Date: 2007-06-22
From: US 60, Buena Vista VA

To: Buena Vista VA
Miles today: 0.0

So I slept like crap last nite, sure wish these trail motels would hop on the eye bolt in the wall wagon so I could hang my hammock in the room! (ok Certain..resist the urge to type LOL!)And to the person who signed my guestbook asking that I stop typing LOL...I couldn't agree more actually. Sometimes it's difficult to admit you have a problem, but this was the breakthrough I needed (resist..resist). Because I've never met 99% of my readers, I usually assume that my dry sarcastic humor is not always "caught" (mainly because my friends in real life tell me they can't tell when I'm serious or joking and they even have my body language to read!), so began my addiction to LOL when I write emails and such. I do think, however, that if you've followed me this far, you probably get it now, so I'm going to stop using it. It's time to give the L and O keys a rest.See why zero days are so great, you have the time to explain these things. LO...oh...just about did it again!So I wake up, stretch my feet like I'm supposed to, before stepping out of bed, stand up and DOH! Yikes, what a horrible feeling! So this is not my "normal" foot problem, this is a new (and I'm pretty sure) temporary irritation of the tendon on the top of my foot connected to my pinky toe. It just hurts to put any weight on it, and I have a theory as to why.First disclaimer, I'm no expert or trained foot person, BUT, (as of tomorow hopefully) I wil have hiked 800+ miles, so I'm playing the "belief based upon experience" card.Remember when I had to get the Montrail insoles because my Spencos were breaking? Well, the Montrails feel great in that they are much more cushiony, but I can't feel much arch support with them at all. What I think has happened is that the weight has been distributed on the outside of my foot because my arch hasn't been really touching the insole, and it has strained the outer most tendon. It started bothering me 2 days ago, so again, I hope I caught it before doing major damage. To be honest, I'm just getting used to these weird things happening, and am more and more convinced that I am still being taught patience. Nope..still not my strongest asset.I am hiking tomorrow no matter what (how's THAT for patience!) I am just going to take it slow..as usual, and try to get back up to Cindy's to regroup.Manny, the daytime desk guy here @ the Budget told me that if hikers aren't here by mid-June, they'll run out of time. He goes, "You're about a week late." I think a few weeks ago that would have really stressed me out, but seriously, it didn't phase me. I am understanding more and more each day that I am where I am to be. Does that make sense? My belief that I am on this journey for far greater reasons than being able to get a certificate stating I hiked the entire AT, is why I find peace even when these things happen. And, because I've already faced so many unknowns, and watched how they miraculously worked themselves out, I am just not worried.I also want to take this opportunity to say how touched I was by the overwhelming support from everyone regarding my electrical experience, and to clarify one other thing.Many of you have prayed for me, and although I am not so much a believer in organized religion, I am in no way offended or uncomfortable with being prayed for. Here's why...I believe that regardless of an individual's personal spiritual philosophy, that if an act is being committed based upon a true sense of compassion, caring, or selflessnes, then that is all that matters. The rest to me is semantics, and one thing I know for sure, is that the more we all embrace our difference and learn to respect each other, the closer this world will come to being at peace. So I get up assuming I can have my room one more nite, and I realized that the room they thought they gave me (king bed, non-smoking) wasn't the room I had, (queen bed, smoking) so I decided to ask to be refunded the additional $10.90 I paid last nite.Manny was @ the desk, and he'd never spoken to me yet. I explained what happened, and his first reaction was, "No way, you should have taken care of this last nite, I can't do anything about it, you've already stayed in the room."After further conversation, I realized he thought I was asking for a FULL refund, and when I explained I wanted to pay for the room, but I wanted to pay for what I really got, and just be credited the $10.90, he then understood. He took care of me. Still 1 issue though, this weekend is a motorcycle ralley and both motels are booked solid. SHOOT! This changed my plans significantly, I'd have to hike. I explained that my foot was hurt and I was hoping to ice it down all day, and when Manny heard this, he got all fatherly on me. He told me to try to hitch to the Food Lion, 1 mile up the road (to spare my foot) and I could leave my gear in the office, and by the time I got back he'd try to see if anything opened up. So, I started walking, stuck out my thumb, and within 4 minutes, a truck pulled over! It was Yonnie, a local gentleman who saw me limping and figured I need a ride. He of course asked all the normal questions, am I carrying a gun, etc., etc. He got wide eyed when I said no, and he told me how the mountains are dangerous. I politely smiled and tried to put his mind at ease a bit. He let me take his pic, and dropped me off at the Food Lion. THANKS YONNIE!!I did my shopping and started the walk back, stuck out my thumb again, and AGAIN! a mini-van this time!. It was John, who has hiked some with his wife and knew what it was like to need a ride. He dropped me off @ the Budget, I took his pic too. THANKS JOHN!I get back and Manny had an offer. Because they are booked solid, there was 1 room (non-smoing, king) that was open because the shower was broken. Everything else worked though. He offered me this room and offered to allow me to shower in another room after it had been vacated and cleaned (and they'd clean it again of course wen I was finished). I took it. He said that way, if I need to stay more days, this room will always be available, and I won't have to worry about not having a room. Both a hilarious and wonderful outcome huh? They say the trail mellows you out, you learn to go with the flow better, and these situations are why. You have no sense of "control" out here (and really, the concept of control over anything but your thoughts and reactions to life's events is nothing more than a mirage, but we sure do a great job of convincing ourselves we control anything we want).So I'm here, icing te foot, Manny has waved at me and smiled, and then I meet the maintenance\housecleaning guy, Scott. We are cut (partially) from the same thread because the guy has TONS of great skull\skeleton tattoos!! I couldn't resist, I had to say something, so we got to talking about skull tats, and he showed me this one on his back, very cool! (Mom, I told you I just didn't think it was a phase...now at least you know I'm not the only one!)So he saw I was making an ice bag and he ran and got me a bigger plastic bag to make it easier to wrap around my foot.I've learned something today, actually today's events just made it "click" more than anything. People ARE willing and usually eager to help you, but nobody is a mind-reader, so you have to be willing to trust in your human family and ask for help. Something I've just never been that great at, because it's "safer" that way. I am in such a position of vulnerability as a hiker, that the need to protect is overidden by the need to have basic conditions met. The other part of this is resisting the urge to "assume" some plain ole' person sitting there does not have anything to offer for help. I think people in general have a huge desire to feel needed, feel as if they serve a purpose greater than paying the mortgage. Being asked for help can do as much for a person as can the actual act of help for a person in need.You all have to remember that one of my greatest motivations for wanting to take this journey was to realign my perspective on what I saw as the spiraling unstoppable condition of man's inhumanity towards man. I still see it, but am slowly regaining my faith that there are pockets of people all around that can help maintain some balance. ~Certain