Friday, July 17, 2015
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Alberto’s tale… DAY FIVE - BILLINGS
I woke up because Chris made a racket in his air mattress. No matter how you move, that thing makes a lot of noise. He is semi-getting up to see what time it is. That was good enough for me. I am a very light sleeper, while I can fall asleep right away. “What time is it Chris?” - 5:05 Alberto.
Got dressed and went to the kitchen to make coffee, which Harvey had left ready for me to “just press the ON button”. Humanity is still asleep and I try to be as quiet as possible.
Harvey’s son, Doug the builder, showed up, so did Dave, the other son. Before you knew it the household was abuzz with activity. It is a lot of them!
Randy, Harvey, Chris and myself set ourselves to get the bikes ready. We are leaving in short order… Breakfast some 30 miles away.
We are hardly ten minutes from the house, Harvey stops… “My phone! I
think I forgot the darn (well, a different word, but you get the idea)
phone!” “Gotta have it - you guys continue and I’ll meet you at the
Shell gas station.”. Good enough. Chris and Randy take off like
rockets, I was a little slow making the u-turn, and thank goodness for
being slow… as Harvey is getting ready to head back home… I hear:
“GOD DANG IT!! (Same bad word as before but with more emphasis), the
bike won’t start. The battery is dead!” - stomping his foot on the
ground, easy-going Harvey is about to have a canipshen (you know this
word, now try define it) - or a heart attack whichever comes first.
This ain’t his day.
Chris and Randy are already gone. “Stay here Harvey, I’ll get Chris, he’ll know what to do”…. And I take off as fast as I can go. And let me tell you, when I have to, I can go pretty darn fast. Caught up with them a mile and a half down. Explained the events and we all returned to where Harvey was not having a good day.
Chris had a battery charger. And in short order got Harvey running. Well, not really, there were other complications which I will not attempt to describe. I have the English knowledge, but their discussion was way above my head. Suffice it to say… Chris and Harvey managed to solve the problem and we resumed our journey. Should be mentioned that Harvey is one of those mechanical wizards who can fix anything.
30 miles later, with all these events I worked an appetite. Breakfast at Pat’s restaurant was inexpensive and good. Observation: it seems that all the small places serving breakfast have some woman’s name. So far I have seen, Pat’s, Anna’s, Dolly’s. I keep an eye out for more.
The journey North was very exciting. We saw a bad car accident. On another road a family got lost and asked us for directions… Randy, Good Samaritan gave then instructions on how to go, and sends on their way with an this admonition… “If this turns out to bet the wrong information, and not the right road, please, be sure to come back and tell us!”. Very reassuring.
We got lost ourselves a couple of times which causes us to improvise on the choice of road. We ended up on Bald Mountain Road. Amazing! Is all that can be said. Twisty, forested, up, up, eventually down all the way to the ocean to Tillamook, were they make the famous cheese. What a ride.
The coastal road to Astoria was complicated by the amount of traffic. The last 40. Miles took longer than an hour and a half. Pretty slow.
Randy is panicking. “Listen Chris, why don’t we call ahead and try to find a motel in Astoria. It is Friday and this is a resort town. Hate to get there and find no rooms, no place to stay, no… Blah, blah, blah!”. Chris, Harvey and I pretty much shut him up. No need was the consensus.
Five minutes later, “but guys, we really should call in advance… Yada, Yada, Yada…” We are 10 miles short of Astoria, Chris pulls over on the road. Motel 6. He and I go inside. Chris asking if there are rooms available… I interrupt and said: “Miss we need fours beds, have you got them?” “Well, she replies, ” I have three”. Sold! I said. “If need be ill sleep in the floor”.
Randy walks into the motel registration, and starts with the attendant, “Miss is the room on the first floor? And how far from the ice machine? What about the freeway noise? Is there another room? I am muttering to myself ^#%% (unsuitable material to print).
We got the rooms, Randy demanded to have - his own room. Harvey, Chris and I, all three are sharing the other room. Randy remarks ,”oh, nothing personal guys, I just have to have a good night sleep”. (Get me outta here, please - it is illegal to kill him!!). No. I did not say anything. Alberto was on best behavior.
At the room we are in great spirits. While Alberto is taking a shower the team is getting pickled on our state liquor acquisition, and they are working it down fast! Everybody showered, time to eat!
Next door to the motel 6 is some kind of chain restaurant - we are tired, hungry and in great spirits. Food, lots of it disappeared as if by magic amid great camaraderie.
By 9:3o or 10 pm we closed the day still joking and kidding.
Day 5 Pictures
Harvey house, sleeping aaccomodations
Randy’s home
5 miles from home… broken!
Road event