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)]