Date: 2009-04-30
From: Damascus (again)

To: Dave's Place
Miles today: 0.0

Sorry so long since an update - I had no PocketMail-compatible phone in Troutdale and no computer access in Marion...No diarrhea after Subway (Yay!). After showering and eating, it was 7pm. I bungled around with stuff and lost track of time. I heard people in the other rooms snoring and wondered if Joe & Fran had checked in - no, it was already 10pm! I was good and tired but didn't sleep too well. Sometime during the night I woke up, opened my eyes, and someone whispered loudly in my ear "hike in" or "Hike Inn" or "hikin". Before I even had a chance to get creeped out, my 1.5 liter water bag fell from the shelf. Holy crap. I think Dave's Place may be haunted. I slept here & there and finally got up around 4:30. I got things together and went down to the phone guy's porch and scared his dog, Sally. I couldn't get Pocketmail to zap. I put my laundry in the 33 minute washer and had a nice breakfast at Cowboy's: a 4.99 hiker special of a biscuit & gravy, two eggs, bacon and a drink. I refilled my drink to go and the cashier charged me another 1.59. I was going to leave a couple dollar tip for the cook/waitress because she reminded me of my mom, but that was NOT a $10 meal. C would probably say I'm cynical, but this kind of stuff happens to short old fat women numerous times EVERY DAY of our lives.Nobody stole my laundry. The phone guy came in and started putting his stuff in the two dryers above mine with 1 minute left. I had to wait around for him to load his two dryers and was a little pissed. I ended up going over to his house with him to try Pocketmail again. It didn't work when he dialed it either (duhh). I got distracted by a few GX's and ended up wearing my laundry bag all around town. Finally I dumped it in the room, reserved another $10.50 night, and arranged a (gasp) $30 shuttle back to the trailhead for Friday morning. The shuttler got a little snippy when I gasped at the price. At least he let me use his phone and after several crazy tries, PocketMail worked. I mailed an envelope of crap home but forgot to get money back from my debit card. By then it was 10:30 and the library didn't open till 11am, so I called home from a payphone along the busy, truck-laden street.I got to talk to G too, because he has had trouble sleeping since a couple weeks before I left and was feeling crappy. Ruffles is fine - the vet said she didn't have kennel cough. I guess she just has a wet nose. She also likes to pee by the front door. It's alright, we have tile. I'm kinda glad I'm missing the housebreaking/chewing phase. I got a computer as soon as the library opened but strangely, the TrailJounals.com website wasn't up, or was blocked by the locals, after all that trouble getting Pocketmail to cooperate with the phone. I checked my e-mail and happily logged GX's for an hour. I went to Quincey's for lunch and had the best veggie pizza I have EVER had. It had spinach, chunks of tomato, banana peppers, black and green olives, and all the usual. It was a little after 1pm and I had nothing else to do, so I walked the bike trail to Food City for some fruit. The only fruit in town is orange juice. I had to poop at Food City - I was so disappointed. I'm getting like 2 of the 3 men in my life - I can't do anything or go anywhere after eating or I'll shitmypants. Maybe its the swine flu. On the way back I thought "Wow, fruit is heavy."Finally, it was nap time (between doors slamming). When I headed out around 6pm, Crazy Horse was right out front being questioned by three cops. I guess he had stumbled around when he got out of his car (like a hiker with sore feet?) and/or somebody reported him as a drunk driver. That's what the guys out front said, anyways. You know that saying about believing nothing that you hear and 50% of what you see...Anyhow, I went back to the library to try TrailJournals again and couldn't believe how differently I was treated because I had already had my "hour". They begrudgingly got me on after someone new who came in for their hour. I doubt there is anything in the Internet Access Senate Bill about limiting access to an hour a day. Triumphantly, I cut & pasted my drivel and headed back to Quincey's for a medium Very Veggie. I sat down but a group of 15 (I counted) hikers had just put in their orders and were getting drinks and appetizers. I groaned a little and decided the best thing to do would be to get a pizza to go. I ordered at 6:20; they said it would be about 20 minutes. I came back at 6:35 and sat there 25 minutes while customers who went in waaay after I ordered were served. I think the waitress never put in my order and never admitted it. She was the one doing the group of 15. I wonder how many of this batch will remember me when they pass me in a couple days.So I took my pizza past the half-dozen bums hanging around the porch of the hostel. I sat down inside and while taking my second bite, one of them toddled in, took a big long look at my pizza, and asked where it was from, if it had pineapple on it, etc. While he was peeing I escaped to my room to eat.Oh yeah, I checked the forecast and it's going to rain every day, 30-60%, for a week. I've had my boots in the window two days and they're finally dry. I may be sheltering this week...Thankful for: privacy, flush toilets and free-flowing toilet paper.