My passport just got here!!! 7 DAYS!! Whohooo!! The schmuck at the post office DID know what he was talking about.... Heh heh. Can’t believe that. I was sweatin’ that one.
I also bought my pack yesterday! My new baby is a blue and gray Kelty Coyote 4500W, 73L rucksack with detachable hip-pack top and integrated Camelback hydration capability. Her name is Sally. She’s sweeeeeeet. The adjustability of this thing is just sick. I showed it to my friend Keith, and he looked like he didn’t want to talk to me anymore afterwards. Lol...luvyu, Keeeeith. ;-)
In light of new intelligence that refugio availability is NOT a guarantee ANYWHERE in July and August, I also bought an accordion-style-eggshell-sleeping-mat thingy...which I’m now considering taking back. I don’t want to have to carry it on the plane, I don’t trust it to survive checking, I’m not sure the accordion-style was better than the roll-up kind, and when I really think about it, it might be the kind of thing I’m better off buying once I get there anyway. Sooo...it might be going back to REI, along with the socks that have the top band coming undone, grrr. Not cool. Especially since REI is a HIKE up into Fairfax and always involves at least three or four U-turns till I find it. Not that anyone’s surprised by that. ‘Cause I’m SOOO good with directions. Good luck finding the Atlantic, four weeks from leaving the Pyrenees, Christine. Yyyyyeah. Anyway...moving on....
What’s kind of silly is that I’m almost more excited about this blue paisley head-wrap thing I got yesterday than about my pack. It’s pretty badass. I also got a 1L Camelback bladder and already loaded it into the pack. Haven’t tried the pack at weight yet. The guy at REI claimed he loaded it with 20 lbs yesterday before he told me to huff it around the shop for ten or twenty minutes. When I got back and asked to try another pack, my dad watched him unload the weight and said it was more like 30, which I REALLY hope is true because that damn thing was HEAVY!!! I really want to get my stuff together and load this puppy up to see what it’s really gonna be like. Walks from now on have to include the pack. With a load. And the Camelback filled.
My anguish over my impending chop-off on Friday continues to grow. I’m going back and forth on it so much. Half of me can’t WAIT to get the weight and the hassle of this mop of mine off my head...the other half keeps listening to boys begging me to leave it alone. Wish I could cut it off for the summer and have it back by the fall.... Oh well. Life is hard.
Clothing continues to be a quandary. If anyone can locate those Sonoma zip-offs in 32x34, you will be my hero....
In case anyone cares, and really, for my own records, here’s the tally so far:
- Plane tix: $1140
- Trip Insurance: $38
- Boots: $150
- 4 pairs hiking socks, 3 pairs liner socks: $76
- Passport: $75
- Pack: $155
- Sleeping mat, head thingie, straps, REI membership: $80
- Camelback:$30
- Clothes: $70 so far, but probably returning them...becoming convinced that what I already own is good enough.
Oh...and no-go on the couple living in the house (and paying rent) while I’m gone. Good thing God saw fit to get Mell and Billy kicked out of their place, so guess they can watch the house while I'm gone.... heh heh, thanks, guys....
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