The Night Before

It’s the night before I leave for Montana.  In case you don’t know, part of the purpose of this road trip is to go and collect the things that have been sitting in Sheryl’s barn.  Some years ago, Lewis was trying to get his things into Canada, and ran into an existential problem.  First, he was asked to provide an inventory of all goods.  He did, but was told that he needed to provide it in English and in French. He did that, and was told that along with the inventory, he needed to provide original receipts for everything. Since ‘everything’ included the old tv, boxes of books and papers and an ikea desk, he never did end up completing the mission.  The things have been sitting in a barn in Montana since that time.  Now, Sheryl is moving, and she asked what we wanted to do with the things. We toyed with the idea of just leaving everything, but there are artworks, papers, personal things – letters, documents…

I’m on my way to South Dakota, so we decided that I would go to Montana since it’s not that much further.  Lewis is off to Hungary, and since I am not going there, it seemed like a much better idea than sitting around here.

The main point of the trip is different. For some years now, we have been trying to meet up with Rebecca. First, because there is the possibility of working with her on a women’s health initiative she has going where she lives in South Dakota. Also, though, it is possible that she has information about his family. It’s not that easy to get out to South Dakota, and these kinds of relationships are best developed through personal contact. As it turns out, Becky is home and willing to receive visitors, so I am going to visit her.

Tomorrow morning I set off with the truck loaded with all my winter gear. We have already been warned that there is lots of snow and lots of cold, so I have all the warm garments I have, my balaclava, my long underwear, outer snowsuit, the moon boots I bought in 1984, tights, leggings and Icelandic wool socks.  I also have a tin can with a candle in, a chocolate bar, a heat blanket, flares, a sleeping bag, studded tires, chains and 270 pounds of sand across the axle (we mean one day to sew them into clothing so that we can have a big sand-stuffed guy, but the shirt I tried with last year ripped immediately). I also have Lewis’s giant warm green snow jacket.

I have gifts with me. On the advice of our friend Mary, who is her soul sister, I have got for Becky two quarts of dark maple syrup and a giant block of Cabot cheese.  No one but Lewis knows Sheryl, but she sends pictures regularly of herself hiking across rugged mountains, so I have for her maple syrup and two bars of fair trade, dark chocolate.  They seem small offerings, for Becky for offering to help Lewis make family connections, and for Sheryl for keeping his things safe for five years, so I am also stopping at our favorite ‘everything moose’ store which is just over the border in Hoosick, NY, where I plan to get Becky a string of moose lights, and something for Sheryl, though I don’t know what yet.

For myself, I have a cooler, filled with the leftover coleslaw (I make great coleslaw) some feta cheese, gluten free raisin bread, apples, carrots (with peeler), chicken (cooked), three romaine heart lettuces and a bottle of pomegranate salad dressing. All this so that I can avoid high caloric road food.  And of course I have ropes, bungee cords, tarps and blankets, just in case anything needs protecting.

The plan is to leave tomorrow after a workout at the old cotton mill gym.  Meanwhile, we are just back from a fantastic weekend leading a workshop at Kripalu, the yoga retreat center.  We had 23 people and had a great time working with their stories. We have had dinner, packed the truck, and are about to go to bed to watch “Breaking and Entering”, and Anthony Minghella movie that we have watched bits of three times.  We tend to get up very early and then fall asleep watching movies. So we will try again tonight!