Date: 2016-07-08
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I definitely felt like my energy levels were higher today than they have been since my Lyme symptoms have presented last Sunday. Therefore, I felt guilty planting my ass on the couch all day. I decided to tackle the never ending family laundry pile:/ My wife, Kathleen, hates doing laundry! I'd figured I'd throw her a bone. It was not very enjoyable, but I knocked out 5 or 6 loads. Retirement and home life is not all glamour that's for sure. I drove to my childhood home town of Southington to keep my GP appt. and make sure I'm good to go back on trail once I'm feeling up to it. The ER made it sound really important that I follow up with my GP, but it seemed like a waste of time. Hartford Hospital hadn't even forwarded my Lyme test results. Dr. Glaser said all my bloodwork looked good and my white blood cell counts were a bit off due to whatever tick borne illness I've acquired. We agreed to just call it Lyme's, although he said it could be one of the others, that I can't remember the name of. The Doxycycline I've started will address any and all tick borne illness I may have, so it's a moot point I suppose.   I was a bit early for my Dr. appt., so I made a quick detour to see how my childhood home was looking. On the way, it struck me that a street very close by was Whipporwill Rd.! I always found that street name very unusual as a child, coming from a none birding family. Now I associate the Whipporwill with me cursing the nocturnal bird from my sleeping bag as I try to fall asleep or am awoken in the middle of the night. You could offer me my dream house, I would never accept it if the address was Whipporwill Rd.!   I've decided I need to take off my little girl panties and get my big boy underwear back on and get back on trail Monday morning. I'm feeling well enough to get daily miles in. I'm not 100 percent, but no is after 1500 miles. The pull to get north is very strong. I wasn't sure what my motivation level would be after I got home because since GA., I've been hiking just to get home. Katadin was just too far off to focus on. My motivation to keep going is still very strong and one of the reasons I'm not taking more time at home. Right now, the pull is the White mountains. They are one of the undeniable highlights of a AT thru-hike. Big climbs and decents, no swithchbacks, blah, blah, blah. After hiking this far, tough sections, climbs, decents, boulders, etc. are just par for the course. I just hike them. Outside of a 30 mile section in Maryland, there is no easy part of the AT I've decided. There is always something making the day a challenge at times. In the beginning, it's not having your trail legs and being introduced to actual mountains for those hikers who live in flatter areas. Then the longest state, VA., where you are what seems like forever and isn't nearly as flat as was rumored earlier in the trail. PA. rocks weren't nearly as bad as I expected for most of the state, but it only takes a day or two of very rocky trail to leave an impression. I actually really liked NJ, but I was in and out in a flash. NY was steep little up and downs and sun exposed rock with no water. Of course, throw in violent storms here and there. I have stayed much dryer than others, I've heard there were two to three straight weeks of rain in VA., while I was burning through NC/TN. Throw in freezing cold, heat waves, bugs and you have a long list of elements making daily life more difficult.    Of course, I should mention that I have absolutely enjoyed everyday of my hike except one! Outside of that, I have had only bad/challenging moments here and there that were short lived. I think the fact that it is never easy is one of the reasons I have enjoyed it so much. Maryland was the easiest, but it was also packed with day and weekend hikers, making it feel crowded and not so special. I often think while hiking that the designers of the AT, specifically Myron Avery had a severe form of Masochism! Whenever I hit an easy section, I think he must have taken a vacation when they did this section. Maybe this means that a successful thru hiker must enjoy suffering, physical and mental, at some level. To masochism and successfully finishing this last 739 miles! I'm rambling...Living Proof