surprise ending

in a nod to both the objective of the spinecrackers, and the tone this blog seems to have acquired, i've been working on a post concerning a cemetery visit.
anytime i drive through salinas and see the turn-off for the john steinbeck center, or john st. for that matter, my heart flutters. i have mom to thank, east of eden being handed off to me on a camping trip 6 years ago after she finished. i was looking for something to take my mind off dinner, as it was being prepared on the gas-stove (we do drive-in camping), so this was perfect. i nestled into my uncles warped hammock and dug in. and in and in and in... i couldn't believe when i finished! it was a slap in the face, the end of a turbulent, and yet so fulfilling, relationship. anytime i pick up a steinbeck, i gorge, forget to chew, and choke it down before i can savor the flavor, then its on to the next! the wayward bus added mystery to road-side cafes; travels with charley got me from san francisco to nashville, curious to observe everything in between. there are only so many more i can inhale, so i've allotted them to every five books or so. shane, a fellow steinbeck enthusiast, and i decided to stop by and pay our respects, and brought paul along for educational purposes. though the general grave direction was marked with an arrow, i was shocked at how simple the graves was. the man who gave us grapes of wrath, i assumed, would have a huge marble headstone, with bust likeness, sprouting from carved flora, and a quote from one of his books, right? do they KNOW who he IS?the cemetery was empty, so we helped ourselves to a few rubbings, in gratitude we left behind a 50cent piece and a rock with a heart drawn on. the lamb was on guard upon arrival. i hope to go back one day and leave a worthy charm, though i feel that the rubbing's careful placement in my kitchen makes up for it...