Baken-etz & Birmingham.
Earl and I ride in the heart of Bama together.
“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” – Vince Lombardi
Meet Earl.
Well, not yet, close the article and go stand by the road for 5 hours and then come back and meet Earl. Yeah, 5 hours!!! That is how long it took for me to get a ride in Florence, after I left Jon and Michelle. One of my longest waits ever. I sweated alot. It is day two still on my trip to New Orleans.
Earl the Angel.
“Where are yah headed?” A large man driving a wrecking truck asks as he pulls over. My sign said, ROUTE 20, but I would have went anywhere but where I was. After you wait at one spot for awhile and can’t get a ride, the place gets this dark, depressing vibe. That was happening here. I about leapt into the car.
Earl is headed into the heart of Alabama. YES!!!!!
400 miles with Earl.
At first, I think Earl is unhappy that he picked me up. He seems quiet and a bit disgruntled. I think I am going to get the boot. I assume he thought I wasn’t going that far and he would do his good deed and then be on his way. But oh, no…
We will be spending the rest of the day together.
Baken-etz and Diet Pepsi.
As the road wheres on though, I think he realizes I am not bad company. He offers me a Diet Pepsi from his cooler and some of his pork rinds. Baken-etz is the brand. When I was a kid, I love pork rinds. My Mom, ever concious of health however forbade them. Of course, this made them a forbidden fruit that I pined after.
As I eat a crunchy, greasy, big Cheeto-like substance, yet with more air, I wonder what I was thinking. I have one and then stick with my Diet Pepsi.
Earl’s Wrecking Service.
Earl built a large wrecking service business. They haul trucks all over the east coast. He has 20 trucks or so of all sizes. Earl has recently retired though and his son now runs the business.
“Since he was 14, he knew all there was about wrecking…” Earl trusts his son, but still has a hard time watching him make some decisions. “He has to learn on his own, I guess.”
His daughter is the receptionist that works the office at least 8 to 10 hours a day. She is a tough customer. ”She can drive these trucks as well as any man.” Earl is proud of his son and daughter.
Retired.
Earl is driving to help out his son. Also, because he likes to drive. It is a break for him. Earl now spends most of his time hunting and fishing near Wilmington, North Carolina.
Pell City, Alabama.
The sun is setting, when Earl must turn from my road. He tries to get another trucker on the CB to give me a ride, but no luck. He drops me off at a truck stop and we wish each other well.
In two days, I have traveled close to 600 miles, but I still have about 400 miles to New Orleans. Tommorrow, I am going to have to hit the road early again. I eat a chicken sandwich and hit the bricks early.
Create Our World.
Ben
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
Tags: adventure travel blog, Benjamin Jenks, create our world, hitchhiking, roadtrip around the USA
Categories:
Hitchin Stories., People.
