Exodus (2) » Sandra

EXODUS (2) » SANDRA

“Go chuck wine at five-one-nine” — Well, it nicely rhymes, but I doubt that is a clue. Probably just a coincidence. “five-onenine” is probably just a number: 519, like the Home Depot store number. Or maybe part of a street address, if the rest of the information gives a very precise street. “Chuck wine” seems unlikely to identify a street. Maybe a store again? A wine store? A throwing store?

The founder doesn’t drink wine: he died from alcohol poisoning, so gave up the habit in solidarity to those who survived. He can drink, but rarely does now. But he did drink, and he did drink wine. California wine. I believe very cheap wine most of the time (after a few glasses, who can tell the difference).

Cheap wine. On a whim, I type “Chuck cheap wine” into Google, and get… Trader-Joe’s Two-buck Chuck. Turns out I didn’t need the ‘cheap’ either: “Chuck wine” gives almost the same result. It is good this clue was written in almost invisible blood if anyone could just type it into Google and get the answer.

So the clue is “Trader-Joe’s 519” — Typing that into Google, I get “87 Marginal Way, Portland, ME”. My next marker is in Maine? Is that ironic or just mean? Or divine justice of some kind? I better find an REI or maybe Lands’ End before the next winter.

After checking out of the hotel, I take Arizona-87 North to the I-40, and Google Maps says “drive 41 hours east”. Sigh.

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