Day 109- A Glorious Zero Day

Aug 19, 2016

0 Miles Hiked 

I have been looking forward to this zero day for hundreds of miles. It is my reward for all of the hard work I have done lately. I turned off the alarms on my watch before going to sleep last night. I wanted to sleep in as late as possible. I woke up around six o'clock, but I went right back to sleep. I didn't get up again until nine o'clock. I felt well rested for the first time in a long time. I decided to skip the continental breakfast at the motel. Instead I went back to the Morning Glory Cafe. I wanted to try one of their famous waffles. Just like yesterday they were packed. While I was waiting for my table The Optimist texted me to see what I was up to. I invited him to join me for breakfast. As I was waiting for him to arrive I was seated at my table. I decided to order an adult beverage while I waited for The Optimist. Since I had a Bloody Mary yesterday I decided to mix things up today. I ordered a Creamsicle, vodka, fresh orange juice, grand mariner, and fresh cream. It was a delicious treat. The Optimist arrived shortly after my drink. We had a very nice breakfast together. The bacon waffles were to die for. 

I didn't get all of my town chores done yesterday. I still had to go to the post office so I could mail a few things home. I have collected quite a few rocks over the last couple hundred miles. I consider myself a light weight hiker and I can't continue carrying these rocks. They weigh a few ounces at least. I also sent home my beanie, since I picked up a better one in Tahoe. I can't stand wearing my hiking pants anymore. I only use them as bug protection in camp. I've lost so much weight that they just won't stay on. I have ordered a new pair from Amazon, but I won't get those for s few hundred miles. Hopefully I won't regret sending home the old pants before receiving the new pair. The line at the post office was ridiculously long. It took me over an hour to send my package home. 

My next stop was the Food Coop. I was searching for a new container to store my bleach in. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything that would work better than what I already use. I keep my bleach in an old Aqua Mira container. It gets the job done, but has a slight leak. I found a tampon in the hiker box and cut it in half. I added that to the ziplock bag I keep the bleach in. I'm pretty sure that will soak up the tiny bit of bleach that drips out. 

I was planning on going to Starbucks to hang out and use their wifi, but on my way there I ran into IRobot, Skippy, and Smiles. Smiles is from the Ashland area and is visiting her grandparents in Medford. Her grandmother was driving her around town while everyone did their errands. She offered me a ride back to the motel. I was so happy to not have to wait for the bus I decided to skip Starbucks. Thanks for the ride, Grandma Smiles. I really appreciated not having to sit around in the heat(it was 108 degrees) waiting for the bus. 

I stayed in my room for the rest of the night. I sorted and repackaged my food. I made a plan for my mail drops for all of Oregon. Then I called my executive assistant(dad) to go over the resupply plan. I talked to my Aunt Liz for almost an hour. It was nice to catch up with her. Then I ran a hot bath and added some spearmint and menthol Epsom salts. While I soaked my aching muscles and feet, I chatted with my best friend, Alie. We haven't talked on the phone since I was in Bishop, which was way too long ago. She filled me in on everything that has been going on since I've been away. 

All in all it was a relaxing afternoon and evening, but I still didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted/needed to get done. I ordered a pizza for dinner and watched the Olympics again. I managed to get a few blog posts written. I had hoped to respond to everyone's comments, but I ran out of time. I was up until after midnight downloading new music to listen to. I did a better job on this town stop than usual. I got most of my tasks accomplished and I managed to find a little bit of time for myself too. 

A few of my favorite pictures:

Mirror image

Typical ridgeline view

Light and Dark side

Desert view

Aloha Lake 

Shasta sunset

"Those who make compassion an essential part of their lives find the joy of life. Kindness deepens the spirit and produces rewards that cannot be completely explained in words. It is an experience more powerful than words. To become acquainted with kindness one must be prepared to learn new things and feel new feelings. Kindness is more than a philosophy of the mind. It is a philosophy of the spirit."

- Robert J. Furey, Author