August 22

Nuts! I had set my alarm to 7:00 for a radio interview, but it was really at 7:45, not 7:15, and I could have used those 30 minutes of sleep. I reshoot some more stores then give the interview. On the way to Ballard I remember to stop at the Phinney Ridge store to see if the decor was still as cool as I kept saying it was in my interviews. For some reason it just didn't seem as charming as the first time I visited, and I had gotten some details wrong, like that it did not have mirrors, and a regular condiment bar, not a dresser. I was confusing it with 15th and Fremont down in Portland.

When I mentioned that I had been promoting the store, one of the partners guessed that I was "the guy", and they hooked me up with the juice to go with a sandwich from yesterday and some chips. The sandwich was a day old, but at least I was able to heat it at the AM/PM on Aurora where I found some cheap gas.

I was hoping to catch one or two of the indie films I had been wanting to see for weeks, Seattle having a plethora of art houses. I asked some guy if I could glance at his paper, and he said sure as long as I returned it. But it was Thursday's paper, and I was looking for Friday's. But today was Thursday, and I was just confused. I had somehow gotten a day off.

I stuck around to relax a bit and "enjoy" my sandwich and read a few more pages of the new Tom Clancy, but I had to be polite and chat with the same older gentleman whose paper I borrowed about traveling and such. I didn't really want to talk to the old guy, but what are you gonna do?

On the way to the relocated Magnolia store, where I had to have a coffee "again" just for completeness, I passed a library, which didn't open 'til 10:00 AM. After visiting the store and sending off a bill at the post office across the street, I returned to the library to see if they had Internet access, and they did, but they required a library card.

Tired of lamenting how I had worked in Redmond for Microsoft for six months and never been to the top of the Space Needle, I finally went, deciding despite my tight budget to spring for the $12 ticket. Plus, I really felt that I should take the time to go up there before terrorists destroyed it. I also had to have some beignets, but I passed on the fresh squeezed OJ and just bought some Odwalla at the Starbucks with my card. The partner who had been filling in at the Westlake Kiosk was there and recognized me. She acknowledged that it was hard to get a good photo of that store that included much of the Space Needle, because of the angle. Anyway, the view from the observation deck of the Space Needle was, in my opinion, worth the money.

Matthew (or Mark), the former owner of the beignet stand, had recently left, so I never got to say goodbye. I had been a regular back when I worked in the area, making the trip across the lake just for the beignets.

I went back to Online Coffee, but didn't have much time on the computer before heading up to the U-District to the Metro to see "The Good Girl". Jennifer Aniston did a decent job, in my opinion. Afterwards, I thought about seeing the end of "Sunshine State", that I had left back in Florida because I was too tired and it ran longer than two hours, but I wanted to cross the bridge to the East Side before the traffic got heavy.

As soon as I got across the bridge and into Redmond, to pick up my batteries at Kinkos, I got a craving for a biscuit, but I arrived at the Brown Bag at 3:02 and for being two minutes late she wouldn't sell me a to-go order.

Finally, an e-mail response from a recruiter--that's been rare since I started looking this time around.

Got a shower in at 24-Hour, but since I still hadn't managed to find a convenient place to do laundry I just stuck with the clothes I had. Hey, at least a shower is better than nothing, right?

I had some mediocre pizza a the Starbucks (Cafe) in Bellevue Square. The manager there told me that eventually all the cafes would be closed. I won't shed a tear. I think Starbucks should stick to coffee.

I stopped at the nearby Starbucks next to a Barnes & Noble, where I used to hang out when I worked in Redmond, to say hello to anyone that was till there, and two partners still were. The parking lot now had a gate, and they were still charging, except for with a purchase, so I had to make a u-turn after getting a ticket. The attendant first said $5, but when I looked at him with the evil eye, like I can't believe you're even thinking of charging me for simply turning around, he said I could go. I was prepared to just sit there until he opened the gate--no way was I paying $5 for not parking.

Still looking for a Best Buy to buy "Easy", the new Kelly Willis, and I spotted a Best Buy across the way, and had to ask a few people before I figure out how to get to it, only to discover it had not yet opened for business.

Earlier I had seen a schedule for the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival, to begin next week, and Kelly Willis was scheduled to play, and I was disapointed that I could not stick around that long.

At the Westwood Village store, the manager was pretty stoked that I was there, as he had worked at one of the cooler stores in Boston, on Tremont St., and had seen my photo and comments about his store on my site. Then a customer overheard our discussion, and it turns out he was a radio personality, Ichabod Caine on KMPS, and he gave me his # and told me to call early in the morning.

Finally I found a Best Buy and bought "Easy". I'd been waiting for this disc for years and years, ever since I listened to her previous album, "What I Deserve" and become a die-hard fan.

The paper must have been wrong about the time, and so I spent too much time at Online Coffee and missed the first 15 minutes of "Lovely and Amazing". After the movie, I asked a girl sitting in the same row what happened, and she said not much, and then asked me what I thought, and so I used that as an opportunity to chat with her as we walked out. But when I mentioned that I was just passing through the area, I think she lost interest in talking to me.

I went back to Online Coffee 'til it closed at midnight, and then I drove towards Silverdale. I hit some construction (t's after midnight!), and I am just too tired to fight the traffic, so I take the next exit and pull into some parking lot and crash hard.


August 21

After being up pretty late, woke up later than usual, but the morning was lousy for reshoots anyway. At Staples I was able to by a foam board for $5 and one of the employees was really helpful and let me have some double-sided tape and helped me mount the poster of my article onto the foam board. Then I pondered how to stand it up, and thought of using my tripod, and a few paper clips and rubber bands to hold the thing in place.

I worked my way around to the East Side for more reshoots and a handful of new stores, not very many since December, surprising for Seattle. As I left the Juanita store, which had moved across the street, to a much nicer structure, I heard on the radio about a bank robbery at a Washington Mutual bank in the Totem Lake neighborhood, which I had just passed, and would pass again on the way to Redmond. Needless to say, I hauled ass to try and find the scene. I had to ask a few people where the bank was, but I finally found it and the crowds of people, TV news crews, and police. I snapped a few photos and then it occurred to me to give my article to the different news channels. Nothing ever came of those.

Continued on towards the new Redmond store and remembered the Brown Bag Cafe, where a hostess named Brooklyn had worked back when I was a Microsoft. After getting directions from a local (as my memory after two years was fuzzy), I discovered that Brooklyn no longer worked there, but that the biscuits were still excellent. At the new Redmond store, the partner on duty, and older lady, seemed thoroughly unimpressed. I ask her to tell them manager, who doesn't bother to come out to meet me and says she is unsure what I wanted. So I tell the partner I just want a coffee, and she says okay and that I should have just gotten to the point. No OJ, so I stop at a store down the street. No dearth of stores in the area, about five or so. Swapped batteries out at Kinko's and head towards Seattle to meet the reporter from the Seattle Times.

Traffic is slow on the bridge, and I worry I won't make it in time. The sun decides to come out, making me wish I had waited to reshoot those photos. I arrive at the Westlake location right around noon and after finding parking I get a call from Jake as I walk down the street. He starts the interview while we wait for the photographer to show up. She's also delayed in traffic. Once she arrives, I go down to the kiosk with Jake and give my speal to the partner on duty, and chat with her for a while. Jake disappears, because he had followed a customer who overheard me giving my spiel, to get a quote for his story. The photographer does her thing, and then Jake finishes the interview.

I set up my posterboard, put $2 for parking, the max, in the meter, and proceed to solicit donations for the next two hours, to the puzzlement of the Greenpeace reps who are doing their thing. It's fun to people watch, observe there reactions, explain myself to a few people, talk to some weirdos, but I only bring in 2.75, plus $1 from the photographer. Minus the parking, that's a lousy take.

I head to the Pacific First location, and am puzzled because both locations in the building look familiar. Actually, there is a third, which I am sure I had visited. Later on I discover that what happened was that both City Centre locations had one listing on the web site, and then they got two listings. One fewer store for me to visit.

When I checked my mail earlier I had a message from a company that compiles information about shopping centers, asking if I would be interested in doing some field research for them, since I was traveling and visiting shopping centers anyhow. I called up the guy and we chatted, and he said he would have his boss send me info, but as of this writing they never did. Probably because I said that I was interested, but that it depended on how much time it would take away from my project.

I get a call from somebody at the Starbucks corporate offices who had been in touch earlier, about a tour. I had just visited the Queen Anne store, so I wasn't too far, and it only took me about 30 minutes to get down to headquarters. They were pretty cool, giving me a tour of the facilities, some goodies, and some food!!! The offices are pretty cool, in an old Sears distribution warehouse or something like that. The board displaying the current store totals by country was particular interesting to me. Didn't run into Howard Schultz or Orrin Smith, however.

I reshoot stores until sunset, by which time I am starving. I have that food from Starbucks, but my heart was set on soul food, preferrably Ms. Helens, if she opened back up after the earthquake, but if not, Thompson's Point of View. Ms. Helens was still closes, and at Thompson's I was told that she had retired. But that's okay--Thompson's had excellent meat loaf, red beans, rice, mashed potatoes, and excellent, excellent corn bread, almost as big around as a small pancake. I didn't quite finish, but it was totally worth the money.

I head down to a Capitol Hill Internet cate, Online Coffee, to update my site, but I tired quickly, and change my plans to see "Lovely and Amazing". Drive up Aurora to a dark corner of a Home Depot to sleep.


August 20

By 5:00 AM, there is enough light to wake me, and for me to start driving down towards Kelowna. I had planned on skipping it last night because I was running out of time, but since I stayed the night in the area I might as well pick it up. I wasn't quite awake yet when I started driving, but taking a curve a little too fast woke me up right quick and reminded me of why I had pulled over last night.

I get stuck in a construction zone outside Enderly. I hadn't realized there was a flagger and was about to pass the stopped truck when I saw him waving the stop sign. Then he came walking down to my car and others down the line, yelling "No passing in a construction zone!". Fortunately the delay was not too long.

As it was, I had plenty of time, because the kiosk inside the Orchard Park mall did not open until 8:00 AM. I was a little puzzled at first as to whether I had already visited the Chapters location outside. After 3000 some stores, my memory is getting a little fuzzy. But the barista confirmed that it was indeed open when I was last in eastern BC, so I must have visited it.

I visit the Bernard and Pandosy store then reshoot several other stores with the time available. I look for a hearty breakfast. But the menu at JP's Pancake House looks unspectacular. The menu at some Dutch place looks much better, and I am curious to try their big-ass pancakes, but it is just too expensive. And at Tim Horton's, the oven is broken so they don't have fresh muffins.

So by that time, the kiosk has opened, so I find my way into the mall. The partner there is going to charge me for the coffee, but she asks whether other stores had been giving me the coffee, and I explain that only a few have charged me, so she goes ahead and gives me the coffee. The fact that the other partner had heard of my project probably helped grease the wheels.

I stop at Tim Horton's in Vernon and get my muffin, then reshoot that store and get some juice. Just for grins, I mention the Texan that is visiting all the Starbucks. The barista doesn't realize it is me, but she expresses surprised when, after buying an OJ to go with my muffin, my Starbucks card balance is $760, and I explain that Howard Behar had loaded it up for me, as I was the Texan.

One cool thing about these Canadian highways is that they have informational signs listing the dial positions of the local radio stations. I notice that the CBC has some pretty high dial positions in areas, like 102.7, in contrast with public radio in the U.S. which usually has low dial positions, with some notable exceptions in cities like Seattle and New York.

On the way to Kamloops now and need to gas up, but there is a problem with my credit card, so I use my debit card. I try to call to find out what the problem is, but I had let the charge on the phone dip too low and it keeps turning off even while plugged in.

On account of that financial issue, I change my mind about taking 99 to Whistler and decide head straight to Vancouver. Reshoot a couple of Kamloops stores and then visit the new one at Chapters. No computers to check e-mail.

I need to be back in the states by 7:00 to do an interview, so I take the toll road and hope it's not too expensive. But it is, at $10 Canadian steeper than I had expected. A car blazes past me and I have trouble keeping up, not being able to go as fast on the hills. And then downhill my car hits almost 120 MPH when I realize that the T-rated tire I got on Long Island might not be able to handle that speed safely and I slow down. Then the road narrows to two lanes, I can't pass up the cars ahead of me, and Mr. Speedy loses me.

A construction zone outside Chilliwack gives me a chance to do some reading. I hear on the radio about an explosion in downtown Calgary, where I had been the previous day. It doesn't sound like there was anyone hurt, but since they closed off the area, it would have cost me some time had I been a day later.

THE NEW KELLY WILLIS ALBUM HAS COME OUT, AND I NEED TO GET BACK IN THE STATES SO I CAN BUY IT AT BEST BUY!!!

At Como Lake the partner at the counter is unenthusiastic but the manager is more receptive to my project.

I wanted to stop at Pinetree Village and figure out why it was on my list when I remember visiting it, but I headed the wrong way on Loughheed highway and said fuck it.

I figure out, though, what happened with Caulfield Village relocation. It had moved two stores down, so I had coffee again for completeness.

At Park Royal they have me sign a cup.

I find an internet cafe but don't spend much time, which is good, because I get slammed with traffic on the way out of the city, with a couple more stores. I buy some gas and a burger to use up the rest of my currency, and later discover I still had 11 cents. I made it to the border right around 7:15 and barely got my Sprint PCS signal, which I lost when I went into the customs building to turn in my form. I made the agent nervous by holding up the phone to try and get better reception while I waited. But I got the call and went back to the car to do the interview with WNYC. Then turned in my form and the agent watched me get into my car to make sure I didn't walk back into Canada. I stop before getting into the U.S. customs light to listen to the end of "As It Happens" on the CBC. Some lady asks to use my phone to call a friend who is meeting her. She explains her car had broken down in Canada.

I cleared U.S. border after presenting all my documents, including passport and birth certificate, and answering some questions.

On the way down to Seattle I noticed my dash light was dim, so I tapped the dash, and to my surprise it actually fixed the problem.

By the time I get down to the Seattle area, the only store that's open is the Shoreline store. Then I head to the 24-Hour Fitness minutes away, craving a shower, only to discover their showers were broken until 5:00 AM. So I headed to the Kirkland location, but stopped at Kinko's first and the guy on duty was able to enlarge the NY Post article after I composed it in Word and printed it to a PDF format. It was just a matter of printing the thing, $3. Cheaper than having it mounted, and this guy didn't make me deal with the copyright issues, although I finally did get my permissions from the various media outlets.

That $48 authorization is still active on my Capital One card, so no funds there.

Just parked outside the Kinko's for sleep.


August 19

I didn't wake until 6:15, so I blew my chance to arrive in Calgary before the rush hour, but at least the traffic wasn't too heavy for the next couple of hours. I would just have to change my route, and visit the stores up north until the rush hour passed and then head downtown.

I had a troubling dream that TV producers had seen my "Early Show" appearance and decided that I was lousy on camera and decided not to have me on Letterman.

Around Red Deer I pass what they called a gasoline alley. I craned my neck to try and spot the prices, noticed they were slightly higher than Edmonton, and stopped to gas up before the even higher prices I expected in Calgary. I was hoping it would be enough to get me to BC.

One annoying thing about most of the Canadian pumps is that they don't allow you to lock the handle in place so that the pumping can finish while you go to the washroom.

The partners at Panorama were quite friendly and offered me some coffee, but as it would remain in the hot car for weeks, I asked for a juice instead, to go with the breakfast biscuit I intended to get a Burger King. But when I pulled in, I discovered they did not have biscuits up here, but instead English muffins, so I passed.

The attendant at Kinko's was very brusk, so I didn't even bother to ask her about having my article blown up. This idea had occurred to me about a week earlier, to enlarge one of my articles, mount it on foam board, and stand in a populated area soliciting donations. Anyway, this lady estimated 5 minutes of computer time instead of grabbing the invoice, and she looked irritated when I insisted on the invoice, which only showed four minutes. It's easy for someone with a job to pooh-pooh at a 35-cent savings.

The 16th St. Starbucks looked more like an American location than most of the Canadian locations I had seen. The partner said it was built in an old bagel shop, which prompted me to ask for a good bagel place. There was one down 10th, but they did not take Visa or American currency, so I could not buy the sandwich, but instead just settled for a plain bagel. It was good, though. Sweet.

Four stores downtown, and four shots of espresso in rapid succession. I found a free 25 minutes on the meter, but I had to wait for the manager of the second locatio, and my time was used up, so I had to pay for parking for the next two, just two streets up.

The manager at the second location seemed awful interested when he read in my article about the photographs of the site, asking if it was up and running, and askingif I had my camera and offering to photograph me in front of the store. He still offered me a shot, and then found a disposable in the back to take a photo of himself with me. Nevertheless, I got the sense that maybe he was intending to (probably illegally) confiscate the camera, as the manager of a location in Berkley had threatened to do last year, before I was introducing myself and my project. But my camera was back in the car, so I didn't have to deal with turning down his offer.

The four shots already had me buzzing, and then half-coffees at five more stores, with just that bagel, really had me going. For some reason I was craving soup with noodles and rice, but when I passed an Italian restaurant offering a lunch special (Sun-Tues) for 5.95, I had to go for that. Very reasonable price for excellent spaghetti. It filled me up and had me sluggish. It made me feel slow, kind of like Billy Bob Thorton's character from "Sling Blade". I kept thinking "Hmmm... biscuits."

I found an Internet Cafe that was actually where the address I pulled off the Internet said it would be. Checked mail and sent off some resumes, but did not have time to update my log as I wanted to beat the rush hour out of Calgary, and I still had one store to go.

I too the TC west towards Kamloops. As I was leaving my friend Dawn called to remind me she was leaving for San Diego tomorrow afternoon, which I had forgotten. I wouldn't be able to visit her until I headed straight for Seattle, and I thought about it, but I would be passing up a ton of Starbucks for only a few hours visiting, if even that, as I would be exhausted.

The Trans-Canada passed through a national park around Banff, and I was a bit puzzled at first as to how I ended up at the toll plaza. But the attendant explained that, yes, I was still on the TC and that I only needed to pay if I planned to stop before I cleared the park.

The scenery through the park was indeed beautiful as I bumped to Redman. I wasn't supposed to stop, so I should have cleaned off the winshield so I could have taken some photos.

After crossing into BC traffic slowed to a crawl for a while because the trucks had to take the downgrade slow.

I passed a parking area where I could see attendants checking park passes.

Every time we hit a passing lane the dumbasses ahead would not pass fast enough to allow everyone to clear the trucks.

I thought I saw smoke coming from the engine, so I stopped to check it out. Turns out it was only a reflection in my winshield, but upon stopping I noticed a crowded gathered around a family of deer. Further down I saw these rams, which I assume are male, so I was puzzled as to why one was so interested in the other one's rear.

When I reached the junction where I could pick up 97 to Vernon and Kelowna, I decided to bypass Kelowna and head straight to Kamloops. But it started to rain, and it was getting dark, and I was feeling tired, so I pulled into this Lake of the Shuwswap rest area. The "washroom" had no plumbing, more like an outhouse, but at least these BC highways have rest areas instead of simply highway turnouts.


August 18

I woke up around 6:30 with less than 200 miles to go, which meant I would arrive at the about an hour after it opened. But then I remember what the girls at the Esso had told me, that Regina was an hour behind, contrary to what was marked on my map. When I got to the store, they explained that Regina (Saskatchewan?) did not observe daylight saving's time (like Arizona).

I passed a train carrying what appeared to be military equipment--thanks, troops carriers, construction equipment. Who knew that Canada even had an army?

I made good time following a minivan. But we were on a two-lane road, and the fool was not giving me enough space to get back into the lane as we both passed vehicle after vehicle. How inconsiderate! Nor was he signalling. And furthermore, he was using the brakes way too much, because he was not maintaining proper distance or speed on the curves. All in all, I would rather have been following a safer driver. All in all, I arrived at the Starbucks just a few minutes before 8:00 AM.

When I photographed the store, I stepped back to the edge of the parking lot, onto the grass, and all these little grasshoppers hopped and skittered away, as grasshoppers are wont to do.

I asked for directions to a local breakfast place, but the two partners on duty could not suggest anything. So I just went to a Tim Horton's muffin and some fruit and yogurt, though I had really wanted a hearty meal before the 500-mile drive to Edmonton. For the first time that I can remember, I witnessed the trip meter rolling over, as I left Regina.

Gas prices were high all along Albert St. from freeway to freeway, which was unusual. I asked at the Esso station and was told gas prices didn't vary in these parts, and were set by regional or home offices. Unusual.

I didn't eat everything right away, which was good, because not too far along the highway, I passed a place named Gear Jammers. With a name like that, I just had to stop. Didn't even know what town it was--maybe Craik, or maybe Chamberland. Outside the restaurant was a little black dog that really seemed to want in, but knew better. It was simple fare, toast, eggs, bacon, and potatoes. The owner/cook was shorthanded--alone in fact--so I forgave that he buttered my toast without asking.

I had slept from about 10:00 to 6:30 but I was still struggling to stay awake. Not too long after breakfast I stopped to gas up in some town and found some shade next to a truck washing building where I could nap. I got maybe an hour of sleep and then woke suddenly, with a start. Just got a dollars worth of gas to use the restroom.

I reached the junction of TC-1 and Highway 16, and somehow I ended up heading east on 16. Can't understand why. I mean, I saw the multiple signs all reading 16 east to Yorkton. But I couldn't find Yorkton on my map on the way to Edmonton, and this was very puzzling. Because of course it was not on the way too Edmonton. Luckily I had not driven too far when I caught my error and turned around.

An odd pain in my right arm right above the elbow had me a little troubled.

The girls at the Esso station had said that the gas in Alberta was probably cheaper, so I tried to pump just enough to get me across the border, but I cut it so close that I had to stop in Marshall a few miles from the border and pump just enough to get me across. This was a tiny town, with part of the road still unpaved, and the station had the oldest pump I had ever seen. The tank was above ground, next to the pump, and I could hear the motor when I activated the pump. Small though the town might be, they were modern enough to have skating ramps for the kids across the street.

Across the border, when I got to Vermillion, the gas was indeed cheaper, by about 10 cents. I was told it would get more expensive as I approached Edmonton and Alberta. So theoritically I could save the most money by gassing up at every pump along the way? Yeah, right.

I have to hit 110 MPH on some stretches on TC-16 in order to keep up with an asshole in a green Plymouth Voyager. carrying a passenger that threw cups out onto the highway. Here is a photo of the puzzled driver. His license plate is Alberta WTL 455. I would never want to encourage illegal behaviour, but perhaps a long key mark along the side of his van, along with a constructive note, might help teach him and his passengers not to litter the highways.

In Edmonton, I noticed that some stations had gas prices ending in .3 mils, not .9 as is normal.

I did not have a good map of Edmonton, so I was fortunate to see a sign for Sherwood Park that effectively led me straight to the Starbucks, minutes before they closed. A partner there called St. Albert to find out when they closed, and fortunately it was a few hours later, at 8:00, which gave me time. Perhaps she also called other stores, because at High Street I was expected.

At Jasper Gates Square I had a feeling of deja vu. I distinctly remember pulling up to this store three years ago in the evening. I might have been closed, but I can't remember why I wouldn't have visited it the next morning when I visited the other stores. But I checked my site and the store wasn't there. Very strange.

At St. Albert the manager mentioned something about photography, which made me wonder if the partner back at Sherwood Park had called her back to tell her I was taking photographs from outside the store.

After visiting St. Albert, it was still early, and I happened to pass an Internet cafe, Cyber City, while looking for a place for spaghetti. There exchange rate was only 1.25, so I briefly left to try and find a better rate as change from something to eat, but I decided I would end up wasting too much time, plus I wasn't that hungry. So I just went back to the cafe and stayed 'til they closed at 11:00 and was able to install all my software and offload all my photos and process and upload them. But I did end up getting hungry and having a bagel.

By 11:10 I'm on the road to Calgary. I wanted to be downtown by early morning to avoid the rush hour, but I ended up pulling over at a turnout on Highway 2.


August 17

I'M REGISTERED! After having woken up in Grand Forks around 7:00 and rearranged the stuff in my truck to not appear as though I were living in the car, I made it to the border in about an hour, stopping for gas just shy of the border and paying cash to save a few cents per gallon. But this time the border agent wasn't amused by my project, at least not enough to let me pass. I had to wait quite a while for them to figure out what I was up to. They didn't search the car, but they did register me with a document that I had to turn in when I left the country, which had to be by the 21st. So I crossed into Manitoba for the first time.

The weather in Winnipeg was lousy for photography. Later in the day the sun would come out, but I didn't want to revisit the four locations.

My large atlas only covered the U.S., so I didn't have even a small map of Winnipeg, and the map I had of the Starbucks locations didn't cover enough area for me to figure out where I was coming into the city. So I stopped at a motor hotel and a bartender oriented me and pointed me towards the first location, the St. Vitale Chapters. There, the partner confirmed that the four Winnipeg locations where in fact corporate-owned, and that a new location had just opened recently.

I spotted a Wal-Mart and went for a cheap oil change, which after the exchange rate came out to around $15, better than the $25-30 I was seeing in the states. While waiting, an announcement came over the PA about a free paring knife. I went up to register 19 and discovered a lady demontrating a cutting knife supposed to last forever. For listening to the demo, I came away with the free pairing knife, which I hoped would not be confiscated at border. The thought of not declaring it never entered my mind, that being a stupid way to get in trouble, over a free $5 knife. Anyway, I asked the demo lady for the orange juice she had squeezed with the world's smallest juice, and for the orange, but she said the OJ was contaminated with Lysol and the orange would be reused. I was disappointed, and really hungry. This was my third 24 hour stretch without food.

At the Velodrome Chapters location the manager said she thought my project was cool, but did not offer me free coffee, saying the district manager had just spoken to them the previous day about not giving away coffee.

I went downtown to find an Internet café on Portage Avenue, but it was not at the address I had pulled off the web.

Not being in a hurry, I continued on through downtown, picked up Main Street, and took it north towards the Garden City Chapters location, where I got my free coffee, but also bought a scone to stave off the hunger pangs. At this point, I was low enough on cash that I would start using my Starbucks card more and more for food to save my cash.

This Chapters didn't have the computers I was expecting, though, so I had to go back to Velodrome to check my e-mail. But of course the system they had wouldn't let me download and upload files, so I couldn't update my web site. Nor could I check any of my various accounts, because the browser wouldn't take cookies.

I headed west on the Trans-Canada, and reached the highway portion around 4:00, where I was able to make good speed following a Chrysler speeding along at 80+ MPH, which helped keep me awake. I didn't want to nap because then I wouldn't arrive at the Regina store before it closed. One thing about the TC, it has lights, unlike the US interstates.

I stretched out my arms and noticed the car didn't drift, so I tried to see how long it could go, and I got up to 14 seconds with no hands on the wheel.

I appreciated the gray Chrysler for helping me make better time, but I really hated him because some guy in the car threw out a Coke can. I tried to think of what I could do, but there were no troopers to be found along most of the miles of Canadian highway I drove, and I didn't want to spend expensive roaming minutes reporting something that probably wouldn't go anywhere, without proof. Further on down they threw out a box of something, and boy did I want to take a baseball bat to that car.

In Brandon, MB, I stopped at an Esso station that, to my amazement, offered FREE INTERNET on two computers. The two attendants were really nice and let me hang out for several hours (after having tried a ham and cheese biscuit from Tim Horton's because I was just that hungry) and update my web site. I wanted to completely get up to date with my log, but I was just too tired.

I had of course blown my chance to hit Regina before the store closed, so I just drove a little while and stopped at the next town in some parking lot. I had to run the heater, as it had gotten considerably colder. I noticed that every time I got up to go behind the building for diuretic relief fewer and fewer cars passed on the TC, which I found odd, since it was a major highway. I would have expected trucks at least.


August 16

I got up early, but not that early, because I had to wait for enough light to reshoot the Winnetka store, and then a few more in the area. As soon as I got to Renaissance Place in Highland Park, I confirmed what I had already suspected, that I had already visited this store. I couldn't figure out why I would have visited the other two in the area, but not this one. But what I had forgotten was that I left this store without taking the photograph. I realized this back in May, of course, when I returned from my trip and labeled the photos. But I promptly forgot and it stayed on my list of stores to visit. Anyway, I got the photo and moved on to a couple of more reshoots then the last of two new remaining in the area, Sanders Court and then Barrington II, where I made off with a bagel plus the coffee for my efforts. Had to wait quite a while at this busy, busy intersection to get the photo I wanted, but I had a long drive ahead of me to Minneapolis and wasn't in that much of a hurry to start driving.

Doing all these reshoots, I had to wonder what the partners thought when they saw me photographing the store but not going inside. Specifically, I hoped I would not run into issues later with partners claiming that I never really went inside and had coffee, not realizing I had done this on previous trips.

The weather, BTW, was overcast. A lousy morning for photographs.

Instead of I-90 to Madison, took US-14 until it intersection with I-39/90 and then I-94 west towards Minneapolis. I had added a gallon or two of gas back closer to Chicago, just enough to get me across the border, since some guy told me it was cheaper in Wisconsin. Better to wait until I crossed the border to fill up. But I had some miles to go when my fuel light came on, and so I stopped to add another gallon. Actually, I have a 2.1 gallon reserve when the gauge reads empty, so I'm sure I could have made it across the border without stopping, but it's an old car, and why take chances.

On the way, I called the Thunder Bay store in Ontario to doublecheck that it was indeed corporate owned. But I guess either I never had called originally, or I was given incorrect info, because the manager told me that it was a business alliance location. And she had heard of my project, and was disappointed that I would not be visiting. Hated to disappointed, but rules are rules, and gas money is running out. Going straight to Winnipeg from Minneapolis would save me 320 miles, or about $15-20.

My available cash was down to about $300, so I switch to my credit card and thought about asking my mother for an emergency loan to get back, but wanted to wait as long as possible before asking to force me to be thrifty.

I get distracted pulling out of the gas station and lose track of whether I need to turn to remain on US-14. Drive for a while with no highway signs, and finally pull over and ask some guy with a barking dog. He (the guy, not the dog) confirms that I'm still on 14.

Dammit! I only meant to spend a few minutes hopping off and on the interstate in Madison to check my e-mail at Kinko's. But the exit I needed, to E. Washington, was closed, and so I had to take a convoluted right that cost me some time. And the computers did not have express pay, so I lost more time there waiting to log in and out. And then the route back onto the interstate was a mess, and I screwed up and missed the entrance and ended up back on E. Washington, heading towards the Kinko's again. That sucked. I had started the day with plenty of time, but I needed to be in Minneapolis at the City Center Doppio location by 4:00, and so a little time here and a little time there would add up.

Didn't help that I was getting sleepy, and so my 2-hr sleep buffer was slowly whittled away to the point that if I slept, I would miss the stores. And I started getting sleepy.

So I stopped and got a burger so that I could take some Vivarin, which I avoid taking on an empty stomach. Also so I could take my vitamins--the labeling specifies with a meal.

The highway through Wisconsin is packed with state troopers. Several times I think I'm about to get pulled over, but I lucked out.

I make up some time following two suburbans and an older Acura who are weaving in and out of traffic at speeds around 100 MPH. I try to hang back more than 4 seconds, both for safety and to avoid being pulled over, but it makes it hard to keep them from pulling so far away from me that I can't catch up. It's a trade-off. Another problem with the multi-second gap is that other drives don't understand it's for safety, and think it's a gap for them to cut me off in. Some swerve back into their slow lane when I flash my lights, but others I have to go around, which is way more dangerous to both of us than if the other drive would just wait and let the faster vehicle move on ahead.

I knew that Charles M. Schulz had a ranch near Santa Rosa, and I'm sure I had read that he grew up in St. Paul, but I had forgotten. So when I crossed the Minnesota border and stopepd at the welcome center, it was a pleasant surprise to see a display of some celebration that involved 113 statues of Lucy hidden in locations for you to find.

I hit traffic in downtown Minneapolis, and it was a bear finding parking. And to top it off, after all that rushing, the City Center Doppio had decided to close early. I down to the primary City Center location and caught the manager just as she was leaving. But having been there since 5:30 and wanting to go home, she was not very receptive to my project, and of course she wasn't going to offer to open the kiosk back up for me, so I didn't even ask. Very disappointing, since it might be a year or more before I got back to Minneapolis.

Now I hit the rush hour on the way out of the city, I-94 west towards Fargo.

Four weeks after having left my parent's house in Houston along US-59 (to I-10), I reconnected with US-59 again, at exit 61 off I-94.

A friend I met in Dallas who is now in Duluth, Jen, calls saying she had just gotten my message. This was the second time I had passed through the area that we hadn't been able to connect.

I crossed into North Dakota and took I-29 north from Fargo. It began to rain, and I was tired, and it was really really dark, so I hit the first rest area.

I remember a news report a while back about how North Dakota wanted to rename itself to Dakota in order to reduce the perception that it was cold and improve tourism. But I think the real reason for the lower tourism is this arrangement that reads "REFUSE NORTH DAKOTA".

I wake around 3:15 and keep driving, trying to cross the border before traffic gets heavy, but I tire out and stop in Grand Forks and find the parking lot of a Holiday Inn.