Date: 2015-05-17
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn't sleep well last night. I never sleep well in hotels and hostels. I was too hot but also too lazy to get up and mess with the air conditioner. Also, my stuff is spread out all over the hotel room. Damp pieces of gear are airing out, my nicely scrubbed cookset is drying, and food is waiting to be sorted. And all the stuff I emptied out of Bertha before getting groceries is sitting in a pile on the floor because I was too lazy to put it back. If I tried to get to the AC, I would probably trip and break my feet even more.Still, we got up late and were lazy for a while before setting out for the continental breakfast. I had a WAFFLE (actually only half, Chris shared with me). I love waffles. Dan appreciates my waffle-love. I used to make them all the time with Faye.Some of the ladies from yesterday were at breakfast. Neon shared some blueberry cream cheese and advice about taping my feet. One of the Aussie Legs is sick, so they decided to take a zero. She looked so horrible, I felt so bad for her. I am so lucky I haven't gotten sick.We sat and talked for a while before heading back to our room for second breakfast - my yogurt mixed with Chris's fruit juice and granola. The eating has been amazing lately.Then we set about chores. I taped a hole in my tent-pole bag and stitched my pack cover pouch back into place on my hipbelt. It had been coming loose.Then... laundry. Ugh. I hate it. It takes forever, and everything still smells terrible and gross even when it is "clean". Neon gifted us heavy quarters we used to for the washing machine, but the dryers were broken. We snuck into the Super 8 across the street to use their dryer. A female German hiker, who I saw the other day, but who speaks no English, was removing her own clothes as we arrived. There was time left on the machine! So even though we had to sit and wait there, we didn't have to pay for it. Our clothes were still slightly damp, so after heading back to the room, we strung up a clothesline between two trees outside. THRILLING STUFF, ISN'T IT?! Every time I take a zero, I just want to sit around eating pizza but end up doing six million chores instead.Then I had a snack, wrote some letters, answered emails, and ate the rest of my bagged salad (out of the bag this time, though, because I don't want to wash my pot again).Then I fell asleep. I was going to call my mom, but I was so tired... so I napped for an hour until my stupid hunger woke me up. So I shoveled more Goldfish in my mouth, got a drink, and went back to bed. When I got up I had to take another shower to actually wake myself up. It was great.Many other chores were done today. Clothes were folded, things organized, phone calls made, and feet soaked in the tub with Epsom salts.AND THE BEST PART?!PIZZA FOR DINNER. THAT IS RIGHT. PIZZA HUT IS RIGHT ACROSS THE FREAKING STREET. It is like fate. And I still have yogurt, chocolate milk, and strawberries left for dessert.Tomorrow I can make another waffle for breakfast and bask in the glory of my last hours in town.And then, the trail! I am excited to get back out there, and take it slower with my sausage toes. Blue Ridge Parkway, here I come!I am thankful for rest, a friend, time to call home, a nice nap, TWO SHOWERS IN ONE DAY, and delicious food. And I am so thankful for the miles and miles of trail still waiting for me.