Date: 2004-07-13
From: Glasgow

To: Buena Vista
Miles today: 8.0

Glasgow and the Dr.I slept horrible last night. The airconditioning didn't work half the time and there was no phone. I found it rather odd not having a phone but I guess you shouldn't expect much out of a cash only motel.My diharrea was so bad last night I had to sleep on towels. Don't get me wrong though. That was better than being in the woods and having 0% control over your bowels. I'm glad it got bad though because if it had gotten better I would have questioned my decision to see a Dr.Dr. Jay was his name. Him and his Dr. wife moved from the beach to be closer to family. He looked like a surfer dude. That's a good thing in my book....very fit and very tan.He knew I wasn't going to be hanging around for tests so he is treating me as if I have Giardia and/or a bacterial infection. That way all my bases are covered. Plus stuff for the diharrea. We talked alot about water treatment.....the most interesting part was talking about chemical treatments. Which I use. He said that besides killing stuff in the water you are killing "good" bacteria too. Which may be why I feel sicker when I treat my water. So, another week of Aqua Mira and if my belly hasn't cleared up with the medication I am going to stop treating chemically and see what happens.I sure am losing a lot of weight. Significantly more than most hikers. I had more to lose though so I don't know if I should be worried or not. I have lost 30 pounds since I started and that was with my hiking boots on. And I eat like a pig. Isn't that the best diet around? Truthfully, I am sick of eating candy bars and lipton noodles and ramen....and when I get to town....I am sick of burgers and hotdogs and pizza. And I don't have much an appetite either....so I force myself. Blecko!I had rx's in my hand and couldn't find a ride with the phone numbers I had so I told Forrest and 1-thing that I was going to hitch into Buena Vista to get my rx's filled. They were going to hitch back to the trail and I would meet them at the shelter 11 miles away.It took about ten minutes to hitch a ride but boy did I get lucky! An older man named Mildred picked me up in his Bronco. He drove by me once. Maybe I had my pathetic look on? He drove me the ten miles to buena vista and took me to the drugstore with the lowest prices and the best service and told me lots of great stories. Mostly about his family and his health and his wife, who died in 1985. This is exactly what he said. "My wife was the healthiest one in the family until the day she died." That struck me funny but I just listened cause that's what he wanted. Someone to listen. We got to the drugstore and they said it would be about 20 minutes but Mildred said he would wait and take me back to the trail.I got a little impatient with the people at the drugstore but Mildred set me straight. In a thick southern drawl he said "I 'spect they doing the best they can." And I think he was right. I sat back in the car with Mildred and I realized that we all just do the best we can. Andgetting impatient and or rude doesn't feel god and it NEVER gets me what I want. I went back into the drugstore with a new attitude and they must have sensed it cause they got right on my rx's and off we went. On the way back to the trail he told me stories about losing all of his toes to diabetes. Gave me some recipes to take the gaminess out of venison......that, bear tastes like beef. I can't remember all he talked about except that he looked so happy to have someone to listen. He fussed over the airconditioner because he wanted me to be comfortable and asked if I needed to go to the store. I took his picture before I left and he seemed a tad embarassed when I told him that he was a trail angel. He gave me a handshake that was like a hug and told me to take care of myself. It's just so amazing to me how he showed up just when I really needed it. And we both got what we needed. Life's funny like that. I started hiking in the heat of the day with extra weight. Drugs and some pepto and a book and lots and lots of toilet paper. I walked the two miles to the first shelter and ate something and took my belly meds. I was peeking at the maps and wondering where the water supplies were on the trail when I started feeling queasy. No water for 8 miles....it was 92 degrees and lots of humidity......my belly hurt.....and it was alllll up. I had every intention to make it to the next shelter but in hindsight I should have known it was too much. Maybe had I left early in the morning I could have done it but not in this heat in the afternoon with no water sources for so many miles. No way was I going to have a repeat of that night I spent so sick with no water and no privy.The shelter is so so here but lots of campsites and lots of water AND a privy. I read the shelter register and no sign in from Forrest or One Thing. I wasn't sure if they were ahead of me or putzing around in town. I struggled with my decision to stay or go. I really wanted to catch up with those guys but with all of the other factors, the wisest decision had me staying. I set up my tent....ahhhhhh, I love my tent. My little home where I can taunt the bugs as much as I want and no-one moving around before 5:00 a.m. I read and washed and let my belly do whatever it wanted.A group of kids came in shortly thereafter. The same kids that set up in the rain one night. Not sure if I mentioned that. They were really great kids. 14 of them.....ages 14-16 and two leaders who couldn't have been more than 18. We talked and talked and they asked lots of questions and so did I. They are a quaker based group......kids from all over the country and they were all very smart. They all talked about boarding schools and what colleges they are thinking about. But what I remember the most is when one of the girls said that God made a mistake when he made Granola because it was "evil". I think I agree with her!Sparepocket near a privy!