Date: 2005-02-21
To: Monday Monday, So Good To Me...
Miles today: 0.0

What a good weekend...(Well, Better at least...)Go ahead and read on too, this whole thing isn¢t just me complaining about my leg again¢¦The mental funk and physical pain I've been living in ever since I decided to fly in the air and snap my fibula and crack my tibia like twigs on a snowy hill is starting to linger its way away from me, and although I still have absolutely no use of my right leg for anything useful like cycling or training for the trail in any way shape or form, I can begin to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that one day, I shall be well...It was funny waking up this morning because all weekend when anyone would ask me how my leg was doing, I would say the same thing I¢ve been saying for about a week now, ¢Its still broke¢¦¢ What I meant by saying that was this, Even if it feels better, it really doesn¢t matter because no matter what, I can¢t do anything at all and I¢m just stuck in this brace and I am going psychotic. The truth is, that anytime that question was asked, even though it has been a little over two weeks since I broke it, there hasn¢t really been any noticeable improvement at all, and even though there was dramatic reductions in swelling, etc during the three days following the accident, there has only been extremely slow progress ever since then, There has even been new bruises as recently as Friday, which was 13 thirteen days after the magic snap, crackle, and pop¢¦And then this morning, I finally actually noticed a positive change after nearly two weeks of almost nothing. It wasn¢t like I was leaping and bounding and I ran outside and hopped on my bike and rode a century or anything (Century = Cyclist lingo for riding one hundred miles)¢¦But, as I hobbled into the bathroom this morning for my shower with my crutches as usual, and I took off my brace, I did notice slightly, that my leg was somewhat more mobile than before, and I could move it a little more than previously this week. It wasn¢t much, but it was improvement, so I was happy.ANYWAYS, On to a new topic¢¦I noticed that almost every time I type the word TRAIL, as in, Appalachian TRAIL, I accidentally type the word, TRIAL, instead¢¦I think this may be more than coincidence as in reading other trail writings, I have noticed other people typing this somewhat Freudian Slip as well.It might be easy to say that this whole trail is a trial, but it really is the farthest thing from it! I mean, looking at the dilemmas involved in every aspect from preparing for the hike to actually walking the trail and then on to trying to merge back into society after the trail might seem like a trial. Every body has a different experience with the trail, and this is just mine, and I find it extremely humorous. I mean, this past year has been crazy and it seems like anything bad that could happen has happened, as far as normal events¢¦. Ok, look at what has happened since I started planning my Thru-Hike¢¦My Grandfather passed away, I had to have my dog put to sleep, my house burned down, I totaled my truck in a head on collision and had a nasty encounter with my windshield in the process, and then I broke my leg inhibiting me from partaking in the two aspects of my life that give me happiness and escape; snowboarding and cycling, which were also going to be what kept my mind off the trail until I got there!Well, Boohoo, Poor Me¢¦. (Joking¢¦)I could try to take advantage of the situation and whine about it, but I have an awesome life, and once I can walk again nothing can stop me. Sure, a ton of crap happened in this past year, but thanks to the trail, I always had something positive to focus on and keep me excited. I am so thankful that this trail is there in my life and that the trail, at this moment, is my life. This year has been great actually...What an awesome ledge to stand on looking at my life in the distance...This trail might be a matter of determination for some people and even if they¢re miserable the whole 2,174.9 miles, they are going to complete it. (-Just a reminder that only 10% finish the trail!) This trail might also be an outlet for fun to some people and as soon as they get tired once, they are going to quit. For me, I plan to have a lot of fun on this crazy adventure of a lifetime. If the going gets tough, I¢ll let a little determination take over, but I can get though anything, and now, I am starting to realize that on this trail/trial whatever you want to call it, happiness is a choice, an attitude, and we choose our mental state. I am going to have a blast. OK On to another issue¢¦What is up with movies that take us back to our childhoods, makings us feel so comfortable and seemingly oblivious to reality for a moment? On Friday morning I watched My Girl 2, which I am not scared to admit¢¦I have always been a fan chick flick type films and I think this film was just what I needed on Friday morning and even though this journal entry is starting to ramble on like my own personal blog, I am going to get this last question out¢¦My Girl 2 is basically a coming of age type story and a classic snapshot of growing up in a typical American home and I think in some way, has a comforting quality that I can¢t understand the root of. Even though the movie is about a girl, the elements in the movie are universal, and they apply to all of us.I think that when we watch movies about growing up, such as My Girl of that type of story, (same as The Wonder Years TV show), it aids us in thinking about our own childhood; What is it about thinking of our own childhood that comforts us?I don¢t know if thinking about our own childhood makes us forget what forget happened in between here and there that we didn¢t like, or if it is just a nice way to think of where we have been and where we¢re going. Regardless, It is nice to just to check out our childhoods every now and then, and in some way it is comforting¢¦It could just be that because after watching about 52 straight hours of the first through third seasons of the TV show, ¢24¢, that it is nice to revert to childhood innocence and away from the terrorism and drama that that show is so willing to dish out.Oh well¢¦I am stopping now, Congratulations to anyone who actually read this far, you¢re probably starting to get a glimpse into my head¢¦TAKE IT EASY EVERYBODY!Oh Yeah¢¦One more thing¢¦. I had a funny dream this weekend¢¦One of the dreams was that I finally made it to Springer Mountain and upon reaching Amicalola Falls State Park and starting the Approach trail, I realized I had left my Therm-A-Rest (Sleeping Pad), in my living room, along with my rain gear, which is my only jacket or provider of warmth other than my sleeping bag. It was kind of hectic getting off of the bus, (That¢s right, A bus drove down the trail so we didn¢t have to hike if we didn¢t feel like it!!!) I ended up getting off the bus at a pay phone and getting my stuff shipped UPS RED to the first hostel in my dream, which was the Mountain Crossings hostel¢¦The funny dream was this one¢¦My mom and dad and I were taking the burned stuff out of the house in garbage bags and then my dad told me to open one of the bags and check it out, when I opened it I found a new backpack, stuffed full of new gear, with some new trail runners strapped to the outside, obviously this wasn¢t stuff from the fire¢¦My dad was like, What do you think of that pack? I said it was fine, but I was confused¢¦I looked at my mom and dad because I don¢t like to jump to conclusions and so I waited for their explanation as to the origins and reasons for this pack¢s existence, My dad had come up with a nickname for Katahdin in the dream and he called it, ¢The Maineland¢, which was funny in and of itself¢¦He told me the pack was for him and that they wanted to hike the trail¢¦I was dumbfounded and just kind of stood there while I looked at his tiny pack that couldn¢t possibly hold a weeks worth of food, let alone food and gear, and listened to him talk about ¢Ultralight Hiking¢, which is what I have really been talking to them about¢¦I wasn¢t put off by their desire as much as I would have expected, and I think I would have let them come with me, (BUT, They would NEVER do the AT in real life, so I really don¢t have to contemplate that question¢¦), but I was just like, Ok, you guys are in the process of building our new house, shouldn¢t you stay here ?!?!Have a good day everyone....