thwarted post-hamburger

I had a very nice and fattening lunch of bacon double cheeseburger (no onions!), tater tots, and a large chocolate milkshake, all from that hamburger/ice cream joint. The burger was easily one of the best I've ever eaten; the tater tots were deep-fried and salted to perfection; the only thing not totally spot-on was the milkshake, which was great at first, but which became cloyingly sweet by the end. Lesson learned: order a smaller milkshake next time, and carry around some water as a chaser.

But it looks as though I won't be hitting the library again. I finished lunch around noon and reached the 'brary about 12:10 (I had set up camp under one of the eaves of the marine park's visitor center, which kept me shielded from the periodic showers we've been having today); when I got to the library's door, I looked inside and saw the place was packed with a ring of elementary schoolers and adult chaperones-- some sort of story hour, at a guess. I considered waiting, but realized that my interview was scheduled for 2PM, which meant I'd have almost no computer time at all. So I decided to head on back to the KOA campground, which is where I'm meeting my interviewer, and where I am now. Since the 'brary closes at 3, I won't be going back there unless I stay in Cascade Locks an extra day.

Still no Internet on my BlackBerry. I can use the phone, send text messages, and send emails without attachments, but everything else is dead. I still don't know why this suddenly occurred (I had Internet when I first arrived at KOA), and I can say I'm literally an unhappy camper right now.

Tomorrow I head out to Viento State Park, which is about 12 to 15 miles from where I am (I have to go from Exit 44 to Exit 56 of I-84; tack on some extra mileage for those stretches of road before and after the exits). I'll be doing this without MapQuest, so I can't calculate exact mileage.

Viento is a first-come, first-serve campground; because it's a state park, I'm hoping it'll have a hiker/biker section like the parks in Washington. The rates seem about the same as WA state park rates ($14-15/night); where I am now, at KOA, there's no hiker/biker rate, so I'm paying about $30/night. See where my money goes? And you thought I was pissing my finances away on booze and three meals a day, didn't you?

OK...all for the moment. Once my Internet capability is back, I'll put up some more pics I've taken. It's a great little town.

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