The World According To Chris Brewer

Today I went to go shoot some buckets at the Republic Community Center, and as I stepped out onto the court I realized I was the only one playing basketball. I was accompanied by elderly people who still wish to stay in shape by walking the track on the second floor, some kids who ran circles around the gym (one of my shots caromed off the rim and bonked a little tyke in the head), and Emmy Rossum.

Well, she was there in vocal presence at least, her voice coming down from the speakers.

You’re probably wondering the same thing I am about now. Emmy Rossum is a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, but why the heck is her voice and soft style of music streaming down from the speakers in a facility that encourages physical activity? Did someone accidentally flip the switch to KTXR, the Gentle Giant of Springfield radio? Did someone ask them to put on Emmy’s album “Inside Out”? Who knows. It is a mystery to me and shall be for all time. Hearing vocal layering from a soft pop song talking about love, is quite the aural setting while I am sitting there popping off from the three-point line and shooting at a 65% clip. Blistering the nets, and Emmy is singing about life’s finer mysteries.

The most profound mystery of all is the setting…

- A nice gymnasium with a track
- Seven 65-and-over track walkers
- Emmy’s track “Slow Me Down” playing
- I’m not kidding one bit

Listen to it for yourself. Try to shoot buckets to this music. Might end up shooting something else.

After hearing that, you’ll find it amazing I was even able to make one bucket. I needed some Metallica or Audio Adrenaline or something.

After 3,180 miles and one long week, I made it to Oregon and discovered three things in the process.

1. Whoever said America is overcrowded is a massive tool.
2. A car with a bad transmission will still run okay if kept in one gear for an extended period of time.
3. Sit upright for six straight hours and your back will scream at you.

So as I sit here in Aftan’s dorm at Oregon State University in the early evening, I look back on my trip and see what a wonderful ride it has been. I met a few cool people along the way — most interesting was the sole resident of a town called Buford, Wyoming…the guy’s the town’s mayor, postman, cop, judge, jury, executioner, you name it — and saw a few cool places too. I snapped some photos from the driver’s seat and will be sure to upload them ASAP. I might not have an internet connection for a few days after this post though so bear with me.

It’s good to be back in Oregon, even if I had to drive I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge in the rain. When I kissed Aftan I knew my entire trip was worth it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Still traveling…it’s 11:01 PM Mountain Standard Time and I find myself in a hotel in Boise, Idaho. Only seven hours on the road separate me from my girlfriend and those will all be over by 2 PM tomorrow.

The plan for tomorrow is to meet up with Aftan down at her dorm at OSU, then chill there for a few hours while she and her fellow RA’s check residents out of the building for Thanksgiving break. Then I’ll drive her and all the stuff in my car to her parents’ house in Scappoose, which will be my temporary home for awhile.

There existed a possibility of Aftan and I being able to attend the Civil War football game (Oregon vs. OSU, for those of you who don’t know) on Friday, but I felt leery about being a Duck sitting among Beaver fans. Okay, so I just lied, but we decided to forego spending $60 for tickets and sitting in the cold rain. Instead we’re gonna go up to Portland in the early morning to watch the Holiday Parade, and then come back home to bake cookies and watch the game on TV. You see the game action better on the tube anyway.

A bit of ain’t-it-cool-news: I’ll be working Washington State COGOP’s Winter Retreat this year in late January. More to come on that soon, but it’s so cool to be able to take the experience I gained as a camper throughout my teenage life, grow from that and return to WR to be a group leader for a new group of kids. I look forward to it!!!

Off to bed for me now. I hope I don’t have to buy chains tomorrow just to drive up Deadman Pass in Oregon. Seriously, that’s what they call it. One of my former co-workers at Langley AFB was telling me how scary it was for her to drive it. Yeesh. Pray for my protection…it’s supposed to rain hard tomorrow.

FYI, on this drive home I’ve driven into or through three states I’d never previously encountered in any of my travels. Iowa, Nebraska and Utah. Almost touched Colorado…wait, I’ve been there.

Anyhoo, peace out and good night.

Greetings from the SE Wyoming town of Cheyenne. State capital too, and home to F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

I drove through Missouri and across 380 miles of Nebraska to get here tonight. Nebraska was boring, but as soon as I got into Wyoming the tumbleweeds started rolling and I hit a few of them. It was kinda like that Whack-A-Mole game at Chuck E. Cheese’s but a lot funner and it’s more like a missile plowing through a molehill.

As you can tell, the drive can get quite boring, so when music doesn’t do the trick and my phone has no reception, I just take liberty to create some fun mind games to keep me alert. They work pretty well.

Anyway, off to sleep. I’m gonna sleep till 8:45 then hit the road, gonna try to get to Boise, Idaho tomorrow. God bless.

I spent an extra day at my parents’ house in Republic, MO today because I’ve been sick for the past 36 hours or so with a stomach flu. I guess it’s been going around Springfield from what I’ve heard. Highly disappointing — I came here to spend time with my family, not to spend half my time here throwing up.

I feel a LOT better than I did at this time yesterday, and I’m up and moving. Just some major muscle pains now. I feel like someone took me and beat me up.

I’ll take off from Republic tomorrow and then get as far as I can. I’ll be in Oregon for Thanksgiving. Just please everyone pray for my speedy recovery — as well as my dad, who is getting over it too, and my brother, who is currently sleeping off the ill effects of the same dang thing.

I hit a deer yesterday on I-64. No kidding. I survived. My car survived. I fishtailed. I corrected it somehow. It was raining. God kept his hand on me. I’m okay. My car is okay. More info forthcoming.