Alexandria, VA (USA)

[worked a typical day - at 1700, Evelyn picked me up at the office and we drove to Old Town - we ate dinner at La Tasca - it was a nice time and we were done by 2000 - before driving back to Huntington Metro Station, we went walking (mostly shopping) - I drove her little car (humorous) and then she said goodbye at the station - home by 2130]

Springfield, VA (USA)

[breakfast at the new apartment again - David came over to help me move some furniture (including a TV - finally!) from Nicky's house (not pleasant) - the kids got ready and Brenna drove us (me and Mollie) to Home Depot in Springfield - we had keys made for the new apartment (1305) - we stopped at Nicky's to pick up items the kids said they needed for later in the weekend (uggh!) - Mollie had a birthday party at a water park on Deepford Street (Springboard Pool) - after dropping her off, Brenna and I explored the Trailside Park and stopped for lunch at Kingstowne Center (Panera) - then we headed back to the apartment - the kids relaxed for a little while - I talked to Nicky for a bit (to coordinate Mollie's pickup and request an extension of time with Brenna and Erin so we could go to Mass) - at around 1630, the Twins managed to get ready (it wasn't easy) - we drove to Pohick to attend Mass at St. Raymond of Penafort (1700) - it was a very nice parish - after it was finished, we drove back towards Alexandria and picked up dinner at the new Wegmans (1825) - back at my apartment, they ate the food and we watched movies at my apartment - Erin drove them home around 1900 - I spent some more time unpacking and reading before bed]

Chantilly, VA (USA)

[I went to Giant before the kids woke up and picked up breakfast for them (0950) - it was already raining - once everyone was awake, Brenna drove us to Dulles Town Center (via Fairfax County Parkway, I-66, VA-28) - first, we stopped at Eastern Mountain Sports so I could ask for help with my new reservoir (so it would fit in my two backpacks) - the staff helped a lot - then we drove north to the Mall - it was raining much harder at that point, so it was nice to be inside - we ate lunch at Taco Bell (1325) - after that, we shopped across the street at TJ Maxx (for apartment decorations and supplies) - we then drove to Target to pick up more household goods (1520) - after I was sure we had bought enough to decorate the guest bathroom and had enough kitchen stuff to enteratin, we drove back to Alexndria (via VA-28, I-66, Fairfax County Parkway) - we went grocery shopping at Giant (1630) - once we got home, we opened all our shopping bags and got the apartment ready for guests! - we then cooked dinner for Bob (fish tacos, molassas cookies, pistachio pudding) - when he arrived (with beer!), we showed him around and then had a nice dinner - Bob brought a game called "Seven Wonders" - we all had a great time playing it (Mollie won) - we finished up around 2230 and I cleaned up the kitchen before bed (2330)]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[it was Father's Day and Brenna suggested that we go out for brunch and I told the kids I would come get them around 1100 - they bought me presents! - we went to Fort Belvoir Officers Club (without reservations but we got a table OK) - it was a nice time - the weather was great, so we walked around to see the beautiful Potomac River views - after I dropped them off at the house, I continued to make trips between their house and my apartment, moving furniture - Erin and I had an adventure with the queen size bed (it fell off the roof of the car) - in the end, I got almost everything I had been looking for but had several run-ins with Nicky as the day wore on - finished the day with some clean up of my apartment, feeling "moved in" finally!]

Glen Echo, MD (USA)

[drove to Woodbridge (early) to pick up furniture from Kelly's - she recommended that I join her and the rest of the work crowd at a wine festival and I planned to do that - I went back to my apartment and set up the bunk bed - then I called Nicky and asked her if I could have some more furniture - she has been very resistant to this idea - eventually, though, she relented and said I could get whatever I could carry - I spent the rest of the day driving back and forth with household items - the kids helped me move the couch and some other stuff - they seemed to like my new place - never did end up joining Kelly & Co. (but talked to them on the phone - they had a great time) - after some drama with Nicky, the kids started asking me to drive them around - ultimately, I drove Brenna to the Springfield Mall (to use her gift card), drove Erin to her friend's house in Claremont, picked up Brenna again and then went home - I got a call around 1730 that the Twins wanted me to take them to a birthday party in Glen Echo (MD), so I asked Nicky to drop them off at my new place - this led to more drama, but Brenna and Erin ended up going with me (with a vague threat from Nicky that she wouldn't pick them up) - we had no trouble getting up to Glen Echo but the weather got worse as we drove - by the time we arrived at the parking lot, it was already pouring - we ran to the dance hall (getting soaked) and I met the parents and some of the kids' friends - I then ran back to the car and got even more wet - drove home in the downpour (talking to Nicky on the way) and was happy to reach my apartment - stayed up for a few more hours, just in case the kids needed another ride - bed around 2330]

Falls Church, VA (USA)

[Mollie slept in later today but I was up early - I talked to Nicky on the phone, trying to get her to agree to give me some furniture for my new place (not sure I'll be successful) - finally, Mollie was ready, so we drove to Falls Church (via I-495, US-50, VA-7) - we stopped at Bob's Furniture to do some browsing (I might need new stuff for my new apartment) - we then walked around the plaza and looked in some of the stores (Petsmart, Best Buy, etc.) - we bought a movie ("Book of Life") at 1300 - we ate lunch at Qdoba, across the street - afterwards, we drove back to Alexandria (via VA-7, I-395, I-495) - we stopped so I could get a haircut (1400) - then we drove over to the south side of Huntley Meadows (near US-1) and took a nature walk - it was very hot but we saw lots of wildlife and got some good exercise - I took Mollie back to the apartment one more time so we could pack up after our nice weekend together - dropped her off around 1700 and then drove back to Falls Church to go to Kim's party - everyone asked me about my new place and I got a lot of offers to borrow furniture - feeling a little depressed by the time I got home - this year has been very stressful and I haven't been able to hike as much as I'd like - hope things get better soon...]

Washington, DC (USA)

[up early so the Twins could get ready for their ACT test - we had drama because Brenna could not locate her phone or ID - by the end of it all, just Mollie and I were left at the apartment - I went with Mollie to look at apartments - found one we liked and signed all the paperwork - drove to Navy Federal to get cashier's check for a deposit (1130) - just had to wait for Monday to get the key! - we got ready at Bob's and then drove to Huntington Station - rode the Metro into the city (to Archives/Navy Memorial) - had lots of trouble getting in touch with Erin and Brenna and there was a problem for them to get into the apartment without a key (what a mess) - Mollie and I ate lunch (picnic) after we arrived in DC and then went to watch a production (at the Shakespeare Theatre in Penn Quarter) of "Potted Potter" - the tickets were given to us by one of Mollie's school friends - we finished up around 1600 and headed home on the Metro - I tried to reach the kids again but they wouldn't answer - by the end of the effort, I figured out they were at their mom's house - I told them they had 20 minutes to come join Mollie and I for Mass - by the time the Twins arrived at the apartment, I tried to have a conversation with them about their use of the car and keeping in touch with their parents during these visitation weekends (it ended badly) - ultimately, I only had Mollie by the time we left for Mass - I also had to talk to Nicky for awhile longer (we were looking for Brenna) - the dust settled by the time Mass was over and I ate dinner with Mollie at KFC (1800) - then drove over to St. Bernadette's and parked so we could take a walk on the Accotink Cross Country Trail - we spent more than an hour out there (nice weather) and then drove back to Bob's - we watched TV and movies before heading to bed (2300)]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[in the middle of the work day, I took Metro to Pentagon City and walked over to Pentagon Row to the USAA office to get notary services - stopped at Popeyes in Fashion Centre for lunch - back at the office for the rest of a long day - passed through Vie before I went home but nobody was there (happy hour sure has trailed off recently...]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[worked a long day at the office (not really happy to be back...) - ended up heading to Chevy's for happy hour with Joey (around 1800) - left at 2000]

Wind Gap, PA (USA)

After a few days hiking in no-cell, no-Internet North Country, I found myself back near civilization. Woke up at 0530 and left my hotel, attempting to get in a few miles on AT before the rain hit (I was not successful with the latter goal)... Set up at trailhead at PA-33 and hiked SOBO, uphill and into the monsoon. Saw two through hikers (leading edge of the lead bubble?). After that, though, I made it out to Smith Gap without encountering anyone. The rain stopped and the sun actually came out. I didn't dally at my turnaround point (Smith Gap Road), though (afraid of the return of inclement weather). The walk back was easier (as always) and I saw more people. I assisted in an AT game of telephone (to assist a hiker who'd lost his wallet). Saw some interesting orange salamanders along the way... When I was done, I'd completed nearly 16.5 miles under less than optimal conditions, overcome the demotivating elements, explored the boundaries of my post-surgery limitations and seamlessly integrated into the 2015 AT culture. Finished around 1400 and used PA-33 to get to I-78 in Allentown. Made phone calls for several hours and made pretty good time (via, I-81, PA-581, US-15). Stopped for lunch at Arby's and gas in Dillsburg (PA) at 1530. Drove the rest of the way home (via I-270 and I-495) with some good endorphins racing through my blood (note - some of the good feeling was dampened by a huge traffic jam on the Beltway, exacerbated by weather). Stopped to visit the kids and then attended a parent meeting at their school (1830). Home by 2000 and then unpacked. After a day like today, I keep thinking "bring on the summer!" AT Today = 8.26 miles / Grand Total AT = 435.16 miles.

Potsdam, NY (USA)

[awake at 0700 - ate homemade breakfast at the hotel - insisted on a beer exchange with the owners ("take one, give one") - I checked out and was on road (NY-56) south by 0830 - another hotel guest recommended I drive south of Potsdam to Hannawa Falls - I took the advice and found the Red Sandstone Trail, along the Raquette River - I had a very nice hike: got some hills, climbed some rocks, got great water views - I made it all the way out to Sugar Island without a problem - got some phone calls while on the trail: Brenna (to tell me about a summer school course), Nicky (to inform me she had scheduled events during the next visitation weekend - grrr...) and Eileen ("I have some appointments to view houses - do you want to come?") - by the time I turned around at the end of the trail, I had to race back to car - this was all so I could make it to Potsdam to meet Eileen by 1215 (in case lunch was even possible) - I arrived in time at The Bagelry but after she got there (with Juneau), I learned she had to leave again quickly - we probably were only able to visit for about 30 minutes - at her recommendation, I hung out at the park nearby and ate lunch (sort of a bagel pizza) - while waiting for her to get done with the real estate agents, I finished my book, walked some more and changed clothes - I had hoped to go on a short hike with Eileen around 1530 - unfortunately, I got a text around that time that she needed to reschedule ("we could get together around dinner time for some wine") - by this point, I was walking around at the high school track again and the whole thing had gotten really frustrating - I believed that the game of cat and mouse was not going to end well, so I called her back and said I was going to leave town - we talked for a bit and it seemed like she was trying to make it work, but there was just too much happening - I guess I really messed up to try to force something to happen - defeated, tail between legs, I drove west on US-11, got back to I-81 and then drove south - the weather was very nice and I would have stopped (for a late hike) several times if I hadn't already started thinking about logging some AT miles in the morning... - got gas in Liverpool (NY) at 1830 - also picked up dinner at McDonalds for the road (1835) - continued to Scranton and changed to I-84, then I-380 - talked to the kids (and Nicky) all the way - it was really dark as I finished my drive through the Poconos - finally made it to I-80 (east) and then took PA-33 south until I found a hotel in Wind Gap (PA) that was listed in the AT Hiker Guide (Travel Inn) - I checked into my room (2130) and made one more call to Eileen - after that, went to bed almost immediately (2300) - the day didn't turn out well (hopefully tomorrow will)]

Potsdam, NY (USA)

[woke up around 0700 - I packed and planned for a hike at Loon Lake (southeast of town) - drove back west on US-11 to get breakfast (McDonalds at 0835), and then a little bit farther (to Brushton) to get gas (0900) - I was just about to head south into ADK when Eileen called and said there was a chance for us to get together - after talking for awhile, I drove all the way back to Potsdam - I found her close to the Village Diner and we walked around town for about an hour, doing errands - at this point, she told me she would probably be too busy to do anything else until Sunday - I was not happy and told her I didn't know if I would still be in town by then... - I drove south (via NY-56), without a plan, until I reached Higley Flow State Park (1200) - decided to stay there for several hours - it turned out to be a good idea: there were almost 14 miles of cross country skiing trails that were good for hiking - at the end of the day, when I was tired and ready to call it an afternoon, I encountered a band playing along the lake front - people were singing, karaoke-style, and others were swimming in the river - the sun felt great and there was a pleasant breeze - I heard lots of French-speaking tourists - perhaps the worst part of the day, though, was when my cell phone picked up several frantic voicemails from Alexandria - I didn't even have the heart to respond to those for several more hours - I also got one from Eileen, telling me she wanted to make things work before I left town - I ended up texting with her and then made a phone call in which we figured out (again) that she couldn't meet until Sunday (for lunch) - I still wasn't sure I should stay (thinking that maybe I should go home) - I was torn for several hours - the final decision came only after I talked to Nicky - I figured out that everything was OK, so I decided to stay in the area - drove back to Potsdam - my hike hadn't been as long as I wanted, so I walked around the track at the high school to get in some more miles - later, I started looking for a hotel (most too expensive or no vacancy) - decided I'd need to leave Potsdam and made a rough plan to go to Masena - I picked up takeout at A1 Oriental Kitchen (1830) and then drove north on NY-56 - I stumbled across a small motel on the edge of Potsdam (Northern Family Hotel) and stopped to see if they had vacancy - ended up getting the last available room (1850) - watched the running of the Belmont Stakes - witnessed "American Pharaoh" win the Triple Crown!!!) with all the guests - drank a free beer (from the hotel stash - all left behind by previous guests!) while I read my book out on the huge lawn in front of the hotel - the weather was even better in the evening (late sunset, clear, great temperatures) - there were two fire pits that nearly every guest was clustered around - a group of Canadians (from Cornwall) invited me to join them around 2030 and I ended up spending nearly three hours with them, talking about sports, politics, weather, travel, etc. - it was all great - by the time the fire died down, I realized the temperatures were in the 30s (!!!) and that I should get in my hotel room to get warm again - fell asleep easily (2345)]

Malone, NY (USA)

[planned a four day hiking trip up north - woke up at 0630 (although this was later than I wanted to leave) - as I was finished packing, I received a call from Nicky at 0700 - Brenna wanted me to come get her, so I drove over to their house (0730) - I talked to Brenna for a bit before dropping her off for school (0800) and got gas for the road - drove over to at JiffyLube for a 200K mile (wow!) check on the Explorer - picked up breakfast at McDonalds (0835) while I waited - finished all the service by 0945 and got on the road - by the time I left DC, though, I had already begun to wonder if my plan to hike on AT in NJ, NY and CT was what I really wanted to do... - I continued north (via I-495, I-270, US-15) and stopped at Fort Detrick and bought some adult beverages at the Exchange - I made several phone calls as I drove (work, home, etc.) - the ride north (PA-581, I-81) was OK but I encountered lots of traffic throughout the day and some inclement weather - played phone tag with Eileen for several hours and eventually asked her if we could meet up this weekend - she told me she might be able to do it and would call me back - I continued north, awaiting her decision for several hours - stopped for gas in Great Bend (PA) at 1500 (probably the third time I've used this same service station) - I didn't want to turn east until I knew for sure what would happen, so I kept going, reaching Watertown without any guidance from Eileen - I decided to stop at Fort Drum and bought some clothing at the Exchange (1755) - still no answer on the weekend plans, but figured I was "in for a penny, in for a pound", so I continued east on US-11 - was going to stop at a street party in Canton but it started to pour - stopped instead at Walmart - sent my last text and voicemail to Eileen, apologizing for trying to make something happen so short notice - by the time I drove into Potsdam, I had no plans and no contact and gave up any chance of seeing her - I was tired already, so I tried to find a place to stay nearby - I firts attempted to use my gift card for a hotel on the west side of town (it didn't work) - at that point, I decided to head east on US-11 again (thinking that maybe I could hike in Vermont in the morning) - I quickly lost cell signal, it got darker, rain continued - eventually got tired of driving and began to regret my efforts to get up to the North Country when there was no chance to see her - obviously, my weekend wasn't going to work out as I hoped - decided to stay in Malone for the night and got a room at the Four Seasons Motel (2045) - I went to sleep around 2200 - woke up a bit later when Eileen started texting - she eventually called me and we tried to make plans for the rest of the weekend - we'll see what happens...]