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.