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bus trip part 3
We arrive in Dallas at about 9am, and find out the next bus to Austin is at 11:15am. There's time to kill and I buy some more postcards.
The trucker lady, whose name I never got, notices people already lining up for the Waco/Austin/San Antonio/point beyond bus, so we get on the line too. At this point, she pulls out a newspaper article about the wreck her rig got into on the 7th. Seems another rig skidded into her path, so she skidded the other way and then a third rig drove into her cargo area. So she's on the bus because she's been sent home by her trucking company until the investigation is completed.
"I don't know what that's about," she tells me, "I mean, there was snow, I didn't get a citation, they didn't even give me a piss test! I want a new rig. Now I'm just gonna have to clean the house because grandpa [meaning her husband] doesn't do anything."
I call Amanda with the last of my cell phone battery to tell her what is up, but she's more than half asleep, and just says "Right," to everything I say, I've no idea if the data is absorbed.
Meanwhile, people on the bus line are getting seriously testy. As there are about 200 and everyone is worrying about getting a seat, even as they are calling up extra buses. One woman who has had more plastic surgery than anyone should gets into a screaming match with the Greyhound worker, until she is put at the front of the line. But eventually we board, with trucker lady telling me how she sneaked in extra checked baggage without paying the fee, and even leave Dallas early.
Which is a damn good thing, as there is severe construction going on on the road out of town, and it takes us two hours to go two miles. If I had the energy to be in tears, I would be, as my plan had been to arrive in Austin early enough to have time with Amanda prior to her having to go to work, that was now foiled and I wasn't even sure I would get there before she had to go to work at all.
But despite the most depressing stop in the world (Waco!) I got in a little after 3, and made it here in one piece.
There are so many weird details of note. The amount of religious stuff is amazing -- religious superstores, bible warehouses, random billboards with messages like "Saturday is the Lord's Day; Sunday Laws are the Mark of the Beast" or "Warning: You'll be Meeting God Soon." It's unsettling, in the extreme.
Overall the landscapes I passed through were not as stark as what I hoped for or needed. We've done a good job of making America look like all one thing, and it's only reinforced my need to spend some time pretty damn far away.
The trucker lady, whose name I never got, notices people already lining up for the Waco/Austin/San Antonio/point beyond bus, so we get on the line too. At this point, she pulls out a newspaper article about the wreck her rig got into on the 7th. Seems another rig skidded into her path, so she skidded the other way and then a third rig drove into her cargo area. So she's on the bus because she's been sent home by her trucking company until the investigation is completed.
"I don't know what that's about," she tells me, "I mean, there was snow, I didn't get a citation, they didn't even give me a piss test! I want a new rig. Now I'm just gonna have to clean the house because grandpa [meaning her husband] doesn't do anything."
I call Amanda with the last of my cell phone battery to tell her what is up, but she's more than half asleep, and just says "Right," to everything I say, I've no idea if the data is absorbed.
Meanwhile, people on the bus line are getting seriously testy. As there are about 200 and everyone is worrying about getting a seat, even as they are calling up extra buses. One woman who has had more plastic surgery than anyone should gets into a screaming match with the Greyhound worker, until she is put at the front of the line. But eventually we board, with trucker lady telling me how she sneaked in extra checked baggage without paying the fee, and even leave Dallas early.
Which is a damn good thing, as there is severe construction going on on the road out of town, and it takes us two hours to go two miles. If I had the energy to be in tears, I would be, as my plan had been to arrive in Austin early enough to have time with Amanda prior to her having to go to work, that was now foiled and I wasn't even sure I would get there before she had to go to work at all.
But despite the most depressing stop in the world (Waco!) I got in a little after 3, and made it here in one piece.
There are so many weird details of note. The amount of religious stuff is amazing -- religious superstores, bible warehouses, random billboards with messages like "Saturday is the Lord's Day; Sunday Laws are the Mark of the Beast" or "Warning: You'll be Meeting God Soon." It's unsettling, in the extreme.
Overall the landscapes I passed through were not as stark as what I hoped for or needed. We've done a good job of making America look like all one thing, and it's only reinforced my need to spend some time pretty damn far away.
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Sorry I missed you in New York, hope to see you on the next trip, which will be in much less than another year.
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But yeah, as much as this has been gruelling I just reread everything I've written here and on paper about it, and I have to say, this has been a pretty astounding experience so far, filled with the type of people it is somewhat hard to convey the reality of.
For example, I neglected to mention the trucker woman had her white hair clipped back with a clip with white netting on it, the netting, which covered most of her hair was flecked with tiny red, blue and green beads.
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I didn't actually tell anyone I was coming in. I wasn't sure until the last minute that I could make it without freaking out, and I knew it would have to be highly subdued if I did.
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I'm meeting with the German porno-photographer tomorrow morning and she sounds just lovely, I'm excited!!
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For the masses, I'm not going to do any German porn. But I may assist with makeup.
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And they've food and treats under the counter with the toaster, but be careful with the treats as they will try to steal the whole bag and/or bite your hand off.
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Mostly, I remained shocked that all of Tennessee looks like upstate New York
Welcome to Texas!
Re: Welcome to Texas!
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I must admit being highly puzzled by your mention of the "Saturday is the Lord's Day; Sunday Laws are the Mark of the Beast" sign, do you have any idea what fringe sect is behind that?
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I also apparently missed the billboard for the Texas secessionist society.