Date: 2008-04-17
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

At around midnight, I was awaken by the noise of Roundhorse rolling in to camp. I was pretty tired and stuck my hand up to wave, but I don't think he saw it. Then, I was awaken at 5:30a by to the sounds of Toddy Bear sitting up and saying, "Oh Crap, Oh Crap!" Hearing this, all 4 of us woke up to find out what happened. Toddy Bear then continued with, "the Racoon's got somebody's pack!" Almost immediately, there were 4.5 headlamps--mine is the 1/2 because I'm using batteries which have not been changed in two years--shining on the coon. With the lights on him, I saw one paw on a red pack and the other near his big eyes...as if he were saying, "Oops! You caught me!" Roundhorse then realized that the pack was his and Brandon began another episodes of attacks with the coon! So, I went back to bed with a smile on my face because I was right...this has been an interesting "night." At 6:30a, however, Team Deutschmark was up and packing, being careful not to wake the AU Boys because they didn't get as much sleep as we did. But, Brandon heard us and then began an amazing dialogue with Roundhorse while they were still in their sleeping bags. Oh! I've discovered a new way to type dialogues since I've been reading "THE WEAPON .67's" Trail Journal!!!Brandon: "Richard, Richard, What time did you come in last night?"Roundhorse: "Midnight."Brandon: "What happened? Did you take a long break?"Roundhorse: "No, I was hiking by moonlight and followed the yellow blazes down            to the concrete factory! Then, I had to hike all the way back up!"Brandon: "Richard, I was worried sick about you!"After hearing this, Toddy Bear, Yeti, and I began to laugh. Then, Brandon began to crawl out of his sleeping bag, stopped, and said, "I hate that stupid bird. It chirps every morning and is so annoying!" Still in his sleeping bag and slightly groggy, Roundhorse replied, "I like that one. It's my favorite and it's not as annoying as the one that goes 'AWWW AWWW AWWW!'" The dialogues between these two guys is hilarious and way too funny!!! So, Yeti, Toddy Bear, and I pushed on towards Daleville for an "In-and-Out" resupply (this is where you resupply and then get back on the trail so that you don't have to spend money on lodging). The walk into town was very beautiful with its ridgewalk and views of the Roanoke City Watershed. While walking by some rock formation, the scene from Men In Black, where Will Smith shoots the little girl in the head, popped in my head and I shared this funny scene with the fellas. Within no time, the trail dead ended into US-220--A four laned road which was very busy--with the trail continuing on the other side.I had a package at the Outfitters and we marched on to get it, but were quickly sidetracked by the sight of BoJangles!!! We left our packs outside and began to order. I got 2 Bo'Berry Biscuits, 1 Cajun Chicken Sandwich, Fries, Buffalo Bites--not worth the $3.49--and 4 cups of lemonade diluted with water! After this "feast" and use of the flushable Privy, we headed over to the Outfitters. The first thing I did was check and see if they would honor the warranty on my Platypus 1.8L Water bag, which had a hole on the seam. They did, but I had to exchange a 1.8L bag for a 1L one. This loss of water capacity sucks, but I was leaking too much water through that hole. As they were getting my package, I noticed that Fester had a package here...so I left him a note!!! I bought some more Aqua-Mira and some Iodine tablets for Yeti (I used some today and thought a new supply was a good way to say Thank You)! Yeti, however, didn't get his package. His mom mailed it on 04/09 using priority mail and it's not here...that's odd! This was a pretty big deal because it contained his summer gear, Water filter, platypus bags (to increase his water carrying capacity), and his Crocs. Then, we walked 1 mile to the Post Office and were shocked to hear that Toddy Bear's package, with his new cell phone, had not arrived either. We sat outside of the Post Office, like vagrants, and decided to spend a night in town because the packages might arrive tomorrow. After reading a note from Breakman and Grasshopper, Yeti informed us that The Comfort Inn had reasonable rates--$40 to be split by three people--, a shower, decent Continental Breakfast, and internet!!! The only down side about this place is that it is 2 miles away from the outfitters and you have to cross the on and off ramps from I-81, which was very, very busy and difficult to do. We got to our room, #214, unpacked, which christened the room with our hiker funk, and then headed to the Dollar General Marketplace. This place was huge and had everything we needed. I think Yeti summed it up when he said, "this is the Wal-Mart of Dollar Generals!!!" If you've never been to one, you need to go and experience this!! We got back to the room and relaxed with our shoes, socks, and shirts off with the A/C on full blast. After calling Pa and Barbara--my family--. DeRosa, and Briana, we hustled over to Shoney's for the AYCE BBQ Dinner Buffet. The food was pretty good and filling. I ate 2 plates of salad, fruits, Mac 'n Cheese/BBQ Chicken/Rice/Corn/Beans/Bread, and 3 big plates of Carrot Sufle!!! By 7p, we were back in our room watching Scrubs--Toddy Bear and I love this show. Why is Zach Braff so funny and why is Colin Hay such a great singer? During our TV watching, we took turns showering. After my shower, I decided to wash my undies in the sink. I changed the water 3 times and it was still brown!!! We couldn't go to the laundromat because we would have had to cross 6 lanes of busy traffic. So, we opted to clean them while we bathed!! As we packed up, guess what came on? Men In Black!!! How awesome is it that we were talking about this movie today and it's now on?!? Then, right before bed, we had a "Little Debbie Party." We each bought 2 packs of snacks and indulged in the "happiness" Little Debbie provides to hikers!!! Well, Will Smith is taking the exams to be a member of the MIB and "My Scene" is coming up...night!!