meet gina

there's a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road. what's this? an overlook? i pull over. get out. take a peek. can see the hoover dam from here. looks cool. like a futuristic city. i take a couple pictures...

there's a gift shop nearby. i go inside. find a few cheap & cheezy gifts for some friends. that have since been lost. the gifts, not the friends.

standing at the register now. to pay for my goods. cashier is in back. applying make-up. talking on the phone. taking her time. a long time... not that i mind though. i don't have a tight schedule to adhere to these days.

she eventually comes out. apologizes. rings me up...

she seems pretty cool. easy going. or lazy, whichever you prefer. probably about 30. dressed hip. yet a little trashy. definitely a beer drinker. can see it in her eyes... and waistline. obviously, someone who must have valuable information pertaining to me and my adventures. which equates to - bar, coffee, party, sex, bathroom, shower, bed... and maybe a mechanic. so, i start asking her some questions...

"do you know anything about boulder city (the next town ahead)? i might be spending the nite there..."

"yeah, i live there! there's this really cool bar that i work at called (???). you should check it out. except... i don't work there tonite. so, actually, don't go there."

"okay?"

"wait, what brings you out here?"

"passing thru... travelling the country... living in my car... staying at truckstops and walmarts mostly..." - i've said, written, and you've read this phrase - a million times now. let's come up with an abbreviated code word for it. hmm... first letter of each word spells - PTTTCLIMCSATAWM. that somehow makes me think of potato-climate-sasquatch-man?! that's our new code word! let's continue...

she changes the subject.

"there's some great trails and mountains in boulder city... are you into biking?"

"uh..." i hesitate. thinking of how to answer such a deep and personal question...

(in jamie brain) how shall i answer...? i'm not morally opposed to BIKING, per say. why, just the other day i saw a guy riding his bike on the street... i felt no ill will towards the man. but i haven't owned a bicycle since... 1996?! can that be right? and i haven't really riden one since... well, 1996. except for those 2 minutes in columbia, mo... that was painful. don't think my balls were properly adjusted prior to sitting. so, i guess the answer is YES... and... NO. why don't we try this instead... (out of jamie brain)

"uh... i don't have one (a bike) with me." good answer, good answer...

"well you can rent one. i know some guys who own this bike shop..." shit! it didn't stop her. how about...?

"well, i'm only gonna be here a nite, if that. so..."

"yeah, ok..." yes, i win!

"do you know people in boulder city? do you have a place to stay?"

"nope."

"well, if you want, one of the guys at the bike shop is a good friend of mine. he and some buddies are camping up in the mountains tonite. they're really cool. you should go with them." hmm... that actually sounds really good.

i verbalize my thoughts...

"hmm... that actually sounds really good. it would be a nice change of pace from all the walmarts and truck stops."

"well, why don't i give you my number? if you decide to stay in town, give me a call. we can all meet up. sit around a campfire and drink some beers together?" i knew it! beer drinker!

"yeah, that's sounds great."

we exchange numbers.

"by the way, i'm gina."

"thank you so much gina. i'm jamie. i'll give you a call..."

i leave the store. drive off to hoover dam-nations. dreaming of my new-found drinking buddy.