Date: 2004-03-30
To: dressing the part
Miles today: 0.0

I had my last day of work on Sunday. I am getting a little used to the feeling since I have had so many last days of work before a journey. So now rather than get sentimental about the last box of cheez its I priced, I get sentimental about all the other last days of work. I remember walking out of walgreens when I was 18 teary eyed, I had spent 2 years working there, and there I was walking through the shoplifting gates one last time, on my way to Georgia. This time I just got in my car, drove home, had a beer. I will admit I cracked a grin. Here we go again.Listen, I have really no time for this. 34 hours until my plane leaves. I have been going through my stuff manically, sorting out some clutch mail drops, putting vitamins in plastic bags, running out to get a tooth brush holder, trying unsuccessfully to modify an umbrella the ¢ray way.¢ You know, madness.In the madness, while I was sorting out my clothes, I tried on the t-shirt that came from campmor today. It works, it¢s a little flashy, and there is a small logo by my hip after all, but really it¢s a simple shirt. This stuff is important to me, because we are talking every picture in this shirt. And I had my hiking pants on since I was doing laundry. And I have been wearing my chacos around the house to try to get my feet used to them. And when it was time to run errands I reached for my fleece. I never wear the fleece. I mean I have a corduroy sport coat with padded elbows. But I donned the fleece and as the second arm went through the sleeve, I cracked a grin. I looked in the mirror. Here we go again.I am doing alright. The pack is more or less packed, coming in at 20 pounds with three days of food and a liter of water. I am at the top of my game. What a great feeling when I shouldered it and realized how much lighter it was then my training pack. However, I am eying my SLR. And ive got an umbrella trying to jump in. I have resisted some of ray jardines wisdom, but the further along I get, the closer I get to just thinking that the dude is never wrong. I mean think about it, an umbrella makes sense. Hiking in a parka is misery, since you sweat so much. But hiking in a t shirt aint fun either. For quite a while I will be rolling along on my body heat but if I decide to stop for a butterfinger it is like instant hypothermic misery. An umbrella. Makes sense. It¢s jumping in. 21 pounds.Something about disposable cameras and me. I accept the inability to capture subtleties in light and shadow, its tendencies to mute vivid color, its knack for surprising the heck out of me every time I get my prints: ¢I took that shot in broad, open, daylight¢why is the sky an off-purple?¢ here¢s the rub: half of my pictures, regardless of how hard I try, come back with an unwanted star. My thumb. In the corner of all these gorgeous shots. That picture of big bald I have up here, I cropped it to exclude the monstrosity. Plus, wouldn¢t it be nice to have good, solid pictures?   And so the SLR is making a break for it. 24 pounds.And I still haven¢t bought lunch food, or put my journal in. 26 pounds.And so goes the last hours of planning.Jeez, how can I articulate how much I am looking forward to this? I think you get it. Next one is coming from the trail, baby.