I stepped across the guardrail on the 42nd street bridge over Lombard street and the train tracks, leaving Ted and Molly to watch the bikes as i climbed down under the bridge to see what the situation was like at this the "traditional" spot to wait for a train, well at least according to Gudrik and his house mate... Ah Gudrik ... He helped on the Harvey house, then moved here, I called him just after i got to Portland and left a message, assuming this was him just returning the call, " I think I just saw you ride by on a bike" the serendipity Overload in Portland is giving me a brain ache... Running into Lali three times, the perfect bike and now Gudrik's housemate who rides freights into and out of Portland at least twice a year.
Down the embankment where Brandan, who introduced himself almost as many times as he asking me to not judge him and saying that he is in Portland for school... And his wife Dana camped/lived, he assured me that they were going into rehab Monday, and were staying here because the FBI raided their squat and they couldn't abandon their big white and black PittBull, Henry who they renamed after rescuing him from people who called him.
Brandan had on a red headlamp and was carefully handling a small silver cup with some goldish brown liquid, tamping it with a small plastic plunger from a small syringe. " this is the best place to wait for a train, to Chicago they come Tuesday or Wednesday between midnight and three. An Evergreen or "K"liner is what you want ,
He put the plunger into the syringe and pulled the liquid back up looked at it and gently put it back, tamped some more, " you can set up right here if you don't mind what is going on, but it's better up there." Dana pointed up to
He slowly drew it back into the syringe, put an elastic around his upper arm. There was one dark spot, a tiny tiny scab on top of the vein that bumped up, it looked exactly like my arm looked after the times I gave plasma. Dipped the needle back in the cup, slowly drew the contentment in it. Fine needle slowly into the dark mark, wait, push a little and wait, almost all the way... It seemed like he was paying attention to something that I could not perceive as he completed the process.
We talked a bit more, I expected him to get tired be I didn't notice any difference in his behavior talkative and a bit fidgety.
Ted had suggested that this 3 or so mile long siding was the perfect place... Gudrik and his friend pinpointed a spot.
I left them to go back and report to Ted and Molly, Brandon came up after me and introduced himself he was wearing long underwear as pants... That exposed .... You get the idea...and repeated the entire conversation again
Molly left, Ted and I took our bikes down and watched trains,
I didn't sleep much because I did not want to miss my train, but only west bounds came through.
