02.14.09
Posted in Life at 2:32 pm by segue
Or how I snuck into Mobile and got blisters on my feet.
I’ve walked just short of 1,000mi on the AT without a blister I walk 3mi from midtown Mobile to the Bike Shop and have one blister on each foot. Go figure. So here it is Mardi Gras 2009. I made it down to Mobile to visit, party, and work. I figure two years away is long enough to be away and make the homecoming sweet. Yes I flew on Friday the 13th with no fear. Left Philly it was dark and in the 30s got to Mobile it was 60s 100% humidity (surprise surprise) and raining (surprise surprise). Stopped in Forelocks to see the world famous hairdresser Dawn. With clouds rolling in again I made it to the Bike Shop just as it started to let loose. I figured if Jim wasn’t going to return any of my phone calls, I would just have to show up and see what unfolds.
It seems things do change! When I left there were only a couple people working each side. Now, there are about 500. They have expanded to serve Mexican food on the Bike Shop side of life. Changes everywhere, someone stole the secret house that was in the back courtyard. So Now they are building expanding and keeping things interesting as always. The food is good the beers are cold and the people friendly.
It was really good to see a lot of my friends all on the same night. Play catch up on all our stories and lives. It rained all night, even so the Incas still paraded. Nothing stops the Gras!
Got in town just in time for Valentines Day. Single, in the friendly city of love. I wonder what will unfold I guess I will have to just find out.
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05.21.08
Posted in Hike '08, Life at 10:51 am by segue
or… I got bettah, no really I’m feeling like I could go for a walk.
Here it is seven months since my last account of life, now within the month of getting back on trail with the good Sir B. Floyd. Sitting here surrounded by food, boxes, hiking stuff and two of my cats. Bea and Inky who are both with me due to health related reasons. Persephone is staying with my sister. My last official day at work was yesterday Saturday 17th. Now its just move forward making 70 days worth of food so I don’t have to eat nuts and berries I pick along the trail to survive.
All of the sets are complete at the museum. I was able to finnish the Hill Climb several weeks ago. Lots of cement and “Real Dirt” because “Nothing looks more like dirt then real dirt” -Doc. I was also able to talk him into printing and redoing several of the large format backdrops, with thanks to Suzie at Berry&Homer look fantastic. Thanks again Suzie for all your help. Its been a year and a half of hard work and long hours. Especially these last few months getting the sets done and the floors finally finished so the cars could be moved into place. We were suppose to open on the 15th but that date has ben pushed back so all the final details can be sorted out and finished up. I will be going in a couple days this week to finish up with the network and run the crew when my brother isn’t there.
Now on to better things, walking. This year I have been preparing, sorting through my equipment, making improvements and lightening my load where ever possible. My goal is to loose 10 pack pounds. My pack always felt much better around 30lbs then when I was hauling 40lbs around. I am now up to my eyeballs in boxes and food. I have been buying everything in bulk, people look at you really funny when you go through the checkout with 20 of something. Most of my bulk items I was able to find online but my calculations were way off. If anyone needs a case and a half of TVP your welcome to it or a case of butter buds or Dehydrated Milk Powder or Potato Buds or… Well you get the picture. If not I could draw you a lil 5×4″ diagram on both sides with which to explain the ridicules amount of food I have around me. My only concerns are the post Lyme health issues I’m still dealing with. Mostly I fatigue very quickly and the sore painful joints. The Docs’ don’t seem to think I have Lyme left in me after all the meds I was on and took for about 6 months. I just know before I got it I didn’t feel this way and after I now feel like an old person.
Okay thats all my brain has for now. I will try to update this again before I leave on the 29th of May. Oh yeah! I never mentioned that we are scheduled to get on the trail at Bear Mountain NY on the 29th of May, myself (Segue) and the good Sir B. Floyd of the Shelves Lodge 23.
FAQ:
Ummmm what is a FAQ?
-Stop here turn off your thinkin’ box and run far far far away!
You’re still here great! Please continue.
Are YOU SERIOUS?!?
Why no I’m Segue and stop calling me serious, I never joke or kidd around!
Yes if this wasn’t a true desire and love I wouldn’t think about strapping weight to my back, boots on my feet and walking in the woods for months at a time. Besides where else can you go for a week without taking a shower or washing your hair and it be totally acceptable?
How will you carry that much food?
There are what we call mail drops. Every five to ten days or so you come through or close enough to a town that has a Post Office and we send ourselves care packages of enough food and resupplies to last till the next drop.
Yes thoughtful gifts from friends are always welcome we call those “Trail Magic”. Just remember what ever you may send I have to carry on my back. Information on mail drops is here, including approximate dates that I will be walking through that town.
Where do you stay?
I am carrying my entire home on my back. Including my house which just happens to be big enough for two IF you snuggle and spoon really close. There are also a series of Lean-tos’ or shelters spread along the entire trail at about a days walk. Plus of course those glorious “zero” days we take when we come to a town, get a room, take showers and drink beer. Mmmmmmm Beeeeeeeer Gooooooood!
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10.14.07
Posted in Life at 3:35 pm by segue
Well that didn’t work out like I planned at all.
After two months off the trail, basically in bed sleeping, it was to late or so I thought to get back onto the trail. I was way out of shape, always tired and lost any conditioning I had from the trail. Hmm what to do what to do?
After playing email tag with Sir B. Floyd I called him late, well late here*, one night after not being able to fall asleep by 2am. As he said it was good to talk trail again with someone that understood. I caught him just as he was leaving the institution of higher learning. It was good to catch up and we both had pieces of who was still on the trail and where they were. I felt a lot better about not getting back on the trail so far behind anyone that might have been through hiking. Talking about the possibility of jumping back on next season with the Good Sir and Carpenter to finnish the trail together. Sir. B. Floyd has a slightly askew (yes I used a semi math term Floyd) way of looking at things just like yours truly, and is always great for a laugh. My favorite idea was the giant inflatable ball you could climb into and roll across the rocks through PA. (pat pend).
*I had somehow gotten back into my old routine of being awake all night and sleeping all day. Even after taking several to many advil PM I would lay awake all night till 6 or 7am. Then fall asleep.
Finally one day I had enough of sitting around, I called my brother, begged for my old job back. He was still working on the antique auto museum. I would come back even for a HUGE cut in pay just so I didn’t have to sit around all the time any more. Im kidding of course I would never beg. LOL Mike said he could really use my help again, we planned for when he got back from Miami with his new truck I would come back down to Philly and jump right back in. That first week was rough. Just getting my body moving again and staying awake for an entire day. But it did cure my not sleeping at night! I slep like a baby for the first time since I got off the trail. I haven’t had any problems sleeping through the night since working ten hour days again six days a week with Mike. We are getting a lot accomplished with the museum. The pictures are here for anyone interested in looking and updated weekly. We have a crew of Union people on site building the new bathrooms and working on getting the floors stained. Meanwhile our crew are working on the sets and people barriers again, painting, starting to work on the network and going to Fazio’s True Value Hardware and salvage yard, its like Disney World for us. You can find anything there if you look enough and go back often.
I am on my fourth dose of Doxy now. Doc Simeone has given me the script, he was worried it wasn’t totally out of my system. My hips shoulders and knees still hurt all the time and I stay tired due to the drugs. My memory is spotty, Who are you again?, I tend to think of something turn to get or do it and forget what it was. I spend a lot of time trying to remember or doing part of something, getting distracted by twenty other things before I get back and finish the first job. My advice is don’t get Lyme Disease kids. I know all of your friends are doing it, but its just not worth it. on a better note (Eminor) I am being very creative and starting to feel art again. So the job and working has been very therapeutic for me. At the end of every day I feel like I have accomplished something. A very big step for me.
I know I was only on trail for a a month but I must say that is was one of the best experiences I’ve every had. It was something I wanted for a long time and I did it for myself. That alone is worth it for me. The things I really cherish the most is all the incredible people I met, got to know and share the experience with. All of us come from different backgrounds and lives but all had the trail in common. Trail folk are not as closed and guarded about life. We share information, tails, life and at times good ice cream and beer. Well not beer and ice cream together. I am already starting to think about next season, getting back on the trail in early March to “Rock the Southern half” as Floyd would say. Then meet him in May when he begins the rest of the Northern half.
Oh and Im going to meet the Dalai Lama hes coming to a town very close to my parents the 10-15 of July and I have ticket to see him! Sweet!!! That was the second thing on my to-do list. 1)Hike trail, check, 2)meet Dalai Lama 3)find property and build house in Maine.
Thats it for now kids. Enjoy life and remember to breathe.
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