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epistle log 12elve
omaha
so i was driving home (louisville) with marie after the last final had been frantically written and the last cigar smoked and the last person moved out and the last goodbye spoken and she commented on the detour how quickly this trip in particular had gone and how wouldn't it be fun if i could accompany her all the way back to her home (omaha). little did she know of the dangers of mentioning such things to me: i took her seriously and we got home, ate wonderful greek food (pita delights) and considered it. the next either of us knew she had booked me a return flight and had received approval from my parents. the next day we were off at noon and began our trip, taking all possible scenic routes. after settling into the idea of being together for a week, we also took the scenic routes of conversation, myself doing a good share of the talking, taking pictures from a moving vehicle and talking of everything. verbal catharsis for me, and a learning experience for me (after the first day on the road she came to the conclusion that i was a very very troubled little boy). the trip was good for me, so when we reached omaha i felt cleansed. while in omaha a life separate from any other of mine was born and died, all in the space of a few days: eggplant parmesan and neruda at sunset in iowa, chapped lips and my great grandmother, my brother's love life at steak 'n shake, penguins on the other side of a fish eye, indoor rain forest and fishnet aviary, my debit card accepted at every ATM in nebraska, and the cute hippychick at the pizza place who couldn't make the cooks get our order right (we tipped well anyway), movies about train rides in vienna and little bed wetting french boys who collect stamps, tortoise and the enkendels in the import section in omaha and hearing the new trans am being enjoyed by a goth chick at the record store, student art i could appreciate and applying for a credit card at o'hare. this life was good to me, and is over now. we'll always have paris, though. or is it vienna? hmmmmmm.
05|11|98