Date: 2010-07-18
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 11.5

Ohhhh let the relaxation begin!!! Yes, I am writing this after hiking yesterday from an air conditioned apartment in a comfy leather chair. So, I awoke yesterday at 530am and somehow took forever to get out the door. I left the shelter and was on the AT by 645am. Guess what my hiking shoe attire was?? Yup, my Croc-tacular Crocs. My feet were so swollen I decided to Croc it again. Whoops. Pushed my luck to far on that one. Please, One Life, tell us why? Well, in my 11.5 mile race to the Post Office in Unionville, NY I developed what scientists and doctors call a blister. It was in a weird spot. Right on the ball of my foot. Both feet actually. It made walking like a spongy pain...hard to explain. Anywho, I made it through the end of the so-called rock section of the AT. Wait what? The PA rocks did not magically end at the PA/NJ state line? Nope, but they "supposedly" ended after the Highpoint Shelter (approximately 4.2 miles into yesterday's walk). I made it to the Post Office by 11:24am (oh One Life you're so precise) and got my packages. From there we waited until my sister picked us up at 1pm.Stucco, Scatters (I call her Scratches), Abigail (my sister) and I left Unionville, NY (I refer to it as Onionville for no good reason) and headed to Smellmont, NY aka Elmont (Long Island). (I like parenthesis if you can't tell). We sat in traffic for 3 1/2 hours but I don't think we cared because we were in an air conditioned environment with Gatorade. I love Gatorade if you can't tell by the way. We dropped Scatters off at the train station as she was going into NYC to visit fam and friends and we went to Abigail's apt. Guess what we did? We were immediately ordered to shower and do laundry. After that we sat on the couch and watched movies and ATE!!! Awww it was sooo nice to just munch on food and not hike when it was 1 million degrees outside. I equate the AT to being married. You truly love the AT with all of your heart but you can't spend every waking second with it or you become drained. So its nice to have a guys night...aka a day or two off of the trail. Then when you get back you feel way more refreshed and totally in love again. Please note that I have no actual marriage experience so I could be off a little bit.Also, I want to tell the world (the five of you that read my blog) that I have an excellent sister. Abigail, has been nothing but awesome to me. If you read the first few blogs way back from last fall you will see that she's the one that got me to put my dream of hiking the trail to work. She has been my main support and all ways since I've started and I would not have even attempted this dream without her. She is very special to me and I'm so glad she is who she is. If you're reading this then do me a favor. Figure out who the Abigail is in your life and thank them and God for placing them in your life. Cool? Thanks.I'm not sure what the plan is right now. I know I'm supposed to meet Scatters somewhere in NYC because I'm staying with her tonight and she's my ride back to the trail tomorrow. PROBLEM: Abigail got me a new Blackberry with a functioning keyboard but I lost Scatters' number. Hopefully she'll call me, right? I hope so.Two last things before I let you go. First, check out Stucco's blog at www.maine2010.blogspot.com. She would never say this but she absolutely loves it when people leave comments. Second, thank you to everyone who leave comments on mine. You cannot imagine how much of a booster it is when you get a comment of encouragement or whatever. Its so great to hear from the outside world when you're on the AT. I know I don't always respond to them but I promise you that I read every single one. Well, thats all I got for today.Forever in His debt. I love you.