Day 1 of the trip

So we went to Missoula Sunday evening. Stayed with friends.

The strange thing about Missoula- well, that's actually quite a list. Seems I still have my freak magnet on when I go there.

Always have.

The place envelopes me from the start- familiar light in the sky, smell in the air, feeling in the bones. Like coming home. Only slower than I remember. And softer. And smaller.

We went out for ice cream after drinks and snacks. We were eating fabulous ice cream (mine was cardamom, Scott had yellow cake dipped in chocolate- sinfully delish). A woman was walking down Higgins Ave (the main N/S street) screaming at her boyfriend, "I love you and I hate you! Right now I hate you!!!"

He hugged her and walked away. She saw a group of people and decided to put on a meth-fueled show. She came over to the ice cream place and started to scream at everyone, "Motherfucking Missoula- thinks it's sooooo cool. We waited for 40 cars, and no one would take my brother to the fucking ER." This was repeated several times as she prowled around the crowd- filled with angry energy, just ripe to lash out. Some of the children probably learned some new terms from her.

Finally, a really stupid girl took the bait, and shouted,"Get your whacked out ass out of here!" She probably thought that since she was with friends, she was safe. She was mistaken, as her friends aren't like my friends. They most certainly did not have her back. Methgirl started chasing her in circles shouting at her- you can imagine. Stupidgirl was on the phone with the police. Finally she slowed down, and Methgirl flattened her. Hit her to the pavement. Then the onlookers intervened. A large man, who looked like a High School principal grabbed Methgirl and shouted, "NO, Stop this!" And wouldn't let her go. She struggled and tried to kick at Stupidgirl- who was still on the ground. I seriously don't think she thought that Methgirl would actually hit her. That's why I am calling her stupid. Not because she deserved to get hit, but that she was seriously delusional to think that Methgirl had any kinds of restraint.

So, the cops finally show up, after Methgirl's friend arrived and put her in a smelly lock on the ground. The cops took her away in cuffs, all the while she tried to escape. She wasn't wearing shoes.

Show was over. We walked to the car. I found $10 on the pavement. But the Boy said that he saw it first. I don't believe him. I took it. I spent it on bottled water and power bars on the trip home.