The Austrailian

Looking back, this man seems to be too good to be true. He was real, though, and I wish I remembered more of the talks.

He was a trucker, making a haul to California, the last leg of a long trip. The day he picked me up was his birthday and he wanted company. He got it, too. I was treated that night to dinner and a shower at an Auto 76 truck stop. (There used to be quite a few of these places and they were very nice and big!) We even had drinks and danced at a bar close by, to celebrate his "forty something" birthday. We parked there all night and carried on the next morning, across Wyoming.

Wyoming is hugh to drive across, and I remember the wind. At one point we had a motorcycle in front of us and he was literally riding sideways in the wind. During this time, Casey offered to teach me to drive, but for some reason I said no. I cannot remember where, but we spent a second night together and the next day we came into Oregon.

By this time I had decided to head toward Eugene, Oregon, where my sister, Karen, lived. Early in the morning that we came into Oregon we stopped at a truck stop just to go to the restroom, but I had been in the back asleep. I woke up when we stopped, and after Casey had gone in, I went in too. I left my bag in the truck, planning on running in and out. Much to my dismay I came out in time to see Casey pulling onto the freeway!

Of course I freaked, but I had the sense to go to a trucker that was just getting ready to leave. I told him what had happened and begged a ride with him to see if I could catch up to Casey. We didn't catch up to him, but got him on the radio. He thought I was still in the back asleep all that time, and was very upset. The problem was compounded by the fact we were going through a mountian pass with nowhere to stop. It was even hard to talk on the radio...

At one point we went through a weigh station, and I had to ride in the sleeper due to the truckers' company policy. I had lost Casey and my bag, but we did get each other on the radio one more time to say goodbye. Also, to learn that Casey had left my bag on the side of the station, thinking we'd see it, but with me in the back we passed it. It would have been hard to miss, it was just a skate case and orange and white. Oh well..

When this ride came to an end it was a Sunday morning out in the middle of nowhere, eastern Oregon. Almost no traffic, just a Huddle House. I was tired and covered with road grime by the time a fancy Corvette approached. I knew he wouldn't stop, so I didn't even turn around when he passed, at first. When I did look much to my surprise, the 'vette was backing up to me! That began what turned out to be my last ride, with an Asian man in a show room Corvette, and what a ride!

Peace