[at-l] No me ruckie???

[sloetoe@xxxxxxxxx (Sloetoe)]

Well, first this kids couldn't get out of school, then they
could, but only for the afternoon, then, since cold was delaying
school's start anyway, for the whole day anyway. But then, since
I'd been delayed getting the tires rotated/oil changed, and I
was going to do that Friday morning -- well now that get's
scrapped so we *can* leave Thursday nite to drive all night to
dayhike into the Ruck, and actually be well-slept [HA!] for
Saturday/Sunday... 'Cept now the kids are sick (101.7*F), and
then Felix (BLESS YOUR HEART, DUDE.) calls from his car and
leaves a message on the machine. He says "Yeah, I'm east of
Columbus [Ohio], and the roads are just the pits: cars on their
tops all over the place -- I've passed probably 3-4 in the past
couple of miles. Haven't gone that far -- been going 40 miles an
hour for a while, after sitting in a standstill for 45 minutes.
Listen, man: I'm hoping you haven't left yet, and that you
*won't* leave till tomorrow morning. It's just bad out..." Oh,
and then I realize that I am/was at work way past the closing of
the pet store, so now the Eastern Fence Lizard I found the other
day (inside a university rec/health facility; took 'im back to
work in a running shoe -- no complaints) is plumb out of
crickets.

I have to admit: I'm ready to give. Say 'Uncle!' Throw in the
towel. None of these things would even put a hitch in my
gitty-up most days, but all at once, stacked up one on top of
another?
My heart just ain't in it. What could be next?

So this means no MoonbowGear/Big Jon; No BagOTrix, nor Baltimore
Jack; No Shaffers; No Owens, POGs, Dees or Walkabouts or 150
other great great great people. No showing off the modified
GearSkin, no sharing Sloetoe/Bug/Colio pics from the Whites this
summer, NO SLIDESHOWS, No piles of albums, no Tucker-victims, no
pies, or Sly's second rate chili, no sledding with 8.5 year olds
down the midpoint miles of the AT, nor shooting park trash with
a BB gun. No view from Pole Steeple. No waking up in a snug tent
in the sneaux, or listening to hushed cars squeak around in the
tire tracks. NO F'IN' WHITE BLAZES. No Hiker Trash t-shirts. (I
seem to give 'em away...) NO DICE-KWON-DO from Kampfire. (Didn't
buy last year; expected to fix that.) You know what? No
'Sean-the-Hostelmaster' -- nice guy, that. Hell, I even enjoyed
all the goodbyes during the hostel clean up for four years
running.

Pooh.

Sparky, if you could pass the word that I won't be there....
Sloetoe
PA Ruck'99
PA Ruck'00
PA Ruck'01
PA Ruck'02

=====
Spatior! Nitor! Nitor! Tempero!
   Pro Pondera Et Meliora.

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