Tuesday 5 May, 8am, Logan, UT -- Brett departs Logan full of renewed confidence. Destination: Astoria, OR. Objective: deposit bicycle and packed panniers. Then drive on to Pullman, WA.
noon, OR/ID border -- New car noises. Very subtle. Pinging? Ratcheting? Brett thinks he is being hypersensitive. Pats the dashboard. Turns up music.
1pm, eastern OR -- Brett certain there is new car trouble. Calls Dad. Asks for phone numbers for Volvo shops in Portland. Arranges for morning appointment at The V-Shop, SW side of town.
2pm, approaching Columbia River, OR -- Noises grow more unnerving. Sounds like Volvo is dragging aluminum bar along the road. Stops car several times and looks underneath. Turns music off. Listens attentively. Creases brows. Recreases brows. Sits upright. Calls Dad. Asks for phone numbers for hostels in Portland.
7pm, Portland, OR -- Brett enters city. Very worried about car. When he accelerates from stoplights, he feels thumping below feet. Resigns himself to another pretty penny, "prettier than yesterday's," he says to himself. Begins to think he might need a tow to The V-Shop. Parks in closest empty parking lot, a Wells Fargo 9 blocks from hostel. Breathes sigh of relief.
7:20pm, Portland, OR -- Walks 9 blocks past at least 200 hipsters and at least 30 fixies. Checks into hostel. Hostel employee says his name is Happy. He is. Irritatingly so.
7:45pm, Portland, OR -- Walks back to car. Calls dad for AAA phone number to arrange morning tow. Phone battery dies. Bums electricity from taco shop. Calls AAA. Buys a taco. Buys another.
8:30pm, Portland, OR -- Grabs toiletries, rain coat, a couple books, journal, some essential files, and wallet from front seat of car. Leaves a note on the windshield that says: "Please don't ticket/tow me. My car has broken down. I've arranged for a morning tow at 7am. Thanks." Brett looks at his bikes. He looks at hipsters. Decides bikes are not safe for the night locked up to the rack. Rides them one-by-one back to the hostel and locks them up inside.
11pm, Portland, OR -- Sets alarm for 6:20am. Goes to sleep in top bunk, bottom floor of hostel.
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