Date: 2015-06-08
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was errand day. Candace and Taiki accompanied me. Poor Taiki got dragged into eight million different stores.First, we had breakfast with dad. I enjoyed two very large pancakes and scrambled eggs. Dad commented on my diet change. "You eat a lot differently than you did before the trail."I also walk a lit differently because of my rubbing legs. I miss my skinny thighs so. I hope to find them again someday.After breakfast, we went to the hardware store and the closest thing they had to a gasket for my stove was really thick. I bought it anyway just in case, filled it with water and shook it around. It leaked. Oh well. It was probably too much to hope for, and definitely not a big deal.I figure that if I have fuel left over after dinner, I will just make hot chocolate. Excellent plan, right? I keep looking in the mirror and thinking "STOP EATING!" and then I look at all the food in the fridge and at my mail drop assembly station and there is just SO MUCH, I can't NOT eat it. I am cursed by an abundance of delicious snacking opportunities.I bought new underwear to replace the pair I forgot in Waynesboro. I didn't think I would have much luck... I bought the pairs I have been wearing at TJ Maxx and their stuff always changes, but I found FOUR PAIRS. Miraculous. You don't even want to imagine how gross my underpants are. Discolored from sweat and gross body fluids and strange gray stuff from laundromat machines, they went from pristine to disgusting in like a week.Other purchases included ear plugs, band aids, toothbrushes... and I went to the New Balance store next to EMS to look at shoes. My trail runners have already suffered 500 miles of abuse. All of the grippy bits on the bottom are gone. They are trashed. Every day, I lament their slow death. They have been so good to my toes.So I decided to find a replacement pair that mom could mail me after they are REALLY done. The guy at the store was incredibly helpful. I asked for trail runners and he brought out two options - one for women, one for men. The girl pair lasted a second. Too small. The boy pair was better. They had nice traction, thick bottoms to protect against rocks, and an extra toe layer to protect my poor toes from kicking rocks. They looked good. They sounded good. They felt decent. I decided to go for it, and also decided to spring for new insoles to help my apparently collapsed arches. I wore those shoes around while shopping and after half an hour my arches and toes were killing me. Tingling and painful and numb, I kept complaining to Candace, "My feet hurt." My feet always hurt, but rarely enough that I constantly complain about it. "I might have to return these shoes." I pouted to my companions.I swapped out the insoles to the originals in case that was the cause of my suffering, but the issue persisted. I decided to give my feet another hour or so to regain feeling before I totally gave up.Mom met us for lunch at Chipotle and Candace looked at her three tacos and said, "I can't eat THREE TACOS!"Red Panda, in contrast, replied, "I can eat my WHOLE burrito!"And I did. I also ate more froyo than mom, Candace, and Taiki combined. "You earned it!" Candace told me. My fat butt disagreed. My tummy, however, always seems to be ready for more.After lunch I reached my final verdict: the shoes sucked. Mom and I went to the New Balance store to return them. They would only refund them for store credit because they were worn. I only wore them for like ONE HOUR. I was so frustrated. Mom was frustrated. How would store credit help me? It's not like I can drive back to Connecticut to go back to the store any time I want. I didn't have many options. "I'll just get running shoes. I can always run." I said resignedly. I asked the salesman if he had anything else CLOSE to trail runners. He brought out shoes that fit decently, but had very little traction. Not good for trails. But I was annoyed and impatient, and wanted to get on with it. I needed to be home in time to call about ObamaCare, since my health insurance expired last week. I was like, "I will just take them." WHATEVER. I apologized to the salesman for being grumpy. It wasn't his fault he couldn't refund my money. I am still mad that I am stuck with less-than-ideal stupid running shoes instead of the trail runners I need. Especially since they were RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Like... I could have bought two pairs of the old trail runners for the price of these new running shoes. Stupid.I wish that I had just ordered a new pair of the same style I have been wearing, but a half size smaller. Yet another lesson learned. I HATE BUYING SHOES.Candace and Taiki rode home with mom and I drove around town with my car windows down and stereo blaring like a hooligan. It was great. But then I listened to a song about home and started getting sad. I got closer to home and got sadder. I thought about leaving my home and my family and my sister tomorrow morning and cried a little. Leaving home tomorrow will be hard. I miss the trail, sure. I know that I need to get back, because I can already feel my body rusting, stiffening because of disuse. My knees ache and my leg muscles are tight and my toes are sore. My body is so used to the hike.I miss my family, though. It is hard enough to stay in contact with family and friends in general, but it is extra hard to keep in touch with Candace, due to the time and space difference. I can't just call her.I guess my next adventure after reaching Katahdin will just have to be a trip to Japan! Maybe I can win the lottery. Maybe the magic of the trail would actually extend to the lottery. That would be awesome. I might have to buy a ticket sometime soon.I am thankful for the time I got to spend with my family today, even though we are all exhausted. It is so sad that I am home but the only thing that I can think about is sleeping.Tomorrow I have to try to start my trail diet. I can't gain more weight. I have to fit in that dress! Less candy, more protein, here I come!I know this plan will fail, but I will at least try for a day or two.