Last night was a trip. We walked in the door behind Mariah, past the sorority-style construction paper sign welcoming us to the Casa de Luna (colorful marker drawings of bubbling cocktails and bottles of liquor scrawled beside the names of the three residents), and were met at the entrance way by Claire and Lauren (the other two trail angel housemates) and Mark [Larabee] and Ian [Malkasian], a reporter and photographer doing a month-long cross-Oregon trek on the PCT, covering the Trail and its unique and sometimes strange (often quite inspiring) culture.
Music was playing, beers were being popped open, cameras were clicking, names exchanged and promptly forgotten. We showered and borrowed clothes while our filthy rags sudsed and tumbled in the washing machine. Eliza went first and came upstairs wrapped in a black plastic trash bag which she had -- quick thinking, industrious girl that she is -- poked arm holes through and ripped a slit in the seam for her head, making a subtle but striking recycled bag-lady fashion statement which received an uproar from the livingroom full of boisterous college girls and journalists in attendance . . .
We talked and cooked up some of our camp food, drank a few tasty brews, watched as the girls came and went. Friends from neighboring apartments came by, rum and cokes were mixed, a bonfire might have occurred outside, more people arrived after the girls had long disappeared . . . finally, we threw down our bags on the floor in front of the TV while Mark, the journalist, watched the end of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" -- what a horrendous film, it was. That's two in a row in the bad movie department for us.
It's been a slow, but busy morning. We picked up a great package of re-supply food which my aunt and uncle sent out from Elmira -- thanks a lot, G&C, it looks like we'll be eating well this week! Also, we were happy to get a packfull of letters and notes which our friend Rachel had been accumulating and keeping for us in Lexington, KY. It is wonderful to read her thoughts. It makes me miss her and other friends from times and years past. Everyone goes his or her own way. Memories amass, stories to tell and think on . . .
I haven't gotten a chance to look at it, but these reporters are keeping a daily blog at Oregonlive.com in addition to their three times weekly column about the PCT. This Sunday, they will be doing a piece on trail angels, for which they interviewed us . . . maybe we'll make the page :)
[See "The Oregonian" links at right.]
Also, my sister, Sarah, is keeping a blog now after starting up her own new dance company in Ithaca -- Wide-Eyed Dance. It looks very exciting.
No comments:
Post a Comment