No Dogs Allowed At All

Today, on the way home from LaGrande, OR I took a detour on the way home. I stopped at the Blue Mountain Crossing Oregon Trail Interpretive park. It's about 10 miles round trip from the highway. It's one of those spots that makes living in Eastern Oregon so cool. It's history, it's accessible and it's in a beautiful location. I was really looking forward to checking out the flowers, taking some pictures and seeing if I really could see wagon ruts. I'm still skeptical that you can actually see where the pioneers came in - after 100+ years.

This spot's right near Spring Creek West of LaGrande. You hop off 84 and follow the two-lane down and under the highway. You go about 2 miles and then there's the entry station. It's $5.00. It goes to the parks. It's worth it. It's an honor system and I'm honorable.

Anyway, after you hit the fee station, there's another 2 1/2 mile windy drive up to the actual park area. By the time I got there, I had to pee. Honestly I had to pee before I left LaGrande, so I was really needing to pee by the time I got there. I bee-lined for the restrooms and took the space right next to the Handicap spot so I could make quick to the restroom. I hopped out and didn't even roll up the windows and lock the doors because there wasn't another car in the entire parking lot.

So, I get back to the car and leash up Nell, roll up the windows and grab my camera, lock the doors and we take off. We head up the path through the picnic area (not on the grass) and heading to the interpretive trail sign, that's on the other side. I scouted it on the way back from the bathroom. There wasn't another path to the sign, and I did't see any other way onto the trail.

I'm about 40 feet from the car when I hear this man's voice yelling at me -- not like "Hey, how ya doing" yelling, but angry yelling...So I turn around to figure out what's going on and the guy's yelling at me still and walking toward me. He yells at me "No dogs allowed in the park" and I reply with "I'm headin to the trail, is there another way?" He says "No Dogs allowed". So I say, "In the ENTIRE PARK?" and he says "YES", and I said "I didn't see that it was posted anywhere at the entrance and I haven't seen it anywhere up here, is it in writing somewhere?" and he points towards a sign that was about 40 feet in front of me. I can only see the back of the sign, not any writing. I had no idea what it said.

So, I walk to the other side of the sign, and the guy about has a coronary as I walk off the path and onto the greenery. Seriously. I felt like I had just walked my dog across one of those little old people's yards in a retirement community. Really, I speak from experience. It was like a flashback of the days when Mamu lived in Heather Ridge in Aurora. Those old people and their grass, they didn't even want you walking on it barefoot.

So, I've still got Nell on the leash & I veer off the path towards the sign so I can read it. It says "NO PETS" under the "PICNIC" sign, which isn't unusual. I look around, there's no other way to get to the main trailhead. So I keep walking to the car, as this guy's coming at me and still yelling "No PETS" at me. Honestly, I don't think it would have mattered at all what I said, the guy wasn't going to listen to me.

Anyway, I tell the guy nicely that the sign says "no pets" for the picnic area, not for the park. Then I go on to tell him that there wasn't anything at the entry that indicated pets weren't allowed. At this point, the giant assholic man is IN MY FACE and his finger is about 3" from my nose and he's still yelling. I thought he was going to assault me, and it kind of freaked me out. So, I raised my voice at him as I was putting Nell in the car. I tried to explain to him that I was on publicly funded grounds and it was discrimination and ridiculous.

Anyway, the guy was an absolute and total asshole and the bottom line is that he absolutely harshed on my day. All I wanted was a nice, relaxing hike in the mountains on a trail where I'd feel safe with my dog. I was even willing to leave her on the leash and have her jerk on my arm the entire time.

The camp host is supposed to provide a sense of security and friendliness. They're supposed to be the welcome wagon of nature and their attraction. They're the ones who tell you where the fawns were, what flowers are in bloom and how fantastic it is to have the opportunity to live in a piece of history. They are stewards and hosts. This guy wasn't.

He was a mean, old, angry and unfriendly man. He was a troll. A troglodyte. Unibrowed, I'm sure of it. He looked like he'd been up there gathering firewood and had already staked out his own little section of the forest. Since the place had set hours that it was open & closed, I don't think there's camping up there. Why would there be a camp host at a place that doesn't allow camping?

I certainly won't be like him when I grow up. So, I tell him that I don't appreciate the tone of voice that he's using with me and I don't appreciate how he's talking to me...and I can feel the tears coming on. He sticks his finger in my face again and replies "GOOD" with a jab. Then he continues to rant on about how NOW PETS are allowed in the park.

At this point, my blood is literally boiling. I'm putting Nell in the car and I'm getting in myself. He was still yelling at me while I was getting in the car. I let a few "f" bombs go and told the guy to go to hell several times and then left. "Fuck you, you old fucker. Go to hell." It was the best I could come up with. And my voice was probably really shrill and on the verge of tears. Yeah, I was lame.

1/2 an hour off the beaten path
15 total out of the way miles
Five Bucks
Still haven't seen the Oregon Trail.

I called the District Forest Servic office. You bet I did. I apologized for the fact that I used profanity, and then explained to them exactly what occurred. I didn't want anything free, but just wanted to point out that I spent $5.00 to get into the park, drove 15 miles out of my way to check it out and was absolutely offended and taken aback by how the camp host acted and the overall experience. What a disappointment, what a way to ruin a day. Dude.

I had a brief vision of me being dragged off in handcuffs by the OSP or Forest Service for failing to obey the rules, because I almost went back and refused to let "The Man" harsh on my day, my hike and my confused dog that thought she was going to go on a hike but really just got out of the car and then back in the car. It would've been better if the dog-owners of the world would unite and have a nice picnic at the park, wouldn't it?

Bet you didn't know that the the USDA Forest Services' logo is "Caring for the land and serving the people", did you? I'm thinking that Horrible Host up there is taking it to the extreme and forgetting why that land exists in the first place. It's there for US. All of us. I wonder how many other people have had my same experience with this guy and just haven't contacted anyone about it.

Way Back Friends....

I had an appointment in Cell-coverage Timbuktu yesterday. It's a lot of driving and nothing to look at, so I use that time to catch up with friends. Most of the time, I end up leaving messages and then I crank the Sirius and rock out. Yesterday was different though.

Yesterday, I got in touch with my best friend from High School. We lost touch for many, many years. Mostly because she moved to Louisiana right after high school and I went away to college. We exchange Christmas cards and usually call each other on our birthdays. The last time we hung out was on at our 20th High School Reunion a few years ago. So, when my birthday came and went last week and I didn't get a call from her, I decided it was time to call and find out what was going on with her.

Firstly, let me give you a little background. Deb & I were unseparable until about mid-way through our Junior year when Eric moved to our area. Once she and Eric hooked up, I got thrown into the background. Back then, I was just pissed that he took my best friend. He was a year ahead of us and was from Louisiana, so after his graduation he stayed in town. I don't really remember why his family moved to Aurora, but I remember that they moved shortly after graduation & Eric stayed to be with Deb. Right after our graduation, he moved back to Louisiana & Deb moved with him. A few years later, they got married.

About the time I graduated from College, Deb was having her first baby - Justin. Six years later she had another baby, Dale. Of course I got photos and Christmas cards and we did our requisite once a year phone call to catch up. Yeah, 20 years of doing that and we finally got together at our reunion and picked up right where we left off. The crazy thing was that Deb was still a toothpick with boobs -- even after two kids. She's got the metabolism of a Chihuahua - always has... anyway, we picked up where we left off & had a great time for a few days and then each went our separate ways. Back to the old habits of a few calls a year and exchanging Christmas cards again.

So, that brings us to yesterday. I hadn't heard from Deb, so figured I'd call her. When she answered, I gave her a ration and asked how the hell she was. She warned me that she'd had some serious drama going on and did I really want to know. "Of course, lay it on me." was my response. Obviously I wasn't quite prepared for what was to come:

On May 6, Deb & Eric and the boys were at a BBQ near their home. Eric & Justin left about 10 minutes before Deb and Dale cause Deb was going to help tidy up and get her dishes. Eric and Justin went off the road a few miles from the BBQ and the pickup rolled several times, coming to a rest upside down in a pond. Both Eric and Justin sustained injuries. Eric was able to get out of the truck, but because of his injuries, he wasn't able to free Justin from his seatbelt. Justin drowned. Rescue personnel were able to revive him and he was transported to the hospital.

This is where it gets a little sketchy for me -- he was apparently pronounced dead, but they were transporting him to another hospital to verify it (I envision that they live somewhere like Pendleton where the medical profession is unprepared for trauma and transfers patients immediately). In the ten to 15 minutes during the ambulance ride to the hospital with the Pediatric ICU and Trauma Center, Justin apparently made it clear that he wasn't dead and wasn't done fighting. He was flailing and trying to pull out the vent tube and the catheter.

They got him to the second hospital where he was stabilized and his injuries were treated. He was put in a drug induced coma in an effort to help him heal. He's sustained head trauma and most likely brain damage from the drowning, but he's alive and he's been fighting for the last 8 weeks. He's had e-coli in his lungs and has had to fight hella infections because of the pond water that he inhaled.

When I talked to Deb yesterday, he had just been transferred to a long term care facility where they would be weaning him from the trach-tube so he could breath on his own. He's still got some problems that are resolving, but he's doing better. The next step for them is a rehabilitation facility where he'll have to re-learn everything. He's got his Mom & Dad's genes though, and I'm sure that he will fight his way back and will recover. He's young, so he's got that going for him.

When the phone call ended, I couldn't stop thinking of Justin and Deb and Eric and Dale. Deb's taken off work to be with Justin about 2 hours from home. Dale isn't old enough to visit his big brother. Eric is home with Dale and because he was driving he feels horrible. It's an accident, they happen. My heart goes out to all of them though. When I asked Deb if there was anything I could do, her reply was that only time would tell how much Justin would recover & that she was positive that the Good Lord had a plan for them. I never knew her to have a lot of faith, but I guess events like this change your way of thinking.

I'm not sure what I belive. God, Creator, Higher Power, Great Spirit. I'll admit that I pray though. Last night, I couldn't sleep. I just kept thinking of Deb and her family, and so I prayed, and prayed and prayed, until I fell asleep. And when I woke up this morning, they were the first thing on my mind. Some people don't believe in the power of prayer. I believe in the power of the Universe though, and think that by sending positive thoughts about their situation into the Universe, maybe it'll help somehow. I know that just remaining positive is helping Deb cope.

So, if you've a few moments, send some positive vibes their way. Say a prayer or two if that's your thing. Light a candle, do a jig, burn some incense. Whatever it is you do or don't do, I know their family could use the energy, prayers or thoughts.

I'm so OVER 30!

My 30's officially ended at 7:45 on Monday Morning. I didn't enter my 40's the same way I entered the world 40 years ago - kicking and screaming, shaking my fists and demanding to know what was so damned important that you had to wake me up so early. Nope, I slept in til about 9:00-ish (more emphasis on the "ish") and was awakened by a man bearing Coffee and a present!

There were certain things I felt it necessary to have in order to successfully navigate my 40's. Sapphire earrings were amongst those things. I got em. Hell, I even got a beautiful necklace to go with them. Cool huh?

Friends from WAAAAAAAY back came to town on Friday and we celebrated early. We had what amounted to a slumber party. We stayed up too late telling stories, reminiscing, playing Wii and surfing the net.

We laughed til our guts hurt and then laughed a little more. I got to cook hella appetizers and entertain, and I honestly can't remember when I've had such a good time with my friends.

We talked about how I'd ended up in the Round-Up City and it was then that I realized something important. I've been here for 7 years. Not 8. Definitely 7. Yeah, that was when I came home for the weekend from working here and the man I'd been living with said "This just isn't working for me, I'm not attracted to you anymore." Within a week, I'd packed up my U-haul and had beat-feet here... where I set up residence at the Oxford Suites in Room 107 and resumed the journey that's been my career.

Only 7 years.... Not a huge amount of time... but long enough for me to be involved in a few committed relationships, run away to Portland, get a new job, quit a job, start my own business and fix up my house.

Now I'm 40. I'm involved with an amazingly wonderful guy with a huge heart who loves me pretty much unconditionally. Yes, he even deals with my peri-menopausal PMS and hasn't turned and run or turned on me. Who knew life was this grand. I guess I was just a little impatient.

Haymaker....

I love Bridgeport Brewing. Really. I've recently made some adjustments in my personal relationships. It wasn't that I needed a cock, I just found that it was a bit easier to deal with the current state of affairs if I had a little. This guy seemed to do the trick just fine.

That doesn't make me easy, does it?

I mean, c'mon... if weren't for the cock, I wouldn't have gotten the entire demo of the kitchen floor done tonight, or would I have?

Lets see if I can get the photos posted, then you can all weigh in on your opinons. As if anyone's really here to read this, as if. Yeah, whatever.

No Longer Mid-Thirties Life Crisis

After 5 years and close to 800 entries, I closed down my last blog - Mid-Thirties Life Crisis - in June of 2007. My Mid-Thirties are well over now, they weren't such a crisis. Now I'm counting the days to my exit of the 30's and the beginning of my 40's.

It's a fresh, new start. In many aspects, I feel as if I've finally come into my own. I have a much more realistic view of who I am and where my life is going. There are still a ton of unknowns, but they don't matter to me as much as they used to. I'm getting better at planting my own garden and living my life fully and honestly.

In a nutshell, I'm a serial monogamist with a history of running long distances when relationships end. I hit my stride in my early 20's and made my first run of over 1800 miles from Denver, CO to Portland, OR. Since then, I've made it to Eugene, OR and then to Eastern Oregon - where I've been for the last 8 years - with a little foray back to Portland during that time.

It's not that I have a fear of commitment, I think I just committed to the wrong people. Sometimes I committed for the wrong reasons. Sometimes I made poor choices.



I'm getting better at recognizing the pitfalls and hazards of relationships. I've learned that good ones are hard to come by and are hard work. I've learned that there's no use in beating yourself up over someone elses actions.

I've learned that I'm much stronger than I thought. That I'm much more resilient than I thought, and that I've got a lot of insight.