lapacifidora | Back to the start

There's always something exceptionally strange about coming back to the place where you were born and grew up.

(And I swear I'll try to write this without getting maudlin or weird. Just slap me if I start to do that, alright?)

We left Missoula bright and early Friday morning, after stopping at the Costco for gas. (I didn't remember to take a picture this time because, frankly, my brain doesn't work so well at 9 a.m.)

The only interesting thing that happened the first hour or so on the road was when we saw a very large dead deer about 10 miles from the Idaho border. (Well, that and the fact that once we crossed over into Idaho, we switched to Pacific time.)

I've come to realize one of the major differences between freeways back home and those out here is the volume of commercial traffic: There's just so much more of it on the regular freeways out here than there is on even the major freeways at home. (Also, you don't generally see road signs for 'runaway truck ramp' around the Great Lakes; I suppose there's not much need when it's as comparatively flat.)

I was also struck by how much easier it was to get cell phone reception while in the mountains than it was even six years ago: I remember the first time I trekked cross country how the Rockies were pretty much a dead zone. And in 2006, there were still areas that had spotty reception.

We finally entered Washington around twenty to eleven, but it took another forty minutes to reach the Costco in Spokane. (This one I didn't take a picture of because a) it was as ugly as the one back home and b) it was so busy in the parking lot I was worried I'd be hit by a car while trying to take a photo.)

We got back on the road and continued west on I-90. We had planned to stop for lunch in George (Yes, there's a town in Washington state called 'George'. Yes, I think the person who made that call should be revived and retroactively flogged.), but the restaurant we were thinking of seemed to have closed, so we continued on to Vantage.

(Vantage is basically a motel, a general store, a diner, a burger joint and a gas station. It continues to exist mainly because it's the closest place with 'services' to the Gorge, which is the major place for concerts in the state - think the Hollywood Bowl, Blossom Music Center, Bryant Park, the Washington Mall or the place where the Boston Pops performs on July 4.)

We stopped at the Golden Harvest Restaurant and Convention Center (or, a diner with a big back room) for lunch. On the french fry scale, I'd rate them a solid 6. (There was a fly in the dining area and our table had a discernible downward tilt.)

By 3 p.m., we were crossing Snoqualmie (snow-kwal-me) Pass and going through the Wenatchee (when-at-chee) National Forest, on our way to Kent.

We finally arrived just after 4 at my sister and brother-in-law's house, where we were met by the dogs, the cats, my sister and her husband, my mom - and Bitesize.

***
It's Monday morning now, and it's been much less strange than I was expecting.

(I suppose I was expecting everyong to make a fuss over Bitesize to the detriment of basic common courtesy - meaning I figured I was going to be ignored - but they haven't. And frankly, Bitesize is both tiny and hilarious - I think he bears a striking resemblance to Michael J. Fox when his forehead gets all wrinkly - so I don't really mind if people ignore me. Apparently, I don't always need people to tell me I'm special, and I don't always need to be the center of attention. I think that's growth.)

We did have a family dinner last night - a little sad in my mind when I consider who ought to have been there but is no longer with us - and I managed to spend as little time as possible in the same room as My Aunt Who I Hate.

And in about an hour, we're headed up to the Microsoft campus for lunch and to see the new Commons building my brother and sister-in-law have been going on about for the last two years.

That's it for now, I suppose. (I could write more, but then I'd probably get into the maudlin stuff and that is not my forte.)

See y'all on the flipside. :D