Date: 2006-09-17
From: Jersey- PCT hiker reunion

To: Great Barrington
Miles today: 0.0

Right now I¢m doing what any lady who¢s had a crappy day and is likely PMSing would do. I¢m hanging out in my $72/night hotel room in Great Barrington watching Dawson¢s Creek. That¢s right! I said Dawson¢s Creek. Even Dawson¢s Creek isn¢t as contenting for me as it should be. Stupid TomKat. Katie, seriously, what are you thinking.         You wanna hear about my day? Aight, here goes. Awoke at Belch¢s sister¢s house in a perfectly good mood. Slept well, didn¢t wake up on the wrong side of the sleeping bag etc. Enjoyed the morning eating fantastic Jersey Bagels, chatting with Agent and Belch, and making plans to get back to the trail. I had already looked into taking the bus to Salsbury and had been told that busses run a few times a day from NYC, but what about Newark? A quick phone call resulted in 3 busses leaving from Newark heading to Salsbury- a 12:05, a 1:55 and a late one that I wasn¢t interested in. I was ready to get back to the trail. Missed the first bus, said my goodbyes to Belch, and headed to the bus station with Agent. We found the bus station relatively easily but once there I was quickly confused by the lack of a Peter Pan Bus sign. I asked a cop who told me to check with the Greyhound representative. Since there was only 1 rep working at the Greyhound counter I decided to call Peter Pan instead. After 3 minutes on hold I was told that I could purchase my ticket for Peter Pan all the way through to Salsbury with the Greyhound rep. I hugged Agent goodbye. Back in line 1:45. 10 minutes until the bus would leave. Finally, my heart racing out of my chest, it was my turn.¢I need a ticket to Salsbury CT.¢   I said.¢Where?¢ says she.¢Salsbury¢¦.Connecticut.¢ I repeat.¢We don¢t go to Salsbury. ¢ she responds.¢I was just told on the phone by a Peter Pan rep that I could by my ticket through you guys to go to Salsbury. ¢12:54- I gave up trying to convince her and bought a ticket to NYC, barely making it on the 12:55 bus.        Once in NYC things got worse. I bought my ticket to Salsbury at the Peter Pan desk, bought a sandwich, used the bathroom and then headed to my gate. Huh. No mention of Salsbury whatsoever on the sign. Maybe the town is too small? I looked at my ticket. NYC to SOUTHBURY CT. Um, what? Out comes the phone.¢Hi, yeah, I¢m in NYC trying to get to Salsbury CT. Do you have busses that go there?¢ me.¢Yes, we have several a day.¢ Her.¢S-A-L-S-B-U-R-Y?¢ me, spelling it out for her.¢No. Southbury. S-O-U-T-H-B-U-R-Y.¢ her spelling it out for me.Shit. I¢m in NYC about as far from the trail as you can get. What am I doing here?        I made my way back upstairs to the Peter Pan counter.¢I just bought this ticket to Southbury but I need to go to Salsbury, do you go there?¢¢No, we go to Southbury. S-O-U-T-H-B-U-R-Y.¢I blink. ¢I need a ticket to Great Barrington MA.¢ The 3 hour bus ride to Great Barrington was pleasant enough. I talked with an architect from NYC named Eva the whole way. I did have some concern though because I¢d be rolling into GB after dark with absolutely no way to find camping. Where would I stay? I left an emergency message for Nabor J who would be hiking Connecticut with me. I could try to find where the trail crosses 7 but in the dark it would be dangerous and unlikely that I¢d see it.         I headed into the Days Inn office hoping for a miracle- that it¢d be affordable. I new the room wouldn¢t be cheap but when the man said $99 I cringed. He knew he had me backed into a corner since I was obviously a hiker who had no place to stay. He agreed to a rate of $89 because ¢I was fun¢. I told him that I couldn¢t spend over $70. As he ran my card through for $72 my phone rang. Nabor J¢¦in Salsbury.         As I attempted to step into what would be the best part of my day, a scalding hot shower in my expensive hotel room I noticed the water was freezing cold. Great. Naked, I called the front desk.¢Is there any reason the water won¢t get hot in my shower?¢ I asked¢Yeah, cause you didn¢t pay enough for your room. ¢ he smartly responded, as if I had a sense of humor still.         He told me how to fix it. Bliss. A hot shower¢¦And Dawson¢s Creek.