Wednesday January 17

Wednesday January 16, 2007

I just want you to know that I used to be a really tentative, non-trusting sort of person, afraid of people and what they might do. After all I have seen and experienced some of the worst. Grin

So around 10 I am finally getting up (as usual) and that nice Mr. Bill Fletcher drives up and to bring me some gas. And as you know from the last post, I really, really needed it. (Of course, you read a blog in reverse, so if you are just joining, you will read about it in a minute),

Anyway, I was thrilled to see him, not because of the gas, but because I had so much enjoyed our conversation last night. (OK, no lectures about how it is dangerous to meet with people that come to campgrounds in the night).

But first things first, before the gas, he has asked me out to breakfast. There is not much around here, but he suggests breakfast. And I accept. He asked me if I had, had any breakfast and I said “No, I was just about to eat some oatmeal for breakfast.” He then asked me out to breakfast.”

So we went driving to the small town of Utica, MS which is a really a small, depressed, devastated kind of a town. Many people were living in places that looked uninhabitable and were in worse shape than some I have seen abandoned. Also what was sad was the state of disrepair so many things were in. The whole town had a desolate feeling, due to the plethora of broken gas pumps, broken windows and the grime on all the windows downtown.

There is a small truck stop on the outskirts of Utica and we were trying to get there. We were encased in a Lincoln Town Car and managed to drive through an even worse section of town.

We found the truck stop and it looked just about as abandoned. Things didn’t look good. There was no sign for a restaurant, but there were people sitting at what looked like tables (through grimey windows) so we went in this unmarked door and found a restaurant. The cook had her fingers in her mouth tasting some food. We could see this through the food window.

We found a booth and sat down at a table where the pregnant waitress who was manning the table pretty much spent most of her time on the phone. Kind of like one of those grade B movies. We both ordered a breakfast of over easy eggs, sausage patties, hash browns and wheat toast. (Pretty brave of us, don’tcha think?) Actually, we both wanted some grits, but they were out.

He thought that I probably didn’t/wouldn’t like them, but I do.

We continued our talk. He talked about the route he uses to get to Spokane. I talked about my trip and what I hope to do. And we talk about rain gear. He recommends Fogg Toggs. I had heard of them before, but not run into anyone who had them that talked about them that had actually used them.

And we talked about bike trailers, the different types, the possibilities for them, how he is able to carry an ice chest that holds a case on his sissy bar, and about his bike. What a bike.

I chatted some about NAMI and about how it had started to happen that what I got to see was the inside of too many airports. Grin

Then we rode back and he filled my tank up. (My bike took the whole two gallons and was still hungry. He had brought me the paper to read so I could see just how cold it was going to get. Hmm, Bill, thanks for that reality check-29 tonight. Time to find a hotel for a couple of days and evaluate what I am doing.

There’s a miniwinnie across the way. They are out taking a walk, all bundled up like it was really cold and here I am running around the campsite in my sandals. My boots are pretty much just for riding. I love my sandals.

Anyway, my boots are dry, my snow suit is dry, my gloves are still a tad damp, but I can handle that.

I decide to head over to Vicksburg. The map says the road goes through and is hwy 27 or something like that. After about 10 miles, I begin to doubt that I have the right road. There has been no label that states it is a hwy, just a road name. Holy cow. The road twists and turns through the Mississippi countryside and it becomes colder and colder. My fingers start to burn.

I am headed for the Mississippi Welcome Center to see if I can find some hotel coupons.

I finally find it and find that I have been on a main road for this part of the state. Grin. Who knew?

I am glad to be warm, happy to be enjoying TV for a bit and happy to have some Internet Access.

I need to do some Laundry also.

Happy Trails, Marty