#55 In Roads-Zombie freaks
I sit down at a table across from a woman as her family stands in line. We’re at VooDoo Donuts, a very famous shop that’s known for their X-rated and off the wall pastries that include voodoo doll donuts with pretzels stuck through their hearts. We strike up a conversation and the native Portlander confides that she’s been here all her life and this is the first time she’s been to the shop. Relatives from South Dakota are in town and they wanted to check the place out. We exchange names and I tell my new friend about the blog and ask for her photo. As she poses two of the party walk up and ask why I’m taking her photo, even though Telina didn’t ask. They seem very protective. And suspicious. They hover a bit before going on to check out the interesting wall hangings and products and leave us to our visit.
The 50 year old works for the government and has been married twice: once for 13 years, the second for 20 years. She has five children and eight grandchildren and says the second one has been bliss. Her husband is her best friend and her smile glows when she speaks of him.
Telina admits to being a bit of a control freak and cites that as a contributing reason of why she’s never been on a motorcycle. “I’d have to ride on the back and that just wouldn’t work for me. Maybe if I rode my own it’d be okay but I’ve just ever been interested in bikes,” she says. She asks about my adventures and says it sounds very exciting. We’re enjoying a nice conversation when her young niece comes up to the table.
“Dad says to tell you we have to go now, before SHE sucks the blood out of you.” She points at me. I laugh and tell her they’re safe; I’m not a vampire. The child rolls her eyes and shoots me a look that says she doesn’t believe me. “Yeah right, it IS getting dark out,” she declares as she waves her donut at me. Telina giggles. “They’re from South Dakota and they’re a little freaked out about zombies. This is Portland, after all.”
