[at-l] Wanchor Report

[Bluetrail@aol.com (Bluetrail@aol.com)]

Jon called yesterday morning from Glencliff, NH. =A0He's geting more and mor=
e=20
frustrated with his pace. =A0On Friday, coming into Glencliff, it took him 1=
6=20
hours to do 24 miles. =A0He thinks that he is subconsciously being=20
ultra-careful of where he places his once-injured right foot. =A0He did allo=
w=20
that the day included two relatively big climbs.

He was also irked that on Mt. Cube four New Yorker day hikers "strolled" by=20
and left him in the dust. =A0With more than 3/4 of his hike under his belt a=
nd=20
an ultra light pack weight, he was totally disgusted. =A0(Do you suppose Jon=
=20
might be a very competitive guy???????)

To top off his woes, all day on Friday he day dreamed of an icy cold Coke in=
=20
the fridge at the hostel that night. =A0When he got there, the fridge was=20
there. =A0Plenty of empty Coke cans and beer cans (another day dream) were=20
there, but there were NO cokes or beers left. =A0The hostel owner (?) advise=
d=20
them someone would be bringing in resupplies about midnight, but that sure=20
didn't help Jon at 9:00 p.m.

He was also very apologetic to me over my upset with his first phone call=20
from Hanover. =A0I could tell that some of the thinking along the trail had=20
been rehersing his apology speech. =A0These speeches are really difficult fo=
r=20
Jon, so when he makes them, I know the speech comes from the heart.

After what seems to be weeks of lolling on the sofa, I decided I needed an=20
evening out. =A0Called my old buddy Steve Macfie. =A0He and his friend Gary=20=
took=20
me out Saturday night to a marvelous dinner at a restaurant in a tiny strip=20
mall in the middle of nowhere. =A0The cusine, a mix of Hungarian, German,=20
Czech, and Slovak, was wonderful. =A0The old world candlelightatmosphere was=
=20
just right. =A0Couldn't tell whether it was the hilarious company, the bottl=
e=20
of wine, or the wonderful food (apple strudel so tender it would make you=20
cry), but I forgot the pain in my arm and shoulder for about 3 hours. =A0At=20
Steve's urging I wore my recently inherited (former mother-in-law's bequest)=
=20
necklace of pearls hung with a bail of diamonds and =A0a 32-carat amethyst.=20=
=A0In=20
the morning I had bought an irridescent purple lavender blouse to wear over=20=
a=20
black dress I already had--just to set off the necklace. =A0Maybe that's one=
=20
solution for pain--retail therapy, wine, laughter with friends, and fine=20
jewelry.=20

I'm dreaming of another solution--me in my new coolmax shirt and hiking=20
pants, Lipton noodles with tuna, filtered water, balsam-scented air, the=20
cries of loons on a lake, and Jon.=20

Joan =A0




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