May 13- Day 37

It's weird how in a matter of minutes one conversation with a used car salesman expanded into another with a Carnie (carnival huckster), then a mother and a little chubby kid and the woman working the donut counter who joined in, and then diverged and remerged. Very strange, weird and wonderful.

I later had a chat with another trucker. An independent. It's amazing how much they remind me of Han Solo. This guy talks to me about the hardships involved in trucking, the restrictions and the lifestyle. He tells me about his dream about being well off enough that he can pick and choose his cargo, so that if he wants to go to California he can just take a load down there and stay for two weeks in a rig that's converted to be as comfortable as a Winabego.

Both this guy and the one before had one thing in common. They suggested if I wanted a really good story I should spend some time with truckers. Hop from one to another and see North America that way. You know what? That sounds like a great idea for a future book! It's a dying way of life, and a surprisingly essential one, to hear it from them. 80% of truckers are 50 or older, said the first one. Not much young blood getting into the game. If this project goes well, this might very well be my next one.

The trucker also recommended the States route, since it is shorter and flatter than the northern route. Who am I to argue?

I got the article done. Just in time. The shakes are starting to set in. At this point I know my creative writing abilities are going to go sharply downhill. Me no write good no more now.

Augh! What have I done? I just bought a bag of day old donuts for $2.50! I suppose this will be breakfast lunch and dinner for tomorrow. I doubt I'll want to see a donut again after that... (still, it is a good price!) No coffee now. Just chocolate milk.

Planning a route out of Manitoba. There is two, the #1, and the #15 (turning to #44). This route is slightly longer, but no doubt more scenic.

Still raining. Not hard, but constant. Three more days of this??? Must do some weather research and figure out the odds.

I got the attendant at the gas station next door (who was at the donut shop earlier and part of the meandering conversation) to let me use her phone. I gave her my King George penny, since she collects them, as payment.

Unfortunately it didn't work. Have to try again later. But we did chat about the gang problem here, the origin of AIDS and other topics of interest to her. She has what I like to call a "semi-educated" opinion. The kind where they have an interest in a topic, listens to theories until they find one they like, and adopt it, end of discussion.

For example. She feels the gang problem is being ignored by the government in Manitoba and Ottawa because gangs here are mostly indian. She claims that the government thinks if they do nothing, the youth will kill each other off and there won't be as strong a movement to push for land claims down the road.

First off, I only believe the Chinese government of being capable of such forethought of action (taking Tibet and the Dali Lama situation into consideration). The idea that the Canadian government could plan for even twenty years in the future seems highly dubious. But she made the claim that instead of 2 million indians being around to make land claims there would only be half a million. So I asked if she was sure about that, that a million and a half indians would be killed in fifty years in gang related incidents, and she said yes.

Using the calculator I came up with this: 82 indians would have to be killed each and every day in gang related incidents for that number to work out. Kinda unlikely. Now, let's put a more realistic number in use. Last week 2 indians were killed in gang related incidents, let's call that an average. That's 104 a year, or 5200 in fifty. Even if it were 2 a day that would only be 36,400. Not much of a dent in the indian population. But I doubt this would sway her opinion one bit. So be it. To argue with her would only make her sour, and I'm crossing the country to make friends, not enemies.

I can't believe I'm making this much sense at four in the morning! Of course, it probably only sounds like it to me right now. You're all probably reading insane rambling and gibberish.

Reading The Time Machine and eating a submarine sandwich. A bit chilled from the AC, but not wet or cold at least. Could use some hot soup, but it isn't made for another four hours.

Once again I see the slight purple-blue of twilight, this time amidst the drizzling rain.

Dawn. More rain. The news says rain all week. ALL WEEK??? What is the point of exploring Winnipeg in the rain? I feel trapped now. If I had known the weather would be like this, I would have stopped well short of town and set up camp until the weather passed. I have more than enough to read and write about.

An interesting point. During the evening, my bike attracts the attention of all passing by the donut shop. During the morning it scarcely gathers a second look (though there are exceptions).

It's 11. I've got my room arranged and my bike secured. I mailed off my film and tapes and stuff to Gillian and I took my bike for an inspection. From the sound of the mechanic's voice, I don't think it needed any work, so I didn't do it. In Windsor I'll reconsider.

Nearly lost my wallet due to sleepyheaded absentmindedness. Fell down the stairs in the hostel as well. Sheesh. Went to the main mall here, and am currently having a Manchu Wok meal of honey garlic chicken, fried rice, and mixed vegetables. Good mix, and it should fill me up.

The Robin's Donuts was several klicks away from downtown, so it took me a while to actually get there. On the way I passed a city police station and guess what? Add a local cop to the list! He is a good contrast to the RCMP guy, who was a veteran. This guy is new. They have differing ideas in a lot of ways, and similar ones as well. Perfect.

Looks like heavy rain tomorrow, so I think I'll spend another day here. My funds however are quite low, so it looks like I'll have to beg much sooner than I expected. Rats.

I'll be spending the day mall crawling, I think. It's raining out quite a bit. This is not good for my morale.

Got a fortune cookie with my meal. It says: You are never bitter, deceptive or petty. Answer just what your heart prompts you.

Why couldn't have been something like: Pssst, take the States route to Ontario, you'll avoid a big rain storm if you do!

I'm spending way too much money on fast food. That will stop now. Have to stock up on long term provisions. Need new audio tapes. Need more film. Need to find place that will let me hook up to internet.

Tried and failed to hook up at a Roger's phone center, something wrong with the connection. Lost my stylus (the pen used to interact with the computer screen) Damn! I've already got phantom-pen-syndrom, tapping the side of the computer out of habit to release a pen that is no longer there.

Manitoba street lights are the same as Ontario, reaffirming the "blending" nature of Saskatchewan.

Took a four hour nap. See no point in staying awake when it's so gloomy and rainy out. Watched a movie in the living room: Enemy Of The State, and basically hung around. This place is packed. I'm glad I got a room when I did. Drank iced tea and am now writing again. It's strange to think that I'll be spending another day here after this. But looking outside at this miserable weather, I'm glad for it. Still, if I had been in the county, I would have just set up my tent until the weather passed.

But would I have? I mean, without knowing if it was going to persist or not, I probably would have packed up at the first break in the weather and got drenched again.

I just hope the weather is nicer as I go through the states. I'll be going south a bit, so it should at least get warmer.

There is another trans-Canada cyclist here, his bike broke down and he had to take a bus here to get it fixed. His partner will catch up with him in a couple days. He's from America, sounds like his voice is changing (but too old for that to be true) and while friendly, not exceptionally talkative.

There is a whole other world going on in here. A team going from North to South pole is staying here tonight ("Challenge to Change" at www.pole2pole2000.com),, a large group of Australians are here together some young Asian tourists, and a very old retired couple who take this whole thing in stride (later I found out why: They've backpacked all over the world, and have bicycle toured across Europe and Africa for three and a half years!) Four young women run the place at one time or another, and agreed to let me use their phone line tonight. Hopefully I'll get internet access yet! It's funny how cut off from everyone I feel without having this access, it's as if the trip has stopped for everyone that's riding along with me in cyberspace.

I feel like I've lost direction in all this. What is the point? Once I knew, but it just seems like so much romantic drivel now. Indiana Jones looks cool, but he enjoys the bruises he gets as little as anyone else. Does he look at himself in the mirror and think "God, I'm cool"? Well, maybe a little.

Studying my trip. Not sure which route to take to the border, scenic or faster. I suppose the weather will play a factor. I'm almost convinced to take the US route to Sault St. Marie. I'm definitely convinced that I'll be taking the shortest possible route through Newfoundland by taking a summer ferry that's much closer to St. John's. That will shave off several hundred miles! It's not cheating, dammit! It's just efficient!

I also found Queenstown on the map, just above Niagra Falls. So after Windsor, I'll swing by that way, see the falls, visit our old house, and onto St. Catharines. Between Kingston and Toronto I don't want to deal with traffic, and the GO train allows bikes, so it looks like I'll be getting another lift (interview engineer?), possibly all the way to Jason's neck of the woods. From Jason and Mel's place, it's onto Ottawa, though I haven't thought about which route to take. I doubt there will be much choice, but if there is, Wyatt has to be a part of the decision making.

Looking at a relief map of Manitoba, I confirmed what I suspected all along. I've been going downhill for the past couple days. Very slight, but it helped me make good tem despite the headwind. Leaving here, however, will be slightly uphill, so I'll probably only make it to the Ontario border when I leave. That's fine with me. It's a large provincial park in that area, so I'm more than happy to stay there. It's bear territory again, so the food will have to be kept a fair distance from me. I also noticed the #1 takes and easier route through the elevations, so that makes up my mind.

Damn those donuts from yesterday. Never again! There's three left, I refuse to eat them!

May 14- Day 38

Okay, so I finished off the donuts for breakfast. But never again! I seriously need to go shopping for the next long stretch of travel. I'm down to GORP, a few cereal bars, and an orange. Not good.

Still no luck on the internet, I think part of it is dad's server is having problems with his account, but I would have thought that would be fixed by n ow. Also, I seem to be having trouble even getting a dial tone, it might have to do with the phone cord I used so I'm going to try with a different one.

Went to the Safeway and stocked up on provisions. Chewy granola bars, lots of canned pasta, jerky, gatoraid, canned tuna, some single serving instant mashed potatoes for when I pass a gas station (they usually have boiling water), and added Glossettes to the GORP Got a super absorbent cloth to dry off the tent in case I get rain upon a lot through Ontario, and will cut off part of it to clean the chain with regularly for mud and dirt.

Got the modem working properly, but now I'm certain the account is down. Rats! The update will have to wait, I fear.

Not much to do today but relax, maybe watch a film or two (they have videos here), dry my tent and bags and stuff, and pack for tomorrow.

I interviewed the Vice Principal of a local inner city high school. Couldn't pass that opportunity up, and I might as well make my stay here useful. Tempted to go for another church for a more stereotypical priest, but I'll save that for Montreal, where Quebec and Catholic go hand in hand.

I read more of The Time Machine, and will probably finish it tonight. Welles is an eXTREMELY interesting writer, not just his stories, but his ideas are fascinating.

I found out what was wrong with the internet thingy. The password has been reset. I'll have to call Tracy tonight and work it out with her. Hope that goes well.

I'm sitting in the basement, drying what needs to be dried and having just finished reading The Time Machine (somber but excellent story), and there a bunch of signs about rules and costs and times for this and that, except for one. On one wall I notice there is a small poster with a fort at sunset in the background and two cannons in front. In the orange sky is the faint drawing of a British soldier firing a musket. It's for St. John's, Newfoundland...

"The City of Legends"

I can't believe my lousy luck, but what else should I have expected? When I signed up for two nights here, the forecast was rain rain rain until this evening.

Guess what?

But to be fair, I do see dark clouds to the west, so maybe we haven't seen the last of this foul weather. I'll do another check of the weather network website tonight (for all the good it will do me) and act accordingly.

Saw another film, The Thomas Crown Affair. Not bad, the robbery aspects of it were what was most clever and enjoyable about it, however.

Looks like internet is out. AT&T needs dad to reconfirm something or other and that is taking forever. So you'll be reading this rather late, I fear.