Date: 2003-08-18
From: New York City!

To: Pawling, N.Y.
Miles today: 0.0

start New York Citydestination Pawling New YorkIt seemed so foreign to wake up to lots of sirens and other big city noises. We went across the street to a diner for breakfast. Sitting by the window I could see everyone as they hurried by. I saw every style of hair dos and clothing that you could ever imagine and some that you couldn't begin to imagine! Mudbutt had been rying to get in touch with one of her friends from years ago since we got into town. All she could do though was get an answering machine. We decided to go the the townhouse where she lived on the chance of finding her. You know, just like on Tv, you go to find some one and there they are, sitting waiting for you to come find them. After some elementary talk and a lesson in alphabetical order with the door man, he rang Jill's apartment. Jill informed him that she was not expecting anyone by the name of Anna. A second try to call her with Anna's last name proved useless when she would not answer her call. We took our packs off and I found a place to sit. I had a feeling we were not going anywhere soon. The doorman got busy and Mudbutt made a dash for the elevator, but lost her nerve before it came down. She paced a bit more while I egged her on, then again with the doorman preoccupied she dashed into the elevator. She knew Jill's apartment number from the doorman showing her the list because he could not find Jill's last name. Remember the ABC lesson?? The doorman walked over to the hallway looking for Mudbutt, then turned and asked me where my friend went. I gave him my best dumb blond look...hesitated...then said "Well, I guess she got on the elevator to go see her friend." He turned three shades of red and started in on how he was in trouble and she was in trouble. Now he was going to have to call the police. I watched him go toward his desk, mumbling and shaking his head. He was not happy. Just for an instant I could see Mudbutt being hauled off in a patrol car by the NYPD. Sirens blaring and people gathering around to try to see what crime had been committed. Just as he reached for the phone, it rang and Jill was telling him everything was cool, and her friend was just trying to suprise her. Mudbutt came back down to get her pack and me. The doorman glared at her. She returned his glare with a most angelic smile. The next few hours were spent with Mudbutt and Jill catching up on things. And of course us eating lunch on restaraunt row, or Hell's kitchen as it is called. All too soon it was time for us to catch our train. I could not beleive it when Jill stepped out in the middle of the road and hailed us a taxi!! How many times have I seen that done on TV? And it really works like that!! Before we knew it we were speeding down the roads weaving in and out of traffic. I was afraid I was going to lose my lunch before we got to Grand Central Station. While Mudbutt got our tickets I went in search of Krispy Kreme donuts. I headed over to some people standing against the wall to ask them for directions. Then went back to get Mudbutt. I told her I knew where the donut shop was...she asked me how I knew. I pointed over to two NYPD men in uniform standing against the wall. "I asked them I said." She was mortified. I told her cops always knew where the donut shops were! This time they were wrong though. We found the Starbucks that used to sell donuts. We ordered chocolate frappacinnos and walked through the market in search of sweet pastries for dessert tonight. We bought two great looking cinnamon rolls and headed out to the train. It was cool and somewhat quiet in there. I fell in love with frappacinos! I thought cappacinnos were wonderfully delicious, man, frap them and you have nectar of the gods!! And enough caffiene to keep an army awake at night. Before long the city suburbs gave way to roling hills with small quaint towns nestled between them. Telephone and light poles were replaced by trees and thickforests. The train does not stop at the Appalachian Trail stop except on the weekends. We tryed to get them to drop us off, but since it was rush hour, they refused our request. We got off in the town of Pawling. A New England town, with a main street filled with an assortment of small shops. Their store fronts filled with things to intice the shopper in for a closer look. Before we even had a chance to look, we were whisked off our feet by a super trail angel named Sharon. She offered us a ride out to the trail, but she had just ordered a beer in the Pub and had stepped outside to smoke. She offered to buy us a drink, which delighted Mudbutt to no end. We went inside Pawling Tavern and sat up at the bar. The bartender came to take our order. She looked at me with a slightly stunned look when I ordered water. "Just water?" she asked." Yep, just water, with some lemon please." I thought if you wanted to get the scoop on anyone in a town, you went to the local beauty shop. Nope, I was wrong. You can get the same information at the local pub. Before the night was over, I felt like I knew the history of everyone in town. By the time Mudbutt was finished with her beer it was supper time. So of course we ordered some supper. I asked the waitress who came to take our order if they had milk. "Milk?" she replied with a question in her voice. "yes, milk. I would like a glass of milk." She said, "You're serious? You want a glass of milk?" I told her about my cinnamon roll waiting to be eaten with a glass of milk. She laughed and walked away shaking her head as she went. It was a big disappointment to me when I tried to bite into my roll. I think it might have been left over from the blackout or something. No sooner had we started eating than the bottom fell out and rain started coming down in sheets. There was no way we wanted to get out in that rain, much less try to set up tents. We spent the evening in this tiny pub, meeting some really great people, sharing some bad times and good times that had happened in our lives. Each time the door would open, Sharon would introduce Mudbutt and I as women hiking the trail. One time an older couple came in, and after meeting us volunteered to take us back to the trail tomorrow if we needed them to. Soon the rain stopped and Sharon drove us up to Murrow Park. Before the trail was rerouted, hikers used to be welcomed to pitch their tents in the park for the night. Since the reroute Pawling is just too far from the trail for most hikers to get to. We put our tents up by the light of our head lamps. I lay in my tent, replaying in my mind, the names and faces of some of the people we had met tonight. Another glimpse of small town America.