Date: 2016-07-22
From: happy hill shelter

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

So, after a few nights of weird dreams of inadequacy, I finally had a cool dream to offset it. Maybe the coolest, if you're as nerdy as I am. And I'm sorry that this is becoming a dream journal, ha, but for some reason I'm having very vivid, memorable dreams out here lately. So, buckle up geeks. I dreamt that I was a Jedi Master, ha! I was head of a Jedi Academy. But it was a very long dream that spanned many years. I began as a student there, training with a lightsaber and in the arts of the force. I remember trying to pull my lightsaber to my hand from many feet away, and it would barely slide towards me after a few seconds. Eventually I improved and got sent out on a few diplomatic missions where I was basically a security guard for politicians. Then I was sent on some missions to fight some aliens.Years passed, as they do so fluidly in dreams, and whoever was in charge of the Academy stepped down, leaving an opening. By now, I had become an expert with the lightsaber and had the experience and confidence to teach and lead Jedi in combat if the need arose. So I got the position and was surprised by the respect I immediately received. I guess at that point my reputation proceeded me. I was a strict, but platonic and friendly leader. I wanted to be more human and empathetic than robotic and stern. I made many friends out of colleagues and students at the Academy.But of course these things never last, and we were attacked. In the middle of the night, dozens of dropships of Sith lords and murderous robots were dropped behind our walls. It was very sudden chaos and there was death and fires and students fighting everywhere. Like before I reached for my lightsaber across the room, but this time it rocketed into my hand without a moment hesitation. I put my skills to the test and began slicing and whirlwinding through the enemy waves with my blue lightsaber and redirecting bullets and lasers with blasts of the force. I organized panicked groups of Jedi Knights and teachers to rescue as many students as they could and to fall back into the training dome. Once we gathered up all that we could, I selected my most trusted friends, a small but fast group of experienced Jedi, and we snuck behind their groups, cutting them down from the back. Eventually their formations were broken and scattered and they retreated with what was left.It wasn't exactly a victory, and we lost a lot of students and Jedi teachers as well, but we saved even more and the school still stood.Sooo, haha, that happened. I don't usually read much into dreams, but I really enjoyed this one and was pretty encouraged by it, ha! Pretty cool of my unconscious manchild brain. Now back to our regularly scheduled hiking journal!Today was a great day for trail magic! First Radar and I hit a cooler with delicious, ripe, juicy watermelon.Then, Ranger caught up to us and we walked into Norwich together. On the side of the road was another cooler with delicious homemade banana bread!A while later, Radar and I were walking and a lady in an SUV pulled into a driveway in front of us and gave us two $5 Starbucks gift cards. She said she had been looking for hikers all morning. Such incredible kindness from people. Thank you all.Radar and I crossed the border today! Out of Vermont and into New Hampshire. I can't believe how far we've come. It's surreal and very exciting! The Whites are less than a week away now!As we entered the beautiful downtown of Hanover, we went to Lou's Bakery where thru-hikers get a free cruller. Crasher and Rocky were there so we sat for awhile and chatted. There were with a friend they met in Hanover, so we didn't want to take much time from them, so we moved in to Starbucks to cash in our cards.We got delicious iced vanilla coffees there and I ran to the post office to get my winter gear mail drop that Jamie had sent. I swapped out my 50 degree bag back for my 15, and sent home my fleece in exchange for my Puffy coat. Yes the days are still unbearably hot, but the Whites are coming up, are very high and very unpredictable in the weather department. People have died of exposure in the summer in Mt Washington, so Deadwood wants to be ready.I went back to Starbucks and Radar and I used their excellent wifi to upload pictures and communicate with the world a bit. I realized that I must've left my wall charger plugged in at Killington Peak Lodge, so I ran to CVS to replace it.Radar is a person with a lot of energy, and when he drinks coffee, I think he could power a small village. We had fun, and after a while Fugitive wandered in and we chatted awhile. Sounds like he may be doing the same mileage that we are planning.In random places around Hanover I met Sushi, GPS, Spielberg and saw Reading Man and The Professor. Lots of hikers out and about!After this, the three of us went to Ramuntos Pizza for a free slice of pizza for thru-hikers. There we saw Dr G, Sharky, El Auto, Chilipepper, and a few others! We got some beer and more pizza and everyone was happy. On the way out we ran into Juan Durer but he was staying at a trail angels house who had room for one more. Radar said he was staying with me (thanks buddy!) and Fugitive took the opportunity.Radar and I headed over to the Richard W Black Community Center for showers and laundry. It rained briefly while we were inside, and then stopped. Yay!Around 5 PM they kicked us out because it was time for "Chinese Dance". We got our mostly dry, slightly wet clothes out of the dryer and headed over to the Co-Op Food Store. Well, that ended up being expensive. But, ever since the beginning of this hike, a coworker of mine from Hanover told me to get McNamara Dairy chocolate milk in town, and I finally did. Radar and I each got two 16 ounce glass bottles, and The Professor added another 32 Oz or so to our bottles. We were so happy and miserable with milk. We even sold the bottles back for $1 each.After that we lazily hiked about a mile out of town to the shelter. I'm glad that Radar and I stuck together. We're a good duo and I'm having a lot more fun now that I'm able to laugh and share experiences with a good, like-minded person. The trail provides!