St. Louis, MO

Well, as many of you have noticed, it’s been awhile since I have written, at least in this blog. I stopped in St. Louis for the better part of a week and had a great time. St. Louis is what K.C. likes to think it is. It’s a real city with things to do, yet unlike many real cities, you can find parking. I stayed with my friend L.C. and we managed not to get on each other’s nerves too much despite an apartment definitely designed for one. Actually, I might have gotten on her nerves a bunch and she’s just too gracious to let on. I envy her, she’s got a direction in life, a goal. I’ve got a car with weird issues and a road atlas. Oh well, maybe I’ll have one of those goal thingy’s one day. If I do I think I’ll name it Baxter.

I got to finally have Movie Day. In the lovely land of Big Piney the closest real movie theater is (drum-roll please) 100 miles away. I went and watched “The Prestige” and it was great. Christian Bale was solid as always and Hugh Jackman at least didn’t ruin it. After that I saw “The Departed”. Pretty much every big-name, tough-guy male actor was in it and they did surprisingly well together. Usually this many big names in one movie ends up as a chest-thumping ego-fest. Special kudos go to Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson. My only complaint was the deus ex machina inserted near the end. The disappointment of the day was “Flags of Our Fathers”. Shameless pandering by Clint Eastwood. Had the movie focused more on Ira Hayes it might have found a more original voice. As it was, I got the feeling I’d seen this movie before. Also, I’m tired of WWII films, but at least I didn't pay for this movie.

If any of you are thinking of attempting a Movie Day, I have a few tips for you. 1) Movie Days are best attempted solo. It is rare for any two people to agree on 3-4 movies to see all in one day. 2) Before you enter, write down the times of all the movies you might possibly decide to see. This makes it easier to sneak from one theater to the next all day. 3) If time must be killed betwixt movies, find a bathroom stall and learn to play some of those games your cell phone came with.

Marshall, IL

I’m enjoying a momentary respite in McKenzie’s Laundromat. Laundromats in general are enjoyable places to spend a little time. The sound of industrious machines toiling away makes me feel like something is being accomplished. It’s sort of the same idea as watching a master carpenter ply his trade. The movements are practiced and sure, methodical and satisfying. The smell of sawdust in the air is rivaled only by the relaxing scent of fresh laundry.

I camped last night, I’ve been camping the last three nights. It was kind of nice after the hustle and bustle of Boston and NY. I can handle some bustle, but hustle gets me anxious after any length of time.

The first night was strictly sleeping. I found the park at about 11pm, did a crappy job of setting up a tarp, and was packed and gone by 8am (perfect to avoid paying site fees). The next night I stopped about 6 and set up as the sun was setting. There was a shower house adjacent so I got a nice hot shower after my meal of canned beef stew over rice.

My friend LC asked if I could dilly-dally and not arrive till Tuesday so I stopped early yesterday, about 12:30. It was nice being able to take some time setting up and enjoying the afternoon. I cut a big stack of wood and cooked a big meal. I set up the tarp high and open so I could enjoy the nice weather and then I emptied, cleaned and organized my car. That night I finished off a bottle of cheap scotch, got drunk and was in bed by 11. Of course it rained all night and in the morning I was awoken by one corner of my tarp coming loose and flapping cold wet leaves all over me. The real excitement, however, came after I pulled myself out of my warm snug sleeping bag and saw that the passenger side door of my car was wide open. I thought my worst fears had been realized, that being having my laptop and camera stolen. I sprinted to the car (that’s the first time I can remember running in a long time). When I got there I discovered that the gear was all still there. It seems that a drunken Ryan had left his door open the night before. Regardless, I think in the future I will keep the expensive stuff with me while I sleep. I was so relieved that it didn’t even bother me that some small creature had made off with the lemon-pepper chicken and sautéed onions I had leftover from dinner.