Date: 2008-01-19
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Miles today: 0.0

The hike start date is growing closer and I finally submitted my resignation papers. This trip has been in the making for over three years and I knew one of the hardest moments for me would be to walk away from work. I have to admit, I was in doubt until the final day.To all the individuals I have worked with in the last 8 years: You are wonderful people!I am currently driving west to see friends and family and put the final touches on the last three years of planning. This means in between the books on CD, I have plenty of time for my mind to wonder over the last 8 years. Until my move to the Baltimore ¢DC area I was in the military for 20 years. I had never stayed in one area over three years. Up until 1999, my mind was reset every three years. I only had enough memory to record three years of events. Could or can I recall 8 years of events ¢ Well, I¢ll give it a shot.-        Running into my some of my climbing partners at work.-        Finding Crossroads!o        A three hour service at one church and 12 other churches later:o        Jonathan: ¢I said be healed Sister!¢o        Meeting old friends from Hawaii at Crossroadso        Discovering a church that didn¢t place the women in the kitchen!!!! Remember I cannot cook. Thank you God.-        The Women¢s Adventure Bible Studieso        Laser tag         ¢¢        Teaching Tammy about camouflage¢¢        The women ganging up to ¢take me out.¢o        Climbing ¢ watching the women gain confidence with heighto        Biking ¢ Wow Mary P is so skilled in that areao        Day hikeso        White water raft trip - weekend¢¢        The mascot¢¢        My raft never flipped!¢¢        Katie, Wendy and a few others steering the other raft¢¢        Katie¢s swim¢¢        Hmmm ¢ need to try something less intense next time.o        Hiking the Maryland portion of the AT with 14 women¢¢        Meeting Stella¢¢        A Can of peaches and a 3 D Cell battery flashlight¢¢        Crossroads men meeting us on the third night with chocolateo        Several years with the women from Crossroad¢s hiking portions of the AT¢¢        Watching Jonathan and Greg calm the numerous husbands down that this was a safe thing to do. Thanks!¢¢        The growing number of hikers over the next 6 years¢¢        Watching other women take over the responsibility of planning¢¢        Great balls of fire ¢ Alison¢¢        What key to what cabin??? In PA, 2nd year¢¢        The great rain storm with thunder, also in PA¢¢        The support team meeting us with dry wood and chocolate cookie dough mix at Tumbling Run!¢¢        2nd year Roller coaster ¢ good decision.¢¢        Daddy long legs for lunch?¢¢        Tammy, the map master got lost ¢ for a very short period of time.¢¢        Ripping Wendy¢s book¢¢        3 Pencils Tammy¢¢        Shenahdoah hike years¢¢        What Bear? ¢ I am serious ¢ what bear?!¢¢        Finding a ¢bear¢ in my tent ¢ Dawn and Suzan¢¢        The whistles are where Greg?¢¢        Back in Maryland ¢ the great COLD rain storm¢¢        Making a call to have the husband support team pull the hikers off the hypothermia trail ¢ very good call¢¢        Laughing at the laundry place ¢ as we warmed up¢¢        Watching the clouds go away and the temp go up.¢¢        Returning to the trail for the rest of the hike¢¢        One year the husbands brought us Ice Cream on our last night out.¢¢        We had communion one year.¢¢        Recall all the various support teams:¢¢        Year one simple firewood support, sodas and Gadiva Chocolate¢¢        Year two was ice cream, candy bars and chocolate chip cookie dough¢¢        Supporters had good intentions but had a broken arm among the team¢¢        Huge rescue and the last night the husbands attempting to out do each other¢¦Ben and Jerry¢s ice cream, wine, cookies, ¢¢        Wow too many memories¢¦I am having a hard drive failure. ?o        Baptism Canoe Trips ¢¢        Husband and wife can not be in the same canoe¢¢        Eric and Tammy¢s flip canoe ¢¢        Jonathan and Greg¢s paddle by pick up of a three year old.o        Old Rag on full moon nights with Bill, Greg and Tinyo        Mountaineering in Peru with Bill and Earth Treks.o        Annapolis Rocks ¢ church camp out¢¢        Hiking on a broken leg¢¢        Losing a hiker¢¢        Jonathan eating GORP and realizing he liked it.o        Crossroads first leadership retreat¢¢        Mouse traps and the magic ropeo        Seneca Rocks ¢ so many trips¢¢        Rusty Piton and Bill - Yes I climb like a Marine and a balleniria¢¢        Painted nail ¢ I am a female after all¢¢        The huge clan ¢ leaving a number one cam. Learning how to pick climb partners¢¢        Swimming hole and the greased watermelons¢¢        Caleb and lady bugs¢¢        Lydia and the joke book and out climbing that other team¢¦she was only 8 ¢¢        ¢¢        Pie ¢ getting him down alive after he spit off the top¢¢        All the various families and the yearly camping trip¢¢        PURPLE FIDDLEo        The off Road trip to find mud ¢ Tammy, Lydia and Beilin¢¢        Greg can I borrow a 9mm since it is your wife and daughter on the trip in the back woods of WV with me¢¢        I don¢t need 150 rounds¢¦I don¢t plan on starting WWIII¢¢        Looking for the mud.¢¢        Yes, I drove your truck on the small ¢ itty bitty dirt incline ¢ it was not a cliffo        Great Alleghany and C&O bike trip¢¢        Marty ¢ who did all the planning¢¢        Janet joining us¢¢        Great meals and support¢¢        Broken bike or should I say Bikes¢¢        It feels like a thousand magic finger ¢¦..o        Triathlons¢¢        Janet¢s first hike ¢ yes I had the emergency number¢¢        Janet closing the distance between us¢¢        Alison leaving Janet¢¢        Finishing the Delaware tri with Janet and Alison¢¢        2nd year at Delaware Tri with Marjorie and Janet¢¢        So much for flat water¢¢        I didn¢t know the wind could move a bike clear across the road¢¢        12 Ironman with Janet and Marjorie¢¢        Wow we finished