We woke up sort of late and not feeling that terrible. It was not the booze I was afraid of, it was the cat. But surprisingly I was still lucid and able to breathe. I had a mad hankering for some huevos rancheros but we found out that Catie had to be somewhere, so breakfast at a place that was not too close was out of the question. That was fine, I should probably wait til we get to California. That state is where I first tried them and that dish is delicious.
After breakfast we made some goodbyes. Di and I were already well behind schedule so we opted not to shower and get on the road. We drove out of Washington and into Oregon. Not long after we decided to stop for gas. Now maybe I am being irrational but here is where something really pissed me off. I start pumping my gas and this guy comes up to me asks “How can I help you”
“you can’t” I say, slightly annoyed
“I have to” he replies. I was a little annoyed. Not only was it what he was saying, but there was something about him that just erked me.
“It’s illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon, $500 fine”
“Really? Alright I guess I will take regular” I say, begrudgingly. He starts pumping the gas and then walks away! Now why is it illegal to have patrons pump their own gas when the employee walks away anyway? Seems more safe to me to just have the people pump their own gas. I know a lot of people are idiots and have messed this up before, but the biggest issues is when people walk away and the automatic shutoff does not kick in. How could I possible know that? I worked at a gas station for 9 years. So yes, I fell annoyed because I am pretty sure I was a little more qualified to pump gas.
We go inside the store to go to Subway, the reason we initially stopped. We had a $5 gift card and were planning to split a footlong. We order and go to pay and low and behold, the gas station owns this Subway so they do not take gift cards. So I pay and I am more annoyed. What the hell Oregon? I know it may sounds irrational but you are not making a good impression so far. The reality is that people base their actions on limited experiences and based on this experience, I don’t really want to come back.
After scarfing my sandwich, I called my mother. This was really the first chance I had. Now that the trip was real, I was starting to get a little nervous. Talking about selling everything and just going to California to find a job is one thing, doing it is another. So I credit my mother with something she said to me. She said she was a little jealous and always wished she would have done something similar. Well this transition is not just for me. I am hoping we get established and comfortable and become a free place to stay for family on vacation. I think that would be one of the only ways to force my family on vacations. Anyway, Ma if you are reading this, even though I did not follow up on that comment, I appreciated it.
We finally left and decided to not stop for gas again in Oregon. But we did stay in a hotel there. We stayed at a Travelodge in Medford. It was dated and kind of seedy but it was mostly clean and we liked it better than the Knight’s Inn in Tukwila. I ordered a pizza and ate the rest of it in the morning before we left. Next stop, California!
~Mitch Heid!