Date: 2010-03-08
To: Disambiguation
Miles today: 0.0

Isn't that a cool word? I'll bet even my erudite transcriber, Break-a-leg, might have to look that one up in Webster's. I know I did, and I'm about as erudite a guy as I know. I came across it as I was doing research on what WAS going to be this morning's journal topic -- cults and the AT community. It turns out, however, that it will take me more time to "disambiguate" that topic than I have time for, so it will have to wait until at least tomorrow's journal.Instead, I'm going to do a quick "items in the news" report here, and then get on to the office where I will be serving one of my last three days in the old harness for the next six months. Yea!!!!Item #1: We have a report from the trail that it was well below freezing yesterday morning at Springer Mountain, and the trail was a sheet of ice. Still, I'm increasingly optimistic about the weather and about trail conditions as I get closer to the start of my hike. The forecast for this week here in Washington is for highs in the 60's and overnight lows only in the 40s, so that's more like it. We're also supposed to have rain 2-3 days toward the end of the week. Now that can make for muddy trails, but it will definitely melt the snow. The temperatures in the mountains of Georgia and North Caroline will obviously be lower, especially overnight, so there may well be ice on the trail in the morning, BUT spring is coming. You can't stop spring! Besides, I have my Yak Tracks for when I need them. So I don't see any need at this point to consider delaying the start of my hike. Item #2: We had an absolutely gorgeous day here yesterday, which allowed me to get my yard all cleaned up before I take off. I hired some help, and together we got things raked and pruned and mulched and I don't know whatall, and ended up with 20 bags of yard waste set out at the curb for the trash guys to haul away. So, that's one more thing on my Honey Do List done. In the process, I was able to confirm that Spring is, indeed, on it's way, judging from the new growth showing on everything from the Sedum to the Day Lilies, to the Butterfly Bushes.   Item #3: I went to the local ATT store and swapped out the sim card on my blackberry and set up my antique cell phone that has the flip up cover and actually works with my pocketmail composer. I switched the services around also, and tested it with my composer and it worked. Another miracle! So that's one more thing off my list. Item #4: My son texted me on Saturday that my pack had arrived on schedule (Thanks UPS!) and is now secured, awaiting my arrival in Atlanta. Item #5: One of my best friends from '05, Cuppa Joe, is hiking for the next several weeks, and has a blog up that I'm following. He was hiking between Neels Gap and Hiawassee, south of the Cheese Factory where he'd been planning to stop for the night. By a slip of the tongue, he referred to it as the Cheeseburger Factory, which some kids he was hiking with thought was pretty funny. It was the classic Through-hiker mentality in operation, even if only subconsciously. But here's the kicker: he got word, passed back by the kids who were hiking ahead of him and were going further that day (via a day hiker heading south) that some folks were doing trail magic at a gap about a mile beyond the Cheese Factory, and they were serving -- you guess it -- Cheeseburgers. He couldn't resist, of course, and was soon the proud owner of two freshly cooked burgers. Now THAT'S what ahm talkin' 'bout! That wasn't by any chance one of you guys out there reading my journal, was it??? Ok, that's all for today. Gotta hit the shower. Oh, right. Disambiguation: "Noun. Clarification that follows from the removal of ambiguity; clarification, elucidation, illumination - an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding. That is just SO what this journal is all about! :D