Sorry to not continue my writing on driving around from my work from the past until I find writing that but not sure if I can. For now I'll write today's writing with dropping in now and then on. Thanks for reading, especially the stories of driving in the 80's. I'll also keep writing now about stories now and then. But getting older get's older will find stories now and then.
After driving for 13 hours straight, I've gotten my second wind and I feel like I can drive all night. I've gotten all night. This ought to last for an hour or two - then will see. And once again, I'm driving towards Canada on an American route, in this case Hwy 52, coming up to Bowbells, ND, in this case is getting Doesn't that sound like an inviting place. Anyways, the is getter narrow place lonier and snow drifts across the roads. Looks like a really cold night out there. I wouldn't want to stall with the sweetheart. Sure hope she makes it. Perhaps I should slow down, not overwork the engine. I slow down a little, not overwork the engine. Well, once again, I'm in your hands.
How come the roads are so much smaller when you come to Canada, then when you get on the Canadian side, it's like a huge expressway, just reminds me of how isolated it is in southern part of Canada is driving through here the first part of driving the first time you would expect to find Canada as in isolated willderness with fur trappers and miles of nothing. Rather it's the opposite of here, cities, cable and expressways. ND has a population of just over 700,000 while Saskatchewn across the border has nearly 1 million, most of which are spread out, it's southern part even though it's over four times as big.Now, just to make things a little more interesting, if it wasn't, if wasn't snow and cold to the border with snow, or ice fog or ice fog that clouds across the road so thickly you can't see the ground.
Following 83 again, I know where it ends. Almost as of now. Almost as of now, we are right at this point, back on the same road that old sweetheart was on in 1977 on her maiden trip in June 1977 almost March entering and Minot and we're talking expressways here. I mean this is a town of thirty thousand people vitually in the middle of nowhere (there's a lot of nowhere on the plains). It's got an expressway that rings the town, it's got big green freeway signs, MacDonalds. There's people making money here. Just at highway 52 6:33, about I saw a coyote standing in a gulley watching, watching traffic go by. Seemed very calm and thinking about the same things I'm thinking about the town, it's got big green freeway signs, McDonald's and then both of us are what the hell all these cars doing on the road here. After driving for 13 hours here?
Ruled rules for two-way highways vs: about road rules, why is it some people think that rules are meant for other people and not them. I'm driving behind a behind a car truck and we go up a hill where there is a slow lane. He stays in the lane that says slow traffic keep even though there. The greatest sin is man kind. It's an insult to a man to be considered slower than the car behind him. It's not possible . That lane is only for women, children, handicapped handicapped , Chinese. Maybe we should change change the sign something else. It's weird. After driving for 13 hours straight, I've gotten my second wind and I feel like I can drive all night. This ought to last for an hour or two - then we'll see.
The old Towne House Cafe and Lounge - chicken fried steak. I passed on the 32 oz Townhouse Sirloin special. I don't I can two pounds of beef at one sitting. The chicken fried steak, a standard of road travel comes the way should, breaded as opposed to chicken gravy, american fries, side of vegetables, salad bars, no de-caf coffee, cowboys don't drink decaf. Outside dusty dirty main street, trucks and cars dragging the gut. Somewhere here, is the corn Palace , having seen 2 great blondes by the street on the street, Chevy passes by, looking, 2 Chev passes by looking as old as a 62 should look look. Inside the cafe, Interesting place, across the street and called the Majestic , there's a hundred or more people playing a dart turnment, there having fun playing a dart tournement they're having fun.place
Outside, dusty, dirty main street, trucks and cars "dragging the gut". Somewhere here, is the corn Palace, haven't seen 2 great looking blondes pass by on the street. I'd marry either of them - or both. Tuesday night passes by a 62 Chev passes by - or both. looking as old Chev should look, it hasn't been redone - suppose the question here why, it runs.. Interesting place across the street there's a hundred or more, they're having fun. The waitress told me about a store open at night - Shopco, just up the street so were going there. I pass by the Corn Palace Hall, inside there's a hundred and more people so we're going. Press by the corner, there station is KORN, get it. The Palace is closed and dark. A whole car load of girls pass me, dragging the gut. Check the plates, can't see the forty-is half balding guy give a look maybe. But they like the car feels good at attention.
Again, I feel the dust of the town trying to find the Shopco store and I end up in the darkness, remembering again I'm on prairie with the town behind me. I stop the car to turn around, cursing I missed the Shopco and suddenly see the full moon behind me. Large enough to throw a lasso around. Maybe some have arrived. Coming through the clouds. And above me - stars but not a few stars - I'm talking hundreds of millions of stars. I've just broken a major rule of travel - I've critics the town I'm in. Waterloo. I'm sorry, I don't know what it's like to live there so I should complain. As a critisized traveler I feel guilty.
The morning of the 23rd, through South Dakota - 1-90 west of Mitchell. Ducks, through South Dakota everywhere, it's just incredible. They're all flying northwards - hundreds, maybe thousands. I feel sad that many will end up in the sits of hunters and realize this is the way things are. But somethings so free and so purposeful shouldn't complain. I eat. A farmer shooting a few ducks to eat doesn't bother me, but wealthy corporate heads from Chicago or Los Angeles paying to come up and shoot something they really don't need bothers me. Listening to a S.D. radio station, the dj's talk about seeing the geese last night and at morning. Refreshing change from murder, accidents and pollution index's.
Just above me is a flock or whatever of ducks/geese, probably is about 2 - 300 flying overhead. It's incredible. They turn, they fly forward, such precision . It's incredible, they turn, they fly forward, such precision something very powerful about the image, sounds of them another year, they like another about the image, sounds of them another, they like me, . I realize are returning over and will continue to go until they 're shot or old. Now I don't feel so bad about repeating my life. There must be a purpose to it. Ducks don't think of dying and therefore aren't plagued by self-doubt or meaning or purpose in life. They just live it every day.
The old Towne House Cafe and Lounge - chicken fried steak. I passed on the 32 0z Town House Sirloin special. I don't think I can eat two pounds of beef at one sitting. The Chicken Fried Chicken, a standard of road travel, comes the way it should, breaded chopped beef, comes the way it should be, au jus as opposed ( chicken gravy), American fries, sides of vegetables, salad bar (not too big). No de-caf coffee, cowboys don't drink decaf.
Outside, dusty, dirty main street, trucks and cars "dragging the gut". Somewhere here, is the Corn Palace, haven't s seen the the Corn Palace, haven't seen it yet... 2 great - looking blondes pass by the by the street. I'd marry - or both Tuesday cowboy night, a 60 Chev passes by, looking as old and more but we get. Inside there's a hall - called the Majestic Hall, inside - they're having fun. The waitress told me about a store open at night - Shopco, just up the street, so we're, just up the street, so we're going there. Pass by the Corn Palace, there radio station is KORN, get it? The Palace is closed and dark. Sure enough there's a corn enough, here the sound of cornhusks in the wind, mixed with the sounds of teens doing the ritual.
A whole carlead of girls pass beside, dragging the gut, give me the once over, checks the plates, can't see the fortyish balding guy inside dark. But they like the car. The car feels good at the attention. A whole carload of girls pass me, dragging the gut, give me the once-over. Again I feel the dust of the town, I guess that hasn't changed since the cowboy days of the 1880,s. Feel good, full, saw the corn palace, teenagers still being teenagers still being teenagers, life is good.
Passing World's largest completed animated cowboy town - world famous of course. Looks like it's closed, too. West of Humboldt, up in the air, a flock of about forty geese going south. Maybe it's too cold. One of the difference (going south. Maybe it's too cold for them. Flying in their V-formation. They're turning around. As I speak I saw them. In mid-air, they just turned around, get back into formation. Slowly get back into formation, get that V fellas, get heading north again. For a moment it was, ah' theres it was just not sure but then but then
One of the differences between now and then I was taking this car on it's virgin trip is the amount of FM stations FM stations now, and how strong they are, they're stronger than they used to be. , used to get about get about twenty miles outside of a town if you're lucky, now you can get them fifty, sixty, eighty, a hundred miles out of town. Why is this? I'll have to find out. As the geese fly overhead, Dan Seals sing a pretty song called RAGE ON. I aim my partner into the setting sun straight ahead of us across the flat prairie . A big fireball at the end of the highway, try to catch it, try it catch it and I don't and never will -who does (they have a theory that the sun (or moon) always stays the same size even though it appears bigger until it catches me again and passes, always ending ahead of me.
Just a few miles west, I see a drive-in movie theater, something else made for cars and the people who own them. Funny how the more cars we've gotten, the less drive-in 's. One of the bad things about TV is that you stay home to do. Maybe that's why neighbors don't talk to each other. They stay inside too much and eventually lose the skills of communicating . MacDonalds now has a menu that all you do is order 1,2, or 3. MacDonalds. I like to ask McMuffins. Just east of Woodbine, I'm the only car on the toad, 2 -lane and I'm alone windy towards to Elizabeth, Illnois and I'm alone for the first time since I left this morning. Ahead the Mississipi. The big thing here, I'm on the east side. Once I drive the next thousand or so feat or so feat the drive side. Once or so feet. I'll be in a different world, the west. This is what divides the country.
About 7 pm I'm rolling through the hills of Iowa myself (Field of Dreams country), twilight, sun's should be down in fifteen mintes or so and I'm by myself, nobody else sight, not even a house. It's cold outside. This is no time for the old girl to break down, not that she would. This would be take me a little further. I hope she Karma comes into play in this kind of situation, I'm sure and look ahead. I look again and probably see a light. Finally a farm house maybe a mile away. Finally a farm house maybe a mile away. Probably a vicious dog who's ready to rip my lungs out if I have to ask for help. Speed limit - 65.
Just east of Rockford, I paid the last toll on this tollway and I hear a commercial for Crysler on the radio and to the right of me is a gigantic Crysler factory covering probably hundreds if acres.. It's like a mini-city, people getting off work too, it's 3:20 pm .Same time as when I was working at Chrysler and used to get off at this time. Sign says this this the Belvedere assemby plant making Imperial , New New,, Fifth, Avenue and Dynasty.. My cousin Bob's (or Uncle Nick's) Dynasty may have come from here. Idea of a car.'s home came home from my dad... cars are born in places, just like us. Restautsand watch the traffic pass under them. How's that for a car society pass under them. How's that for a car society, huh? interesting point - have very little thoughts of Toronto or people of the place I'm leaving behind. Like a kid.on a trip.
Finally , about forty or fifty miles out of Chicago, fields. Farmers, no more suburbs or busy freeways. Like I've passed a gate or something,as opposed Chas opposed Cargo is end of a lifestyle that;s urban. Freeway still has cars on it but traffic isn't as urgent or fanatical. As aposed to now, 19, had a whole lot of stuff in my life of stuff. But I'm still, good stuff badstuff, a lotta stuff. But I'm still alive. March is a good time to be alive. There's a lot to look forward to in March. Listening to the Eagles. Funny how music fits into cars so well. Just outside of Freeport , I'm on a two lane road. ! -90 has gone away.. not as flashy, they're sedans, trucks, practial practical cars like my dad's'. Farm cars with dirt along thed skirts and rocker panels, Outside of Freeport, I'm on a two lane road. I't's kind of symbolic, Just as passing truck nearly wipes me out.. I recover and check they highway signs. I realize I have to be careful of traffiic now as it's hurling towards me at sixty mph, with only a yellow painted line keeping it from myside.
Realize I have to be careful of traffic now, as it's hurling twowards me at 60 mph, with only a yellow painted line keeping it from my side. I turn my headkughts on to give them keeping it from my side. I turn my head lights on to give them ample warning of my presence . In Utah Arizona oncoming cars always asume.. I forget my lights are one and lights are on they pass and flash theirs at me, Don.t they know it's safer with lights on. Americans will argue about their rights just about at this point, telling me able too choose whether to be safe or not. Always-takers. I am not - I choose to be safe.
Chicago - what to I remember. 1969 (20 years ago) ago here to stop the war. Stayed at a very old hotel, went to the Universary of Chicago, had my first encounter with the DSD then with the weatherman and racial part pf tje SDS and there and talking bombings and violence. To this little Canadian kid , it was an was an eye - opener, the real, the reality of the reality movement.1969 December, cold, wind blew the wind off Lake Michigan like hell frozen over.. Prettty goddam cold. Just on the west of Gaary, Indiane. Just on the west of Gary, Indiana, more heavy traffic tracfic and lost trucks. People driver faster now, drive faster now , I'm doing 70 in a 55 zone and behind, tailgatting me is a woman in a station with three children. I move over to the other lane and she passes me ..Back in 1977, when the old sweetheart was young. I drove 50 - 55 all the the way because it was a new car. But she can still keep up .In I passed by some cars abandoned in the fields, one in an an empty lot.
Here in Chicago the automobile by product is noticible the automobile by -product is noticicable air pollution. Although the automoble not entirely mobiles, they certainly, contribute entirely substantiallilly to it.. Not a positive aspec. . Expressways are just as busy here in the but they move faster. Expressways are just as busy here in the USA but they move faster. People .People know how to drive them. At 1:39 we crossed into Cook County , which is .we,re in March. In Chicago. In Chicago Heights state troopers pulled over a car for speeding.radar ars pay for traviiing, a tool booth - 40 cents. Interesting - there.- there's a town in iii ooiss called IIiinois several more. Pass south of Chicago, heading for Rockford. Now I'm in the midwest . Behind me is the last of the really big cities. From now on itst small cities and towns, population that thatch averages .. Traffic is heavy but it will lighten up inan hour or two until it's small town traffic and we leave the freeway for the "high way".
I also has the "oasis' rest area which whice provides travellers with a gas station and and of which used to be independant , now are MacDonalds, Wendy's or Popeye's Chicken.. The interesting thing about these is that they are an overpass the highway so people can sit in restaurents and watch the traffic pass under them.. How's that for a car society. Interesting - point have very little thouts of Toronto or people of the place I'm livving behind . Like it never existed about where I was going... like a kid on a trip ,Finally, about forty or fifty miles out of Chicago, fields with Rockford, about a mile. I was here 1with Wayne Dupious in the old Mustang, old 68 Mustang..Yeah,, that's where because we wanted to. We could drive all night and did several times that trip. Funny how you had all the energy those days. Remember Northern Lights between between Edmonton and Saskatoon, even over over the Mustang. Also came by here 81 headed up to Madison where I bought t-shirts at the the Univerersity bookstore for Carole's kids. University towns are al ays interesting, mostly safe and have neat places with cheap places on Campus like the time my Camaro and went to Berkeley and we stayed there with Carole..
Jackson Michigan - two things - a prison and this is where the Republican Party was founded. So there you go. BUMPER STICKER - I LUV MY AMERICAN CAR. Most common name for a town for America .there's also of Lebonnons . Battle Creek is traffic is lessening for now, till I get to Chicago which is a nightmare I'm sure. Good rook and roll on the station. What is it about most Canadian stations that they don't get it, maybe because it's not our music. Vancouver stations seem to get it., as Windsor, of course to Detroit. Country.music stations begin to take over after I leave the urban areas. One complete no talk stations like a USA or TODA format travelers. limits changed now. Finally from 55 to 65.
Radio stations seem to be divided into three basic groups. You got contemporeyrock, pop , 40 what ever.. There are countrie stations, and your oldies and goldies stations. They seem to be everything still playing sixties. Well about 11:38 we witnessed out first casualty on 94, just witnessed first of Paw Paw, Michigan, a trailer-tractor seemed to just take a r to just take a curve a bit too wide. Could be the guy just fall asleep and drorve into the side of the road. Spilled out the contents of the trailer, let me see, they were packages. Photograph there, taking pictures, probably insurance so something. Some merchandise isn't where it was going. In entering this Burmuda Triangle of trucking there's lots of trucking and exprespress everywhere. And also areas for prostitution and gay meetings. I notice the amount of new cars. Now that this car is old and rusty and dull paint. I seemed to be grouped with similar cars of Chicago and Detroit.
Driving in this Illinois/Indiana/Michigan triangle is like driving in the Roman chariot in except Ben Hur,, except that the chariots beside me are ten times my car's size. I notice the amount of new cars. Now that this car is old and rusty, dull paint, I seemed to be grouped in with similar cars (of which to be a fair amount in Chicago and Detroit as well.) passing me in new, shiny cars turn away from me like aI were a serial killer or some thing. Interesting being part of the lower cast. Of course, having a rusty, dull paint. of course having a rusty old car sure keeps away from you, nobody gives me the finger or cuts me off. Driving /Indiana/Michigan triangle is like driving in the Roman chariat race in Ben Hur, except that the chariots bedside me are 10 times my car's size.
March 16 , started off this morning, the doors were frozen headed and rushing like crazy. Traffic had 401 and scared and have to use and binder twine or something but I didn't. I didn't. I looked up to Detroit. 85% of callers in favour of strong fines for misuse of American Flag. Interstate 94 coming out of Detroit now; I'm just past the outskirts getting into Dearborn where I went to school 2 years and left. Car seems to car moving effortless, responsive to the gas pedal, wheels aligned and ready, responsive. It was like this in 1977, same highway, same feeling so far so good in 1977, same feeling. So far so good. Let's see what happens, Scared to say it's scared to say, Coming out of Detroit, now. I'm just past, getting into Dearborn. Car same to be effortless along also. scared to say it's going. It was like in 1977 and when you're flying and you say it's going to be a perfect flight. Nobody ever does that. But we shall what happens.
Passing Detroit Metro Airport, reminds me of 1968, my cousin Bill was married. I spent about five or six hours with a girl at the airport, she was from Los Angeles. Like when your flying and you say it's going to the perfect flight. Nobody ever does that I think. Maybe? But we shall five or six hours and waited for her flight, we talked till 7am. Never saw her again. Passing Detroit Metro Airport. Across the freeway I remembered with my ex wife who I always loved and still do and even wrote about her in one of my film scripts. There will be room to think on the highways .Traffic heavy and lots. There will be room to think on the highways, whereas here, you just concentrate all the time with cars and trucks around you. Across the freeway, the Hilton where I stayed with Brenda when we got married. It'' be different in Iowa, where it's not so crowded, and different in Iowa, not as crowded . About these roads, - will be room to think on the highways whereas you just here you just concentrate all the time on the all the time on the cars and trucks around you.
Breaking another road rule, I only minimally prepare the car for it's long range ordeal. I change of oil and proper in and that's it. This, I figure is the true test. See how far she gets. Maybe on a city street in Chicago. I'm not sure what I would do when or if .After all Lewis and Clark didn't know they'd encounter. this is as close as I can make it. The worst thing that could break it. The worst thing could happen is that it could happen is that it could break down half a mile Toronto. This would not be inconvenient, it could be of us regarding feminists. I've always been ben curious and always cars and ships are referred to the feminists. I remember interviewing a retired train engineer who, when he started describing sweet "old sweetheart" When I asked him why he called it that , he said it was simply she said simply because she deserve could spend a hot evening.
I begin March Windsor. Started off this morning, the doors were frozen, had to melt them, scared I'd have to use binder twine or something, but I didn't. Then WCSX Detroit. 85% of callers in favor of strong fines for misuse American Flag. INTERSTATE 94 - Okay coming out of Detroit now. I'm just past the outskirts, getting into Dearborn, car seems to be moving effortless along, car seems to be effortless along to the gas pedal, wheels aligned , rolling , almost be a new car. It was like this in 1977, same highway. same feeling. But we shall see happens. Scared to say it's going good. At the beginning of the trip, it's like bad luck, like, like when you're flying and you say it's going. Nobody ever ever does that.
Passing Detroit Metro Airport, reminds me of 1968, my cousin Bill was married. I spent about five or six hours with a girl at the airport, she was from Los Angeles. We waited for her flight, we talked about seven a.m. Never saw her again. Across the freeway, the Hilton where I stayed with Brenda, my ex-wife on our wedding night. Traffic fairly heavy. Lots of traffic moving out with lots of things for America. It'll be different in Iowa, where it's not as crowded. There'll be room to think on the highways whereas here, There'll be room to think on the highways whereas here you just concentrate all the time on the cars and trucks around.
About these roads - I remember Michigan roads are being all of the best, but right now they are in need of repair. Potholls the size of Japanese cars. A load of new cars pass me, looking down at the old Camaro as they crowd together on a truck, heading for new homes. Someday they'll be driving along a road, much older than today, and a load of new cars will pass them. Once again, I will I have the opportunity to continue my study of shopping malls. I can smell them out now. They are great places to watch people, you learn about the community and it's people. Pass by a STUCKY'S, gas/candy/cafe which was a big deal once. And they're abandoned, grass growing. Worked in it's time - but it doesn't seem to work now. The great thing about American freeways, in most states you can tell exactly by the mile post signs, as well as the exact by the mile posts as well as the exit numbers. Jackson Michigan - two things -- a prison and this is where the Republic Party was founded -- so there you go.
BUMPER STICKER - I LUV MY AMERICA car.
For myself, I felt I owed it to her. With nearly two hundred thousand miles to her credit, whatever the car owed thousand miles the $5800 it cost, the debt was more than paid in full. Friends urged me to send it to the machine that squashes them into cubes but I couldn't do that to her any more than I could do it to her. she deserve one last shot at a grand drive across the country that she crossed so many times so many times before. It would be her swan song.
I decide to keep a journal for several reasons. My original intent is to keep a record intent of the trip for the benefit of future generations. But, in the anticipation that said future generations are not interested. I'll keep it for myself. Kind of an audio photo album where I can hear the sound the sound of the engine as I make as I make what will be undoubtedly profound observations on life.
My premise is simple enough. The Camaro is the last of the truly American car in my mind. Build when GM still had a hold on the industry. Hers is the one design that stands out in the mundane 70's. It's got a V8 engine and a manual transmission . Still, in 1977 not smothered by sensors and electric gimmicks and things that look like black strands. What honor is there ask in a Honda or Toyota with with it's engine pointed to the side of the road.
Breaking another road rule, I only minimally prepare the car for it's long range ordeal. A chance of oil and a lube job, when how far she gets. This, a figure is the true test. Maybe I'll make it as far as Iowa before the engine falls out or maybe before After Lewis and Clark didn't know what they'd encounters. The worst thing that could happen is that it could break down a half an out of Toronto.
There are two things you need when starting a road trip. A clean car and a full tank of gas. My father taught me that. A clean car and a full tank of gas. A full tank of gas will get will get you on the road immediately and you don't have to stop until lunch time. In 1803 Lewis and Clark began with the "Hudson Bay". They leisurely pulled out in the late morning. With only a few Indians to trade with. Shopping malls and discount stores. you can start with an empty car and have it filled after one day of travelling.
I started with a clean car and a full tank. Having packed the night before I was ready to begin. breaking another of my father's many road rules, I started in late afternoon. Just as commuters jammed into the freeways heading home. Just a little. I never had liked Toronto, never seemed to fall into it's a great great city. It is that, just not for me. I started with a clear clean car and a full tank. Having packed the night before I was ready to begin. Begin another of my father's many road rules, I started in late after noon just as commuters were heading home. Just a little more agony to insure I really wanted to live this city. I never had liked Toronto it's not a great city, it is that. Just not for me.
Two months earlier stuck in heavy traffic, I thought only about the road ahead. Down two Windsor and Detroit, west to Chicago, Iowa, upwards to South then to the prairies of the Canadian west, finally crossing over the Rockies and crossing to the coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver. It's more than a simple road trip. It's the last trip. It's the last trip for my best friend. She won't be making many more after this she's simply too old. She is a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, built in Norwood, Ohio originally dark blue. She's suffered vicious attacks of eastern rust. The bottom of the doors are rusted out a hole jabs out of the hood and a fan jabs where a fan blade tried to escape a year or two before. The paint has the dry mud.
Women have great difficulities understanding men at the best at times, but two areas continue baffle them. Firstly they can't. Firstly they can't what we see in the Three Stooges, and secondly, they can't more explain why why they continue their as long as they can. They' are funny. The second area is a little complex, more than my two years of Psych at Henry Ford College could hope to achieve.
Jackson Hole, September 15 1991, steak 5 miles south with beer, starting to talk to an old couple type. Turn out to be a guide and turn out to be a guide for hunters hunting elk. Earlier, sunset in Spring Resort taking fanastic photos of the Tetons, known that all is fantastic early evening. Came from the French word where the mountains captured their word. As in a woman's breast.
A woman appears with a drink out of a private a barbeque and walks toward me to with nothing particular as her young man has nothing usual and she talks along the fence. She asks of that I was a professional camera. I used my brand new lens. We talk about about similar things, how people come to Jackson often. Finally I thought I should not take too much and she smiled and said "Don't let take into your her gaze." I left here thinking.
Someone at the next when I sat "wife is a writer" they listen as do I since they continue and I can't away from movie business and listen in silence. I wonder if Entertainment Tonight" does so well. I think some ideas fly over words in Hollywood. I am in the business also, I'm a writer and have a fair amount of feature films to say I'm good. 'They're The Salad Days". They talk about more how the movie here in Jackson Hole and who is about in this movie. It's almost like a mountain still glowing in a black and white movie and I was in a Casablanca ending.
The guide shows up, I know him now behind me next the two obnoxious tourists who already also now someone with the crew and says his mate "If a bear will chase us run down hill and never probably see them. I saw one run down a hill in the Yukon "74" with no problem. She had two young ones.
Lowell wears his hat and so do the two so Lowell. He he had come into "harsh country" after an 8-day gig with these jerks, talking about fortitude. The waitress's are mountain girls, real life and talk to each other about the last people who came there and were idiots, she smiles to the tall one and smiles to me Tomorrow became fog at 6am. I left after a early hoping for not too much and carried the fog for about a few miles remembering the cloud will leave by itself under the magnificent colors towards Yellowstone ahead of already.
Let's come back to where I come back a new start after the stories of the women I knew over and now where my start things over. Over is basically time and I am not sure exactly but it's around. I've had a tough time with my trying to push the rest of my life in for what's left.
I'm still closer to the beginning in my life than than the end or something that's closer than going more to what I'm writer rather than figure it out. As you might know that my the rest of it, that's enough for me as I'm healthy and can still write. And finish a screenplay last year and finish another. Eh?
Still I'm diving into a real-life story to give you some more about writing movies and a life of it that is still is going and having just go watch golf. Writing screen npages which is a lot more fun.and finding stories into people and mix them into weird stories that will give me more of those wonderful pieces of words and pictures that will last forever even when.
I am will be using the going along the highway of long and to find new things to see again between the US and Canada slipped into a combination of with now and then again and with Europe and Mexico to fulfill the holes left because of speed or unusual faces and places who I never new before and will captures of their hearts and their other.
This will catch the feel of many places that brought me to the start and brings the back to now for pieces of what we will wonder and think and find pieces of those whom I already spoke of and for the new ones who wonder who will find places of home or just simple surprises of what was.
A long time again back.
Well, I am back again after handling all the of the world going through and wondering if I will ever write again, or at least reading some of my screenplays both made and still waiting for someone to read some of those scripts that I think are good, or at least not bad. I have helped a writer who has written a few screenplays and one in particular of which I think has a good story that can find some readers. It has a wonderful story about the wild west in a way I never would have seen. And now it made some me push a little in a few screenplays that I should be working on them.
And it tells me that I should start working on clearing a few screenplays that I should have started to write a long time ago. Laziness is an enemy and I have spent too much time watching old movies rather than writing stories that I have been waiting for. Well, I might have consider one script that I spent a lot of time on it with a lot of way back that really had a family story about two people who find themselves from the time they met and left each other. Twice. And it started by the two would have married and then left and found them selves together the beginning to now.
And it will bring two people together from the beginning and then a possible again.
Well, maybe.
The Free Days Of Our Life
It seems so strange to relive the free days of our life. I try to understand what it was like and the different life we lived Was a wonderful time. We are fortunate to have lived the life we did in that era.
I have had to change a lot of my good old 20 years of my blog and what happened is that I had a complete breakdown on the whole thing and a lot of other things. I had to get my guy to open it up more almost being starting again. Sorry to tell me about the women and way back time when I even had hair, but I still miss them.
I also was still wanting to find the final woman, older than me, well, maybe three years. Cyrs and I sort of left out lives and I was the one who did it, an idiot, and even now, I was sorry. And stupid. And now I'm looking for her somewhere, now older. Sounds easy? She has a name that you would be easy to a point. I't's not easy because of the name and I found her home still around out side Detroit. Sounds easy? Which means that I would have to drive there. That would be a long drive across the country.
She is still the best. She even came to my wedding. Crazy? No, just wanted to see my wedding. She never saw her real live but it didn't work. I was maybe a stand-in. And I know she lives where she lived from Detroit. She was a sych and made people better but maybe not. So what do I do now?
Brenda
All the way to a whole new piece of everythings. Brenda. This was now the end of the women from school and college and a whole new work on the television station in my town, Windsor, a town a fraction of Detroit in America. But still close to the big city as we worked close to the big monster city and it's huge ness. Five million. Windsor was a spot across the river. And I worked there and Detroit and go to both cities. But then it came to Brenda it was different. Brenda worked at the TV station as well as I did. This was over high school boys and girls.
She lived in Toronto and moved to Windsor where I lived. And we became friends. And yes, we became friends. Very good friends. We took a holiday with nobody knew. While we had a two week holiday on an east coast trip as what we went to Quebec and Boston and Cape Cod and New York and all the way back. We camped in upstate New York and met family with two mutes with a 6-year old family. It was a beautiful camp and the boy translate all the language. We got married after our trip and that was it.
We now worked and married at the TV station and tried to keep it quit because the company might not like two people to work together. And our biggest event was our trip to the Canadian Rockies where we took art programs all summer in the beautiful place.
But we never made it together with each other's home. And that was that. And we never really saw each other for a lot of years and didn't think it would happen again. But one day a unknown emailed me on line on Facebook with one short word. It says only this "Are you my mother's ex".
Well, it turns out quite interesting, in fact, really quite interesting and why will they both will know. The simple part is that her mom's first marriage. And know her mom's past and now future will come to complete it all. "Mom" finds this all can be real and is in real life. Mom's second. And that was me. It started with both we married to someone else and finally back to me.
It sounds so crazy, but it is there. And we talked for days and years and finally met each other again, in Canada where she still lives with her daughter. And, being a screenwriter, it begs for a real movie, so I wrote a screenplay and am trying to get it made
How's that? Real.
Ingrid
Blond, swedish angel, car hop, first girl to break my heart. Not that I did. My girls and I slowly seemed to take it bad for a day and then seem to be ok. Sorta! First night, at a party, we circle each other, talk a little, I can't take my eyes off her, but manage to go home with a raven-haired girl. Two weeks later, party at her Ingrid's , she asked a friend to make sure I'm there, like teenagers, after all we are teens. I go, she's cool, mostly ignores him, then she starts a fire in the backyard and all of us hang out, and I end uup in those mysterious ways, beside her, and she has a blanket in the cool night and we end up cozy under it as the fire dies and we don't even know that everyone else is gone because we can only see each other and don't need anything else. Ingrid was the makeout queen, holding each other. I had no car at that time so I and and my friend Perry and his girl and his car and Ingrid and I. Sometimes I get my dad's car for an evening and it was everything for us. But it changed, Ingrid found someone at the carhop job. It breaks my heart, I never really came back from that time. Even after, when she sees me and a high school dance I didn't want to see her again. But eventually she wanted to see me again and she did and but it didn't work like it did before. Perry and his girl drive us to the park but it wasn't good. I saw her a few years after graduation high school. She was hanging around with the Greasers, tough guys I was not.
Her
One time though, when I wasn't with Ingrid, and I met a girl at the House Of Pizza, where teens like us would hang around inside, listen to rock and roll. She was a dark haired who bewitched me in a sense, it wasn't my fault, haunted, can't remember her name. We danced from a radio and held each other. The place was brick and dark and nobody around and smelling of old people and dark walls and I began to not like it. Maybe even scared more. Maybe like being scared that I would lose my sole being a Catholic boy. It was serious in the way enough to try it. And I wasn't. I didn't want to show that, but she was just something that was. I stayed for a while and. I remember that from the movie Citizen Kane. I saw that movie a few weeks ago. The smell of old wood and dark walls and I didn't like it and didn't want to go in because I was scared, scared that that I'd lose my soul. It was serious with her, not just a guy and a girl and some fooling around. I never saw her again and wondered where she was. I often remember her and something that in that dark old house. And I wondered to think about her, mysterious and that house and what could I have known.
For those who don't know where I came from the wild west of of Canada, well, not really wild west. Mostly wheat fields rising up to the small town that I grew up to 12 years and settled across the river. The The Detroit River. Yeah, a small city across to Detroit with around in the millions. And I had relatives also. You'll see Dey/twa while my city was Windsor, a small city of factory workers. I went to a American college about twenty miles from Canada, crossing the river two ways, massive bridge and the closest under the river also called The Detroit River. Two counties.
I would drive back to Canada by tunnel. My U.S. school was Henry Ford College. It was Orville Hubburd's white home and mayor since 1946 and he doesn't like blacks and they say that if the Russians ever drop a bomb on Dearborn, it will have to be painted white because otherwise it'll never get in. I met Carmen in a psyc class. Carmen is cool to me, she's one of those girls cool to me. She's one of those girls who flirt a little, I take up, she's one of those girls who flirt a little who have and I ask her out. We later meet to a "supper club" like they do here in the "states" and we have two drinks, we with Whisky Sours that Crys showed me later how to drink will liked Sunrises. "More on Crys". After two hours of talking about stopping the war and school we dance and we hold each other with the desperation of cold war and generally make a spectical in front of the shorthairs. It was a little bit of our war world across the ocean.
Lucy
Lovely little Lucy, dark skin Italian girl with gentle features and delicate body. We talked. she liked me and I still love her. Her parents couldn't speak English and nuns at school told her see was hemmed her skirt to her knees. One night we were walking home and we cut across a cemetary and we sat on an old one and talked and talked until it was midnight until she's crying, and saying she's how she'd beginning to believe the nuns are right. I tell her they're wrong. That she was as real as any other girl who likes a boy and she holds me and I. She says she likes me and I tell her the nuns don't know what they think about anyone and she kisses me and I feel her pain. Then she looks at me with those great doe eyes and lipsticked lips and she kisses me.and I feel through it lips and I just hold her. I learned later that she married an Italian. I never saw her again but someone said she left him.
I miss her even now, think about her. I miss them all.
Okay, I'm back, well actual having some problems from that horrible thing that calls itself story teller. Well, let's go back in '66" - '69" with me and Sidi, the "ramblin'n' gamb'lin man" go to the "east side" where he lives, all black. And I'm there with him in a house along with a Black Panther who hates my guts for being white, and two girls, one of which has the greatest skin I ever seen, smooth and dark, like a black pearl. And she likes me, and I go on like some idiot from Canada, which I guess I am. At least I'm not like the draft doggers up in Toronto who get laid by girls feeling sorry for them. But things get tense, and I know I should get out of there so I say goodbye to Sidi, see ya in school tomorrow, and drive off in the '65 Pontiac convertible with the new roof. The one I drove down Michigan Avenue in '68 when the Tigers won the World Series and me and Ron took six hours to get home. Dozens of people jump in and out of the car until we took the tunnel back to quiet Windsor. It was a twenty mile parade blaring, everyone's happy, no matter what color.
So there I was, hanging out, remembering me in Indianapolis , in the ghetto , registering black votes for Bobby Kennedy. People are surprised to see a white guy like me there. Older people invite me for coffee and talk about how great it would be good with Bobby. Young guys are suspicious and kids just watch me do what I do, I don't feel scared, I feel good, but maybe I'm wrong. But I had their hospitality and I liked it. Now they're killing each other and I wondered that I dreamt it all. They got nothing but they got hospitality. I shook his hand in Indianapolis. It's all gone when Bobby got killed. I wouldn't do that and cried when he was gone and his brother first. Nothing came nothing.
Hey, it's me with some thing that might you have interest with some "new matter" as they say. More stuff from me (Jimmy - real name) but more known as Jim. I'm still in the game as they say, still got scripts pushing around. And one piece that's probably pretty good. Well, maybe okay. But beginning, I've got a short piece of writing about some of the women I've known before 17 up to 23 and basically the and same ages of me -- so there. And one 23, actually. All of them from high school and college.
This was around the 80's with Santino, both of us living in Sherman Oaks, California where I was spent writing screenplays and a few features and watching the 'oaks people with actors and writers and talking about girls and finally who reminded the girls we grew up with in the 70's. It all began with our girl friends, old times from 17 to 23. Santino's reading my anti-war material. He was in Vietnam already and never wanted to see it again. He wanted my life way back in there, the music and color and war and I was a Canadian across the river which was a small city filled with American cars being made.,
Before I was hanging out in Detroit across the river and with Sidi and in and holding from McComb College in a hotel room in Howard Johnson's on Grand Boulevard. Outside, ghettos just a block beyond GM's world headquarters. The year before, National Guardsmen with M-16 rifles stops us on John Lodge Freeway looking across the river to Canada. Where I lived. Safe. Now we're driving across to school on the American side to John Ford College. I heard a guy here at Howard Johnson's was shot out at a window and died.
Now I'm here, Mary Hanover, American, beautiful blonde wasp from upper middle suburbs and we're together while her girlfriend cries about a guy who didn't notice her. I listened for awhile and she left . We were all collage people and it was the world for us, we had the whole thing. The whole thing belonged to us. Detroit in 1969, a good place to be for a farm boy from the prairies. I meet a beautiful college girl in Detroit and she lived in the northern part where rich homes thrive. She's rich but doesn't care and across the river far away from across the river where I live with a quiet home but not her life. But she doesn't care and we continue to belong in two different countries and will stay on for the rests of our lives over and over.
Dee..troit in 69, a good place to be for a farm boy again. Crystal, but calls herself Crys. She's three years older and going to U. of D., she taught me all about Scotch one night in her dad's great house in Bloomfield Hills. He was an architect who built it himself, me and Crys in the "conversation pit" putting Cutty Sark and she's got her legs up and says and how pretty she looks, checks. She is. And I'm crazy about her She's never married, got dumped by some guy went to Africa in the Peace Corp and she never got over it. Grad in two years. Syc class. Wanted to join. maybe.
Hang on.
If any you've read my story about the story about Steve Tene, "the King of the Gypsies" as in a book and movie and you've can find it and see in my blog in two times: One is a long piece I wrote and had some connection to Steve's passing and his brother Tene.
I had read your wish for me to write a good story that I'll do for you. Trouble is I saw you name but your phone at 561-633-5404. So Tene email. I'm in Canada and live there now. But I tried the phone number you gave me. But some man said it was not his phone number. If it's different, please call or email.
Jim Makichuk
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