Date: 2009-09-11
From: New York City

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

It has been a while since my last entry, and so much has happened. I took 5 zeroes in New Jersey, and my Mom, Dad, and girlfriend came up to visit. We stayed at a good friends house and had a wonderful stay. I want to thank the Gallaghers for opening their home to all of us and making our visit very memorable. I got a personal tour of parts of New Jersey, and I was expecting something a lot different. I had no idea how nice New Jersey is. The weather was superb, and the beach was very pleasant. When my family was up here we did a lot of stuff. We went to Sandy Hook Beach, which was very cool. It had a nice beach with lots of sand, and it also had the oldest working lighthouse in America, Sandy Hook Lighthouse. We toured the lighthouse, and we could see New York City across the water very clearly. We checked out the local food scene which was also great. Jess and I also got to go on a hot date one night. We checked out Pier Village which was right on the beach, and it turns out that on that night, there was a 15 minute fireworks display on the beach! I guess I planned it right! We had a wonderful time, and it was great to spend time with her. It will be a while before I see her again, but it is nice to have all of her support while I am out here. The Gallaghers also own a 1929 Model A car, and we got to ride in it to dinner one night. It was very cool riding in an antique car! It's amazing the differences between cars then and now. One day we all got to go to New York City, and the day started very early. We took a train into the city and got day Subway passes to go around the city. First we went to Central Park for a stroll. We spent a good bit of time there, and it was neat because there were dogs all around the park running around freely. Before 9:00 am owners are allowed to take the leashes off their dogs. There was also a triathalon going on at the same time, and a few dogs almost got run over by some cyclists! There was some comotion for a while with the native New Yorkers calling each other choice words, but we thought it was entertaining. We went to the Museum of Natural History after that for a while, and it was exciting seeing all of the exhibits. There was so much there to learn, but we only had a limited amount of time. The dinosaur floor was neat, and overall I very much enjoyed the museum. We went to Times Square where we had lunch at Planet Hollywood. We also went to the M & M store, Rockefeller Plaza, Washington Square Garden, and we went to see the Blue Man Group in concert! It was great! Jess and I got to participate in the show, and all of us were sitting in the 4th row, so we had to wear ponchos! It was an entertaining show. I also got a camera shoved down my throat, literally. Sounds weird, but I am so glad I can check the "got camera shoved down throat" off my list now. After that we went to a pizza joint to finish out the evening. It was a busy day, and as exhausting as it was, we still had a great time. It was great to have a break from the trail to see my family, but the next 2 days after they left, it was extremely difficult to get back into hiking mode. I thought about the great time I had with the family while I was hiking, and that made my mind crazy! The terrain is fairly flat now, and it's so easy that I don't have to think about hiking as much, so my mind wanders and I end up missing things from "real life." I certainly got spoiled during my time off, but things are better now mentally. I have actually been fighting physical problems recently. A few nights ago my eye was irratating me, and when I woke up it was pussed shut. It has gotten a little better since then, but I think something is wrong, so I am going to the doctor to get things checked out. On top of that I have been sick for a few days. I feel pretty crummy, but I am trying to rest. I am in Unionville now taking a zero at the former Mayor's house. The former mayor of Unionville opens his house to hikers and it is very nice. I have slowed my pace down lately, and I was hoping to make it home by Thanksgiving, but it looks more like I will be home in December. It has started getting cooler lately, and the leaves are starting to change, which is good because I like variety. I hope to get out hiking tomorrow, but we'll see. After this break, I am looking forward to hiking through New Jersey! I keep reminding myself daily that it's not about the miles, it's about the smiles. Things are still good, and I am glad to be out here.----Well, I just got back from the Dr's office, and I am afraid I have some bad news. After 3 hours of tests at the clinic it turns out I have a respiratory infection, and I won't be able to continue hiking for maybe a week. My eye is also infected, and I need to rest to heal up. There is also a possibility I could have Lyme disease, but it won't be certain until my blood test comes back in a few days. I will be resting and healing for at least the next 5 days which is a bummer because I was really looking forward to hiking tomorrow. I am taking antibiotics and other medication, so I am hoping I can have a speedy recovery. I am not in much pain. I just feel lethargic and fatigued. I am glad that things have worked out so far. At first the Dr thought that I had pneumonia or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. I am trying to have a positive attitude about all of this, and it is hard, but I know that things will get better. I can't wait to keep going. This is just another hiccup in the adventure. Right now my goal is to have a full recovery so I can continue. I appreciate all of the support and prayer.