Outward Bound

Since I talked to you last, I’ve decided to blow out of town for a while. I’m not quite sure how it came about. I was talking to my friend M who told me he was about to depart for a meandering across Nevada and through Montana and Dakota. I must’ve said “That sounds like fun,” meaning “That sounds like fun” as opposed to “Take me with you,” but perhaps the latter interpretation on his part precipitated the idea that I join him. I don’t know. One of life’s mysteries. Anyway, I pondered the pros and cons for a few days and decided that a change of scene should be good for my job-hunt-weary soul. Considering the hardships of my last trip, I am ready for a positive experience. I’m leaving here Friday by train to Sacramento, where M will pick me up, and then we’ll hit the road on Saturday. I don’t know where the trip will take us. M has a camper that we’ll haul. I’m nervous about the times when I’ll have to drive.

Speaking of nervous, one thing we’re thinking of doing is visiting Mann Gulch near Helena, MT, to pay respects to the bunch of Smokejumpers who died there in 1949. It’s so remote you have to take a boat to get to the trailhead, and it’s a precipitous 2-mile-each-way scramble in nasty heat through brush and over rocks. Yeek. That intimidates me because I’m so out of shape, but I’d like to do it. I’ve read the book about the disaster, Young Men and Fire by Norman McLean, so I’m interested to see the place. I don’t suppose walking the level sidewalks in my neighborhood over the next two days will get me to my desired fitness level before I leave. I tried hiking up Marin Avenue the day before yesterday and didn’t make it to the top, and now even the tops of my feet are stiff.

M is also bringing a mountain bike for me to ride in the Dakota Badlands. Mom says I shouldn’t do it because of my worry about my lack of conditioning. She’s probably right.

It’s strange: so many things scare me now that didn’t used to. In my advancing years I’m becoming more of a wus. My comfort zone has shrunk to the size of my shadow, so it doesn’t take much to step out of it.

Before I go, I thought you might want to see Mick Jagger’s promo for the upcoming Monty Python reunion. He amuses me. He speaks as one wrinkly old man to others:

I wish I knew how to keep the “related videos” from popping up after you play this one. I know there’s a way because Jill did it for my allisonatwork.com site.