On Tour in the USA

[xoxoxoBruce]

So, you're fucked up and taking drugs. Well so are half the people on this forum... hell, half the people in America... and we've got guns.

Those of us that are in the same boat have enjoyed the hell out of your trip, without having to go out and deal with people, like you have. For that, I thank you very much. That said, don't feel you owe us regular reports or anything else, it's we that owe you for your enrichment of the forum.

The bottom line is take care of yourself first and foremost. When the spirit moves you, we'll be here to welcome you with open arms.

[Perry Winkle]

Originally Posted by diminished

Persistence asks of you American types a question: A few times now, for motel breakfast, we've been offered some sort of grey glutinous liquid in a bain-marie. To us,it looks reminiscent of a badly-made cream-pepper sauce.....it seems to be offered in combination with 'biscuits', what us Brits might call 'scones'. We readily accept scones, and treat them as such, with lashings of butter and jam, but it seems to get us odd glances at the breakfast tables.

Are we seeing your American interpretation of 'Gravy'? If so,its far and away from how we'd interpret it as such. I volunteered to Persistence that it might be the foodstuff known as 'Grits', but I'm not altogether sure. Answers on a postcard,or a forum post please.

That motel slop is supposed to be sausage gravy. No real American will consider it such though. If you find a little diner and they have "biscuits and gravy" it will change your life. I prefer butter or peanut butter and jam on my biscuits though.

And the biscuits they serve in motels are shit. It's like calling a Starbucks scone a scone -- It's not quite right. Real biscuits are dense and buttery. The BEST biscuits are called "drop biscuits."

You probably won't find decent biscuits and gravy unless you try the lower midwest.

[monster]

Originally Posted by diminished

I did not confess this to Monster and Beest,and I'm sorry for that.You may both have noticed that when we both came back to your house in the evening,I may have been a little more subdued.Thats the effect of my medication,I take it because I need it,and its for the best I take it. (indeed,I'm happy to take it). .

Oh please, you must have worked out that I attract nutters! You were under no obligation to confess anything. I'm very practiced at assessing "danger".

One thing I have found is that Americans are much more open about discussing mentall illness and the drugs they take for it, and it's way more common than you'd think. Don't apologise and don't worry, just cope the best you can and people will take you as they find you.

Now. MORE PICTURES!!!11!1

[Glinda]

Originally Posted by diminished

I'm sorry to Glinda,and others who have been offering us hospitality on this trip. I have to make a confession,which may also come as something of a surprise to Monster,who graciously introduced me here.My non-comments or non-acceptances of these offers have been playing upon my mind, and have started to strike me as if I'm being rude in not accepting them,or at least commenting upon them.

I (Diminished) suffer from something of a 'social disorder'. Basically, I'm still receiving treatment for my 5th breakdown, and I dont really wish to inflict my neuroses upon pleasant strangers....

It is from the fear that I act not like myself,that I bypass these kind offers of friendship and hospitality. The last thing I ever want to do to people is cause offence by my words and deeds, but sometimes I do, I cant help it, and I regret it bitterly.I ask your indulgence and forgiveness.

Everything Bruce said. No worries, no need to apologize, nothing to forgive.

But I do always get a chuckle showing off "my little town" (which I'm actually miles from) - 2500 people and four casinos. No grocery store. No hardware store. No barbershop. No liquor store. No hotel. No movie theater. No fast food joints.

But four casinos.

And it's almost La Center's 100th Anniversary! Hot time in the old town!

[diminished]

Thanks for your messages,the matter had been preying upon my mind for a few days,it seemed time to clear it up.

But I approach you tonight,as a man who has been wronged!

I have been denied a very special cultural experience,unique to the US,and I've been sulking about it for the last couple of days.

Saturday,as we passed through Lebanon,OR, we noticed that there seemed to be something of a summer faire type affair happening.(Indeed,this sort of thing seemed to be happening in quite a few places last Saturday.).

It was with great enthusiasm,that I spotted a Cheerleader Carwash being offered near the roadside.Its not like our car didn't need a wash,it is positively filthy (but with good dirt,which has accumulated throughout our journey.Maybe I should collect it up,and make a collage.Or something.), but Persistence seemed immovable on the negotiations,which had to be conducted at speed as she accelerated through town.

I did see the local Fire Crew offering a similar service,and I am an equal opportunity lech...I was quite prepared to let the Fire Crew wash half the car,if only she'd let the Cheerleaders do the other half.

Or even if she'd have been prepared to let the Cheerleaders rinse it off.

Hell,I'd have settled for her letting me watch Cheerleaders washing other peoples cars.

She even had an opportunity later to rescind her harshness,as we passed through Sisters,but even the possibility of 'Soccer Girls' soaping our vehicle up seemed unpalatable.I even tried to appeal to her sense of pity....as it all seemed to be in aid of charity.

'Think of the Kittens!' I cried,but she remained unmoved.

She is a harsh,and merciless woman.

[monster]

a word to the wise... it's ain't 'free" lol -those girlies papas are in the parking lot and they will make sure you pay. Of course, the are also registered with thie anti-ho league. go figure

[monster]

I have decided I hate taking my car to the carwash -beest has to do it. and if he goes with the cheerleaders, well, that's a good load of paintballs ho coulda bought. or he can drive it up the ramp at the $3 place.....

[jinx]

$3! Wow! What do you get for that? Our auto-wash is $7-$9. I did it at the do it yourself place last time and spent $8 but that included the vacuuming.

[Glinda]

I live at the end of a dry, dusty gravel road that's at the end of a dry, dusty gravel road. In winter, the endless wet means dirty, misty crap gets flung upon my car by others on the road. Car washing is futile.

[bbro]

Oh, FYI - about the black vs green label Jack? From the website:

Jack Daniel's Green Label is a lighter, less mature whiskey with a lighter color and character. The barrels selected for Green Label tend to be on the lower floors and more toward the center of the warehouse where the whiskey matures more slowly.

[Queen of the Ryche]

As for your earlier message Dim, I admire your candor, problem is, you just made yourself even more invitable! We're all nutters here! Thank you for allowing us to travel vicariously through you, wthout having to leave the comfort of our keyboards. I will drink a toast to you and Per tonight, and you can consider it as all three of us having a drink together.

[diminished]

Cheers QotR

With reference to the JD...The label thing only ever seems to be interesting during ingestion.A JD hangover is consistent, the colour of the label is irrelvant by morning, its overpowered by that awful feeling that somehow the world isn't quite the same as when you left it there a few hours earlier.

What could account for all those broken crackers distributed over the motel table?And where did all the snacky chocolate bars go?

The weakened condition I found myself in, left me in poor shape to answer such mysteries.

We moved back to the coast from Bend,after checking out (another) shoe tree to the east of town.

Then we decided to drive 170 miles to see the model of a giant fly, perched atop a restroom.At least it afforded me a chance to have a nap or two on the way, which annoys Persistence no end.

I've adapted myself to sleeping in the car quite well, to the extent that my head remains bolt upright, and its very hard for Persistence to tell whether I'm awake or asleep.Its a shame to do it, as I do miss watching the countryside go by, but I'm claiming it as navigator's privelege. Serves me right for staying up late to watch cartoons most nights.

The southern Oregon coast is quite scenic, but would be more so if the sun ever managed to punch through the mist that seems to cloak everything, making it even harder for myself to pick out the horizon for photographs.The lack of heat was welcome tho, it was a shame to turn back inland, but we may be becoming hardened to it, we happily endure 95+ now without air-con.

I was awakened from one of my periodic naps by a panicked Persistence as we reached the California border, as there seemed to be something of a roadblock/toll both ahead of us.We approached the consternation on her part,and confusion upon my own.We'd forgotten that in order to enter we first had to be checked for concealed fruit and hidden vegetables, which was something of a relief.

Later, we hooked back north into Oregon, to find our funky fly,then moved on up to Grant's Pass, to check out a statue of a big caveman. The locals seem to have a tradition of dressing up as such to greet visitors, although we seemed to escape umolested.

Then we moved further back up, to Medford, where we've been based for the last couple of nights, and went to see a big Blackbird statue which the town has at a local shopping mall, a hangover from the 60's.Its quite sizeable,and delightful.The town dresses it up from time to time, and changes what it grips in its wings (a fishing rod for our visit.).We stayed the first night at the local Days Inn (we had a coupon,although the place is rather cheap enough without it.), which is run by a thoroughly nice fella called Charles, probably the most professional desk-staffer we've met during our stay.(Unlike 2 out of the 3 motels in Bend we tried,where we had trouble making ourselves understood, and that was before any drink was consumed.).The building is a bit old and shabby on the outside, but the rooms are very clean and pleasant,putting many more expensive places we've stayed in quite to shame

We also took the chance to take a gander at Crater Lake.For a National Park, its actually rather quiet,and the views across it are spectacular, although they were a little marred by the smoke from a couple of forest fires, which were triggered by the tremendous lightning last Saturday night. At lunch we also had a close encounter with a curious Black-tailed Deer,which was quite happy to get within 5 feet or so of us, and seemed happy to beg for food, although all she got out of us were photographs, so she soon got bored and went to molest others at neaby picnic tables.

Persistence then insisted we climbed a nearby mountain for a better view of the lake.I grumbled breathlessly in her wake as we made the ascent, but once I'd got my breath back at the top, it did seem to have been worth it, and we also met a nice couple at the top, and we exchanged couples photograph duties.

I'll post up some more photos soon, and if I can,I'll post full-size versions of those nice ones I took in Yellowstone for anyone wanting to use them as desktops.I've been a bit lazy sorting through my snaps, letting them build up on my memory cars, I'll be paying the price for that shortly

[diminished]

Full-sized reposts from Yellowstone

[diminished]

[xoxoxoBruce]

Ah, you got to see the troll under the bridge, good show.