Date: 2003-07-16
From: Pine Grove Furnace

To: Gardner, PA Rt # 34
Miles today: 8.6

" It was the best of times, the worst of times."               Charles Dickens - "Tale of Two Cities" So after a very early start and after a very restless night {wicked nasty thunderstorm} we hiked out of Pine Grove Furnace. Everything I had was for the most part soaked. My nasty blister was excruciatingly painful and my 19 mile semi slack turned into an 8 mile hike to some little town in south central PA. Rt # 34 to be exact. (Gardner, PA) My cousins Kathy and her daughters Kris and Kait were not picking us up in Boiling Springs til 7 ish so I had alot of time to kill. Spent most of the afternoon feeling like a pathetic loser. I smell real bad - I'm a pitiful hiker with a gnarly blister and I was still feeling ill from all the ice cream. So what did i do? I hung out at the store on Rt 34 for 6 hours. I tried to hitch for 2 hours, pitiful. Who wants to pick up a smelly girl and her dirty dog? I tried to yogi a ride the rest of the day to no avail. Depressed and knowing the reality that I could physically do the hike, I ate a ham and cheese sandwich, bag of chips and dip {dip is key} 3 sodas and 2 granola bars. I also emailed anyone and everyone I could. Talked to my folks and some friends and wrote 3 letters. I also played with Chloe who was equally pathetic and bored. I was feeling sorry for myself and actually thought I was done for a while. Kathy arrived around 7 with a car full of cousins and smelly hikers (Daisies, Flatlander and Double A). We stopped at McDonalds where Chloe and I split a 10 pack of McNuggets and then ventured back to Harrisburg to Kathys' great house overlooking the Susquehanna River to spend the night. My family is full of awesome people! These guys are so supportive. I love them all for their help. A hot shower and some Papa Johns pizza and I felt great! Kathy had neighbors over and as the rest of the girls showered and caught up on the internet, I chatted with the neighbors as they tied note cards on 50 bottles of wine. It seems the next door neighbors birthday is tomorrow and when he looks out his french doors in the morning to his backyard, he will be greetd with 50 bottles of his favorite vino decorating the garden. Very cool! Tomorrows plan is that I will drive the hiker girls in Kathys' car to Boiling Springs where they will hike 14 miles. Double A will hike the 25 into Duncannon and meet me later in the day at the Doyle Hotel. Daisies and Flatlander will meet me there friday. I plan to mess with my blister, dry out my tent and sleep til Kathy takes me to Duncannon. It should be a relaxing day. Some additional triviality... we met a church group the other day and they sang grace to Circus. This particular version was Superman Grace and it's sung to the theme of Superman. We have made it our own and call it gospel! It goes like this - you can hum along at home. Sing aloud if you are brave and free...   Thank you god for giving us food!   Thank you god for giving us food!   The friends we meet,   The food we eat,   Thank you god, for giving us food! Don't be surprised if this song haunts you for days. We sing it whenver we eat somthing and that is very often!peace and positivity,Molasses