Monday, June 14, 2010

Haagen- Dazs for One


It took longer than 150 miles to find my groove. It took all the way to Salt Lake City. Seven hours of tears amidst typhoon-like thunderstorms that drove the rain sideways. Mother Nature wasn’t gonna settle for a cheap wash, as she turned on the jets for a turn-my-insides-out cleanse. Tear by tear, I bade goodbye to Tom in my head and the myriad good times we had shared. And Pooka, who had hid in the grass to watch as I had pulled out that morning. Datter Hope with whom I had shared a cup of coffee on my way out of town. The goodbye pit was bottomless, a function of being too damned busy to pay it more than passing attention for the prior few weeks.

The Wal-Mart parking lot never looked so good as I dropped out of the mountains below Price, Utah on old Highway 6. I left the water-filled roads and pulled onto firm concrete. Thus ended my record of avoiding Wal-Mart overnights ever since I started to full-time RV in 2003.  I lost my WM parking lot virginity on the nueva moon of June 12th.  I crawled out from behind the wheel, opened La Perla's door and fell into bed into instantaneous sleep. I awoke to a new day at 5:00 p.m.. The rain had stopped and I headed for the florescent innards of the big box where I bought a special padlock to lock my hitch. I also decided on a dinner I figured I royally deserved: a pint of Haagen-Dazs rum raisin ice cream, which I ate with glee, perched on the step of La Perla as the sun came out.

Darkness fell and the security lights filled my sleep room with high noon glow as shoppers chattered away and traffic whizzed by on nearby I-15. It was nothing that a blindfold and ear plugs couldn’t remedy.  I was full-bodied exhausted and  went out like a light until dawn, whereupon I opened my eyes, looked out the window and spied Laughing Gulls heckling down from the tops of those light poles. I couldn't help but smile.



4 comments:

  1. Christina! I was hoping I'd find you here, and here you are! The storm was necessary. Anything less wouldn't have been been up to the task of the storm within. Ya think? Beautifully portrayed, as always. I'll keep the light on for ya. xo

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  2. ... I thought of you as I tinkered in the garden, and, looked up at the sliver of moon in the western sky... xoxoxoxox

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  3. you've been in my thoughts these hours you've been on your way. all those tears and that sideways rain had to fall. mmmm, haagen-dazs rum raisin.
    so glad to be here along with you - it's really nice, Christina. hoping the next few 150-miles give you much happiness.
    <3 lea

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