Bagdad Cafe

Maybe you don't know the movie but I am living it... Or I am reliving an Appalachian trail experience I had. Or, is this just what it is like out here.... because come to think of it, I did something like this on a boat in Thailand. Yuck! Jim and I pulled into Atlantic City Wyoming .... We were going to rest a day and fuel up for the great basin ride. I had plans .... I was going to spend the day resting on a comfortable bed in clean sheets talking on the phone to all of you. I was very excited, matter of fact I could not wait. However... That was not to be. Atlantic City has a population of about 52 (see picture) ,one cabin for rent, one place to eat, no cell service and spotty wifi. CHIT! The one cabin available had been vacated that afternoon and the woman who owned it also owned the restaurant and said we could have it as is... She was to busy to clean it herself. We accepted... How bad could it be? Well ... There was a coffee maker, no cups, a toilet, no handle, a bed, no sheets or mattress cover, a sink, no faucet, a dryer, no electricity, and a cot with lots of extras. The extras on my cot were.... turds... Rat turds, prairie dogs turds, I don't know what kind of turds but turds they were. And when animals go number two they usually also go number one. Along with the turds were stains. I shuddered. The idea of Hantavirus came to my head. It was late and I was tired.... I looked around, grabbed the vinyl table cloth off the kitchen table and placed it over about half the mattress. Then I grabbed a curtain from one of the windows, placed it over then table cloth, put my sleeping bag on top and went to bed. In the morning I had a great idea.... I would wash the thin mattress in the laundry tub for the next nights sleep. I turned the faucet to get it out of the sink so I could put the mattress in and the whole faucet came off in my hand. I eyed the tub, grabbed some laundry soap threw the mattress in the tub stepped into the shower and began the grape stomp. Holy smokes! The dirty water never did stop, I never got a clean rinse, I just gave up. I hung the thing out to dry and that night repeated the table cloth, curtain routine. I am not sure I slept any better.