Living Sacrifice

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Oh, Right Here!! :)

2009-06-30T23:33:00.003-04:00

Let it be known that I am super-excited to be journeying side-by-side with my little brother once again. Already, our conversations have pressed me forward with a desire to dig deeper, reach further, and let go of things I hold on to. Just being around him reminds me of how much more Christ has to offer me, to us, if we really want it. Maybe it's a new, fresh perspective, or maybe it's just a reminder of an old one. Regardless, I like it. :)

Nothing

2009-03-04T20:35:00.002-05:00

The more I live, the more I realize how little I have to give, and how much Christ has to offer. In fact, I am nothing. Christ is everything.

2009-01-30T16:58:00.003-05:00

I'd really like to run away right now.

But I can't. Frustrating. Probably good, but frustrating.

2009-01-26T18:23:00.002-05:00

I think I'm angry at the fact that there is so much I don't understand, and then I turn that anger into judgments on other people simply because I want them to be perfect in order to make up for my doubts. If I am busy judging their lives, then I don't have to face the chaos of my own.

Stink.

Pondering...

2009-01-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

Become them.

"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." -1 Corinthians 9

1 degree and dropping

2009-01-15T22:45:00.002-05:00

So, before I say anything serious, let it be made known that it is REALLY COOOOOOLD outside! Oh my goodness. Supposed to be -8 tonight, with windchills as low as -24. Eeeeeeeeeee!

Alright, with that out of the way...

I am so thankful for the decision I made to commit to working with Sean. Had I not done this, I really think I would have run away from everyone and everything by now. For some reason, it seems I am better at keeping commitments to THINGS rather than relational commitments to people. The important thing is that I am here, still living life with the people who have chosen to walk with me through it all. All these people around me, they are the ones teaching me about relational commitments, and how to love someone through anything and everything, because that is what they have done for me. I don't understand it, but it is a gift and a small glimpse into how God feels about me and pursues me and loves me in spite of everything.

When I feel I have a grasp on it, I want to be given the chance to show this kind of commitment and love to others. Not sure I am there yet, but I want it. And I know it can only come from the heart of God, through me, to others.

2009-01-14T19:55:00.002-05:00

I am at the beginning stages of learning once again what love is.

Today, I was reminded that compassion is not just merely empathy or feeling sorry for someone. It is entering into that pain and suffering with them, experiencing it with them, and being with them. This is part of love.

Love is also commitment, choosing to be with someone and stick by his/her side no matter how awful he/she is, how far away he/she gets, or how much he/she hurts others in the process. People in my life have given me this gift over and over again.

Love is also confession, for in those moments of vulnerability, one takes a risk of being abandoned for the sake of forgiveness and showing remorse and a desire to change. Sharing this with someone is allowing them to come in and see one's weakness, one's short-comings. It is an admission of imperfection and a deep experience of humility. It is the opposite of pride. This is also love.

Lord, keep teaching me, and give me the strength to be this for others, for I have nothing good within me to offer anyone beyond what You give me.

Love

2009-01-07T20:17:00.001-05:00

I am afraid that I have lost sight and forgotten what love really is...

Father, please help me.

2008-12-24T13:56:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas presents so far this year is a heart-felt poem from my friend Emily. Rarely do I get gifts that take so much thought and time. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the things I get for Christmas, but as I get older, I learn more and more to appreciate the ones that take time rather than money. So, I wanted to post Emily's bit of writing because it is something now dear to my heart, and because I feel it is worthy of being posted and shared with anyone who may read.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)

All along the horizon dimming
her eyes would follow the path of the sun.
Darkness coming, the insects greeting,
camp is made as day is done.

Her fire chases away the night,
chases the cold, with dancing flames.
Then dying embers, as everything fades
and even she, with sleep, is claimed.

So passes the night, in silence drifting
and dreams and nature hold their own.
With changing pictures of stars and colors,
giving way to light with the coming dawn.

Morning is broken, the path is found,
she sets her course for the day to come.
With gear together, and light of step
a last glance around, and then she's gone.

The forest pulses as the mountain sighs,
the wind carries her breath along.
And miles pass, through God's creation,
miles of trail, where she belongs.

The path continues up the mountain,
the edge of a cliff soon under her feet.
And far below, the expanse of green,
the fantastic view is all she seeks.

Her eyes are filled with a spark of light.
Simply watching, for the longest while,
til eventually the trail is calling,
and she heads back down with a smile.

Rising again?

2008-12-03T22:37:00.005-05:00

TJ, this post is for you. I think you are probably the only one who checks this blog anymore, seeing as it has been almost a year since I last posted. I'm not sure when you left that comment, but I appreciated it. Need a swift kick in the pants sometimes.

Anyway, I'm not going to write anything extremely significant tonight, but I wanted to say that it has been on my heart to start blogging again, so sometime I hope to start up again on a regular basis, probably after the holidays. We'll see what happens.

Hope you are well, and looking forward to the Over the Rhine concert! It's funny that my last blog was about the concert and making it an annual occurrence. Here we are, one year later, and keeping to it! And I get to share it with so many more people this time, which is super exciting.

Here's a *hug* to you, TJ, and anyone else who might happen upon my blog after such a long absence. Stay tuned for more bloggalicious updates, hopefully to come in the nearish future.

Spinning Tires and One Night to Remember

2007-12-16T01:57:00.000-05:00

In case you didn’t know, I’m addicted to white chocolate.

Just wanted to start with something random. Today, I found out that it may not actually be my car that is so awful in the snow……but rather, it may be the driver, better referred to as MYSELF. So maybe I’m not so good at driving in the snow. And maybe I have this terrible fear of flying off the road into the ditch, or even worse, into another car. It seems weird, because I don’t feel like I experience fear all that much, at least not intense, extreme fear, but this is one thing I am sure is a ravaging beast of a fear for me. When I drive in the snow, I grip the steering wheel with dear life and don’t move a muscle as I squint and hunch over, staring straight ahead into the pending weather and other elements to come. Most of the time, I am on the verge of tears. I almost lost it today when the car in front of me STOPPED in the middle of climbing a hill.

Anyway, I’m really not sure what to do about it……I don’t think it’s healthy to be so afraid of driving on the road. I was graciously rescued today by my brothers, who came to pick me up and drive my car back to Oxford for me. I decided to park my car in a random driveway after making it about half way back from Hamilton this morning. I was so thankful for them, but I also felt a bit sheepish. Spen suggested that I go out and drive more in the snow. You know, practice up a bit. He’s probably right, but in my mind, I’d rather be home, snug in my house, sipping hot chocolate and being really happy I’m NOT out driving. But someday I’m going to have to get over this fear…………

On a lighter note, Over the Rhine so amazingly overwhelmed me tonight with their music, lyrics, and presence as some friends and I voyaged down to Cinci to see them at their annual Christmas show. Besides some of the slightly annoying, slightly intoxicated patrons in the seats in front and behind us, the concert was superb. I think that I, however, was intoxicated in a different sense, as it seems that OTR has a way of doing that to their audience. Something about their music and lyrics just seems to envelop listeners, drawing them into a deeper, more animated world. Kara described it well tonight as “depth.” Over the Rhine has depth for sure. I kind of hang on their every word, because it seems that they all have such meaning, like they’ve put their whole existence into their songs. I do wonder how much of what one experiences when listening to OTR is a result of their relationship with Christ and Him working through their music. That, and it seems with the “depth” Karen and Linford share, there is a sense of vulnerability and realness that I don’t experience with many other musicians.

Regardless, the concert was great, and I especially enjoyed the fullness of the band tonight, with instruments from violin to mandolin to electric guitar and more. All the musicians were outstanding. And, I can’t forget to mention……wonderful company tonight. We decided that this is going to need to be an annual occurrence. I’m in.

2007-09-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I decided tonight that it's just been way too long since I've posted anything, so I need to write SOMETHING at least.

The weather tonight is AMAZING. I wish it would stay like this for a really long time: upper 40s at night, upper 70s during the day (could even be a little cooler during the day). It's wonderful weather for camping and being outside, for crisp morning walks or jogs, for enjoying the outdoors without thinking about being too cold or too hot. Just wonderful. Thank the Lord for fall and spring, because otherwise I might not make it through parts of winter and summer. :)

I read about a campaign today going on in October on campus (and I think it's connected to a nation-wide thing) called "Truth in Beauty." It sounds really interesting.....all about getting away from society's created image of women and what they should look like, and finding beauty in being who we were created to be. Of course, I'm always thinking about this issue, but to see people really continuing to attempt to bring it to light is refreshing. Being bitter and hateful, though, is really easy to do, and so I've got to be careful to have a spirit of love, but I think overall, this campaign is really good for women, especially on campuses like Miami. I hope to get to check out some of the stuff going on in October.

Hmmmmm........I really like this Compassion book......very thought-provoking. The latest provoke: realizing that true compassion (and really, all the other fruits of the spirit) can only come from God, and no matter how hard we try to ACHIEVE them, they are not truly achievable, because our hearts will always be in the wrong place in one way or another. They must be placed on our hearts by a living God who is able to change us from the inside out. THAT'S SO HARD, because all I want to do is say "I can do this, I want to be nicer, love more, have more compassion, sacrifice myself more" and just do it, but even if I was able to do that, my heart wouldn't be pure. This......is why we need Jesus to transform. This.....is why I need Jesus. Like, really NEED Him. Whew.

2007-07-22T08:20:00.001-04:00

While I was in Boulder, Colorado, having the most amazing vacation, my friend Ben pointed out to me that Boulder has a community garden. We didn't get into it much, but I found it quite fascinating. I researched it, and I think I found the internet site. Check it out here. How cool would it be to do something like this in Oxford?????

2007-06-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

Welp, Clubhouse starts tomorrow. I'm sure there will be many stories to come......I'm way excited!

In other news, check out Little Lacers in the infamous Marion Star (with all of its infamous misprints, I might add.....but we'll try not to acknowledge those). :)

2007-05-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

So, there are much bigger things going on in my life right now, but my mom just sent me this link, and it made me laugh. :)

Do-Rag :)

2007-05-20T23:56:00.000-04:00

Figured some of you peeps out there might be interested in what Spencer's been doing for the past 2 years. Here are pics of the car he and his engineering buds have been working on for quite some time. They took it to a competition in Michigan this past week. Pics are compliments of my mom.

So proud of my little bro. I should probably be humble, but heck with that. He's just awesome.

Retreat

2007-05-14T01:45:00.000-04:00

Boy, would I like to write about a bazillion things down tonight, but I'm heading to bed soon. Here are some pics from this weekend's retreat, though. *sigh* It was lovely.

Click here for retreat pics

My Search for Beauty

2007-04-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

I was out for a walk today when I stumbled upon some doggie imprints in the sidewalk which triggered a few thoughts for me. I started thinking about how the dog prints added character and how, if that were my sidewalk, I would have considered the prints the final and perfect touch to a well-done cement job. This, in turn, made me think about people and how we have things about us that make us unique, things that we might not even necessarily like about ourselves, but things that make us who we are none-the-less, and things that other people might even find quite beautiful because it's part of what makes us who we are. I guess what I'm talking about are our imperfections, and how those imperfections (especially pertaining to our physicality) may not really be imperfections at all. Those dog prints in the sidewalk probably made someone else really mad, but to me, they were fun and beautiful and added livelihood to something not usually so.

So, what I'm trying to say is that I think I discovered a small piece of the puzzle in my search of what beauty really is by learning today what beauty is NOT. Unless talking about God, beauty is NOT perfection. Perfection is boring and unattainable, but imperfection adds life and uniqueness. And I like that.

More Pics

2007-04-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

Been meaning to post these. See Spencer's Metamorphosis, or check out this past weekend's Gorge excursion. :)

Pics

2007-03-29T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been accumulating some cool pics over the past couple weeks and finally got around to posting them. Check them out if ya like. :)

Switchfoot Concert

Ellen's Recital

Late Night Thursday Returns!

Bass Pro Employees Go Climbing

2007-03-16T00:38:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have hidden away for so long that I don't even know where to begin to try to find myself. Deceit, deception, depression, and dishonesty have been the hovering clouds over my life for the past year or so. I have trouble looking people in the eye for long periods of time. I feel like a betrayer, like there is nothing good left in me, and sometimes I wonder, is there anything left in me that is worth giving? I run and run and run and run without ever getting anywhere. And in the midst of it all, I lose sight of Jesus......He fades away, and sometimes so far away that He slips from my memory and I don't even know who He is anymore. This may be the furthest I have ever been from Him, and it is a frightful place.

2006-12-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

Just so everyone knows, after a long period of blog blankness, Kara has finally posted, and it's awesome. Go read it. :)

Now, if I can only get Jason and Spencer to follow in her footsteps...................

2006-12-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

Never thought I'd see a Budweiser commercial on PBS. But I just did.

On another note, at church tonight we all enjoyed a beautifully prepared dinner made by all the boys. Shrimp, crab, steak, salad, fruit cabobs, ice cream cake, and more. I'm not kidding. It was amazing. But egg nog is kinda gross, which I tried tonight for the first time I think.

And, that's as far as I'm going into the depths of my mind right now. Bed is calling.

Love.

Beauty, Behold

2006-11-03T01:29:00.000-05:00

So, I am held in bondage and chains over an issue that has taxed me and haunted me for years. Exterior beauty. I know the roots of my problems go much deeper, but for years pieces of my life have been stolen from me, and I've lived less than what God has laid before me because of my obsessions and addictions.

I heard a sermon Sunday about what beauty really is, and since then, my thoughts have been focused a lot on "what does God really think beauty is?" "What is real beauty?" The sermon talked about how our culture has done such a wonderful job of portraying beauty as an exlusively exterior trait, that in reality, is unattainable, and I have experienced that over the years. I've been extremely thin and also chubby, but never have I been satisfied with my exterior.

But God looks elsewhere. So, I hope, over the next while, to explore what God sees as beautiful, because I not only want to see His beauty in me, but I want to see it in others, too. Beauty is so much deeper than the skin, I know it is, but I can't see past the first layer.....in myself, and often in others. Which makes me very sad.

I remember a quote someone said to me a little while back. "Everyone is naked underneath their clothes." All these fads, false fronts, disguises we all put on......mean nothing in the end. It doesn't add beauty. It adds luster, pizzaze, and social acceptability. Now, I don't have it all figured out, and I'm certainly not trying to judge physically attractive people or people who like to wear dressy clothes. I'm just trying to see beyond that right now. To learn how the inner beauty works its way out.

Tonight, I went to a Mercy Me/Audio A concert (which was awesome, by the way), and a guy named Phil Wickham opened for the bands. He had one song that stuck out in particular to me, and it was called "Divine Romance." The second line:

"The richness of Your beauty's all I see." God, let me see!

Lord, please teach me what beauty really is, according to You and Your word and not the ways of the world. Show me how to see Your beauty in the natural, physical, and spiritual, in the complexities and simplicities of life. Show me what this means, and why this is important for me to see. And if you desire, help me eventually show this beauty to others in a way that will encourage them and also bring glory to You.

A Little Better

2006-10-16T02:25:00.000-04:00

I decided it was ok to blog, since I am feeling a little better at least. Still have a lot to think about/deal with within the realms of the Kim brain, but for now, I just wanted to get on and post an IM message I received today. I was gone, so when I came back home, this is what I had on my computer from my friend Mike. I think half of the hilariousness is the fact that it was SO random. I hope you laugh as hard as I did.

hi

I had a little chickie and she wouldn't lay an egg, so i ran hot water up and down her legs

and the little chickie cried and the little chickie begged

and the little chickie laid me a hard-boiled egg

2006-10-12T00:15:00.000-04:00

I'm depressed and angry at the world. No more blogs for a bit until I feel better.

Quickly

2006-10-02T01:44:00.000-04:00

Quickly, I'd really love to blog a whole slew (is that how you spell that??) of things that are racing through my mind, but as usual, it's late, and I'm tired, so I will just say this:

Miss Kara Lichtenberg is an amazing human being who shines the love of God all around her, and it brings me joy to see that she is walking in freedom through Christ. So glad she is in my life.

Shooting With Peeps Who Have No Vision Is Some Scary Business

2006-09-30T02:47:00.000-04:00

Just so you know, the last time I shot a gun, I was probably 10 years old.

That being said, I ventured out tonight with my two friends who have no vision at all and experienced one of the most nervous hours of my life. I think at some points I was shaking. Let me walk you through my hour of death.

For those of you who have never been to a shooting range, this is how it works. You go into the store, get targets, get ear protection for extremely loud bangs, get eye protection (if you don't have glasses already) for flying shells, get some kind of permit card thing, and then you walk into the shooting hall. As you walk along, you are bombarded with loud, sometimes unexpected blasts as other people point guns and blow holes in targets. It's kind of like bowling. You get a lane, take turns, aim, and go. The big difference is you use a ball in bowling and when you shoot you use gun powder and make explosions with metal bullets that have the potential to kill people.

With all that being said, you can see how that right there is enough to make a person who knows next to nothing about shooting a little nervous. Now, add on top of that the fact that I am shooting with 2 guys who can't see and rely on ME to aim them at targets to shoot. Now we have something interesting. I think the best was the shot gun, where after aiming up my guy, they would blast quarter-sized holes into the man-like target, as well as have multiple bb-sized holes to accompany it. Then the "click click" of the pump action....and another blow.

*laugh* I'll just say, it was an experience. One I'm glad I had, but one that I will not soon forget. I can see how men might like to go shooting more than women. I think it's a power thing. A lot of power is held in a gun that can travel at tremendous speeds and fatally wound any animal, including humans.

In all seriousness, though, the whole thing really was a scary experience for me. To know that I held the power of life and death in my hands just about petrified me. To know that one slip could cause a fatal accident, to know that just the flick of a trigger could change my life forever, or someoe else's life forever......It was weird and frightening to hold that much power in my hand. Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but I was certainly glad when our hour was up.

2006-09-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

By the way, very quickly, this weekend was cool. I met a dude going south that I actually met in Maine! How crazy is that? 2 dudes, actually, who were still heading south to reach GA before winter sets in. I was so excited to see them, and they both remembered me.

Anyway, here are the few pics I took.

2006-09-26T22:18:00.000-04:00

I am finding that I am getting quite caught up in the realms of cyberspace, and by the time I get everything else done, I'm cyber-pooped and don't feel much like blogging. This overwhelmingness of trying to keep up with today's cyber overload of information is starting to boggle my mind a bit and cause me to take a step back and think about what I'm really doing.

Am I substituting emails and IM chats and personal webpages for real relationships with people? I'm beginning to wonder. What is this all about? The hours that I spend sending messages on facebook and myspace and updating my info and all that......is it worth my time, or should I be investing that time into my current surroundings? I'm not saying the people I keep in touch with aren't worth my time....that's not it at all. I just go back and forth on the whole internet thing. I can see the good in it.....how it can be a way to connect with people that I normally wouldn't be able to connect with.....even to encourage people, inspire people, point them to God hopefully, invite people to be more real....but at the same time, I can see the downside. The time I spend online could be invested in relationships with people I actually see every day, in current surroundings, to do the same things I try to accomplish online.

After spending a long time catching up on emails and sending messages on myspace and facebook, this topic is fresh on my mind and is therefore all I can really type about at the moment before my hands fall off. *laugh* OK, not really, but after all that, I'm tired of this screen. I have had the notion before to remove myself from internet contact (so, delete my myspace and stop blogging, delete my facebook, etc)....so I can focus on building relationships where I actually talk to people, but I haven't been able to do it so far because I can still see the good that has come out of some of it.

Our age of communication baffles me. And frustrates me. But what can I do? Live in the world, Jesus says. I think the internet is included in that. But don't be of the world........what does that mean exactly?

I must say before I go.....just to be sure this is clear......anyone who reads this that I am primarily in touch with through internet.......I love you. This is not a question between whether I care about you or not, this is my own struggle about spending too much time on the internet. Just wanted to make sure you understood that.

2006-09-20T17:47:00.000-04:00

Heading to VA for the weekend to backpack for a bit. I'll be back Monday nite to talk about it.

Peace.

Quote and Prayer Request

2006-09-20T00:36:00.000-04:00

This is a quote from my friend Matthew. I changed a couple spelling errors and such, but the rest is his. I love it.

"Music is about conveying emotions. If you can make someone feel what you're feeling, you're a great musician. Technical skill is not the gauge for musicianship, it's how we connect with ourselves and lead others in the experience."

And, pretty much unrelated to that at all is a prayer request. Please pray for Sheila, TJ's mom. I think she is just really down right now because of lack of mobility, and so it's really hard for her to be happy when she is so shut in and barely gets out at all anymore. She has also fallen several times over the last couple weeks, which I know brings her spirit down even more. Please pray that God would encourage her in whatever way will mean something to her and brighten her life and spirit right now. She is such a beautiful woman, and she needs to know right now that she has a purpose and touches so many people, even if she can't get around well.

Thanks, my beloved devoted blog readers. You rock my world. :)

2006-09-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

I miss the woods

2006-09-12T23:19:00.000-04:00

Things that happened today:

1. I babysat and organized some papers.

2. I had an interview at Feet Fleet Sports. It actually went pretty well I think, but....I don't think I want to work there. *laugh* But I feel good exercising my right to choose where I want to work and where I would feel comfortable, and I just don't think that's where I belong. And that's ok. I'm still me and still here and just need to do more searching. It was kind of cool today on the drive home, because I felt a peace that I don't think I've felt before about my job search. I just felt peace about being taken care of by God, that something will work out eventually, I just don't know what and when. I just need to keep searching, but in the meantime, be living my life here and now. It was a good feeling, and for the most part, I still have it.

3. I walked next door to Feet Fleet Sports to check out the outdoor store there. It was AWESOME, and I ended up talking gear with a dude there for about an hour. It really made me feel good, because that's as close as I can get to being out in the woods right now. I was so excited to learn all the stuff he was showing me about shoes, socks, tents, backpacks, etc. He was so knowledgeable. He also mentioned that I might think about getting a job there. HMmmmm.....thinking about it. We'll see. Right now, I have an application at Bass Pro that I'm going to check on tomorrow.

4. I finalized plans to have dinner with TJ and our new friend Mike, who is also blind and has a sweet dog named Plato. I met Mike last week at Kroger and took him back to his apartment, where I found out his b-day was today, and so TJ and I are taking him out tomorrow night. I love making new friends, and so I'm pretty excited.

5. I talked to Micah on the phone. Yay! It made me happy. :) Still trying to work out plans to hopefully visit him in SC soon.....we'll see if things work out.

2006-09-11T00:09:00.000-04:00

I feel like I'm always so tired when I want to write about something significant. Eyelids are falling........I'll just say this for tonite: it was a sweet day. Sweet sweet, because God is sweet.

My love to you. Until next episode......

Marion Popcorn Festival!!

2006-09-10T13:44:00.000-04:00

Check out the Marion Popcorn Festival pics. :) Yes, I went to see Starship with my parents. In case you were wondering, they sing "We Built This City," "Sara," and "Nothing Gonna Stop Us Now." All you children of the 70s and early 80s should know what I'm talkin' about. Definitely thought of you, Glenn. Gotta love those 80s. Keyboards and all. Or, I guess back then they were synthesizers, yeah? :)

Phoneless

2006-09-07T00:17:00.000-04:00

The jobless is now phoneless. Well, ok, so neither one of those is completely true. I do have an on-the-side babysitting/housekeeper job right now, and my phone still works, but in about 3 days, my phone plan runs out, so I just wanted to let all of my lovely friends know that you will no longer be able to get a hold of me by cellie, at least for a while. So, other options for getting a hold of me include:

1. emailing me (lifekam@hotmail.com)
2. sending me an instand message (birch2201)
3. messaging me on myspace (www.myspace.com/lifekam)
4. messaging me on facebook (www.facebook.com)
5. leaving me a comment on this blog
6. Write me a letter (you'll have to email me to ask for an address)
6. calling me at the Meloys house (if it's important to you to have this number, just email me and I will email it to you)

Wow, thank God for modes of communication. I'll be without a phone, but you can still reach me 7 different ways! ;)

Pics of Anthony

2006-09-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

Here's a link to see my lastest album of my last evening spent with Anthony from the theater.

Taking Time

2006-09-04T14:30:00.000-04:00

This morning, because of the recommendation of a friend to do something I normally wouldn't take time for, I decided to get up early and drive to the south side of Cinci, where I watched the sun rise. Well, sort of. It was too cloudy to actually see the sun, but it was still really beautiful. Like I told my friend, I often forget how peaceful and amazing the mornings are and how much I love them until I actually get up and experience it once again. This morning was especially tranquil, because most people were still in their houses because of the holiday. There wasn't much traffic at all, and the weather was just perfect for rolled-down windows. Almost too cold, but not quite. Perfect. :)

So, I enjoyed my morning. I even made a new friend....sort of. He was cleaning the park and wanted me to send him a few pics that I took. So, I got his name and addy and will send some off soon. All around, I wish I could start my day like that every morning. Lovely.

Aw maaaaaaaaan!

2006-09-03T10:47:00.000-04:00

I lost my wallet.

My Joblessness Continues

2006-08-31T13:11:00.000-04:00

Well, I think I have been politely told that I didn't get the position at Barnes and Noble. I called to ask about the status of the position, and he told me they are still interviewing and that I should hear from them by Tuesday. That basically means it's not me.....because on interview #2, I was told it was between me and one other person, and now, after interview #3, I am being told there are several still to interview with Martin (#3 dude). So, I am accepting the fact that I didn't get the job, which, I have mixed emotions about.

I am crying right now, but when I sit to think about it, I don't think it is because I will not be working as cafe manager at Barnes and Noble. When I really thinking about it, deep down I don't think I really wanted the job anyway. I think what I am upset about is not knowing what to do with my life right now. For a couple weeks, I had at least something to shoot for, something to work on, something to try to achieve. It gave me a little bit of direction for a while. So it's not the job itself, it's just the idea of having some kind of security. I'm ok with not getting the job, but I'm not ok with feeling so lost.

Anothony, the giver

2006-08-30T23:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight I had the privilege of meeting up with Anthony, the infamous customer at the Princess 4, and also a friend. :) I haven't seen him for probably 6 months (which isn't unusual for a lot of my friends now, since I was gone for 4), and we had a splendid time. You know, Anthony has such a child-likeness about him.....he's always so much fun and I think brings out the best in people. And he always seems to remind me that I am not here on this earth for my own personal benefit. He really is pretty amazing.

We shared a pretty deep moment tonight, too. Several, really. But one in particular that I hope to remember. While he was talking to me in the parking lot, a song popped in my head that I wanted to share with him (If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens). This song has special meaning to me because it was on a CD given to me by our JV softball coach who knew I had struggled with eating disorders and life in general over my last couple years of high school. He gave me the CD as a graduation present and told me to listen particularly to this song. And, because the song is about staying strong and obedient to God through our struggles and lack of understanding, I thought it might mean something to Anthony, too, since he is moving in a couple weeks to NC and leaving behind his friends and the familiar to a place where he feels God has called him to go.

Anyway, there was a Christian bookstore just across the street from where we were, and so we went over to get the CD, which they just so happened to have (and the lady said it was unusual they would have an old CD like this one on stock). We then headed back to my car and listened to the song. It was just one of those moments you want to be suspended in for a long time.......it was raining, and we were listening to this beautiful song play through the speakers of my car. It definitely brought tears to my eyes......this was the same song I had sobbed to many nights at different periods in my life after my senior year in high school. And I think it touched Anthony, too. I praise God for Ginny Owens and her ability to draw people nearer to the Creator, and I praise God also for setting up everything just right tonight so that Anthony could hear that song and be encouraged.

So, that was pretty much the end of our evening. We hugged in the rain for a long time (since rainy hugs are the best kind, you know) and decided we should try to meet one more time before he leaves so that I can get a picture of him and so he can give me one of his crazy stories (this one is about the manitees of doom). *laugh* I'm def going to miss him.

Bella

2006-08-30T00:16:00.000-04:00

Here is the cutie I am currently babysitting:

Round 3

2006-08-26T01:18:00.000-04:00

Interview #3 is Monday at 3pm. Good grief, I never knew it was such an ordeal to get a job offer.

On other notes, TJ and I had a good talk time tonight after watching The World's Fastest Indian (good movie, by the way). It was nice to just sit and talk with him. We are both fighting our own battles right now, totally unrelated, but so nice to just sit and listen for a while and then be listened to. Neither one of us had solutions for the other, but I think it was the sharing part that we both needed. The talking out loud allows mental processing that I don't think happens when we try to walk through things in our head. So, TJ is my buddy, and I'm very glad. :)

2006-08-25T01:34:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to figure out a lot of things right now, some of which I discussed with numerous wise people today. Those things include:

1. How can I listen to God?
2. Is there always a "better" choice?
3. Am I capable?
4. Am I ready to depart from my church community and move on to a different one?
5. Why do I feel like my looks define me and how do I overcome that?
6. How do I become more disciplined?
7. What role does a job play in my life?

Besides thinking about things like this, today I also:

1. Changed 2 poopy diapers
2. Had 3 different coffees from 3 different places all before 10am
3. Bought a $10 pair of dress shoes for an interview on my way to the interview
4. Had an interview
5. Visited Megan
6. Visited Spenny
7. Had dinner with G and C
8. Visited with G, C, and Andrea
9. Talked to Micah on the phone
10. Had a good chat with TJ

Today, I learned:

1. Sometimes, the best advice from my friends is pretty much no advice at all (basically, forcing me to seek God on my own and make my own decisions)
2. "You lead people, you manage tasks"
3. Discipline is really important
4. It's ok to talk about faith in interviews
5. I'm learning how to play the interview game
6. Colerain Walmart is always busy (and dirty)
7. If I were an employer interviewing me, I would not hire me
8. I'm starting to like babies more
9. I have serious issues with being evaluated
10. I am completely, utterly, and totally blessed in so many areas of my life, specifically the friend area

Interview #2

2006-08-23T19:25:00.000-04:00

Interview #2 tomorrow morning for the Cafe Manager position at B&N, and I just ironed a hole in my only pair of dress pants. Did I ever mention that I hate interviews???

2006-08-20T23:32:00.000-04:00

In my struggle right now with faith and just life in general, tonight at church I was humbly reminded that God does cool things if we only allow Him to.

And I want to thank Vir for giving me a spirit of thanksgiving and reminding me that everything.....EVERYTHING......I have is a blessing and that it all belongs to God, not me. I spend a lot of time thinking about the things I don't have (my own house, a real job, a super model body, a boyfriend/husband, etc...) when really I should be thinking about the many many amazing things that I do have (a beautiful family, a wonderful family to live with right now, amazing friends, a loving community, a car, a pool out back of TJ's house, my own freewill, a glorious God, good health, etc....I could go on and on). I think it's beginning to occur to me that my time here is short. What in the world am I doing with the time and resources that have been given to me?

Gone Dancing

2006-08-20T01:46:00.000-04:00

Today while running cirles to make a whirlpool in TJ's pool out back, TJ and I decided that we needed to do something fun tonight. Well, TJ's uncle plays in a jazz band at the fancy schmancy Celestial close to the river in Cinci, so we decided to give him a visit tonight and listen to some music. It was lovely. The place is just gorgeous and has an inspiring view of the city out of the many large windows at the side of the bar. There was no conver charge, and majority of the people there were over 55. Let me clarify, though, that we went to the lounge and not the restaurant (which is extremely expensive). It brought me a lot of joy to sit and watch the older people dancing and having fun. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves so much, and naturally, most of them know how to dance (too bad our generation isn't following in their footsteps). Well, with the older people dancing and the live music hoppin', I just couldn't sit still, so TJ had no choice but to get up and learn to dance. hehe Let me tell you, he is quite the dancer. Just tonight, he learned the Fox Trot, the Cha Cha, and Swing. We had a blast (at least I did), and I was even asked to dance by two other older guys!!! *laugh* I kindly turned them down because I was afraid of messing up (they were pretty good, you know), but if I go again and get asked, I think I'll say yes. I am easily wooed by a man who can dance. ;) And those old guys, they're awfully smooth. hehe

Anyway, it was a fun nite. And I only hope that I can be that fun when I'm 60, 70, 80.....

Pics

2006-08-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

I knew there was an easier way to do this. Check out my pics here.

Super Sunday

2006-08-15T19:29:00.000-04:00

So Sunday was awesome. Headed to the Ohio State Fair with Lace, where we got to see a cow being milked and watch part of a horse show, as well as a frisbee dog show, a comedian juggler act, and a dude take a chainsaw to a log and turn it into an eagle. We also got to experience "monster bowls" of homemade ice cream and see a life-size cow made of butter. Good times at the fair. But best of all was the Rascal Flatts concert at Crew Stadium. We were 17 rows from the front, and the concert couldn't have been better. Not only does Rascal Flatts have awesome songs, but they have amazing musicians as well. During the show, their bassist had a drum duet showdown with their real drummer, and he later played a song on the piano. Oh, did I mention that he sings while he plays drums and bass, too? This guy was amazing! Jay, I believe, is his name. And then there's the lead guitarist, who, as Lacey pointed out, is "soooo cute!" hehe And the violinist they have is incredible! He had this sweet sweet solo before one of the songs where he just played and played and played......dang, it was "sick" (as they say up north). And in the middle of the concert, they all walked onto a platform that then lifted them up and out away from the stage and onto another stage in the middle of the crowd.

I'm so glad we got the opportunity to go. Lace and I became country cowgirls for a day, and to go along with the theme, wore our new cowboy hats. :) It was a lot of a fun.

And Micah, they definitely played "Mayberry" and "God Blessed the Broken Road." Couldn't help but think of ya when they played those. :) Maybe some day their violinist will retire and you can take his spot (although I still think you should get a hold of Jars). :)

Anyway, tomorrow I'm off to TJ's, so I'll try to post from his house when I have time. Here's some love for ya'll: *Loooooooooooooooove* And check out the pics of Sunday on my next post.

Rascal Flatts

2006-08-14T17:15:00.000-04:00

So, Rascal Flatts might have put on the best concert I've ever seen. It was A-MA-ZA-ZING. But I'm not really going to talk about it now until I can upload the pics, which will probably be tomorrow. I'll talk about the fair, then, too. I can tell you, though, that the best part of my day was definitely hanging with my little sis. :)

Until tomorrow......

Ohio State Fair

2006-08-13T10:59:00.000-04:00

Well, I can finally write this on my blog because I know Lacey won't read it before we leave (I don't think she reads it anyway, but just in case.....). I am surprising her today with a trip to the Ohio State Fair (yeehaw!), which we will top off at the end of the day with a sold-out RASCAL FLATTS concert!!!! I can't wait. They've definitely become one of my favorite bands, and Lacey likes them, too, so I thought it was a great opportunity for us to get to hang out. I'm super excited. I even bought cowboy hats for us to wear. hehehe Anyway, I'll write about it sometime soon when I get a chance.

Other updates: had a job interview for cafe manager at Barnes and Noble in Cinci on Friday. It went okay. Not great, but not horrible I guess. I made it to the next round of interviews, so I guess that's a plus. Do I think I'll get the job? I'm pretty doubtful.....I didn't realize the job was primarily focused on sales, and besides our simple up-selling at the theater, I don't have much experience with that, and quite frankly, I don't know that I would enjoy it that much, either. I don't like feeling like I am pushing something on people that they don't really want or that they get kind of tricked into buying. I know that's what business is all about....increasing revenue and all that. But maybe that's one thing I really liked about Kofenya.....we never had to worry about the sales, it was all about customer service and being friendly. I just feel like it's better that way. I suppose that stems from my lack of interest in money as well. I really don't care about making more money as long as I'm happy and have enough to keep me alive, you know what I mean? But, if I do get the job and what they ask of me is to focus on sales and increasing percentages and all that, then that's what I'll do, and I'm sure I'll be good at it.

Also new info: I am going to be staying at TJ's house for a little while after I get done cat-sitting so that I can help out around the house. Things have gotten kind of crazy for them right now, and so they could use an extra hand or two for a while. I'm pretty stoked. I get to hang out with one of the coolest families I know. :)

Other news: I need to go take a shower and get ready for the fair. :) Yay Rascal Flatts! And I get to hang out with my sis! Even better. :) To anyone reading this today, enjoy the weather! It's so amazing outside. Go romp in the wild flowers or something.

Sweet Day

2006-08-07T04:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, I did make it to church this morning. It was rather enjoyable. Like Christi's comment, it's definitely not Veritas, but I also have to remember that it took me 5 years to be where I'm at with Veritas, too. I liked this church because they really seemed geared toward outreach. After church today, they were walking around the neighborhood (one of the poorer sections of Marion) and passing out bags of popcorn to invite people to a drive-in movie at the church (to be shown on the outside wall of the church). I thought that was awesome. I mean, of course there were things I didn't like about the church, but there is no perfect church, and I did feel sort of at home.....more than I would in a lot of churches. So that was cool. If I were to stay in Marion, I'd probably go there, but that's not 100% either.

So, after church, I thought I was going to see a movie with Mackster, but it didn't really work out *sad face*, but that's ok. Another time. I did, however, get to drive to Toledo to see the Toledo concert band play. The theme was Hollywood or something along those lines, so I got to hear some good stuff, INCLUDING music from O Brother Where Art Thou. That's right. :) And the best part: I got to hear Micah play his violin as a guest musician (playing at the zoo amphitheater). It was wonderful. I can't tell you how much I love to hear Micah play......he's soooooooo good! It's kind of like you get mesmerized or something....sucked in....and then you just kind of sit in awe at how awesome he is. And then afterward we got to hang out for a while, and I finally met his mom and re-met his sister and dad. It was a great time. Lots of laughs as always.

AND SO, to finish up my blog tonight because it's getting really late, I have a funny (and true) story from tonight:

OK, so I parked in the front parking lot of the zoo for the concert. Micah (being a musician) got to park really close in the back of the amphitheater. So, after the concert, we both walked to Micah's car and he drove out of the zoo and around the neighborhood to get me to my car in the other parking lot (approx a 6 minute drive). We get there, and they have locked the gates into the zoo! So, I can't get to my car. Sooooo.....we drive back to Micah's parking lot, park his car, walk about 8 minutes through the zoo and out to my car in the other parking lot, drive to the gate to find that the other gate is locked as well. Soooooo......I drive back up to the zoo entrance, and luckily we run into a security guard, who follows us back out to the gate and unlocks it so we can leave. (are you still with me?) Soooooo....we drive back to Micah's parking lot, only to find that the automatic gate only opens to cars from the inside and not the outside, so now we can't get IN to get Micah's car. *laugh* This is getting quite hysterical. But here's the best part. We are sitting there trying to figure out how to get in when we finally decide the best solution is to hop the fence. Micah is still in his concert clothes, so I happily volunteer (I'm in for an adventure, of course). Sooooo.....I climb to the top of the 10 foot fence only to find that my pants have caught on the pokey things. I spend about 60 seconds trying to uncatch myself without falling off on either side, finally giving up and just sitting on the pokey things and saying “ouch” a lot. Then just as I am trying to get uncaught again, a zoo worker comes up to us and says, "Hey, I can let you in." YEAH, NOW you show up. Since I am still caught but I really want to get down, I go ahead and climb down anyway, ripping a huge hole in the back of my pants. I later found, too, that my wrist was bleeding from a scratch from the pokey things. But we finally got in and got Micah's car, and that's what really matters. Mission accomplished. And it was quite a riot. And an adventure! :) And now I have a cool flesh wound and a sweet hole in my pants to remind me of our dangerous style of living on the edge and attempting to break in to the Toledo Zoo.

OK, nitey nite.

2006-08-05T23:07:00.000-04:00

Well, tomorrow, if I wake up in time, I'm trying out a church here in town called New Vision Community Church. I tried it a couple years ago when I was home for a while....they met in the Marion branch OSU theater area or something. Now they have their own building, and a 16-yr-old in my kick boxing class invited me to come. So, I'm going to try to get my butt in gear and try it out tomorrow.

Also tomorrow.....possibly seeing the new Will Farrel movie with Mackster and his fam.

AND....I JUST found out that Micah is playing at the Toledo zoo tomorrow nite at 7:30, and though I didn't really want to do more driving this weekend (not because I don't like driving, but because of gas prices) since I already went to Findlay to visit Mack (which was GREAT), I can't pass up an opportunity to hear Micah play! It's been way too long. So, I'm super excited about that.

So, good things going on. Hard for me to get out because I tend to get depressed easily lately, but I'm hanging in there. Still job searching, too. And missing all my peeps in O-town. And my peeps from the trail, too.

Healing

2006-07-31T00:58:00.000-04:00

The word on my mind tonight is "healing."

Over the past several years, I have dealt with some serious issues in my life, which I have addressed before, and never have I received complete healing from these aspects of my life, which combine both hurt and sin for me. Struggles. Hardships. Turning away from God. And though I desire freedom, I've come to realize that maybe I haven't desired it enough to give it all up for a relationship with Christ. I hold onto things, not willing to leave them behind. I often live in the past, I live in sin, I live amidst my selfish endeavors and within my own mind. I am detrimental to my own health. I hurt myself.....and yet, instead of choosing the path God has designed for me (which seems harder, but yet I know it offers optimal joy), I choose my path. My path of destruction.

Lately, I have found myself at a very low point in my life. At the moment, I have nothing to define myself. I have no job, I have no hobbies, and I have minimal faith, and so I am faced with....Me. I am faced with questions like "what defines me?" and "who am I....really?" I am left to explore. To discover. Who is this person I have lived with for 23 years? Who is she? I wonder if much of my life has been a lie.....I've lied to myself about who I really am and what I really enjoy. And in that process, I've left behind the most important parts of myself.....lost part of myself in the process. Now, I'd like to pick up the pieces and start from the beginning, but the question that follows is "how do I do that?"

I don't know.

And I also have to ask myself: Do I really want to get better? Do I really want to move on? Because part of me says that I like being this way. I like being sad. Cooped up. Selfish. Depressed. But that can't be true.

I wrote a letter of confession to Cathy a couple of days ago, and she sent me the most beautiful, heart-felt response. I just finished reading it. And so many thoughts go through my mind. There is a love shown that I can't understand. Why do people still love me even through all of my crap? My mind really can't comprehend it, but I know the only explanation is that it is not a humanly love, but instead Christ's love dwelling inside of Cathy.....and her obedience to listen.

I do desire freedom. I desire to find myself again.....the person who has been lost for so long in tears and depression and self-hatred.....the person who God made for the purpose of loving others in the deepest sense of the word, love that has no explanation except that it exists unconditionally for all people.

I hope tomorrow that I can get out and sort through some of these thoughts and emotions. Hopefully pray, which I have done very little of for a long time. I need to find some answers, and after living for 23 years and often trying to do things on my own, I have learned that the only real answers lay in the hands of a loving God.

I’d like to end this post with a song from Phantom of the Opera (which I watched tonight). This song reminded me of a conversation that might possibly exist between God and myself (or anyone else for that matter). It’s a song sung between Christine and Raoul. You can insert your name for Christine’s and God for Raoul’s. It’s pretty awesome.

All I Ask of You

Raoul
No more talk of darkness,
forget these wide-eyed fears;
I'm here, nothing can harm you,
my words will warm and calm you.
Let me be your freedom,
let daylight dry your tears;
I'm here, with you, beside you,
to guard you and to guide you.

Christine
Say you'll love me every waking moment;
turn my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me with you now and always;
promise me that all you say is true,
that's all I ask of you.

Raoul
Let me be your shelter,
let me be your light;
you're safe, no one will find you,
your fears are far behind you.

Christine
All I want is freedom,
a world with no more night;
and you, always beside me,
to hold me and to hide me.

Raoul
Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime;
let me lead you from you solitude.
Say you want me with you, here beside you,
anywhere you go, let me go too,
that's all I ask of you.

Christine
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.

Together
Say the word and I will follow you.
Share each day with me, each night, each morning.

Christine
Say you love me...

Raoul
You know I do.

Together
Love me, that's all I ask of you.
Love me...
that's all I ask of you.

Help

2006-07-29T23:18:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know where I can find apartments or homes to rent on a month-by-month basis? I don't have a job yet, but I've GOT to get out of this house. Please help.

Changes Come

2006-07-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

Well, today is the day. The last day for the Osterdays to attend church before they move down to good 'ol Kentucky to start some new roots there. It's going to be hard for Christi to be Forever My Roomie if she lives 3 hours away, but I know we'll work it out somehow ;)

Going to miss them so much. Things will definitely not be the same without them around. BUT....I know that their lives are going to bless the pants off of so many new faces in KY and that God is going to use them in huge ways, so I can't be selfish and hog them all to myself for the rest of their lives, right? Obviously, KY needs a little TLC from the Osterdays, and I know that Christi and Eric will deliver! :) It's what they do best.

Love you guys.

Life Goes On

2006-07-17T23:30:00.000-04:00

My trip to Oxford this weekend was well worth the $45 in gas. Yes, gas is outrageous, and if I don't get a job soon, I'm going to be broke.

I was surprised to find how much I felt at home in Oxford after being gone for over 4 months. Church was especially awesome. Being around everyone there always seems to bring me back to my roots and remind me what life is really all about. I tend to forget a lot. But when I go there, my excitement for God and what He is doing in all of us always seems to get ignited inside of me. And I am always amazed at how much love is felt among all of us there. It's definitely something supernatural, because that kind of love isn't found just anywhere, and I don't think it is a natural human tendency to be that way. It's a reliance on God....no one can take the credit for it. And I am so grateful for the family of people who love me no matter what. And I mean NO MATTER WHAT.

I also got to talk to Micah and visit Megan. Both were totally awesome and made me really happy. And I had dinner with Jared, which was weird I guess, but really good to see him again and give him a hug. Also got to have lunch with Eric and Christi. They are going to be greatly missed.

So after this weekend, I still have no clue what I am going to do with myself, but for now, I am cat-sitting/house-sitting for the next 10 days, with a 2 1/2 day break to go camping this weekend with Veritas. Really looking forward to camping. I miss the forest and the trail, so it will feel good to get the tent out again. And Glenn and Cathy just bought a tent that has a built in front porch, and Cathy said I had permission to sit in it if I came. Sweet. :) The house sitting should be cool, too, because the lady lives right across from the YMCA, and the condos have an outdoor pool and exercise room and all that. It's a sweet complex. My own mini vacation right here in central Ohio. And I get paid for it! :)

Other news: Doug said he'd find me a place to live if I came out there to be an assistant manager. :) And I finally caved and joined myspace. Yep, I'm a sucker.

Oh, I start kick boxing tomorrow! haha That should be interesting. And yoga on Wednesday.

I'm already ready to move out of my parents' house. They're great, but I'm ready to be on my own. I NEED HELP! Arg, I hate not knowing what is going on with my life. And I hate looking for jobs.

Well, until the next blog........

Peace, from the Jobless Bum

Time with Doug

2006-07-11T16:35:00.000-04:00

On the way home from our New England vacation, we made a stop at Hershey, PA, where we took a tour of the Hershey factory and smelled the glorious aroma of melted chocolate. But more importantly, we got to visit Doug!!!!!!!!!!!! He lives about 15 minutes from the Hershey factory, and only about 20-30 minutes from access to the AT, so it all worked out perfect. I got to hang with Doug, see the amazing new theater of which he will be in charge, eat at Mama's Pizza, see Doug's apartment, take a trip to Wally World, and then I also got to show my parents a short part of the trail the next day.

Being with Doug was fantastic. I'm so glad we got to visit him, and I hope to go again soon sometime. The following are a few pics from our visit there. And by the way, Doug wasn't kidding when he said that the people where he lives are mean. They really are mean! I saw it with my own two eyeballs, including a dude swerving in towards Doug car as we were driving....for no reason at all.

Anyway, here are the pics!

Mama's Pizza

Doug's Sweet Place

Doug and I

Pics

2006-07-10T18:04:00.000-04:00

Taco in the weather on Katahdin

Summit Pictures!

Moose!!!!

The day after

Taco and I

End of the Road

2006-07-10T17:29:00.000-04:00

I guess I never did write about the 100 mile wilderness. I thought I was going to be hiking the 100 mile by myself, much to my chagrin. But......while I was staying at the infamous Shaw's hostel in Monson (my last hostel of the trail), Pa Bert came strolling in during the early evening. I can't tell you how happy I was to see him! Here I was, all this time writing notes to Taco in the registers telling him where I was going to be and teasing him to catch up, having no idea that Pa Bert was so close behind. I was ecstatic. He's such a sweet sweet man and has more stamina at age 62 than I think I will ever have. He informed me that a few days prior, he was doing upper 20 miles with Taco to catch up with me. The man is amazing.

So, I didn't have to do the wilderness alone, and thank God, because I think I would have been miserable. One of many things I have learned to appreciate on the trail is friendship and how important community and human relationships are. The importance of fellowship that we have been emphasizing over the last few years at church was only enhanced by this trip. We need people. NEED. It may be a humbling thought, but it's true.

So anyway, we started out the next morning. I'm sure it must have rained that day, because it felt like it rained every day. The mosquitoes were relentless, and I spent several nights burning up in my 10 degree sleeping bag to protect my flesh from ravaging mad bugs. I guess I sort of got used to the bugs after a while, but they were still horrid, and I used close to an entire bottle of DEET in probably a period of a week. It'll probably give me cancer or something someday, but if you had told me that when the mosquitoes were attacking me, I don't think I would have batted an eye before I soaked my skin with it. That's how bad they were.

And the hundred mile wilderness not only offers hungry bugs, but also unyielding roots and rocks that slow your pace to a crawl. Most of the time, these rocks and roots were wet as well, which means lots of slips. And even beyond the rocks and roots, there is the Maine mud. Yes, these are things I will remember about Maine. Rocks, roots, bugs, and mud. Hmmf. Don't get me wrong, Maine is BEAUTIFUL, but you usually miss most of the beauty because you are too busy staring at the ground trying not to trip or else swatting at the mosquitoes that have bitten you on your triceps and the very top and back of your legs. They know where the hard to reach places are. Smart boogers.

But beyond all that, the 100 miles was fun, mostly because Pa Bert was there. And then.....2 days later....Taco strolled into a shelter close to dark. I screamed of course, and we hugged, and then Taco convinced me to go jump in the river in front of the shelter with him. I couldn't resist. It was so cold it took my breath away, but at the same time, it felt wonderful because I had spent the last hour steaming in my sleeping bag to keep the bugs away.

So the three amigos plodded on. We were quite a gang. We were convinced that we were going to summit Katahdin on June 30th. We hiked the easy 13 miles into Baxter State Park, only to find that the weather was supposed to turn sour, so we decided to hitch into Millinocket and stay the night at the hostel there, leaving the last 5.2 miles to be finished at another time. You can imagine the disappointment, but we were also happy to think about getting into clean clothes and out of the rain and bugs. It took us over 2 hours to get a hitch. Taco was so mad.....he moped behind as Pa Bert and I walked and chatted away, sticking out our thumb for the lone car that would come about every half hour. I tried to make Taco feel better. I gave him a dried pineapple to throw, and Pa Bert offered a Nutrageous Bar for eating. That made him happy for a few minutes at least.

To make a long story short, we stayed at the hostel that night and got a cab the next morning back to the park to hike our final 5.2 miles. Because the AT goes up the mountain and ends there, most hikers come back down the same trail (you have to get down somehow), and so this means you don't have to take your big pack up with you. So, instead of carrying my normal approx. 40lbs of equipment, I probably had 8 lbs. And let me tell you, this makes a world of difference. I felt like a feather going up that mountain. It was still tough at times (a large section of rock climbing boulders took me quite a while), but it was so much easier than it would have been with my pack.

I thought that I would be silent and weep at the top, but instead, Taco and I were letting out victory whoops and hugging and cheering and all that. Pa Bert was a little more subdued....I might have seen a tear or two from him. It was a great feeling. We did it. We finished. It's over. Wow. I can't explain that to you.

On the way down, the fog and clouds that had enveloped us the entire way up cleared out and we could see for miles. It was a lovely ending.

And so, once back into town, we had to celebrate, so we all walked down the street and smoked a cigar. Yes, I smoked for the first time ever, and probably the last time ever, while walking the streets of Millinocket. I had to ask Pa Bert which end to light, and then he and Taco had to show me how to smoke it. It was pretty comical. I kept making sour faces when I got a big puff. Ewww. But it was fun, and it must have been a hilarious sight to see three very different hikers, 2 with packs on at the time, walking down the sidewalk smoking cigars. *laugh* What a crew.

And the rest is history. All the families came in to visit and celebrate, and then I spent the next week touring New England with Mom, Lace, and Dad. And now, I'm home.

I'm home. :)

2006-07-10T00:17:00.000-04:00

I am becoming painfully aware that over 4 months, a lot of things change. This might be more difficult than I thought.

Sweetness

2006-07-09T23:06:00.000-04:00

I just experienced one of the most liberating and beautiful moments of my life, and yet....so simple. I drove my car for the first time in over 4 months. It was so lovely. It's one of the first things I did when I got home. Jumped in my car, put in Sarah M. and then Over the Rhine, and drove down Rte 23 with the windows down and sunroof open as the gorgeous orange/red sun set to my left. Destination: Wal-Mart. Where else? ;) Bought some things I needed, you know...Ice cream, a CD, chocolate, that kind of stuff (hehe) and then speeded home in the dark listening to my first ever personally owned country CD and looking to my left once again to see a beautiful orange moon on the rise. And the wind swirled through my car. And I found out that I most certainly have not forgotten how to drive, so the whole experience was just amazing. I can't explain it. That's what the trail does to people. It makes people appreciate all the small things in life. I can already feel it leaving me, though, and I'm already taking things for granted, but I hope I can keep reminding myself of what a blessing it is to have all the things I have and experience all the things I experience. Like, no more pooping in the woods....I have flush toilets for that! Amazing! And running water whenever I want it. And a house to keep out the rain. And a car that can get me to Marion in 15 minutes instead of taking most of the day. Ah, I love it.

Unfortunately, not everything is so easy and amazing all the time. I am already feeling pressure to figure out my life, find out what I am going to do, when in my mind I'm just kind of like "I really just feel very chilled out and would like to enjoy this time I have off to spend it doing a lot of things that I never take time to do." Like (and don't tell him) but I want to take my dad to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sometime soon for a day trip. Just he and I. Spend some time with Pops. And I want to do some things with Lacey. I've never really taken time for her. And I want to go visit all my peeps in Oxford that I have neglected for the last 4 months!!!!!!!! :) I'm coming soon, I really am! God willing, anyway.

So, beyond the pressure to find a job, I am also dealing with this whole eating and metabolism thing. It's going to be a rough road I know for the next few weeks. Not sure how I'm going to deal with it all. At one point on the trail, I had lost 30 lbs, but since off the trail for about 7 days on vacation with the fam and no hiking, I think I have already gained back close to half of that. Eek. And there are all of these books about the trail....hiking it, reflecting on it, many diverse experiences, but no one has written a book (to my knowledge) about how to deal with getting off the trail. I mean, most hikers go through this awkward physical phase where they aren't quite sure what to eat anymore, and then there's the emotional turmoil that a lot of people feel as well. No books to help with this. I'm on my own. What do I do?? All of the friends I made that might be able to understand live hundreds of miles away. Crap. Well, needless to say, I will get by. I'll figure something out.

Anyway, tomorrow I hope to write about my last day on the trail and the summitting experience with Pa Bert and Taco, as well as my reunion with my parents and Lace and post a few pics. For now, I feel like I have a bazzillion things to catch up on.

Man, it does feel great to be back in Ohio. But I never really thought about how incredibly flat it is until we were close to Waldo......so incredibly flat. :)

The End of the Journey

2006-07-03T07:05:00.000-04:00

On July 1, 2006, 116 days after the commencement of my journey at the base of Springer Mountain, I officially completed my Appalachian Trail journey. Let me just say:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :)

It was a wonderful moment. I hope to have a couple pics to post when I get home. And I had the privelage of summitting with two of my favorite people out here, Pa Bert and Taco. Pa Bert caught me just before the 100 mile wilderness, and Taco a couple days after that. It was fantastic, and I love them both so much.

The climb up was quite a doozie. Approx 4000 feet in elevation change over 5 miles, and that's with a relatively flat first and last mile. Lots of rock climbing. It was an incredible mountain. Of course, though, it was foggy and windy, so we didn't see much, but after about a mile on the way down, it cleared up below us and we could see for miles. It was awesome.

So now what? I'm going to Disney Land! hehe Just kidding. I am, however, vacationing with the fam around New England and then I should be home sometime around the 10th of July. Upon arrival, I will probably head straight to bed and sleep for a week. Then I will crawl out of my hole and visit all my wonderful peeps in Oxford. :) Feel free to call the cellie now. I don't have reception here, but I hope that I can get it while driving around New England somewhere. I hope to make a bunch of phone calls when I can.

Love you all. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Couldn't have done it without that.

I'M FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

For the last time.......Do-Rag

Fun Trail Stuff

2006-06-20T08:08:00.000-04:00

OK, I decided based on pending weather conditions and because I'm feeling rather lazy that I would take a zero day in Stratton, ME. This has lead me to do some rather silly internet surfing, and I decided to do some "research" on a mountain I passed over in Vermont called "Glastenbury Mountain." Evidently, according to a caretaker we (Woody Crow and Hatteras were with me at the time) met shortly after, the shelter on top of Glastenbury is part of the "Glastenbury Triangle." And this triangle involves stories of Sasquatch. I think I might have metioned this before on a previous post. But I finally decided to investigate. If you are interested in "unsolved mysteries," read on. :) By the way, I found out that it is in fact called the "Bennington Triangle" instead of the Glastenbury Triangle. And that the "seventeen" dissapearances were in fact closer to 5.....but regardless, it's still fun stuff.

The Bennington Triangle is an area of southwestern Vermont surrounding Glastenbury Mountain which is said by some to be a "window" area for paranormal phenomena.

The term "Bennington Triangle" was coined by New England author Joseph A. Citro during a public radio broadcast in 1992 to denote an area of southwestern Vermont within which a number of persons went missing between 1945 and 1950. This was further popularized in his later books, Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls, and Unsolved Mysteries (1994), and Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors (1997), in which he devoted chapters to discussion of these disappearances and various folklore surrounding the area.

Precisely what area is encompassed in this hypothetical "mystery triangle" is not clear, but it centers around Glastenbury Mountain and would include some or most of the area of the towns immediately surrounding it, especially Bennington, Woodford, Shaftsbury, and Somerset. Glastenbury and its neighboring township Somerset were both once moderately thriving logging and industrial towns, but began declining toward the late 19th century and are now essentially ghost towns, unincorporated by an act of the state legislature in 1937.

According to Citro's books, stories of strange happenings had been told about Glastenbury and the surrounding area for many years prior to the disappearances in the 1940's, and other sources do seem to corroborate that such folklore does appear to date back as far as the late 19th century and perhaps even earlier. This includes the local folk belief that Native Americans regarded Glastenbury as "cursed" and avoided it, as well as tales of hairy "wild men" and other strange beasts in the woods.

It is known for certain that at least five persons from this area went missing, some of them on Glastenbury Mountain itself, between 1945 and 1950. These include 74 year old Middie Rivers, 68 year-old James Tedford, 8 year-old Paul Jepson, 18-year-old Paula Welden, and 53-year-old Frieda Langer. Of these, remains of only one was found, that of Frieda Langer. Most sources on the subject view the circumstances as mysterious, as her body turned up in some tall grasses in an area that had been searched extensively a number of times in the seven months between her disappearance and the discovery of the corpse. Some sources also included rumored instances of the disappearance of "three hunters" in 1948 and of "Melvin Hills" in 1942, but little is known of these cases. Because of the wide ranges of age and sex of the missing persons, it is thought that the possibility of them being victims of a serial killer is unlikely. This, combined with a lack of any evidence to offer support for any more prosaic explanation, has lead many to speculate on possible paranormal causes, including abduction by UFO occupants, "interdimensional trapdoors", or attack by the "Bennington Monster."

This area has been discussed in paranormal-themed literature and popular works since at least 1957, and in the last few years, under the "Bennington Triangle" label has been an item of increasing interest, spawning numerous web articles and even an entire discussion group devoted to it on Yahoo, as well as being featured in a segment on the Travel Channel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennington_Triangle

struggling

2006-06-19T23:57:00.001-04:00

"When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
I spread my wings and fly
I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

Yeah, when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here....

So much pain and so much darkness
In this world we stumble through
All these questions I can't answer
So much work to do
But when I get where I'm going
And I see my Maker's face
I'll stand forever in the light
Of His amazing grace
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
When I get where I'm going
Yeah, when I get where I'm going."

-Brad Paisley

I have definitely become a closet country listener.

Right now, I'm in Stratton, ME, about 180+ miles from the top of Katahdin, and let me tell you, I can taste the end. And I'm becoming very emotional. And the hiking seems to get harder and harder mentally. In other words, I'm ok...but I'm struggling.

I thought I'd come out here and have some things figured out, but I feel that maybe I am more confused now than when I started. But, I think it's ok. I am where I am, and I'm learning so much. So much.

Pics

2006-06-15T15:06:00.000-04:00

View from "The Pinnacle" in PA.

PA Superfund site (they had some zinc factory here or something that ruined the plant life. It was pretty crazy).

Sunset

One of my fav views in CT

Crazy rock piles that we ran into a few weeks ago. Really weird.

Hatteras Jack, Pa Bert, and Bleach in a shelter

Woody Crow and Hatteras Hack on Killington Peak

A couple shelters (Mom wanted to see some). By the way, the small one is just an emergency shelter. I liked it because someone wrote "Holiday Inn" on it. :)

Great privy for a poop

Franconia Ridge (absolutely astounding....a real experience above treeline. This pic doesn't really do it justice)

Me, on a mountain in Maine today

Updates

2006-06-15T14:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am in Maine. the last of 14 states. It definitely feels bitter sweet. I have decided that I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the trail. On the one hand, I am really sick of climbing up and down and up and down (and let me tell you, it is ALL up and down in NH, and so far, in ME, too.....and not just gradual ups and downs, but STRAIGHT up and STRAIGHT down), and at moments, even as far as I am, I would really like to quit. So, that's the hate part. But then there's the other part, the part where I get on top of a mountain and get to see beauty for miles, the part where I don't want to stop hiking at Katahdin, the part where I get to meet the most amazing people and see the most amazing things. The adventure. That's the part that I love. So, I am in battle with the trail right now, because I love it, but I hate it, and I don't really know what to do with those emotions except probably cry a lot over the next couple weeks, and then ball my eyes out at Katahdin. I don't know.

But anyway, I made it through the Whites, and let me tell you, it was definitely a challenge. No more 25 mile days for Do-Rag. If I did 15 miles, I was doing good. There was one day, the day I summited Mt. Washington, where I only went 7 miles from one hut to the next hut (yeah, they have SWEET huts in the Whites) because it was raining, cold, and I fell on the way. It's just really hard to go from busting out huge miles to barely being able to do 14 or 15. I find myself getting really frustrated. I'll be going along and then all of a sudden it's like "where does the trail go?" and then I look and realize it goes straight down. Or straight up. Yes, a lot of rock climbing over the past few days, and I know it doesn't end here. I have decided that, though different and challenging, I am not a rock climber, at least not with a big pack on. I think I can do one or the other. Climbing rocks might be cool if I didn't have 40 lbs strapped on my back. And backpacking is cool when I'm not climbing rock walls. So, I'm sure you can get a sense of my frustration over the past few days, especially since it rained through most of the Whites, and the weather is just now finally clearning up. Rock/water combo is not cool. That probably explains why today I had fall #41. And you should see my poor leggies! When I took a shower today, I noticed all the bruises I have everywhere, and lots of scrapes and scabs and things on my legs, especially my shins. Ah, but this is the price I pay for the beauty of the trail. :)

So, at least I am through the Whites. It was definitely a challenge for me. But the huts that I mentioned earlier were fantastic. The huts are all through the Whites and are staffed with people who fix dinner and breakfast for you. Because it is expensive to stay (approx. $80), they let thru-hikers work-for-stay. So, I stayed at 4 of the huts I believe, and worked at all of them, doing stuff from picking up trash to dishes. And the food was fantabulous. Not only do they do dinner and breakfast, but they also have all-you-can-eat baked goods for $1 during the day. Let me tell you......I ate SO much in the Whites. I decided I must have gained 10 lbs. It was definitely the baked goods that did me in. Wow. So delicious.

Yesterday, I did the infamous "Mahoosuc Notch," which is known on the trail as possibly the most difficult section of the entire trail. I think I can attest for that. It took me about 2 hours to go 1 mile. I wish someone was there to take my picture, because it was ridiculous. I was straddling rocks, crawling through rock tunnels, squeezing, jumping, over, under....it was sort of an "anything goes" rock scramble. It was fun at first, but I was defintely glad for it to be over. Oh, and not to mention the ICE that forms in between the rock crevases in the notch. :P

Oh, I got a wonderful package from TJ and his parents. Thank you so much!!!!! Congrats to TJ for making it into grad school in Cinci!!!! :)

OK, this is getting pretty long. I better go. As of now, my finish date is set at July 2nd to summit Katahdin, and then I'll be cruising around with my parents and little sister, so I'll be home early July sometime.

Alright, I'll post a few pics before I go. By the way, I'm in Andover, ME right now at quite possibly the coolest hostel yet. "The Cabin."

Love you all.

Dun dun dun!!!.....the WHITES

2006-06-05T06:19:00.000-04:00

Wow, internet access again so soon. This is very unusual, but nice. A couple updates since I was last on here.

1. I saw another bear. Pretty sweet. It crossed the trail right in front of me the day before yesterday. It really must have been 20-30 feet from me.

2. When I was walking thru Hanover to the grocery store, a lady stopped and offered me a shower. I told her I already had a shower, but asked her if she knew a place where I could stay in town for the night. Naturally, she was more than happy to offer me their guest bedroom, and since I was hard-up for a place to stay, I accepted. That's some major trail magic right there. I didn't want to leave town, but there was no hostel or anything, so I was probably going to have to hike out to the next shelter (it was rainy and yucky) if she hadn't offered. Awesome. It was a great stay.

3. Woody Crow's brother attends Dartmouth, and so he took us out to dinner at Molly's and I ate like a queen. He even paid. Yesssss. More trail magic. I'm telling you, I don't think I could do this trip without all the help I've had from people. It's been amazing. Trail angels, they call them out here. :)

4. I am at a hostel just off the trail, ready to hit the Whites today. I'm a little scared.....everyone makes the Whites sound hard, and I think they are pretty challenging. Lots of large climbs up and down, big mountains, above tree-line stuff. I will probably hit snow again at some points. Ew. And the rocks are still going to be wet from all the rain...and I think it's supposed to rain some more. :( Let's just say I'll be glad to see Maine come around, though once the weather clears up, I'm sure the Whites will be amazing.

OK, I better go. Bleach and Woody Crow are here, and I think we are all antsy to get started. Our day starts with fording a possible "dangerous river" when water levels are high (and we've had a lot of rain)......yes, this is my life. Crossing streams and climbing mountains. Isn't it great?? I know you wish you were out here. :)

OK, White Mountains, I am coming to conquer you.

Hello My Loves

2006-06-02T15:14:00.000-04:00

Things are going so fantastic out here! I can't type much as always because I have already exceeded the 1 hour limit here at the library, but I will try to give some updates.

Hatteras Jack, Woody Crow, and I had a dog follow us for about 16 miles to the road into Rutland. It was hilarious, because of all of us, Woody Crow probably liked the dog the least, and so that's who the dog decided to befriend. :) And it was muddy and rainy, and so the dog would run through the mud and yuck and then shake off on Woody. haha It was pretty funny. Woody really started to get mad at it. And it ate poop, too. We found some people off of rte 4 with a phone and called the owner, and then those people took us and the dog to Rutland to meet the owner and then drop us off. Well, the dog puked in the car....twice. lol It was quite the experience.

I stayed at an amazing hostel in Rutland, VT, where I finally saw a movie at a theater and ate at my first all-you-can-eat buffet. It was an amazing night. And the next day, the hostel people (who run a beautiful organic restaurant next door) fed us oatmeal with raisins and coconut, and I put Vermont maple syrup on top. Soooo good. And then, after doing some work for them cutting up veggies, they sent us off with homemade loaves of bread and homemade granola. Wow. They were super nice. I'll have to check into what they are all about....it was some kind of community living situation by a religious group called "Twelve Tribes".......The word "cult" definitely came up in conversation among us hikers, but I have no idea. I've done no research on them yet. They certainly were lovely people, though. Glenn.....maybe you know some more about them....???

Anyway, it was a great stay in Rutland, but good to get back on the trail. Since then, I've been hiking with Woody Crow (Hatteras had to go back to Colorado for a job.....I was so sad), and it's just been some pretty typical hiking. No seriously hilarious things happening lately. Ran into Bleach again yesterday, who is now already ahead again, since Woody and I are crashing in Hanover, NH. Yep, that's right. I'm now in NH, with 442 miles to go. Whew. That just blows my mind. I've hiked 1733 miles. Wow. And the next time I am on the internet, I will hopefully be able to tell you about my AMAZING experience through the White Mountains, which are coming up shortly.

But anyway, I should probably go, so Woody and I can get to the grocery, so I can set up my tent just north of the soccer field here in town, and so we can go out to eat at one of these high-class, ethnic, college restaurants. oh yeah....if you didn't know, Hanover is a college town, so I feel right at home. It's the home of Dartmouth, and believe it or not, Woody's brother goes here, so we got hooked up with free laundry and free shower. Ah, so nice. :)

OK, love you all so much! Thanks again for all the phone messages and things! I love love love to hear from you. Anytime.

*hugs*

AT update

2006-05-31T07:55:00.000-04:00

This is Kim's mom...got a phone call from Kim this morning. She is in Rutland, VT, about 9 miles off the trail at a hostel, ready to eat some breakfast with the two fellas she has been hiking with lately, Hateras and Woody Crow. She sounded happy and is pumped to tackle the White Mountains of NH, supposedly very tough hiking involving rock climbs up to the peaks which are so high they go above the treeline. With the tougher hiking, she has been making only 20 miles a day or so, but expects to hike only 15 miles a day when she gets into NH because of the elevations and rocks. Kim has less than 500 miles to go and hopes to finish in late June or early July. Thanks for prayers! Here's the next 2 postal drops:

June 9...AMC Visitor Center c/o front desk, N.H.16, Gorham, NH 03581
June 12...General Delivery, Andover, ME 04216

Massachusettes!

2006-05-24T15:49:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post this pic of me and Garlic Man. He's definitely been one of my favorite people on the trail so far. He was working at an outfitter in Harper's Ferry and also was staying at the hostel where I spent the night. He has hiked the AT, PCT, and CDT, and just has a thirst for more. His passion is certainly for hiking and hikers. I loved talking with him. The pic is a little fuzzy, but you can still tell he's awesome. ;)

Trying to think of interesting stories to tell, but none come to mind at the moment. Just taking the hiking one day at a time. I will soon be in Vermont, and that will make state 12, with only 13 and 14 to go. There are still quite a few miles, though, since Maine is relatively large, but I know the best hiking is yet to come. Everyone always talks about the VT, NH, and ME section and how amazing it is, so I'm really looking forward to it. I have been pleasantly surprised with CT and Mass as well. Very lusche and and green.

I finally broke down and bought a radio, by the way. Just couldn't be alone with myself much longer. It feels a little like a cop-out, but at the same time, it's helping me tremendously. I don't know if I could keep going and stay sane without some kind of music or something to keep me going. It seems to give me some energy, too.

I finally saw a bear in Jersey. I think Mom put that in another post though maybe. My first bear encounter ever!! And it only took like 1200 miles. ;)

I've had some amazing encounters with trail angels and things of that nature. People really are spectacular along the trail. Cutting me deals, giving me rides, giving me food, etc. I wish I could pay all these people back, but I will most likely never see them again. Like last night, I stayed at a cabin along the trail, run by the ATC I believe, and there were two caretakers there, Pat and Cathy. It was so nice to hang out with them, and in the morning, bright and early at 5:45am, they fixed me pancakes to get me going for the day. They didn't expect anything in return. Just kind and generous people. I love it, and the pancakes were DEEEEELICIOUS.

The weather has been a little less than perfect the last few days, but not too bad really. Just some rain on and off, and it's been slightly chilly. I can't help but think of Glenn when I think about a couple days ago when the sky got so dark from an incoming storm that I almost needed a headlamp. I just kept hiking...what else could I do? And the hail balls hurt a little, but it didn't last too long. Just another adventure. Because of the rain, I've been walking through A LOT of mud and water, too. Mostly mud now. Fun fun. :)

I'm now on 22 falls. But still unhurt, which is good.

Oh, there is always so much to write and so little time. I need to get going so I can buy a few groceries, buy some din din, and hike out of town and set up camp somewhere before it gets dark. Love and miss you all. Can't wait to get back to M-town and O-town to give you all the biggest hugs you've ever had. :)

Love, Do-Rag

Update on Dew Rag

2006-05-19T08:07:00.000-04:00

This is Kim's mom blogging again. Kim called this morning around 7:30 and had already hiked 5 miles today. She sounded wonderful! Kim was at a little deli/convenience store using the pay phone and will be in Kent, CN tomorrow. She plans to start hiking extremely early tomorrow to make the 13 mile hike to Kent before the post office there closes at 12:30. Kim was wet already this morning and sounds like she will be hiking through rain all day; she has 20 more miles to hike today to reach a shelter. The rocks in New York were treacherous, and Kim said she was really rock climbing instead of hiking much of the way, which was very difficult with a heavy pack on her back. Kim had her first black bear sighting, but luckily the bear was running away from her! Thanks for your prayers for Kim!

Here is her updated AT schedule:
May 20, Kent, CN 06757
May 24, Dalton, Mass 01226
May 27, Manchester Center, VT 05255
June 1, Hanover, NH 03755
June 3, North Woodstock, NH 03262

Living Sacrifice

2006-05-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

Alright, a lot of things going on lately out here on the trail. Thanks, Mom, for updating the site.....she did a great job. Those listings will be my packages drops for the next few weeks, for anyone who was wanting to know where approximately I will be for the next while.

First of all, matters of business unrelated (mostly) to the trail......Jared and I have broken up. I don't want to go on and on and make a big saga out of it. I mean, relationships always seem to be dramatic for me I guess, and since I've never been in one longer than 4 months, I obviously have no clue, but I'm trying to just kind of move on. I haven't decided if it's easier or harder since I am far away. I guess a little of both. I tried to be mature about it, you know.....like crying myself to sleep and waking up and crying some more.....you know, the things that adult females should be doing. *laugh* But really, after the next day, I got better. I just had to do a lot of sorting out of my thoughts and how I went about things out here. I don't think I realized how much energy and time I was putting into thinking about my relationship, and so now that it's over, it's kind of like I've entered a whole new realm of thinking in a way. Hard, but good I think. I mean, I still miss Jared a ton, but I have to work through that. And what better place to be than out here where all I do is think about things. So......in the long run, I guess this is a good thing. Just hard to see it sometimes.

So, the trail. It's been AWESOME the last few days. I've conquered Maryland and am on into PA, and it's pretty flat compared to the rest of the trail, which is a nice break. But now I am approaching the infamous PA rocks, which is supposedly "where boots go to die" as people say out here. lol The rocks, apparently, are very sharp, and there are many......so, people complain that this section destroys their feet. We'll see how I handle it. I have a new pair of shoes coming in the mail in a few days, too, so that may help (thanks, Princess employees!!!!).

I finally caught up to a guy I've been reading about in the registers named Taco.....he's been great fun, very uplifting. We hiked together for probably 5 days, and we both stayed in the Doyle last night. I think now, though, I am moving on....since I want to go a bit further today than he does. This is life on the trail........haven't seen Bleach for over a week, either. But, you get used to seeing people and then not seeing them. It's hard to build community when everyone is going at their own pace. But....I have emails and stuff, and I would imagine that when friends start hiking with me, I will slow down and bit and some of the people I've met will catch up. In the meantime, I am going to try to catch some people in front of me. Like Hatteras Jack. And some others whom I haven't met yet. Looks like they are only a day ahead, but that's a lot of miles to make up.....it'll take me a while probably.

After a couple days, I will have less than 1000 miles to go. That'll be a good feeling. Into the triple digits. :)

Alright, these people at this church are nice in letting me use the computer, but I don't want to abuse my privelage. I should be in Port Clinton, PA, Monday morning to pick up my package. After that, not sure how fast I'll move with all the rocks and things.

Wish I could write more. So many stories and great things over the past few days.......I'll just have to tell them when I get home in a couple months. I'll have a party and have story-telling time. :) hehe

Love you all and miss you much. Next time I write, I may get to write about Joe Foster getting to hike with me!!!! We are trying to work things out for him to come out here within the next few days. I'm excited. :)

OK, I'm off to hike the PA rocks!!!

Kim's new AT schedule

2006-05-04T22:21:00.000-04:00

Hi, this is Teri Birchfield, Kim's mom. Kim called this evening from Doyle Hotel, a landmark on the AT, although I don't know why it is called a hotel since there are no phones or TV's in the rooms, mostly just a bed. Kim asked me to post her latest schedule. If you would like to write to her or send something, send it a few days in advance by priority mail to Kim Birchfield, General Delivery, whatever town, state & zip. Kim said it also might be helpful to post her expected date of arrival on the outside of the mail. Here are Kim's expected dates of arrival:

May 6...Port Clinton, PA 19549
May 9...Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327
May 13...Ft. Montgomery, NY 10922
May 16...Kent, CT 06757
May 20...Dalton, MA 01226
May 23...Manchester Center, VT 05255
May 27...Hanover, NH 03755
May 29...North Woodstock, NH 03262

Kim has been having "incredible weather" this week, and the hiking has been a breeze since the land is flat in Maryland. She has been hiking with someone named Taco since Harper's Ferry. Some nights they have slept out under the stars on his tarp, although she says they get a little dewey by morning. The area she is approaching is known for lots of rattle snakes. Oh boy. Kim sounded happy and really appreciates the phone messages and any communication from you all!

2006-05-04T17:45:00.000-04:00

Updates from the Trail VII...

2006-04-28T18:40:00.000-04:00

[Sorry for the delay. Received this yesterday, though it's from a few days before. Enjoy!]

4-23-2006

So right now I'm drinking coffee and finishing up breakfast at this little Mom- & Pop place callsed "Weasies." I had a pretty light breakfast since I stuffed myself last night with pizza and ice cream. :) I love little places like this. And get this... I'm sitting here writing to you, & this guy comes up to talk to me about the trail & says his son is on the trail now (Sparrow Hawk) and that was a guy I met back in North Carolina around NOC!! Crazy. So he's going to tell Sparrow Hawk I said hi (he's going to be in Waynesboro in about 2 weeks).

The trail has been great the last few days. There's been a little more train, but sometimes the rain is much more welcomed than an 82-degree sunny day... the sun can get really hot going up mountains, so being cool & wet is nice sometimes.

Speaking of cool & wet, now that it's getting warmer, I took my first dip in a creek. The water was *freezing*, but it was a lot of fun. Afterward, I dried off and ate some trail magic fruit. It was a beautiful moment.:)

I've met so many great people... everyone is always so nice, and the little bits of trail magic help keep my spirits up. The green that is grwoing rapidly in the weeds is helping my spirits, too.

Oh, I had fall #18 yesterday. Rain & rocks are a bad combination. It was a funny slip, though, so Bleach & I had a good laugh. I don't know how I fall so much. Not including the snow, I don't think Bleach has fallen once. Hmmm. That's either saying something about me or something about him... what do you think?? ;)

Well, I am quickly running out of room, and this is officially my last piece of paper, so I better wrap it up. I must go. I'm going to try to find the church of the guy who gave me a ride to Waynesboro. My first church trail experience.:) Should be fun.

Whew

2006-04-22T16:22:00.000-04:00

Hey!!! I'm at the Waynesboro Public Library, and my time is limited. They close here very shortly, so this post is going to have to be...well....short. First and most importantly, thank you everyone for the phone calls and comments and things, especially the phone messages from Easter. My friends rock. :) Megan, I loved hearing the slushie story twice. I probably laughed just as hard the second time. I hope I get to call you so I can hear about Shriver (by the way, for those who don't know, Megan is working at Shriver and you should go visit her because she's awesome).

The trail has been great mostly. Been thinking about a lot of things....a lot of things I want to do when I get back. In less than 2 weeks, I will be in Harper's Ferry, which is the "psychological halfway point" of the trail as they call it, even though the actual halfway point is I think 75 miles or so further north of it. So, that's pretty cool. By then, I will have broken the 1000 mile mark.

Other than hiking, I just miss my friends. I'm really looking forward to coming back home and seeing everyone and getting to take showers every day. *sigh* :) I just paid $1 for a towel and shower at the YMCA here, and now they are going to let us camp out back for free. Sweet. So, after I get off here, I'm setting up tent and heading to do laundry and EAT somewhere. I'm starving, as hikers always are I think.

Love you all and miss you terribly. Thanks again for the messages.

Updates from the Trail VI...

2006-04-21T18:05:00.000-04:00

[From a note postmarked 4-17-2006. Enjoy!]

I'm feeling MUCH better this morning. There's a little coffee shop right beside the outdoor store, so while I'm waiting for it to open, I'm eating a delicious breakfast sandwich & fruit, sipping coffee. The coffee shop makes me feel right at home. It's just missing... all my friends. :/

Alright, let's see. Stories from the trail: Fall #16 was a doozie. I slipped on a wet rock & got a bloody elbow. Lol. What next? About 2 days ago, I had a dog named Fido follow me for about 8 miles. Some turkey hunters knew the owner & called, & the owner didn't seem to care that the dog was following me, so he just kept on. I hope he made it back ok. I had to ford my first stream the other day. That was pretty exciting & extremely cold. I was having fun doing it until about halfway across when I realized if I slip on a rock, it's not jus tme that gest wet, but my entire pack... so then I got a little nervous & almost fell! haha.
I almost stepped on a snake yesterday. It was just hangin' out on the trail. I ran into a hiker for the 2nd time named Dreamer, & we hiked together for a while the day-before-yesterday. It was really cool to talk to him. He is an ex-heroine addict who now counsels criminals. We had some good conversations about addiction & behavior change. He was a psych major of course.:)

Oh, let me tell you my "Dragon's Tooth" story. There's a good climb up to this cliff thing called Dragon's Tooth, & the climb goes something like this. You see a hill & think it's Dragon's Tooth, & so you say, "ok, just have to make it up there," but when you get to the top, you realize there's another hill. And it kind of goes on & on like that until you think you're never going to get there, & then... there it is. It's like this:
^
^ /
^ / \ /
/ \ / V
^ / V
/ V
/
Sort of.

[Let me emphasize the 'sort of', since I don't know how those slashes will look to you. It should look like little hills, each a little taller than the next. Sort of.;)]

So anyway, I make it to the top... gorgeous views of course. VA is very beautiful. And then I decide it's time to go down. The climb down from Dragon's Tooth is a killer. Jagged-crazy rocks everywhere, & sometimes a huge drop-off just over the edge of the gagged rocks. And to make things worse, I wasn't paying attention & missed a white blaze somewhere, & so I ended up going straight down the side of this thing several yards before I realized I was in the wrong place & had to do some serious rock climbing to get back on the trail, which I was afraid I wasn't going to find. I was not very happy with myself at the time, but I guess now it makes for a good story.:) You should see my legs... scratches everywhere. I got pretty beat up from that. That and all the sticker bushes in VA. Ow.

Oh, & I walked through my first thunderstorm the other day. Naturally, I was on top of a mountain. So it's hailing for a minute, then pouring rain & lightning everywhere, and I'm hiking on a mountain... craziness.

Other than that, pretty much the usual here. Lots of walking. Mr. Starbucks was right when he said VA is kind of a rollercoaster. There's been a lot of ridge-walking with gorgeous views. I've seen some great sunsets, too. And every day, I see more & more green! It's really exciting. I'm so tired of seeing brown.

Ok, I better go. Talk to you soon!

Updates from the Trail V...

2006-04-19T00:55:00.000-04:00

[So I'm skipping a letter, as Kim covered all the cool stuff in her own posts. This is from an Easter card. Enjoy!]

The weather has been fantabulous since the rain stopped on Saturday, & that just makes hiking so much more enjoyable. I've tried out my sandals the past 3 days, & my toes look much better, although the arches of my feet are pretty bad now. I bouth some of that triple antibiotic ointment stuff... I think that will help.

I'm at the post office right now, & they are playing "It's Alright..." which is funny, because I was singing this to myself on the trail the other day. The Huey Lewis version. :)

Anyway, quick trail story before I go. I had to follow my first detour blue-blaze the other day because a bridge was out. Well, I got to the place where the blue-blaze joined the white blazes again, & I was pretty confused as to which way I was supposed to go. I was hot & tired & frustrated, & when I thought I finally figured it out, I saw this amazingly big white cooler sitting on the trail. "No way," I thought. Yep. It was trail magic. I opened it up to find ice-cold apple juice & a laminated weather report for the week. I was so happy. I drank the apple juice in about 2 seconds & check out the weather.

Alright, I'm out of space almost. Thank Christi for the wool & card. She's so thoughtful. [Christi--take note!]

and... Happy Easter!

More ramblings

2006-04-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

Murle, thanks for the phone message. :) And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Justin!! :)

New Addition!

2006-04-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Andrea. Yes. Who's next?? :)

Links

2006-04-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

By the way, here is a link that provides info on different parts of the trail if you are interested: AT stuff

And this is an excellent map of the trail, if you are wanting to keep track of me: Cool map

OK, time to hit the trail soon. Love you all very much.

Pearisburg

2006-04-13T10:39:00.000-04:00

Welllll, here I am again. This is Kim. I'm at the library in Pearisburg, VA. I did 11.7 miles into town yesterday, ate a whole bunch, ran some errands (post office, grocery, etc), and was on my way out of town to do probably another 8-10 miles when some older guy named Ray pulled up and offered me a ride to the trail head. Well, he ended up convincing me to stay at a hostel here in town. I'm so easily persuaded. Let's see....hike up a big ol' hill that I have coming up out of town, or stay over at a place that has a shower and mattresses. haha So, I stayed last night at the "Holy Family Church Hostel," and I made a new friend. His name is Coconut Monkey, and he actually carries a monkey head made of a coconut around with him on the trail. He's pretty great. And then, after about 6 days of not seeing him, Bleach caught up with me. So, Bleach was there last night, too. So it was a good stay.....I'm glad Ray convinced me to stick around Pearisburg.

BUT....now it's the next day, and I should be putting in some miles, but I'm finding it hard to leave. I'm reading emails from peeps, checking up on things, LISTENING TO MUSIC with headphones at the library (ah, Jamie Cullum is just hitting the spot), and I'm really finding myself wanting to be back in Oxford. I miss everyone so much. I miss music. I miss the internet. I want to give Jared and hug and I want to see Spencer wear my pack while he does his homework. There are so many people and small things that I miss....I could make a huge list of them, but I won't right now for the sake of time. I don't know why it's hitting me so hard right now, but regardless, I'm fighting temptations of getting off the trail. I'm realizing I have really deep roots in my relationships, which is good, but it's hard being so far away. *big sigh*

I believe now I am over 640 miles into the trip, which just amazes me. Before yesterday, the last 3 days I averaged about 25 miles a day, and when I am doing that many miles, time just seems to fly. It won't be long and I'll be in the Shanandoahs, which I am really excited about.

The weather has been amazing since the rain on Saturday. Just hoping it stays that way, because it sure makes hiking much more enjoyable.

Well, my time is limited here on the internet at the library, so I better wrap this up. It seems like there is so much to write about, but all I can think about right now is how much I miss home. I'll end with a song that really fits my life right now that I've probably posted on my blog before, but I've been singing it in my head on the trail several different times, and it just seems to go well with where I'm at right now.

"I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for..."

-U2

Do-Rag's Fun Facts

2006-04-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

OK, I figure it must get a little boring reading about the same types of things all the time. So I tried to think of something at least a little more creative to make reading this stuff slightly more interesting. This post is dedicated to Doug and Megan.

Do-Rag's Fun Facts:

1. I now have a trail name. It's Do-Rag.
2. I have completely just over 1/5 of the trail so far.
3. I have fallen down approximately 12 times. The times I have almost fallen is too hard to keep track of. :) Hiking poles have probably saved my life.
4. At a road crossing, I almost walked up on some guy peeing behind a tree. If I had arrived 10 seconds earlier, it would have been disaster.
5. I saw a wild boar. Luckily for me, it was dead (they can be kind of aggressive). It was uuuuugly! Like a hairy pig with tusks. Whew.
6. I am now officially in Virginia for the rest of my life! VA is forever. They say hikers get the "Virginia blues." Eh, I think it'll be fantastic.
7. I had a blister the diameter of a golf ball on my heel.
8. Often, songs run through my head while I am hiking. What's interesting is the types of songs.....instead of singing stuff I listen to all the time, I find that often I am singing songs that my parents listened to when I was younger.....weird.
9. When I go into town, I eat A LOT. Check out my food consumption (recalled to the best of my ability) in one day while staying at Kincora:

-2 packages of oat meal and one package of grits (approx 500 cal)
-4 fruit and cereal bars (approx 760 cal)
-oatmeal square (approx 220 cal)
-dried fruit (approx 150 cal)
-1 large pizza minus 2 pieces that I shared (approx 1100 cal)
-2 servings of pasta and pesto (approx 600 cal)
-salad with stuff on it (approx 200 cal)
-cheese (approx 150 cal)
-apple (approx 100 cal)
-candy bar (approx 230 cal)
-2 pieces of garlic bread with butter (approx 350 cal)
-pint of ice cream (approx 720 cal)
-carrots and dip (approx 250 cal)

Grand total: approx 5100 calories. SWEET! That's called "hiker hunger."

10. The coldest night so far was approximately 16 degrees.
11. Wild turkey hunting season just opened in Tennessee. Ye-haw!
12. My longest hiking day so far has been 29.2 miles.
13. I've taken 5 showers in 4 weeks. *grin* What can I say? I'm out in the woods, ya'll.
14. I saw a suicide bomber mouse in one of the shelters (there are lots of mice in shelters...they climb on your sleeping bag while you sleep). Evidently he was running around the rim of the shelter with his buddy and then fell/jumped off, hit the sleeping plateform, simultaneously I heard a "bump" and a "squeek," and then he disappeared. I hope he's ok. It sounded like a hard bump, and it was a long fall for a mouse.
15. Pooping in the woods is over-rated.
16. A hiker named Salsa always hikes in shorts, even in snow.
17. One night on the trail, I slept in a barn. OK.....so it was a barn converted to a shelter for the trail, but it was still cool. Check it out:

18. I recently spent some time hiking around Watauga Lake, where Glenn proposed to Cathy. :) Here's a pic of me on the dam. It doesn't really give the lake justice, though. The place was gorgeous.

19. I now know what "vitamin W" is because of Pirate.

That's about it for now. I better get off here before I get kicked off. Have a great week! I'll post again when I can.

Small Updates

2006-04-05T10:53:00.000-04:00

This is Kim again. I am at an outfitter in Damascus, Virginia, which means I am now in state 4 of the AT....and I'll be in state #4 for a loooong time. Virginia is forever. But that's cool. I'm looking forward to it.

But anyway, I'm not going to post a whole lot right now, just because I hate taking up time on a public computer when it's the only one, and because I am starving and want to try out this little restaurant before I leave Damascus. :) Just a couple new things since the last letter I wrote Jared. I stayed at the most amazing hostel (not HOSPITAL, Doug and Lacey!! ;) called Kincora, located just outside of Hampton, Tennessee. The guy who runs it just has a passion for the trail and for hikers, and he has unlimited amounts of stories to tell about the people who come through his hostel. He and his wife were just awesome. They only charge $4 a night to stay at their hostel, and it was probably the nicest hostel yet. I've heard from other people who know Bob and Pat that they lose money each year keeping the hostel up and running rather than making money, but they just love it so much that they don't care. While we were there, Pinky (a hiker) fixed us all a pasta and pesto dinner with an amazing salad that had baked tomatoes and yams on it. It was fantastic.

Other than that, I've just been thinking about getting into Damascus, since it's such a milestone on the trail. So, I'm here now! Only had a dusting of snow between Kincora and here, and the night of all the really bad tornados and things you've probably been hearing about, we just had really bad storms, and I was at the hostel that night. :)

Oh, Doug and Megan sent me my food package for the last drop off......and they added stuff to it. I couldn't stop laughing. They put notes and pictures in there for me, some kind of tabloid magazine so I could get "the latest news," movie popcorn, some random picture of people saying "go Kim go," and (here's the best) a one-piece PINK outfit from salvo with all kinds of things written all over it, including a "Kimmy22" license plate drawn on the butt. Check this stuff out:

I'm serious, I didn't know what to do with myself. I just laughed and laughed and laughed. I have such amazing friends. And I've been getting lots of messages from peeps on my phone, which really makes me feel loved. Thanks guys. And, Ian sent me a letter! I was so happy. And of course, Jared's been sending me all kinds of great things along the way. :) I find that when I am out on the trail, a lot of my time is spent thinking about people back home. I'm so glad I'm only going to be gone for a few months. I really miss everyone.

OK, so the post was a little longer than I thought. I better go, because I have a cool post to post after this one really quick. :) Miss you all lots! Thanks for the calls, emails, comments, and letters and packages. Love you all so much.

Updates from the Trail IV...

2006-04-04T12:25:00.000-04:00

[This is a few days old, and has lots of fun stuff in it. Enjoy!]

3-29-2006

It's so nice to be sitting here in the sunshine. The past 4-5 days have been extremely difficult. When I wrote the last letter to you, I think I mentioned 4 inches of snow or something there-about. Well, we hike many miles in snow at least twice as deep as that over the past few days. And if you remember, I wore tennis shoes for this trip. This means I have had wet feet for the past few days..... which means blisters. So my feet have really taken a turn for the worst, and yesterday's 16-mile hike into Erwin almost killed me. Well, not really, but I was definitely in a lot of pain. And then imagine putting these blistered feet into FROZEN shoes in the morning, which I had to do a couple mornings. I really wanted to cry then. lol

Dave (now Bleach) asked me my favorite part of the trip so far. I've decided that one of my favorite parst about the mountains are the balds. I didn't really know what a bald was before I came out here, but I have since learned that they are grassy patches w/ no trees way up in the mountains. Some of them are just huge, and you can see 360 degrees around of just gorgeous mountains. It's breath-taking. If I get around to getting some pictures online, I'll put one up of my favorite bald so far: Max Patch.

[Note: this has been done; check out Kim's picture post!]

So I decided to take a "zero" day here in Erwin. So far it's been wonderful. I came into Erwin yesterday at about 3:30pm after a 16-mile day, checked in to Uncle Johnny's Hostel (which is fantastic, by the way), and relaxed the rest of the evening. Bleach, Bigfoot, Hatteras Jack, & I all went to a pizza place where I got an all-you-can-eat salad bar and pizza sticks. I ate soooo much. And then to top it off, I ate a pint of Moose Tracks ice cream while we all sat in the bunk & watched some hilarious '80s Arnold Swart (however you spell it) movie. LIfe couldn't have been much better. Oh, & we have a fire going in the stove, too. It was just lovely. And so today is my zero day, and I'm just writing letters & hanging out. I hope to make it to the library to use the internet today. I'd love to be hiking in this weather, but I know I need the day off. This means I am staying 2 nights here... but what's really cool is most hostels will offer a work-4-stay, and so one of my nights is paid for because I scrubbed toilets & shower curtains this morning. How about that? I enjoyed doing some work that didn't involve hiking up a huge hill. It felt really good.

Oh, a few things about food that I wanted to tell you. One day when the weather was nasty, Bleach went into Gatlinburg while I toughed it out in a shelter, and I guess that day, in 16 hours, he ate 15,000 calories. Can you imagine? And I know he won't gain a pound. It really is amazing what days in the woods of hiking mountains will do to your body & metabolism.

Well, by the time you get this, I will have hopefully conquered another tough section of the trail: the part that includes Roan Mountain. The trail goes back up over 6000 ft in elevation, and word on the street is that there is about 2-3 feet of snow up there right now. The weather has definitely turned, though, & so I'm hoping most of that is melted off by the time I get there, but I'll have to let you know in the next letter.

Oh, you'll have to tell Christi that I have climbed over quite a few "knobs." She'll appreciate that.

[Christi, please read above. Thank you.;)]

Well, time to go. We are all getting a ride into town to get some chow & be bums at the library.

Kimberly Ann

JOB

2006-03-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, by the way....unrelated to the trail.....thanks to everyone for praying about the job at the theater. I figured I'd give a quick update since I never let you all know how things went over.

That Monday after the Sunday I asked peeps to pray at church, I called Steve and asked him if I could have a couple more weeks to think about the job. He said sure. So....I called him a couple weeks later, which was on a Saturday (since that's when I had access to a pay phone) and so I had to leave a message. I basically did what David suggested. I gave him a $$ figure, I gave him a date when I could start, and that was that. Sort of "well, here's what I want. Take it or leave it." This was about a week and a half ago, and I have yet to hear from Steve. So......I don't really know what to think about all of it. I guess I will assume that his answer, then, is no, and that I can forget about the theater job. But...regardless, if I hear anything, I will try to update my blog and let you know, since this is a big part of my life and will determine a lot about what I do when I return from the trail.

Love you all.

A Few Pics

2006-03-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Bus Station. My first real bus experience. And my wonderful little sis.

The first official blaze on top of Springer Mountain.

My ankle, which happened day 2 of hiking, day 1 of the AT. This picture was taken the day after it happened. Yeah....you just gotta laugh at things like this and say, "I can't believe I did that." :P

Scenery (the guy in the picture, by the way, is Dave (Bleach)).

Max Patch

Friends. :) Can you guess which one is Pirate? How about which two are south-bounders (this means they are almost done with the trail)?

Sprocket doing a fire stick at Standing Bear Hostel.

Saw this a couple days ago. It is, no joke, called.........Big Butt. te he he

A little trail magic yesterday.

Me and Uncle Johnny. I love this place.

It's Me!

2006-03-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

This is actually Kim posting this time, not Jared. A huge thanks to him for taking the time to post stuff for me. He's pretty great. Really great, in fact. :)

Soooooo....wow, it feels like it's been forever since I was sitting back in Oxford, Ohio preparing for this trip. Yet at the same time, the last 330 miles of hiking has seemed to fly by. I am currently at the library in Erwin, Tennessee, taking a "zero" day for the first time because my blisters have become too bad for me to walk. I think a day off will do the trick.....at least I hope so. Yesterday was very painful.

But before I get into the trip......I feel disconnected from everything that's been going on in Oxford and beyond since I've left. I've been reading emails from church, and it just seems that things have been very devastating and crazy.....hard to believe everything that's been going on. I feel sad, I feel selfish. And besides Chad and Mark, my mom informed me that one of my old softball coaches took his life about a week ago by shooting himself. I feel very far removed from all of this, but it makes me wonder where God fits into everything. As you know, I've been struggling with my relationship with God, and that's one reason I wanted to come out and hike the trail in hopes of seeking Him. I am realizing that this is not what I am going to find out here any more than what I could find in Oxford, although I do feel like I am learning a lot of things. It's just different. But I can't run from reality...that I am struggling to see God in things....that I don't understand so many things and why crap happens and how God works sometimes. My deepest sympathies to everyone at home who has had to endure all this hardship and death.......I wish I was there.

Kind of odd to switch from that to the trail, but here I go. It's been a lot of ups and downs out here, both literally and mentally. I think of Glenn every time I think about the "hiker culture" out here just because he always seems so fascinated by cultures and societies and things. It definitely is it's own little world of hiking crazies. I've met some really amazing people, and people hike the trail for so many different reasons. It's just a total change of lifestyle: wearing the same clothes all the time, not taking showers very often, sleeping in tents and shelters, hitting up cool hostels and eating lots and lots of food when in town, seeing some very incredible views, learning how to decrease pack weight (learning how to live more simply, really), "trail magic", hiker festivals, just all kinds of new things for me. It's a lot of fun. Other than that, I don't have a whole lot to write about because Jared has so faithfully been updating my blog, and the letters I send him pretty much sum up everything. I hope to be in Damascus in about 7-8 days I'd say, so that will put me about 4-5 days ahead of schedule I think. Damascus should be cool, too. It's a huge mile marker on the trail.....a really big "trail town." It should be exciting.

So I guess I will leave it at that and start another post with a few pictures so far. Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts and calls and letters. I am so thankful for the community of friends I have. I think one thing I am definitely learning on this trip is how much I take for granted, friends and otherwise. I really have it made in so many ways. Thanks for loving me.

Missing you all.

Updates from the Trail III...

2006-03-27T18:17:00.000-05:00

[Neat stuff... Kimberly Ann is a few days ahead of schedule. How cool is that?!?]

3-24-2006

So I decided to book it and make it into Hot Springs on Friday instead of Saturday. It's a really small, cute town, and I'm writing from a little pub in the middle of town as I sit and sip the first coffee I've had in probably over a week. The lady here is super nice, and the guys sitting at the bar said, "welcome from out of the hills!" when I walked in. it made me laugh. The people at the post office were also very friendly. It's nice that even though I am a stinky, dirty hiker, people still seem really interested to talk to me & be nice. I like that.:)

I didn't get to tell you a whole lot about the Smokies. The elevations in the NP stay mostly beteween 4500-6000+ feet, and so it's generally a big colder there than in the surrounding areas. The Great Smokey NP includes the highest point on the AT: Clingman's Dome. Even though it was snowing & blowing & cold when I hiked to the top, I guess I lucked out getting to go up there at all, because word on the trail is that it got so snowy and bad up there with trees blowing over the trail that they had to shut that part of the trail down until May & are currently working on a blue blaze trail to get around it. This, of course, could just be AT gossip of some sort, but I would imagine it's true. But anyway, the weather in teh Smokies included everything from rain & sleet to snow to sunshine. Probably about half the time I couldn't really see much at all, but when I could see, the views were incredible. There was one spot (Rocky Top) where I sat & read my Bible, and it was just about perfect.:)

It was kind of crazy coming down out of the Smokies, because it was like walking from winter right into spring. Leaving GSNP, there is a large elevation decline, and so the lower I got, the less snow there was, and by the time I made it to the hostel... no snow at all. It was really neat. It's amazing how much the weather can change with elevation.

We had the most delicious dinner [at the hostel]. Sprocket made us all spaghetti with meat sauce that had big chunks of squash & tomatoes & mushrooms in it. It was fabulous. After dinner, I called my mom since she wasn't home earlier, & it was cold, so I sat by the fire while I talked. Well.... this was not a good idea, because then the guys started making fun of me for talking on the phone so much that day. So Sprocket & Smokin' Jeff started calling me "Ma Bell". ... evidently from a Beastie Boys song..... and they said that had to be my trail name. *laugh* I don't know if I'll keep that or not. Regardless, it was pretty funny sitting around the fire trying to talk tomy mom with all these boys crackin' jokes. Oh... and I met 2 really cool guys named SouthPaw & Bemis. They were actually South-bounders.... they hniked all thru the winter and are pretty close to being done with their hike now. They must be crazy to hike south thru the middle of winter, but they sure were neat to talk to. They seemed so laid back and care-free. It was great.

Let's see, what else? When I first started hiking, I was determined to tent about every night I could, but I think my philosophy on needing to tent all the time is changing. last night, I ended up at the same shelter as Dave, & we were the only ones there, & he had heard bad weather was coming, so we stayed in the shelter. Sure enough, when we woke up with morning, there was about 4 inches of snow on the ground. haha. Welcome to the mountains. So today I got to walk about 10 miles or so in the snow before the elevation was low enough to turn into rain.

Anyway, this letter seems to be going on & on..... sorry! I'm going to get going so I can buy a couple items & do a few errands in town here before I head back into the mountains. Hot Springs, by the way, is the first official "trail town." The AT literally goes right thru the middle of it. It's kinda cool. There are even little AT symbols on the sidewalk. Looks like this:

[picture an "A", with a perpendicular line coming down from the crossbar of it, so as to make AT in one letter;)]

Updates from the Trail II...

2006-03-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

[Per a phone conversation, I received permission to post Kim's letters today. They are edited only so as to remove recipient-specific commentary (e.g., I miss you's & so on). Some ellipses, thus, are that sort of thing, and some appear in the original, and no, I don't remember which is which. Sorry!]

3-16-2006

Well, right at this moment, life could not get much better.... I am at the NOC, eating..., lounging in the sun after taking the most wonderful hot shower. Once you spend a few days in the wilderness, showers are worth gold.:)

Let's see. Interesting adventures. hmm. I saw my first snake. It's a little early for snakes yet, so that was kind of exciting. It was just a little one, hanging out right in the middle of the trail. hmmm. What else. Well, there was this amazing climb up to the top of Albert Mountain a couple days ago. I actually had to strap my poles to my arm and use my hands to climb up the rocks. I didn't really expect anything like that until PA, so that was fun. And the view from the top was incredible, of course.

Other exciting things: Trail Magic! This is a term that hikers learn very quickly on the trail. Just to be nice, sometimes people will set up little tables or booths and things and give free food & drinks to hikers, often at a gap where there is road access. Crutch was giving out stuff at Rock Gap a couple days ago, and Apple was at a gap yesterday. You have no idea how amazing it is to run into Trail Magic. I took an apple & an orange from Crutch, since I don't really get fresh fruit out here, and it tasted sooooo delicious! Dave had a bread, mustard, mayo, cheese crackers, and oatmeal pie cookie sandwich. Yep. His hiker hunger has kicked in. It's amzing... hikers will eat just about anything with calories.

Overall, the hike has been about what I expected. Sometimes I wonder what the heck I am doing..... Monday things really started to hit me, and I cried for the first time since the bus ride.

Oh, there was another term I wanted to tell you that Nomad said to me. I don't think I worte it in the last letter (sorry if I did). Nomad looked at me and said "did you do a lot of PUDs today?" Of course, I had no idea what that was, so he said, "you know, Pointless Ups and Downs." I thought that was funny... describes a lot of the trail. hehe

Bravefoot just showed up. Cool.

I just sent home my guitar because it seems it's either too cold or I'm too tired or bashful to play. I did play a couple nights, & that was fun, but it's not worth the 3+ lbs of extra weight right now. I might have my mom send it back later in the summer. I also sent back my cell phone, since I can't get reception anywhere it seems. I can still check messages from pay phones, though...

My ankle is doing pretty well. It's just a little swollen, but now my knee on the same leg is giving me trouble. A guy I met gave me his knee brace, and that in combination with Aleve has been working good enough. So, I'm 133 miles into the trail, headed for the Smokies soon. I'm about 2 days ahead of schedule so far, but it will be hard to get ahead in the Smokies bgecause they require you to camp or stay at the shelters to help preserve the wildlife.

I want to write more, but I am starving for some fresh fruits & veggies, so I'm going to pack up & check out the restaurant down the hill a bit, & then back up into trees & mountains for a few days.

From the mountains of NC,

Kim

Updates from the Trail...

2006-03-22T19:46:00.000-05:00

[Hello, y'all, this is Jared. I've received permission to hijack Kim's blog and post excerpts from her letters. Here are a few from recent letters. I will add new ones as I get them. Cheerio! -jb]

3-9-2006

...onward with my adventures. My bus had a layover in GA, and at the Atlanta bus station I met Dave, who has been hiking on & off with me for the entire hike so far. He's a little younger than Spencer, & he knows a lot more about packing than I do, so he has been very helpful. I've met a lot of other really nice people along the way so far, too. So there is no need to worry. I have plenty of company.

The first day out, I did the approach trail to the top of Springer Mountain, which was approximately 9 miles uphill. It was draining, but not too horrible. I camped in the shelter area, so I made a few friends there. Day 2 was almost 15 miles to Gooch Gap shelter, where I camped again, and day 3 I made it all the way to Neels Gap, which is 16 or 17 miles I think. Neels Gap is the first real place to resupply, do laundry, etc, so I have some clothes in the dryer right now. They were getting pretty smelly. Eww.

Some of the views so far have been pretty spectacular. The best one was probably yesterday at the top of Blood Mountain, which is the highest point on the AT in Georgia. It was extremely windy & cold, & a tough hike, but well worth all of the conditions. It was beautiful.

Let's see. What else? On day 2, the first official day on the trail, I feel twice, and the second fall resulted in turning my ankle. I think I sprained it. You should have seen me. The trail was completely flat dirt, no rocks, no roots... nothing. And somehow I turned my annkle. I was down in no time. Dave turned around and there I was, lying on the ground in pain. I heard a crunch when I went down. But after a couple seconds of mumbling in pain, I said, "well, I just have to walk it off." So I got up and carried on. That was about to days ago, and it's still swollen & bruised pretty bad, but it really only hurts when I touch it & when I'm laying in bed. Hiking doesn't seem to hurt too much anymore. My trail name may become "Walk it off," but we're still working on one. We'll see.

Georgia On My Mind

2006-03-05T06:54:00.000-05:00

Tuesday morning, I will arrive in Gainesville, GA, where I will get a shuttle from Gainesville to Dawsonville, GA, in Amicalola Falls State Park.

Dawsonville weather for Tuesday:

Partly cloudy
High: 60
Low: 37

Pretty dang nice.

Time Well Spent

2006-03-05T06:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Lacey's 16th birthday. Oh my, she's growing up so fast. I went to the Columbus Convention Center to watch her perform in a cheerleading competition. It was part of the "Aaaanold" (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Classic, which is an interesting event in and of itself. Believe it or not, the governor himself actually makes appearances at the convention, and my mom heard him talk today, though there was so many people she couldn't actually see him. Anyway, the actual expo usually consists of a bazillion high school and college age men walking around, all of whom have extremely big muscles that make them look awkward and walk funny, and they all wear shirts that look like they will rip if they move their arms because they are so tight. I had to chuckle to myself. I don't know, maybe some girls like extremely ridiculously large muscles, but I just think they look silly and unnatural. Ewww.

But anyway.....oops, got off topic a bit there.....Lacey performed very well, and afterward, we all drove back to Marion to have dinner with Dad at Steve's Dakota. It was a lovely evening with the Waldo half of the Birch clan, plus Lacey's friend Kristin, and I'm glad I got to go and be with little Lace.

Oh my! I just realized that I never wrote about Friday night! Or Megan's new job! Man, I'm slacking. Friday night was amazing....Jared took me to see the Dave Brubeck Quartet at Millet Hall, but not before fixing me a most delicious salmon dinner. Both were equally lovely. Dave Brubeck is an 85-year-old man who plays jazz piano, and let me tell you, the concert was outstanding. My two favorite things to observe were 1. How Dave Brubeck didn't care about leaning back in his chair when he played....he looked totally relaxed, and would sometimes even prop his foot up near the pedal! and 2. How the sax player, when not playing, would very happily bounce up and down and sway and smile to the music. You could tell he just loved the music, and that made me happy to watch him. By the way, he was AMAZING!!!!!!!

And Megan's new job......she finally, after waiting and waiting and waiting, got the job offer she wanted at the Shriver Center. I wish I could be faithful like her. All along, people have been giving her words of encouragement, and I remember her even receiving words about how changes were coming and to just be patient, and that God was pleased with her where she was. She was patient and didn't give up, and God was faithful. That gives me encouragement, too.

So cool stuff happening in this weekend. Oh, and I'm leaving in a day and a half.

Last Night with my Buddies!

2006-03-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

As most people who read this blog know, majority of my Thursday nights for quite some time have been spent watching movies at the Princess. Over the past few months, it has sort of become a tradition for Megan and me to do the marquee and hang out until all hours of the morning, sometimes watching movies, sometimes making fun of them, and then sometimes running the movies but just not really watching them at all. Well.....tonight was my last night of that with Doug and Megan and everyone......ever. Even if I come back to Oxford and work at the Princess and Megan is still here, Doug will not be. So, with all this considering, we had a blast last night. JB, Spen, Glenn, Josh, and his dad all came, too, and man, we just laughed and laughed and laughed and ate food and laughed some more. I think I watched a total of 5 minutes of a movie. There were much better things to do. And so you have an idea of the better things, here are few pictures from the evening. I will try to explain some of them.

Random pics of peeps last night, including one of Spen impersonating a "Tahiki God" statue.

Doug trying to put a tie on Megan.

Sneaky Megan. :)

Mission Impossible 3 poster before Doug.

Doug running toward Mission Impossible 3 poster.

Mission Impossible 3 poster after Doug.

Successful and moderately successful attempts to slide down the theater isle on leftover MI III cardboard.

Ummmmm.....unsuccessful attempt at sliding down the isle. :)

Doug attempting the stairs.

Doug re-enacting an accidental trip in front of customers.

Doug throwing money. Yeah, I have no idea what he was thinking.

*grin* I love my friends!!!!

The end. Oh....and on other notes, Steve finally called and asked me to take Doug's job. He wants me to start in May. I think I have decided to tell him no. We'll see where it goes from there.

This is Hard

2006-03-01T12:17:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so I woke up this morning after having a not-so-great dream, BUT....I got to talk to Jared for a brief moment, which I don't usually get to do in the mornings :) AND.....I got to go into the kitchen and fix myself some creme brulée coffee from Crown Tower. Amazing. :) I'm still sipping it now, actually.

So, right now I'm kind of in between packing and cleaning and other tasks that I need to get done today (hoping to head to Hamilton to return some borrowed things and also work out and go to Wal-Mart before I meet up with Justin to determine the winner of our bet). But today has been hard.....I've been crying on and off. This is all really starting to hit me. I was looking at pics of people, and I always find random things while I am packing that remind me of people as well. It seems that leaving for 5 months shouldn't be such a big deal, but it is. And on top of that, I am fighting feelings of not being good enough....not being able to measure up.....maybe even feelings of jealousy.

I'm trying not to be a downer, but I feel pretty lousy today. Besides my creme brulée coffee.

Tri Weight Room

2006-03-01T02:19:00.000-05:00

I almost forgot a cool story from today. Someone was using the eliptical machine upstairs in the women's weight room at the tri, so I used the one in the men's weight room. Well, this dude comes in, in his mid-40's, and after a while, he strikes up a conversation. We get to talking, and he's this really sweet man....and he loves Jesus and wasn't afraid to talk about it at all. He talked a little bit about material possessions and how it all doesn't really mean anything to him anymore, and I could just see it in his eye.....his passion for God. It was so refreshing. I think that's the best way I can describe it. Refreshing. Someone to briefly remind me that God still exists, since I seem to need to be reminded every second of the day.

It was funny, too, because once he found out I worked at the theater, he was asking me if I knew this really nice boy who comes in, with curly hair.....really nice boy. But he couldn't think of his name. I thought he meant a customer at the theater, but he meant an employee, so I said "Spencer"? And he said "yeah, yeah, that's it." I laughed as I informed him that Spencer was my brother. And then.....after telling me his name (Bill Lafferty), I asked him if he was a professor or something, because his name was so familiar. It turns out, he owns the car shop where David kept recommending me to take my car. Oh my.....Oxford is such a small place! But it was wonderful. I was able to tell him how David had recommended his place for my car because of great, honest service. And then we were able to talk a little more before I left. It was really nice. I liked him a lot.

OK, that's all. Just wanted to share that story because Bill Lafferty is my new friend and he made me happy today. :)

Stuff

2006-03-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

Well, as my days here in Oxford wear thin, I am realizing more and more that I have a lot of things I want/need to get done before I go. It's a little overwhelming when I think about it, so I try not to. ;) Most important on the list of things to do is hang out with my peeps. Whether I have everything I need for the trail is irrelevant if I haven't had time to hang out with my friends. :) And I've heard several times that Steve is still going to call me about taking the theater job.....Spen and I talked about it tonight....we talked about what it would take to get me to stay. I don't see it happening, and I really don't think Steve will call, though Doug is still convinced that he will.

By the way, today was pretty darn sweet. Christi finally got to meet Waldo, the farm, and the dogs. We drove almost 3 hours from Oxford to Waldo, and then about 2 and a half hours from Waldo to Cinci to be at my house for a grand total of about an hour. Which means between the last two trips I have made home, I've been in my house for about an hour and a half. A little odd.....yes. BUT....today, while we were in Waldo, Christi, Lacey, and I made a very quick trip into downtown Marion to the infamous Crown Tower, and it was as amazing as ever. I really love that place. They roast their coffee beans right in the store, and they have so many flavors. And it doesn't stop at coffee. They have chocolates, jams, wines, teas, crackers, cheese spreads, trinkets......just about anything you can think of that would be in the coolest shop ever. So, I was happy to be back, because it's been a while since I've visited one of my favorite places.

So after Waldo, Christi and I trekked to Cincinnati where we met Jared and Eric for sushi, which was delicious and fun at the same time. I really never have spent enough time hanging with Eric and Christi, which makes me sad, but I'm glad that I was able to tonight. They are two very amazing people. Here's an example of how amazing they really are: they got me blister stuff and a journal for the trail, all wrapped up in cute paper with little notes and things and hemp with beads to tie it off. It was incredible and so thoughtful. Both will be used for sure on the trail, and I can think of them all the time now when I write down my incredibly deep thoughts in my new journal. lol

We played a game at Jared's after dinner, which was also fun, though I found that throughout the evening tonight, I seemed to become more and more quiet and distant. I found myself feeling kind of pouty I guess.....that might be the word for it.....and I didn't like it. I was trying to think about where the feelings were coming from, and I had several theories, which I am not going to list on my blog at this time for the simple reason that I don't feel like sharing my feelings at the moment with an entire population of people. It's nothing horrible, just more stuff I need to work through.

But anyway, overall it was a wonderful evening spent in great company with people whom I love dearly. And I wanted to write more about some other things, but I can feel myself drifting off.....I better get to bed. I am sure I will write more tomorrow when I get time.

2006-02-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

Normally when my mom starts snapping pictures, I get super-annoyed. This time around, though, I was happy for her to get pictures, and I'm soooooo glad she took quite a few of Friday night. These aren't all of them, but a good majority of them are on here, and I just absolutely love some of these pictures of my friends and family. So, Mom, thanks for being persistent and taking pictures for me. I'm very grateful.

Spenny wearing Doug's sweet newspaper boy hat.

The sound board master.

My fans. :)

More pals.

I'm going to miss these girls.

A few pics of the performance.

My dear McKenzie.

And last but not least, my buddy Doug. The theater baked me a cake that had a trail on it with animals and a tent and everything. And they all pitched in to buy me another pair of hiking shoes to ship to myself when the others wear out. :) I feel loved.