Date: 2007-04-08
From: home. Zero Day

To: zero day
Miles today: 0.0

Easter Sunday. I don't know what I expected. I'm not saying I was let down in any way. I'm home alone with my wife's cat. My son is done with his fishing trip and has headed back to school. I traded cars with him to see if I could get an electrical problem fixed for him. I'll be hikiing the trail of course but somehow I will fit this in. He is in college. He has everything on his mind and too much time on his hands. I'm not scoffing. I'd love to trade places with him. Alas, my course is set. Into the sunset I must go with nary another day at college on the horizon. This one day at a time, one step at a time stuff seems to be sinking in for me. Ok, I'm old and it is about time something sunk in, but still the adage that it is never too late truly fits. Today I will be thankful I am able to hike the Appalachian Trail. Today I will respect and love the concept of rebirth and living "IN DEED" as the great spiritual leader, whose death and resurrection we ponder today, showed that I might do. Today I will not worry about yesterday or tomorrow. Today I will see how the spring flowers in bloom are an invitation toward me to lift up my contenance as well, to reinvent myself in a way that might not last a month, week or year. Maybe it will only be today when I stand in the driveway and wave at my son as he heads toward school, proud of him, proud of me and proud of how much I love life. Maybe today I will take that powder blue hat I bought a few days ago and paint something on it that will make me feel like I'm a billboard the same way a daffodil cannot help but shout "I'm a billboard for God! Can you believe this shit!? I'm a miracle, just like you!"I'm starting to figure out this cat thing. She came over to me and started meowing like crazy. I got up and followered her into the kitchen. I put some water in her bowl. She seemed to be pleased with the fact that I am willing to listen to her. She hasn't bothered me since. She went back to sleep on the sofa where I usually sit. If the cat is happy I'm happy. Well, I don't know what else to say. I sent my two man HUBBA HUBBA back to MSR for repair and got out my single man HUBBA. I'm going to try using it the same way I used the bigger tent. I'm leaving the tent part at home and I'm going to only use the rainfly. I set it up in the front yard and got into it. It is a lot smaller. I switched out sleeping bags too. I'm going to use one rated at 35 degrees this coming week and then the week after that I'm going to go to an even lighter bag that is rated for 40 degrees. I've been working on my featherfire stove. I sprayed it with WD-40 and now I can turn the flame adjustment screw again. It is a short term fix: I know because I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago and the WD-40 eventually caught on fire and burned away and then the stove was hard to operate again. I hung up my poncho and my winter vest in the closet and got out my lighter cashmere vest. I'm going to go lighter and I'm willing to do whatever it takes.I"m reading the trail journals of other hikers and I want to work myself up to 25 mile days like some of them are doing. I want to hike faster. I have to hike faster so I can hike at a pace and keep it up. Time will tell how well I do. Right now my plan is to drive up to Damascus on Tuesday and hike for three days, then come home for another weekend. After that week I will be northbound with no breaks in sight. I'm about ready.