are few things better in America than blasting through Montana at dawn. I'd never seen Montana in the daylight heading east. First there was 395 and the tri-cities, then Spokane, then the panhandle of Idaho, which I will blow through as fast as possible.

1 comment:

  1. Blasting through Montana at dawn heading east is something I did when I moved to NYC from Olympia. It was just fucking beautiful.

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