Sunday, April 28th

I got up at 9:00, attempting a shower in the tiny bathroom in our motel room. The water was absolutely freezing, so I abandoned that idea. I grabbed $5 and headed across the road B&D's. It was fairly crowded, for a Sunday morning, with old men spooning grits into their mouths like airplane hangars and teenagers scarfing down plates of eggs and hash browns. I took a seat at the counter, sitting on a metal swivel stool, my legs hanging beneath. Tom and Dave walked in before I could order, both sitting next to me. The waitress asked us in a thick Georgian accent what she could get us. I ordered orange juice, bacon, grits, toast, biscuits and two eggs, sunny side up.

Everything was fantastic. This was my first bowl of grits (yeah, I'm a Northern boy) and I was duly impressed. Our biscuits were even replaced with fresh ones before we finished them. I rediscovered using toast to smear egg yolk around the plate and into my mouth. That's my kind of breakfast.

DaveBotanyBoyI went shopping at the only grocery store in town, Ingles. I found pretty much everything I needed, though they'd never heard of pita bread. Everything totaled $43. I only had $30. I sprinted through the aisles and found Botany Boy and Florida Dave. I asked (OK -- begged) them to let me borrow $15. Dave gave me a $50 and everything worked out.

I called the local post office a little later. Despite that it was a Sunday, there was a nice woman working there. (Not to imply that nice people don't work on Sundays. I mean that normally nobody's working on Sundays.) She found a package waiting for me, and told me to come on by the post office, "just come in the back door". So I made my way across town and did just that, finding a cute little girl out back. She ran in to get her mother, who led me through the post office. Now that was pretty neat. I've never before been in the back of a post office! (Please note that it doesn't take much to excite me.) I got my package, which was more equipment from Mountain Hardwear.

Mountain Hardwear, one of my sponsors, supplied me with their Etheral jacket earlier, and they were following up with the Etheral pants. They fit like a glove. (Although they're a little big, and there's only one, and they lack individual spaces for each finger...but they fit nicely on my legs, though!) They are to replace the four-year-old Patagonia rain pants that I have. They were nice, but they're pretty much worn out. Thanks, Mountain Hardwear folk!

I attempted to upload my web page, but the whole darn town had a weird dial tone. My modem refused to believe that I actually had it plugged in. Technology can be a real bummer. I'll be able to offer the prescribed daily-updated web page as soon as Motorola gets around to making more cables to plug in my Motorola cell phone to my Motorola cellmodem. They are the only known manufacturer, and they say that they're all out. As for now, I'm left begging for phone lines from town to town.

I managed to pack up and hitch a ride by 3:00. The 2nd car to pass me gave me a lift. He gave me a ride as far as he could, and I hopped out on 64. As I was getting out of the car, another van pulled over. They offered me a ride. I went as far as they could take me, where I was shuffled over to a Bible-preaching fellow. He gave me a ride all the way to the trail.

I camped near 64, by a river, where Botany Boy and Florida Dave were camped. There were nasty rumors of torrential rain coming our way, so we settled down for a questionable night's sleep.

Song Stuck in my Head Today: Paul Simon, "Renee and George Magrite with Their Dog After the War"

Miles Today: 3.2

Thanks for reading my web page. Please turn the lights off on your way out.

Thank you.

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