April 2008 Archives

1. I have completed 8 miles hikes every weekend for two months. 2. I have not met the same group twice; there have been a few people I have seen twice/three times, but the faces keep changing. 3. If different people keep showing up I will eventually meet someone I know. Today I met a friend of a friend. 4. I appear to be a power hiker, as opposed to a slowpoke like two thirds of today's group. I may be more ready for a real backpacking trip; I have finally found shoes that do not make me limp after 8 miles.

I have been organizing my books to sell them. To pay for backpacking gear. Good grief. The next thing you know, day will be night, and we'll start wearing hats on our feet. The incurable book-hoarding bookworm is selling books! But the internet is powerful and I've just ordered more gear and GOOD GOD SOMEONE STAGE AN INTERVENTION. I ordered a backpacking UMBRELLA. . . . . Well. Actually it makes more sense than it seems. The Chrome Dome is for keeping off the sun. I wore 50 SPF on an 8 mile hike yesterday and next thing you know, sunburn. Especially on my knuckles, of all places. I slathered it on at least three times over 5 hours. So, a metallicized umbrella.

I ran across this webcomic in my wanderings... it's all rather geeky and agnostic, but this one in particular caught my eye. Do you see why?

I must be Murphy's girlfriend. I pay annual webhosting, their server goes down and mySQL stays down longer than the server, so visitors get a lovely 'database unavailable' for 24 hours. Siiiiiigh. At least it's Friday. I wonder if I have any beer left? I need one.

I ... worked on fic today. gasssssp I think I may get one done.... Maybe it's all the hiking and thinking.

The adventure of the tick bite, post-ER trip. Last night - pink, blotchy, warm to the touch, swollen area around the original bite. This morning - angry red area, bigger, more blotchy stuff. Fever of 102F. Around noon - you don't want to know, probably. The urgent care doc shot me full of some antibiotic and gave me a scrip for that stuff they use for Lyme disease, which is a tetracycline type horse pill. Feeling somewhat flu-ish. Thank Dog it's Friday tomorrow.

I went backpacking in Big Sur. Things I did that were fun: hiked through wildflowers and greenery camped alongside the river enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine and scenery Things I did that were not fun: taking a long detour due to road construction that resulted in being late to the trailhead and needing to cover 10 miles before nightfall. run out of charge in the camera battery nearly fall in the ice cold river while wading across with a 27 lb pack burn my dinner in the pan tip over my lit backpacking stove and catch the forest floor on fire sleep part of the 34F night, but not all nearly roll down a cliff trying to step over a fallen tree with 27 lbs of dead weight throwing me off balance hike back out with blisters and sore hips from the hip belt of the new pack go to ER to get a tick cut out of my leg when it became obvious I couldn't ever do it myself the uncertainty of whether I still had insurance or not - hate switching jobs and not knowing At least I know what to do next time. Coat my clothes with permethrin.