Date: 2009-06-24
From: Port Clinton

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I got up and walked a half mile to the only breakfast in town, located just off the highway. The noise of the traffic was jarring! I couldn't even hear myself think! Kog took the highway and I took the lower road, and we happened to converge right before the restaurant. There were a few other hikers there, who had spent the night outside at the Pavillion (and who got no sleep because of the noise of the traffic), but they were sitting in small booths. I asked Kog if he wanted to eat with me. He apologized for not being social. I asked him about his experience at Lakes of the Clouds, wondering which was harder- working there or hiking the trail. He said they were both hard, but rewarding in different ways. He told me a bunch of interesting stories about working in the huts, including ones about hikers coming in with hypothermia and how strange it was to have to "tell an adult 'no'!... 'you're going to do this!'. I really enjoyed our breakfast conversation! We walked back to the hotel, wondering how we were ever going to deal with listening to the sound of traffic once we returned to our normal lives.   I went back to my room and packed up. I was not going to pay another $50 to sleep in a bed as uncomfortable as that! I should have complained, but the lady I would have had to confront was already extremely angry... Tinman said I could stay in their room that night if I wanted to zero. I put my pack in their room, went to the post office, and got my memory card. The postmaster in Port Clinton was the best thing about that town. He was so nice and I thanked him for being so. I went to the outfitters to get more denatured alcohol, but they said they had run out yesterday! He said to check back the next day, but I said I would be on the trail. I was able to get fuel for Gaspard, but didn't know how I would get any for myself.   I returned to the bar for some lunch and was told I would have to wait. Too many customers were ahead of me. Finally, I went upstairs and started writing. Tinman and Gaspard were headed to Cabella's (a huge hunting and outdoor shop that did not hold any appeal for me). I was, however, excited to watch "So, You Think You Can Dance," which was airing that night! I missed the first few minutes of it due to dinner taking so long, but was able to enjoy it while Tinman and Gaspard ate their dinners. When they came up, Tinman asked if I had ever given a massage. I said yes, so he asked me to massage his back with cream. He kept lowering his shorts, which was a bit shocking to me. ("Ummm... we don't do that in America...). Earlier, I had given them $20 to split the room.I expected to sleep on the floor, but Tinman was very concerned about there being space for him to walk to the bathroom. Gaspard said I could share the bed with him- that I could sleep under the sheet and he would sleep on top. I felt uncomfortable about it, but agreed, as it seemed easier than blowing up my thermarest.   It was so hot in the room! I have a sinus infection that resulted from major jaw surgery that I had in December of 2006, and sometimes, it gets into my throat. I got up to go to the bathroom to clear my throat and returned to the room. A few minutes later, I felt something on my shoulder: it was Gaspard's hand! After a minute, he began caressing my shoulder! I didn't know what was going on. I thought maybe he was dreaming and mistakenly thinking that I was his wife. I tried to pretend I was asleep, but it didn't stop. Then, the phrase that Kog had told me at breakfast that morning popped into my head, "Sometimes, you have to tell adults, 'No!". When his hand started moving, I turned to him and told him to stop doing that. He loudly sighed and turned away from me onto his side. I didn't sleep well after that.