Warning: This blog doesn't really have a point.

The last time I wore this top, I was driving through Missouri. I was on my way back from some flimflam camp that I only went to because two of my friends were going to be there but after only a few short hours, I realized I was surrounded by people engaging in a gigantic oneupsmanship where by the person that could say the most outrageous thing was somehow held in great esteem by those gathering around….so I left.

An example is this exchange at the bonfire - correction, spiritual gathering involving flame of mother stick:
Man: “I’m just waiting for the right man to come along” (insert light laughter)
Young-ish woman: “You can have the men, I’m waiting for the wrong woman to come along!” (insert slightly louder laughter)
Old woman: “Well I need me a horny lesbian!” (Insert gafaw). Really? Because I think that if a horny lesbian fell in your lap, you wouldn’t have the slightest idea what to do with her and further more, she’d probably make you cry.

So anyway, I’m driving through Missouri on my way to South Dakota because I suddenly decided that I wanted to drive through Wounded Knee. Why Wounded Knee? Well one, I had never been there before and I like the movie “Thunderheart” (with Val Kilmer and Graham Greene who is completely underrated as an actor and should be in waaaaaaaay more movies and if you don’t believe me, just watch his two minute scene in “Powwow Highway”); two, I was at that age (29) where I was still very idealistic, which I believe explains my time spent at the flimflam camp, and thought that I would get answers to all of my questions by simply driving past; and three, it was on the way.

On my way out of the looney camp, I inevitably had to stop for gas. Let this be a warning ladies: when in Missouri, do not stop for gas at the one gas station that is on top of a hill with no other buildings or human beings within a 100-mile radius. Because if you do, you’ll find three unsightly gentlemen; one behind the counter who will tell you that the gas pump is broken and the total isn’t $11.00, it’s really $20.00 and two other gentlemen engaged in a battle of wits over a pool table in an area usually designated for automobile repair. If you make any indication of asking for corroborating evidence on this alleged “broken” gas pump, one of the two gentlemen in the auto/pool area will cease his cue ball setup and turn to look at you at which time you should set your $20 on the counter and get the hell out…quickly.

Missouri isn’t all bad though, one of the more poignant moments was when I stopped for the night at some motel which looked just like the ones you see in movies like “White Lightning” or “Thelma and Louise” minus Brad Pitt. The woman that ran it reminded me of Flo from that TV show “Alice” except without all the sass. She was very sweet. The room was filled with very old furnishings, carpet, wall coverings and “window treatments” but what was there was very very clean. When I left in the morning, they had changed the sign in front to read something about “Follow your dreams, you never know where they’ll take you” and I thought that was extremely profound for a roadside motel and then I thought “How did they know I was trying to do that?”

So then it was on to South Dakota and I’ll be damned if that Wounded Knee site and the surrounding areas don’t look almost exactly like the movie. I’m going to attribute that to the fact that most of the movie actually was filmed there. Either the prop guys forgot to take out a couple of cars from the gullies or the movie was extremely based in reality.

I discovered that people like to leave things at the Wounded Knee memorial. Stuff like flowers and necklaces and ribbons and anything else they can manage to attach to the chain link fence. This concept has always intrigued me. Why leave something there? Flowers okay, but jewelry? Eventually some human being is going to have to take it down and it will go to some other human being. I don’t get this leaving-stuff-for-dead-people, but that’s a topic for another time.

It was raining when I drove up but the sun was also starting to poke through the clouds so it all looked pretty spectacular. Even more so with the old guy walking up to the monument as if it wasn’t raining at all. See, the monument is located on top of a hill with a pretty long incline so to walk up to it takes some doing.

But anyway, back to my top. It’s the only good thing that happened to me at the wacko-camp. It’s a tie-dyed (gasp!) halter top that completely covers your front but leaves the back open. Lest you men think that this isn’t a good setup, I can report that the result of this design makes everyone’s abdomen look appealing, even if you don’t think yours will ever look appealing. The good thing about tie-dye is that if you’re not wearing a bra, no one really notices because there’s so much already going on up there. This top can be worn when the temperature is ungodly and I won’t have to worry about looking like a skank. I try to reserve that look for Skank Night.