Holy Holden!

I am in Holden, Alberta. This remarkable town has a population of 300. Lucky me - the entire population is in the bar tonight! However, for some reason, no one is putting out any cash-o-la so business is slow.

This town is so small and desolate, I don’t have the internet! If that’s not bad enough I don’t even have cell reception. So here I am blogging away in my "text edit" program. I will just copy and paste this bitch into my blog.

It is my first time here and the management consists of an older man and woman. The man is sweet. After getting off the road and arriving 2 hours early, he insisted I come down for dinner. He handed me a menu and within ten minutes he had my order in front of me. The best meal I have had in 2 weeks: perfectly cooked eggs (over easy) 4 strips of bacon and home-style hash browns (the chunky potatoes. yummy!) He reminds me of an uncle; a gentle soul. I’m referred to as sweetie or dear. He greeted me in the lobby of an ancient hundred year old hotel, with warm hands and a warm heart.

The woman, who may be somewhat bipolar and cock eyed, can’t decide if she likes me or not. Upon arrival I was given "the cold shoulder" but before my first show she was very affirming and warm telling me "you will do great". Then, after getting off stage to the raucous hoots and hollers from the small crowd with 55 bucks in my pocket, she proceeded to ignore me.

Even though she didn’t seam to be paying attention to me, I had a strange feeling that her one cock-eye was on me the whole night, even though she was preoccupied with the drunkard at her bar ordering his 20th bottle of Kokanee. People with a cock eye always intrigue me. With their wandering eye, they can delve into a conversation with one person but are still aware of their surroundings.

I am working with two other girls. I won’t name names but lets just call them “Bambie” and “Veronica”. Bambie enjoys talking about Veronica’s drug habits, even though they have only known each other for an hour. I don’t disagree that Veronica seems slightly sketchy; sniffing away and making multiple trips to the bathroom, (let’s seize this opportunity and use the appropriately termed “powder room”.)

Bambie seems slightly sketchy herself, talking at an incredible rate of about one hundred words per minute, saying “I hate strippers” and “I am going to school full time” and “I work a full time normal job” and “I am engaged to a marvelous man in Florida” and “I was so done with this industry 3 years ago” and “This is not me” and “This is not my life” etc. etc.

Is this woman present? Like here on earth? What bubble is she living in? We are here, in this ancient hotel in Holden, Alberta rippin’ it up for these cowboys. I’ll admit that sometimes I lose my self in a daydream of a different life or foreign lands. It doesn’t last long as I am quickly jerked from my reverie from the loud, growly, drunken slurs and cheers of the small town crowd.